LL Cool J: Four Decades of Relevance

Trevor Noah (0:02)

The name, Ladies Love Cool James, that was just wishful thinking, man.

Todd Smith (0:06)

I just wanted them to love me, bro.

Eugene (0:08)

I told you.

Trevor Noah (0:09)

Is it true that Michael Jackson told you that he was inspired by your bad to make his bad?

Todd Smith (0:14)

Yeah, well, he didn't say that, but, you know, that was the vibe. That was the vibe that we got from Quincy Jones. Yeah. I mean, think about a gray cigar. You look at my career, imagine if I put the energy in the other way. The world would not be, you know, at least New York would have been a very different place. Saying I need love in front of a bunch of men who are afraid to say I need love, and you're not afraid to say it, is the most fearless and courageous thing, right?

You know, because, like, my thing was, I could say I need love because I'm not scared of you.

Trevor Noah (0:50)

This is What Now with Trevor Noah.

Man, there are a few people that have more of an illustrious career than you. You know what's actually interesting is, it actually makes it a little intimidating, because... You, as a human being, are interesting enough. You know what I'm saying?

Todd Smith (1:15)

Thank you for that.

Trevor Noah (1:16)

Like, that's like the biggest reason I'd want to hang out with you, and we want to hang with you and talk to you and, you know, just like figure out how you You think... why you think, get inspired, break things down together.

But the body of work that comes with it, you're like, man, do not take for granted.

It's like one of the only artists to have, like, back-to-back, multi-platinum selling albums. You know, like you have somebody who has defined a genre. That to me still like blows my mind, and we'll talk about, but like defined a genre. You know what I mean? Not even a pioneer, not like, oh yeah, no, no, no, no. Defined something. And then has gone on to redefine every single element of what they do, where they do it, how they do it.

Todd Smith (2:00)

Thank you, man.

Trevor Noah (2:01)

He's just like, damn.

Eugene (2:02)

Yeah.

Trevor Noah (2:03)

LL Cool J.

Eugene (2:04)

The other thing that he's defined very well, you defied it, eh? Defied it was age.

Todd Smith (2:09)

Oh.

Eugene (2:10)

You were like, that thing is not coming to my house.

SPEAKER_4 (2:14)

Stay away, please. In the window with the sniper rifle, like, get back.

SPEAKER_5 (2:19)

Nah.

Todd Smith (2:22)

Yo, you know what, we do the best we can, right?

SPEAKER_4 (2:25)

You know what I mean?

Todd Smith (2:26)

Just stay in the gym and hope for the fingers crossed, bro. That's all we could do, right?

Eugene (2:32)

You've just beat that guy.

Todd Smith (2:34)

Well, from your mouth to God's ears.

Eugene (2:36)

No, 100%. So I was thinking before we came here, I was like, okay, you know, like if someone is in the army, they become a general.

Trevor Noah (2:43)

Yeah.

Eugene (2:43)

You have to call them general forever.

They're president forever. So with you, is it LL Cool J, or is it Cool, or is it J? Or is it LL?

Trevor Noah (2:56)

And actually, who gets to call you Todd?

Eugene (2:58)

There we go.

Todd Smith (2:59)

That's funny. So, you know, actually, you know, whenever I'm on set or, you know, just in like around situations like this, I like people to call me Todd, because sometimes I feel like when I know people, if they call me LL, I feel like, you know, like I'm pulling out my Wikipedia for them or something. It's like, you know, so Todd is like, like if we're at a conference or we're hanging out, I prefer you call me Todd.

Eugene (3:21)

Yes. Right.

Todd Smith (3:24)

I don't really, honestly, I don't really take, I take the art seriously, but I don't really look at accolades and I don't walk around with those stripes like that. Like I don't think about that. I don't spend my life thinking about that. I'm thinking about what we could do great, what we can, where we can have some fun, what we can create, you know, where we could create some magic, you know, what we're doing wrong, that we can get better at. You know what I mean? I think about things that way. I don't really, just like you, you're very successful. You know, you just don't go around thinking about your accomplishments. You think about what's next and what you could do, at least for me.