LL Cool J Biography (2)
From the moment the teenaged young legend in leather exclaimed I Need A Beat to the world in 1984, his career ignited and he became Def Jam Records' flagship artist. He was the first rap artist to amass six consecutive platinum-plus-selling albums. His tenth album, Ten, was released by Def Jam last fall, with LL performing on tour for the first time in four years.
On-screen, he notably starred in Renny Harlin's hit Deep Blue Sea, for which his record label, Rock the Bells, co-produced the film's soundtrack. LL contributed two songs, including the title track Deepest Blue.
He is currently at work on Clark Johnson's S.W.A.T., starring alongside Colin Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, and Michelle Rodriguez. He is also doing a voiceover for The Rugrats Meet The Wild Thornberrys.
LL will next be seen starring opposite Val Kilmer and Christian Slater in Mindhunters, reteaming with director Renny Harlin. His feature films include John McTiernan's Rollerball; Doug McHenry's Kingdom Come; Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday (for which he performed a song on the film's soundtrack); Michael Rymer's In Too Deep; Steve Miner's Halloween H20; and Barry Levinson's Toys. For television, he starred in the hit sitcom In the House.
Adding the title of author to his credits, he penned a 1997 autobiography, I Make My Own Rules. His first children's book, And the Winner Is ..., was released in September 2002. Part of Scholastic's exciting new series of books and CDs, Hip Kid Hop, by top rap stars, And the Winner Is ... tells the story of a young basketball player who learns the importance of winning and losing gracefully.
LL Cool J currently lives in New York with his wife and four children. He will be billed under his given name, James Todd Smith, in future films.
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