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LL Cool J
It’s no secret that ladies on Spring Break love cool James. And so does everyone else, because LL Cool J sure knows how to get the party started. This hip hop artist and actor has been creating hits since the mid 80s and has a long-standing relationship with MTV, appearing on a number of their shows including the VMAs, ’Making the Video’ and Spring Break specials. He’s also made live appearances with the network, including rocking the Panama City Beach scene for Spring Break ‘07.
Born Jan 14, 1968, James Todd Smith III who is far better known as LL Cool J was one of the first pioneers of hip-hop. His romantic ballads “I Need Love” and “Hey Lover” first put him on the map, where he then continued with hits like “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”, “I’m Bad”, “Boomin’ System”, “Mama Said Knock You Out”, and “4, 3, 2, 1”. For almost two decades LL Cool J has been able to prolong a most successful career, where he has released 12 albums, a greatest hits CD, and another able on the way (Exit 13) set to come out early in 2008. This will end his run with Def Jam Recordings, which has lasted for over twenty years, making it the longest single hip hop deal ever. Along with his many albums, LL is a accomplished actor as well.
LL Cool J has truly done everything in the entertainment business claiming his fame as a rap and r&b artist, and also being involved with TV and movies, not to mention authoring three books, launching a clothing line, and starting his own business in the music industry.
LL Cool J's many Albums
Exit 13 (2008)
In July 2006, LL announced details about his final album with Def Jam recordings, the only label he has ever been signed to. The album is titled Exit 13. The album will reportedly be executively produced by fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent. The duo have worked together previously on the remix to the single "Freeze" from the Todd Smith LP, which was titled "Bump This". Exit 13 had been slated for a fall 2006 release, however, the album did not emerge and now seems likely to surface in 2008 instead. It will be LL's final Def Jam Album.
Todd Smith (2006)
LL's latest studio album, Todd Smith, was released on April 11, 2006. It includes collaborations with 112, Ginuwine, Juelz Santana, Teairra Mari and Freeway. The first single was the Jermaine Dupri produced "Control Myself," another song with singer Jennifer "J-Lo" Lopez.
The DEFinition (2004)
LL's eleventh album The DEFinition was released on August 31, 2004. The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard charts. Production came from Timbaland, Irv Gotti, Jay-Z, and others. The lead single was the Timbaland-produced "Headsprung." The second single was the Irv Gotti-produced, "Hush." The album sold moderately well and went Gold.
10 (2002)
Cool J's next album 10 from 2002, which denoted LL's 10th studio album, did not fare much better than his 9th. Although it included the popular singles "Paradise" (featuring Amerie), "Luv U Better," and the hit 2003 Jennifer Lopez duet, "All I Have," the album only reached gold status.
G.O.A.T. (2000)
In 2000, he released the album G.O.A.T., which stood for the "greatest of all time." It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, giving him his first chart-topper on that chart. Nonetheless, the album failed to produce the numbers of LL's previous releases, stalling at gold. The album featured the infamous diss record "Back Where I Belong," featuring Ja Rule.
Phenomenon (1997)
In 1997, he released the album Phenomenon. The first single, "Phenomenon" as well as the autobiographical "Father" were minor hits. The official second single from Phenomenon was "4, 3, 2, 1," which featured Method Man, Redman and introducing DMX and Canibus.
Mr. Smith (1995)
He starred in In the House, an NBC sitcom, before releasing Mr. Smith (1995), which went on to sell over two million copies. Its singles, "Doin' It" and "Loungin", were two of the biggest songs in 1996 and both songs' music videos were hugely successful on MTV. Another of the album's singles, "Hey Lover", featured Boyz II Men sampling Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life," which eventually became one of the first hip hop music videos to air on American VH1. The song also earned LL a Grammy Award.
14 Shots to the Dome (1993)
14 Shots to the Dome was LL's fifth album. It was more leaning to the west coast gangsta element versus the hardcore east coast sound of his previous release.
Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
Following this, LL released Mama Said Knock You Out, generally leaning towards a tough street image. The record reestablished his reputation in the hip-hop community. It spawned three hit singles, "The Boomin' System," "Around the Way Girl," and the title track, which received special notice after LL Cool J's dynamic performance of it during an episode of MTV Unplugged.
Walking with a Panther (1989)
The album was a commercial success, but failed horribly from a critical standpoint. The album was a critical failure due to it being overly commercially oriented.
Bigger and Deffer (1987)
In 1987, he released Bigger and Deffer. The ballad "I Need Love" was one of the first hit pop-rap songs. Also featured on the album was "Go Cut Creator Go," which pays homage to the DJ. The album was met with commercial and critical acclaim going 2x Platinum. In 1998, The Source Magazine named it as one of the top 100 albums ever.
Radio (1985)
The album was released to critical acclaim, as LL Cool J was one of the first rappers to use conventional song structure to make pop oriented rap [Wikipedia] "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells" were successful and helped the album go platinum.
References
Wikipedia-LL Cool J