It looks like Def Jam chairman LA Reid won’t be recieving the James Brown Memorial Cultural Impact Award as schedule, as Reverend Al Sharpton has changed his mind about giving it to him.
According to the New York Post, Reverend Sharpton was going to award Reid at Sharpton’s National Action Network’s annual convention.
Sharpton’s reasoning for having “suspended” the award was in order to avoid a conflict of interest, in light of recent events. After the Don Imus debacle, Sharpton made it clear that he would be going after entertainers and record companies who make “harmful” music, thus making LA Reid a less-than-perfect candidate for the award.
“We’re going to target companies over the issue of lyrics. I’m going to be more forceful. I’m not going to send mixed signals,” said Sharpton, who says he spoke with Reid and that they both agreed it was the appropriate thing to do.
In other news, the Hip Hop Summit Action Network has postponed their press conference scheduled for this afternoon. Spokeswoman Pamela Lipshitz had this to say:
“We are postponing today’s press availability as our meeting is still
in progress. As you know, this is a complex issue that involves gender,
race, culture and artistic expression. Everyone assembled today takes
this issue very seriously and our dialogue is ongoing. We will
reschedule the press availability shortly.”
The attendees of the conference are as follows: Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network;
Lyor Cohen, Chairman and CEO of US Recorded Music, Warner Music Group;
Mitch Bainwol, Chairman and CEO of the RIAA; Kevin Liles, Executive
Vice President, Warner Music Group; LA Reid, Chairman Island Def Jam;
Craig Kallman, Co-Chairman Atlantic Records; Jimmy Iovine, President,
Interscope Records; Steve Bartels, COO and President, Def Jam
Recordings; Steve Rifkind, CEO, Universal Music Group; Julie Greenwald,
President, Atlantic Records; Sylvia Rhone, President, Motown
Records/Executive Vice President Universal Music Group; Lisa Ellis,
Executive Vice President, Sony Music; Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO, BET
Networks; Peter LoFrumento, Senior Vice President, Universal Music
Group and Chief of Staff for Doug Morris (representing Doug Morris);
TI, Atlantic Records recording artist; Stephen Hill, Executive Vice
President, BET Networks; Chris Lighty, CEO, Violator Management; Damon
Dash, CEO, Damon Dash Enterprises; Steve Stoute, Creative Director and
CEO, Translation Marketing; Derek Ferguson, Chief Financial Officer,
Bad Boy Entertainment; Chaka Zulu, President, Disturbing Tha Peace;
Jeff Dixon, Disturbing Tha Peace; Big John, EMI and Managing Director
of The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Valeisha Butterfield.