Janet Jackson Severs Ties With Island Def Jam Records

U.S. pop singer Janet Jackson reportedly has left her months-long label, Island Def Jam (IDJ), after accusing it of not promoting her latest album, “Discipline,” properly.

Fourteen months after getting onboard, Jackson has split with Island Def Jam, feeling that the label failed to make a hit out of her ‘Discipline’ album, the only album she recorded with the label, her rep confirmed Monday.

The lackluster sales of her ‘Discipline’ album annoyed the R&B/pop superstar, prompting her to severe ties with Def Jam Records.

On Monday (September 22), Jackson’s management team released following statement:

"At her request, the record label has agreed to dissolve their working relationship with the popular artist. Now, more than 20 years after the release of her iconic album, Control, Janet will have autonomy over her career, without the restrictions of a label system.

Always known to break new ground and set trends, Janet's departure from Island makes her one of the first superstar artists to have the individual freedom to promote their work through a variety of avenues such as iTunes, mobile carriers and other diverse and innovative channels."

According to the ‘Discipline’ album’s producer Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins, Jackson decided to exit from Def Jam after the unsatisfactory promotion of her album by the label. He said the singer had been in continuous arguments with the label.

Jerkins said they didn’t get enough support from the record company IDJ, and the singer felt her album was not getting the proper push.

In 2007, the Grammy award-winning singer left her longtime label, Virgin Records, to join her producer boyfriend Jermaine Dupri at Island Def Jam. She signed a lucrative deal with Island in July of that year and released her first album “Discipline” in February 2008.

After album sales failed to meet expectations, the singer expressed dissatisfaction with Island Def Jam, publicly complaining that the label ‘just stopped all promotion whatsoever on the album.’

The 42-year-old singing and dancing queen, Jackson is currently performing her ‘Rock Witchu’ tour across the U.S. that features LL Cool J and Donnie Klang. She kicked off her tour on September 10th in Vancouver, BC and will make stops in major cities including New Jersey, Montreal and Toronto.

Born on May 16, 1966, in Gary, IN, Janet Jackson is the younger sister of “King of Pop” Michael Jackson. Jackson is ranked as the ninth most successful act in the history of rock and roll. Guinness World Records lists her as the world's most searched-for person in Internet history. She has won five Grammy Awards, received an Oscar-nomination at the 66th annual Academy Awards and was awarded the first 'Icon' award from MTV.

Janet was much criticized for her breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction" incident that took place during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. During the performance, Janet sang along with Timberlake on his song "Rock Your Body." When Timberlake sang the lyric 'gonna have you naked by the end of this song,' he tore off part of Jackson’s bustier exposing her right breast, which was partially covered by a nipple shield. Jackson and Timberlake were performing to a live audience of more than one hundred million people.