[Chapter 463: Puff Daddy, New Album]
Strictly speaking, Linton had one job he hadn't managed to complete last year -- almost like he broke a contract. That was the release of his third album scheduled for the end of last year. He simply hadn't had the time.
This was primarily because in October, he acquired Universal Group. After taking over, the very first thing he did was shake up the entire executive team mercilessly. Although Daniel, the president of Universal Records, narrowly escaped the bloodbath, his position was far from secure, so Daniel didn't dare to press Linton on the missed album release.
Now, more than two months had passed. For the sake of Universal Records' performance -- and his own standing -- Daniel had to muster the courage to approach Linton.
He first gave Linton a comprehensive report on Universal Records' overall performance.
By all accounts, Daniel was a competent leader, and Universal Records had been doing quite well under his management. Even though Linton hadn't released any singles or albums last year, the label's profit still reached $250 million. While that was a significant drop from the previous year's $280 million, it was understandable.
In the previous year, Linton's singles had brought in more than $60 million in profits for Universal. Without him last year, revenue from old songs didn't exceed $5 million.
So, putting Linton's absence aside, Universal Records' business had actually continued to grow healthily.
Especially early last year, Daniel had pushed through against opposition and invested $8 million to acquire a 51% stake in Bad Boy Records, founded by East Coast rapper Puff Daddy. This label had several rising stars in gangsta rap, including Puff Daddy himself, Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Mase, and Total.
Daniel then secretly orchestrated a massive musical battle between their artists -- most notably Dr. Dre and Puff Daddy -- which ignited a full-scale feud of diss tracks between East Coast and West Coast rappers. This rivalry caused singles and albums from gangsta rappers on both coasts to sell like wildfire.
The two leaders, Dr. Dre and Puff Daddy, gained the biggest dividends, becoming iconic representatives of East and West Coast gangsta rap, each selling over two million albums.
Bad Boy's roster also thrived, releasing diss tracks aimed at West Coast artists filled with sharp, explicit lyrics reflecting their aggressive style. Though harsh and raw, the market loved it, and their fame soared alongside impressive sales.
In short, this acquisition and strategy had made Universal Records the biggest winner behind the scenes, even if it wasn't visible publicly.
When Linton heard the name Puff Daddy, he momentarily paused, recalling the rapper's infamous global controversies involving wild parties and scandalous allegations, not to mention his tragic downfall. The name alone was enough to make him mutter it under his breath.
But then Linton shrugged it off. Although Puff Daddy had some talent and street smarts, his influence wasn't at a level to impress Linton much. He could make some money for Universal for a few years, but if he ever caused trouble and damaged Linton's reputation, well, the rapper wouldn't last long.
As far as Linton was concerned, there was no chance anyone would dare cross him seriously. Should anyone try, they'd get cut down swiftly, wiped off without a trace.
...
Daniel, sensing Linton's interest when he mentioned Puff Daddy, hurried to speak, "Boss, Puff Daddy is really talented, very smart, and knows how to get things done smoothly. Would you want to meet him?"
"No need. I know of him and his talent, but I've also heard about his character. Plus, he's deeply connected with the New York underworld. He can be nurtured to bring profits to the company, but that's all. I'm not interested in anything else. And let me warn you -- don't get too close to him personally; you don't want to get dragged down by his mess," Linton replied.
"You're right, Boss. Thanks for the heads-up."
"Carry on."
...
After Daniel's report, Linton praised his work and dangled a bigger carrot.
"Well done, Daniel. Keep up the momentum. If Universal Records keeps growing at this pace, I might consider spinning it off to stand alongside Universal Pictures as a separate company."
Daniel immediately jumped at the opportunity. "Thank you, Boss. I'll work hard. But what about your new album? Shouldn't it be on the agenda too?"
Linton didn't mind; he knew it was time to release his third album. "I knew you'd have a motive coming here today."
"Boss, I can't help it -- it's for the company's growth."
"Don't worry. I've already prepared it. Here are 12 tracks I've put together, plus the three singles we released at the end of the year before last--I Know, You Are Not Alone, and Water Runs Dry. It fits perfectly into one album."
The tracklist included: [T/N: The ending brackets contain the name provided by the author.]
1. Smooth (Sooth)
2. Bailamos (Baios)
3. You'll Be in My Heart (You'llBeIMyHeart)
4. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (QuitPyigGas)
5. I Knew I Loved You (IKewILovedYou)
6. The Crossroads (ThaCrossroads)
7. Don't Speak (Do'tSpeak)
8. Everything You Want (EverythigYouWat)
9. Drops of Jupiter (DropsofJupiter)
10. How to Save a Life (HowtoSaveaLife)
11. I Finally Found Someone (IFiallyFoudSooe
12. The Brightest Star in the Night Sky (Chinese song re-made into English) (夜空中最亮的星)
The sound continued in his previous style -- a blend of blues and rock.
[T/N: I don't they fit a blues-rock album, it has a mix of pop, hip-hop, ballads from what ChaptGpt says.]
...
Daniel was thrilled. "That's fantastic! Thanks, Boss. This will definitely boost my performance figures. I'll get the team started immediately. When will you be available to record?"
"You go ahead and get ready. We'll aim to start recording officially around the end of the month."
"And the music videos? Any thoughts, Boss?"
"We'll use the original production team for the videos: Producer Carson, Director Jack, Choreographer Axe -- they did a great job on my past videos. But no auditions for the female lead this time. I've made other plans."
"Other plans?"
"Yes, I'm lining up actresses I've worked with before in films -- Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Kate Winslet, Charlize Theron, Heidi Klum, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vivian Chow, Michelle Reis, Noriko Sakai. Each will star in a video with me."
Daniel gasped, "Wow, Boss, those are huge stars! If they agree to collaborate, that's a game-changer! The videos will sell like crazy. But do you think they'll be willing?"
"You don't need to worry. I'll handle it."
"There's the matter of their paychecks -- those stars command huge fees. What's the budget?"
"Don't worry about fees. We'll offer them a friendly price. They won't mind. The filming is tentatively set for April."
"Thank you, Boss. Rest assured, I'll assemble the best crew and prepare scripts perfectly suited to each song."
Linton nodded, already looking ahead to a successful album release and a boost for Universal Records.
*****
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