That second question brought Jimmy Iovine, one of the industry’s top executives, and Dr. Dre, one of the most esteemed stars on his roster, to Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show, an event that by Sunday night left both a bit blinkered.

"I love coming to Vegas," Dre said, "but I love leaving it too."

Dr Dre has his first album since 2001 (and, he says, his final one) due in June, but he and Iovine were in Vegas to promote a different summer release : Beats by Dre. That’s the name of the new $400, high-performance and (no surprise) bass-intensive headphones co-designed by the rapper-producer. The headphones are more than a lark : Dre and Iovine have plans for an entire line of home and car audio electronics based on both Dre’s celebrity and his perfectionist reputation, a branding plan that would make him a sort of Martha Stewart of the subwoofer set.

"In 10 years, I want to look back and remember this moment, when it was just headphones, because it’s going to include speakers and surround-sound systems, car systems, everything," said Dre, 42. Unlike other rap superstars, he has focused his career on music and resisted offers to put out sneakers, booze or clothes with his name on them. "I’m not into clothes or any of that. This feels organic, and it feels exciting for me."

The ambition of the effort alone is a reminder of the changing nature of record labels. As the CD market continues to narrow, executives like Iovine are widening their job descriptions.

Iovine is chairman of Universal’s Geffen Interscope A&M (the train-car name alone reveals plenty about the modern history of the industry and its flurries of consolidation), and the one-time record producer says his job is about creating multimedia stars with diversified ventures.

"It’s about entrepreneurship now, it’s about ideas and, instead of just music, it’s about delivering an experience," Iovine said. "That experience is different things for different artists. Our job is to monetize it and come up with the ideas."

For U2, it was putting their music and name on a huge, tailored iPod project, while for Eminem and 50 Cent, it led to semi-autobiographical theatrical films that brought them credibility with an older mainstream audience. For Gwen Stefani, it has included recasting her as a fashion brand (and even a line of dolls) and preparing for a major online venture.