LL Cool J's 2024 VMAs performance: A lesson in hip-hop history

The official Hip-Hop 50 celebration may have ended last year, but LL continued the hip-hop history lesson at the 2024 MTV VMAs. His medley performance included not only songs from his newly released fourteenth studio album, The powerbut also included many of his best-known hits from his heyday in the Golden Age of Hip-Hop. It started with “Headsprung” (remixed with the now-famous Mohawks sample “The Champ” instead of the original Timbaland-produced beat) and then segued into Public Enemy's “Bring The Noise” (with a surprise appearance from Chuck D himself). The veteran artist also played “Rock The Bells” before playing newer songs like “Passion” and “Proclivities” before returning to another classic: “Doin' It.” You can watch the entire performance above.

Ironically, LL’s performance was almost overshadowed during a recording of the audience with a Woman stands motionlessstared at the stage and so incredibly grinningthat it is almost certain that she was an actress brought in to promote the upcoming horror thriller Smile 2. Unfortunately, however, LL did not perform “Murdergram Deux,” his collaboration with Eminem, who also performed to open the VMAs tonight but likely left before LL’s performance.

You can still view a full list of VMA winners here.