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The article profiles rapper LL Cool J. Don't be fooled by the tough-guy togs and tattoos or the 25 million albums he sold to become the most successful rap artist in history. Big star, big heart: It's no wonder that LL Cool J stands for Ladies Love Cool James. In the new romantic comedy 'Deliver Us from Eva,' in which he portrays a womanizer who meets his match in the shrewish Eva (Gabrielle Union), the entertainer born James Todd Smith gets to flex his pecs in his first leading-man role. In addition to Eva, he'll have two other movies out this year: 'Mindhunters,' a thriller costarring Val Kilmer due in August, and the action film 'S.W.A.T.,' which he's now shooting in L.A. with Samuel L. Jackson.His album 'Beat' has been successful.

Recommends three music recordings in New Zealand for summer listening in 1999. `Dreader Dread,' by Johnny Clarke; `Beat,' by Bowery Electric; `The Gathering,' featuring the country's best electronic musicians.