LL Cool J, the self proclaimed G.O.A.T, hasn’t achieved platinum status with an album since 1997 with “Phenomenon.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone, LL said that he felt he only had himself to blame and admitted that he had been distracted from his music career by his ventures into acting.

“With all my television and film projects, the quality level of my recent albums has suffered,” LL Cool J admitted. “This is a record that I actually, honestly believe from the deepest part of my soul [that] I would buy…every record you make is not like that.”

LL also revealed that the Hollywood writers strike left him with the time he required to focus in on the music again, he said that during the strike he was able to record enough material to make two full solo albums but that he decided to bin most of the tracks and only keep what is now to be featured on his upcoming album, Exit 13.

The album is LL’s 13th studio album and his last through Def Jam records which is the only label he has ever been signed to as an artist.

Despite having problems with the label in the past after the slow sales of his last album and lashing out the then president of Def Jam, rapper Jay-Z, LL says things have improved again.

“We’re back on the same page” he said. “It feels great, It’s my last record on the contract, but that doesn’t mean that our relationship is over.”

Exit 13 hits stores on August 5th and features collaborations with 50 Cent, Lil Mo, The-Dream, Lil Kim, Jim Jones, Krs-One, Method Man and Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi.

“It’s really a departure,” LL said of the album. “Rick Rubin would be proud of me.”