James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. With the breakthrough success of his single "I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became an early hip-hop act to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC.
Bigger and Deffer is the second studio album by American rapper LL Cool J, released on May 29, 1987 by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It features the hit single “I’m Bad”, and the first commercially successful "rap ballad", "I Need Love". It also contains the single "Go Cut Creator Go", which paid homage to his DJ. Other tracks like “Kanday”, “The Do Wop”, “My Rhyme Ain’t Done”, “The Breakthrough”, and “The Bristol Hotel” were also popular with fans, and helped make the album a hip-hop classic. With over two million copies sold in the United States alone, it stands as one of LL Cool J's biggest career albums. Bigger And Deffer dominated the summer of 1987, spending 11 weeks at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart while also reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 pop albums chart.
Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection is a 2001 greatest hits LP for R&B group Boyz II Men, released by Universal Records.
"All I Have" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rapper LL Cool J. Written by Lopez, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, and Ron G and produced by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and Dave McPherson, it was released on December 14, 2002, as the second single from Lopez's third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002).
Walking with a Panther is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released June 9, 1989, on Def Jam Recordings.
G.O.A.T. is the eighth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J, issued on Def Jam Recordings. It was released on September 12, 2000, and peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. It was LL Cool J's first and, to date, only album to reach the No. 1 spot. G.O.A.T. received generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 73, based on 12 reviews.
14 Shots to the Dome is the fifth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J. It was released on March 30, 1993 via Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place at Marley's House Of Hits, at Cove City Sound Studios and at Unique Recording Studios in New York, and at QDIII Soundlab in Los Angeles, at Bobcat's House in Palmdale, and at Encore Studio in Burbank. Production was handled by Marley Marl, DJ Bobcat, Quincy Jones III, Andrew Zenable and Chris Forte. It features guest appearances from Lords of the Underground and Lieutenant Stitchie.
Mr. Smith is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released on November 21, 1995 by Def Jam. The album has been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Todd Smith is the eleventh studio album by American rapper LL Cool J, released on April 11, 2006 by his label Def Jam Recordings. It includes collaborations with Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell, Juelz Santana, Teairra Mari, Jamie Foxx, Ginuwine, Mary J. Blige, 112, Mary Mary, Ryan Toby and Freeway.
Exit 13 is the twelfth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on September 9, 2008 on the record label Def Jam Recordings. This would be his last album release with the label.
"I'm That Type of Guy" is the second single released from LL Cool J's third album, Walking with a Panther. It was released in 1989 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by Dwayne Simon and LL Cool J. The song would prove to be the most successful single from the album, making it to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs. Despite being one of LL Cool J's biggest early hits, the song was not included on his 1996 greatest hits album, All World: Greatest Hits, however it was included in that album's follow-up All World 2, released in 2009.
"Jingling Baby" is the final single released from LL Cool J's third album, Walking with a Panther. It was released on January 8, 1990 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by LL Cool J and Dwayne Simon. The single version was remixed by Marley Marl. "Jingling Baby" peaked at #32 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It was backed by remixed versions of "Illegal Search", a track from LL Cool J's fourth album, Mama Said Knock You Out. The song was later sampled by contemporary hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest on their penultimate album The Love Movement on the track "Against the World".
"How I'm Comin'" is a song by LL Cool J, released as the first single from his fifth album, 14 Shots to the Dome. It was released on February 15, 1993 for Def Jam Recordings and featured production from Marley Marl, QDIII and LL Cool J. The drum loop in the song is sampled from "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground.
"Doin It" is the second single from LL Cool J's sixth album, Mr. Smith, and was released on February 20, 1996 for Def Jam Recordings. Based on a sample of Grace Jones' "My Jamaican Guy", it also featured LeShaun, production from Rashad "Ringo" Smith and LL Cool J. In several interviews, both the artist and producer stated that the instrumental was originally meant for The Notorious B.I.G., to be used for a song and single on his Life After Death album, which was posthumously released.
"Hey Lover" is the first single released from American rapper LL Cool J's sixth album, Mr. Smith. The song features vocals from American R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released on October 31, 1995, for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by The Trackmasters and LL Cool J. The song samples Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life" from his 1982 hit album Thriller; thus Rod Temperton, the writer of that song, was given credit as a writer of this song. On the B-side is the "I Shot Ya" remix.
"I Shot Ya / I Shot Ya (remix)" is a song by American rapper LL Cool J featuring Keith Murray, from his sixth album Mr. Smith. The remix version of the song was released as a B-side to "Hey Lover", but received a video directed by Hype Williams, leading some to believe the track was an actual single from the album. Produced by Trackmasters, the remix was released in 1995 for Def Jam Recordings, and peaked at number 55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the Billboard charts.
"Going Back to Cali" is a 1988 single by LL Cool J from the Less Than Zero soundtrack as well as his third album, Walking with a Panther. The song was co-written and produced by Rick Rubin. It peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA on May 28, 1991.
"Mama Said Knock You Out" is the fourth single by LL Cool J from his album of the same name. The song famously begins with the line "Don't call it a comeback/I been here for years." Before "Mama Said Knock You Out" was released, many people felt that LL Cool J's career was waning; his grandmother, who still believed in his talent, told him to "knock out" all his critics. The song was produced by Marley Marl with help from DJ Bobcat along with LL. The single reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified Gold by the RIAA, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. The song takes various shots at Kool Moe Dee.
"Big Ole Butt" is the third single from LL Cool J's third album, Walking with a Panther. It was released in 1989 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by Dwayne Simon and LL Cool J. "Big Ole Butt" would prove to be a mild success, making it to #13 on the Hot Rap Singles and #57 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. The B-side, "One Shot at Love", was released again as the fourth single from the album. It contains a sample of "Ride Sally Ride" by Dennis Coffey from the 1972 album Goin' for Myself.
"Loungin" is the third and final single by American rapper LL Cool J from his sixth studio album Mr. Smith. It was released as a single by Def Jam Recordings on June 25, 1996. The LP version was produced by Rashad "Ringo" Smith and featured backing vocals by R&B duo Terri & Monica. The Radio Remix Edit, titled "Loungin ", was remixed by Trackmasters and featured backing vocals by R&B group Total.
