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.

Known For

Deed

Edison

Mr. Jones

Charlie's Angels

Marcus Ridley

Rollerball

Dwayne Gittens / God

In Too Deep

Patrick Zevo

Toys

Ronald 'Ronny' Jones

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Deacon 'Deke' Kaye (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)

S.W.A.T.

Ray Adams

Deliver Us from Eva

Julian Washington

Any Given Sunday

Self

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

Self

How Bruce Lee Changed the World

LL Cool J

Krush Groove

LL Cool J

Touch

Bobby Mason

The Deal

Gabe Jensen

Mindhunters

Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1

Sean Matthews

Last Holiday

Self (archive footage)

You're Watching Video Music Box

LL Cool J

B.A.P.S

Luther Pinks

Slow Burn

Self

The Show

Self (archive footage)

DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd

Self

Big Fun in the Big Town

Self

Simply Mad About the Mouse

Jason St. Julian

Out-of-Sync

Rapmania: The Roots of Rap

Self

2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Billy

The Hard Way

Ray Bud Slocumb

Kingdom Come

Charles Red Taylor

The Right to Remain Silent

Frankie Brite

Grudge Match

Roger

Caught Up

Self

Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’

Self

A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop

Self

Future Of The Funk

Self

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Self

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

Preacher

Deep Blue Sea

Rapper

Wildcats

Self

Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert

Self

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

Self

Comin' Up Short

Self

NCISverse: The First 1,000

Narrator

Mayweather

Self

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway

Darryl

Woo

MVP: Most Valuable Performer

Self - Host

A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary

Self (archive footage)

Beef

Self (archive footage)

It's Black Entertainment

Self - Host

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

Self

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones

Self

One World: Together at Home

Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

Self

We Are the World 25 For Haiti

Self

A Hip Hop Minute

Self

Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular

Self

Ricky Powell: The Individualist

Self

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

Self - Musician and Actor

Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America