Eleven years after he first graced the cover of Mass Appeal magazine (No. 18 with Large Professor), Nas has invested a "six-figure" sum into the hip-hop publication.

According to Forbes, Nas has been named Associate Publisher of the quarterly magazine. "I always liked what they represented," he says of the mag. "They invested into the culture… I saw their vision for what they planned and I thought I could add value across the board."

Nas originally planned to create an online magazine in the same vein as Jay-Z's website Life + Times but decided to work with an existing brand that was curating hip-hop culture. The New York rapper believes there aren't many options for readers to enjoy all aspects of hip-hop in magazine form.

"Mass Appeal has a legacy and respect. It already has a foundation," he states. "I just feel like I can add on because I can lend my kind of cultural expertise and my professional acumen, and develop the business."

Originally founded in 1996, as a graffiti magazine, Mass Appeal has since evolved into a broader hip-hop magazine that covers all aspects of the culture including fashion, music, tech and art. The publication was on a five-year hiatus but recently re-emerged on the newsstands. The latest issue features Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt and 'Workaholics' star Blake Anderson.

The 'Illmatic' creator promises that he won't tamper with the editorial vision of Mass Appeal -- even if they review one of his albums. "I won’t get involved with that at all," he shares. "I won’t touch anything, they’re free to say whatever they want. They can say I’m a psychopath, they can say I’m a sweetheart … as long as it’s from their honest opinion, that’s all that matters to me."

Mass Appeal
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