LL Cool J
James Todd Smith, better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James), 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
Credits
- 2024 · Fat Joe Talks as Self - Guest
- 2024 · A Hip Hop Minute as Self
- 2024 · NCISverse: The First 1,000 as Self
- 2024 · James Brown: Say It Loud as Self
- 2024 · Comin' Up Short as Self
- 2023 · A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop as Self
- 2023 · 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
- 2023 · Hip Hop Treasures as
- 2023 · Superfan as Self
- 2023 · Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World as Self
- 2022 · 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
- 2022 · The Jennifer Hudson Show as
- 2022 · Supreme Team as Self
- 2022 · They Call Me Magic as Self
- 2021 · You're Watching Video Music Box as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · NCIS: Hawai'i as Sam Hanna
- 2021 · Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell as Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
- 2020 · One World: Together at Home as Self
- 2019 · The Kelly Clarkson Show as
- 2019 · Desus & Mero as Self - Illustrious Guest
- 2018 · A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary as Self - Host
- 2018 · Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones as Self
- 2018 · Shut Up and Dribble as Self - Musician
- 2018 · MVP: Most Valuable Performer as
- 2016 · Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party as Self
- 2016 · Greatest Hits as
- 2016 · The $100,000 Pyramid as Self
- 2015 · Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert as Self
- 2015 · Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- 2015 · Lip Sync Battle as Host
- 2015 · The Late Late Show with James Corden as Self
- 2015 · Hot Ones as Self
- 2015 · Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute as Self
- 2014 · The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles as Self - Host
- 2013 · Grudge Match as Frankie Brite
- 2013 · Mayweather as Narrator
- 2012 · Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You as Self
- 2012 · Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ as Self
- 2012 · Finding Your Roots as Self
- 2010 · Conan as Self
- 2010 · Hawaii Five-0 as Sam Hanna
- 2010 · We Are the World 25 For Haiti as LL Cool J
- 2009 · WWII in HD as
- 2009 · NCIS: Los Angeles as Sam Hanna
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · How Bruce Lee Changed the World as Self
- 2009 · DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd as Self (archive footage)
- 2008 · The Deal as Bobby Mason
- 2007 · ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway as Self
- 2006 · 30 Rock as Ridikolus
- 2006 · Rachael Ray as
- 2006 · Last Holiday as Sean Matthews
- 2005 · The Tyra Banks Show as Self
- 2005 · Slow Burn as Luther Pinks
- 2005 · Edison as Deed
- 2005 · So You Think You Can Dance as
- 2005 · American Dad! as Sam Hanna (voice)
- 2004 · Project Runway as Self - Guest Judge
- 2004 · House as Clarence
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self
- 2004 · Mindhunters as Gabe Jensen
- 2003 · Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards as
- 2003 · NCIS as Sam Hanna
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2003 · S.W.A.T. as Deacon 'Deke' Kaye (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)
- 2003 · Beef as Self (archive footage)
- 2003 · Deliver Us from Eva as Ray Adams
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2002 · American Idol as Self - Guest Judge
- 2002 · Rollerball as Marcus Ridley
- 2002 · It's Black Entertainment as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Last Call with Carson Daly as Self
- 2002 · Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1 as
- 2001 · Kingdom Come as Ray Bud Slocumb
- 2000 · Charlie's Angels as Mr. Jones
- 2000 · 106 & Park as
- 1999 · Any Given Sunday as Julian Washington
- 1999 · The Early Show as Self
- 1999 · Rapmania: The Roots of Rap as
- 1999 · In Too Deep as Dwayne Gittens / God
- 1999 · Teen Choice Awards as Self
- 1999 · Teen Choice Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1999 · Deep Blue Sea as Preacher
- 1999 · WWE SmackDown as Self
- 1998 · Halloween H20: 20 Years Later as Ronald 'Ronny' Jones
- 1998 · Woo as Darryl
- 1998 · Caught Up as Roger
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · Oz as Jiggy Walker
- 1997 · B.A.P.S as LL Cool J
- 1997 · Touch as LL Cool J
- 1997 · The Chris Rock Show as
- 1996 · Clive Anderson All Talk as Self
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self
- 1996 · The Right to Remain Silent as Charles Red Taylor
- 1995 · MADtv as Self - Host
- 1995 · MADtv as Self
- 1995 · The Frank Skinner Show as Self
- 1995 · The Show as Self
- 1995 · Out-of-Sync as Jason St. Julian
- 1995 · In the House as Marion Hill
- 1993 · Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- 1992 · Toys as Captain Patrick Zevo
- 1991 · Simply Mad About the Mouse as Self
- 1991 · The Hard Way as Billy
- 1991 · Future Of The Funk as Self
- 1989 · MTV Unplugged as Self
- 1988 · Yo! MTV Raps as Self
- 1987 · Kids' Choice Awards as Self - Co-Host
- 1986 · Big Fun in the Big Town as Self
- 1986 · Wildcats as Rapper
- 1985 · Krush Groove as LL Cool J
- 1984 · MTV Video Music Awards as Self - Host
- 1984 · MTV Video Music Awards as Self
- 1981 · Entertainment Tonight as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Musical Guest
- 1972 · Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest as Performer - Times Square
- 1959 · The Grammy Awards as
- 1952 · Today as Self
- Future · The Man as
- Future · LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop as Self