Born in Bay Shore, New York, and raised between St. Albans, New York and Hollis, New York in the borough of Queens. The only child of Ondrea (née Griffith) and James Smith, Jr. Smith is of both African American and Native American descent. He spent his youth singing in the church choir, participating in the Boy Scouts and delivering newspapers.
Def Jam released his first record, the 12" single "I Need a Beat" in 1983. The single sold over 100,000 copies. The success of "I Need a Beat" helped lead to a distribution deal with Def Jam and Columbia Records in 1985. Soon after, he dropped out of Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.
He is known for romantic ballads such as I Need Love and Hey Lover as well as pioneering hip-hop such as I Can't Live Without My Radio, I'm Bad, The Boomin' System, Mama Said Knock You Out, and 4, 3, 2, 1. L has also appeared in several films. LL Cool J is one of a few hip-hop stars of his era to sustain a successful recording career for more than two decades. He has released 12 albums and a greatest hits compilation so far, with his next album, Exit 13, set to be released in September, 2008. The album will be the last for LL's record deal with Def Jam Recordings, a deal which has lasted for over twenty two years, making it the longest single hip hop deal to date. He now resides in Manhasset, NY with his wife and four children.
Another Dollar
LL Cool J Lyrics
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AKA John Mickens
AKA John Mickens
AKA John Mickens
AKA John Mickens
AKA John Mickens
AKA John Mickens
AKA John Mickens
I floss rings, the new John Mickens
I'm stayin' rich and keep the haters bitching
From New York to Richmond, my shine is sickening
Ice drips, frost bits, or forfeit shit
I got to rewrite this mackin' game, baby
Layin' in the barber shop, knowin' haters is shady
Maybe, they sex young chicks and whips
But I got lesbo' combos ridin' stick-shifts
For no chips, I'm seein' four to eight lips
Let me tell ya 'bout my life-style, players and chips, sick
Mr. Smith, the rarest breed
Separate the dimes from 'hoes like chronic seeds
Miraculous
Lyrical swiftness
Practice this, stop bein' actresses
On mattresses with your legs up in the air
Splash the crisp, John Micks, a millionaire
Another Day, another dollar
My fortune 500 is fully funded
Joints I pumps, gives my pockets the mumps
I'm the glossiest and the costliest
Feel the force of this
Lyrical arsonist
Hotter, than a yacht with rottweilers
Chicks in choppers with they thong sittin' proper
The crisp poppa bringin' drama like soap operas
The show stopper if you playas don't flow proper
I'm the jiggiest, bitch, shit the wittiest
Wonderin' why cats front on who's the williest
Chill, relax, you cats will fall
Ten mill, ten plaques upon my wall
You stall, mix large, I see why y'all
Mash ya like roaches then cop diamond broaches
Supercalla, never mind the alladocious
Sin the fellas, get blazed and you can quote this
Another day, another dollar
I'm the MC that you strive to be
Competition is dead, 'cause ain't none of y'all live as me
Handsome moody, I keep it raw, baby
So save all the goodfella shit for Scorsese
So iced up, they call me Mount Everest
The many get honey ways draped over my headrest
I run game from Fort Green to Maine
I keep ya head noddin' like dope is in your vein
Hail to the King Cajone, jing-a-ling
I buy ya clicks loyalty with one pinkie ring
Gotta be above average to grow cabbage
I wreack havoc, do damage
Don't have it
Techniques up to par
Yeah you, get ya black ass looped like Mardi Gras
Chick soup too
Hittin' me off in yo' car
Blaze her in the alley 'cause she actin' bourgeois
Another day, another dollar
It's hard bein' the King, baby
But someone's gotta do it
In LL Cool J’s song Another Dollar, the rapper boasts about his wealth, fame and prowess in the rap game. He goes by many aliases, including John Mickens, and sees himself as the king. He flaunts his rings and luxurious lifestyle, including his sex life and women who are attracted to him. He claims to separate the “dimes from ‘hoes” and is “hotter than a yacht with rottweilers.” He takes pride in his lyrical abilities and warns other rappers to step up their game if they want to compete with him. He acknowledges that being the king is hard work but someone’s got to do it.
Line by Line Meaning
AKA John Mickens
LL Cool J is known by several different names, including John Mickens
I'm the king
LL Cool J is the best in the rap game, he is the King
I floss rings, the new John Mickens
LL Cool J is a rich and successful rapper, he wears flashy jewelry like John Mickens
I'm stayin' rich and keep the haters bitching
LL Cool J is wealthy and successful and keeps his haters angry with his success
From New York to Richmond, my shine is sickening
LL Cool J is so successful and shines so brightly that people from New York to Richmond are aware of him and his success
Ice drips, frost bits, or forfeit shit
LL Cool J has lots of expensive and flashy jewelry, and if you don't have the same, you lose
I got to rewrite this mackin' game, baby
LL Cool J is changing the rap game by introducing new styles and ideas to the genre
Layin' in the barber shop, knowin' haters is shady
Although LL Cool J is successful, he is still aware of the haters who try to bring him down
Maybe, they sex young chicks and whips
The haters may be engaging in inappropriate behavior with young women and expensive cars
But I got lesbo' combos ridin' stick-shifts
LL Cool J is not engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior, instead he is with lesbian women who know how to drive manual cars
For no chips, I'm seein' four to eight lips
LL Cool J has relationships with women without requiring them to have money, and he is seeing between four to eight different women
Let me tell ya 'bout my life-style, players and chips, sick
LL Cool J is sharing about his lavish and extravagant lifestyle with lots of money and beautiful women
Mr. Smith, the rarest breed
LL Cool J is a unique and exceptional rapper, and he stands out in the genre
Separate the dimes from 'hoes like chronic seeds
LL Cool J can distinguish between beautiful women and women who are not worth his time, like how marijuana growers can tell good from bad seeds
Miraculous
LL Cool J is amazing and remarkable
Lyrical swiftness
LL Cool J is incredibly talented with his lyrics, and he can rap quickly
Practice this, stop bein' actresses
LL Cool J is telling other rappers to practice hard and stop faking their lyrics
On mattresses with your legs up in the air
LL Cool J is calling out rappers who only rap about sexual exploits in bed
Splash the crisp, John Micks, a millionaire
LL Cool J is celebrating his success and the expensive jewelry he has, and is a wealthy rapper
Another Day, another dollar
Every day, LL Cool J is working hard and earning money
My fortune 500 is fully funded
LL Cool J has a lot of money and his fortune is fully established
Joints I pumps, gives my pockets the mumps
LL Cool J is successful and is earning lots of money from his music
I'm the glossiest and the costliest
LL Cool J is flashy and expensive, and he stands out from other rappers
Feel the force of this
LL Cool J is incredibly powerful and successful, and people can feel his presence
Hotter, than a yacht with rottweilers
LL Cool J is incredibly hot and shining brightly, even more so than a fancy yacht with powerful dogs
Chicks in choppers with they thong sittin' proper
Women are riding motorcycles and showing off their attractive bodies in thongs
The crisp poppa bringin' drama like soap operas
LL Cool J is bringing drama and excitement, like a soap opera
The show stopper if you playas don't flow proper
LL Cool J is telling other rappers that he is the best and can stop their shows if they don't rap well enough
I'm the jiggiest, bitch, shit the wittiest
LL Cool J is incredibly cool and has the wittiest rhymes and lyrics
Wonderin' why cats front on who's the williest
LL Cool J is the most willful and successful rapper, and he doesn't understand why other rappers try to bring him down
Chill, relax, you cats will fall
LL Cool J is telling other rappers to calm down and relax, because they will never be as successful as him
Ten mill, ten plaques upon my wall
LL Cool J has a lot of money and he has received many awards for his success
You stall, mix large, I see why y'all
LL Cool J knows why other rappers are not as successful, because they are not working as hard as he is
Mash ya like roaches then cop diamond broaches
LL Cool J will crush his enemies like roaches, and then buy expensive diamond pins
Supercalla, never mind the alladocious
LL Cool J is so amazing, that no one cares about anything else
Sin the fellas, get blazed and you can quote this
LL Cool J is telling his fans to enjoy themselves and quote his lyrics
It's hard bein' the King, baby
Being the best is hard and comes with its own challenges
But someone's gotta do it
LL Cool J is happy to be the best rapper, even though it is difficult
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARNES, OLIVIER, REBENNACK, SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind