Cool with a capital C
Fresh off his January stint as host of the Grammy Awards, hip-hop star and actor LL Cool J came to Harvard over the weekend, pulling double duty as host of the Cultural Rhythms festival and the Harvard Foundation’s Artist of the Year. “We’ve made a great choice this year,” announced S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation, in bestowing LL Cool J with the honor, given for the entertainer’s philanthropy through the Jumpstart program and his work with his charity Jump & Ball. “There’s been no one more committed to young people’s education than LL Cool J,” Counter said. “He’s been an outstanding role model.” Accepting the award, LL Cool J — born James Todd Smith — said, “I’m honored and flattered. Me being here is representative of something truly magnificent about our country. This is proof that if you truly have faith … you can become anything you want to become.” A...