LL Cool J Slams Sarah Palin's New TV Show

LL Cool J says there's something phony about Sarah Palin's new TV show -- he never signed up to appear on it.

Rapper LL Cool J hit back at reports Tuesday that seemed to imply a one-on-one sitdown with conservative media darling Sarah Palin, accusing the Fox News network of “lifting” an old interview for its own promotional purposes.

"Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW," the rapper wrote on his Twitter feed.

The Palin-hosted show, called “Real American Stories,” will feature “real-life tales of overcoming adversity,” and is set to premiere Thursday at 10 p.m. EST, The Los Angeles Times reported.

LL Cool J, country singer Toby Keith and ex-GE Chief Executive Jack Welch are billed as appearing on the first installment of the program – with the "Mama Said Knock You Out" rapper set to dish about his professional and personal life in a segment called "In Their Own Words," according to the Times.

Keith, a registered Democrat, also said he was unaware that he was appearing on the show.

"We were never contacted by Fox," his rep tells Hitfix."I have no idea what interview it's taken from.They're promoting this like it's a brand new interview. He never sat down with Sarah Palin."

But the ambiguity over which interviews were pre-taped and which were conducted in studio by Palin apparently set off LL Cool J. After posting his initial criticism on Twitter, the rapper repeatedly rebroadcast the same message his followers Tuesday evening

A Fox spokesperson told TV Newser LL Cool J will be cut from the show.

"Real American Stories features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith's interview fit that criteria." the spokesperson said. "However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career."

To be sure, the Times report notes that the former Alaska governor’s exact role as host is unclear. And while the report says she conducted some interviews for "Real American Stories" in studio, it does not say whether LL Cool J is on that list. 

The premiere ep will also feature a Marine who died in the line of duty and a stockbroker helping students pay for college, according to the Times.

The series is part of a deal Palin and Fox reached when she joined the network in January, debuting on Bill O'Reilly's "The O'Reilly Factor."

Meanwhile, Palin is also in line to star in another series with Discovery Communications – Palin’s newest pitch is set to be a documentary about her home state, Alaska, that will be produced by "Survivor" mega-mogul Mark Burnett.

The father of the ex-governor's grandchild, Levi Johnston, is also pitching his own TV series, which Johnston's people said will hopefully compete with Palin's foray into television.

Johnston is the ex-boyfriend of Palin's teenaged daughter, Bristol.

Here's a promo for "Real American Stories":