Rappers Lil Jon and 50 Cent have announced a new business partnership which will see the two hip hop stars' record labels collaborate on the release and promotion of certain artists. The new arrangement means that the Lil Jon headed BME Recordings, an imprint of Warner, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records, an imprint of Universal's Interscope division, will work together, especially on the marketing of each other's acts.
The announcement ends some confusion over the future of rapper Lil Scrappy. He is signed to BME, but 50 Cent recently told a British radio station that he would be working with him on his next release. Scrappy's next album will be released via Lil Jon's label, but will be promoted via the new joint venture.
Commenting on the deal, Jon told Billboard: "50 Cent is going to collaborate and appear on certain projects with BME artists. And I'm going to collaborate and appear on certain projects with G-Unit. Basically 50 and Scrappy were already good friends. While we were out on [the recent Anger Management] tour, 50 came to me with the business proposition, and we sat down and worked it out."