State Champ Radio Business
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When it comes to the red-hot market for music rights, the only people who may be more important than the buyers and sellers are number crunchers like Nari Matsuura.
The Ottawa, Ontario, native is the partner of Barry Massarsky and founder of the valuation division of their music economics and valuation services practice at Citrin Cooperman, one of just a handful of firms that calculate the future growth rates and discounts essential to determining a music catalog’s market value.
From 2021 to 2022, Matsuura estimates she oversaw 750 catalog valuations totaling $15.5 billion for such clients as Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Primary Wave and Reservoir Media.
But as billions have flooded the music intellectual property market, the practice of valuing catalogs has encountered unexpected controversy, with Massarsky and Matsuura’s team occasionally in the middle. Banks put considerable weight on catalog valuations when determining how much to lend to a buyer, and some question whether Citrin Cooperman’s discount rate — which has not budged since spring 2022 — ignores macroeconomic pressures, such as the rising cost to borrow, that could affect valuations. Lower valuations could lead banks to decrease the amounts they lend overall, which could have a cooling effect on the market. “The reason we did not increase our discount rate along with the rising interest rate environment is because we had originally started at a higher discount rate so that we could accommodate for that rise,” Matsuura says. “We knew that this low interest rate environment was not sustainable in the long term.”
Chilean singer-songwriter Polimá Westcoast signed a global deal with Sony Music U.S. Latin, Billboard has learned. With this agreement, the up-and-coming artist expands his relationship with the label after previously singing with Sony Music Entertainment Chile in 2019.
Born Polimá Ngangu Eduardo Miguel Orellana, the Santiago-born act entered the music industry in 2018 with his edgy “Trap Star,” which captured his trap star-meets-rock star attitude. Polimá Westcoast gradually made a name for himself as a local artist performing at the important Lollapalooza Chile Festival last year and at Viña del Mar International Song Festival in February.
“This is something fundamental for me that not only I worked on, but also along my great team,” the singer said in a statement. “A lot is happening with my career at the international stage. We are ready and determined to take the necessary steps to achieve the next level.”
Although Polimá has been making music for some time now, it was his Pailita-assisted track “Ultra Solo” released last year that really put him on the map. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Excl. U.S. chart (dated July 2, 2022). He later landed a remix alongside Paloma Mami, Feid and De La Ghetto. In the past, he’s also collaborated with J Balvin and Quevedo.
“We are very happy to continue working with Polimá Westcoast, who has proven to be one of the most talented and creative artists of his generation,” added Alex Gallardo, president of Sony Music U.S. Latin. “We are confident that together we can bring his music to new audiences worldwide. Today, we welcome him to Sony U.S. Latin, where we are committed to helping him continue to grow his name internationally and become one of the biggest names in Latin music.”
HYBE shares rocketed up 14.9% this week after the K-pop company reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Like Crazy” by Jimin, a member of the group BTS. Investors could also rejoice that Jimin’s album, FACE, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. HYBE shares spiked 7.5% on Thursday (April 5) following Jimin’s U.S. chart success and rose another 5.9% on Friday, closing at 217,000 won ($164.85).
“Like Crazy” is an encouraging success for HYBE’s Big Hit Music imprint and the first track by a BTS member’s solo project to top the Hot 100. In fact, Jimin is the first South Korean solo artist with a No. 1 hit on the chart in the U.S. That’s good news for a company that will be without its biggest act for the foreseeable future and which needs to create additional chart successes outside of its home market. News of BTS’s hiatus sent HYBE’s share price down TK% from June TK to TK. Since then, HYBE has reached No. 51 with JIN’s “The Astronaut” and No. 30 with Jimin’s “Set Me Free, Pt. 2.” It has had more success outside of BTS members’ solo projects. Tomorrow X Together’s The Name Chapter: Temptation (EP) reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 while Seventeen reached No. 4 on the chart with 4th Album Repackage: Sector 17.
HYBE’s share price is up 25.1% year to date.
HYBE was the only stock in the Billboard Global Music Index to see a double-digit increase this week and one of just eight companies to finish in positive territory. Overall, the 20-company index declined 3.1% to 1,224.34 this week. (Year to date, the Billboard Global Music Index is up 4.8%.) On Wall Street, the S&P 500 declined 0.1% to 4,105.02 while the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.1% to 12,087.96.
The index’s most valuable company, Universal Music Group, declined 8.2% to 21.40 euros ($23.53) and is down 5% year to date. Spotify, the second-largest contributor to the index, declined just 0.9% to $132.48 and is up 61% year to date.
TJ Landig was promoted to senior vp of marketing at Warner Records. Based in Los Angeles, he reports to executive vp of marketing & artist development Dionnee Harper. Among other duties, Landig manages the labels’ partnership with 88rising. He can be reached at tj.landig@warnerrecords.com.
Pete Nash joined Primary Talent International as a partner, effective immediately. Nash is the eighth partner to join the company since it regained its independence from CAA in March via a management-led buyout. Nash joined ICM in 2020 and worked closely with the Primary Talent team until CAA’s acquisition of ICM in June 2022. Nash brings clients Kings of Leon, Pet Shop Boys, Regina Spektor, Steve Winwood and Travis to the agency.
Roberto Neri joined Believe as CEO of Believe Publishing following the company’s acquisition of Sentric Music Group in March. Along with Sentric founder/CEO Chris Meehan, Neri will “build a service for songwriters and publishers, in a way that is both innovative and complementary with Believe’s core recorded music offering,” according to Neri’s post on LinkedIn announcing his hire. He was most recently CEO at Utopia Music Services, Sentric’s former parent company.
Elsewhere at Believe, the company’s U.K. office announced several promotions. They include Malena Wolfer, upped from head of artist services to director of artist services; Ben Rimmer, elevated from label & artist solutions director, Believe UK to regional director label & artist solutions, Believe UK & Northern Europe; and Panos Polimatidis, promoted from head of artist relations to head of label & artist solutions. Wolfer will focus on high-profile signings and partnerships and explore joint venture opportunities, Rimmer will help grow Believe’s operations in Benelux and Scandinavia, and Polimatidis will be responsible for business development across both the label and artist distribution divisions while also overseeing the client relationship management team. Wolfer and Rimmer will report to Believe UK managing director Alex Kennedy while Polimatidis will report to Rimmer.
Leslie Rosales joined Rostrum Records as head of marketing. In the role, she will develop and lead marketing plans for the independent label — creating marketing opportunities across all digital service providers, securing brand partnerships and partnering with creative teams to develop content that supports artist and label goals. Rosales, who will report to Rostrum Records president Erika Montes, joins Rostrum from High Standardz, where she will continue as a consultant for the label’s emerging artists, including Coco Jones and Lady London. She can be reached at leslie@rostrumrecords.com.
Sofia Ilyas was named chief community officer at The Beatport Group, where she will oversee the company’s diversity, inclusion and social action efforts. She will also lead corporate communications, spearhead the strategy for emerging growth markets and manage Beatport’s partnerships with DJ and product community organizations globally. She most recently served as a director at headphone company Nura. Ilyas will be based out of Beatport’s London office and can be reached at sofia.ilyas@beatport.com.
Mark Collen has departed his role as executive vp of international operations at Sony Music to launch a new consultancy firm called Night Manager Entertainment. The new firm will offer strategic leadership and international marketing consulting to clients across the music industry. Collen can be reached at mark@nightmanager-entertainment.com.
The Country Music Association (CMA) promoted four employees: Tiffany Kerns to senior vp of industry relations & philanthropy, Catharine McNelly to vp of communications, Ben Balch to senior director of accounting & financial planning, and Michael Farris to senior director of business strategy & insights. Among other duties, Kerns will continue overseeing the direction and management of CMA membership including operations, programming, events and the organization’s newly launched membership structure; McNelly will take on a greater strategic role with communications and talent relations efforts across all of CMA’s events, programs and initiatives; Balch will continue to oversee reporting and financial standing for both CMA and the CMA Foundation; and Farris will lead the ticketing, data architecture and insights teams and serve as the lead ticketing strategist for all CMA events. Kerns can be reached at tkerns@cmaworld.com, McNelly can be reached at cmcnelly@cmaworld.com, Balch can be reached at bbalch@cmaworld.com and Farris can be reached at mfarris@cmaworld.com.
Anna Pittman was hired as vp of artist development at Warner Music Nashville. Pittman previously served as an artist development and marketing consultant for Warner Music Group and, prior to that, worked at Q Prime Artist Management for over 14 years.
FreshTracks Music UK, a new MCPS Production Music publisher, launched with John Clifford — former global head of BMG Production Music and managing director U.K. at Universal Music Publishing — serving as managing director. In the role, Clifford will be responsible for building the Martin Nedved-founded company’s U.K. team and label partners while continuing to run his consultancy business, True Road Music. Along with its own repertoire, FreshTracks Music UK will sub-publish select production music from international labels, expanding the wider FreshTracks Music network that currently operates in 10 European countries. Clifford can be reached at john.clifford@freshtracksmusic.co.uk.
Oak View Group (OVG) promoted Drew Gershenson to vp of content for Greater Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena and vp of OVG’s Southwest division. Gershenson joined OVG in December 2021 and previously served as director of booking for Acrisure Arena. He will report to John Page, senior vp of Acrisure Arena, the Coachella Valley Firebirds and OVG360 Facilities. In his new role, Gershenson will continue to lead the day-to-day programming for the Acrisure Arena and support other OVG-managed properties including Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Mullett Arena in Tempe and Tahoe Blue Arena, which is scheduled to open this summer in South Lake Tahoe.
Mike Reynolds and Norman Jacob launched MNJR, a new full-service artist and label management group based in Nashville where they will both serve as managing partners. The firm launches with a roster that includes The Mavericks and the solo career of the group’s frontman, Raul Malo, as well as their label imprint Mono Mundo Recordings; alt-country group 49 Winchester; and emerging artist McKinley James. The MNJR team at launch also includes Rudy Newman, who will serve as operations manager. Reynolds can be reached at mreynolds@mnjr.co, Jacob can be reached at norman@mnjr.co and Newman can be reached at rudy@mnjr.co.
Marni Greenberg joined Sofar Sounds as vp of communications. She was most recently head of music communications at YouTube, where she worked for six years.
Amy Van-Baaren was promoted to the newly-created role of chief impact and culture officer at Resident Advisor; her previous title was head of community. In her new role, Van-Baaren will continue overseeing the company’s philanthropic initiatives while overseeing the internal company culture, community partnerships and Resident Advisor’s non-profit jobs board, Doors Open. She can be reached at avb@ra.co.
Josh Miely was promoted to vp of content design and development at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), effective April 27. In his new role, Miely will lead the design, development and delivery of content programming for NAB Show events, while also supporting content and program development efforts for virtual events on NAB Amplify, as well as regional and community-based events for the organization. He’ll report to NAB executive vp/managing director, global connections and events Chris Brown. Miely was previously director of member experience, industry affairs.
Leading livestreaming firm Bulldog DM hired Gilad Gershoni as its new chief strategy officer. Prior to joining Bulldog DM, Gershoni served as Twitter’s live video specialist and as senior live streaming producer at MLB Advanced Media. Gershoni will work closely with Bulldog DM’s founder/CEO John Petrocelli, COO Simon Rust Lamb and chief technology officer Peter Kahn to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the needs of Bulldog DM’s clients. He can be reached at gilad@bulldogdm.com.
Megan Kleinschmidt was hired as director of regional promotion at Monument Records. She joins the company from Universal Music Group, where she worked on the Capitol Nashville promotion team. In her new role, she will be responsible for the West Coast, where she’ll represent the full Monument roster.
Southern California music festival Desert Daze launched the record label Desert Daze Sound in partnership with Partisan Records, which will distribute releases on the imprint; Desert Daze’s Phil Pirrone will lead the label’s curation. The first release on the label will be Zango, the first album in nearly 40 years from “Zamrock” legends (and Desert Daze veterans) WITCH, which is set for release on June 2. The label will additionally put out a vinyl compilation series titled LIVE @ Desert Daze!
This week, Lana Del Rey released her ninth straight top 10 album on the Billboard 200, with Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd debuting at No. 3 on the chart. But it was the manner of that debut that caught the eye: of the 115,000 equivalent album units the record racked up in its first week, 58,500 units were vinyl — the biggest vinyl sales week of the year so far and the best of her career, with it also available on CD and cassette. And the remainder of the sum equated to some 36.14 million on-demand streams, the biggest streaming week of her career, to boot.
That success was no accident: the singer has always sold well at the vinyl format, according to her label Interscope Geffen A&M, and the label and her management team at TAP prioritized the format, as well as the other sales variants, in order to have them available the day the album came out, resulting in the big sales week. And that strategy helps earn Interscope Geffen A&M chief revenue officer and global head of streaming and strategy Gary Kelly earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Kelly breaks down what went into the big vinyl and sales week for Lana Del Rey, as well as how that major streaming activity helped play into the overall success of the album. “We always like to begin with what the demands of the fans are,” Kelly says. “This is what you see here, so every music product we created was based on our insights for what the fans would want to own.”
This week, Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 115,000 equivalent album units, with vinyl making up 58,500 units — the best vinyl sales week of the year so far and best of her career. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
Lana has been at the forefront of the vinyl resurgence, so our strategy was based on years of historical data and her overall growth with the Gen Z audience, who we know love vinyl to listen to and also to show their fandom. The Interscope revenue team worked closely with [her management team] Ben [Mawson], Ed [Millett] and Wendy [Ong] at TAP Management to ensure the album was delivered in time to ensure we had the master and the packaging in time to deliver for street date.
The album had six vinyl variants, with several exclusives available in different stores. How did you develop that strategy and how did you see it pay off?
On previous releases we had productive campaigns with partners like Target, indie retail, Amazon and Urban Outfitters. We looked at that historical data to determine the best path for Lana’s new project.
Have production delays for vinyl gotten easier, or does it still require long lead times? And how did you navigate that?
The supply chain issues that we experienced at the height of the pandemic are improving and we were able to manage inventory to ensure that we had plenty of the vinyl. Long lead times however still exist, but Universal Music Logistics has done a good job turning around reorders quickly. That helped tremendously, as some of the initial allocations sold out and we had to re-run additional inventory that arrived in time for street date. That would not have been possible in 2021 or 2022.
The album was also released through nine different CD variants, and also five different cassette versions. Why lean so much into those formats?
We always like to begin with what the demands of the fans are. This is what you see here, so every music product we created was based on our insights for what the fans would want to own.
The debut also marked the biggest streaming week in Lana Del Rey’s career. How did the streaming and sales strategies dovetail and feed off each other?
Lana having the largest streaming week of her career is tied to her making a brilliant album. She is a true artist and she pushes boundaries with every new project. New fans and audiences are catching up to her. That said, we look at streaming and sales audiences as having overlap, so when we launched the preorder and first single in December, we were driving pre-sales, but also driving fans to listen on the DSPs.
We had Lana in our Santa Monica recording studios in January and while listening to the album, there was a general feel from the marketing, digital and revenue teams that “A&W” would be the ideal song to release to further connect the streaming audience and pre-sales. It worked perfectly as the song reacted incredibly well with fans across the world and drove a substantial number of preorders. In fact, preorders jumped around 20%, which is unusual given that we had already amassed thousands of preorders because they had been available for almost three months by that point.
The album also reached No. 1 in the U.K., Australia and several other countries around the world. What was the global strategy with regards to this release?
We worked with Ben Mortimer, Stephen Hallows and the rest of the Polydor team to craft an in-depth global strategy with the UMG teams across the world. The Interscope international team did a great job working with the local affiliates to ensure the best plans were in place and executed. The results show how deeply connected we were with all of them between DSP campaigns, physical partner campaigns along with our direct relationship with fans across the world with our D2C strategy.
Do you see the future of physical sales as being more merch item or niche consumer product?
Most of the physical music products are built for segments of the fans that want to own something from their favorite artist to show off their fandom. That said, I do not see these as niche as much as reflective of what these fans want. Will those tastes change in the coming years? That most likely will be the case and we will want to adjust what we, and the artist, create to match fan interests and preferences.
Previous Executive of the Week: Joseph Oerke of Decca
Running a school is no walk in the park — a lesson Kanye West is learning the hard way.
Former Donda Academy teachers Cecilia Hailey and her daughter, Chekarey Byers, are suing West (now known as Ye) and his Simi Valley private school for wrongful termination, discrimination and unlawful withholding of wages, among other allegations, according to a complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday (April 5).
According to a press release put out by the plaintiffs’ law firm, West Coast Employment Lawyers, the Christian school allegedly “violated education, health and safety codes, terminated educators based on race and retaliation, and failed to fully pay teachers.” Donda Academy directors Brianne Campbell, Allison Tidwell and Chris Julian are also named as defendants.
The complaint, obtained by Billboard and filed by attorneys Ronald L. Zambrano and Melineh Jingozian, claims the pre-K through 12th-grade school boasted a number of unusual rules and restrictions, allegedly demanded by West. They include not allowing common items such as crossword puzzles, coloring sheets, eating utensils, colorful clothing, dinnerware, jewelry, chairs and Nike or Adidas branded clothing. Students were also allegedly not allowed on the second floor of the school because West was “reportedly afraid of stairs” and also not allowed outside, instead forced to spend their lunch/recess time indoors.
The complaint further alleges that the only meal available to students was sushi and that they were not allowed to bring food from home. Byers and Hailey additionally accuse the school of turning a blind eye to “severe bullying,” including physical violence.
In the complaint, Hailey and Byers are identified as the only female African-American teachers at the school — something they say led to stereotyping and coded language from Donda Academy administrators. “I’m just tired of the rhetoric being that Black women who are competent are seen as aggressive,” Hailey said in a statement.
The complaint goes on to state that when Hailey expressed interest in reaching out to West, she was told not to. Both teachers also claim that their paychecks were “untimely or inaccurate,” with some never arriving and others reportedly short by up to $2,700.
“No action was taken to remedy plaintiffs’ complaints regarding sanitation, health, safety or education standard pursuant to local and state law, which plaintiffs made throughout the entirety of their employment,” the complaint reads. Hailey and Byers were ultimately terminated from the school in March, allegedly without explanation.
Hailey and Byers are asking for damages including unpaid wages, loss of earnings, deferred compensation and other employment benefits; general damages, including for “emotional distress”; other special damages, including “reasonable medical expenses”; punitive damages; prejudgment interest on lost wages and benefits; and costs of bringing the suit.
“We’re standing up because it’s the right thing to do,” Hailey continued in her statement. “This is not about trying to defame a celebrity. This is about the right thing to do for these children.”
“While his vision for the school sounds great on paper, it’s just pure chaos and mutiny,” Byers added.
Representatives for West and Donda Academy did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment.
Donda Academy — named after West’s late mother, Donda West — was founded last year. In October, there were reports of the school shutting down, but it is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year.
k.d. lang was a buzzy singer-songwriter with just one independently released album under her belt (credited alongside her band The Reclines) when Sire Records founder Seymour Stein scouted her at a nightclub in her native Canada in 1985. Lang was snapped up by Stein that same night and went on to enjoy a run of successful albums with Sire, including 1987’s Angel With a Lariat (with The Reclines), 1988’s Shadowlands, 1989’s Absolute Torch and Twang (with The Reclines) and 1992’s RIAA double-platinum smash Ingénue, featuring the indelible hit single “Constant Craving,” for which lang earned the Grammy for best pop vocal performance, female the following year.
In remembrance of the man who launched her career, Lang penned a brief tribute to the late executive, who died April 2 at age 80, for Billboard. In it, she humorously recounts the night an apparently sleep-deprived Stein signed her — and changed her life forever.
When I began to perform my music in Canadian clubs almost 40 years ago, there was initial interest from a few record labels, but I remember being excited when I heard that Seymour Stein was going to fly up to see me. We made sure to reserve the best table in the club for him, but as showtime arrived there was no sign of him. Eventually, we went onstage to play.
A few songs into the set, a very rumpled-looking guy arrived at the reserved table, slumped into a chair, put his head on the table and fell asleep. I thought, “Well, I guess I’m not getting signed tonight!”
After the show, Seymour came backstage to meet me, and said he wanted to sign me to Sire.
That’s why I’ve always said that even when Seymour’s asleep, he still has the best ears in the business!
In all these years, I have not encountered anyone who has recognized, signed and supported more great artists than Seymour Stein.
Financing and investment company Cutting Edge Media Music acquired the full music catalog of United Kingdom-based media company First Score Music. The acquisition gives Cutting Edge complete master and publishing rights to over 75 film scores, including original music rights to films from Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish‘s Imaginarium Productions. This includes Imaginarium’s upcoming animated version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm as well as its Taika Waititi-directed film Next Goal Wins with a score by Michael Giacchino. The catalog also includes scores by composers such as Carter Burwell, Christophe Beck, Hildur Guðnadóttir, David Newman and Rachel Portman for films including Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Midway and Greenland.
Atlantic Records formed a joint venture with TAG Music, a new record label founded by artist-turned-executive Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship, Midtown). The first releases under the deal include the singles “Nosebleed” from Los Angeles-based singer Sophie Powers (released March 31) and “Red Is My Favorite Color” from emo alt-rock artist Jules Is Dead in April.
China-based streaming service NetEase Cloud Music renewed its deal with independent Asian “Mandopop” label Rock Records to distribute both its back catalog and upcoming releases in China. Under the agreement, NetEase and Rock Records will continue collaborating to promote Rock Records artists and content; the new deal also “extends the strategic cooperation towards more in-depth initiatives on copyright cooperation between the two parties,” according to a press release, including the rights to sublicense Rock Records music for various uses including third-party applications, website background music and smart devices. Founded in 1980, Rock Records is home to popular artists including Tayu Lo, Jonathan Lee and Wakin Chau.
Symphonic announced a partnership with Boston-based music technology company Formless that will see Symphonic integrate Formless’ SHARE Protocol for blockchain technology. The protocol will roll out to a select group of Symphonic clients who express an interest in Web3. Artists using the technology will be able to control access terms to their music, including streaming price, and receive payments instantly while splitting royalties with collaborators and fans.
PayPal and Live Nation unveiled a multi-year partnership naming PayPal as the “preferred payments partner” of Ticketmaster, according to a press release. Under the deal, fans will be able to pay with PayPal, PayPal Pay Later products and Venmo across the Ticketmaster platform. PayPal Braintree will also become Ticketmaster’s primary global payment processor, speeding up the checkout process while giving fans access to event add-ons like merchandise and parking for purchase. The partnership also entails an “expanded global marketing program to drive broad engagement and fan loyalty through experiences and offers,” including by rewarding a limited number of fans who use PayPal and Venmo to pay for festivals like Bonnaroo, BottleRock and Lollapalooza with ticket discounts and “Cashless credits” to those events.
Mötley Crüe co-founder Mick Mars is suing his former bandmates, demanding access to the band’s books after he says he was unceremoniously terminated when he disclosed a chronic illness.
In a petition filed Thursday in Los Angeles court, attorneys for Mars say he’s a 25% shareholder in the Crüe’s corporate entities, but that the band tried to cut him out entirely after he said he could no longer tour due to an arthritic condition called ankylosing spondylitis.
“How did Mars’s brothers of 41 years respond to Mars’s tragic announcement?” his lawyers wrote. “They [held] an emergency shareholders’ meeting for the band’s main corporate entity in order to throw Mars out of the band, to fire him as a director of the corporation, to fire him as an officer of the corporation, and to take away his shares of the corporation.”
Mars stepped away as a touring member of Crüe last year, but his lawyers say he clearly still wanted to record with the band and play residencies — and that he certainly wasn’t handing away his lucrative shares in the band’s corporate entities.
But in Thursday’s petition, Mars’ attorneys say that the group moved to fire him under a clause in the band’s operating agreement that allows for removal of a member for “legal cause.” Mars cited an alleged email in which the band’s attorney said Mars was no longer able “to perform as a full-fledged band member,” claiming he had repeatedly made mistakes on stage.
Rather than the 25 percent he’s allegedly owed, Mars says Crüe co-founder Nikki Sixx and the rest of the band offered him just 5 percent to walk away – and said they were only doing so “as a courtesy.”
“Sixx made it clear to Mars that he believed that the offer was a generous one, and that Mars, after 41 consecutive years with the band, did not deserve anything going forward,” lawyers for Mars wrote in Thursday’s filing. “Sixx further ‘gaslighted’ Mars by severely criticizing his performances on the U.S. tour, and exclaimed that there is no way that the band could tour with Mars anymore.”
After he pushed back on the moves to remove him, attorneys for Mars say the band stopped responding and instead filed an arbitration case against him in February — “essentially suing him” to prove that they had the right to kick him out of the band.
“They clearly commenced an arbitration, rather than a public lawsuit, so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their ‘brother’ of 41 years,” lawyers for Mars wrote in the petition.
In technical terms, Wednesday’s filing was a petition asking a judge to rule that Mars can access the band’s financial records, operating agreements and other key information amid the dispute. While it included many details about his firing and his disability, Mars is not directly suing the band over his termination.
A rep for Mötley Crüe did not return a request for comment.
Until gangster rap pioneer Ice-T signed with Sire Records in 1987, he was strictly DIY — “recording for small indie labels, mostly selling records out of mom-and-pop stores,” as he wrote in his 2012 memoir Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption, from South Central to Hollywood. By signing Ice-T to Sire, founder Seymour Stein, who died on April 2 at age 80, delivered hip-hop to a label mostly known for pop (Madonna), punk (The Ramones) and new wave (Talking Heads). The rapper produced three classic albums in a row for Sire: Rhyme Pays, Power and The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech … Just Watch What You Say, and went on to induct Stein at the A&R legend’s 2005 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Following a day of filming his longtime role as Sergeant Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in New York City, Ice-T remembered the late Stein in this as-told-to phone interview.
I was introduced to Seymour by a guy named Ralph Cooper, who presented Seymour with a compilation album, and Seymour picked me out of the compilation and said, “I just want to sign Ice-T.”
Me and [DJ-producer] Afrika Islam went up to his office and he was in his socks and dancing around. He told me he wanted to get involved. At that time, hip-hop was so new. First, he told me I sounded like Bob Dylan. I took that as a compliment because I knew Bob Dylan: “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” all that. I said, “OK, I get it.” Then he started talking to me about calypso music: “Do you know what they’re singing about in this song?” and “This is from Trinidad.” And I was like, “No.” Then he said one of the most genius things I’ve ever heard: “Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t make it any less valid. It just means you don’t understand it. I may not understand rap and hip-hop, but it doesn’t take any validity away from it. It just means I don’t understand it. But I know you’re singing to people that will understand it, so I want to give you a record deal.”
I was excited and we took the deal and I was never A&R’ed or anything. It was just like, “Turn the album in.”
They just let us go. There was no one there who was capable of input in what we were doing. They had nobody else who understood hip-hop, so they just had to go with it. The records were selling, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
By the time we got to Body Count, I was working mostly with Howie Klein [president of another Warner-owned label, Reprise Records]. Seymour was always having battles with health. Whenever you got to see Seymour, it was a great moment, but he was kind of off-deck. The whole time I was on Sire, there was never any conflict. People hate record labels, but I had a great experience. I didn’t have any problem — until after “Cop Killer,” when Warner got nervous. And I understand that. They let me go, no problem, no strings attached.
The last time I saw Seymour was at his [2005] Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. I always knew he was proud of us — he was proud of me, and what I did and what I stood for. Because that’s his character. He liked to make music that meant something and moved people. Even though they say he understood pop, and how to get involved with pop, he was more punk than pop.
He was as far from a record executive as you could imagine. A lot of record executives want to look like artists. They want to hang out in the studio and dress like the artist and be cool. Seymour looked more like a scientist or some shit! Nothing about him said “record exec.”
I don’t really know if a Seymour Stein can be reproduced, when you look at the catalog he had, from Ramones to Ministry to The Smiths. That’s the hallmark of a real A&R guy. He found them in the raw. Nowadays, you have to get a billion followers and a billion views before a record label would even look at you. All of us were basically nobodies when he picked us up. Big difference. Big difference.
When he signed Talking Heads, they were opening for the Ramones at CBGBs. They were the opening act. He was like, “Fuck that, I want them, too.” I mean, who does that!
