N-Dubz quit DefJam. And by 'quit' I mean 'are dropped by'

The sudden breakdown in relationships between N-Dubz and their American label DefJam is going to cause DefJam massive problems, as the company will now struggle to have their tax-loss write-down organised before the end of the financial year.

N-Dubz have ripped up the deal. If you ask them, of course. DefJam say they were dropped.

Dappy, what happened?

They might say they've dropped us but we were never going to co-operate with them when they decided to change what we are. If we had co-operated we would still be signed. But I stuck my finger up at them when they wanted us to make another TV show. Tulisa thought we should do it because we could make some money out of it, but I said no.

For them to say they dropped us makes me angry because we just didn't want to change who we are or what we do. We're not just a silly bunch of pop tarts.

Ah, so the deal fell apart due to a lack of self-awareness on the part of the silly bunch of pop tarts.

This so reminds me of the time the Banana Splits quit Elektra in a huff, declaring they weren't just a load of puppets.

Letters - one

Bob Lefsetz has a leaked letter from an annoyed Nas. He's got an album ready to roll, but Island Def Jam don't want to release it.

Annoyed? He's livid:

I won’t even tap dance around in an email, I will get right into it. People connect to the Artist @ the end of the day, they don’t connect with the executives. Honestly, nobody even cares what label puts out a great record, they care about who recorded it. Yet time and time again its the executives who always stand in the way of a creative artist’s dream and aspirations. You don’t help draw the truth from my deepest and most inner soul, you don’t even do a great job @ selling it. The #1 problem with DEF JAM is pretty simple and obvious, the executives think they are the stars. You aren’t…. not even close. As a matter of fact, you wish you were, but it didn’t work out so you took a desk job. To the consumer, I COME FIRST. Stop trying to deprive them! I have a fan base that dies for my music and a RAP label that doesn’t understand RAP. Pretty fucked up situation

He ends his letter with a plea to Def Jam that we should "make money". But the labels don't really know how any more.

Gordon in the morning: JLS and N-Dubz - it's like gossip goes to Chuck E Cheese

Thin pickings today, with Gordon forced to fall back on JLS and N-Dubz to fill the yawning acres. And JLS haven't even done anything, either, apart from Aston leaving a nightclub at the same time as a woman.

For those of you who have trouble telling the members of JLS apart, Aston is the one whose blank stare appears to go into the middle distance.

There's some claim that he plays Paper, Scissors, Stone as his "chat-up" technique, which seems a bit odd. You'd think JLS would never have been introduced to the game:

Friend: Hey, Aston, do you want to play Paper, Scissors, Stone?
Aston: No, my mum says I'm not to play with scissors.

The suggestion appears only to have been made to allow the headline:

Paper,
Scissors,
Aston-e

No, it doesn't work. A-stone might have been better to go with, although 'not putting this in a newspaper' would have been the best call.

Meanwhile, how goes the success of N-Dubz in America? You'll remember they've been picked up for a five year tax write-off for DefJam ("five album deal with DefJam") - so let's check in with them, shall we?

N-DUBZ' bid for US stardom has hit a problem within weeks of inking a five-album deal with Def Jam.

They spent three weeks in a Surrey studio and emerged with just one new track.

From the point of view of the rest of the world, it's more worrying that they've slapped together a new track, but given this was supposed to be the chance for them to show Island what they can do, it probably won't go down well. Def Jam will probably call the band in to HQ for a dressing down.

Fazer still hasn't sorted out a visa for the States.

Or sending someone over to dress them down, then.

Gordon's verdict?

It's never dull with N-Dubz.

But "dull" is surely the word?

Labelobit: Shakir Stewart

Shakir Stewart, vice president of DefJam and Island DefJam, has died, according to a statement issued by DefJam.

During his time at Hitco Music Publishing, he signed Beyonce, building on a reputation gained promoting rap gigs. He replaced Jay-Z at DefJam back in June. At the time, LA Reid was generous in his praise:

“The bold young management style that Shakir has established at Def Jam is one of the major reasons behind the label’s success today. From his solid roots in music publishing, he has grown to master the world of hip hop and urban music.”

According to Billboard reports, Stewart may have taken his own life. No firm details have been released.

Island population decreases

More gloomy news for major labels - Janet Jackson (now, apparently, the most popular Jackson of them all) has had enough of Island DefJam. Her people have issued a statement:

"Always known to break new ground and set trends, Janet's departure from Island makes her one of the first superstar artists to have the individual freedom to promote their work through a variety of avenues such as iTunes, mobile carriers and other diverse and innovative channels."

Mmm. It's a little late to be turning up at a thriving Western outpost, book a room in the hotel, order a cold beer and claim to be a pioneer, especially when Jackson's plans are wrapped around such a vague "other diverse and innovative channels". iTunes is many things, but it's not been innovative for half a decade.

Chuck D files Def Jam application

Chuck D has reacted to the departure of Jay Z from Def Jam by dragging out his cv and making clear he'd like the job. Depressingly, he starts by saying that he's got plans for Universal to "establish the name-brands they acquire with their stockholder's money", which is hardly the most exciting call-to-arms we've heard.

D has a four-point plan to reinvigorate the business:

Being ahead of the technology curve; preparing for a thinned out industry; and managing budget efficient acts is very noteworthy of my resume which is simple. I told these cats the online revolution was coming and they needed big adjustments. They relied on lawyers, courts, and accountants only to now look upward at Apple, etc.

It's a good point, although... isn't it a little late? The time to have been ahead of the curve would have been in 1998. In 2007, you're going to have to catch up, rather than expect to be a leader.

Their cost factors didn't fit the times, I come from a world where the $50,000 investments resulted into 6 - 7 figures. Now it's a business where 7 figures are invested to make 6.

Well, again, it's a good point - but "make money instead of losing it" isn't a prescription for Def Jam, is it? It's a what, not a how.

I would run it like sports. These artists would be busting their tails on tour and on the stage to gain a fan. They would be coached on how to do their thing right. Braintrust will be high, and subcontracting to the right contributors will be comparable of the efficiency of these labels like Jazz and catalog departments. You cannot have people working, that haven't the slightest clue of what they are in the middle of.

"Run it like sports"? What, stuff the drummer full of steroids and hope nobody finds out?

For all his talk of being ahead of things, D shows himself to be adrift here - he's thinking in terms of live performances driving physical sales rather than, as the new world is shaping up to be, physical product selling tickets for gigs. The idea of "coaching" bands to play well live isn't a bad one, but how does a record label - with 100 years of experience of making studio recordings - convince an artist they've got the skills to do that? If the labels are merely going to subcontract this role to people who know what they're doing, why wouldn't an artist merely employ these brainstrusts themselves instead of letting Def Jam topslice the fee?

Any criminal mindedness in artistry, and management would have sit this one out, go their own way. It's like bad apples the long run ain't got nothing to do with entertainment. You can't mix the stage and off stage parodies.

Again, it's a splendid idea: don't let your roster get clouded up with people more interested in guns and feuds than making music. It's a bloody good policy. But that would mean having the confidence to walk away from artists the label has been pumping stockholders money into, without any return. While morally unquestionable, it's questionable how many write-offs Universal would be able to bear.

Perhaps D has more detail on his ideas that he's saving for interview, though.

[Thanks to Barry S for the story]

Island shrinking; Sony BMG too

In order to ensure they can keep feeding cash into the RIAA money pit, the majors are celebrating Christmas by throwing some people out of work. Sony BMG are rumoured to be about to make deep cuts somewhere, though rumours aren't sure which label will feel the pain; while Universal's Island DefJam are tossing people out, too.

Amongst those caught in the fallout is Ultragrrrl's Stolen Transmission, although she's upbeat about it:

Now that I've had my experience with Island/Def Jam, I know how to actually run a label, and I helped set up 9 amazing releases from Permanent ME, the Oohlas, Monty Are I, Bright Light Fever, the Horrors, Schoolyard Heroes, PlayRadioPlay!, Innerpartysystem, and the Photo Atlas. I'm so fucking proud that my label went from me and a bunch of interns sitting in my bedroom smoking and watching degrassi and eating guac i had just made to me sitting in meetings once a week with JayZ and now it'll just go back to being run from my apartment again. We plan on continuing with Stolen Transmission and are really excited to be returning to our indie roots.

It's unclear if guacamole will be playing a key role in the new, downsized Stolen Transmission.