James Todd Smith, better known by his stage name LL Cool J, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, author, and entrepreneur from Que…James Todd Smith, better known by his stage name LL Cool J, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, author, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. With the breakthrough success of his hit single"I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became an early hip-hop act to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C.