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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
January 14, 1968
Place of Birth
Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
Also Known As
- L.L. Cool J
- James Todd Smith
- Ladies Love Cool James
LL Cool J
1.1 Popularity
Biography
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.
Known For
9.0
Self (archive footage)
Quincy Jones | Music Man
2025
7.2
Self
Stans
2025
3.6
Self - Host
Hip Hop Was Born Here
2025
7.7
Self - Musical Guest October 24, 1987 (archive footage)
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
6.9
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
2025
9.0
Self
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
2024
0.0
Self - Guest
Fat Joe Talks
2024
6.5
Self
A Hip Hop Minute
2024
9.0
Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000
2024
8.0
Self
James Brown: Say It Loud
2024
Credits
Quincy Jones | Music Man
as Self (archive footage)
2025
9.0
Stans
as Self
2025
7.2
Hip Hop Was Born Here
as Self - Host
2025
3.6
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
as Self - Musical Guest October 24, 1987 (archive footage)
2025
7.7
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
2025
6.9
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
as Self
2024
9.0
Fat Joe Talks
as Self - Guest
2024
0.0
A Hip Hop Minute
as Self
2024
6.5
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
2024
9.0
James Brown: Say It Loud
as Self
2024
8.0
Comin' Up Short
as Self
2024
0.0
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
as Self
2023
9.0
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
as Self
2023
8.1
Hip Hop Treasures
as Self
2023
0.0
Superfan
as Self
2023
0.0
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
as Self
2023
7.0
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
as Self
2022
8.2
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
5.6
Supreme Team
as Self
2022
7.0
Payback
as Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
2022
4.0
They Call Me Magic
as Self
2022
7.2
You're Watching Video Music Box
as Self (archive footage)
2021
6.4
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
as Sam Hanna
2021
7.7
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
as Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
2021
7.2
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
as Self
2020
4.8
One World: Together at Home
as Self
2020
7.0
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2019
6.3
🎬
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
as Self - Musician and Actor
2019
0.0
Desus & Mero
as Self - Illustrious Guest
2019
5.1
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
as Self - Host
2018
0.0
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
as Self
2018
7.0
Shut Up and Dribble
as Self - Musician
2018
1.0
🎬
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
2018
1.0
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
as Self
2016
8.5
🎬
Greatest Hits
2016
5.0
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self
2016
7.0
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
as Self
2015
9.3
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
as Self
2015
6.2
Lip Sync Battle
as Host
2015
6.4
The Late Late Show with James Corden
as Self
2015
5.3
Hot Ones
as Self
2015
7.2
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
as Self
2015
8.0
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self - Guest
2014
5.3
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
as Self - Host
2014
7.1
Grudge Match
as Frankie Brite
2013
6.1
🎬
Mayweather
as Narrator
2013
4.5
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
as Self
2012
7.5
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
as Self
2012
5.0
Finding Your Roots
as Self
2012
6.6
Conan
as Self
2010
7.1
Hawaii Five-0
as Sam Hanna
2010
7.8
WWII in HD
as Shelby Westbrook (voice)
2009
7.4
NCIS: Los Angeles
as Sam Hanna
2009
7.5
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
5.1
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
as Self
2009
8.0
🎬
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
as Self (archive footage)
2009
6.6
The Deal
as Bobby Mason
2008
5.4
🎬
The Man
as Manny Baxter
2007
0.0
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
as Self
2007
7.2
30 Rock
as Ridikolus
2006
7.5
Rachael Ray
2006
5.1
Last Holiday
as Sean Matthews
2006
7.2
The Tyra Banks Show
as Self
2005
4.8
Slow Burn
as Luther Pinks
2005
5.3
Edison
as Deed
2005
5.3
So You Think You Can Dance
2005
6.8
American Dad!
as Sam Hanna (voice)
2005
7.0
Project Runway
as Self - Guest Judge
2004
6.2
House
as Clarence
2004
8.6
🎬
The Tony Danza Show
as Self
2004
6.1
Mindhunters
as Gabe Jensen
2004
6.5
🎬
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
2003
10.0
NCIS
as Sam Hanna
2003
7.6
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
5.6
S.W.A.T.
as Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
2003
6.2
Beef
as Self (archive footage)
2003
6.7
Deliver Us from Eva
as Ray Adams
2003
6.4
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2003
5.5
American Idol
as Self - Guest Judge
2002
5.1
Rollerball
as Marcus Ridley
2002
3.9
It's Black Entertainment
as Self (archive footage)
2002
8.0
Last Call with Carson Daly
as Self
2002
2.9
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
2002
5.0
Kingdom Come
as Ray Bud Slocumb
2001
6.5
Charlie's Angels
as Mr. Jones
2000
5.9
106 & Park
2000
5.7
Any Given Sunday
as Julian Washington
1999
6.8
The Early Show
as Self
1999
6.2
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
1999
0.0
In Too Deep
as Dwayne Gittens / God
1999
6.4
Teen Choice Awards
as Self
1999
9.1
Teen Choice Awards
as Self - Presenter
1999
9.1
Deep Blue Sea
as Preacher
1999
6.0
WWE SmackDown
as Self
1999
7.5
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
as Ronald 'Ronny' Jones
1998
6.0
Woo
as Darryl
1998
4.2
Caught Up
as Roger
1998
5.0
The View
as Self
1997
4.3
Oz
as Jiggy Walker
1997
8.0
B.A.P.S
as LL Cool J
1997
5.2
Touch
as LL Cool J
1997
5.6
The Chris Rock Show
as Self
1997
4.2
🎬
Clive Anderson All Talk
as Self
1996
0.0
The Daily Show
as Self
1996
6.4
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as Self
1996
3.9
The Right to Remain Silent
as Charles Red Taylor
1996
5.0
MADtv
as Self - Host
1995
7.0
MADtv
as Self
1995
7.0
The Frank Skinner Show
as Self
1995
7.5
The Show
as Self
1995
6.4
Out-of-Sync
as Jason St. Julian
1995
3.9
In the House
as Marion Hill
1995
7.5
MTV Europe Music Awards
as Self - Presenter
1994
10.0
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
as Mr. Throneberry
1993
7.7
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
as Self - Guest
1993
7.2
Toys
as Patrick Zevo
1992
5.3
Simply Mad About the Mouse
as Self
1991
4.0
The Hard Way
as Billy
1991
6.1
Future Of The Funk
as Self
1991
0.0
MTV Unplugged
as Self
1989
6.8
Yo! MTV Raps
as Self
1988
7.5
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
5.4
Kids' Choice Awards
as Self - Co-Host
1987
8.7
Big Fun in the Big Town
as Self
1986
5.0
Wildcats
as Rapper
1986
6.3
Krush Groove
as LL Cool J
1985
6.2
MTV Video Music Awards
as Self - Host
1984
7.7
MTV Video Music Awards
as Self
1984
7.7
Entertainment Tonight
as Self
1981
4.1
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Musical Guest
1975
7.0
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
as Self - Performer (Times Square)
1972
6.5
The Grammys
as Self
1959
8.6
Today
as Self
1952
5.6
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
as Self
N/A
0.0