LL Cool J is famous for being part of the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles and playing Sam Hanna. He also achieved incredible success in the music industry and has been making albums since “Radio,” his very first record. He has definitely made lots of money from acting. He has starred in many movies, including the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea which included a scary stunt and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.

It’s true that LL Cool J has been raking in lots of cash from NCIS: Los Angeles. But he also earned money from several hit songs. And fans have been enjoying his rap music since the mid-80s. Which song has been the most lucrative for LL Cool J?

Which Song Made LL Cool J The Most Money?

LL Cool J has put out 13 albums, starting with his 1985 debut called “Radio.” In 1987, he put out “Bigger and Deffer.” In 1989 and 1990, he released “Walking with a Panther” and “Mama Said Knock You Out.” He continued to make records in the ’90s, including “14 Shots to the Dome” in 1993, “Mr. Smith” in 1995, and “Phenomenon” in 1997.

LL Cool J continued to make many albums in the 2000s: “G.O.AT. (Greatest Of All Time)” in 2000, “10” in 2002, “The DEFinition” in 2004, “Todd Smith” in 2006, and “Exit 13” in 2008. His most recent album was “Authentic” in 2013.

While there are no figures for which song made LL Cool J the most money, he has had many hit songs. Billboard reported that his song “Control Myself” started at the number 93 spot on the Billboard Top 100 in March 2006 and then came back at number four.

There are many other popular LL Cool J songs, such as “I Need a Beat.” Since LL Cool J’s net worth is $120 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, it seems that he made money from his music and acting careers. The publication reported that he is paid $350,000 for every episode of NCIS: Los Angeles.

According to Soundcharts.com, songwriters receive royalties when the tunes that they wrote are played on the radio. The singer or band doesn’t get those royalties unless they have a songwriting credit.

LL Cool J likely made a lot of money from his song “Control Myself” since it was number four on the Billboard Hot 100. In comparison, Miley Cyrus’s song “Flowers” is number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the July 1st week.

According to Newsroom.com.spotify, Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers’ was streamed one billion times on Spotify. This happened after 112 days, which is impressive.

Several sources say that musicians are paid $0.0033 each time their song is streamed. If someone’s song doesn’t get streamed very often, that wouldn’t be a lot of cash coming in. But since Miley Cyrus’s song was played so many times, it seems that she did well here. And LL Cool J likely got paid a lot from “Control Myself” as well.

The concept of whether singers or bands are in charge of their masters became big news when Scooter Braun purchased Taylor Swift’s back catalog.

According to Hiphopdx.com, LL Cool J is in charge of his masters. And that means that his songs can be used in commercials and films and he will profit from that.

LL Cool J said, “Yeah, I own my masters. I got my catalog back just before 2000. And, you know, it just worked out well. So now, if you hear an LL COOL J song in a movie, or if you hear my song in a commercial, I’ve licensed that song. “But that’s a blessing, you know? There but for the grace of God, you know what I’m saying? It just worked out. I got a lot of bites at the apple. And I was born to do what I’m doing. I’m not a dude that’s just doing Hip Hop because I’m doing it. You know? I was born to do it.”

According to What-song.com, LL Cool J’s song “Mama Said Knock You Out” was featured in several movies including The Boss, Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son and Fist Fight. It was also in a season 7 episode of One Tree Hill. And fans of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and It’s Always Sunny In Philidelphia have heard it on those sitcoms as well.

What Did LL Cool J Say About His Music Career?

LL Cool J has had success since his first album. While it’s unknown what he has earned from each song, especially his most famous ones like “Control Myself” and “I Need A Beat,” he has definitely made some serious cash. According to his profile on the Grammy Awards website, he received the Best Rap Performance Grammy in 1991 thanks to the success of his song “Mama Said Knock You Out.” Over one million people purchased his album “Radio.”

Although LL Cool J has been an actor for a long time, he definitely loves his music career. And he has continued to thrive.

In the summer of 2023, the rapper will start his F.O.R.C.E. tour. He told Billboard in an April 2023 interview that he wanted to perform in large venues. He said, “Well, you know, so many people over the years have been requesting and asking me, “Yo. Are you get on the road? Are you gonna do another record? Are you really going to get into music full-fledged, give us a run and really go at it?”

The singer continued, “I said, you know what? With it being the 50th year of hip-hop and the Grammy celebration working with Quest and The Roots, it just felt like the natural next step was to take this thing on the road.”

LL Cool J also said in his Billboard interview that he wanted to be in good shape for his many performances. He explained, “I gotta get on that treadmill, baby, and just do it. I gotta give it up for the people. I gotta stay on that treadmill, watch that diet, be right, and be the best version of myself at this point of my life that I can be. That’s all I can do. I can’t do no more and don’t wanna do no less.”