LL Cool J
James Todd Smith was born on the 14th of January 1968 in Bay Shore, New York. His childhood home became a crime scene when his father shot his mother and grandfather nearly killing them both. Four-year-old Smith found blood everywhere inside the house that day. He later described this trauma as heart-breaking while growing up middle class and Catholic in Queens. The family moved to St. Albans, Queens in 1972 where he lived with his grandparents. An ex-boyfriend of his mother named Roscoe subjected him to physical and mental abuse during these years.
Sixteen-year-old Smith created demo tapes inside his grandparents' home in 1984. His grandfather bought him two thousand dollars worth of equipment including turntables and an audio mixer. NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter Russell Simmons founded Def Jam Recordings around this time. Smith sent his demos to various record companies throughout New York City before finding his home at Def Jam. His first official record was the twelve-inch single I Need A Beat released in 1984. That single sold over one hundred thousand copies and helped establish both Def Jam and Smith as a rapper. His debut album Radio arrived the 18th of November 1985 on Def Jam Recordings. It earned platinum status by 1989 after selling over one million copies.
The second album Bigger and Deffer came out in 1987 and sold more than two million copies in the United States alone. It featured the revolutionary song I Need Love which became LL's first number one R&B hit. Critics later called the third album Walking with a Panther too commercial despite its chart success. The fourth studio album Mama Said Knock You Out arrived in 1990 and went double platinum. This record won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1992. He proved critics wrong about staying relevant while maintaining hard-edged lyrics. Another album Mr. Smith released in 1995 included the Grammy-winning track Hey Lover featuring Boyz II Men.
Smith played Captain Patrick Zevo in Barry Levinson's 1992 film Toys. He starred in his own NBC sitcom In the House from 1995 to 1999 portraying an ex-Oakland Raiders running back. His role as security guard Ronny appeared in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later during 1998. He co-starred as Preacher the chef in the horror comedy Deep Blue Sea in 1999. A real fistfight allegedly occurred between him and Jamie Foxx while filming Any Given Sunday that same year. He began starring on NCIS: Los Angeles in autumn of 2009 playing Special Agent Sam Hanna. The show ran for fourteen seasons until 2023 before he reprised the role in NCIS: Hawai'i.
LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors in 2017. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a Musical Excellence award in 2021. This induction came after six nominations spanning from 2010 through 2019. He won two Grammy Awards throughout his career including Best Rap Solo Performance. VH1 placed him on their 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time list in 2010. Smith received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the 21st of January 2016. He also earned an honorary doctorate from Northeastern University in 2014.
Smith launched a clothing line called Todd Smith producing popular urban apparel designs. He founded a music label named P.O.G. or Power Of God in 1993. His charitable foundation Jump & Ball offers athletic programs for young people in Queens. He wrote four books including an autobiography cowritten with Karen Hunter in 1997. Political involvement included supporting George Pataki's bid for governor in 2002. He spoke at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing about RIAA lawsuits against file sharing in 2003. The couple co-founded a jewelry line for men called Majesty in 2023.
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Common questions
When and where was James Todd Smith born?
James Todd Smith was born on the 14th of January 1968 in Bay Shore, New York. He later grew up middle class and Catholic in Queens before his family moved to St. Albans, Queens in 1972.
What happened during LL Cool J's childhood that influenced his life?
His father shot his mother and grandfather when he was four years old, leaving him surrounded by blood inside their home. An ex-boyfriend named Roscoe subjected him to physical and mental abuse while living with his grandparents in St. Albans, Queens.
How did LL Cool J start his music career and what were his early hits?
Sixteen-year-old Smith created demo tapes inside his grandparents' home in 1984 and sent them to record companies until finding a home at Def Jam Recordings. His first official record I Need A Beat released in 1984 sold over one hundred thousand copies and helped establish both Def Jam and Smith as a rapper.
Which albums won Grammy Awards for LL Cool J and when were they released?
The fourth studio album Mama Said Knock You Out arrived in 1990 and went double platinum before winning a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1992. Another album Mr. Smith released in 1995 included the Grammy-winning track Hey Lover featuring Boyz II Men.
What acting roles has James Todd Smith played throughout his career?
Smith played Captain Patrick Zevo in Barry Levinson's 1992 film Toys and starred in his own NBC sitcom In the House from 1995 to 1999 portraying an ex-Oakland Raiders running back. He began starring on NCIS: Los Angeles in autumn of 2009 playing Special Agent Sam Hanna, with the show running for fourteen seasons until 2023.
When did LL Cool J receive major honors like the Kennedy Center Honors and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction?
LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the 21st of January 2016. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a Musical Excellence award in 2021 after six nominations spanning from 2010 through 2019.