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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0005112
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q52440
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LLCOOLJ
Instagram: https://instagram.com/llcoolj
Filmography (Movies)
Quincy Jones | Music Man
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:22/09/2025
Stans
Character:Self
Release Date:06/08/2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:27/01/2025
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Character:
Release Date:23/01/2025
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Character:Self
Release Date:04/12/2024
A Hip Hop Minute
Character:Self
Release Date:04/05/2024
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Character:Self
Release Date:08/04/2024
Comin' Up Short
Character:Self
Release Date:10/01/2024
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Character:Self
Release Date:10/12/2023
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Character:Self
Release Date:03/11/2023
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Character:Self
Release Date:19/11/2022
You're Watching Video Music Box
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:03/12/2021
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Character:Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
Release Date:01/03/2021
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Character:Self
Release Date:30/05/2020
One World: Together at Home
Character:Self
Release Date:18/04/2020
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Character:Self - Musician and Actor
Release Date:05/03/2019
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Character:Self - Host
Release Date:12/12/2018
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Character:Self
Release Date:09/12/2018
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
Character:
Release Date:25/01/2018
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Character:Self
Release Date:06/12/2015
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Character:Self
Release Date:26/02/2015
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Character:Self - Host
Release Date:09/02/2014
Grudge Match
Character:Frankie Brite
Release Date:25/12/2013
Mayweather
Character:Narrator
Release Date:27/04/2013
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/2012
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Character:Self
Release Date:07/06/2012
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
Character:Self
Release Date:01/04/2012
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Character:Self
Release Date:17/05/2009
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:19/03/2009
The Deal
Character:Bobby Mason
Release Date:20/11/2008
The Man
Character:Manny Baxter
Release Date:11/07/2007
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Character:Self
Release Date:19/04/2007
Last Holiday
Character:Sean Matthews
Release Date:13/01/2006
Slow Burn
Character:Luther Pinks
Release Date:12/09/2005
Edison
Character:Deed
Release Date:29/07/2005
Mindhunters
Character:Gabe Jensen
Release Date:07/05/2004
S.W.A.T.
Character:Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
Release Date:08/08/2003
Beef
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:03/08/2003
Deliver Us from Eva
Character:Ray Adams
Release Date:07/02/2003
Rollerball
Character:Marcus Ridley
Release Date:08/02/2002
It's Black Entertainment
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:08/02/2002
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2002
Kingdom Come
Character:Ray Bud Slocumb
Release Date:11/04/2001
Charlie's Angels
Character:Mr. Jones
Release Date:02/11/2000
Any Given Sunday
Character:Julian Washington
Release Date:22/12/1999
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
Character:
Release Date:31/10/1999
In Too Deep
Character:Dwayne Gittens / God
Release Date:25/08/1999
Deep Blue Sea
Character:Preacher
Release Date:28/07/1999
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Character:Ronald 'Ronny' Jones
Release Date:05/08/1998
Woo
Character:Darryl
Release Date:08/05/1998
Caught Up
Character:Roger
Release Date:27/02/1998
B.A.P.S
Character:LL Cool J
Release Date:28/03/1997
Touch
Character:LL Cool J
Release Date:14/02/1997
The Right to Remain Silent
Character:Charles Red Taylor
Release Date:07/01/1996
The Show
Character:Self
Release Date:25/08/1995
Out-of-Sync
Character:Jason St. Julian
Release Date:04/06/1995
Toys
Character:Patrick Zevo
Release Date:18/12/1992
Simply Mad About the Mouse
Character:Self
Release Date:15/07/1991
The Hard Way
Character:Billy
Release Date:08/03/1991
Future Of The Funk
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1991
Big Fun in the Big Town
Character:Self
Release Date:06/06/1986
Wildcats
Character:Rapper
Release Date:14/02/1986
Krush Groove
Character:LL Cool J
Release Date:25/10/1985
Television Appearances
Hip Hop Was Born Here
Character:Self - Host
Fat Joe Talks
Character:Self - Guest
James Brown: Say It Loud
Character:Self
Hip Hop Treasures
Character:Self
Superfan
Character:Self
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
Character:Self
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Character:
Supreme Team
Character:Self
Payback
Character:Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
They Call Me Magic
Character:Self
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
Character:Sam Hanna
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Character:Self
Desus & Mero
Character:Self - Illustrious Guest
Shut Up and Dribble
Character:Self - Musician
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Character:Self
Greatest Hits
Character:
The $100,000 Pyramid
Character:Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Character:Self
Lip Sync Battle
Character:Host
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Character:Self
Hot Ones
Character:Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Character:Self - Guest
Finding Your Roots
Character:Self
Conan
Character:Self
Hawaii Five-0
Character:Sam Hanna
WWII in HD
Character:Shelby Westbrook (voice)
NCIS: Los Angeles
Character:Sam Hanna
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Character:Self - Guest
30 Rock
Character:Ridikolus
Rachael Ray
Character:
The Tyra Banks Show
Character:Self
So You Think You Can Dance
Character:
American Dad!
Character:Sam Hanna (voice)
Project Runway
Character:Self - Guest Judge
House
Character:Clarence
The Tony Danza Show
Character:Self
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
Character:
NCIS
Character:Sam Hanna
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Character:Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Character:Self
American Idol
Character:Self - Guest Judge
Last Call with Carson Daly
Character:Self
106 & Park
Character:
The Early Show
Character:Self
Teen Choice Awards
Character:Self
Teen Choice Awards
Character:Self - Presenter
WWE SmackDown
Character:Self
The View
Character:Self
Oz
Character:Jiggy Walker
The Chris Rock Show
Character:Self
Clive Anderson All Talk
Character:Self
The Daily Show
Character:Self
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Character:Self
MADtv
Character:Self - Host
MADtv
Character:Self
The Frank Skinner Show
Character:Self
In the House
Character:Marion Hill
MTV Europe Music Awards
Character:Self - Presenter
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
Character:Mr. Throneberry
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Character:Self - Guest
MTV Unplugged
Character:Self
Yo! MTV Raps
Character:Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Character:Self - Guest
Kids' Choice Awards
Character:Self - Co-Host
MTV Video Music Awards
Character:Self - Host
MTV Video Music Awards
Character:Self
Entertainment Tonight
Character:Self
Saturday Night Live
Character:Self - Musical Guest
People's Choice Awards
Character:Self - Presenter
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
Character:Self - Performer (Times Square)
The Grammys
Character:Self
Today
Character:Self
Images
