On September 6th, LL Cool J returned from his nearly ten-year hiatus to release his 14th studio album, THE FORCE. In the album’s penultimate track, LL Cool J brings on another hip-hop legend, Eminem, to deliver the energetic, blood-pumping “Murdergram Deux.”

Later that week, on September 11th, the song’s music video was released.

The video starts with LL Cool J recreating the cover for his second album, Bigger and Deffer, accompanied by the lyrics, “Do you remember the first time you heard the legend in leather?” This, of course, is a reference to the intro of Bigger and Deffer’s track “Ahh, Let’s Get Ill,” signifying that the music video’s self-referential tone has meaning to it beyond easy nostalgia and that it matches the song’s thesis statement.

The song and its accompanying video are peppered with numerous other references beyond there:

1. The title indicates that the song is a sequel to “Murdergram,” a song from Mama Said Knock You Out. 
2. The song mentions the historical figure Jack the Ripper twice, a reference to LL Cool J’s 1989 hit.
3. In the video, Eminem is shown in a toga being lavished by women in ancient Greek garb, which calls to mind Big Daddy Kane’s cover art for Long Live the Kane.
4. The video ends with a grayscale Eminem starting into a fishbowl, just like LL Cool J in the music video for “Going Back to Cali.”
5. LL Cool J and Eminem standing in front of a black backdrop, similarly to the 1996 “Live from Death Row” Vibe
6. Likely many more.

The music video is a clear labor of love that honors LL Cool J’s enduring legacy, as well as ushering in a new era for his musical career.