Nas will become a Mass Appeal Records artist once his Def Jam Recordings contract expires, according to Billboard.

“I’m excited to be a part of creating and supporting future careers and legacy artists, promoting love and finding new genius to help the world,” Nas said in an email to Billboard. “I’m going to be as involved as I need to be, but I also want to be respectful of the art and give artists the space they need to grow and become themselves.”

Mass Appeal Records is co-founded by Nas and Peter Bittenbender. The latter is a co-founder of Decon Records, which will continue to operate as a creative studio and shift its acts to Mass Appeal.

The imprint, which will be distributed by Sony’s RED, is slated to release a compilation this summer featuring material from Future, Pusha T, Mac Miller, A$AP Mob and Nas. Nas will cover Gang Starr’s “Mass Appeal” song on the release.

Another Mass Appeal project is slated to be Nas’ Lost Tapes 2. A Pimp C posthumous album is also on its slate.

Mass Appeal’s other recording acts are Boldy James, Bishop Nehru and Fashawn.

“Nas is a tremendous artist and one of hip-hop’s all-time greats,” Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, said to Billboard. “We are delighted to welcome him back to the Sony Music family.”

Nas released his early material through Sony Music’s Columbia Records.

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