LL Cool J Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth & Biography

LL Cool J is an American rapper and actor best known as one of the first superstars of hip-hop, with hits such as “I Need Love” and “Mama Said Knock You Out,” and as Special Agent Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles. Born on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, New York, LL Cool J, 58, was the first artist to have a hit on Def Jam Recordings, and he has built a career of more than forty years in music, film and television, including an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Quick Facts

Who Is LL Cool J?

LL Cool J is a rapper and actor whose name stands for “Ladies Love Cool James,” and whose career has spanned more than four decades. As a rapper, he was one of the first artists to sign to Def Jam Recordings, the label founded by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, and his debut album Radio (1985) became a hit, with songs such as “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells.” He went on to release the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), which included the hit “I Need Love,” one of the first rap ballads, and Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), the title track of which won him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.

Beyond music, LL Cool J has shown a wide range as an actor. He played Julian Washington, a running back, in Any Given Sunday (1999), opposite Al Pacino, and he played Preacher, a cook, in Deep Blue Sea (1999), a shark thriller. He starred as Special Agent Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles (2009-2023), a role he played for fourteen seasons, and he hosted Lip Sync Battle (2015-2019), a music competition show on Spike TV. Like Ice Cube, LL Cool J is a rapper who became a successful actor, and he has won two Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early Life & Background

James Todd Smith was born in Bay Shore, New York, on Long Island, the son of Ondrea Griffith, a nurse, and James Smith, a truck driver. He grew up in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens, New York, where he attended Andrew Jackson High School. He began rapping as a teenager, writing lyrics and performing at local clubs, and he sent a demo tape to Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons at Def Jam Recordings, who signed him to the label when he was 16, making him one of the label’s first artists.

He released his debut single, “I Need a Beat,” in 1984, when he was 16, and his debut album, Radio, in 1985, when he was 17. He went on to release Bigger and Deffer, Walking with a Panther (1989), and Mama Said Knock You Out, which brought him to wide attention as a rapper. He married Simone Smith, a jewelry designer, in 1995, and they have four children together: Najee, Italia, Samaria and Nina-Symone.

Career

LL Cool J’s career in music includes the albums Radio, Bigger and Deffer, Walking with a Panther, Mama Said Knock You Out, 14 Shots to the Dome (1993), Mr. Smith (1995), Phenomenon (1997), G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) (2000), 10 (2002), The DEFinition (2004), Todd Smith (2006), Exit 13 (2008), Authentic (2013), and The FORCE (2024). He won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for “Mama Said Knock You Out” in 1992 and for “Hey Lover” in 1997, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, after being nominated six times.

His career in film and television includes Krush Groove (1985), The Hard Way (1991), Toys (1992), Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, Rollerball (2002), S.W.A.T. (2003), Last Holiday (2006), NCIS: Los Angeles, Lip Sync Battle, NCIS: Hawai’i (2023), and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in which he has made guest appearances. He hosted the Grammy Awards in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, becoming the first rapper to host the ceremony. He is known for his work as a rapper, as an actor, and for a career that has lasted for more than forty years.

Facts About LL Cool J

• He was the first artist to have a hit on Def Jam Recordings, with his debut single “I Need a Beat” in 1984.
• He played Special Agent Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles from 2009 to 2023.
• He won two Grammy Awards, for “Mama Said Knock You Out” and for “Hey Lover.”
• He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
• He has been married to Simone Smith since 1995, and they have four children together.

Frequently Asked Questions

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