Archive for LL Cool J

LL Cool J To Host The Grammys — Is That A Good Thing?

For the first time in seven years, the Grammy Awards are getting a host: LL Cool J, the veteran host and co-producer of the Grammy Nominations Concert Live show, according to Grammy.com. Now this raises a few questions: 1) For what percentage of the show will Cool James be wearing his sunglasses? 2) Will he be covering up those beautiful arms of his with a tux the whole time? 3) Will he be any good? As we’ve learned from uncomfortable experience (ahem, James Franco and Anne Hathaway), non-comedians don’t have a good track record as awards show hosts. But LL never ceases to surprise us with his many talents. I mean, he has been acting since 1985′s Kush Groove, and he managed to hold his own opposite Queen Latifah in Last Holiday. He’s written four books. And his ex-Navy Seal character on NCIS: Los Angeles speaks Arabic fluently (and yes, that show is still on CBS, the home of the Grammy Awards on February 12). Wrangling a few musicians onstage should be cake, right? Now for the real question — do we really need anyone to host the show? Vote below, and then watch LL’s collabo with Elmo after the jump.

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Grammy Nominations Concert Winners: Nicki Minaj’s Shoes, Melle Mel’s Arms, Zombies

While Kanye West, Adele, the Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars are surely celebrating the many nods they received at last night’s Grammy nominations special, the winners of the evening were definitely zombies, who got a big nod from Lady Gaga during her performance. Other groups who will benefit from the evening: podiatrists (because we want Nicki Minaj’s and Taraji P. Henson’s shoes now) and gyms (because between Melle Mel’s arms and Grace Potter‘s legs, we are all feeling a little inadequate this morning). Losers: the color pink, because Katy Perry’s abuse of this monochromatic thing is making us weary of it; jeans — well, just Jason Aldean’s sad, holey, unhemmed pair; and the cows who gave their lives to Reid Perry’s pants. For a full account of the Grammy nominations, head over to VH1 Tuner.

[Photos: Getty Images]

LL Cool J Denies Doing Sarah Palin’s Fox News Show (Knowingly)

An interview is like a sex-tape: you never know where it might end up. LL Cool J took to his Twitter after it was advertised he would be appearing on Sarah Palin‘s upcoming Fox News special Real American Stories. “Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palin’s Show. WOW.” Apparently, Real American Stories was simply an unsuccessful Fox-run website back in the day, and now the interviews are being re-purposed to provide content their tea-partying new presenter. WOW, indeed!

While some have criticized Obama-supporter LL for giving right-leaning Fox News the footage in the first place, the website was originally announced as “apolitical,” a word that can hardly be used to describe the former Vice Presidential nominee. Judging from how often he’s re-posted his initial tweet in acknowledgment of confused fans, it sounds like LL’s determined not be seen as her pop-culture accomplice. The network has yet to announce whether they’ll remove him from the program, but they’ve started a Twitstorm for Mr. Smith either way.

[Photos: Getty Images]

Keri Hilson Blows Away The NAACP Image Awards

Keri Hilson

No, that’s not the breeze—Keri Hilson‘s dress at the NAACP Image Awards Saturday just looked permanently windswept. The uninhibited singer not only performed at the ceremony but won Best New Artist, with Maxwell, Mary J. Blige and the Black Eyed Peas also taking home honors. In the cinematic categories, Precious, director Lee Daniels and stars Gabby Sidibe and Mo’Nique unsurprisingly snabbed trophies while Morgan Freeman won Best Actor for Invictus. See these stars and more in the red carpet gallery below.

[Photo: Getty Images]

Celebrities Hog Spotlight At Super Bowl

superbowl-celebrities

Foolish athletes! Don’t you know who the real stars are?! While the football players did all the work on the field, stars like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, and Ashton Kutcher showed up at the Super Bowl to hog all the attention and bask in the glow of the photographers’ cameras.

Kim Kardashian was there too, but she stayed surprisingly hidden during the game. Surely she was nervous watching her boyfriend Reggie Bush help to snag a win for New Orleans and probably wanted to bite her nails in private. But once Reggie and the Saints landed the trophy, ol’ Kimmy was back in front of the cameras, celebrating on the field like she had just won the game and posting a bunch of exclamation-filled tweets. Pics below.

5 For Friday: Valentine’s Day Edition

We’re dedicating this week’s 5 for Friday to lovers. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a hot date or licking some painful break-up wounds — we have you covered. Get in the mood with our five music videos for Valentine’s Day.

One for Horny Horndogs:

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Birth Dating: Who’s Older? LL Cool J Or Jason Bateman?

In 1987, teen rapper LL Cool J dropped the corny ballad “I Need Love,” his first Top 20 hit (“I’ll put down my jacket so you can walk over a puddle”). That same year, Hogan Family cutie Jason Bateman starred in a movie only a kid could love, Teen Wolf Too (“I had a beard over every inch of my body!”). Despite these adventures in ’80s cheese, Cool J has had one of the longest, most successful careers in rap, and Bateman gets asked about the Arrested Development movie instead of Teen Wolf Too 2. Both dreamboats were born on January 14th. Click on the photo to find out who’s older.

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The 10 Biggest Feuds In Hip-Hop History

There’s no tradition in hip-hop more exciting than the feud. Since the earliest days of street-corner rhyme battles, MCs have been taking each other head-on, fighting to be the best on the block, the hottest in the neighborhood, or the king of the whole game. Rap beefs can originate anywhere, from a subtle slight to a full-on threat. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re tragic, and sometimes they’re just plain weird. Here, from old-school word wars to semi-automatic shootouts, we count down the ten biggest feuds in rap history. Click into the gallery below to begin. [Photos: Getty Images]