Sony Music’s The Orchard has inked a strategic partnership with Nas’ Mass Appeal Records, one of the best known independent labels in hip-hop. The news brings an end to the label’s three-year global distribution deal with Universal Music Group.
“This is a full circle moment for me,” Nas said. “To come back to Sony Music with my own label is a major milestone. We see this multi-phase initiative as an opportunity to continue to push the culture forward, educate, and inspire. It’s what we do it for, I couldn’t be more excited.”
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As part of the deal, Nas will also be releasing his own material through Sony Music. The Queensbridge rapper returns to the label after dropping early albums such as Illmatic, It Was Written and I Am… via Sony’s Columbia Records, before signing to Def Jam in 2006. Mass Appeal Records’ roster today includes Dave East and DJ Shadow, along with successful album releases like Run The Jewels’s RTJ2, and Nas’ NASIR, The Lost Tapes 2, and King’s Disease.
However, it doesn’t mark the end of Mass Appeal’s relationship with Universal Music Group completely. Mass Appeal Records is an arm of the main Mass Appeal company, which makes content (movies/TV/podcasts) as well as acting as an award-winning creative media partner for clients such as Sony Music, UMG, and Google. In addition, Universal Music India and Mass Appeal continue to run Mass Appeal India together.
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Mass Appeal’s full artist roster will have access to The Orchard’s label and artist services. Including distribution, marketing, sync licensing, video services, data analysis, advertising, rights management, radio promotion and more.