I.B. BAD ON THE TUG OF WAR OVER RICK RUBIN

On Monday (2/5), New York Times music industry reporter Jeff Leeds made public behind-the-scenes maneuvering that has been going on for several months, as Sony Music’s Rob Stringer and Columbia Records Chairman Steve Barnett have attempted to secure the services of in-demand producer Rick Rubin from Warner Bros. Records, the present home of Rubin’s American Recordings.

If Stringer and Barnett are successful in this quest, which they jointly initiated, with attorney John Branca representing the producer, Rubin will take the post of Columbia Co-Chairman in partnership with Barnett. In this scenario, Rubin would oversee the label’s creative activities from Los Angeles while his counterpart handles everything else from 550 Madison Ave.

In order for this notion to become a reality, of course, Warner Bros. and parent company Warner Music Group will have to let Rubin out of his deal, which is said to have two years remaining. According to insiders, WMG Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. and N.A. head Lyor Cohen have expressed a willingness to do just that, most likely resulting from the fact that Cohen and Rubin have a very close relationship dating all the way back to the early ’80s, when, along with Russell Simmons, they built Def Jam into a force in the burgeoning hip-hop sector. That said, WMG will want a check in return, and handicappers are contemplating what would be a reasonable amount.

The central issue, say those in the know, is a reluctance on the part of WB Chairman Tom Whalley to allow Rubin to walk before his contract runs out. Some close to the matter are noting the irony of Whalley blocking Rubin’s exit after himself being blocked from leaving early by Jimmy Iovine in his move from Interscope to Warner. Others point out that the two situations are fundamentally different, in that Whalley was Interscope’s President, while Rubin is not in an executive capacity at Warner Bros.

Rubin produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1.8 million-selling Stadium Arcadium, and some contend Whalley is dragging his feet because he wants to make sure that Rubin remains available to produce some of his bigger acts. But the terms of the proposed Columbia deal would reportedly allow the producer to continue doing outside projects, including WB’s Linkin Park, whose next LP Rubin has nearly completed, and Metallica, to which he is already committed.

So it would appear that there is very little downside for Bronfman, Cohen and Whalley if they agree to Rubin’s wishes and he is said to want it badly while standing in his way brings the very real possibility that he would refuse to produce any more projects for WMG.