profile

LL Cool J

1968-01-14 (56 years old) in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA

James Todd Smith, better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James), 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.

Movies

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Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
90 %|Dec 4, 2024
Comedy, Family, TV Movie
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A Hip Hop Minute
0 %|May 4, 2024
Documentary, Music
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NCISverse: The First 1,000
90 %|Apr 8, 2024
Documentary, TV Movie
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Comin' Up Short
0 %|Jan 10, 2024
Documentary
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A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop
85 %|Dec 10, 2023
Music, Documentary
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2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
85 %|Nov 3, 2023
Music, Documentary
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2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
85 %|Nov 19, 2022
Music, Documentary
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You're Watching Video Music Box
64 %|Dec 3, 2021
Music, Documentary
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Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
72 %|Mar 1, 2021
Documentary, Music
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One World: Together at Home
70.28999999999999 %|Apr 18, 2020
Music, Documentary
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Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
65 %|Dec 9, 2018
Music, Documentary, TV Movie
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Grudge Match
61 %|Dec 25, 2013
Comedy
actor
Mayweather
45 %|Apr 27, 2013
Documentary
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Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
75 %|Jul 1, 2012
Music, Documentary
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Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
20 %|Jun 7, 2012
Documentary, Music
poster
We Are the World 25 For Haiti
55 %|Feb 12, 2010
Music
poster
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
80 %|May 17, 2009
Documentary
actor
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
66 %|Mar 19, 2009
Music, Documentary
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The Deal
55 %|Nov 20, 2008
Comedy
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ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
70 %|Apr 19, 2007
Documentary
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Last Holiday
71.67 %|Jan 13, 2006
Adventure, Comedy, Drama
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Slow Burn
53.05 %|Sep 12, 2005
Mystery, Crime, Drama, Thriller
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Edison
53.22 %|Jul 29, 2005
Drama, Action, Thriller
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Mindhunters
64.77000000000001 %|May 7, 2004
Mystery, Thriller, Crime
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S.W.A.T.
61.589999999999996 %|Aug 8, 2003
Action, Thriller, Crime
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Beef
62 %|Aug 3, 2003
Documentary, Music
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Deliver Us from Eva
64.76 %|Feb 7, 2003
Romance, Comedy
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Rollerball
40 %|Feb 8, 2002
Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
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It's Black Entertainment
80 %|Feb 8, 2002
Documentary, Music
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Kingdom Come
66 %|Apr 11, 2001
Comedy, Drama
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Charlie's Angels
58.38 %|Nov 2, 2000
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
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Any Given Sunday
68.24 %|Dec 22, 1999
Drama
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Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
0 %|Oct 31, 1999
Documentary, Music
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In Too Deep
63.949999999999996 %|Aug 25, 1999
Drama, Action, Thriller, Crime
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Deep Blue Sea
60 %|Jul 28, 1999
Action, Horror, Science Fiction
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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
60 %|Aug 5, 1998
Horror, Thriller
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Woo
44 %|May 8, 1998
Comedy, Romance
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Caught Up
52 %|Feb 27, 1998
Drama, Thriller, Crime
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B.A.P.S
53 %|Mar 28, 1997
Comedy
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Touch
58 %|Feb 14, 1997
Comedy, Drama, Romance
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The Right to Remain Silent
80 %|Jan 7, 1996
Drama, Crime, TV Movie
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The Show
64 %|Aug 25, 1995
Documentary
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Out-of-Sync
40 %|Jun 4, 1995
Drama, Crime
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Toys
53 %|Dec 18, 1992
Family, Fantasy, Comedy, Science Fiction
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Simply Mad About the Mouse
40 %|Jul 15, 1991
Music
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The Hard Way
61.349999999999994 %|Mar 8, 1991
Action, Comedy, Crime
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Future Of The Funk
0 %|Jan 1, 1991
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Big Fun in the Big Town
50 %|Jun 6, 1986
Documentary, Music
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Wildcats
62 %|Feb 14, 1986
Comedy
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Krush Groove
61 %|Oct 25, 1985
Comedy, Drama, Music

Series

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Hip Hop Treasures
0 %|Aug 12, 2023
Documentary
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Shut Up and Dribble
0 %|Nov 3, 2018
Documentary
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Lip Sync Battle
64 %|Apr 2, 2015
Reality, Comedy
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Finding Your Roots
62 %|Mar 24, 2012
Documentary
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Hawaii Five-0
77 %|Sep 20, 2010
Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure
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WWII in HD
73 %|Nov 15, 2009
Documentary, War & Politics
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NCIS: Los Angeles
75.48 %|Sep 22, 2009
Action & Adventure, Drama, Crime, Mystery
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30 Rock
74 %|Oct 11, 2006
Comedy
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The Tyra Banks Show
41.11 %|Sep 12, 2005
Talk
poster
So You Think You Can Dance
71 %|Jul 20, 2005
Reality
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House
86 %|Nov 16, 2004
Drama, Mystery, Comedy
actor
The Tony Danza Show
61 %|Sep 13, 2004
Talk
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NCIS
76 %|Sep 23, 2003
Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure
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The Ellen DeGeneres Show
58 %|Sep 8, 2003
Comedy, Talk
poster
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
55 %|Jan 26, 2003
Talk, Comedy
poster
American Idol
51.11 %|Jun 11, 2002
Reality
poster
106 & Park
60 %|Sep 11, 2000
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The Early Show
57 %|Nov 1, 1999
News
poster
Teen Choice Awards
100 %|Aug 1, 1999
Comedy, Family, Kids
poster
Teen Choice Awards
100 %|Aug 1, 1999
Comedy, Family, Kids
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The View
44 %|Aug 11, 1997
Talk
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Oz
80.10999999999999 %|Jul 12, 1997
Crime, Drama
actor
Clive Anderson All Talk
0 %|Oct 6, 1996
Talk
poster
The Daily Show
64 %|Jul 22, 1996
News, Comedy
poster
MADtv
68.77 %|Oct 14, 1995
Comedy
poster
The Frank Skinner Show
75 %|Sep 10, 1995
Talk, Comedy
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In the House
73 %|Apr 10, 1995
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Late Night with Conan O'Brien
71 %|Sep 13, 1993
Comedy, Talk
poster
MTV Unplugged
68 %|Nov 26, 1989
Documentary
poster
Today
55 %|Jan 14, 1952
News, Talk
actor
The Man
0 %|Invalid Date
Crime, Drama
poster
Fat Joe Talks
0 %|Oct 4, 2024
Talk
poster
James Brown: Say It Loud
80 %|Feb 19, 2024
Documentary
poster
Superfan
0 %|Aug 9, 2023
Reality
poster
The Jennifer Hudson Show
64 %|Sep 12, 2022
Talk
poster
Supreme Team
71 %|Jul 10, 2022
Documentary, Crime
poster
They Call Me Magic
71 %|Apr 22, 2022
Documentary
poster
NCIS: Hawai'i
78.69 %|Sep 20, 2021
Crime, Drama
poster
The Kelly Clarkson Show
62 %|Sep 9, 2019
Talk
poster
Desus & Mero
51 %|Feb 21, 2019
Talk, Comedy
actor
Greatest Hits
50 %|Jun 30, 2016
Family
poster
The $100,000 Pyramid
73 %|Jun 27, 2016
Reality, Talk
poster
Hot Ones
74 %|Mar 12, 2015
Talk, Comedy
poster
Conan
70.36 %|Nov 8, 2010
Talk, Comedy, News
poster
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
50 %|Jul 16, 2009
Talk, Comedy
poster
Rachael Ray
51 %|Sep 18, 2006
Talk
poster
American Dad!
69.53 %|Feb 6, 2005
Animation, Comedy
poster
Project Runway
62.05 %|Dec 1, 2004
Reality
poster
Last Call with Carson Daly
29 %|Jan 8, 2002
Talk
poster
WWE SmackDown
74 %|Apr 29, 1999
Reality
poster
The Chris Rock Show
44 %|Feb 7, 1997
Comedy
poster
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
35 %|Jun 10, 1996
Talk, Family, Comedy
poster
MADtv
68.77 %|Oct 14, 1995
Comedy
poster
Yo! MTV Raps
75 %|Sep 21, 1988
Talk
poster
Kids' Choice Awards
88 %|Jan 18, 1987
poster
MTV Video Music Awards
75 %|Sep 14, 1984
Documentary
poster
MTV Video Music Awards
75 %|Sep 14, 1984
Documentary
poster
Entertainment Tonight
37 %|Sep 15, 1981
News
poster
Saturday Night Live
69.36 %|Oct 11, 1975
Comedy, News
poster
The Grammy Awards
77 %|Nov 29, 1959
Reality, Talk