After scoring minor success with his two previous albums, 1993's "Everything" and 1997's "All That I Am," Joe released his third LP, "My Name Is Joe," which is sending the Alabama native's celebrity off the meter. Looks like Joe was on to something when he recorded the track "Somebody Gotta Be On Top."

Aside from a collaboration with 'NSYNC (the only act to keep Joe's album from debuting at number one), "My Name Is Joe" also includes the remix of Mariah Carey's hit "Thank God I Found You" featuring himself and Nas, a song that got the Joe buzz going well in advance of his release date. Joe isn't one to depend on other people's talent, however, as he produced the majority of the songs and also played guitar on the album.

Joe can also count the Backstreet Boys among his fans; the group covered "No One Else Comes Close," a song that originally appeared on "All That I Am" and is included on the Boys' current "Millennium" album. The late, great Big Pun also recognized his talents when the rapper based his hit "I'm Not A Player" around Joe's "Don't Wanna Be A Player." Joe went on to appear on Pun's remix, "Still Not A Player."

MTV News' Chris Connelly had the opportunity to sit down with Joe while the neo-soul man was in Hawaii to tape an upcoming FOX TV special with Britney Spears. Here's what transpired.

* * *

Chris Connelly: Joe, what brings you to Hawaii? Not that you wouldn't want to be here anyway -- it is Hawaii.

Joe: Yeah. I'm here for Britney. Definitely, just here for Britney. Actually, we're doing this special together, and the way the whole thing is going to take off, she's gonna sneak out of a hotel to come to one of my concerts.

MTV: What do you get to sing for the concert?

Joe: I'm going to sing my song that's out right now, "I Wanna Know." I'm gonna sing to [Britney]... it's going to be real nice.

MTV: A little romantic thing with Britney, huh?

Joe: Sort of like that.

MTV: Keeping your legend going there. You've got quite an album for people to listen to. You've got a little bit of everything on there.

Joe: Since [my song] "All The Things Your Man Won't Do," that song came out and just blew up all over the country. And now "I Wanna Know" is sort of like a spoof of that one. Just continuing to grow and grow and grow real big. But I've been doing a whole lot of work since then.

MTV: Not a lot of people can say they worked with the late, great Big Pun. And you got to work with 'NSYNC on "I Believe In You." That's a combo, huh?

Joe: Yes, it definitely is. They are such a great group to work with.

MTV: Everybody says that about them.

Joe talks about what makes 'NSYNC special, his tour plans, and the time Mariah Carey sent her bodyguards after him ... NEXT >>>