LL Cool J took a stroll down memory lane following Kobe Bryant’s home going ceremony.
LL Cool J shared his personal memory of his longtime friend Kobe Bryant’s rap career, and he said it ranks as one the funniest moments in his entire life. Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven others who died in a helicopter crash last month, were honored in a public memorial ceremony, “A Celebration of Life: Kobe & Gianna Bryant,” on Monday afternoon. Thousands of fans and A-list celebrities poured into the Staple Center to attend the memorial to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant.
The afternoon included a heartfelt eulogy by Vanessa Bryant, speeches from close friends, including Michael Jordan and teammate Shaquille O’ Neal as well as performances by Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and Alicia Keys.
LL Cool J was among the many guests in attendance—shortly following the ceremony, he spoke with Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier, where he shared his personal memories of Kobe’s “rap” career. We bet many fans didn’t know their favorite athlete [Kobe Bryant] was also a gangsta rapper, well almost a gangsta rapper, according to LL Cool J.
Kobe, who lent his vocals to several rap singles throughout the years and signed a record deal in 1999, wanted to release a gangsta rap album, something LL Cool J said was a big no-no for his career.
“He played me this gangsta rap album and I was like, Kobe, come on dog. That’s not what you need to be doing,” recalled LL Cool J. “I was confused, I was sitting there like, what are we doing? You got endorsements, what are you doing?”
He reflected on the heart to heart moment, “It had to be the funniest moment of my life, listening to him do gangster rap,” joked LL Cool J.
