It would be very difficult to find a Hip Hop ABCs letter winner who has experienced more success than the champion of the Letter L. He has been conquering music, TV, and film for decades. His fitness book, Platinum Workout, was a New York Times bestseller. He is LL Cool J. The winner of the Hip Hop ABCs Letter L is none other than LL Cool J. Born James Todd Smith, LL has literally been a professional rapper longer than my wife has been on this planet. He won a Soul Train Music award in 1987 for “I Need Love,” a song most consider to be the first rap ballad. He has a few Grammys under his belt, for 1992's "Mama Said Knock You Out" and 1997's "Hey Lover." He won his fourth NCAA Image award in 2003, and BET gave him the I AM Hip Hop award in 2011. That kind of longevity is proof that the Ladies Love Cool James.
Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin may have been the guys who ran Def Jam, but LL Cool J was one of the artists who built it. He has since moved on to star in movies like Deep Blue Sea and television shows like NCIS: LA. One can only hope his new endeavors keep him busy enough to prevent this accident from ever happening again. I’m praying on that one. For now let’s move on to the Letter M. Who gets your vote?
Infinite Skillz is a Hip Hop fan and emcee. Click here to find out more about his music.