His mother, Ondrea, was a nurses assistant while his father, James, was a truck driver. Decades later, he's in a really good place with a stable career and a great family life. Now, LL explains how heand his motherlearned to forgive. James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Apart from that, he shot his grandfather in the stomach. Shortly after that, they started dating, and they married in 1995. LL Cool J explained the reason for it, saying, "It was good but I didn't feel like it was ready yet. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. LL was a young boy growing up in New York when his parents separated in 1972. "[107] In his 2020 book LL Cool J's Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle, he included Obama in a list of people he admired, stating that the then-president had "accomplished what people thought was impossible. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The Marley Marl produced album received critical acclaim and eventually went double Platinum, selling over two million copies according to the RIAA. He has been in films such as "Any Given Sunday", "In Too Deep", and "Deep Blue Sea" just to . 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. But there is an intriguing story behind the heart-melting and powerful duo. 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At the moment, he is married to Simone Smith, and they have four children together. 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. [25] [79], Since 2009, LL Cool J has starred on the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles. . [87] The brand produces popular urban apparel. In his memoir I Make My Own Rules, the rapper recalled the day his father James almost killed his mother and grandfather. A new cover was unveiled at the same time. [10], In 2002, LL Cool J supported George Pataki's bid for a third term as Governor of New York. [18] It was featured in the film Krush Groove (1985), which was based on the rise of Def Jam and new school acts such as Run-D.M.C. He toured with Janet Jackson on her Rock Witchu tour, only playing in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and Kansas City. When 4-year-old LL found them, blood was everywhere." [59] In September 2019, it was announced that LL had re-signed to Def Jam for future album releases. u/Gabriel9078. The first single was the Jermaine Dupri-produced "Control Myself" featuring Jennifer Lopez. [61], On December 29, 2021, LL Cool J canceled his performance at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19. As if that wasnt bad enough, his mother, Ondrea, eventually settled into another relationship with a man named, Roscoe Granger, and in the book, LL details (via The Daily Press) how Roscoe, allegedly a drug addict, took every opportunity to beat LL whenever he had the chance. Advertisement. Young James had a rather traumatic childhood. The third season of PBS' hit show Finding Your Roots continues to chronicle the fascinating family stories of celebrities, politicians, activists and more. He had a tough childhood because his parents had a violent relationship. His father shot his mother and grandfather, nearly killing them both. LL Cool J. If that wasn't hard enough, he experienced a tragic and dramatic event when he was only four years old. It was like the scene in `Glory when Denzel Washington was getting beat down like a slave, except I was like 8 years old. [17] Smith later discussed his search for a label, stating "I sent my demo to many different companies, but it was Def Jam where I found my home. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', In his book, LL details (via The Daily Press) how Roscoe constantly beat his mother. Sha Be Allah. James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James),[3] is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Truck driver James Nunya shot his father-in-law . Classic albums including Bigger and Deffer and Mama Said Knock You Out are well represented here. His father shot his mother and grandfather, leaving them with serious injuries. LL COOL J / ACCIDENTAL RACIST Preface: Intercultural dialogue is a wholly positive and necessary thing. 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. His father, , it would be years before LL was able to forgive his father. The last LL COOL J album, Authentic, was released in 2013, five years after his last Def Jam album, Exit 13. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', LL Cool J during a press conference at Hotel St. Regis on June 5, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico | Source: Getty Images. Tracks that the two worked on were leaked to the internet and some of the tracks produced with 50 made it to Exit 13. It's like speaking Spanish if you grow up in an all-Spanish house. Although he initially refused, he changed his mind after looking at how beautiful Simone was. 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Unfortunately, that relationship turned sour when James mismanaged LLs funds and he ended up owing $2 million dollars to the IRS. [68], In 1998, LL Cool J played security guard Ronny in Halloween H20, the seventh movie in the Halloween franchise. The toddler's 25-year-old father was hit in the head and his 22-year-old mother in the leg. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography I Make My Own Rules and the details are shocking. published in 2002. 2. Plus, LL shares what his father's mistakes taught him about mercy. 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. [95] In contrast to the lengthy, jam-like form predominant throughout early hip hop ("King Tim III", "Rapper's Delight", "The Breaks"), new-school artists tended to compose shorter songs that would be more accessible and had potential for radio play, and conceived more cohesive LPs than their old-school counterparts; the style typified by LL Cool J's Radio. According to the Chicago Tribune, "as a child growing up middle-class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heartbreaking. You know how glad I was to have Roscoe out of my life, but the damage was done. He and co-star Jamie Foxx allegedly got into a real fistfight while filming a fight scene. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). 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. 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. Unfortunately, the bad things didnt stop after the previously mentioned incident took place. LL Cool J has lost his father, James Nunya. [60] His upcoming album will be produced by Q-Tip. Before then, they were lovers with an unsettling relationship plagued by the rapper's familiarity with women and his flirtatious attitude. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! He didnt need a good reason. By using the mixer he had received from his grandfather, Smith produced and mixed his own demos and sent them to various record companies throughout New York City, including Def Jam. Kicked me down steps outside in the snow. [35] Rubin's early hip hop production work, before his exit from Def Jam to Los Angeles, helped solidify his legacy as a hip hop pioneer and establish his reputation in the music industry.[35]. The pair are highly supportive of their kids and have taught them the value of being confident and determined about their goals. LL Cool J is one of the most respected rappers in the game but even he has endured his fair share of obstacles. Hed even pull me out of the shower to get a beating. [27][28] Radio peaked at number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number 46 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Source: MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images / Getty. According to a Chicago Tribune report, his father shot his mother and grandfather, nearly killing them. In December 1996 his loose cover of the Rufus and Chaka Khan song "Ain't Nobody" was included on the Beavis and Butt-Head Do America soundtrack & released as a single. It is a single and is available on iTunes. LL Cool J was born and raised in Queens, New York, the son of Ondrea (ne Griffith) and James Smith. It was like the scene in `Glory when Denzel Washington was getting beat down like a slave, except I was like 8 years old. [9], Smith dated Kidada Jones, daughter of producer Quincy Jones, from 1992 to 1994. He shot him in the stomach before shooting his estranged wife, Ondrea, LL Cool J's mother. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. 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. LL Cool J starred in In the House, an NBC sitcom, before releasing Mr. Smith (1995), which went on to sell over two million copies. The album debuted at No. It was just a power trip.". [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. 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. Before the separation was finalized, however, things ended up getting violent. 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). 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. The album featured the singles "I'm Bad", the revolutionary "I Need Love" - LL's first #1 R&B and Top 40 hit, "Kanday", "Bristol Hotel", and "Go Cut Creator Go". In this neighborhood, the kids grow up in rap. [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. The album went gold. LL Cool J - short for "Ladies Love Cool James" - was born in 1968 in Long Island, New York, and grew up in Queens. LL Cool J has written four books, including I Make My Own Rules, (1997), an autobiography cowritten with Karen Hunter. 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. The album is titled Exit 13. [8], In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence. After their lavish wedding, she mentioned that the rapper played one of his video clips, showing how a video vixen was licking his face. LL Cool J (Getty) *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 . "[18] This was at the same time that NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter-manager Russell Simmons founded the then-independent Def Jam label. 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. 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. In fact, when he was starting out as a musician, his dad actually re-entered his life and tried to guide him through it. As a result LL fired James and hired a new manager. and the Fat Boys. According to the Chicago Tribune, "[As] a kid growing up middle class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heart-breaking. The rapper was age 4 at the time, and both relatives survived their injuries. [38] Released in 1989, the album was a commercial success, with several charting singles ("Going Back to Cali", which had originally been released on the 1987 movie soundtrack Less than Zero, "I'm That Type of Guy", "Big Ole Butt", and "One Shot at Love").
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