Contents
LL Cool J
Recording Mama Said Knock You Out and becoming an early solo rap star.
Radio · I Need Love
- Born
- 14 January 1968
- Birthplace
- Bay Shore, USA
More people
LL Cool J
LL Cool J is an American rapper and actor whose career helped establish hip-hop as a lasting commercial force. His music moves between confrontational performances and romantic songs.
Early life
Queens childhood
Grew up in Queens, New York, where he began rapping as a boy.
Making demos
Used recording equipment provided by his grandfather to make early tapes.
Career
- 1984–1985
Def Jam debut
Released I Need a Beat and the album Radio as a teenager.
- Late 1980s–1990s
Rap leading figure
Developed a run of albums that mixed battle-rap confidence with love songs.
- 1990s–2000s
Acting work
Moved into television and film while continuing to record.
- 2009–2023
Long-running television
Played Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles.
Selected work
Radio
A stripped-back debut featuring Rock the Bells.
I Need Love
A rap ballad that reached a broad pop audience.
Mama Said Knock You Out
An emphatic title track and album that reasserted his position in rap.
Beyond work
Stage name
LL Cool J stands for Ladies Love Cool James.
Hip-hop platform
Founded Rock the Bells, a media and events platform centred on classic hip-hop culture.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Photo: PhilipRomanoPhoto. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
