L.L. Cool J

Overview

L.L. Cool J, lahir ing James Todd Smith, iku salah siji saka tokoh hip-hop paling langgeng, nampa sukses komersial minangka rapper lan aktor liwat karir sing ngluwihi sawetara dekade. Radio, ing taun 1985. Dheweke ndeleng iki karo serangkaian rilis sukses, kalebu Bigger and Deffer lan 1990 multi-platinum album Mama Said Knock You Out. Karya-karya iki wis nyumbang dheweke dua Grammy Awards.

Beyond musik, L.L. Cool J ngadegake karir aktris sukses, utamané protagonis ing serial drama kriminal NCIS: Los Angeles lan nyimpen acara Lip Sync BattleIng pengakuan pengaruh sing luas ing budaya, dheweke diwenehi Kennedy Center Honor lan diwenehi ing Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ing 2021. The FORCE, proyek full-length pisanan ing luwih saka dekade.

Early life and origins

James Todd Smith lahir ing taun 1968 lan dibesarkan ing Queens, New York. Sawise para ibu-bapanya dipisahake nalika dheweke umur 4 taun, dheweke urip karo nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek. Dheweke miwiti rap ing umur 10 taun, lan nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek-nenek- Radio.

Career

L.L. Cool J ditandatangani karo Def Jam Recordings ing taun 1984. Label, sing diwenehi dening Russell Simmons lan Rick Rubin, ngasilake single debut, "I Need a Beat," ing taun sing padha. Rekaman iki diwenehi luwih saka 100.000 salinan, mbantu kanggo ngasilake kabeh artis lan label. Album debut, Radio, followed in 1985 and achieved platinum certification in 1986, driven by the singles "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells." His second album, 1987's Bigger and Deffer, reached number three on the charts, largely due to the ballad "I Need Love," which became one of hip-hop's first major crossover hits.

Sampun rilis "Goin' Back to Cali" kanggo Less Than Zero soundtrack ing taun 1988, L.L. Cool J nglakoni kritikan karo album 1989 kang, Walking with a Panther. Nanging iku hit Top Ten lan diprodhuksi single gold-certified "I"m That Type of Guy,"it wis ditemokake dening akeh ing komunitas hip-hop minangka pop sellout. Dheweke nglakoni backlash karo album taun 1990, Mama Said Knock You Out. Dukung dening kinerja luar biasa ing MTV Unplugged, album iki dadi penjual paling gedhe. Dheweke nuduhake Top Ten R&B singles"The Boomin'System"and"Around The Way Girl, "as well as the successful title track." Around the Way Girl "became his first Top 10 pop hit and was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 15, 1991.

Itu iku sukses karo peran film lan penampilan ing Inaugurasi Presiden Bill Clinton 1993. album 1993, 14 Shots to the Dome, adopted a harder, gangsta rap edge and debuted in the Top Ten but failed to produce a major hit and stalled at gold status. He returned to music in 1995 with Mr. Smith, which went double-platinum and yielded two of his biggest hits:"Doin'It"and the Boyz II Men duet"Hey Lover."He released a greatest hits album, All World, ing taun 1996, diikuti déning Phenomenon ing 1997. album 2000, G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), dumunung ing puncak chart album. The 2002 follow-up, 10, kalebu hit"Luv U Better."

In 2004, he released The DEFinition, kang ngasilake produksi saka Timbaland. album 2006 kang, Todd Smith, diwenehi hit single"Control Myself,"kolaborasi karo Jennifer Lopez. album studio kedelapan, Exit 13 (2008), was his final release under his long-term contract with Def Jam. He returned to music with the 2013 album Authentic, sing nuduhake kolaborasi karo Brad Paisley, Eddie Van Halen, lan Snoop Dogg. Sawise luwih saka dekade, dheweke ngasilake album studio ke-14, The FORCE, in September 2024. The album was preceded by the single"Saturday Night Special"featuring Rick Ross and Fat Joe and included guest appearances from artists such as Eminem, Nas, and Busta Rhymes.

Style lan pengaruh

As one of hip-hop's earliest commercial successes, L.L. Cool J emerged as a leading figure in the new school movement alongside acts like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. Signed to the fledgling Def Jam Recordings, his style was shaped by founders Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons. His 1985 debut album, Radio, dipuji kanggo pendekatan inovatif kanggo nggunakake rap ing struktur lagu pop sing bisa dianggep. Mulane awal, identitas artistik kasebut ditandani kanthi dualitas, ngimbangake lagu-lagu b-boy kaya" I Can't Live Without My Radio " karo tema romantik lan sensitif.

L.L. Cool J's talent kanggo nggawe hip-hop aksesi kanggo audiensi pop mainstream dadi landmark karir. album taun 1987 kang, Bigger and Deffer<pfseg id="0">, kalebu ballad" I Need Love, " kang dadi salah siji saka crossover utama pop-rap sing dadi salah siji saka hit-hits utama. Walking with a Panther.

Ing respon saka kritik, dheweke ngembangake suara, ngasilake apa sing digambarake minangka rekaman paling gedhe, Mama Said Knock You Out<pfseg id="0">, ing taun 1990. album iki nyatakake kredibilitas artistik nalika uga nampa sukses multi-platinum. MTV Unplugged. evolusi sonikipun dilanjutkan karo 1993's 14 Shots to the Dome, sing nduweni panggonan rap gangsta.

Collaboration has been a consistent element of L.L. Cool J's career. His 1995 album Mr. Smith included the hit"Hey Lover,"a duet with Boyz II Men. He worked with producer Timbaland on the 2004 album THE DEFinition lan ngrekam single"Control Myself" karo Jennifer Lopez. Kewajiban kanggo ngluwihi genre iki jelas ing kolaborasi karo artis country Brad Paisley lan gitaris rock Eddie Van Halen. Album 2024 kang, The FORCE, nuduhake penampilan tamu saka kontemporer hip-hop lan legenda, kalebu Nas, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, lan Busta Rhymes.

A key component of his songwriting is the use of samples from classic R&B and funk. His 1990 hit" Around the Way Girl, "described as an ode to the girl next door, prominently samples Mary Jane Girls'" All Night Long "and Keni Burke's" Risin'to the Top. "This combination of aggressive rhymes, pop-friendly song structures, romantic themes, and soulful samples defines his distinct musical style.

Recent highlights

L.L. Cool J released his 14th studio album, The FORCE, in September 2024, his first full-length project in over a decade. The album was preceded by the June 2024 single"Saturday Night Special,"featuring Rick Ross and Fat Joe. The FORCE layani tampilan tamu saka artis kayata Eminem, Nas, Snoop Dogg, lan Busta Rhymes. Ing taun 2021, L.L. Cool J diwenehi ing Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Dheweke uga nglakoni peran sing langgeng minangka Agen Spesial Sam Hanna ing serial drama kriminal CBS" NCIS: Los Angeles. "

Pengakuan lan penghargaan

L.L. Cool J has received numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards, an NAACP Image Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is a Kennedy Center Honoree and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. His work has also achieved significant commercial success with multiple RIAA certifications. His debut album, Radio (1985), wis disertifikasi Platinum ing taun 1986. Album taun 1989 Walking with a Panther layani single Gold-certified"I"m That Type of Guy." Album taun 1990 kang, Mama Said Knock You Out, achieved multi-platinum status, and its single "Around the Way Girl" was certified Gold on January 15, 1991. The 1993 follow-up, 14 Shots to the Dome, wis disertifikasi Gold, lan album taun 1995 kang, Mr. Smith, was certified double-platinum.

Similar artists

L.L. Cool J's peers lan artis sing dibandhingake kalebu tokoh-tokoh penting ing hip-hop lan R&B. Kelompok iki kalebu rapper kaya DMX, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Warren G, Method Man, Big Pun, Redman, Naughty By Nature, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Mase, Cam'ron, Foxy Brown, Da Brat, Erick Sermon, Black Rob, lan Pras. Daftar uga kalebu grup R&B 112, singer Montell Jordan, lan grup hip-hop Digital Underground lan DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.