The Music Biz

Rostrum Records announced today that they have appointed collaborator E. Dan as their in-house producer and director of A&R. Dan was previously—and will continue to be—a founding member and owner of ID Labs, a Pittsburgh-based studio where he handled mixing, producing and engineering duties for local artists, which included Rostrum signees Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller. “E. Dan has...

Christopher “Tricky” Stewart has stepped down from his position as president of A&R at Epic Records to focus on producing. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer didn't announce if someone will be selected to fill in his A&R post. “It’s real simp...

This week found hip-hop notably absent from the top 50 spots on the Billboard 200. Although chart mainstays Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continue to hold steady in the upper echelon of the charts, the only new album to make a splash came from Lonely Island, who's third album The Wack Album debuted at No. 12 ...

Nicki Minaj is getting in on the adult beverage game, announcing today that she has become part-owner in the fruit-infused wine line Myx Fusions. As part of this new business venture, Nicki will become the focal point of the brand's marketing campaign, which will be spread across print, radio, television and special event platforms...

Although hip-hop was largely absent from the top 50 spots of Billboard's Top 200 chart, this week saw one of rap's most anticipated new acts crack the top ten. Amidst perennial chart toppers like Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, French Montana's studio debut Excuse My French premiered at No. 6 on the...

After investing in Mass Appeal Media last month, Nas continues on his business venture sweep now with plans of opening up a new sneaker store in Las Vegas. Scheduled to open later this year, Nas revealed the news via Twitter after sharing a flick of himself on the soon-to-be-home's construction site. "On...

It looks like Russell Simmons is returning to HBO. According to IndieWire, the Def Jam co-founder has signed a two year first-look deal with the premium cable channel. The deal offers HBO the right of first refusal for any shows Simmons wants to develop—however, if HBO passes on a prospective project, Simmons is allowed to pitch it to other networks. S...

This week on the charts, two new hip-hop LPs crack the top 50, while the mainstays of the past few weeks continue to dominate. New to the chart this week includes Eve's long-awaited return Lip Lock, which clocked in at No. 41, and Mike Stud's debut Relief at No. 40. At t...

One of Chicago's most anticipated up-and-comers has joined forces with French Montana's Coke Boys imprint. Recent Executive Vice President of Def Jam Shawn "Pecas" Costner took to Twitter today to announce that Lil Durk has joined French's Coke Boys imprint...

This week finds one of XXL's Freshman Class of 2012 releasing his debut album, while three tried-and-true acts drop anticipated projects. French Montana releases his studio debut, Excuse My French, through Diddy's Bad Boy imprint, while Gucci Mane drops his eighth solo effort Trap House III. In addition, ...

This week found two new hip-hop albums debuting in the top 50 spots of the Billboard 200 chart. The original soundtrack to the film The Great Gatsby - which was executive produced and features Jay-Z - took the number two spot on the chart with over 135,000 copies sold, while Talib Kweli's latest effort Prisoner of Conscious topped at the 47th position. At the same t...

Def Jam Records are shifting around their team a lot in 2013. Coming off the departure of Joie Manda and Senior Vice President of A&R Sha Money XL, Shawn “Pecas” Costner has been promoted to Executive Vice President. Previously, he served three years as Senior VP at Def Jam that houses hip-hop mainstays Kanye West, 2 Chainz and The Roots. "Def Ja...