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LL Cool J is set to add another accomplishment to his long list of achievements as he’ll host the MTV VMA’s solo for the first time.
Arguably the most influential and timeless hip hop artist in the history of the genre is LL Cool J. From 1985’s “Radio” to 2024’s “The Force”, his 14 studio albums have thrived in every era of rap. His film credits span just as long.LL Cool J performs onstage during Day 3 of the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola at Caesars Superdome on July 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.This Sunday, he’ll add another accomplishment to his long list of achievements as he’ll host the MTV VMA’s solo for the first time.LL’s won many awards, including two Grammy’s, two Billboard Music Awards, and two MTV VMA’s, which includes the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
Serve bold style with the LL Cool J 2025 US Open Tennis Championships Crochet Shirt 🎾🔥 Limited edition—shop now and ace your fashion game courtside!
LL Cool J opens up on hip-hop’s evolution and authenticity as he preps to host the 2025 VMAs, sharing insights on artistry and the music industry.
The upcoming ceremony will honor Busta Rhymes with the Rock The Bells Visionary Award, recognizing his innovative contributions to hip-hop performance and visual artistry. LL Cool J‘s enthusiasm for this recognition reflects his deep appreciation for artists who have elevated the genre’s creative standards and pushed performance boundaries.The 2025 VMAs promise to deliver an exceptional evening of entertainment, recognition and cultural celebration. With LL Cool J guiding the proceedings, viewers can expect a thoughtful balance of nostalgia and innovation that honors hip-hop’s rich history while embracing its dynamic future.The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards mark a pivotal moment in entertainment history, with LL Cool J stepping into the spotlight as host for music’s most electrifying night.LL Cool J‘s perspective on hip-hop’s transformation carries particular weight given his role as both observer and participant in the culture’s growth.
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Rock The Bells is the preeminent voice for The Foundation and Future of Hip-Hop. founded in 2018 by LL COOL J, Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the culture and the core elements of Hip-Hop — MC's, DJ's, breakdancers, graffiti artists — and more.
The Jump and Ball Foundation launched in 2005 by LL COOL J, Jump And Ball has been a hallmark of the Queens community, providing a safe, inspiring, and educational basketball camp for students between the ages of 8 and 18 years old.
Last night, Sept. 7, was the 41st VMAs, and as the award show typically delivers, it was a night of record-breaking, show-stopping moments and major firsts. Don't fret if you missed it, though; we've got you covered with all of the moments that made our jaws drop.
LL COOL J caught up with PEOPLE to discuss his role as host at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, Sept. 7. The rapper spoke about his pre-show rituals and how hosting is like being a school "crossing guard."
This year, the MTV VMAs are presenting the first-ever Rock The Bells Visionary Award to Busta Rhymes. The award is named after LL COOL J's 1985 hit song "Rock the Bells," which he's since developed into a brand that elevates the legacy of hip-hop.LL Cool J in Beverly Hills in May 2023.On Sunday, Sept. 7, LL COOL J will assume the role of host for the annual awards show — and he caught up with PEOPLE to share his thoughts ahead of the big night.He adds, "I'm not going to try to make it about LL COOL J... Just have fun and usher people in and out.
Recording artist and actor LL Cool J made his name as a rapper in the 80s, but his fans are more curious about his impressive net worth as he transitions to TV and hosting.
LL Cool J is also a celebrated actor, having starred in numerous films and TV shows, including Deep Blue Sea, Last Holiday, Toys, Any Given Sunday, Woo, S.W.A.T., Lip Sync Battle, NCIS Los Angeles, and NCIS: Hawaiʻi, just to name a few.As megastar LL Cool J continues to make his mark in music and acting, his legions of fans are curious about the talented celebrity's net worth.LL Cool J has an estimated net worth of approximately $130 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.LL Cool J is an American rapper and actor, best known for his songs "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Headsprung," as well as his acting roles in Any Given Sunday and NCIS.
LL Cool J’s wife, Simone I. Smith, is a jewelry designer who has been by his side since they met as teens in Queens New York
The rapper and host of the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards met his longtime love in 1987 in New York City, and they dated for about eight years before tying the knot in 1995. Throughout their relationship, LL Cool J (real name: James Todd Smith) and Simone have started a family together, supported each other’s careers and lifted each other up during hard times — including Simone’s journey with bone cancer in 2004.LL Cool J and Simone I.LL Cool J found love with his wife, Simone I.Simone and LL Cool J both grew up in Queens, New York. Today, she is a jewelry designer who founded her own line, Simone I.
Music video by LL COOL J performing Passion.© 2024 LL COOL J, Inc.
LL Cool J and Simone I. Smith have been together since they were teenagers, and in August 2025, they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. Here's all about LL Cool J's wife, Simone I. Smith.
The couple have also raised four kids together and are now grandparents to three. In August 2025, LL Cool J and Smith celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, and over the years, they have been open about what it takes to make a marriage last.In his 1997 memoir, I Make My Own Rules, the rapper revealed the details of his proposal to Smith, sharing that it was unconventional. Instead of getting down on one knee, LL Cool J turned down the music during a ride in his Porsche, drove at top speed and asked Smith to marry him.Throughout Smith's cancer journey, LL Cool J never left her side, even putting his career on hold when it was necessary. "You don't abandon someone in that foxhole," he told Winfrey. "You gotta be there in that foxhole with them." He added, "I made some decisions professionally and decided to be by Simone's side more during that period." ... LL Cool J and Wife Simone I.LL COOL J Says Hosting the 2025 MTV VMAs Is Akin to Being a Middle School 'Crossing Guard' (Exclusive) ... All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. PEOPLE does not endorse the opinions and views shared by readers in our comment sections. ... LL Cool J and Wife Simone I.
Ahead of his hosting gig at the 2025 VMAs, learn more about the rapper's personal life.
LL Cool J will be in the spotlight when he hosts the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 7.When he’s not on stage, LL Cool J is likely spending time with his wife of 30 years, Simone Smith. The two tied the knot on August 7, 1995, and have been going strong ever since.
The G.O.A.T. Text LL COOL J at 917-540-5512 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, recording artist, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells.
The G.O.A.T.Text LL COOL J at 917-540-5512Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, recording ar...
LL Cool J se considera el mejor rapero del mundo, y lo cierto es que fue pionero en convertir el rap en un fenómeno de masas, además de ser un referente para otros muchos artistas. Pero más allá de su faceta musical, el neoyorquino también es conocido por su papel protagonista en
LL Cool J se considera el mejor rapero del mundo, y lo cierto es que fue pionero en convertir el rap en un fenómeno de masas, además de ser un referente para otros muchos artistas. Pero más allá de su faceta musical, el neoyorquino también es conocido por su papel protagonista en la serie NCIS: Los Ángeles.MTV VMAs 2025: todos los artistas nominadosQuién actúa en los MTV VMAs 2025: de Lady Gaga a Mariah CareyPero estos no son los únicos reconocimientos de los que presume LL Cool J: tiene dos premios Grammy a la Mejor interpretación solista de rap por Mama Said Knock You Out y Hey Lover conseguidos en 1991 y 1996, respectivamente, y es el único rapero que ha recibido el prestigioso Kennedy Center Honor, un premio que concede anualmente el Gobierno federal de los Estados Unidos a artistas que han destacado por su contribución a la cultura estadounidense.LL Cool J, a sus 57 años, es todo un referente del movimiento cultural que supuso el hip hop y el rap en Estados Unidos, y fue pionero en convertir estos géneros en un fenómeno de masas. Comenzó a rapear con solo 10 años. Por aquel entonces vivía en Nueva York y su vida no era precisamente idílica: su padre maltrató a su madre e incluso la llegó a disparar, a ella y a su abuelo, y casi les mató.Pero además de su pasión por el hip hop, LL Cool J ha compaginado su trabajo en la música con su faceta como actor que, aunque al principio era de secundario, terminó teniendo su propia serie de comedia, In the House, participando en la famosa serie House, protagonizando Un domingo cualquiera junto a Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz y Jami Foxx, y participando durante 14 temporadas en la serie policiaca NCIS: Los Ángeles donde daba vida al agente Sam Hanna, un policía que temía a los payasos.
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.
Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). 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.LL Cool J has appeared in numerous films, including Toys, Halloween H20, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, S.W.A.T., Mindhunters, Last Holiday, and Edison. He played NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawaiʻi.A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover".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.) Under his new stage name LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), coined by his friend and fellow rapper Mikey D, 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).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." That same year, Smith made his professional debut concert performance at Manhattan Center High School. In a later interview, LL Cool J recalled the experience, stating "They pushed the lunch room tables together and me and my DJ, Cut Creator, started playing.
LL Cool J and his wife, Simone Smith, stepped out for a glam date night at the 2025 MTV VMAs dressed in matching red carpet looks.
The rapper, 57, and his wife took date night to the 2025 MTV VMAs for his hosting gig at the awards show. Prior to LL Cool J taking the stage, they walked the red carpet displaying both their love and their coordinating outfits.Simone I. Smith and LL Cool J at the MTV VMAs in Elmont, New York on Sept.LL Cool J and Simone I.Simone I. Smith and LL Cool J at the 2025 MTV VMAs.
LL Cool J was ridiculous in every music video he was in.
The legendary rapper will take over the VMA stage as the host on Sunday, Sept. 7.He told USA TODAY his goal is to "make it fun."
LL Cool J has been bringing the cool and captivating crowds with his voice for decades.LL Cool J performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.Some of the most iconic moments in LL Cool J's career could be traced to the VMAs stage.LL Cool J performs on MTV's "Direct Effect" Feb.
LL Cool J. Actor: Deep Blue Sea. L.L. Cool J was born James Todd Smith 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. At the age of four, he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father.
LL Cool J Feat.Known for: Deep Blue Sea, Mindhunters, Deliver Us from EvaThe therapist treated Ondrea kindly, but for years he abused Todd physically and verbally, which resulted in Todd becoming a bully himself. It was during this period that he started wearing hats all the time (one of L.L. Cool J's trademarks is the fact that people never see him without a hat on--until recently).He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandfather gave him. At 15, he and one of his best friends came up with his present stage name, L.L. Cool J, which means "Ladies Love Cool James." In 1984, when L.L.
Doja Cat, LL Cool J, and more made the MTV celebration a fashion moment. Here are some of the boldest, loudest, and most culture-shifting looks of the night.
On Sunday (Sept. 7), the MTV Video Music Awards came to New York’s UBS Arena with a potent mix of style and legacy. The night’s biggest moments included hosting duties from LL Cool J and notable appearances from the likes of Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, and Ricky Martin.VMAs host LL Cool J wore a houndstooth coat over a button-down shirt and brown trousers. He accessorized with a wide-brimmed hat and a Jacob & Co.Doja Cat, Tyla, Ice Spice, and more stars turned the 2025 VMAs red carpet into a fashion stage. Check out the hottest Hip Hop and R&B looks of the night.
