Nas has always been uncomfortable with being famous and accessible. Nas makes music because he loves music, not because he wants the trappings of music, such as fame.
There's much more money being brought into the advertising and communications business than in the music industry.
Over the course of my 20-year history as an executive in the music business and as the owner of a firm that specializes in in-culture advertising, I have come to the conclusion that the Grammy Awards have clearly lost touch with contemporary popular culture.
To all of the artists that attend the Grammys: Stop accepting the invitation to be the upset of the year and demand that this body upholds its mission for advocacy and support of artistry as culture evolves. Demand that they change this system and truly reflect and truly acknowledge your art.
Artists and the traditional record company model are at odds. The music business has notoriously taken from the artist. That shouldn't be the narrative.
Brands are spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to get to young people by using music as the vehicle. Being able to use music data and making it actionable so they can target and speak to these fans, that's super important.
I look at the artists as mini media companies, like if Beyonce is ESPN and Lady Gaga is Discovery.
Translation and UnitedMasters, which is all one company, is my vision and my dream, and I think it's today's reality of the convergence between storytelling, technology, and culture.
Music has always been and will always be a strong gateway to connect with consumers in an emotional hot state.
The American dream is Chance the Rapper, or 'little Chano from 79th' who hails from Chicago's Southside and became the first artist to win a Grammy without selling one physical copy of his album.
As a firm believer in the power of songwriting, I feel privileged to be part of a team that continues to help us all understand the true force and impact of lyrics and music around the world. Genius is special - it's remixing the digital playbook and owning a new space in music and tech.
Nas is an artist who writes from his heart.
I never want to predict the relationship between music and advertising.
You think Jay-Z is going broke? LeBron is going broke? These guys have figured it out. They came from poor backgrounds, broken homes, and they figured out how to be businessmen. They become new aspirations.
If only love can drive out hate, we have to remember that love is a verb. It requires action.
At the root of any societal issue is human truth, especially those truths we find hard to confront.
