Mariah "in talks for new deal"
Mariah Carey is in talks with rap and hip-hop label Def Jam Records about signing a record contract, according to reports. The New York Post reports the star is talking directly to Def Jam president Lyor Cohen about a possible deal. Carey has officially severed ties with Virgin Records after the company agreed to pay her £19m to leave, although the singer has threatened to sue the company over the wording of a statement. Now she desperately wants to find a new stable willing to invest in her stalled career.
Carey signed to Virgin in a reported £70m five-album deal in 2001. But her first album under the label, Glitter, failed to capture the imagination of fans and was branded a flop. Her first lead role in a movie, also called Glitter, was savaged by critics and failed at the box office. The New York Post reports Def Jam is offering a deal worth £2.1m and £3.5m per album.
Carey's spokeswoman admitted a number of record companies had approached the star but no deals had been agreed. Def Jam's roster of artists include LL Cool J, Method Man, Ja Rule and Jay-Z. Lawyers for Carey are threatening to sue Virgin parent company EMI for saying it "terminated" her contract. They are angry that EMI announced it was terminating the pop diva's £70m five-album deal, instead of the agreed wording, "cancelled".
The music giants are threatening to counter-sue the singer, if Carey's lawyers go ahead with court action. Burt Fields said: "We will file a cross-complaint saying Ms Carey's representatives were making a lot of inflammatory statements around the world on Thursday which go way beyond the agreed press release." (BBC News)
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