Author Description

LL Cool J breaks all the rules. He is a Grammy-winning recording artist, a highly successful television and movie star. He has crossover audiences among adults and teens worldwide. He is a father, husband, and dedicated public servant. With nearly 20 million albums sold since his 1985 debut, LL Cool J is the number-one-selling rap artist of all time. His 1996 album "Mr. Smith" went double platinum, winning him his second Grammy. He has hits on three of the hottest soundtracks of the last year, including Space Jam, Beavis and Butthead Do America, and Private Parts. And he is the star of the prime-time TV sitcom "In the House". Long known as a positive role model, LL Cool J is also widely respected for his commitment to public service. He has been a spokesman to American youth for Major League Baseball, the NBA, Rock the Vote, and the Clinton White House, among others, and is the founder of Camp Cool J, a summer camp for disadvantaged kids. In I Make My Own Rules, LL Cool J will reveal the trials of his childhood for the first time ever, including the story of how his father shot his mother and grandfather when he was four. He will tell how he earned his nickname, and reveal at last why he (famously) never removes his hat in public. LL Cool J will also talk about the controversial world of rap, telling the whole truth about his own decadent "champagne and gold chain" days. Most importantly, LL Cool J will talk about how he turned himself around and achieved success despite the odds, setting an example to kids and adults alike through his spiritual confidence, entrepreneurial style and plain hard work. LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, began rapping at the age of nine and hassince recorded six multi-platinum albums.