Record Industry Puzzled by Jackson

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday July 08, 2002 01:00 AM EDT

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In a bitter attack during the weekend, Michael Jackson lashed out at the music industry's treatment of African-American artists -- including himself -- in an appearance on Saturday with New York civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, reports Reuters. "The record companies really do conspire against the artists," Jackson, 43, told a responsive crowd of around 350 people inside Sharpton's National Action Network headquarters in Harlem, according to the news service. "Especially the black artists." Jackson accused "profit-grabbing" record companies, including Sony Music (his label), of manipulating and exploiting generations of black musicians. "When you fight for me, you're fighting for all black people, dead and alive," Jackson said. The star has accused Sony of not properly promoting his last album, "Invincible," which had disappointing sales. According to Reuters, he also called Sony Music Entertainment chief executive Tommy Mottola a racist and "devilish" and accused Mottola of using the "n-word." A Sony spokesman said Jackson's comments were "ludicrous, spiteful and hurtful," reports Reuters, while Monday's New York Times calls the public spat between Jackson and his label "bitter and bizarre." Hilary B. Rosen, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, expressed bewilderment at the multiplatinum singer's link to Sharpton and his coalition to fight for beleaguered artists. She told The Times on Sunday: "In Michael Jackson they have not found a race issue or an oppression issue."