LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James) is a rapper from Queens, New York City. Born January 14, 1968 in Long Island, New York as the son of artist, he moved to Queens at four years old. His grandfather bought him a mixing table around nine years old and LL began to record tapes in his home. Inevitably, he sent his tapes to various record labels and finally interested Def Jam Productions. In 1984 they signed him and released his first single, "I Need A Beat." The single sold more than 100,000 copies and established LL Cool J in the rap industry. His debut album, I Can't Live Without My Radio, (which went platinum) was recorded in 1985 after LL left high school to pursue a career in music. 1987 marked the release of his second album Bigger and Deffer, which soared to the No. 3 spot on the pop charts with the help of the hit single, "I Need Love". The single "Goin' Back to Cali" appeared on the Less Than Zero soundtrack in 1988, boosting his rap/pop crossover popularity. After releasing his album Mama Said Knock You Out in 1990, he starred in two movies and appeared and performed at the MTV Inaugural Ball in honor of President Clinton. Throughout the mid-90s, LL continued to branch out into acting, taking roles in films such as Woo, Halloween: H20, and the Oliver Stone football opus Any Given Sunday. During this time, he released All World: Greatest Hits (1996) and Phenomenon (1997), an album that did not do well commercially or critically. LL confirmed his attraction to acting over the next few years, taking a small part in 2000’s Charlie’s Angels and then scoring a starring role in the 2002 remake of Rollerball.
