April 30, 2001

Sisqo to Host World Music Awards

Pop sensation Sisqo and actress Carmen Electra will host the 2001 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. According to the Associated Press, the 13th annual ceremony will take place May 2nd at the French Riviera hotspot Le Sporting d' Ete (the Sporting Club). The spectacle will air May 28th in the U.S. on ABC at 9 p.m. ET, and will be syndicated to television outlets in 160 countries. Shaggy, Nelly, Enya, Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera, the Backstreet Boys, and Ricky Martin are among those scheduled to perform. Rod Stewart, who will also perform, will receive a lifetime achievement award.

The awards are based on sales figures supplied by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, and will honor the world's best-selling artists in 2000. All proceeds from ticket sales to the show will benefit the Princess Grace Hospital and the Monaco Aide and Presence Foundation. For more information, log on to www.worldmusicawards.com.


"Music" Compilation Tops Soundscan

The sixth installment of the Now That's What I Call Music compilation remained at number one on Soundscan this week. The album features such hits as R. Kelly's "I Wish" and Lenny Kravitz's "Again." Tupac's Until the End of Time held its number two spot and was followed by Shaggy's Hotshot. Country western stars Brooks& Dunn placed fourth this week with their latest album Steers & Stripes as Sunshine Anderson rounded out the top five with her debut album Your Woman.

Lifehouse's No Name Face came in sixth selling 69,276 copies followed by Nelly's Country Grammar. Dido came in eighth with No Angel as Uncle Kracker placed ninth with Double Wide. Limp Bizkit closed out the top ten, selling another 63,245 copies of their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water.

April 27, 2001

Dr. Dre Settles Lawsuit With Accounting Firm

According to The Hollywood Reporter, hip hop star Dr. Dre has settled a fraud and breach of contract lawsuit with accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, his attorney Howard King said Tuesday. The suit alleged that the accounting firm had looted "tens of millions of dollars" from Dr. Dre's accounts during his years as co-owner of Death Row Records. The case had been slowed because accountant Steven Cantrock, Death Row's Suge Knight and attorney David Kenner had all taken the Fifth Amendment, claiming that their testimony could incriminate them. The 3-year-old suit was settled to "the mutual satisfaction of both parties," King said. The case was scheduled to go to trial on April 30th. Sources said the case settled for an estimated $15 million. A companion case brought by Snoop Dogg against the firm was also settled last year.


Aaliyah Tops MTV Movie Award Nominations List

The 2001 MTV Movie Awards will be held on June 2nd at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The program will be hosted by "Saturday Night Live" star Jimmy Fallon and actress Kristen Dunst. Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy are both competing for the "Best Comedic Performance" award for their respective roles in Big Momma's House and the Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps. Omar Epps is up for the "Best Male Performance" award for his role in Love and Basketball while Jennifer Lopez was nominated in the "Best Female Performance" category for her work in The Cell. R&B songstress Aaliyah is also up for the "Best Female Performance" award and is also nominated for the "Breakthrough Performance Award By a Female" for her role in Romeo Must Die. Her co-star Jet Li was nominated for the "Best Fight" award. To view the complete list of nominees and to cast your vote, log on to www.mtv.com. MTV will air the awards on June 7th at 9.p.m. EST.

April 26, 2001

Music Industry Criticized by Federal Trade Commission

According to Reuters, America's music companies were labeled the bad boys of the entertainment world on Tuesday in a federal report that said they had not done enough to stop the marketing of violent and lewd songs to children. The Federal Trade Commission's follow-up study on the entertainment industry and its marketing practices was in response to a scathing September 2000 report that accused the entire sector of aggressively marketing violent and sexually explicit films, video games and music to kids. FTC chairman Robert Pitofsky said he was disappointed with the recording industry but that the follow-up report showed the motion picture and electronic game industries had improved since last September and had "enhanced self-regulation of their marketing practices." Pitofsky said in a statement, "Unfortunately, the music industry response, at least so far, has been disappointing in its failure to institute positive reforms to its self-regulatory structure."

Last September's FTC report on the entertainment industry was ordered by former President Bill Clinton after the massacre in April 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado raised new concerns about the effect of violent entertainment on young people. The report said all the five major recording companies placed advertising for "explicit-content" music on television programs and magazines with substantial under-17 audiences. The music industry has been attacked for not providing ratings according to age for the sale of recordings with sexually explicit, homophobic, misogynistic and violent lyrics. Grammy Award-winning rapper Eminem has been held up as the poster boy for such lyrics.

The music industry defended itself against the criticism even before the report was released, saying in a statement overnight it was impossible to put age restrictions on music. Hillary Rosen, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, said, "Music is unique. For the same reason that there is no rating system for books, the works of musical artists are not rated by age or content specificity -- as it is virtually impossible to categorize words."

However, she said the industry supported the clear labeling of explicit material and that it had an effective program in place that was overwhelmingly supported by America's parents. The report did not propose any specific actions to be taken against the industry, calling rather for self-regulation and pointing out that government intrusion raised important constitutional concerns. Pitofsky added, "Because government intrusion in decisions about content raises important First Amendment concerns, self regulation continues to be the preferred solution to problems in this area."

Connecticut Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman is expected to introduce a bill later this week aimed at punishing firms that market violent media products to children. The proposed legislation would target "false and deceptive advertising" of adult-rated films, music and electronic games to under-age audiences, an aide said. The bill, co-sponsored by Wisconsin Democratic Senator Herbert Kohl, is likely to face opposition from Hollywood lobbyists who say it amounts to cultural censorship and is contrary to First Amendment rules protecting free speech.


Eminem to Pose Nude

Rap star Eminem is scheduled to appear naked in a special centerfold for a British magazine. According to Reuters, Eminem will down his trademark chainsaw and will be pictured with only a stick of dynamite to protect his genitals in June's UK edition of women's magazine Cosmopolitan. The rapper will join 16 mainly British celebrities, including soap actors and pop stars, for the centerfold pictures. "He will be appearing naked in a sealed section in the June issue," a spokeswoman for Cosmopolitan told Reuters. The magazine goes on sale on May 17.

In related news, Eminem and his group D-12 are putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming album Devil's Night. The album will feature the hit single "Shit On You" and will contain production by Slim Shady, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Kon Artis, D.J. Head, and Essman.

April 25, 2001

Knight: From Prison to Death Row

Tupac is still a chart-topper, Snoop Dogg is laying low on another label and Suge Knight is ready to taste freedom. And a double cheeseburger.

After serving half of a nine-year prison sentence, the former czar of the Death Row Records empire has been released from Mule Creek State Prison near Sacramento, California--and the impresario-turned-inmate is now eyeing a comeback.

Knight, 35, served five years for an assault-related probation violation and he's currently in federal custody, where he'll spend about two more months in a halfway house or work-release program before he's officially freed. "He is basically in the transfer process," confirms Death Row spokesman Jerry Brown. "I do not know where he is, but I do know he is in federal custody and we're waiting to hear."

He's not the only one. In 1997, a Los Angeles judge sentenced the hip-hop mogul to a nine-year sentence for probation violation, after a surveillance camera caught the impresario and a group of other men beating a Los Angeles gang member at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Knight, who had eight arrests since 1987, had already been on probation for assaulting two rappers at a Hollywood recording studio in 1992.

Aside from the beating, Knight's Las Vegas trip was forever etched into hip-hop history: Hours after the MGM run-in, gunmen would fire into Knight's car, killing Death Row's biggest star, Tupac Shakur.

Five years later, some things haven't changed. Tupac is still Death Row's top-selling artist, as his latest posthumous release, Until the End of Time, landed atop the album charts in its first week of release. But most everything else has changed--Shakur's life and death are now fodder for a new play in New York's East Village, former multiplatinum labelmates Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg have long since ditched Death Row (no doubt hoping to escape Knight's 310-pound shadow) and Knight's label now boasts a crop of unknowns like Crooked I and J-Valentine.

In a recent interview with Newsweek, Knight spoke eagerly of his post-prison goals, both short-term ("I'm going to get me a double cheeseburger and some chili-cheese fries") and long-term, with his plans to hunt for the next young hip-hop star on the streets of South Central Los Angeles.

"You need some new, young niggas that young girls can have plastered on their walls," he said, "not some 40-year-old nigga who can barely dance a step without a cane."

What remains to be seen is how both Knight and Death Row fare once they're reunited on the outside. Even before he was sentenced to prison, Knight pledged that he had reformed, telling a judge, "I'm closer to God now." Civil-rights leaders appeared in court on his behalf, after Knight promised to present a more positive musical message, and no longer use the word "nigga" in rap lyrics. Prior to his release, Knight recently told a Sacramento TV station that he hopes his prison stint will be an example for children--on what not to do.

Still, prison apparently hasn't changed his affinity for the "N" word, nor has his reform included plans to refrain from dissing his former colleagues. Last December, Death Row invited listeners to take the "Snoop Dogg Challenge", with its Website posting songs from Snoop's new album, Tha Last Meal, without permission. And a recent Death Row compilation also took some choice lyrical swipes at both Snoop and Dre.

Knight, meanwhile, offered his own take on Dre's recent success with Eminem, telling Newsweek "Dre's talent--I ain't taking that away from him. But look how the Grammys and Interscope did him," he said. "He put out the best shit last year with his album and Eminem, who Dre gave credibility. But who did they have onstage? Eminem and that faggot Elton John. Not Dre--didn't even give him a chance to get up and say shit...I would have made sure he got his time."

And if there's one thing Knight knows about, it's getting time.  (Mark Armstrong)


Gordy: Stop! with lawsuits

Adding a new twist to a 30-year-old story, Berry Gordy Jr., founder of legendary Motown Record Corp., has sued Edward Holland Jr. of the famed Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting trio for malicious prosecution.

Gordy was the target of a series of lawsuits dating back to 1968 in which H-D-H charged they had been cheated out of royalties on the hit songs they wrote for such Motown acts as the Supremes and the Four Tops.

Their vast credits include such classics as ``Baby, I Need Your Loving,'' ``This Old Heart of Mine,'' ``Stop! In the Name of Love'' and ``Sugar Pie Honey Bunch.'' To date, 64 of the claims asserted in three lawsuits have been dismissed.

According to the complaint, filed Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court, H-D-H claimed in a 1968 lawsuit that they had been coerced into giving up the rights to their songs, that Berry had forged their signatures on various documents and cheated them on royalties. The 1968 litigation, which was ultimately settled, took place in Michigan.

In 1987, Motown paid an IRS levy on Holland's songwriting royalties. Holland filed another lawsuit against Berry in 1988, making the same claims as the 1968 lawsuit. After 12 years, the case was finally dismissed by the Michigan Supreme Court.

In 1992, Holland filed yet another lawsuit against Berry with the same claims.

The complaint does not specify damages, but sources say Berry has spent over $2 million in legal fees.

A spokesperson for Gordy said, "For Mr. Gordy, this isn't about money, it's about setting the record straight. Mr. Gordy feels he has an obligation to the countless people who together created the Motown legacy, and this action is part of that responsibility.''

Holland could not be reached for comment.  (Janet Shprintz)

April 24, 2001

Suge Knight Released

Death Row Records CEO Marion "Suge" Knight was paroled on Friday from Mule Creek Sate Prison near Sacramento, California, five days earlier than expected. Suge was imprisoned at the Mule Creek State Prison since violating his parole for participating in a brawl in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel and casino in 1996. During that same year, a federal court determined that Suge's involvement in the brawl was also a violation of his probation in a federal gun case, in which he pleaded no contest to attempting to buy handguns in another state for rappers on his label. Suge, who turned 35 last week, is now scheduled to be turned over to a halfway house or a federal work release program where he will be released in three months if he exhibits good behavior.

In related news, the rap mogul recently gave BET a full on-camera interview several weeks ago while he was still locked up. During the interview, Suge addressed incidents that led up to his incarceration, his relationships with Snoop, Dr. Dre, and Tupac, as well as his childhood growing up in Compton, California. He also discussed his plans to return Death Row back to the prominent force that it once was in the music industry. BET will air "Suge Knight: The Interview on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST/PST.


Toni Braxton and Kobe Bryant Tie the Knot

R&B songstress Toni Braxton married Keri Lewis of Mint Condition on Saturday in Atlanta. According to the Associated Press, the wedding was attended by such stars as Monica, Usher, Donell Jones, Mack 10, and T-Boz and Chilli of TLC. The bride reportedly wore an ivory satin gown with a notched and beaded bodice, and a beaded train and matching veil designed by Vera Wang. She also wore diamond-crusted jewels designed by Stephen Russell.

In related marital bliss, Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant married his fiancée Vanessa Laine in a private ceremony last Wednesday. The wedding was held at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in Dana Point, California. The private ceremony was attended by about a dozen people.

April 23, 2001

Dirty Explains Their "Country Versatile" Ways

Dirty, the South's latest duo to raid hip hop, has been tearing up airwaves with their hit single "Hit Da Floe." The duo, comprised of Big Pimp and Mr. G'Stacka, recently talked about their first national album The Pimp and Da Gangsta. Big Pimp said, "When we make an album, we try to touch on every side of the field. Ain't no hate. We got songs for the south, for the east, and some for the west. We trying to get it out there worldwide. We do it for everybody. I mean what's going on in the west may not be what's happening down south or they might not like certain kinds of music so we got southern tracks with a lil' west coast and east coast flavor and something they might feel and that will be the one song that make them pick up and buy the album and then get turned on to our flavor."

Mr. G'Stacka described the album as "Representing Alabama to the fullest with 15 cold tracks letting people know what Dirty is about. We dealing with a pimp side and a gangsta side. It's two sides to a story and we touching on both of that."

Mr. G' Stacka described the new single stating, "Hit Da Floe" can mean a few things. It means hit the dance floor, or hit floor and lay down, we fittin' to rob you. It can mean a whole lot, but what we touched on, we was letting everyone know we back. We fittin' to drop this album and we coming real so ya'll better hit the floor when we come through or else ya'll (competition) gone get popped."

Big Pimp also talked about the single and the concept of the video where the two are searching for a Cadillac. He stated, "The concept came from the first single from our first album called "Rollin Vogues (Cadillac Anthem). I had a Cadillac that I was talking about with vogue tires, gold rims, wood grain steering wheel, and music. It was just a tight Cadillac that we were riding around in in Montgomery and then somebody stole the Cadillac. So that made us write "Hit Da Floe." "Hit Da Floe" was like a comeback song because it was a lot of talk and hating. People was like, 'Where dirty? Are they coming back to do another album? Where da pimp? Where da gangsta.?' So it's a comeback letting everybody know here we is, so they better hit the floor. So we threw the concept of who stole the 'lac in that and the video."

The next single from The Pimp and Da Gangsta will also be "Rollin Vogues." G'Stacka said, "We brought that song on this album because we felt like it needed to be heard world wide."

Big Pimp also spoke about his rhymes and his style of delivery and giving their audience a pimp and a gangsta perspective on their album. He said, "I'm always spitting something from a pimp and ladies point of view or just kicking game. I be on that gangsta shit. I got a lil' bit of G in me and G'Stacka got a lil' bit of pimp in him. But at the same time, I feel better kicking something about stepping out a 'Lac with gators on. That's kind of like the style that I'm on. He bring that gangsta side so what ever I don't touch on, he touch on. What he don't touch on, I touch on."

Big Pimp also talked about the track "Candyman" which samples Keith Sweat's classic "Right and a Wrong Way." He said, "Candyman" is pretty much laying down the game on that pimp shit for the women and the playas. It's one of them songs where we represent for the ladies. You know, that pimp shit. It's about a nigga that can sugar a ho mind and get her for what she got. Sugar a ho mind is just game I came up with. It's natural game I get from my uncles who can change a motor in a suit. The original pimps that I got my game from."

The Pimp and Da Gangsta is currently ranked at number 135 on Soundscan. For more information Big Pimp's playa ways and G' Stacka's knowledge of the streets, log on to www.dirtyonline.net.


"Music" Compilation Tops Soundscan

The sixth installment of the Now That's What I Call Music compilation remained at number one on Soundscan this week. The album features such hits as R. Kelly's "I Wish" and Lenny Kravitz's "Again." Tupac's Until the End of Time held its number two spot and was followed by Shaggy's Hotshot. Aaron Carter placed fourth with his album Aaron's Party (Come Get It) as the Dave Matthews Band rounded out the top five with their album Everyday.

Ginuwine's Life came in sixth selling 91,261 copies this week. Dream placed seventh with their album It Was All a Dream followed by Dido's No Angel. Lifehouse's No Name Face took the ninth spot as Nelly's six-times platinum Country Grammar closed out the top ten on Soundscan this week.

April 20, 2001

African American Film Festival to be Held in New York

The 7th New York African Film Festival will be held at Magic Johnson Theatres at the 125th location in Harlem, New York from April 20-29. The goal of this year's festival is twofold: to screen African films made specifically for an African audience and to celebrate the current revitalization of the historic Harlem neighborhood. This year's festival is entitled "For the People!" and will feature three thematic highlights.

The festival will highlight its "Then and Now" series which showcases back to back the first and last films by established filmmakers Raoul Peck and Ousmane Sembene. The series gives easy access to festival newcomers, offering an overview of African film history and an opportunity to meet both filmmaking legends in person. Peck's Lumumba, about the ill-fated first leader of independent Zaire, will make its New York Premiere at the festival's opening night gala. AFF will also host a special reception honoring Sembene 's continuous efforts at politically-informed filmmaking with a screening of Faat Kine, which is about a Senegalese woman who valiantly fights the forces of patriarchy and neocolonialism to achieve financial and personal independence.

"Video Stew" or "Video Awudjo," a sensational series of video films from Nigeria and Ghana, will also be presented. In these countries, artists have adopted video as a less expensive alternative to the high cost of film production. These popular pieces cover provocative topics such AIDS, modern-city life, environmental concerns, and corruption. They're designed for local consumption and are a compelling and comic mix of consumerism, sex, morality, melodrama, horror, and witchcraft. These African equivalents to our American soap-operas are wildly popular in their home markets. Their style is postmodern and they combine contemporary African sensibilities with ideas from the world at large. The veteran Nigerian director, Tunde Kelani, and star actor/producer, Richard Mofe-Damijo will be on hand to introduce their films and join scholars and distributors for a lively discussion at the Schomburg Center for Research on Black Culture.

AFF will also feature the work of up-and-coming African and Diaspora directors through its popular "Emerging Market Series," which highlights films deserving critical recognition and US exposure. Films in this series include US Premieres by Gabonese director Imunga Ivanga whose Dole / Dollar tells the heart-wrenching story of a street youth desperate to make some cash to save his ailing mother, and Serge Coelo's Daresalam, which explores how two childhood friends' lives are torn apart during Chad's civil war in the 1970's. For more information on the 7th annual New York African Film Festival, call (212) 625-3696 or log on to www.africanfilmny.org.


Sade Preparing North American Tour

Sade recently announced that she will be planning a 30-date North American tour. The performances will end an eight year hiatus from her being on the road. Her latest album Lovers Rock has already sold over two million copies and is currently ranked at number 56 on Soundscan. The album features the hit singles "By Your Side" and "King of Sorrow." The "King of Sorrow" single also features a remix with Guru. Fore more information on the soulful diva, log on to www.sade.com. Here is a partial listing of her tour dates:

6-14 Vancouver, BC GM Place
6-15 Seattle, WA Key Arena
6-17 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amp
6-18 Concord, CA Chronicle Pavilion
6-20 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amp
6-21 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand
6-23 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

April 19, 2001

Jay-Z Released on $10,000 Bail

Rapper Jay-Z was released late Friday on $10,000 bail after his arrest earlier that morning for charges of criminal possession of a weapon. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was arrested along with his bodyguard, Hamzeh Hewitt, and two other men, when police allegedly saw Hewitt place a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun in his waistband around 2:30 a.m. and get into a 2001 Chevy Suburban outside Club Exit in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. Under New York law, all persons inside a vehicle where an illegal firearm is found can be charged with possession. Hewitt was released on $20,000 bail, while the other two men, Romero Chambers and Tyran Smith, were released on $5,000 bail on their own recognizance, respectively. Jigga's bail was higher than Chambers and Smith's because the vehicle was registered under his name. Hewitt's lawyer, Robert Kalina, who represents Jay-Z in other matters as well, said Hewitt is licensed to carry a firearm in Georgia. However, the judge told him that it would still be illegal for Hewitt to have a gun in New York. The four men are due back in court on June 26th to face the charges.

In related news, Jay-Z is also due in New York Criminal Court on Wednesday where he faces unrelated first- and second-degree assault charges stemming from a 1999 stabbing of record executive Lance "Un" Rivera at the Kit Kat Club in New York City. The judge also said at the arraignment that his $50,000 bail in the stabbing case could be affected by the gun possession charge. Jay-Z's latest album, The Dynasty: Roc-La-Familia 2000, has sold over two million copies and is currently ranked at number 100 on Soundscan. The album features his current hit single "Guilty Until Proven Innocent."


Shyne's Sentencing Postponed

The sentencing for rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow was postponed on Monday until June 1st. The rapper's sentencing was delayed at the request of his lawyers, who wanted more time to file paperwork related to his sentencing, as well as post-trial motion for dismissal of some of his charges. Shyne was convicted on March 16th of two counts of assault, one count of reckless endangerment, and one count of weapons possession charges relating to a 1999 shooting at a New York nightclub. His codefendants, rap mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Combs' bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, were acquitted of bribery and illegal gun possession charges relating to the incident. Shyne was taken back to jail on Rikers Island after his court appearance Monday. He has been locked up since the verdict because the judge considered him a flight risk.

Shyne released a handwritten statement on Monday in which he apologized to the victims of the nightclub shooting that he was convicted of shooting up but denied responsibility for their injuries. The statement read: "I apologize. I apologize 4 da tears that have fallen from my mother's and grandmother's tired eyes. I apologize to the victims; I didn't cause your pain but you can place your blame on my shoulders. I apologize to all those who cry for me. All those who believe in me. All those who believe me when I say all I tried to do was defend myself. And finally I apologize to my generation for not being there to lead you. Not being there to help you - help you escape da harsh realities I sung about which you face everyday. I apologize. I thank God for life and hope. Hope I find in all of you who continue to support me and all of you who continue to believe in me and believe me. God bless you all."

April 18, 2001

Queen Latifah Set to Star in "Talking to Heaven"

Queen Latifah will star in the upcoming CBS mini-series "Talking to Heaven." The four-hour program will also star two-time Emmy winner Ted Danson and Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen. The program is based on world-renowned medium James Van Praagh's best-selling book of the same name, which will be produced by Once Upon a Time Films in association with Gaslight Pictures. The mini-series tells the story of Van Praagh from the time he discovered his powers as a child and had his first turbulent experience as a medium. "Heaven" will focus on Van Praagh's alleged ability to communicate with the spirits of the dead, which he says allows him to heal the wounds of the living and dead. Danson will portray Van Praagh as an adult. Latifah is also on tap to star in "The O.Z.," a hip hop version of The Wizard of OZ. She will portray "Glinda the Good Witch." The movie is also slated to star Ginuwine and Busta Rhymes. Diva Patti La Belle will play "The Wicked Witch of the West" while the flamboyant Little Richard has been cast as "The Wizard of OZ."


Lil' Bow Wow In Negotiations to Play in the NBA

Hip Hop's smallest star Lil' Bow Wow is in negotiations to star in the forthcoming film Like Mike. The film centers around a kid who finds a pair of sneakers with magical powers worn by basketball superstar Michael Jordan. While maintaining his youthful frame, the teen is transformed into a hoops hero, and gets a chance to play in the NBA. The script was written by Michael Elliot, who sold the project to Fox last Friday in a deal potentially worth $500,000. Elliot is the former president of Source Entertainment, and executive producer of the two Source Hip Hop Music Awards Specials that aired on UPN. He got the Like Mike idea from one of his TV creations, the MTV series Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Elliott said, "The inspiration was Bow Wow, who I met on the set. He loves basketball, loves Michael Jordan, and he's an exceptional basketball player. It's every kid's dream to play in the NBA, and it's not like Big, where he becomes a man. In this case, it's more fun if he stays a kid."

The diminutive rapper will also be starring in the made-for-TV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera. The movie is an updated version of the 19th century opera "Carmen" and also stars Beyonce of Destiny's Child, Mos Def, and Wyclef Jean. Lil' Bow Wow's self-titled debut has sold over two million copies and is currently ranked at number 54 on Soundscan.

April 17, 2001

Jackson Plans 30th Anniversary Concert

Last week's VH1 "Divas" tribute to Aretha Franklin must've gotten Michael Jackson all misty-eyed--because the eccentric popster is now prepping his own Diva-esque tribute.

Jackson announced Monday that he's going to celebrate his 30th anniversary as a solo artist with an all-star concert September 7 at New York's Madison Square Garden, which will be his first U.S. concert appearance since the Bad tour in the late '80s.

Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Marc Anthony, Jill Scott, Deborah Cox, Mya and Shaggy are all slated to appear and perform for Michael Jackson: The Solo Years 30th Anniversary Celebration, said Jackson's publicist, Cheri Fine.

Perhaps even more notable is that the concert will also feature a reunion of the pop star and his brothers, marking the first time he's performed with Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy since the 1980s. The siblings, who are working on an album together, will sing a medley of classic Jackson 5 tunes.

"I am very excited to celebrate my 30th anniversary as a solo artist with such a distinguished array of talent, friends and fans," Jacko said in a statement. "I look forward to performing live and reuniting with my brothers on this special night."

Fine said Jackson's 30th anniversary concert will be taped for broadcast on TV. Tickets are expected to go on sale in June.

Fresh from his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the onetime King of Pop appears determined to pump up the hype for his next album (the as-yet-untitled Sony release is due in stores this fall) and return to the royal throne after an extended absence. Jackson--who debuted as a solo act in 1971 after growing up with the Jackson 5--hasn't released an album since 1997's poorly received Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which was overshadowed by allegations that he molested a 12-year-old boy in 1993. He denied the allegations, and the case was later settled out of court.

Lately, the 42-year-old Jackson has stepped up his public appearances, making a promotional tour for his Heal the Kids charity and (despite getting hobbled by a broke right foot) appearing at the Rock Hall's induction ceremony last month.


Madonna Set To Tour

Pop diva Madonna will kick off her Drowned World Tour on June 5th at the Cologne Arena in Cologne, Germany. The tour includes stops in Spain, Italy, and England, as well as Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. The Drowned World Tour marks Madonna's first tour in eight years. Her last tour was 1993's Girlie Show in support of her album Erotica. Her upcoming tour is in support of her multi-platinum album Music, which was released in September and is currently ranked at number 78 on Soundscan. In addition, Warner Bros. Records will release re-mastered editions of Madonna's first three studio albums; Madonna, Like A Virgin, and True Blue. The albums will contain two rare 12-inch dance mixes that have not previously been available on CD. The re-releases will hit stores on May 29th. For ticket information, log on to www.sfx.com. Here is Madonna's current tour itinerary:

6/5 - Cologne, Germany - Arena
6/9 - Barcelona, Spain - Palau Sant Jordi
6/14 - Milan, Italy - Fila Forum
6/19 - Berlin, Germany - Max Schmeling-Halle
6/26 - Paris, France - Palace Omnisports de Paris Bercy
7/4 - London, England - Earls Court
7/21 - Philadelphia, PA - First Union Center
7/25 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
8/2 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena
8/6 - Boston, MA - Fleet Center
8/10 - Washington, DC - MCI Center
8/14 - Miami, FL - National Car Rental Center
8/19 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
8/25 - Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
8/28 - Chicago, IL - United Center
9/1 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
9/5 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena
9/9 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

April 16, 2001

Shaq Inks New Label Deal

Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Shaquille O'Neal signed a deal for his imprint label T.W.IsM. Records to be distributed by independent Los Angeles-based label Trauma Records. Under the agreement, Trauma will also produce and market T.W.IsM.'s future recordings. O'Neal's previous four recordings will be available to Trauma as well. Shaq is also in the studio recording his first release under the deal, Shaquille O'Neal Presents His Superfriends. The album is scheduled to be released on June 24th and will include collaborations with Twista, Mos Def, Common, Black Thought, Black Rob, Thor-El, Talib Kweli, and Memphis Bleek. Peter Gunz, Lord Tariq, Jayo Felony, WC, and Ludacris are also among Shaq's "Super Friends" who lend their talents to the project. 112, Angie Stone, Nate Dogg, RL of Next, and Joi will also add their vocals to several tracks on the forthcoming album as well.


Prince On The Run Again

Prince is scheduled to hit the road again with the second installment of his "Hit and Run" tour. The latest series of shows will kick off on April 14th in Atlanta, Georgia at the Atlanta Civic Center and will include stops in Virginia, Colorado, and Arkansas. The concerts are also launch parties for Prince's online music subscription service, New Power Generation Music Club. The "Purple One" recently debuted his new single, The Work-Pt. 1, through Napster's Featured Music Program. The song will be featured on Prince's forthcoming album, The Rainbow Children, which will be released later this year. For more information on Prince and the "Hit and Run" tour, log on to www.npgonlineltd.com. Here is the concert itinerary:

4/17 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
4/18 - Landover, MD - Lyric Opera House
4/21 - North Little Rock, AR - Alltel Arena
4/22 - Kansas City, MO - Municipal Auditorium
4/24 - Denver, CO - University of Denver - Magness Arena

April 13, 2001

Redman Injects More Funk Fun In "Malpractice"

In Redman's twisted world, hip-hop comes off as an eerie, funk-drenched roller coaster ride that's as hedonistic as it is wildly infectious. Yet, as evident by the Newark, New Jersey-based rapper's exclusive listening session this Wednesday (April 11th) for his upcoming album Malpractice, there is a method to the acclaimed MC's madness.

For Redman's maniacal fifth album, due out May 22nd, the acclaimed lyricist told Def Jam handlers of the New York album preview at the East Village's Cutting Room recording studio to allow music journalists to listen to eight new tracks with only headphones and in the dark. Then there's the glow in the dark pens and promotional Malpractice writing pads that were handed out to guests, gimmicks straight out of a science fiction flick.

"It just goes with the whole Malpractice theme," said Redman's publicist Jana Fleishman, who played host at the eccentric listening session. "Not everyone has the lyrics to make people wear headphones in the dark, in a room filled with strangers. You can't do that with every artist."

While the notoriously press allergic Redman did not attend the event, his marijuana toking, wise cracking, mad man spirit is front and center on Malpractice. Over the Erick Sermon-produced "Diggy Dot," Redman gives a respectful nod to innovative, unsung rhymer, the DOC. "High Wit Doc" is bruising street hip-hop at it's finest with sardonic battle-rhyme lines like "You lose every year like betting on the Knicks," while the Curtis Mayfield funk of "Uh Huh" finds the respected MC effortlessly slinging out infectious rhyme cadences.

But perhaps the most striking song played was the humorous take on Taco's cheesy '80s remake of the big band classic "Putting On the Ritz," hilariously entitled "Chillin' N Da Bricks." The brilliant track, which borrows heavily from Taco's keyboard driven novelty hit and features an unexpected tap dance segment by acclaimed hoofer Savion Glover, is topped off by a crooning Redman singing the highs and lows of his infamous hometown of Newark.

Fleishman said that Redman will be performing at the Impact music industry conference on April 28 in Dallas, and with Redman's current Rockwilder-produced single "Let's Get Dirty" featuring DJ Kool receiving heavy radio spins, the performance should be one of the conference's many highlights.

 Redman will also hit the road for a short promotional tour for Malpractice beginning on May 11th in Greensboro, North Carolina and wrapping up on June 17th in Miami.-- Keith Murphy


8 Ball to Release "The Slab" and to Rock Easter Jam

Jay-Z, Nelly, and Juvenile will headline this year's Easter Jam 2001. The concert will be held on Saturday, April 14th at The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and will kick off at 7 p.m. The show will also feature Beanie Seagal, Memphis Bleek, Eight Ball & MJG, The Geto Boys, and 3 - 6 Mafia. This year's Easter extravaganza will be taped live to air on Pay Per View on July 14, 2001. For ticket information, contact Down South Entertainment at (877) 553-8471.

In related news, 8 Ball will release The Slab, the debut release from 8 Ball's new label 8Ways Entertainment, on August 24th. The album, which is a platform for Ball to showcase some of his hot new talent, will also feature the rotund MC, MJG, Too Short and E-40. During a recent interview with VIBE Online, 8 Ball said, "It's straight up eight ways. I got eight ways to make this cheese. I got 8 Ways Entertainment, my label that's fittin' to drop some hot shit. I also got Slab Riders Management. I'm going with some independent distributors and we got more freedom and control now that we're fucking with JCOR than with anybody else. Plus MJG got P.T.A.B productions, Planning To Act Bad, so if motherfuckers need some tracks, they need to holla."

Big Ball and MJG were previously signed to Suave House Records. Their latest release Space Age 4 Eva was released in November on JCOR Entertainment which is distributed by Universal Records. The album features the hit singles "Pimp Hard" and "Buck Bounce." "Buck Bounce" was produced by DJ Quik, who also spit some game on the cut. Ball also said that MJG will be releasing a solo album in July entitled Lay It Down, Lay It Down, while his solo album will follow in November. Here is the track listing for The Slab:

1. Big Baby
2. Creeses & Pieces - (8Ball, MJG, and Lil Keke)
3. U Can't Fuk Wit It - (8Ball and Cl'che')
4. Niggas & Bithches - (Conkret)
5. Keep On Pimpin - (8Ball, Lil Mama, and Corline 6000)
6. Down and Dirty - (8Ball, MJG, and Psyde)
7. Kill Em All - (Big Duke and Psyde)
8. G-Type - (8Ball and Conkret)
9. All in a Day - (Hood)
10. Fuck Wit Me - (Middl Fingaz)
11. Big Trick - (8Ball, MJG, E-40, and Too Short)
12. 2 All My Niggas - (DJ Squeeky, Tom Skee, and Project Playaz)
13. Like Me- (Cl'che')

April 12, 2001

Juvenile Angers Neighbors Over Tour Bus Parking

According to the Associated Press, Cash Money Millionaire Juvenile is angering his neighbors because he allegedly leaves his tour bus parked and running on a narrow street in the exclusive Woodville neighborhood where he lives in Mandeville, Louisiana. Fellow Woodville residents are seeking a court order to force him to move the bus from the gated community. They say parking the bus and a fleet of sports cars and four-wheel-drive vehicles breaks strict community rules. Juvenile, whose real name is Terius Gray, was not available for comment.

The multi-platinum selling rapper was found guilty of several misdemeanors after chasing five strippers down a street with an ice pick after they let a bathtub overflow in his house. He was also arrested in Miami last month for allegedly smashing a champagne bottle over a man's head and arguing with police during a disturbance outside a comedy club. Juvenile is scheduled to release his next album, Project English, on Cash Money/Universal Records this summer.


VH-1 to Begin Selling Advanced CDs

Cable television music channel VH-1 unveiled on Tuesday a new service to sell CDs on the Internet weeks before they hit retail shelves. The service allows computer users to surf their way to www.VH1.com, where they can buy a CD for about the same price as in stores, listen to it on their PC and gain access to cover art, music notes and other material. When the CD is available in stores, a real CD will be mailed to online buyers.

Former Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks will launch the service entitled "VH-1 Hear Music First" on April 16th when she will make her new CD Trouble in Shangri-La available to fans at VH1.com before it lands in record stores on May 1st. Fred Graver, general manager of VH-1 Interactive group, said, "Hear Music First" will be the best way for music fans to get songs their friends can't get in advance of a CD's release, unless your friends are smart enough to buy it themselves."

Graver also stated that VH-1 will be working with major labels to entice artists to debut albums via "Hear Music First" and that the music downloads will be heavily encrypted so the songs can't be "burned," or written onto a blank CD or turned into digital music files which could be swapped by other users.

April 11, 2001

RUN-DMC Still Kings of Rockin' the Mic

Hip hop's reigning kings, RUN -DMC, released their latest album Crown Royal on Arista Records last week. The album's first single is entitled "It's Over" and features Jermaine Dupri. Run and Jam Master Jay talked about staying on top of their game and the absence of DMC during much of the recording of Crown Royal. Run said, "I'm not dealing with reintroduction because wherever I go, people know who RUN-DMC is. I'm dealing with just being good on the mic…As far as DMC goes, we've gone through some conflicts with him and his voice. And as far as the album, the album is separate from the group. The album is the group's album but DMC is not involved as much as on prior albums. I did most of the vocals because when his voice wasn't able to perform and do what I wanted it to do, I took it in my own hands to kick the rhymes. As far as love goes, it's still there. As far as the album, it's a RUN-DMC album with less DMC on it and we went through some internal situations, but we're working them out right now and I'm on my way back to being really close with D creatively."

Jam Master Jay added, "It's only a break down in the creative process. The love is definitely still there. While we were making this album, we were still doing shows with D and he put his input on the album." Jay also added that although their last release, Down With The King, was released in 1993, the group still performs between 200 - 250 shows a year.

Crown Royal also features Jagged Edge, Nas, Prodigy, and Method Man. The "Kings of Rock" further expand their reign with collaborations with Kid Rock, Sugar Ray, and Third Eye Blind. Here is the track listing for the album:

1. It's Over - Featuring Jermaine Dupree
2. Queens Day - Featuring Nas & Prodigy Of Mobb Deep
3. Crown Royal
4. Them Girls - Featuring Fred Durst
5. The School Of Old - Featuring Kid Rock
6. Take The Money And Run - Featuring Everlast
7. Rock Show - Featuring Stephen Jenkins Of Third Eye Blind
8. Here We Go 2001 - Featuring Sugar Ray
9. Ahhh - Featuring Chris Davis
10. Lets Stay Together (Together Forever) - Featuring Jagged Edge
11. Ay Papi - Featuring Fat Joe
12. Simmons Incorporated - Featuring Method Man


Sean John Nominated for Fashion Award

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs has been nominated for a top award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America for the second consecutive year. His Sean John line is in the running for the Perry Ellis Menswear Award for new talent. The collection features such decadent outfits as an ostrich-and-mink trench coat and urban offerings like cut-off acid wash jeans with suede. P. Diddy will be up against nominees ORFI and William Reid for the prestigious honor.

The other American Fashion Awards nominees announced yesterday include Calvin Klein, who was tapped to receive a lifetime achievement award and is also up for womenswear designer of the year. Klein's fellow nominees in the womenswear category are Gucci's Tom Ford and Helmut Lang. CFDA President Stan Herman said, "The lifetime achievement award should go to somebody who has done his job for a long time, and Calvin's reached the status where it's authentic."

The American Fashion Awards will be awarded on June 14th at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. Candidates are nominated by a panel of retailers, editors and designers. The same group also picks the winners.

April 10, 2001

Ginuwine and Sole Celebrate New "Life"

Rapper Sole and R&B heartthrob Ginuwine are the proud parents of a baby girl named Story. The couple, who have been dating for more than a year now, also have children from previous relationships. In related news, Ginuwine released his third album entitled The Life on Tuesday. The album features the hit single "There It Is" as well as production by Timbaland and a collaboration with Ludacris. Ginuwine is currently on a promotional tour of his new album with label mate Rhona. For more information on "The Bachelor," log on to www.ginuwine.com. Here is the track listing for The Life:

1. Why Not Me
2. There It Is/Interlude
3. 2 Way
4. Differences
5. So Fine
6. Tribute To A Woman
7. Why Did You Go/Interlude
8. How Deep Is Your Love
9. That's How I Get Down - Featuring Ludacris
10. Show After The Show
11. Role Play
12. Open Arms
13. Superhuman
14. Two Reasons I Cry
15. Just Because


MP3.com Ordered to Pay $300,000

A jury ordered MP3.com to pay a small music company $300,000 in damages for copyright infringement. The verdict Friday came in a case brought by a small independent record company, Tee Vee Toons, which had sought $8.5 million in damages. The president of MP3.com said the verdict was still a victory for his company. Tee Vee Toons filed a lawsuit on May 24th, several weeks after Judge Jed S. Rakoff concluded that MP3.com had intentionally violated the copyrights of the major music companies when it allowed consumers to have access to unlicensed music. Several lawsuits were filed after MP3.com created an online catalog of 80,000 CDs for its My.MP3.com listening service. The service allows customers to hear CDs from any computer once they prove they own them by inserting them into a computer. Last year, MP3.com agreed to pay $53.4 million to Universal Music Group as testimony began in the damages phase of a Manhattan trial.

April 9, 2001

Ray Charles' Life to be Turned into Feature Film

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the life story of R&B legend Ray Charles is being prepared to hit the big screen. Philip Anschutz's Crusader Entertainment has made a long-term deal for the option on all entertainment rights to Charles' life story with plans for a feature film, Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story. The deal marks the first time Charles has signed off on his life story as inspiration for a feature film. Crusader is currently developing the project and has hired Jimmy White to write the script. They movie is scheduled to begin production this fall. Crusader president Howard Baldwin said the company will hire a director in the coming weeks. The film will follow Charles' rags-to-riches story from his poor beginnings in Albany, Georgia to his rise through the music industry while battling racism, drug use, and problems in love. The 70-year-old Charles lost his sight to glaucoma at the age of six. For more information on the legendary musician, log on to www.raycharles.com.


Apollo Theater to Become Part of New York's Cultural Center

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Derek Q. Johnson, a top executive at AOL Time Warner, was named to head the historic but troubled Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Johnson, following his appointment by the Apollo's board Thursday night, said he will step down as an AOL Time Warner senior VP to assume his new post as president of the nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation, which runs the state-owned theater. The board's vote came just months after Representative Charles Rangel, Democrat-New York, quietly resigned as chairman of the Apollo's board. Johnson said he will focus on fund-raising and making the 1,500-seat theater part of a major cultural center. David Rodriguez, a top concert promoter, was named executive director and put in charge of the day-to-day operations. The new management moves come just three years after the state attorney general's office accused the board of mismanagement, and sued to have it replaced.

April 6, 2001

"Hip Hop As A Movement" Conference to Feature Afeni Shakur

The second annual "Hip Hop As A Movement" conference will be held from April 20-22 on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. This year's conference will focus on youth activism, the global influence of hip hop, and the role of youth and elders in the social justice movement. The conference brings together artists, performers, students, professors, and community organizers from around the country and features panel discussions, workshops, and performances. The activities are designed to teach, entertain, and provide a forum for members of the hip hop community to develop the necessary strategies and methods to politicize and mobilize the hip hop nation.

Afeni Shakur, a former Black Panther and the mother of the late hip hop legend Tupac Shakur, will deliver the keynote address entitled: "The Living Legacy of Tupac Shakur." Shakur will also meet with high school students from Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago and will be joining a roundtable discussion on the role of elders in shaping the hip hop community. The panel will also feature Rafael Cancel Miranda, Puerto Rican independence activist and former political prisoner; Richard Chavez, co-founder of the United Farm Workers and brother of the late Cesar Chavez; and jazz legend and activist Weldon Irvine.

Other panel discussions include such topics as "Education Not Incarceration", "The Evolution of DJ Culture", "Political Prisoners", "Hip hop In Latin America", "the War On Drugs," and "Generations of Activism." Other panelists include Minister Muhammad Abdullah, Wendy Day of Rap Coalition, Davey D, Cedric Muhammad of BlackElectorate.com, J-Love, and members of the Black Panther Collective.

Artists scheduled to perform include Afrika Bambaataa, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Bobbito, Tony Touch, Freddie Foxxx, and Afu-Ra. A special multi media presentation on the history of graffiti will also be presented by legendary artists Lee Quinones and Dzine. Conference registration is free and open to the public. Participants may register online at www.hiphopgeneration.org.


Mariah Carey Signs to Virgin Records

Mariah Carey announced on Tuesday that she has ended her contract with Columbia Records and has signed a new multi-album deal with Virgin Records, home to such acts as Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz. Terms of the deal were not released, but it is believed that the pop diva will earn between $17 and $25 million per album. Carey said in a statement, "I am elated about my new partnership with Virgin Records and I look forward to being a part of their uniquely creative musical environment. Hallelujah!!"

Carey released nine multi-platinum albums on Sony since her 1990 self-titled debut, which included the hit single "Vision of Love." She has sold over 140 million albums and singles worldwide. Sony Music, Columbia's parent company, released a statement regarding Carey's departure that read, "Mariah Carey is one of the most talented artists in the world. We have shared many commercial and creative successes, and we wish her only the best as her career continues to grow and evolve.''

Carey's first release on Virgin is expected to be the soundtrack to the upcoming film All That Glitters. The film also stars Carey as a young singer trying to break into the music business. The film is scheduled to hit theatres in August and also features Da Brat and Eric Benet.

April 5, 2001

Richard Pryor Street Blocked by Illinois Council Members

According to The Associated Press, comedian Richard Pryor will not get a street named after him after all. The city council of Peoria, Illinois voted 6-5 against a study of renaming a street for the comedian and actor. Several council members said there was little public support for the idea, and plenty of public opinion against it. Councilwoman Gale Thetford said several callers told her they objected to honoring Pryor, whose past drug use is well known, regardless of his contributions to the entertainment world. Pryor spent much of his early years in a brothel run by his grandmother in the city. Pryor announced in 1991 that he has the degenerative nerve disease multiple sclerosis and now spends most of his time at home in Los Angeles. Atlantic Records released a nine CD-box set of his live stand up recordings in October. The material covers his hilarious career from 1968-92.


Yolanda Adams Delivers the "Experience"

Gospel vocalist Yolanda Adams released her latest album Experience on March 20th. Her latest project is a live album and includes production from Keith Thomas, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Richard Smallwood and Fred Hammond. Adams recently talked about the growth of gospel music stating, " Gospel music has changed because we are more vocal, visible, and on all the television and award shows. With every passing year, gospel music accomplishes another milestone, but as gospel artists, we still have to make sure that we don't lose ourselves in the mainstream and maintain who we are."

Adams also talked about using her warm and friendly music to draw people into the religious sect and how she strays away from being bossy and preachy. "There has to be a balance because once people get the album and like the music, they then come to a concert where they can be ministered to," said Adams. "That's the whole point. Get them to a place where they can accept ministry. You can't just throw it down in people's faces, ŒYou're horrible, you're bad.' That doesn't get people."

Adams also said that she uses love to minister through her music. "Drawing people in with love is when you take people where they are. Everyone in this world has a heart, emotions, and has dealt with joy, pain, trials, and tribulations in life. If you can speak to that part of the person about the love of god, they want to hear moreŠAs opposed to that old kind of ministry that berates people and yells, Œyou're so bad.'"

Adams, who is a former school teacher, also has plans to nurture and bring more young male groups into the gospel industry. She stated, "There's a lack of guy groups in the gospel field. There should always be a young teenage sector for young people and for adolescent boys because we tend to forget the young male teenage market. So, they have to rely on people like myself, Kirk Franklin, and Mary Mary, which is cool, but they need someone who can help them deal with the situations they are encountering and dealing with. They need something coming from a Christian angle instead of the regular "bling bling" hip hop angle.

For more information on Yolanda Adams and her upcoming appearances and tour dates, log on to www.elektra.com. Here is the track listing of Experience.

1. I Believe I Can Fly (Duet With Gerald Levert)
2. Already Alright
3. Continual Praise
4. Fragile Heart
5. What About The Children?
6. Ye Of Little Faith
7. Open My Heart
8. That Name
9. In The Midst Of It All
10. Yeah
11. I Believe I Can Fly

April 4, 2001

Puffy Who?

Sean Combs recently announced that he will be dropping the nickname "Puff Daddy." The hip hop mogul, who was acquitted earlier this month of bribery and weapons charges, told MTV News on Wednesday that he's dumping the nickname when he comes out with a new album. Puff stated, "I'm not doing it as serious as Prince. I'm not just going to be crazy with it. I just need a fresh start. That's all. No more Puff Daddy - the first week in June we're gonna have a name change ceremony. I'm rockin' with P. Diddy now - my man Biggie gave me that name."

Puffy also stated that he can even envision a name change ceremony, with another beleaguered celebrity helping him out. He added, ''So probably, like, the first week in June we are going to have a name change ceremony. Clinton is probably going to change my name. Bill Clinton, I like his style. He is a survivor, they went at him, he is still standing.''


AOL Gearing to Battle MTV

According to MSNBC, AOL Time Warner is currently working on plans to create a new music channel to compete with Viacom's MTV Networks, which includes MTV, MTV2, and VH1. The new channel will begin broadcasting sometime in early 2002 under the banner AOL Music. The first advertisements for AOL Music are expected to debut during next year's Super Bowl telecast. Although AOL Time Warner representatives are keeping hush about the music channel, it's been widely reported that Jamie Kellner, former head of the WB Network and the new head of AOL Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting Group, will supervise the new network. The media giant also recruited one of MTV's founders, Robert Pittman, to serve as co-chief operating officer. However, it is still unclear what cable operators will pick up AOL Music, and the channel may even have to initially settle for being a part-time service on one of Time Warner's already established networks such as TNT or TBS. Another possibility would be AOL Time Warner launching the channel on its own Time Warner cable, which serves 12.7 million customers.

April 3, 2001

Nate Dogg Pleads Innocent

Hip hop vocalist and Dogg Pound Gangsta Nate Dogg plead not guilty on Wednesday to the charge of possession of a firearm as a felon in a case stemming from the alleged kidnapping of his baby's mother. The rapper, who is currently featured on Snoop Dogg's hit "Lay Low," is scheduled to return back to Norwalk Superior Court in California for a pretrial hearing on April 20th, while his trial is scheduled to begin on April 24th.

As VIBE Online previously reported, Nate Dogg, whose real name is Nathaniel Dawayne Hale, was accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend from her mother's house on June 17th, holding her against her will at a Lakewood home, assaulting her and setting a car on fire. The charges of kidnapping, terrorist threats, arson, and battery were dismissed earlier this month, but Los Cerritos Superior Court Commissioner Edward Drayer ruled there was sufficient evidence to require Hale to stand trial on the weapons charge.

Deputy District Attorney Eric Perrodin said three of the charges were dismissed because the ex-girlfriend refused to be served with a subpoena and said she did not want to be responsible for sending her son's father to prison. The arson charge was dismissed because the ex-girlfriend's mother could not identify the person who drove away after the vehicle was set ablaze, the prosecutor said. The weapons charge is from Hale's June 18th arrest when officers arrived at his Pomona home and found the gun, authorities said. It was illegal for him to have a weapon after his 1996 conviction in a Los Angeles County drug case.


Sunshine Anderson Has "Heard It All Before"

Sunshine Anderson has been tearing up airwaves with her debut single "Heard It All Before." The North Carolina native recently talked about the song, stating, "Heard It All Before' is real. It's dealing with a man coming home late, running in and out and I don't know what you're doing, and then I walk in on him with this woman. It's something everybody can identify with and men can use it and switch it on women. It's a fun song. It's real and it's true. It's a personal experience. It was something I went through."

R&B's latest starlet will release her debut album Your Woman on April 17th on Soullife/Atlantic Records. The album was written and produced by Anderson, Mike City, and Mark Sparks. Mike City is also the boardsman responsible for Carl Thomas' hit single "I Wish." Sunshine Anderson described her debut album stating, "The album does a 360º type of thing. It deals with a woman's drama as she goes through a relationship with a man. After her relationship sours, the album then goes through a transitional period of like 'Maybe I should let down my guard and try love again.' It then ends with me being in a new relationship with anew man and happy to be his women. It's a relationship album."

Anderson also has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University and is managed by Grammy Award winner Macy Gray. She talked about her relationship with Gray, stating, "Macy saw some things in me and loved my music and saw my potential. She saw where we (Soullife) were headed and took it upon herself to come in and say, 'Look, this is what needs to go down and what needs to happen.' So what better manager to have than Macy. She's been through it. She experienced all the ups and downs of the business. She's a great guide. She's a blessing."

Anderson will soon hit the road on a promotional tour. She stated about her upcoming dates, "I always perform with a live band and I've never used a DAT machine because I do soul music, real funk music. We're going back to the old days when we tour, so y'all better be ready, because we got some head bangers coming." Check www.atlantic-records.com for her tour dates. Here is the track listing for Your Woman:

1. Intro
2. The Message (Part 1)
3. Better Off
4. He Said, She Said
5. Pushpa Hair Salon (skit)
6. Heard It All Before
7. Vulnerability To Love (skit)
8. Where Have You Been
9. Office Skit (Part 1)
10. Saved The Day
11. Office Skit (Part 2)
12. Lunch Or Dinner
13. Last Night
14. Your Woman (Interlude)
15. Your Woman
16. Letting Down My Guard
17. Airport (skit)
18. Being Away
19. Crazy Love
20. You Do You
21. Sunshine Spoken Word (interlude)
22. Little Sunshine

April 2, 2001

Dr. Dre Wraps up "Training Day" with Denzel Washington

Hip hop producer Dr. Dre will be appearing in the forthcoming film Training Day. The film stars Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke and centers around a rookie cop's (Hawke) first day on the job in an undercover narcotics unit. Washington will play his corrupt partner. Training Day will also feature cameo appearances by Snoop Dogg and Macy Gray and is scheduled to hit theatres on September 21st. Dr. Dre will play a police officer in the film. The rapper/producer previously appeared in the 1996 film Set It Off which starred Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah. Dre is also working with Set It Off director F. Gary Gray to produce the soundtrack to Gray's upcoming film Diablo. The film stars Larenz Tate and Vin Diesel and centers around a mysterious man known only as Diablo who takes over a powerful drug cartel when the former boss goes to prison. The former drug lord then teams up with a DEA agent (Diesel) and his partner (Tate) to try to take down Diablo. The film began production in December 2000 and wrapped up earlier this month. Diablo is scheduled to hit theatres this December or early next year and will contain footage shot in Los Angeles and New Mexico. The film is distributed by New Line Cinema.


Case Scribes an "Open Letter"

Def Jam Recording artist Case is scheduled to release his third album Open Letter on April 24th. The album will include production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Tim and Bob, Redhead Kingpin, Ray Watkins, and Shep Crawford. Case recently talked about his latest project and how he came up with the theme for the album. He stated, "I had the title before I started the album because every song up there is like a letter written to specific people. It's the same as if I had closed it and mailed it, but instead its like an open letter where everybody can see and hear what it is that I'm saying."

The first single from the album, "Missing You," is already tearing up quiet storm airwaves. Case stated that his music stands out because he doesn't follow the normal "heartbreaker" and "hit and run" formats that are popularized by new school R&B singers. Case said, "Everybody likes to hit, but it's more to life than that so I feel like there should be more to music than that. I got songs that delve more into the relationship side. It's other dimensions to relationships and people in general than just 'sex' and 'I got dumped and I'm mad.' So I try to go into the other direction and explore other facets and dimensions of life and love."

Open Letteralso features Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band on a track. Case stated that he didn't really do any duets because he wrote the album from his own personal feelings. He added, "I don't have any collaborations on this project except my Uncle Charlie singing back up on this song I did with Jam and Lewis. I was gonna do a duet, but the way that I did this album with all the lyrics being so personal, I just went ahead and did it all myself."

Here is the track listing for Open Letter:

1. Missing You
2. Shine
3. A Song for Skye
4. Not Your Friend
5. Conversate
6. Sex Games
7. Love of My Life
8. No Regrets
9. M.I.S.S. I
10. Already Have
11. Think of Me

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