LL Cool J biography
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[h3]We'll hang with LL Cool J, aka "Ladies Love Cool James", or James Todd Smith, one of the few hip-hop stars of his era to sustain a successful recording career for more than a decade.[/h3]

Born James Todd Smith III, he group up in a working-class neighbourhood of St. Albans, Queens, as the only child of James Smith, Jr. and Ondrea Smith.

He spent his youth singing in the church choir, participating in the Boy Scouts and delivering papers as a paperboy.

Tragically, James’ parents had a turbulent relationship. As a result, his mother left his father when he was four and they moved in with her parents in St. Albans. The relationship turned bloody, when late one night in 1972, his father shot his mother after she returned home from work. According to James, who recounted the event in the song, Father, the elder James was seeking revenge after being abandoned by his family. LL's father shot his mother as she ran into her parents' house for safety. She was hit in the legs and back but survived.

As he grew older, James found a way to escape his problems at home: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandfather gave him. At 15, he and one of his best friends came up with his present stage name, L.L. Cool J, which means "Ladies Love Cool James."

In 1984, when L.L. was 16, he met Rick Rubin, a student at NYU, who gave him his big break in music. Rick really liked L.L.'s music and decided to try to get him a record deal. Together, they made the single "I Need a Beat" and sent it to an artist manager named Russell Simmons. Simmons loved the single, and, in the same year, Rick and Russell co-founded the famous Def Jam Recordings.

The following year LL teamed with producer Marley Marl to collaborate on his next album, Mama Said Knock You Out. The record featured pop crossover smash "Around The Way Girl," as well as the hugely popular title track which won LL the Grammy Award for "Best Rap Solo that year. LL Picked up his second Grammy award in 1996 in the "Best Solo Rap Performance" category for his platinum single "Hey Lover."

LL's talents extended into acting as he starred in the NBC sitcom In the House, before releasing Mr. Smith (1995), which went on to sell over two million copies. Its singles, "Doin' It" and "Loungin", were also two of the biggest songs in 1996.

After the double platinum success of "Mr. Smith", LL began work on his next album, Phenomenon, in 1997 which featured the autobiographical track "Father".

Movie work has also won LL Cool J some notice, particularly his co-starring effort with [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/83:0/Robin_Williams.htm]Robin Williams[/urlnew] in Toys (1992). He had made his film debut playing a cop in the [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/871:0/Michael_J_Fox.htm]Michael J. Fox[/urlnew]-[urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/2127:0/James_Woods.htm]James Woods[/urlnew] crime thriller The Hard Way (1991) and provided a song for "Strictly Business" (1991).
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In 1995, he starred as a down-and-out disc jockey in Debbie Allen's feature directorial debut "Out of Sync" (1995). That same year, LL Cool J was also seen as one of the performing rap stars in music documentary "The Show". 1998 saw the performer take on the newly popular teen horror genre, with a featured acting role in "Halloween: H20".

His performance as a cook on a doomed scientific vessel who attempts to escape a band of super-intelligent sharks in Renny Harlin's Deep Blue Sea (1999) was particularly well-received. He next tackled a series of dramatic roles, including playing an NFL pro in [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/875:0/Oliver_Stone.htm]Oliver Stone's [/urlnew]Any Given Sunday (1999), as well as a nefarious drug dealer who fancies himself as God in the crime drama In Too Deep (1999).

Back on the music front, LL's latest studio album, Todd Smith, was released in 2006. It includes collaborations with 112, Ginuwine, Juelz Santana, Teairra Mari and Freeway.
LL Cool J biography




LL Cool J biography



Marble City (2008) (pre-production)

The Man (2007) (TV) (completed)

"30 Rock" .... Ridikolus (1 episode, 2007)

Last Holiday (2006)

Edison (2005)

Slow Burn (2005) (as James Todd Smith)

"House M.D." .... Clarence (1 episode, 2005)

Mindhunters (2004) (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)

S.W.A.T. (2003) (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)

Deliver Us from Eva (2003) (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)

Rollerball (2002)

Kingdom Come (2001/I)

Charlie's Angels (2000)

Any Given Sunday (1999)

In Too Deep (1999)

"In the House" .... Marion Hill (76 episodes, 1995-1999)

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

"Oz" .... Jiggy Walker (1 episode, 1998)

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Woo (1998)

Caught Up (1998)

The Right to Remain Silent (1996) (TV)

Out-of-Sync (1995)

Toys (1992)

The 1992 Billboard Music Awards (1992) (TV)

The Hard Way (1991)

Wildcats (1986)
LL Cool J biography



[b]Albums:[/b]

Radio (1985)

Bigger and Deffer (1987)

Walking with a Panther (1989)

Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

14 Shots to the Dome (1993)

Mr. Smith (1995)

All World: Greatest Hits (1996)

Phenomenon (1997)

G.O.A.T. (2000)

10 (2002)

The DEFinition (2004)

Todd Smith (2006)

Exit 13 (2008)

THE ROLE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: I Wanted To Be Taken More Seriously Fri 8th Aug - 9:30PM

CLASSIC ALBUMS: Deep Purple - Machine Head Sat 9th Aug - 2:00PM

AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: Season 21 - Ep 9 Fri 8th Aug - 11:00PM