Hip hop pioneer Chuck D took a moment to celebrate two fellow icons, LL Cool J and Eminem, with an online tribute.

Chuck D, the legendary frontman and founder of Public Enemy, is known for his impactful words, whether through music or social media. This time, he used his platform to honour two rap heavyweights — LL Cool J and Eminem.

Sharing a photo from the “Murdergram Deux” video set, where the duo posed against a striking mural by graffiti artist Shirt King Phade, Chuck D simply captioned it: “BADass RAPpers” — a sentiment that did not need much elaboration. He rounded off his post with an array of tags, making sure his appreciation did not go unnoticed.

The timing of the shout-out is a little bit puzzling, as neither LL Cool J nor Eminem has released anything since their video in September. However, Chuck D and Eminem did cross paths at the MTV VMAs earlier this year, as Flavor Flav revealed in a behind-the-scenes snapshot.

Perhaps Chuck D recently revisited “Murdergram Deux”, the artists’ collaboration, and felt inspired to share the love. Regardless, fans were thrilled to see the recognition exchanged between three of hip hop’s most influential figures.