Chapter 261: The Clash Behind the Scenes
I'm unstoppable
I am unstoppable
I'm a Porsche with no brakes
I'm like a Porsche with no brakes
I'm invincible
I am invincible
Yeah, I'll win every single game
Yeah, I win every single game
I'm so powerful
On TV, Link, wearing a shiny silver breastplate and with his hair dyed silver, was singing and dancing with more than a dozen backup dancers on a dazzlingly lit stage. Under him, fans erupted with shouts like a tsunami, many singing along with Link, the atmosphere extremely lively.
Beep!
A slender, fair hand reached over, picked up the remote control from the coffee table, and pressed mute.
On the LCD screen, Link's singing and the audience's cheering instantly disappeared. Through the screen, one could only see Link continuously moving his mouth, performing as if in a mime, slightly comical.
"Scooter, how's the poaching plan going?"
The owner of that fair hand set down the remote control and turned to look at the young man sitting across from him, Scooter Braun, also the president of SB Projects entertainment agency.
This year, Scooter, a 29-year-old Hungarian-American, had made a documentary in college, which garnered the appreciation of great director Spielberg, earning him his first pot of gold.
In '02, relying on his family's connections, he entered the world of sport and music.
His first job was organizing star-studded wild parties, and many celebrities in the circle, including Eminem, Kanye, Will Smith, and others, were his clients.
Because of his outstanding abilities, he was recognized by Def Jam Recordings' vice president, also a famous black rapper and gold-record producer Jermaine Dupri, and joined Def Jam Recordings as the director of marketing.
In '07, he left So So Def Records and founded SB Projects entertainment company, signing artists such as Ludacris and Kanye West among others.
Ludacris, a famous rapper and actor, later gained fame for his supporting roles in the "Fast & Furious" movie series.
Scooter, through his powerful connections, helped Ludacris land an advertisement endorsement with Pontiac cars and also facilitated Kanye West's collaboration with Adidas. With these two deals, he earned tens of millions of dollars.
In '08, through an introduction by Usher, he signed the Canadian youngster Justin Bieber.
Beginning last year, he spent a fortune on marketing Justin Bieber, presenting him as an internet sensation at major events like MTV, the American Music Awards, and the Grammys, greatly increasing his exposure.
He also used his connections in the circle to help Justin produce his new album "My World 1.0."
His hard work paid off.
Last November, "My World 1.0" was officially released.
In just over three months, it sold more than a million copies worldwide.
If not for Link Music's Lana Del Rey, Bruno Mars, and Disney's Selena Gomez,
in the second half of last year, Justin Bieber would definitely have been the brightest star in the music world.
Fortunately, Justin's new song "Baby" sold well.
Under his strong marketing promotion, the song also became the most popular at the moment.
Justin Bieber became the highest-profile singer in the music industry, almost matching the popularity of pop icons Link Baker and Justin Timberlake.
With this ace up his sleeve, he and SB Projects also made a fortune.
But Link Baker has been too hot these past two years; peers become natural enemies. For every extra album Link sells, similar artists sell one less.
With him in the music world, Justin Bieber would have a hard time becoming the No. 1 in pop music.
Link had also become a stumbling block on Justin Bieber's road to success.
So he approached Jay-Z, Kanye, Lil Wayne, and others, planning to join forces with them against Link.
Jay-Z had served as the president of Def Jam Recordings from '02 to '07, discovering talents like Kanye West, Rihanna, and Ne-Yo. He left in '07 to found his own label, Roc Nation.
Scooter was an old acquaintance of his, and now they were united in their enmity. Just by mentioning "take down Link Baker," he gained the approval of Jay-Z, Kanye, and others.
Not long after they came to an agreement, the vice president of Atlantic Records and member of the Atlantic Records board, Mr. Kunis, called to discuss how to take down Link Music together.
On receiving this call, Scooter was extremely excited.
Although his own family was also billionaires, the Kunis family at its peak had assets worth tens of billions, wielding great power in American politics, media, and real estate, and was considered a top-tier family in America. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
Being from the same ethnic group as Mr. Kunis, who were known to be the most united people in the world, he had no doubts about Mr. Kunis' intentions.
With his help, Link was as good as gone.
After talking with Mr. Kunis, their first action was—undercutting the support from under Link Music.
Link Music was founded in early December 2008, with only two major shareholders, Link and mis Ivanka.
Link owned 55% of Link Music, while Ivanka owned 35%, the remaining 10% shared by several managers and producers.
Before '09, Link Music hadn't attracted much attention, like thousands of similar record companies in the United States.
But in early '09, after Link released his debut album "The Fighter,"
his single "Unstoppable" shot to number one on Billboard's singles chart, and "Chasing the Sun," "Fire," "Never Say Never," and several other songs consecutively broke into the top 100 singles chart.
It went platinum in the United States within a month.
He emerged forcefully, astonishing everyone, making Link—and the small record company Link Music—known to all.
Last year, Link released two albums in succession, reaching a total global sales of nearly 20 million copies.