Rare Footage Of LL Cool J Circa 1985 Surfaces Online (Video Inside)

In 1985, hip-hop was a genre that most people still didn’t take seriously. What many saw as just a bunch of kids rap singing and break-dancing, later became a full-blown culture that couldn’t be ignored. Eventually hip-hop would go on to unite the world in rhyme.

Watch LL’s complete set right here after the Cut:

A man in a small town in Maine saw the potential of hip-hop very early in the game. After the suicides of several local teens, a resident of the area where the teens took their livers, Mike Starr decided to do something to lift the spirits of the community. While most people would’ve thought that a prayer circle might do, Starr went a totally different route. He rented out space at nearby Colby College and then he placed a call to LL Cool J.

Reaching out to Def Jam, Starr booked LL and Dj Cut Creator to come rock the party for $500 dollars. While the culture was moving fast at the time, it still didn’t hit Maine as of yet. LL spent most of the time he had on stage, explaining what rap was to the audience. All in all, it was a good time for all and a sign that hip hop could reach people you would’ve never thought. When the video was put online after living for 30 years on a VHS tape, LL Cool J saw it and responded on twitter with, “the memories.”