A major contributer to the Rap game. But no way has LL's style of music influenced any style of Rock or Pop music. "I Need Love" was one of the first Rap ballads. He's a pretty good lyricist. I like a lot of his music, but he's not HOF material dispite having the longest consistent career in HipHop. At this point I think the only other Rappers that's a lock for the Hall is Run-DMC.....The KING OF ROCK!!!

Posted by Joe-Skee on Monday, 06.25.07 @ 17:20pm

why is a rapper even a nomanie? This is the Rock and Roll hall of fame last time I checked Rap is not Rock.

Posted by Stephanie on Sunday, 08.12.07 @ 16:19pm

LL cool J is eligible in 2009. he put out a single in 1984

Posted by Martin on Saturday, 10.6.07 @ 07:27am

Does anyone really think he can sing...if so you do need your ears chrecked...it's called NOISE

Posted by Phyon on Friday, 05.16.08 @ 22:31pm

A name synonymous with early mainstream rap. Real problem is that very little of his core catalog broke new ground with most of it having not aged well. If the Rock Hall of Fame were to have, say, twenty rappers, he'd have a very strong case. If it goes the route of selecting the finest dozen or so that had a big impact on the overall rock aesthetic (Beasties, Afrika, Kanye, Jay-Z, Eminem), then he's on the outside looking in.

Really, it's hard to predict if any other hip hop artists will be enshrined in the near future. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five weren't elected if you count the votes that were received late. Plus, they benefited from old fogeys voting for Dave Clark/Joe Tex and not voting for Patti Smith/Stooges which ultimately split the votes some. Last year had a clear set of five nominees for those "that prefer 'rock'" hence why the two disco/two hiphop nominees were left in the dust.

Posted by Casper on Sunday, 05.18.08 @ 19:35pm

He should get in.To all you cry babies that wanna let any Hip-Hop in its the only genre of music that hasn't been white washed.Hip-Hop is here to stay.We need our own Hall Of Fame.

Posted by Leon on Tuesday, 09.2.08 @ 23:44pm

O sorry i must be in the wrong place. could someone please direct me to the rock and roll hall of fame?


rap isn't rock. why is he on the list?

Posted by Munkstermann on Monday, 09.22.08 @ 21:42pm

I feel that any musician who's been in the game for so long regardless of music genre, and is qualified, should be in the HOF. LL Cool J has influenced me over the years. He has positive messages and is not afraid to express his true feelings. Rap is like a parable with embellished lyrics. Music is music regardless on how you classify it.

Posted by Richard on Tuesday, 09.23.08 @ 00:21am

Yes sir 25 year in hip hop that's along time for any genre of music

Posted by Leon on Wednesday, 12.10.08 @ 19:36pm

LL should get in to me.I dont have a problem with good hip-hop and ll is good hip-hop.He's been in the game forever releasing hit after hit and staying consistent.

Posted by Calvin on Friday, 01.2.09 @ 14:30pm

i understand he was big back in the late 80s but his style is so irrelevant and personally i think most of his songs are senseless

Posted by xavier on Friday, 01.16.09 @ 02:41am

this is rock hall of fame not gaylord hall of fame

Posted by bob on Tuesday, 04.7.09 @ 11:05am

25 years and still doing it!

Posted by Leon on Sunday, 05.10.09 @ 16:28pm

This joker in before Rush or Judas Priest?

Posted by Orion. on Sunday, 09.27.09 @ 11:04am

He's not in yet Orion

Posted by Keebord on Sunday, 09.27.09 @ 14:19pm

From Digital Dream Door

LL Cool J

Each year has an obvious headliner among the first-time eligible candidates and LL Cool J is this year's choice in that regard. As rap established itself throughout the 80's on its way to becoming the most dominant form of rock 'n' roll ever since, it was a 16 year old who helped lead the charge when the former James Todd Smith and his ever-present bucket hat released the stunning debut album "Radio" in 1985. From there LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James) became rap's biggest solo star over the next decade, pushing the style firmly into the mainstream at a time when it was still in danger of being dismissed as a fad and subsequently when its more controversial aspects came to the forefront. Groundbreaking, technically skilled and rap's first sex symbol, LL's sustained hit making career helped dissuade the notion that hip-hop was a disposable entity or fringe movement. He brought romance into what had been the ultimate party music with his crossover hit "I Need Love" in 1987 and by the early 90's he mounted his first comeback in an era of gangsta rap with his most acclaimed album ever, "Mama Said Knock You Out", offering a straightforward style that proved artists didn't have to jump on the latest trends to maintain an audience. Above all else he established long-term viability for rappers, with 9 Top Ten albums stretching over two decades of releases, making him one of rock's most bankable commodities in its most tumultuous subgenre. If he's not a lock for induction this year then something is amiss.

Qualifications: 8 - Unquestioned Credentials

Posted by Roy on Friday, 10.2.09 @ 14:42pm