Since 2013, Mass Appeal has been operating under the principle “premium storytelling with hip-hop as the focus”. Those are the words of CEO Peter Bittenbender, who relaunched the company with rap icon Nas and late journalist Sacha Jenkins. This year’s huge Legend Has It… project – including new releases by Nas & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Big L and Mobb Deep – represents its most compelling story yet. Here, VP, marketing Annie Chen and head of design Mike Lukowski join Bittenbender to tell it, and explain why honouring the work of the artists they love is vital for preserving the very legacy of hip-hop itself…
WORDS: YEMI ABIADE
Passion exudes from every word of Peter Bittenbender, Annie Chen and Mike Lukowski, hip-hop fans who have tasked themselves to tell the stories the genre is missing. Midway through our interview, Chen receives a text from Ghostface Killah’s team about the final marketing touches to his new album, the sequel to his pioneering 2000 opus Supreme Clientele. The hustle never stops, which is just the way over at Mass Appeal Records, the rap juggernaut with the legendary Nas as its leader that has been pushing stellar albums and documentaries for over a decade.
The record label is an arm of the broader Mass Appeal creative entity, first founded as a magazine in 1996 before being revived in 2013 by Nas, Bittenbender and the late journalist and filmmaker Sacha Jenkins. With Bittenbender as CEO, Chen as vice president of marketing and Lukowski as head of design, the label has become a home for Nas’ catalogue and released albums by Run The Jewels, J Dilla, DJ Shadow, Dave East and Rome Streetz.
As well as sprawling documentaries about Ralph McDaniels’ influential music show Video Music Box – hip-hop’s version of MTV in the 1980s – and Word Is Bond, a deep dive into the art of hip-hop lyricism, Mass Appeal has overseen the building of bridges between older and younger rap fans in love with all aspects of the culture, from music to fashion.
The label’s latest project, Legend Has It…, is arguably its most ambitious yet. Announced in April this year, it’s a seven-album series that places hip-hop icons and their contributions at the centre. Within the project, the label has released Slick Rick’s first album in 26 years, Victory, and Wu-Tang Clan veterans Raekwon’s The Emperor’s New Clothes and Ghostface Killah’s aforementioned Supreme Clientele 2. Slated for later release is a collaboration album between Nas and DJ Premier, long anticipated in the annals of hip-hop fandom. New albums from Mobb Deep and De La Soul and a posthumous Big L project will follow, with Mobb Deep’s and De La Soul’s being their first since the deaths of members Prodigy and David ‘Trugoy The Dove’ Jolicoeur respectively.
“We had deals with some of these artists stretching back years, like Slick Rick, De La Soul, Ghostface Killah,” Bittenbender explains. “I wanted to put out Supreme Clientele 2 for four years in a row, and I wanted to put out Nas and DJ Premier’s album even before I knew Nas, from a fan’s perspective.”
The realisation that the records could all come out in one year hit home hard.
“We never could’ve imagined that all seven of these albums would happen,” says Bittenbender. “But we sat down last October and realised that at some point, all of these albums are going to come out in 2025. This is insane, this has never happened in hip-hop.”
Tapping into a fortress of rap heritage, Mass Appeal is serving generations with new iterations of their favourite artists, showing respect to a genre that made its very existence possible. Here, Music Week sits down with Mass Appeal to get into the crux of Legend Has It…, bringing storytelling to the forefront and UK expansion…
What was the vision behind Mass Appeal in its early stages?
Peter Bittenbender: “The brand had certain points of influence with myself, Nas and Sacha Jenkins, who unfortunately is no longer with us. We were the three people who relaunched the brand. Sacha was a journalist who had been contributing to Mass Appeal as it was a magazine prior to us relaunching it. He was the creative force. Nas, obviously being a superstar artist, was on the cover of Mass Appeal, and then I was a fan who would run to the news-stand every week to buy it. We all missed a brand that represented something that we all cared about. When we had the opportunity to buy Mass Appeal and relaunch it, it just felt like the perfect brand for us to really do what we wanted to do, which was premium storytelling with hip-hop as the focus. We didn’t really plan for much of this, but that’s what makes it cool.”
Based on your early discussions with Nas and Sacha, what did you want the label to represent?
PB: “We all cared about the essence of hip-hop. We wanted to give a platform for artists who we thought really cared about the craft of being an emcee. Working with artists who really respect the art form. That didn’t mean they had to be an elder statesman. Right now we have artists like Rome Streetz, we worked with Dave East, Run The Jewels, you name it. But it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, here’s this box, and we can only do things inside of it.’ They just really represented what we thought was important to Mass Appeal.”
What do you think makes you stand out from other entities in the industry?
Annie Chen: “We treat our artists as equal partners. With major label set-ups, it’s the idea of the label signing or owning artists but we tend to shy away from that kind of language. We like to make sure that we’re equal partners with these artists and give them the platform to do whatever they’re passionate about. I think what draws us to the artists that we sign is what they stand for. Everything we do at Mass Appeal is definitely more of a collaborative effort. If an artist comes in with a vision, we figure out ways that we can amplify it. We figure out the tactics we can use that best speaks to them and their authentic selves.”
How do your deals with artists work?
PB: “Most of our deals are licenses and 50-50 profit shares with the artist for a certain duration, depending on the needs of the artists and what stage of their career they’re in. We’ve done distribution deals, too. We’re working with The Orchard and we also have Mass Appeal in India. We’ve built a really big business and have the largest independent label for hip-hop in India; 60-plus artists. We’re the first company to really enter South Asia, and now we’re able to do different deal structures. So it really depends on the artist, but the large majority of our deals are 50-50 profit share with a license, like all the Legend Has It… deals.”
On that topic, how did the project come about?
PB: “These are albums that I think at this point are undeniable or almost mythical. The Nas and DJ Premier album, the follow-up to Supreme Clientele, a Mobb Deep album without Prodigy but with his full involvement, not just one or two verses. Same with De La Soul without Dave. Mike is a real creative force behind a lot of the things you see at Mass Appeal and he sat down with me and Annie and said, ‘We’ve got to turn this into something. Let’s announce this as a movement, and get people excited.’”
Mike Lukowski: “I was literally at home with the flu, and I texted Peter with some ideas for names and the word ‘legend’ kept coming back. I wanted to give them respect, but I also didn’t want to put them in this box of these old rappers. Then playing off the idea of the phrase ‘legend has it’, we made it a double entendre. These are legends, and they still have it, they didn’t lose it. When I was growing up, I’d see The Beatles coming out with some box sets to celebrate what they did 30 years prior. We always thought, ‘Where’s that for hip-hop?’ Not just a reissue, but a restoration, something that people can really appreciate and hold up with all the other great, iconic artists of the world. That’s what we’re trying to do as well, to preserve that for people so they can appreciate it and look to these artists as not just being from the 1990s and 2000s, but as very prominent artists that are still influencing generations today.”
AC: “Once we had this campaign concept together and we started talking to the artists and their teams, it got them even more excited. That helped with the timeline, because they felt like there was power in numbers, having this concept and celebrating them all together. That excitement has really helped the rollout.”
Nas and Premier releasing an album together is a real landmark. What can you say about the importance of this?
PB: “I think there are only a few albums in the history of hip-hop that have had this level of anticipation. Nas and Premo are the perfect manifestation of what we want at Mass Appeal. The greatest rapper, the greatest producer, and they’ve both been doing it at such a high level for such an extended period of time. So the way Nas treats the craft of writing, and the way Premo treats the craft of DJing and producing, it’s the pinnacle of excellence. I’ve been fighting for this album to come out for a long time and it’s been a product that’s been announced, started and stopped many times. So to have it so close to being out there is super-exciting. I can’t wait for fans to hear it. Since the day I got into business with Nas 12 years ago, I’ve been pushing for this. It’s a pure hip-hop album in its highest form.”
What do you think it means to be able to tap into those culturally significant moments, and what does it do for the genre of hip-hop?
PB: “There aren’t a lot of labels in 2025 that will invest the type of resources and money into some of these acts that Mass Appeal has. It’s probably giving other labels a little bit more confidence that they can do things with legacy talent that actually is viable. We’re going to sell a ton of vinyl. We’re going to sell all kinds of custom apparel and products. They’re going to do digital downloads on iTunes, way more than some other artists. It’s going to be a massive business. Are they going to stream as much as younger artists? No, but there’s all these other places that these artists are going to be able to win. Other artists seeing these guys be this active will probably have a battery put on their back, too.”
AC: “A part of this is also a bit of an educational process as well. Telling their stories, reminding people about their impact and influence. But also educating the current and younger audience about how these artists have laid the foundations of hip-hop. It’s meeting the audience and seeing how we can bridge the gap.”
So you think that Legend Has It… fills a gap in the market?
AC: “Yes, because I think every trend comes back around. We’re in an exciting moment right now where nostalgia is coming back around. So even though, yes, these are legacy artists bringing us back, the art of lyricism is definitely now back in the centre, especially with Kendrick and Clipse, to name two. For a while, it was long gone, but now this is the perfect time for us to bring that emphasis back. But also showing people that at 60 years old, Slick Rick can still do it. At 50-something years old, Nas can still do it, and they’re able to tell the stories of where they’re at now. I feel that’s equally as important.”
How has it been navigating some of the albums by artists that are no longer with us? Could you paint a picture of how they came about?
PB: “With Mobb Deep and De La Soul, we were very fortunate to have members that are still with us. The majority of Mobb Deep’s album was recorded while Prodigy was still alive. So a lot of what you’re going to hear was the exact thing that Prodigy and Havoc wanted the fans to hear. It wasn’t like they stitched together a bunch of things from a bunch of places; it was made with intent. De La had a handful of songs that Dave had recorded prior to his passing, but that album wasn’t quite as far along. So there’s definitely more voices on that album who fill the slots for Dave that you’ll hear, people that are part of De La’s universe. Then with Big L, who was gone way too soon, that was a case of a lot of different people coming together. Mike Heron, who runs his estate, is incredible and has so many relationships. So we were able to get some unique people to come to the table for the project and lend their vocals. That project is stitched together from things that have been released, that were never properly put on streaming services, a few things that dropped, and then things that were forgotten parts of his legacy.”
From an emotional standpoint, for you as hip-hop fans, how has it been putting the Legend Has It… series together?
ML: “It’s been like time travelling. To tell my 16-year-old self that I’d be involved with these projects is a trip. We’re uncovering jewels that have been hidden from the masses and we’re about to unleash it to the world. It’s like Christmas morning.”
PB: “It’s a full-on dream come true and an amazing honour. There are 20 people on the label all around the world working every day to make this happen. But I don’t think there’s another team in this whole industry that could pull off what we’re doing, in terms of getting the trust of the artist, putting together the concepts, ideas and execution. It’s the perfect unison of the right artist with the right team which is making this all possible.”
AC: “We pride ourselves on being storytellers with all our projects. So this comes with excitement and pressure, because we want the world to see the project to its fullest potential.”
It fits a wider narrative Nas has been part of, especially with things like the Paid In Full Foundation, which rewards influential artists who perhaps have not been paid their dues. Does that say everything about what Nas wants to do?
PB: “I think it just continuously enforces his mission. Whether it’s the Hip-Hop 50 Live celebrations we did at Yankee Stadium or making sure that Ralph McDaniels’ story is told. They’re all just a continuation of that same commitment. Legend Has It… is definitely not the end. There’s plenty more that we’re going to continue to do.”
Many artists are doing reissues with Mass Appeal as well and want a home for their catalogue with a company that really understands the music. Does this show that artists are not just entrusting their future to you, but their past as well?
ML: “We want to preserve these projects. We want to treat them with the utmost respect, and again, make sure it’s preserved for future generations to really appreciate it. We reissued The Purple Tape by Raekwon, for example. This is something that people may’ve missed out on years ago. Now there’s another opportunity to get it and to relive something that they missed out on.”
PB: “Reissues and storytelling through products is something that we’re working on every single day. When you see, at the end of the year, some of the stuff we’re going to do with Legend Has It… when all seven albums are out, like box sets and different seven inches and cool things… We’re very excited about that. The Grammys still have the best packaging category, right? Yeah, we’re winning that next year!”
Mass Appeal has made a business out of nurturing audiences. Are there any key values that you always go back to when it comes to working with artists?
PB: “I think it’s a healthy mix of respecting what exists, but also pushing for them to be a little bit more inventive and creative. Whether it’s me or Mike fighting for the album artwork or pushing for a different vision for a music video. Doing something that doesn’t feel like it’s been done. Especially with Legend Has It…, because these are not just regular albums. I have no problem arguing with my icons. I’m pretty confident in the work we do and you didn’t partner with us to have us just be ‘yes’ men and do whatever you want. You came to us because we do dope shit. So, trust us.”
ML: “It’s never about stepping on toes or pushing our ideas over theirs. We still keep it collaborative, and we know that there’s always so much potential. We don’t want to be complacent. We want to make sure whatever we do is always at the premium level.”
PB: “One day I want to make a book of all the ideas that we came up with that never came to life. Whether it’s an album cover, a deck, a product, a thing we pitched. Each page will have a lot of teardrops on it from the pain of not seeing the idea come to life!”
What is Nas like as a boss? What does he bring to the role as an artist that a ‘normal’ CEO or founder wouldn’t have?
PB: “He’s honestly the best and he’s very proud of the work we do. He’s very involved. I speak to him pretty much every day. He’s just a consummate fan, so it’s not like this to him is money. So when he’s in the office, whether it’s talking to an intern or to Mike about artwork, you know people feel his energy. He knows what he knows, and he also knows where his strengths are not as good as the other people that he’s chosen to be in business with. He trusts us.”
AC: “He is the perfect person to give us more context and insights, because he is an artist himself. And then now, as this businessman he had to put his founder hat on. So I think he is very helpful in terms of helping us navigate some of the conversations with the artists. Sharing his knowledge is definitely super-helpful for us. He’s willing to learn, and he asks questions. I think that’s key, too.”
How have your individual relationships with Nas evolved over the years?
AC: “I’ve gotten so many life lessons from him. But also, I think a lot of times, I’m able to bring out the softer side in him and how he’s really feeling emotionally. Then, sometimes I would get random calls if he’s in LA and he’ll be like, ‘Give me three restaurants I should go check out.’ He’s always willing to try new things.”
PB: “For me, it evolved beyond just thinking about Mass Appeal to thinking about other things. We have multiple businesses with restaurants, interests in countries around the world. So it’s like we’ve taken that passion for hip-hop and built on it. He’s a master entrepreneur and music is just one point of inspiration.”
ML: “Our common thing is not just the music and the appreciation of hip-hop, but also cinema. We love movies, old films, new films and breaking them all down. We both draw inspiration from cinema, whether for him, as an emcee or for me as a visual designer. As time has gone, we’ve built a close relationship. We’re two New York dads from different eras but have bonded in many ways and can feel it off each other.”
PB: “We love New York a little more than he does, Mike. He moved to LA for about two years. We always give him shit about it!”
Can you let us in on your plans for Mass Appeal in the UK?
PB: “We’re equally as excited about what’s happening outside of America as we are with what’s happening inside, and in some ways, almost more excited. The talent we’re finding is exceptional. We’ve opened offices in India, Pakistan, we recently went into Africa and Japan and have a bunch of dope artists coming out there. We just need more representation across the world, so having people in the UK will allow us to nurture certain communities there. Like the Indian and African populations that are huge. The UK is an important hub for us and hopefully soon, we’ll start to show some of the artists that we’re picking up. With Eddie Smith, who handles digital uploads and physical product productions, and Sarah Harrison as a consultant, they’re helping to connect the dots among all the global stuff we’re doing, and then also build the UK base.”
Finally, what’s next for Mass Appeal?
PB: “We have a couple of really big documentaries coming soon. Mass Appeal has been at the forefront of storytelling in the documentary space since we basically started, from Rick James to the Supreme Team. We want to keep that going. We have a couple really cool things we’re working on in the product space, but all will be revealed.”