HHDX News Bits (Lil Jon, L.L. Cool J)

While the recent troubles at TVT Records seem to indicate that Lil Jon's Crunk Rock will not meet its release date, the "King of Crunk" has been keeping himself busy in other ways. The month of March should see Lil Jon announce the launch of an upscale brand of wine called the Little Jonathan Winery.

"[Damion Hickman Design] are the designers of the label and the website, but that's the extent of their involvement with this project," says Clyde Smith of ProHipHop.com. "Apparently Damion Hickman was designing labels for a winery or wineries prior to launching his own company and Lil Jon's camp found out about him via word of mouth."

Jon will also add his name to the ever-growing list of Hip Hop artists with clothing lines. BME Click Clothing, which will use the BME Records "shark logo" as the basis for most of its initial designs is coming soon. More informationwill soon beavailable at www.bmeclickclothing.com and www.littlejonathanwinery.com.

This summer should see L.L. Cool J release Exit 13, his final album on Def Jam. While most previous coverageof the album focused onL.L.'s gripes with Jay-Z, Def Jam's former president, the album appears to be on its way, and the self-proclaimed "G.O.A.T." is focused on the music.

"We're completing the mixing right now," L.L. tells the Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It's one of the most challenging records I've ever made. It's taken a year and a half. That's because it's not business as usual, but to actually move music forward. That happens in all other genres, but in Hip Hop it rarely happens."

No official release date has been announced for Exit 13. L.L. Cool J will also appear alongside William H. Macy and Meg Ryan in the movie The Deal. The comedy, which is scheduled topremiere Aug. 21,is about a downtrodden film producer who agrees to make his nephew's film adaptation of a 19th century English political figure. L.L. says his role is "small but significant."