Photo: Instagram / Will Castro
Some artists would see the day of their induction in the legendary Hall of Fame as the perfect occasion to throw a star-studded, expensive party for themselves, and with good reason. Rapper, actor and music mogul LL Cool J probably did it too, but he also celebrated by giving back. Big time.
In 1987, LL Cool J released his sophomore album, BAD (Bigger And Deffer), which would soon go platinum and make its way onto the list of the top 100 greatest rap albums of all time. For the artwork of the album, the then-budding rapper brought out his own personal car, his first-ever “flashy” purchase, got on the hood of it and struck a pose as a leaned against the fence of the Andrew Jackson High School in Queens, which he attended briefly before dropping out.
For 35 years, that car was kept in storage at his grandmother’s. LL Cool J lived in his grandmother’s basement for a while, including when BAD was released, so it made sense for him to leave his first-ever car there. He brought it out last year, sent it over to Will Castro and his Unique Rides team, had it fully restored, and then donated it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, just as he was being inducted into HOF himself.
“My favorite thing about the car is that it had the word ‘determination’ on the gas thank,” LL Cool J said of the car, as cited by Rock The Bells. “It was my first car, and I worked hard to make it happen. [I remember] riding around New York blasting music, listening to new hip-hop when it came out, going to the Latin Quarter nightclub, seeing KRS perform, and playing my new album [Bigger and Deffer] in the car.”
LL paid $30,000 for the 1987 Audi 5000, which came with a Blaupunkt stereo system, tinted windows, and a car phone – the absolute pinnacle of luxury at the time. It was his first sign that he had made it, he would recall afterward.
The rapper is now worth an estimated $120 million, so he’s in a position to afford any car he could ever fancy. Classics are always a good investment, especially one that’s been restored and touched up like the Audi 5000 is now, but instead of keeping it, he decided to give it away to the museum. It was a good call: as far as celebrity cars go, this one is pretty iconic and, now, more people will have access to it.
After 35 years in storage, the Audi emerged in less than stellar shape, as photos included in the gallery and in the Instagram embed below will show. Unique Rides brought it back to life, with a full engine rebuild, new bodywork, a fresh paintjob, a brand new Blaupunkt cassette deck and pro audio system, a custom two-tone leather interior, original wheels, and red lighting.
It came out beautifully, and this makes LL’s gesture all the more impressive.
For 35 years, that car was kept in storage at his grandmother’s. LL Cool J lived in his grandmother’s basement for a while, including when BAD was released, so it made sense for him to leave his first-ever car there. He brought it out last year, sent it over to Will Castro and his Unique Rides team, had it fully restored, and then donated it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, just as he was being inducted into HOF himself.
“My favorite thing about the car is that it had the word ‘determination’ on the gas thank,” LL Cool J said of the car, as cited by Rock The Bells. “It was my first car, and I worked hard to make it happen. [I remember] riding around New York blasting music, listening to new hip-hop when it came out, going to the Latin Quarter nightclub, seeing KRS perform, and playing my new album [Bigger and Deffer] in the car.”
LL paid $30,000 for the 1987 Audi 5000, which came with a Blaupunkt stereo system, tinted windows, and a car phone – the absolute pinnacle of luxury at the time. It was his first sign that he had made it, he would recall afterward.
The rapper is now worth an estimated $120 million, so he’s in a position to afford any car he could ever fancy. Classics are always a good investment, especially one that’s been restored and touched up like the Audi 5000 is now, but instead of keeping it, he decided to give it away to the museum. It was a good call: as far as celebrity cars go, this one is pretty iconic and, now, more people will have access to it.
After 35 years in storage, the Audi emerged in less than stellar shape, as photos included in the gallery and in the Instagram embed below will show. Unique Rides brought it back to life, with a full engine rebuild, new bodywork, a fresh paintjob, a brand new Blaupunkt cassette deck and pro audio system, a custom two-tone leather interior, original wheels, and red lighting.
It came out beautifully, and this makes LL’s gesture all the more impressive.
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