LL Cool J Defends Beyoncé and Her Super Bowl Halftime Performance

A lot has been said about Beyoncé’s performance at last Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show, with many celebrating it — and her massive new single “Formation” — while others have slammed both as being “antipolice.”

One person who is firmly in Queen Bey’s corner, however, is rap superstar LL Cool J, who said in an interview with the Wrap that the song is simply the latest in a long tradition of raising social issues through music.

“Ever since Bob Dylan … there’s always been some element of counterculture that has existed in music,” said Cool J, who will host the 58th Grammy Awards on Monday.

“If you don’t raise the issue you can never bridge it — music can bring change or bring the possibility of change through dialogue,” he added.

Watch the interview at the Wrap.