Rock the Bells Inc., a Larchmont-based content and commerce brand created by rapper and actor LL Cool J raised $8 million in Series A funding to grow its direct-to-consumer offerings.

The funding round was led by San Francisco-based Raine Ventures, with participation from Santa Monica-based venture capital firm M13 and New York-based investment firm Willoughby Capital Holdings, as well as Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang.

Music industry veteran Irving Azoff, billionaire Mark Cuban and literary critic Henry Louis Gates Jr. previously invested in Rock the Bells.

Rock the Bells plans to use the funds to bolster its executive team, as well as boost its classic hip-hop content, ecommerce offerings and experiences.

“This funding will help us accelerate our growth and team-building efforts to make sure we can further uplift the people and culture at the forefront of hip-hop through exciting ecommerce collaborations, storytelling, and experiences,” LL Cool J said in a statement.

Named after LL Cool J’s 1985 single "Rock the Bells," the brand was founded in 2018 to create content and experiences that focus on the “culture and core elements of hip-hop,” according to the company’s website. 

Rock the Bells has a SiriusXM station curated by LL Cool J that plays hip-hop classics. LL Cool J announced plans to expand the brand and its direct-to-consumer business in January. In February, Rock the Bells named James Cuthbert, a former executive at BET, as its president.