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LL Cool J Taps J. Cole, Raekwon, T.I. & More For ‘G.O.A.T. 2’; Says LP Is “For The Gutter”

blame it on Shake October 6, 2014
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As you may or may not know, LL Cool J is gearing up to release G.O.A.T. 2, the official follow-up to Meka’s favorite LL album from the top of the millennium. While the majority of his albums since then have been a melting pot of whatever’s hot at the time, mixed with Cool James’ knack for making music catered to the ladies, G2 is said to be “for the gutter” and 85% of it will be for people who enjoy hard hip hop.

During a discussion with XXL about his longevity and Def Jam’s 30th anniversary, LL gave more insight on his upcoming album’s sound. Revealing that he’s enlisted J. Cole, T.I., Raekwon, Maino, Uncle Murda and more.

“The concept behind the album was to give upcoming artists an opportunity to shine and to put myself in the position where I have to spit bars with some of the hardest rhymers in the game. It’s people I really respect lyrically; people I think are amazing on the mic. Loaded Lux is on the album along with Murda Mook, Raekwon, Uncle Murda, Maino, Mavado and J. Cole. It’s a lot of different people that I think got bars. I also have some big dogs on the album like T.I. I have Fred The Godson on the album.

I wanted to really embrace where I’m from and embrace my community, embrace my hood and give these guys a platform and an opportunity to shine while I do my thing. Plus, they inspire me. They inspire me to want to have some fun and get busy. Show me what I do. For me it just makes the whole project more exciting. We just doing music for the culture.

I have science project albums where I get in a vacuum and do whatever I want to, creatively. It’s the equivalent of doing an impressionist painting. Either you love it or you hate it. Then sometimes I do something more culturally relevant and clear and easy to understand which would be more like a Rembrandt. That’s what I did with this album.

This album is more culturally clear and defined. It’s for the street. 85 percent of the album is for people who like hard hip-hop. It’s not one of my love albums. It’s not a softer album. It’s an album for the gutter. It’s an album for people who like bars and beats. But it’s current and its relevant to now. I always tell people, “Sometimes you gotta take your 1995 high school ring off.” It ain’t for then. It’s for now. It don’t sound like then, it sounds like now. Yes, it’s a harder edged, more aggressive album, without question.”

Based off the previous leaks (“The Hustler” with Mavado and “I’m Nice” with Raekwon, Murda Mook & Ron Browz), and LL’s description, are y’all looking forward to G2 or nah?

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