Legendary rapper turned actor, LL Cool J has been married for 25 years and has four kids. While it's not uncommon for celebs kids to follow in their famous parents' footsteps, some celeb kids choose different paths, opting to live life out of the public eye. The NCIS: LA star previously revealed that he would not raise spoiled kids. He said that he wanted his kids to deserve and earn it.
The oldest- Najee is a professional photographer, two of his sisters, Italia and Samaria, are not in showbiz either. Italia is a certified real estate agent and Samaria owns a denim label. It's their youngest sibling who followed in their famous dad's musical footsteps. Nina Simone is an aspiring and talented singer.
LL Cool J Refuses To Raise Spoiled Kids
James Todd Smith AKA LL Cool J needs no introduction. He found success with his rap career and later made his way to both the big and small screens. What isn't often talked about is his family life. LL Cool J has been married to jewelry designer, Simon Smith for 25 years, and the two have four kids together.
Although they are a close-knit family, LL refuses to raise spoiled kids. The star revealed that while there was nothing wrong with helping out your kids with opportunities, he felt that they should earn it. LL is not handing his kids anything on a silver platter, he believes in hard work.
In an Oprah Masterclass episode, the star revealed, "This is the real world; 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."
Najee Is A Talented Photographer
The eldest Smith child, Najee has not followed in his rap legend dad's footsteps. While he may not have pursued a career in showbiz, it is reported that he is a professional photographer. Najee seemingly has a sizeable fan base, he has garnered over 16 thousand Instagram followers.
Back in 2015, Us Magazine had reported that Najee was arrested after getting into a fistfight outside a restaurant in Manhattan.
"Najee Smith was arrested after he got into a fistfight outside a restaurant in Manhattan on Tuesday, Sept. 29, the NYPD tells Us Weekly. Further, reporting, "An eyewitness tells Us that Smith, 26, refused to obey security guards at Catch Roof in NYC’s Meatpacking District. He got into a physical altercation, and police were called to the scene."
"In addition, Smith appeared to be intoxicated. He was put behind bars and charged with criminal trespassing."
However, the case was later dismissed and sealed.
Italia Anita Is A Licensed Real Estate Agent
Like her brother Najee, Italia has forged a path of her own rather than pursue a career in showbiz. Italia has a degree in Business Administration from 'Northeastern University.'
She is a licensed realtor who according to her LinkedIn profile, is "No stranger to working with high profile clients such as professional athletes and celebrities. She has the utmost respect for her clients' confidentiality and privacy."
Italia is also a wife and mother. She married Lamar Cardinez in 2017, in a star-studded event.
Samaria Leah Owns A Denim Brand
Samaria Leah is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and owns a denim brand named after herself. The brand was launched in 2019 and has already caught the attention of some famous names in the industry.
According to Coveteur, "Last January, after graduating from FIT with a degree in design and merchandising, Samaria Leah Smith dove headfirst into creating her own brand."
"She’d been mulling over the idea of working with vintage denim for two years, and it came together with the launch of her namesake brand Samaria Leah in September of 2019—and on her birthday nonetheless. Within months Smith’s designs have already caught the attention of 'It girls' everywhere, among them Saweetie, Kiana Lede, and Cierra Ramirez."
Nina Simone Is An Aspiring Singer
The youngest of the Smith clan, Nina Simone is following in her father's footsteps. Nina released her first single called 'Call me' on her 19th birthday. Clearly, talent does run in the family, Nina has amazing vocals. 'Call Me' is a soulful ballad that displays her incredible vocal ability.
Amo Mama reports," Although her father is known in the music industry as a rapper, Nina opted for a different genre: R&B. It was a great choice, though, as her voice is beautiful, and it matches perfectly with the genre."
While many might assume that Nina and her sibling were spoiled rotten, the singer revealed on her YouTube vlog, "We got nice things, of course, because we were able to, but it wasn’t overdone. It was more like, ‘get good grades and you could get this.’ Not like, ‘oh, just because you have money, you just could get whatever you want.’ We always had to work for what we had."