Kanye West and Trent Reznor, two of the most iconoclastic and discussed musicians of the past decade, each took to their blogs over the New Year holiday to announce new projects.

While short on details, Reznor's message on nin.com hints at much activity in the coming months, despite the band's decision to quit touring after a set of farewell club shows in late 2009.

"Sorry I haven't been around much lately," Reznor writes. "I've been working on not working for a couple of months, which for me is hard work. 2010 has a number of things planned including new material from nine inch nails and something else that isn't nine inch nails. I am in a state of rediscovery and reinvention that feels unfamiliar, unsure and exactly what I need."

In earlier interviews, Reznor has hinted at a follow-up to the 2008 series of EPs "Ghosts I-IV," and at possibly forming a new band. Reznor has also said he's working with synth-pop pioneer Gary Numan, who joined the group onstage at several of the farewell concerts.

Spotlight-addicted rapper Kanye West has remained virtually out of sight since the Taylor Swift VMAs imbroglio and his subsequent nationally televised breakdown on Jay Leno's debut prime time broadcast. But he broke his silence yesterday (Jan. 4) with one of his signature "ALL CAPS" blog postings.

"I'm so happy being back in the studio making new music," he writes, before comparing himself to Kobe Bryant. He also cites Maya Angelou, Gil Scott Heron and Nina Simone as artistic forebearers of his own.

"That is our responsibility as the modern day artists and poets," he writes, "to accurately represent what is happening now, so when the powers that be try to rewrite history you can always look at our works and find truth and sincerity in a world of processed information.

"Let us look past headlines and deal with just a bit of reality in this new decade. We have our own outlets now. We don't have to believe everything anymore. Now I'll figure out a way to make that rhyme."