LL Cool J Sets The Record Straight On His Alleged Beef With JAY-Z

JAY-Z is an elder statesman of rap. He’s arguably the most respected emcee of all time. That said, LL Cool J is one of the few people who can lay claim to having more longevity. He was a megastar a decade before Hov released his first album. The two men have encountered each other several times over the years, but there always seems to be underlying tension. There’s stories about rap battles in New York, and subliminal disses dating back to 1996. LL Cool J decided to clarify how he feels about Hov, though, during a recent interview.

LL Cool J has been on the press grind in preparation for his new album, and he sat with Charlamagne tha God to discuss his legacy. Naturally, JAY-Z came up. The rapper recounted an incident where he was at a club and was approached by a group of up-and-comers. The group, led by Sauce Money, started spitting bars at LL, who was already an established superstar. LL’s status is worth noting, because according to him, he didn’t have many rhymes saved up for a battle. “When I ain’t had a deal,” he explained. “I had a suitcase of rhymes. Now I’m albums in…” JAY-Z took over for Sauce Money, at which point LL Cool J admits he’d emptied his lyrical tank. “Jay came up rapping. I was out of rhymes, b,” he admitted.

The rapper asserted that the timing was unfortunate, but that by no means did JAY get him. “Did I run out of rhymes? Was I finished rapping? Abso-f*cking-lutely,” he recalled. “Was it their peanut gallery? Absolutely. But do you really wanna get into some of that sh*t with LL? You really want that?” LL Cool J also cleared up the rumor that his classic single “Loungin’ (Who Do Ya Luv)” had subliminal disses for Hov. His argument against the theory is that JAY-Z was just starting his career, and had barely proven himself as a viable artist. “What could I possibly want from him in 1996,” he logically noted. “What do I want with him?”

While nobody would accuse LL and JAY-Z of being best friends, the two artists have expressed admiration for each other in the past. In 2020, the latter told Hip-Hop Wired that LL Cool J was one of the first rappers to prove that longevity was attainable. “We’ve seen people like LL have longevity,” he noted. “And we respect the heritage of what he’s done.” The fact that both artists are still around, and still relevant, is a testament to their talents.