Known For
Acting
Born
Jan 14, 1968
Place of Birth
Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
Credits
142 titles
LL Cool J
Biography
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.
Known For
Filmography
NCIS: New York
Sam Hanna
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Self (archive footage)
Stans
Self
Hip Hop Was Born Here
Self - Host
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Self (archive footage)
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Self
Fat Joe Talks
Self - Guest
A Hip Hop Minute
Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Self
James Brown: Say It Loud
Self
Comin' Up Short
Self
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Self
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
Hip Hop Treasures
Self
Superfan
Self
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
Self
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Supreme Team
Self
Payback
Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
They Call Me Magic
Self
You're Watching Video Music Box
Self (archive footage)
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
Sam Hanna
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Self
One World: Together at Home
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Self - Musician and Actor
Desus & Mero
Self - Illustrious Guest
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Self - Host
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Self
Shut Up and Dribble
Self - Musician
Story of Cool
Executive Producer
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
Steve
Self
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Self
Greatest Hits
The $100,000 Pyramid
Self
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
Lip Sync Battle
Host
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self
Hot Ones
Self
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Self - Host
Grudge Match
Frankie Brite
Mayweather
Narrator