LL Cool J soon led to an increase in multi-racial audiences and listeners, adding to the legacy of the album and hip hop as well. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors. LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer, actor, author and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. He is known for such hip hop hits as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells" and "Mama Said Knock
Torch (American rapper) positions of number two on the Billboard Rap Album chart and number 44 on Billboard's Top 200. After releasing a series of independent mixtapes, Torch was given music's official stamp of approval from L.A. Reid, who dubbed the rapper, "what hip-hop's been missing." Torch is also CEO of Specialyst Entertainment, a music and artist management company based in New York. Collaboration albums Compilation albums Collaboration mixtapes Torch (American rapper) Kevin Christopher Belnavis (born July 12, 1982), better known by his stage name Torch, is a Haitian-American rapper signed to Maybach Music Group as part of the group Triple C's. Born