Fans of hip hop and fans of the TV show NCIS Los Angeles will enjoy the portrait of LL Cool J by Kehinde Wiley currently on view in the National Portrait Gallery. Kehinde Wiley was commissioned in 2005 to paint LL Cool J and others for the VH1 Hip Hop Honors program. The painting was inspired by Ron Chernow’s biography of John D. Rockefeller. Both LL Cool J and the artist wanted the portrait to have a pose similar to John Singer Sargent’s painting of Rockefeller.
The painting was first on view in the Smithsonian as part of the exhibition RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture.
At age sixteen, James Todd Smith released his first single “I Need a Beat” and changed his name to LL Cool J (short for “Ladies Love Cool James”). LL Cool J continued his career with nine consecutive multi-platinum albums. His music is considered significant in transforming rap “from an underground genre to a mainstream cultural force.”
In 1993, LL Cool J began including gangsta rap in his repertoire of music. In addition to his musical talents, LL Cool J is well known for his acting in film (Toys, Halloween H20, Rollerball) and on television (In the House, 30 Rock, House). LL Cool J currently stars in the new series NCIS: Los Angeles.
You can find the 2005 portrait of LL Cool J by Kehinde Wiley in the first floor of the National Portrait Gallery. The National Portrait Gallery is located at Eighth and G streets N.W. at the Metro’s Gallery Place stop. The museum is open daily from 11:30 a.m to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Kehinde Wiley Portrait of LL Cool J at the National Portrait Gallery
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