LL Cool J
A true hip-hop original, LL Cool J did as much as anybody to bring rap to the mainstream in the '80s. He was born James Todd Smith in the Bay Shore section of Long Island in New York on January 14, 1968. His early life was horrific - his father shot both LL's mother and grandfather, and the young LL was the victim of child abuse. He found solace in rapping while still an adolescent, and by the time he was 16 he had gotten himself a record deal with Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons' then-new Def Jam label. Rechristened LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James), he released his debut single, "I Need a Beat," in 1984. The record's sales figures helped to put both LL and the label on the map. As successful as the song was, it hadn't charted, but LL's next two singles, "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells" became bona fide hits, and his 1985 debut LP, Radio, crossed over to the pop charts and went Platinum, making him one of hip hop's first real stars. His next album, 1987's Bigger and Deffer blew up even bigger, hitting No. 1 R&B and No. 3 Pop and including the hit "I Need Love," a gentle love song that expanded people's conception of rap's possibilities. The 1989 album Walking With a Panther was similarly successful, but it was 1990's Mama Said Knock You Out that really carved LL's face into hip hop's Mt. Rushmore, becoming the biggest album of his career and birthing the Gold singles "Around the Way Girl" and the title track. In the early '90s, LL inaugurated his acting sideline, which would prove as long lasting as his musical career. During this period he appeared in such films as Barrry Levinson's "Toys" (1993) and "The Hard Way," and in 1995 he began a five-season run as the star of the TV sitcom "In the House" (WB 1995-2000). Later, he starred in the procedural drama "NCIS: Los Angeles" (CBS 2009- ). Throughout his life, LL would continue to rack up hip-hop "firsts," from being the first hip-hop artist to appear on American Bandstand to becoming the first rapper honored at the Kennedy Center, the latter distinction arriving in 2017.
Photos
LL Cool J
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
31% |
|
Grudge Match | Frankie Brite (Character) | $29.8M | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Deal | Bobby Mason (Character) | - | 2008 |
56% |
|
Last Holiday | Sean Matthews (Character) | $38.4M | 2006 |
9% |
|
Slow Burn | Luther Pinks (Character) | $1.2M | 2005 |
11% |
|
Edison | Deed (Character) | - | 2005 |
24% |
|
Mindhunters | Gabe Jensen (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J) (Character) | $4.5M | 2004 |
48% |
|
S.W.A.T. | Deacon 'Deke' Kaye (Character) | $116.6M | 2003 |
43% |
|
Deliver Us From Eva | Ray (Character) | $17.3M | 2003 |
3% |
|
Rollerball | Marcus Ridley (Character) | $19.0M | 2002 |
26% |
|
Kingdom Come | Ray Bud Slocumb (Character) | $23.2M | 2001 |
68% |
|
Charlie's Angels | Mr. Jones (Character) | $125.3M | 2000 |
52% |
|
Any Given Sunday | Julian Washington (Character) | $75.5M | 1999 |
39% |
|
In Too Deep |
Dwayne Gittens/ |
$14.0M | 1999 |
60% |
|
Deep Blue Sea | Sherman "Preacher" Dudley (Character) | $73.6M | 1999 |
56% |
|
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | Ronald "Ronny" Jones (Character) | $55.0M | 1998 |
10% |
|
Woo | Darryl (Character) | $8.1M | 1998 |
0% |
|
Caught Up | Roger (Character) | $6.7M | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Playa' Pack | Unknown (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Right to Remain Silent | Charles Red Taylor (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Out of Sync | Jason St. Julian (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hip Hop Time Capsule - 1993 | Unknown (Character) | - | 1993 |
26% |
|
Toys | Captain Patrick Zevo (Character) | $21.3M | 1992 |
75% |
|
The Hard Way | Detective Billy (Character) | $24.5M | 1991 |
26% |
|
Wildcats | Rapper (Character) | $23.6M | 1986 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Behind the Music | Self | 2021-2022 2024 |
No Score Yet | 73% | NCIS: Hawai'i | Sam Hanna (Guest Star) | 2023-2024 |
No Score Yet | 100% | Hip Hop Treasures | Self | 2023 |
No Score Yet | 88% | Superfan | Guest | 2023 |
No Score Yet | 63% | NCIS: Los Angeles | Sam Hanna (Character) | 2009-2023 |
No Score Yet | 83% | NCIS | Special Agent Sam Hanna (Guest Star) | 2009 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Jennifer Hudson Show | Guest | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 61% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Supreme Team | Self | 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Come Dance With Me | Executive Producer | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 55% | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Guest | 2020-2021 |
No Score Yet | 42% | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Guest | 2012 2014-2015 2017-2019 2021 |
No Score Yet | 50% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2017 2019-2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2010-2017 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Desus & Mero | Guest | 2020 |
No Score Yet | 44% | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2015 2020 |
No Score Yet | 12% | The View | Guest | 2019 |
100% | No Score Yet | AMC Visionaries: Rap Yearbook | Unknown (Character) | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lip Sync Battle | Host | 2015-2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Guest | 2011-2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The $100,000 Pyramid | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rachael Ray | Guest | 2007-2009 2011 2015 2017 |
No Score Yet | 90% | American Dad! | Sam Hanna (Guest Voice) | 2017 |
No Score Yet | 18% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2015-2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Greatest Hits | Music Performer | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Finding Your Roots | Guest | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The GRAMMYs | Host | 2012-2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | FABLife | Guest | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen | Guest | 2015 |
No Score Yet | 91% | The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson | Guest | 2013-2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon |
Music Performer, Guest |
2010-2011 2013 |
No Score Yet | 69% | Hawaii Five-0 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Guest | 2010-2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lopez Tonight | Guest | 2010 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | WWII Lost Films | Unknown (Character) | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bonnie Hunt Show | Guest | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Conan O'Brien | Guest | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sesame Street | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2008 |
78% | 92% | 30 Rock | Ridikolus (Guest Star) | 2007 |
90% | 96% | House | Clarence (Guest Star) | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | In the House | Marion Hill (Character) | 1995-1999 |
93% | 95% | Oz | Jiggy Walker (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | MADtv | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saturday Night Live | Music Performer | 1987 |