Designer Tommy Hilfiger is working even harder to lash himself to the hip-hop culture that his clothes have become such a big part of.

Hilfiger and his empire have tapped Prince Paul, Mobb Deep, Craig Mack, Percy P, and a number of underground rappers to record tracks for an upcoming promotional mix tape that will be distributed at Tommy retail outlets (with the purchase of Tommy gear, of course).

Dead Prez, Tash from the Alkaholiks, and Aassim will also turn up on the collection when it arrives in mid-April.

Prince Paul will be kicking in a track from his recently released "A Prince Among Thieves" album, while DJ Max Glazer and Cypher Sounds of New York's Hot 97 radio will mix the tape.

According to Hilfiger's camp, the underground rappers who turn up on the tape will record tracks specifically for the collection, and will actually be rapping about Hilfiger's clothes (including tracks about acquiring the gear through less than legal methods and how Tommy's duds can

help one get lucky).

Despite these somewhat objectionable topics, spokespeople for Hilfiger claim that the collection will be clean, and that any offensive words on the tape will be beeped out with a well-placed "Tommy!