LL Cool J’s been teasing his comeback album for quite a while, and now we finally have a stronger idea of how it will shape up. Moreover, he recently announced his first full-length project in over a decade, The FORCE (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy), set for a September 6 release date through Def Jam Recordings and Virgin Music Group. Q-Tip handled a bulk of the production, and with 14 tracks and some big features, the “Passion” MC is gearing up for a pretty impactful and compelling drop. The aforementioned track is our second single from the project, following the Rick Ross and Fat Joe-assisted “Saturday Night Special.”
Furthermore, other featured guests on this LL Cool J album consist of Snoop Dogg, Sona Jobarteh, Saweetie, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Eminem, Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito. “[I was] going back to the drawing board and learning how to rap again,” LL remarked about The FORCE‘s process to the Associated Press. The LeBrons, the Stephs, the Jordans and the Kobes, they all go back to the drawing board, they always try to make themselves better. I wasn’t trying to do trendy, and I wasn’t trying to recapture anything I did before.”
LL Cool J’s New The FORCE Single “Passion”: Watch The Music Video
“When it was done, I listened to it,” LL Cool J previously said on The Breakfast Club about a scrapped version of this album that he recorded with 50 Cent, which was one of many abandoned ideas that eventually led to The FORCE. “I’m like, ‘It sounds good. I like the music, it sounds cool, but it ain’t me.’ So, I ain’t put it out.” Regardless, fans are excited to finally hear this record in full, including the Eminem collab that had previously leaked onto the Internet. Check out the full tracklist below and join us in eagerly counting down the days until September 6 is here.
Tracklist
1. Spirit Of Cyrus ft. Snoop Dogg
2. The FORCE
3. Saturday Night Special ft. Rick Ross & Fat Joe
4. Black Code Suite ft. Sona Jobarteh
5. Passion
6. Proclivities ft. Saweetie
7. Post Modern
8. 30 Decembers
9. Runnit Back
10. Huey In Da Chair ft. Busta Rhymes
11. Basquiat Energy
12. Praise Him ft. Nas
13. Murdergram Deux ft. Eminem
14. The Vow ft. Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D. & Don Pablito
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output.
Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond.
Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C.
His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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