In the mid to late 80s, there wasn’t a more innovative and dominant figure in East Coast hip-hop than Def Jam Records. The small label, started by two hip-hop hopefuls, blossomed into a media empire behind some of the most groundbreaking and long-standing hip-hop that is still discussed today. Founders Rick Rubin and Richard Simmons set out to become a part of an already burgeoning Hip-hop scene in New York City. By the late 80s, their presence was undeniable, so much so that they set their sights beyond the limits of NYC and, in 1987 sent out some of their most acclaimed and commercially successful artists on the road for The ‘87 Def Jam Tour.
The lineup is a modern Hip-hop history buff’s dream come true. The show saw Eric B. & Rakim, Too Short, Roxanne Shante, New Choice, and headliners Whodini and LL Cool J. At the time, LL Cool J was the crown jewel of the Def Jam empire. By the time this tour came around, LL Cool J had released his debut record, Radio, and its follow-up, Bigger and Deffer, to wide commercial and critical success. Thus, placing him as the headliner on this tour but denying his stage presence as a factor in his headlining capabilities would be a great injustice.
For this week’s Golden Age Thursday, we see just how dominant LL Cool J was in the late 80s. This week’s video is a two-parter that captures what an LL Cool J set on the ‘87 Def Jam tour looked like. Cool J powers through hits from his first two LPs in front of a massive crowd. It is unclear what stop this footage is from, but the crowd response should be a sign of LL Cool J’s nationwide dominance at the time.
