Everything in the culture of hip-hop has a trailblazer that made it possible. From Kool Herc’s inadvertent creation of the genre as a whole and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five injecting social commentary amid the pulsing beats on “The Message” through to Schooly D paving the way for NWA to take gangsta rap global with his groundbreaking “PSK”, nothing within this genre is born without the seeds being planted before them.

In an industry where no one exists in a vacuum, the steps that most hip-hop artists take are a case of retracing that which came before them in one way or another. And while the internet has opened the floodgates for diverse, experimental voices to find audiences, the mainstream landscape is one which remains adherent to tried and tested templates, formulas and set roles that need to be fulfilled.

And ever since the man LL Cool J, lesser-known James Todd Smith left his mark on the game, one of those has been for a smooth-talking, million-selling ladies man who isn’t afraid to spit with the best of them when it’s required.

#llcoolj #drake #HipHopMadness

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Narrated by: Spencer Pearman
Written by: Robert Blair
Edited by: Roman Bill
Music by: Josh Petruccio

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