Rapper makes retiring types sit up and take notice

When AARP members drop the phrase "Def Jam," one might assume they mean problems with their hearing aids. Yet for nearly an hour yesterday at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, hundreds of graying conventioneers got a dose of the real deal with their morning coffee: a high-octane workout session led by LL Cool J, the multiplatinum-selling rapper, film star, and fitness buff whose music may be foreign to most 50- and 60-somethings but whose you-can-do-it message struck a chord with this crowd nonetheless.

Cool J (real name James Todd Smith III) turned up 25 minutes late - 7:30 a.m. is not the normal hour for hip-hop stars to shine - for his scheduled session, part of this week's three-day "Life@50+2007" national convention. But the charismatic rapper wasted little time in pumping up the energy level upon taking the stage.

This was not your grandfather's morning sit-up routine, as became quickly obvious.

"Whassup?" Cool J called out before launching into a rap about losing 40 pounds a few years ago and having the energy now to "chase my dreams" as an artist - dreams that have expanded to include publishing a fitness guide based on his personal workout program and marketing his own clothing line, in addition to his many recording and acting credits.

"Remember, dreams don't have deadlines," cooed Cool J, who was outfitted in baggy black shorts and a black "King of Style" T-shirt and who flashed ample amounts of bling and tattoos onstage. "Everybody wants to be in shape, to take their lives to the next level." Believing you can do it is the first step, he went on, sounding like a cross between Richard Simmons and Anthony Robbins.

The 39-year-old rapper was accompanied by trainer Dave "Scooter" Honig, coauthor of "LL Cool J's Platinum Workout," a lavishly illustrated, coffee-table-size tome retailing for $27.95. Honig, who is 52 and boasts the body of a muscular 26-year-old, handled most of the fitness instruction. Cool J played motivational coach, enjoining the crowd to embark on a journey of self-discovery to "the truest part of you," as he put it.

"With the help of your own personal will and inner fortitude - plus this routine - you can do it," he said. "You're stronger than you think you are."

Any doubters lurking in the crowd held their peace, or at least their laughter. Starting with a few breathing exercises, they threw themselves energetically into a 45-minute regimen of leg thrusts, jumps, lunges, and squats.

At one point, Cool J - who's even more ripped than Honig - demonstrated an exercise that required lying on his back, thrusting one leg in the air, and arching his spine repeatedly.

"This will make your wife fall in love with you," he promised with just a hint of naughtiness. Moments later, he bounded to his feet and ordered the music to stop so that everyone could catch their breath. "I can feel the pain of some of you," he said, gazing around a room that had its share of walking canes as well as running shoes.

Several attendees were invited onstage to sweat and strut alongside Honig and Cool J. Others jumped onstage uninvited, hoping to get their picture taken with the rapper. The longer the session went on, the harder it got to differentiate between aerobics class and photo-op. Cool J kept his cool throughout, though, indulging nearly everyone with a camera and a dream of telling their grandchildren they'd worked out with LL one morning in Boston.

After the session ended, several attendees admitted to being more drawn to the rapper's fitness message than his music.

"I'm more from the rock 'n' roll generation," said Maria Gentry, 52, a nurse from Livermore, Calif. "But I think he connected pretty well with this group. It's good he can convey his message to both my generation and a younger one."

Asked if she were put off by the jewelry and tattoos, Gentry smiled and said she had two children, ages 19 and 21. "So I don't even pay attention to that stuff anymore."

One of the youngest in the crowd was 18-year-old Sheila Brown of Washington, D.C., who'd come to the convention with her mother and grandmother. Brown said she prefers classical music and jazz to hip-hop but admitted being this close to Cool J had changed her tune, at least a little. "He is pretty adorable," she said. "And I thought the workout itself was pretty amazing."

Later that morning, Cool J appeared in another part of the convention hall to sign copies of his book. Wearing an electric orange "Phenomenon" T-shirt and matching New York Yankees cap, the rapper was greeted by a long line of fans. Surrounding him were booths touting eye screenings, colon care, arthritis wraps, and other goods and services associated with the golden years, though not necessarily the hip-hop ones.

Marsha Andrews, 62, a retired nurse from Monterey, Calif., was among the first to line up. Andrews, who had also attended the fitness session, called the rapper "a real inspiration" to young and old alike.

"I haven't seen any of his movies, but I will now," Andrews promised. "And, oh, I do like his arms."

Joseph P. Kahn can be reached at jkahn@globe.com.