Jay -Z and Nas Bury the Hatchet with new album
Rap stars Jay Z and Nas reconcile, as Nas' first album on Def Jam Recordings is released later this year, it will mark the latest sign of peace in his truce with fellow rapper Jay Z, the label's president.
Nas' switch to Def Jam, after an 11-year partnership at Columbia, come on the heels of the two rappers on-stage make up last October during R&B/hip-hop WWPR New York's Power House concert.
The two battled over who would be next in line to wear the New York rap crown, following the 1997 death of the Notorious B.I.G. The feud kicked off in 2001 when Nas' "Ether" went against Jay-Z's mocking "The Takeover."
Nas (born Nasir Jones) told Billboard that "battling back and forth is tired. Hip hop should be (about) moving to the next level.
"It was time for (the beefing) to go in a direction, that benefits the people who live for and love hip hop. Our whole point is to move hip hop to a much bigger level."
As part of Nas' four album deal with Def Jam, he will get his own imprint, The Jones experience.
Def Jam and Columbia will become financial partners in Nas' first two albums. Def Jam will control A&R, promotion and distribution for the two sets, while the labels share marketing. The recording budget for each album is $3 million.
Nas is working on the first joint album. Although it is widely assumed that Jay-Z will appear on the song, Nas would say only that guests and producers are still being decided.
