With his legendary status in hip hop secure, LL Cool J was nevertheless away from the booth for an uncharacteristically long time, as the 2010s gave way to the 2020s. Finally returning with 2024’s THE FORCE, his fourteenth studio album, LL was back with the label that had nurtured him into superstardom. And with Q-Tip, another rap legend, in his corner as his sonic architect, Uncle L set off to create a full-length statement to remind everyone of why he's regarded as one of the greats—or, as he would rather put it, the “most important rapper ever that ever existed.”

Irving "Irv Gotti" Lorenzo, Jr., who passed away on February 5, 2025, after a series of strokes at the age of 54, achieved tremendous music industry success and made towering contributions to hip hop being a global powerhouse. As the co-founder of Murder Inc. Records, he oversaw a winning streak of pop success in a span of five calendar years that few hip hop imprints have rivalled. Beyond being a music mogul, Gotti was also a successful TV producer, best known for series such as "Tales." But he was also a controversial and embattled figure, federally indicted on money laundering charges and garnering some powerful industry enemies. Overall, his notoriety and music exec skills combined to earn him the nickname "The Don of Hip Hop," complete with a moniker that was inspired by a crime boss.

It’s hard not to think of the life and career of Derek Keith Barbosa—better known as Chino XL—as anything other than tragic. Conflict with his biracial background, sputters, stalls, and false starts in his music career, mental and physical health issues, and an oft-misconstrued line in one of his earlier songs have made sure of that. But Chino XL, who passed away due to suicide by ligature hanging on July 28, 2024, at the age of 50, was no slouch. Indeed, every step of his journey indicates a dedication to fighting against the forces against him—at least until the very end. Rapospective examines one of hip hop's most talented yet underrated lyricists: his background, his checkered career, his struggles, and the way he constructed that infamous 2Pac line that sealed his mainstream fate.