Can Bow Wow Match Basketball's Top Dog At The Box Office?

Young rapper's 'Like Mike' opens July 3. Bow Wow possesses the hoop skills of basketball legend Michael Jordan in "Like Mike," but can the artist formerly known as Lil' Bow Wow muster enough movie magic to perform like Mike at the box office?  In his first lead role, the pint-sized rapper stars as Calvin Cambridge, an orphan who joins the NBA after discovering an old pair of sneakers with the initials "M.J." written inside them. The worn-out shoes allow him to run, jump, shoot and dunk like Jordan.

The basketball legend made his own leap to the big screen in 1996 with "Space Jam," a flick that coupled contemporary NBA stars with classic Warner Bros. cartoon characters. "Like Mike," somewhat similarly based in the realm of fantasy, is also stuffed with real-life NBA hoopsters.

"I had a lot of fun working with the basketball players," Bow Wow said. "Having the opportunity, working with people who I admired and looked up [to] growing up on basketball — it was a blessing to be on the same court with them."

Despite having the expertise of stars like Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton on hand, Bow Wow didn't seek their advice.

"No pointers," he said. "I knew what I was supposed to do. I got my own game."

Jordan's flick went on to make $140 million internationally. Can Bow Wow imitate "Space Jam"'s success with "Like Mike"? Audiences will answer that question once the movie opens July 3.

Whatever happens, the teen star plans to stay focused on both films and hip-hop, carefully avoiding any distractions that might deter his career path.

"No girlfriends right now," he said. "I would lose my focus. I have to stay focused on what I do. If I had a girlfriend it would throw me off. I wouldn't be paying attention to none of this — I'd be worried about her."

- By Ryan J. Downey, with additional reporting by Megan Hanley

LL Cool J Puts Fans First In Decision To Tour

Rapper/actor touring before new LP drops, though label would prefer otherwise. When it came to touring, LL Cool J took some important people's wishes into consideration — though they weren't exactly the folks at his label, Def Jam.  "[Def Jam] wanted me to go out after my next album came out, but I couldn't wait,"

- By Corey Moss

June 27, 2002

Goodie Mob's Khujo Badly Injured In Car Accident

Rapper has right leg amputated below the knee. Goodie Mob member Khujo was in a car accident on Monday night and remains hospitalized in Atlanta, according to sources close to his camp. He had his right leg amputated below the knee due to the injuries he sustained.

The Goodie Mob's record company, Arista, has not yet commented or issued a statement to the press, and the full extent of Khujo's condition has not been released. On Tuesday night at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, Big Boi of Outkast told the world of his friend's accident and wished his fellow Dungeon Family member well.

"I just got off the phone with Dre. He's in Atlanta comforting Khujo right now," Big Boi said of his partner's absence at a backstage press forum. "He's in good spirits despite losing a leg."

The Mob's last album, World Party, came out in 1999. One of the foursome, Cee-Lo, released his debut solo LP, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, this spring. Khujo and the rest of the members were said to be working on solo projects as well.

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Corey Moss

Ja Rule, Missy, B2K Win, Suge And Snoop Exchange Words At BET Awards

Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Usher also take home awards. Pass the Courvoisier, because plenty of people have reason to celebrate after the second annual BET Awards here Tuesday.  Black Entertainment Network spread the love at its elegant yet rambunctious ceremony at the new Kodak Theatre by awarding a different artist in all 13 categories.

India.Arie came back from her snubbing at the Grammys by winning Best Female R&B Artist, though her omnipresent competitor, Alicia Keys, didn't leave empty-handed — she took home the Best New Artist title.

Outkast won Best Group for the second year in a row, beating out B2K, who later snagged the Viewer's Choice Award.

Ja Rule was named Best Male Hip-Hop Artist. Three other rappers won awards also: Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy for Video of the Year for "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II," and Will Smith for Best Actor.

Nearly every artist who appeared in front of a microphone throughout the night made a call for unity, shouting "one love" or "black star power."

There was one moment, however, that threatened the spirit of the ceremony, which aired live on the East Coast. When Suge Knight moved to an empty seat near former Death Row Records artist Snoop Dogg during a commercial break, the two shared what appeared to be threatening words. Co-host Steve Harvey asked them to respect BET and Knight walked away before the cameras started rolling again.

If there was a standout figure at Tuesday's event it was Muhammad Ali, who received the Humanitarian Award from Smith (who won for portraying him in the film "Ali") and was treated to a musical tribute from Keys, Angie Stone and Jill Scott. His daughter, boxer Laila Ali, won Best Female Athlete.

Smith stood next to Ali during his acceptance speech and laughed when the boxer said Smith wasn't pretty enough to accurately portray him. "My wife thinks I am," Smith answered. Ja Rule may have actually edged out Ali in camera time, after performing solo and with Ashanti and Mary J. Blige.

There were numerous performance highlights throughout the night, including Ludacris' tree house set, B2K's dancing Michael Jackson tribute and Usher's sexually-charged show, which began as he rose on an elevated bed.

Several acceptance speeches also managed to stand out, such as P. Diddy thank yous from Busta (who was stuck on an airplane) via his 2way, Outkast's Big Boi dedicating his award to Goodie Mob's Khujo, who was injured in a car crash the night before, and Keys, who addressed the Suge/Snoop tension by noting, "We have lost too many people for no reason and we don't need to perpetuate that."

The ceremony also featured a medley performance from Earth, Wind & Fire, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award; and the presentation of the Chairman's Award to gospel singer Bobby Jones.

The late singer Aaliyah, who led the list of nominees, was not awarded in any of her four categories.

The winners at the second annual BET Awards:

• Best Male Hip-Hop Artist - Ja Rule
• Best Female Hip-Hop Artist - Missy Elliott
• Best Group - Outkast
• Best Male R&B Artist - Usher
• Best Female R&B Artist - India.Arie
• Best New Artist - Alicia Keys
• Viewers' Choice: B2K
• Video of the Year - "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II," Busta Rhymes featuring P. Diddy and Pharrell
• Best Gospel Artist - Yolanda Adams
• Best Actor - Will Smith
• Best Actress - Halle Berry
• Best Male Athlete - Kobe Bryant
• Best Female Athlete - Laila Ali

- By Corey Moss

June 26, 2002

Roc-A-Fella Sets 'Paid' For September, Plans Hip-Hop 'Spinal Tap'

Label's film division develops parody of industry, key players. After a healthy serving of hype and a side order of flop, Jay-Z and Dame Dash's Roc-A-Fella Films division is set to release a new full-length movie as well as move into production on another.

More than a year after its completion, "Paid in Full" will finally hit theaters on September 6. The film, which stars Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris (currently starring in HBO's new crime drama "The Wire"), and Roc-A-Fella's own Cam'ron, is based on the lives of legendary Harlem druglords Rich Porter, AZ and Alpo. .

For many theatergoers, the big-screen version of "Paid in Full" will be something of a rerun, as rampant bootlegging contributed to the delay of its original release. In the meantime, Roc-A-Fella Films released the critical disappointment "State Property" as well as wrapped production on its first comedy, "Paper Soldiers".

According to Roc-A-Fella co-CEO Damon Dash, the company's next film project, tentatively titled "Death of a Dynasty," will be another comic effort — this time a parody of the hip-hop industry in general, and of Dash and his franchise player, Jay-Z, in particular.

- By Minya Oh

Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am Launching Fashion Line

I Am Clothing to be available nationwide later this summer.

Nearly every rapper has his own clothing line these days, but there are few with as much credibility as the one crafted by Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am.  The founder of the new I Am Clothing has not only designed outfits for his hip-hop trio and Levi's, he actually studied fashion design in college.

So with the launch of his own line this month, is he applying what he learned?

"Nah," Will said recently from his Los Angeles recording studio. "You can't learn fashion in a classroom."

Instead Will based his designs on his own unique tastes. The rapper is fond of shopping at thrift stores and sprucing up old items with modern touches. His I Am Clothing line, which he debuted with a fashion show/concert this month at the Sunset Room in Hollywood, is a reflection of that.

Unlike the bright and flashy threads designed by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs or Outkast, I Am clothes items are mostly earth tones and have an almost worn look, similar to Diesel.

Will is also focusing more on women's clothing than men's, though both will be available in Los Angeles boutiques by the end of the month and in retail stores across the country later this summer.

"I don't like designing for dudes," Will said. "Dudes are so picky. They aren't willing to try something different like the ladies are."

Will's designs for women vary from bell-bottom jeans to ultra-low-cut tops (a la Jennifer Lopez's famous Grammys dress). His men's clothing looks similar to the comfortable clothes he wears, such as two-tone long-sleeve T-shirts.

The Black Eyed Peas are putting the finishing touches on their third album, due in the fall.

- By Corey Moss

June 25, 2002

Nelly's Guided Tour Of Nellyville, Complete With Pimp Juice

Country-fied rapper talks second LP.  It's funny how artists pick that all-important, omnipresent first single.  Back in March, Nelly wasn't exactly sure how he wanted to start the buzz on Nellyville, which arrives Tuesday. Obviously, with the release of "Hot in Herre" — which was one of the last two songs he recorded for the album — he stuck with what works.

"It wasn't even weird," Nelly said of the song. "We still probably weren't gonna use it as a first single. We let a few people hear it, get a little buzz going, and they were feeling it. It was like, 'OK, we did it,' and then I turned around and did another track after that: 'Dilemma.'

"['Dilemma'] was me just sprinkling little things around, just trying to fill it out and being comfortable with being done [recording]," he explained. "A lot of people ain't being comfortable with being done [recording], like, 'Oh man, I should have did one more joint,' or 'Oh, I should have did that.' "

The most important thing Nelly wanted to accomplish on this album was finding different ways to get his story across. He felt his mission was accomplished.

"Trying new things, man," he said. "I think that comes with keeping it fresh. I came in on a new trick, every time I come in, you gotta think of something new. You gotta come back with something different to stay out there."

One of the Band-Aid-wearing MC's experiments was singing. Of course his melodic chorus harmonizing has powered hits such as "Ride Wit Me" and "Country Grammar," but his first crack at singing for an entire song is "The Gank," a tale of getting stuck for his papers. (Getting "ganked" is slang for getting robbed.)

" 'The Gank' is what people probably will be tripping off of," he forecasted. "I did that on purpose, though. If you listen to the beginning of it, we kind of come on joking. That's how it was. Muthaf---ers was just f---ing with me, like, 'N---a, you be sanging anyway, go ahead and hit a tune for us.' They was just really egging me on.

"I can't sing worth a sh--, but as a rapper, I probably can sing for a rapper," he clarified. "I don't call myself no singer, dirty, 'cause I don't wanna disrespect the muthaf---ers who sing."

Even though the song has both a country and R&B feel to it, Nelly is singing the blues.

"Actually people think it's a love song, but it ain't really like a love song," he said. "It's called 'The Gank,' so you gotta remember that. Toward the end of the song, it kind of comes out that I'm looking for this girl and I can't live without this girl. But the reason why is because baby girl done stole everything up out the crib. She done hit the safe, she done hit the connect. I can't go on 'cause I'm stuck. I owe people money."

Nelly's also unlucky in love in "Dilemma." There, Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child sings about wanting to be with him, but — wouldn't you know it — she already has a man.

"It was cool," he said of the collaboration. "I already knew [Destiny's Child]. We'd been on the "TRL" Tour before, numerous TV and awards shows and just jump-offs like that, so I'm real good friends with them as well as they family. It was just a pleasure, and they're all very beautiful as well as talented. It was just like me doing different stuff. It's like, 'Kelly, OK, damn, nobody's thinking of that.' Baby girl killed it. Her voice is beautiful and she nailed the song."

Nelly nailed "Pimp Juice," at least according to one of his parents. The Lou's biggest representer forgot about needing one girl to ride with and set his sights on enticing flocks of females. Nelly said that his father loved his Curtis Mayfield-like crooning on the song.

"I was feeling that one, dirty," he recalled, letting his gold teeth sparkle. "That Pimp Juice feel. I was just picturing myself in this Cadillac, in my pimp mode. I'm chilling and it's like, 'Oooh, oooh!' It ain't nothing where I go and I sit two or three days sitting and writing. I get into a booth, turn on a beat, let me feel what I'm feeling, let me see what's goin' on.

"I really wasn't gonna put it on the album," he continued. "I did the sh-- just to be f---ing around with it, and people just started loving the sh--, like, 'Yo, this is hot.' My daddy loved it. He was like, 'Oh boy, that's my sh--, that Pimp Juice, oh boy. Yeah, you got one.' "

Don't expect to pick up some Pimp Juice at your local grocery store — it's not for consumption, the Grammy winner said.

" 'Pimp Juice' is anything that attracts the opposite sex," he explained. "It could be anything from money, fame or straight intellect, it don't matter. Women got the Pimp Juice too. Come to think about it, dirty, they got more than we do."

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

50 Cent Inks Deal With Eminem, Dr. Dre

Get Rich or Die Trying hitting stores with Shady/Aftermath label.  50 Cent no longer has to rely on the mixtape circuit to get his stories of street entrenchment out to the public. He has a new recording home and two of music's biggest names backing him.

Earlier this week, Eminem and Dr. Dre signed 50 Cent to a deal that will see the Queens rapper put out records through Shady/Aftermath Records, according to an Interscope spokesperson. Both Em and Dre are in the studio producing tracks for the album, and their rep promised the LP will feature all new recordings.

The MC's main producer, Sha Money XL (formerly known as Shy Self), has laid tracks for most of 50's mixtape offerings and has already produced five songs for the LP.

Money XL said that 50 still plans to title his album Get Rich or Die Trying and that the project should be ready to come out this fall. "We're going to spread it out and bring more flavors," Money XL said.

"Anyone who's been following 50 Cent knows how it's going to go down," 50 said in a statement.

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Minya Oh

June 21, 2002

Brandy's A Mommy

Singer gives birth to baby girl. Brandy is a mother.  The singer gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday, according to her record label, Atlantic Records. Brandy has named her daughter Sy'rai, and both mother and daughter are said to be relaxing at home, happy and healthy.

In early February Brandy finally broke her silence and ended all speculation when she disclosed that she married producer/songwriter (and cousin to Rodney Jerkins) Robert Smith in a clandestine wedding ceremony last summer. Later that month, the 23-year-old also revealed that she was expecting.

Brandy's family life did not hinder her from going on the road for early promotion of her March 5 release, Full Moon, which has spawned two singles and two remixes.

- By Shaheem Reid

Bobby Brown Hospitalized, Still Plans To Hit Studio With P. Diddy

R&B singer diagnosed with mild infection, spokesperson says. "Humpin' Around" don Bobby Brown was told to take it easy for a few days after he checked into a hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon.

Brown was diagnosed with a mild infection and treated intravenously with antibiotics. He is set to be released on Thursday.

The 33-year-old singer and his wife, Whitney Houston, were traveling from Atlanta — where Houston was recording her new album — to their home in Menden, New Jersey, when a high fever forced Brown to stop their tour bus and seek medical attention, according to a family spokesperson.

When Brown finally makes it home, he'll jump right into the studio to appear on a track with P. Diddy and Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz for Lil' Jon's upcoming release.

B. Brown will then begin filming his part in an independent film titled "Biscuits and Gravy" with director Jean Claude La Marre. Brown previously appeared with Pras and LisaRaye in La Marre's 2001 indie, "Go for Broke."

The singer declined to join his former boy-band cronies for the New Edition 2002 tour, which kicks off in Las Vegas next Friday and runs until mid-August.

- By Minya Oh

June 20, 2002

LL Cool J Going Back To Cali — And A Lot Of Other Places

Tour kicks off with five Florida dates, beginning June 20 in Miami. LL Cool J is going to start tuning up his live performance skills this week.  Rap's self-proclaimed greatest of all time is heading out on his first tour in years, starting June 20 at Miami's Billboard Live. No release date has been set for the Queens-born rapper's 10th album, Ten, according to Def Jam, but his other job as an actor will see him in the comedy "Deliver Us From Eva" in September.

LL Cool J tour dates according to Def Jam:

• 6/20 -Miami, FL @ Billboard Live
• 6/21 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
• 6/22 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
• 6/23 - Jacksonville, FL @ Marquee Theatre
• 6/24 - Panama City Beach, FL @ Club La Vela
• 6/28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropol
• 6/29 - Pontiac, MI @ Phoenix Plaza Amphitheatre
• 7/1 - Indianapolis, IN @ World Mardi Gras
• 7/2 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
• 7/3 - Charlotte, NC @ Uncle Sam Jam
• 7/5 -Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 7/10 - Houston, TX @ Liquid
• 7/11 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Next Stage at Grand Prairie
• 7/12 - Lubbock, TX @ Fair Park Coliseum
• 7/13 - Las Cruces, NM @ Pan American Center
• 7/14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
• 7/16 - Boise, ID @ The Big Easy
• 7/17 - Spokane, WA @ The Met
• 7/18 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
• 7/21 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 7/23 - San Diego, CA @ 4th & B
• 7/24 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
• 7/25 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 7/26 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• 7/28 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
• 7/31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 8/1 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
• 8/2 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
• 8/4 - Columbus, OH @ Promo West Pavilion
• 8/7 - Charleston, SC @ House of Blues
• 8/8 - North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 8/10 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 8/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Earthlink Live
• 8/13 - Washington, DC @ The Nation
• 8/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 8/15 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
• 8/16 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
• 8/17 - New York, NY @ The World

- By Shaheem Reid

Usher Explains How To Drive Women Crazy

He knows you got it bad, and he knows how to use that to his advantage at his concerts.
Is this how a professional gets down?  Sure, Usher is one of music's most acclaimed performers. He glides across the stage like it was slicked down with Jheri Curl juice, walks on the tips of his toes like he's suspended by wires, jumps off high platforms and lands on his feet with the agility of Lion-O the Thundercat, and does a handstand with his body's weight rested on one arm.

But on Sunday night at the Tweeter Center he was breaking a cardinal rule of stage rocking: he had his sweat-drenched back to the audience. All the females seemed to revel in it — he was, after all, serenading and acting as a private dancer for a lucky ticket holder who was lying in giant bed onstage. So he might be on to something with this new moniker he's bestowing on himself.

"Mr. Entertainment, that's my name," he said, sitting in the arena's business office about 30 minutes before the show. "I'm going for it. The party don't stop, man. Who you know doing it like that? R&B has a new face. It's a totally different game."

During his concerts, which feature openers Faith Evans and Nas (Mr. Cheeks was originally advertised to be on the tour but, as Usher explained, "Something happened"), Usher is the audience's pusher. He serves eye and ear candy, showing why he's drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson and Sammy Davis Jr.

"I always felt like entertainment doesn't just consist of putting records together and having hot videos," he said. "You gotta be able to bring it on the stage. So there's that opportunity. There's a stage, there's a light, there's the pyro. But it's not just assisted by all of the hoopla of entertainment. It's really about being able to sing, dance and keep the crowd going. So based off of the reviews and the audience response every night, it's been lovely. That's what makes it a hot show for me."

The hottest part of the show for the spectators? Usher thinks it's a toss up between his singing "U Got It Bad" (most of the time everyone sings, "I'm your, your girl ..." in unison) and current radio staple "U Don't Have to Call." But if you're lucky enough to actually sit in the audience, you know for the ladies the hands-down winner is when he strips. Shoes, shirt, pants — he takes it all off.

As for his own favorite part of the act, the Atlanta transplant said, "I like having a moment where it's not about music, where it's just about the control of the moment. A simple hand movement or a look out to the audience and then a smile and then they erupt. That's hot to me, 'cause you work diligently at trying to critique and make all of the dancing right, but when you just lift one single hand and they go crazy, that means something, dude. You look at them and just smile at them and they lose it, that's it."

When he's not making the crowd swoon or dance, Usher wants to make everyone think about "What's Going On" in the world, and part of that includes starting his performances with the national anthem.

"They really get a kick out of that," he said. "It lets them know that even though the show goes on, I still recognize what's going on in the world. And as patriotic as I am, this is my little moment for that."

He hopes the grand finale is even more thought-provoking.

"At the end of the show I do a tribute to a lot of our fallen soldiers here in the music industry, namely Tupac, Biggie, Eazy-E, Selena, Left Eye, Aaliyah," he explained. "The song is Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On.' It's one of my favorites, but I just use it as a moment to recognize all of the pain that we suffered, dealing with the losses of our loved ones. People in the audience who have lost someone recently, especially being so close to New York, I'm sure there are people out in the audience that have lost family members or [were at least] indirectly affected by 9/11. I think it's great timing and recognition for all of that. At the end of the show, as you'll see, I leave them with a sense of peace, equality, unity and love."

- By Shaheem Reid

June 19, 2002

New Edition Still Kickin' It Old-School, 'Cept For Bobby

Group prepares for tour that will set up next year's 20th anniversary. Nineteen years in the game and New Edition are still going at it as though they were still hungry kids roaming the project hallways in Boston.

The guys are in some serious rehearsals for their self-titled tour, which kicks off in Las Vegas on June 28, and no quarter is being given. A hoarse Ricky Bell can attest to that.

"We've been rapping [about the outings] for a minute," the usually silky voiced Bell said Monday, sounding as raspy as Jadakiss. "We're probably going into the studio next year, but what we wanted to do was mesh together as a group onstage first before we went into the studio. Plus it's a better way to reintroduce ourselves into the community by letting them see us first. Performing is what we like to do best. That's how we started off in Boston — performing together. We figured that's the best way to get back together as opposed to going back into the studio."

Bell said that he, Ronnie DeVoe, Mike Bivins, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant are ready to roll out with openers En Vogue, but the 2002 New Edition will be without Bobby Brown.

"He's not going to be on this particular tour, but for the 20th anniversary ... It's not going to be a 20th anniversary if he's not a part of it," insisted Bell. "He'll definitely be a part of it in some shape or form. Touring, recording, the TV show, movie, he'll be a part of it. The timing didn't work out [for this tour]."

Even though the guys haven't been together since 1996's Home Again tour, Bell said the chemistry is still there.

"We've been through a lot in our lives, personally and as a group," he explained. "Everyone's attitude is straightforward. We've been friends. We still hang out with each other even when we're not working. All of us have a very mature and very humble attitude of how this is supposed to go."

To let slick Rick tell it, the shows are going to go off without any special effects, but fans will still get plenty of entertainment.

"The game plan is simple," he said. "It's just going to be raw. No theatrics, no magic, just straight-up performances. Songs, stepping, dancing hard. An hour and a half of straight-up us and our six-piece band. We're going to do [solo] songs, but we're all going to perform them together as opposed to one of us breaking off. Everybody is going to do everything."

While out on the road, the guys are going to start writing New Edition's autobiography as well as planning their next album, Bell said.

New Edition tour dates, according to their spokesperson:

• 6/28 - Las Vegas NV @ House of Blues
• 6/29 - Universal, CA @ Universal Ampitheatre
• 6/30 - Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
• 7/4 - Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park
• 7/5 - Baltimore, MD @ Pier 6 Pavilion
• 7/6 - Cleveland, OH @ State Theater
• 7/12 - Washington, DC @ Constitution Hall
• 7/13 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
• 7/14 - Richmond, VA @ Landmark Theater
• 7/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall
• 7/19 - Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theater
• 7/20 - Hartford, CT @ Oakdale Theater
• 7/21 - Boston, MA @ FleetBoston Pavilion
• 7/25 - Cincinnati, OH @ Proctor & Gamble Hall
• 7/26 - Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
• 7/27 - Chicago, IL @ Arie Crown Theater
• 7/28 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theater
• 7/31 - Miami, FL @ James L. Knight Center
• 8/2 - Houston, TX @ Arena Theater
• 8/3 - Memphis, TN @ Samstown Casino
• 8/4 - New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theater
• 8/9 - Indianapolis, IN @ Clowes Hall
• 8/10 - Norfolk, VA @ Chrysler Hall
• 8/11 - Greensboro, NC @ Auditorium Theater

- By Shaheem Reid

Public Enemy Leading A Revolverlution With Interactive LP

New disc, due July 23, features four tracks remixed by fans. "When people ask me, 'Are you back in the studio?' " Chuck D said in his signature no-nonsense tone, "I'm like, what the f---? I'm always cranking out music."

Of course, what is usually meant by the question is, "Are you back in the studio recording a new Public Enemy album?" And now the answer is yes.

Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Terminator X and Professor Griff have reunited for Revolverlution (July 23), the title of which comes from the song "Crash" on 1999's There's a Poison Goin' On ...: "Got me thinking of a new thing/ Revolverlution/ Computer souls, controlled by confusion."

The album has eight new tracks, three live numbers and four remixes. More importantly, Revolverlution, which also features DJ Lord, is being billed as the first truly interactive record.

The group let fans remix four PE songs by posting a cappella versions online. From nearly 500 submissions a panel of judges selected remixes of "By the Time I Get to Arizona" by the Molemen of Long Island, New York; "Public Enemy No. 1" by the Jeronimo Punks of Buenos Aires, Argentina; "Shut 'Em Down" by DJ Functionist of Austria; and "B Side Wins Again" by Scattershot of Madison, Wisconsin.

"The realm of production has flipped and changed. We have a whole different way of looking at production," said Chuck D, a longtime advocate of independent musicians and MP3 file-sharing. "[Other] people recruit producers based on convenience — 'Yo this kid up the block, he's hot.' The whole process is lazy. It's a very profitable, lazy industry logjam. People aren't doing new sh--. ... That way is so old and played out. Our whole thing is challenging that."

Revolverlution is just the latest step in Public Enemy's 15-year mission to change how music is listened to and distributed.

"We thought this 15th year piece should be yet another revolutionary piece, not necessarily sonically or topically, but one to make a rap cat expand their head to more possibilities for recording," Chuck said. "Since 1994 when I thought that PE had covered its first world-breaking goals, I made up in my mind that each Public Enemy record afterwards would cover uncharted territory."

In just another example of Public Enemy breaking new ground, "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need" is the first single off Revolverlution and was produced by Johnny "Juice" Rosado. "What he's done has created a style damn near Afro-Cuban-ish. What he's done single-handedly, he's triggered on percussive aspects that have been lost. Sounds, sonically that haven't really been dealt with."

The video was shot over a weekend in Boston, and Public Enemy got the whole city in on it. "When you shoot a video in another city the whole city gets energized. People want to come and see a classic show. It's fun being a rock star. Sometimes there ain't nothing better," Chuck said with a laugh.

He may be laughing, but it's true. "The Public Enemy Web site has spawned a whole existence like Trekkies," Chuck explained. They even went so far as to hold a convention for their very own Captain Kirk. People from around the world gathered at Chuck's house on Long Island.

That he's receptive to that type of quirkiness might surprise people who perceive Chuck D as hard-nosed and humorless based on the seriousness of his speaking engagements and television appearances.

"That's only how you think I am," Chuck said. "When I'm on camera I have four seconds to get my point across. I'm not going on there with some jokes."

Track listing for Revolverlution, according to Public Enemy:

• "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need"
• "Revolverlution"
• "Miuzi Weighs a Ton" (live)
• "Put It Up"
• "Can a Woman Make a Man Lose His Mind?"
• "Public Enemy Service Announcement #1"
• "Fight the Power" (live)
• "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (remix)
• Post-concert Arizona interview
• "Son of a Bush"
• "Get Your Sh-- Together"
• "Welcome to the Terrordome" (live)
• "B Side Wins Again" (remix)
• "54321 ... Boom"
• "Public Enemy Service Announcement #2"
• "Shut 'Em Down" (remix)
• "Now A' Daze"
• "Public Enemy No. 1" (remix)
• The making of "Burn Hollywood Burn" (w/ Big Daddy Kane)
• "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need" (radio edit)

- By Abbey Goodman

June 18, 2002

Maxwell Plans Mini Summer Tour

R&B stylist Maxwell will head out on handful of summer tour dates that kick off with a July 24 stop in the Philadelphia area at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Pa. The artist has scheduled a slate of 11 shows in nine cities, with two-night stands on tap for Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C.

Tickets for shows in Wantagh, N.Y., Newark, and Washington, D.C. went on sale today (June 14) via Ticketmaster. The kick-off show in Upper Darby will go on sale tomorrow; other on sale dates have not yet been announced.

Maxwell will be touring in support of his third album, "Now." Released last August, the Columbia set debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and claimed the top spot on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart after street date violations saw it appear a week early at No. 88. The album spawned the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart hits "Lifetime" (No. 5) and "This Woman's Work" (No. 16).

Maxwell is among those up for the best male R&B artist honor at the second annual BET Awards, which will take place June 25 at Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre and will be broadcast live on the cable channel beginning at 9 p.m. ET (rebroadcast at 9 p.m. PT).

Here are Maxwell's upcoming tour dates:

• July 24: Upper Darby, Pa. (Tower Theater)
  
• July 25: Wantagh, N.Y. (Jones Beach)
  
• July 27-28: Newark, N.J. (NJ Performing Arts Center)
  
• July 31-Aug. 1: Washington, D.C. (Constitution Hall)
  
• Aug. 3: Toronto (Hummingbird Theater)
  
• Aug. 4: Cleveland (Music Hall)
  
• Aug. 7: Chicago (Arie Crown Theater)
  
• Aug. 8: Detroit (Cheney Park)
  
• Aug. 10: Richmond, Va. (Landmark Theater) 

- By Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y

Eminem's Camp Calls Terrorist Threats 'Untrue, Irresponsible'

Eminem has responded to reports on Thursday (June 13) that his new video, "Without Me," has angered Osama Bin Laden. In the clip, Eminem dresses up as Bin Laden and dances around.

"Contrary to a fallacy reported in a British tabloid newspaper, there have been no threats made against Eminem. Any earlier reports of such are untrue, irresponsible, and inflammatory."

The story originated from England's NME.com, which has since pulled the piece from its Web site.

- By Carrie Borzillo-Vre

June 17, 2002

Bad Boy Looks Good: Diddy Wins Three Urban Fashion Awards

Snoop Dogg takes home New Urban Fashion Celebrity Line trophy. Hip-hop celebrities will have to clear some more space on their mantles — another award recognizing their culture was birthed Thursday night.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and his Sean John clothing line won three times at the inaugural Urban Fashion Awards , while Carl Thomas, Foxy Brown, Lady May, BET's Ed Gordon, Blu Cantrell and Snoop Dogg, who performed, were among those in attendance at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center.

The Doggfather, who debuted his own Barbie-like doll, beat out Busta Rhymes' Bushi, Jennifer Lopez's J. Lo, Nelly's Vokal and Outkast's self-titled apparel brands with his Snoop Dogg Clothing for the New Urban Fashion Celebrity Line award.

Mary J. Blige won Female Urban Fashion Aficionado. The queen of hip-hop soul was up against Gwen Stefani, Eve and J. Lo. Lopez wasn't shut out altogether, however — she was given the award for New Designer of the Year.

Fashion mainstays Karl Kani and Russell Simmons, who were also on hand, received special recognition outside of the show's 24 categories. Simmons was given the Urban Fashion Humanitarian Award and Kani was presented the Urban Fashion Pioneer Award. Tommy Hilfiger received the Urban Fashion Lifetime Achievement Award.

Winners of the 2002 Urban Fashion Awards:

• Menswear Design - Sean Jean
• Womenswear Design - Baby Phat
• New Designer of the Year - J. Lo
• Outerwear Design - Avirex
• Athletic Sportswear - Jordan Nike
• Female Denim Design - Baby Phat
• Male Denim Design - Roc-A-Wear
• Accessory Designer of the Year - BCBG
• Fashion Stylist of the Year - Misa Brim
• Retail/Buyer of the Year - Macy's
• Advertising Campaign of the Year - Sean Jean
• Male Fashion Model - Tyson Beckford
• Female Fashion Model - Roshumba
• Female Urban Fashion Aficionado - Mary J. Blige
• Male Urban Fashion Aficionado - Sean Combs
• Male Runway Model - Dahil
• Female Runway - Alec Wek
• Fashion Journalism - Alez Aktar and Elena Romero (tie)
• Fashion Photography - Jonathan Mannion and Ronnie Wright (tie)
• Magazine/Publication of the Year - Vibe
• Excellency in Makeup Design - Nzinga
• Excellency in Hair Design - Trey Majors
• International Award - Phat Farm
• New Urban Fashion Celebrity Line - Snoop Dogg Clothing

- By Shaheem Reid

Lil' Mo Working On Two Babies: A Child & An LP

Newly married 'superwoman' recording in New York next week. There's no way you could confuse petite singer Lil' Mo with husky rapper Big Moe. Even so, the music-making Moes now have something new in common: round tummies.

"Superwoman" Mo, who has been out of the spotlight for the past several months, has made good on her promises to be a superwoman to her man. She's newly married and expecting her first child in August.

The pregnancy won't keep the multicolor-haired songbird from starting on her second LP, an Elektra spokesperson said. Mo will be in New York next week and plans to hit the studio with producers Rockwilder, Bink, Chucky Thompson and Megahertz.

Mo emerged last year with the hit "Superwoman Pt. 2" as well as with guest vocals on several rappers' tracks, including Ja Rule's "Put It on Me". Last June, she suffered injuries and permanent head scars when an assailant hit her over the head with a champagne bottle after a performance in San Francisco.

The attack couldn't have come at worse time for Mo, whose debut, Based on a True Story, was released four days after the incident. The Long Island, New York, native had to cancel all promotional activities for a few weeks while she recovered. She was well enough to hit the road before the summer ended.

Last fall, Mo settled down in her adopted hometown, Baltimore, where she took a job as a radio personality with urban station X105.7 (WXYV-FM). "The Lil' Mo Show" ran for four hours each weekday until her farewell show on Friday (June 14). She's leaving radio to concentrate on her music career and her family, according to a spokesperson for the station.

- By Shaheem Reid

June 14, 2002

Black Eyed Peas Exhibit New Breed Of Elephunk On Upcoming LP

Group focuses on guest musicians rather than guest vocalists on third album. Forget being sly as a fox or strong as an ox, the Black Eyed Peas are funky as an elephant. Hence the title of their upcoming third album, Elephunk.

"An elephant ain't the fastest, swiftest animal, but it walks smoothly," rapper Will.I.Am explained Tuesday. "It's fat. It's heavy. Thump, thump. You can just picture an elephant's movement. That's the sound of the album. We have a lot of trombones, fat basslines, fat grooves, and nice, thick horn layers and arrangements. Just fat funk."

The follow-up to 2000's Bridging the Gap, which featured Macy Gray, Wyclef Jean, Mos Def, De La Soul and others, will showcase musician friends of the Black Eyed Peas rather than vocalists. While most hail from Los Angeles' underground jazz and hip-hop scenes, there are a few unexpected players, including Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Papa Roach, whose Jacoby Shaddix is the album's sole guest rapper.

Will described "Anxiety," the P-Roach collaboration, as a mix between "Head Bobs" from BEP's Behind the Front and "Last Resort." "I don't know what sound it is, it just sounds dope," Will said, phoning from his studio. "It's mad and angry, but not threatening. Anxiety is some sh-- that everybody goes through and nobody talks about, and I don't know why."

Elephunk, due in October, finds Will, Apl.De.Ap and Taboo addressing more serious issues than on their past albums, which focused mainly on their music skills. "Where's the Love?" is about the problems around the world, including September 11 and other religious conflicts ("That's a tear-jerker," Will said), while "Shut Up" is about the end of a relationship, something all three Peas have dealt with since Bridging the Gap.

"The whole album is about all of the emotional things we've been through," Will said. "Well, there's a few songs about rap."

One of the new record's most intense tracks is the Barker collaboration, which will be titled either "Rock My Sh--," "Had to Do It" or "Haters." It features the hook "'I had to do it/ Rock my sh--/ I had to get down and rock my sh--/ Y'all know the rules and how the game exists/ Don't hate 'cause I had to handle business."

"A lot of fans are like, 'I love the Black Eyed Peas. Y'all so positive,' " Will explained. "Then as soon as you're on 'TRL,' they're like, 'I hate y'all. Y'all sold out.' I don't understand what selling out means. If I changed what I was talking about, now I treat women like bitches or now I hate white people or now I hate black people, that's a sellout. But if you just get recognized for the things you do or the song the record label chooses as a single, which you have no choice over, is not your hard, aggressive one, I don't see how that's selling out."

Will paused and then gave perhaps a clearer picture of what the song is about. "I like Dr. Pepper. I think it tastes good. Just 'cause we did a commercial, it doesn't mean we selling out. I had to do that sh--. I have a family to take care of."

Guest vocalists aren't the only thing lacking on Elephunk — the album is also without former BEP singer Kim Hill, who played an integral role on Bridging the Gap.

"We had a falling out," Will said. They had tour dates booked, though, so someone had to step up to the mic. "I developed this rasp sort of singing. It isn't singing, but it's still melodic. It's not out of pitch or key. So a lot of the singing on the album is myself, but it ain't sing-songy. It ain't (in a Celine Dion-like falsetto), 'I love you baby.' "

Black Eyed Peas have only a few songs left to record, including one Will just wrote called "Don't Knock It." "It's about how everybody got their opinion. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean somebody else ain't going to love it."

Among the tracks already logged are the mid-tempo "Thanks," the Rockwilder-produced "Fire" and the big band-like "Hands Up."

"They're musical, but not insulting to people's tastes," Will said of the new tunes. "Elephants have a big backbone but aren't threatening. They are powerful but gentle. You don't see elephants biting a n---a's kneecaps."

- By Corey Moss

Santana, Snoop, Bootsy Set For ESPY Awards

Santana, Snoop Dogg, and funk pioneer Bootsy Collins have signed on to perform during the 2002 ESPY Awards, which honor outstanding sports achievements. The 10th annual event will be hosted by actor Samuel L. Jackson and televised live July 10 from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

"As a sports fan, I'm looking forward to being part of an event that recognizes the hard work of the greatest sports athletes of our generation," Carlos Santana said in a statement. Snoop Dogg added, "After touring across the country this summer to New York and back, I'll be happy to be back home and jam for the fans in L.A."

Snoop Dogg and Collins are expected to perform an updated version of Parliament's "Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)" that's been retitled "Undercova Funk (Give Up The Funk)" and is featured on Hollywood Records' "Undercover Brother" soundtrack. According to Collins' official Web site (http://www.bootsycollins.com), Parliament's Fred Wesley, Rick Gardner, Bernie Worrell, Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, Grady Thomas, and Ramon Tiki Fulwood will also be on hand for the performance.

Snoop Dogg is also seen performing with Parliament in Nike Basketball's current "Recognize the Funk" television ad campaign.

The ESPY performance will come three weeks before Santana kicks off a North American summer tour. The band, which will release "Shaman" as the follow-up to the 1999 smash "Supernatural" (Arista) later this year, will start the run July 31 in Virginia Beach, Va., and plans to be on the road through an Aug. 25 show in St. Paul, Minn. Santana -- which wraps a European tour Sunday (June 16) with a performance in Imola, Italy -- is also slated to perform a free Sept. 20 gig in New York to close out NBC's "Today" show summer concert series.

ESPY Awards will be handed out in 35 categories covering the gamut of professional and collegiate sports. Golfer Tiger Woods is the all-time ESPY Awards winner with 11 trophies and has three nominations this year (best male athlete, best male golfer, best record-breaking performance). The previous record holder, Michael Jordan, has 10 ESPY's and is nominated in the best comeback athlete category, which he first won in 1996.

For more information on the ESPY Awards, visit the event's official Web site (http://espn.go.com/espy2002/).

- By Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

June 13, 2002

Jay-Z, DMX, Wu-Tang, Mos Def Bone Up 'Topdog/Underdog' LP

Rappers' tracks joined by cuts from Muddy Waters, James Brown. Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright, co-stars of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Topdog/Underdog," have recorded new music for a wildly diverse soundtrack to the Broadway play.

Due July 30, the compilation of music featured in or inspired by "Topdog/Underdog" will feature tracks by rappers Jay-Z, DMX and Wu-Tang Clan with Nas next to standards by R&B, soul and blues legends James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters.

Mos Def's "Three Card" is the soundtrack's first single, according to an MCA Records spokesperson. The song is about his "Topdog" character, Booth, a shoplifter who strives to be as good of a three-card monte hustler as his orphaned brother, Lincoln.

Wright's "Lincoln's Blues" is similarly based on his character's struggles and was written by the play's scribe, Suzan-Lori Parks. Wright has appeared on soundtracks for some of his past performances, including the cast recording of "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk."

"Topdog/Underdog," which earned Parks a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year, began off-Broadway last year and moved to the Great White Way in early 2002. It will open in Los Angeles in November.

"Topdog/Underdog" track list, according to MCA:

• Mos Def - "Three Card"
• Jeffrey Wright - "Lincoln's Blues"
• Wayne Shorter - "Genesis"
• Wayne Shorter - "Face of the Deep"
• James Brown - "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
• James Brown - "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
• James Brown - "Payback"
• Jay-Z - "Change the Game"
• Son House - "Grinnin' in Your Face"
• Muddy Waters - "Got My Mojo Working"
• DMX - "No Love 4 Me"
• DMX - "Bring Your Whole Crew"
• Howlin' Wolf - "Poor Boy"
• Robert Johnson - "Hellhound on My Trail"
• Wu-Tang Clan (featuring Nas) - "Let My N---as Live"
• John Lee Hooker - "Boom Boom"

- By Corey Moss

The Eminem Show Extends Run At #1

More than 808,000 copies of Slim Shady's third major-label LP sold its third week in stores. "Guess who's back?" the rapper legally known as Marshall Mathers asks on "Without Me."

The question is hardly a stumper. Most of America is fully aware of Slim Shady's return, seeing how his The Eminem Show will lead the pack of best-selling albums on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the third week in a row. Eminem's third major-label LP sold more than 808,000 copies last week, according to Soundscan figures released Wednesday (June 12), bringing his three-week total to more than 2.4 million copies.

The 20-track Totally Hits 2002, featuring contributions from Tweet, Pink, Outkast and Default, among others, was the most popular new release in a week that saw several chart debuts, placing in the runner-up slot with more than 136,000 sold. Soul man Donell Jones' Life Goes On, propelled by the reassuring "You Know That I Love You," follows right behind, coming in at the #3 position and selling more than 110,000 copies.

The unavoidable exposure of singles "Days Go By" and "Complicated" help new artists Dirty Vegas and Avril Lavigne, respectively, land in the top 10 with their debut albums. Dirty Vegas' self-titled LP sold more than 63,000 copies to come in at #7, immediately followed by Lavigne's Let Go with approximately 500 fewer sold.

Newcomers populate the chart further down, too. The compilation Soundbombing III, featuring Mos Def, Missy Elliott, Method Man, the Roots and Q-Tip, among others, will drop in at #23. Under Tha Influence, by one of Soundbombing III's contributors, DJ Quik, will land at #27, and in keeping the two-turntables-and-microphone tone, crate raider DJ Shadow fills the #44 slot with his The Private Press.

Next week's top 10 also finds P. Diddy & Bad Boy Records' We Invented the Remix dropping a deuce to #4; Ashanti's eponymous debut doing the same to #5; Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems marching up two slots to #6; Sheryl Crow's C'Mon, C'Mon climbing two positions to #9; and Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 9 continuing its gradual decent at #10.

The four top 10 debuts will push an equal number of LPs that formerly kept company in that upper echelon back a bracket into the #11-20 range. Cam'ron's Come Home With Me will fall from #4 to #11. Celine Dion's A New Day Has Come will dive eight spots to #13; Marc Anthony's Mended takes an identical plunge to #14; and Musiq's Juslisen will lose half its previous chart status to slip into the #15 spot.

Other notable chart debuts include the Outkast-led "Scooby-Doo" soundtrack at #58; Meshell Ndegeocello's Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape at #67; Los Lobos' Good Morning Aztlan at #82; Doves' Last Broadcast at #83; the "Bad Company" soundtrack at #98; the musical companion to "Undercover Brother," featuring a funky Snoop Dogg, at # 125; twee-pop champions Belle and Sebastian's soundtrack to "Storytelling" at #150; Danzig's 777: I Luciferi at #158 and Audiovent's Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris at #200.

- By Joe D'Angelo

June 12, 2002

Suge Knight To Pen His Life Story

Death Row Records founder pitching his memoir to publishers in New York next week. West Coast hip-hop mogul Marion "Suge" Knight is ready to tell the truth about himself.

The Death Row Records founder has signed with Acme Literary and Talent and will pitch his memoir to publishers in New York next week, according to his publicist.

Knight is also hoping to sell his story to producers and expand his music franchise more into film. Death Row has so far released one direct-to-video title, the documentary "Welcome to Death Row."

The memoir, which is still being penned, will chronicle Knight's rise from a poor Compton football player to the head of one of rap's most influential and notorious labels. It will include details about his recent four-year prison term for violating probation on assault charges, as well as his relationships with former Death Row artists Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who was recording a solo album for Tha Row before her death in late April.

If the book is anything like Knight's tirade at the West Coast Hip-Hop Summit in February, where he attacked everyone from Master P to Janet Jackson, it is bound to be controversial.

"There've been a lot of allegations about Death Row and me and I felt I owe it to the public and the fans to hear the truth," Knight told Daily Variety. Regarding the new venture, he added, "Everything is open. I want to do a lot of things."

- By Corey Moss

3LW Out To Show A Girl Can Mack

Songbirds focused on finishing up second album, due in October. With the first offering off of their upcoming A Girl Can Mack LP, teen trio 3LW plan to show that they can hang with grown folk.

In the video for "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)," the little women hit the club in search of good times, according to a spokesperson for the group. But the party isn't in any ordinary spot in the Chris Applebaum-directed vid: The songbirds get things jumped off in a futuristic pod-like venue in the middle of the ocean where they come across Loon — who raps on the track — Naughty by Nature and Nick Cannon.

"[The song] is a lot of fun," the group's oldest member, Adrienne, said last month of the P. Diddy/Mario Winans-produced cut. "We wanted to come out with a song that was going to make people happy."

The girls said they have a couple of melancholy love offerings on the LP as well. "There is a joint on our album called 'Crazy,' " Adrienne disclosed. "It's about a girl who's falling in love with a guy that's taken. But not only is he taken, she's taken. They both got people in their lives and she's saying, 'Just this once, I hope two wrongs can make a right.' It's a sad song, the melody is beautiful. It will touch a lot of people that fall in love with people that are taken. Trust me, it happens a lot."

Adrienne and her group members Kiely and Naturi said they've pretty much wrapped up production on their second album, but are still in the lab working on a few more cuts.

"Another one of our favorite songs — we haven't really recorded that [yet] — is called 'Ex-Love of My Life,' " Kiely interjected. "It's this girl saying, 'You used to be my love but now you're the ex-love of my life.' I love the beat, that's the best part of the song. It starts off really sad and slow and she's like, 'I have to take this song and flip it.' So she just flips into this really hard beat."

"Goodbye!" Adrienne chimed in. "It's empowering. You know why? 'Cause a girl can mack!"

"Ya heard!" Kiely jumped back in. "Nothing helps a broken heart more than the next two boyfriends. Just keeping it real."

Kiely also keeps it real when talking about 3LW's lyric-penning. She said that they're constantly working on songs but aren't ready to share them with the world yet, especially on the new album.

"We didn't want to make the sophomore mistake," she said. "A lot of times it's a perception that you have a successful first album and you go into your second album and you're like, 'I'mma do it all. I know exactly what I'm doing.'

"We did really good on our first album collaborating," she added. "We're still teenagers. We don't have it all together. But we still have our ideas. That's what's fun about working with all our producers. They let us be us. It was really cool, we didn't want to veer so much, we didn't want to change directions. We just wanted to take it to the next level, hone our craft, keep writing amongst ourselves. Maybe the third or fourth album we'll be writing and producing."

"It takes a while to get it all down pat," said Naturi, building on her partner's thoughts. "That's the mistake a lot of people make."

3LW's rep said the video for "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)" is in post-production and should be ready in July. A Girl Can Mack is slated for an October release.

- By Shaheem Reid, with additionalreporting by Curtis Waller

June 10, 2002

It's Xzibit Vs. Backlash On Man Vs. Machine

New disc will be concept album of sorts about problems faced after finding pop success. Xzibit says he's still the underground rapper he was on his first two albums, 1996's At the Speed of Life and 1998's 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz. He just also happens to still be the mainstream powerhouse he was on 2000's Restless.

The West Coast rhyme slinger vows to bridge the gap between his past releases with Man vs. Machine, a concept album of sorts about the backlash a seasoned artist faces after achieving commercial success.

"I've got a lot to prove," X to the Z said backstage at Saturday's taping of the MTV Movie Awards. "I've made some leaps and bounds as an underground artist. I got a lot of prejudice. I got a lot of pressure. I got a lot of stuff built up against me, and I look forward to it. I love a challenge. I'm one man, and I have definitely pulled this little wagon a long way, and I'm about to pull it some more."

Helping Xzibit along will be guests Eminem, Snoop Dogg, DJ Premier, M.O.P. and, of course, Dr. Dre, who is also executive producing the project. Although Dre said recently he is hardly needed on the album, Xzibit disagreed.

"Dr. Dre definitely gets in there and brings out the best in an artist," Xzibit said. "He'll get you in there, and he'll allow you to paint the picture and then, with all his experience and his knowledge, he'll help you hang it right and present it correctly. He's not in the studio with some anal-retentive methods of how to produce music."

Xzibit said Dre's stable of artists, which includes himself, Em and Snoop along with veteran Rakim and newcomers like Truth Hurts, all have the same goals with their music, so working together comes naturally.

"We want to come out and change the game," Xzibit explained. "You don't want to come and be the same cat you were last year. You want to do something better, push the line with your music. That's how we get it done. As hip-hop artists, you have to take the music seriously, not just as a way to get rich."

Xzibit and Dre are finishing the final song on Man vs. Machine this week. The album is due September 3, though the rapper said he hopes to release it sooner.

In the meantime Xzibit will begin promoting the album when he heads out on the second Anger Management Tour in late July.

"Last year [Anger Management] was an experiment; this year is an event," Xzibit said. "The rap and rock fusion seems to work because the crowds are the same. The same kids listening to Papa Roach will listen to an Xzibit CD."

Xzibit's set will be a bit longer than it was last year. "Going out there this time, we got four records to pull from," he explained. "We gonna do some of the classics, we gonna do some of the new stuff and just go out there and have a good time."

- By Corey Moss, with additional reporting by John Gill

Seventies Rock A Big Part Of Eminem's Show

Rapper looked back to Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Hendrix when making latest album. Last week Eminem was a little uneasy about the fact that bootlegging had pressured Interscope to release his much-hyped The Eminem Show way ahead of schedule.

Would such a hasty move screw up his game plan? Well, 1.6 million records sold later, Em can relax — not that he was really sweating how many units he was gonna move.

"I don't ever buy into the pressure of trying to top my last album for record sales," he said, cruising around Manhattan on top of a double-decker bus. "The pressure comes from trying to top it lyrically and production-wise. Because if I'm not advancing and growing in this music, then I might as well just quit."

With the accolades pouring in for his latest opus, Em won't be retiring his jersey anytime soon. And while he continues to catch ears with his word juggling, Eminem's production skills on The Eminem Show are also gaining a lot of attention. Although Dre contributed three beats, Slim Shady decided to make his most of own tracks instead of relying heavily on the Doc's g-funk.

"Dre is always open," Em explained a few weeks before his album came out. "He lets me experiment, which is dope 'cause if I bring something to him that's wack, he's gonna tell me. At the same time I wanted to show him, 'Look, this is what I learned from you. You taught me that. ' "

Still, he turned to the Doc for guidance here and there.

"Dre really helped me on 'Hailie's Song,' " he said. "I had remixed it, and it took me like a week, and I took it to him. Dre's got this little saying, if he doesn't like something he'll turn it off and be like, 'Straight R&B, straight R&B.' You're like, 'Damn.' Then he'll be like, 'Look, this is what we need to do to change it.' And thank God he helped me on that song. We remixed it. It came out a lot better."

Elsewhere he was guided simply by his own vision — and a little help from the past.

"Seventies rock had a feel to it — it was crazy. When I go back and listen to it, like Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix or Aerosmith, there was a feel that '70s rock had that was incredible. I thought, 'What if I took that feel and that emotion and put it with [the new millennium]?'

"I like guitars," he added. "I know guitars ain't real big in hip-hop, but if you use them the right way they can be. Other rappers have used them and got away with it."

It was Em's right-hand man Proof who sparked the idea to sample Aerosmith's "Dream On" for "Sing for the Moment."

"I had wanted to do it a long time ago, when I was like 16, 17," he said of the sample. "I had wanted to use it but just kind of forgot about it. He brought it to my attention again. He was like, 'I'm telling you, man, don't sleep on it.' The chorus fit what I was going through at the time so ... we just constructed the beat. I already had the rhyme wrote."

All of the songs seemed to just come together like that, he said. There was no method to the madness.

"Honestly, I don't really have a formula that I go by," Em said. "I just get in the studio, I start playing with the drum machine or whatever if I like a pattern. I got a keyboard player that I get in there. A lot of times I'll write my rhyme before I make the beat, and the pattern of my rhyme will kind of sway the beat a little. I don't really have a set formula. I just get in and work."

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

June 7, 2002

Jay-Z, 311 In The 'Mix' For Summer Tour

Jay-Z and the Roc-A-Fella family, 311, Hoobastank, Nappy Roots, N*E*R*D, and Talib Kweli are confirmed for the inaugural Sprite Liquid Mix tour. The 15-city trek will run from Aug. 20 to Sept. 8 and will feature additional acts yet to be announced.

"The Sprite Liquid Mix tour brings together artists and people who appreciate authentic expression free from boundaries," Sprite VP/brand director Darryl Cobbin said in a statement. "This tour recognizes peoples' thirst for expression -- where everyone has the opportunity to experience and participate in various forms of self expression every day. We at Sprite say 'Obey Your Thirst' ... whatever your thirst happens to be."

The tour will also feature a number of non-music attractions, including full-court basketball, an urban fashion row, video games, an "urban playground" with street skaters and BMX bikers, and a giant canvas for local graffiti artists to decorate.

Sprite Liquid Mix joins the Anger Management tour as one of the only summer jaunts with a hip-hop flavor. Anger Management features Eminem, Ludacris, and Xzibit, along with hard rock outfit Papa Roach and kicks off July 18 in Buffalo, N.Y. 

- By Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Jackson Joins New Artists Rights Coalition

Michael Jackson, considered to be among the best-compensated artists in the recording business, has become the latest star to call for "justice" in the way music labels treat their artists. Jackson said yesterday (June 5) he has aligned himself with the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr., who earlier in the day announced they are forming a coalition to investigate whether artists are being financially exploited by record labels.

"Record companies have to start treating their artists with respect, honor, and financial justice," said Jackson in a statement. "Therefore, I am proud to join this coalition which represents all artists."

Sharpton, better known for his civil rights activism, said too many artists end up bankrupt after years of making millions for record labels. "It is our intention to break up the kinds of indentured servant-type of arrangement that many in the record industry now have with record companies," he said. "We hope that this initiative would make it possible where one day the artist on the CD is as big as the companies that put out the CD."

The pair said they had been contacted by several artists who have complained about record label practices, including policies that force stars to pay for promotional costs such as videos. "How would it be if Derek Jeter had to pay for his bats, and balls, and glove to go out and play for the Yankees?" Cochran asked. "It's unfair."

Cochran and Sharpton -- who will operate the initiative under Sharpton's civil liberties organization, the National Action Network -- said they would be willing to work with the Recording Artists Coalition, which is demanding new relationships with record labels, including fairer contracts and more oversight of accounting practices. Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, and Clint Black are among the artists who are part of that coalition.

Jackson is considered to have one of the most lucrative contracts in the record business. His involvement in the Sharpton-Cochran coalition comes as he battles with his longtime record label, Sony Music. His latest album, "Invincible," debuted last November at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, but fell out of the top-10 in four weeks and dropped off the chart after 28 weeks, and is considered a commercial disappointment.

A gossip column in Wednesday's editions of the New York Daily News quoted an unnamed executive who said Jackson was using Sharpton and Cochran to try and get out of his contract with Sony and owed the company $200 million for promotion and studio time. In his statement, Jackson said: "For Sony to make a false claim that I owe them $200 million is outrageous and offensive."

In response, Sony said: "We have never issued any statement verbally or in writing claiming that Michael Jackson owes us $200 million. As a result, we are baffled by the comments issued today by his press representatives."

In making their announcement, Sharpton and Cochran denied the coalition was started to help any particular artist, although Sharpton acknowledged talking to both Jackson and Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola. "Clearly Mr. Jackson has lawyers to deal with his contract," Sharpton said.

Cochran helped negotiate a settlement between Jackson and a 13-year-old boy who accused the singer of child molestation charges in 1993. Charges were never filed, and Jackson maintained his innocence.

- By Jonathan Cohen

June 6, 2002

R. Kelly Arrested On 21 Counts Of Child Pornography

Officers apprehend singer at his Florida residence. R&B star Robert "R." Kelly was arrested Wednesday afternoon at his Florida residence after being indicted earlier in the day on 21 felony counts of child pornography.

Kelly faces up to 15 years in prison and a $100,000 fine if convicted and would have to register as a sex offender.

"Even though I do not believe any of the charges are warranted, I'm grateful that I will have a chance to establish the truth about me in a court of law," Kelly said in a statement Wednesday (June 5). "I have complete faith in our system of justice, and I am confident that when all the facts come out people will see that I'm no criminal."

A warrant was issued for Kelly's arrest on Wednesday, and the singer — who was at a residence he owns in central Florida — planned to return to Chicago and turn himself in to authorities on Thursday. However, officers from Florida's Polk County Sheriff's Department arrived at Kelly's door on Wednesday afternoon armed with a fugitive warrant and apprehended the singer. A spokesperson for Kelly told MTV News that the singer's lawyers are outraged Kelly wasn't allowed to return to Chicago to surrender as planned.

The singer is expected to post $750,000 bail on Thursday.

In February a videotape of Kelly allegedly having sex with a minor was given to the Chicago Sun-Times, which handed the tape over to the sex crimes unit of the Chicago Police Department.

At a press conference Wednesday, Terry Hilliard, superintendent of the police department, and Richard Devine, the Cook County state attorney, outlined the Kelly investigation and charges.

They said that after interviewing several people who identified Kelly and the girl on the tape and having the FBI verify the tape's authenticity, they levied the charges. The singer faces seven counts of directing the videotaping of child pornography, seven counts of producing the video and seven counts of enticing an underage girl into illicit acts.

Devine said Kelly knew or should have known the girl was born in September 1984 and noted the sex acts on the tape occurred sometime between November 1997 and February of this year at a home that Kelly once owned in Chicago. The state attorney said he hopes the indictment of the singing star would send a message to sexual predators.

"It becomes a tragedy when behavior damages a community," Hilliard said. "Make no mistake, these are very harmful crimes. The nature of these indictments returned today should also make parents more vigilant. These acts are serious crimes that involve harmful acts which damage and degrade our children and are diminishing the integrity of our entire community."

The tape in question — which has been bootlegged and sold across the country everywhere from the street corner and the Internet to such record stores as HMV — features a man who resembles Kelly engaging in sexual acts with four different females in four different locations. One of the women is the minor in question.

"I should also point out anyone that is selling this tape, as well as anyone who has purchased it, is now in possession of child pornography," Hilliard added. "It would be my advice to you to dispose of these tapes."

One of the females on the tape has come forward. On May 24, a 33-year-old dancer named Motina "Tina" Woods filed a lawsuit with the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago for invasion of privacy. She alleges that Kelly secretly taped them having sex and is asking for $50,000 in damages.

While many of his fans and peers have seen the sex tape for which Kelly is being charged, the singer himself says he has not viewed it and has proclaimed his innocence.

"There's things that people have done in their lives that they regret, and I'm no different," he told MTV News last month. "I'm a human being, and I want people to know that I'm no angel here, but I'm no monster either. I'm no guy that would do this."

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Jennifer Vineyard

Eminem Show Gets An Encore At #1

No Doubt, Jimmy Eat World, Tweet are big movers thanks to new singles.

The Eminem Show was so well received it will take an encore bow atop next week's Billboard 200 albums chart. 
The rapper's third major-label LP moved more than 1.3 million copies during its second week in stores, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (June 5), giving it the distinction of having the largest single-week sales of any album this year.

Its tally places the album in the company of other single-week sales successes such as Britney Spears' Oops! ... I Did It Again (1.3 million), Backstreet Boys' Millennium (1.1 million), and 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached (2.4 million) and Celebrity (1.8 million), as well as Eminem's last album, The Marshall Mathers LP, (1.7 million).

Eminem's weekly total is even more impressive given that, unlike its high-ranking companions, it comes during the LP's second week of release. It trumps the previous week's numbers by more than a million copies, though its debut week consisted of a truncated sales cycle that began, for some retailers, on Friday instead of the customary Tuesday.

The Eminem Show bested the week's #2 album, P. Diddy and Bad Boy Records' We Invented the Remix, by more then 1.2 million, as the hip-hop collective's collection finished the week with more than 117,000 in sales, holding onto the runner-up slot for a second week.

The rest of the chart also shows little movement and sports only one debut, the soundtrack to "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" at #99.

The top 10 is rounded out by Ashanti's self-titled debut at #3; Cam'Ron's Come Home With Me holding onto its #4 slot; Celine Dion's A New Day Has Come inching ahead to #5; Marc Anthony's Mended at #6 after debuting three spots higher; Sheryl Crow's C'mon, C'mon, making the leap from #11 to #7; Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems at #8; Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 9 at #9; and Musiq's Juslisen at #10.

Melodious vocal stylings enjoy the biggest boost among top 20 albums, as both Josh Groban's eponymous LP and Norah Jones' Come Away With Me surge ahead seven slots. Groban will land at #17, and Jones re-enters the top 20 at #19.

Thanks to the emergence of new singles, No Doubt's Rock Steady, Tweet's Southern Hummingbird and Jimmy Eat World's self-titled album have experienced sales spikes. "Hella Good" afforded Gwen and company to jump nine spots to #26. The exposure of Tweet's "Call Me" at radio and in ads for a wireless phone service helped Tweet's debut LP leap 12 places to #34. And Jimmy Eat World's "Sweetness" boosted the group's fourth album from #53 to #40.

Conversely, it seems like Blink-182 fans were eager to scoop up Box Car Racer's debut LP during its first week in stores, landing it at #12 on the last chart. But in its second week, the album by the pop-punk group's side project plummets 17 spots to #29 after selling less than half of its previous week's total.

- By Joe D'Angelo

June 5, 2002

P. Diddy, Alicia Keys Rally Tens Of Thousands For Education

Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Foxy Brown, Wu-Tang Clan also on hand to protest NYC budget cuts. Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Alicia Keys, LL Cool J, Foxy Brown, Noreaga, Loon, Flipmode Squad, Wu-Tang Clan and others gave an all-star sheen Tuesday to a massive protest against a proposal to slash more than $1 billion from the city's education budget.

Much of the credit for the turnout goes to Russell Simmons — when he calls on you, saying no is not an option.

"Russell hollered at me. The godfather is good at keeping everything focused, especially with our children," said P. Diddy, who would go on to lead the estimated 60,000 protesters in chants of "We ain't havin' it."

"If they don't have education, they have no future. It's unfair for people that don't have money to go to private schools to have over $1 billion cut from their funding. This is a positive way for the kids to understand how to protest and speak out and how to get the mayor and the people that make decisions to listen. I think [Mayor Michael Bloomberg] is gonna watch the news tonight and realize he has a problem on his hands," Diddy said.

"We are not just gonna take what we're given," an adamant Alicia Keys said, standing on a makeshift stage across from City Hall. "We're not gonna take $1.2 billion in cuts. We're worth more than that."

For the five-time Grammy winner, having gripes with how the government treats schools is nothing new. "I'm a New York City resident, born and raised here," she explained before going up to speak to the sea of onlookers. "When I was in school we were fighting the same fights against budget cuts. Once again they constantly want to take from the system of education, from schools, from the people that are going to be the future. I'm out here to show my support that we're not going to accept this."

"We really gotta let elected officials know that they are elected officials," Jay-Z noted before he got onstage. "When the people are upset, they gotta listen to what the people are saying. There aren't enough books and not enough materials in the schools today. They're overdoing it now — $1 billion is going a little too far."

Simmons said the protest was more about the people voicing their opinions than putting the bad mouth on Bloomberg. "It's about reminding him that the people do care and want to prioritize their education," he said.

He suggested that such massive cuts wouldn't have been proposed if people hadn't been so silent in the past. "Last year, even in a time of prosperity, they cut over $400 million, and I think the people were too silent. It's had a devastating effect on our education system already."

Tuesday's rally was a virtual parade of stars as the performers arrived, answered a few questions from the press, spoke their peace onstage, and were whisked away almost as quickly as they were ushered in.

LL Cool J said that although many rappers were there to vocalize their opinions, the rally was "beyond hip-hop."

"It's just a lot of individual people that have a lot of feelings about the culture and our words," he said. "Me personally, I'm here 'cause I think education is important. For me it's less about hip-hop and more about education. Kids being educated, anything that's gonna affect kids being educated in a negative way, I'm here to support the opposite. Everyone can't afford private school, so we need our public schools to be as laced-up as possible. ... There are a lot of places that we can take money from, I agree, but not education."

An event spokesperson estimated 10,000 had to be turned away from the rally's barricaded perimeters, including Wyclef Jean, who was so peeved he laid in the street as a form of demonstration. He was lead away by police in handcuffs after refusing to leave.

Like Clef, Simmons said he's not scared to fight, even if it takes a long time.

"I think we've already won or gotten [Bloomberg's] attention, because they've decided to postpone his decision," the multimedia savant said. "The City Council is going to have a lot of energy to fight him with when they see the masses care about their education."

- By Shaheem Reid

J. Lo, Britney Top Teen Choice Noms

Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears lead the field of music nominations for seventeen magazine's fourth annual Teen Choice Awards, set to air Aug. 19 on Fox. Winners in categories encompassing TV, movies, music, and sports will be determined by readers' votes, either through ballots found in the July and August issues of seventeen, or by visiting the magazine's official Web site. Only voters age 13-19 may participate.

Lopez' and Spears' multiple nominations come in crossover fields, as they're both up for best female artist -- alongside Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette, Pink, and Shakira -- as well as best actress in a drama/action adventure (Lopez for "Enough;" Spears for "Crossroads). Both are also up for the female: hottie award.

Teen crooner Mandy Moore is also nominated for best actress in a drama/action adventure (for her role in "A Walk to Remember"), while on the men's side, Will Smith is up for best actor in a drama/action adventure (for "Men in Black 2"). Craig David, Enrique Iglesias, Ja Rule, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Moby, Nelly, and Usher each received nods for best male artist.

The best album nominees are Usher's "8701" (Arista), Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" (Warner Bros.), Pink's "M!ssundaztood" (Arista), Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" (MCA), No Doubt's "Rock Steady" (Interscope), P.O.D.'s "Satellite" (Atlantic), Alicia Keys' "Songs in A Minor" (J), and Ludacris' "Word of Mouf" (Def Jam). Up for best single are Lopez and Ja Rule's "Ain't It Funny," Keys' "Fallin'," Pink's "Get the Party Started," 'N Sync featuring Nelly's "Girlfriend," No Doubt's "Hey Baby," Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U," Shakira's "Whenever, Wherever," and Usher's "U Don't Have To Call."

Seventeen is also sponsoring a promotional contest to send one fan and a guest to the filming of the Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles. Entry forms and more information are available at Seventeen's Web site.

- By Troy Carpenter, N.Y.

June 4, 2002

Snoop Dogg Asks Mardi Gras Women To, Uh, You Know ...

Doggfather captures uninhibited revelers on film for Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style. Snoop Dogg has always been one to put his distinctive paw print on his endeavors. When emulating a hip-hop Don Corleone he was the Doggfather. As a high-ranking No Limit soldier he was the Top Dogg. His persona as a freestylin' philanthropist was Snoopafella. So when the funky hip-hop pimp is the one prompting college girls to bare all for the camera, what else would the resulting home video be called but Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style?

The laid-back lyricist will be the first-ever celebrity host in the latest installment in the mega-successful Girls Gone Wild series, due in early September, according to the video's publicist. The 60-minute home video takes viewers to New Orleans for Mardi Gras 2002 to witness the real-life hedonism that ensues when a high-profile rapper with a camera crew in tow is on a quest to find the flesh amidst throngs of uninhibited revelers. The multi-talented Dogg not only hosts the program, he directs some segments as well, presumably zooming in at the opportune moments as only a man who wrote such tunes as "(Tear 'Em Off) Me and My Doggz," "Picture This" and "Hoes, Money & Clout" could.

"Snoop Dogg was the perfect choice to be the first celebrity host of a Girls Gone Wild video," said Joe Francis, founder and CEO of the series' parent company, Mantra Entertainment, in a statement. "At Mardi Gras 2002, he not only proved to be an amazing host and part-time director, but he was a huge draw for crowds of beautiful women."

Prior to the video's release, on both VHS and DVD formats, you can catch Snoop barking his requests for breasts on Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style infomercials that are expected to surface in late August.

- By Joe D'Angelo

Rapper South Park Mexican Sentenced For Assault

A Houston jury sentenced rap musician Carlos Coy, professionally known as South Park Mexican, to 45 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl. The 31-year-old could have received up to life in prison from the same jury that convicted him May 18 of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Coy, who was sentenced last Thursday, testified that he did not assault the girl, who was at Coy's home to spend a night with his daughter last Labor Day weekend. He also told jurors that children in seven other sexual assault cases against him had been swayed by a prosecution request for victims to come forward. Many of them lied on the stand, he said.

Coy co-founded Houston-based Dope House Records, which in April released his latest album, "Reveille Park." The set debuted at No. 8 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart and No. 48 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has sold 23,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Through Dope House, Coy released four albums as South Park Mexican in 1998 and 1999, before signing to signing to Universal, where he issued three sets, including 2001's "Never Change," which debuted at No. 40 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally.

June 3, 2002

Eminem Lionizes Hailie, Kisses Off Debbie, Invites You To Square Dance

Rapper gets his daughter on the mic, addresses his detractors, including his mom. Marshall "Eminem" Mathers may liken himself and his daughter Hailie Jade to Bonnie and Clyde, but on the The Eminem Show, they'll remind you more of Master P and Lil' Romeo.

"I swear to you she was so natural at it," Eminem said of Hailie's appearance on the track "My Dad's Gone Crazy." "I would tell her something one time and she would do it. She would do all the little sound effects and whatever. And she's geeked to be on the song."

Shady said that many times when he makes music in one of his two studios he brings his 6-year-old with him, and she bides her time by playing video games while he spits his rancor in the vocal booth. And it looks like she's picked up more than just her dad's love of music from these visits to the studio.

"That's my little girl so she just goofy too," Marshall marveled. "She just runs around saying things. One day we was in the studio doing a song and she was like, 'Somebody please help me, I think my dad's gone crazy.' I was like, 'Hailie, what did you say?' She said it again and she was like, 'Daddy I wanna say it on the mic.' "

Em said he doesn't let Hailie get on the mic every time she wants to, but with Dr. Dre coming to town the next day to work on a track, he thought it was an opportune time to let his child sing of his dementia.

"Mind you that the song has cussin' on it and whatever people think about it, she's gonna grow up in her life and hear worse," he affirmed. "So at least when she gets older she can grow up and say, 'My dad put me on a song. My dad sang songs about me, my dad put my name everywhere.' "

Shady is cognizant, however, that some of the lyrics in "My Dad's Gone Crazy" aren't necessarily suitable for young ears.

"I have a clean version that I made that I play for her," he said. "There's a couple cuss words that can slip by, and that's cool with me as long as she knows not to repeat them. I'm not gonna front, some of my songs got a lot of a little bit too much for a 6-year-old."

And while Marshall and Hailie's duet brings father and daughter closer together, The Eminem Show's "Cleaning Out My Closet" centers on familial estrangement. In the chorus, Eminem sings about having remorse for any pain he may have caused his mother, Debbie Mathers, then goes on to relive the events that led to their relationship crumbling.

"I'm closing it off like, 'This is how I feel and I can't tell you the day that I'm gonna stop feeling like this 'cause I don't know,' " he said about the song. "Maybe one day before one of us reaches our graves we can make some type of amends, but as of right now, she tried to take — whether she realized it or not — everything I was working for. Everything I worked so hard for by myself to get, to make a better way for me and my family at the time. And now she tried to take food out of the mouth of my little girl. That's her granddaughter.

"Her bridge is burnt with me," he continued. "Every time she put her face in the press, every time she did something to put her face out there and try to speak on the past and say things that weren't true, I'm not gonna lie — it hurt me. 'Cleaning Out My Closet' is kind of my way of saying, 'Alright, I'm done with it.' "

Em knows he will never be finished with having to defend himself against his critics. "Sing for the Moment," which samples Aerosmith's "Dream On," finds the MC venting his frustration at people who wrongly judge him and his peers.

"Basically that was the first song I wrote for this album and it touches on a lot of different things, what I was going through at the time with court cases," he recalled. "I didn't know what was gonna happen. So it just touches on everything, basically it's just saying why we sing, why we rap and what is our purpose of doing it. A lot of people have perceptions of entertainers, especially in hip-hop. They think we just tote guns and drink and smoke, and that's all we do. At the end of the day I wanted to justify ... if we do it, why we do it."

Em also lashes back at his naysayers on "White America." He insists they shouldn't be afraid of him, as he could be one of their kids.

"The song 'White America' is playing on irony, and everything that everybody's ever said about me, rolled into one song," he said. "And whether I agree with it or not, I'm saying that it's all true."

But when it's all said and done, Marshall says he really isn't everything they say he is. He's not that bad of a guy. After all, would a dastardly villain invite the world to trip the light fantastic with him?

"The whole point of the song 'Square Dance' was like, 'F--- everything that was going on in the world right now and square dance with me,' " he explained. "It's a ridiculous thing to do, like to picture a bunch of people square dancing. But I'm just saying, 'Do it while you can, 'cause you don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. Have a good time, enjoy everything and seize this moment, 'cause tomorrow it could be something completely different.' "

- By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

R. Kelly Sued By Woman Claiming To Be Sex Tape Subject

Woman alleges Kelly secretly taped encounter, seeks $50,000 in damages.
A fourth woman has come forward to file a civil suit against R&B crooner R. Kelly, and unlike the other suits, it alleges invasion of privacy instead of statutory rape.

Plaintiff Montina "Tina" Woods — a dancer who's toured with Kellycollaborators the Isley Brothers — claims that she is one of the women making a star turn on one of the alleged Kelly sex tapes.

Woods, 33, filed a suit last Friday (May 24) in the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago accusing Kelly of setting up a hidden camera and secretly taping their sexual encounter. She's seeking $50,000 in damages.

The encounter, which Woods said took place at his recording studio, Chicago Trax, is among others that have been copied onto a single tape and sold under the title "R. Kelly Triple-X" on the streets of major cities such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit, as well as on the Internet. Woods also accuses Kelly of negligence in that he failed to keep the tape from being copied and distributed.

"[Woods] had a right to privacy to prevent her personal image from being recorded for the purpose of [Kelly's] personal gratification and possible dissemination to the public," the suit reads. "R. Kelly should have known that this was likely to cause severe emotional harm and economic harm to [Woods] ... R. Kelly knew or had to have known such distribution would cause irreparable harm to further employment opportunities by the negligent release of an unauthorized videotape of [Woods]," since she was also in the entertainment industry. Adding to Woods' emotional distress claim, the suit says she's been in isolation "to avoid recognition and embarrassment."

The basis of the three previous lawsuits filed against Kelly involved accusations that he took advantage of minors and engaged in criminal sexual conduct. Two of those lawsuits were settled out of court, while a third is still pending. Woods' suit references those lawsuits, as she accuses the singer of being derelict for not seeking mental health treatment for deviant sexual behavior and inappropriate conduct, "which constitutes a pattern," the suit reads.

"R. Kelly has been aware of his acts for over 10 years that constitute violations of criminal statutes and flagrantly displays disregard of the law by way of his negligence from causing further harm to females," the suit claims. Also derelict, Woods alleges, are Kelly's record label, Jive, and the recording studio for knowing about Kelly's "course of conduct" and failing to do anything about it. Both businesses are named in the suit.

Woods' lawyer, Donna Makowski, said Woods made no attempt to settle this suit and has not filed criminal charges, "yet."

In response, Kelly's camp says that this latest suit is "ridiculous" and "nonsensical," and that Kelly plans to defend himself against the charges.

"This one falls under the category of people just piling on," Kelly spokesperson Allan Mayer said. "[Woods] herself says it was consensual. She's a grown woman, not a kid. We're confident that the court will toss this one into the trash, where it belongs."