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. You passed away yesterday. Yet, the scars never fully healed. After their lavish wedding, she mentioned that the rapper played one of his video clips, showing how a video vixen was licking his face. And LL was the one who discovered them! In fact, when he was starting out as a musician, his dad actually re-entered his life and tried to guide him through it. Hed even pull me out of the shower to get a beating. It also reached No. I was doing all kinds of wild things by then and getting in all kinds of trouble.. The last LL COOL J album, Authentic, was released in 2013, five years after his last Def Jam album, Exit 13. But even with all of that negativity LL still found a way to forgive his father for everything hes ever done to him. The show is a spin-off of NCIS, which itself is a spin-off of the naval legal drama JAG. Although he initially refused, he changed his mind after looking at how beautiful Simone was. 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 Cool J launched a clothing line (called "Todd Smith"). Instead, he rose above all that, making a success of his life with the help of his father, James Smith. American rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor (born 1968), LL Cool J during a 2001 performance in Germany, 19932005: Continued success and career prominence. By Kory Grow. As a young boy growing up in New York City LL witnessed a few traumatic events that he carried with him into his adulthood. 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. 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. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now! He currently plays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. What is LL Cool J's real name? [96] A leading example of the new school sound is the song "I Can't Live Without My Radio", a loud, defiant declaration of public loyalty to his boom box, which The New York Times described as "quintessential rap in its directness, immediacy and assertion of self". During his time at Def Jam, LL released an album every two or three years from 1987 to . [53], In October 2014, LL announced that his 14th studio album would be called G.O.A.T. [79], Since 2009, LL Cool J has starred on the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J explained that late one night, he woke up to the sound of horrible moan. He went to check what had happened and found that James had shot Ondrea in the back. COPYRIGHT 2022 EURweb.com/Rabercom Enterprises. 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. 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. LL Cool J has lost his father, James Nunya. "I want to be clear," said Taryll, who is Tito's son. Track 9 on Phenomenon. To make matters worse, it was the Grammy Award winner who found his mom and grandfather on the floor after his dad shot them. WHO WE AREThe news you want unfiltered.The Electronic Urban Report/EUR puts the most buzz worthy African American news at your fingertips. Hed even pull me out of the shower to get a beating. LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith into a middle-class family. Apart from that, he shot his grandfather in the stomach. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', LL Cool J is one of the most respected rappers in the game but even he has endured his fair share of obstacles. _taboola.push({ 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. 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. He'd long been open about his adoption, but all he knew, based on some . Thankfully for the family, both of them survived the incident. 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. Advertisement. 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. The toddler's 25-year-old father was hit in the head and his 22-year-old mother in the leg. After acting in The Hard Way and Toys, LL Cool J released 14 Shots to the Dome. iloveoldschoolmusic.com. Its singles included "Doin' It" and "Loungin". My family is a very interesting family. 2. [40] According to Billboard, the album peaked at No. He was born on January 14, 1968, as James Todd Smith, in New York. [17] The single was a hard-hitting, streetwise b-boy song with spare beats and ballistic rhymes. I was doing all kinds of wild things by then and getting in all kinds of trouble.. LL Cool J's next album 10 from 2002, was his ninth studio (10th overall including his greatest hits compilation All World), and included the singles "Paradise" (featuring Amerie), and the number 1 R&B hit "Luv U Better", produced by the Neptunes. 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 didnt need a good reason. [88] Series overview and suggestions on where to start! LL was a young boy growing up in New York when his parents separated in 1972. According to the Chicago Tribune, "[As] a kid growing up middle class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heart-breaking. The iconic rapper and actor tops the list as one of the few black entertainers with a happy home and no controversies. shockingly resulted in his father's ruthless shot toward his mother . Tracks that the two worked on were leaked to the internet and some of the tracks produced with 50 made it to Exit 13. - I Shot Ya 1995. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography "I Make My Own Rules" and the details are shocking. [50][51][52], On October 16, 2013, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced LL Cool J as a nominee for inclusion in 2014. 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. 2 and would be released in 2015. 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. After his mother moved on, she married an abusive man and drug addict named, LL Cool J Announces Rock the Bells Festival with Ice Cube, Lil Kim, Digable Planets, Will Smiths Post Slap Film Comeback is Sci-fi Thriller Brilliance Hes Producing/Starring, In GMA Interview Ye Apologizes to Kim K for Stressing Her | WATCH. It was tough. It was like the scene in `Glory when Denzel Washington was getting beat down like a slave, except I was like 8 years old. The pair are highly supportive of their kids and have taught them the value of being confident and determined about their goals. Shortly after that, they started dating, and they married in 1995. He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). [84] He played Beth's father in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and was shown in a trailer for the film but his scenes were cut from the final product.[85]. "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells" were singles that helped the album go platinum. Roscoe beat me for just about anything. Father LL Cool J. Eventually Ondrea left Roscoe but after all of the trauma LL suffered it was too little too late. LL Cool J worked behind the scenes with the mid-1980s hip-hop sportswear line TROOP. 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). _taboola.push({ After this experience, the couple's relationship became stronger. 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. And LL was the one who discovered them! 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. At the moment, he is married to Simone Smith, and they have four children together. 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. READ MORE:LL Cool J Announces Rock the Bells Festival with Ice Cube, Lil Kim, Digable Planets, 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. 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. He would beat me for watching television, for looking at him funny, for looking out the window watching other kids play. James reportedly did it because he was distraught that Ondrea had left him and also taken their son with her. Young James had a rather traumatic childhood. [59] In September 2019, it was announced that LL had re-signed to Def Jam for future album releases. Kicked me down steps outside in the snow. After that, Ondrea started dating a new man named Roscoe Granger, who was abusive to the young LL Cool J. Digging into the way that his mothers boyfriend treated him, the actor explained: Roscoe beat me for just about anything. My family is a very interesting family. 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. Unfortunately, that relationship turned sour when James mismanaged LLs funds and he ended up owing $2 million dollars to the IRS. Should we be angry? 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. He started rapping when he was 9 years of age, his biggest influencers were the sugarhill gang and the treacherous tree. [32], Radio's release coincided with the growing new school scene and subculture, which also marked the beginning of hip-hop's "golden age" and the replacement of old school hip hop. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! To this day, there are limited details on the incident, but witnesses say it was a . Yet, the scars never fully healed. I was doing all kinds of wild things by then and getting in all kinds of trouble.. LL Cool J achieved an 'MTV Video Music Award' for his hit track 'Mama Said Knock You Out in . LL Cool J. LL Cool J is one of the most respected rappers in the game but even he has endured his fair share of obstacles. Together, they share four children named Najee, Samaria, Italia, and Nina. And LL was the one who discovered . Rechristened LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James), he released his debut single, . The first single was the Jermaine Dupri-produced "Control Myself" featuring Jennifer Lopez. [63][64], While LL Cool J first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove (performing "I Can't Live Without My Radio"),[65] his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie called Wildcats. 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. Exception: This awkward piece of wonky cheese. After his mother moved on, she married an abusive man and drug addict named Roscoe Granger. The album's success also helped in contributing to Rick Rubin's credibility and repertoire as a record producer. But there is an intriguing story behind the heart-melting and powerful duo. 1: The Genesis", "About.com Rick Rubin's Style and Approach", "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America - Original Soundtrack", "50 Cent, LL Cool J Teaming Up For LP News Story Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News", "VIDEO: Check out LL Cool J's New NCIS:LA-Inspired Song", "SXSW Interview: LL Cool J and Z-Trip Talk About Their Collaboration, Their High Esteem For The Hip-Hop "Blueprint" and Their Thoughts On Rap's Up-And-Coming Talent", "Hottest Record - Kasabian - Days Are Forgotten (LL Cool J Remix)", "LL Cool J Announces "Authentic" Release Date & Tracklist", "LL Cool J On Eddie Van Halen Collabo: "Now He's Officially Done Hip-Hop", "Eddie Van Halen Teams Up With LL Cool J", "Hear Eddie Van Halen Perform on Two New LL Cool J Songs", "Nirvana, Kiss, Hall and Oates Nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame", "LL Cool J On Def Jam's 30th Anniversary And His New Street Album", "Unretired Rap Legend LL Cool J Shares New Album Details & Offers 'G.O.A.T. It is a single and is available on iTunes. [9], Smith dated Kidada Jones, daughter of producer Quincy Jones, from 1992 to 1994. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', Early life and family. 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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. He didnt need a good reason. [48], On February 8, 2013, it was announced that the title of LL's upcoming album would be changed from Authentic Hip-Hop to Authentic with a new release date of April 30, 2013. In 1996, Def Jam released this "greatest hits" package, offering a good summary of Cool J's career, from the relentless minimalism of early hits such as "Rock the Bells" to the smooth-talking braggadocio that followed. According to a Chicago Tribune report, his father shot his mother and grandfather, nearly killing them. I was so inspired I wrote the song on set."[44]. }); Copyright 2015 . 3 on the Billboard's Pop albums chart. target_type: 'mix' 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. He actually had to overcome many challenges to get to where he is today. [58], In October 2018, LL Cool J was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 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. [39] As a result, his audience base began to decline due to the album's bold commercial and pop aspirations. LL Cool J has written four books, including 1998's I Make My Own Rules, an autobiography cowritten with Karen Hunt. 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I think thats important.. [20] Smith has stated that by the time he received musical equipment from his relatives, he "was already a rapper. [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. "RIP to My Father James Nunya. He has been in films such as "Any Given Sunday", "In Too Deep", and "Deep Blue Sea" just to . [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." He portrayed an ex-Oakland Raiders running back who finds himself in financial difficulties and is forced to rent part of his home out to a single mother and her two children, one of whom moves out with her before the third season. NEW BEDFORD After Tito Jackson lost the Boston mayor's race in 2017, he began to take stock of his life and heritage. ", "NAACP Image Awards 2014: Complete winners list", "EIC Announces Nominations For 18th Annual PRISM Awards- Nods for Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Oprah, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Edie Falco, Allison Janney, LL Cool J, Jewel", "Television - 'Creed,' 'Empire' Top NAACP Image Award Nominations; Full List", "People's Choice Awards 2017: Full List Of Nominees", Pink Cookies In a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings, Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Male Artist, Teen Choice Award for Choice Action TV Actor, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LL_Cool_J&oldid=1142520506, Articles with dead external links from September 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata namespace mismatch, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Episodes: "Legend: Part 1 & 2", "Too Many Cooks", Outstanding Career Achievements in the Field of Entertainment, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Male Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline. 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. The new boyfriend was not a father figure to him at all and was abusive. LL was a young boy growing up in New York when his parents separated in 1972. 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). In September 2009, LL Cool J released a song about the NCIS TV series. He was quick to add that no one "should assume that I'm a Democrat either. [87] The brand produces popular urban apparel. 2016 LL Cool J was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. If that wasn't hard enough, he experienced a tragic and dramatic event when he was only four years old. Before then, they were lovers with an unsettling relationship plagued by the rapper's familiarity with women and his flirtatious attitude. [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. At the age of four, he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father. Who are LL Cool J parents? The Journal of Steffanie Jay-Zs Shock in Running Into Kelly Rowland Is Your WATCH LIVE! 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? Rock the Bells Records was also responsible for the Deep Blue Sea soundtrack for the 1999 movie of the same name. [66] He landed the role of Captain Patrick Zevo in Barry Levinson's 1992 film Toys. 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. LL Cool J during a press conference at Hotel St. Regis on June 5, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico | Source: Getty Images. 74. In image as in song, the artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. [83] Since April 2015, LL has hosted the show Lip Sync Battle. Under his new stage name LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), coined by his friend and fellow rapper Mikey D,[21][15] Smith was signed by Def Jam, which led to the release of his first official record, the 12-inch single "I Need a Beat" (1984).