Exit 13

the grindcore band

Exit 13 is the twelfth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on September 9, 2008, on the record label Def Jam Recordings. This would be his last album release with the label.

This album is the first LL Cool J album since G. O. A. T. to have the parental advisory label for explicit lyrics. LL said in an interview with Chicago radio personality DJ Z that the vulgarities are not heavy and the edited version has alternate lyrics rather than simply omitting the vulgarities. LL and DJ Kayslay teamed up to release his first mixtape as a prelude to Exit 13 titled The Return of the G. O. A. T

Other contributors for this album include 50 Cent, Sheek Louch, Fat Joe, Ryan Leslie, Wyclef Jean, The Dream, Lil Mo, KRS One, Funkmaster Flex, Richie Sambora and Darlisa Blackshere.

A buzz single titled, "Cry," featuring Lil' Mo, was released as a digital download and international 12" single on June 17, 2008. The unofficial street single, "Rockin' with the G. O. A. T.," premiered on June 20, 2008. The first official single, "Baby" featuring The Dream was released on July 1, 2008, to the iTunes Music Store. On August 19, 2008, iTunes released the rock remix featuring Richie Sambora, lead guitarist of rock band Bon Jovi, with a rock rhythm and a sped up tempo. The second official single, "Feel My Heart Beat" featuring 50 Cent was released on August 26, 2008. The song did not enter the Billboard Hot 100. The official single version of the song was leaked to the Internet on November 27, 2008.

Exit 13 garnered mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 57, based on 5 reviews. AllMusic's Andy Kellman said that despite tracks like "You Better Watch Me" and "This Is Ring Tone M " that show LL at his best, he criticized the record for being too try hard in sounding like the mainstream rap albums released that year, concluding that "Out with a whimper, not a bang, Exit 13 is an off ramp leading to a boulevard of several mismanaged White Castle knock offs." By October 2008, it had sold 80,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Exit 13 would become LL Cool J's final album with Def Jam. In regards to the album's reception and lack of proper marketing, he stated in 2009: "The record just really honestly, you know, didn't have that support that I wish it would have had. [I] can't blame anyone. It was my last record, and I guess for whatever reason, whether it was quality or business, you know, the company just decided that they were going to write it off and not really give it that shot."