"I feel like my peers now are artists like Madonna and the Stones, Michael Jackson and Prince. These are people who were able to take their careers beyond the normal here-today-gone-tomorrow life span"

In this quote, LL Cool J is expressing his admiration for fellow artists such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and Prince. He sees them as his peers, or equates to, in the music industry. He believes that these artists have been able to attain long-lasting success and have actually gone beyond the normal brief professions of many other artists. LL Cool J sees them as role models and examples of how to have a lasting impact in the music world. He acknowledges their ability to continuously reinvent themselves and stay appropriate, even after several years in the market. LL Cool J desires have a comparable career trajectory as these renowned artists.