mass appeal Archives - New Hip Hop News

Dreamville and Mass Appeal Unveil Exclusive Hip Hop 50 Collection

November 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

In commemoration of Hip Hop History Month, Dreamville and Mass Appeal have joined forces to introduce an exclusive collection. The lineup includes a hat, hoodie, long sleeve t-shirt, short sleeve t-shirt, and a retro satin Starter jacket. Each piece proudly features Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 logo, paying homage to the 50th anniversary of the influential genre.

“Hip hop celebrating its 50th birthday is a major milestone, one worth celebrating. Dreamville and Mass Appeal have come together with this special collection to highlight those that came before us and those next up,” said Dreamville Apparel President Adam Roy.

To mark Hip Hop’s monumental milestone, the collection is available for pre-order on Dreamville.com and shop.massappeal.com. This release contributes to Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 initiative, a comprehensive cross-platform project that honors Hip Hop’s 50-year legacy. Beyond recognizing the genre, the initiative acknowledges Hip Hop as a global movement that has profoundly impacted communities worldwide.

The post Dreamville and Mass Appeal Unveil Exclusive Hip Hop 50 Collection first appeared on The Source.

The post Dreamville and Mass Appeal Unveil Exclusive Hip Hop 50 Collection appeared first on The Source.

How To Buy Dreamville’s Hip-Hop 50 Capsule Collection

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Just when you thought the Hip-Hop 50 celebrations were winding down for the year (since it’s almost December, when the music industry traditionally goes into low-power mode for the coming holidays), Dreamville adds its own contributions to the ongoing celebrations with a limited-edition merch collection. Teaming with Mass Appeal, which has spearheaded the 50th-anniversary celebrations all year, Dreamville has put the collection on sale on its website (powered by Shopify). You can check it out here.

In addition to an absolutely gorgeous Starter jacket emblazoned with the Dreamville wordmarks and a commemorative HipHop50 patch, there is also a hoodie, both long and short-sleeve T-shirts, a ball cap, and a Mystery Box, which is currently on sale for 25% off along with the rest of Dreamville’s usual assortment of apparel and items like an espresso cup, slide sandals, water bottles, and of course, a basketball.

The Hip-Hop 50 celebrations will continue in December, when the Grammys’ Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop will air after taping on November 8 at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. The tribute will include performances from both old-school stars like LL Cool J and Queen Latifah and contemporary hitmakers such as GloRilla and Lil Baby. It will air on CBS on December 10

Everything To Know About The Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Nas’ Label, Mass Appeal

October 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Mass Appeal, the long-running media company that found new life as a record label when Nas joined a group of investors to purchase the brand in 2013, is being sued for racial discrimination. According to Vibe, Mass Appeal’s former head of development, Melissa Cooper, filed suit in Manhattan against the company and its co-founder Peter Bittenbender, alleging Bittenbender fostered a hostile work environment against her.

Cooper, who is white, says that after she was chosen to work on a project over Senior VP of Content Jenya Meggs, Meggs subjected her to “venomous and racist comments about ‘white folk’ and ‘crackers.’” The comments were supposedly made in messages from Meggs to Terry Ross, an executive producer on Hulu’s upcoming Freaknik documentary. Meggs attributed Cooper’s selection to racial bias, calling another of the doc’s producers, Alex Avant, choosing Cooper an example of “usual white folk behavior.” Meggs began refusing to work on projects with Cooper, leading to Cooper being removed from projects headed by Meggs.

Cooper says although she raised concerns with Bittenbender, there was no investigation of her claims, and she was terminated on June 30, 2023, after her primary role had been reduced so much she had no real function at the company. Nas is not named in the suit but is a partner in Mass Appeal.

Nas’ Mass Appeal Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit From Former Employee

October 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Nas’ Mass Appeal label is facing a racial discrimination lawsuit from the company’s former head of development, Melissa Cooper. Cooper, who is white, says she dealt with “venomous and racist comments about ‘white folk’ and ‘crackers,’” during her tenure at the imprint. She filed the lawsuit in a Manhattan court on Tuesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cooper recalled a time she and her co-workers were working on a Freaknik documentary that’s set to air on Hulu in 2024. She claims the senior vice president for partnerships and content acquisition, Jenya Meggs, who is Black, complained that Cooper made it into the final cut and she didn’t. The woman allegedly texted an executive producer it was “usual white folk behavior.” Tensions apparently flared up between the two and Peter Bittenbender, the company’s chief executive, removed Cooper from the project.

Nas Celebrates 5 Years Of Mass Appeal

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 16: Nas performs at Mass Appeal Records’ 5-Year Anniversary Celebration at Chelsea Music Hall on May 16, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

“Bittenbender removed Cooper from a number of projects, including Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 Live concert at Yankee Stadium planned for August 11, 2023,” the lawsuit reads. “Cooper’s removal from this important project, along with others Meggs was staffed on, effectively stripped Cooper of her primary role at Mass Appeal.” She never mentions Nas by name and the company eventually let her go back in June. She says there hasn’t been an investigation into her claims of racial discrimination.

The lawsuit comes as Nas prepares to release his long-awaited album, I Am… The Autobiography. The project is finally getting an official release for Record Store Day’s Black Friday lineup. The vinyl will include two unreleased tracks and feature special edition deluxe packaging. Other projects include De La Soul‘s 3 Feet High and Rising, Three 6 Mafia‘s Da Unbreakables, and Goodie Mob‘s Soul Food. Be on the lookout for further updates on the lawsuit against Mass Appeal on HotNewHipHop.

[Via]

The post Nas’ Mass Appeal Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit From Former Employee appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Swizz Beatz And Mass Appeal Team Up For The ‘Hip-Hop 50, Vol. 2’ EP

April 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Mass Appeal’s Hip-Hop 50 celebration continues with a new EP, this one produced and curated by Swizz Beatz. The Hip Hop 50: The Soundtrack series kicked off last year with DJ Premier‘s Hip-Hop 50 Vol. 1 featuring the “Beat Breaks” with Nas and “Remy Rap” with Remy Ma and Rapsody. Now, Swizz Beatz presents six new tracks showing off the span of talent hip-hop offers, from old-schoolers like Jadakiss to current stars like Benny The Butcher, Fivio Foreign, and Jay Electronica, as well as future ones like Bandmanrill and Scar Lip.

Swizz has been working hard to celebrate hip-hop history even before teaming up with Mass Appeal for Hip-Hop 50. His and Timbaland’s Verzuz hits battles were a way to highlight the legends of yesteryear and bring their contributions to the hip-hop canon to the fore for younger generations who might not remember the era. However, their efforts were nearly derailed after partnering with Triller, prompting them to sue the streaming platform’s parent company for $28 million. A settlement was reached last September in which Swizz and Tim will receive a greater ownership stake, giving it to the artists who appear on the platform. However, there haven’t been any Verzuz events announced since then.

Meanwhile, the Hip-Hop 50 celebrations continue, with the Grammys producing a massive tribute performance and outlets like BET joining the fun with the help of rappers like Black Thought. Uproxx’s own coverage so far includes interviews with DJ Premier and Just Blaze.

Hip-Hop 50: Vol. 2 is out now via Mass Appeal. Check it out below.

Swizz Beatz Teases JAY-Z & Lil Wayne Collaboration

April 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Swizz Beatz shared a preview of his upcoming collaboration with JAY-Z and Lil Wayne on Instagram, Monday. The song is featured on the tracklist to the producer’s upcoming EP, Hip Hop 50: Vol. 2. It is the second EP released for Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50: The Soundtrack initiative commemorating Hip Hop’s 50th birthday.

“SWIZZ X WAYNE X HOV THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE DROP 4/21 off my new EP,” Swizz wrote in his caption. “Life begins at the end of your comfort Zone Let’s Go! Happy Monday! Updated EP track list coming soon!!!!! It’s on…..” Swizz has worked with both JAY-Z and Lil Wayne numerous times over the years, including on JAY’s “On To The Next One,” and Wayne’s “Uproar.”

Swizz Beatz Performs With JAY-Z

PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 01: Swizz Beatz and Jay-Z perform during the Budweiser Made In America Festival Benefiting The United Way – Day 1 at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 1, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Reactions to the preview were mostly positive. The Game commented on the clip, “‘No hootie n no fish sticks’ is nuts.” In another popular comment, one fan praised Wayne’s lyricism: “The thing I like about Lil Wayne is that even if you don’t like rap, if you listen to his lyrics you just have to appreciate it. It’s skill. Poetry is poetry.”

Besides new music, Swizz Beatz is also busy working on the next iteration of Verzuz, which is on hiatus for the time being. Speaking with Vibe for a recent interview, Swizz Beatz explained that “something is cooking.” He elaborated: “Big, big, big announcements. The world know if they haven’t heard nothing from Verzuz for this long that, sh*t, something’s cooking. That’s a smart person [that’s] thinking that something is cooking. It’s been fun. We just.. Me and Tim wanted to reevaluate. We started in the basement and it went global, worldwide and sometimes you’ve got to pull it in and give the 2.0 version because you know what people want, you know, what you could have done different. You know, it’s like starting in a Mom & Pop’s store. Now, it’s like a major thing, so we’ve got to make it an even more major thing.”

Swizz Beatz Teams Up With JAY-Z & Lil Wayne

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Swizz Beatz (@therealswizzz)

[Via]

Mass Appeal Drops ‘DJ Premier: Hip Hop 50 Volume 1’ f/ Nas, Lil Wayne, Remy Ma, and More

July 15, 2022 by newhiphopnews

Mass Appeal Announces ‘DJ Premier: Hip-Hop 50 Volume 1’ EP f/ Nas, Lil Wayne, Joey Badass, Remy Ma, and More

July 11, 2022 by newhiphopnews

DJ Premier Kicks Off Hip-Hop’s 50-Year Anniversary With An EP Featuring Lil Wayne, Nas, And Slick Rick

July 11, 2022 by newhiphopnews

It’s widely acknowledged that the cultural phenomenon known as hip-hop officially began at a house party in The Bronx, New York on August 11, 1973. That means hip-hop is nearly 50 years old, and to celebrate its impending golden jubilee, Mass Appeal has announced the Hip-Hop 50: The Soundtrack project, 10 EPs produced by some of the culture’s biggest names to commemorate hip-hop’s longevity (the ha, the ha). The first will be DJ Premier: Hip-Hop 50 Volume 1, produced by… I mean, it’s right there in the title… dropping on July 15 via Mass Appeal and The Orchard.

The project’s five tracks will feature appearances from old-school legends like Nas and Slick Rick, contemporary craft masters like Joey Badass, Rapsody, and Run The Jewels, and cross-generational all-timer Lil Wayne. In a statement, DJ Premier said, “It’s an honor to kick off this iconic Hip Hop 50 music program. Hip Hop continues to inspire fans across the globe and it’s incredible to think of what the next 50 years will bring.” It seems likely that the new track Premier and Nas previewed last week is actually “Beat Breaks,” their collaboration from this project.

Future EPs in the Hip-Hop 50: The Soundtrack will include entries produced by Hit-Boy, Mike Will Made-It, Mustard, No I.D., Swizz Beatz, The-Dream, and more. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, as well as other charitable organizations. Other arms of the Hip-Hop 50 initiative include live event programming and a slate of documentaries with Paramount + and Showtime, including the Supreme Team documentary that premiered on Friday, July 10, as well as the Spotify Original podcast, The Bridge: 50 Years of Hip-Hop, hosted by Miss Info and Nas.

DJ Premier: Hip Hop 50 Volume 1 is out 7/15 via Mass Appeal Records and The Orchard. You can pre-save it here. You can see the tracklist below.

01. “Lettin’ Off Steam” Feat. Joey Bada$$
02. “Remy Rap” Feat. Remy Ma & Rapsody
03. “Beat Breaks” Feat. Nas
04. “Terrible 2’s” Feat. Run The Jewels
05. “The Root Of All” Feat. Lil Wayne & Slick Rick

Mass Appeal & Live Nation Urban Announces “Hip Hop 50 Live”

June 22, 2022 by newhiphopnews

Today, entertainment company Mass Appeal announces its joining forces with Live Nation Urban to produce live event programming in celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday.

Over the next few years, Hip Hop 50 Live will bring fans experiences that touch on all facets of the globally recognized culture. From Park Jams to Festival stages this partnership will create moments that will bring together the voices that turned this genre into a way of life.

Starting this summer, these events will kick off at parks across the country to take it back to the essence with a multi-sensory experience consisting of; live DJ sessions, interactive experiences, pop-up merch, educational activations and amazing food & drink. These Park Jams will be followed by a dynamic series of events focused around Hip Hop History Month in November. In addition to these events, Mass Appeal and Live Nation Urban are teaming up to create original content, product collaborations, Web3 launches and more to celebrate #HipHop50. Fans can expect additional announcements in the coming months for the 2022 events calendar and the plans for 2023 and beyond.

“We are thrilled to partner with the world’s leading live entertainment company to bring fans one-of-a-kind experiences in celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday. We are planning to celebrate all facets of the culture and globe via this dynamic partnership” says Peter Bittenbender, Mass Appeal CEO.

Brandon Pankey, Vice President of Business Development and Operations for Live Nation Urban, said “ Live Nation Urban was founded to REDEFINE culture. To celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop with Nas, Peter and the Mass Appeal team is absolutely the type of partnership that our company is excited to form to continue to tell the stories about our culture globally.”

The partnership is the latest announcement surrounding Mass Appeal’s #HipHop50 initiative – a massive cross-platform campaign aimed at celebrating Hip Hop’s momentous anniversary in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible. Mass Appeal kicked off its #HipHop50 premium content partnership with Paramount & Showtime and to date has aired the following documentaries, such as: YOU’RE WATCHING VIDEO MUSIC BOX, RICKY POWELL: THE INDIVIDUALIST and CYPRESS HILL: INSANE IN THE BRAIN.

To further celebrate Hip Hop’s longevity, Mass Appeal also announced Hip Hop 50 The Soundtrack. Teaming up with some of the industry’s most highly regarded producers including DJ Premier, Swizz Beatz, Mustard, The-Dream, Mike Will Made It, No I.D, Hit-Boy, Take A Daytrip and Tainy, Mass Appeal will drop The Soundtrack in a series of 10 EPs of all newly released music that will bring together these creative minds who are defining the landscape of music and culture in celebration of 50 years of Hip Hop. Fans can stay tuned for the first EP in the Summer of 2022. Last year, Mass Appeal also launched its Spotify Original podcast – The Bridge: 50 Years of Hip Hop – hosted by Grammy Award-winning artist Nas and radio personality Minya “Miss Info” Oh and featuring lively conversations with a plethora of guests ranging from iconic rappers, producers, to today’s popular artists. A portion of all #HipHop50 proceeds will be donated to the various charitable organizations, including, the Universal Hip Hop Museum set to open its doors in 2024.

The post Mass Appeal & Live Nation Urban Announces “Hip Hop 50 Live” appeared first on The Source.