Tag Archives: ll-cool-j

Dr. Dre was 19 years old and hadn’t yet joined the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, much less N.W.A, when LL Cool J, at age 16, put out his first single, the underground smash “I Need a Beat.” Cool J, whose real name is James Todd Smith, was a rap phenomenon …

Let’s face it – last year’s Grammy bash was a historic dud, even before the Sting/Shaggy duet. But never fear—it should be easy to fix this year’s show, especially with host Alicia Keys and such a stellar crew of nominees. This year is a chance to bring back the Grammy …