Rap and hip-hop music have helped L.L. Cool J established a name for himself. In 1985, he published his debut album, “Radio,” which helped him gain fame on a national and international level by selling more than one million copies in the United States. He was presented with a Kennedy Centre Honors award in 2017, making him the only hip-hop musician to ever get one. He achieved amazing success in the music business before developing a passion for acting and pursuing it full-time. He appeared in a number of films, including “Wildcats,” “Toys,” and “Last Holiday,” among others which made him a successful actor as well.
Let’s explore more details about LL Cool J, his early life, career, personal life, awards, net worth, and other related information that you may want to know.
Early Life of LL Cool J
LL Cool J’s real name is James Todd Smith and he was born on January 14th, 1968 in Bay Shore, New York. Smith’s mother’s name was Ondrea Griffith and his father was James Louis Smith Jr. In his early years, LL Cool had a number of really terrible incidents. When LL was four years old, he discovered his mother and grandma dead from gunshot wounds. In a fight over their divorce proceedings in 1972, his father shot them both and came dangerously close to killing them. The following partner of his mother was Roscoe Granger, a heroin addict who frequently assaulted LL.
Smith became interested in music at a young age after starting to sing in his church choir. At the age of 9, he also started rapping. When James was sixteen years old, his jazz saxophonist grandfather supported him musically and gave him his first mixing desk. His mother helped him in his profession and once bought him a Korg drum machine with her tax rebate.
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Career Timeline of LL Cool J
- The first album by L.L. Cool J, “Radio,” received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.) in 1989 after selling more than one million copies in the United States.
- For his song, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” LL Cool J was awarded “Best Solo Rap Performance” in 1992.
- The 55th Grammy Awards were presented by him in 2013.
- For his enormous contributions to hip-hop, L.L. Cool J was given a doctorate of arts by North Eastern University in 2014.
- L.L. Cool J received the Kennedy Centre Honour Award in 2017 and is the first rapper to do so.
- L.L. Cool J was honored with a “Music Excellence” award in 2021 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
Acting Career of LL Cool J
Along with a flourishing music career, LL Cool J also has a distinguished acting career. Wildcats, a high school football movie, featured him in his first acting appearance. He was cast as Captain Patric Zevo in the 1992 film Toys. Even his own TV sitcom, In the House, which ran from 1995 to 1998, starred LL Cool J. The character he played was a well-known former football player who ran into financial trouble and had to rent out a portion of his home to a single mother and her two children. He had a supporting part in the 1998 film Halloween H20. He appeared in Deliver Us from Eva, S.W.A.T., and Mindhunters during the following several years.
He has played the primary character on the CBS police drama NCIS: Los Angeles since 2009. Former Navy SEAL and NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna is portrayed by LL Cool J. He has been the host of the well-known celebrity competitive game show Lip Sync Battle since April 2015.
Major Works of LL Cool J
The ground-breaking album ‘Bigger and Deffer’ by LL Cool J from 1987 is his best-selling record to date. The album features the first of its type and most popular “rap ballad,” “I Need Love.” The album, which is LL Cool J’s best-selling work overall, sold more than 3 million copies in the US alone.
The magnificent and timeless “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J was released in 1990. LL Cool J bounced back strongly after the failure of his previous album. The album’s four singles, including the Grammy-winning title track, all enjoyed significant success.
Famous Movies of LL Cool J
Here are some of the popular movies done by LL Cool J as mentioned below:
- Deep Blue Sea in 1999
- Mindhunters in 2004
- S.W.A.T. In 2003
- Edison in 2005
- In Too Deep in 1999
- Any Given Sunday in 1999
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later in 1998
- Rollerball in 2002
- Deliver Us from Eva in 2003
- Slow Burn in 2005
- Kingdom Come in 2001
- The Hard Way in 1991
- Toys in 1992
- Last Holiday in 2006
- The Deal in 2008
- Grudge Match in 2013
Studio Albums of LL Cool J
The following are the studio albums of LL Cool J as mentioned below:
Radio (1985)
Bigger and Deffer (1987)
Walking with a Panther (1989)
Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
14 Shots to the Dome (1993)
Mr. Smith (1995)
Phenomenon (1997)
G.O.A.T. (2000)
10 (2002)
The DEFinition (2004)
Todd Smith (2006)
Exit 13 (2008)
Authentic (2013)
Awards & Achievements Received by LL Cool J
The following are some most notable awards won by LL Cool J as mentioned below:
- For his popular song, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” LL Cool J got an “MTV Video Music Award” in the category of “Best Rap Video” in 1991.
- For his song “Mama Said Knock You Out,” LL Cool J received his first Grammy in the category of “Best Rap Solo Performance” in 1992.
- He received his second Grammy in 1997 for the song “Hey Lover” from the album “Mr. Smith,” this time in the same category of “Best Rap Solo Performance.”
- For his work in the movie “Deep Blue Sea,” he received a “Blockbuster Entertainment Award” in the category of “Favorite Supporting Actor – Action” in 2000.
- For his work on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” he received a “Teen Choice Award” in the category “Choice TV Actor: Action” in 2013.
Personal Life of LL Cool J
From 1992 to 1994, LL Cool J was romantically involved with Kidada Jones, a producer’s daughter. In 1995, he was hitched to Simone Johnson. The couple first met in 1987 and their first kid was born in 1990.
Finding Your Roots revealed that Eugene Griffith and Ellen Hightower adopted Smith’s mother in one of its episodes. Smith’s biological grandparents were determined to be Ethel Mae Jolly and Nathaniel Christy Lewis through DNA research by the genetic genealogist for the show CeCe Moore. John Henry Lewis, a legendary boxer, was Smith’s biological great-uncle.
Net Worth And Salary of LL Cool J
American rapper and actor LL Cool J has a $120 million net worth. One of the earliest hip-hop artists to enter popular culture is him. He is currently well-known for playing a lead role in the network television series NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J receives $350,000 for each episode of NCIS.
Few Facts about LL Cool J
The following are some facts about LL Cool J that you may find interesting:
- L.L. Cool J enjoys Ginger Ale as he once confessed that he does not mind good old Ginger Ale. L.L. Cool J is the first performer to have hosted the Grammys five times in a row.
- The well-known high school movie “Wildcats,” in which L.L. Cool J had a small part, served as the rapper’s debut feature.
- Before he became a rapper, L.L. Cool J used to deliver newspapers.
- L.L. Cool J runs a nonprofit organization called “Jump and Ball” which promotes youth development in sports.
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The final words
James Todd Smith is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor better known by his stage name, LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James). Along with other new school hip-hop artists Beastie Boys and Run-DMC, LL Cool J was one of the first rappers to have mainstream success. As per your query, LL Cool J’s net worth is estimated to be around $120 million as of 2023. We have shared all the details about LL Cool J’s early life, family, career, personal life, awards, net worth, and other related information. We hope you found this article helpful and got all the information related to LL Cool J that you were looking for.
