About $120 million is LL Cool J’s net worth as of September 2022.
LL Cool J, whose real name is James Todd Smith, is an American hip-hop artist widely credited for helping spread the genre overseas.
He is a young genius who started composing music at the age of 11 despite facing domestic violence as a child. He has won two Grammys.
Earnings Forecast for 2022: LL Cool J
It’s natural to wonder how much money the rapper and the actor have. Celebrity Net Worth estimates LL Cool J’s net worth at $120 million as of early 2019. LL’s primary source of income comes from his career as a rapper and an actor.
He has released 13 full-length studio albums and 2 greatest hits collections, and he is the CEO of 2 record labels and an industry-related social networking site.
In spite of 73 other acting credits, the actor is best recognized for his role in NCIS: Los Angeles. LL’s other activities have also been profitable, such as his books, clothing lines, and endorsement deals.
For almost ten years, the 54-year-old actor has delighted NCIS: Los Angeles viewers as the beloved Sam Hanna, G. Callen’s second-in-command. He has also guest-starred on both NCIS: LA and Hawaii Five-0 in the same position.
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The Beginnings
James Todd Smith, the future LL Cool J, was born on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, New York, to Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith Jr. LL Cool’s early life was marred by a number of tragic experiences.
At the age of four, LL discovered his mother and grandmother lying in a pool of their own blood after having been shot. In a fight about his parent’s divorce in 1972, his father pulled a gun and nearly killed them.
Roscoe Granger, a drug addict and frequent attacker of LL, was his mother’s subsequent boyfriend. Smith’s early involvement in the music program at his church sparked an early interest in music on his part.
At the age of 9, he also started making rap music. James was motivated to pursue music by his jazz saxophonist grandfather, who gifted him with his first mixing table when he was sixteen. This Sears mixing table was a great investment.
His mother encouraged him to pursue his passion for music and used her tax refund to purchase a Korg drum machine for him.
The profession as a Rapper
Smith started making his own music and sending demos to labels. The people at Def Jam Recordings heard his demo. The demo was so great that Def Jam gave him a record deal right away.
His new stage name, an acronym for “Ladies Love Cool James,” was used for the album’s release. As evidence, in 1984, Cool J’s single “I need a beat” sold over 100,000 copies, making him a huge success in the rap business and across the United States.
He left high school, as a result, to focus on making his debut album. With over 1.5 million copies sold, his first album “Radio” was certified platinum. Critical acclaim accompanied the album’s commercial success; with Cool J’s use of standard song form, rap became more accessible to the general public.
He then released “Bigger and Deffer” in 1987. One of the earliest pop-rap songs was “I need love.” Again, he received a lot of praise from critics and fans alike, and the record ended up going 2 times platinum.
Later, in 1989, he’d release another album (Walking with a Panther) that would also achieve platinum status. The beginnings of the western hip-hop scene may be traced back to this era.
Over time, gangster imagery and themes became increasingly prevalent in the hip-hop community’s artistic output. With the release of “Mama Said Knock You Out” in 1990, he gained widespread attention.
The album was edgier, which resonated with the new generation of hip-hop artists. This was seen as yet another triumph.
Unfortunately, neither critics nor listeners embraced his 1993 follow-up record. He went into the acting profession after taking two years off.
He made appearances in the movies “The Hard Way” and “Toys” around this time. His other television credits include “In The House,” a sitcom on NBC in which he also appeared. In 1995, he released an album called Mr. Smith, marking his return to music.
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Conversations about your private life
LL Cool J and Simone have been married since 1995. Nina, Samaria, Italia, and Najee are the couple’s offspring. There are also two more children who are not yet adults.
He has also published four books, including a children’s book and a fitness guide, and started his own clothing line, Todd Smith.
Additionally, he has launched his own record label known as P.O.G.
In 2012, Smith’s home was burglarized, but LL Cool J apprehended the thief and held him until the police arrived.
In addition to being a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Northeastern University, he has won numerous music, acting, and MTV awards.
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