LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J, is an American rapper and actor. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released twelve studio albums and a greatest hits compilation, with his latest album being 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. He now lives in Manhasset, New York, with his wife and four children.
Early life
Under his new stage name, LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James), Def Jam released his first record, the 12" single "I Need a Beat". The single sold over 100,000 copies. The success of "I Need a Beat" helped lead to a distribution deal with Def Jam and Columbia Records in 1985. Soon after, he dropped out of Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.LL Cool J was born and raised in Queens, New York, the son of Ondrea (née Griffith) and James Smith.His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents.He went to I.S.238 Susan B.Anthony Academy in Queens New York (Hillside). He started rapping at the age of nine. In his youth, LL Cool J performed in the church choir, participated in the Boy Scouts, and delivered newspapers. At age 16, by using a mixing table purchased by his grandfather at Sears, Smith produced and created demos and sent them to various record companies, including Def Jam Recordings.
Acting career
While LL Cool J first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove, his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie calledWildcats. He continued to work in movies from then until 1995 when he landed his own television sitcom, In the House. He starred as an ex-Los Angeles Raiders running back who finds himself in financial difficulties and is forced to rent part of his home out to a single mother and her two children.
In 1998 he had a role in the film Halloween H20. In 1999's Deep Blue Sea, he played the wise-cracking cook on a top-secret sea base besieged by genetically-enhanced sharks. Later that year, he had a starring role in Any Given Sunday, in which he played Julian Washington, the talented but selfish running back on the dysfunctional Miami Sharks. Since then, LL Cool J has appeared in a variety of films, such as the 2002 remake ofRollerball, Deliver Us from Eva, and S.W.A.T..
In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the Fox medical drama House as a death row inmate felled by an unknown disease.
He also guest starred on 30 Rock in the episode "The Source Awards" as the hip hop producer Ridiculous, who Tracy Jordan fears is going to kill him.
LL Cool J appeared in Sesame Street's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous", in episode 4169 (Sept. 22, 2008) and performing "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008).
He is currently a series regular on the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles, a spin-off of NCIS (which itself is a spin-off of the naval legal dramaJAG). LL Cool J plays Special Agent Sam Hanna, an ex–Navy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and an expert on West Asian culture. The series debuted in autumn of 2009, but the characters were introduced in an April 2009 crossover episode on the parent show. He continues to create a third season, with CBS in their new fall season.
LL Cool J also appeared as Queen Latifah's love interest in the movie Last Holiday.
Early life
Under his new stage name, LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James), Def Jam released his first record, the 12" single "I Need a Beat". The single sold over 100,000 copies. The success of "I Need a Beat" helped lead to a distribution deal with Def Jam and Columbia Records in 1985. Soon after, he dropped out of Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.LL Cool J was born and raised in Queens, New York, the son of Ondrea (née Griffith) and James Smith.His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents.He went to I.S.238 Susan B.Anthony Academy in Queens New York (Hillside). He started rapping at the age of nine. In his youth, LL Cool J performed in the church choir, participated in the Boy Scouts, and delivered newspapers. At age 16, by using a mixing table purchased by his grandfather at Sears, Smith produced and created demos and sent them to various record companies, including Def Jam Recordings.
Acting career
While LL Cool J first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove, his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie calledWildcats. He continued to work in movies from then until 1995 when he landed his own television sitcom, In the House. He starred as an ex-Los Angeles Raiders running back who finds himself in financial difficulties and is forced to rent part of his home out to a single mother and her two children.
In 1998 he had a role in the film Halloween H20. In 1999's Deep Blue Sea, he played the wise-cracking cook on a top-secret sea base besieged by genetically-enhanced sharks. Later that year, he had a starring role in Any Given Sunday, in which he played Julian Washington, the talented but selfish running back on the dysfunctional Miami Sharks. Since then, LL Cool J has appeared in a variety of films, such as the 2002 remake ofRollerball, Deliver Us from Eva, and S.W.A.T..
In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the Fox medical drama House as a death row inmate felled by an unknown disease.
He also guest starred on 30 Rock in the episode "The Source Awards" as the hip hop producer Ridiculous, who Tracy Jordan fears is going to kill him.
LL Cool J appeared in Sesame Street's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous", in episode 4169 (Sept. 22, 2008) and performing "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008).
He is currently a series regular on the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles, a spin-off of NCIS (which itself is a spin-off of the naval legal dramaJAG). LL Cool J plays Special Agent Sam Hanna, an ex–Navy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and an expert on West Asian culture. The series debuted in autumn of 2009, but the characters were introduced in an April 2009 crossover episode on the parent show. He continues to create a third season, with CBS in their new fall season.
LL Cool J also appeared as Queen Latifah's love interest in the movie Last Holiday.
No comments:
Post a Comment