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Michael Jackson forms coalition for the treatment of record artists.

in recent months there has been a cry for help where record artists are concerned. The likes of Billy Joel, Courtney Love and Sheryl Crow from the rock arena and the Dixie Chicks from the country arena have lobbied in for the rights of the recording artist and how they are treated by their record labels. Now you can add the king of Pop Michael Jackson to the list.

In an announcement that last Wednesday, Michael said he's teaming up with the Reverend Al Sharpton and former O.J. lawyer Johnnie Cochran to form a new coalition looking into how artists are being treated and compensated by their record labels.

"Record companies have to start treating their artists with respect, honor and financial justice," Jackon said in a statement. "Therefore, I am proud to join this coalition which represents all artists." He and others helped create the Recording Artists Coalition, which staged four separate benefit concerts for their cause during the week of the Grammys.

But to some, Jackson's involvement in this new coalition seems less about other artists than his own beef with his label, Sony's Epic Records. Jackson is reportedly unhappy with how the company handled and promoted his "comeback" album, 'Invincible'. With the disc a commercial failure, selling just 2 million copies in the U.S. and 4 million worldwide, Jackson is now looking to get out of his contract.

Jackson was also labeled "outrageous and offensive" a claim that he says Sony made against him--via the New York Daily News gossip page--stating that he owes the label $200 million.
Sony, meanwhile, denies it has made any such claims. One Sony exec, however, told the New York Times that the label did spend $25 million making and promoting Invincible, but the album never caught on, and Sony refused Jackson's request to fork over more cash to push the disc.

"He's free to walk," the exec said. "I'm all for artists getting their fair share, but record companies have abandoned their free-wheeling ways."

Meanwhile, Sharpton and Cochran (who once represented Jackson and helped him settle a $20 million child-molestation lawsuit) insist they're not getting involved just to help Jackson battle Sony. "It's not about any one artist, but the whole industry," Cochran told reporters."It is our intention to break up the kinds of indentured servant-type of arrangements that many in the record industry now have with record companies," said Sharpton, who wants to arrange a summit of artists to force labels to reevaluate their practices.

Source: soulnotes.com

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N'Sync's Justin Timberlake to drop solo effort

Well I must say that it was only a matter of time before it would happen and now it has. N'Sync frontman Justin Timberlake has announced that he will be releasing his first solo project later this year. The project was written by the young man and has very much been on the hush hush in regards to material stating that he wants to put it out there and see what his fans reaction to it will be.. ".

Source: aol.com.

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J-Lo's marriage is apparently on the rocks

Jennifer Lopez aka J-Lo's marriage of 9 months to Cris Judd is apparently over according to reports. The R&B singer/actress made a statement saying that they have called it quits and that they will remain friends.

In recent weeks there has been speculations that the newlyweds marriage was on the rocks and now those rumors ring true. The couple met at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Nov. 2000 and was engaged 5 months later (apparently 3 months after her break up to Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs) and then they were married.

Perhaps the Bronx-born Lopez -- who was divorced in 1998 from model and waiter Ojani Noa, 28, after just 13 months of marriage -- simply has a weakness for weddings. "There is probably the Liz Taylor element," says the source. "It's like, 'Do I need to marry every guy?' " Not that Judd was Lopez's Larry Fortensky. Good-natured and easygoing -- he even coaxed his glamorous new wife into watching golf on TV -- Judd's lack of fame seemed the perfect antidote to Lopez's increasingly hectic life. "He's like my peace," she told Oprah even as the pair were breaking up. "He just brings me stability in a way that I really needed it."

Source: people.com

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Rapper Lil' Bow Wow to star in movie 'Like Mike'

Teenage rap star Lil' Bow Wow will star in a movie pegged after Michael Jordon. The movie called 'Like Mike' is based on a pair of MJ's old Spaulding training shoes which the pint sized star finds one day and is zapped by lightning when trying to retrieve them. In doing so he soon finds out that he has the 'spirit' of MJ and plays like him too, this leads him to paly ball on a team and win the big game.

The film also stars actor Morris Chestnut (2 can play that game) and a host of NBA superstars including Chris Webber, David Robinson and Jason Kidd. Look for it coming to a theatre near you this summer.