LL Cool J

This week, Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience Part 2 Of 2 will be the No. 1 album in the country, making it his second No. 1 record of the year following the success of the initial 20/20 Experience. This type of success—two No. 1 al...

In the entertainment industry, finding a ride or die chick is much like finding a needle in a hay stack. However, some rappers have been blessed with wives who have held them down throughout the years, overcoming all that may cross their paths...

With today marking the one year anniversary of Chris Lighty's untimely death, XXL decided to put together a gallery in honor of the legendary music industry executive. Helping cultivate top acts like Diddy, Nas, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, Missy Elliott, L...

In honor of Discovery Channel's Shark Week, XXL is taking the time to remind you that LL Cool once made a real song about being a genetically-enhanced super shark. No, you are not living through a pain-induced hallucination during a mako shark attack while listening to "Doin' It." This is a so...

Rick Rubin Reflects On His Contributions To 10 Iconic Hip-Hop Albums

Miley Cyrus' newfound love of hip-hop isn't something new to most fans—the former Disney Channel star has been working with a number of hip-hop's biggest acts for her upcoming fourth studio album. This past weekend, however, the singer/actress took her hip-hop fandom to new heights his weekend when she took the stage with Juicy J to twerk. Is Han...

There have been a lot cliché trends in rap—New Jack Swing, the Shiny suit, "Molly" rap—and fortunately, most have died off as quickly as they became popular. But one thing that's remained constant throughout hip-hop history is most rappers' inability to strike a normal pose on camera. Whether it's a mu...

Action Bronson is planning to release his highly anticipated EP Saab Stories with Harry Fraud on June 11. The seven-track EP will include “Strictly 4 My Jeeps,” and Bronson premiered the Queens remix on Funkmaster Flex. It has him sharing the mic duties with LL Cool J and Lloyd Banks. Listen ...

On 2005's "Old School Rules" by Danger Doom, Talib Kweli raps that, "I might be buggin but it seem to me/That cartoons be realer than reality TV." While we could easily enumerate a number of reasons why Kweli's lyric is a bold hyperbole to make - namely because they're cartoons - it definitely speaks to hip-hop's longstanding history with the animated arts. Whe...

There's a lot of things fans are accustomed to seeing their favorite MCs featuring in their pictures and videos - fancy cars, gold chains, beautiful women - the list goes on ad infinitum. However, there is one thing that most wouldn't expect to see in a flick with a successful rapper: a puppet...

Last night, the world of hip-hop suffered another tragedy when news broke that Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly of the iconic duo Kris Kross was found dead in his Atlanta home. For many fans, Kris Kross was an early introduction to the hip-hop genre, but for those who watched the Atlanta teens grow up in the world of music took the news especially hard...

This week in hip-hop, LL Cool J and Brad Paisley get the Internet stirring with their controversial song “Accidental Racist.” Plus, Jay-Z is looking into becoming a sports agent and Rick Ross issues a formal apology for his verse on “U.E.O.N.O.”  These ...