LL Cool J

Artist Image: LL Cool J
Attribution
Image Credit: U.S. State Department (https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/38832214941/in/photolist-22ayQ4r-215bWSS-22atfBg), Public domain

Biography

James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor from Bay Shore, New York. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, including 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings, and currently has a new studio album in the works. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. As he grew older, Smith found a way to escape the effects of his abuse, and his bullying attitude: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandmother gave him to stop him riding motorcycles or doing karate. Before too long, LL was an established member of the Hip-Hop community in his area. He gained notoriety through his many rap battles against well-established MC. Influenced by Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, funk legend Rick James, Kurtis Blow, and pioneers Run-DMC, LL started to create his own rap style.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1968
Number of Albums 32
Record Label
Website llcoolj.com
Wikipedia LL Cool J on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Who helped lay the groundwork for rap during its early days?

Cool J

...ften brief moments of success crested atop long stretches of obscurity. Cool J , this is not so, as he has helped lay down the groundwork for rap durin...
What neighborhood did Cool J grow up in?

St. Alban's

...'Yo man, you still a doctor?' Growing up in the tough neighborhood of St. Alban's in Queens, New York immediately provided Cool J, born James Todd Smi...
When was Cool J born?

1968

...n Queens, New York immediately provided Cool J, born James Todd Smith in 1968 , with the tenacity and experience that has shaped many rappers. However,...
What did Cool J do in the street?

everything you could possibly name

...ed from his youth, but not affiliations with gangs. I did everything you could possibly name in the street, Cool J told Vibe magazine. I really came f...
What was the name of the magazine that Cool J spoke about?

Vibe

...ngs. I did everything you could possibly name in the street, Cool J told Vibe magazine. I really came from that realness. I have that Queens experienc...
On what date was Cool J born?

January 14, 1968

...Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968 , in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith, Jr. Todd,...
What was the name of Cool J's father?

James Louis Smith, Jr

...Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith, Jr . Todd, as he was called, did not have a very happy childhood. A...
At what age did Todd see his mother and grandfather shot by his own father?

four

...dd, as he was called, did not have a very happy childhood. At the age of four , he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father. After they re...
At what age did he first fall in love with hiphop music?

nine

...s bullying attitude: hiphop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine , and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ e...
What was a way to escape the effects of his abuse and bullying attitude?

hiphop music

... a way to escape the effects of his abuse and his bullying attitude: hiphop music . He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writin...
Who gave him some DJ equipment?

his grandfather

... was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandfather gave him. At 15, he and one of his best friends came up with his p...
What was the name of the song he and a friend made together?

I Need a Beat

...usic and decided to try to get him a record deal. Together, they made the single I Need a Beat and sent it to an artist manager named Russell Simmons....
Who was the artist manager named?

Russell Simmons

...usic and decided to try to get him a record deal. Together, they made the single I Need a Beat and sent it to an artist manager named Russell Simmons ....
What is LL Cool J's nickname?

Ladies Love Cool James

...LL Cool J is a nickname that stands for Ladies Love Cool James . LL Cool J signed to fledgling hiphop label Def Jam Records in 1984. After a string of ...
In what year did LL cool j sign to Def jam records?

1984

...r Ladies Love Cool James. The outgoing teen signed to Def Jam records in 1984 , which was a fledgling rap label at the time, founded by Russell Simmons...
In what year did Smith appear on NCIS: Los Angeles?

2009

...ppearing in movies like B.A.P.S., Halloween H2O and Any Given Sunday. In 2009 , he began his run on the popular investigative series NCIS: Los Angeles....
Where did Smith grow up?

New York City

...on the popular investigative series NCIS: Los Angeles. Growing up in New York City , Smith adopted the stage name LL Cool J, which stands for Ladies Lo...
What was the name of the album that LL released after leaving school?

Radio

...nd Acting Career The young artist left school to record his debut album, Radio , which was a hugely successful mix of conventional song structure and p...
What was the name of the single that helped LL cool j reach mainstream?

I Need a Beat and the Radio LP

... New York, U.S. With the breakthrough success of his single I Need a Beat and the Radio LP , LL Cool J became an early hip hop act to achieve mainstrea...
How many studio albums has LL Cool J released?

13

...nstream success along with Kurtis Blow and RunDMC. LL Cool J has released 13 studio albums and two greatest hits compilations. His twelfth album Exit ...
How many greatest hits compilations has the rapper had?

two

... with Kurtis Blow and RunDMC. LL Cool J has released 13 studio albums and two greatest hits compilations. His twelfth album Exit 13 (2008), was his la...
What was the name of the last album released by the rapper?

Exit 13

... 13 studio albums and two greatest hits compilations. His twelfth album Exit 13 (2008), was his last for his longtenured deal with Def Jam Recordings....
What is the name of the NCIS Special Agent that he plays in CBS's NCIS: Los Angeles?

Sam Hanna

...W.A.T., Mindhunters, and Edison. He currently plays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. In 2010, ...
In what year did VH1 place LL Cool J on their 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time list?

2010

...Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. In 2010 , VH1 placed him on their 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time list. In 2017,...
What year was he inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

2021

... 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 M...
What award did he receive in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Musical Excellence

...as inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence . Contents 1 Early life and family 2 Musical career 2.1 19851987: ...
What was LL's religion?

Catholic

...present: Authentic, G.O.A.T. According to the Chicago Tribune, As a kid growing up middle class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heartbreaking....
What did Cool J's musical output help shape?

rap on the whole

... Hall of Fame, recognized for his musical output that helped shape rap on the whole . Eventually, he sent these demo tapes to record companies, attract...
Who ran Def Jam?

Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin

... Jam, a fledgling label run by New York University students Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin . Def Jam signed LL Cool J (his stage name an abbreviated fo...
What was the name of Cool J's second album?

Bigger and Deffer

...album went platinum in 1986. The following year, his second album, Bigger and Deffer , shot to number three due to the ballad I Need Love, which became...
Bigger and Deffer went to number three due to which song?

I Need Love

...cond album, Bigger and Deffer, shot to number three due to the ballad I Need Love , which became one of the first poprap crossover hits. Cool J's knack...
What was the name of the rap label founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin?

Def Jam records

...hich stands for Ladies Love Cool James. The outgoing teen signed to Def Jam records in 1984, which was a fledgling rap label at the time, founded by R...
Radio was a mix of conventional song structure and poporiented what?

rap

...as a hugely successful mix of conventional song structure and poporiented rap . Music fans responded enthusiastically to the album's singles, I Can't L...
What was a fictionalized version of the early days of Def Jam?

Krush Groove

... copies of the recording. He appeared as himself in the feature film Krush Groove (1985) around this time, which was a fictionalized version of the ea...
What kind of artist is LL Cool J?

hiphoprap

...Capable of being both a cherished hiphoprap artist and a fine Hollywood actor, LL Cool J has indeed scored such a rare achievement in American enterta...
Since what age has he lived in awful situation due to violence?

toddler

...d him to materialize his dream to be what he has become of later. Since toddler , he had lived in awful situation due to the violence that often occurr...
In what year did Ondrea's father shoot his mother and grandfather?

1972

...his father's ruthless shot toward his mother and grandfather by the year 1972 . Things got worse after survived Ondrea began dating a young physical th...
What was the name of the physical therapist that Ondra met while being treated?

Roscoe

...rse after survived Ondrea began dating a young physical therapist named Roscoe whom she met while being treated in the hospital for it turned out that...
At what age did LL start rhyming?

9

...ally fell in love with this music genre thus started rhyming by the age of 9 after his grandfather bought him a set of DJ equipment. Afterwards develo...
LL developed his own demo tape with the hope to land what?

a record deal

...ipment. Afterwards developed his own demo tape with the hope to land a record deal in his effort to establish a rapping career, apparently it was arou...
In what year did the album reach the third rank of The Billboard 200?

1987

... great songs, he came up with his sophomore effort, Bigger and Defer, in 1987 to satisfyingly obtain a bigger achievement when the album soared to the...
The album also obtained double Platinum status from what organization?

RIAA

...fyingly obtain a bigger achievement when the album soared to the third rank of The Billboard 200 while also obtained double Platinum status from RIAA ....
How many children did Cool J have?

three

...ith in 1968, in St. Alban's, Queens, NY; married Simone, 1995; children: three . In the turbulent climate of rap music, careers are often brief moments...
Cool J was quoted on what website?

Def Jam

...ing acting career. I hate when people say 'still', he was quoted on the Def Jam website. Imagine asking a doctor, 'Yo man, you still a doctor?' Growin...
What city is St. Alban's located in?

Queens

...Born James Todd Smith in 1968, in St. Alban's, Queens , NY; married Simone, 1995; children: three. In the turbulent climate of rap music, careers are o...
What has shaped many rappers?

tenacity and experience

...iately provided Cool J, born James Todd Smith in 1968, with the tenacity and experience that has shaped many rappers. However, unlike many of his gang...
Cool J celebrated the strength gained from his youth but not affiliations with what?

gangs

...celebrated the strength gained from his youth, but not affiliations with gangs . I did everything you could possibly name in the street, Cool J told Vi...
What did Cool J tell Vibe magazine?

I did everything you could possibly name in the street

...rom his youth, but not affiliations with gangs. I did everything you could possibly name in the street , Cool J told Vibe magazine. I really came from ...