Speaking to Billboard.com, Dan the Automator Nakamura explains why Omakase, his solo debut, still hasnt been released, even though the album has been finished for years. As it turns out, his album was just another casualty of the 2003 MCA/Geffen merger. Says Nakamura:

"It ended up being this two-year stalemateI delivered the record, but nothing happened, and I couldn't get off the label. Before you know it, years have passed by, and the lawyers are getting involved."

Now that Nakamuras managed to pry himself out of Geffens iron grip, hes free to release the album. "There's been a couple offers, and they're good, but I'm a little afraid of it. When I do other records independently, the financial end is much better. On the other hand, you can't get a really big record off independently."

While youre waiting for this album to finally see the light of day, you can check out the soundtrack for NBA 2k7 that Nakamura put together. Its set to hit stores next month, and features Ghostface Killah, Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco and Slim Thug among others.