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LL Cool J Responds To Being First Rap Artist Named As A Kennedy Center Honors Recipient

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

CONGRATS TO THE ICONIC RAPPER/ACTOR

(AllHipHop News) Did you ever think that Hip Hop would take it this far?

That Biggie-inspired question relates to news that LL Cool J will be the first rap artist to be a recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors.

The iconic musician/actor will be joined in the 2017 class by dancer Carmen de Lavallade, singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, television writer/producer Norman Lear, and singer-songwriter Lionel Richie.

“Each of this year’s Honorees became known to and loved by the world because of their complete originality and bold genius,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. “They are creators of the highest order, and as President Kennedy’s living memorial, the Kennedy Center is proud to shine a light on their boundless ‘contributions to the human spirit.'”

LL wrote about receiving the prestigious recognition on Instagram:

My late grandmother passed some wise advice to me: ‘If a task is once begun, never leave it ‘til it’s done. Be thy labor great or small, do it well or not at all.’ That adage has guided everything I have ever done in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful because it has led me here. To be the first rap artist honored by the [Kennedy Center] is beyond anything I could have imagined. I dedicate this honor to the hiphop artists who came before me and those who came after me. This simply proves that dreams don’t have deadlines. God is great.

The 2017 Kennedy Center Honors celebration is scheduled for December 3 and will air December 26 on CBS.

My late grandmother passed some wise advice to me: ‘If a task is once begun, never leave it ‘til it’s done. Be thy labor great or small, do it well or not at all.’ That adage has guided everything I have ever done in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful because it has led me here. To be the first rap artist honored by the @KennedyCenter is beyond anything I could have imagined. I dedicate this honor to the hiphop artists who came before me and those who came after me. This simply proves that dreams don’t have deadlines. God is great.

A post shared by LLCOOLJ (@llcoolj) on