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The Neptunes, the hit-making songwriting and producing duo comprising Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, on Tuesday said they formed a joint venture label with Arista Records to be called Star Trak Entertainment. The Neptunes, and manager Robert Walker, have signed an exclusive deal that calls for the duo to produce artists signed to Star Trak Entertainment as well as Arista Records and its other labels, and develop new repertoire. The Neptunes are credited with creating a string of megahits for Babyface, Usher, Kid Rock, Janet Jackson, Limp Bizkit, ‘N Sync and Britney Spears. Under the deal, Arista, a unit of… Read more »

R.E.M.’s Peter Buck is once again lining up the side gigs to keep himself occupied while his main group enjoys downtime. The guitarist is currently focusing on the next album by the Minus 5, the guitar-pop group fronted by R.E.M. auxiliary musician Scott McCaughey that counts Buck as its only other official member. Buck will add his touch to songs already recorded by McCaughey and members of acclaimed Chicago band Wilco, according to R.E.M. fan site murmurs.com. The finished product, tentatively dubbed Bored At The Bed In, is anticipated in July from Mammoth/Malt Records. Meanwhile, Buck is regrouping next week… Read more »

Prince was married in Hawaii on New Year’s Eve, to girlfriend Manuela Testolini. Testolini, 25, is 18 years younger than Prince (43). According to reports by KMSP-TV, Testolini-a former employee at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios-and the singer tied the knot in a small Jehovah’s Witness ceremony. When LAUNCH contacted two separate representatives of Prince, both responded with “No comment.” This is the second marriage for Prince. In February of 1996 while using the name the Artist (formerly known as Prince), Prince married then back-up dancer Mayte. Later that year, the couple’s one-week old son died after being born with a… Read more »

A California state senator on Monday launched a legislative assault against the music industry on behalf of recording stars like Courtney Love and Don Henley who have been crusading to free artists from record company control. California State Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) Monday introduced the bill to repeal an amendment won by the music industry in 1987 that keeps recording artists tied to personal contracts longer than talent in other industries like film and television. In announcing the bill at the Future of Music conference in Washington, D.C., Murray said the artist community should take its cue from the… Read more »

Two days into 2002 and the superproduction group the Neptunes are already carrying out one of their New Year’s resolutions: eliminate the fake. Under their alias, N*E*R*D, an outfit that also includes MC Shay, the Virginians pull the cards of those who front on “Rock Star,” the next single from their long-delayed In Search of N*E*R*D LP. “Basically, it’s about people posing to be something they’re not,” Shay explained. “Posers have always been wack, though,” interjected Pharrell Williams, who sings on the track about how there will be no one left once he and his group “sets it off.” “It’s… Read more »

As Epic Records commitment to artist development continued to flourish in 2001, Epic will bring an entirely new group of exciting artists to the stage in 2002. The Epic team will work as one cohesive unit towards our common goal: helping our artists rise to the top of the marketplace. EPIC RECORDS 2001 RECAP Flickerstick – Winners of the breakthrough VH1 series Bands on the Run released their major label debut Welcoming Home The Astronauts. The album was re-mixed by Tom Lord Alge (Weezer, Blink-182, Marilyn Manson) and includes two new songs, “Execution By X-mas Lights” and “Smile.” Flickerstick will… Read more »

It didn’t take long for the glitter of pop diva Mariah Carey’s new multimillion-dollar record deal with EMI Group Plc to lose its luster. Three months after the commercial flop of her first EMI release, the British-based music giant is seeking to buy out Carey’s contract by offering her a huge lump-sum payment in exchange for her departure from EMI’s Virgin Records label, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. The Times put the value of Carey’s EMI contract at $80 million for four albums, although other reports have said she signed for as much as $118 million for five albums.… Read more »

Dick Clark says Michael Jackson would be on the American Music Awards, but Michael Greene won’t let him. The TV personality/producer filed a $10 million lawsuit on Wednesday (December 19) against Greene, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, claiming that Greene’s Grammy booking policy prevents top artists from appearing on Clark’s American Music Awards. Clark’s suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Greene’s policy of refusing to book artists who perform at the AMAs – which will take place seven weeks prior to the Grammy Awards – caused a breach of contract by forcing Jackson to back… Read more »

Alanis Morissette’s forthcoming album Under Rug Swept is locked in for a February 26 release. It features guest appearances from Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo, former Jane’s Addiction bassist/guitarist Eric Avery, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who played bass on her monster hit “You Ought To Know.” The first single from the new album, “Hands Clean,” hits radio in mid-January. “I like the idea of him ‘speaking’ to me from the past and my responding from the present,” said Morissette in a statement. “It was really healing and empowering for me to be able to… Read more »

The tension is palpable at Universal Studios as USA Networks CEO Barry Diller considers merging his media empire with the studio’s Vivendi Universal parent. “All we know for sure is that Barry Diller is going to be a helluva lot richer a week from now,” said one senior studio executive who was about to attend the Universal Christmas Party. Vivendi Universal, seeking an elusive U.S. distribution outlet for its array of television and film assets, said on Tuesday it was in talks to buy the entertainment assets of USA, which is about 40%-owned by the French company. Whatever Diller does,… Read more »