MUSIC NEWS: NO I.D. / JAY-Z / NAS / ICE CUBE

No I.D. aka Dion Wilson, has been named executive vice president of Capitol Music Group. The news was announced by CMG president Ashley Newton, who said in a press release:

Dion’s vast experience and esteemed stature as both a creative executive and highly influential producer are crucial to our continuing commitment to urban music and artists, I’m absolutely thrilled that he has joined as a key member of the CMG family.

Wilson also commented, saying:

I look forward to working with the entire Capitol team to build on the cultural impact of our music and further expand into the global markets. There is a legacy of great artists and important records at Capitol, and I look forward to helping create more history and building upon the company’s great brand.

No I.D.’s musical credentials run deep, having worked as a producer since the ’90s, starting out on projects from Common and having since worked with the likes of Kanye West, Big Sean, and Drake and producing Logic’s hit song “Everybody.” Wilson is also president of ARTium recordings, a job he’ll continue to do.
No I.D. works quietly behind the scenes but we last spoke to him when he collaborated with Vince Staples, an interview you can read here.

For those living in New York and/or have visited any one of a number of popular music sites, the numbers 4:44 may have come across your visuals. With speculation reaching maniacal highs, many have and will continue to piece together clues in their pursuit of reaching the truth. One such theory many are arriving at is a potential Jay Z album titled 4:44. One of the more intriguing discoveries comes by way of popular Yeezy-related site KanyeToThe. By digging into the source code of a 4:44 ad posted by Complex, FADER and our very own site HYPEBEAST, TIDAL and the word “SuperHero” seemed to have surfaced believed by some to be the beginning of an impending album rollout. With Hova releasing The Blueprint 3 back in 2009, it is possible to see the coming of The Blueprint 4.
People also got in on the action pointing out Beyoncé and Jay Z’s involvement with the number 4. Back in 2011, Beyoncé released her fourth album titled 4 and a couple of years later, Jay took part in a 22-day vegan challenge hinting some significance with the number. As posted by Life+Times, the mega star had this to say: “There’s something spiritual to me about it being my 44th birthday and the serendipity behind the number of days in this challenge; 22 (2+2=4) coupled with the fact that the challenge ends on Christmas day…It just feels right!”
Adding on to all of the above are the birthdays of the power couple. Beyoncé’s birthday is September 4 and Jay Z’s is December 4, which have some concluding the birth of joint collaboration album. While the world waits for confirmation surrounding these mysterious billboards and posts, be sure to check back for details as they arise.

Nas has been teasing his twelfth studio album for almost a year, even teaming up with DJ Khaled on a track entitled “Nas Album Done” last summer, and yet there’s been no news on a new LP. However, according to a recent profile with the New York Times, Nas is “back in his home city not only to complete the recording of his long-awaited album, but to stay — at least for now.”
Towards the end of the piece, Nas yells “We coming this summer, baby! It’s going to be a hot summer up here, man!” But he also mentions his penchant to make hasty announcements, stating “I always say I’m two weeks away from finishing.” So take this seasonal release with a grain of salt.
Listen to Nas’ “Angel Dust” single for the now canceled Netflix series, The Get Down.

Ice Cube is back and as aggressive as ever. Continuing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his classic Death Certificate LP, the west coast legend — and one of the greatest to ever pick up a mic — serves up the second new single in support of the new edition of his sophomore solo album. Following up last week’s “Only One Me,” Cube delivers nothing but hard bars on a blistering new heavy-hitter titled “Good Cop Bad Cop.” With several decades of music under his belt, Cube still has some things to get off his chest and enough talent and passion to make a powerful statement through his records.
You can stream Ice Cube’s latest track “Good Cop Bad Cop” below or here. The 25th anniversary edition of Death Certificate will arrive this Friday, June 9 via Interscope Records. Along with this current round of new releases, Ice Cube will also appear on this weekend’s episode of the HBO show Real Time With Bill Maher. Besides his career as a musician, Ice Cube is also working on another Friday film.