Fans of LL Cool J will not only get to see him reprise his character Sam Hanna in the new season of NCIS, they will soon be treated to the rapper/actor’s newest album. LL wrapped up the album, which he calls “authentic hip hop”, this summer and says it will be released in 2013. The veteran rapper isn’t at all worried about competing with today’s hip hop acts saying: “I made an album for LL Cool J fans, I didn’t make an album for 14-year-olds, and I didn’t make an album for 15-year-old boys to critique. I made it for my audience, my generation of people that want to hear hip hop from me.” [EUR Web]
Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will guest star on the television musical series Smash as mother of a character played by newly cast Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer plays a Broadway star in the show’s second season which premieres in January. [Playbill]
Actress Tia Mowry fired back this week after a few comments on the YBF blog insulted her one-year-old baby Cree calling him “ugly.” Tia responded on her Facebook page posting: “It’s disgusting that some focus on looks. I brought a beautiful child into this world.” [Rumorfix]
Comedian Cedric the Entertainer was photo’d arriving at NBC Studios with his son Croix and daughter Lucky Rose. Cedric was at NBC for a Today Show taping. [Celebrity Baby Scoop]
LaLa Anthony’s reality show, La La’s Full Court Life, will be back for a third season on VH1. Season three of the show, which centers around the television personality and her life with husband Carmelo Anthony and son Kiyan, will premiere in early 2013 and will include scenes from Lala’s trip to the Olympics in London to watch her hubby play basketball for the gold-medal-winning U.S. team. [Chicago Tribune]