Forget Killa Cam; check out the moves Nas is makin

mannybolone

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/arts/music/23rap.html?ex=1295672400&en=f2fb8dfeb5d55d1b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rsshere's the short story:*Sony and Def Jam are partnering up to release Nas' next four albums. *Def Jam, however, will be supervising the production and marketing. *This probably means, among other things, that it's almost certain Jay-Z and Nas will record at least one song together though I've heard rumors (VERY UNSUBSTANTIATED) that they're cutting an album together.*Nas' first two albums will earn him, up front, $3 million, which should be enough for 1.5 Neptunes tracks. *Btw, I've heard other rumors (BETTER SUBSTANTIATED) that Jay is in the studio right now, recording his next album. I have no indication, one way or another, if crushing Cam is involved in this recording process.*Conclusion: Who cares who slept with whose baby's mama. They must be living by Jaz-O's credo: "never put the pure brown sugar before the dirty, green cream."

Brian

too bad none of this will cause him to drop a halfway decent album

mannybolone

Hatter.

"Streets Disicple" was rather a mess (though personally, I still liked enough of it to give it a thumbs up). You thought "God's Son" was wack though? Provided, the production should have been better (but I've been saying this since his 2nd LP) but all in all, a pretty solid effort.

Brian

streets disciple might have been able to pass as one disc but the entire middle of god's song was garbage.

soulmarcosa

Are you saying the that the SCRATCH magazine-concocted album teamup of Nas and Primo was not mentioned? Unbelievable.

Whither That Real Schitt????

mannybolone

Who knows? With Def Jam in charge now, that might either make the Primo/Nas LP more likely or less likely (uh, bet on the latter).

Look: I don't know if this going to be a huge win for anyone (except for Nas' short-term bank account) but all things considered, it's a pretty big deal, both symbolically as well as from a business point of view. It's not unprecedented to have joint label cooperation on an artist but it's not exactly everyday happenstance.

In other news, Kool Moe Dee and LL Cool J are reported to have joined forces to release: "Call It a Comeback."

mannybolone

Correction: Nas will be earning $3 million A PIECE for the first two albums under this deal.

No matter how you slice the cake, that shit is pretty

Dude doesn't even have his own vitamin water either.

mandrew

seems like a pretty risky move putting the next 4 albums/the rest of your career in the hands of someone who was your enemy no less than a few months back. if there's one significant quarrel, which is not unlikely seeing as this is the music bidness, i can see their relationship going downhill mighty quickly.
that said, i wish them nothing but the best, and i hope their union will bring back some of that rael schitt

mannybolone

seems like a pretty risky move putting the next 4 albums/the rest of your career in the hands of someone who was your enemy no less than a few months back. if there's one significant quarrel, which is not unlikely seeing as this is the music bidness, i can see their relationship going downhill mighty quickly.
that said, i wish them nothing but the best, and i hope their union will bring back some of that rael schitt

Well, how sucky is shit for Juelz right now? And it's not even his beef (yet)!

rootlesscosmo

Well, how sucky is Juelz's album[/b] right now?

rootlesscosmo

Dude doesn't even have his own vitamin water either.

O -

Speaking of fifty, six million for two whole albums sounds a little weak compared to fifty's riches, right? Am I off here? I guess it depends on what kind of chips Nas will get on the back end...Any word on that?

mannybolone

Dude doesn't even have his own vitamin water either.

O -

Speaking of fifty, six million for two whole albums sounds a little weak compared to fifty's riches, right? Am I off here? I guess it depends on what kind of chips Nas will get on the back end...Any word on that?

Well, 50 makes a ton of money because 1) he's sold nearly 15,000,000 albums, 2) he's been very savvy as a business mind to horizontally move into other lines of business: clothing, gear, and yes, vitamin water, 3) he's been savvy as a label head with G-Unit, surely collecting nice bank on all his artists, almost all of whom have gone at least gold, if not platinum.

So yeah, Nas isn't making that kind of money but truly, I'm not sure if any other rapper alive is stacking paper like 50...possibly Jay but I doubt it.

For the vast majority of rappers though, getting paid $3 mill ON THE FRONT END is some serious fucking paper, though it wasn't clear to me if his production budget comes out of that end or not. If it does, then that $3 mill might shrink considerably but nonetheless, it's not chump change. Clearly, Def Jam thinks they can get Nas to sell better than Sony's managed to eke out of late. I mean, "Street's Disciple" - for a double album - still only managed to move just al ittle over 300,000 units. That's not a great look.

rootlesscosmo

Dude doesn't even have his own vitamin water either.

O -

Speaking of fifty, six million for two whole albums sounds a little weak compared to fifty's riches, right? Am I off here? I guess it depends on what kind of chips Nas will get on the back end...Any word on that?

Well, 50 makes a ton of money because 1) he's sold nearly 15,000,000 albums, 2) he's been very savvy as a business mind to horizontally move into other lines of business: clothing, gear, and yes, vitamin water, 3) he's been savvy as a label head with G-Unit, surely collecting nice bank on all his artists, almost all of whom have gone at least gold, if not platinum.

So yeah, Nas isn't making that kind of money but truly, I'm not sure if any other rapper alive is stacking paper like 50...possibly Jay but I doubt it.

For the vast majority of rappers though, getting paid $3 mill ON THE FRONT END is some serious fucking paper, though it wasn't clear to me if his production budget comes out of that end or not. If it does, then that $3 mill might shrink considerably but nonetheless, it's not chump change. Clearly, Def Jam thinks they can get Nas to sell better than Sony's managed to eke out of late. I mean, "Street's Disciple" - for a double album - still only managed to move just al ittle over 300,000 units. That's not a great look.

which all goes to show how little justice there is in this world.

because 50 really sucks.

roisto

For the vast majority of rappers though, getting paid $3 mill ON THE FRONT END is some serious fucking paper, though it wasn't clear to me if his production budget comes out of that end or not. If it does, then that $3 mill might shrink considerably but nonetheless, it's not chump change.

NYT: "The agreement pays Nas about $3 million, including a recording budget[/b], for each of the first two albums, and provides for two additional albums with Def Jam, the sources said."

mannybolone

Oh wait, I forgot about Eminem. He probably is making a shit load of money too. And by extension, Dr. Dre.

Which really means Jimmy Iovine is stacking paper like there's no tomorrow.

rootlesscosmo

don't forget the homie Paul Rosenberg.

Jonny_Paycheck

For the vast majority of rappers though, getting paid $3 mill ON THE FRONT END is some serious fucking paper, though it wasn't clear to me if his production budget comes out of that end or not. If it does, then that $3 mill might shrink considerably but nonetheless, it's not chump change.

NYT: "The agreement pays Nas about $3 million, including a recording budget[/b], for each of the first two albums, and provides for two additional albums with Def Jam, the sources said."

3 mil including recording ain't shit.

God's Son had promise, but overall was mediocre.


Carry on.

batmon

late pass

mannybolone

For the vast majority of rappers though, getting paid $3 mill ON THE FRONT END is some serious fucking paper, though it wasn't clear to me if his production budget comes out of that end or not. If it does, then that $3 mill might shrink considerably but nonetheless, it's not chump change.

NYT: "The agreement pays Nas about $3 million, including a recording budget[/b], for each of the first two albums, and provides for two additional albums with Def Jam, the sources said."

3 mil including recording ain't shit.

God's Son had promise, but overall was mediocre.


Carry on.

Ok, so maybe my joke about 1.5 Neptunes beats will prove more prophetic than I meant it to be.

The real question...

Nas + Def Jam = Return of the Real Schitt?

or

Just another way to tease core fan base hopes before smashing them to pieces?

Mike_Bell

Ok, so maybe my joke about 1.5 Neptunes beats will prove more prophetic than I meant it to be.

The real question...

Nas + Def Jam = Return of the Real Schitt?

or

Just another way to tease core fan base hopes before smashing them to pieces?

[pessimist]I say it's the latter[/pessimist]

batmon

The real question...

Nas + Def Jam = Return of the Real Schitt?

Who's killin' it on DEF JAM now? If no one is, then maybe they'll focus on NAS.

mannybolone

The real question...

Nas + Def Jam = Return of the Real Schitt?

Who's killin' it on DEF JAM now? If no one is, then maybe they'll focus on NAS.

Juelz WAS.

I'll be very curious to see how this Cam/Jay thing plays out on the postman. Some said that Jay's smart of a businessman not to kill a cash cow but you gotta admit, Juelz cold-clocking a Def Jam employee is not exactly helping matters either.

But dude, "who's killin' it on DEF JAM now?" Uh:

Young Jeezy?
Ghostface? (maybe)
Ludacris?
Kanye West?

...and now Nas?

mannybolone

3 mil including recording ain't shit.

J Peezy: Curious if you know what the high-end of a recording budget + advance has been? Like...what do you think/know 50 got when he signed to Shady/Aftermath?

batmon

But dude, "who's killin' it on DEF JAM now?" Uh:

Young Jeezy?
Ludacris?
Kanye West?

No doubt. Those are all legit. I was just wondering aloud.

This all looks good on paper but so did this.............













Which I do like but to some its............

Mike_Bell

No doubt. Those are all legit. I was just wondering aloud.

This all looks good on paper but so did this.............

bull_ox

seems like a pretty risky move putting the next 4 albums/the rest of your career in the hands of someone who was your enemy no less than a few months back. if there's one significant quarrel, which is not unlikely seeing as this is the music bidness, i can see their relationship going downhill mighty quickly.

that said, i wish them nothing but the best, and i hope their union will bring back some of that rael schitt

its been a good WHILE since the jay/nas "beef" thing and wasn't it all just a promotional stunt to begin with??



what I'm thinking about is how the better Nas singles from the past few years did not sound like shit Def Jam would release as singles to me... "Made You Look" for example- sounds too slow and too raw to be a single release on DJ to me... this is potentially not a good look musically, but hell Nas needs help, period

mannybolone

its been a good WHILE since the jay/nas "beef" thing and wasn't it all just a promotional stunt to begin with??

As my friend reminded me: "uh, Jay fucked Nas' baby's mama." If that's not a good enough cause for genuine beef, I'm not sure what is. Don't be so cynical: sometimes, grown rapper men just don't like each other. Of course, if said controversy helps generate album sales (hello Killa!), that's all good too, but it's not like Jay and Nas plotted to help push each others albums by trying to crush each other's reputations.

SIRUS

its been a good WHILE since the jay/nas "beef" thing and wasn't it all just a promotional stunt to begin with??

but it's not like Jay and Nas plotted to help push each others albums by trying to crush each other's reputations.

if they did jay made out like a bandit.

mannybolone

To answer an earlier question about 50 Cent's earning potential: I just read on Billboard that he made $75,351,514.85 in 2005, slightly more than Green Day and Neil Diamond but not as much as Celine Dion and Elton John.

$75 MILLION.

canonical

To answer an earlier question about 50 Cent's earning potential: I just read on Billboard that he made $75,351,514.85 in 2005, slightly more than Green Day and Neil Diamond but not as much as Celine Dion and Elton John.

$75 MILLION.

Is that his money, or what his album sales generated?

mannybolone

To answer an earlier question about 50 Cent's earning potential: I just read on Billboard that he made $75,351,514.85 in 2005, slightly more than Green Day and Neil Diamond but not as much as Celine Dion and Elton John.

$75 MILLION.

Is that his money, or what his album sales generated?

This is based on: "The chart calculates aggregate album and digital sales for the 11-month window that stretched from the first Nielsen SoundScan sales week of 2005, which ended Jan. 9, through the week that ended Dec. 4, and marries that data with accumulated box-office receipts that reflect the same tracking period.

Album sales data are not just for an act's current titles, but for all titles, including catalog, tracked during the first 11 months of 2005. Digital data, likewise, includes all tracks available via paid downloads."

What's crazy is that, if I'm reading this information right, U2 (who topped the chart) earned over a quarter BILLION dollars in 2005 but apparently, none of their tour earnings went into that figure (and U2 had the most successful tour of 2005). Likewise, that $75 million for 50 Cent does not include any money he made off of endorsements, business ventures, or G-Unit sales.