What comprises a legend? Some would say it’s commitment. That one’s chance at leaving a legacy hinges on the dedication to their craft and diligence in perfecting it Others say it’s heart. That one’s passion drives them to do whatever necessary to guide them to that supreme success. Lastly, there are those that insist legends are a player a higher power’s divine plan – that God’s will determines destiny. According to LL Cool J, it has been all three.

These days, most artists are lucky to get a second single, let alone drop another album. In spite of it all, James Todd Smith has defied the odds releasing the 11th installment of his recording career, aptly titled Todd Smith.  The album is chock-full of cameo appearances from the likes of Mary J. Blige, Mary Mary, Ne-Yo, Freeway, Juelz Santana and Teairra Mari. Here, the self-proclaimed “Greatest of All Time,” takes a moment to reflect on his career and the choices, Hip-Hop’s evolution, and God’s role in the continuing saga of Mr. Smith.

AllHipHop.com: You’re one of the longest running recording artist in Hip-Hop and that’s a fact.

LL Cool J: You know what, I’m just a… God has blessed me. That’s the first thing I think that, you know, recognizing a blessing is very important. Having that ability to know that you’re blessed, and knowing that God has his hand on you. When God puts his hand on something, nobody can move it, you know. So beyond that, I really don’t have the answer. I don’t know how I’m able to do what I’m doing. I don’t have the answers. If I did, I’d be ten times what [I am]. What I can say, just in terms of just my part in the deal so to speak, has been just to love what I’m doing, to believe in what I’m doing – to work hard and not be lazy, to not feel like I know it all and to not be afraid to take risks, to not be afraid to look foolish and look stupid. I don’t have a fear of criticism.

AllHipHop.com: Understood, can you expand on that?

LL Cool J: Like in Hip-Hop, things that are weak – or perceived to be weak, can be strong, and the things that are perceived to be strong, can be weak. For example, let’s take something like a love song. You know when I first started doing love songs, it was perceived differently by the male audience, [within] the Hip-Hop audience. [You were] Just soft or you’re emotional, whatever you want to call it. But I think that the reality is when you’re willing to expose what’s going on inside of you, and you’re willing to put your emotions out there, it’s actually strong. So I think it takes a lot of courage to do different things.

AllHipHop.com: So when you started rhyming, did you see an end in sight at all?

LL Cool J: No, I never seen anything that had a limit to it. I kind of feel like when you started something and you start talking about, “I’m only gonna be rhyming this long,” and “I’m only gonna do it that long,” what you’re really saying is you’re gonna stop before you fall. This is not to slight any one [but] that’s really fear talking.

AllHipHop.com: What would you consider one of those mistakes that you made?

LL Cool J: I mean I make jillions of mistakes. I’ve spent money. I’ve you know wasted money.

AllHipHop.com: Music wise. Any records that you think were a mistake? Or that people didn’t get, that you put out there with one kind of idea and the people didn’t get?

LL Cool J: No, my art, I don’t have any regrets with my art. I don’t see any mistakes in my art. You know, everybody’s not gonna like everything. There’s nothing that you can do about that. And you have to understand that. And everybody’s not gonna be your fan. And that’s okay. It’s like artists that paint paintings, you know, you just paint. It’s no regret. You know what I’m saying? You just paint.

AllHipHop.com: Do you find it easier to create, you know your masterpieces and what not in this climate where you are in your career right now or do you think it was easier when there was no pressure?

LL Cool J: There’s no pressure now. There was, there’s never any pressure.

AllHipHop.com: Never, there’s never any pressure?

LL Cool J: No. There’s no pressure. What is the pressure?

AllHipHop.com: Well, pressure to succeed. Pressure to, you know produce for the label, pressure to keep career flow.

LL Cool J: See, I understand what you’re saying. You know, I just kinda get in the zone, and operate from that place. I don’t have pressure to produce for a label. What I’m supposed to do is have faith, [and] make the best product I can. I make the best music I can from the heart, and then go out and do all I can to support it. And leave it at that. If so, what pressure? I mean I don’t, you know —

AllHipHop.com: In a percentage, how much of your recording career at this point is love and how much of it is money?

LL Cool J: Hundred percent love.

AllHipHop.com: Really?

LL Cool J: Absolutely. You have to love something to be with it for a long time. Look at marriages: you can’t be with somebody for money forever. No matter how much you try, at some point, it’s gonna just wear thin on you. It’s just gonna be difficult. The money thing is the effect. But the cause is love. You cannot tell me that Michael Jordan got as good as he got at basketball for money. You can’t tell me that Kobe [Bryant] got that good for money. Like, it’s no way you can get that good. Tiger Woods, you can’t get that good at something without loving it. But the money will come because that’s the beauty of God’s system. Now remember, I didn’t say [nice guys finish last]. You can be a nice guy, but nice guys finish last when they’re stupid – not because they’re nice guys.

AllHipHop.com: Because they’re idiots.

LL Cool J: Right. Nice guys finish last when they’re stupid. So I didn’t say be dumb. I didn’t say don’t do the best deal you can. I didn’t say don’t ask for as much money or create and generate as much revenue as you can for your life and your family. I said love what you do.

AllHipHop.com: What do you like and what do you not like about the game right now, in Hip-Hop’s current state?

LL Cool J: What I don’t like is the fact that it seems like we can’t figure out anything for our women to do but strip for us. You know, that’s no disrespect to young ladies that are going through that, because you never know why a woman does what she does, or man. So you can’t judge people. But at the same time, we can lift our girls up. You know, the music can lift them up. It wouldn’t hurt us. It wouldn’t hurt anybody to lift them up, and to embrace them, and you know give them some love, because you got to remember that. You know it’s kinda like you know we’re catering to the weakness in all of us.

AllHipHop.com: Right.

LL Cool J: But you know, at the same time, I respect a lot of young artists. I think that they’re talented. I think that there’s a lot of great music out there. I think that there are a lot of people out there that are impressive for various reasons – whether it’s their music, or what their accomplishments are, or their business acumen.

AllHipHop.com: So sell me and the readers this new album…

LL Cool J: I wanted the Todd Smith record to just be a record that was displaying even more of me, the inside of me that [only] my family gets to see everyday. The side of me that grew up next door to you. The guy who loves gardens, the guy who loves his family, to be really, really honest and put together some music that’s gonna unify the community, and keep the theme. The theme of the record consistent and constantly bringing people together with the music. All different types of you know musicians and artists, different genres. But primarily you know Hip-Hop and R&B.

AllHipHop.com: With this album, what are you trying to say?

LL Cool J: The theme on this record is unity, just unifying. Or touching on a subject that could possible tear people apart, but if you can address them and find healing, they’ll bring you together. The Hip-Hop community and the Black community- we need to be closer. There’s a need for more unity and the need for togetherness.

AllHipHop.com: What do you think is tearing us apart?

LL Cool J: I think that materialism is tearing us apart to a certain extent, because the materialism turns everything into a dog-eat-dog situation. It makes everybody like at the beginning of the hockey game, everybody going for the puck, ridiculous, with no regard for anything else that’s going on around them. It’s not the money, remember money is neutral. It’s nebulous.

AllHipHop.com: You recently launched your clothing line, Todd Smith. You seem to be a master of all trades…

LL Cool J: No, you know what, it’s a couple of things. First of all, I try to balance it and I do try to balance everything. But you know there’s certain spiritual principles at work. Like, you know I pay my tithe, you know tithing is when you give ten percent of what comes into your life economically to your local church. I take ten percent or more of my money, and give it to God and I make sure that I support His Kingdom. That’s why if you really look at my career, it seems like timing is impeccable. But it’s not because I’m so smart, and because I’m able to really map it out like that, it’s because God has blessed me.

AllHipHop.com: I just finished reading Raising Hell: The Autobiography of Run-D.M.C., And it talks a lot about the intense rivalry that you and Run had or supposedly had. Is this true and can you speak on it?

LL Cool J: Oh yeah, yeah. Me and Run definitely – well, it wasn’t much of a rivalry really, because when we were on tour, they were just beating me up every night. It really wasn’t that much of a rivalry. I guess I was seeing the results of what he was feeling, because they were whooping me out every night. But one thing [about] going on tour, Run-D.M.C. taught me was how to perform. They taught me how to stand up against such a mega-group, every night. It’s like to be on tour with them every night for years, it’s kinda like, it’s almost like a boxer who spars with two people in the ring at the same time, all the time. So then when you get out there against one, it’s much easier, you know. But yeah we had… I remember the first time I met Run, you know I said yeah “I’m LL. I made, “I Need A Beat.” Run said, “No, you didn’t. Say the words.” And I rapped it for him, and he went and asked Russell [Simmons].You know, one of the great guys, I have a lot of respect for him and DMC. May Jam Master Jay rest in peace, completely and totally, that was ridiculous. But as a group, I have the utmost respect. I mean, I learned a lot from them. You know, I studied them, you know, and I just think they’re a great group.

AllHipHop.com: Is it true that “Peter Piper” was originally “Rock the Bells”, the —

LL Cool J: — Yeah, yeah, yeah. “Peter Piper” was gonna be “Rock the Bells” and you know, but, you know Run lifted me. You know, it makes sense don’t it? “The Bells,” I was going through it, you know Rick [Rubin], I guess he felt like you know he had to do it to his little man [LL], like they’re all sick as a dog cause it was my idea, you know, sick. But you know in Jam Master Jay’s defense, he probably loved the “Mardi Gras” track too, because we all grew up on it, especially from that generation. We grew up with that music was the [Bob James’] “Mardi Gras” beat. So you know, it is what it is. You know, maybe I do [“Rock the Bells”] anyways.

AllHipHop.com: In the late ‘90s, you had a few freestyles on a Kay Slay “Street Sweeper” mixtape, where you talked about a notorious drug dealer Alpo and you rhyme Italian. You remember that?

LL Cool J: Yeah, yeah. At the time, like when I did the albums like Walking With A Panther, when I had all the big Cool J diamond rings and minks, and girls with champagne, Hip-Hop didn’t embrace it then. But that was the street. That’s what Alpo and them were doing. That’s when my man Chuck and them were doing and you know that’s what [convicted drug-dealers] AZ and Rich [Porter] and all of those guys from 132th [Street in Harlem], these are all the guys that I grew up around, and that’s what they were doing, and I was doing it, I was bringing that street culture and that urban inner city New York thing to music. But they weren’t ready for it. See, what I’m saying, like it wasn’t until Jay-Z and Puffy and them did it, ten years later – then people were really ready for all of that.

For more on LL Cool J’s James Todd Smith album, click here.

On April 8, 2006, The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas and HBO pay-per-view, will host the biggest battle between two Hip-Hop-like individuals since the war between Jay-Z and Nas. This time the opponents have just as much at stake, and it ain’t going down on wax.

During their teenage years, former comrades turned “sworn enemies,”

undefeated “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr., who recently turned 29,

and three-time world champion “Super” Zab Judah, 28, would often find

themselves joking about the day they’d square off in the ring- deep

down both knowing that one day it would become a reality. With the two

Welterweights having so much in common, it’s no wonder they once held

such a close bond. Both men were guided by their fathers. Floyd Mayweather Sr. was a former world Welterweight champion who once took on Sugar Ray Leonard. And Yoel Judah is a 6-time kick boxing champion and seventh degree black belt owner, who worked closely with Martial arts Guru Chuck Norris. Both Floyd and Zab were instilled with old-school discipline that would eventually lead them to the domination of the boxing world.

Mayweather, with 35 wins, 0 losses, and 24 KO’s, earned the name "Pretty Boy" early on as a result of his ability to always leave a fight unscathed. As an orthodox fighter, his lightning speed, defense, and punching power, has him ranked at number one on just about everybody around the world’s list of boxing’s best pound-for pound kings. Mayweather, ever the businessman, offers a Hip-Hop sensibility, but refuses to be pigeonholed. On the other hand, remains a fixture in New York’s Hip-Hop scene, but has also managed to handle business inside the ring. Judah has 34 wins, 3 losses, and 25 KO’s. He’s the southpaw underdog amongst the two, was once compared to his idol, Pernell Whitaker, because of his fancy footwork, speed, and relentless power. During the pre-fight promotions for his bout with Carlos Baldomir, Mayweather’s name was rolling off of Judah’s tongue more so than the present contender and the Brooklyn native eventually lost to the underdog. He had Mayweather on the mind as Team Judah rocked t-shirts during the Baldomir fight that read, "Pretty Girl, You’re Next!"

Will the Zab Judah hit Mayweather with a dose of Ether? Or Will Floyd

knock out Zab Judah, Roc-A- Wear’s first spokes/sports model, in front

of Jay Z as he promises he will? AllHipHop spoke to both warriors shortly before the media blitz that presently surrounds them. Read On.

MAYWEATHER ON BUSINESS AND HIP-HOP:

AllHipHop.com: Tell us about your record label &

Floyd Mayweather: It’s called Philthy Rich Records. We would have dropped the album a long time ago, but everything is a learning experience. Everybody knows that I was with James Prince [CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records] for a while, he’s the guy I brought into the boxing game. I helped his company blow big in the boxing game. He was supposed to help me in the music game, it never happened, things happen, so I moved on. One of my artists was Jumbo from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Then we got another artist, Dirt Bomb, from Chicago, we bring him out, we showed him a lot of things, he’s good but not good enough to be on a major level. Then we gotta another guy Earl Hayes, who’s coming out on Interscope, extremely talented artist. He’s under Dr. Dre’s schooling right now, and his album will be coming out in ’06 or ’07. Our main guy is H-Flow from Cleveland, Ohio. He’s unbelievable, he’s the total package and he’s going to blow huge.

AllHipHop.com: How has Hip-Hop influenced you? Were you a real Hip-Hop head growing up?

Floyd Mayweather: I love Hip-Hop, and I love R&B, and I love rap artists, but I’m a little different from Zab Judah. I got my fame from putting fighters on their back pocket, and putting them on their face, and racking up victory, that’s how I got my fame. He got his fame from being a video groupie. I like rap artists and they’re good, some of them even come over my house and hang out. But I ain’t into being in everybody’s video and all that.

AllHipHop.com: Raekwon was on Hot 97 FM with Miss Jones, and they asked him…

Floyd Mayweather: There’s a difference, there’s a difference. I was with J. Prince, and he had an artist Tela, so I was in a little clip for him. And I

did a little clip for Raekwon because he brought me out into the ring

one time, and I gave him a little exposure, a favor for a favor, two

times in ten years. Every time you see me, I ain’t tryin’ to light no

lighter and dance behind Lil’ Kim or chase Jay-Z, that ain’t my style! I

got my own fame, I’m my own man.

JUDAH ON BUSINESS AND HIP-HOP

AllHipHop.com: What’s you’re affiliation to Roc-A-Fella?

Zab Judah: I’m the first athlete to ever become a spokesperson for

Roc-A-Wear – not State Property, not Team Roc, but Roc-A-Wear.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your record label &

Zab Judah: My record label is called Super Cartel. It started out about two

years ago, and it’s going pretty well. I got artists: Synthero, Young

Geo, Desperado, E-Money and I got young Zion, he’s 11 years old right

now, and he plays the piano and sings crazy!

AllHipHop.com: And you also previously mentioned that you have a deal under a major record label too?

Zab Judah: I got a deal not too long ago with Warner Music Group. I’m also

working on a distribution deal with Koch for a Zab Judah Compilation

album, which will feature the artist on Super Cartel and other artists

too.

AllHipHop.com: What’s your relationship to Lil’ Kim?

Zab Judah: She’s a sister to me.

AllHipHop.com: How’s she doing?

Zab Judah: She’s doing really well in there, she got a job in there, she’s aight, she’s thuggin’ it BK style.

AllHipHop.com: I hear that she’s been running up all of the phone minutes [300 a month] that they give her.

Zab Judah: Yeah, we all know Kim, everybody that knows Kim knows that she loves the telephone, and she can talk a lot. Every month believe me, she runs up her minutes. But otherwise, health-wise, she’s okay. She’ll be in the streets real soon.

MAYWEATHER, THE BUSINESSMAN:

AllHipHop.com: This is the biggest fight between two Hip-Hop entrepreneurs since Jay-Z and Nas battled.

Floyd Mayweather: I’m not a Hip-Hop entrepreneur, I love all type of music and it’s more like I’m just a businessman. He’s more on the Hip-Hop level , I’m more all around. We’re two guys that are loved in the Hip-Hop world, I

would say. And come April 8th, I’ll be the last man standing.

AllHipHop.com: Any opening acts lined up for Saturday night?

Floyd Mayweather: We don’t know, we’ve been talking with a few people. The only deal I want to cut is this: Mobb Deep is a hell of a group, they’re great artists, they want to bring me out [to the ring] but I told them the only way

they can bring me out is by H-Flow becoming G-Unit. Me and 50 are going

to cut a deal, we’re going to put something together cause we’re real

good friends.

AllHipHop.com: I spoke to Havoc and Prodigy recently and asked them their view on

the fight and they said that they’re cool with Zab, but they’re betting

their money on you. Actually, about 98% of the people I surveyed say

that you’re going to win.

Floyd Mayweather: Oh yeah! For some many years, I’ve been what you call that fo’ Sho’

money, I’ve been that fo’ sho’ money for over a decade now.

AllHipHop.com: Don King mentioned that the music industry has taken a big interest

in this fight, and I also heard you say “Jay-Z’s going to be there, and

I’m going to knock Zab out in front of Jay-Z.” Can you give me any

insight on the music industry participating in the fight?

Floyd Mayweather: There’s supposed to be music conference in Palm Springs, or somewhere

in California. They say everybody’s leaving [California] Saturday night,

and going back Sunday. They said it’s supposed to be crazy. I don’t

focus on that though. I always knew time would tell everybody and

they’d soon wake up and see that I’m truth.

JUDAH ON BOXING:

AllHipHop.com: When did you start boxing?

Zab Judah: I started boxing at the age of two. Most guys say they’ve been a

pimp since age two, I’ve been a boxer since two. I had had my first

competitive fight at the age of six in a tournament in New York City called the Kid

Gloves.

AllHipHop.com: What challenges do you think you will face with Mayweather,

considering that he has no loses out of the 34 fights with 23 KO’s?

Zab Judah: He ain’t fought nobody!

MAYWEATHER ON BOXING:

AllHipHop.com: What sets you and Zab apart?

Floyd Mayweather: Zab do what he do, I do what I do. I guess he only prepares for the

big fights. Small fights, he don’t care too much about. Me, I prepare for

all fights. All fights are big fights to me, and that’s the difference

between us. Our styles are totally different, my hair is clean cut, and

he’s bald headed, he got diamonds in his mouth, I got diamonds on my

neck.

AllHipHop.com: Floyd, you have an impressive record 35-0-24, what is it that drives you to

stay on top?

Floyd Mayweather: Victory, not money. If any athlete chases victory, then money comes

along with it – just like in the music game. If you make good music, money

is going to come. I’m always hungry for victory. It don’t

matter if you love me or hate me, God loves me &I’m always able to get

up for big fights no matter what. That’s why we work so hard. The

entertainment and sports business are the same it’s all about selling

tickets; it’s all about selling that arena out and having that

adrenaline rush.

AllHipHop.com: At the press conference, you gave a lot of thanks to God what’s your relationship?

Floyd Mayweather: Out of everybody in the world he could’ve chosen anyone but he chose

me.

AllHipHop.com: What’s you’re everyday lifestyle like?

Floyd Mayweather: I’m always preparing &when I chill I’m at the crib, riding around

in my cars, driving my son in the Ferrari. I’m driving in the Maybach

with the kids and the nanny – the kids get food everywhere, but you know.

JUDAH: ZAB FOUGHT A LOT:

AllHipHop.com: Zab, What is it that makes you strive to be the best?

Zab Judah: As long as there’s guys out there like Mayweather, it’s not even money. It’s just being the best, I love what I do. My idol, Pernell Whitaker, told me one time, "Once you start fighting for money, it’s over. When you lose the thrill and the drive to get up and want to go to the gym and spar or fight it’s a wrap." At the end of the day, when you’re a winner, money is gonna come but when you’re a loser, you can’t get money.

AllHipHop.com: The majority of boxing fans around the world have been waiting for the big day when Judah vs. Mayweather.

Zab Judah: Floyd got a good strategy going on; he knows what he’s doing. He’s a good fighter, but as far as him having notoriety within the hood, outside of boxing, he really can’t get it. The only other alternative for him is to go after a fighter that’s out there and more popular than him and say, I want to fight him and make a name for himself. It’s a smart campaign though. For people who don’t know who he is, they finally get a chance to learn about him. When they hear him shout my name out, people say, "Oh, this guy is fighting Zab." But he doesn’t even have to take it to that extreme. If he gives me a couple of hours, I’ll market him right. I’ll let the world know who he is. It’s going to be bad. He pops a lot of s**t, but I’m going to knock him the f**k out, man!

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned to me before that because of your status, growing up in

Brooklyn, people used to often test you in the streets. What was that like? And

does that pertain to the present?

Zab Judah: If you go up to Brownsville, and ask about me as a kid coming up, everybody will tell you, "Zab fought a lot." That’s all I would do is beat mothaf**kas up. I was known for that, I was a product of my environment. Once I got out of my environment, I moved on to bigger and better things. I adapted to a new mentality. More or less, if I’m in the city and I’m in a club that might consist of a couple wild out cats in there, sometimes you got to adapt to your environment. But most of time, when I’m out or even out of town people got love, so it really ain’t nothing.

"THREE FIGHTS AND I’M FINISHED!"

AllHipHop.com: What do you want to accomplish as a boxer before retirement?

Zab Judah: If things can go the way I want it to go, I want Mayweather first,

Mosley and go out with Delahoya. Three fights, and I’m finished, if I could

get it that way, with wins and knock-outs on those three guys, they’ll

be no way you can’t mention my name when you mention Muhammad Ali.