ROCK THE BELLS CLOSES SERIES B LED BY PARAMOUNT GLOBAL TO CONTINUE ELEVATING HIP-HOP CULTURE

Investments will support Rock The Bells' ongoing commitment to elevate and advance Hip-Hop culture and expand the culture across industries.

LOS ANGELES, April 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock The Bells, the global platform dedicated to elevating Hip-Hop culture from its roots to the modern day founded by LL COOL J, announced today a $15 million Series B raise led by Raine Ventures, Irving Azoff of Iconic Artists Group, and Paramount Global, with participation from Amex Ventures, Wildcat Capital Management and Capstar Ventures. The company also received additional investment from ASK Capital, North Island (Glenn Hutchins), AME Cloud Ventures and XO Capital.

As the ultimate champion and destination for timeless Hip-Hop, Rock The Bells provides Hip-Hop lovers with a single global destination for content, commerce and experiences. With the addition of these new industry-leading investors, funding from this round will be used to scale those three pillars of the business, including creating more long-form content projects, launching new retail partnerships and expanding internationally to the European Union, growing the annual Rock The Bells Festival, and introducing new experiential events in the marketplace.

"This Series B round is a reflection of the confidence that our investors have in Rock The Bells as a global platform," said LL COOL J, Founder and CEO of Rock The Bells. "Hip-Hop is an art form that many people doubted from day one, but our culture continues to rise to higher heights! I'm honored that Rock The Bells is leading this resurgence of timeless Hip-Hop, while simultaneously bridging the generations. I'm so excited about all of the amazing things we have  planned for the community, fans and brands! This is just the beginning."

Since launching in 2018, Rock The Bells has transformed the way consumers experience and appreciate timeless Hip-Hop through Rock The Bells Radio on SiriusXM, a thriving content platform at RockTheBells.com, licensing and merchandising partnerships with mass retailers, and curated experiences and activations with partners at the biggest global cultural events across the world. As the go-to partner for all things Hip-Hop, Rock The Bells has cultivated successful and meaningful partnerships with leading brands and Fortune 500 corporations such as Target, Walmart, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and more. With the addition of strategic investors Paramount Global and Amex Ventures, Rock The Bells can continue to elevate how it shows up for its community in meaningful ways, where everyone can celebrate Hip-Hop together.

"Rock The Bells has brand affinity that's been built over time through consistency and authenticity," said James Cuthbert, President of Rock The Bells. "We hold our audience's trust, and we grow together by asking them to be a part of everything we do. Our partners proudly support our work because it spans generations, cements a legacy, and continues to elevate Hip-Hop in a way that honors the artform and highlights it deservingly."

As part of the partnership, Rock The Bells and Paramount Global have entered into a multiyear first look deal covering feature films and scripted and unscripted content, as well as the opportunity to live stream the upcoming 2023 Rock The Bells Festival that will collaboratively celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop. They will also collaborate on identifying and developing co-branded merchandise opportunities that combine available Paramount Global IP with relevant timeless storytelling. Additionally, Paramount Global will provide marketing support for Rock The Bells content, experiences, and activations. As the authority for timeless Hip-Hop, these projects will continue highlighting the unique unmined stories that speak to the broader Hip-Hop culture and fans of all ages and generations around the world.

"Paramount is thrilled to expand our deep relationship with LL COOL J with our investment in Rock The Bells," said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events at Paramount. "We look forward to working with him to shine a spotlight on Hip-Hop culture and icons through music, events and diverse content."

As Rock The Bells continues to elevate content, commerce, and experiences for Hip-Hop fans, American Express provides Card Members around the world with epic experiences.

"Entertainment is a key pillar in American Express' membership offering, so we are thrilled to invest in Rock The Bells and to help them scale their connected platform for Hip-Hop experiences, commerce and content," said Kevin Tsang, Managing Director for Amex Ventures. "We look forward to seeing the creative and innovative experiences the company creates for consumers to celebrate Hip-Hop."

Hip-Hop continues to make a massive impact across all industries, with this year marking the official 50th anniversary of the culture. In 2017, Hip-Hop became the most dominant music genre in the U.S. according to Nielsen Music¹ and, according to an IFPI's Global Music Report, 1.85 billion people worldwide listen to Hip-Hop music.² Investing in the culture with purpose has proven to be a sound business decision across the globe.

Recently on its five year anniversary, the company announced the return of the annual Rock The Bells Festival, taking place on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY. Leading the pack with the first of many announcements during Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary year, Rock The Bells will also host Rock The Bells Cruise: A Hip-Hop Experience in partnership with Sixthman, setting sail from Miami to the Bahamas on November 13-17, 2023.

Citi acted as exclusive placement agent to Rock The Bells in the transaction.

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ABOUT ROCK THE BELLS
Rock The Bells is the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Founded in 2018 by LL COOL J and Geoff Yang, Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop — MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists — and more. Rock The Bells is the bridge between OG's and those inspired by their groundbreaking influences on the culture. Visit us at www.RockTheBells.com, stream LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio on SiriusXM Channel 43, and follow us on Instagram @RockTheBells.

Media Contact
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¹ "2017 Year End Music Report," Nielsen Music, 2017.  
² "IFPI Global Music Report 2018," IFPI, April 24, 2018.

SOURCE Rock The Bells