NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In a recent ‘Today’ episode, Carson Daly had his proud dad moment after he revealed that his son, Jackson Daly, interviewed hip hop sensation LL Cool J.
Music icon LL Cool J recently featured in the ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ segment and talked about music with NBC anchors Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.
Daly’s 14-year-old son has been on his journey of becoming a journalist like his dad. He reportedly sat down with LL Cool J on ‘NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition’ and talked about the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
Carson Daly’s proud dad moment
During Daly’s PopStart segment, he candidly talked about “one of the most hard-hitting journalists around and former PopStart graphics assistant” and his son, Jackson, interviewing musical icon LL Cool J.
The clip featuring Jackson and LL Cool J showcased a glimpse into the upcoming interview on ‘NBC Nightly News With Lester Hold: Kids Edition’. In the clip, Jackson asked the rap legend, “Do you like where hip-hop is headed now? It’s changed a lot over 50 years”.
The experienced duo engaged in a reflective conversation on the five-decade evolution of hip-hop, showcasing their seasoned expertise in the field.
LL Cool J responded, “In terms of hip-hop culture, I feel great that people are celebrating 50 years of hip-hop. 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 further expressed his belief that the recognition and celebration of the "roots" and "foundation" of hip-hop are incredibly “recognized and celebrated and people are loving it” is not only a positive sign but also “bodes well for the genre long-term”.
The camera panned back to the hosts as Craig Melvin, Daly, Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones, and Savannah Guthrie sat on the couch. The proud dad gushed over his son adding, “Jackson got a whole, hard-core hip-hop history with the icon”.
He continued, “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. You have to pay respect to the OGs”.
Melvin added, “Jackson Daly: he’s going to be quite the journalist”, as Daly agreed, “I hope so. I hope not a rapper — he likes rap. Maybe he’ll rap the news... that’s interesting”.
Carson Daly’s son Jackson a ‘natural interviewer’
During a 2022 appearance on ‘Today’, the young reporter revealed that he gleaned crucial insights from observing his father's celebrity interviews.
Jackson emphasized, “I learned that you always have to be prepared and just act like you’re having a conversation”. He continued, “(Celebrities) are just regular people … Don’t overthink it”.
Daly shared that Jackson possesses inherent wisdom beyond his years, describing him as an "old soul”. He said, “He’s been in a lot of adult situations. I mean, he grew up backstage at ‘The Voice’”.
Daly acknowledged that Jackson's early exposure contributed to his comfort in any setting, calling him a “natural interviewer”. He said, “Jack is just a really good egg. 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”.
