The project that was set to change the Rap and R & B game seems to have fallen short for both Jive and Def Jam Records. Def Jam has officially announced that they are halting any further promotion on the Jay-Z and R. Kelly collaborated CD The Best of Both Worlds. Arriving in stores March 19th amidst the R.Kelly sex tape scandal that surfaced in February, first week sales of the cd only reached 230,000, way off the projected mark of one million.
To protect one of its top hit makers, Def Jam execs will no longer be releasing photos of Jay-Z and R. Kelly together and have scrapped any ideas of a tour or video. “We don’t want any negative association that might come with a video, any accusations or anything”, said Def Jam president Kevin Lyles in a recent issue of Time magazine. Allegedly, through an intermediary Jay-Z thanked Vibe editor for removing a cover of him with R. Kelly.
Kelly’s label, Jive, attributes the disappointing sales of The Best of Both Worlds to an industry wide depression and massive bootlegging. Yeah right, do they really think we believe that?
