LL Cool J Explains How Some of Our "Best" and "Brightest" End Up in Prison

Hip-hop legend LL Cool J says that as a young kid, spending a lot of time in New York's inner cities, he could have easily been swept up in the fast money and flashy lifestyle of drug dealing. Of course, LL went a different route, but peers of his who were just as ambitious made mistakes that landed them in prison.

"There are a lot of people right now that are sitting in prison who really could make the world a better place," LL says. "They're sitting there with life in prison for something stupid that they did when they were maybe 22 or 25 or 27 or 19, and I think we have to take a hard look at that."

LL also believes that young people who are the most dedicated to success are often the ones seduced by the drug hustle. "Your best and your brightest end up sitting in prison because they're the ones who, at a young age, are ambitious enough to want to take their lives to the next level," he says.

Watch as LL shares more of his thoughts on this issue, including his powerful advice to people who have trouble seeing a path to success outside of criminal activity.

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