You passed away yesterday. Eventually Ondrea left Roscoe but after all of the trauma LL suffered it was too little too late. [36] This stands as one of his biggest-selling career albums, having sold in excess of two million copies in the United States alone. As soon as it was over there were girls screaming and asking for autographs. The actor and his wife have been married for twenty-five years. _taboola.push({ Through the love and attitude of others around, the rapper easily forgave his dad, and they enjoyed a perfect relationship from that moment. Before then, they were lovers with an unsettling relationship plagued by the rapper's familiarity with women and his flirtatious attitude. Those who don't know the actors story and only look at how he is doing nowadays might desire to have his life. Rapper, actor, author and entrepreneur LL Cool J was rap music's first big solo star. A few years later, Simone was diagnosed with bone cancer. [29] It entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on December 28, 1985, and remained there for 47 weeks, while also entering the Pop Albums chart on January 11, 1986,[29] remaining on that chart for thirty-eight weeks. 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. 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. As a result LL fired James and hired a new manager. *In his 1997 biography I Make My Own Rules, LL Cool J recounts the time his father shot his mother and grandfather because he was bitter about getting a divorce. }); Copyright 2015 . 4 on the Billboard charts. [11][12][13] According to the Chicago Tribune, "[As] a kid growing up middle class and Catholic in Queens, life for Smith was heart-breaking. 2. LL (birth name James Todd Smith) recounted his painful childhood memories in his biography I Make My Own Rules and the details are shocking. It was just a power trip he wrote. Released November 18, 1985, on Def Jam Recordings in the United States,[26] Radio earned a significant amount of commercial success and sales for a hip hop record at the time. The commercial success of "I Need a Beat", along with the Beastie Boys' single "Rock Hard" (1984), helped lead Def Jam to a distribution deal with Columbia Records the following year. [27][28] Radio peaked at number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number 46 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was like the scene in `Glory when Denzel Washington was getting beat down like a slave, except I was like 8 years old. His second book was the children-oriented book called And The Winner Is. 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. Much to people's surprise, LL Cool J said: LL Cool J at Barclays Center on July 14, 2019 | Source: Getty Images, 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.. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. I'm an Independent, you know? advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. In 2000, LL Cool J released the album G.O.A.T., which stood for the "Greatest of All Time." He appeared as Queen Latifah's love interest in the 2006 movie Last Holiday. With the Rock The Bells label, he had artists such as AMyth,[89] Smokeman, Natice, Chantel Jones and Simone Starks. [61], On December 29, 2021, LL Cool J canceled his performance at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19. 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. It debuted at number one on the Billboard album charts,[42] and went platinum. The rapper-actor recently took to Twitter to tell fans of his dad's passing at the age of 65. Advertisement. WHO WE AREThe news you want unfiltered.The Electronic Urban Report/EUR puts the most buzz worthy African American news at your fingertips. They met during their teenage years and dated for eight years before exchanging their marriage vows. 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 . The "NCIS" actor recounted grueling details about his childhood in his book "I Make My Own Rules," beginning with his parents' divorce when he was younger. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I . His parents were Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith Jr, aka James Nunya. LL Cool J has been nominated six times for induction into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. The new track is based on his experiences playing special agent Sam Hanna. When 4-year-old LL found them, blood was everywhere." We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. And LL was the one who discovered . container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', During an appearance on Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis . (Power Of God) and formed the company Rock The Bells to produce music. Now he is the first hip-hop artist to ever receive a Kennedy Centre Honour this month for his lifetime . After this experience, the couple's relationship became stronger. His early life was horrific - his father shot both LL's mother and grandfather, and the young LL was the victim . 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. Hed even pull me out of the shower to get a beating. and the Beastie Boys. [20] Smith has stated that by the time he received musical equipment from his relatives, he "was already a rapper. 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. 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). 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. In his follow-up album, 1987's Bigger and Deffer, LL Cool J showed his softer side with the popular ballad, "I Need Love." The song became a hit on both the rap and pop charts. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.. 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. James Todd Smith was born on 14 January 1968 to Ondrea Griffith in Bay Shore, New York, and James Louis Smith, Jr, also known as James Nunya. Decades later, he's in a really good place with a stable career and a great family life. [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. 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. "[23] LL's debut single sold over 100,000 copies and helped establish both Def Jam as a label and Smith as a rapper. They also share a close-knit relationship. The pair are highly supportive of their kids and have taught them the value of being confident and determined about their goals. [18] It was featured in the film Krush Groove (1985), which was based on the rise of Def Jam and new school acts such as Run-D.M.C. 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. LL Cool J starred in In the House, an NBC sitcom, before releasing Mr. Smith (1995), which went on to sell over two million copies. 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. The album was originally scheduled to be executively produced by fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent. LL Cool J launched a clothing line (called "Todd Smith"). Beat with belts like a slave with a whip. As a child, James Todd Smith experienced great tragedy. 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. He did not get the best attention as a young child, and his surroundings subjected him to a life of bullying and arms. A married man himself, LL Cool J has been with his wife Simone since 1995. 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. Who are LL Cool J parents? mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', Shortly after that, they started dating, and they married in 1995. [15][16] He suffered physical and mental abuse from his mother's ex-boyfriend Roscoe. This style would serve as one of Rubin's production trademarks and would have a great impact on future hip-hop productions. L.L. "[18] This was at the same time that NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter-manager Russell Simmons founded the then-independent Def Jam label. According to the Chicago Tribune, "as a child growing up middle-class and Catholic in Queens, life for LL was heartbreaking. Then his mom ended up marrying her physical therapist, who ended up being extremely abusive. [24], Radio was released to critical acclaim, both for production innovation and LL's powerful rap. 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 . Apart from that, he shot his grandfather in the stomach. 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. Posse. American rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor (born 1968), LL Cool J during a 2001 performance in Germany, 19932005: Continued success and career prominence. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', The rapper/actor took to Twitter to inform fans that his dad, James Nunya, passed away at the age of 65. 7 on the Hip-Hop and R&B singles chart, and No. The toddler's 25-year-old father was hit in the head and his 22-year-old mother in the leg. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. His mother, Ondrea, was a nurses assistant while his father, James, was a truck driver. [68], In 1998, LL Cool J played security guard Ronny in Halloween H20, the seventh movie in the Halloween franchise. Classic albums including Bigger and Deffer and Mama Said Knock You Out are well represented here. Here is the truth behind the rapper's life. The hip-hop Icon LL Cool J opened up about his rough childhood and the abusive nature of his stepdad and his biological father who he claimed shot his mother when he was just a child. He started rapping aged nine, and music provided a way to escape the suffering he endured. August 22, 2019. Here is the truth behind the rapper's life. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', Before the separation was finalized, however, things ended up getting violent. LL Cool J added: My father he made a massive blunder, but he also did a lot of things right, you know. 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. In 2006, LL Cool J and his personal trainer, Dave "Scooter" Honig, wrote a fitness book titled The Platinum Workout. And LL was the one who discovered them! Truck driver James Nunya shot his father-in-law . They made amends and until later when he felt his father was mismanaging his money and he cut ties with him again. Although LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, is an accomplished entertainer, appearing on music charts, starring on TV and movies, and even hosting shows, he had a rough start in life.