LL Cool J is once again asserting his place in cultural history\u2014this time, not through music, but a televised defense of language.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During a July 23 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers<\/a>, the Queens rap legend pushed back on the suggestion that he merely \u201cclaimed\u201d to invent the acronym \u201cG.O.A.T.<\/a>\u201d Short for \u201cGreatest of All Time,\u201d the term has become a staple in sports and music debates across generations.<\/p>\n When Meyers asked if LL truly coined the phrase, the rapper responded sharply. \u201cClaims? Claim? Claim?\u201d he said, clearly annoyed by the implication. \u201cInteresting way to phrase that\u2014claim.\u201d<\/p>\n LL, born James Todd Smith, explained that he drew inspiration from two cultural titans.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI got \u2018Greatest of All Time\u2019 from Muhammad Ali,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I got \u2018G.O.A.T.\u2019 from Earl Manigault, the New York streetball legend. I put them together and made the acronym G.O.A.T.\u2014and then it just spread around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n LL Cool J GOAT Origins<\/strong><\/p>\n He also reminded viewers that the first formal use of the phrase appeared in 2000, on the cover of his eighth studio album G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith: The Greatest of All Time. That record, which included collaborations with Snoop Dogg<\/a>, DMX<\/a>, Redman<\/a>, Ja Rule<\/a>, and Method Man<\/a>, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It marked a significant commercial resurgence and cemented his status as a veteran with lasting influence.<\/p>\n