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April 30, 2000 Mary J. Blige & D'Angelo to Headline Essence Music Festival This year's Essence Music Festival 200 will be held from July 1-3 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Superdome. The Essence Music Festival 2000 will feature performances by D'Angelo, Sisqo, Mary J. Blige, and Maxwell. Luther Vandross, Mint Condition, Gladys Knight and, Earth, Wind & Fire are also among the scheduled performers.
The festival will also include seminars and panel discussions with speakers including Tavis Smiley, Malik Yoba, Billy Blanks, and Michael Eric Dyson. Iyanla Vanzant, Susan L. Taylor, and Mother Love will also address listeners. Topics include "Calling All Brothers," "Calling All Sisters," and "Our Relationships." The seminars will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. To order tickets or find out more about the festival call Ticketmaster or visit www.essence.com. Me'Shell N'degeocello Receives Three GLAMAS The fourth annual Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA) were held on Monday at the Manhattan Center in New York. Me'Shell N'degeocello was awarded "Album of the Year" for her critically acclaimed album, Bitter and "Best Female Artist." N'degeocello was also presented with the GLAMA Outmusic Award. The Outmusic Award is granted to recording artists who have advanced the music of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered artists through their work as musicians who fittingly represent the gay community. The GLAMA Music Awards was founded to recognize and reward outstanding works from musicians whose "out" lyrics or identities as "out" artists may have caused them to be overlooked, unproduced, or underappreciated. Their music awards honor achievements of out artists in various musical genres. Twenty-eight awards were given in various categories. For a complete list of winners, log on to www.glama.com
April 29, 2000 Diallo Family Sues New York The family of slain West African immigrant Amadou Diallo has filed a $61 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city of New York and the four officers who shot him. Diallo was shot and killed on February 4, 1999 in a Bronx apartment building by the officers when he was reaching for his wallet. The unarmed man was hit 19 times out of the 41 bullets fired. A racially mixed jury acquitted the officers of murder this year on February 25th after a month-long trial in Albany, New York. The Diallo family suit asks for $20-million for damages, another $41-million for pain and suffering, or $1-million for each bullet fired, said their family lawyers. Dr. Dre Set to Announce Tour Dr. Dre is gearing up for his "Dr. Dre Hip Hop 2000 Tour." The tour is expected to include Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Warren G, and Ice Cube. MC Ren, Xzibit, and Tha Eastsidaz are also expected to perform on the "Dr. Dre Hip Hop 2000 Tour." The tour is expected to begin late June and run through August. The tour will include between 35-40 tour dates at mostly arenas. Sponsors for the tour include Magic Johnson Productions and Radio Events Group in Phoenix. Hewlitt/Silva Productions in Los Angeles, California. The tour will also include a reunion of rap group 213. 213 is comprised of Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Warren G. In additional Dre news, Eminem's sophomore album, The Marshall Mathers LP will be released on May 23rd.
April 28, 2000 Women in Hip Hop Events In the coming months, there will be two events devoted to the path females have paved in hip hop music. Take Back The Decks: A Night of Women in Underground Music will be held at the Frying Pan and at Pier 63 in New York on May 6th. The event will include a free showing of a documentary by Rachel Raimist that focuses on women in hip hop called Nobody Knows My Name from 6pm-9pm. After which, there will be performances by DJ Shortee, MC Apani B Fly Emcee, The Anomolies, and DJs Anna, Rehka, SuperJane, and Keli Hand. For more information contact The Mishpucha Organization at mishpucha@rcn.com. The SisterPhyre 2000 hip hop conference will be coming to Atlanta on August 23 and run through the 27th. A variety of topics will be discussed at roundtable discussions including oppression of women in hip hop, building the culture of hip hop, stressing the importance of women in hip hop and female journalists in hip hop, and economics, race, and spirituality. There will be a showing of the film Nobody Knows My Name, a talent search, and a tribute and awards presentation to the ladies who made it possible for the female emcees of today. Celebrities on hand for the SisterPhyre 2000 will be DJ Jazzy Joyce, Big Lez, The Poetess, Kierna Mayo- founding editor of Honey Magazine, Sheena Lester- former editor of XXL, and Rha Goddess and Audrey Edwards of Essence, among others. For more information about this event send your e-mail to burketaranaj@hotmail.com. Christina Aguilera to Perform at Prom Christina Aguilera will return to school again for her second prom. Aguilera was the prize in the nationwide "Prom of Your Life" contest. The winner, a freshman at Greenbrier High School in Augusta, Georgia won the right to have Aguilera perform at the prom. In an AP release, John Smith, a senior at the high school, said "It'll be cool, but my girlfriend and her friends don't like it at all. Her being there is going to take the attention away from all of them." The prom will be held on April 28th. In related Christina Aguilera news, the 19-year-old pop star and her record label RCA ruled out a litigation suit against rapper Eminem. In the rapper's latest song, "The Real Slim Shady," he calls Aguilera "a little bitch" and says that he, MTV veejay Carson Daly, and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst had sexual escapades with Aguilera. The song also sends out disses to Will Smith and actress Pamela Anderson. A spokesperson for the label said, "suing for slander requires that somebody takes him seriously. It's obvious in the song that he's making this stuff up about people."
April 27, 2000 Ice Cube & Jamie Foxx Receive MTV Movie Nods Ice Cube and Jamie Foxx have been listed as nominees for MTV's ninth annual Movie Awards. Foxx is nominated in the "Breakthrough Male Performance" category for his role as Willie Beamon in Any Given Sunday, while Ice Cube is nominated in the "Best Comedic Performance" for his role as Craig Jones in the film Next Friday, which he wrote. Laurence Fishburne and Keanu Reeves are nominated for "Best Fight Sequence" for their roles in the film, The Matrix. The Matrix is nominated for six MTV Movie Awards including "Best Movie." Also receiving multiple nominations were Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me with six also, and Cruel Intentions with five. Sarah Jessica Parker will host the awards show in Los Angeles, California on June 3rd. The show will be broadcast on MTV starting June 8th. Here is the complete list of MTV's 2000 Movie Award Nominees: Best Movie Best Male Performance Best Female Performance Breakthrough Male Performance Breakthrough Female Performance Best On-screen Duo Best Villain Best Comedic Performance Best Musical Performance Best Kiss Best Action Sequence
Best Fight Sequence Indiana University Blocks Napster The University of Indiana has bowed to pressure from Metallica and blocked access to the MP3 file sharing company, Napster. On Wednesday, Yale also bowed to pressure and blocked access to Napster. The band will not seek any damages against the universities. In Metallica's lawsuit, the band claimed that the universities of Yale, Southern California, and Indiana allowed free trade of copyrighted songs by not blocking access to the Napster sharing program. The Napster software program allows internet users to download music from MP3 formats from the web. Metallica issued the following statement is press release, "The band appreciates that Indiana University, like Yale, in supporting the right of copywritten material and protecting intellectual property." The University of Southern California hasn't bowed to pressure from the proposed lawsuit.
April 26, 2000 Serena Williams Boycotts South Carolina Serena Williams is taking a stand and joining the NAACP's ban against South Carolina. According to The New York Daily News, the 1999 U.S. Open winner will boycott the Women Tennis Association tournament held this week in South Carolina. South Carolina continues to fly the Confederate flag above the capital building, which is a reminder to African-Americans of the state's devotion to slavery in the past. "My decision to not play in South Carolina was based on a much deeper issue and one that I feel strongly about," said Williams. A compromise bill is being considered today by the state's house committee to remove the flag, but instead fly it over the Confederate Soldier Monument. So far, other players have agreed to play in the tournament including stars Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, Conchita Martinez and Aranxta Sanchez Vicario. Jennifer Capriati and Lindsey Davenport with drew from the tournament only because of injuries. Alexandra Stevenson, the daughter of basketball great Julius "Dr. J." Erving, has decided to play in the tournament after talking with South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges. Stevenson said, "I think this could be resolved if more people came and shared their thoughts. I decided to stand up and come to the tournament because I'm coming in to do my job and also to have a voice. To let people know what I think and people my age think. I am a tennis professional and this is where I do my job." When asked by Sports Illustrated what he thought about the confederate flag issue, Tiger Woods replied, "That's their deal, you know?" Other athletes protesting the state include the New York Knicks, who won't hold their pre-playoff training camp in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Dre Sued By Lucasfilm, Ltd. George Lucas' production company Lucasfilm, Ltd. Is suing the rap star, his label Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records over the use of the "THX Deep Note" as the intro for Dre's Chronic 2001. Lucasfilm, Ltd. owns the federal trademark for the sound and is suing for copyright infringement, federal trademark infringement, federal unfair competition, federal trademark dilution, state common law trademark infringement and unfair competition, state common law trademark dilution, and state statutory trademark and/or trade name unfair competition. As the suit states, Dr. Dre originally asked permission to use the THX sound and when he was denied permission, used it anyway. The sound can best be described as a "swoosh-like sound" that can be heard during the THX sound commercials that appear before watching a film that uses THX technology. Lucasfilm is suing for an unspecified amount.
April 25, 2000 N'Sync Tops Soundscan N'Sync continued to hold the # 1 spot on this weeks Soundscan with their sophomore release, No Strings Attached, while No Doubt debuted at number two with their album, Return of Saturn. Carlos Santana continued resting in the top tier at number three with Supernatural, as Sisqo's Unleash The Dragon, placed fourth. Da Brat rounded out the top five with her third release, Unrestricted. The Romeo Must Die soundtrack came in at six followed by Destiny's Child's Writing's On The Wall. Hip hop continued to dominate also as Big Punisher's Yeeeah Baby and Dr. Dre Dre 2001 came in at eight and ninth respectively. Macy Gray's How Life Is rounded out the top ten. Also making moves on the chart this week were , Black Rob, who's debut Life Story, came in at 26, while Gerald Levert's G placed at 31. Notable chart climbers were Rah Digga and Atlanta rapper Drama. Rah Digga's Dirty Harriet placed at 34 while Causin' Drama placed at 35. Raver Film Makes it to The Big Screen Last year, filmmaker John Reiss debuted his documentary Better Living Through Circuitry at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. The film explores electronic music and the culture within, from both the East and West coasts. Featured artists in the film include Carl Cox, Crystal Method, DJ Spooky, Meat Beat Manifesto, Moby, Psychic TV, Roni Size, and Scanner. According to the Better Living Through Circuitry website, " Better Living Through Circuitry is an insider's look at the electronic dance community and the culture it has spawned. A cross-section of the techno subculture is represented as ravers, DJs, and musicians speak for themselves about their music and ideals." The film has not been picked up nationally yet, but it will begin playing in theaters on May 26th in New York and California. For more information on the film and artists, log on to www.circuitry.org.
Here is a list of where you can catch the film:
April 24, 2000 Dr. Dre Warns Napster It has only been one week since rock group Metallica filed a lawsuit against Napster, and now rapper Dr. Dre has some words for the MP3 downloading company. According to Reuters, Dr. Dre made his demands known in a letter to Napster's acting chief executive, Eileen Richardson. Howard King, Dre's attorney said, "We wrote a letter yesterday on behalf of Dr. Dre to Napster basically putting them on notice that the listing of his songs and masters on Napster and the facilitation of the transfer of those files constitutes an infringement of his copyrights." According to Dre's letter, Napster has until Friday to remove the rapper's music from its directory before the lawsuit is filed.
The letter claims that Napster encouraged users to download the rapper's music, illegally from The Internet. Napster allows users to sign on and trade their libraries of MP3 files. Each time a new user joins, a giant database grows enabling people to download music for free. King also told Reuters that he has been contacted by more than 10 artists, managers, and music publishing companies in this past week in connection with lawsuit against Napster. He said he expects lawsuits to be filed in several weeks.
"Dr. Dre has not committed to suing them, but that would be the logical conclusion if they don't take it off their site," said King, who also is representing Metallica. The Metallica suit was also against the universities of Southern California, Yale and Indiana.
Napster said in press statement last week that, "It has never been Napster's intention to belittle the importance of an artistic production, and we are very passionate about helping bands understand the value of what we offer. Nevertheless, technological advances over the last several years are restructuring the entertainment business." Laurence Pulgram, Napster's lawyer said they were prepared to defend the suits vigorously. Destiny's Child, Others at Kids For Kids Destiny's Child will be among the celebrities coming out on Sunday, April 30th to raise money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation at the Kids for Kids AIDS Fundraiser. The Kids for Kids event is a carnival/street fair where celebrity volunteers work. They run the gaming booths and provide entertainment for the children. This year the event will take place at Industria Superstudio in New York. Volunteers for this year's fundraiser include Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Rosie Perez, Chloe Sevingy, and Barbara Walters.
In related news, Destiny's Child will be joining Christina Aguilera on her first major tour this summer. The 35-date tour kicks off August 19th in Chicago.
April 23, 2000 Oprah Gags Employees Oprah Winfrey's production company, Harpo Inc. has barred its employees from writing or talking about the talk show host's personal or business affairs and those of her company. The embargo is a lifetime agreement. Elizabeth Coady, a former producer challenged the legality of the confidentiality agreement, but the agreement was upheld by Illinois courts according to Sunday's Chicago Tribune. Coady, who was writing a book about her four years of working with Oprah, said, "There's no sense of justice inside, which is so ironic in light of the public image of someone who touts herself as an advocate for business ethics and spirituality." Coady quit in March 1998. She also told the Chicago Tribune, that the book would have been an "eye-opener." "It's a fabulous story. Oprah is an amazing persona and figure in our society, and no one really knows what she's like. There's an audience for this, but (Winfrey) has a strangle hold on the publishing industry because of the popularity of her book clubSMaybe it's not the time now, but I want to talk about it." Harpo Inc. doesn't discuss internal company policies with the media, however Oprah said in 1998, "Free speech not only lives, it rocks." Two years ago, Oprah defeated a $12million lawsuit brought by a group of Texas cattleman who said Winfrey made false statements that hurt their business. Oprah claimed support of the First Amendment in her case. In related Oprah news, she will be releasing her new magazine O next month. The magazine will feature an interview with Camille Cosby on how she and husband Bill survived the death of their son Ennis. For more info on the magazine, visit Oprah's website at www.oprah.com. Meshell Ndegeocello Hits the Road Maverick Recording artist, Meshell Ndegeocello, will headline a four-week series of U.S. club dates beginning Friday, April 28th in Norfolk, Virginia. These dates are in support of her latest Maverick CD, Bitter, which was released last August. Bitter won a California Music Award for "Best R&B Album" earlier this month. In a press statement released about her tour, Ndegeocello said, "I love the immediate reaction a live audience will give me. There's nothing quite like it. I take a lot of liberties with the songs on my albums, because there's no point in playing live if you just sound like your albums. I bring my music alive honestly, though, with an old school approach. No pyrotechnics or glittery costume changes, but I think everyone will have a good time." N'degeocello's single, " Fool of Me" is currently featured on the Love & Basketball soundtrack. Here is her tour itinerary with more dates to be possibly added: April May
April 22, 2000 Da Brat May Face Possible Grand Jury Review On Thursday, April 13, Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Jacqueline Bennett ruled that there was enough evidence for a higher court to review felony and battery charges pending against Da Brat. Bennett bounded the case over to Fulton County Superior Court for a possible review by a grand jury. As Rnation previously reported, Da Brat was arrested and charged with one felony and aggravated battery after allegedly pistol whipping Rezue Robateue at a night club in the Buckhead area of Atlanta last month. Da Brat, whose real name is Shawntae Harris, was released later that day on $1,000 bail. The two women reportedly became engaged in an argument at club Chili Peppers when the rapper smacked her with a pistol and her entourage proceeded to assault her. Robateue received six stitches for a cut in her head and was charged with one count of simple battery for her involvement in the brawl. Da Brat responded to the charges by commenting to The Atlanta Journal, "I'm innocent baby, all the way." The court date caused her to miss her opening act performance for Mariah Carey's tour in Boston, Massachusetts. Da Brat released her third album, Unrestricted, last Tuesday. The album contains the hit single, "That's What I'm Looking For," and features collaborations with Twista, Mystikal, Trey Lorenz, and Latocha Scott from Xscape. High Maintenance Mariah Mariah Carey's life story is about to be told whether she likes it or not. Her sister Alison has recently published a book called Mariah and Me in which she reveals details of Mariah's rise to fame and the girls' childhood. Reportedly, the pop star has been trying to suppress the book that reveals Alison's stint with prostitution to benefit Mariah's career. Alison claims that the money she made being a prostitute in New York furnished Mariah's fated audition with Sony CEO and future ex-husband Tommy Mattola. Alison also claims that the book reveals everything that Mariah has tried in vain to prevent the world from knowing about her and has tried to bribe Alison to stop publication. In addition to the book, an article in this month's issue of Q Magazine reveals Mariah's diva-like needs via a former record company employee. According to the source apparently Ms. Carey's ass isn't good enough for regular toilet paper: she insists her room be equipped with pink toilet paper upon checking into hotels. The source also claims she has an affinity for only drinking out of crystal glasses and that during a trip to the UK for MTV, she requested that the staff greet her with cheers and demanded that she have an assortment of kittens and puppies around for her to pet.
April 21, 2000 Puffy Furious With The Post Sean "Puffy" Combs is outraged with The New York Post about their article on Friday, April 15, claiming the record mogul was being investigated by a grand jury for witness tampering and whether he committed perjury to hide his role in the December 27th shooting at a New York night club.
"I am outraged by the New York Post's story. It is completely false. In fact, I told the absolute truth when I testified before the grand jury, and I will continue to do so until I am fully exonerated. In fact, my attorney, Ben Brafman, confirmed again today with the lead prosecutor in the case that I am absolutely not a target of any further grand jury investigation. I believe that certain individuals close to the case are leaking these lies to the media in an effort to prejudice the case and prevent me from having a fair trial."
Brafman said, "The article in today's New York Post is patently false. We have confirmed again directly with the district attorney in charge of the case that Sean Combs is not a target of any grand jury investigation. There are people associated with the investigation who are trying desperately to prejudice Mr. Combs' right to a fair trial on the charges that have already been filed and are apparently leaking false information to certain members of the media. We find these efforts to be outrageous and offensive."
Puffy is due back in court on May 16th to defend himself against gun possession and bribery charges bought against him. Nancy Wilson Receives Harlem Renaissance Award Famed jazz and R&B singer, Nancy Wilson received the third annual Harlem Renaissance Award during a tribute concert at Aaron Davis Hall in Harlem, New York. Dionne Warwick, Cassandra Williams, Yolanda Adams, and Regina Belle payed a tribute to Wilson by singing their renditions of her songs. Cissy Houston, Whitney's mom, Gloria Lynne, Mavis Staples, Nona Hendryx, and Tsidii LeLoka also performed. Wilson has been an activist since the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s and has worked with various organizations including the Martin Luther King Center and the NAACP. The event raised funds for the Aaron Davis Hall, whose educational performance series hosts 400,000 students a year. Harry Belafonte and Max Roach were previous Harlem Renaissance award winners.
April 20, 2000 Lucy Pearl Plans Promotional Tour Lucy Pearl will embark on an eight-date tour debuting material from their new album. Lucy Pearl is the super group comprised of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest, Dawn Robinson, previously from En Vogue and Raphael Saadiq, previously of Tony Toni Tone. The self titled Lucy Pearl album will be released on May 23. The group is currently featured on the single "Dance Tonight" from the Love & Basketball soundtrack. The tour will start on Sunday, May 21 in New York and end on June 1st in Atlanta, Georgia. Tour stops include Philadelphia, Chicago and Toronto, Canada. The album will also include performances with Snoop Dogg and Muhammad's former partner from A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip. Here is the tour itinerary. May 21-23: New York (S.O.B.'s) Will Smith Tops Nick Awards Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and Britney Spears were all winners at Nickelodeon's 13th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday. Will Smith won "Favorite Male Singer," "Favorite Song," and "Favorite Song from a Movie" for his soundtrack contributions to the film Wild Wild West. Lopez won "Favorite New Music Artist" while Spears won the "Favorite Female Singer" accolade. Meanwhile, the Backstreet Boys were awarded "Favorite Music Group." The awards were voted on by over 15 million Nickelodeon viewers including ten exclusive online categories. Rosie O' Donnell hosted the awards show along with L.L. Cool J., Frankie Muniz, Mandy Moore, and David Arquette. Jamie Foxx, 98 Degrees, and Mel Gibson were some of the other celebrities on hand. Shaquille O'Neal was also awarded "Favorite Male Sports Star." Adam Sandler also joined the winners circle by taking home the "Favorite Movie" and "Favorite Movie Actor" awards for his performance in Big Daddy. Here is the complete list of winners at Nickelodeon's 13th Annual Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Movie - Big Daddy
April 19, 2000 Tupac Recordings Salvaged From the Flames Chopmaster J, a co-founder of the hip hop group Digital Underground, is releasing vintage recordings of Tupac Shakur. The album is entitled The Lost Tapes and features vintage recordings over ten years old. It features a young Tupac at 17 with his original group, Strictly Dope. Strictly Dope also featured Bay area legends Ray Luv and DJ Dizzy. Chopmaster J produced most of Tupac's earlier recordings, which were believed to be destroyed in a 1991 fire. The songs on this disc are said to be the actual songs that landed Tupac his first concert tour with Digital Underground, which also led to his cameo appearance the D.U. single "Same Song." Chopmaster J also wrote My Tupac Shakur Story, a book detailing his adventures with one of the greatest MC's of all times. For more information on The Lost Tapes and the book, My Tupac Story, visit www.herbnsoul.com. Here is the track listing: 1. Panther Power 4:36 Montel Williams Ousted by Wife Montel Williams was evicted from his home on Monday as his wife discarded his belongings outside. According to The New York Post, Grace Williams became distraught on her birthday when she found a picture of the talk show host and a Swedish model. The couple had been separated since November, but his clothes remained in their Connecticut home. Williams wasn't home during the tirade but his bodyguard and assistants came by to pick his belongings out of the street. Montel also told The Post, "I have decided to end our 7-year-old marriage. In light of our difficulties, we agreed to a divorce last November. Since then we've been working out the details regarding the separation and our two children, who are our primary concern." In related Montel Williams' news, the Los Angeles-based Nancy Davis Foundation will name him the "Man of Courage." The foundation is responsible for organizing "The Race to Erase MS." Montel Williams is also a sufferer of multiple sclerosis. The award will be presented on April 28th at the Century Plaza Hotel & Towers in Los Angeles.
April 18, 2000 Essence Awards 2000 New York City's famed Radio City Music Hall will house this year's Essence Awards 2000 on Friday, April 14th. This year is especially important, as the show will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the magazine. Honorees this year include living legend Michael Jordan and accomplished actor and humanitarian Danny Glover. The ceremony will also give honors to Reverend W.C. Martin and his wife Donna, Mayor Emma Gresham, and doctors George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, and Sampson Davis. Performers this year will include Christina Aguilera, Erykah Badu, Ginuwine, Macy Gray, and Patti LaBelle. On board to present this year are Queen Latifah, Faith Evans, Tyra Banks, Delroy Lindo, Blair Underwood and Susan Sarandon, among others. Videotaped appearances will include Kobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Nelson Mandela, and Mel Gibson. The Essence Awards will be aired on Fox-TV on May 25th at 8pm (ET/PT). Ivor Award Nominations The 45th Ivor Novello Awards for UK songwriters and composers and music publishers announced their nominations this week. Nominees include Madonna, Shania Twain and Christina Aguilera. Madonna has been nominated for several awards including "Best Contemporary Song" for "Beautiful Stranger" while her song "Ray of Light" is nominated for "International Hit of the Year." Shania Twain received numerous nominations too, including "Best Selling UK Single" for "That Don't Impress Me Much," and "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" for "You're Still the One." Aguilera's hit "Genie In A Bottle" also received "International Hit of the Year" and "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" nominations. The 45th Ivor Novello awards will be presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. The presentation will be held at Grosvenor House on Thursday May 25th. The complete list of nominations is as follows: BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY Song: Strong Song: Genie In A Bottle BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG Song: Beautiful Stranger Song: Why Does It Always Rain On Me? BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC FOR A TELEVISION/RADIO BROADCAST Broadcast: An Evil Streak Broadcast: Trial By Fire BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE Film: The World Is Not Enough Film: Shakespeare In Love THE IVORS DANCE AWARD Song: Sweet Like Chocolate Song: Re-Rewind PRS MOST PERFORMED WORK Song: Beautiful Stranger Song: That Don't Impress Me Much INTERNATIONAL HIT OF THE YEAR Song: That Don't Impress Me Much Song: Genie In A Bottle BEST SELLING UK SINGLE Song: Sweet Like Chocolate Song: That Don't Impress Me Much
April 17, 2000 New Tony Touch Album to Release DJ, MC, and producer extraordinaire, Tony Touch, will be releasing a new LP entitled The Piece Maker, which will feature some of hip hop's finest. Gang Starr takes care of the title track for the album and the late Big Pun with Sunkiss and Reif Hustle appear on, "The Foundation." All nine Wu-Tang Clan members came together in "The Abduction" and Detroit's Eminem and D-12 contribute "Get Back." Tony and cohort DJ Doo Wop flow spanglish-style on the album's first single, "The Return of the Diaz Bros." The Piece Maker also features the skills of other artists like De La Soul, Greg Nice, Heltah Skeltah, Psycho Les of the Beatnuts, and Starang Wondah. You can also hear new music from Cypress Hill, Defari, Flip Mode Squad, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Tash, and Xzibit. The album will be in stores April 18. Rocker Ted Nugent Slanders Latino Immigrants Rock star Ted Nugent is in the hot seat after his remarks against Latinos at a concert on April 1 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston Texas. Nugent told the crowd, "If you're not gonna speak English, get the fuck out of America," according to Pavilion president David Gottlieb.
After the concert performance, Nugent reiterated his stand on immigrants when he spoke to the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday, April 5th. The rock star said, "If you're going to be an asset to America, it would only be logical to speak the language. How can you be a benefit to your family, neighborhood or country if you can't speak to your fellow citizens? C'mon, if you can't speak English, get out of America."
The League of United Latin American Citizens plans to register its concerns with Sony Music Entertainment, which owns Nugent's label Legacy. Venue management said Nugent will never perform there again. They feel that their patrons and concert payers shouldn't be abused because of their ethnicity, race or religion. Gottlieb added that Nugent's use of the word "faggot" throughout the concert was also a factor. Nugent is the opening act for KISS and will continue touring with them until April 30th.
April 16, 2000 Eminem and Dre Receive .Com Awards The Online Hip Hop Awards were held last night at Cipriani's in New York. The Online Hip-Hop Awards is an annual celebration of hip hop that pays tribute to website developers, artists, and others who have made contributions to the culture. LL Cool J and New York radio personality Angie Martinez hosted the event. The awards included performances by dead prez, Cypress Hill and Busta Rhymes and Rah Digga. Wyclef performed with the Product G&B during his performance and sent out a dis to his former protégé Canibus. Eminem won awards for "Best Artist Website" and "Best New Artist." Jay-Z was voted "Artist of the Year" while Dr. Dre walked off with the "Producer of the Year" honor. HipHopSite.com was voted "Website of the Year" while Def Jam received "Best Record Label Site." Mos Def received an Amadou Diallo Revolutionary Award from Reverend Al Sharpton honoring his "embodiment of hip hop's revolutionary spirit." Many winners such as Dr. Dre, Eminem and Mobb Deep failed to attend the ceremony. Here is the list of winners:
Best Artist Website: Eminem.com Harvard Law Hosted A Police Brutality Conference The Harvard Law Saturday School Program and The Harvard Black Law Students Association held a discussion on police brutality on April 15th at 10 a.m. "A Discussion on Police Politics & Race: The Diallo and Louima Cases" was held at the Dworkin Building of Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Panelists included Johnny Cochran, Senator Diane Wilkerson, Leonard Alkins of the NAACP, and Joan Wallace-Benjamin of the Urban League. Police representatives were also the panel. The discussion was free and open to the public. For more information, contact Leslie Adamson at (617) 496-2054 or email Tanya Brioche at tbrioche@law.harvard.edu.
April 15, 2000 Mary J. Blige to Make Acting Debut According to the unofficial Mary J. Blige website, Deep Inside: Mary J. Blige, "The Queen of Hip Hop Soul" will make her acting debut in the film Prison Song. The film will feature Blige as a struggling single mother trying to survive in the inner city. Prison Song will mark the singer's acting debut. The film is also reported to star Elvis Costello, reggae artist Snow, and rappers Fat Joe and Q-Tip. Q-Tip is Mary J. Blige's son who is sent to prison. The film is directed by Darnell Martin whose resume includes HBO's OZ. The film is produced by Robert De Niro. Prison Song is scheduled to be released this summer. Her current album Mary, has been certified platinum. The current single, "Give Me You," features Michael Jordan in the video. Blige recently won The Soul Train "Sammy Davis, Jr. Entertainer of the Year" Award. Beatles Artwork Displayed Collages from The Beatles members Paul McCartney and John Lennon, will be on exhibition at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, England, starting today. The exhibition is organized by pop artist Peter Blake, who designed The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album cover. McCartney's piece is entitled "The World" and features a husky, screaming man, a hollow cow and a drawing of a woman that alludes to be his late wife Linda, who died of beast cancer. McCartney also supplied a 20-minute sound collage that includes excerpts from his "Back to the Cavern" concert last year. A private collector loaned Lennon's work to the museum. Lennon's painting features a collage of his favorite actresses, Brigitte Bardot and Julie Christie. The artwork was painted in the 60s when he was an art student. Blake also included pictures from the set where the Sergeant Pepper album cover was produced. The surviving Beatles are also scheduled to release a book of memoirs later this year entitled The Beatles Anthology.
April 14, 2000 Two Hip Hop Halls of Fame At first, it seemed that the hip hop world had no representation in any hall of fame. Then, Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began running an exhibit with some hip hop artifacts like Flavor Flav's clock. Now, there are two organizations planning to open their own halls of fame dedicated to hip hop. It wouldn't be hip hop related if there was no rivalry, so of course both the Manhattan based and the Mt. Vernon, NY based organizations are claiming parenthood of the idea.
An introductory party was be held on April 13th for the Manhattan organization. They will announce the first induction ceremony and the voting procedure for it, and begin looking for real estate to house it. Fans will be interested to know that they may vote on line for the first inductees by going to their web site at ihiphophalloffame.com.
Mt. Vernon Mayor Ernest Davis will be launching the hall of fame there with the support of such Mt. Vernon natives as Sean "Puffy" Combs and Doug E. Fresh. Davis' version plans to include the usual history exhibit of hip hop related films and artifacts, but also will include a job training site for young people. Nike Unveils the Charles Barkley Show Nike has granted Sir Charles Barkley his own online talk show. The show debuted on March 31 at www.nike.com/cbn. The online talk show will feature interviews with some of today's top athletes. Guests so far include WNBA star Cynthia Cooper and track and field star Maurice Greene. Other segments include children from the audience asking Barkley questions. The questions were previously selected by Nike.com from over 3,500 e-mails. Users whose questions were used received a pair of size 16-autographed Charles Barkley basketball shoes. The site also features "Magic B-Ball" where users can activate random quotes and sound bites from Sir Charles like, "I am not a role model." Barkley said, "Nike.com wanted me to try this because they know how I live my life. I like to have fun and I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I'm gonna always give my opinion. I'm not saying I'm right all the time. It's just my opinion." Barkley retired this season from the Houston Rockets. His shows are taped before a live audience at NikeTown in Las Vegas, Nevada
April 13, 2000 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The Movie A movie on the life of Rock & Roll legend Jimi Hendrix is being shot in Toronto, Canada with the script being centered on accounts from Ron Terry, a 1960s promoter who also serves as executive producer on the film. The film will also include re-creations of several of his memorable performances including Woodstock and Monterey. At Woodstock, he performed his rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner," while at Monterey, he held his burning guitar above his head. The movie is scheduled to air on cable on the American Showtime Network this September before hitting theatres. The film will star Wood Harris and Billy Zane. Harris plays the world-renowned guitarist while Zane will play his business manager Michael Jeffrey. Some of The Jimi Hendrix Experience's hits include "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," and "Voodoo Child." The Jimi Hendrix Experience also featured bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell. Hendrix died on September 18, 1970 after taking sleeping pills and choking on his own vomit while unconscious. Suicide was never considered as his cause of death. Experience Hendrix Inc., Jimi's family-run company that won back his estate's rights in 1996, hasn't agreed yet to allow his music to be used in the film. Currently, only covers songs are slated to be used in the film. Chuck D to Speak at Hip Hop Conference The University of Wisconsin-Madison will host "Hip Hop Generation- Hip Hop As A Movement" from April 14th through April 16th. The three-day event will include panel conferences addressing various topics from "The Prison Industrial Complex," "Sexuality and Homophobia in Hip Hop," "Anti-Violence Youth Organizing," and "Guerilla Radio-The Internet's Impact on the Music Industry." Concert performances will include dead prez, Screwball, and Bahamadia. Speakers and panelists include Davey D and Chuck D. Chuck D's discussion will be on the topic of "Radio." The event is free and open to the public and participants can register at www.hiphopgeneration.org. The conference is described as being the very first conference dedicated solely to youth empowerment and social change through hip hop culture. The event will bring entertainers, scholars, community members, and activists together to examine urban youth culture as a force for social change. Also featured at the conference will be a graffiti exhibit by artists Jim Prighoff and dzine.
April 12, 2000 War Erupts on Cash Money/Ruff Ryder Tour According to the Boston Globe, a fight broke out Sunday night at the Cash Money/Ruff Ryders concert at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Six people have been reported injured and one is in critical condition. Five of the victims were reportedly stabbed and another was struck in the head with a marble bench. One arrest has been made so far. According to police Deputy Superintendent Laurence Robicheau, "There was some kind of confrontation between different groups that were either participating in the performance or were gathered as VIP." The concert-goers weren't aware of the fight but were asked to leave around 11 p.m. DMX and Eve never had the opportunity to grace the stage. Boston based rap group, Made Men, reportedly had been in a conflict with several of the artists.
The next Cash Money/Ruff Ryders tour was in Pennsylvania at the First Union Center Spectrum. The concert has since been cancelled. A Universal Records spokesman said that "The Cash Money entourage had already performed and left the building at the time of the altercation." The Big Tymers, which is comprised of Cash Money CEO and producer, Baby and Mannie Fresh, will release their sophomore album, I Got That Work on May 16th. Naomi Campbell Suffers From IllnessAccording to the New York Post, Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been battling a "violent" illness for two years. The condition is believed to be caused by a stomach virus that she developed during a vacation in India. The disease is said to strike randomly with debilitating symptoms. Valerie Campbell, Naomi's mother, told London's Sunday Express, "When it hits her, she is left really low and in a lot of pain. Her worst attack reportedly came last month in Paris when the model was taken to the hospital. Naomi called me at about seven and said, 'Mum, I don't feel very well.' The next thing I knew, Naomi's boyfriend was on the phone telling me to get to the hospital quickly. The poor girl was just burning up with fever and she had terrible diarrhea and vomiting. It was just so sudden and so violent."
This was not the first attack and doctors have been unable to find a cure. Doctors at the Paris hospital have put the model on antibiotics because they aren't sure of how to treat her symptoms.
April 11, 2000 Diana Foils Supreme Reunion Diana Ross announced today that she is gearing up for "The Return of Love" tour, with The Supremes of sorts. Though officially called a reunion, Ross has hired two replacements, Scherrie Payne and Lynda Lawrence for the tour. Diana left The Supremes in 1970 to embark on her solo career. The Supremes were formed in 1959 with Diana, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard as the Primettes. Cindy Birdsong joined The Supremes in 1967 after the death of Ballard. Ross has never performed with the new Supremes but they have performed with Wilson, when she headlined the group after Diana's departure. The tour is expected to start this June in Philadelphia. Wilson and Birdsong were approached but price agreements couldn't be settled. Though Wilson and Ballard aren't as well known as Diana, Wilson believes it is unfair to call the tour a Supremes reunion. Ross will also be featured on Divas 2000, a tribute on VH1. The VH1 performance will also feature performances by Faith Hill, Mariah Carey and Donna Summer. Romeo Must Die Soundtrack, Drag-On Debut on Top TenN'Sync continues to reign this week at No. 1 on SoundScan's Top 200 Album Sales with their sophomore effort No Strings Attatched. The album has sold over 800,000 copies this week totaling 3 million copies since its release. Santana, who was dethroned two weeks ago, holds tight at No. 2 selling over 200,000 units this week. The hit packed soundtrack to Romeo Must Die debuted this week at No. 3 and Sisqo gained one spot at No. 4 with his solo debut, Unleash The Dragon. Meanwhile Drag-On's first effort, Opposite Of H20, debuted at No. 5. Finishing off the top ten is Dr. Dre holding steady at No. 6 and Ice Cube, who plunges four spots to No. 7 this week. Destiny's Child moved up one spot to No. 8 and has already sold close to 3 million copies of Writing's On The Wall since its release, despite the re-grouping. Macy Gray falls 2 spots to No. 9 and DMX returns to the top 10 at No. 10. Honorable mention goes to Common who's Like Water for Chocolate debuts at No. 16.
April 10, 2000 Ziggy Marley Endorses the Hemp Bar Reggae star Ziggy Marley has become the official spokesperson for the Hemp Bar. The energy bar was created by Govinda's Fitness Foods in San Diego, California, and highlights the various nutritional properties of the hemp seed. The energy bar is also comprised of chia seeds, honey, organic puffed amaranth, candied ginger, and sea salt.
The Hemp Bars, which are sold in health stores, will also be available at concerts of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Marley's nonprofit organization Unlimited Resources Generating Enlightenment (URGE). The organization benefits underprivileged people around the world. Marley, a three time Grammy winner, is the son of reggae legend Bob Marley. He has recorded seven albums. His most recent, Spirit and Music, was released last year. Big Punisher's CelebrationSome of hip hop's elite came out to show support at Big Punisher's album release party at Jimmy's Bronx Café. Celebrities attending the event included Fat Joe, Cuban Linx, Terror Squad, Big Pun's wife, Liza, Voletta Wallace (Biggie's mom), Guru of GangStarr, Eminem, Ras Kass, Big Lez formerly of Rap City, M.O.P., Donell Jones, Chris Lighty of Violator Management, Channel Live, Funkmaster Flex, Tony Touch, Capone-N-Noreaga, DJ Red Alert, Sadat X, and Inspectah Deck. Donell Jones also performed and sung the hook of his duet with Big Pun, "It's So Hard." Joe performed a few tracks too, and had the crowd pull out their lighters when Pun's songs were played. Meanwhile, Noreaga described Big Pun as one of the realest rappers in hip hop who wasn't star struck or putting on any industry facades.
The show was more of a celebration of the deceased Latino hip hop great than a party for his sophomore album, Yeeeah Baby. At the celebration of life for Pun, Cuban Linx performed his heartfelt tribute "Flowers For The Dead." During the performance, emotions took over and Joe had to finish the song. The event also had a special video presentation of rappers and singers paying tribute to Big Pun featuring Canibus, Cuban Link, M.O.P., Talib Kweli, and R.L. of Next.
Unfortunately though, all did not end well. Some idiots disrespected the memory of Punisher by starting a melee and causing the celebration to end. In the words of Pun, "It's so hard", for the hip hop culture to come together and party peacefully.
April 9, 2000 Dr. Dre Wins Court Battle A Los Angeles judge has ruled in favor of Dr. Dre in a contract dispute between him and music industry executive Dick Griffey. Judge Malcolm Mackey ruled that the deal was "unconscionably unfair." Dre claims that he never signed the contract in which he supposedly agreed to give Griffey 25% of his profits from 1991 to 1993 in return for Griffey agreeing to serve as Dre's mentor.
Mackey said that that the contract was grossly unfair to Young and out of line with standard entertainment industry contracts. Dr. Dre said that he felt "vindicated" by the ruling. "Justice was served. That's about it. I get to keep my money." Griffey's attorney, Amanda Metcald, said that she would appeal.
Griffey headed SOLAR (Sound of Los Angeles) Records who controlled the majority of R&B in the 80's with groups like Midnight Star, The Whispers and Shalamar. Griffey was also responsible for discovering La Face Records label heads Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid. Griffey signed their group The Deele. B.I.G. Night Out Raises Over $250,000The annual B.I.G. Night Out reportedly has raised over $200,000. The event was held last Tuesday at New York City's Chelsea Piers. B.I.G. Night Out is a gala benefit that raises money for The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, an organization that provides educational assistance in honor of the late rapper's name. His mother Voletta Wallace founded the organization. MTV's Ananda Lewis hosted the event, which featured performances by Mary J. Blige and Faith Evans. The founders of the clothing line FUBU were also honored with the "B.I.G. Award" for their contributions and support of local communities. The Notorious B.I.G. was killed on March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles, California. Puffy May be Cleared of Gun ChargeSean "Puffy" Combs may be exonerated in his weapons and bribery cases. His body guard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones and rapper Shyne may possibly testify that Puff didn't touch a gun on the night of the shooting if granted separate trials. The latest information is reportedly contained in a 69-page motion that was filed to dispel the weapons and bribery charges against the record mogul. If the motion fails, Puff's lawyers will still seek a separate trial. Puffy is due back in court on May 16th.
Shyne, whose real name is Jamal Barrow, has been indicted on attempted murder charges for his shooting at the nightclub. Shyne could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted of either the attempted murder charge or the assault charge in the first degree. The rapper first garnered his attention with his vocals sounding immensely like Bad Boy's greatest MC, the late Notorious B.I.G.
In March, Wanya Morris released a solo project, Millenium Renaissance. The album is a compilation from artist from his Wanmar Entertainment production company. Morris has one solo on the album, which is distributed by Mercury Records. Featured artists include rap artists Freddie Fingaz and R&B crooner Will Guice.
April 7, 2000 Mariah Cancels Show Due to Illness Pop princess Mariah Carey was hospitalized in Boston yesterday after suffering from food poisoning and dehydration. Carey apparently fell sick after eating some raw oysters in Atlanta over the weekend. However, Ms. Carey did perform in Atlanta on Saturday, April 1st. When she arrived in Boston to perform to another sold out show at the Fleet Center, she was quickly admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital. She was treated and is currently in "fair" condition. The diva is to remain at the hospital for several days of rest. The cancelled show has been rescheduled for Thursday April 13th. TLC Preparing to Jump the BroomWhile currently on break from touring and recording, TLC¹s T-Boz and Left Eye have other plans. It has been confirmed by a spokesperson for LaFace Records, who handles the group, that Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was in fact seen ring shopping with her beau, model Sean Newman. Left Eye is also still working on her solo effort. Plans are still up in the air, but she has been talking about collaborations with many artists, such as Lil¹ Kim, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, and even Country star Chris Gains, also known as Garth Brooks.
Meanwhile Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and rapper Mack 10 have made plans to wed in August, and are expecting their first child. Mack 10, Ice Cube, and WC, collectively known as the Westside Connection, are scheduled to release their sophomore album, tentatively titled Re-Up, in May. Boyz II Men Inks deal With CAABoyz II Men has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation in new media, television, films and concert tours. A CAA music representative stated that though the fellas haven¹t done any feature films or television presentations yet, "they want to do those things." The group was formally represented by the William Morris Agency. They are managed by Southpaw Entertainment. Boyz II Men are scheduled to release their fourth album this fall, tentatively titled Nate, Mike, Shawn And Wan. Their current single, Amazing, is featured on The Hurricane Soundtrack.
In March, Wanya Morris released a solo project, Millenium Renaissance. The album is a compilation from artist from his Wanmar Entertainment production company. Morris has one solo on the album, which is distributed by Mercury Records. Featured artists include rap artists Freddie Fingaz and R&B crooner Will Guice.
April 6, 2000 Tony Toni Tone's Dwayne Wiggins Address Police Brutality With the recent verdicts in the Amadou Diallo and Abner Louima cases, Dwayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone speaks out on police brutality with his debut solo single "What's Really Going On (Strange Fruit)." In the song, Wiggins tells of his own experience of being a racial profiling victim by police officers in his hometown of Oakland, California in 1999. The song also includes lyrics from Billie Holiday's 1939 song "Strange Fruit," which was a tribute to lynching victims. Wiggins said, "I am protesting with my music. My guitar is my shield and always has been. It always makes a way. I'm not a political person, but it is my obligation to fight these wrongs every step of the way, especially for those like Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond who can no longer fight. The Diallo case is just one of many such cases and these poor verdicts are three steps backwards for African-American people. And it's not just about New York or Oakland or the USA, but this situation is sending a message worldwide that a Black man's life is not worth anything in America, and that is a dangerous message to send." A citizen's review board in Oakland held a hearing on the matter in summer 1999 and ruled in Wiggins' favor. As a result, Wiggins now has a lawsuit pending against the Oakland Police Department for civil rights violations. Dwayne Wiggins will release his solo debut entitled Eyes Never Lie on May 2nd. The album will feature such artists as Carlos Santana, Hootie & the Blowfish's Darius Rucker, and jazz saxophonist Najee. Najee is featured on "What's Really Going On (Strange Fruit)." Cosby Says Farewell Bill Cosby's CBS sitcom Cosby will come to an end after a four year run next month. The show marked Cosby's return to television after his highly acclaimed "The Cosby Show" ended its seven year run on NBC. The season's episodes have already been filmed and don't contain any series-ending story lines. The final show is scheduled to air on April 28th. The show stars Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Doug E. Doug, T'Keymah "Crystal" Keymah, and Jurnee Smollett. For three years Cosby led his 8 p.m. time slot but has resented the network's time changes and preemptions. The show was also hampered when cast member Madeline Kahn died of cancer in December. Cosby and CBS officials mutually agreed to end the show.
April 5, 2000 The Saga Continues for Destiny's Child In the gang code, having your name "X'd" out means you're dead. Well with the latest Destiny's Child drama, the writing is definitely on the wall. Former group members, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson recently filed a lawsuit against their former band mates Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland and Matthew Knowles, Beyonce's father and manager of the group. According to MTV, the lawsuit claims that LeToya and LaTavia exiting the group over "creative differences" is false and that they "have not withdrawn from the Destiny's Child despite the defendants' wrongful and malicious efforts to force them to do so." They have since been replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin who are also named in the suit. LeTavia and LeToya said that they had no intentions of leaving the group but wanted to end their management contract with Knowles. Knowles is described as greedy and having high compensation for his duties despite "his lack of music business experience." The girls claim that he made them unaware of concert appearances in an effort to destroy their careers. The lawsuit filed in Harris County District Court in Texas also charges their former group-mates and manager with breach of partnership and fiduciary duties. Destiny's Child has since cancelled all press interviews while they continue to tour with Brian McKnight and prepare for their opening act performances with N'Sync. N'Sync Does the Impossible They said it couldn't be done. Carlos Santana has finally been uprooted from his presumably cemented position at number one on SoundScan and downgraded to second in charge. N'Sync now claims the number one spot with the release of their sophomore album, No Strings Attached selling over 2.4 million copies and shattering opening week release records. Since Soundscan's conception in 1991, only Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard, Garth Brooks' Double Live and the Backstreet Boys' Millenium have sold in excess of 1 million records in a week. Ice Cube also debuted his latest work, Vol. 2 - War and Peace: The Peace Disc at number three while Pantera and Sisqo came in at four and five respectively. Not to be out done by his partner in rhyme, fellow NWA member Dr. Dre came in at six with his Dr. Dre 2001 LP. Macy Gray followed in at seven while WWF Aggression, the album which features hip hop MC's rapping theme songs for some of wrestling's top stars, clotheslined its way into the number eight position. Despite the group's ongoing civil war, Destiny's Child clenched on at the number nine rank as Kid Rock closed out this week's top ten. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, DMX, and Christina Aguilera also did well this week as they came in at eleven, twelve, and thirteen.
April 4, 2000 Second Annual B.I.G. Night Out a Success The Second Annual B.I.G. Night Out was held last night at New York City's Chelsea Piers. The star-studded event, which was thrown by Voletta Wallace, mother of the late Notorious B.I.G., benefits the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation. Last year's benefit raised over $250,000 for the foundation that seeks to provide educational aid to children in Biggie's hometown of Brooklyn as well as other areas in need. Event organizers honored the founders of FUBU, an urban apparel company, with the B.I.G. Heart Award for their support of local communities. MTV's Ananda Lewis and Ron Grant were on hand to host the show. Also in attendance for the evening were Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Hot 97 DJ's Angie Martinez and Steph Lova, and Bad Boy executive Harvy Pierre, among others. Unfortunately, Bad Boy CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs could not attend since he is currently on tour in Europe. The Night Out also featured performances by Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, and DJ Mister Cee. Ricky Williams Goes A.W.O.L. New Orleans Saints running back Ricky Williams has dropped Master P's No Limit Sports Agency as his official representative. Leland Hardy, an agent working for No Limit Sports Agency, originally handled Williams's contract and management negotiations. Williams will now be represented by Leigh Steinberg, whose client roster includes quarterbacks Steve Young and Troy Aikman and basketball star John Starks. Williams, a University of Texas alum and Heisman trophy winner, has been with the Saints for his entire two-year career. His seven-year contract included an $8.8 million signing bonus along with a seven-year $68 million deal that was based on incentives that included him averaging at least 1,600 yards per season. Last year, Williams was plagued by injuries and only ran for 884 yards on 253 carries. His disappointing season and unattained rushing goals apparently leaves him guaranteed the league minimum of $160,000. Edgerrin James, who superceded Williams in the draft, grossed close to $15 million last season and is also represented by Steinberg. Steinberg plans to renegotiate Williams' contract.
April 3, 2000 Chuck D Speaks at We The Future 2000 Chuck D, founder of the politically conscious rap outfit Public Enemy, will be on hand for the FIRST [Foundation for Individual Responsibility and Social Trust] We The Future Convention 2000. He will be speaking on the future of the First Amendment. The event will take place on Saturday, April 15th at 1pm at the Drexel University Great Hall on 32nd and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. We the Future 2000 is a weekend long event with conventions and workshops to discuss topics effecting young adults of today. Those in attendance will be able to speak directly to the candidates to get some answers and see where they stand. Other guest speakers include Congressman Chaka Fattah, Wendy Kopp, President of Teach for America, and Dr. Arthur Shostak of the World Future Society. Registration fee is $100 and $50 on Saturday for anyone who is 18-35 and wants to have their voice heard. For more information call (215) 241-7980 or log on to www.wethefuture.org Britney Spears Suffers Mild Concussion Pop female sensation Britney Spears recently suffered a mild concussion and received four stitches while shooting the video for the title track of her forthcoming album, Oops!SI Did It Again. According to www.britneyspears.com, a camera fell off the pole on to her head. Lynne Spears, Britney's mom, said, "Everyone was shocked and speechless. Brit tried to assure them that everything was okay. But, about that time one of the crew screamed because Brit was bleeding terribly from the head. This, in turn, scared Brit to death. The doctor was called to the set and he checked her over and told her to lay down for a while (after he stitched her head up with four stitches.) Brit then said she began to feel sick. No doubt, she had a concussion. She rested for about four hours, then finished the video at midnight." The incident occurred last week during a three day video shoot. Spears is currently on tour promoting her forthcoming album, Oops!SI Did It Again!" Here is list of her tour schedule: Wednesday, March 29, 2000, Greensboro, NCFriday, March 31, 2000, Tampa Bay, FL Saturday, April 1, 2000, Miami, FL Sunday, April 2, 2000, Daytona Beach, FL Tuesday, April 4, 2000, New Orleans, LA Thursday, April 6, 2000, Greenville, SC Friday, April 7, 2000, Roanoke, VA Saturday, April 8, 2000, Charleston, WV Sunday, April 9, 2000, Knoxville, TN Thursday, June 15, 2000, Charlotte, NC Friday, June 16, 2000, Raleigh, NC Saturday, June 17, 2000, Virginia Beach, VA Sunday, June 18, 2000. Manassas VA Tuesday, June 20, 2000. Baltimore, MD Wednesday, June 21, 2000, Hartford, CT Saturday, June 24, 2000, Hershey, PA Tuesday, June 27, 2000, Wantaugh, NY Wednesday, June 28, 2000, Wantaugh, NY Sunday, July 2, 2000, Holmdel, NJ Monday, July 3, 2000, Holmdel, NJ Wednesday, July 5, 2000, Camden, NJ Friday, July 7, 2000, Chicago, IL Saturday, July 8, 2000, Milwaukee, WI Sunday, July 9, 2000, Detroit, MI Sunday, July 16, 2000, St Louis, MO Monday, July 17, 2000, Kansas City, KS Wednesday, July 19, 2000, Dallas, TX Thursday, July 20, 2000, San Antonio, TX Friday, July 21, 2000, Houston, TX Wednesday, July 26, 2000, Denver, CO Thursday, July 27, 2000, Albuquerque, NM Friday, July 28, 2000, Phoenix, AZ Saturday, July 29, 2000, Irvine, CA Monday, July 31, 2000, Los Angeles, CA Tuesday, August 1, 2000. Concord, CA Thursday, August 3, 2000, San Diego, CA Friday, August 4, 2000, Las Vegas, NV Sunday, August 6, 2000, Sacremento, CA Tuesday, August 8, 2000, Mountain View, CA Thursday, August 10, 2000, Portland, OR Friday, August 11, 2000, Seattle, WA Monday, August 14, 2000, Salt Lake City, UT Monday, August 21, 2000, Pittsburgh, PA Monday, August 28, 2000, Boston, MA Wednesday, August 30, 2000, Saratoga Springs, NY Thursday, August 31, 2000, Cleveland, OH Friday, September 1, 2000, Cincinnati, OH Saturday, September 2, 2000, Indianapolis, IN Sunday, September 3, 2000, Columbus, OH Tuesday, September 5, 2000, Nashville, TN Wednesday, September 6, 2000, Atlanta, GA Saturday, September 9, 2000, Orlando, FL Sunday, September 10, 2000, West Palm Beach, FL
April 2, 2000 Nas & Me'shell N'degeocello to Headline Music Festival The 7th Annual Music Midtown Festival will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from Friday, May 5th to Sunday May 7th. Me'shell N'degeocello and Nas are some of the featured performers at the outdoor concert. The concert will be held on more than 35 acres from Ralph McGill to Pine Street and from Piedmont to Bedford Place. The Renaissance Park and Bedford Place Park have also been included in the concert location. Known as Atlanta's springtime tradition, the festival offers music and food from around the world. Music Midtown 2000 will feature world-class entertainment of international, national, and local artists. Other acts scheduled to appear include Too Short protégé, Baby DC, Jagged Edge, The Supremes featuring Mary Wilson, Speech, and blues legend KoKo Taylor. Lil' Zane & Sauce Money to Tour Priority Records is preparing to take over hip hop again with the album releases of Sauce Money and Lil' Zane. Sauce's Middle Finger U is scheduled to be released on May 23rd. The album features collaborations with Jay-Z, Puffy, and Memphis Bleek. The first single, "For My Hustlaz," was filmed at his alma matter Allen University. Sauce will soon begin a promotional tour with Black Rob, Lil' Zane, Jagged Edge, Trick Daddy and 3-6 Mafia. In addition, Zane will launch his promotional tour on March 31. Lil' Zane will release his debut album entitled Young World: The Future on June 26th. Lil' Zane is currently featured on the Next Friday soundtrack with his hit single "Money Stretch." His first single from the album will be "Callin' Me" and features R&B group 112. Zane recently performed at Vibe Online/Macy's Fashion show. Stay tuned for Zane's performance on Vibe Online. Here is Lil' Zane and Sauce Money's tour schedule.
Sauce Money, Lil' Zane, Black Rob, Jagged Edge, Trick Daddy, 3-6 Mafia Tour:
Lil' Zane Tour:
April 1, 2000 Black Film Festival Honors Nia Long The Acapulco Black Film Festival will host its annual convention in Mexico this year from June 5th through June 10th. The Festival brings together established filmmakers, popular film stars, writers, directors, industry executives, emerging artists, and producers for a six-day think tank of screenings, workshops, panel discussions, networking and more. This year's festival will include panel topics including "The Best Man: A Film Success Story," "Filmmaking and New Technology," "Independent Film Financing," and "Hip-Hop & Hollywood." The Black Filmmaker Foundation and the Acapulco Black Film Festival (ABFF) were established in 1997 to create an internationally recognized competitive showcase for independent Black cinema. Each year the festival presents awards for the films that are shown during the festival. This year the festival will present Audience Awards for Best US Film, Best International Film, and Best Work-In-Progress, The Lincoln Filmmakers Trophy, and the HBO Short Film Award. Master P To Be Honored Master P will be honored at the ABFF Festival Awards on June 10th with the "Film Entrepreneur Black Star Award" for his work in such films as I Got The Hook Upand I'm 'Bout It. Nia Long will be awarded "Star of the Year" for her performances in films such as The Best Man and In Too Deep, while Melvin Van Peebles will receive the "Byron E. Lewis Trailblazer Award." Peebles is the father of Mario Van Peebles and directed such blaxploitation flicks as Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and Don't play us Cheap. The Festival's Advisory Board includes such actors, directors, and producers as Debbie Allen, Bill Duke, Tracey Edmonds, Isaac Hayes, Reginald Hudlin, and Robert Townsend. Townsend will host the awards presentation.
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