Warner Music and America Online will debut an online reality series in which contestants compete for a chance to become the president of a newly created record label. A link to submit yer own application before August 15th is below...
Maybe it should be you!
"The Biz" featuring controversial industry figure Lyor Cohen, will run as a webcast on AOL from mid-October through mid-November. Lyor Cohen, now CEO with Warner Music, was once head of Island Def Jam, where he was sued in federal court over ties to the drug money funded 'Murder Inc' label, and called by the trial judge a 'morally reprehensible' individual.
Cohen, the son of an Isreali army general, entered the rap game in the early 80's after an encounter with the seminal rappers Run-DMC at a club Cohen was running in California. He became Run DMC's road manager & soon headed for New York to work for Def Jam's founder Russell Simmons, when original partner Rick Rubin, headed out west to start his own label 'Def American'. Lyor Cohen's impact was seen in 1990 with the de-emphasis of the Def Jam name & the forming of RAL, which was an informal in house acronym for Russel And Lyor, but officially stood for 'Rush Associated Labels'.
Over the years Cohen's influence grew, to the point where the foul-tempered, tough negotiator personally took home $100 million from the deal when Def Jam sold to the Universal Music Group in 1999. He was then made president of a key part of the industries largest conglomerate, UMG subsidiary Island Def Jam, where he oversaw relationships with numerous artists & labels and whose units achieved phenomenal growth and earned almost $700 million a year.
Along with Rick Rubin's 'American Recordings', were partner labels like Irv 'Gotti' Gottleib's 'Murder Inc' label , where Cohen was listed on the executive board and reportedly was known by the endearing gangster nickname 'Lansky'. Irv Gotti dubbed Cohen his own "Meyer Lansky" in a 2002 statement publicly renewing Murder Inc. and Def Jam/Universal's business deal.
Lyor Cohen, has a reputation for playing hardball, conducting business in a very aggressive manner, including using techniques like intense pressure and stealing artists away from other deals etc . After breaking a deal with TVT records over some old pre-'Murder Inc' Ja Rule recordings, Lyor was sued by TVT. Despite his deep ties to the labels development, distribution and industry largesse, Cohen played off his dealings with the 'Murder Inc' label once the legal heat and spotlight was on. "Do you sit with Mr. Gotti on the executive board of Murder Inc.?" an attorney asked.
"I'm not sure," came Cohen's furtive testimony. After he lost the lawsuit to TVT records, it was ruled TVT was owed $132 million, half of which was designated as Cohen's personal responsibility to TVT after it was ruled that Cohen & UMG had committed fraud. Cohen's personal $56 million liability was unprecendented in the industry, but was later overturned this past June by an appeals court. TVT has vowed to appeal as well now. Another suit involving Cohen & Def Jam was filed in 2003 by Eric "Eric B." Barrier who claimed he was owed up to $70 million in royalties for the ironically titled "Paid In Full" album originally handled by Island subsidiary 4th & Broadway.
Cohen later left IDJ/UMG in January of 2004 for a position with the Edgar Bronfman, Jr. investor group financed Warner Music Group, now officially spun off from Time Warner. Joining Cohen at Warner is his former soldier at IDJ Kevin Liles (37), as well as a trio of older industry figures like Elektra founder Jac Holzman (73) known for work with folk groups & The Doors , Atlantic's legendary Ahmet Ertegun (82) and Sire's Seymour Stein (63) who in the 70's signed The Ramones & Talking Heads. Another industry success that has rejoined the Warner family is old Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin.
http://music.channel.aol.com/feature/the_biz
http://www.newyorkbusiness.com/news.cms?id=11365
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_32/b3946094.htm
Hey Damn ! You Made it !
Check Out Some Sounds !!!...
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John Waters biggest & best discovery... dead since 1988 but living in our hearts forever
A tribute to the first DJ to hit platinum & in turn set the standard
Jam Master Jay - The Eulogy - ( Run DMC tribute remix by Detroit Butcher )
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The aforementioned Hip Hop Pioneers laying it down old school style
D.C's Go-Go Masters featuring Sugabear hang with the dynamic duo
Salt n Pepa - Shake Your Thang (Featuring E.U.)
A quirky electronica jam that is just annoying enuf to be fun on a darkwave dancefloor
LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk (Is Playing At My House) - remix
and from the ever entertaining blog & fine folks at WFMU is a tribute to & stack of quick MP3 one liners from the great Jewish comediane extraordinaire Pearl Williams , whose shlocky "adult" comedy albums are still plucked from dusty bins in ever rarer thriftstores of quality...
Pearl Williams - Kiss Your Ass Goodbye
Pearl Williams - "Girly Would stop Talking, Shut Your Hole And Let Mine Make A Little Money"
more at :
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/08/pearl_williams_.html
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