Rapper Nas emerges from drama with label debut
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When Nas and Jay-Z set aside their  feud and joined forces last October, it was a great moment for  hip-hop, but an even greater moment for Nas. Having been  Columbia's staple rap artist for more than a decade, the  acclaimed yet commercially unreliable MC seemed poised to reap  the benefits of Def Jam's hip-hop savvy.
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The first word uttered on Nasir Jones' new double album, "Street's Disciple," is "peace." On this, his seventh studio album, Nas has become the mature voice of the hip-hop generation. While Jay Z's lyrical exploits are fading to black and P. Diddy is still partying, Nas is giving his version of today's reality. The 19-year-old that emerged in 1993, like Young Arthur pulling Excalibur from the stone, is now the cornerstone of the new social consciousness fighting to emerge in hip-hop circa 2005.
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When Warner Music Group created a   record label with Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs last year, industry   insiders said the company was taking a big risk with a star who   may have lost his hit-making touch.
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Shawn Fanning, once reviled by record labels as the creator of renegade song-swap service Napster, on Thursday launched a new service designed to turn the threat of still popular peer-to-peer services into an opportunity for music companies and artists.
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Though the album has its moments, it's not entirely enticing.
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Far from its roots in disfranchised U.S. ghettos, rap music is proving a big hit as a platform for social criticism in the Islamic Republic.
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It's no lie: The premiere  of "Moment of Truth" was a hit.
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Rappers love a good feud. Whether  it's East Coast vs. West Coast, or Eminem vs. everyone, the  spats inspire spiteful lyrics that make for juicy listening.
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The debut album from rapper Kanye West is put forward for a best gospel album award, causing concern among some gospel groups.
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Jin may have earned his hip-hop stripes on the street, but the rapper spent a recent afternoon copping a brand new street cred.
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Napster creator Shawn Fanning, who turned the music industry on its head with his file trading technology, has re-emerged with a new company that hopes to facilitate agreements between peer-to-peer services and the record companies, making it easier for
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He is a former art student who dresses like a preppy, loves his mother and has no apparent propensity for violence - but Kanye West&#39;s emergence as the new king of rap was underlined last night when he won three Mobo awards.
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LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Whether hip-hop artist Nas  discourses on street life, politics or love, you can always  count on one thing: He is not going to pull any punches.
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The contracting state of the music industry has created untrampled space for the performing and executive Diaspora of the major labels.
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New York -- Jay-Z, who has professed retirement from his rap career, now has a new job to occupy his time: president of the Def Jam record label.
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When he was starting out in the rap business, Brother Ali quickly learned how much skin color matters.
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The troubled pharmaceutical company begins to show signs of life.