John Mellencamp’s feud with Columbia over alleged racist comments
When John Mellencamp released Trouble No More back in 2003, the covers of classic folk and blues numbers were met with tepid reviews. In 2017, the heartland rocker revealed the album came together on his way out of Columbia Records, explaining it’s lacklustre enthusiasm.
But his feud with Columbia started earlier, when he released the single ‘Peaceful World’ with India Arie from 2001’s Cuttin’ Heads. The album also featured rapper Chuck D on its titular track.
“I was on Columbia Records and I made a record called ‘Peaceful World,’” Mellencamp explained in an appearance on SiriusXM. “It was climbing up the charts, it was right before 9/11.
He added: “My manager went in and was talking to the record company, and the president of the record company – who I won’t mention his name, but you could probably figure it out – said, ‘I don’t know why Mellencamp insists on having these [n*****s] singing with him. It makes it impossible to get him [on radio].’”
Mellencamp was disgusted, rightfully pointing out Columbia was making huge money from rap and hip-hop at the time. He also claimed its former senior vice president of marketing and media, Larry Jenkins, lost his job after objecting to the vile language. “My next call was to [lawyer] Allen Grubman, and I just said, ‘Get me off this label, now.’”
Trouble No More marked the end of a contract Mellencamp had been under since 1988. In 2003, when the album was released, Don Ienner was its president and no stranger to controversy surrounding his prejudicial language. George Michael claimed Inner called him a “f****t”, which Ieneer denied, resulting in Michael attempting to sue to ensure a split from Columbia.
Mellencamp has been described as “the voice of the heartland”, a reflection of his everyman appeal, but that reputation doesn’t mean he’s shied away from voicing his opinions. “You only have so many fucks to give in your body,” he told Esquire, “So don’t give a fuck about what’s not fuckworthy”.
Mellencamp has been a vocal force on the mistreatment of minorities in America, releasing ‘A Pawn in the White Man’s Game’ in 2020 to address the increasing racial tension in the US. A reworking of Bob Dylan’s original ‘Only a Pawn in Their Game’, the song reflected on the murder of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers.
Along with the song and its accompanying video (which YouTube removed, saying it violated their community guidelines), Mellencamp released a statement that said: “For my entire life, I have seen the mistreatment of minorities in our country. We have gone too far with the shameful killing and genocide, from the Native Americans to where we find ourselves today. In my own way I have tried to address these issues in song.”
