Under the terms of the three-year deal, Mr. Listen to some of the best new recordings here.

Classical Music: 2021 was a year of reawakening for the art form.

Jazz Albums: Even the big-statement albums this year had a feeling of intense closeness.

Pop Albums: Recordings with big feelings and room for catharsis made the most powerful connections.

Best Songs: A posthumous political statement and a superstar’s 10-minute redo are among the 66 best tracks of 2021.

Carter as an executive and prevent him from lining up with the rival Warner Music Group, whose United States unit is run by Lyor Cohen, the former head of Island Def Jam.įrom Lil Nas X to Mozart to Esperanza Spalding here is what we loved listening to this year.

The deal was also a big win for Universal and Antonio Reid, the chairman of the corporation's Island Def Jam Music Group, who had been working feverishly to secure Mr. 'If you put enough work in and pay attention, maybe one day you can run a company.' 'I think it sends a great message out to artists,' said Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter. Universal, part of Vivendi Universal, will give Jay-Z, who has little corporate experience, the vacant top job at one of its biggest divisions, granting him authority over everything from album production to marketing strategies, and an artist roster that includes stars like LL Cool J and Ludacris. The appointment, announced yesterday, puts Def Jam, the hip-hop label, in the hands of one of rap's biggest-selling artists. Proving yet again that he is the hardest-working retiree in the music industry, the rap star Jay-Z has agreed to become the president of Universal Music Group's Def Jam Recordings label.

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