James reportedly did it because he was distraught that Ondrea had left him and also taken their son with her. LL Cool J has lost his father, James Nunya. Tamron Hall Talks About Her Live-In Nanny and the Joy Raising NBA Comes for Ja Morant After He Flashes Gun in Nightclub Jon Jones Set for UFC Return After Body Transformation | WATCH. The series debuted in autumn of 2009, but the characters were introduced in an April 2009 crossover episode on the parent show. LL Cool J is a 55 year old American Rapper. According to the Chicago Tribune, "as a child growing up middle-class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heartbreaking. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography "I Make My Own Rules" and the details are shocking. [103] In 2003, LL Cool J spoke at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing on the RIAA lawsuits against Americans distributing or downloading copyrighted music over peer-to-peer networks. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; [7] In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. Awards. The album went gold. [92], With the breakthrough success of his hit single "I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became an early hip-hop act to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC. Advertisement LL Cool J is a legendary rapper who has recorded over nine albums in the last 15 years and won many awards, including three Grammys. In image as in song, the artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. 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. It is a single and is available on iTunes. The rapper was age 4 at the time, and both relatives survived their injuries. 6 on the Billboard 200 and was LL Cool J's second #1 R&B Album where it spent five weeks. [53], In October 2014, LL announced that his 14th studio album would be called G.O.A.T. [40] LL won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1992 for the title track. LL Cool J partnered with DJ Kay Slay to release a mixtape called "The Return of the G.O.A.T.". LL Cool J's second album was 1987's Bigger and Deffer, which was produced by DJ Pooh and the L.A. My mother forgave my father He came back into my life and made amends for a lot of things by helping to guide me with my music career early on, and kinda helping me in that area (sic). Another of the album's singles, "Hey Lover", featured Boyz II Men, and sampled Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life"; it eventually became an early hip-hop music video to air on VH1. Dante Boyles MUS 211 LL Cool J Cultural Analysis Paper LL Cool J has done a lot in the hip-hop industry and has also branched out to the entertainment business as well. Yet, the scars never fully healed. This style would serve as one of Rubin's production trademarks and would have a great impact on future hip-hop productions. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; 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. I'm an Independent, you know? 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode American rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor (born 1968), LL Cool J during a 2001 performance in Germany, 19932005: Continued success and career prominence. He did not get the best attention as a young child, and his surroundings subjected him to a life of bullying and arms. Advertisement. advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. There is no more complete source for urban news than the Electronic Urban Report. [20] Smith has stated that by the time he received musical equipment from his relatives, he "was already a rapper. The iconic rapper and actor tops the list as one of the few black entertainers with a happy home and no controversies. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography I Make My Own Rules and the details are shocking. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I . The album is titled Exit 13. 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. It was just a power trip he wrote. Brigitte Nielsen Proves Age Is Just a Number in Figure-Hugging Outfit & Knee-High Boots in Pics, '13 Reasons Why's Sosie Bacon Flashed Ring - Kevin Bacon's Daughter's Hands Showed Syndrome She May Have, Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin Are Uncoupling Goals as She Calls Him Sweetest Father in Birthday Post, LL Cool J Discovered the Grandparents Who 'Embraced' Him Were Not Biologically Related to Him, Michael J Fox Was Isolating Himself From Wife of 34 Years & Kids - She Helped Him to Become Part Of Family Again, Neal McDonough Was Crushed & Lost House after He Refused to Cheat On His Wife for Movies. Jul 19, 2021 09:00 P.M. Elsewhere in the book, LL said a low point in his sex life came when he had an intimate encounter with a . His fourth book, LL Cool J (Hip-Hop Stars) was cowritten in 2007 with hip-hop historian Dustin Shekell and Public Enemy's Chuck D. LL Cool J started his own businesses in the music industry such as the music label in 1993 called P.O.G. "[22] That same year, Smith made his professional debut concert performance at Manhattan Center High School. When he was very young his parents got a divorce and it angered his biological father, James, so much that he shot both LL's mother and grandfather with a shotgun. "[108], LL Cool J has his own charitable foundation called Jump & Ball, which is based in his hometown of Queens, New York, and offers an athletic and team-building program for young people. Here is the truth behind the rapper's life. The website accepts music uploads from aspiring artists, primarily from the hip-hop genre, and the site's users rate songs through contests, voting, and other community events. He currently plays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J worked behind the scenes with the mid-1980s hip-hop sportswear line TROOP. Series overview and suggestions on where to start! [77] He also guest-starred on 30 Rock in the 2007 episode "The Source Awards", portraying a hip-hop producer called Ridikulous who Tracy Jordan fears may kill him. The singles included "Phenomenon" and "Father". And LL was the one who discovered them! Unfortunately, that relationship turned sour when James mismanaged LL's funds . It was the first mixtape of his 24-year career and includes freestyling by LL Cool J in addition to other rappers giving their renditions of his songs. Speaking about the traumatic experience he had with his mother's boyfriend, he said: "He would beat me for watching television, for lookin at him funny, for looking out the window watching other kids play. [97], The energy and hardcore delivery and musical style of rapping featured on Radio, as well as other new-school recordings by artists such as Run-D.M.C., Schooly D, T La Rock and Steady B, proved to be influential to hip-hop acts of the "golden age" such as Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy. The second video, directed by Hype Williams, was "Freeze" featuring Lyfe Jennings. [88] He didnt need a good reason. The 'NCIS: Los Angeles' star and his mother Ondrea sat down with ET to share their fondest (and most embarrassing) memories of LL's upbringing. At the age of four, he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father. 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. [31] Another milestone of LL's popularity was his appearance on American Bandstand as the first hip-hop act on the show. By Kory Grow. 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. [40] According to Billboard, the album peaked at No. These elements contrasted sharply with the 1970s P-Funk and disco-influenced outfits, live bands, synthesizers and party rhymes of acts prevalent in 1984, rendering them old school. It was like the scene in `Glory when Denzel Washington was getting beat down like a slave, except I was like 8 years old. 2. James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known by his stage name LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, record producer. 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.. [5][6], A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". LL Cool J during a press conference at Hotel St. Regis on June 5, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico | Source: Getty Images. Production came from Timbaland, 7 Aurelius, R. Kelly, and others. LL Cool J has appeared in numerous films, including Halloween H20, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, S.W.A.T., Mindhunters, Last Holiday, and Edison. [104] He also voiced his support for New York State Senator Malcolm Smith, a Democrat, during an appearance on the senator's local television show;[105] he worked with Smith in putting on the annual Jump and Ball Tournament in the rapper's childhood neighborhood of St. Albans, Queens. To make matters worse, it was the Grammy Award winner who found his mom and grandfather on the floor after his dad shot them. [94][100], In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors. [37] It spent 11 weeks at No. 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. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now! LL Cool J thanked Canibus in the liner notes of the album, "for the inspiration". It's like speaking Spanish if you grow up in an all-Spanish house. [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. During his time at Def Jam, LL released an album every two or three years from 1987 to . LL Cool J has written four books, including I Make My Own Rules, (1997), an autobiography cowritten with Karen Hunter. At this point, the entertainer decided to stick by her unconditionally, putting up a positive front, and even offered to give her a bone marrow. The album debuted at No. His father shot his mother and grandfather, nearly killing them both. [94], The emerging new-school scene was initially characterized by drum machine-led minimalism, often tinged with elements of rock, as well as boasts about rapping delivered in an aggressive, self-assertive style. LL Cool J on February 9, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images. and the Beastie Boys. 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. To make matters worse, it was the Grammy Award winner who found his mom and grandfather on the floor after his dad shot them. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', And LL was the one who discovered them! [106] In a February 10, 2012 televised interview with CNN host Piers Morgan, LL Cool J expressed sympathy for President Barack Obama and ascribed negative impressions of his leadership to Republican obstruction designed to "make it look like you have a coordination problem." [14], Smith began rapping at the age of 10, influenced by the hip-hop group The Treacherous Three. 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. Those who don't know the actors story and only look at how he is doing nowadays might desire to have his life. [71] Later that year, he starred as Julian Washingtona talented but selfish running back on fictional professional football team the Miami Sharksin Oliver Stone's drama Any Given Sunday. Unlike what many people might believe, LL Cool Js children are not spoiled as he has made sure to instill values in them, as well as the notion of working hard for what they want to achieve in life. But The lessons you taught me live on in my heart. His second book was the children-oriented book called And The Winner Is. LL and his mother moved into his grandparents' home in St. Albans, Queens in 1972 where he was raised. Shortly after its release, the album sold over 500,000 copies in its first five months, eventually selling over 1 million copies by 1988, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. LL Cool J is in mourning today following the death of his father. [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. This marked the beginning of a creative collaboration between the rap and DJ superstars. Both relatives survived their injuries, and the NCIS: Los Angeles star insists he has since made peace with his dad even though he was initially reluctant to allow him back into his life. LL Cool J ( Full name: James Todd Smith) is a 54-year-old American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. Now, LL explains how heand his motherlearned to forgive. LL opened up about Roscoes constant abuse during an interview with Oprah back in the day. Yet, the scars never fully healed. The rapper was surrounded by drugs, gangsterism, crime, all the vices that could have limited his progress. LL Cool J and American artist Tito Jackson are not related as father and child. The abuse he suffered from Roscoe was damaging, but living with the pain of his father shooting his mother and grandfather must have been worse. What most people don't know, however, is that before becoming the big star he is today, he had to go through some painful times in his life. news.AmoMama.com does not support or promote any kind of violence, self-harm, or abusive behavior. Both relatives survived their injuries, and the NCIS: Los Angeles star insists he has since made peace with his dad even though he was initially reluctant to allow him back into his life. [11] The couple met in 1987 and have four children. When LL Cool J was just 4 years old, his father shot his mother and grandfather. "LL Cool J gets honorary degree from Northeastern", "LL Cool J Receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame", "Fela nominated for 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame", "LL COOL J Honored With Key To The City In Queens, New York During First Rock The Bells Festival", "LL Cool J Honored With Key To Queens, New York", "LL Cool J Received The Key To The City Of Queens During Inaugural Rock The Bells Festival", "february 2000 | blackfilm.com | features | naacp image awards nominees", "Blockbuster Entertainment Award winners", "Filmmakers.com: Film: The 2004 Black Reel Awards Nominations Announced", "Teen Choice Awards 2011 Nominees Announced: Harry Potter vs Twilight", "NAACP Image Awards 2012: Full list of winners", "Teen Choice Awards 2012: Complete Winners List", "The 44th NAACP Image Award complete winners list", "Teen Choice 2013 - August 11 on FOX - Vote Every Day! LL Cool J also dealt with a friend's betrayal and ruthless accountants that siphoned his money. [31] Another milestone of LL's popularity was his appearance on American Bandstand as the first hip hop act on the show,[32] as well as an appearance on Diana Ross' 1987 television special, Red Hot Rhythm & Blues. However, the victims survived, and thankfully, things were repaired in the household, with the Smith patriarch admitting and turning away from his errors. [69] In 1999, co-starred as Preacher, the chef in the Renny Harlin horror/comedy Deep Blue Sea. James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968 in Bay Shore, New York), better known as LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James), is a Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor signed to Def Jam. In 2006, LL Cool J and his personal trainer, Dave "Scooter" Honig, wrote a fitness book titled The Platinum Workout. Posted by. Classic albums including Bigger and Deffer and Mama Said Knock You Out are well represented here. He would beat me for watching television, for lookin at him funny, for looking out the window watching other kids play. Page 1 of LL Cool J biography and life story including childhood story, love relationship, career, walk of fame and more. "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells" were singles that helped the album go platinum. LL Cool J has been nominated six times for induction into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. He actually had to overcome many challenges to get to where he is today. Randy Chrisley Is Todd Chrisley's Brother Who Was Diagnosed with Cancer in 2014, Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? In his memoir I Make My Own Rules, the rapper recalled the day his father James almost killed his mother and grandfather. In 2006, LL Cool J and his personal trainer, Dave "Scooter" Honig, wrote a fitness book titled The Platinum Workout. 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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. "It represents the collective energy in the room. [17] His grandfather, a jazz saxophonist, bought him $2,000 worth of equipment, including two turntables, an audio mixer and an amplifier. Unfortunately, that relationship turned sour when James mismanaged LLs funds and he ended up owing $2 million dollars to the IRS. iloveoldschoolmusic.com. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', 'NCIS's' Chris O'Donnell's 4 Co-star Kids & Namesake Eldest Son Who Is a Spitting Image of Him, Pierce Brosnan Suffered Cruelness as a Child after Mom and Dad Left Him: It Was Ugly', Demi Moore Felt 'Betrayed' by Mom's Lie about Biological Dad Yet Later Forgave Her & Became Her Caregiver, Will Smith Could Not Forgive His Dad until His Last Days as He Wished He Could Avenge His Mom for Many Years, Firefighter Saves then Adopts Orphan Boy who Finds Moms Photo in Fathers Room 40 Years Later Story of the Day, James Garner Became 'Greatest Father' after Adopting Wife's Child despite Being Unloved by His Stepmom, Mark Wahlberg Wants to Devote More Time to Parenting in Private & Asks Record $87.5M for His LA Mansion, Judge Hears His Son Mock a Boy Whose Dad Laid the Bricks to Build Their Mansion Story of the Day, Inside Tom Hanks & Wife of 33 Years Rita Wilson's Relationship with Their Biracial Granddaughter, Man Kicks His 60-Year-Old Wife Out of the House after Learning Shes Pregnant with Triplets Story of the Day, Marlo Thomas Spouse Was a Virgin before Marriage to Mom of His 5 Kids & a Lousy Lover Afterward, Man Who Hasnt Seen His Old Dad for 17 Years Visits and Sees His House Ruined Story of the Day, Kurt Russell Became 'Pa' to Goldie Hawn's Kids Whose Father Considers Them 'Dead', Young Man Who Never Knew His Parents Pushes Father Away, Learns about His Will Months Later Story of the Day. LL Cool J extends his reach during Gray Line New York's "Ride Of Fame" induction ceremony, which honored the native New Yorker Monday at Manhattan's Pier 78. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography "I Make My Own Rules" and the details are shocking. I've been here for years!" James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James) is an American rapper and actor. Instead, he rose above all that, making a success of his life with the help of his father, James Smith. The unraveling of LL Cool J's hidden family history also uncovered a rough parallel to the violence he witnessed as a child, when his grandfather and mother were wounded in a shooting involving . Thankfully, she later became the rapper's number one woman, who is appreciated and deeply loved by a man she described as "her rock.". He didnt need a good reason. LL Cool J was born and raised in Queens, New York, the son of Ondrea (ne Griffith) and James Smith. You passed away. LL Cool J is one of the most respected rappers in the game but even he has endured his fair share of obstacles. Thankfully, the actor and rapper is in a much better place now and learned from his parents mistakes. Sadly, a few years later, the young man stated that his dad mismanaged his funds which led to him getting fired. Welcome to /r/DragonQuest! container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', This was the same person who shot his mother in the back and granddad in the stomach. The agreement angered the rapper's father, truck driver James Nunya, who ended up pointing a gun at his father-in-law Eugene. Actor: Deep Blue Sea. In his follow-up album, 1987's Bigger and Deffer, LL Cool J showed his softer side with the popular ballad, "I Need Love." The song became a hit on both the rap and pop charts. Eventually, LL's father James came back into his life and helped him out in the early stages of his budding rap career. His father, James Nunya, was so incensed over the divorce in that he shot his father-in-law in the stomach and estranged wife Ondrea in the back, I Love Old School Music reports. Posse. It was just a power trip.. They made amends and until later when he felt his father was mismanaging his money and he cut ties with him again. When he was very young his parents got a divorce and it angered his biological father, James, so much that he shot both LLs mother and grandfather with a shotgun. [25] "[14] In 1972, Smith and his mother moved into his grandparents' home in St. Albans, Queens, where he was raised. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. [43] Exit 13 was originally slated for a fall 2006 release, however, after a 2-year delay, it was released September 9, 2008 without 50 Cent as the executive producer. _taboola.push({ and the Fat Boys. In this neighborhood, the kids grow up in rap. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! During an appearance on Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis .