Checking in with LL COOL J

If a celebration of hip-hop music is planned, Llcool J is one of the most logical and essential performers who could be included.

Indeed, he does appear on “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-hop,” a special debuting Sunday, Dec. 10, on CBS and Paramount+. He’s also an executive producer of the two-hour program that commemorates a half-century of the title music form, and the scheduled cast is packed with artists who have contributed significantly to that history. Among them: Big Daddy Kane, Arrested Development, Black Thought, Bun B, Common, Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Jermaine Dupri, J.J. Fad, Jeezy, Talib Kweli, The Lady of Rage, MC Lyte, MC Sha-rock, Monie Love, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rakim, Remy Ma, 2 Chainz, Uncle Luke, Warren G and Yo-yo.

Also known as an actor — especially for the long run he concluded earlier this year on the CBS series “NCIS: Los Angeles” as Sam Hanna, a role he’s slated to continue in the next season of “NCIS: Hawai’i” — LL Cool J has been one of the network’s go-to personalities to host or perform (or both) in variety specials in recent years. He’s also received some of his biggest accolades in such shows, particularly The Kennedy Center Honors, of which he was a recipient in 2017. Another relatively recent honor was his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which came in 2021.

Born James Todd Smith, LL Cool J will mark the 40th anniversary of his music career in 2024, dating back to the release of his single “I Need a Beat” (and his debut album “Radio” the following year). He has earned two Grammys in a career that he began by rapping at age 10, then advanced by creating demos of his work and sending them to music labels — with the thennew Def Jam signing him to a deal and making him one of the principal talents on which it built its reputation.

It’s no surprise, then, that LL Cool J will be one of the major players as hip-hop has a televised party to fete its 50-year mark.

Birthdate: Jan. 14, 1968

Birthplace: Bay Shore, Islip, N.Y.

Current residence: Manhasset, N.Y.

Marital status: Married; has four children Other television credits include: “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: Hawai’i,” “Superfan,” “Fight the Power: How Hip-hop Changed the World,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “iheartradio Music Awards,” “Shut Up and Dribble,” “Story of Cool,” “American Dad!,” “Oprah’s Master Class,” “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.,” “Lip Sync Battle,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “The Electric Company,” “Project Runway,” “Sesame Street,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “30 Rock,” “MAD TV,” “In the House,” “In Living Color,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Soul Train,” “American Bandstand”