Harrell's reputation for his free-spending ways and
flamboyance cost him two major jobs in recent months
- at Sony Music and at Mariah Carey's now defunct
Crave Records.

Harrell also was ousted last year as head of legendary
Motown Records under a cloud of criticism that he let
the black music boom pass him by.

But industry reports say Harrell has signed on the
payroll with Combs to help the
rapper-turned-entrepreneur expand his Bad Boy
Entertainment.

Bad Boy will double the release of its new albums in
the coming year to 10.

It wasn't clear what role the 36-year-old Harrell will
have with the music star cum entertainment mogul, Puff
Daddy.

Harrell is part of Puff Daddy's inner-circle entourage,
and is mentioned regularly in gossip column items
along side the music star's name.

Harrell apparently will work as a full-time consultant
with Bad Boy, according to Daily Variety.

His job will be helping develop marketing strategies
for the new albums, Daily Variety said.

However Harrell hasn't yet been involved in any
meetings with top executives at Aristra Records,
which will distribute the new albums next year.

Daily Variety said Harrell will work closely with
Combs' two top aides - Bad Boy label head Jeff
Burroughs, and Benny Medina, who's quarterbacking
Puff Daddy's forays into film and TV.

Harrell will also be working on ways to expand Bad
Boy's brand name into other endeavors.

Neither Harrell nor Bad Boy had any immediate
comment.

At Motown, Harrell had a $20 million five-year
contract but was pushed out after just 18 months for
not releasing any hits when rap and soul were topping
the charts.

Earlier, Harrell had made a name for himself in the
1980s by founding Uptown, an upstart label that made
multi-platinum stars out of MJ Bilge, Jodeci and
Heavy D in 1986.

Harrell, a former rapper himself who, like Puff Daddy,
favors driving Bentley cars, had an inside track to take
over Sony Music's Epic label earlier this year.

But after five months of talks, Epic and Harrell put out
a joint statement that talks had ended amicably.
Harrell got a face-saving side gig out of the talks
handling Epic's new crooner, T.Q.

-- Midknight - 11/13/98