LL Cool J has referred to himself as a “G.O.A.T.” on various occasions but this time, he’s claiming he helped introduce the footwear of another great figure to Hip-Hop culture.
According to LL, he was the first rap artist to ever be seen wearing basketball icon Michael Jordan‘s Air Jordan sneaker on their album cover, which were wildly popular at the time.
In an interview with media personality Big Boy’s Off Air series, the Queens native included him being in early on the hype-train surrounding Michael Jordan’s sneakers as a testament to his contributions as a pioneer and vanguard.
LL Cool J attends the “Superfan” Series Premiere Watch Party in Times Square on August 09, 2023 in New York City.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
“My first album cover, I had the Jordan sneakers on when he was a rookie. I was the first person with the Jordans on in the Radio album cover,” LL claimed.
The 56-year-old also noted that Nike and Air Jordan had yet to overtake competing brands as the sneaker of choice at that time, as Jordan had just entered the NBA and was a fresh face on the scene himself.
“Michael Jordan was a rookie when I did that. Everyone was wearing Adidas and Puma, bro,” the CSI actor added. “I put the Jordans on. He ain’t even have no championships.”
Host LL Cool J attends A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop at YouTube Theater on November 08, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
LL would later reiterate his statements to his followers on his social media account, professing his love for simply having fashionable footwear as the reasoning for what originally attracted him to Jordan’s.
“I wore the very first pair of Jordan’s on my very first album. Im talkin when Jordan was a rookie,” the “Around the Way Girl” creator wrote on X. “I’m not hating on sneaker heads. Don’t get offended I like sneakers!!!!
Michael Jordan was drafted to the NBA in 1984 and the Air Jordan’s debuted during his rookie season, on April 1, 1985. This aligns closely with LL’s own timeline, as he released his debut album, Radio, on Nov. 18, 1985, and likely shot the photographs for the album months prior.
See LL Cool J’s interview with Big Boy below.
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