Mr. Smith is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released on November 21, 1995 by Def Jam. The album has been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA. Mr. Smith was produced by Rashad Smith, Chyskillz, Chad Eliott, Trackmasters and Easy Mo Bee. Artistes such as The Emotions, Monica and Foxy Brown also made guest appearances on the album. Mr. Smith is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released on November 21, 1995 by Def Jam. The album has been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA. Mr. Smith was produced by Rashad Smith, Chyskillz, Chad Eliott, Trackmasters and Easy Mo Bee. Artistes such as The Emotions, Monica and Foxy Brown also made guest appearances on the album. false 2025-11-08 01:09:18 Mr. Smith 1995 1995-11-21 1995-11-21 117 East Coast Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop;Hip Hop;Pop Rap Hardcore Hip Hop Hip Hop Pop Rap 111858 2114948 391339a8-de89-4817-80c3-08c0557941f5 a4dd0e77-83b8-4e92-89b7-effb0e47fd8c 6f8c92de-6217-314b-84d9-28857f831a34 /media/data/media5/Music/LL Cool J/Mr. Smith/folder.jpg LL Cool J LL Cool J 1 1 The Intro (skit) 01:33 1 1 The Intro (skit) 01:33 1 2 Make It Hot 04:31 1 2 Make It Hot 04:31 1 3 Hip Hop 05:00 1 3 Hip Hop 05:00 1 4 Hey Lover 04:44 1 4 Hey Lover 04:44 1 5 Doin It 04:54 1 5 Doin It 04:54 1 6 Life As… 02:44 1 6 Life As… 02:44 1 7 I Shot Ya 03:51 1 7 I Shot Ya 03:51 1 8 Mr. Smith 03:59 1 8 Mr. Smith 03:59 1 9 No Airplay 05:43 1 9 No Airplay 05:43 1 10 Loungin 04:12 1 10 Loungin 04:12 1 11 Hollis to Hollywood 03:58 1 11 Hollis to Hollywood 03:58 1 12 God Bless 03:47 1 12 God Bless 03:47 1 13 Get da Drop on ’em 03:57 1 13 Get da Drop on ’em 03:57 1 14 Prelude (skit) 00:30 1 14 Prelude (skit) 00:30 1 15 I Shot Ya (remix) 05:03 1 15 I Shot Ya (remix) 05:03 James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam. LL Cool J has appeared in numerous films, including Halloween H20, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, S.W.A.T., Mindhunters, Last Holiday, and Edison. He played NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J was also the host of Lip Sync Battle on Paramount Network. A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". In 2010, VH1 placed him on their "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time" list. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence.