Born James Smith in Foxboro, North Carolina. Died in Los Angeles, California. As a young man James enlisted with the US Navy and saw action in the Vietnam Conflict while serving aboard a supercarrier, the USS Forrestal. James' lifelong love of music was quite evident: He was associated with record labels MCA, Motown and Def Jam, as well as his own label, Salsa Picante Records. In his later years he was a general agent with Golden State Mutual Life. Activism was a prominent part of his life. In the past 25 years of his life, he was a powerful advocate in preserving the integrity of Echo Park's Semi-Tropic Spiritualist Tract. Father of James Todd Smith alias LL Cool J.