When did L.L. Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali” go platinum? It went platinum on May 30, 2017.
LL Cool J released “Going Back to Cali” on Jan 20, 1988, and 29 years later the single was certified platinum by the RIAA. The track was from his album Walking with a Panther. The song went gold on May 28, 1991, and was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Less than Zero starring a young Robert Downey Jr.
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The song was produced by and co-written by Rick Rubin and was distributed via Def Jam. It features booming 808s and record-scratches over a minimalist drum machine beat. The song was a huge crossover hit for Cool J and was later reimagined as a song by the Notorious B.I.G. from his Life After Death album. Later, in 2021 Cool J was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.