Eminem has always cited LL Cool J as one of his biggest influences and his greatest inspiration, looking up to the iconic rapper since he was a kid, calling him the “first rockstar of rap.”
In a new clip from Paramount’s, Behind the Music, Em goes into detail on his admiration and friendship with LL. Eminem tells Behind The Music the backstory of the chain he is seen wearing during his memorable Donald Trump freestyle he performed at the 2017 BET Hip-Hip Awards. After some fan speculation, Em confirms that LL did, in fact, gift him the solid gold rope chain seem during the performance. The chain is similar to the one Cool J wears in his iconic “I’m Bad” music video.
“Since I was a little kid, I always wanted a chain,” Em tells the show. “I was recording with Rick Rubin, and I was like, ‘Yo, can you ask LL where he got his chains from?’ So he had these made and sent them to me.”
Em explains that he was greatly inspired by the video as a kid. LL had the “whole package.” He had the swagger and the look that made him the quintessential rap superstar, which caused a young Slim Shady to want to become a rap star himself.
“I’m like, ‘Yo, I wanted that. That is what made me actually want to rap,’’ says Em.
Learn more about LL Cool J and his undeniable impact on hip-hop culture on Behind the Music this Thursday (July 29) on Paramount+.