Nas & Universal Music Announce Mass Appeal India & Sign Divine As First Artist

The GOAT branches out into Asia.

BYAron A.
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As much as we celebrate Nas as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he's also revealing that he's quite the savvy businessman. The rapper revived Mass Appeal media company along with a record label in 2014 and went on to release projects from Run The Jewels, Pimp C, Dave East, Manni Fresh, and more. Now, that might be one of his many major investments on his profile but it seems to be one of his most fruitful. 

Who would've thought a Bronx block party would reach as far as it has now? As hip-hop continues to dominate streaming platforms and the charts, Nas has teamed up with Universal Music for an international division in Asia. Mass Appeal India was launched in order to  “amplify India’s burgeoning hip-hop culture on a global scale.” The label will function out of Universal Music India's offices in Mumbai.

Along with the launch of the label, rapper DIVINE was signed as the first artist on the Indian division. Nas and DIVINE previously worked together on the song, "NY se Mumbai" for the movie Gully Boy

“It’s an honour to be associated with a legend like Nas. I grew up listening to his music. For him to recognize not just me, but the whole Indian hip-hop scene is a big win for hip-hop, and for hip-hop in India,” DIVINE said. "I will be working with Mass Appeal India not just in a personal capacity, but also in my capacity as founder of Gully Gang Entertainment to help Mass Appeal India build a thriving ecosystem for urban music and culture in the sub-continent."

[Via HHNM]


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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.