I’m listening to LL Cool J’s first single off his upcoming album, Exit 13, and I’m experiencing some cognitive dissonance. Remember LL from the “Funky Cold Medina,” “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “Going Back to Cali” days? Like Tony Soprano was fond of saying - “old school.” Well, LL Cool J’s new shit is on the new school of pop hip-hop/R&B. Theproduction sounds great, but retains nothing of his old flavor…even his voice and flow have been revamped, no longer as smokey and growling. If not for his familiar cadence, you’d think it was a whole different artist. Check out his video here, and let me know if I’m tripping.

LL COOL J — “EXIT 13″

“I never could have predicted that I’d still be rocking the mic more than two decades after my debut, but here I am,” LL Cool J says with a smile.

Here he is indeed. Nearly 25 years since he first burst onto the scene, LL Cool J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career with the release of EXIT 13, his appropriately titled 13th album for the only label he has called home - Def Jam Recordings.

EXIT 13 is a study in contrast and showcases LL Cool J’s duality. “Depending on my mood, I can be aggressive, explosive and in-your-face, or alternately suave, smooth and sensual. It’s no secret that I like making love songs as much as I like to lay down rhymes,” commented LL. With a career chock full of both and a new album packed with collaborators as diverse as 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Richie Sambora and The Dream, and producers such as Suits, DJ Scratch, Ilfonics and Raw Uncut, EXIT 13 is the album LL Cool J fans have been clamoring for – full of passion, braggadocio and smooth rhymes. “When it came time for me to go into the studio, I tried to make this project as relevant as my first, and having that sense of my career coming full circle. Believe me, it was a blessing to be able to go back into the studio and create this album.” (more…)

According to former Synthesis hip-hop inspector turned freelance-scribe-for-hire (meaning, if you run a hip-hop mag you should drop him a line) C. Bloom’s blog, our friends One Block Radius have gotten themselves signed to Island / Def-Jam. Chico has known these dudes were on some shit for years, but soon the rest of the world will find out. If all goes as planned you’ll be seeing a Gurp City shirt on MTV sometime in the near future. Thug E Fresh better up his supply.

UPDATE: Forgot to add that like the man said if you want to check out some OBR you should definitely grab the Cut Some Static mixtape here. Shit is too much fame!

So it was “announced” today that Jay-Z was apparently stepping down as head of Def Jam records, which of course you may have read right here on this very blog about two weeks ago. Dude ain’t tripping though. He clocked about $82 million when he sold Rocawear this year, and whatchoo know bout Budweiser Select homie?

Depending on who you ask, Jay-Z is set to quit/was already fired as President of Def Jam Recordings:

A source told the New York Daily News newspaper: “He wanted big, big money from the owners Universal Music and that was way out of sync with the realities of today’s record business. “L.A. Reid, the Chief Executive Officer of Island/ Def Jam Records, and his boss Doug Morris have found Jay-Z’s demands excessive in light of the amount of time he’s spent on tour. “Everyone knows he’s not around the office much. Everyone at Universal loves him, but they just can’t justify paying him the money he wants when so many people have to be laid off.”

On the way up.