ACCESS INTERVIEW ACCESS

Rapper. Actor. Author. pioneer. LL COOL J has done it all. more than 20 years after he started building his legend, he’s still gonna knock you out By robert ito photographs by justin stephens 24

s s e c c a CoolJ V T C E R I D LL G a wearing LL’s now and shifts, scene The season?” first his in championship the to Knicks the led done “ voice: street that in Then, fan. dumbfounded G “Yo, LL’s playing for the be an out a big laugh, and why not? “That,” he says, “would to do anything and not been able to do it,” he says. role as special agent books (two of which were best-sellers), to his current (starting with the hip-hop classic movies so or dozen two so), do to artist rap first (the man through a run of 11 consecutive platinum albums self-esteem issues didn’t write “Mama rockin’ his peers and puttin’ suckas in fear. A guy with about chewin’ it, oohin’ it, all while we’re doin’ it,dove, a as about sweet who’s as girl a needing about years, the over has LL that things fantastical sexy, crazy, the all about rap to going you’re if confident be to got You’ve is. he where him gotten have skills—that of course, the screen charisma and unearthly rapping LL. being daydreams, have right? don’t PeopleLL like like us haveman-myths daydreamsbecause also about but it, O in real life. “ LL doesn’t do sheepish—in his raps, on the screen, or FEBRUARY 2011 iants jersey, and that same stunned fan is iants to the the to iants ut.” I I t’s funny, partly because of the comical way he tells t’s five o’clock in the evening, and LL’s sitting in sitting LL’s and evening, the in o’clock five t’s the Knicks?” he says, acting out the part of a of part the out acting says, he Knicks?” the I amazing thing, you know what t’s that very fearlessness that’s propelled the the propelled that’s fearlessness very that t’s B blowing people’s minds. “LL’s playing for for “LL’splaying minds. people’s blowing I ut it’s those big, confident dreams—and, dreams—and, confident big, it’s those ut can honestly tell you that he’s running down the court, and it’s it’s and court, the down running he’s S like, a real rookie, he’s still LL, and and LL, still he’s rookie, real a like, is describing one of his his of one describing is favorite the Knicks’ roster, see, but he’s not, not, he’s but see, roster, Knicks’ the uper uper S B am owl! owl!

daydreams. daydreams. Giants! And took the he just H anna on I can’t believe it!” LL lets lets LL it!” believe can’t Krush Groove NCIS: Los Angeles. e’s a rookie on on rookie a He’s S I’m sayin’?” I aid Knock You ’ve ’ve never tried screaming ), four H e . you know, shows the indelible impression it left on vividly, so that remember to able being still and old blood, a shotgun round in her lower back. “ of pool a in kitchen the in slumped mom his find to grandfather as the young boy slept nearby. LL awoke S the in be Wecould you. to talking hotel, N “ 4, his father, James James father, his 4, years.” in you say, “H a semisecluded spot at the the at spot semisecluded a gone the the gone says, smiling. Then he erupts in wild, raucous laughter. stuck down his pants. “You know what his waistline, pulling out the imaginary 9mm he’s got by down nine.” my on reaches hand LL my with out, get, you know, tiresome? LL gives a little shrug. series of nods and smiles and hellos. a doing LL with continues, people slow-moving of “ it a point of pride not to gawk at celebrities. F S of dream his weaves 43, LL, As stare. to down, way people, ladies mostly, but men too, have slowed down, room and eased into a corner table, a steady stream of cool. B I H pot,” he says, his voice getting slow and low. “ uper our everly ’m very clear about that. ew York, from Queens. There are any number of ways LL’s ways haveof could number any life are There “ i, I know know I On this night, though, ever since LL entered the S won’t interrupt you” wave from afar. The stream B easons is the kind of place where patrons make ello, hello,it’s sogreat toseeyou,haven’t seen H owl glory, actress Lea Thompson comes up to B ills nursing a ginger ale. I eef Patty Patty eef ’ve been lucky, been and ’ve S tephen Moyer, of of Moyer, tephen S S pot route. When he was only only was he When route. pot mith, shot LL’s mother and and mother LL’s shot mith, I don’t have to be in this luxury I mean, c’mon! F our our I ’mgrateful,” says. he O True Blood True S n most nights, the easons easons Does any of this I ’m saying?” he I ’m a kid from B F our years eef Patty eef H H G , does a does , otta be otel in in otel anging >

Styling: Erin Turon. Grooming: Chris Burgoyne. Production Design: Kent Casey for The Rex Agency. Previous Spread: Jacket: Giorgio Armani; T-shirt and Vest: John Varvatos; Shirt: Hugo Boss; Pants: Tommy Hilfiger; Boots: Bruno Magli; Watch: Chopard. this spread: T-shirt: John Varvatos; Pants: Tommy Hilfiger; Watch: Chopard 26

s s e c c a V T C E R I D I can honestly you can tell been able to do it.to do able been do anything and not and doanything that that age, LL wasn’t thinking R “ and then- and remembers. “My grandfather was a West a was “My grandfather remembers. Two years later, he teamed up with Love at 14 he renamed himself LL who didn’t want to spend the & Melvin his grandparents’ basement. a fiend, writing lyrics and refining his rapping skills in like worked LL inside. stay to reason a had suddenly cars, passing at them lobbing and snowballs inside rocks sticking was fun of idea whose “knucklehead” The boy obsessed with motorcycles, the self-described keeping LL in the house and out of trouble? N in the house and he said, ‘ two turntables and that mixer changed my life.” and there were two turntables and a mixer. And those “My home. Queens grandmother used to tell me, ‘ small their in grandparents & the “ saxophonistfive-foot-seven a from grandfather, LL’s anything.” do Truth! Truth! me. programmed just her,they and grandfather my do it well or not at all,’ ” he says. “ never leave it till it’s done. was shot to trying close the door to save her.” “ me,”says. he FEBRUARY 2011 I I ecordings, and quickly became their breakout star. At grew up listening to Miles umark mixer—was less about music and more about wanted to hear my record on the radio,” he says. says. he radio,” the on record my hear to wanted S B o what if that oth survived. survived. oth C F I ool James, which they soon did, and still do. do. still and did, soon they which James, ool ’ve neve ’ve urious I was brainwashed into believing believing into brainwashed was N YU student student YU F S B he was just laid out. My grandfather grandfather My out. laid just was he ive, the lue lue D B J set—two Toshiba turntables and a arbados, filled the home with music. F rom then on, LL lived with his his with lived LL on, then rom N otes, Teddy Pendergrass,” LL LL Pendergrass,” Teddy otes, O r R H ’Jays, the ick ick t no B ey, look over there.’ D I e thy labor great or small, B P money. C r R avis, O orn James Todd I ool J—short for Ladies ubin to form form to ubin f a task is once begun, ied to ied s or platinum albums. B etween my mother, G F R randmaster our Tops, O ussell ne day,

I

ndian guy guy ndian I S t worked.

D I immons I looked, H I ef Jam ef could could S came F mith, arold lash A car. A it. much pretty “That’s C on to sell 20 million albums, winning two two winning albums, million 20 sell to on soundtrack for countless trysts and booty calls. With With booty calls. and trysts countless for soundtrack MC. Lover true the excellence, par act rap romantic the one—as gigantic a niche—albeit a out carving and ali.” “Mama Then—the hits came. “ H e created music to make love to, providing the Benz . S G aid Knock You irls. That’s all I wanted to have gold chains. chains. gold have to wanted I

N eed Love.” “ I O was thinking.” ut.” “ D oin’ G oing I t.” LL went G rammys rammys B ack to

Jacket: Rouge; T-shirt: John Varvatos; Jeans: Ambiguous danced to them!” doing that!” he adds. let that monumental image sink in. “ years. straight-faced. “Yes. “Yes,” own? says, his he of one to know, grooved you ever, he has LL’s jams, to grooving couples those all “Absolutely. You can dance to them. You You them. to dance can You “Absolutely. Did they turn out okay? O n many different levels ’ve I’ve done it many times, over the .” H e pauses—maybe to I ’ve written songs have right now. S LL as a royal figure, complete with coat of arms.“The by the American artist Kehinde Wiley, who reimagined a collector, he recently bought a portrait done of him from Vermeer to be LL’s love of art, “everyone from Picasso to portrait, that mithsonian asked me to loan it, so it’s hanging there E qually surprising (and less carnally revealing) may S o, I I own, in the may not collect art, but F rida Kahlo to Warhol.” Although not S mithsonian.” I have my own F ebrua C aravaggio, RY 2011 > s s e c c a V T C E R I D

27 Br who looked diffe lookedwho sh uce lee was mywashe lee uce r edded and cut. and edded r ent f ent r H o. e could fight; he could do itall. do could he fight; could e I t toexciting was actoan see r om eve om r yone else. supe else. yone r cool, r >

left: T-shirt: John Varvatos; Jeans: Seven for all Mankind; Sneakers: Creative Recreation; Belt: Tumi; Watch: Chopard. Right: Monty Brinton/CBS fly. “ actor who looked different from everyone else,” he says. I Dragon the fingers; the snake-in-the-guardhouse scene from out in scene the descriptions: acted-out and quotes with complete moments, favorite recounting off, goes guy the and love to make a song with with song a make to love life and music.” and girls about me to talked and down me sat “who first guy to take LL to a recordingstudio, the mentor languages and played 20 instruments, give or take, the B would give me a reason to put a single out.” You Knock “Mama of versions craziest the of one covered on that.” was unreleased,” LL says, “and “Maybe remixwe’ll a song he did many vault. years ago that Jackson the in tight up locked currently are Jackson, who recorded a bunch of tracks with LL that Michael Marines. The due. his is winning that belief Kobe pool: diverse equally an from come admires he people the art— pop and pointille both appreciates who man S nosanto inGameofDeath.“I obby, may he rest in peace, a man who spoke 12 12 spoke who man a peace, in rest he may obby, upercool, super-ripped, shredded and cut. cut. and shredded super-ripped, upercool, I And And f the range of LL’s art interests surprise—it’s a rare H C huck e could fight; he could do it all. all. it do could he fight; could e B Bob ruce Lee. Ask LL about the Little Little the about LL Ask Lee. ruce N ; the epic nunchaku battle with with battle nunchaku epic the ; O B orris’s chest hairs and blows them off his Return of the Dragon the of Return D ut” you’re ever likely to hear. “ hear. to likely ever you’re ut” ryant, because of the man’s stubborn stubborn man’s the of because ryant, ylan—an LL fan who, a few years ago, H is grandparents. B ob ob t was exciting toseean t wasexciting D ’ll do something new new do something I’ll ylan,” he says. “That “That ylan,”says. he in which he pulls pulls he which in B ruce was my my was ruce H is Uncle I D H D would would ragon ragon e was was e Enter anny anny S aid aid “ “I underestimate the legends that have come before him. life. But popular sitcom the (on players football three portraying sharkfest the in preacher time he’d kill to play, though, is James James is play, though, to kill he’d B O Chris O Chris co-star Angeles Los NCIS: Jwith Cool LL Your Back: Got H It know? we take our shirts off and stand next to each other, you more fun. it stands to reason that being LL must be exponentially A the works, unreleased material that no means walked away from my music.“ rock. touring,” hesays. “Ilovedoingshows,man.have by really would that well, willing, time wantedtotouragain, allow—also fun.Andifheever D S Angeles all thanks to his role as a former 235th birthday ball last year, eating the ceremonial cake, B imone, start her own jewelry company: awesome. awesome. company: jewelry own her start imone, ond’s a a ond’s t’s hard to be cooler than oing all the the all oing liver liver e laughs. “You know what lot ut ut ’s s just believe I just believe I of new music. I would make that character character that make would u might give give might ’ I don’t think In the House the In D S —that was great. ch tone’s tone’s onnell. C S erving as guest of honor at the Marine aucasian aucasian a b NCIS la Any Given Sunday Given Any I have what it takes to bring that to s D t stunts the show’s insurance will will insurance show’s the stunts O aniel aniel and in the movies movies the in and I’d be embarrassed.” E h f course playing an LAP an playing guy who made me want to act.” raves as a cook and part- and cook a as raves ( hero, growing up. up. growing hero, nglishman, so it is what it is! is! it what is it so nglishman, a ..A.T. S.W. Which of course LL did, did, LL course of Which nging o H C elping his wife of 15 years, Sean I raig a run for his money.” his for run a raig ’m saying? Maybe. I N understand that after Continued onpage 45 avy Connery,” he admits. Deep Blue Sea Blue Deep ); earning critical critical earning ); I crazy B ut recorded recently. S ond. “ ond. ). The film role role film The ). eal on I have albums in

w Wildcats F D .” LL doesn’t .”doesn’t LL ebrua i H supercop supercop t O NCIS: Los e was the the was e h bviously, bviously, RY 2011 LL, Maybe C I ; and and ; love love orps’ and and so s s e c c a page films, turn to best LL Cool J this month’s CBS. And for at 9 les NCIS: Los Ange- AV AIL ABLE IN airs Tuesdays V T C E R I D pm ET on LTK in the CLICK section. Movies

29 Photograph by Justin Stephens. T-shirt: John Varvatos the “ evidence, going back twovideo decades. There’s have 21, to 10 ages kids, four his says.“You’re he uptight.” so not your whole life, you’re a little more relaxed,” more easygoing dad. “When you do music frenetic life has actually made him a calmer, spirited phone sex, ogles a stripper while while stripper a ogles sex, phone spirited I know what what know the new pop guy. You’re artist. not legacy a you’re years, 25 Continued frompage 29 be Cool would definitely tour.” Paradoxically, LL finds that the musician’s D oin’ I t” video, for one, in which LL has I ’m saying? LL LL saying? ’m I ’m not C ool B B ieber! ieber! O ieber, you f course, course, f B ut ut

that apple in my mouth! what know D to that young kid? and girls. What would the LL of today say chains gold of dreaming just still was LL became first of LL’s kids are older than he was when he ‘ saying, if me against that use only can They me! against video the front seat of a black chomping on an apple, then makes love in But can almost hear the refrain from his kids: ef Jam? Jam? ef I t’s weird to think about now, but two two but now, about think to weird t’s you did it, Dad S o what? You what? o it.’ do can’t still You D I on’t take that crappy part in in part crappy that take on’t ’m saying? ‘Yeah, ‘Yeah, saying? ’m D I ef Jam’s golden boy, when boy,when Jam’s golden ef was uncomfortable with with uncomfortable was . “My kids can’t use that D on’t sell your share in R N ange ow go to bed.’” R I

over. You did have have to make things happen.” whatever was put in front of me, just trying what know You it. for going just busy, getting Just plan. no B like somehow about itnow, at thisage, becauseitseems talk to easy it’s know, conversation…you maneuvered his way for us to be having this you.’ ‘Thank I Rollerball December 2010 issue. A Robert Ito is West Coast correspondent for ’d have to slap him on the back and say, and back the on him slap to have ’d ut the reality is, CCESS F ebrua . He profiled Eva Longoria in the the in He . Longoria Eva profiled ? “You know what? At this point, RY 2011 B I ecause how a 16-year-old 16-year-old a how ecause ’m supposed to be doing it. I s s e c c a was a 16-year-old with I mean? Adapting to to Adapting mean? V T C E R I D

45