No Rock And Roll Fun

HOW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKS: There's an interesting piece from Associated Press about the implications of that 50 per cent share of Murder Inc owned by Vivendi through Island Def Jam. Funnily enough, Island Def Jam's Lyor Cohen seems really reluctant to chat about it. Even more strangely, during the trial where the connections became public knowledge, Cohen claimed he "couldn't remember" if he sat with Irv Gotti on the board of Murder Inc. Despite this apparently awful failing memory, and the trial judge described Cohen as "morally reprehensible," and the expectation of a money-laundering case washing up against Murder (now "The") Inc's front door, Doug Morris, Universal's head of music says that the verdict "should in no way detract from the incredible accomplishments of Lyor at Island Def Jam." It seems a curious way for a public company to be doing business. Even more curious that Universal, as a member of both the RIAA and BPI, are happy to endorse their industries campaigns against music pirates on the grounds that those fake CD sales are little more than fronts for money laundering, while apparently being in business with a label being investigated for the exact same crime in the US. Of course, no case has yet to be brought, but we hope the confidence Universal has in the link with the Inc isn't about to leave it exposed to charges of, you know, that hypocrisy stuff.