Idris Elba Partners with Nas

While Idris Elba is widely known for his acting career, his involvement in music is extensive, having started as a DJ at age 14. He has performed at major festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury and held residencies in Ibiza. His DJ work, initially under the name DJ Big Driis, began long before his rise to fame as an actor. Elba founded his independent record label, 7Wallace Music, in 2018. The London-based label has released music across various genres including hip-hop, soul, and electronic, working with artists like Little Simz, Q-Tip, and Cypress Hill. Beyond music releases, 7Wallace is also involved in soundtrack curation for film and television. Nas co-founded Mass Appeal Records in 2014 as the music division of his Mass Appeal media group. The label has released albums for a diverse roster of influential artists, including Run the Jewels, DJ Shadow, and Dave East. Nas himself has released his recent Grammy-winning albums, including the "King's Disease" series, through his own label. This new alliance isn't the first time the two labels have joined forces. In 2025, 7Wallace and Mass Appeal collaborated on the release of "VICTORY," the latest album from hip-hop legend Slick Rick. The project also included a 30-minute visual accompaniment that was executive produced by Elba and Slick Rick. The partnership is described as a "transatlantic alignment" aimed at co-releasing projects, managing cross-market distribution, and creating original content at the intersection of music and film. Mass Appeal has recently been focused on its "Legend Has It..." series, a slate of seven albums from iconic New York rap acts including a long-awaited collaborative album from Nas and DJ Premier.