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.
9
9
4
9
9
5
9
9
6
Bright and eager to hit the streets in search of bad guys, rookie cop Christine Paley is disappointe...
More info9
9
7
9
9
8
Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former baby sitter Laurie Strode finds h...
More info9
9
9
Researchers on the undersea lab Aquatica have genetically altered the brains of captive sharks to de...
More info
A star quarterback gets knocked out of the game and an unknown third stringer is called in to replac...
More info
Drug lord Dwayne Gittens rules Cincinnati with an iron fist. No wonder he's known as "God" on the st...
More info0
0
0
The captivating crime-fighting trio who are masters of disguise, espionage and martial arts are back...
More info0
0
1
When her husband keels over from a stroke, Raynelle Slocumb calls the entire clan together to rememb...
More info0
0
2
In this fast action-packed thriller, Jonathan, Marcus, and Aurora compete in a dangerous, fierce spo...
More info0
0
3
Eva Dandridge has been in charge of her younger sisters ever since their parents died many years ago...
More info0
0
4
Trainees in the FBI's psychological profiling program must put their training into practice when the...
More info0
0
5
0
0
6
The discovery that she has a terminal illness prompts introverted department store saleswoman Georgi...
More info0
0
7
0
0
8
0
0
9
More than just a biography, this film explores Bruce Lee's global impact to see how he has influence...
More info0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
2
0
1
3
A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after...
More info0
1
4
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, thi...
More info0
1
5
0
1
6
0
1
7
0
1
8
0
1
9
0
2
0
Ricky Powell boasts a quintessential New York story, rising to fame as a street photographer in the ...
More info
A global broadcast & digital special organized by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization f...
More info0
2
1
Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his dist...
More info0
2
2
0
2
3
A once-in-a-lifetime live concert special celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the two-hour ...
More infoRecent movies
| # | Name | Character | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop (2023) | Self | 9 | |
| 2 | Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021) | Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage) | 6.9 | |
| 3 | Ricky Powell: The Individualist (2020) | Self | - | - |
| 4 | One World: Together at Home (2020) | Self | 8 | |
| 5 | The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles (2014) | Self - Host | - | - |
| 6 | Grudge Match (2013) | Frankie Brite | 6.3 | |
| 7 | How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009) | Self | - | - |
| 8 | The Deal (2008) | Bobby Mason | 4 | |
| 9 | Last Holiday (2006) | Sean Matthews | 7.2 | |
| 10 | Slow Burn (2005) | Luther Pinks | 3 | |
| 11 | Edison (2005) | Deed | 4.8 | |
| 12 | Mindhunters (2004) | Gabe Jensen | 6.7 | |
| 13 | Beef (2003) | Self (archive footage) | - | - |
| 14 | S.W.A.T. (2003) | Deacon 'Deke' Kaye | 6.3 | |
| 15 | Deliver Us from Eva (2003) | Ray Adams | - | - |
| 16 | Rollerball (2002) | Marcus Ridley | 4.1 | |
| 17 | Kingdom Come (2001) | Ray Bud Slocumb | - | - |
| 18 | Charlie's Angels (2000) | Mr. Jones | 6.2 | |
| 19 | Deep Blue Sea (1999) | Preacher | 6.1 | |
| 20 | Any Given Sunday (1999) | Julian Washington | 7.3 | |
| 21 | In Too Deep (1999) | Dwayne Gittens / God | 6 | |
| 22 | Caught Up (1998) | Roger | 6 | |
| 23 | Woo (1998) | Darryl | 10 | |
| 24 | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) | Ronald 'Ronny' Jones | 6 | |
| 25 | Touch (1997) | LL Cool J | 6 | |
| 26 | B.A.P.S (1997) | LL Cool J | 10 | |
| 27 | The Right to Remain Silent (1996) | Charles Red Taylor | - | - |
| 28 | Toys (1992) | Patrick Zevo | 6 | |
| 29 | The Hard Way (1991) | Billy | 7.2 | |
| 30 | Wildcats (1986) | Rapper | 8 | |
| 31 | Krush Groove (1985) | LL Cool J | 9 |

