LL Cool J Becomes First Rapper to Receive Kennedy Center Honor
By Noah Yoo.
LL Cool J will be honored at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, as the Washington Post reports. LL will be the first rapper to be honored in the annual ceremony—other artists to receive the honor this year include Lionel Richie and Gloria Estefan. I am blown away. This is the biggest musical award you can receive,” he said. “To be recognized by your country, and to be able to represent hip-hop as an art form is amazing. I’m surprised, grateful, humbled and honored.” The awards ceremony will take place December 3 and will be broadcast on December 26. At age 49, LL Cool J is the youngest artist to be honored in the ceremony, tying with Stevie Wonder in that respect.
This story originally appeared on Pitchfork.
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