Island Def Jam Music Agrees to Multi-Song Internet Production Deal for Ja Rule, DMX and Jay-Z With Digital HipHop Studio

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2000

Business/Entertainment Editors & Music Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2000

Brilliant(TM)Music Continues Foray Into $327 Million Online Music

Biz Under New Digital HipHop Joint Venture Agreement

Brilliant Digital Entertainment Inc. (AMEX:BDE), announced that through its joint venture, Digital HipHop, a production agreement has been signed with The Island Def Jam Music Group to produce some of the first interactive animated digital music videos with the label's urban HipHop artists.

This multiple Internet video production deal for artists that include Ja Rule, DMX and Jay-Z was signed as a result of the existing partnership with hip hop impresario Russell Simmons and veteran Producer/Director Stan Lathan for the co-funded Digital HipHop interactive animation studio.

Stated Lyor Cohen, president of The Island Def Jam Music Group, "The Island Def Jam Music Group constantly seeks to reduce the cost of marketing and promotion by targeting the consumer in a much more focused way. Digital Hip-Hop will help us in those efforts."

Digital HipHop will begin production on the following soon-to-be-released Island Def Jam titles: Ja Rule, "6 Feet Underground," DMX, "Good Girls, Bad Boys" and Jay-Z, "You, Me, Him and Her."

The format for these videos will include the standard 3D animation with interactivity in fluid, real-time streaming audio and video with additional e-commerce and promotional components. IDJ, DHH and BDE will be partners in distributing and syndicating these videos and will share in associated revenues.

Regarding the joint venture agreement with Digital HipHop, Simmons stated, "Stan and I chose to work with Brilliant Digital because they're well established, and they're leaders in the development of 3D animation. Marrying their technology with our creative team will put us firmly in the center of Young American Culture. We intend to create the animated heroes of the future."

Lathan continued, "Digital Hip-Hop will offer users on the Internet a new level of participation by allowing them to move and interact in a breathtaking 3D environment. The Brilliant Digital technology also allows us to render material at a quality suitable for Broadcast Television."

Revenues from the associated licensing, distribution and syndication will be distributed between partners Brilliant Digital Entertainment, Island Def Jam and Digital HipHop.

According to Mark Dyne, chairman and CEO of Brilliant Digital Entertainment, "This is truly a win-win situation with regards to the combination of broad based appeal for both music videos and animation. We hope that our already established online partnerships with VH-1, Yahoo!, Warner Bros. On-line, Excite@Home, Roadrunner, USA Networks, and Lycos provide the immediate connectivity for the growth of Brilliant Music in this industry."

About Digital HipHop

Brilliant Digital Entertainment, Russell Simmons and his partner, Stan Lathan, established Digital HipHop as a joint venture studio for the creation of Internet content. Together the studio will produce and distribute full screen music content for deployment on the Web, utilizing a 5-year Alpha level license to Brilliant Digital's b3d production tool suite. The studio is based in Los Angeles and headed by Stan Lathan.

Stan Lathan is widely recognized as a leading Producer and Director of cutting edge, urban entertainment. He is the Executive Producer & Director of "The Steve Harvey Show." He co-created and executive produced "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam" for HBO. Lathan also directed the pilots for such series as, "Moesha," "The Parkers," "Martin," "South Central" and many others.

About Brilliant Digital Entertainment and b3d

Brilliant Digital Entertainment (AMEX:BDE) is a leading entertainment content producer, technology developer and tools provider with an established library of episodic serial content created for the Internet. These 3-D digitally animated interactive series feature popular television, comic book and motion picture characters that include Superman, Xena, KISS, Popeye and Ace Ventura. Developed using Brilliant's proprietary suite of b3d software tools, the full-screen productions have smaller files for faster downloads. Content is distributed broadly via Internet syndication to partners including Yahoo, Warner Brothers On-line, Roadrunner, @Home and VH1.com. Find out more at http://www.brilliantdigital.com. For investor information, go to http://bde.stockpr.com.

Brilliant's b3d studio is a suite of authoring tools that enable the creation and presentation of interactive streaming 3D web content. These tools were developed to meet the production needs of studios, production houses, web content suppliers, advertising agencies, e-commerce companies and educational institutions to produce 3D animation for both Internet and television distribution. For information visit http://www.b3d.com.

Information about Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that relate to (i) the use of Brilliant's existing online partnerships to grow Brilliant Music, (ii) future music productions, (iii) generation of licensing, distribution and syndication revenues, and (iv) other projections, events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results may differ materially due to a variety of factors, including those factors set forth in Brilliant's most recently filed Form 10-KSB report and 10-QSB report which are available from Brilliant Digital Entertainment's Investor Relations department and may be obtained by calling or writing to Mary Lou Hotsko, the company's vice president of Marketing & Communications, at 818/615-1501.