In July 2002 Jackson stood with Al Sharpton in Harlem and accused the record industry of exploiting Black artists. He named Tommy Mottola, the chairman of Sony Music, calling him “racist” and “very, very, very devilish”. [1]
The dispute had a business core. Jackson believed Sony had failed to promote Invincible, his 2001 album, and the contract that would return his master recordings to him was coming due. Sony said it had spent heavily on the album and rejected the accusations. [1]
Sharpton, who hosted the event, said within days that he did not share the charge of racism against Mottola. [2] No court or inquiry ever examined Jackson’s accusation. It is a documented accusation, not a documented fact.
The strongest version of Jackson’s side is that a major label lost interest in an aging star with a costly record and wanted his share of Sony/ATV, in which Sony held an option. [3] The strongest version of Sony’s side is that Invincible sold millions and that a business dispute became a public attack. Both can be true without either party being racist or criminal.
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