The straight dope on what's going on in Hip-Hop, Media and Entertainment

Aug 18, 2003

Somebody sent Universal Records $1 million worth of marijuana in the mail the other day.

"A huge box weighing 150 pounds was delivered to 1755 Broadway," a Universal insider tells us. "It was only addressed to 'Ronnie,' but we all knew it had to be for someone at Universal because it had 825 Broadway crossed out - the other Universal building."

Executives with offices at 1755 Broadway include Universal head Doug Morris, Def Jam honcho Lyor Cohn, Jimmy Iovine and Tommy Mottola.

The building's guards were immediately suspicious of the package and tried to pass it through an X-ray machine - but nothing showed up.

"They couldn't see what was inside, so they opened it up and were shocked by what they found," the spy laughed.

Inside were four boxes of marijuana with a street value estimated at over $1 million.

"The guards immediately called the FBI and turned the pot over to them," our source says. "They think it was definitely for someone at Universal because of the address being crossed out and say that 'Ronnie' was a code. The guys who usually work in the mailroom on that day had probably gotten packages like that before and knew what to do with it."

But a Universal executive insisted that the dope was not meant for anyone at the music company.

"Universal was nowhere on the package, and our mailroom never even got it," the executive points out. "The building's security took over the second it was delivered."

Due to the blackout, reps for Universal could not be reached for official comment.

The FBI investigation could be an embarrassment to Universal, which - despite assurances from parent company Vivendi - is said to still be on the auction block.
---N.Y. Post
(Um, my name's Ronnie and my address is...-mister X)