LL COOL J has announced that he will be releasing his first full-length project in 10 years this year. LL tweeted: “I’m competing with myself on this new album. Wait til you hear this MF. 
This year B. It’s coming.”
The last album from LL COOL J, Authentic, was released in 2013, five years after his final Def Jam album, Exit 13. During his time at Def Jam, the rapper released an album every two or three years from 1987 to 2008. This isn’t the first time LL COOL J has hinted at a follow-up to Authentic. In a number of interviews back in 2014, he detailed a forthcoming album titled G.O.A.T. 2, a sequel to his eighth studio album.
Despite not releasing new music, LL COOL J has remained active in hip-hop, founding Rock The Bells in 2018 which focuses on uplifting the culture and elements of hip-hop (the name of the brand comes from LL COOL J’s 1985 hit “Rock The Bells.”) The brand uses content, commerce, merchandise and various experiences to remind fans where hip-hop came from. In August 2022, LL’s organization held its first Rock The Bells Festival with performances by a number of legacy and current Hip Hop artists including Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil Kim, The Diplomats, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Scarface, Digable Planets and more. And up next, Rock The Bells will launch the inaugural ‘Hip Hop Experience Cruise’ in celebration of the genre turning 50 years this year, setting sail aboard the Norwegian Pearl from Miami to The Bahamas on November 13, 2023 for four nights through November 17.
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