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About nikki from usa:

Shoulda, coulda, woulda / MCEO (49,469) by nikki from usa In retrospect, I wish MC would've released her album back in 2013. The music climate was better. Randy was still her manager. I know everyone thinks that radio deal was made by her label, but seeing their lack of action makes me believe that it was Randy. She had the success of Beautiful and could've kept her TV appearances and added some more for her album. Then, her album would've gone gold at least, and had a shot at platinum. She should've been able to sing her other songs on tour as extras. It's a shame we never got to see/hear the music and video she gave her arm for. If she had moved on to the album instead, that extra video and her injury wouldn't have happened. Anyway, that's shoulda, coulda, woulda. MC has been without a manager for how long now? She did a successful tour, Christmas concerts, signed a Las Vegas residency, and booked a Blues festival. Someone is commenting on her behalf, so she put someone in place. It seems Mariah is coming into her own now. I can't wait to see how the Blues festival concert goes down. I'm liking this "take charge" Mariah. Also, I'd like some new ringtones from her. Remember Time Of Your Life? It would be cool if she made ringtones for her next album with the album giving us the full version. She could make money off iTunes for her "downloadable music clips" (ringtones) while it works to promote the album in unison for the full versions. She could do so much with that concept. (Friday 30 January 2015; 7:05)

Travon / Marissa (49,453) by nikki from usa Thanks, Travon. That was very helpful. Marissa, I like this: She shouldn't have to choose between love or making music. I wholeheartedly agree. It's funny, but I see Mariah putting her all behind the former. Whenever she's married she seems to put her man first and herself on the back burner to an extent. She allowed herself to be a human barbie doll because its what Tommy wanted. He dressed her and her music up like the girl next door. Nick wanted to work and get his celebrity out there. The next thing we know, Mariah's putting herself in the traditional wife role and staying at home with the kids. All the jobs she took on surrounded around this first and foremost. Tommy seduced her with career heights and Nick with a happily ever after. The catch 22 was exchanging artistry and a life for numbers and making the company look good for Tommy. Nick's was building up his own celebrity while leaving her lonely and exposing her privacy. MC seems to think she needs to give up her own passions for her men, yet the relationships blow up in the end anyway. I think once she realizes she can have both without sacrificing one for the other is when her perfect match will come around. (Thursday 29 January 2015; 7:17)

Re: Mimi the slave driver (49,452) by nikki from usa I need to bring your attention to this line: "Plaintiff was on duty during all hours of each 24 hour day with no entitlement for breaks, for meals, and even for sleep. Indeed, Ms. Carey would often call plaintiff at hours in the middle of the night and demand to be taken to her children or to be updated on the status of her children," the suit says. "Ms. Carey would not tolerate any delay when she called and plaintiff had to attend to her every demand, spontaneous or otherwise." This woman was a live-in nanny or she wouldn't ever need or be able to "take Mariah to her children" in the middle of the night. This woman "wasn't allowed to sleep" because MC would call and expect an update on her kids? I've only attempted a job interview for such a profession once, but that's salaried. There was no "overtime", but this chick was being paid at 6000-7200 month. That's 72,000- 86,400/year or 200-240/day. It seems she got paid extra at times for something. You would know better than I at the conditions of caregiving and salary though. Also, notice the lingo. Hired October 2013 and fired January last year. She worked for less than 3 months. In most businesses 90 days is a grace period. In 2013, MC said she was going through nannies because they weren't disciplining the kids, but MC would. They didn't want her when she came home because mommy would put them in time out while the nannies cuddled them. Frivolous lawsuit, indeed. (Thursday 29 January 2015; 6:40)

1989 -2015 (49,422) by nikki from usa A while back I made a post on how I thought MC should do a bunch of songs on live shows to test out new material. Back in the 80's Tommy had her singing in clubs to test out the material to see what the most promising would be. She was a newbie back then. Now, she's the Mariah Carey and MC gets paid to test out new material in a Colosseum of +4,000 tourists a night. Of course, what the hell was I thinking? I guess the reason Mariah never tested out any new songs on tour was due to the bronchitis. That makes sense. I can't wait to hear your Jamaican music MC, are you going to sing Cruise Control? For the love of God, would someone please give Nick a grill made out of magnets to keep his trap shut? Just for a couple of months? You also encouraged her to do AI, and look how well that turned out for her. There could be a reason she didn't jump for another one of your brain farts. You are aware the woman made half a billion without your advice, right? (Tuesday 27 January 2015; 3:59)

Industry tidbits (49,421) by nikki from usa I was watching an interview with Ashanti and she was talking about how much the industry has changed since the early 2000's to present day. Back in the day the artists didn't need to do half the work they need to do now to stay seen or stay relevant. She went on to say she had as many as 5 labels trying to snatch her up but only offered her 360 degree deals for options. That's why she decided to go independent. Ashanti continues to explain that as an indie artist she actually makes more money selling 20,000 copies of an album than she would've been able to make under a major label selling 100,000. The labels are now taking such a huge percentage there's little left. Just think about 2002 when MC first signed to Def Jam for 4-5 albums and already had her first one ready. I doubt they thought it would take her over a decade to complete the deal. 4 million back then was decent pay, but now it's astronomical. If the artist landscape is this bad than it's a good thing MC's doing a residency. I'm now hoping MC is either thinking of opening her own label or simply talking to LA Reid as a consultant. Social media and self promotion on TV and radio has the most impact these days. Record stores are gone, commercials are too expensive, but you can actually make money from music videos thanks to Vevo. She's a household name and knows the industry, she might as well own it. (Tuesday 27 January 2015; 3:30)

I'm glad you asked Nathan (48,986) by nikki from usa Since the press now considers tabloids as a "source" I'm far more wary of what is commonly tossed around as "facts". The initial reports of MC's Tribecca home stated that she was renting it and the name of the owner it actually belongs to. It was worth 9 million. I always wondered if it was a rent to own type of thing or not. But, I've yet to find a reliable source that talked about purchasing it. A lot of people report she bought a place in Aspen when, in fact, she rents it each year. That's the same for the house in Capri. Mariah went on record herself to state as much (Capri and Aspen). The home in California was purchased for just under 7 million which is less than 9 million. It's not "Mariah's" because she and Nick own it together. I'm not sold on the Bahamas home belonging to her due to the frequency it's cited how often she "owns" things she's renting. We never even heard of this residence until she got married, so we have no idea how much she paid for it or when if she is indeed the owner. How much properties are worth now is irrelevent to how much she originally paid for them. I did a rough estimate based on published articles from her glam team who gave sums of how much they make and how often MC requires their services. I added published articles of shopping sprees over the years into an average. 15% is an average paid to publicists, managers, etc. But, they only get paid based off what she earns. My estimate was only for her "lifestyle". (Tuesday 6 January 2015; 3:19)

Re: Danny / lifestyle (48,983) by nikki from usa Initially, Mariah was in an interesting position because she was getting paid $2 per album where other artist's were getting paid 1. She also received an extra 50 cents per album sold for songwriting credits. Add up 100 million albums sold and that 250 million dollars. She would've received an additional 50 cents per album for the ones she also produced. Of course, this is before we count up tours, commercials, and vhs/dvd sales. Mariah shouldn't ever want for money. Glitter gave her a 20 million advance and then Virgin paid 28 million to buy her out of contract. That's 48 million for 1 year without accounting for her undisclosed multimillion dollar deal merger of Pepsi and iTunes. Yet, the first thing Mariah did was begin creating a new album even though she had no label at the time. It wasn't because she needed the money. She's a singer/songwriter at heart and that's what she does. I don't think Mariah will ever want for money. I think her "tour" was to pay her label back for her 4 million advance since they didn't make that back with her album. MC actually doesn't spend that much in respect to her fortune. People like Madonna and MJ had 20+million dollar homes. MC's most expensive is a 9 million penthouse, but she rents it. She could leave it at anytime. All of her other property is far less expensive. Mariah spends around 2 million per year on average from what I could gather. At the end of the day, Mariah makes that in interest alone. (Monday 5 January 2015; 21:10)

Traveling Mariah (48,953) by nikki from usa I'm not sure if the moblie home thing is true or not. Mariah's headlining the Jazz festival and has an "annual" Christmas stunt in NY, so I don't see Mariah putting in any full residency anywhere. What if the other buzz is true? Atlanta residency and Vegas? Could she be traveling around with the kids in this big ass mobile home because she's going to be spending a few months in different "residencies" around the nation? Is this a sneaky way of getting a Chanteuse tour without actually having one? Take a road trip with the kids. Get your music heard. Do an ingenious foolproof "tour" that's a guaranteed success. That's some creative multitasking. Your label won't promote you, much less a tour. The music climate sucks right now. But, a "residency" will promote for you and have people coming from all over to see you. Mariah, you sneaky little devil you. (Sunday 4 January 2015; 2:04)

Mariah in Vegas (48,935) by nikki from usa I'm thinking "no" to putting MC out to pasture in Vegas. However, if this is temporary and just for a few months kind of thing than yes. It would help her voice and prompt her creativity. She's going through a breakup so the fan love would help. It would be a perfect platform to test out new material especially if it is in a new direction for her. Before MC's debut Mottola had Mariah sing her material in clubs to test it out on the public. Using a worldwide traveling destination like Vegas to test out new material would let her know what music she has the best future with. She'd make a crap load of money in the process too. (Make your own label Mariah.) There will be reviews to tell people once and for all that she can sing. That's a good springboard for a new hit. (Saturday 3 January 2015; 10:35)

Re: Angelo and the undubbed (48,934) by nikki from usa From your context I'm beginning to wonder what you mean by "dubbing". Mariah sings entirely live, but she sings the song at least twice. One is chosen for the video and has some added on notes from the other performance just sung moments ago. There is no playback or re-singing. This performance, for example, was done 3 times because the drummer screwed up. Dubbing isn't a Mariah thing, it's an industry thing and done on virtually every artist's videos to make the most "epic" performances. This is live, all takes, for Vision Of Love from MSG. (Saturday 3 January 2015; 9:44)

The "studio" artist (48,876) by nikki from usa An "artist" by definition is different and unique with their self expression. People like Madonna are performers. Mariah is a vocalist maverick. I think when MC returns to the spotlight she should just do promo with an abundance of material. She should announce she has an album coming out, but she's going to let the people choose the songs. Then, do shows galore debuting 1-3 different songs each time and have a poll for decision making. This would create her own buzz, get people to watch the shows, and wouldn't require a record label. The buzz will sell itself. She should do some endorsement that will increase her exposure like she did in '01 by combining Pepsi with iTunes. By "exposure", I mean outlets to buy her music, not simply some hair commercial people may or may not recognize her from. All of her exposure and endorsements should be functional. They should both pay her and increase her product visibility/accessibility. (Thursday 1 January 2015; 6:45)

Things are never what they seem (48,875) by nikki from usa People have the assumption that tweens and twenty somethings are the people who are buying music and it's not true. Those are the people going to concerts, not buying music. That title actually goes to people in their 40's. Critics were shocked when Adele sold like hotcakes in a "dead" market when she came out selling numbers like we haven't seen since the 90's. She had a big voice singing mature songs with the old school vibe. You hear something similiar with Megan and All About That Bass. This is a part of the reason WBT, SIO, and DFAU took off. Meanwhile, SS and GYN only did well at clubs. This is why #Beautiful did so well. You'll notice the people defending Mariah from The View to Debbie Gibson are a part of this age group. If Mariah brings her big voice, her old school, and songwriting to the front line it will take off in a big way. (Thursday 1 January 2015; 6:32)

Nick (48,830) by nikki from usa Simply judging by what's available from a picture and straight from MC's and Nick's mouth standpoint, their relationship seems to be Mariah giving and Nick taking. From Mariah's standpoint, I've never heard Nick complain about her or say she harps on him. He has said that she's a great cook, an excellent mother, and gets upset when he airs their privacy. He also stated America's Got Talent and Husbands of Hollywood were gunning for MC to be on their shows and Mariah obliged. Their marriage was a major theme of his stand up comedy. Mariah stated the "abandoner" left her to fend for herself while she was immobilized in a high risk pregnancy and when her arm was injured. He was rarely home while Mariah continually pushed her album back and didn't promote it to stay with the kids. She was at the hospital with him during his Lupus diagnosis, fed him, and took care of him. Nick was stupid enough to take a lie detector test for BBC radio and failed the fidelity question. He lists Mariah's name along a list of jump-offs and leaked information to the press. Now, he's specifically calling her out in his next album. I don't think Nick deserves Mariah. It's interesting that in her first marriage her career success translated into her husband's success, so she worked herself 24/7. Nick wanted his own success so Mariah's career went on the backburner. I wonder if MC thinks she's worthy of love sometimes. She should find someone that values her wholly as she does him. (Tuesday 30 December 2014; 3:10)

Re: Mike Dawson (48,736) by nikki from usa (update) Actually, I take that back. There was a line where I said she should retire because there's no way to top it. However, clearly that's where you stopped reading. That was a figure of speech to how epic Butterfly was as an album, not a literal context. I used "retire" as a metaphor throughout the entire piece to define different musical directions and to how much of Mariah's life she dedicated to just music. I even ended it with Mariah will never truly retire. (Tuesday 23 December 2014; 0:35)

Re: Mike Dawson (48,735) by nikki from usa First of all, I never said Mariah should retire. Anywhere. In. My. Post. Clearly, you didn't even read it. Good Lord, you are barking up the wrong tree. The post was about different eras of Mariah and how much of her life she gave up to be all about the music. People forget that while they expect her to be "perfect" 24/7. Secondly, I pointed out how she made music for commercial success and then switched to a more personalized artistic expression. Your post makes absolutely no sense in response to mine. (Monday 22 December 2014; 23:59)

Good luck getting a job again (48,701) by nikki from usa This article on overtime is weird. I've been underpaid before, many times in fact. I tell them there's money missing in my check. Guess what? They ask how much, verify it, and say it'll be in my next paycheck. It is. The article says nothing about Mariah refusing payment, rejecting it, or even being told about it to begin with. You just work for 7 years, quit, and sue her? Good luck ever finding work again. I don't know who else would want to hire you after that. A celeb of Mariah's status who employs as many folks as she does isn't going to do her own bookkeeping. How do you work in her home everyday for 7 years and not say, "Hey MC, there's zeros missing in my paycheck?" (Monday 22 December 2014; 1:40)

Why Butterfly was Mariah's last album (48,699) by nikki from usa That album was epic. It was the epitome of classic, true, and commercial Mariah. I thought she should retire right then because there was no way for her to top it. It seemed as though she did. She created commercial, mature, universal music above all else and was 100% about the music (vocals and time). But, classic Mariah retired. Her next album was #1's and complete closure. She did an epic duet with Whitney which was Mariah's first song for a film that also won an Oscar. For the first time, Mariah was featured on a rapper's hip hop jam with Sweetheart instead of the other way around. She paid homage to her inspiration Marilyn by paying homage to the woman who started her career. She did her first ever real world tour that covered more than 2 continents for once. After that, Mariah was no longer all about the music. She enjoyed parties, friends, and a personal life. Her music became more the kind she loved and wrote about personal and specific experiences. (X-girlfriend) She got involved with movies and creating products. Now, when she gets a hit or critical acclaim I think it means more because the music is more of an artistic expression. TEOM was a perfect blend of classic and retired Mariah. As was #Beautiful. The fact she did a second Christmas album, her Memoirs, and MIAM is announcing retiring the music as her primary. In other words, this woman won't ever truly retire, but her personal life comes first. (Monday 22 December 2014; 0:37)

Thanks Jon and re: Marissa (48,640) by nikki from usa Thanks Jon, glad you liked it. Marissa, I felt I did address your questions, but I was more or less summing up specific comments made on the board over the past few months. "Delusional" wasn't a reference to your post, but plenty of people on the board have used that terminology recently. Also, "haters" wasn't a reference to this board. More like the people who can't say her name without cussing and making some derogatory comment about female sexuality or body parts. Basically, other legends were Mariah's age decades ago and multimedia didn't exist. The sheer fact Mariah has celebrities, talk show hosts, and regular posters come to her defense when she is being disrespected speaks volumes. If Aretha Franklin's shoe came off during a concert 10 years ago, it wouldn't have made CNN and Wendy Williams tv show didn't exist to dramatize. It's getting downright idiosyncratic, because there is no news anymore. If the legends of the past were at Mariah's point with Mariah today, they would be getting the same treatment. Instead, in their day, whatever negative press they received would be here today and gone tomorrow. The net didn't exist to harp on anything. (Friday 19 December 2014; 20:47)

"Delusional" lambs (48,617) by nikki from usa Mariah has always had haters during all parts of her career. Perceptions and opinions are subjective and change with the tide. A singer having an off song wasn't considered "news" a decade ago. Actual news of CNN variety was considered "news". These days entertainment news and tabloids have replaced it. Those publications and shows change by the second. The positive lambs who are called "delusional" are actually reporting logic, rational, objectivity, and facts. Mariah's last #1 was this year on the dance charts, her last platinum single was last year. She hit #1 again this year as she does every year with her holiday classic. She was crucified for a single song live. Yet, she added a 6th date to her sold out Christmas shows due to public demand. Last year, she had an unannounced NBC special that still drew over 2 million viewers. That's the same amount of viewers that tuned into AI in 2012. Mariah's album was the most critically acclaimed of her career. Clearly, there's a demand for her. The facts and stats attest to this. Mariah's rough performances also have more celebs and fans coming out to defend her like never before. That's love and respect. Expecting gossipers to give respect is like expecting clean water from raw sewage. People in general will follow whatever they're told. But, as I stated previously, that changes with the tide. (Thursday 18 December 2014; 21:57)

Re: Jaker20 (48,597) by nikki from usa AI had very little to do with Mariah. Throughout the show Nicki forever interrupted Mariah when it was her turn to asses the contestant. Then continuously asked Mariah to explain her advice she had just given to the contestant to Nicki and why. Mariah forever brought up her resume which Nicki found "disrespectful". AI was 6 months of that. Mariah was there to judge contestants, not explain herself to Nicki Minaj. Mariah pissed off producers because she refused to be mean to the contestants and cheered them on. I've met Mariah and found her to be heartfelt and warm. I know of no other person, Mother Teresa or regular Joe, who did anything with broken bones for the sake of a fundraiser. People who believe themselves to be superior are not going to put themselves on the line for someone else. If you want to find out who someone is, look at their actions and candid moments. Mariah putting pizza dough down Josephine's pants is Mariah. Eternally 12. Having a 15 foot Christmas tree in her room is Mariah. Festive. I love that she puts butterscotch schnapps in her cocoa, jumps in a hot tub in 0 degree weather, then rolls around in the snow, and jumps back in the hot tub. There's so much to her that no one knows about. When was the last time you saw her crack a joke or play a game with her kids? No one ever really sees Mariah. A show bent on ratings that wants girls to fight doesn't show how people really are, just what they want you to see. (Thursday 18 December 2014; 3:52)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T (48,551) by nikki from usa At the end of the day, Mariah's legacy, stats, and talent speaks for itself. The only problem with how people view Mariah is because she doesn't have a decent promo team. For the past 12 years, the only time Mariah is promoted is to push a new career endeavor. Her legacy is never promoted. Or more to the point, she doesn't have a "brand". Beyonce is "independent" and that's her brand. J.Lo thinks she's "real". J.Lo has a great promotional team, but no real talent to back it up. The moves are becoming so calculated that no one is buying it anymore. Shakira is known as a philanthropist and sweetheart for dedicating her life to helping impoverished children in her own country and dedicating herself to causes. Mariah is a beacon of hope for outsiders and dedicated her life long philanthropy to righting wrongs she had seen or experienced growing up. It is her brand, but no one but her lambs know of it. She's promoted as "successful" which doesn't make her relate-able. Her brand would humanize her, she'd receive less flack, and her accomplishments would be more praised because of it. Mariah needs a proper promo campaign that sells her as a person instead of her current song of the moment. Mariah should be Carey-ing her music, not her current song carrying her career. Mariah doesn't need a "new" image, she needs herself truly shown, period. (Tuesday 16 December 2014; 22:56)

Thinking has been outlawed (48,525) by nikki from usa That's the way it feels. Mariah has managed to spend nearly 5 years at home and somehow stir up controversy. Most people have to actually do something, but not Mariah. Everything from Kim Kardashian ruining her marriage to hating other celebs. Yet, Mariah has never actually appeared anywhere, made any statements, or said anything. More irksome is people who read this crap and think it's "news" and reputable. People hate Mariah because she's this way or that way and believes this or that. No, 90% of that is BS. When people say, "Did you hear Mariah was late to a pretaping and sounded awful?" Such a diva. I want to say, "Did you hear Mariah sang a concert with broken bones for the sake of a fundraiser?" High maintenance and self obsessed people don't do that. Walter seems to be goading MC. Reading his interviews back to back shows a lot of in discrepancies. There's a lot of switching to "Mariah did" in one interview to "we did" in another. I think he's trying to piss her off so she'll contact him. (Monday 15 December 2014; 21:41)

Christmas Time is in the Air Again (48,513) by nikki from usa Thanks for all who liked the post and sorry for posting so many back to back. For anyone who has never been to a live event, this is what you have to look forward to. Live is wonderful to hear her beautiful voice, if you can hear it over screaming fans. (Monday 15 December 2014; 3:44)

Only one problem (48,437) by nikki from usa What made her amazing from the start was her perfectionism. Her technique, skill, and abilities were amazing. It's ironic that it now is her undoing. In the spirit of perfecting, she's dubbed a lot of performances where it wasn't necessary. She constantly has tracks going on in the background which is also unnecessary. It appears she's trying to make up for her lack of a supportive team by pushing herself to the max. Opera singers generally give themselves 2 days between performances and they're not traveling in between. Mariah's upcoming shows are back to back. There is no vocal rest. Her perfections are being used for her appearance and studio tracks instead of her vocal maintenance and dependable crew. If she'd switch the former for the latter, she'd have another prime. (Wednesday 10 December 2014; 8:59)

Mariah goes Country (48,436) by nikki from usa (Wednesday 10 December 2014; 8:45)

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