LL Cool J

Known for ActingBorn 1968-01-14 (age 58)Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA

James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) 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.Read more

Movies & web series

Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards

MTV Europe Music Awards

Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert

Quincy Jones, Music Man

NCISverse: The First 1,000

A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop

Teen Choice Awards

People's Choice Awards

It's Black Entertainment

Kids' Choice Awards

Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party

House

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

James Brown: Say It Loud

The Grammys

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

How Bruce Lee Changed the World

Oz

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

Rapmania: The Roots of Rap

NCIS: Hawaiʻi

Hawaii Five-0

In the House

NCIS

MTV Video Music Awards

The Adventures of Pete & Pete

NCIS: Los Angeles

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

WWII in HD

30 Rock

WWE Friday Night SmackDown

Stans

Clive Anderson All Talk

The Frank Skinner Show

They Call Me Magic

Yo! MTV Raps

Last Holiday

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

One World: Together at Home

Conan

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway

Hot Ones

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

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

Supreme Team

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)