With the new phase, the company plans to invest more in its direct-to-consumer business, particularly in the content, commerce, and experience space. LL Cool J is planning a significant expansion of its Rock the Bells direct-to-consumer business. The actor and rapper have raised $ 8 million in a Series A funding round for Rock the Bells led by Rhine Ventures.

Other investors in the round include venture capital firm M13, Wilbobi Capital Holdings (the family office of billionaire Daniel Och), and Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang

. Current Rock the Bells investors include Irving Azoff, Mark Cuban, Aegon Durban, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. Rock the Bells, led by former Beta executive James Cuthbert, who joined the company earlier this year.

Rock the Bells was founded in 2018 as a content and commerce brand dedicated to classic hip-hop (the name is based on LL Cool J’s own debut album Radio, which was released in 1985, the third). With the new phase, the company plans to invest more in its direct-to-consumer business, particularly in the content, commerce, and experience space. It will also form the executive team along with Cuthbert.

“L Fund Cool helped accelerate our development and team-building efforts to ensure people and culture are at the forefront of hip-hop through exciting e-commerce collaboration, storytelling, and experiences, LL Cool J said a statement announcing the funding round.

With the funding round, the company said that Gordon Rubenstein, managing partner of Rhine Ventures, Claudine Joseph, COO of LL COL J Inc., and Kevin Hart, president, and COO of Laugh Out Loud, will join its board.

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