Mariah Carey Drops Jermaine Dupri as Manager

mimi_CoverSo as a result of disappointing album sales, Jermaine Dupri is out and now Kevin Liles is Mimi’s new manager.

Billboard has learned. Billboard reports that “nothing official” has been inked with Liles’ firm KWL Enterprises, but the two have been working together since the June launch of Go N’Syde’s Carey-branded Butterfly interactive beverage line. Kevin Liles, who was president of Def Jam during the singer’s stint at the label
“I’m a very hands-on person when it comes to my work,” Dupri tells Billboard in a statement. “I put my all into every project. But when I’m not allowed to do what I do, then I know it’s time for me to move on. Mariah and I enjoy working together and will continue to make great music together in the future.”

Teaming up with Kevin is the latest in management changes for Mimi. In 2013 alone it included stints with a Randy Jackson/Irving Azoff tag team and Bruce Eskowitz of Red Light Management before JD came onboard that fall. In the past decade, she also worked with current Jennifer Lopez manager Benny Medina (2003-2008) and the late Chris Lighty (2008-2012); other former managers include Randy Hoffman and, briefly, Sandy Gallin.

Mariah’s 14th studio album, Me. I Am Mariah … The Elusive Chanteuse, sold 103,000 copies since its May 27 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and fell off the Billboard 200 on the chart dated Aug. 9 after just eight weeks.

Should The Elusive Chanteuse fail to rechart, it would be the shortest Billboard 200 run of any of Carey’s studio albums.

Can I say something .. and I say this with full acknowledgement of Mimi’s awesome history…JD is not the problem. Her whole style and approach to music, in my opinion, is the issue. It’s not what people can relate to or want to relate. She sat down with The Breakfast Club with a lighting crew, champagne and chocolate????? Kids now – including myself – just want it simple, plain and raw. Mariah is diamonds, furs, lights, big voice, bit everything for that matter. The issue is she’s no longer relatable.

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