LL Cool J
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- January 14, 1968 (age 58)
- Birthplace
- Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
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
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
Movie · as Self
NCIS: New York
TV · as Sam Hanna · 8 eps
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Stans
Movie · as Self
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Movie
Hip Hop Was Born Here
TV · as Self - Host · 5 eps
Comin' Up Short
Movie · as Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Movie · as Self
A Hip Hop Minute
Movie · as Self
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Movie · as Self
James Brown: Say It Loud
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Fat Joe Talks
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie · as Self
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Movie · as Self
Hip Hop Treasures
TV · as Self · 8 eps
Superfan
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
TV · as Self · 4 eps
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie · as Self
They Call Me Magic
TV · as Self · 4 eps
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV · 1 ep
Supreme Team
TV · as Self · 3 eps
Payback
TV · as Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage) · 1 ep
You're Watching Video Music Box
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Movie · as Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
TV · as Sam Hanna · 12 eps
One World: Together at Home
Movie · as Self
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Movie · as Self
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Movie · as Self - Musician and Actor
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Desus & Mero
TV · as Self - Illustrious Guest · 1 ep
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
Movie
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Movie · as Self - Host
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Movie · as Self
Shut Up and Dribble
TV · as Self - Musician · 1 ep
Steve
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Greatest Hits
TV · 1 ep
The $100,000 Pyramid
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Movie · as Self
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Movie · as Self
Lip Sync Battle
TV · as Host · 92 eps
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Hot Ones
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Movie · as Self - Host
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV · as Self - Guest · 3 eps
Grudge Match
Movie · as Frankie Brite
Mayweather
Movie · as Narrator
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Movie · as Self
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Movie · as Self
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
Movie · as Self
Finding Your Roots
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Hawaii Five-0
TV · as Sam Hanna · 1 ep
Conan
TV · as Self - Guest`````` · 1 ep
The Talk
TV · as Self · 2 eps
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Movie · as Self
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
NCIS: Los Angeles
TV · as Sam Hanna · 323 eps
WWII in HD
TV · as Shelby Westbrook (voice) · 10 eps
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
The Joe Rogan Experience
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Deal
Movie · as Bobby Mason
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Movie · as Self
The Man
Movie · as Manny Baxter
Last Holiday
Movie · as Sean Williams
30 Rock
TV · as Ridikolus · 1 ep
Rachael Ray
TV · 1 ep
Edison
Movie · as Deed
Slow Burn
Movie · as Luther Pinks
The Tyra Banks Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
So You Think You Can Dance
TV · 1 ep
American Dad!
TV · as Sam Hanna (voice) · 1 ep
Mindhunters
Movie · as Gabe Jensen
House
TV · as Clarence · 1 ep
The Tony Danza Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Project Runway
TV · as Self - Guest Judge · 1 ep
S.W.A.T.
Movie · as Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
Deliver Us from Eva
Movie · as Ray Adams
Beef
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Jennifer Lopez: The Reel Me
Movie · as Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV · as Self, Self - Guest · 5 eps
NCIS
TV · as Sam Hanna · 6 eps
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
TV · 10 eps
Rollerball
Movie · as Marcus Ridley
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Movie
It's Black Entertainment
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
American Idol
TV · as Self - Guest Judge · 1 ep
Last Call with Carson Daly
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Kingdom Come
Movie · as Ray Bud Slocumb
Charlie's Angels
Movie · as Mr. Jones
106 & Park
TV · 1 ep
In Too Deep
Movie · as Dwayne Gittens / God
Any Given Sunday
Movie · as Julian Washington
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
Movie
Deep Blue Sea
Movie · as Preacher
The Early Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Teen Choice Awards
TV · as Self, Self - Presenter · 1 ep
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Movie · as Ronny
Caught Up
Movie · as Roger
Woo
Movie · as Darryl
Unmasking the Horror
Movie · as Self
Touch
Movie · as LL Cool J
B.A.P.S
Movie · as LL Cool J
The View
TV · as Self · 8 eps
Oz
TV · as Jiggy Walker · 1 ep
The Chris Rock Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Right to Remain Silent
Movie · as Charles Red Taylor
Clive Anderson All Talk
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Daily Show
TV · as Self · 3 eps
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Show
Movie · as Self
Out-of-Sync
Movie · as Jason St. Julian
In the House
TV · as Marion Hill · 76 eps
MADtv
TV · as Self - Host · 1 ep
The Frank Skinner Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
MTV Europe Music Awards
TV · as Self - Presenter · 1 ep
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV · as Self - Guest · 4 eps
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
TV · as Mr. Throneberry · 1 ep
Late Show with David Letterman
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Toys
Movie · as Patrick Zevo
Simply Mad About the Mouse
Movie · as Self
The Hard Way
Movie · as Billy
Future Of The Funk
Movie · as Self
The Word
TV · 1 ep
MTV Unplugged
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Yo! MTV Raps
TV · as Self · 1 ep
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues
Movie · as Self
Kids' Choice Awards
TV · as Self - Co-Host · 1 ep
Big Fun in the Big Town
Movie · as Self
Wildcats
Movie · as Rapper
Krush Groove
Movie · as LL Cool J
MTV Video Music Awards
TV · as Self - Host · 2 eps
Entertainment Tonight
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Saturday Night Live
TV · as Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep
People's Choice Awards
TV · as Self - Presenter · 2 eps
The Grammys
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Today
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Emmy Awards
TV · as Self · 1 ep