Chasing viral fame may help rappers gain attention, but LL Cool J believes the industry’s growing fixation on numbers is taking away from the music itself. The Hip Hop veteran is urging artists to focus less on clicks and more on creating songs that genuinely resonate with listeners, even if the recognition takes time to come.
During an Oct. 16 appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, LL discussed how streaming numbers and social media engagement have shaped the way artists and record labels approach music. While acknowledging the talent emerging from today’s Hip Hop scene, he raised concerns about an industry where “data was running the show.”
He also argued that artists can become so preoccupied with making music suitable for social media captions or viral clips that they lose sight of what makes a song truly memorable. Although millions of views may look impressive, those figures don’t necessarily reflect whether listeners have formed a genuine connection with the music.
LL Cool J compared the situation to professional basketball, pointing out that statistics alone cannot capture everything a player brings to a team. In the same way, he believes an artist’s worth shouldn’t be measured solely by streaming numbers or online engagement.
LL Cool J also encouraged rappers to understand that good music doesn’t always receive instant recognition. Acknowledging how frustrating it can be when a song fails to gain traction, he urged artists to focus on building a dedicated fan base instead of constantly chasing the latest trends.
“Make another good song,” he advised.
His comments also draw from his own experience of returning to music after an extended break. While working on his 2024 album, The FORCE, LL admitted that his initial songwriting efforts fell short of his expectations. Rather than settling for material he wasn’t happy with, he brought in Q-Tip and pushed himself to improve.
In a 2024 interview with the Associated Press, LL described the process as essentially learning how to rap all over again, despite spending decades building a reputation as one of Hip Hop’s most recognizable voices.
“I wasn’t trying to do trendy, and I wasn’t trying to recapture anything I did before,” he explained.
That experience adds context to his latest advice. Despite having a career that stretches back to the 1980s, LL Cool J still had to evaluate his own work critically and put in extra effort to meet his standards. He eventually entrusted Q-Tip with producing the entire album, opting to approach the project differently rather than depend on his established reputation to carry the music.
