What NAS is doing with Mass Appeal vs Jay-Z with ROCnation

[Ziggiy]

Hold on what?!

Paid in full foundation? Did someone actually finally listen to Nore about his hip hop union, is this what that is?

Its not a union

Its an initiative started by Nas and Ben Horowitz that honors Hip Hop’s founding fathers and gives them the flowers that they didn’t get in their primes.

$500,000 and free healthcare for life.

The first to receive the honor was Rakim and Scarface.

Last year was Grandmaster Caz

This year is Kool G Rap and Grand Puba

 

[Budda]

Serious question, is this satire?? Ngga nobody gives a fukk about these projects from a business perspective

Ghostface has dropped a dozen albums the last decade….New Rae is cool but, ok??… Big L?! No one is the history of rap has ever gave af about cut n paste posthumous albums. And most importantly, Mass Appeal was established in 2013! Their branding is corny. When I see Mass Appeal I think of some forced ode to hip hop corny shyt you’d play for coworkers. This lump rollout of old head rap is corny ——and I’m an old head.

Be the 2025 Koch brehs. Foh

Says a lot about you! Nothing corny about paying homage to icons who enabled you to even enjoy the music you claim to love! What’s corny about Hip Hop 50? Paid in Full foundation or providing legends the avenue to still release music in a genre that’s wrongly plagued by ageism?

I actually think Mass Appeal should be doing a better job at acquiring and finding new talent as well as promoting legends of the past but that’s convo for another day, I wouldn’t describe what they’re doing as corny at all. The fact is it’s owned by multi millionaires who have multiple business ventures who have a lot of shyt going on, this isn’t make a break for them, so you can understand why they have a lax approach to actually selling millions of records.

I would argue they need more young hungry people in their team who that applies for, but I still would t describe them as corny.

 

[L. Deezy]

So now we've gone from me being the Nas stan who defends Jay to the...Jay hater who pretend he's not a Jay hater? I'm confused.

Post from over a decade ago lmao.

Its about you bringing up Jay and Nas.. its cool when you get to stan out and criticize his detractors when they pit them vs each other... now you on some "oh fellas, will you stop..Jay is a great guy" how dare you Deezy. Cornball ass nygga

Post in thread 'Nas New Album Predicted To Sell 35k 1st Week' Nas New Album Predicted To Sell 35k 1st Week

 

[L. Deezy]

Says a lot about you! Nothing corny about paying homage to icons who enabled you to even enjoy the music you claim to love! What’s corny about Hip Hop 50? Paid in Full foundation or providing legends the avenue to still release music in a genre that’s wrongly plagued by ageism?

I actually think Mass Appeal should be doing a better job at acquiring and finding new talent as well as promoting legends of the past but that’s convo for another day, I wouldn’t describe what they’re doing as corny at all. The fact is it’s owned by multi millionaires who have multiple business ventures who have a lot of shyt going on, this isn’t make a break for them, so you can understand why they have a lax approach to actually selling millions of records.

I would argue they need more young hungry people in their team who that applies for, but I still would t describe them as corny.

Too hard to find new talent..

Not even worth the headache to break a new artist. I think this lane is better.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Its about you bringing up Jay and Nas.. its cool when you get to stan out and criticize his detractors when they pit them vs each other... now you on some "oh fellas, will you stop..Jay is a great guy" how dare you Deezy. Cornball ass nygga

Post in thread 'Nas New Album Predicted To Sell 35k 1st Week' Nas New Album Predicted To Sell 35k 1st Week

I stand by that statement, and have made it multiple times including last year. There's a transactional basis of certain coverage people like Jay get. But it's not just him. It applies to many major stars. We just saw Joe Budden take a weird pot shot at Doechii. He's never getting another TDE interview. That's how shyt works, and it's lame IMO.

I have no issue with having disputes or issues with Jay or Nas. My issue is the breathless stan wars over bullshyt. Someone got a casino, someone got the Super Bowl...let's shyt on the other one for losing. What the fukk man.

 

[Budda]

Too hard to find new talent..

Not even worth the headache to break a new artist. I think this lane is better.

Look outside of Rap.

 

[Cladyclad]

I stand by that statement, and have made it multiple times including last year. There's a transactional basis of certain coverage people like Jay get. But it's not just him. It applies to many major stars. We just saw Joe Budden take a weird pot shot at Doechii. He's never getting another TDE interview. That's how shyt works, and it's lame IMO.

I have no issue with having disputes or issues with Jay or Nas. My issue is the breathless stan wars over bullshyt. Someone got a casino, someone got the Super Bowl...let's shyt on the other one for losing. What the fukk man.

I know you mean well

So i will ask of examples of Jay “punishing” someone who critique him in a rational way

Game for starters. Jay z dont like duke but he cleared tons on samples for his album.

No rapper or media person has a legit reason to shyt on Jay Z

So if u say something bad like Nicki or heap praise like 2chainz

He dont give a damn

 

[maxamusa]

A lot of wallet watching in this thread

its really pathetic; these are the times we in

 

[Wargames]

its really pathetic; these are the times we in

I honestly thought this was gonna be about the albums are the approach to signing artist. Like they both have an argument they been making moves.

RocNation feels more like an artist agency getting guys outside deals and sponsorships cause they seem focused on 360 deals whereas Mass Appeal comes off as a classic label where they are focusing on putting artist out.

I actually was wondering was there any rumors of what Mass Appeal was planning to do in 2026. Like it’s funny I remember Nas was part of that Kanye speedrun of albums a few years back and (as a fan) it feels like he took that concept and realized that the biggest flaw to it was Kanye didn’t give artist time to create and the albums time to breathe when it came to their label push.

I am a fan so I can only speak on what it seems like I am sure the insiders have a better grasp on things.

 

[maxamusa]

I honestly thought this was gonna be about the albums are the approach to signing artist. Like they both have an argument they been making moves.

the coli accountants from breh & breh associates came rushing to throw water on the flame

 

[Ziggiy]

I honestly thought this was gonna be about the albums are the approach to signing artist. Like they both have an argument they been making moves.

RocNation feels more like an artist agency getting guys outside deals and sponsorships cause they seem focused on 360 deals whereas Mass Appeal comes off as a classic label where they are focusing on putting artist out.

I actually was wondering was there any rumors of what Mass Appeal was planning to do in 2026. Like it’s funny I remember Nas was part of that Kanye speedrun of albums a few years back and (as a fan) it feels like he took that concept and realized that the biggest flaw to it was Kanye didn’t give artist time to create and the albums time to breathe when it came to their label push.

I am a fan so I can only speak on what it seems like I am sure the insiders have a better grasp on things.

With Legend Has It, most of the albums had already been worked on and were finished and they signed with Mass Appeal for distribution, which is a model they’ve actually been employing for a few years now. Slick Rick had been working on his album for at least three years prior through Idris Elba’s label and they partnered with Mass Appeal. Ghost and Mobb Deep’s albums were either finished or very close to being finished before they got with Mass Appeal. De La Soul has been working for at least a year beforehand but not sure of it was completely finished before they partnered with Mass Appeal. I think Raekwon is the only one who was actively working on his album during this year.

 

[Braman]

its really pathetic; these are the times we in

Ngga, you made the thread! Lmao Foh

You can’t possibly be talking about artistry. Mass appeal was trying to do the SAME thing people are apparently judging Roc Nation for, they just failed! Dave east, Fashawn, Boldy James…they were the face of brand far before this new lil 7 for 7 old head album push.

Meanwhile Roc Nation has Clipse, Kiss, Jim Jones, Wale, Jay elec. Not golden era rappers but all 40+. What they gotta do, support literal senior citizens to get respect?

So what is even your point right now. Just another veiled jay z hate thread

 

[Harry B]

I think a lot of people are confused.

Mass Appeal been around since the 90s, it includes Mass appeal records which they co-founded with Nas decades later.

Their website is readily available for you to see everything they do.

If you still stuck in 2001 and wanna compare everything they do, compare their indie record labels to each other.

 

[RAX 010]

Nas won

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

Serious question, is this satire?? Ngga nobody gives a fukk about these projects from a business perspective

Ghostface has dropped a dozen albums the last decade….New Rae is cool but, ok??… Big L?! No one is the history of rap has ever gave af about cut n paste posthumous albums. And most importantly, Mass Appeal was established in 2013! Their branding is corny. When I see Mass Appeal I think of some forced ode to hip hop corny shyt you’d play for coworkers. This lump rollout of old head rap is corny ——and I’m an old head.

Be the 2025 Koch brehs. Foh

Well, if you don't want to listen to them, you can always ignore them and continue to discuss and listen to billboard hits while arguing about first week numbers. It costs you nothing to ignore what Mass Appeal is doing. I promise it doesn't.