Anecdotes

In his personal life, he goes by the name Todd.

He has been on Def Jam Records longer than any other artists from its start in 1985 to the present.

He has played the same character (Sam Hanna) in four different series within the JAGverse: NCIS : Enquêtes spéciales (2003), NCIS : Los Angeles (2009), Hawaii 5-0 (2010) and NCIS : Hawaï (2021)>.

LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James."

Has four children (one boy and three girls): Najee (b. 1989), Italia (b. 1991), Samaria (b. 1995), and Nina Simone (b. 2000).

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 21, 2016.

Regarded as one of the most succesful rap artists of all time.

The only job he had besides being an entertainer was that he was briefly a paper boy.

On his second album "B.A.D." (Bigger And Deffer), his single "I'm Bad" sampled the main theme of the 70's TV show Section 4 (1975) and, years later, he co-starred in the movie adaptation of that show.

Wrote and performed the first ever rap love song "I Need Love" in 1985.

Appeared with Rollerball (2002) co-star Chris Klein on World Wrestling Federation programming in early 2002 to promote the film. They appeared with APA members Ron Simmons (aka Faarooq) and John Layfield (aka Bradshaw), both of whom appear in the film along with a number of other WWF Superstars.

Ranked #5 on VH1's 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists.

Homaged/satirized in Sonic Youth's song "Kool Thing" (from the 1990 album "Goo").

In 2012, he stated that no one "should assume that I'm a Democrat [or a Republican]. I'm an Independent, you know?".

Separated from girlfriend Simone Smith sometime after the birth of their second child.

Almost always wears a hat, and wears one of his pant legs rolled up.

Hosted The 28th Annual American Music Awards (2001) with Britney Spears. (2001)

Ranked #32 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

Friends with Queen Latifah, and Kobe Bryant.

2017 Kennedy Center Honors honoree. Other honored that year were Gloria Estefan, Carmen De Lavallade, Lionel Richie, and Norman Lear.

He was the first choice for the title role in Blade.

On his second album "B.A.D." (Bigger And Deffer), his single "I'm Bad" sampled the main theme of the 70's TV show "S.W.A.T." and years later he would co-star in the movie adaptation of that show. (And in a few movie trailers for "S.W.A.T.", actually mimicking that same theme music).

A hip-hop icon.

When Anne Hathaway was a guest on Lip Sync Battle (2015), she said she wanted to hug Cool J.

Claims Kidada Jones, whom she was in a relationship with from 1992-1994, made him album 14 Shots to the Dome "flop crazily" because she "threw some kind of stick into the eternal fire".