Jul 31, 2001

DMX Deep-Sixes Legal Woes

Go home, y'all. The show's over.

That's the straight dope from DMX, who has finally managed to put his seemingly interminable court battle in upstate New York to rest once and for all.

The best-selling Grammy-nominated hip-hopster, whose rap sheet was longer than any of his rap albums, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault and paid a $1,000 fine last Tuesday in Alden, New York, as part of a deal with prosecutors to finally end a string of charges against him.

"We're happy this is over," DMX's attorney, Paul Cambria, told Sonicnet on Thursday.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped two more serious charges: a contempt of court charge and an assault charge.

DMX was rung up on the contempt count when he failed to turn himself in on February 9 to begin serving a 15-day jail term. The stint in jail was the penalty for his original transgression--a minor traffic violation he pleaded guilty to in March 2000.

The Yonkers-born DMX (aka Earl Simmons) didn't show up until two weeks later, claiming he was contractually obligated to finish shooting a music video in Los Angeles for the film Exit Wounds, costarring Steven Seagal.

He was slapped with the assault charge while doing his time at the Erie County Correctional Facility. After learning that he would have to stay behind bars longer than he thought, DMX allegedly hurled a food tray at one of the guards.

Upon his release, the X-man hobbled out of prison on crutches to a waiting limousine and said it was the guards, not him, who did the assaulting. He claimed a prison official attacked him when he refused to hand over his Bible during a cell inspection. The reverent rapper flew home to New York in time to catch the premiere of Exit Wounds in New York City. (He says he's still contemplating a lawsuit against the prison.)

If he'd been convicted of the assault charge, DMX could've faced up to seven years in prison, although both prosecutors and his attorneys were expected to seek a compromise.

Neither DMX nor his publicist would comment on the plea bargain, except to express relief at finally settling the matter.

The hip-hopster got into this mess following a Buffalo concert last year, when he was pulled over for failing to signal and speeding. Police said he was driving without a license (his fifth such citation since 1998) and a search turned up a small amount of marijuana.

DMX pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving without a license, but Justice Ronald E. Kmiotek hit the rapper with the maximum penalty allowable under the law--15 days in jail and a $400 fine. DMX's attorneys appealed the sentence and the case wound its way through the system until it was finally upheld by a U.S. District Court in February.

With his legal woes over for now, DMX is currently far away from the Buffalo area. He's in Boston filming the video for "Right Here," a cut off his upcoming album, The Great Depression, due to hit stores September 25.


Living Colour Go East

The members of Living Colour -- vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun -- will keep their side projects on ice as they embark on the second leg of their North American reunion tour, this time making stops along the East Coast and Midwest. The band kicked off the first leg with some West Coast appearances in May, only a few months after their first gig together in seven years at CBGB's. They also did some dates in South America and Europe.

Currently, Glover is acting in the independent film Reunion 81, Reid is planning a mini-tour with jazz bassist Jack Bruce, and Calhoun and Wimbish are performing with Mos Def in Japan. The band is also considering making a record later this year. Living Colour's last album was 1993's Stain.

Living Colour tour dates:

8/1: Old Bridge, NJ, Birch Hill Nite Club
8/2: New Haven, CT, Toad's Place
8/2: Hampton Bays, NY, Canoe Place Inn
8/4: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
8/5: New York, Central Park Summer Stage
8/7: Chicago, Metro
8/8: Ferndale, MI, Magic Bag
8/10: Philadelphia, The Trocadero

Jul 30, 2001

Lauryn Hill's 'Firelight For Recording Is Back'

After she emerged to schedule a few performance dates this summer, you kind of figured that Lauryn Hill's hiatus would soon end - and it will. She is gearing up to record her second solo album and hopes to have it ready for a September release, she told MTV News last Saturday.

"My pilot is lit again, my firelight for recording is back," said Hill, who has many of her tracks already arranged and mapped out. "I spent six months in the studio banging my head against the wall because I was trying to put this fresh bread and new wine into those old wine slots."

Hill said that like her solo debut, 1998's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, her next effort will be musically inventive and feature intimate stories.

"Even with the last album I was stretching out the parameters of hip-hop as far as I could," she said. "So now it's like something has to give and it's not going to be me. That's what creativity is all about. We call ourselves creators and we just copy it really. I can honestly say that this [new album] has no external influence. It's from the inside out. This is my life."

She is expecting her third child and has been greatly impacted by a newfound level of spirituality. A new understanding of God, she said, has caused her to reinvent herself.

"I think the Lauryn Hill of then was looking to be validated, was hoping to be accepted, looking for acknowledgment from everyone except the one who made me," she said. "At this point, the things I am led to do are things that I know He wants me to do. When I say 'He,' I mean things that don't necessarily get the thumbs up, but in my soul, I have inner peace after having done them. It's a different person.

"I, like everyone else, wanted to be loved and be liked, so a lot of my behavior was patterned to be acceptable to whatever the socially acceptable thing at the moment was," she added.

She said that people will have to accept her as she is, even people who pay to see her perform.

"Yeah, it used to kill me [if my voice was a little raspy], but not anymore," she said. "It got to the point where I was like 'Oh my God, it's reality.' Reality doesn't change the words. My voice being raspy doesn't change the words. I'm sorry that I can't run up the scale and back, but that ain't about me. It's about people receiving encouragement to jump that battery and start living. What's life if you can't live it?"

Hill, who has received just as much acclaim for her singing as she has for MCing, said that as many talents as she was blessed with, she ignored another gift for a long time. "When I was still with the Fugees I would pick up the guitar, and I always used to say, 'Wyclef, just get out there and do that thing with the guitar,' " she said. "Interestingly enough, when God shows you a thing, we always try to encourage others to do what we were meant to do. But it's like just over a period of time, He caused me to take it more serious. He said, 'This is your accompaniment. Don't think it's going to be what you thought it was.' "

The Grammy Award-winner, who is going to be playing acoustic guitar on her new LP, said plucking the strings is natural for her.

"I don't know if I taught myself - I just evolved by way of necessity, by way of grace," she explained. "It's just by way of passion. How do we learn anything?"

Hill said her biggest life's lesson is to do just what she feels.

"I am not running for social president anymore. I'm just trying to be, obey God and do my passion, and tell everybody else that life is a waste if you ain't doing that."

- Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway


Carey Checks Herself Into A Hospital For Exhaustion

Mariah Carey checked herself into a hospital on July 25th due to extreme exhaustion. The singer and actress also canceled plans to headline MTV20: Live and Almost Legal, the channel's twentieth anniversary concert special on August 1st in New York.

During the past few months Carey has finished filming two movies, Glitter and Wise Girls, and recording her first album for Virgin Records, the Glitter soundtrack.

The news follows a post on Carey's official Web site, which has since been removed, in which the singer discussed her heavy workload. "I'm trying to understand things in life right now and so I really don't feel that I should be doing music right now," Carey wrote. "What I'd like to do is just take a little break or at least get one night of sleep without someone popping up about a video or a thing -- where all I really want to do is just be me."

Glitter, the album, is due August 21st, while Glitter, the movie, hits theaters August 31st.

Jul 27, 2001

Wu-Tang Blasts ODB C-O-N-spiracy

Is there a conspiracy threatening Ol' Dirty Bastard's life that is so organized, so complete, so pervasive, that few dare speak above a whisper in condemnation of it?

A few eyebrows were raised after Icelene Jones, the wife of Wu-Tang black sheep Ol' Dirty Bastard, confided to MTV News last week that "he's scared to go back to jail because people are threatening to kill him there." The Wu-Tang Clan has since released a statement on their website blasting the New York District Attorney and prison officials for dismissing their concerns about ODB's safety while in custody.

Alluding to a conspiracy involved with the death of rapper Notorious B.I.G. on March 9, 1997, Wu-Tang warned, "If something happens while ODB is in custody of these officials, his family, his thirteen children, and Wu-Tang will seek full retribution in a civil resolution. ODB has informed his wife to sue New York City and the government for Bill Cosby billions."

For the full press release, log on to www.wu-tang.com/release.htm


White Rapper Makes "Ugly" Debut on Timbaland's Beat Club Label

Uber-producer Timbaland has found the first artist for his new Interscope-distributed record label, Beat Club, and it's gonna get ugly.

With his new single "Ugly" blowing up the Dirty South, Georgia rapper Bubba Sparks is riding high on a red-hot buzz that echoes the early buzz on another white rapper, a certain Grammy Award-winner and labelmate of Sparks. Even the story of Bubba's discovery echoes Eminem's big break: West Coast Major Label President discovers talented white rapper, brings him to the attention of Major Rap Producer, and the match is made in Heaven.

Specifically, after Gerardo Mejia, formerly Mr. Rico Suave and now an A & R at Interscope, brought Bubba to the label, Interscope president Jimmy Iovine delivered him to Timbaland. "He played the stuff for Tim and Tim just bugged out," Sparks told Vibe Online. "I was on a plane the next day."

Looking to leave behind negative influences, the LaGrange, GA native originally graduated high school and moved to Athens- home of legendary alternative bands like REM and B-52s- in pursuit of his dream of making records. "Even within the alternative [and] rock realm, Athens is just known for musical diversity, and I think this is just another sprinkling of that," Bubba explained. "There's a huge bubbling hip-hop scene out here, seriously."

Now, the video for Bubba Sparks' debut single "Ugly", shot in Athens and featuring Timbaland, Missy, Bizarre of D12, Rico Wade of Organized Noize and DJ Greg Street of V103 FM, is set to drop in August, following the single's nationwide release in late July.

"I wanted to present images in front of the camera that people had never seen before in association with a rap music video," said Sparks.

Timbaland will handle the majority of the production duties for the album, which is slated for release in late September, with additional production by Organized Noize, Geo, Khalifani, and Shannon Houchins of 11th hour Entertainment.

Jul 26, 2001

Naughty By Nature Returns To Release Rah Rah On TVT

It's been a decade since hip hop veterans Naughty By Nature exploded on the scene with "O.P.P.", and Kay Gee, Vinnie and Treach are celebrating on their newest label, TVT Records.

Naughty is already busy at work in the studio on their 5th album, tentatively titled The Rah-Rah, and Treach is splitting his time between recording and acting in two upcoming films: Empire with John Leguizamo, and Spike Lee's 3 A.M. with Danny Glover. Mixshow DJs can expect the release of two white label 12" singles, "Rah Rah" and "Rock & Roll", in late July.

Naughty By Nature have endured many twists and turns on their hip-hop journey, starting with their self-titled 1991 platinum debut and two critically-acclaimed follow-ups on Tommy Boy Records, and continuing on to a stint on Arista in 1999.

Now the group is "looking forward to laying a new, solid foundation at [TVT Records], and delivering more classic albums," according to Vinny.

"TVT stepped up to the plate and recognized Naughty By Nature's track record for releasing hit after hit since 1991," said frontman Treach. "We're gonna make people love hip-hop again."


Lost Boyz' Mr. Cheeks Set to Drop New LP on the Dolo

After much rumor and speculation, Universal will be releasing Lost Boyz frontman Mr. Cheeks's solo album John P. Kelly in late September 2001.

John P. Kelly is expected to be a 15-song album loaded with collaborations between Cheeks and reggae artist Stephan Marley, Goodie MoB's Big Gipp, Horace Brown and producers Bink! and Easy Mo Bee, among others. Songs on the LP include "Light, Camera, Action!", the lead single, and "Till We Meet Again," Cheek's tribute to slain Lost Boy member Freaky Tah.

The Jamaica, Queens-based Lost Boyz quartet (Mr. Cheeks, Pretty Lou, Spigg Nice and Freaky Tah) emerged in 1995 with smash singles like "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimas and Benz" and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless," and scored gold certification with their debut Legal Drug Money. They followed with another gold record, their 1997 sophomore LP Love Peace and Nappiness, only to mourn Tah's murder shortly before they dropped their third record, LB IV Life in 1999.

Mr. Cheeks would not rule out another Lost Boyz LP, but noted, "It's not going to feel the same way it did when we first started. Everything changed when Tah died."

Jul 24, 2001

Snoop's Latest Thizzle Is Designing Shoes

He may "stay on point like Stacey Adams," but Snoop Dogg will be doing his Crip-walking in his own line of sneakers for Dada Footwear from now on.

According to Dada's vice president of marketing, Carlos Parrott, Snoop's basketball shoes are scheduled to hit the market in October and will be called Thizzlez. "Thizzle" is slang for "thing" (as in "Somebody does their thing, and Snoop does his thizzle").

"We wanted to expand [our footwear line] and take it to athletic performance," Parrott said. "By utilizing an artist of Snoop's caliber we can get the word out faster. Plus, he's a year 'round playa and he plays basketball. He's got love for the game."

Snoop, who has a regulation-size b-ball court in his back yard, already has a clothing line called Snoop Dogg Clothing, or SDC.

Parrott said Snoop helped design the Thizzlez, which will be gray, white and blue. Future pairs will be featured in different colors, but all will be a high-top design.

Dada also sells a shoe called SoleSonicForce, named after hip-hop forefathers Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force. No doubt Snoop loves those sneakers as well - they've got hydraulics, just like his '64 lowriders.


Multiracial Rappers Tour, Put Iowa in the Mix

Dubuque, Iowa isn't usually mentioned in the same breath as other hip-hop meccas such as New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans or Atlanta. Yet Dubuque's own rap group Donsen Park will be on tour for four more dates in various West Coast cities, along with Slum Village, Phife Dog, Mystic and Phat Cat.

Donsen Park bill themselves as a "culturally diverse" alternative to commercial hip-hop which fosters "positive consciousness" and omits cursing and foul language. They recently dropped a debut album Motion Sickness, distributed by Donsen Park Corp / Lightyear Entertainment.

The track listing for Motion Sickness is as follows:

01 club atmustfear2001
02 little guy
03 love
04 somebody's out there
05 vegas
06 contradiction
07 this iz you
08 ghost dad
09 commotion
10 don't push me
11 i been
12 hate faces
13 tempertantrum
14 pay no mind
15 meeting in the boys room
16 raw2000 + 1
17 emotions
18 somebody's out there
19 don't want no
20 monopoly


Remaining tour dates are as follows:

7/24 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
7/25 San Diego, CA 4th and B
7/27 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
7/28 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

Jul 23, 2001

Ice Cube May Join 'Jackass' Star For Next Film

Rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube and Johnny Knoxville, star of MTV's "Jackass," are in negotiations to star in the DreamWorks buddy picture "Big Ticket," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film -- described as a docudrama-style, real-time action film about a prison escapee (Ice Cube) who takes hostage a business executive (Knoxville) obsessed with car chases -- is scheduled to begin production next year. The film was written by Jim Herzfeld, who found success with his script for last year's "Meet the Parents," which starred Robert DeNiro and Ben Stiller.

Ice Cube has been busy in Hollywood of late, and will soon be seen in theaters in New Line's "All About the Benjamins" and Screen Gems' "Ghost of Mars." Knoxville is currently working with director Barry Sonnenfeld on DreamWorks' "Men in Black 2," and will be seen next in Disney's "Big Trouble."


Peoria Blocks Locked Down For Richard Pryor

According to the Associated Press- and ABC News, the City of Peoria, Illinois voted 8 to 3 to rename seven city blocks after comedian and Peoria native Richard Pryor.

The City Council voted to begin the process on Tuesday, but it will vote again as early as next month to rename the seven-block stretch in the south Peoria neighborhood where Pryor grew up. The city also will likely hold a public meeting on the issue.

In April, the council twice rejected naming streets after Pryor. Some members stated that Pryor's history of drug abuse and controversial adult humor would reflect badly on the city. Others argued that the city's street renaming policy isn't defined, and other distinguished Peoria natives were being overlooked in lieu of Pryor.

"I think some of the humor that he has and how he portrays it - profanity or whatever… I think some Peorians find it offensive," said City Planning Director Wayne Anthony, according to ABC News.com.

However, not all councilmembers agreed with the votes against Pryor.

"I'm prepared to move forward on this --the sooner the better," Councilwoman Marcella Teplitz said before the vote.

Jul 20, 2001

Wanna Produce A Public Enemy Record?

Welcome to virtual production, directly from the mind of long-term Public Enemy frontman and internet entrepeneur Chuck D.

With the launch of Chuck's newest website, slamjamz.com, Chuck has devised a revolutionary new way of record production. Over the next month, Chuck D and Public Enemy are offering the chance for up and coming producers to get involved in the next Public Enemy album, while carrying one step further Chuck's campaign to empower artists and remove major music middlemen.

Starting on July 12th, a classic Public Enemy song, featuring all new vocals from Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and Professor Griff will be available at the site for download each week for the next four weeks. Prospective PE producers can create music for the a cappella tracks and upload them back to slamjamz.com to be considered by Chuck D and Public Enemy for a slot on their next album.

"They're open to any direction in might go in," Public Enemy's publicist Jolyn Matsumoro told Vibe.com. "They're trying to keep it as flexible as possible."

"This was an idea I've had for more than 5 years, something that would be a reminder of how record companies used to be," Chuck D said.

"The Motowns, STAX, Atlantic, Chess, SUN, and even the early rap labels Enjoy, Profile, Tommy Boy and yes Sugarhill… rode on the spontaneity of cutting sounds, on what was happening right then on the street, and getting it back out"

"We want to hear everything from electronica to metal, slack-key to Brazilian jazz, even bluegrass and country," Chuck added.

Public Enemy will to enter the studio for the first time in roughly two years to record brand-new material for their upcoming album, for which they will coordinate all marketing, publicity, and radio promotion. Prior to the album's release this fall, the band will partner with Creamwerks and House Of Blues' HOB Digital to stage and film a live DVD concert at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, CA. An international Public Enemy tour is also in the works.


ODB Sentenced To Two To Four Years In Crack Case

 The Wu-Tang Clan will be short one of its original nine members for at least another year, as Ol' Dirty Bastard was ordered Wednesday (July 18) to spend a minimum 16 months behind bars.

Judge Joseph A. Grosso actually sentenced ODB (born Russell Jones) to two to four years, for possession of 20 vials of crack cocaine, but the rapper will get credit for the eight months he's already served since being picked up as a fugitive in Philadelphia in November.

Like anyone sentenced to prison time, the Wu-Tang member will be checked mentally and physically by the New York State Department of Correctional Services, which will determine whether he should be in a drug-rehabilitation or mental-health treatment program while incarcerated. He will also be evaluated for possible participation in programs such as work release and boot camp.

ODB's lawyer, Peter Frankel, voiced concerns over his drug and mental problems throughout the case.

"We're going to make our best efforts to see to it that he gets the help he needs, and he gets out as quickly as possible," Frankel said Wednesday. "The decision was inevitable and it's the first step in getting him back out. ... I think the court and the prosecutor were also in agreement that the sooner we get this over with and get him in the system, the quicker he'll have an opportunity to get out."

ODB had been scheduled for sentencing Tuesday, but that hearing was postponed after the court received a report that ODB may have tried to hurt himself in the psychiatric ward at Kings County Hospital that morning. He was placed in protective custody and put on suicide watch .

The injury proved to be a minor scrape, and both sides said it did not influence the judge's sentencing decision.

"Yesterday's incident was a non-incident," Frankel said. "It was just bad timing. [ODB] sustained a cut to his left arm and it's not clear how it happened. It was a superficial wound and wasn't anything that could even arguably be considered a suicide attempt. It's possible it was an accident."

Judge Grosso recommended that ODB serve his time at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, in the Wu-Tang's birthplace, Staten Island. But the state Department of Corrections will make the final decision on where he is sent.

The rapper's wife, Icelene Jones, 32, was optimistic as she left the courtroom. "We hope that they're going to put him in Arthur Kill, and he can receive help while he's in there," she said. "It's close by and, considering everything, we think it's going to be best for him. He really needs help."

ODB was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree after police found 20 vials of crack when they pulled over his car on July 31, 1999. He pleaded guilty in April, in a deal under which prosecutor Ken Holder agreed not to pursue a bail-jumping indictment, which could have led to an additional three years in prison. A deal with Los Angeles prosecutors also assured that any sentence would run concurrently with a sentence there for a probation violation.

The bail-jumping charges were filed after ODB escaped from a Los Angeles rehab clinic in October.

Holder, who recommended the minimum sentence, said justice was served by the judge's sentence.

"My purpose was to get him out of the city system on into the state correctional system," Holder said. "Every day he stays down here, it means another day that it's going to be difficult for anyone to give him the type of treatment that he needs. There's no one putting together any long-term plan for him down here because they're figuring he won't be here."

On August 21, Elektra Records will release Free Dirty, a 12-track greatest hits set featuring such solo classics as "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and "Got Your Money."

ODB will also turn up on Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA's forthcoming album, RZA as Bobby Digital: Digital Bullet and Ghostface Killah's Bulletproof Wallets.

Jul 19, 2001

Outkast Clothing Conquers Canal in Brooklyn

Versace. Armani. Prada. Outkast?

Yesterday, hip-hop's most colorful duo stormed Canal Jeans Co.'s newest store on 2236 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, NY for a special one-day event to promote the store as well as Outkast's new line of 'hood chic clothing. The surprise pre-cursor to Canal Jean's August Grand Opening celebration included a fashion show, autograph signing, live DJs, and giveaways from Canal Jean Co. and New York-based Hip-hop/R & B station HOT 97.

"Canal Jean Co. has always appealed to the fashion conscious consumers, it's the perfect hope for our line of clothes," said Big Boi of Outkast in a press release issued July 16th. "The fashion industry has trampled over conventional marketing strategies. Getting with the fans is what we are all about, the hip hop vibe and culture has roots here in Brooklyn."

Music plays a big role in fashion," said Zenaide Russack, Creative Director of Canal Jeans, "and at Canal Jeans we feel that most of our customers really create trends. And it's the same thing with music. With Outkast, we saw the clothing was very creative. We're carrying the denim pants and jackets, the t-shirts and sports[wear]. It's a little sample of everything that's in their line."

"Dre 3000 himself is designing the T-Shirts," Russack noted.

But will fans get with their clothes? Maybe. In creating Outkast clothing, Dre and Big Boi enlisted the help of renowned designer R.G. Vasquez and creative Marketing Director Brother Hassan Sharif. "We're mixing between Dre and Big Boi, so it's almost like Versace meets the streets," Sharif said.

"Our jeans are light and crisp, where you can wear them in the hood and feel a little dressy, not like you're selling out or going to the Hamptons," Sharif added.

Woven shirts, Italian sweaters, and sweatsuits patterned after the old-school style of the Harlem Globetrotters are among the clothing that Outkast will be including in their full line.

In addition to Canal Jeans in New York, other stores carrying the Outkast Clothing line include Dr. Jay's (New York), Macy's (California and nationwide), Rich's (Atlanta) and Up Against The Wall (Washington, D.C.)


Dr. Dre and Metallica Settle With Napster

Heavy metal rockers Metallica and rap artist Dr. Dre settled their long-standing copyright suits against Napster on Thursday. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but as part of the agreement, Metallica will allow some of the band's songs to be traded on Napster's song swap system once a legal business model has been launched later this summer. "I think we've resolved this in a way that works for fans, recording artists and songwriters alike," said Lars Ulrich, Metallica's drummer.

Metallica sued Napster last year and hand-delivered more than 300,000 usernames to the company's headquarters, demanding that those users lose their Napster privileges. Napster agreed and kicked off users trading Metallica tunes, but many of the heavy metal fans found a way to log back on to the service. Napster has been offline since July 2 as it tries to retool its software technology to block access to all copyright music and comply with a court injunction.

Jul 18, 2001

Alicia Keys, Maxwell To Hit Road Together

New R&B sensation Alicia Keys will join soul man Maxwell for a 25-date, 14-city tour that kicks off August 13 in New York.

In an unusual scheduling move, Keys and Maxwell will play seven shows in the Big Apple - at seven different venues. Washington, D.C., and Atlanta will also receive multiple dates.

The 20-year-old Keys is touring behind her Songs in A Minor, her first album, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart and will fall to #2, just 300 copies behind D12, next week.

Maxwell is set to release his third album - on which he returns to the erotic soul of his Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996) - on August 21.

Maxwell/Alicia Keys tour dates, according to J Records:

  • 8/13 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
  • 8/14 - New York, NY @ Apollo Theatre
  • 8/17 - New York, NY @ Roseland
  • 8/19 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
  • 8/20 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
  • 8/24 - New York, NY @ City Center
  • 8/25 - New York, NY @ Theater at Madison Square Garden
  • 9/8 - Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
  • 9/9 - Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
  • 9/11 - Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
  • 9/12 - Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
  • 9/14 - Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
  • 9/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
  • 9/17 - Sunrise, FL @ Sunrise Musical Theatre
  • 9/18 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
  • 9/20 - Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
  • 9/22 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
  • 9/25 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
  • 9/26 - Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop Auditorium
  • 9/28 - Chicago, IL @ Arie Crown Theater
  • 9/29 - Chicago, IL @ Arie Crown Theater
  • 10/1 - Grand Rapids, MI @ DeVos Hall
  • 10/2 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Centre
  • 10/4 - Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
  • 10/5 - Cleveland, OH @ Music Hall



Alcoholism Puts Backstreet Boys' Tour On Hiatus

The Backstreet Boys were forced to postpone their North American tour after a member of the group entered rehabilitation for depression and alcohol abuse on Monday. According to The Associated Press, A.J. McLean, a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, entered rehab for 30 days at an unknown location. Fellow band members said he is suffering from anxiety and depression and had been using alcohol excessively. The other four members of the boy band - Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter and Brian Littrell - made the announcement Monday during the MTV show Total Request Live.

Teen members of the live studio audience expressed their emotions as the four members discussed their 23-year-old bandmate's recent problems. "We didn't want to lie about it. We didn't want to push it under the rug," the 29-year-old Richardson said. "We want to be honest with our fans. He's getting help. He's going to be better."

Littrell, 26, added, "He came to us yesterday for the first time. I heard him say, 'Guys, I have a problem and I need to get help.' We figured this was the best for him. It's all about him being healthy. When you're trying to help someone who has a serious illness, they have to help themselves first before they can really receive help. They've gotta really want it."

The recent death of McLean's grandmother has been a source of anxiety for him, but he was depressed even before that, Richardson said. "He's been burning the candle at both ends and partying quite a bit to escape it. His alcoholism is - it's pretty bad. And we're worried about him."

Carter, 21, said McLean's illness doesn't mean the group is breaking up. "I don't think there is an end to this group until one of us dies," he said.

Earlier Monday, the Backstreet Boys announced they were postponing remaining sold-out concerts at Boston's FleetCenter this week after Carter injured his hands on Saturday. The group's tour was scheduled to end in Vancouver, British Columbia on August 7. Now, the tour will resume on that date and end on September 28 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Jul 17, 2001

Airport To Be Named After Jazz legend Louis Armstrong

Reuters reports that air travelers to New Orleans now will be landing at the newly renamed Louis Armstrong International Airport, believed to be the first major airport in the United States named after an African-American musician, authorities said on Thursday. "The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport will celebrate the achievements of one of the greatest cultural ambassadors of the 20th century ... a native New Orleanian who revolutionized music around the world," Mayor Marc Morial said.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman in Washington, D.C., said he was not aware of other domestic airports named after African-American musicians. "Whenever anybody thinks of Louis Armstrong, they think of that great smile. It puts a smile on your face just imagining that, and that's what will happen when people arrive and when they leave," said Beverly Gianna, spokesman for the Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Bureau.

Born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901, Armstrong was given his first coronet by Joe "King" Oliver while in reform school for firing a gun on New Years Eve. He performed as a child on the streets of New Orleans, dancing for pennies and singing with a strolling quartet while sometimes raiding garbage cans for food. By 1916, after tutoring from Oliver, Satchmo was playing trumpet in dives in New Orleans' notorious Storyville red-light district. Within five years, he joined Oliver's Creole Jazz Band in Chicago and was on his way to becoming a legend, playing with top musicians from Bessie Smith and Ella Fitzgerald to Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Sidney Bechet. In 1963, jazz master Armstrong bumped the Beatles off the top of the charts with his popular comeback recording of "Hello Dolly!" Armstrong recorded another No. 1 hit, "What a Wonderful Life," in 1968 shortly before his health began failing. He died three years later at his home in Queens, New York.

A new logo and signs for the New Orleans airport will be unveiled on August 2, two days before Armstrong's 100th birthday. Two weeks ago, Liverpool airport in England was renamed after native son and former Beatle John Lennon. The airport also will carry a new slogan, "Above us only sky," taken from Lennon's hit song "Imagine."


DMX To Be Indicted

An Erie County, New York grand jury has indicted rap artist DMX on charges he failed to show up at Cheektowaga Town Court to begin serving jail time for a traffic conviction last year. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was released in March after belatedly serving 13 days at the Erie County Correctional Facility for driving without a license. He is expected to be arraigned within the next two weeks on the new charges. Simmons also faces felony assault charges in Alden after a scuffle with corrections officers while in prison.

Jul 16, 2001

Erick Sermon Teams Up With Clive Davis

Erick Sermon recently signed his label Def Squad Records to a production deal with Clive Davis' J Records. Sermon also signed a production deal where he will produce future songs for J Records' artists. He is currently rocking the airwaves with his hit single "Music" which features the vocals of the late Marvin Gaye. In addition to the Def Squad venture, his group EPMD, which also consists of Parrish Smith, has joined the J Records roster. Sermon is currently working on a solo album for J Records entitled The Sermon, which will be released this fall. The album will also feature collaborations with Keith Murray, Redman, Scarface, and L.L. Cool J. Sermon recently spoke of the deal, stating, "All the years I have in this business I'm counting as experience and now it's time to do work. J Records is giving me a great opportunity and the knowledge, wisdom and skills of the people here at J - starting with the man on top- will greatly enhance the Def Squad foundation."

Davis added, "We are thrilled to welcome Eric Sermon into the J Records family. Throughout the hip hop era, Erick has been a major trendsetter. Whether it's been with EPMD, Mary J. Blige, D'Angelo, Xzibit, Eminem or Blackstreet, his skills have always earned him the highest respect. He's on fire right now with "Music" and we literally can't wait to introduce everyone to the next chapter of The Sermon!"


D-12 Recaptures Soundscan

Eminem's group D-12 took top honors on Soundscan this week as their album Devil's Night sold 173,956 copies. Clive Davis' newest protégé Alicia Keys came in second with her debut album Songs In A Minor while Staind placed third with Break The Cycle. Jagged Edge came in fourth this week as their latest release Jagged Little Thrill sold 135,874 units. Destiny's Child's Survivor rounded out the top five.

No Limit Soldier Lil' Romeo debuted his self-titled album at sixth this week. The album includes the hit singles "My Baby" and the remix to "That's Kool" with his uncle Silkk The Shocker. The Fast and the Furious soundtrack placed seventh as Blink 182's Take Off Your Pants followed behind at eighth. The Moulin Rouge soundtrack slipped down to ninth this week as the St. Lunatics' Free City closed out this week's top ten.

Jul 13, 2001

J-Lo Criticized For Using N-Word

Civil rights activist Najee Ali, Director of Project Islamic Hope, held a press in Los Angeles today calling for Jennifer Lopez to apologize for using the word nigger in her new single "I'm Real." The song is featured on Lopez's platinum selling album J-Lo and also features hip hop star Ja Rule. Ali stated, "Epic should pull the record, in the same manner as they pulled Michael Jackson's recordings when he was accused of Anti Semitic lyrics that offended the Jews. The N-word should not be used by any artist no matter what ethnic group you are a member of. But to have a non-black artist as popular as Jennifer Lopez is internationally, can only inflame racial intolerance, bigotry, and hatred."

Ali also called for African American entertainers to curtail their use of the word "nigger" as well. He added, " Its obvious it's our culture's own fault in using this negative word. Now other entertainers feel they have license too do so, we only have ourselves too blame. But this is an opportunity to take a stand and say no more to the N-word by anyone at anytime."


NY Giants Draft Pick Robbed

According to The Associated Press, three armed robbers stole $150,000 worth of jewelry from Will Allen, the New York Giants' first-round draft pick, including an earring they ripped from his ear, police said. Allen was not otherwise injured in the robbery, which took place at 4:40 a.m. Sunday when the former Syracuse standout was returning to his apartment, Sgt. David Sackett said Monday. Investigators have no suspects, he said.

According to police reports, Allen spent the night out with friends and was returning home when three men wearing stocking masks confronted him in a hallway of his apartment. Two of the men had handguns, Sackett said. One of the men called Allen by name, he added. Allen tried to wrestle the gun away from one of the robbers but was attacked by the other two men. One of the men sprayed Allen with gasoline from a spray bottle and threatened to light him on fire if he did not cooperate, Sackett said.

The thieves took a 51-carat platinum and diamond bracelet valued at $120,000, a 13-carat platinum and diamond bracelet worth $11,000, a white gold Rolex watch worth $9,000, two gold 2.5-carat diamond earrings worth $10,000 and the keys to Allen's apartment and luxury car. Sackett said all the jewelry was insured. Allen, a 22-year-old defensive back, is a Syracuse native. He was drafted 22nd overall in April and could start for the Giants this season.

Jul 12, 2001

Puffy To Unveil New Album At Virgin Megastore

Sean Combs and members of his Bad Boy Records stable will be on hand tonight at The Virgin Megastore in Times Square in New York to unveil Puffy's latest album, P. Diddy & The Bad Boy Family: The Saga Continues. Puff will sign autograph copies of his latest album, which hits stores tomorrow, from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. Bad Boy artists Black Rob, Faith Evans, and Carl Thomas are also scheduled to be on hand to meet and greet their fans. P. Diddy & The Bad Boy Family: The Saga Continues contains the hit single "Let's Get It" with Puffy, Black Rob, and G-Dep. The album also contains the chart-topping duet "Can't Believe" by Faith Evans and Carl Thomas. For more information on Puffy and his stable, log on to www.badboyonline.com. Here is the track listing for the album:

1. The Saga Continues
2. Bad Boy For Life
3. Toe Game (Interlude)
4. That's Crazy
5. Let's Get It
6. Shiny Suit Man
7. Diddy
8. Blast Off
9. Airport (Interlude)
10. Roll With Me
11. On Top
12. Where's Sean?
13. Child Of The Ghetto
14. Incomplete (Interlude)
15. So Complete
16. Smoke (Interlude)
17. Lonely
18. I Need A Girl
19. Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now (Interlude)
20. If You Want This Money
21. I Don't Like That (Interlude)
22. Back For Good Now
23. Can't Believe
24. The Last Song


Tyrese to Play Derek Anderson Foundation

San Antonio Spurs superstar Derek Anderson will host the 2nd Annual Derek Anderson Celebrity Charity Softball Game, July 13-15 in Louisville, Kentucky. The weekend event will feature a private VIP party, a concert by RCA recording artist Tyresse, a celebrity softball game at the Louisville Slugger Stadium and a birthday bash for Anderson at the luxurious Caesars Hotel & Casino. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Derek Anderson Foundation.

Since its inception in 1998, The Derek Anderson Foundation has raised over $200,00 in scholarship and grant support for the children in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Providing hope through its various offering, the foundation is aimed at serving those in need through a variety of local area youth organizations. Celebrities who will be joining Anderson for the event include A.J. Johnson and Taraji Henson of the blockbuster film Baby Boy, and Anderson's fellow NBA cohorts Tim Duncan, Avery Johnson, Alan Houston and Sam Cassell. For more information about this event, log on to www.derekanderson1.com.

Jul 10, 2001

Outkast Hits Album To Include Five New Tracks

Having sold more than 3 million copies of last year's Stankonia, Outkast definitely have a healthy profile. But not everyone who bought it was necessarily familiar with their earlier work, as the duo discovered this year during their tour in support of the album.

To give latecomers a history lesson while simultaneously capitalizing on Stankonia's momentum, Outkast will release a greatest-hits collection in December in a package that will include five new tracks.

The album was conceived during the duo's most recent tour, which kicked off in March. Group members Big Boi and Andre 3000 - who substantially increased their fanbase with Stankonia - would remind audiences unfamiliar with their previous three platinum-plus albums that they were not a new group.

A spokesperson for the duo said they were so pleased with the reaction they received while performing hits such as "Elevators (Me and You)," "Player's Ball" and "Skew It on the Bar-B," they thought the timing perfect to drop a greatest-hits LP.

Arista president Antonio "L.A." Reid, who agreed, didn't think the group would have enough time to record the new material, and thought next year a more realistic drop date. The Kast surprised him, however, and hit the studio hard after the tour to complete the as-yet-untitled project.

Dre and Big Boi have also been recording with their Dungeon Family members, who include the Goodie Mob and producers Organized Noize. That clique's album, originally scheduled for summer release, will come out this winter as well.

-Shaheem Reid


Alicia Keys Plays Soundscan

Clive Davis' newest protégé Alicia Keys took the top honors on Soundscan this week as her debut album Songs In A Minor sold 235,816 copies. Eminem's group D12 followed behind at second with Devil's Night as Jagged Edge came in third with their latest release Jagged Little Thrill. Staind's Break The Cycle took the fourth position while Beanie Sigel rounded out the top five with his sophomore album The Reason. The Reason features collaborations with Jay-Z, Scarface, and Memphis Bleek and sold 150,706 units.

Destiny's Child's Survivor came in sixth this week as The Moulin Rouge soundtrack placed seventh. Blink 182's Take Off Your Pants slid into the eighth spot, followed by Lonestar's I'm Already There. The Fast and the Furious soundtrack rounded out this week's top ten. The soundtrack sold 110,965 copies and features performances from Ja Rule, Shade Sheist, Nate Dogg, and R. Kelly.

Jul 9, 2001

Williams Retains Wimbledon Crown

Venus Williams has retained her Wimbledon title with a three-set win over Justine Henin.

The American second seed claimed the deciding set with a whitewash after the Belgian teenager had fought her way back into the match.

Williams powered to a quick 6-1 first-set win, but the gritty 19-year-old claimed the second set 6-3 before the champion surged ahead in the third.

Afterwards, a delighted Williams said her second Wimbledon championship had proved harder to win than the first.

"This year was a lot more difficult to win," said Williams, "I thought a lot more."

It is the American's third Grand Slam title after her successes at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.

Williams took the first set in convincing style, despite starting the match with two double faults.

Henin, the first Belgian in a Wimbledon final, held her first service game with style, but fell 0-40 down in her second as Venus turned up the heat.

The Belgian bravely fought back to deuce, but Williams eventually made the breakthrough at the fifth time of asking.

When the champion broke for a second time and served out to take the set 6-1, things were looking ominous for the underdog.

But Henin settled and led 3-2 when the Wimbledon rains returned to force the players off court.

However the delay was a short one and the players were soon back on court, with Henin picking up where she left off.

Williams, however, seemed a little nervous, and Henin took advantage to break her opponent for a 5-3 lead.

Henin then feistily held her own serve to pinch the second set.

The Belgian had produced a magnificent display when she came back from a set down to end Jennifer Capriati's Grand Slam hopes in the semi-final.

But she was unable to reproduce that sort of form as Williams took control of the match.

Henin was unable to win a single game as Williams ran out a 6-0 winner in the third set.

But Williams paid tribute to her opponent in defeat.

"She is a very good player and only 19," said Williams.

"She's a great player and she's going to be back."


R&B Singer Ernie K-Doe Succumbs

Ernie K-Doe, the hard-rocking, hard-drinking rhythm and bluesman who topped the charts with "Mother-in-Law" in 1961, died Thursday morning at University Hospital in New Orleans at the age of 65. According to Reuters, hospital spokesman Jerry Romig said K-Doe was "very sick" when admitted on Friday and lapsed into a coma three days before his death.

K-Doe performed numerous times at the famed Apollo Theater in New York, the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., and once in Carnegie Hall, according to his web site. He found fame in New Orleans' R&B glory days in the 1950s and 1960s along with the Neville Brothers, Little Richard and Fats Domino. In 1995, he was inducted into the New Orleans Music Hall of Fame and was presented the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award in 1997 at Radio City Music Hall. In recent years, the performer had "been on the path to sobriety after living in an alcoholic haze for years," according to the web site biography. He operated the Mother-in-Law Lounge where he performed with a variety of musicians. For more information on the late musician, log on to http://www.k-doe.com.

Jul 6, 2001

K-Ci Sentenced to Probation

According to The Associated Press, K-Ci Hailey of the R&B groups K-Ci and Jo-Jo and Jodeci was sentenced to two years probation and a $910 fine on Friday after exposing himself during a kids' holiday concert. As VIBE Online previously reported, Hailey pleaded no contest to four lewd conduct charges in May in a Los Angeles courtroom. The charges stemmed from a December 16th concert at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles where the singer allegedly pulled down his pants displaying his drawers and started touching himself. Prosecutors said four thousand people were on hand at the concert, which included hundreds of children as young as five years old. Along with K-Ci and Jo Jo, the concert also included Christina Aguilera, 98º, and Third Eye Blind.

K-Ci and Jo Jo's latest album X has already sold more than a million copies and includes the hit single "I Wanna Do Right." Jodeci is expected to release their reunion album next year.


Nikka Costa's Got Something

Nikka Costa has been getting rave reviews about her energetic album Everybody Got Their Something. As a member of the Cheeba Sounds Recording family, the same team which helped launch the career of D' Angelo, Nikka's successfully blends soul, rock, and hip hop on her new album. Nikka recently said that she came up with the concept of her hit single "Like A Feather" with the help of her yoga instructor. She sated, "He said, 'Imagine yourself as one the freest forces on the planet.' So I imagined myself being free like a feather. I took that concept and put it into my music when I create."

Nikka is also a former child recording star with a large European following. She has been called the "goddaughter" of the late Frank Sinatra, which she says is kind of over exaggerated. She described their relationship and the word "goddaughter, saying, "It's a very loose term, I mean, I knew him when I was little and he kind of, you know, took me under his wing a little bit. But I lost touch with him when I was about 10 so he wasn't an active member of my family. I really don't even know what he was like. I know he was always pretty busy. But he was cool, he was nice and charismatic and seemed very powerful to me as a kid. I didn't really know him too well, because I was too young."

Everybody Got Their Something also contains collaborations with James Poyser and ?uestlove of the Roots. With such a diverse mixture of influences in her music, Nikka however doesn't like to have her music classified with such terms as "soulful rock." She stated, "I don't like putting labels on my music or having it classified in any particular genre. I'm not really good at creating these amazing adjectives to describe it, but it's a combo of everything because I like to listen to everything and my friends like to listen to everything so I just figured that everyone is multi-dimensional so why can't you, as an artist, show more than one side to your personality. Why do you have to be one kind of thing? I gave my audience the benefit of the doubt that they would not be confused if I did more than one kind of music so if anything, it presents more of a challenge to my record label and the industry because they always want to box you in. I like freedom and I wanted to make a record that I wanted to listen to and liked at the end of the day. And then if everyone else likes it, that's great, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day if I'm not happy with it."

Nikka Costa is currently gearing up for stateside and European tour dates. For more information on her and her tour itinerary, log on to www.nikkacosta.com.

Jul 5, 2001

Lil' John and the Eastside Boyz Get Crunk With M.O.P.

Lil' John and the Eastside Boyz have been riding high with their hit album Put Yo Hood Up and their smash single "Bia' Bia'." The album, which includes the hit single "I Like Dem Girlz," also features collaborations with Ludacris, Too Short, Three 6 Mafia, and Eight Ball and MJG. Though rooted in Atlanta, Georgia and collaborating mostly with their fellow southern artists, Lil' John and the East Side Boyz, who consist of Big Sam and Lil' Bo, surprisingly said their favorite collaboration on the album came with Brooklyn, New York natives M.O.P. on the track "Heads Off (My Niggas.)" Big Sam described working with M.O.P. stating, "We just cliqued. We felt like family right off the top. When you're doing collaborations with artist, it's rare that you can go in the studio and never met, not having any idea of song concepts, and finish a whole song in one day. Everybody else that we collaborated with, the song was already there. We were like with this song, we'll get such and such a person and it will sound perfect. You never can meet somebody in the same day and finish the song in the same day. Especially rappers from different parts of the country with them being from New York and us being from the south, so it's really supposed to be hard for us to clique but with M.O.P., we had the hook in the first two hours, Billy Danzenie had his rap written in the first hour."

Lil' John added, "It was amazing, then I wrote my rap, while I'm laying my rap down, Lil' Fame writing his and while he laying his, Sammy writing his rap. Lil' Fame was yelling Bia' Bia' the whole time in the studio."

Put Yo Hood Up" is currently ranked at number 62 on Soundscan. Lil' John and The East Side Boyz are scheduled to release the title track and "Can't Stop Pimpin," their collaboration with Eight Ball and MJG, as their next singles. They are also currently touring with Koffee Brown, Da Brat, Out of Order, and Puerto Rock as part of the Budweiser "Whassup?!" tour. For more information on the Atlanta natives who are known for getting the club crunk, log on to www.tvtrecords.com. Here is their Budweiser "Whassup?!" tour itinerary:

July 5 Thursday Charlotte, SC Palomino Club Budweiser tour
July 6 Friday Columbia, SC Club Kamikaze Budweiser tour
July 7 Saturday Atlanta, GA Club Kaya Budweiser tour
July 8 Sunday New York, New York Club Shadow Budweiser tour
July 12 Thursday Chicago, IL The Park West Budweiser tour
July 14 Saturday Birmingham, AL WBHJ Jam Fest WBHJ - Jam
Fest 2001 July 15 Sunday Milwaukee, WI TBA Budweiser tour
July 18 Wednesday Memphis, TN TBA Budweiser tour
July 19 Thursday Jackson, MS The Coliseum Budweiser tour
July 20 Friday Dallas, TX Blackberry Budweiser Tour
July 21 Saturday Houston, TX The Tunnel Budweiser Tour
July 22 Sunday New Orleans, LA New Generation Budweiser Tour
July 25 Wednesday Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater Budweiser Tour
July 27 Friday Chicago, IL TBA Budweiser Tour
July 28 Saturday Detroit, MI Club Network Budweiser Tour
July 29 Saturday Cleveland, OH Club Millennium Budweiser Tour


Rell: The Soul of Roc-A-Fella

Rell, Roc-A -Fella's R&B king has been waiting in the wings for nearly three years for his turn to show why he's a part of their secret society. After lacing numerous hooks for Jay -Z on such tracks as "Get Your Mind Right Mami" from the album Dynasty-Roc La Familia 2000 and supplying such gems as "Darlin" and "Love For Free" on the Back Stage and Streets is Watching soundtracks, the South Carolina native is set to drop his debut album The Remedy. The album's blazing first single, "That My Baby," was produced by Mike City, who is also responsible for helping catapult Sunshine Anderson to superstardom. Rell recently talked about why he chose to sing about real life situations and the reasons behind "If That's My Baby." He stated, "I wanted the people to have something in this world that was tangible. In this world of hundred dollar dreams or million dollar dreams, I wanted my music to last and the way that you make your music last is you talk about what's going on around you. You see this on Jenny Jones and Maury everyday. Six guys, one girl, who's the daddy. Those situations happen everyday, even without television…In the hood, suburbia, all over the world. So basically, I'm saying if it's mine, I'm gonna help take care of it. I'm gonna do what I gotta do. You should have come to me sooner than that, you're waiting until you delivering the baby to say look, this is going on. You should have come to me."

The Roc's soul man further added, "I want these young cats to do right by their seed. Because, you aren't gonna have any good luck if you fucking up on your kid. I got two, a prince and a princess. So I know, I'm living every word I speak in this project, every word."

The Remedy is scheduled to hit stores on September 18th. Rell further described his forthcoming debut stating, "I'm addressing a lot of different issues and I let the people form their own point of view on it. Think what you want. Just as long as you like what you hearing from Rell. Think whatever you want, I don't categorize myself and you don't have to categorize your thoughts. If anything, apply it to your situation. It might help you in some way. I wanted to deal with my fans, which are my bosses, in a faction that they got what they wanted from the music. It wasn't what I wanted them to hear, but more so of what I knew they wanted to hear. It's a cure for the common album. It's something on this album for everybody. There are songs of love, about the street, about controversy. Mainly, its love. I took to one of my influences, which was Marvin, so I'm dealing with issues and love."

The Remedy will also contain a few verses from Memphis Bleek and Jigga. Rell also wrote eight tracks on the album and is also preparing to release his second single entitled "Bring It Home." He described the follow up hit stating, "'Bring It On Home' is a candlelight joint for the thugs. It was produced by this hot new producer out of Virginia named Bo."

Rell also added that the album was soft enough for the ladies but still smooth for the fellas to enjoy. "I'm not sure if I said I love you on the entire album. We tried to formulate every song so where we're still giving the women what they want because we love the women, but we had to give it to them in such a faction, a manner that the over all man is not gonna feel too sensual to relate to where we coming from."

To view Rell's hit video for "That's My Baby," log on to http://www.rellmusic.com/baby.ram or www.elektra.com. Here is the tentative track listing for The Remedy:

1. Intro
2. If That's My Baby
3. Never Knew A Love
4. Ghetto Stash (featuring Memphis Bleek)
5. Say It Ain't So
6. Bring It On Home
7. Cloud 9
8. Mind Right
9. Darlin
10. Love For Free

Jul 4, 2001

Lauryn Hill To Rock African Arts Festival

Hip hop diva Lauryn Hill will perform at The International African Arts Festival on Wednesday July 4th. The performance will kick off at 5 p.m. at the Boys & Girls High School Field on the Kuuba Stage in Brooklyn, New York. Hill is scheduled to perform hits from her multi-platinum album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and from her forthcoming project. The International African Arts Festival, formerly the African Arts Festival, is the oldest and greatest African arts festival in the country. Since 1971, they have proudly serviced the community with an annual July 4th weekend extravaganza that includes world-renowned entertainment, a diverse marketplace, a youth talent search, scholarships, award ceremonies, and a symposium, among many other activities. Previous artists that have highlighted the festival were Roy Ayers, Tito Nieves, Burning Spear, Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Crusade, Iyanla Vanzant, Erykah Badu, The Fugees, Doug E. Fresh, and KRS-One. Artists such as Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, Mos Def and Talib Kweli have also made surprise visits over the years.

Directions:

Boys & Girls High School Field 9 (at the Kuumba Stage)
1700 Fulton Street - Brooklyn, NY
Between Schenectady and Utica Avenues - Take A- Train to Utica Avenue


Christian Rap Singer Changed With Statutory Rape

According to The Associated Press, Ja'Marc Antoine Davis, founder of the Tulsa, Oklahoma based Christian hip-hop act Raze, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing without a plea agreement on rape and molestation charges. Davis is accused of having a sexual relationship with a former backup dancer for the group starting when she was 13 and he was 22. The 26-year-old artist is charged with five counts of lewd molestation, three counts of forcible sodomy, and two counts of rape by instrumentation. He remains free on bond and is scheduled to be arraigned July 9. Defense attorney Rob Nigh said Friday that Davis opted to forgo the process because he did not want the alleged victim to have to testify at the preliminary hearing. According to an affidavit, Davis met the victim and her family through their church. The family asked Davis to tutor the girl, her sister and her brother, who also had a Christian-based music group.

Jul 3, 2001

Eminem Gets Probation

According to The Associated Press, Grammy-winning rapper Eminem received one year of probation Thursday on a weapons charge authorities say stemmed from a dispute with a rival Detroit rap group. Circuit Judge Denise Langford Morris said, "Poor judgment is an understatement for what you did. You are extremely lucky, sir, that no one was injured or killed."

Eminem did not speak at the sentencing other than to respond to a question from the judge with "No, ma'am." He could have gotten up to five years in prison. The rapper, who has come under fire for his violent and anti-gay lyrics, was accused of pulling a 9mm semiautomatic gun in a Royal Oak parking lot during an argument last June with associates of the rap group Insane Clown Posse. Witnesses said Eminem did not point the gun at anyone, and the rapper said it was not loaded. In April, he pleaded no contest to charges of carrying a concealed weapon and brandishing a weapon.


Freeway Rick To Hit the Small Screen

Actor Glenn Plummer will star as "Freeway" Ricky Ross in the explosive feature film, 100 Kilos, which will be released on DVD and VHS on August 3, 2001. 100 Kilos chronicles the rise and fall of drug dealer Ricky Ross and the Freeway Boyz. Ross and his associates, known as the Freeway Boyz, rode the crest of success in the 1980's, making millions of dollars by pushing kilos of cocaine on the streets of South Central Los Angeles, an effect that the Black community is still feeling the devastation of to this day.

Ross became the target of international media recognition when he pointed fingers at the CIA, alleging their involvement with wickedly undermining the Black community with crack cocaine. Ross, a convicted drug dealer, asserts that the Nicaraguans supplied drugs to him and associates, on behalf of the CIA's contra army. With the intention of supporting the Contra Rebels in Nicaragua, and thereby bringing Nicaragua back into the US' sphere of power, he asserts that the CIA traded guns to the Central American rebels in exchange for the large supplies of cocaine.

100 Kilos was written and directed by Rod Scott and also stars Dwayne Adway, Carlos Carasco, Crystal Scales and rapper MC Eiht. Ollie Newell Jr., who is one of the original Freeway Boyz, is also one of the producers of the film. For more information about the film, log on to www.100kilos.net.

Jul 2, 2001

Puffy Under Investigation

According to The New York Post, hip hop mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs, who recently beat the rap on gun-possession and bribery charges, is the focus of three ongoing investigations that are unknown to the music mogul and could land him in jail, a new report says. Puffy is being investigated by the IRS's New York office for possible criminal tax violations, and by Las Vegas police for alleged gun possession, according to the August issue of Talk magazine. Also, the LAPD wants to find out if Combs withheld information that could help them solve the 1997 murder of his late artist, rapper Notorious B.I.G., a source told the magazine.

The IRS's New York criminal division is probing allegations that Combs has failed to report money to the government, and that he uses business assets - including his Bentleys and his Lincoln Navigator - for personal matters, the magazine says. The IRS did not return a call for comment.

In addition, Las Vegas cops who looked at Combs while investigating the 1996 slaying of rap superstar Tupac Shakur, are reportedly probing whether Combs and his security chief, Paul Offord, ran a nationwide syndicate to supply them with guns while traveling. Vegas police spokesman Tirso Dominguez said he's "not aware of any investigation [into Combs], but that doesn't mean there isn't one."

Meanwhile, the LAPD is checking a new lead that the murder of Notorious B.I.G., a k a Biggie Smalls, occurred because Combs reneged on paying a local street gang for security while he and Smalls were in California, Talk says. Combs would not face any charges in connection with the probe. The LAPD said its investigation into Biggie's murder is ongoing, but declined to comment on whether their probe involves Combs. Combs' lawyer Benjamin Brafman said the hip-hop mogul "is not the subject of any criminal investigations in any jurisdictions."

Combs was acquitted on gun and bribery charges stemming from a 1999 shootout at a Manhattan nightclub. His protégé Jamal "Shyne" Barrow is serving a 10-year sentence in connection with the shooting. A fourth investigation - into the rap kingpin's possible connection to the 1995 Atlanta murder of a Death Row records executive - has been widely reported. Cops believe Combs may have been present during the murder of Jai Hassan-Jamal Robles, 24, outside a hip-hop club. Combs' bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, who was also acquitted in the Manhattan gun case, is reportedly the prime suspect in the killing.


Fab 5 Freddy To Launch Online Hip Hop Show

Music media and lifestyle company GetMusic announced today that it is producing "The Fab 5 Freddy Show," an interactive hip-hop variety program hosted by well-known rap culture figure Fab 5 Freddy. Scheduled to launch exclusively on GetMusic (www.getmusic.com) in late summer, the show will feature a lively mix of hip-hop news, politics, music, fashion, history and gossip. The hip-hop pioneer will bring his expertise, insight and unique world view to music fans in a show format that incorporates a creative blend of production elements: in-studio and on-location interviews, music video clips, animation, special reports, an in-house DJ, live video chats and real time viewer participation.

New episodes will air Monday through Friday, with previous shows available on-demand. The program will feature a wide variety of segments including interviews with artists, record label executives, producers, clothing designers and video directors as well as informative reports relating the history and global reach of hip-hop. Personalities ranging from media mogul Russell Simmons, politician Jesse Jackson III and Jay Z protégé Beanie Sigel have already taped interviews for the show.

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