Mariah pulls out the big guns
Mariah Carey is not letting any grass grow under her feet, now that she's a multiple Grammy winner with a monster-selling album. Carey has added to her arsenal of protectors and defenders none other than New York record biz attorney Allen Grubman - the very same Grubman she fired in 1997 after splitting with her husband, former Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola.
The dope here is that Carey is still using her longtime legal eagle Don Passman, who guided her through the whole "Glitter" debacle and helped negotiate her $50 million payday from EMI Music. But Carey, I'm told, feels that she was underpaid by Island/Def Jam for her "Emancipation of Mimi" album. The CD is not only the biggest of 2005, but the biggest of her long and illustrious career, selling millions of copies and yielding several hit singles. At a time when the record biz is dead, "Mimi" was the consistent chart seller week after week last year.
Passman, sources say, while good, does not have the inside track Grubman has with Universal Music Group's Doug Morris. Only Morris can OK what should be a record-setting money deal for Carey. And only Grubman can get Morris to agree to something like that. Irony abounds here, however: Grubman made his fortune and reputation on his close relationship with Mottola, who managed, recorded and married Carey until she divorced him. When Carey cut ties to Mottola, she cut them to Grubman as well. Bringing Grubman back is a surprise, but it shows that Carey is not fooling around, and isn't letting personal feelings mix with business.
As a smart guy in the music biz said to me yesterday, "Remember, it isn't the money, stupid. It's the money, stupid." Duh! And Mariah is maybe the one artist this year who actually deserves it. (Fox 411)
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