Nelly and LL COOL J are venturing into the world of televised dance competitions. Nelly has joined the 2020 season cast of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars while LL is producing a new dance show for CBS.
On Wednesday (September 2), ABC unveiled the celebrities appearing in the upcoming edition of Dancing With The Stars. Former NBA player Charles Oakley, Tiger King’s Carole Baskins, Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean and The Real host Jeannie Mai (who’s engaged to Jeezy) are among the other participants.
Fans can see Nelly when the new season of Dancing With The Stars premieres on September 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern. LL, on the other hand, will be behind the camera as an executive producer for a CBS show tentatively titled Come Dance With Me.
LL is co-producing the family-friendly series with his NCIS: Los Angeles co-star Chris O’Donnell. The dance competition will feature young dancers who invite an untrained family member or adult who supported their dancing to be their dance partner in an effort to win a grand prize.
“We believe this concept is fun for the whole family, especially given the number of children we both have,” LL and O’Donnell said in a press release. “We reminisced about our kids’ dance lessons and how it would look if they had to teach us how to dance. What we noticed was, aside from the two-left-feet element, like most parents, no one wants to let their kids down. The show is about being creative, having a good time and bringing families together through dance. It’s a fun show with a big heart.”
Nelly and LL’s forays into dancing competitions mark new chapters in their storied careers.
The Dancing With The Stars gig comes just a few months after Nelly’s work was celebrated in a Verzuz battle with Ludacris. Over the course of his run, the St. Louis-bred rapper achieved a rare feat in Hip Hop when his debut album Country Grammar was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. He’s also earned multi-platinum plaques for songs and LPs while reaching the top of the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts.
LL, a Hip Hop pioneer and one of Def Jam’s first stars, is no stranger to TV. The legendary rapper’s acting career began to blossom in the ’90s, allowing him to star in the sitcom In the House for a few years and pop up in his fair share of movies.
He eventually landed his longtime role portraying Sam Hanna on NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009. He also served as a host and producer of Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle prior to the network’s rebranding as Paramount Network.