$5.95 (U.S.), $6.95 (CAN.), £4.95 (U.K.), Y2,500 (JAPAN) ZO4i£-L0806 lAd3Y33W3 ÓL3 9£ii 9Z1: Z OOSZ£ÓO33TÓANON l'Il III"l'l'I""'III"I" II" I"'I"'II'I" I"'II" PII 099 0818 lZ00W 3 4iL£39L0806 804. I rTl- C su*x**{**<YK * I ntl HA11t THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSWEEKLY OF MUSIC, VIDEO, AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT MAY 1 . 1 999 .I.0Iq5 NEWS ANALYSIS w á labels, Artists Clash Over MP3 World Music Morissette's Pact With MP3.com latest Deal To Spark Controversy Enjoys Boom With BY BRETT ATWOOD plans to link with controversial Web site MP3.com, which LOS ANGELES - Alanis Morissette, Tom Petty, and the is set to sponsor her North American summer tour (Bill - Beastie Boys are among the growing number of estab- boardBulletin, April 20). U.S. Audience lished acts facing resistance from their record As part of the deal, the Maverick artist is BY CHRIS MORRIS labels as they seek to tap into the fast -grow- expected to receive an undetermined financial LOS ANGELES -Since the ing Web audience through digital distribution stake in MP3.com, according to several early '80s, when the rubric of their music. sources. The site, which offers legal downloads "world music" was coined by B.G. Major record companies are treading cau- of music in the unprotected MP3 format, has U.K. distributors to market non- FROM THE CASH MONEY ARMY CO tiously into the space until the industry -sup- grown popular with Internet users who are Western, largely African CHOPPER CITY IN THE CHEZ iu ported Secure Digital Music Initiative arrives looking for free downloadable music. records, the American hunger APRIL 20. 1999 at a digital download music standard. In the Atlantic artist Tori Amos has been ap- for world sounds has grown meantime, some labels are faced with proached to appear on the MP3.com- exponentially. the awkward situation of trying to A Guide To The Pros And Cons Of sponsored tour with Morissette, The skyrocket -like entry of prevent their signed acts from cutting Dueling Downlo ad Technologies according to a source. However a Andrea Bocelli's "Sogno" at No. ancillary deals directly with technol- Pays WO spokeswoman for Atlantic Records 4 on The Billboard 200 and No. ogy and Internet companies. and Amos' management declined to 1 on the Top World Music Morissette is the latest artist to clash with a label over comment. Sl wkesmen for Warner Music Group, MP3.com, (Continued on page 71) plans to team with an Internet company, following her (Continued on page 74) A BILLBOARD EXCLUSIVE 2 U.H. Retailers After Splashy How, V2 . ® Eye Major Merger Worship Music Targets Youth Charts Steady Growth Ó BY SAM ANDREWS BY DOMINIC PRIDE 0111-1i71.116.4 LONDON -The proposed merger of Start -Up labels Respond McKeehan, Gaither form 40 and JEFF CLARK -MEADS /.raür Kingfisher -the owner of the U.K.'s LONDON -V2, the music company largest entertainment retailer, Wool- BY DEBORAH EVANS PRICE BY DEBORAH EVANS PRICE launched by Richard Branson two worths -and supermarket chain NASHVILLE -For the past dec- NASHVILLE -In what is being years ago in a blaze of publicity, is Asda (BillboardBulletin, April 19) ade, one of the described as taking stock of its short life in the would create a company with a 32% Christian the "uniting of business. share of the U.K. music singles mar- music indus- two musical In recent try's primary generations," months -with a Retailers Around The World goals has been Southern No. 1 U.K. album Experience Tough First Qtr: to take the gospel legend by the Stereo - Page 6 music and Bill Gaither phonics and a message to and rocker worldwide hit records b ket, 24% of the albums business, and mainstream Toby McKee - from Under- HEAVY 28% of the sell -through video sector. audiences, a SELAH McKEEHAN han of do Talk world -the com- JUNE 15, 1999 In a joint statement, Kingfisher mission ac- are joining pany has begun to fulfill some of the and Asda say they are "in discus- complished by Amy Grant, forces to launch a new label, 40 expectations of its competitors, busi- sions, which are expected to result in Michael W Smith, Bob Carlisle, Records. Named after Psalm 40, ness partners, and acts. a merger of the two companies." The Kathy Troccoli, dc Talk, Jars Of which speaks of God putting "a Living up to those expectations Y merger would result in a retailer Clay, and others. new song" in the mouths of his hasn't been easy, especially with the with a market capitalization of more (Continued on page 81) (Continued on page 74) history of its founder and the bullish SInras (Continued on page 71) (Continued on page 72) 7 999 Universal Records Inc. , r IN THE NEWS Top Warner Execs Assess Future At Worldwide Confab See Page 44 $5.95 US E6.9 CANADA 8> i i o 748 2552 7 ADVERTISEMENT www.americanradiohistory.com II/VAS 11111 ¿[ilS! THANKS TO YOU, 19.8 MILLION VIEWERS KNOW A REAL DNA WHEN THEY SEE ONE. "Amazing night of nuclear females?' - GOOD MORNING AMERICA i I "Tina seized her songs with a voice that attacked, then moaned, then soothed ?' LIVE/99 E GJNCERT FOZ VH SAVE THE MUSIC - NEW YORK TIMES WHITNEY HOUSTON TINA TURNER - NEW YORK TIMES CHER ELTION JOHN "Cher...A major hit:' BRANDY - NEW YORK POST SPECIAL GUESTS: MARY J. BLIGE FAITH HILL CEL4KA KHAN Music Firstrr' LEANN RIMES WATCH AN ENCORE PRESENTATION OF DIVAS LIvr'99 TREACH FRIDAY MAY 7 [ 7:30Pm LT!PT Saur NHI P2 +cJme projections, April 13- 18193a Sub,ect to qùalifica-icns Itch will be supplEd upon realest C1399 Viacom International nc A I rights reserved. h1-conm ACi I eywordt +hl www.americanradiohistory.com Billboard Rap Execs face Police Investìqatìons Editor in Chief: TIMOTHY WHITE EDITORIAL BY CARLA HAY the rapper, according to the Los Angeles dispute. Managing Editor: SUSAN NUNZIATA NEW YORK -Executives at rap labels on Police Department (LAPD), which exe- The night before his arrest, Combs Deputy Editor: Iry Lichtman News Editor: Marilyn A. Gillen both coasts were the subject of police cuted the warrants (BillboardTJlletin, attended a party to launch his new mag- Director of Special Issues: Gene Sculatti; Dalet Brady, Associate Director; Porter Hall, Special Issues Coordinator investigations within recent weeks, in April 22). azine, Notorious. At the event, he was Bureau Chiefs: Chet Flippo (Nashville), Bill Holland (Washington), John Lannert (Caribbean and Latin America), Melinda Newman (L.A.) unrelated cases. The Notorious B.I.G. (real name asked by George Whipple, a reporter for Art Director: Jeff Nisbet; Assistant: Raymond Carlson NY1, a "rumor" Copy Chief: Bruce Janicke; Assistant: Elizabeth Renaud In New York, Bad Boy Entertainment Christopher Wallace), who recorded for cable news channel about Copy Editors: Lisa Gidley, Carl Rosen founder/president Sean "Puffy" Combs Bad Boy/Arista Rec- that he had been Senior Editor: Ed Christman, Retail (N.Y.) Senior Writers: Chris Morris (L.A.), Bradley Bamberger (N.Y.) was arrested April 16 on charges of ords, was killed in a involved in the Stoute Talent Editor: Larry Flick (N.Y.) Country Music/Nashville: Deborah Evans Price, Associate Editor felony assault and criminal mischief. The drive -by shooting incident. "Not to my Dance Music: Michael Paoletta, Editor (N.Y.) Pro Audio/Technology: Paul Verna, Editor (N.Y.) charges stem from an incident the previ- March 9, 1997. No knowledge," Combs Merchants & Marketing: Don Jeffrey, Editor (N.Y.) ous day that left Steve Stoute, Nas' man- arrests have been replied on- camera. Home Video: Seth Goldstein, Editor (N.Y.), Eileen Fitzpatrick, Associate Ed. (L.A.) Radio: Chuck Taylor, Editor (N.Y.) ager and an executive at Interscope Rec- made for the murder. Combs, who turned Heatseekers Features Editor /Music Video: Carla Hay, Editor (N.Y.) New Media Editor: Brett Atwood ords, beaten and hospitalized (Billboard The assault on himself in to New York Staff Reporter: Dylan Siegler (N.Y.) Editorial Assistant: Carrie Bell (L.A.) Bulletin, April 19). Stoute, which took police the day he was Administrative/Research Assistant: Aliya S. King (N.Y.) COMBS Special Correspondent: Jim Bessman Stoute was treated at St. Clare's Hos- STOUTE place at Interscope's arrested, is scheduled Contributors: Catherine Applefeld Olson, Fred Bronson, Lisa Collins, pital here for injuries to his arm; he has New York office, al- to appear in New York Larry LeBlanc, Moira McCormick, David Nathan, Phyllis Stark, Steve Traiman Internationa Editor in Chief: ADAM WHITE since been released. legedly occurred because Combs was Criminal Court for a June 24 hearing. Internationa Deputy Editor: Thom Duffy BMG- Intemationa Music Editor: Dominic Pride In Los Angeles, police stepped up their unhappy with his cameo in Nas' video Bad Boy, which is half-owned by Internationa News Editor: Jeff Clark -Meads investigation of the 2-year -old Notorious "Hate Me Now." The video premiered owned company Arista Records, had no Internationa Associate Editor: Tom Ferguson Internationa Associate Editor: Mark Solomons B.I.G. murder case the following week - April 15 on MTV. comment. German Bureau Chief: Wolfgang Spahr Japan Bureau Chief: Steve McClure serving a search warrant April 20 on The scene in question shows Combs on A BMG spokesman says of Combs' Contributing Editor: Paul Sexton places associated with Death Row a crucifix; he had reportedly wanted the arrest, "We're taking it very seriously. We 111 CHARTS & RESEARCH Director of Charts: GEOFF MAYFIELD Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight, scene cut from the video, but the scene don't condone violence in any form, and Chart Managers: Anthony Colombo (Mainstream Rock/New Age) Ricardo including the Los Angeles headquarters was included when the video premiered we're looking into the matter." Companioni (Dance, Latin), Datu Faison (Hot R &B Singles/Top R &B Albums/ Rap/Gospel/Reggae), Steven Graybow (Adult Contemporary /Adult Top 40 /Jazz/ of Death Row.