Inspired by his wife, Simone Smith's past battle with bone cancer, LL Cool J is now raising money for cancer research.

The legendary rapper was at the BCRF Hot Pink Party, which annually raises funds for breast cancer research. This year's gala reportedly raised $5.5 million.

“Economics is always a big issue . . . and that is a bigger issue that affects everything — health, food, nutrition and education,” LL told Page Six about finding a cure. “That is a much bigger discussion that I can’t do in a sound bite right now. But I will say this is really important that we do research — because that is the only way that we can find a cure — and if we find a cure, then we can figure out to make sure all the people who need the cure have it.”

Simone was diagnosed with cancer back in 2004, and the cause has been close to the rapper's heart since then. Also at the gala was Mary J. Blige, who performed.

Beyond his charitable activities, LL has been busy preserving the culture with his recently launched radio station on SiriusXM, LL Cool J's Rock the Bells Radio. It’s a station close to his heart, as it features classic hip-hop songs from the 1970s to the 2000s.

"This is a radio station that’s about the culture. It’s about the classic hip-hop for real," he told Jimmy Kimmel back in April. "This is the first time in America that [classic] hip-hop is truly expose to you guys and you'll really get a chance to find out what rap music is really about. I'm not saying you gonna like it because it's very polarizing. It's not for the faint of heart. We are not trying to be family friendly. The language is nasty. Either you love it or you don't. I'm giving it to you raw."

 

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