LL Cool J

Posted on 08.26.2002

24 comment(s)

LL Cool J
(Ladies Love Cool James)
Real name : James Todd Smith
Birthday : January 14, 1968

LL Cool J Biography :
Hip-hop is notorious for short-lived careers, but LL Cool J is the inevitable exception that proves the rule. Releasing his first hit, "I Can’t Live Without My Radio," in 1985 when he was just 17 years old, LL initially was a hard-hitting, street-wise b-boy with spare beats and ballistic rhymes.

He quickly developed an alternate style, a romantic — and occasionally sappy — lover’s rap epitomized by his mainstream breakthrough single, "I Need Love." LL cool J ’s first two albums, Radio and Bigger and Deffer, made him a star, but he strived for pop stardom a little too much on 1989’s Walking With a Panther.

By 1990, his audience had declined somewhat, since his ballads and party raps were the opposite of the chaotic, edgy political hip-hop of Public Enemy or the gangsta rap of N.W.A., but he shot back to the top of the charts with Mama Said Knock You Out, which established him as one of hip-hop’s genuine superstars. By the mid-’90s, he had starred in his own television sitcom, In the House, appeared in several films, and had racked up two of his biggest singles with "Hey Lover" and "Doin’ It." In short, he had proven that rappers could have long-term careers.

Of course, that didn’t seem likely when he came storming out of Queens, NY, when he was 16 years old. LL Cool J (born James Todd Smith ; his stage name is an acronym for "Ladies Love Cool James") had already been rapping since the age of nine.

Two years later, his grandfather — he had been living with his grandparents since his parents divorced when he was four — gave him a DJ system and he began making tapes at home.

Eventually, he sent these demo tapes to record companies, attracting the interest of Def Jam, a fledgling label run by New York University students Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. Def Jam signed LL and released his debut, "I Need a Beat," as their first single in 1984. The record sold over 100,000 copies, establishing both the label and the rapper.

LL dropped out of high school and recorded his debut album, Radio. Released in 1985, Radio was a major hit and it earned considerable praise for how it shaped raps into recognizable pop-song structures. On the strength of "I Can’t Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells," the album went platinum in 1986. The following year, his second album, Bigger and Deffer, shot to number three due to the ballad "I Need Love," which became one of the first pop-rap crossover hits.

LL’s knack for making hip-hop as accessible as pop was one of his greatest talents, yet it was also a weakness, since it opened him up to accusations of him being a sellout. Taken from the Less Than Zero soundtrack, 1988’s "Goin’ Back to Cali" walked the line with ease, but 1989’s Walking With a Panther was not greeted warmly by most hip-hop fans.

Although it was a Top Ten hit and spawned the gold single "I’m That Type of Guy," the album was perceived as a pop sell-out effort, and on a supporting concert at the Apollo, he was booed. LL didn’t take the criticism lying down — he struck back with 1990’s Mama Said Knock You Out, the hardest record he ever made.

LL supported the album with a legendary, live acoustic performance on MTV Unplugged, and on the strength of the Top Ten R&B singles "The Boomin’ System" and "Around the Way Girl" (number nine, pop) as well as the hit title track, Mama Said Knock You Out became his biggest-selling album, establishing him as a pop star in addition to a rap superstar. He soon landed roles in the films The Hard Way (1991) and Toys (1992), and he also performed at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration in 1993.

Mama Said Knock You Out kept him so busy that he didn’t deliver the follow-up, 14 Shots to the Dome, until the spring of 1993. Boasting a harder, gangsta-rap edge, 14 Shots initially sold well, debuting in the Top Ten, but it was an unfocused effort that generated no significant hit singles. Consequently, it stalled at gold status and hurt his reputation considerably.

Following the failure of 14 Shots to the Dome, LL began starring in the NBC sitcom In the House. He returned to recording in 1995, releasing Mr. Smith toward the end of the year. Unexpectedly, Mr. Smith became a huge hit, going double platinum and launching two of his biggest hits with the Boyz II Men duet "Hey Lover" and "Doin’ It."

At the end of 1996, he released the greatest-hits album, All World, while Phenomenon appeared one year later. G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith : The Greatest of All Time, released in 2000, reached the top of the album charts, and 2002’s 10 featured one of his biggest hits in years, "Luv U Better." With the help of producer Timbaland he unleashed the tough DEFinition album in 2004 as his James Todd Smith clothing line was hitting the malls.

LL Cool J Biography :

LL Cool J Albums :

2006 Todd Smith
2004 The DEFinition
2002 LL Cool J 10
2000 G.O.A.T. The Greatest of All Time"
1997 Phenomenon
1996 All World : Greatest Hits
1995 Mr. Smith
1993 14 Shots to the Dome
1990 Mama Said Knock You Out
1989 Walking with a Panther
1987 Bigger and Deffer
1985 Radio

LL Cool J Hit singles :

2005 "Hush" (feat. 7 Aurelius)
2004 "Headsprung"
2003 "All I Have" (Jennifer Lopez feat. LL Cool J)
2003 "Paradise" (feat. Amerie)
2002 "Luv U Better"
1997 "Imagine That"
1998 "Zoom" (Dr. Dre & LL Cool J)
1998 "Father"
1998 "4,3,2,1," f/Redman, Method Man, Canibus, & DMX
1997 "Phenomenon"
1997 "Ain’t Nobody"
1996 "Loungin’"
1996 "Doin’ It" (guest vocals by LeShaun)
1995 "Hey Lover" (feat. Boyz II Men)
1993 "How I’m Comin’"
1991 "Mama Said Knock You Out"
1990 "Around the Way Girl"
1989 "I’m That Type of Guy"
1988 "Going Back to Cali"
1987 "I Need Love"

LL cool J wallpapers :

Wallpaper LL Cool J (1024 x 768)

LL Cool J news, LL Cool J Pictures, LL Cool J MP3 :
See LL cool J Official site : www.defjam.com/llcoolj/

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LL Cool J, by mbt shoes [2010-03-19 04:28:50]

welcome to our wesite !we are supply all kinds of mbt shoes ,such as cheap MBT Lami ?€ discount MBT M.Walk ?€ MBT Chapa on sale . our websit :www.sell-mbt.com

LL Cool J, by hermernie [2009-01-14 11:57:35]

and happy birthday homie

LL Cool J, by hermernie [2009-01-14 11:54:05]

ll.cool.j u r my favorite rapper send me you poster for free

LL Cool J, by Angela [2008-10-24 20:39:47]

LL COOL J, I have loved you, your style since I could remember, I often think about how I felt when I heard, I need love. You will always be the one for me(in my dreams). Stay Strong, and know I will always love you. Get Anthony Hamilton to sing on a hook for you.

LL Cool J, by cynphony [2008-10-18 19:45:01]

what it do king, mr.cynphony just holloren,more acheivments waiting to be touched by the gold hand,already, one

LL Cool J, by DON KAVORK [2008-09-13 14:07:57]

THE G.O.A.T.---DON KAVORK WISH I CAN STAY INSHAPE NEAR LL’S STATUS,THIS IS THE MOST UNDERRATED RAPPER OF ALL TIME,NIG#AS RAP ABOUT BI@CHES NOWDAYS BECAUSE OF UNCLE L.21 YEARS RAPPING AND STILL LOOK LIKE A HAPPY TEEN ON STAGE.MY NIG@A !!!!!KEEP IT GONING !!!

LL Cool J, by theresa [2008-08-31 03:29:54]

LL I have followed your music for years I would love to hear more great songs.and the way you look you are a very handsome man.

LL Cool J, by ciyanna [2008-08-27 22:17:41]

hey.. ur hot..

LL Cool J, by Imad Perry [2008-06-04 00:35:00]

yo LL do a song with ice cube

LL Cool J, by [2008-02-19 12:02:38]

MMMmm LL is fine as hell..he looks finga lickin good without a doubt and them sexy lips i could kiss all day

LL Cool J, by Ms.CHOCOLATE CHIP [2007-11-12 22:27:16]

U G L Y YOU JUST PLAN UGLY !

LL Cool J, by Ms.Smith [2007-11-12 22:25:30]

ll you ROCK AND YOU ARE HOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LL Cool J, by bad boi cripz !! [2007-08-14 20:15:44]

hhhheeeee ssuuuuuxxxxx bbaaaaallllllllzzzzzzz !!!!!!

you fukn CHUMP !!

LL Cool J, by lisa luv cool james [2007-06-01 11:36:38]

man i luv dis man da things i would do 2 u i swear i mean wen i c u i get ohhhhhhhhh and trust me its not da money cuz if u were dirt poor and still looked like dis lets just say we’ll b rich 2gether luv u ll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from one great to another, by Desmond Lyvoyd Wyer [2006-07-25 07:18:36]

a wut up man igotta tell u i like all yo songs when i mess up wit my gurl pop in one of yo luv u better or freeze and i’m back. help out a 14 year old tryin ta be an artists hit me back lyvoyds2gansta2yahoo.com ps yo clothes fresh do it big

> LL Cool J, by [2006-05-12 19:18:04]

I JUST LUV WEN UR T SHIRT IS OFF AND WEN U LICK UR LIPS I LUV UUUUU

> LL Cool J, by [2006-05-12 19:14:36]

just keep working out cuzU FINE O YEAH GOD BLESS UR MOMMA

>Supportin’ Da Cool J, by LAUREN [2006-04-30 01:53:20]

What up u r awsome and i luv u 2 death........HOLLA !! And my initals would be ur name if u added Cool in it....4 real my name is lauren leilani jank...get it LLCoolJ aint dat da truth. Dont stop doin what u do best..i wit u all da way 110%. I luv u i luv u i luv u......keep it real. peace out..ATL !!

> LL Cool J, by dat nicca [2006-04-12 01:58:05]

LL used to be hot wit his first few albums but what i don’t understand about this guy is that most rappa’s go pop to sell records...but when he makes hard rap like he used too he sells more records so him going pop is jus retarded to me

> LL Cool J, by Adrienne Lietz [2006-04-11 22:43:16]

LL...You are the best !! I have always loved your music ! Also, you are soooo hot !!! Where can I get a "Todd Smith" t-shirt ? I have been searching !!

> LL Cool J, by ANDREW OGIDI [2006-03-30 20:22:28]

I am not hating, but i think it’s about time LL stay out of tha Mic.His lyrics are weak and boring. He should think of retirering and start something else. He is old school, and we the young generation dont wanna listen to songs like "control my self", we need more warrior songs that would inspire us to achieve great things. LL has been thru his time, and i think it’s time he steps aside.If any one disagrees with me, lets your opinion. PEACE