LL COOL J Reveals the Reason Behind His 10-Year Music Hiatus—And Why The Force Is Worth the Wait

The king of crowd rockers is finally back (but don’t call it a comeback). LL COOL J has always been a force in pop culture, and now he’s set to elevate hip-hop culture with his 14th studio album, The Force. The album, out September 6, marks the rapper’s first studio album in over a decade, following his 2013 release, Authentic. With a career spanning 40 years, this album is a milestone for both LL COOL J and the iconic label. “I called that [Def Jam] phone number every day for a week and a half,” he recounted. “That demo led to the creation of Def Jam. Now, 40 years later, here I am putting out this record on Def Jam again.” As the label’s first signed artist at just 16 years old, LL COOL J’s dedication to his craft is clear in his approach to this album. After deliberately stepping away from music to focus on his acting career and other endeavors, he wanted to make sure his return was marked by a project that truly reflected his artistic vision. “I didn’t want to cheat the fans,” he noted. “I wanted them to have a real LL COOL J album.”...