Following an 11-year-hiatus, hip-hop superstar LL Cool J has announced his forthcoming studio album, The Force, set for release on Sept. 6 via Def Jam Recordings and Virgin Music Group. This marks a return to Def Jam Recordings for LL Cool J, who has released all of his albums through the label except his previous album Authentic (2013), which was released through S-BRO.
The new album, The Force, stands for “Frequencies of Real Creative Energy” and will feature a variety of collaborators, including Rick Ross, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Saweetie, Nas and more.
Alongside the announcement of The Force, LL Cool J released his newest single “Passion”, which explores themes of self-motivation.
In a press release statement, LL Cool J elaborated on the 14-track album:
“We’re talking 14 tracks of straight fire, all crafted by myself and the one and only Q-Tip. When you listen to this album, you’re not just hearing music, you’re experiencing a whole new vibe, a whole new level of artistic passion.”
2023 marked the 50th anniversary of, which LL Cool J elaborated on, saying:
“[I] wanted to show people that artists that have had long storied careers, so to speak, can make modern contributions to hip-hop that have a major impact. I hadn’t seen that done before. It was another challenge: Can I create something that sounds new and fresh?”
THE FORCE Tracklist:
1. Spirit of Cyrus (Featuring Snoop Dogg)
2. The FORCE
3. Saturday Night Special (Featuring Rick Ross and Fat Joe)
4. Black Code Suite (Featuring Sona Jobarteh)
5. Passion
6. Proclivities (Featuring Saweetie)
7. Post Modern
8. 30 Decembers
9. Runnit Back
10. Huey In Da Chair (Featuring Busta Rhymes)
11. Basquiat Energy
12. Praise Him (Featuring Nas)
13. Murdergram Deux (Featuring Eminem)
14. The Vow (Featuring Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito)
Keep up with LL Cool J: Instagram // Spotify // X // Facebook // TikTok // Website
