Hip-hop legend LL Cool J sets the record straight in the July Ebony

After a slew of hits and two decades in the rap game, LL Cool J has earned the right to be considered a hip-hop legend. But, don't let the word legend fool you. At age 38 the entertainer, whose given name is James Todd Smith, is in his best shape ever and producing what he feels in some of his best work to date.

In the July EBONY the rapper talks about his latest CD Todd Smith and dispels rumors about how he obtained and continues to maintain his 210-pound chiseled physique that the ladies love and the men envy.

"The reality is that I really do go into the gym ... ," says the rapper-turned-actor and author. "I really do work out hard, and I really do diet."

Read "After 20 Years In Hip-Hop LL Cool J Comes Clean About Plastic Surgery, Steroid Use & Heartbreak" to find out more about the Grammy Award-winning artist and his dedication to his career, family and health.

Like LL, more and more people are finding out that diet and exercise really do pay off when you give it your all. In "Losing Weight The Old-Fashioned Way," part of the Annual Black Health and Fitness Section, four individuals share their inspiring stories about how they shed unwanted weight and how they plan to keep it off.

What do you do when your plans for everlasting love are cut short because your mate decided to end the relationship? You get over it! "After The Breakup: Get Over It And Get On With Your Life" offers valuable lessons on how to pick up the pieces after a failed union and heal your heart in preparation for future love.

Also featured in the July issue of Ebony are 26 of the nation's brightest beauties in search of Mr. Right in the "Top Bachelorettes of 2006," and for the latest tips on getting together with relatives this summer, read "Black Family Reunions Go Hi-Tech."