Diddy Gets 'Inventive' On Remix Album

The next album effort from rap mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs will be a remix compilation titled "P. Diddy & Bad Boy Records Present ... We Invented the Remix," due May 14 from Bad Boy/Arista. The 14-track set will include previously unavailable remixes of songs by the likes of Ashanti, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, the Notorious B.I.G., and Combs himself.

The album's lead track, "I Need a Girl (Part One)" by P. Diddy featuring Usher & Loon, achieves its highest-yet chart position this week at No. 4 on the Hot 100. Other notable cuts include "I Need a Girl (Part Two)" credited to Diddy featuring Ginuwine, Loon, Mario Winans, and Tammy Ruggeri, and "Unfoolish," a remix of Ashanti's No. 1 "Foolish" (Murder Inc./Def Jam) featuring Notorious B.I.G.

The disc will also include an enhanced section with video footage for two of the album's tracks -- "I Need a Girl (Part Two)" and "Special Delivery" by G. Dep featuring Ghostface Killah, Craig Mack, and Keith Murray -- alongside a biography and photo gallery of Bad Boy's roster.

Combs' most recent album, "The Saga Continues...," debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 last July and featured the singles "Bad Boy for Life" and "Let's Get It."

Here is the track list for "We Invented the Remix":

"Intro Interlude"
"Special Delivery," G. Dep featuring Ghostface Killah, Keith Murray, & Craig Mack
"I Need a Girl (Part Two)," P. Diddy featuring Ginuwine, Loon, Mario Winans, & Tammy Ruggeri
"Bad Boy for Life," P. Diddy featuring M.O.P. & Busta Rhymes
"I Need a Girl (Part One)," P. Diddy featuring Usher & Loon
"Remix Phenomenon Interlude"
"Unfoolish," Ashanti featuring Notorious B.I.G.
"Dance With Me"/"Peaches & Cream," 112 featuring Beanie Sigel and Ludacris
"No More Drama," Mary J. Blige featuring P. Diddy
"So Complete," P. Diddy & Cheri Dennis
"Notorious B.I.G.," Notorious B.I.G featuring P. Diddy & Lil' Kim
"That's Crazy," P. Diddy featuring Black Rob, Missy Elliot, G. Dep & Snoop Dogg
"Woke Up in the Morning," Carl Thomas featuring Notorious B.I.G.
"You Gets No Love," Faith Evans featuring G. Dep 

- By Troy Carpenter

Wyclef Continues The 'Masquerade'

Former Fugees principal Wyclef Jean has wrapped work on his third solo album, "Masquerade," due June 18 from Columbia. First single "PJ's" has begun to get early airplay on U.S. radio outlets; audio and video clips of the track and a behind-the-scenes video can be streamed from Jean's official Web site (http://www.wyclef.com).

In typical Jean fashion, the new album is laden with notable guests and a handful of bizarre covers (Jean's 2000 set, "Ecleftic: Two Sides Of The Book," found him collaborating with Kenny Rogers and covering Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"). "Two Wrongs" features Claudette Ortiz of R&B trio City High, while "You Say Keep It Gangster" features Butch Cassidy and Sharissa. M.O.P., Bumpy Knuckles, and Miri lend their talents to the album's title track.

The 19-track "Masquerade" also finds Jean tackling Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," the Four Seasons' 1994 No. 14 Hot 100 hit "(December 1963) Oh, What a Night," and a revamped version of "What's New, Pussycat?," penned by Burt Bacharach and popularized by Tom Jones. Jones makes a guest appearance on the updated edition of the track.

"Ecleftic: Two Sides Of The Book" debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 9 on The Billboard 200. It included the single "911" featuring Mary J. Blige, which reached No. 6 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

Here is the tracklist for "Masquerade":

"Message to the Streets"
"Peace God"
"PJ's"
"80 Bars"
"Masquerade" featuring M.O.P., Bumpy Knuckles, and Miri
"1-800-Henchman"
"You Say Keep It Gangster" featuring Butch Cassidy and Sharissa
"Party Like I Party"
"Oh What A Night"
"Pussycat" featuring Tom Jones
"Midnight Lovers"
"Two Wrongs" featuring City High's Claudette Ortiz
"Instant Request"
"Thug Like Me "
"Daddy"
"Knockin on Heaven's Door"
"The Eulogy"
"War No More"
"The Mix Show"

- By Jonathan Cohen

April 29, 2002

Eminem Goes After Moby, Limp Bizkit On 'Without Me'

Rapper also singles out one 'NSYNC member to dis. Love him or hate him, Eminem is back to being his old, abrasive self on his new single, "Without Me."

On the first release from The Eminem Show, due June 4, Eminem, who produced the song himself, displays his continued mastery of rapping with various flows while riding a track that sounds like a mix between g-funk and disco.

The MC complains about the FCC and proclaims that the world needs a little controversy, adding that MTV would feel hollow without his presence. Likely referring to Bubba Sparxxx, Slim Shady gives his take on the Caucasian rappers who have put out music since his emergence, saying there are a lot of fish in the sea but that without him it would feel so empty.

Taking time out from his affirmations, Eminem throws a few jabs at some of his peers. He raps about kicking 'NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick and Limp Bizkit where the sun don't shine, the latter a retaliation to a feud that arose when Bizkit's DJ Lethal took Everlast's side in a war of words between him and Eminem.

Eminem's most unexpected retaliation, however, is against Moby, who spoke out against the rapper's controversial lyrics at the time of the 2001 Grammys, where the accused homophobe performed with Elton John. Eminem raps that at 36, Moby is too old to be in tune with what people want to hear and that "nobody listens to techno."

The jab is not going to start a lyrical feud with Moby, however. The electronic music guru wrote in his online journal Friday (April 26) that he's honored to be name-checked in the single.

"The weird thing is that I actually do think that Eminem has skills as an MC, but it disturbs me that he glorifies homophobia and misogyny in his songs, especially seeing as his listeners are, for the most part, very impressionable 10-year-old boys," Moby wrote. "I won't be dissing him back (given the fact that my skills as an MC are terrible), ... but I will say, as I said before, that musicians need to assume a certain artistic responsibility when their fanbase is very, very young.

"From my perspective, any music that glorifies abuse, misogyny, homophobia or racism is disturbing, but especially so when it's targeted to a fanbase of 10-year-old boys," he continued. "If you're reading this, Eminem, thanks for the dis. No hard feelings from me."

Moby didn't entirely resist poking fun at the rapper, ending his posting with a P.S.: "Was anyone else amused when that 'Radio don't even play my jams' song ('The Way I Am') was on the radio 30 times a day?"

The video for "Without Me" premieres May 1 on MTV.

As for The Eminem Show, the first 2 million copies released in the U.S. will include a bonus DVD containing such features as concert footage, interviews, lyrics and the trailer for Em's movie, "8 Mile," which is slated to hit theaters November 8.

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Corey Moss

N.W.A May Still Have Attitude, But They Don't Have An Album

Reunion LP unlikely to happen anytime soon, Dr. Dre says.  Formerly victims of cops and censors, today's N.W.A members are victims of their own success.

At the turn of the century, Dre and fellow original members Ice Cube and MC Ren as well as Snoop Dogg (filling in for the late Eazy-E) recorded a track for the "Next Friday" soundtrack, performed together on television and the Up in Smoke Tour, and talked of an N.W.A reunion album called Not Those N****z Again.

Two years later, the reunion album is still just talk.

"I would love to do it, but it's just like, that seems like a project that is close to impossible to get done because all of us are doing so much other stuff," Dre said recently. "You can't make a record if you can only get together once a month. It would be really difficult."

As one of the most in-demand producers in the game, Dre's 2002 schedule includes albums by veterans Eminem, Xzibit and Rakim as well as newcomers Truth Hurts, Knoc-Turn'Al and Shaunta.

And Dre, who along with his production work is also recording his next solo release, is not the only rapper straight outta Compton with a busy schedule. Cube and Snoop are both recording albums and working on their burgeoning acting careers.

"This is how it would take place," Dre explained. "All of us would have to get together and go out of town for like a month. If we just stayed around each other for a month just to get it started and get it rollin' and get everybody excited about it, then I think it could happen. All of us being here in L.A., [it will] never happen."

Actually, the N.W.A reunion album is not the only high-profile project Dre has set aside because of his cluttered calendar. He also has yet to begin work on Chairmen of the Board, a dual album with Timbaland.

"We're still talking about it, actually," Dre said. "The idea hasn't dissolved away. Again, it's just a matter of us finding the time to come in and get it down. I'm not sure how we would do it, but it would definitely be most of the new artists we [are] working with involved in it."

Dre's Detox isn't due until 2003, but plenty of his production work will be heard in the next few months with the releases of The Eminem Show and Truth Hurt's Truthfully Speaking.

- By Corey Moss

April 26, 2002

Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Dies In Car Wreck

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, member of hip-hop R&B group TLC, was killed in a car accident Thursday in Honduras, her record label reported early Friday. "We had all grown up together and were as close as a family. Today we have truly lost our sister," said her band members, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas, in a statement released by Diggit Entertainment.

Lopes was on vacation in the Central American country where she often visited, said TLC manager Bill Diggins. He received a phone call about 11 p.m. Thursday from authorities in Honduras, reporting the accident. Diggins said seven other people were in the vehicle at the time of the accident and no one else was injured. He was told that Lopes was killed instantly.

"No words can possibly express the sorrow and sadness I feel for this most devastating loss," said Antonio "L.A." Reid, president and CEO of Arista Records, who has known the group for about 10 years. "Lisa was not only a gifted and talented musical inspiration, but more importantly, she was like a daughter to me. My thoughts and prayers are with Lisa's family and friends. Her legacy will be remembered forever."

Lopes would have turned 31 next month, according to her Web site.

Funeral arrangements were pending. The service is scheduled to take place in Atlanta.

Lopes recently launched her solo career with the album "Supernova," released internationally earlier this year. She rose to stardom as a member of TLC -- named for the members' initials -- with hits such as "Waterfalls," "Baby, Baby, Baby" and "No Scrubs."

Lopes also gained notoriety in 1994, when she set fire to the Atlanta-area mansion she shared with football-player beau Andre Rison. Seven years later, the couple planned to marry, but the wedding was called off at the last minute.

Lopes, known for her rap verses in many of TLC's hit songs, played on her nickname by covering her left eye with a condom in the band's early years as a symbol of safe sex. Later, she underscored her left eye with black paint like a football player.

TLC had been recording a new album in an Atlanta studio for release later this year.

- By Denise Quan

Coolio Explains Where He's Been Hiding

When are fans gonna hear sumpin' new from Coolio?  Rapper will release his fourth album, Coolio2002.com, in June. 

Soon, according to the rapper, who made a surprise appearance at the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards to explain where he's been the past few years: "I've been in the lab, man."

His fourth album, Coolio2002.com, is scheduled for a June release and will be "hot," Coolio promised. "I ended up doing so many songs that I had a lot of stuff to pick from. I've basically got an album full of singles."

The disc will include an updated version of "The Gambler" called "The Hustler" that Coolio recorded in 1998 with Kenny Rogers. The unlikely pair also shot a video that Coolio said may finally see the light of day.

Coolio has also collaborated with Cypress Hill's B-Real and producers the Trackmasters (Jay-Z, Ludacris) and plans to record a song with Snoop Dogg. "I also got a four-piece band that I rock with that plays behind me," he said. "My whole thing is a little bit different now. My flows are polished."

Along with Coolio2002.com, the rapper has formed a collective called the Replacements.

"It's a five-man group, kind of like, for lack of a better description, let's just say a West Coast Wu-Tang, but different in sound and structure," Coolio explained. "One of them is my nephew, the other cat was a freestyle champion here at a club called Elements for about a year, nobody could take him down. He finally retired, undefeated. And another cat by the name Dre Infinite, he actually used to be a rapper, probably a few less years than me. Mobillini is probably the newest cat. He's got a Southern drawl. He's actually from Baton Rouge."

Outside of rapping (and appearing on "The Weakest Link"), Coolio has been acting. He's appeared mostly in low-budget movies, though he just shot scenes for "Daredevil," an action movie starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner based on the popular Marvel comic book series.

"It's something that came kind of naturally, so it was an easy transition," Coolio said. "Acting is all about timing. I mean, who has better timing than the MCs?"

- By Corey Moss

April 25, 2002

A Notorious S.U.I.T.

The family of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. filed a federal civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit claiming the Los Angeles Police Department failed to live up to its "serve and protect" motto.

In a lawsuit launched Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the family of the portly hip-hopster, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, claims the LAPD, its current and former police chiefs and others didn't do enough to prevent the rapper's murder five years ago.

Biggie was gunned down on March 9, 1997 outside L.A.'s Petersen Automotive Museum, where he had been attending a music industry wingding.

Filed on behalf of Wallace's widow, Faith Evans, his mother, Voletta Wallace, son, Christopher Jordan, daughter, T'Yanna Dream, and her legal guardian, Florence Jackson, the complaint names the city of Los Angeles, current LAPD chief Bernard Parks, former chiefs Willie Williams and Bayan Lewis, former police officer David Mack (who was allegedly at the scene of the crime) and Amir Muhammad, a man police considered a possible suspect in the murder but never formally charged.

According to court documents, the family accuses the LAPD of not protecting Wallace despite evidence of increasing bad blood between the rapper's East Coast contingent (Biggie was part of Sean "Puffy" Combs' New York-based Bad Boy Entertainment) and West Coast rappers (led by Suge Knight's Death Row Records). The suit cites the bicoastal rap rivalry, and the drive-by-shooting death of Wallace's rival rapper Tupac Shakur six months earlier as reasons the LAPD should have been more prepared.

"Certain persons intimately associated with Death Row Records and an affiliated street gang had consistently exhibited significant animosity toward Christopher G.L. Wallace and his record label, and blamed Wallace and his record label for the death of Shakur," the suit states.

Wallace's heirs claim the LAPD was fully aware of the tensions between the two camps and "alleged criminality" involving Death Row Records.

Their suit alleges that several corrupt LAPD officers were "working alongside of suspected and convicted criminals for Death Row Records and/or were socializing with or affiliated with a certain street gang."

"The Los Angeles Police Department took no extra precautions to secure the party venue, no steps to investigate, discipline or prosecute those officers involved with Death Row Records or an affiliated street gang," the family alleges in court papers.

The family says the LAPD also refused to fully investigate Wallace's death "as soon as it became apparent" that several of its own were intimately connected. (Wallace's mother has long contended that police either ignored or stalled their investigation.)

The family is seeking undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages.

An LAPD spokesperson refused to comment on the case, citing pending litigation.

- By Josh Grossber

Eve Wraps Movies, Starts Album

Third solo album due this summer. Eve is in New York City working on her yet-to-be-titled third album, which she hopes will drop to coincide with the mid-summer openings of her two recently wrapped feature films, Barbershop and XXX. "I feel like I'm in a good place musically," she says. "I have to figure out who I want to work with on this album. I don't want a lot of people, so I just kind of have to narrow it down. Swizz [Beatz], of course, and Trackmasters, and hopefully Dr. Dre."

The set will be the follow-up to 2001's multi-platinum Scorpion, which cemented the Ruff Ryders rapper's viability as a solo artist.

Of her upcoming films, Barbershop -- which also stars Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer -- will open first, on July 12th. XXX, an action flick with Vin Diesel in the lead, will premiere August 2nd.

"It's a passion now," Eve says of acting. "Two years ago, I didn't want to do it. And now I just love it."

- By Augustin Sedgewick

April 24, 2002

Jennifer Lopez, Nas Stay Around The Way For 'Alright' Video

Clip for remix to 'I'm Gonna Be Alright' reminiscent of Lopez's upcoming thriller flick 'Enough. Jennifer Lopez may jaunt from continent to continent like all multi-platinum movie stars do. But J. Lo is still an around-the-way girl, both in her upcoming video and at heart.

And when she's sitting out on the stoop, undoubtedly one MC she's pumping out of her boom box is Nas, who appears on her new single, the remix to "I'm Gonna Be Alright." She was in full hip-hop enthusiast mode when she called to politick the collaboration.

"I love Nas," she gushed on Saturday in New York. "I've been a fan of his since his first album. I could [recite] all the words by heart. It was just a dream to be able to work with him. He said he would do it and he did it just like that. [Nas and I] shot the video here in Spanish Harlem a few days ago."

J. Lo said the cut is somewhat reminiscent of her upcoming thriller flick "Enough," where she has to skate out of a relationship with a baddy.

"The song relates to the movie that's coming out at the same time," she explained. "It's about being in a relationship that you know is not good for you but you know you're gonna be OK [once you end it]. [The video] is basically about a day in the life of this girl who has this going on in her head. I also wanted the set in a neighborhood that was real and capture the essence of how I grew up. I grew up in the Bronx — it had the same kind of urban, city flavor. [The video captures] all the essences — guys playing dominoes, girls sunning on the side of the street because they don't wanna take the bus to the beach."

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Gideon Yago

Mariah Goes From MurderInc. To The Club With DJ Quik

West Coast MC is new addition to Carey's growing list of cohorts.
DJ Quik has joined the list of Mariah Carey's collaborators for her next effort.

On Monday, the West Coast MC/ beat miner said he had already completed a track where he took the diva "to the club."

"[I took her] to the low riders," Quik said of the still-untitled track's beat. "It's 808-thick."

Quik's going back in the lab with Mariah soon to record a ballad, he said.

"Mariah is serious," he observed. "It's funny, I didn't get a chance to do her vocals, but I like how she takes the recording process seriously. She's not in there lollygagging, wasting time. She's in there writing harmonies with her girls. It was real cool.

"It don't hurt that she's real fine," he added. "She's real easy on the eyes."

Last week, Murder Inc. producer 7 Aurelius (Ja Rule, Jennifer Lopez, Ashanti) said that he, too, had been in the studio working with the multiplatinum pop queen.

Carey is indeed working on a new LP, Mariah's spokesperson said, but she's still talking to labels and has neither a home for the record nor a release date. Quik said that when the album does come out, Carey should be able to bounce back from the jeers she received over her last project, the soundtrack to "Glitter."

"I think 'Glitter' was a hoax," Quik said. "In my opinion, I think she got caught in something that just didn't work. I think it was partially timing, too, and the fact [there weren't any] really strong singles.

"I think she can come back," he continued. "Her fans should allow her one wack album. They allowed me one."

- By Shaheem Reid

April 23, 2002

Eminem, Ludacris, Papa Roach, X-ecutioners On Summer Tour

Trek, while still without an itinerary, expected to kick off in July. Eminem, Ludacris, Papa Roach and the X-ecutioners will tour together this summer on a still-untitled outing. Dates have not been finalized, but a spokesperson for Papa Roach said the tour will begin in July.

Eminem and Papa Roach, who shared a bill on the Anger Management Tour in the fall of 2000, will both be promoting new high-profile releases.

Slim Shady's The Eminem Show is due June 4, while Lovehatetragedy, Papa Roach's second major-label album, is due June 18.

Ludacris, who recently finished a headlining club trek, will be supporting last year's Word of Mouf, which features the hit single "Saturday (Oooh! Oooh!)."

The X-ecutioners are veteran DJs who are enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to their star-studded second album, Built From Scratch.

"It's crazy right now," the group's Swift said earlier this month. "We're really trying to prepare ourselves mentally for all the touring that's coming our way. And a lot of people want to work with us and stuff like that. It goes to show that our music is reaching a lot of people."

- By Corey Moss

Ja Rule Puts Enrique Iglesias At Top Of Hit List

Rapper/singer/actor/songwriter excited about track penned for 'Hero' crooner. The hit-seeking phone calls to one of rap's busiest workhorses aren't showing any signs of letting up. While Ja Rule has recently been linked to the likes of City High's Claudette Ortiz for collaborations, he said the one he's most excited about is the tune he's penning for crooner Enrique Iglesias.

"It's once again showing my versatility," Ja says of the track. "If I give Enrique Iglesias a hit record, you're gonna look at me different. That's what, to me, music is about.

"I love making music — all kinds of music," he continued. "Now that I have the opportunity to do it, I'm gonna show the world some sh--. Just give me a minute to do it, just give me a chance to do it. I'm going to perfect my craft. You're gonna hear a lot of good music from Ja Rule in the next few years."

With genuine modesty, he said, "There's been a few people out there [calling on me] since the inception of [Mary J. Blige's] 'Rainy Dayz' and [Jennifer Lopez'] 'I'm Real,' I'm not on all the records — I'm just writing the records for them. I'm having fun just doing that. I don't gotta be on every record."

For now, Ja seems to have found his niche with the female-friendly party records that showcase him as a songwriter, rapper and vocalist.

"People like to call what I do 'singing,' " he said, laughing about his scruffy crooning on "Rainy Dayz." "If I could sing, I would really sing ... but I can't do it. What I have created is my own style of singing, something everybody else can feel comfortable with hearing me do and do themselves, because it's what everybody wants to do.

"I bring that to people who can't really sing," he continued. "I'm the dude they're looking at and saying, 'I can do what Ja Rule does. He ain't really singing.' When they hear Mary's part, they don't wanna sing that. They be like, 'She's really singing. I don't wanna embarrass myself trying to do what she's doing.' "

- By Shaheem Reid

April 19, 2002

Tyrese Injured In Motorcycle Accident

Singer hit gully in Riverside, California, desert and flew 50 feet when bike hit. Tyrese had a serious run-in with a gully on Friday while riding his motorcycle with friends in a Riverside, California, desert.

According to his spokesperson, Tyrese didn't see the gully coming and he flew 50 feet when his bike hit. The 23-year-old, who was driving the same 955I Triumph Datona motorcycle as he did in the "I Like Them Girls" video, was rushed to Ranchos Spring Medical Center in Riverside, suffering cuts and bruises all over his body and severe back pain.

He was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Monday for back treatment and is expected to stay there through the weekend. His spokesperson said he's in stable condition.

The injury has halted recording on his third solo album, which will be his first as part of Clive Davis' J Records camp. Tyrese, who signed with J in December, had just begun work in the studio last month. His spokesperson said the album's release depends on when Tyrese gets well and finishes up. They hope to have it ready for fall. If not, they plan to hold it until the beginning of 2003.

As for his other gig as an actor, Tyrese had been auditioning for a few roles, but he has no firm commitments at this point.

- By Shaheem Reid

KRS-One Attacks Pop Rap On Underground Compilation

The Difference, featuring Dilated Peoples, Craig Mack and others, is due in June. Sure, everyone likes a little Jay-Z, Nelly and DMX party music now and then, but sometimes you just want a bit more to chew on, and for a lot of people that means turning to the world of underground rap.

The Difference, a compilation of 12 new songs due in June on the Official Jointz label, is already catching a buzz thanks to "Clear 'Em Out," an alleged Nelly dis track by KRS-One featuring Tonedeff. According to the album's producer, Domingo (Fat Joe, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony), when he asked KRS-One if the track was a direct attack on the St. Louis rapper, KRS denied it. But the streets — not to mention the album's press release — say otherwise.

Lyrics like "You tired of me saying what's real hip-hop/ Well I'm tired of you biting my sh-- to go pop" and "Sales don't make you the authority/ It only means you sold out to the white majority" leave little doubt that, directed at Nelly or anyone else, KRS is not a fan of mainstream hip-hop.

Kool G Rap, while also featured on the album, isn't as aggressive about commercial music as KRS is. "I'm not concerned with what anyone else is doing," he said. "I'm just concerned about what I'm doing."

The Difference is populated by such other underground heroes as Dilated Peoples, Punch & Words, the Cocoa Brovaz, Big L, Royal Flush and Craig Mack. The acts were enlisted, according to Domingo, to make a difference in hip-hop music, hence the title of the album.

"Hip-hop is so fabricated right now," Domingo said. "We're trying to bring it down to where it really came from: the underground, the streets. A lot of these cats got mainstream songs, but the whole point of the album was not to do so-called commercial music. We thought, let's put out an album that may not satisfy mainstream ears but the ears of people that want to listen to hip-hop how it was."

The typical underground aesthetic of gritty beats and rhymes abounds on The Difference, heard most clearly in the brief appearance by Tonedeff, whose voice and flow bear a striking resemblance to Eminem's.

Domingo, who was discovered by Marley Marl but said he owes his success to Fat Joe, has personal relationships with all of the acts on the album, making it a labor of love for all involved. But it wasn't just an opportunity to get together and have a good time, he said. This album means something to the artists involved.

"Domingo is not just a producer," Kool G Rap said. "He's a real hip-hop culture-oriented person. He didn't just do this for a couple of dollars like a lot of people just jumping into the game now. He loves it."

Track listing for The Difference, according to Official Jointz:

• "Certified Official" - Dilated Peoples
• "Rumble" - High & Mighty
• "Irrationally Speaking" - Sean P. (a.k.a. Ruck) f/ Illstar
• "Blow It Up, Shut It Down" - K-Slash f/ Mr. P.R.
• "Clear 'Em Out" - KRS-One f/ Tonedeff
• "From the Child to the MC" - Rise
• "Native New Yorker" - Punch & Words
• "Play No Games" - Cocoa Brovaz f/ Mr. Yuk and Animal Cub
• "The Ha Ha Ha" - Craig Mack
• "Watch Yo Mouth" - Deacon the Villain
• "Double Up" - Royal Flush, Big L, Kool G Rap f/ Ma Barker

- By Abbey Goodman

April 18, 2002

Snoop Prepping Doggy Style Compilation, Working On Solo LP

Rapper also set to play hustler in flick 'Boss'n Up.' The first album spawned by Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style Records partnership venture with MCA is about to hit. Welcome to Tha House Volume 1, featuring Bigg Snoop Dogg, Soopafly, LaToiya Williams, Mr. Kane and E-White (collectively known as the Doggy Style All-stars), will be released on July 30, according to a source close to the project.

The first official single will be Williams' R&B tune "Fallen Star." That video is set to start filming May 1 in Los Angeles. "Locs at Night," by Mr. Kane, and the camp posse cut "Doh'Doh'," produced by Hi-Tek, will also be released to mixtape and mix show DJs in the next few weeks. Around the same time the album drops, a documentary will be released — also titled "Welcome to Tha House" — on VHS and DVD. 

On the solo tip, Snoop is working on his next LP, Bigg Snoop Dogg Has Paid Tha Cost to Be Tha Boss, which is set to drop in late September. Hi-Tek, Just Blaze, Fredwreck, Battle Cat, the Neptunes, DJ Scratch and new Dogg House in-house producer Quazedelic have all supplied beats.

As he's doing with the label compilation, Snoop is also going to put out a film to accompany his album. He's starring in "Boss'n Up" as a hustler from Long Beach, California, named Corde, who moves to Miami. While in the M.I.A, Corde learns the ins and outs of pimping and builds a dynasty with the help of hordes of ladies of the evening. 

Interestingly enough, Snoop's fans will have a chance to own his real-life big pimpin' mobile, the Snoop Deville. He's going to be giving the vehicle away as part of a contest that promotes his album.

Snoop's other acts, Tha Eastsidaz and Doggy's Angels, whose albums are put out by TVT Records, are both in the lab working on LPs as well.

- By Shaheem Reid

Will Smith Preps Next LP, New Tracks For 'MIB2'

'Nod Ya Head' rapper/actor's first new material since 1999.Walking away empty-handed from the Academy Awards might faze some people. Will Smith is not some people.  The former Fresh Prince is already onto his next project and taking it back to where it all began: the recording studio. Smith's next album, which is still untitled, will hit stores on June 25.

Hot on the heels of that release, Big Willie will reprise his role as Agent J in this summer's "Men in Black 2," the sequel to the 1997 blockbuster. Two songs from Smith's forthcoming LP will be featured in the movie. One, "Nod Ya Head," will also be the first single. The other has not yet been revealed.

"Nod Ya Head" marks the first new material from Smith since 1999's Willennium, which featured "Will2K" and "Freakin' It."

- By Abbey Goodman

April 17, 2002

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Get Bobby Brown For LP, Claim He's 'Like Tupac'

They put a new sound into the rap game, walked past the musical crossroads, died and were resurrected on wax. So what does life after death have in store for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members Bizzy, Layzie, Wish and Krayzie?

For starters, they've been working with the original R&B thug, Bobby Brown, on their new LP, aptly titled Thug World Order.

"It's a song talking about everything everybody is talking about; their cars and their jewelry," Krayzie disclosed on Wednesday in New York. "We got that but we don't need that to shine."

On the yet-to-be-titled track, Brown takes it back to his "Every Little Step" days, both singing and rapping on the cut.

"Dude is like Tupac," Layzie said. "He's off the hook. He's live. He wrote the rap in his head in like five minutes. Dude was cool to work with. He's real professional. You could tell when you work with him, he's been doing this since 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Mr. Telephone Man.' His work ethics is like Tupac."

"When people hear it, they gonna say, 'OK, OK,' " Bizzy chips in. "It's not no joke. He's holding his own too. If you can get on a track with these brothers and hold your own with these brothers right here, you're alright with me."

Bizzy said that the rest of his group members are now cool with him, too, and the collective maintain they've never broken up despite the reports of friction between them the past few years.

"When you get some sh-- that's good and you see it try to do something different, people can't handle that," Wish said about everyone pursuing solo projects in addition to their group effort. "Rumors get out. But for us, it's all about the music, period. We're always going to come together and do the music. We got to."

The group does admit to years of feuding with Tomica Wright — the wife of their deceased mentor, Eazy-E, current CEO of Ruthless Records and a woman Bizzy has been quoted as calling "The Black Widow." After some contract renegotiations, everything with Ruthless has been resolved, and Wright even traveled with the foursome on the trip to New York.

"Basically, we had to fight to get what we wanted in order for us to get down with Ruthless the way we was gonna get down with them," Layzie said. "We had to negotiate. That's in anybody's career. At that time, we wasn't happy and Bizzy wasn't going to move until things got to where we was making the money we wanted to make."

"What I think made things a lot easier is when we took a stand as a unit, as a whole," Bizzy added. "Once we did that, we were taken a little bit more serious and were given what we wanted and everybody is happy with what we have. We were always that group, that act on the label that held it up. [We] kept the bricks in the building and kept the lights on."

Layzie said that even though they haven't put out an LP in a couple of years, it didn't take long for those little light bulbs in their heads to illuminate with ideas.

"It's just like riding a bike," Layzie said. "Once you learn how to do it, you never forget it. We're Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — when we come together at any time, any place, our chemistry is already on. We love each other for one. Two, the respect [is there], and three, we love making music. The chemistry is always gonna be there if we was doing solos for two or three years apiece. Making Bone albums, in two seconds the chemistry is on with just eye contact."

Bone Thugs said they're coming with a more political slant this go round, and in addition to the title track, they have songs called "Take Charge," "Bad Weed Blues," "Not My Baby" and "Cleveland Rocks" with their hometown homeboy Avant. Snoop Dogg's artist Mr. Kane also sings on the LP. Thug World Order is due out this summer.

- By Shaheem Reid

Nate Dogg Busted For Possession Of Pot, Stolen Gun

Singer arrested outside Kingman, Arizona, Friday when tour bus pulled over for speeding. Nate Dogg spent a good part of his weekend answering to police officers.

The singer, born Nathaniel Dawayne Hale, was arrested on Friday, just outside of Kingman, Arizona, when his tour bus was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 40. According to Ron Delonge, a lieutenant with the Kingman Highway Patrol, the arresting officer smelled what he thought was marijuana. A search of the vehicle turned up a handgun, which was reported as stolen, and four ounces of pot.

Nate, who was traveling with eight others, was the only one formally charged and arrested. He was released on bail the next day after posting a $3,500 bond. Officer Delonge said the case is still under investigation.

Delonge also said both charges are felonies, and if convicted, Nate faces up to one-and-a-half years for the weapons charge and three years for the drug possession.

A spokesperson for Nate's record company, Elektra, had no comment.

- By Shaheem Reid

April 16, 2002

Mary J. Blige: Live In Berlin

Queen of hip-hop soul delivers usual motivational speeches, passionate vocals.  Even where she doesn't speak the native tongue, Mary J. Blige still gets her point across.  The queen of hip-hop soul didn't cut back on her usual motivational speeches and minister-esque lectures during her concert Friday night at Columbiahalle, a converted gym in Berlin's Tempelhof district. The crowd ate up every word, despite the likelihood that Blige's rapid-fire chatter and sassy-sista slang baffled even the most advanced English students in the house.

But M.J.B. communicates with everything she's got. At the end of "Children of the Ghetto," the singer — clad in a black D&G tank top, skintight pants and a sparkly, cabaret-style hat — shouted, "I'm a child of the ghetto, and I gotta keep my head up, I gotta keep my spirits up," while jerking and jolting her body in a way that effectively conveyed the struggle.

"When I say ghetto, some people just think of a poor neighborhood, but let me tell you something about the ghetto," she continued after the song's completion, holding up her index finger and waving it like a mother saying, "Nuh-uh" to her child. "It's not just a poor neighborhood. It's a mentality. Some people call it ignorance. And it's in every neighborhood — rich neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods.

"Because the ghetto," she concluded, pointing to her head, "is here." The crowd burst into cheers, apparently having gotten the gist: Mary J. doesn't need no hateration or holleratin'.

Blige often reminds her fans about the rough times behind her — the days when she hated herself, hadn't yet found God, and got messed up with drugs and men who did her wrong. But she usually drops these reminders only so she then can give them the bright side and proclaim how her fans and God saved her, how it's all good now.

"It's nice when people make you feel like somebody, when they make you feel loved, but the most important kind of love is when you find love for yourself," she said before heading into "My Life." "I wrote this song when I didn't love myself. I didn't want to be here. I didn't know who God was. But now I know who he is and I want to live and live and live."

The show was essentially divided into three acts: a get-the-party-started opening, a midsection of ballads and then another series of dance-oriented songs leading up to a "Family Affair" finale. Not surprisingly, each segment came with its own attitude and costume.

Blige's voice made its entrance before she did — she sang the opening lines of "Love," from No More Drama, before emerging in jeans and a tight gray tank top. Sporting shoulder-length golden locks and hipper-than-thou shades, Blige was all confidence and feistiness as she led her six-piece band, three backup singers and troupe of dancers through a batch of high-energy numbers spanning her 10-year career. She got the strongest response when she reached all the way back to her 1992 debut, What's the 411?, for "Real Love," "Reminisce" and "You Remind Me," a sign that long-time fans represented a good portion of the crowd.

"I wasn't expecting Berlin to have so much love for Mary," Blige said. "This is ridiculous."

Her vocal talents shined the brightest during the section of ballads, for which she wore the black showgirl outfit. Gruff one minute and smooth as velvet the next, her voice sounded like it's only become richer from months on the road. She hit the greatest highs with "Children of the Ghetto" (a cover of the Eddy and Chris Amoo tune), "Not Gon' Cry" and "Your Child," capping off the latter with a rant against deadbeat dads.

Introducing "Seven Days" from Share My World, Blige took a moment to speak to her sistas. "Ladies, we're about to go somewhere, and when we come out, no one's ever gonna be able to mess with us again," she said. Ever the girl's girl, Blige has always shown concern for her female fans with broken hearts, urging them to remember that those scrubs ain't never gonna be worth their tears.

To get things moving again, the diva donned what was basically an all-white version of her cabaret-inspired getup, complete with a matching hat, and launched into "No More Drama." The song evoked the strongest response when she hit the lyric, "It's up to us to choose/ Whether we win or lose/ And I chose to win." While her dancers boogied behind her, Blige paced the stage and made fervent pleas to stop the drama. After finishing the number, she spent a minute mulling over September 11 and the war on terrorism and called for unity and peace.

"This war that we're having is so unnecessary — tell me why," she said. "We've got to stick together."

The singer returned to the stage for an encore of "Family Affair," her Dr. Dre-produced hit that calls for everybody to get on up and dance their troubles away. The number was the consummate finale, with Blige and her dancers making the best of the bounce. Under a hail of confetti, the crowd sang and danced along, proving that they'd indeed left their "situations at the door" and "got it crunk," just as the lyrics ordered.

No doubt, Blige's message had gone through.

- By Teri vanHorn

Nelly's 'Hot In Herre' — So Hot, He Needs An Extra 'R'

First single reflects 'wild' session with old pals the Neptunes. Nelly has plan of attack together now. After going back and forth while choosing what type of a song he wanted to go with for his first single off of Nellyville, the St. Louis MC decided to keep the party going with "Hot in Herre," produced by the Neptunes.

"It's pretty banging," Nelly said Monday (April 15) of the track, the title of which incorporates his thick vernacular — "There" is "Derre," while "Here" is "Herre."

Working with the Neptunes, whom he's known since the days when he had no record deal and they sold tracks for "dirt cheap," was pretty banging as well. "Not [that] they've been putting out anything else but [heat]," Nelly observed. "They stay with the banging [songs]. They was on fire. ... It sounded hot.

"They pretty much try to tap into whatever artist they're working with and feel what they think is going to be hot," he added. "Then they also take ideas from you. We came up with something that was pretty stupid."

Nelly remembered that the ultra-energized session made it easy for them to name the song. "They wild, and I'm wild," he said. "I don't know what's coming out from them. They don't know what's finin' to come out from me. It was just like, 'Put the beat on, stand back and let's go to work.' It was hot in there. 'Hot in Herre.' Gotta keep the slang on there."

Another track you'll be hearing when Nellyville drops comes courtesy another joint effort with a camp outside of his faction. Nelly said he and St. Lunatic member Murphy Lee just finished a remix of "Roc the Mic" with Beanie Sigel and Freeway. That collaboration was politicked after Free and Beans performed the song at this year's Soul Train Awards.

"I was congratulating them, because the song is stupid," Nelly recalled. "I like to give props — I've never been a hata. If I see something that's hot, I'm 'a say it, because I want my just due. I was like, 'Holla at me about the remix.' They turned, like, 'Word?' I was like, 'Word.' We exchanged numbers, and it went down like that."

Nellyville is due on June 25.

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

April 15, 2002

Nas, Jay-Z Guest On Next Scarface Album

Battling rappers appear on separate tracks; Beanie Sigel also contributes. Nas and Jay-Z will finally appear on the same album this summer, though fans who've waited years for the dream-team collaboration shouldn't get too hyped — the lyrical pugilists guest on separate tracks on the new LP by hardcore hip-hop legend Scarface.

"Face," as he now officially calls himself, will drop The Fix on July 2, according to his spokesperson. "Guess Who's Back," which features Jay and Beanie Sigel, is already creating a buzz on mixtapes, and a second track, "My Block," is soon to follow. Face's rep says to expect yet another single, "Heaven Part 2," within the coming months.

Face is still in the studio plugging away at the album and has only confirmed Jay, Beans and Nas as guests so far.

- By Shaheem Reid

Cat Burglar Ja Rule Steals Away With Chuck, Vita, Ashanti

Rapper shoots sequel to his 'Down Ass Chick' clip. "Where's Ja?" Ja Rule screams, imitating Clarence Williams III, one of the detectives chasing him in his video for "Down Ass Chick."  "That's my dog right there."

In the clip, Ja and song co-star Charli "Chuck" Baltimore play cat burglars and Williams and partner Eric Roberts are on the case. During one of their heists, Baltimore gets caught and goes to the big house. The cops let her out of jail, hoping she'll lead them to Ja. The hunch pays off and the clip ends cliffhanger-style with the cops closing in on the unsuspecting thieves as they lounge on a beach.

"Part two is fun," Ja said of the clip's sequel, which is the video for the song's remix. "We get away. You're really not supposed to get away with crimes when you're doing a video. It's not that we're getting away, but we made a spoof on [the idea that] you can't do the crime and get away. The 'Down Ass Chick' remix video is us just balling out, having a blast. It's paradise. We're just having a good time, partying, showing the good side of life and not showing us getting caught."

And why wouldn't Ja have a joyous time? In the song and the video he's surrounded by nothing but women — Chuck, Vita and Ashanti.

"The remix is crazy, featuring all the ladies of Murder Inc.," Ashanti said. "You know, your down-ass chicks. We're talking about the Murder mommies being Ja's chicks."

- By Shaheem Reid

April 11, 2002

Alicia Keys, George Clinton Jam With Prince In Times Square

Doug E. Fresh, ?uestlove, Musiq Soulchild also join in at nightclub party. Alicia Keys, George Clinton, ?uestlove and Doug E. Fresh were among the surprise guests to appear onstage with Prince early Wednesday morning at Times Square's The World nightclub.

Free for members of Prince's NPG Music Club, $40 for nonmembers, the show began at 2 a.m., a few hours after a full concert uptown at the Lincoln Center.

With bassist Larry Graham (who appeared briefly at the previous show) and saxophonist Candy Dulfer joining most of Prince's core band — Renato Neto on keys, John Blackwell on drums, Maceo Parker on sax and Greg Boyer on trombone — the freeform funk session began with a Prince oldie, "Joy in Repetition." As the slow groove morphed seamlessly into funk classics like James Brown's "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing" and a repeat of "Pass the Peas," the lineup altered randomly as well.

Clinton, whose P-Funk All-Stars had played the club earlier in the evening, stuck around to play while most of his gang headed for Cleveland. Dr. Funkenstein wandered out early in the show, rasping, "We do this/ This is what we do" over a basic funk groove. P-Funker Gary Shider also hung back and later provided vocals on Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music."

Original beat box rapper Fresh, a veteran of Prince aftershows, moved the jam to a lengthy old-school rap interlude including "La-Di-Da-Di" and returned later to engage Blackwell in a beat box/drum duel. Musiq Soulchild joined the crew for "Just Friends." At some point — so much was going on that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly when — ?uestlove took over on drums and Rhonda Smith took over on bass.

While Prince played bass on "777-9311," Keys whirled in like a welcome storm, improvising lyrics. Admitting an inner dialogue she enjoyed earlier, she recalled herself saying, "Self, if you were to die tomorrow, God forbid, what is the one thing you would want to do tonight?" And with that she sat with Prince at the keyboards to sing her own energetic version of "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" and played on "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker."

The show ended at 4:05 a.m., with Prince asking (rhetorically, one would assume), "Did we turn it out?"

- By Robin Rothman

Ashanti Beats Tweet To Debut At #1 On Albums Chart

'Oops (Oh My)' singer's Southern Hummingbird comes in at #3."I feel so crazy right now — just in the air," Ashanti said when she learned that her self-titled debut would claim the #1 spot on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart.

She heard the news while visiting a radio station in New York. Murder Inc. CEO Irv Gotti paged the R&B star with the SoundScan figures: #1 with more than 500,000 copies sold. The "Foolish" singer was so excited that she and her friends celebrated with a bottle of Dom Perignon live on the radio.

It was clear that Gotti was proud of Ashanti. "I'm a dreamer. I always say we can go beyond our expectations, but she went beyond my expectations," he said. "I've never been speechless in my whole career, but I'm speechless."

And with good reason. Ashanti's first-week numbers were so big, she outsold the #2 artist, Celine Dion, and #3 artist, Tweet, combined. Former chart-topper Dion's A New Day Has Come sold more than 260,000 copies. And Tweet, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's protιgι and the artist billed as Ashanti's direct competition, flew Southern Hummingbird into third place, selling nearly 195,000 albums, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (April 10).

Although Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 9 comes in at #4, the hits collection sold only about 193,000 copies — less than half of what it did the previous week. The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack spends its 67th week on the chart at #5 with around 91,000 copies sold.

The bottom half of the top 10 holds no surprises. The Best of Both Worlds by Jay-Z and R. Kelly takes #6 (around 82,000 copies sold). Avant's Ecstasy moves into #7 in its second week, while "The Scorpion King" soundtrack holds steady at #8, and Ludacris and Pink round out the list, coming in at #9 and #10, respectively.

Aside from the two debuts — Ashanti and Tweet — only three artists in the top 100 sold more albums last week than the week before: Nappy Roots (Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz, up 13 spots to #28 with 39,000 copies sold), John Mayer (Room for Squares, up 23 spots to #38 with 28,000 sold) and the White Stripes (White Blood Cells, up 55 spots to #61 with 17,000 sold).

Other climbers include Jay-Z's The Blueprint, which makes a 51-notch jump to #137 in its 30th week, following the release of Jay's latest single, "Song Cry." The Baha Men, proving they're more than one-hit wonders, rise 31 places to #64 with Move It Like This. Drowning Pool's Sinner climbs 48 spots to #96, and Phantom Planet, whose "California" has been getting a lot of burn lately, jump 31 spots to #143 with The Guest.

Darren Hayes' Spin, meanwhile, is in a tailspin, plummeting 46 spots to #132. While volume nine is doing well in the upper reaches of the chart, volume eight of the Now That's What I Call Music! series drops 30 notches to #73. Also losing their footing are Jars of Clay, whose Eleventh Hour slips 29 places to #104.

In a pretty sparse week for chart debuts, standouts include Lil' J's All About J (#148), Apex Theory's Topsy-Turvy (#157) and Course of Nature's Superkala (#166). Even though it's not a new album, Res' How I Do squeezes onto the chart for the first time at #200.

- By Abbey Goodman

April 10, 2002

Eminem To Pay $100,000 To Man Who Kissed His Wife

Rapper settles out of court with man he allegedly struck repeatedly with unloaded gun.  Eminem has settled the civil lawsuit brought against him by the man he allegedly assaulted for kissing his then-wife Kimberly Mathers.

The rapper will pay John Guerra $100,000 minus attorney fees, an amount determined by a panel of three impartial attorneys who heard evidence from both sides in what is known as a case evaluation.

Although Eminem's attorney, Peter Peacock, told The Macomb Daily the settlement was more than his client hoped to pay, and Guerra's attorney, John Gaber, said it was less than his client wanted, both agreed to the sum rather than taking the case to trial. Neither party admits to liability or wrongdoing under the settlement, which was reached in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

Guerra sued Eminem for assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress a few days after the rapper confronted him outside the Hot Rock Sports Bar and Music Cafe in Warren, Michigan, in June 2000, allegedly striking him several times in the head with an unloaded handgun.

"I truly believe he was going to kill me. He was in such a rage," Guerra said at the time. "I actually lived through a nightmare and survived a nightmare."

In a criminal case stemming from the same incident, Eminem pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and is currently serving probation. The rapper is serving a separate probation for brandishing the same gun earlier that day to an affiliate of the Insane Clown Posse.

The run-ins were especially high-profile, as they occurred the same week Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP debuted at the top of the Billboard albums chart, selling a record 1.76 million copies, the most for any solo act.

The Guerra incident garnered additional attention when Eminem filed for divorce from Kimberly Mathers two months later.

Guerra's attorney told The Macomb Daily that his client's kiss was a friendly gesture of goodbye. "It's not like they were climbing into a back seat to make out or anything," he said.

Eminem's third album, The Eminem Show, is due May 28.

- By Corey Moss

Musiq Bids Fans To 'Juslisen'

Musiq, the artist formerly known as Musiq Soulchild, returns May 7 with his sophomore Def Soul album, "Juslisen." The set is the follow-up to 2000's "Aijuswanaseing," which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured the top-30 R&B/hip-hop singles "Just Friends (Sunny)," "Love," and "Girl Next Door." First single "halfcrazy" is No. 19 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart this week.

Musiq (real name: Talib Johnson) tells Billboard that many songs on the 18-track album, including "halfcrazy," are based on personal experiences. "It stems from a true story," Musiq says of the single. "The song itself is not how the story goes, but, like most of my songs, it stems from something that I've been through. We chose that as the single because it cuts through everything that's going on right now in the category that I'm in musically. It's just an alternative way of listening to the same type of music."


And while Musiq and his writing partner Carvin Haggins wrote the majority of the tracks on album, "Juslisen" also features a cover of the George Harrison-penned Beatles classic "Something." The idea was suggested by Def Jam/Def Soul president Kevin Liles. "I didn't know why until I heard about George Harrison's passing. After I recorded it, I was surprised, not because I thought I wouldn't like it, but because I surprised myself."

"I wanted to do it the way that the Beatles did it, but I'm not in that space yet," Musiq continues. "So I had to translate it into the space that I'm in right now. The space that I'm in is a house that was built by Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Otis Redding, Bobby Womack, George Clinton, and Donny Hathaway, so I had to use formulas relative to those artists."

Musiq will join such acts as Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, the Roots, P. Diddy, and Fat Joe tonight (April 9) for the UrbanAID2 benefit at New York's Beacon Theatre. 

- By Rashaun Hall, N.Y.

April 8, 2002

R. Kelly Settles Civil Suit, Defends Himself On Radio

R&B singer reaches agreement with woman who says he had sex with her when she was 17.  Though charges have yet to be filed, R. Kelly continues to defend himself against allegations that he taped himself having sex with underage girls. On Thursday, Kelly proclaimed his innocence again, even as he settled a lawsuit with a woman who accused him of seducing her when she was 17.

After protesters shattered R. Kelly CDs at the offices of WGCI-FM in Chicago, urging the station to stop playing his music, Kelly phoned the station to ask his fans to stand by him. The leader of the protest, the Rev. Bamani Obadele, asked Kelly to explain why there was a tape circulating that purports to show him having sex with a minor, and Kelly said he could offer no explanation.

"When you're famous, they expect you to work miracles, and I'm not God," the singer said in one of his few public comments on the issue.

When the story first broke about the tape in February, Kelly told Chicago TV station WMAQ it was a fake. "It's very difficult for me, but you know, I'm innocent," Kelly said at the time. "So it's not that difficult. It's crap, and that's how we're going to treat it."

That same week, however, Kelly settled another civil suit accusing him of having sex with an underage girl, just as more women prepared to file similar cases.

Last week Kelly settled with former Epic Records intern Tracy Sampson for an undisclosed sum, according to attorney Susan E. Loggans. In a $50,000 civil suit filed in August, Sampson claimed Kelly induced her into a sexual relationship when she was 17.

"Kelly took advantage of his occupational status, position of authority and Tracy Sampson's trust and confidence in him to cause her to develop a dependent relationship in him," the suit said.

Sampson's case is not the first such civil suit Kelly has faced, nor does it look to be the last. In 1998 he settled with Tiffany Hawkins for a reported $250,000. Hawkins claimed the singer had sex with her and induced her to have group sex with other teenage girls when she was 15. Additionally, two women represented by Loggans plan to file similar allegations shortly, the attorney said.

Chicago police continue to investigate Kelly and are still trying to authenticate the 27-minute tape they received nearly two months ago, officer Pat Camden said.

- By Jennifer Vineyard

Beyonce's Mom Up For Award

Music video awards show will honor behind-the-scenes contributions.  Amazed by the building-block animation in the White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl" video? Impressed by the choreography in Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head"? Well, you're not alone.

Each year the Music Video Production Association hands out awards to those little-seen yet highly integral members of the music video community — namely, everyone but the musicians themselves. This year Kylie's choreographer and the Stripes' special effects artists are among the specialists up for awards in 26 categories, ranging from Director of the Year to Best Video Produced Under $25,000.

There are also several best video categories, broken down by genre, where clips by System of a Down, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Afroman, Weezer and others will duke it out. The MVPA's 11th annual awards ceremony will be held May 22 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the site of last month's Academy Awards.

Among the big-name video directors up for awards this year are Marcos Siega (System of a Down's "Chop Suey," Jurassic 5's "Influence," the Crystal Method's "Murder," Weezer's "Hash Pipe" and Will.I.Am's "I Am"), Hype Williams (Busta Rhymes' "What It Is" featuring Kelis), Joseph Kahn (U2's "Elevation" and "Stuck in a Moment" and DMX's "Who We Be"), Spike Jonze (Tenacious D's "Wonderboy") and Wayne Isham ('NSYNC's "Pop").

Mark Seliger and David LaChapelle — photographers best known from the pages of Rolling Stone — were nominated for directing Willie Nelson's "Mendocino County Line" featuring Lee Ann Womack and Elton John's "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore," respectively. Roman Coppola, son of Francis Ford Coppola, was nominated for his work behind the lens on the Strokes' "Last Night."

Beyoncι Knowles' mother, Tina, received a nod for her work as stylist on Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious," while Wade Robson, the unofficial sixth member of 'NSYNC, was nominated for the dance moves he taught them for "Pop," which he also co-wrote.

For a complete list of nominees, visit the MVPA Web site (www.mvpa.com).

The MVPA is a nonprofit trade organization whose membership includes most music video production and post-production companies, as well as individuals such as editors, directors, producers, cinematographers, choreographers, makeup artists and others involved in the creation of music videos.

- By Lauren Quigley and Brian Wallace

April 5, 2002

Dr. Dre's Final Album Will Be Hip-Hop Musical

Detox, due next summer, will tell the story of a hit man.  Detox is no place for chronic, so expect something different from Dr. Dre on his third and final album.

"I'm not talking about lowriders and blunts and all that anymore," Dre said at his studio recently. "I mean, that's played. As a matter of fact, I'm tired of hearing other people talk about it, to tell you the truth."

So what is the hip-hop pioneer going to talk about?

"I had to come up with something different but still keep it hardcore, so what I decided to do was make my album one story about one person and just do the record through a character's eyes," Dre said. "And everybody that appears on my album is going to be a character, so it's basically going to be a hip-hop musical."

Detox's story line will chronicle the life of a hit man, describing "what he goes through and how he lives his life," said Dre, who played a trigger-eager crooked cop in "Training Day." "[It's] about his family and how he makes a living."

So far, the album, which Dre said will be his last in front of the mic, is still in the early stages.

"I've been blueprinting, getting ideas together for the past six months or so, just trying to figure out which direction I want to take and how I'm gonna present the project," he said. "Just gathering sounds and what have you. I want this one to be really over the top."

Dre expects to start recording by summer, after he finishes a few tracks with Eminem and upcoming albums for three artists on his Aftermath label, Truth Hurts, Shaunta and Rakim.

He said Detox should be out by summer 2003. "It's probably going to take me like a year to get it all the way together."

One thing that won't get in the way of recording is acting. After roles in "The Wash" and "Training Day" last year, Dre said he will hang up that hat.

"I had fun doing it, but acting ain't really my thing. I am more of a production/director type. I would rather be behind the scenes and organizing and putting things together like that."

- By Corey Moss

Ashanti Hopes 'It's Going To Be OK' Now That LP's In Stores

Meanwhile, big names seek her songwriting services. How does it feel to finally see your debut album hit stores? For Ashanti, it was "a bottle of mixed emotions."

" 'I don't want to think about it.' 'Somebody please call me and tell me what's going on.' [You feel] everything at the sametime," she said on Tuesday. "It's just shooting through the roof. [Last night] I was blasted tired, and I was just thinking, 'It's going to be OK. I did my best.'

"We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the album," she continued. "I have confidence. I was biting my nails a little bit, but I was good."

Ashanti has a flair for understatement. Her career is more than "good" these days. She was shooting up the charts via guest spots with Fat Joe and Ja Rule before she released her own hit, "Foolish," and expectations are high for her album's chart debut.

Singing may not be Ashanti's biggest source of kudos in the long run, said the Long Island, New York, native. Her peers have been calling her to do for them what she did for Jennifer Lopez with the remix to "Ain't It Funny": Write a smash. Enrique Iglesias is among her possible collaborators.

"That's one of the names," she said, smiling. "Hopefully that will go down. A couple of people have been kicking some things in my ear about the lyrics, wanting me to write for them, which is an honor." The 21-year-old recognizes she still has a lot to learn about the music biz, but she's already made a veteran's observation: You can't take everybody up on their offers.

"I'm a real humble person," she said. "It's always hard for me to say 'No' for whatever it is. I try to keep my business on point. If it's gonna hurt me, I try not to put myself in that predicament."

The following night, Ashanti was chilling out with her mother/manager, Tina, in a stretch limo on the way to Philadelphia to continue promoting her LP. As she traveled from New York on Interstate 95, she was in straight cool-out mode for the first time in 48 straight hours.

- By Shaheem Reid

April 4, 2002

P. Diddy Rescued By Loon, Ginuwine, Models Galore In 'Girl, Part 2'

Harleys, house party help rapper solve female trouble. At the end of his video for "I Need a Girl, Part 1," P. Diddy made us wait to see if he could resolve his woman woes. Thankfully one of Diddy's Bad Boys, Loon, revealed that he, Ginuwine and a house full of models help rescue P.D. from the doldrums in the clip for "I Need a Girl, Part 2."

"The first [song], to me, is like a hip-hop ballad," surmised Loon, who also rapped in the original video. "It's real slow, real smooth. The second song is more like a release of Puff [from] dwelling on his female situation. It's more uptempo.

"This joint, we take Puff to [Bad Boy producer] Mario Winans' house, and we're trying to get him to forget about the girl: 'Dogs, Mario is having a party, and it's going to be crazy. It's gonna be a whole bunch of girls there. You need to roll with us. Forget about shorty.'

"We, as good friends and very party orientated people, felt like, 'Dogs, we got the trick for you — slide with us,' " he continued. "We're riding Harley [Davidson motorcycles]. This video is real big: a conclusion to 'Part 1.' "

There is no word from Arista Records, Bad Boy's current distributor, on when the clip will air.

A recent trend with videos is to leave viewers hanging, waiting for a sequel. Usher has a trilogy of clips on his hands with "U Remind Me," "U Got It Bad" and "U Don't Have to Call," while Ja Rule made his latest vid, "Down Ass Chick," a cliffhanger.

What's up with these guys not giving us any sense of closure?

- By Shaheem Reid

Talib Kweli Completes Solo LP, Despite Label Apathy

Mos Def, Bilal, Pharoahe Monch among guests on Kwelity.  You try being a hip-hop star who has not one, but two of your record labels screwing up, and then ask Talib Kweli why he's frustrated.

Quickly, the background: Kweli's original label, Rawkus, recently got a distribution deal through MCA.