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LL Cool J
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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-teâŠ
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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, "Unanimousâ 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.
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BODY OF WORK
LL Cool J's Filmography
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Quincy Jones, Music Man
as Self (archive footage)
Stans
as Self
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
as Self (archive footage)
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
as Self
A Hip Hop Minute
as Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
Comin' Up Short
as Self
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
as Self
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
as Self
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
as Self
You're Watching Video Music Box
as Self (archive footage)
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
as Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
as Self
One World: Together at Home
as Self
No Poster
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
as Self - Musician and Actor
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
as Self - Host
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
as Self
No Poster
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
as Self
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
as Self
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
as Self - Host
Grudge Match
as Frankie Brite
No Poster
Mayweather
as Narrator
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
as Self
Yo! The Story of âYo! MTV Rapsâ
as Self
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
as Self
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
as Self
No Poster
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
as Self (archive footage)
The Deal
as Bobby Mason
No Poster
The Man
as Manny Baxter
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
as Self
Last Holiday
as Sean Williams
Slow Burn
as Luther Pinks
Edison
as Deed
Mindhunters
as Gabe Jensen
S.W.A.T.
as Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
Beef
as Self (archive footage)
Jennifer Lopez: The Reel Me
as Self
Deliver Us from Eva
as Ray Adams
Rollerball
as Marcus Ridley
It's Black Entertainment
as Self (archive footage)
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Kingdom Come
as Ray Bud Slocumb
Charlie's Angels
as Mr. Jones
Any Given Sunday
as Julian Washington
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
In Too Deep
as Dwayne Gittens / God
Deep Blue Sea
as Preacher
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
as Ronny
Unmasking the Horror
as Self
Woo
as Darryl
Caught Up
as Roger
B.A.P.S
as LL Cool J
Touch
as LL Cool J
The Right to Remain Silent
as Charles Red Taylor
The Show
as Self
Out-of-Sync
as Jason St. Julian
Toys
as Patrick Zevo
Simply Mad About the Mouse
as Self
The Hard Way
as Billy
Future Of The Funk
as Self
No Poster
Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues
as Self
Big Fun in the Big Town
as Self
Wildcats
as Rapper
Krush Groove
as LL Cool J
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
as Self