Musical icon LL Cool J had a chance to sit down with a reporter Carson Daly described as "one of the most hard-hitting journalists around and former PopStart graphics assistant" — his son, Jackson.
"Do you like where hip-hop is headed now?" Jackson, 14, asked the rap legend for an upcoming episode of "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: Kids Edition."
"It's changed a lot over 50 years," Jackson, who is sporting blond hair, dutifully noted.
The pair of seasoned professionals then shared a thoughtful discussion about the evolution of hip-hop that has occurred over the past five decades.
"In terms of hip-hop culture, I feel great that people are celebrating 50 years of hip-hop," LL Cool J said. "The fact that, like, you — you're able to get exposed to some music that you may not have heard. Like, even you just saying The Roots is amazing, you know what I mean?"
LL Cool J went on to say that he thinks the fact that "the roots of hip-hop" and the "foundation of hip-hop" are being "recognized and celebrated and people are loving it" is not only a net positive, but "bodes well for the genre long-term."
"Jackson got a whole, hard core hip-hop history with the icon," proud dad Carson Daly said during Thursday's PopStart, also known as Al Roker's favorite time of the morning.
"What was cool and what I loved — Jackson did a great job and LL is so sweet — is that Jackson understands that before you like a Travis Scott or a Lil' Baby, you have to understand where the genre came from," Carson continued. "You have to pay respect to the OGs."
Jackson has been quick to walk in his famous father's journalism footsteps.
In 2022 while on TODAY, the young reporter shared that he's learned a few essential tips and tricks from watching his father interview celebrities over the years.
“I learned that you always have to be prepared and just act like you’re having a conversation,” Jackson said at the time. “(Celebrities) are just regular people … Don’t overthink it.”
Jackson was born in 2009 and is the oldest of Carson's four children.
“He’s really an old soul, and mature beyond his years,” Carson told TODAY.com in June, 2023.
“He’s been in a lot of adult situations. I mean, he grew up backstage at ‘The Voice,’” Carson said at the time, adding that his son was a toddler when Carson started as host and executive producer of NBC's reality music competition show, "The Voice."
“Jackson is good in any room," Carson added, and describes his son as a "natural interviewer."
“Jack is just a really good egg,” Carson said. “He’s a sponge. He loves to come to work with me — he watches what everyone is doing. I keep telling him, ‘Just keep being you. You’re good.’ He doesn’t need much direction.”
Clearly, TODAY co-host Craig Melvin agrees.
"Jackson Daly: he’s going to be quite the journalist," Craig said during Thursday's PopStart and in response to the young reporter's interview with LL Cool J.
"I hope so," proud father Carson Daly responded. "I hope not a rapper — he likes rap. Maybe he’ll rap the news... that’s interesting."
