LL Cool J

Singer James Todd Smith professionally goes by the name LL Cool J. He has stated that this stands for “Ladies Love Cool James”. During his very successful career in hip hop, his releases have included 13 studio albums. Two compilations of his greatest hits also achieved a good amount of sales.

He first came to attention with his track, I Need A Beat. This undoubtedly allowed him to become one of the very first hip hop artists to break into the mainstream.

Some of his other hits have included Going Back To Cali, Mama Said Knock You Out, Rock The Bells and The Boomin’ System. His sound has shifted more towards R&B with tracks such as All I Have and Around the Way Girl. He received a Kennedy Centre Honour in 2017.

Outside of singing, LL Cool J has also had a prolific acting career. It is relatively common for rap stars to go on to Hollywood acting. Other examples have included Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg. LL Cool J is perhaps most remembered for his role as the comic relief in the 1999 action horror, Deep Blue Sea.