Nas: “It’s the Roc!”

While Cam’ron is busy taking cheap shots at Jay to hype up his Killa Season album, el presidente caliente Hov is more concerned with making powerful business moves. His latest sees Nas officially signing to Def Jam in a joint deal with Sony.

According to The New York Times:

The rap superstars Jay-Z and Nas, who hurled bitter insults at each other in
rhyme for years in one of rap’s most prominent feuds, have reached a deal
that would formalize their much-publicized recent truce and transform the
two onetime foes into business partners, according to music industry
executives involved in the arrangement

The music biz is like the NBA trade-off’s - out with DMX, in with NaS.

For its part, Def Jam and its corporate parent, Universal Music Group, add a
respected artist to their ranks at a time when the label is trying to refresh
its roster. (Def Jam also recently negotiated the exit of one of its veteran
acts, DMX, who signed a reported three-album deal with Sony.)

SONY wants to be a part of NaS’ legacy for life:

As part of the deal, Nas’s longtime record company, Sony Music, and Def Jam
will split the profits - or any loss - from his next two albums, the sources
said. Def Jam is expected to lay out the cost of producing and marketing the
recordings, and to divide the profits after recovering its expenses. The two
music companies will jointly plan and oversee the albums’ marketing campaigns.

Sony also retains the right to release a Nas greatest hits album, they
added

Hopefully, the combo of two power machines will help get NaS the shine he deserves. I’m sure stans are gonna come out of everywhere swearing they’ve been down with NaS since “Live at The BBQ”

And, since everything Jay had been tight-lipped in the past has ended up happening (including this deal), I’ll jump ahead of myself and say that a collabo between these two lovebirds is in the works. Just make sure Premo is producing.