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MEMORIES:
KPac remembers...When i first started discovering rap and hip hop in the mid 80's LL was at the forefront. His 1991 Yo! ... More »
Posted on 02/17/09
PHOTOS:
CATCH PHRASE:
Release History:
1987 - Bigger and Deffer
1989 - Walking With A Panther
1990 - Mama Said Knock You Out
1993 - 14 Shots To The Dome
1995 - mr. smith
1996 - All World: Greatest Hits
1997 - Phenomenon
2000 - Greatest of All Times
Members:
“Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years…”
Hip hop is notorious for creating artists that tend to have short careers. Of course, as with anything in life, there are exceptions to the rules and this rule is no exception. With over two decades of hits and twelve albums produced, LL Cool J has bucked the insurmountable odds to become one of the biggest names in rap and hip hop history.
Born as James Todd Smith in Queens, LL Cool J enjoyed music as a kid, and began pursuing his own career at 14 when his grandfather gave him a DJ system as a gift. He wrote his own homegrown raps and began making tapes under the stage name LL Cool J, which stands for ‘Ladies Love Cool James.’ LL Cool J has admitted that he’d buy hip hop records just so he could get the label’s address and send them his demo tapes. Rumor has it that he sent a tape to Def Jam and that Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys found his tape and convinced Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons to sign him. He was signed in 1984, and released the underground hit “I Need A Beat.” The song was the first hit for Def Jam, and shortly after LL Cool J dropped out of school to record Radio.
The record was released to critical acclaim, blending pop-sensible rap. “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells” also found success and helped the album propel to platinum. 1987 saw the released of Bigger and Deffer. It contained one of his biggest hits “I Need Love,” taking tough rappers by surprise with its sweet lyrics and LL’s cool delivery.
In 1989, he released Walking with a Panther, which featured the hit “Going Back to Cali” which was featured in the film Less Than Zero. The album boasted another hit with “I’m That Kind Of Guy.” The following year, LL toughened up his softening sound with the hard-hitting Mama Said Knock You Out. The album gave him another crossover smash with the Top10 “Around The Way Girl” blending smooth rapping with the burgeoning New Jack Swing beat. The title track earned LL Cool J a Grammy for Best Rap Solo, and LL became one of the few rap artists willing to turn off the turntables and electronics for an MTV Unplugged appearance.
In 1991, LL turned his eyes to acting and made some well-receive performances in The Hard Way and Toys. In 1993, he returned to the studio to record his fifth consecutive platinum album, 14 Shots to the Dome. The album broadened his style with cool samples from jazz records and the use of a string section on the song “Crossroads.” He played President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and became the first rap artist to have his life chronicled in an MTV Rockumentary.
LL Cool J has continued film acting, with roles in films like Halloween: H2O, Deep Blue Sea, Rollerball, Deliver us from Eva, as well as many others, including television shows like In the House, for which he received critical raves, as well as cameo appearances on other shows. In 1995, he released Mr. Smith, scoring more hits with songs like his performance with the harmonious Boyz II Men. 1996 found LL with a greatest hits collection, All World, and 1997, he scored more hits with the album Phenomenon, which features R&B artists like Keith Sweat and Ralph Tresvant. Also in 1996, he helped to launch the popular clothing brand FUBU (For Us, By Us).
He’s continued with the release of 2000’s G.O.A.T. (which stands for ‘Greatest of all time’). It debuted at #1 on the charts, giving him his first chart-topping album, however, the album failed to reach the long-term sales success of his previous albums. In 2002, he released his tenth studio album, appropriately titled 10. The release found hits with the singles “Paradise) (featuring Amerie) “Luv U Better” and the Jennifer Lopez duet, “All I Have” and went to #2 on the charts. The DEFinition was released in 2004, though it hit #4 on the charts, most say it got no attention at all.
LL Cool J’s latest album, Todd Smith was released in the spring of 2006. It’s topped out at #6 on the charts, though sales are continuing to be strong with hits like “Control Myself” in which he sings again with Jennifer Lopez, and “Freeze” with Lyfe Jennings. With future albums planned, and a continued fan base, both new and old, LL’s lasting career will continue to thrive.
