LL Cool J Will Knock You Out

Did you know that LL Cool J stands for Ladies Love Cool James? Did you know that he's sold more than 15 million records. There are some countries in the world with fewer people than that. And did you know that LL Cool J has four kids, used to be a boy scout and sing in the choir, and first came out in 1985?

Yes, LL Cool J is one cool cat, perhaps the original showman and tough guy in rap. He has biceps bigger than some rappers' heads, but the man must also have a pretty big brain to have stuck around the business as long as he has. Amazingly, the first LL Cool J record came out in 1985. Called "Radio," even then LL Cool J couldn't help but be a huge hit.

LL Cool J songs like "Rock the Bells" and "I Can't Live Without My Radio" are still played on classic hip hop stations on satellite radio and on terrestrial radio stations that have a flavor for old-school classics.

A Litany of Classics

But the beauty of LL Cool J is that he's got classic tunes on basically every one of the 12 studio albums that he's put out. The second LL Cool J record, for instance, the 1987 "Bigger and Deffer," had the corny but ever popular song "I Need Love," when LL Cool J proved that he'd even sing a love song to prove he was the baddest and biggest chick magnet around. What's more impressive? That, or the fact that the song went to number one on the charts?

Then there was the 1989 classic LL Cool J album (and we can use the word classic for every one of his records) "Walking with a Panther." Sure, hardcore rap fans thought that LL Cool J had sold out at this point. But who does not love the LL Cool J songs on this record, like "Jingling Baby" and "Goin Back to Cali."

And as far down as LL's popularity supposedly went at this point because of his supposed sell out ways, what did he do next? He came back with a vengeance. But don't call it a comeback, as the the LL Cool J lyrics in his 1990's hit "Mama Said Knock You Out" said. This album sold 2 million copies, and put LL Cool J on the minds of a whole new generation of rap fans.

A Living Legend

After "Momma Said Knock You Out," LL Cool J had become a living legend. The LL Cool J records from the rest of the 1990s, like "14 Shots to the Dome" and "Mr. Smith" got commercial success as well as a heaping of awards for the rap star. By 1997 and the album "Phenomenon," he was rapping with the likes of DMX and Method Man, just showing how hard and true his reputation had become.

What do you do when your music can't stop selling? Of course, you continue to release albums, which LL Cool J basically did for every two years through the rest of the 1990s and into the 2000s, like "GOAT" (Greatest of All Time) and "10" and "The DEFinition." Then there as the 2006 album "Todd Smith."

But you also become a huge cultural icon and movie star. LL Cool J has seen his share of the silver screen, including in " Deep Blue Sea," "Charlie's Angels, "SWAT," and the "The Last Holiday." Oh, and you release another upcoming album, the 2008 "Exit 13."

From LL Cool J to Hip Hop Music