LL Cool J

LL Cool J

Biography: James Todd Smith, better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, his breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam. A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". In 2010, VH1 placed him on their "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time" list. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence. While he first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove (performing "I Can't Live Without My Radio"), his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie called Wildcats. He continued to work in movies from then until 1995 when he landed his own television sitcom, In the House (1995-2000). He has appeared in numerous films, including Last Holiday, Edison, Mindhunters, S.W.A.T., Deliver Us from Eva, Rollerball, Charlie's Angels, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, Halloween H20, B.A.P.S., Toys, and The Hard Way. In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the FOX medical drama House. He also guest starred on 30 Rock in 2007, and on Sesame Street 's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous” and performed "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008). As of 2011, he stars as Special Agent Sam Hanna on CBS's police procedural NCIS: L.A., a spin-off of NCIS. He was also the host of MTV's Lip Sync Battle.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: January 14, 1968

Deathday: N/A

Popularity:

13.457

Known For

Edison
Edison

2005-07-29

Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels

2000-11-02

Rollerball
Rollerball

2002-02-08

In Too Deep
In Too Deep

1999-08-25

Toys
Toys

1992-12-18

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

1998-08-05

S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T.

2003-08-08

Deliver Us from Eva
Deliver Us from Eva

2003-02-07

Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday

1999-12-22

Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute

2015-02-26

How Bruce Lee Changed the World
How Bruce Lee Changed the World

2009-05-17

Krush Groove
Krush Groove

1985-10-25

Touch
Touch

1997-02-14

The Deal
The Deal

2008-11-20

Mindhunters
Mindhunters

2004-05-07

Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1

2002-01-01

Last Holiday
Last Holiday

2006-01-13

You're Watching Video Music Box
You're Watching Video Music Box

2021-12-03

B.A.P.S
B.A.P.S

1997-03-28

Slow Burn
Slow Burn

2005-09-12

The Show
The Show

1995-08-25

DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd

2009-03-19

Big Fun in the Big Town
Big Fun in the Big Town

1986-06-06

Simply Mad About the Mouse
Simply Mad About the Mouse

1991-07-15

Out-of-Sync
Out-of-Sync

1995-06-04

Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap

1999-10-31

2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

2023-11-03

The Hard Way
The Hard Way

1991-03-08

Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come

2001-04-11

The Right to Remain Silent
The Right to Remain Silent

1996-01-07

Grudge Match
Grudge Match

2013-12-25

Caught Up
Caught Up

1998-02-27

Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’

2012-06-07

A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop
A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop

2023-12-10

Future Of The Funk
Future Of The Funk

1991-01-01

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

2022-11-19

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

2012-07-01

Deep Blue Sea
Deep Blue Sea

1999-07-28

Wildcats
Wildcats

1986-02-14

Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert

2015-12-06

LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop

Comin' Up Short
Comin' Up Short

2024-01-10

NCISverse: The First 1,000
NCISverse: The First 1,000

2024-04-08

Mayweather
Mayweather

2013-04-27

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway

2007-04-19

Woo
Woo

1998-05-08

MVP: Most Valuable Performer
MVP: Most Valuable Performer

2018-01-25

A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary

2018-12-12

Beef
Beef

2003-08-03

It's Black Entertainment
It's Black Entertainment

2002-02-08

The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles

2014-02-09

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones

2018-12-09

One World: Together at Home
One World: Together at Home

2020-04-18

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

2021-03-01

We Are the World 25 For Haiti
We Are the World 25 For Haiti

2010-02-12

A Hip Hop Minute
A Hip Hop Minute

2024-05-04

Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular

2024-12-04

Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Ricky Powell: The Individualist

2020-05-30