December 21, 2001

Unreleased Eazy-E Tracks Coming In March

Eight-song EP to contain previously unheard cuts from the gangsta rap pioneer.

The vaults of long-gone-but-not-forgotten hip-hop pioneer Eric "Eazy-E" Wright have been opened, and previously unreleased music from the West Coast rap legend will be released on March 26 to coincide with the seven-year anniversary of his death. An eight-song EP titled Godfather of Gangsta Rap - with music recorded between late 1994 and a little before his death in 1995 - will accompany the DVD "Impact of a Legend" when it hits stores.

According to Ruthless Records, the label Eazy founded and which is now run by his widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, the EP features appearances by newcomers Paperboy & Flossmode and has production by Rhythm D.

In addition to a documentary, songs lyrics, a full discography and 10 videos including "Straight Outta Compton" and "We Want Eazy," the "Impact of a Legend" DVD features a PC-compatible video game called "Hittin' Switches."

In the game, the player takes on the persona of Eazy-E and is living a day in his life. In addition to fixing up a low rider with a booming system, rims and hydraulics to make the ride bounce, the player may come across some rivals and engage in a shootout.

Eazy-E founded the groundbreaking rap quintet N.W.A in 1987 with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. After releasing solo LPs and group albums from 1987 to 1991, the crew officially disbanded. Before his death from AIDS, Eazy was starting to see his label take off again, with then newjacks Bone Thugs-N-Harmony reaching the platinum-plus plateau.

Ruthless said it took so long to release the Eazy material because the label has just resolved litigation with Eazy's former business partner and manager, Jerry Heller, over the rights to his music.

Godfather of Gangsta Rap track list, according to Ruthless:

  • "Intro"
  • "Eazy 1,2,3"
  • "The 9"
  • "Bounciní "
  • "The Rev"
  • "No More Tears"
  • "Ruthless Life"

- By Shaheem Reid


You Down With DVD? Yeah, You Know Me, Say Kurupt, Three 6 Mafia

Rappers cashing in on craze with movies, behind-the-scenes footage, concert clips.

With Will Smith, DMX, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg making more movies than albums these days, there's certainly no shortage of rappers on the big screen.

In addition, within about a month's time, several other hip-hop artists will have released a variety of their own direct-to-video projects, from Eminem's "Slim Shady World" cartoon to Xzibit's largely behind-the-scenes "Restless Xposed."

These acts have taken a page from Master P, who in 1997 opened the floodgates for hip-hop's current direct-to-video craze with his self-financed "I'm Bout It." Since then, everyone from Jay-Z to Ice-T has mined the lucrative direct-to-video market, leading up to today's onslaught of releases from hip-hop artists big and small.

"The DVD thing is hot now," said DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia, who released their own direct-to-VHS/DVD movie, titled "Choices," on November 6. "Choices" entered the Billboard Top Music Video chart at #2, behind Bruce Springsteen. "People like to look at them," Paul continued. "I know that I go to Best Buy and spend like $400, $500 on DVDs. I like sitting at the house, just chilling and watching DVDs. I figure that's probably the same reason why everybody else does."

Tha Liks, who issued their "X.O. the Movie Experience" last month (November 13), chose to go the more traditional route with their release, focusing on concert footage and their often wild backstage antics for the bulk of their feature.

"We're basically portraying what everybody goes through," said J-Ro, who is joined in Tha Liks by E-Swift and Tash. "A lot of people may portray a certain image while they're in front of the camera, while they're doing their videos or while they're onstage. But backstage, the everyday life, we've got a lot of fun going on. We're living our dreams out. We're having a ball with it, and we want to portray that image and just have fun with it. That's been our whole thing from the beginning, having a party, having a good time. Everybody that kicks it with us is going to have a good time, too."

Other rappers have more ambitious agendas with their movies. Jayo Felony, for example, will be releasing his straight-to-video "Crip Hop" movie in the first half of 2002. The film tells the story of how the notorious Crips gang started in Los Angeles.

"It wasn't about Crips killing Bloods and all that bullsh--," said Jayo, whose third album was also named Crip Hop. "It was about community, revolution and progress and Crips protecting their community against crooked cops and motherf---ers like that. It was a whole different story."

Many rappers play major roles in their own films, but Jayo said that although he'll be narrating his movie and will make some appearances, he's not an actor. "It's not like I'm trying to do any funny-ass acting like I'm Steven Seagal. I rap, so I'm not going to try to be out there on any acting tip."

Kurupt won't be doing much acting in his still-untitled release, which is also expected to arrive in the first half of 2002. "Mine is just nasty," said the member of Tha Dogg Pound. "I'm showing hos. There's a couple performance things, but mainly hos. It's the purity of Kuruption, period. In the gangster world, all we're surrounded by is the homies and naked hos - besides when we go home to our wives."

As raunchy as his project sounds, Kurupt said also he may include the "Rent Is Due" mini-movie on his DVD. "Rent Is Due" shows how weed first got to Los Angeles, moving from Northern California via Oakland to Los Angeles.

But rather than be a drug caper, it's a comedy that focuses on college students who peddle marijuana to pay their rent. "It's almost like a sitcom because it's going to keep going and going," Kurupt said, explaining that the concept will hopefully provide enough material for at least three installments. "It's like 'Star Wars,' but it's 'Weed Wars.' "

The direct-to-video trend shows little sign of slowing. Three 6 Mafia, for instance, are toying with the idea of releasing another project that will include all of their videos as well as behind-the-scenes footage of their numerous tours.

Unlike Hollywood, however, where successful projects often lead to sequels, Three 6 Mafia's "Choices" can't be followed up - most of the main characters die in the film.

"People were like, 'Why'd ya'll die in the movie? You can't make a part two,' " DJ Paul said. "I wasn't planning on making a part two. I wanted us to die in the movie and have our sh-- straight gangster. I wanted the bad guys to win in my movie."

- By Soren Baker

December 20, 2001

Sugar Hill Gang Delighted With Sweet $3 Million Victory

Recent years have been pretty lean for the Sugar Hill Gang when measured against more financially successful rappers. But now that a New York District Court judge has awarded the hip-hop pioneers nearly $3 million - in a case against the Snapple Beverage Corporation and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. - the Gang will no longer have to eat at friends' houses where "the macaroni's soggy, the peas are mushed, and the chicken tastes like wood."

Those culinary catastrophes are bemoaned in the group's legendary single "Rapper's Delight," a live video performance of which Snapple and Turner were found guilty of unlawfully pilfering in a 1998 ad for the Goodwill Games, an event produced by Turner.

In a case filed in January 1999, the Sugar Hill Gang claimed it was told the performance in question would only be broadcast by Snapple on closed-circuit monitors during a party at Studio 54. The rappers said they were shocked to later see the clip used for the Goodwill Games.

"A month after we did the show, I get calls congratulating me on my new commercial," said Gang member Joey Robinson Jr. "I went, 'What are you talking about?' We never consented to it, we never got paid for it, and Snapple never wanted to settle with us."

In court, both Snapple and Turner claimed the group knew in advance that footage would be used for television advertisements, but the judge sided with the rappers. In June he granted a summary judgement on behalf of the Sugar Hill Gang, and on Friday a jury awarded it $165,000 in compensatory damages and another $2.8 million in punitive damages.

"It was a blessing," Robinson said. "It was like three-and-a-half years of fighting had finally come to a head. It was a cheerful joy of happiness."

Snapple and Turner did not return calls for comment.

Recently, the Sugar Hill Gang appeared in a commercial for Coca-Cola that they were actually paid for, and in January the group will return to the studio to finish its first album of new material in 21 years.

"It's not gangsta at all," Robinson said. "It's a little bit like Will Smith, a little bit Sisqó - like a 'Thong Song.' It's got a little Aersomith/Run-D.M.C. flavor. We did a remake of [Def Leppard's] 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' that's really hot. The album won't confuse people, so they'll know it's Sugar Hill Gang, but it's updated to what's happening now."

The group has recorded seven of 13 songs, including a duet with LFO called "Girl I Want You," and there are plans to record a new song with 'NSYNC, whom the Sugar Hill Gang opened for during 1999 and 2000.

"They want to do a record with us, and we want to do one with them, so we're getting some tracks together to submit to them," Robinson said. "Those guys are great guys."

Also, the Sugar Hill Gang is trying to recruit Def Leppard to contribute to the "Pour Some Sugar on Me" cover. But that's not the most surprising development for the old-school rappers - in March they'll play what might be their strangest venue to date.

"We were just with Liza Minnelli at her private party with [event producer] David Gest, and David asked us to perform in March for their wedding," Robinson marveled. "He said, 'Joey, please, I'm gonna ask you, would you mind performing?' And I said, 'Are you kidding? It would be an honor.' "

Needless to say, nobody from Snapple is invited, and the event will not be broadcast on Turner. 

- By Jon Wiederhorn


J. Lo Teams With Ja Rule Again For Remix Disc

New version of 'Ain't It Funny' will be first single from LP due in February.

Jennifer Lopez already has the ball rolling on a remix album she plans to release in February, according to Epic Records. Details are scarce, but the first release from the disc will be a reworking of her latest single, "Ain't It Funny," that will feature Ja Rule.

The double-J connection hooked up Friday and Saturday at Universal Studios Hollywood for the video, which was directed by J. Lo's husband, Cris Judd. Epic is being tight-lipped about the clip's concept, but a spokesperson for the label said it should debut in late January.

Lopez and Ja Rule scored big this year with the remix version of "I'm Real" from her album J. Lo.

- By Shaheem Reid

December 19, 2001

Mystikal Screams On Bin Laden But Keeps Party Vibe On Tarantula

One of the few MCs to put an album out post-9/11, Mystikal said the tragic events made him switch up some of his music while recording his December 18 release, Tarantula. "It had a little effect. It made you pay attention to the words you said, even if it was something you had written [prior] to the attacks. I said in one verse, 'I'm so bad I can knock down buildings and chop down trees.' Knocking down buildings wasn't cool no more."

His current single, "Bouncin' Back," finds him screaming on Osama bin Laden but keeping the party vibe going. "Just something positive," he said. "Something that's not gonna add to the all the bad stuff that's happening. I tried to keep it current, involve anthrax and all that stuff in there".

Mystikal said the song came about as an 11th-hour addition because he and the Neptunes, who produced the track, were having a hard time recreating the magic that made their previous efforts, last year's "Shake Ya Ass" and "Danger (Been So Long)," blockbusters.

"Its kind of like a Mardi Gras, second-line beat," Mystikal said of the song's track. "That's some New Orleans heritage. 'Bouncin' Back' came about in Atlanta. The Neptunes and myself, we tried something previously but the vibes weren't clicking. I was like 'Man, we gonna try this again.' They're too tight, they too talented. Towards me completing the album, I got a call, 'We ready, come on to Atlanta.' [They had the beat for] 'Bouncin' Back' on there.

"[Pharrell Williams] had that hook," he continued. "That's the great thing about them guys, when they come with a track, nine times out of 10 they gonna have a hook. Creative, real creative."

The MC was also stoked to be able to share ideas in the studio with Juvenile for "Settle the Score." They had talked about making music together for years when they were both rolling tight with their respective cliques, No Limit and Cash Money. However, with the undercurrent of animosity between the two crews back in the days, they never had the chance.

"Why not?" Mystikal barked. "Why couldn't we see that? He's from New Orleans, I'm from New Orleans. He's hot on his end. I'm the hottest thing on my end. Let's bring this together. That was a power move, man.

"The artists were alright," he said of the clash between the two factions. "That was between the CEOs. But you had to roll with who you was rolling with. It wasn't no serious beef or nothing, but I couldn't be over there fraternizing. It was business. We sold records on that. People were interested in what was the next thing somebody was gonna say. 'What they gonna say?' 'Settle the Score,' that's saying that 'A lot of stuff happened to us in the past, but it won't no more. We come to settle the score.' "

The fiery MC was shocked that Juvi not only wanted to rhyme on "Settle the Score," but he wanted to provide the beat as well. "I had no idea," Mystikal said with a smile. "When he told me he had some tracks, I was like 'Look man, I need you to just concentrate on the rap. Don't come with these little weak beats.' He put [the track] on and I liked Juvenile's beats better than the original producer's beats."

Two other people with whom he finally got the chance to collaborate were Redman and Method Man, on "Get It Started."

"I been trying to get them cats for like eight years now," he said. "When I first got my big break with Jive in '95, that was like my favorite artists, Redman and Method Man, Keith Murray and the Def Squad. I'm feeling them."

He was so hyped to work with the duo, he traveled to New York to make it happen.

"I ain't want it to happen no place other than New York," he said. "I wanted to experience it, a cipher with Method Man. The beat was playing, Red over there, I'm over here, and Meth over there. Room full of smoke, it was going down."  

- By Shaheem Reid


Wu-Tang Killa Bees 'Sting' Again

The Wu-Tang Clan train will keep rolling with the Feb. 26 Koch/In The Paint release of "The Sting," the second album from Wu-Tang Killa Bees. The group is a spin-off of the Wu-Tang Clan featuring various original members alongside latter-day Wu proteges such as Cappadonna, Killarmy, Sunz of Man, Shyheim, and a revolving cast of new associates.

"The Sting" will introduce new Wu extended family members North Star, Black Knights, and Solomon Childs, and features appearances by Wu principals U-God, Inspectah Deck, the RZA as Bobby Digital, and the currently incarcerated Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB). First single "Killer Beez" featuring RZA, U-God, and Inspectah Deck will be sent to radio early next month. Other tracks include "Doe Mai Wu" (featuring ODB), "Thugz Make the World Go Round," "Spin," "Bar Mitzvah," and "Get at Me."

The album follows a flurry of Wu activity in the latter half of this year. The Wu-Tang Clan's, "Iron Flag," is released today (Dec. 18) on Loud. Five Wu members released solo albums in 2001, and both ODB and Raekwon have albums due out in the coming months.

The Wu-Tang Killa Bees' first album, "The Swarm" (Priority), debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 in August 1998.

- Troy Carpenter

December 18, 2001

Roots' ?uestlove Gives Backstage Access To Jay-Z Unplugged

Even though the Roots have a Grammy Award under their collective belts, the band's drummer, ?uestlove, finds it "a little ironic" that it's their work on Jay-Z's latest, Jay-Z Unplugged, that may earn them their first platinum plaques.

"It's sort of like the Mafia," ?uestlove joked. " 'If you wanna join this club, you have to come through me.' "

?uestlove said the two sides always wanted to work together, but scheduling prevented the collaboration until Jay signed up to appear on MTV2's "Unplugged" series. The Roots performed as the MC's band on the show and its companion album, which dropped Tuesday (December 18).

"Once the opportunity presented itself, we took advantage of it," ?uestlove said. "Not ringing my own chimes ... I don't want to say we were the sole candidates, but we're definitely the prime candidates to handle such a job. We, as a unit and as a band, we're kinda in the zone as far as having a hip-hop aesthetic and having everything down tight."

The Philly native divulged he and his collective prepared on and off for a little under two months with the Jiggaman. "He's a consummate professional," ?uestlove said. "People have this preconceived image of Jay-Z: 'What was it like working with a jiggy rapper?' Usually I work with some artist and they're like, 'Yo, it has to be the way it is on the album.' He wanted to experiment. He wanted show himself in a serious light, in a respectable light. I think it was very important to him to add another notch on his bedpost to show different sides of his music."

Jay-Z revisited some of his older works to expose his artistic side, ?uestlove said.

"Everybody has their favorite Jay-Z song," the drummer began. "I always loved the combination of Jay-Z and DJ Premier. I wanted to do "So Ghetto" from Vol. 3 ... Life and Times of S. Carter, and 'A Million and One Questions' [from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1]. At the end of the day, MTV was like, '[We want] "Can I Get A ...," We want "Big Pimpin'." ' They had to argue Jay down to do 'Hard Knock Life.' He didn't want to do none of that. He was worse than me. ... I didn't think he would touch Reasonable Doubt, but he was like, 'Let's do "Feelin' It," "Can I Live." ' "

Once the playlist was decided, the biggest hurdle was tracking down a flutist the day before the show for "Big Pimpin'." Everything else was a breeze.

  "None of the songs were really difficult," ?uestlove said. "I really wanted to present the oomph factor of 'Takeover.' I didn't want that to sound one ounce wimpy. We had to surpass the original. The Mobb Deep and Nas thing were sort of like adrenaline shots. That caught people off guard. What you actually see on TV were reshoots. There was a problem with his mic line when we did the first three songs, 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.),' 'Takeover' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls.'

"I really regret [that viewers won't get to see] the first pass of 'Takeover,' " he continued, "because when they first heard the beat for [Mobb Deep's] 'Shook Ones' come in, the audience almost caused a riot. They were told to be very cordial and sit in their place. When they heard 'Shook Ones' come in, their energy was so crazy, it was almost on some Beatles sh--."

The party continued after the TV cameras stopped rolling. Jay and the Roots engaged in a jam session, where he performed his verses off of "Renegade" and his new song "U Don't Know" over the beat for Beanie Sigel's "Beanie (Mack B****)."

The Roots' next album, Phrenology, is slated to drop in June, ?uestlove said. The group has reached out to Nelly Furtado and Project Pat to guest on the record.

- By Shaheem Reid


Destiny's Child Look Ahead To 2002 With New Album, Tour

Springtime trek around world to be followed by fourth studio LP.

After a whirlwind year that saw Destiny's Child headlining the "TRL" tour and selling more than 3.4 million copies of Survivor, Beyoncé Knowles, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland are showing no sign of slowing down in 2002.

In the works: a springtime world tour with Knowles' singing sister, Solange, after which they'll begin work on their fourth studio album, according to a Columbia Records spokesperson. A start date for the trek hasn't been set, and no additional details on the album were available at press time.

In the meantime, the ladies continue to work on solo albums, and Knowles is busy shooting her role of Foxy Cleopatra in the flick "Austin Powers in Goldmember," due July 26. She also recorded a song, "Hey, Goldmember," which samples K.C. and the Sunshine Band's disco smash "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," for the film's soundtrack.

In the new year, the trio will vie for Favorite Album and Favorite Band, Duo or Group at the American Music Awards on January 9 as well as Outstanding Duo or Group at the NAACP Image Awards on February 23.

- Joe D'Angelo

December 17, 2001

''Funky Chicken's'' Rufus Thomas dies in Memphis

Rufus Thomas, whose ``Do the Funky Chicken'' and ``Walking the Dog'' became musical standards, has died at age 84, his family said Sunday.

Over a 70-year career with roots in vaudeville and in radio as a disc jockey, Thomas helped define the musical heritage of Memphis, where a street is named after him.

He died Saturday at a local hospital of apparent heart failure, his family said. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital since falling ill in November and had undergone open heart surgery in 1998.

His success was a key in growth of the two most famous record labels to come out of Memphis, Sun and Stax. He helped launch a number of careers, including that of B.B. King.

Funeral arrangements were pending.




Mariah vs. VH1: "What the Hell?"

Did VH1 have a vision of loathe when it edited the recent My VH1 Music Awards?

The cable network has removed from future airings a segment that mocked Mariah Carey for her bizarre summer appearance on MTV's Total Request Live--an event that preceded the singer's much-chronicled breakdown.

VH1 insists the clip was cut because of time constraints encountered when re-airing the awards show. But a producer and writer for the My VH1 Music Awards tell Rolling Stone that the network was pressured by Carey's representatives to remove it.

The beef is over a series of segments titled "Music 2001: What the Hell Was That?", in which writer and former Daily Show correspondent Brian Unger takes jabs at everyone from Wayne Newton and Marlon Brando to Michael Jackson. Unger also targets Carey's infamous July 2001 appearance on Total Request Live, during which she performed a semi-striptease for the audience, read a love letter from her mother to host Carson Daly, and basically left everyone scratching their heads.

Said Unger in the segment: "What the hell was that? What appeared to be a mental breakdown was actually a breakdown in communication. Somewhere in this schematic of Mariah's publicists, managers, agents and handlers, the message 'Give Carson Daly a warm welcome' became 'Take your top off.' Thankfully, Mariah is back in control, and will fire the people responsible as soon as she learns everyone's names."

Unger claims Carey's people weren't pleased with the jokes.

"Mariah Carey's people--and there are a lot of them, but apparently not enough to keep her mental breakdowns off the air--called [VH1 President John] Sykes and were offended by what I had to say, which tells me we were right on target," Unger tells Rolling Stone.

Jay Karas, whose Kanpai Pictures produced the awards show, backed up Unger's story. "It was pulled because Mariah and her people were upset about the piece," he said.

As Mariah-watchers can recall, the TRL episode occurred less than a week before she checked into a hospital for what her publicist called an "emotional and physical breakdown." Carey, 31, remained out of the spotlight through September, as she took time to recover.

For her part, Carey defended herself during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. She didn't specifically mention the VH1 skit, but the diva downplayed her infamous Total Request Live appearance, insisting she remained fully clothed the whole time and was just having a little fun.

"It's not like we were on Nightline with Ted Koppel," she said. "I mean, we're talking MTV, and it was a joke."

Meantime, the bubbly songbird appears to be putting her summer ordeal behind her, performing at several September 11 benefits and returning from a whirlwind, morale-boosting trip to Kosovo, where she donned camouflage and met with U.S. troops. She's also just released a charity single, a medley featuring her hits "Hero" and "Never Too Far," and she's headlining an hour-long CBS special, A Home For The Holidays with Mariah Carey, scheduled to air December 21.

As for Unger, the comedian doesn't appear too concerned about angering Mariah.

"What I'm really nervous about is that this incident will keep me from being able to attend Mariah's summer camp," he said.

- By Mark Armstrong

December 14, 2001

Feud Between Jay-Z, Nas Gets 'Super Ugly'

With just days to go until the release of his Stillmatic (December 18), Nas' unwavering lyrical feud with Jay-Z has just gotten uglier - "Super Ugly," in fact.

On the heels of Nas' retaliatory "Ether", a response to Jigga's "Takeover" on The Blueprint, Jay-Z has dropped two counterattacks in the past few days. One of them, "Super Ugly," debuted Tuesday on New York radio station Hot 97 and finds Jay rhyming on the beats of Nas' "Got Ur Self A ... " and Dr. Dre's "Bad Intentions."

In the song, Jay-Z not only implies that NBA star Allen Iverson had an affair with the mother of Nas' daughter, but he also offers lurid details of his own alleged adventures with her ("Left condoms on your baby seat," he raps).

Nas said that while Jay may seem to be taking the feud personally, he's not letting it get to him. " 'Ether,' it's not emotional," he said. "When I heard ["Takeover"] I thought he was kind of emotional. I can hear it in voice, he was a little angry. I was like, 'Wow, he's really touchy when it comes to me.' He says he's doing well in his records, he seems to be having a good time. I'm a stone in his shoe and a thorn in his side."

The MC has an idea about why Jay is so hostile toward him. "The animosity thing has always been about somebody wanting to be the king of New York," Nas said. "Me, myself, never wanted that crown. That crown's a big responsibility, ask [New York Mayor Rudolph] Giuliani. Notorious B.I.G. was the king of New York, of rap, and he never got so much hate. Jay-Z wants the crown so bad he would step on anybody to get it. ... He said on his album if he's not better than Big, he's the closest one, which I felt was the wrong thing to say."

"We supported Biggie," he added. "There was jealousy, of course. But overall, New York supported Biggie. Nowadays you've got brothers not liking [Jay] because they see he's not pure about what he's supposed to be doing. It's not about saying you're better than Biggie when Biggie's in the ground. It's not about saying you're the king of New York. It's about making history with rap music and letting the people crown you king."

On Stillmatic, Nas also sends a shot at former friend Prodigy of Mobb Deep with the song "Destroy and Rebuild," which is a call to eliminate the so-called weak links that represent his native Queensbridge housing projects.

"I would never disrespect my 'hood, and I can't stand to see somebody else make my 'hood look like something it ain't," Nas vented. "In '95, I read an article where Prodigy said he 'Didn't understand what Nas is talking about.' I ignored that. Years down the line I noticed his ego. And when you're talking hardcore stuff - not telling you to talk gangsta and live it - you can't be looked at as a coward.

"Recently I was listening to a [DJ] Kay Slay mixtape, and Prodigy was on there with a dude from around my way, and [the] dude was talking dirty about me. Then [Prodigy] was on a song with Cormega where Cormega was talking greasy about me. So I said, 'Man this is about cleaning up house.' "

Stillmatic's "One Mic" finds Nas relieving stress. On the track, he spews his most fervent rhymes since 1999's "Hate Me Now." "Jay-Z messin' with my baby's mother? Even though we not still together, I'm like, 'What?' " he lamented.

"I'm hearing Steve Stoute, my former manager, is hanging with Jay-Z. Jay-Z is shouting out Trackmasters, my former crew, my clique. Everything flipped. Outside of that, I'm trying to build my company, Ill Will Records, writing my films and things I wanna do outside of rap. ... Everything sort of piled up on me. I started getting midlife crisis. I started feeling it. All I need is one mic. I didn't need nothing else in this world. The mic was everything to me." 

- By Shaheem Reid


P. Diddy Opening For Britney On Final Tour Dates

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Britney Spears will have a chance to compare dance moves before the holidays - the goliaths are sharing the same stage.

Diddy will open up for Spears on the last two dates of her Britney 2001 tour: December 19 in Miami and December 21 in Washington, D.C.

Bringing the two together was as easy as Spears asking the Bad Boy CEO to join her, according to a spokesperson for Combs. P.D.'s appearance with Spears also marks the beginning of what his spokesperson will only call a "new relationship" between Combs and the singer's manager, Johnny Wright.

O-Town's opening stint on Britney's tour ended December 10 in Philadelphia. LFO have been filling in until P. Diddy joins.

- By Shaheem Reid

December 13, 2001

DJ Kay Slay Tops Mixtape Awards, While DJ Clue Gets Booed

Imagine going to the Academy Awards and instead of presenter George Clooney simply reading from an envelope and announcing the Best Actress winner, he asks the audience, "Of the nominees, which chick do you think could lay the smackdown on anybody in here?"

That may seem a little thuggish for Tinseltown's finest but for the tastemakers of the hip-hop community, mixtape DJs, it's all a part of their show. Mixtape kings such as DJ Clue and DJ Kay Slay as well as MCs ranging from Mobb Deep and the Wu-Tang Clan to Craig Mack and Sweet Tee flooded New York's Apollo Theater Tuesday night for the sixth annual Mixtape Awards.

"Who's the only DJ that will come onstage right now and smack the sh-- out of anybody on this stage?" Fat Joe, flanked by a dozen of his crew, asked the audience as he presented the Best Mixtape DJ award to DJ Kay Slay, who beat out DJ Clue and DJ Envy.

Although Clue did get the nod for Best Commercial Mixtape and Best Hip-Hop Mixtape, it was clearly not his night. An undercurrent of boos and disparaging banter filled the auditorium whenever his name was mentioned. Maybe he didn't take too kindly to being dissed, or maybe he had a late-night studio session with his protégé Fabolous, but the question mark man did not go onstage to accept any awards.

"They thought he wasn't there, [that] he [wasn't] showing up," awards show organizer Justo Faison offered as a theory for the jeers. Plus, "When you're one of the top guys and you got videos and you eating, people got a little hate," he added. "He's the one who's catching it now."

Slay, the only other multiple award winner, had plenty to say when he hit the stage for his three acceptance speeches. The Harlem DJ, who also won Best Personality on a Mixtape and Best Freestyle on a Mixtape, told the crowd that it should "Salute ni--as when they come up here. This ain't amateur night at the Apollo."

It seemed like everyone wanted to make an impact with the mic, from pioneer DJ Kool Herc schooling all the DJs about paying their dues and making sure they don't undercharge to spin at parties and clubs, to famed producer DJ Premier taking time out to acknowledge that Nas did a fantastic job dissing Jay-Z on "Ether" ("Nas did his thing, he ate him"). Even those who weren't onstage spoke their minds. Whatever was on the minds of the audience members was yelled aloud, from shoutouts to heckles.

Although the winners were announced Tuesday night, no one actually took any awards home - the platinum plaques never made their way into the Apollo. Due to the large turnout, the doors were closed once the show began around 9 p.m. and nobody else was let in, including celebrities like the LOX.

Sixth annual Mixtape Award winners:
  • Best Mixtape DJ - DJ Kay Slay
  • Best Artist on a Mixtape - Jadakiss
  • Best Freestyle on a Mixtape - DJ Kay Slay
  • Best Commercial Mixtape - DJ Clue
  • Turntable Assassin - J-Love
  • Best R&B Mixtape - DJ Famous
  • Best Female Mixtape DJ - Lazy K
  • Best Personality on a Mixtape - DJ Kay Slay
  • Best Hip-hop Mixtape - DJ Clue
  • Best Mixtape Producer - Ron G.
  • Best Reggae Mixtape - Bobby Konders
  • Best Blends - Bobby Blends
  • Pink House Award - DJ Screw
  • Brucie Bee/Starchild Award - DJ S&S
  • Best DJ Mixtape Duo - Tony Touch and Doo-Wop

- By Shaheem Reid


Lil' Romeo Joins Other Young'uns On 'Hollywood Squares'

Would you trust an 11-year-old rapper when big money is on the line?

A game show contestant faced that predicament recently when rapper Lil' Romeo participated in "Young Stars Week" on "Hollywood Squares." Luckily, the contestant didn't trust him.

"I bluffed," Romeo said in a "Hollywood Squares" press release. "They didn't believe me, but even if they did, it's a game so it's cool."

Lil' Romeo fans can see the young rhyme slinger's bluffing skills when the segments air December 24-28.

Country music star Billy Gilman and opera singer Charlotte Church also took part in "Young Stars Week," along with a herd of young actors, including Alex D. Linz ("Max Keeble's Big Move"), Alexa Vega ("Spy Kids"), Cole and Dylan Sprouse ("Big Daddy"), Evan Rachel Wood ("Once and Again") and Mae Whitman ("One Fine Day").

The show's producer, veteran actress Whoopi Goldberg, remained in her center square spot for the special tapings.

Gilman had better luck convincing a contestant than Romeo, according to the press release. "I bluffed and they believed me," he said. "I was a little nervous at the beginning because I didn't know if I would know the right answer, but I had a feeling that this would be fun and it is."

Lil' Romeo, the son of rapper/No Limit head honcho Master P, released his self-titled debut album in July. 

- By Corey Moss

December 12, 2001

Redman, Method Man, RZA, Kelis Talk Chemistry, Cuttin' At 'How High' Premiere

 Celebs from Russell Simmons and Stephen Baldwin to the LOX and old-school rapper Kwame turned out Monday night for the world premiere of Redman and Method Man's comedy, "How High."

"Those are our dogs," said Jadakiss, before he made his way into the auditorium where the movie was being shown. "We gotta hold it down for that. Plus, we wanna see the movie."

"Red and Meth, they always do they thing," said his fellow LOX member Styles. "They got that chemistry."

"They really like each other and they're both characters," Kelis said later, giving her insight into why the two work so well together. "It's so rare you see that now. I hope [the movie's] good. It looks cute. It looks like something that will make me laugh."

As underachievers Jamal and Silas, Red and Meth get to play off of each other throughout the flick. After spending six years in a two-year community college, mama's boy Jamal gets motivated to take the college entrance exam after his dear old mom threatens to kick him out of the house. Silas, on the other hand, is a genius, but sees no reason to take his best friend Ivory's advice and waste his time in school when he can make money by supplying the 'hood with herbal medicines that can cure everything from rashes to headaches.

When Ivory dies during a comedy of errors, Silas is motivated to go to school, and uses his dead buddy's ashes to develop a super potent form of marijuana. By a twist of fate, Jamal and Silas meet each other and spark up before taking the college entrance exam. Their homegrown stimulant helps them on the test, and all of a sudden a gaggle of colleges come knocking on their doors.

"I wasn't in his class," RZA said of his school days with a young Method Man. "I was probably the person who he cut class with."

"I ain't start cutting till I got to high school," Meth said later when he showed up with Red. "That's when I learned the ropes."

"Me too," Red interjected. "I was in the lunchroom a lot, too." "I wish I would have stayed my ass in class," Meth continued. "I still ain't got a diploma."

In the movie, the duo go for degrees when they decide to attend Harvard. The two wreak havoc as they bring their ghetto fabulousness to the stuffed shirts of the Ivy League campus, doing everything from deflowering virgins to throwing wild parties with pimps and prostitutes, and of course, pulling pranks.

"It was a blast because I was a big fan of Wu-Tang and Meth's," said Trieu Tran, who plays one their roommates, Tuan, in the film. "I was like 'I listen to your music every day, you have no idea.' "

Tran admitted that Red and Meth didn't always stick to the script.

"A little bit here and there," he said about the improvisation. "Some scenes are pretty much set, other times the director let us go wild. It's like you got Meth and Red, they're goofballs. They're having a good time."

"I had so much fun working with Red," Essence Atkins, who plays Jamal's love interest Jamie, said before she went in to take her seat. "He was real cool people. He was respectful and really funny. We got to make out a lot. I know a lot of girls are jealous.

"The key to [Red and Meth's] sex appeal is their honesty," she added. "What you see is what you get, they're not fronting at all. Not to mention the fact they're quite diesel underneath all those baggy clothes."

Red's longtime friend Rockwilder was responsible for not only providing the music for Jamal and Jamie's love scenes, but for the entire film - he scored "How High."

"It was like a whole different thing [from producing songs]," Rock said. "At first when I started the movie I came back with a whole lot of tracks. Then I had to understand the whole method of it. As far as the mood, you have to get the music method. It took a while, then when I got into it, it came out hot. I really feel this movie was a learning experience to me in the score field. The next movie is going to be even hotter."

Like Rock, the self-proclaimed millennium version of Cheech and Chong have other Hollywood endeavors on their horizon.

"We trying to make our own movies now," said Meth, who's looking forward to developing films with Red through their company, Blunt Brothers Cinema, or BBC.

"It's been positive, real good man," Red added about the response to his first big-screen starring role. "Ni---s wouldn't front. I figure if they ain't like it they wouldn't say nothing. A lot of people been reaching out like, 'Yo, that sh-- was hot!' " 

- By Shaheem Reid


Alicia Keys Up For Seven NAACP Image Awards

Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson and Jill Scott lead the pack of music artists receiving nominations for this year's NAACP Image Awards.

Sultry R&B chanteuse Keys is at the top of the list with seven. She picked up nods for Outstanding Album for Songs in A Minor, Outstanding New Artist, Outstanding Music Video (directed by Chris Robinson) and Outstanding Songwriter for "Fallin'," Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Songwriter (with Erika Rose) for "A Woman's Worth" and Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special for her showing on the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

Jackson received five nominations: Outstanding Album and Outstanding Male Artist for Invincible; Outstanding Song and Outstanding Music Video for "You Rock My World" (directed by Paul Hunter) and Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special for "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special." That show received its own nomination in the category of Outstanding Variety Series/Special.

Jill Scott was nominated four times: Outstanding Album and Outstanding Female Artist for Experience: Jill Scott, Outstanding Song (with Keith Pelzer) for "He Loves Me" and Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special for the 2001 "Soul Train" Lady of Soul Awards.

India.Arie and Aaliyah received three nominations each. Arie was recognized in the categories of Outstanding Album for Acoustic Soul and Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Female Artist for "Video." Aaliyah's self-titled third album was nominated for Outstanding Album and Outstanding Female Artist, and "Rock the Boat" (directed by Hype Williams) is up for Outstanding Music Video.

In non-music categories, Will Smith was nominated for Outstanding Literary Work - Children's for "Just the Two of Us," and he'll face off against Tyrese for the title of Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for "Ali" and "Baby Boy," respectively. Both movies were nominated for Outstanding Motion Picture. Ice-T and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds will compete in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category for their work in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Soul Food," respectively.

There are 41 categories in the NAACP Image Awards, which cover motion pictures, television, music and literature. The winners are determined by a panel of over 300 entertainment business professionals and NAACP leaders.

The 33rd annual event will be held February 23 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and broadcast March 1 on Fox.

The complete list of 2002 NAACP Image Awards nominees in the fields of music and TV variety specials, according to the NAACP Web site:

Outstanding Artist:
  • Alicia Keys - "Fallin' "
  • Bilal - 1st Born Second
  • City High - "Caramel"
  • India.Arie - "Video"
  • Nelly Furtado - "Turn Off the Light"

Outstanding Album:
  • Aaliyah - Aaliyah
  • Acoustic Soul - India.Arie
  • Experience: Jill Scott - Jill Scott
  • Invincible - Michael Jackson
  • Songs in A Minor - Alicia Keys

Outstanding Song:
  • "A Woman's Worth" - Alicia Keys & Erika Rose
  • "Fallin' " - Alicia Keys
  • "He Loves Me" - Jill Scott & Keith Pelzer
  • "Love" - Taalib Johnson (Musiq Soulchild), Andre Harris & Carvin Haggins
  • "You Rock My World" - Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels & Nora Payne

Outstanding Male Artist:
  • Babyface - Face 2 Face
  • Brian McKnight - Superhero
  • Luther Vandross - "Take You Out"
  • Maxwell - "Lifetime"
  • Michael Jackson - Invincible

Outstanding Female Artist:
  • Aaliyah - Aaliyah
  • Alicia Keys - "A Woman's Worth"
  • India.Arie - "Video"
  • Janet Jackson - All For You
  • Jill Scott - Experience: Jill Scott

Outstanding Duo or Group:
  • Destiny's Child - Survivor
  • Kirk Franklin & Jill Scott - "Kingdom Come"
  • Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
  • The Isley Brothers - Eternal
  • The O'Jays - For the Love ...

Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Artist:
  • DMX - "Who We Be"
  • Ja Rule - "Livin' It Up"
  • Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
  • Sean "P. Diddy" Combs - P. Diddy & the Bad Boy Family - The Saga Continues ...
  • Tyrese - 2000 Watts

Outstanding Music Video:
  • "All For You" - Janet Jackson (directed by Dave Meyers)
  • "Contagious" - The Isley Brothers (directed by Bille Woodruff)
  • "Fallin' " - Alicia Keys (directed by Chris Robinson)
  • "Rock the Boat" - Aaliyah (directed by Hype Williams)
  • "You Rock My World" - Michael Jackson (directed by Paul Hunter)

Outstanding Variety Series/Special:
  • "Access Granted"
  • "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special"
  • The 2001 Essence Awards
  • "Testimony"
  • "VH1 Divas Live 2001: Aretha Franklin"


Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special:

  • Alicia Keys - The 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
  • Donnie McClurkin & Yolanda Adams - The 2001 Essence Awards
  • Jill Scott - The 2001 "Soul Train" Lady of Soul Awards
  • Michael Jackson - "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration"
  • Tyrese - "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"

Outstanding Jazz Artist:
  • Boney James - Ride
  • Branford Marsalis - Creation
  • Dianne Reeves - The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan
  • Patti Austin - On the Way to Love
  • Quincy Jones - Q: The Musical Biography of Quincy Jones

Outstanding Gospel Artist - Traditional:
  • Dottie Peoples - Dottie Peoples' Greatest Hits
  • LFT Church Choir With Hezekiah Walker - Love Is Live!
  • Richard Smallwood With Vision- Persuaded: Live in D.C.
  • Shirley Caesar - Hymns
  • Blind Boys of Alabama - Spirit of the Century

Outstanding Gospel Artist - Contemporary
  • Bishop T.D. Jakes & the Potters' House Mass Choir- The Storm Is Over
  • CeCe Winans - CeCe Winans
  • Kirk Franklin - "Kingdom Come" soundtrack
  • Tramaine Hawkins - Still Tramaine
  • Yolanda Adams - Believe

- By Jon Wiederhorn

December 11, 2001

Cash Money Records Expands With Boo & Gotti, More

The fattening of Cash Money Records' roster didn't stop with the signing of Mack 10 earlier this year.

Co-CEO Ronald "Slim" Williams said that in 2002, the label plans to roll out a plethora of new acts, including singer TQ, much-hyped Philadelphia MC Gillie Da Kid and R. Kelly's former protégés Boo & Gotti.

"We thick, bro," Williams said. "Thicker than a Snickers."

It wasn't a matter of Williams and his brother, Big Tymers member Baby, luring Boo & Gotti from Kelly's Rockland label. Williams said that the duo, who rhymed on both the original and remix version of Kelly's hit "Fiesta," reached out to them.

"They called [us]," Williams said. "We used to see them off and on. They called and were like, 'Man, we're trying to do something.' We ain't want no hard feelings with my man [R. Kelly]. We talked to my man. We're businessmen, he's a businessman."

Williams says Boo & Gotti's deal with Rockland had already dissolved, so there were no issues over signing them. "We liked their style," he said. "We thought they had something. I liked the way they carried themselves."

The feeling was obviously mutual. "Before we bring a person to the label, we like a person to come down and check out the operation and surroundings with the label," Williams said. "We don't just sign a person. We let a person come and see if it's something they like."

So with the next Hot Boys album - which Williams said will include Juvenile, who is publicly disgruntled with the label  - not on CMR's radar until close to next Christmas, how do the artists who helped build the label feel about waiting in the wings while family newcomers shine?

"They know it's a business," Williams said. "They ain't tripping. They are my love. That's my heart. But I love my other artists just as much as I love my Hot Boys."

The group should be represented on Lil' Wayne's next release, which is scheduled for the summer. In the meantime, the top priorities for the label are spring releases from Boo & Gotti and the Big Tymers.

The first release from the revamped label in 2002 is scheduled to be the soundtrack to the Wesley Snipes drama "Undisputed." Although Williams says the album's talked-about DMX and Fred Durst collaboration is still up in the air, Carl Thomas and Trick Daddy have supplied tracks.

"The first release off the soundtrack is 'Undisputed' with Lil' Wayne, the Big Tymers, Mickey and Lack," Williams said. "[The video] is being filmed in a prison in Nashville.

"My concept of the video was to do the 2002 'Scared Straight,' " he continued. "This video is gonna have a real serious message to it [by] showing [the prison system] to the young teenagers through the eyes of somebody that's in jail: 'You've got to make a choice. You gonna get it together, or you gonna end up here.' "

- By Shaheem Reid


Ja Rule Re-Teams With Cash Money Click For LP

Platinum rapper returning to roots for one-off album.

Ja Rule will do a career 360 next spring when he re-teams with the Cash Money Click for a new album.

Not to be confused with the Cash Money Millionaires who record for Cash Money Records down South, Ja's crew, which consists of himself, fellow Murder Inc. soloist 0-1 and Chris Black, dropped "4 My Click" and "Get the Fortune" in 1996. Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen was reportedly inspired to sign Ja the first time he saw a Cash Money Click video on TV.

Murder Inc. CEO Irv Gotti brokered the one-off album deal with TVT Records, according to a TVT spokesperson. The trio, who will now be known as CMC, are recording the still-untitled album primarily in New York with Murder Inc's in-house producers.

In addition to Denim, Braxton and Lewis have collaborated on another project--the recently released Christmas album Snowflakes.

- By Shaheem Reid

December 7, 2001

Jay-Z Gets Three Years' Probation For 'Un' Rivera Stabbing

Jay-Z was given three years' probation in a New York criminal courtroom Thursday (December 6) for stabbing record producer Lance "Un" Rivera in 1999. The rapper (born Shawn Carter) appeared before the judge with his lawyer, Murray Richman, to receive his sentence, according to a spokesperson from the Manhattan district attorney's office.

The judgment comes on the heels of Jay-Z pleading guilty to third-degree assault in October for attacking Rivera on December 2, 1999 at a listening party for Q-Tip's solo album Amplified. After voluntarily answering police questions, Jay-Z had maintained his innocence until entering his plea, even going so far as to include the line "Not guilty, y'all got to feel me," in his hit single "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)".

Rivera couldn't be reached for comment, and Jay-Z's label, Roc-A-Fella Records, didn't have one. Richman and Jay-Z's Def Jam Records spokesperson didn't return calls by press time.

The sentence means that Jay-Z can't leave New York without the permission of his probation officer, with whom he'll have to meet periodically. A schedule for how often these meetings will take place has yet to be determined, according to a Department of Probation spokesperson.

Had Jay-Z not pleaded guilty and the case gone to trial, he would have faced up to 15 years in prison on charges of felony assault in the second degree.

Jay-Z's not out of the legal woods yet, however. A civil suit involving copyright infringement over parts of "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" from his latest album, The Blueprint, is still pending. 

- By Joe D'Angelo


Braxton Mints a Baby Boy

An early Christmas package for Toni Braxton and her hubby, Mint Condition keyboardist Keri Lewis.

The R&B diva, a six-time Grammy winner known for such hits as "Un-Break My Heart," "You're Makin' Me High" and "Just Another Sad Love Song," delivered a baby boy Sunday in Atlanta, according to spokesman David Brokaw.

Mom, who turned heads in her barely there Grammy gown in March and is working on a clothes line of her own, gave the kid something of a fashionable name--Denim Cole Braxton Lewis.

Denim, who checked in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces and 19 inches long, is the first child for Braxton, 33, and Lewis, 31.

"Mom and baby are doing fine," says Brokaw.

Braxton met Lewis four years ago during, of all things, a Kenny G tour.

 The Minneapolis-based Mint Condition served as her backing band when she opened for the G-meister during his 1997 North American tour.

They married in April.

Braxton shot to fame with the single "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" off the Boomerang soundtrack in 1992. A year later, she released her critically acclaimed self-titled debut disc, which topped the charts and went platinum. She followed that up in '96 with the smash Secrets. But a not-so funny thing happened to her on the way to becoming the next Whitney: Her career was derailed after a series of bad business investments forced her to file for bankruptcy.

She managed to straighten out her finances and resume her career, inking a $20 million recording contract and scoring another huge hit with 2000's Grammy-winning The Heat. She also made her acting debut in the family comedy Kingdom Come, released in April.

In addition to Denim, Braxton and Lewis have collaborated on another project--the recently released Christmas album Snowflakes.

- By Marcus Errico

December 6, 2001

Destiny's Child, R. Kelly Win Big, Britney Gets Soaked At Billboard Awards

Britney Spears kicked off the 2001 Billboard Awards in Las Vegas on Tuesday with a very wet performance of "I'm a Slave 4 U" on a stage inside the fountains of the Bellagio Hotel.

While Spears came on strong, she went home empty-handed. After the awards were handed out at the MGM Grand, the big winners of the night were Destiny's Child and R. Kelly.

The "Bootylicious" trio took home five awards, including a second straight win for Artist of the Year. They also got a nod for Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year and Soundtrack Single of the Year for "Independent Women Part 1" from "Charlie's Angels."

R. Kelly surpassed the Independent Women when he snagged six trophies total, all in R&B/hip-hop categories.

Also presented with multiple awards were Alicia Keys, Creed, Shaggy, Tim McGraw and Lifehouse.

The Billboard Awards are based on the magazine's year-end charts, which will appear in the December 29 issue.

The list of winners at the 2001 Billboard Awards:

Artists
  • Artist of the Year - Destiny's Child
  • Male Artist of the Year - Shaggy
  • Female Artist of the Year - Alicia Keys
  • Catalog Artist of the Year - Creed
  • Artist of the Year, Duo/Group - Destiny's Child
  • Male New Artist of the Year - Lifehouse
  • Female New Artist of the Year - Alicia Keys

Albums
  • Album of the Year - the Beatles, 1
  • Male Albums Artist of the Year - Shaggy
  • Catalog Album of the Year - Creed, My Own Prison

Hot 100 Singles
  • Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year - Destiny's Child
  • Hot 100 Single of the Year - Lifehouse, "Hanging by a Moment"
  • Soundtrack Single of the Year - Destiny's Child, "Independent Women Part 1" (from "Charlie's Angels")
  • Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, Duo/Group - Destiny's Child

R&B/Hip-Hop
  • R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year - R. Kelly
  • Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year - Jill Scott
  • New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year - Alicia Keys
  • R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year - R. Kelly, TP-2.com
  • R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year - R. Kelly, "Fiesta" featuring Jay-Z
  • R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year - R. Kelly
  • R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year - R. Kelly
  • R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist of the Year - R. Kelly

Rock
  • Rock Artist of the Year - Godsmack
  • Rock New Artist of the Year - Lifehouse
  • Modern Rock Artist of the Year - Linkin Park
  • Modern Rock Single of the Year - Incubus, "Drive"

Rap
  • Rap Artist of the Year - Lil' Romeo
  • Rap Single of the Year - Lil' Bow Wow, "Bow Wow (That's My Name)"

Country
  • Country Artist of the Year - Tim McGraw
  • Male Country Artist of the Year - Tim McGraw
  • Country Albums Artist of the Year - Tim McGraw
  • New Country Artist of the Year - Jamie O'Neal
  • Country Album of the Year - Tim McGraw, Greatest Hits
  • Country Single of the Year - Brooks & Dunn, "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You"
  • Country Single Artist of the Year - Tim McGraw

Adult Contemporary
  • Adult Contemporary Single of the Year - Lee Ann Womack, "I Hope You Dance"

Special Awards
  • Century Award - John Mellencamp
  • Artistic Achievement Award - Janet Jackson
  • Biggest one-week sales for an album in 2001 - 'NSYNC, Celebrity
  • Special award for first four albums debuting at #1 - DMX

- By Jennifer Vineyard


Eve To Star In Ice Cube's Next Flick

Eve is getting ready to make her long-talked-about first foray in front of the movie cameras next month. The Ruff Ryders' first lady will play Terry, the female lead in Ice Cube's new comedy "The Barbershop," according to her management firm, Violator.

The film, directed by Tim Story, is said to center around all the mishaps during a day in a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Besides Eve and Cube, the ensemble cast includes Cedric "The Entertainer" and Anthony Anderson.

Cube, who is one of the film's producers, is no stranger to giving unproven talent their big Hollywood break - he did it for Chris Tucker and Mike Epps in the first two "Friday" movies.

"Somebody gave me a shot," he said last month. "Somebody looked at me not in an audition, and that somebody is John Singleton. He saw me being myself and he knew I was right for 'Boyz N the Hood.' I took a page from that."

Concerning her day job, Eve can currently be heard on the remixes to City High's "Caramel" and Jadakiss' "We Gonna Make It." She will also be featured on the Ruff Ryders' December 18 compilation Ryde or Die Volume III: In the "R" We Trust. 

- By Shaheem Reid

December 5, 2001

Destiny's Child on the Shelf

Those bootylicious babes of Destiny's Child are heading their separate ways--at least for a while.

The Grammy-winning R&B trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams tell E! News Daily they are planning to put the band on indefinite hiatus.

"Well, Destiny's Child put out four albums in four years, which is unbelievable. That doesn't happen a lot. We've been working, Kelly and I, since we were nine, nonstop. So I think Destiny's Child is gonna take a little break," says Knowles.

When asked when they would regroup, Rowland says there's no real timetable. "You know how the Beatles broke off, they all did their solo projects and they came back together and they were even stronger." (No, Kelly, we don't remember that little nugget from our rock history class, but we get your drift.)

Adds Knowles: "I think the great thing about us doing this is we will all have to develop individually. You're in a group and it's kind of like your girls are like your security blanket. Even doing interviews is real scary. But hopefully we'll be able to do a tour and do our own songs and Destiny's Child songs."

Of all the members, Knowles has been doing the most individual developing. She made her acting debut last year in MTV's Hip-Hopera: Carmen and will make her feature debut next July in Austin Powers: Goldmember.

There's no word on when the group will split, but it won't likely be until the middle of next year. The trio is still committed to playing their rescheduled European tour in May (which was postponed in the wake of the terror attacks).

Destiny's Child's pending hiatus is just the latest chapter in a group that has packed plenty of Behind the Music-type turmoil in its four-year recording history.

The Houston-based group launched in the early '90s before the original lineup of Knowles, her cousin Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett even hit puberty. After a gig on Star Search, they got their big break in 1997 by landing the song "Killing Time" on the Men in Black soundtrack. A year later, they released their self-titled debut album, which contained the charting single "No, No, No (Part II)" with Wyclef Jean.

Trouble started brewing after the release of their hit second album, The Writing's on the Wall, in 1999. Despite two smash singles--"Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name"--Roberson and Luckett groused about their perceived second-class treatment. They eventually sued the band and manager, Matthew Knowles (who happens, not so coincidentally, to be the father of Beyoncé and guardian of Rowland), and were bounced from the group in 2000.

Roberson and Luckett were replaced by Williams and Farrah Franklin, both of whom turned up in the video for "Say My Name" even though they didn't actually perform the song on the album.

By the end of Y2K, just months after joining, Franklin became the third Destiny's Child casualty, leaving the group with its current lineup. (Franklin has since started a solo career and Roberson and Luckett settled their suit and formed a group called Angel.)

This has been a busy year for Destiny's Child. "Say My Name" earned them two Grammys in February. Their third album, Survivor, topped the charts when it was released in May and spawned the hits "Survivor" and "Bootylicious." Their Yule-themed 8 Days of Christmas came out in October and they also contributed vocals to the all-star charity remake of the Marvin Gaye classic "What's Going On?" and participated in the United We Stand: What More Can I Give? concert in Washington, D.C., both of which benefited September 11 relief efforts.

- By Marcus Errico


Wu Raise the Flag

Staten Island rap collective drops second album in a year.

The Wu-Tang Clan will release their fourth album, Iron Flag on December 18th, just one year after The W. The Staten Island, New York, ensemble has already released the album's first single, "Pinky Ring," to radio.

The Wu's latest, as usual, produced by the RZA, arrives amid a busy winter for the crew. The RZA released his second solo album, Digital Bullet, in August, and Ghostface Killah's Cuban Linx 2: Bulletproof Wallet, hit record store shelves last week. And Cappadonna, who released The Yin and the Yang last spring, just saw some of his hits compiled into Capadonna Hits earlier this month. And the incarcerated Ol' Dirty Bastard will release The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones in March, an album recorded while he was on the lam from a court-ordered drug rehab center last year. ODB's new recording hints that the troubled rapper may have recorded vocals for the Wu's latest prior to being jailed.

Meanwhile, Method Man and his frequent collaborator Redman will hit the road on December 2nd behind their soundtrack for the film How High. The movie, directed by Jesse Dylan, stars the duo as a pair of friends who smoke some magical weed that helps them ace their college entrance exams and end up at Harvard. Mary J. Blige, Cypress Hill, Limp Bizkit and DMX are among those making guest appearances on the album, which is due December 11th. The film will also be released in December.

Method Man/Redman tour dates:

12/2: Phoenix, Celebrity Theatre
12/3: Anaheim, CA, House of Blues
12/4: Las Vegas, House of Blues
12/11: Chicago, House of Blues
12/12: Minneapolis, Quest Club
12/13: Columbia, MO, Blue Note
12/14: Detroit, State Theatre
12/15: Cleveland, Agora Theatre
12/16: Columbus, OH, PromoWest Pavilion
12/17: Norfolk, VA, The Boathouse
12/19: New York, Hammerstein Ballroom
12/21: Worchester, MA, The Palladium
12/22: Philadelphia, Electric Factory
12/23: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
12/26: Myrtle Beach, SC, House of Blues
12/27: Atlanta, DeKalb Atlanta Center
12/28: Lake Buena Vista, FL, House of Blues
12/31: New Orleans, TBA

- By Andrew Dansby

December 4, 2001

Nas, P. Diddy Producer Megahertz Is Hot New Beatmaker On The Block

Producer did 'Bad Boy for Life' for P. Diddy, 'Got Ur Self A ...' for Nas.

To the hip-hop fans and artists who are coming to love his melodic, repugnance-oozing tracks such as P. Diddy's "Bad Boy for Life" and Nas' "Got Ur Self A ...," he's known as one of the emerging mad scientists behind the boards. As the producer known as Megahertz tells it, though, he's living a dual life.

"She has no idea," he said of his mother's knowledge of his recent success. "She's like 'That's nice, you can pay your bills.' Even my older brothers and sisters have no idea. They might have heard the music, but even when the songs come on the radio, I turn the radio off."

Growing up in Willingboro, New Jersey, Mega's love of rap was not nurtured in his home.

"Music was hard," said Mega, who dreamed of being an MC as a youngster. "I grew up in a house where my mother was an evangelist and music was 'evil.' Me and my brother had a radio, the old school joint with the one speaker on it. You gotta make sure you put the tapes in the right way or it will chew the tapes up. For years I hid the love for rappin'. Moms hear you reciting lyrics around the crib, that's extra church time."

On the down low, he used to make tapes where he rhymed over single instrumentals. Tired of using other rapper's beats, he would save money and buy studio equipment bit by bit and keep it at a friend's house.

Over the years, cultivating his trackmaking would take precedence over rhyming. "I'll roast 90 percent of the cats in the game but beats make money now," said Mega, who eventually plans to rock the mic full time. His breakthrough came when one of his managers slid a copy of the beat for "Bad Boy for Life" to P. Diddy.

"I think it was a track for somebody else, but Puff liked it so much he took it for himself and turned it into what it is today," said Mega, who admits he wasn't in the studio with Diddy when the song was being made. "My music is just a vehicle for whoever wants to ride in it and take it to the next level. I just make beats. It's up to the artists to make it a hit."

Nate Dogg is hoping the beat he got from Mega for "Keep It Gangsta," which is his next single, will be a hit. Megahertz collaborator Babyface will be in the same hopeful position if he releases "Baby's Mama" from his current LP. The big Hertz has also laid tracks for the upcoming project from Xzibit and hopes to tie up loose ends on deals that'll see him head to the studio with Craig David and Rafael Saadiq. He's also in the process of grooming a team of young producers.

"I can't even look into it as a run," Mega said of his success. "Everybody knows a run comes to an end. A few months from now I might not be that producer. My run is gonna be as long as I can make it happen."

And while he's in demand, he might as well get as much money as he can.

"In a matter of one day it kind of doubled," he said of his asking price, which he won't disclose. "If you don't ask for it ... if they gonna talk you down, at least you're attempting to get more. It was all about asking for it, then when we got it, it was like 'OK, maybe we're worth that.' We keep nudging it up until they say, 'This is too much.' "

- By Shaheem Reid


J. Lo, Kid Rock, Ja Rule To Entertain Overseas Troops

Jennifer Lopez, Kid Rock and Ja Rule will do their part for the war effort by performing at a concert for U.S. servicemen and women at an undisclosed military base overseas.

The show will be part of a 90-minute holiday television special MTV is producing with the United Service Organizations dubbed "For the Troops: An MTV/USO Special," airing January 1.

"I've always considered myself to a be a pretty patriotic guy, I don't know if you've been living in a cave or not," Kid Rock said. "I feel that it's my part as an American [to participate]. If they needed me to pick up a gun, I'm happy to do that too, but I think this is my place. So right now, I'm ecstatic to go over and entertain the people who are fighting for my freedoms, because I do take advantage of my freedoms."

For his performance, Kid Rock said he's got a medley of classic American rock tunes planned. "I'm going to bring them a show that's going to peel their wig back," he boasted. "Those guys are going to forget we're at war."

For the past 60 years the USO has provided troops stationed overseas with celebrity entertainment, ranging from the Bob Hope specials that launched the tradition to Coolio's concert this Thanksgiving.

"For the Troops: An MTV/USO Special" will include candid moments of the stars interacting with troops as well as interviews with servicemen and women about how their lives have changed over the past few months.

- By Jennifer Vineyard, with additional reporting by Gideon Yago

December 3, 2001

Mystikal - Army Vet, Bedroom Commando - Salutes America

He has a new record, Tarantula, in stores on December 18, but Mystikal seems to still be living by the title of one of his old songs, "Ready to Rumble."

On the LP's first single, "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," the New Orleans MC, who served in the Army during Operation Desert Storm, expresses his patriotism and his outrage against terrorism.

"The hook is like, 'You keep bumping me against a wall,' " said the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams, who co-produced and sings on the track. " 'Yeah, I know I let you slide before/ But until you seen me, trust me/ You ain't seen bouncin' back.' He's talking about [Osama] bin Laden's people. ... That whole crew who has America on their hearts and have been trying to hurt us and sorta disband us.

"When he says 'Bouncin' back,' he doesn't mean we're striking back," Williams added. "He just means getting back in the stride of things and healing. It's not necessarily about the war aspect, but just the American self-esteem and the American morale - raising it back to what it was before. America's bouncin' back. It's gonna take so much more than anthrax to wipe us out, and blowing up our planes."

The Neptunes, who infused jazzy horns to give "Bouncin' Back" a 1920s New Orleans ragtime feel, also take it back to the old school with the potential second single "Go Head."

Singing with a high-pitch '50s doo-wop flow, Williams soulfully croons, "Go 'head/ Go 'head and move it, bay-beee/ You got em watchin' ... / Don't you stop it, bay-beee/ You got me soooo." Meanwhile, with his thick, raging Cajun accent, Mystikal rhymes about lust at first sight, which eventually turns into a love jones when he hooks up with his "BM," or baby's mother.

Mystikal not only hits Juvenile up for guest vocals but for a beat as well on "Settle the Score." The two N.O. native sons talk about getting retribution on those who wronged them.

"F---ing right, I made the beat/ And I wrote this rap," Juvi boasts before promising to leave greedy foes lying on the floor in a fetal position. Although Juvenile has complained that his label cheated him out of money, on "Settle the Score" he seems ready to move on. "Am I hating on Cash Money?/ Nah, stop playing/ I respect it how it came/ Now I gots game ... / I don't need a record deal/ Just give me my props."

On the title track, the self-anointed Black Prince of the South rocks over producer Scott Storch's West Coast-flavored synths, shouting that when it comes to the bedroom, he rules the roost. "Pu--- Crook" is just as unwavering in sexual frankness. Somehow, as Mystikal rhymes about the power of his loins, you get the feeling that the "Pu--- Crook" doesn't run in the same circles as that other lovable thief, the Hamburglar.

Redman and Method Man also headed into the studio for Tarantula, but according to Jive, their DJ Twinz- and Rockwilder-produced track may not be included. Rock's production will definitely be heard elsewhere on the LP on "Oooo Yeah." The track-making team Medicine Men also checked in behind the boards for the album.

- By Shaheem Reid


Making Copies Of CDs For Your Friends, Or Your Car? Those Days Could Be Over

Bootleggers - and occasional burners of CDs - beware.

More Fast and Furious, the second soundtrack from the summer blockbuster "The Fast and the Furious," will make history when it hits stores next month as the first major-label release with built-in copy-protection technology.

Already spreading overseas, copy-protected CDs are designed to cripple the thriving practice of bootlegging, which means artists, record labels and retail stores strongly support the technology.

"All the bootlegging, it definitely hurts the labels, it definitely hurts the artists," Naughty by Nature rapper Vinnie Brown said. "The copy- protected CDs are definitely a good thing. The consumers can buy one CD and get an unlimited amount for free [right now]. If they want one for their home stereo and laptop and their car, they'll need to buy that many."

Bootleggers have traditionally argued that they are not hurting artists - who many claim make the majority of their income from touring and other merchandise - but rather, they are hurting the labels and retailers, who are capitalizing the most off stiff album prices. But when millions of illegal copies are being bootlegged and sold, everyone is getting hurt, according to Stan Goman, senior vice president and general manager of Tower Records. He points out that while retailers can sell anything, musicians depend on their music.

"We're selling a digital master," Goman said. "That's what those things are. I don't think it's right to be able to copy that thing as many times as you want and give it to all your friends and have the poor artist who spent 10 years writing, recording and performing those songs get absolutely zilch. I don't think that's right at all."

Universal Music Group, which said earlier this year it hoped to have all of its new releases copy-protected by fall, will have the eyes of the music industry on it when it releases More Fast and Furious on December 18.

"In response to the problems that CD burning and piracy have caused in the marketplace, Universal is taking the first important step to help protect artists by launching the best copy-protection technology available today," Jim Weatherson, Universal's executive vice president of music and video distribution, said in a letter to retailers. "We have heard the strong voice from the retail community concerning the substantial financial impact that illegal copying of compact discs is causing to business. We share in your concerns and in response are pleased to be the first company to launch a campaign to confront this explosive and damaging trend."

Just how damaging is CD burning? According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, global music pirating cost the music industry about $4.2 billion in 2000, up $100 million from the previous year. Sales of illegal music CDs were up 25 percent in 2000, to an estimated 640 million units.

Copy protection software company Macrovision notes that sales of blank recordable CDs have gone up by 80 percent in the last year, while album sales have dropped. "The volume of blank CD sales now exceeds the volume of prerecorded CDs sold," Macrovision spokesperson Miao Chuang said. "In 2000, 3.5 billion blank CD-R discs were sold, versus 2.5 billion pre-recorded music CDs."

Bob Higgins, chairman of record retail chain Transworld Music, said his research has found that more than 60 million blank CD-Rs used for copying music are sold in the U.S. on a monthly basis. "It is a problem," he said. "[Copy protection] is something that is needed within the industry to protect the rights of the product and I'm glad to see UMG take the first step."

Not everyone is sold on copy-protected CDs, however. The technology behind them is hardly perfect, and some consumers are concerned the industry is jumping the gun to protect copyrighted music and releasing CDs with flawed devices that diminish sound quality and prohibit CDs from playing on some components.

The labels are aware of the flaws. Universal is including disclaimer stickers on the More Fast and Furious packaging notifying consumers of possible playback difficulties on DVD players, game consoles and Macintosh computers. They have also asked retailers to offer a full refund to those who have trouble playing the CD and have added inserts in the CDs that direct the consumer to a customer care center or Web site for assistance.

But that doesn't excuse their actions, said Jim Peters, the coordinator of a European crusade against copy protection that is part of the broader Campaign for Digital Rights (http://uk.eurorights.org/).

"The whole idea of copy protection for CDs is nonsense," Peters said. "CDs were simply not designed for this. They were designed to be as compatible as possible, to work equally well on any CD-playing device. The only way to stop a CD from playing in a computer is by creating an intentionally faulty CD. They have distorted the CD format in certain ways that cause problems for most computers, but don't cause problems for most normal CD players. However, as you might guess, this isn't a very precise art."

Universal Music Group would not disclose the technology used on More Fast and Furious, but said in a statement "they are undergoing extensive exploration and technical evaluation of a variety of technologies."

The label has not called the soundtrack an experiment, but the relatively small amount of copies the CD is expected to sell indicates so, Higgins said. "It's probably a smart approach not to put something out that's going to sell 700,000 copies a week," he said. "[The goal is] to learn from it and correct mistakes on a larger-selling album." A track list for the soundtrack was not available, though a Universal spokesperson said it will include more rock songs than the first soundtrack.

Earlier this year, the independent label Music City Records released a copy- protected CD by country artist Charley Pride - the only known copy-protected CD on U.S. shelves today, according to the sources in this article. It included a device designed by Phoenix-based software company SunnComm called MediaCloQ that allows the consumer to download the songs on the CD to their computer only after registering the CD online.

The label's president, Bob Heatherly, announced at the time of the release that he was elated with the technology, noting that it "has been very well-received by the consumer" and "opens the door for future artists to join the battle against piracy.''

Shortly after the CD hit shelves, however, a consumer filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court in Marin County alleging that the disclaimer sticker on the CD misled consumers. Music City Records made it clear the CD was not intended for play in DVD players, but failed to warn that the CD would not play in computers. That case is still pending.

In the U.K., BMG Entertainment set up a hotline last week for consumers who are having trouble playing Natalie Imbruglia's new White Lilies Island in some CD and DVD players. Unlike Pride's album or More Fast and Furious, it did not include a disclaimer sticker. A spokesperson for BMG said only about one of every 1,000 consumers has reported a problem. "That return rate is very, very minor," Higgins said.

Imbruglia's album is protected by the Cactus Data Shield created by Israel-based Midbar Tech Ltd., which has released 6 million copy-protected CDs into the European market, according to company spokesperson Marjie Hadad. "Which titles and if they are marked are decisions of each respective recording company," she added.

Midbar has commercial agreements with several major record labels and is in discussion with many independent labels, Hadad said. The company is planning to enter the U.S. market in the near future.

Macrovision, Midbar's chief competitor, said it has already released copy-protected CDs in test markets in the U.S., though a spokesperson would not reveal titles. Peters' Campaign for Digital Rights has a list of copy-protected albums on its Web site (http://uk.eurorights.org/), though it is mostly culled from complaints in European countries.

SunnComm, Midbar and Macrovision all take quite different approaches to copy- protecting. Macrovision's SafeAudio Version 3 offers multi-level security and can insert digital distortion that is inaudible when a CD is played through a CD player, but creates clicks and pops when a song is copied into digital format on a PC's hard drive. Midbar's Cactus Data Shield prohibits digital replication (burning CDs into MP3 format) altogether, but enables the consumer to make analog copies.

"These are not just slight modifications, these are major corruptions to the data," Peters said. "On several of these formats the audio data itself is corrupted by either distorting the error-correction codes on the CD, or inserting bad chunks of data into the audio stream. The error-correction codes are designed to help a CD player cope with scratches on the disc, so by corrupting these, they are effectively degrading the CD's scratch-resistance."

Peters and the Campaign for Digital Rights recruited a BBC engineer to test a copy-protected CD on a special CD player that shows the level of errors on a CD. On a scale from 0 to 9, a new, unscratched CD should score 0, and a very badly scratched CD should score 9. The copy-protected CD scored between 5 and 7 on the scale, according to Peters.

"You can see that in this case, the corruption on the disc was about as high as it could possibly get without causing problems on normal CD players," Peters said. "But what if you scratched one of these? CD players are very clever. Even if they can't fully correct a scratch, they'll do everything they can to avoid skipping or going silent, filling in the gap with a guess at what should be there. So a scratched CD won't go wrong in an obvious way to begin with, it will just start sounding a little bit worse, as the CD player has to work harder to invent parts of the sound which it can't fix from the error correction codes."

Peters and the music industry do agree on one thing: copy-protected CDs are not going to stop bootleggers or even some home copiers, only slow them.

"Even if the record companies find a way to corrupt the CDs in a way that makes them impossible to copy digitally, people can still make analog copies through the audio inputs of their PCs," Peters said. "If you think that the inconvenience would put people off, think again. People have been making analog copies onto tape for years. Bootleggers put many times more work than that into doing a bootleg MP3 of a concert."

Added Transworld's Higgins, "The system can be beat. I don't know that somebody today can make a copy-protected CD that the system cannot beat. This will make it much more difficult, which will bring the copying to the minimum."

Naughty by Nature's Brown said his engineer recently showed him a simple way to get around copy protection technology. "With all the techies and hackers out there, you will always be able to get around it," he said. "But just to make it not so simple is worth it. The labels should put up a front to show that, yes, we are doing something to begin to combat the bootlegging thing." 

- By Corey Moss

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