LL Cool J Declares Himself the 'Most Important Rapper That Ever Existed': 'One Day People Are Going to Wake Up'

"I've done so much for the culture, it's almost unfathomable," said the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member in a new interview

• LL Cool J feels people will look back on him as "the most important rapper that ever existed"

• He made the claim during an interview on Apple Music's Le Code with host Mehdi Maïzi

• "I've done so much for the culture, it's almost unfathomable," said the Grammy winner
  

LL Cool J is giving himself his props.

On Friday, Nov. 29, the "Going Back to Cali" rapper, 56, appeared on Apple Music's Le Code with host Mehdi Maïzi, where he talked about his many contributions to rap and hip-hop culture.

"I’m [going to] say this humbly, but I really mean this," he began. "I think one day people are going to wake up and realize that LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed. I truly believe one day people are going to say that."

“They’re gonna look and say, ‘Wow, when it comes to the jewelry, this is the guy that introduced all the diamonds, and the ice and the jewelry and the champagne.” LL Cool J continued, “They’re gonna say when it comes to the love songs, they’re gonna say, ‘This is the guy that introduced the love songs and all the love s---.’”

“When it comes to the bad boy vibe, they’re gonna realize that this is the guy who introduced all the rebellious, bad boy vibes before it was done. When it comes to the G.O.A.T terminology, they gon’ say, ‘This is the guy who came up with all the G.O.A.T stuff,’" the Grammy winner noted. "I could go on and on and on."

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LL Cool J is one of the people credited with originating the popular term G.O.A.T., or "greatest of all time," with the release of his 2000 album of the same name.

While he may have coined the acronym, he admitted, the phrase is an homage to Muhammad Ali, known as "the greatest" during his boxing career, as well as Harlem basketball player Earl Manigault.

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"They’re gonna say when it comes to Fubu, ‘Yo, this guy introduced the whole idea of putting clothing lines. Even before that, he did Troop.' When it comes to endorsements, ‘Oh, this is the guy who did Kangol and made the Kangol popular before people even did that,'" he said.

"When they talk about television, they gon’ say, ‘Oh, this is the guy who did incredible stuff on TV and at the same time was still making incredible records,’" The FORCE artist continued. "It wasn’t just doing TV and using rap as a launch pad. When it comes to business… I could go on and on and on and on."

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In addition to making music, LL Cool J, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, has starred in numerous TV shows and movies, including NCIS: Los Angeles, Last Holiday and Deep Blue Sea.

He's also written four books, including autobiography I Make My Own Rules, and founded his own music label, P.O.G., which stands for Power of God.

"I've done so much for the culture, it's almost unfathomable," the emcee, who signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, told Maïzi.

"Every artist that you can name, the biggest billionaire artists were launched on the label that I launched on," continued LL Cool J. "I'm saying this with love, I'm not trying to be funny-style, I'm not trying to be arrogant, I really sincerely...when I look at the epicenter of what it really is...it's almost unfathomable."