LL Cool J Responds To DJ Akademiks Labeling Hip Hop Pioneers ‘Dusty’
Hip Hop pioneer LL Cool J is coming for DJ Akademiks after he called Hip Hop pioneers “Dusty,” among other comments.
Making a rare appearance on Instagram Live Wednesday (September 21), the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer lectured the podcaster after he questioned why those responsible for creating the genre, in his mind, aren’t wealthy.
“It came to my attention that a DJ — and I’m not gonna say any names ’cause I don’t think it’s necessary — a DJ basically said that a lot of the pioneers in Hip Hop, they’re dusty or how can they be the person that invented Hip Hop if they don’t have a lot of money, or if they don’t represent like they have a lot of dough,” LL began.
“Let me explain something to you: don’t think just because somebody knows how to get money — or fails to get money — that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture. No one discusses Miles Davis’ bank account. We don’t talk about John Coltrane’s bank account. A lot of even rock musicians … a lot of great country artists, we don’t talk about their bank accounts.”
He added: “This idea that you have to have money or else you don’t have any value is a bad idea and it’s a misinformed way of looking at the world and the culture.”
The Queens native then explained why he believes Akademiks is “misinformed,” pointing out that the business that the personality is able to benefit from didn’t exist when Hip Hop culture was founded.
“Today, you can come up with your five-year plan, your 10-year plan, your 20-year plan. You can go find a manager, you can find an accountant, you can find a team that helps your career go to the next level,” he continued.
“When Hip Hop first started, there were no managers, there were no accountants that believed in it. Record companies didn’t even believe in it! Nobody believed in it. How can you make a five-year plan or a 10-year plan on something that doesn’t even exist yet?”
He added: “So just because [these pioneers] didn’t get rich, just because they weren’t able to pile up millions or billions of dollars, does not mean that they didn’t make a contribution to this culture. They created an industry that we all ate off of! They created an industry that you eat off of!”
LL also addressed that while he preaches wealth building in his music, it shouldn’t be something to solely judge people who created and kept Hip Hop going during more uncertain times for the culture.
“When you go monetize your brand, when you go negotiate your deals and negotiate your checks and talk tough, guess what?” he said. “That food that you eating was created by those same people that you disrespecting. That industry was created by them same people that you calling, you know, foul words.
“I’m all about getting paper, I’ve been talking about it my whole career. But don’t ever, ever, ever confuse being rich with making a contribution to our culture. Don’t ever play yourself like that again.”
He concluded: “Approach this game with humility and be glad and be thankful that these pioneers helped create this culture. And let’s show them love, let’s elevate them, let’s celebrate them … There are people that started this thing, and I think that they deserve to be honored and respected.”
Akademiks made the remarks during a recent Twitch live stream.
“Them old rappers, man. Have you seen any of these old rappers who be like, yo, they’re the foundation of Hip Hop really living good?” he said. “Them n****s be looking really dusty, I kid you not. And none of y’all try to come for me ’cause I don’t f**k with y’all n****s either, so I’m just telling y’all the truth. Every time there be like an old, old n***a talking about Hip Hop, you be like, ‘Yo, bro. You sure you invented this? ‘Cause everybody else is looking better than you.’ Facts!”
