LL COOL J has announced his follow-up to 2013’s Authentic will arrive this fall. The Def Jam Recordings legend made the reveal in an Instagram post pinned to his page on Friday (June 7). The lead single, “Saturday Night Special,” is expected to arrive June 14.
“In case you missed it, new single ‘Saturday Night Special’ is coming June 14,” he says in the clip. “Go to link in the bio, sign up to pre-save it. Album coming in the fall. It’s the real deal, baby. It’s go time. ‘Saturday Night Special’ is the first single. I’ll let you know about the features in a couple of days … tracklisting for the album is coming. Album will be out in the fall. It’s on, baby. New LL. You know what it is. You know exactly what it is.”
LL COOL J’s announcement yielded a cascade of comments from his peers, including Fat Joe, DJ COOL V, Z-Trip, Shortkut and the Goodie Mob’s Khujo, who are all eager to get some new music from the Radio MC.
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In addition to acting, LL COOL J has also been focused on building his brand, ROCK THE BELLS. Last year, he teamed up with Vikki Tobak for the book LL COOL J Presents: The Streets Win, a 336-page book containing dozens of essays and interviews by Hip-Hop’s elite and images from some of the culture’s most celebrated photographers—from Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, MC Sha-Rock, Chuck D and KRS-One to Nas, Eminem and Dr. Dre.
Having LL COOL J behind the project was a huge asset for Tobak. He was able to connect her with people who they couldn’t have reached on their own—like Eminem and Dr. Dre. Speaking to AllHipHop in October 2023, Tobak said it was a testament to who LL COOL J is at his core.
“People sometimes say don’t meet your heroes, but I think he’s an exception,” she said at the time. “I only just met him recently, even though we’ve been in the same rooms and stuff for a long time. He, of course, was like a childhood hero of mine, and he’s just one of those really special people where you understand how he became the first artist signed to Def Jam at 16. I see what it was because it’s still there. It’s that thing you can’t quite put your finger on; you’re born with it. He is a performer and a big idea person in every way. He approached the book in the same way.”
LL COOL J released his debut album, Radio, in 1985. He’s delivered 12 additional projects, including Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), which went double-platinum.
