Content provider Lagadere Active North America today announced the launch of BlingTones, which promises to one-up rival ringtone creators by teaming with hip-hop artists and producers to create original, exclusive 30-second "songs" available only via wireless carriers Cingular, Sprint, Nextel, and Boost Mobile.

At its inception, BlingTones will offer exclusive ringtones from rapper Q-Tip (a former member of pioneering hip-hop outfit A Tribe Called Quest) as well as producers Rockwilder (best known for his collaborations with Missy Elliot, Jay-Z and DMX), Denuan Porter (50 Cent, Eminem) and Hi-Tek (Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg), among others. BlingTones will also offer urban-themed screensavers/wallpapers dubbed BlingPix, and additionally plans to work with comedians to create original mobile audio content.

Founded in January 2004, Lagardere Active is the U.S. division of European new media developer Lagardere Active Broadband. In tandem with sister company Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., a publisher of special interest magazines Lagardere Active has also launched Car and Driver Mobile, ELLE Mobile and American Photo Mobile; earlier this month, the company also partnered with mobile community solutions provider Upoc Networks to add text-messaging services to its portfolio.