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Watch LL Cool J Make Fun of Kanye West on ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’

LL Cool J Arsenio Hall Video

Back in 1989, a 21-year-old LL Cool J became the first hip-hop act to appear on late-night television when he showed up on the original Arsenio Hall Show. At the time, he was reveling in the success of his second album, Bigger and Deffer, and its hit single “I Need Love.” This week, the rapper/actor/Grammy host returned to the Arsenio’s new and improved show for a trip down memory lane and a harmless dig at Kanye West.

When asked about what made his style different, LL said he did what felt good as opposed to writing “epic poems” or War and Peace, then, as an example, recited the first 30 seconds or so of “I Need Love” with Arsenio’s band backing him. In another segment, he talked about his favorite young artists, praising Kid Ink, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and “Kanye West when he’s not complaining,” then told a few stories about his friendship with Michael Jackson and his quirky sense of humor. Check out the clips above and below.

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