LL Cool J signs with Sony/ATV

The Hollywood Reporter

April 8, 1998

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has signed an exclusive, worldwide agreement with rapper-actor LL Cool J to administer his past, present and future musical copyrights into the next century.

The agreement covers all musical compositions and copyrights owned or controlled by LL Cool J Publishing Co., LL Cool J Music and ILION Music Inc.

"We are proud to be working with LL Cool J and his catalog," said Richard Rowe, president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. "As a writer, he's remarkable; as a communicator, he's in a class by himself. LL is able to express himself in many mediums; a talent like his is very rare, and we're very pleased to be representing his compositions."

LL Cool J, who arrived on the scene at age 16 in 1985, was the first Def Jam artist to release a single and album, and the two-time Grammy Award-winning rapper has sold more than 20 million records. He's also the star of UPN series "In the House" and has appeared in feature films "Krush Groove," "The Hard Way," "Toys," "Out of Sync" and "Right to Remain Silent."