(pic from wfmu.org)

Wow. Very interesting quotes from LL Cool J in a new interview that my boy Shaheem did over at MTVNews.com. Damn near moving, in fact. Kind of makes you root for the man. Even if the chips are stacked against him (just given the type of raps that win these days).

Some excerpts:

LL speaks on his Def Jam criticism…

“These guys fail to realize that when you talk about Def Jam, you’re talking about my legacy. Everything that ever happened at Def Jam is my legacy. Without me being a 16-year-old with my rhyme book, Def Jam [wouldn't] exist. …I didn’t personally attack anyone [on 'Queens'], but at the same time I have the right to speak on something I helped build

“Things are not all rosy up there [at Def Jam]. Too many [artists] have suffered: Method Man, Redman, the Roots, Fabolous, Ludacris! The list goes on. Nobody is getting promoted the way they should be promoted. I’m one man. I can’t battle a whole record label. So we not gonna try to turn this into what it’s not. To try and battle a record label is foolish. It’s bad enough they are calling around to radio stations telling them not to play my records.”

Yikes. Huh? What?

Jay-Z denies that accusation (“I would never block anybody’s blessings“), denies any pending lyrical battles and says…

“He’s upset, not me. If he wanna work it out, I’m more than willing to do that.”

Um, ok. Well fortunately, LL and Shaheem ends the piece with a more inspirational outlook…

“At this point I think the focus should be to make great music, trying to keep it positive, trying to have some sort of relationship where we can work together. Hopefully [Def Jam] can do well and look great, I can do well and look great. We can part company as civilized businessmen and give the world something great…. I wanna have some fun.”

“This is my last record on Def Jam, so it’s important that the record is not just another record… it’s gonna be a great reminder to people that I really did start that company with Russell [Simmons] and Rick Rubin and Heidi Smith, the secretary… I’mma deliver [what] I’m supposed to deliver and I’m not gonna ignore my male fans this time. I’m gonna embrace everybody. It’s gonna be real. I’mma be blunt, brutally honest, be frank, speak with clarity, and they gonna feel me.”

Well, I’m sold enough to give a listen. But one thing, no disrespect, L, but no more rhinestones, please : )