American rapper James Todd Smith professionally known as LL Cool J, has said that his early work paved the way for rap love songs while chatting about the Drake comparisons.

In an interview with Complex, the rapper turned actor said that receiving backlash for his songs like “I Need Love” allowed artists like Drake to carry on.

“You gotta remember, hip-hop was, still is to a certain extent, but back then it was really conservative and if the energy wasn’t testosterone, like I’m punching you in your face, kicking the door down, you don’t get a lot of credit,” he recalled.

LL Cool J added, “I put Loveland that female, that vibe in there that gives dudes, like, you know, these guys a lane. People compare me to Drake all the time, but we’re very different artists because I have a lot of hard records and I’m very diverse. But in that aspect of my career, it paved the way for guys like that… who I’m happy for. I like a lot of his music too.”