Rock The Bells founder, and hip-hop icon LL COOL J is nothing short of legendary. With a prolific career spanning over the past 40 years, which earned him two Grammy Awards, 10 consecutive multi-platinum albums, and critical acclaim for his dedication to hip-hop music and culture, the Queens emcee has stood the test of time as a pioneer of the culture. This weekend, LL reaches another milestone, this time in the form of The Musical Excellence Award, as he is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 30. 

On Thursday (October 28), LL COOL J’s first car that was featured on the iconic cover of his 1987 sophomore album Bigger and Deffer was added as a piece in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland, Ohio. 

The cherry red 1986 Audi 5000 was purchased by the then 18-year old for $30,000 with a Blaupunkt stereo system, tinted windows, and a car phone. The car was a testament to his hard work and dedication to the music industry. 

“My favorite thing about the car is that it had the word ‘determination’ on the gas tank,” he explained in a statement to the RRHF. “It was my first car, and I worked hard to make it happen, so I put that there. …(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." This is the first time the public has seen the car in over 35 years.

The car is the inspiration for the term “I’m Outie (Audi) 5000,”  popularized by LL after driving his iconic German luxury whip. 

Congratulations to LL COOL J for reaching this monumental milestone in his widely celebrated career.