LL COOL J has made a surprise appearance at the end of Season 2 of NCIS: Hawaii following the conclusion of NCIS: Los Angeles — much to the delight of fans.
According to Deadline, the 55-year-old rap icon made a cameo as fan-favorite Sam Hanna in the last episode of Season 2 titled “Dies Irate.” Moving forward, he will guest-star alongside Vanessa Lachey in Season 3 of NCIS: Hawaii.
“One of the most beautiful things about working on NCIS: Hawai’i is the show’s ability to bring the franchise together,” Lachey said in a statement. “We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to NCIS and NCIS: L.A. with the triple crossover.
“Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawai’i to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!”
LL COOL took to Instagram on Monday (May 22) and posted a picture of himself and Lachey in character and announced his new role in the longstanding franchise.
“Couldn’t keep Sam Hanna off the case for too long!!,” LL said. “Starting tonight, Sam Hanna will join forces with the @ncishawaiicbs team as a recurring guest star in the upcoming third season. Tune in the season 2 finale of @ncishawaiicbs on @cbstv at 10 ET/PT or on @paramountplus for live streaming and on demand.”
Fans and celebrities reacted to the exciting news in the comments section. “My bro…live it right,” said Omari Hardwick, while Big Daddy Kane added: “THE GOAT!!!.”
LL starred as Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles from 2009 until the show ended on May 21.
LL COOL J is catching a second wind in both television and music. It was recently reported that he’s enlisted the assistance of Eminem and Nas for his forthcoming album.
Looking to make his musical comeback, he is currently gearing up to release his first new album in a decade to coincide with Hip Hop’s 50th birthday this year.
While LL needs no assistance on the mic, the as-yet-untitled project will boast a bevy of big-name guests including Fat Joe, Rick Ross and Saweetie, as well as the aforementioned names, according to AllHipHop.
With the exception of Joey Crack, who featured on the “I Shot Ya (Remix)” back in 1995, it’ll mark the first time each of those artists has appeared on wax with James Todd Smith.
Eminem was originally supposed to be on LL’s G.O.A.T. 2 in 2014, and while that project got shelved, LL continued to tease a Slim Shady collaboration on his long-awaited 14th studio album.
“He actually did his vocals and everything,” he told Billboard in 2016. “It really happened. I want the overall project to be good. Em is my man and I love him. He’s also a friend of mine, so we’ll definitely get it poppin’. The world has been waiting for that. They’ll get it the right way and it’s gonna be amazing.”
Although the song never saw the light of day, the pair eventually shared the stage in 2021 at LL COOL J’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Em helped his Hip Hop hero perform “Going Back to Cali” and “Rock the Bells.”
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