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. Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith, Jr. Todd, as he was called, did not have a very happy childhood. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 21:38. The album went gold. The album reached platinum status. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! At the age of four, he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father. He would beat me for watching television, for lookin at him funny, for looking out the window watching other kids play. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', According to her, they put God first in their marriage, made many compromises, have respect, and show unwavering support to each other. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. Eventually, LLs father James came back into his life and helped him out in the early stages of his budding rap career. To make matters worse, it was the Grammy Award winner who found his mom and grandfather on the floor after his dad shot them. As a result LL fired James and hired a new manager. 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? The iconic rapper and actor tops the list as one of the few black entertainers with a happy home and no controversies. [9], James Todd Smith was born on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, New York to Ondrea Griffith (born on January 19, 1946) and James Louis Smith Jr,[10] also known as James Nunya. 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. [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. And, so I have learned to hand out the mercy that I like to receive. Following the separation, when the rapper was eight, his mother found a boyfriend by the name of Roscoe Granger. "[18] This was at the same time that NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter-manager Russell Simmons founded the then-independent Def Jam label. The series' genetic genealogist CeCe Moore identified Smith's biological grandparents as Ethel Mae Jolly and Nathaniel Christy Lewis through analysis of his DNA. The album had four singles ("How I'm Comin'", "Back Seat (of My Jeep)", "Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings", "Stand By Your Man") and guest-featured labelmates Lords of the Underground on "NFA-No Frontin' Allowed". 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. 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. 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. [72] During the next two years, LL Cool J appeared in Rollerball,[73] Deliver Us from Eva,[74] S.W.A.T.,[75] and Mindhunters. 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". 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. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Smith's biological great-uncle was Hall of Fame boxer John Henry Lewis. Thankfully, she later became the rapper's number one woman, who is appreciated and deeply loved by a man she described as "her rock.". 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L.L. Exception: This awkward piece of wonky cheese. Yet, the scars never fully healed. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; His father, , it would be years before LL was able to forgive his father. Plus, LL shares what his father's mistakes taught him about mercy. "[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. According to the Chicago Tribune, "[As] a kid growing up middle class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heart-breaking. 2. My father made a massive blunder, but he also did a lot of things right, he said. LL and his mother moved into his grandparents' home in St. Albans, Queens in 1972 where he was raised. Kwame Ture on Reactionaries & Revolutionaries (And Why Bill Clinton Hated Empowerment Coach Tera Carissa Hodges Graces Speakers Magazine Cover for Womens Tonight Chris Rock is Set to Make Netflix History | WATCH. Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith, Jr. Todd, as he was called, did not have a very happy childhood. _taboola.push({ LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography "I Make My Own Rules" and the details are shocking. He didnt care how he beat me or with what . Actor: Deep Blue Sea. [78] LL Cool J appeared in Sesame Street's 39th season, introducing the word of the day--"Unanimous"in episode 4169 (September 22, 2008) and performing "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (September 30, 2008). LL Cool J was born and raised in Queens, New York, the son of Ondrea (ne Griffith) and James Smith. The album debuted at No. The new boyfriend was not a father figure to him at all and was abusive. 00:00. 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. He has been nominated in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2019, and 2021 as a performer. Awards. speaks out against the above mentioned and. I think thats important.. "RIP to My Father James Nunya. shockingly resulted in his father's ruthless shot toward his mother . LL Cool J's 11th album, Todd Smith, was released on April 11, 2006. 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. 3 on the Billboard's Pop albums chart. Rapper, actor, author and entrepreneur LL Cool J was rap music's first big solo star. [31] Another milestone of LL's popularity was his appearance on American Bandstand as the first hip-hop act on the show. And LL was the one who discovered them! 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. "This song is the musical interpretation of what I felt after meeting with NCIS agents, experienced Marines and Navy SEALs," LL Cool J said. "I want to be clear," said Taryll, who is Tito's son. The last LL COOL J album, Authentic, was released in 2013, five years after his last Def Jam album, Exit 13. And LL was the one who discovered them! 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 . [18], In the VH1 documentary Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation, Smith revealed that he initially called himself J-Ski, but did not want to associate his stage name with the cocaine culture (The rappers who use "Ski" or "Blow" as part of their stage name, e.g., Kurtis Blow and Joeski Love, were associated with the rise of the cocaine culture, as depicted in the 1983 remake of Scarface.) [68], In 1998, LL Cool J played security guard Ronny in Halloween H20, the seventh movie in the Halloween franchise. His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam. 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. While speaking to Oprah, the jewelry maker explained that they have an awesome marriage because of the sacrifices and love they share. . COPYRIGHT 2022 EURweb.com/Rabercom Enterprises. [8] In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence. LL Cool J's mother forgave his father for shooting her in the back. [4] He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. LL Cool J is one of the most respected rappers in the game but even he has endured his fair share of obstacles. [25] 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, Simone Smith and family at The Fashion Institute of Technology on May 25, 2017 | Source: Getty Images. [57] LL hosted the Grammy Awards Show for five consecutive years, from the 54th Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012, through the 58th Grammy Awards on February 15, 2016. 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). We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. He didnt need a good reason. Actor and rapper LL Cool J, best known as Special Agent Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles, has had a very successful life. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. 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. And yes, back in 1990, when his critics were encouraging the 22-year-old rap pioneer to consider an early retirement, Grandma Cool J really-truly did urge young LL to knock those fools unconscious. [37] It spent 11 weeks at No. 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. The rapper was age 4 at the time, and both relatives survived their injuries. 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. When he was four years old, he witnessed his father shooting his mother and grandfather. But even with all of that negativity LL still found a way to forgive his father for everything hes ever done to him. 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. (Power Of God) and formed the company Rock The Bells to produce music. target_type: 'mix' Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I . placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', While Bigger and Deffer, which was a big success, was produced by the L.A. Posse (at the time consisting of Dwayne Simon, Darryl Pierce and, according to himself the most important for crafting the sound of the LP, Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin), Dwayne Simon was the only one left willing to work on producing LL Cool J's third album Walking with a Panther. It was released on January 13, 1998 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by the Trackmasters. Although he initially refused, he changed his mind after looking at how beautiful Simone was. 2 and would be released in 2015. LL Cool J was born in 1968 in Queens, New York, according to Amomama, in a tough neighborhood where drug abuse and crime were rampant. [90] After acting in The Hard Way and Toys, LL Cool J released 14 Shots to the Dome. 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. 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. _taboola.push({ The rapper/actor took to Twitter to inform fans that his dad, James Nunya, passed away at the age of 65. Beat with belts like a slave with a whip. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately, the bad things didnt stop after the previously mentioned incident took place. 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. 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. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Instead, he rose above all that, making a success of his life with the help of his father, James Smith.

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