LL COOL J will be the first hip-hop artist to receive a Kennedy Center honor later this year.
He will be awarded alongside musician Lionel Richie puma platform suede rose , singer Gloria Estefan, TV writer Normal Lear and dancer Carmen de Lavallade.
The awards annually celebrate arts figures for their contributions to U.S. culture.
LL Cool J tweeted: “To be the first rap artist honored by the @kencen is beyond anything I could have imagined.”
He added: “Dreams don’t have deadlines. God is great.”
At 49, he ties with Stevie Wonder as the youngest artist to receive the honor.
Set to take place Dec. 3 in the Kennedy Center Opera House, this will be the first ceremony to take place under President Trump.
As is the tradition, the president and first lady will have dinner with the honorees and a White House reception followed by a range of performances in the Kennedy Center Opera House.
LL Cool J puma match 74 femme , less commonly known as James Todd Smith, told