02:02 AM EDT 03/06/2012
LL Cool J
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PEOPLE Critic Reviews Emotional Highs and Lows of Grammy Telecast
Originally posted 02/13/2012 04:00PM
The Grammys would have been (and were) a showcase for the glory that is Adele, but Whitney Houston's death 24 hours before the event turned the CBS special into a night of mourning and celebration cresting on big, pure emotions. That's what brought in an estimated 39 million viewers, the highest number for the broadcast since 1984 and the second highest ever.
LL Cool J, who handled the hosting duties without any perceptible wrinkling in his uncanny smoothness, opened with a simple prayer for Houston, "a woman who we loved … our fallen sister." This set up a clip of the six-time Grammy winner belting her signature hit "I Will Always Love You."
Grammy Awards Pay Tribute to Whitney Houston, Etta James
Originally posted 02/13/2012 02:30PM
On a night intended to pay homage to the biggest names in music today, two of the Grammy
Awards's biggest honorees were the megastars no longer in the room: Etta James and Whitney Houston.
After host LL Cool J opened Sunday's ceremony with a prayer for Houston, announcing "a death in our family," the audience rose in a standing ovation.
"When a truly great artist leaves us, their legacy lives on," Alicia Keys later told the stars gathered at Los Angeles's Staples Center, before joining Bonnie Raitt in a graceful cover of James's "A Sunday Kind of Love."
But the most moving tribute came from Jennifer Hudson, whose elegant but understated rendition of Houston's "I Will Always Love You" brought audience members to their feet once again.
Jennifer Hudson, LL Cool J Honor Whitney Houston at Grammy Awards
Originally posted 02/12/2012 08:25PM
It was a fitting way to honor the memory of Whitney Houston.
On a darkened stage – where Houston had performed on many times before – in front of an audience of artists who call her an unforgettable influence, on music's biggest night, the late R&B superstar was remembered with one of her most memorable hits, sung by Jennifer Hudson.
Hudson's poised, powerful and understated reading of the song brought audience members gathered at Los Angeles's Staples Center for Sunday's 54th Annual Grammy Awards to their feet Sunday night.
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LL Cool J: Jennifer Hudson Is the 'Closest Thing We Have Now' to Whitney Houston
Originally posted 02/12/2012 06:50PM
Grammy Awards host LL Cool J spoke on the red carpet Sunday about how he and producers of the show will honor the legacy of Whitney Houston on music's biggest night.
The rapper-actor, who is the first host at the Grammys in seven years, said that since learning about Houston's death on Saturday, the focus has been on "how we can be respectful and show her the love and appreciation she deserves and that her life warrants and merits."
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LL Cool J Is Named the First Grammys Host in 7 Years
Originally posted 01/18/2012 05:55AM
For the first time in seven years, the 2012 Grammy Awards will have an official host this year, and has asked two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J to do the honors.
The rapper, who turned 44 this week, has hosted the live Grammy nominations concert show each year since 2008. This is his first time taking the reins of the award show itself.
"I'm thrilled to be part of Music's Biggest Night," he said in a statement. "I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true."
Eminem Prank Calls LL Cool J During Radio Show
Originally posted 06/12/2008 01:45PM
MTVEminem resurfaced Tuesday night on his Sirius Satellite radio station, Shade 45, to play a joke on fellow rapper LL Cool J, during a segment on Tony Touch's Toca Tuesday show, MTVnews.com reports.
LL Cool J was a guest on the show, when fan calls began to pour in. One caller identified himself as "Jason from Miami." Jason, a self-proclaimed "die hard LL fan" challenged the rap pioneer to a game of Name That Tune with Cool J's own lyrics.
"I don't know if I'll be able to do it, but I'll try … I'll play the game with you! Why not?" Cool J laughed as 'Jason' began to recite rhymes. Cool J immediately recognized the first line from his song "Eat Em Up L Chill."
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LL Cool J: Mr. Nice Guy
Originally posted 10/11/2004 06:00AM
Most of the celebs who dine at cozy New York eatery Friend of a Farmer – Uma Thurman, Winona Ryder and Jimmy Fallon have all stopped in recently – like the restaurant's low-key vibe. Not so with LL Cool J, who showed up for a blueberry pancake breakfast last week. "He was signing autographs and talking to everyone. He went out of his way to be nice to everybody," says a spy of the rapper-actor. "When he left, he got into a big limo that was waiting outside and waved to the crowd." LL (real name: James Todd Smith) returns to the big screen in Justin Timberlake's movie debut, Edison, due next year.
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They Said What? for May 11
Originally posted 05/11/2004 9:00AM
• "I slept outside the producer's door every day on the set, begging him to let me live. And it worked. I made history, baby!"– Mindhunters' LL Cool J, on being what he calls the first black man to survive a thriller (in Deep Blue Sea)
Daily Insider for February 6, 2004
Originally posted 02/05/2004 10:26AM
February 6, 2004 WILL JUSTIN GET NAKED? Unless you've been under a rock, by now you've seen Justin Timberlake pulling off a crucial piece of Janet Jackson's costume during the Super Bowl halftime show. But will the singer himself strip down in his autobiography, which is being designed by the same person who did Madonna's explicit 1992 book, Sex? "God, no," says his literary rep, David Vigliano. "But I think there'll be some very dynamic, very provocative, very beautiful photography – and all never-before-seen images." That must mean Janet won't be featured.
LL Cool J on the Women in His Life
Originally posted 02/05/2004 10:26AM
Grammy nominee LL Cool J, who's up for best rap/song collaboration category (for "Luv U Better") tells PEOPLE that he's hoping things go smoothly at this Sunday's big event -- just as was the case those previous times he's attended the ceremony.
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