9.0
Quincy Jones, Music Man
2025
LL Cool J
Acting
Born January 14, 1968Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
Biography
James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) 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
See All
7.0
Stans
2025
7.7
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
7.1
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
2025
6.0
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
2024
6.5
A Hip Hop Minute
2024
9.0
NCISverse: The First 1,000
2024
0.0
Comin' Up Short
2024
9.0
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
2023
8.1
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2023
8.2
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2022
6.4
You're Watching Video Music Box
2021
7.1
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
2021
4.8
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
2020
7.1
One World: Together at Home
2020
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
0.0
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
2019
0.0
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
2018
7.0
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
2018
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
1.0
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
2018
9.3
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
2015
8.0
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
2015
7.1
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
2014
6.1
Grudge Match
2013
Mayweather
4.5
Mayweather
2013
7.3
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
2012
5.0
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
2012
0.0
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
2012
7.9
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
2009
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
6.6
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
2009
5.4
The Deal
2008
The Man
0.0
The Man
2007
7.2
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
2007
7.3
Last Holiday
2006
5.4
Slow Burn
2005
5.3
Edison
2005
6.4
Mindhunters
2004
6.2
S.W.A.T.
2003
7.1
Beef
2003
8.9
Jennifer Lopez: The Reel Me
2003
6.5
Deliver Us from Eva
2003
3.9
Rollerball
2002
8.7
It's Black Entertainment
2002
6.0
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
2002
6.6
Kingdom Come
2001
5.9
Charlie's Angels
2000
6.8
Any Given Sunday
1999
8.0
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
1999
6.4
In Too Deep
1999
6.0
Deep Blue Sea
1999
6.0
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
1998
10.0
Unmasking the Horror
1998
4.3
Woo
1998
5.2
Caught Up
1998
5.4
B.A.P.S
1997
5.6
Touch
1997
5.2
The Right to Remain Silent
1996
7.2
The Show
1995
4.5
Out-of-Sync
1995
5.3
Toys
1992
6.0
Simply Mad About the Mouse
1991
6.2
The Hard Way
1991
0.0
Future Of The Funk
1991
Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues
0.0
Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues
1987
7.5
Big Fun in the Big Town
1986
6.2
Wildcats
1986
6.4
Krush Groove
1985
0.0
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
TV Shows
See All
8.0
NCIS: New York
3.6
Hip Hop Was Born Here
0.0
Fat Joe Talks
8.0
James Brown: Say It Loud
0.0
Hip Hop Treasures
0.0
Superfan
7.0
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
5.6
The Jennifer Hudson Show
7.0
Supreme Team
4.0
Payback
7.3
They Call Me Magic
7.7
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
6.2
The Kelly Clarkson Show
5.1
Desus & Mero
1.0
Shut Up and Dribble
6.0
Steve
8.5
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Greatest Hits
5.0
Greatest Hits
7.0
The $100,000 Pyramid
6.2
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
6.4
Lip Sync Battle
5.1
The Late Late Show with James Corden
7.1
Hot Ones
5.1
Late Night with Seth Meyers
5.8
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
5.8
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
6.5
Finding Your Roots
7.2
Conan
7.2
Conan
3.0
The Talk
7.7
Hawaii Five-0
7.6
WWII in HD
7.5
NCIS: Los Angeles
4.9
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
7.5
30 Rock
5.1
Rachael Ray
5.0
The Tyra Banks Show
6.8
So You Think You Can Dance
7.0
American Dad!
6.3
Project Runway
8.6
House
The Tony Danza Show
6.4
The Tony Danza Show
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
10.0
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
7.6
NCIS
5.6
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
5.3
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
5.3
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
5.0
American Idol
3.1
Last Call with Carson Daly
6.8
106 & Park
6.2
The Early Show
9.1
Teen Choice Awards
9.1
Teen Choice Awards
7.4
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
4.3
The View
8.0
Oz
4.6
The Chris Rock Show
Clive Anderson All Talk
7.5
Clive Anderson All Talk
6.4
The Daily Show
4.1
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
7.1
MADtv
7.1
MADtv
7.5
The Frank Skinner Show
7.8
In the House
10.0
MTV Europe Music Awards
7.7
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
7.3
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
6.5
Late Show with David Letterman
6.0
The Word
7.1
MTV Unplugged
7.5
Yo! MTV Raps
5.6
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
8.8
Kids' Choice Awards
7.8
MTV Video Music Awards
7.8
MTV Video Music Awards
4.3
Entertainment Tonight
6.9
Saturday Night Live
8.3
People's Choice Awards
8.6
The Grammys
5.6
Today
7.9
The Emmy Awards
0.0