Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty
Native New Yorker and rap legend LL Cool J has just been honored with a statue in his hometown borough of Queens.
Formally titled “Going Back to The Meadows, A Tribute to LL Cool J and Performance at F.M.C.P.,” the detailed piece of art is also nicknamed “The G.O.A.T. Monuement.”
The tribute depicts LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, wearing his signature Kangol hat while holding a boom box with a cassette of his debut album Radio on the inside. It’ll be on display in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the David Dinkins Circle from now until November 2022.
On Instagram, the hip-hip icon celebrated the statue by writing, “Anything is possible.”
Artist Sherwin Banfield masterfully crafted the tribute using a slew of materials, including bronze, resin, stainless steel, steel, Winterstone [a sculpting medium], wood, audio speakers and solar panels. He personally describes the statue as “a sculptural sonic monument” that’s “dedicated to the legacy of Queens Hip-Hop” and LL Cool J’s historic performances at the park where the statue now stands.
“Over the course of this installation, parts of the steel structure will naturally rust by the elements of Queens @coronapark, a metaphor for the Queens neighborhoods having a profound impact on Cool J,” Banfield shared on Instagram.
Highlighted the tribute’s multi-sensory aspects, the artist wrote: “Also, different audio playlists by friends and fans of LL will be activated.”
In another post, Banfield highlighted a particularly special part of the statue called “The Determination Pin.”
“LL was born with his right arm paralyzed. So to instigate movement in her son’s arm his mother would pin the sleeve of his right arm to the mattress. A mothers ingenuity ✨ sparking the fire 🔥 of determination in LL to overcome any obstacle!” Banfield explained of a safety pin’s significance in the rapper’s life and in the tribute.
“This pin is open, symbolizing breaking free of paralyzation!” the artist added. “LL now sports a tattoo of a microphone on his right arm. Don’t ever challenge the G.O.A.T. his determination equates victory. @llcoolj’s life journey of accomplishments is riddled with this determination! An inspiration to generations.”
Banfield worked on the piece during his Governors Island Residency at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and received a grant from City Artist Corps for the project.
In addition, the tribute statue was made possible thanks to a host of local and art-focused resources, including N.Y.C. Parks, the Queens Council on the Arts, Socrates Sculpture Park, The Art Students League of N.Y. and Bedi Makky Art Foundry in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
The public display of LL’s new statue comes after his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in October.
Congrats to the Queens legend.
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