In September 2009, LL Cool J released a song about the NCIS TV series. LL Cool J, whose real name is James Todd Smith, was born in January 1968 in Queens, New York, in a middle-class and catholic family. My father made a massive blunder, but he also did a lot of things right.. Hip Hop History - LL Cool J | 1ncredible "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells" were singles that helped the album go platinum. Later pressings of the album added the 2003 Jennifer Lopez duet, "All I Have". According to Hollywood.com; Truck driver James Nunya shot his father-in-law Eugene in the stomach and estranged wife Ondrea in the back out of frustration over the couples divorce in 1972, when the Grammy winner and awards host was just a young boy. The incident happened at the couple's home at New Meadows Road . target_type: 'mix' He started rapping aged nine, and music provided a way to escape the suffering he endured. Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith, Jr. Todd, as he was called, did not have a very happy childhood. He has released twelve studio albums over his 27 year career, has starred in numerous feature films and currently Yet, the scars never fully healed. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 21:38. LL Cool J - Pinterest [66] He landed the role of Captain Patrick Zevo in Barry Levinson's 1992 film Toys. As a rap phenom, LL Cool J needed love. As a rap legend, he's finally Following the separation, when the rapper was eight, his mother found a boyfriend by the name of Roscoe Granger. Although LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, is an accomplished entertainer, appearing on music charts, starring on TV and movies, and even hosting shows, he had a rough start in life. [40] LL won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1992 for the title track. . He appeared as Queen Latifah's love interest in the 2006 movie Last Holiday. Tito Jackson's Son Says A Relative Molested Him During Childhood - HuffPost We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. Chuck D provided an opposing viewpoint, saying free file-sharing could be leveraged as a promotional tool and the industry was being overprotective of its copyright. NBA Comes for Ja Morant After He Flashes Gun in Nightclub Queen Latifah & Monie Love Reunite Lizzo Stops Show to Give Chris Rock Jokes Enjoying Watching Will Smith Get Whipped in Emancipation + Nivea, Tamar Braxton, Evelyn Lozada & More | PicsVideos, The Moment Tamar & Toni Learn Chaka Khan Sings Reading Rainbow Theme Yung Miami is About Self-love in 2023 & More | PicsVideos, Tatyana Ali Says New Bel-Air Role is Full Circle Moment Adrienne Bailon Covers Harpers Bazaar & More | PicsVideos, CeCe Winans Says Whitney Houstons Im Every Woman is Demonic + Joe Bully Budden Talks BS About Michael B. Jordan & More | PicsVideos, City of Houston, Residents Honored for National Water Challenge. [83] Since April 2015, LL has hosted the show Lip Sync Battle. iloveoldschoolmusic.com. In this week's heart wrenching episode, Dr. Henry Louis Gates uncovers the emotional history of both Sean "Puffy" Combs and LL Cool J 's families. LL Cool J with Dave Honig, Chris Palmer & Jim Stoppani; Recording Industry Association of America, Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings, "Meet NCIS: Los Angeles star LL Cool J's family", "There's No Doubt 'Ladies Love Cool James', "Your nabe: A guide to the hip hop haven of Hollis, Queens", "LL Cool J to Become Kennedy Center's First Hip-Hop Honoree", "Tina Turner, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters Among Those Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame", "RIP to My Father James Nunya. LL Cool J added: My father he made a massive blunder, but he also did a lot of things right, you know. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography I Make My Own Rules and the details are shocking. LL Cool J Bio (Wiki) - Married Biography He was quick to add that no one "should assume that I'm a Democrat either. LL Cool J Biography and Life Story - AceShowbiz His upbringing, though, was quite traumatic. [18] During this time, Smith reconciled with his father who "made amends for a lot of things" by offering him guidance at the start of his music career. He appeared to endorse the RIAA's position, claiming illegal file sharing was hurting his sales and that his session musicians "can't live" due to the lost income. The second video, directed by Hype Williams, was "Freeze" featuring Lyfe Jennings. [25] [54] LL stated that "the concept behind the album was to give upcoming artists an opportunity to shine, and put myself in the position where I have to spit bars with some of the hardest rhymers in the game"; however, the album was put on hold. It was just a power trip , Hed make me take off all my clothes and put my arms up on my bunk bed with the `Star Wars sheets while he beat me. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', LL Cool J - Rotten Tomatoes Although both survived James saw them covered in blood. LL Cool J Discovered the Grandparents Who 'Embraced' Him Were Not [69] In 1999, co-starred as Preacher, the chef in the Renny Harlin horror/comedy Deep Blue Sea. speaks out against the above mentioned and. 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I guess it would leave you scarred, at four years old, based on how the people around you dealt with it and encouraged you to deal with it. Through the love and attitude of others around, the rapper easily forgave his dad, and they enjoyed a perfect relationship from that moment. Elsewhere in the book, LL said a low point in his sex life came when he had an intimate encounter with a . After acting in The Hard Way and Toys, LL Cool J released 14 Shots to the Dome. COPYRIGHT 2022 EURweb.com/Rabercom Enterprises. *In his 1997 biography I Make My Own Rules, LL Cool J recounts the time his father shot his mother and grandfather because he was bitter about getting a divorce. To this day, there are limited details on the incident, but witnesses say it was a . container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', in Rolling Stone's "Last Word" interview. Series overview and suggestions on where to start! Right then and there I said 'This is what I want to do'. During an interview that the actor had with Oprah Winfrey, the host asked if such a terrible incident had left a scar in him. I'm an Independent, you know? They also share a close-knit relationship. Track 9 on Phenomenon. target_type: 'mix' Rapper/actor LL Cool J has forgiven his dad for shooting his mother and grandfather and leaving them for dead when he was only four years old. According to Hollywood.com; Truck driver James Nunya shot his father-in-law Eugene in the stomach and estranged wife Ondrea in the back out of frustration over the couples divorce in 1972, when the Grammy winner and awards host was just a young boy. I watched Behind the Music of LL Cool J the other day :) Though he was beginning to act out in the aftermath of the abuse by the age of 16 LL found his calling during the Golden Age of Hip Hop as one of the top emcees of the time. 's debut album, to combine the vocal approach of hip hop and rapping with the musical arrangements and riffing sound of rock music, pioneering the rap rock hybrid sound. LL Cool J has written four books, including 1998's I Make My Own Rules, an autobiography cowritten with Karen Hunt. LL also recorded a rap solo for Michael Jackson's demo of "Serious Effect" that remains unreleased but leaked online[40]. LL Cool J thanked Canibus in the liner notes of the album, "for the inspiration". However, his childhood was quite challenging, starting with the fact that he grew up in a tough section of Queens, New York, where drugs were present almost everywhere. It's like speaking Spanish if you grow up in an all-Spanish house. LL Cool J won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for his song "Mama Said Knock You Out" at the 1992 Grammy Awards. I love you", "LL Cool J forgives dad for shooting mother", "Rapper Ll Cool J Puts Wild Days, Demons Behind Him", "LL Cool J Revealed in 1997 Memoir That His Dad Shot His Mom, Grandfather", "LL Cool J Says His Mother's Tax Refund Funded His Demo", "Acronyms and abbreviations by the Free Online Dictionary", "Def Jam Recordings - LL Cool J Biography", "LL Cool J bio: Edison Force ActorTribute.ca", "Address Island / Def Jam Records Def Jam history", "LL Cool J career discography at HeadSprung.net", "Billboard Music Charts - Search Results - LL Cool J Radio", "LL Cool J Can't Knock Out Billboard Champs", "Biography and other information at Askmen.com", "Kurtis Blow Presents: The History Of Rap, Vol. Photos. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.. LL Cool J has lost his father, James Nunya. "This song is the musical interpretation of what I felt after meeting with NCIS agents, experienced Marines and Navy SEALs," LL Cool J said. In 1972, when he was just 4 years old his father shot his wife (James Mother) as well as James grandfather. [98] The decline of the old-school form of hip hop also led to the closing of Sugar Hill Records, one of the labels that helped contribute to early hip hop and that, coincidentally, rejected LL's demo tape. 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I was doing all kinds of wild things by then and getting in all kinds of trouble.. [72] During the next two years, LL Cool J appeared in Rollerball,[73] Deliver Us from Eva,[74] S.W.A.T.,[75] and Mindhunters. It eventually reached 1,500,000 copies sold in the US.[30]. LL Cool J interview: 'I don't know if people understand how much The album is titled Exit 13. He actually had to overcome many challenges to get to where he is today. 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I was so inspired I wrote the song on set."[44]. He didnt need a good reason. [76], In 2005, he returned to television in a guest-starring role on the Fox medical drama House; he portrayed a death row inmate felled by an unknown disease in an episode entitled "Acceptance". window._taboola = window._taboola || []; James Todd Smith was born on 14 January 1968 to Ondrea Griffith in Bay Shore, New York, and James Louis Smith, Jr, also known as James Nunya. Born James Todd Smith on 14th January, 1968 in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, United States, he is famous for Ladies Love Cool James.. He didnt care how he beat me or with what , By the time Ondrea left Roscoe, LL said that for him personally, the damager was done., You know how glad I was to have Roscoe out of my life, but the damage was done. LL Cool J is a 55 year old American Rapper. that benefits the victims. His mother did survived, but once she divorced LL's dad, she hooked up with a . In fact, when he was starting out as a musician, his dad actually re-entered his life and tried to guide him through it. Now, LL explains how heand his motherlearned to forgive. As a child, James Todd Smith experienced great tragedy. The new track is based on his experiences playing special agent Sam Hanna. Yet another single from the album, "I Shot Ya Remix", included debut vocal work by Foxy Brown. LL Cool J Mourns Death of Father James Nunya - The Boombox In March 2011 at South by Southwest, LL Cool J was revealed to be Z-Trip's special guest at the Red Bull Thre3Style showcase. Ll Cool J Forgives Dad For Shooting Mother - Contactmusic.com Simone Smith Cool runs a jewelry line; she is the wife to the popular rapper turned actor and a mother to his four kids Najee, Italia, Samaria, and Nina. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography I Make My Own Rules and the details are shocking. Despite commercial appeal, the album was often criticized by the hip-hop community as being too commercial and materialistic, and for focusing too much on love ballads. Posted by. Hed even pull me out of the shower to get a beating. Recently, he allegedly came out and said that Tito Jackson is his father and he also reveals some shocking details about Barry Gordy using him for his talent early on but he had to sign some letters because Tito ain't want him to be his real child. 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LL Cool J Graduates From Harvard - Our Weekly At the age of four, he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father. It was tough. LL CooL J Tv Shows, Movies, Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Songs, And Net Worth The NCIS star confessed that James came back into his life and made amends for plenty of the things that he did wrong by helping him with his music career early on. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Decades later LL sat down with Oprah Winfrey during a segment on Oprahs Next Chapter to discuss how he coped with Roscoes constant abuse and its sad to hear that he had to become so strong at such a young age. 1 on Billboard's R&B albums chart. On October 6, 2012, LL Cool J released a new single from Authentic Hip-Hop called "Ratchet". Who is LL Cool J dating? LL Cool J girlfriend, wife - Who's Dated Who? Production came from Timbaland, 7 Aurelius, R. Kelly, and others. Released November 18, 1985, on Def Jam Recordings in the United States,[26] Radio earned a significant amount of commercial success and sales for a hip hop record at the time. LL Cool J is one of the most respected rappers in the game but even he has endured his fair share of obstacles. LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968 in Bay Shore, New York. The album's immense success propelled Mama Said Knock You Out to be LL's top selling album of his career (as of 2002) and solidified his status as a hip-hop icon. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography I Make My Own Rules and the details are shocking. LL Cool J Once Revealed His Dad Shot His Mother and Grandfather & Why Designs include influences from LL's lyrics and tattoos, as well as from other icons in the hip-hop community. It was just a power trip he wrote. With the Rock The Bells label, he had artists such as AMyth,[89] Smokeman, Natice, Chantel Jones and Simone Starks. _taboola.push({ [33][34] Rubin's production credit on the back cover reads "REDUCED BY RICK RUBIN", referring to his minimalist production style, which gave the album its stripped-down and gritty sound. _taboola.push({ LL Cool J has been in a relationship with Kidada Jones (1992 - 1994).. LL Cool J is rumoured to have hooked up with Karrine Steffans (2007), Pilar Sanders (1996) and Gabrielle Union.. About. But even with all of that negativity LL still found a way to forgive his father for everything hes ever done to him. LL Cool J portrays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, an exNavy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and is an expert on West Asian culture. He would beat me for watching television, for lookin at him funny, for looking out the window watching other kids play. A married man himself, LL Cool J has been with his wife Simone since 1995. [29] By 1989, the album had earned platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales exceeding one million copies; it had previously earned a gold certification in the United States on April 14, 1986. Sha Be Allah. _taboola.push({ My father made a massive blunder, but he also did a lot of things right, he said. In his memoir I Make My Own Rules, the rapper recalled the day his father James almost killed his mother and grandfather. Punched me in the chest stomped me out on the flo'. After labeling his family as very interesting, he revealed one of the most shocking aspects of the entire situation: LL Cool Js mother forgave his father for shooting her in the back. [41] [67] From 1995 to 1999, he starred in his own television sitcom In the House. LL Cool J - Listal It was like the scene in `Glory when Denzel Washington was getting beat down like a slave, except I was like 8 years old. LL and his mother moved into his grandparents' home in St. Albans, Queens in 1972 where he was raised. Before the separation was finalized, however, things ended up getting violent. I was doing all kinds of wild things by then and getting in all kinds of trouble..