Nas lashes out at Def Jam; Gaga and Beyonce have all that power; Max Weinberg recovering from heart surgery

Nas had some choice words for his bosses at Def Jam. (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

By David Malitz

- The always-outspoken Nas had some strong words for his bosses at Def Jam Records regarding his in-limbo odds-and-ends collection “The Lost Tapes: Vol. 2.” In a leaked e-mail he says Def Jam is holding up the release and that they should be more concerned with supporting their artists than trying to make themselves look good. "Nobody even cares what label puts out a great record, they care about who recorded it. Yet time and time again its the executives who always stand in the way of a creative artist’s dream and aspirations," he said. Most likely. Sources close to Nas say the letter is legit; a Def Jam source refuted that.

- According to Forbes, Lady Gaga and Beyonce are two of the 10 most powerful women in the world.

- E Street Band drummer and former Conan O'Brien cohort Max Weinberg made news when it was announced he wouldn't follow his old boss to his new late night show on TBS. Now he's made news again by announcing it's partly because he's recovering from open heart surgery.

- More than 30 percent of digital downloads are from the top 50 songs. Whoa.