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Can't Live Without My Radio sound clip
Since his auspicious emergence in 1985, L.L. Cool J has catapulted from overnight hip-hop sensation to bonafide cross-cultural phenomenon. With over 20 million albums sold, he's the most successful hip-hop artist in history, yet his fame often threatens to overshadow his artistic achievements.
His commitment to excellence has resulted in a series of historic firsts. At age 16, he was the first Def Jam artist to release a single, (I Need A Beat, 1984). He was the first hip-hop artist to amass six consecutive platinum-plus selling albums and six gold singles.
Born in St. Albans, NY, L.L.'s earliest memories are of music - the jazz albums his grandfather would play, the r&b and rap tracks he heard on the syndicated television dance show, "Soul Train." Burning with the need to create rhymes, he was rapping by the time he was nine-years-old. Before long the boy who was born James Todd Smith had concocted a memorable stage name for himself: LL Cool J, an acronym for "Ladies Love Cool James."
In 1985, L.L.'s Radio album was released to worldwide critical acclaim. By the summer of '86, LL was touring as part of Run-DMC's " Raising Hell" tour, in the company of the Beastie Boys and other hip-hop artists.
His 1987 sophomore album, Bigger and Deffer, resulted in the chart-topping single "I Need Love." L.L.'s 1989 album Walking with a Panther featured the hit, "Going Back to Cali," which was also featured in the critically acclaimed Gen-X drama, "Less Than Zero." The following year L.L. teamed with producer Marley Marl to collaborate on L.L.'s next album, Mama Said Knock You Out.. The record featured the No. 1 Rap and Top 10 pop crossover smash "Around The Way Girl," as well as the hugely popular title track which won him a Grammy Award for "Best Rap Solo." The album would ultimately spend over a year on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.