Nas Officially Signs With Def Jam

Orizio

Two points-Nas is getting 3 million for this contract,which is a pretty incredible amount of cash.It will also keep him relevant,make his new album all the more fascinating and hopefully Def Jam will do what they do best and produce some strong beats for the notoriously picky Nas.I'm not sure I can stand another Streets Disciple frankly,which lets be honest was trash.So good deal for Nas.

This also kills off the Jay-Cam diss,which everybody will have forgotten about next week.

Hip-Hop suddenly got interesting again!

In Oct. Of 2005, Jay-Z and Nas ended their long running feud and now, Nas has officially signed with Def Jam as a recording artist.

Under the terms of the deal, Def Jam and Sony Music will split the profits from two albums, while Def Jam will keep an additional two.

Additionally, Sony has the rights to release a Greatest Hits album from Nas.

Def Jam will cover the marketing and production costs of the recording, while both companies will oversee the marketing of the releases

http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=5280

evil_seed

This is HUGE!!!!

Kristok

This is the end of any credability nas had he is a total sell out after all the things hes said about def jam in the past to sign with them.

How is this the end of the Jay-Cam diss ?

Corholio

Wouldnt go as far as calling him a sell-out but he is quite the hypocrite signing with them after the things he said about them.

To be honest i think this would have been major news couple of years ago but dont think its anywhere near as big now. I think Streets Disciple put paid to that. Jay has already let Dmx go to Sony and Redman and Meth's albums keep getting pushed back. Hasn't been there long i know but still seems like all the usual problems are still there.

Nas working for Jay-Z. Who would have thought. Actually knowing rap these days and the money, it seems like noone stand their ground anymore, they just see the dollar bills. Makes the classic feud look half as potent now.

Orizio

Kristok wrote:

This is the end of any credability nas had he is a total sell out after all the things hes said about def jam in the past to sign with them.

How is this the end of the Jay-Cam diss ?

How does this make him a sell out?

As I already explained,it makes the Jay-Cam diss irrelevent.Everyone will be talking about this deal now,not the diss.

Kristok

How does it not make him a sell out. If you make a stand against something then give in because of money you are a sell out. He has stated in the past that def jam dont make real rap music they just churn out pop and many many statements about them. But when they offer him enough money he joins them ? If you dont think this is selling id love to know what is.

It dosnt make Jay-Cam beef irrelevent it has no effect on it its not like people who where talking about it will suddenly go oh nas signed to def jam what was that other thing we where talking about. Camron is going to likly release diss after diss and eventually jay will respond, nas signing to def jam will have no impact on that happening.

Orizio

The point being that Nas sold out years ago(just like so many other rappers).This move is simply a continuation.I'm not bothered about him selling out anyway,just as long as he doesn't start ****ing up his flow like Jigga and 50.

Look at the webs main Hip-Hop forums and see what they are talking about.And it ain't Cam's weak ass diss.

As for Nas,I'm going to take your word for it(and its not as if je is wrong,Def Jam fell off big time)and frankly I don't care.Def Jam is on its way back,and if Nas comes back big time with another Stillmatic or Lost Tapes then I don't care who Nas is singed onto.Its his music that I care about.

*Enjoys the thought of Nas rapping over some Just Blaze and The Alchemist beats*

Can't wait till the new album.;)

Kristok

Well if you think he sold out years ago then fair enough thats an opinion and its your right to have one allot of people see this as a sell out and thats what im saying.

If you look at any message boards they are talking about both things as well as loads of other rubbish, theres never just one thing going on at once. Cam was last week, nas is this, chingys new chain or something will be next.

yak_kadafi

damn another ****in sellout...**** gay-z

Freshmilk

WHY does Jay Z own def jam or something?

Kristok

Jay is the president not the c.e.o

ubu

Interesting, I didnt know how to react when i first read this, the fact that NaS will be under Jay-Z is a bit disconcerting but obviously he was happy with the deal he got, so much for being "a free agent and creating my own motown" it should result in a stong release from him, but from what I know most of the material for Nasdaq Dow Jones has been done already

Kristok, NaS is still relevant, and has been relevant since '94, this deal doesnt change that.

Orizio

Well considering how weak SD was,considering how great his talent and considering how many disapointing albums he has made because of his rubbish beat selection,I'm thinking Nas himself has realeased that he is quickly becoming more and more irrelevent,and not just commercially,hence turning to Primo for beats,making up with Jigga and now signing this deal.He's making a lot of moves and why?Becase he was becoming irrelevent imo.This deal virtually insures that his new album is going to sell big.

BTW got any news on Nasdaq Dow Jones?

Orizio

BTW it was 10 not 3.

Now, sources say a new deal finds Nas signed to Jay-Z's Def Jam label for more than $10 million (early reports incorrectly estimated it was $3 million), a sum that covers an advance and production costs

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/385459p-327139c.html

Orizio

This is hilarious.Some excellent stuff on this site,check the O'Reilly one as well.

Jay: We feel the same way, Nas. You're a legend and we're happy to have you on board here at Def Jam.

Nas: I appreciate that Jay.

Jay: It's Mr. Carter while we're in here.

Nas: *chuckles* Aw man, you silly.

Jay: *stern camel faced expression*

Nas: .......Word. so, what's on the agenda for today?


Jay: Aight, where were we? Yes, your new direction here at Def--

Nas: Actually, we were discussing my first check. Do you wanna write it out to my--

Jay: Nas, Nas...relax. We'll get to the money soon, I promise. Let's focus on the music right now.

Nas: ........aight, word.

Jay: Now I've been a fan of your music since Illmatic, and--

Nas: I know.

Jay: ..........what?

Nas: I mean, thanks.

Jay: ..........anyway, what really sticks out to me on all your albums is.. you don't do many adlibs.

Nas: Yeah, I guess not. I just feel like the rhymes speak for theyself. Like when I write, I try to--

Jay: Yeah that's interesting. What I was thinking though is we could get Young Jeezy on a song or two... no rhymes, no pressure.. just for some adlib support.

Nas: Word? You want... Young Jeezy to do adlibs on my album?

Jay: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaah.

http://www.rocascenes.com/vol_13.php

ubu

SD wasnt that bad, as for making moves, of course he has to make moves, thats part of the game i still dont think you can say that he was becoming irrelevant, he has managed to stay the opposite for 12 years now.

found this on mtv.com
Hov said there probably will not be a Jay and Nas album, but he does expect to do at least a song with Nas.

"I'm guessing like September, fall, so we can do it right," Jay said of when he expects Nas' LP to drop. Nas has been recording material for months, but Hov thinks he'll start fresh with his new deal in place. "I didn't hear the stuff he did before, but I'm guessing it'll be a new slate."

Orizio

ubu wrote:

SD wasnt that bad, as for making moves, of course he has to make moves, thats part of the game i still dont think you can say that he was becoming irrelevant, he has managed to stay the opposite for 12 years now.

He was becoming irrelevent until Jay dissed him,giving him a new lifeline.After Ether he gained a new lease of life as one of the greatest ever.

These are major moves you've got to admit.There must be a reason they have come now,and I just think its because he saw himself losing popularity and relevance.Maybe I'm wrong.

SD was easily Nas' worst outside of Nostradamus.For his last 3 albums the guy has made albums that were bought and rated because of one track(Ether,Made You Look,Thiefs Theme).Seriously,outside of LT and Illmatic Nas has really wasted his talent.

Kristok

Orizio wrote:

Well considering how weak SD was,considering how great his talent and considering how many disapointing albums he has made because of his rubbish beat selection,I'm thinking Nas himself has realeased that he is quickly becoming more and more irrelevent,and not just commercially,hence turning to Primo for beats,making up with Jigga and now signing this deal.He's making a lot of moves and why?Becase he was becoming irrelevent imo.This deal virtually insures that his new album is going to sell big.

I couldnt agree with you more although im not sure the genreal public care if he signs with def jam or not as long as his next album has hits on it, nas + def jam dosnt = sales it just equals better publicity. If he produces an album like stillmatic he will be bigger than ever if he produces another SD then thats it for nas.

ubu wrote:

SD wasnt that bad, as for making moves, of course he has to make moves, thats part of the game i still dont think you can say that he was becoming irrelevant, he has managed to stay the opposite for 12 years now.

SD was pure garbage it was as bad as the blueprint 2 and without the hits. Nas has not stayed relavent for 12 years after his first album people wrote him off with every release after that it just got worse in terms of criticism. And as has been said it took Jigga dissing him and a comeback album to bring him back into touch and people not writing him off as old school. Without Jigga dissing him and all the publicity that produced stillmatic would probably never have been heard by the masses. He has been getting more and more rubbish since then, gods son was alright but nothing too amazing and SD was garbage pure and simple.

ubu

He wasnt totally irrelevent ever, fair enough his albums after illmatic were let downs and the battle with jay-z brought back the spark that was needed in his career but NaS has always been a respected artist and this is alot more than others in the industry can say about themselves, Orizio you're being unusally critical of NaS, lets not forget this post you made last month and now your saying that anything apart from illmatic and LT are worthless?

SD was not pure garbage, far from it, i could name nearly any song off it and its better than any of the commercial shít thats in the charts at the moment.
There are some quality songs on SD, yea its not a complete masterpiece but songs like Just A Moment(especially), Disciple, Suicide Bounce, Bridging The Gap and Streets Disciple are all class songs with strong beats and lyrics and are up to the high standard of songs off other NaS albums.

NaS doesnt make hits, he makes intelligent, thoughtful and interesting (and sometimes amazing) Hip-Hop music, if you are again equating success to record sales you are off the mark.

Makaveli

In fairness I think you are letting the fact that you are such a big fan of him cloud your judgement.
Nobody gave a shít about Nas after Nastradamous, it was viewed as another crap album from a once great emcee. The Jay-Z incident brought him back into the limelight and it just so happened that he released two good albums which has helped him reinstate himself. Lost Tapes aside as it's old material, SD was again a step backwards into mediocrity for Nas.
Illmatic may be one of the all time great albums but quite a bit of the other stuff hasn't been and for a long period Nas was irrelevant.
God's Son needed poppy songs like I Can to get Nas back onto the radio and tv because to kids today who don't know as much about older albums or more realistically don't give a shít about them Nas was a nobody.

Kristok

ubu wrote:

NaS doesnt make hits, he makes intelligent, thoughtful and interesting (and sometimes amazing) Hip-Hop music, if you are again equating success to record sales you are off the mark.

Im sorry to burst your bubble every artist makes songs that they want to be hits. You would have to some self loathing back street rapper not to want people to buy your music. He signs record deals on the back of his past success and the hope that he can emulate that again. Ha made hate me now, oochie wally, nastradamus etc all songs made to sell records with little on the side of content. The only nas album with no songs made to sell was his first and that didnt sell it went gold or something. And no matter what you say success in this rap game is only counted in the ammount of record sales, its a cold world and nas lives in it.

Im a big nas fan, but he is only as good as his last move everyone is in the same game nas has to play the same games. Hopefully if he can follow up this deal with an amazing album he can get back on top but right now he isnt on top you all know who is and not to start any stupid arguments ill not mention his name.

spacecoyote

Kristok wrote:

right now he isnt on top you all know who is and not to start any stupid arguments ill not mention his name.

laughing my ass off here

Gotta repect your undying love Kristok

Kristok

and another pointless post from spacecoyote

Orizio

SD was practically on par with Nostradamus.It had three tracks worthy of Nas(Disciple,Streets Disciple,Thiefs Theme),Just A Moment was a half hearted attempt at a commercial heart felt track and was hardly one of Nas' strongest lyrical moments.Suicide Bounce was awful.

Nas has made plenty of attempts of making it commercially,although they have become more and more half hearted since he broke away from Steve Stoute.Ultimately I was feeling his Poke and Tone stuff far more then Salaam Remi,he had a nicer flow pre-Stillmatic.The last freestyle I heard of his he was wandering off beat and his beat selection has stinked since Nostradamus.

As for 50 being on 'top',I hate to think the person on top is the person who sells the most.He used to have a real flow,no lyrics,but he could have been tagged as an east coast Ice Cube when he was underground.Listen to Hustlers Ambition and you see how much he has fallen off MC wise.Remember that the 'top' is not known for its longevity.Once the beats dry up,50 will find himself losing popularity like Ja.We all know who Hip-Hop fans will still be talking about in 50 years time,and it won't be 50 or Cam'Ron but Nas,Jay-Z,Mos Def,Rakim etc.The best MCs gain eternity.

Kristok

Orizio wrote:

As for 50 being on 'top',I hate to think the person on top is the person who sells the most.He used to have a real flow,no lyrics,but he could have been tagged as an east coast Ice Cube when he was underground.Listen to Hustlers Ambition and you see how much he has fallen off MC wise.Remember that the 'top' is not known for its longevity.Once the beats dry up,50 will find himself losing popularity like Ja.We all know who Hip-Hop fans will still be talking about in 50 years time,and it won't be 50 or Cam'Ron but Nas,Jay-Z,Mos Def,Rakim etc.The best MCs gain eternity.

Being on the top is always down to who sells most. Some of the more lyrically minded rappers never sell and noone knows them the ones who sell get more plays on the radio and mtv more people know them and more people want them to guest on tracks on their albums. It might not be fair but selling records is all that counts in the rap industry and what rapper sells the most gets the most fans and the most attention. The best MCs gain eternity maby but hes only been around less than half the time of those rappers and with everything hes done so far theres no saying what else he can do, nas had bad albums so did jay z. And even if it all ended now he already set records that will probably last a very long time, took nearly 10 years for 50 to come along and break snoops record for 1st week sales and then break the record himself with the follow up. Also hes the only rapper on par with the beatles when it comes to songs in the charts. I know people round these parts dont like him but he is on top right now and I doubt we will just stop hearing about him anytime soon but you never know.

I wouldnt worry too much about any nas freestyles hes not know for good freestyles ususally his mixtape stuff is sub par. I would agree Nastradamus and SD are truly on par, SD is slightly better but not by enough when compared to the rest of his albums. Id like to think nas is going to come out with fire (maby aimed at 50) and blow everyone away but im not sure he has it in him.

spacecoyote

Kristok wrote:

Being on the top is always down to who sells most. Some of the more lyrically minded rappers never sell and noone knows them the ones who sell get more plays on the radio and mtv more people know them and more people want them to guest on tracks on their albums. It might not be fair but selling records is all that counts in the rap industry and what rapper sells the most gets the most fans and the most attention.

i don't make pointless posts. i was genuinely laughing my ass off, out loud at my computer when i read what is effectively the same post i've read by you, in different words for the millionth time.

theres no point in even arguing with you about 50 cent, because you have no interest in anyone elses opinion on the matter. seeling lots of records and having your video played every hour or so on mtv, despite what you believe, does not put you on top. it makes you rich, and it means you're popular with all the teenage kids buying pop music. Fair play to 50, he's the flavour of the month in the pop, and he's making every penny he can, by releasing lowest common demoninator cheesy hip-pop.

selling records, having women and cars, is not what hip-hop is about, its what pop music is about. and i don't just hate all commercial music. I'm a fan of kanye, etc...but i think 50s music is bad pop music.

Everyone in hip-hop wants to make money, theres no denying it. people have to make a living. but it doesn't mean everything to real respected hip-hop artists. real hip-hop artists and real hip-hop fans don't equate talent or respect with record sales!

But hey, you're not going to take the slightest bit of this in, so i'll let you get back to your analysis of the depths of candyshops lyrics

Makaveli

Considering this is a Nas thread, lets stop posting about 50 Cent.

spacecoyote

works for me. wouldn't have mentioned anything, only to respond to what was said about me!

I'll be interested to see what Nas does come out with though. it does seem to be a bit of a atrange move, but i guess if you're not havin a lot of success and releasing some poor material then def jam probably does represent your best opportunity for some commercial success

Kristok

You have a short memory spacecoyote your the one who came in with a pointless post noone said anything to you till you butted in so dont try to act innocent.

If whats his name isnt on top of rap right now then who is ? dont say hes not without saying who is, nas defo isnt and hasnt been since stillmatic.

Makaveli

Start your own thread to discuss who's "top" of rap right now.
Next off-topic post in this thread will earn the poster a weeks ban.

spacecoyote

At the end of the day, Nas' move to def jam is an attempt at salvaging a career which never lived up to its beginnings. Illmatic is without doubt one of, if not the best hip-hop album ever produced, but in my opinion its all been pretty much downhill since there. yeah stillmatic was an improvement after a few years of poor albums, but i still didn't think it came close to matching up to what had been before. hopefullly he'll get some decent producers and not rush an album out and come back with something strong.