Frankly Speaking"The most satisfying gossip column offers a dollop of drama, conflict and misbehavior, along with a dash of hypocrisy and humor. It views this complicated world through the prism of personality-and makes things, if temporarily, accessible and comprehensible. It also-and here, arguably, is the socially redeeming part-is the great leveler, demonstrating that the rich and famous have as many foibles as the rest of us. And it shows that we're all in this together as members of a human community, even if it's whispering behind someone's back. Not buying that argument? Then how about this: It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it…" - former New York Daily News gossip
Lloyd Grove, speaking about gossip columns in Los Angeles Times.
BuzzworthyMusic executive
Jheryl Busby is apparently lining up artists for his Umbrella Records label, which is a part of the Universal Music Group. I hear that
Ginuwine,
Tweet and
K-Ci & JoJo have all struck deals with Busby's new company. Umbrella Records recently scored a number one CD on the gospel charts with
Patti LaBelle's 'The Gospel According To Patti.'
In other signing news, I hear that since Sony/BMG is dissolving its Sony Urban division, the group
Jagged Edge was dropped from its roster. I'm told the quartet is in talks again with Interscope Records. (I reported in the
Aug. 14 BV Buzz that Jagged Edge was rumored to be getting dropped from Sony and was talking to Interscope then, but that report was shot down.)
The closing of Sony Urban isn't the only major record company news. I hear that a prominent executive on the BMG side of the Sony/BMG system will be announcing their departure sometime soon. Though my source isn't sure when and why said executive is leaving, I'm told that Sony/BMG brass is looking for a replacement now.
Super producer
Rodney Jerkins said despite once dominating the number one spot at radio for 25 of 52 weeks back in 1998 and 1999, he's not interested in that type of control again. "I don't believe in that no more. It creates it so that people get tired of you fast. That was my mentality then, but I'm older and wiser now," said the 29-year-old producer. Jerkins admits he once oversaturated the market and he had to retreat for a while to reinvent himself. "It was an incredible accomplishment. Do I care to do it like that right now? No! My thing is now to just be consistent for however long this run is. As long as I one or two big songs a year, I'm happy," he concluded.
Can't Say Names…Sources say that a certain happily married rapper may have another son that he doesn't know is his. I hear that said rapper once had a fling with an R&B singing sister who later had a child. Though the singer didn't think the child belonged to the rapper-who already has a handful of children by his wife-said singer's son turned out to be the spitting image of the rapper as he grew older. Now a teenager, friends of the singer are encouraging her to have the rapper take a DNA test, though she's afraid it'll cause problems in his household.
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