LL Cool J: I Wish I Knew

LL Cool J joins Neal Brennan to talk about what he wishes he knew sooner: knowing his value, learning how to lead, and being a better friend.

They get into growing up in Queens, the family lessons that shaped him, getting his start in hip-hop in the late 1970s along with a (too) long list of legends, the writing behind songs like “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Rock the Bells,” and the honest vulnerability behind “I Need Love.” Plus: Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys and Def Jam stories, the greatness of Bruce Lee, the business of touring, becoming a sex symbol and then an actor, and the night an intruder broke into his home.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 LL Cool J joins Neal
01:16 Opening up about his childhood
07:50 Lessons from his family
08:31 First turntables & the trappings of success
13:16 Discovering hip-hop
17:27 Def Jam & owning his music
18:57 Making demos & writing rhymes
23:09 Wanting to be seen
25:33 Representation & giving back
30:21 Sponsor: BetterHelp
32:29 Sponsor: CookUnity
35:10 Creative freedom & songwriting
36:13 I Need Love & vulnerability
40:53 Acting, working out & Bruce Lee
45:16 Building a career without a blueprint
48:08 Knowing your value & saying no
52:06 Comparing careers across generations
54:32 Why he avoided headlining tours
56:21 What makes a great live show
58:38 Sponsor: Mars Men
1:01:15 Sponsor: Ethos
1:03:18 Learning how to lead
1:08:16 Respect, manners & staying grounded
1:15:03 Learning how to be a friend
1:17:46 Becoming a sex symbol
1:20:13 The home invasion
1:26:05 Acting projects & wrap-up
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Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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Written by Neal Brennan