LL Cool J’s Net Worth Proves His Success Beyond Music
The hip-hop artist earned big bucks for his role in 'NCIS: Los Angeles.'
Published Sept. 5 2025, 1:40 p.m. ET
As megastar LL Cool J continues to make his mark in music and acting, his legions of fans are curious about the talented celebrity's net worth.
The "Mama Said Knock You Out" artist, whose birth name is James Todd Smith, has been in the public eye since the 1980s.
LL Cool J began his rise to fame as a rapper with his 1985 single "I Need A Beat."
The recording artist also went on to become a successful actor, and he has built an impressive net worth over the last 40 years.
LL Cool J's net worth may knock you out.
LL Cool J has an estimated net worth of approximately $130 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The two-time Grammy Award-winning artist amassed his enormous wealth during his lengthy music career as well as his notable acting career.
His celebrated hits include "Around the Way Girl," "Jingling Baby," "Going Back to Cali," "I Need Love," and his 1991 smash hit, "Mama Said Knock You Out," for which he won his first Grammy Award.
In 1997, he won his second Grammy in the Best Rap Solo Performance category for "Hey Lover," his collaboration with Boyz II Men. He is considered one of the top 100 "Greatest Artists Of All Time" by VH1, and in 2017, he was the first rapper to be an honoree of the coveted Kennedy Center Honors.
The musician was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2021 in the Musical Excellence category.
James Todd Smith (LL Cool J)
Musician, Actor
Net worth: $120 million
LL Cool J is an American rapper and actor, best known for his songs "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Headsprung," as well as his acting roles in Any Given Sunday and NCIS.
Birthdate: Jan. 14, 1968
Birthplace: Bay Shore, New York
Mother: Ondrea Griffith
Father: James Louis Smith Jr. (also known as James Nunya)
Spouse: Simone I. Smith
Children: Italia, Najee, Samaria, and Nina
LL Cool J is also a celebrated actor, having starred in numerous films and TV shows, including Deep Blue Sea, Last Holiday, Toys, Any Given Sunday, Woo, S.W.A.T., Lip Sync Battle, NCIS Los Angeles, and NCIS: Hawaiʻi, just to name a few.
The hip-hop artist has starred in NCIS: Los Angeles from 2009 to 2023.
LL Cool J is also a family man, and has been married to his wife Simone since they met in 1987.
LL Cool J has been married to his wife, Simone I. Smith, for 30 years. They met as teenagers in 1987, per People, and they share four children — Italia, Samaria Najee, and Nina.
They also have three grandchildren, and LL said that his favorite role is being a dad. In 2017, he told Oprah Winfrey about his down-to-earth parenting style.
"This is the real world," he said. "They are real people. And I'm a blue-collar guy at the end of the day. I'm not going to raise spoiled kids that just don't know what the real world is like, who think they don't have to do anything to contribute."