LL Cool J, 53, admits he could never have imagined his success

He’s a highly successful rapper and actor, having released 13 studio albums and now a regular fixture on popular US police drama series, NCIS: Los Angeles.

However for LL Cool J, real name James Todd Smith, 53, he could never have imagined the career he has had to-date.

In a candid interview with The Binge Guide for Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph on Sunday, the I Need Love hit-maker referenced the violence that was prevalent in his New York hometown at age 25. 

‘In my neighbourhood where I grew up, you know, most of us didn’t even think we’d live to be 25,’ he admitted. ‘And that’s not a good thing.’

‘[With] gunshots ringing off and people getting killed over silly stuff’,’ he continued. ‘The answer at that time was I would have never thought I’d get this far.’   

LL Cool J was born in New York’s Bay Shore, and was raised in Queens.  

While he’s yet to release another studio album since 2013’s Authentic, LL Cool J has garnered acclaim for his role as Special Agent Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles.

Referencing police brutality and institutional racism in the US, LL Cool J said he believes the writers of the police drama are doing a good job in addressing it.

‘I think that what we’re not doing is we’re not trying to force one specific point of view down anyone’s throat, because I think that would be just as wrong as ignoring it,’ he said. 

LL Cool J also suggested the storylines, which are based on real issues, are perhaps why the show has been such a hit, in an interview with Forbes in April last year.

‘Our show deals with a lot of the realities that are happening in the world,’ he said.   

‘We close our cases a lot faster than the actual NCIS agents in real life but our show deals in reality, as crazy as it seems.’

He continued: ‘The flip side is that these characters, people can relate to them, the regular, authentic people; they care about each other.’