this wrapper is something like a
phenomenon welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’re taking a look at the life
and career of LL Cool J James Todd Smith
was born January 14th 1968 in Bayshore
New York after discovering hip hop at
age nine he began writing and performing
his own songs
two years later inspired by rap greats
like Grandmaster Flash Run DMC and
Kurtis Blow he used recording equipment
his grandmother gave him to build his
sound Smith then adopted the stage name
LL Cool J which meant ladies love cool
James in 1984 LL signed to the newly
founded Def Jam Recordings and
demonstrated his powerful rap style on
his first single I need a beat the next
year his debut album radio became one of
hip-hop’s first commercial successes on
the strength of singles like I can’t
live without my radio and rock the belt
thanks to Elle Elle’s b-boy style lyrics
and Rick Rubin’s production work the
record went platinum and helped launch
the new school of hip-hop 1987’s bigger
and Deffer was an even bigger success
that album reached number three on the
Billboard 200 went double platinum and
spawns a hit rap ballad I need love what
came next was 1989’s top-ten effort
walking with a panther
despite its commercial success and
numerous successful tracks the record
was heavily criticized for pandering to
the mainstream by this point many
thought LL Cool J’s time had come to an
end but he was only getting started he
won back critic and fent favor with
1990s mama said knock you out the
tougher album sold over 2 million copies
and generated the Grammy winning title
track
ll then revealed his acting talent in
some small roles before dropping 14
shots to the dome in 1993 that more
hardcore rap record was a commercial
flop but still managed gold status when
most rappers would have called it quits
ll persevered he was rewarded when
1995’s mr. Smith sold over 2 million
copies and won him another Grammy for
his song with boys to men hey lover
on this CD ll featured many of the sexy
rap ballots he was famous for including
loungin and doing it that senior LL Cool
J added to his acting credits by
starring in the sitcom in the house he
then released the platinum-selling disc
phenomenon in 1997 which spawned the
title cut and the star-studded single
four three two one the next few years
were spent beefing up his acting
repertoire in movies like Halloween h2o
20 years later deep blue sea into deep
and any given Sunday in 2000 LL Cool J
had his first number one album with goat
or greatest of all time he kept busy in
films like Charlie’s Angels Kingdom Come
and rollerball we’re out of here and
released the number two disc ten in 2002
that same year the rapper lent his
vocals to the chart-topping Jennifer
Lopez track all I have in 2004 he
released the Timbaland produced top 5
record the definition they call me
two years later came Todd Smith and this
effort featured several collaborations
including another JLo duet called
control myself during this period ll
made many more movie and television
appearances most notably and deliver us
from Eva SWAT mind hunters and last
holiday then in 2008 ll released his
last Def Jam album exit 13 that top-10
record was preceded by his first mixtape
the return of the goat ll focus then
shifted to acting and he became a
regular on the television series NCIS
Los Angeles in 2009 after several years
of hosting the Grammy nominations
concert he hosted the 54th Grammy Awards
in 2012 for the first time aside from
rapping and acting LL Cool J authored
numerous books including an
autobiography fitness guide and
children’s book he was also involved
with a few clothing lines including the
iconic FUBU brand and formed several
music related companies with the career
spanning decades LL Cool J became one of
the most notable and accomplished rapper
slash actors of all time this
multi-dimensional celebrity has sold
millions of albums worldwide received
numerous accolades and appeared in
dozens of movies and that is why he
remains the greatest of all time
phenomenon welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’re taking a look at the life
and career of LL Cool J James Todd Smith
was born January 14th 1968 in Bayshore
New York after discovering hip hop at
age nine he began writing and performing
his own songs
two years later inspired by rap greats
like Grandmaster Flash Run DMC and
Kurtis Blow he used recording equipment
his grandmother gave him to build his
sound Smith then adopted the stage name
LL Cool J which meant ladies love cool
James in 1984 LL signed to the newly
founded Def Jam Recordings and
demonstrated his powerful rap style on
his first single I need a beat the next
year his debut album radio became one of
hip-hop’s first commercial successes on
the strength of singles like I can’t
live without my radio and rock the belt
thanks to Elle Elle’s b-boy style lyrics
and Rick Rubin’s production work the
record went platinum and helped launch
the new school of hip-hop 1987’s bigger
and Deffer was an even bigger success
that album reached number three on the
Billboard 200 went double platinum and
spawns a hit rap ballad I need love what
came next was 1989’s top-ten effort
walking with a panther
despite its commercial success and
numerous successful tracks the record
was heavily criticized for pandering to
the mainstream by this point many
thought LL Cool J’s time had come to an
end but he was only getting started he
won back critic and fent favor with
1990s mama said knock you out the
tougher album sold over 2 million copies
and generated the Grammy winning title
track
ll then revealed his acting talent in
some small roles before dropping 14
shots to the dome in 1993 that more
hardcore rap record was a commercial
flop but still managed gold status when
most rappers would have called it quits
ll persevered he was rewarded when
1995’s mr. Smith sold over 2 million
copies and won him another Grammy for
his song with boys to men hey lover
on this CD ll featured many of the sexy
rap ballots he was famous for including
loungin and doing it that senior LL Cool
J added to his acting credits by
starring in the sitcom in the house he
then released the platinum-selling disc
phenomenon in 1997 which spawned the
title cut and the star-studded single
four three two one the next few years
were spent beefing up his acting
repertoire in movies like Halloween h2o
20 years later deep blue sea into deep
and any given Sunday in 2000 LL Cool J
had his first number one album with goat
or greatest of all time he kept busy in
films like Charlie’s Angels Kingdom Come
and rollerball we’re out of here and
released the number two disc ten in 2002
that same year the rapper lent his
vocals to the chart-topping Jennifer
Lopez track all I have in 2004 he
released the Timbaland produced top 5
record the definition they call me
two years later came Todd Smith and this
effort featured several collaborations
including another JLo duet called
control myself during this period ll
made many more movie and television
appearances most notably and deliver us
from Eva SWAT mind hunters and last
holiday then in 2008 ll released his
last Def Jam album exit 13 that top-10
record was preceded by his first mixtape
the return of the goat ll focus then
shifted to acting and he became a
regular on the television series NCIS
Los Angeles in 2009 after several years
of hosting the Grammy nominations
concert he hosted the 54th Grammy Awards
in 2012 for the first time aside from
rapping and acting LL Cool J authored
numerous books including an
autobiography fitness guide and
children’s book he was also involved
with a few clothing lines including the
iconic FUBU brand and formed several
music related companies with the career
spanning decades LL Cool J became one of
the most notable and accomplished rapper
slash actors of all time this
multi-dimensional celebrity has sold
millions of albums worldwide received
numerous accolades and appeared in
dozens of movies and that is why he
remains the greatest of all time
Please follow and like us: