Aaliyah
Photo: Dave Allocca/Getty Images

One of the last hits from Aaliyah's all-too-brief career was the track "More Than a Woman," released posthumously from her self-titled third LP.

The song and the video both showcased Aaliyah Dana Haughton, then 22, at her finest: flirty, reserved, sultry and, most importantly, it left listeners and viewers with a palpable sense that there was indeed more to come from this talented artist. Unfortunately, her life was tragically cut short when a plane carrying her and her entourage crashed shortly after takeoff. Her death — which occurred exactly eight years ago — still feels like it happened entirely too soon.

Ever since the Detroit singer and dancer debuted in 1994 with Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, we all watched Aaliyah blossom. Her initial look of dark sunglasses and baggy clothes evolved into a more adult look on her next album, One In a Million. She was always beautiful, but later as a young woman she exuded the kind of appeal that was as sexy as a whisper in your ear — so subtle that it never had to be overtly pointed out.

She also possessed the type of talent and charisma that led many to believe her future was as bright as a supernova.

"Aaliyah was one of the finest young women I have ever worked with. She was a consummate professional, an amazing talent with limitless potential and, most importantly, an exceptional person," Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who worked with the singer on the film "Romeo Must Die," said in a statement after her death. "Her passing is a huge loss to her many friends here at Warner Bros. and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to her family and to those who loved her as we did."

Her credits are easy to remember: three albums that were each certified double-platinum along with the aforementioned "Romeo Must Die," which helped to put her on Hollywood's map. Another film, "Queen of the Damned," was released after she passed.

Her legacy is slinkier — immense yet understated, just like her voice. Traces of it lie the way Ciara moved in the video for "Promise." It's there in Rihanna's runway-fashion sense. Keri Hilson's around-the-way persona and Nicole Scherzinger's simmering sexuality share a debt to her. And the sense of what her career could have ultimately become is evident in Beyoncé's multimedia presence.

	Aaliyah: A Life In Photos

During Aaliyah's rise, she and her contemporaries shared a number of similarities, most notably an affinity for going by just one name: Brandy, Monica, Mya, etc. All of them did well from the very beginning. Since then, of course, they've continued to experience success, but each with the usual ups and downs that fame tends to dish out. Aaliyah undoubtedly would have gone on to accomplish more.

But she always felt different, more mature than her age — and her ascent also felt more gradual and firm, and when she passed there was a sadness that resonated because she was set to soar.

"I'll be more than a lover, more than a woman," she sang. "I'm gonna be more. I don't think you're ready."

There truly was no way we could have been.

• Remembering Aaliyah

• Aaliyah: A Life In Photos

• Aaliyah

Eminem
Photo: Bill Pugliano/ Getty Images

Eminem has teamed with Nike to auction off a limited-edition series of Air Max sneakers to benefit the rapper's Marshall Mathers Foundation and NineMillion.org, an agency dedicated to protecting refugees worldwide. The partnership will see the Shady Records CEO design eight models of the popular shoe, and they will be available to bid on at Nike stores and via eBay. "We're always looking for new ways to try to raise money and awareness for the foundation, so when Nike approached us we jumped at the chance," Eminem said in a statement. "When we got the info on NineMillion.org, it made even more sense. Who wouldn't want to design their own line of Nikes? And to do it for charity makes it that much better." Only 64 pairs of sneakers will be made available, with each set autographed by the multiplatinum star. The four-week auction begins Thursday. ...

A candlelight vigil for Aaliyah will be held Friday night (August 25) in New York's Central Park at the weeping willow tree that was planted in the singer's memory. The memorial, being held five years after her tragic passing, will take place at 7 p.m. Services took place earlier in the day at Ferncliff Cemetery, where Aaliyah is buried. The Aaliyah Memorial Fund recently partnered with Zingy, which is devoting 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of Aaliyah ringtones and wallpaper to the nonprofit organization. Fans who want to make a direct donation to the fund or send letters can do so at MemorialFund.Kintera.org. ...

Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie got a rather rude welcome to the stage at the Reading Festival on Friday: a bottle to the face. The band had just launched into the opening chords of its first song on the main stage at Reading — one of the U.K.'s oldest summer festivals — when someone in the crowd launched a bottle that clocked him square in the kisser. Urie immediately collapsed and was surrounded by his bandmates and roadies before getting back on his feet. Urie was OK, and Panic finished their set without further bottle-related hijinks. ...

DMX has done it again. The unpredictable rap star, who was scheduled to perform for troops in Kuwait and Iraq on a United Service Organizations tour this week, failed to arrive for his flight on Wednesday, the organization announced Thursday. "We are extremely disappointed that DMX decided not to complete the tour he asked us to arrange for him," a USO spokesperson said in a statement. "[He] let a lot of people down." X was initially scheduled to depart on Tuesday, but the rapper's representatives asked to postpone the flight by a day. The next morning, however, X was a no-show. "DMX missed the flight," his management responded via e-mail. "[But] we did not anticipate that this would lead to the entire tour being canceled. He was extremely disappointed and saddened. This trip was planned with the greatest of intentions. He admires these soldiers and wants the troops and the USO to know that he will do anything to make it up to them." ...

If you like Beyoncé's "Ring the Alarm," you ain't heard nothing yet, says the track's producer, Swizz Beatz. "That's just one of the many presents I gave her for her B'Day," he said. "I have the most tracks on her album as a single producer, and just wait till you hear the other three. I've never heard a singer singing on tracks like this. It hasn't been done in R&B yet, and if she can pull this off, it's going down. We're taking stuff to the next level." ... Swizz promises something just as groundbreaking for the new Britney Spears album, which he's currently working on with songwriter Sean Garrett. "That's my partner in crime right there," Swizz said. "The Britney stuff, we're creating just for her. It's a lot of tempo, a lot of hard drums, a lot of sonic changes. It's just something that when you hear it, you get goose bumps. She's back for real." ... Also keeping Swizz busy with his beats is Jennifer Lopez, who's working with the producer on her upcoming ska-pop album. "It's coming out incredible," he said. "We're putting together some great things, and not what everyone's expecting. Think a little Jamiroquai, a little Sade. It's real feel-good music." ...

Beck has decided on "Cell Phone's Dead" as the first single from his new album, The Information, due October 3. Michel Gondry directed the video ... Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton will be on the sidelines when the band begins its Route of All Evil Tour with Mötley Crüe on September 14 in Holmdel, New Jersey. Hamilton, who just finished a seven-week course of radiation treatment for throat cancer, will be with his family until he rejoins the band in mid-October. David Hull, who played with Aerosmith's lead guitarist in the Joe Perry Project, will be filling in. ... Plenty of "American Idol" top-10 finishers have released albums, but a 13th-placer? Make way for Ayla Brown, 18, the basketball-playing almost-finalist from the most recent "Idol" season who announced Thursday — just hours after her "Idol" obligation lapsed — that she is releasing her debut, Forward, on October 17 on the Double Deal Brand Records label. According to the singer's Web site, the first single, "Know You Better/ I Quit," will be released on September 12. The album is slated to feature songs written by Grammy winner Diane Warren, David Eriksen (Clay Aiken, Lindsay Lohan), Ruby Amanfu, singer Jonatha Brooke and Phil Thornalley (Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn"). ...

A man who claimed to be the illegitimate son of producer/singer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds pleaded guilty on Thursday to a misdemeanor intimidation charge for his role in trying to extort millions from the singer. According to the Indianapolis Star, John Travis Clark will spend three months in a work-release program and be on probation for six months after threatening to go on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and announce he was Edmonds' son unless he was paid $20 million. Edmonds did not attend the hearing, but said in a statement, "I want to make it emphatically clear that John Clark is not my son. I do not know his mother. [He] sought to ruin my reputation by broadcasting his lies to the entire country, which would not only destroy my family but would resonate loudly in the music industry." ... Moby and John Digweed will headline Ultra.NY, a live DJ event scheduled for September 22 at Rumsey Playfield in New York's Central Park. Soulwax Nite Versions, Junkie XL, Benny Benassi, Boris and David Waxman are also on the bill. ... "I Trust You to Kill Me," a documentary following Kiefer Sutherland as a tour manger for Rocco DeLuca & the Burden in a jaunt through Europe, will hit select theaters beginning September 8 in New York and a week later in Los Angeles. Rocco DeLuca is the first act on Sutherland and Jude Cole's Ironworks label.

08.24.2006

Proud papa Mathew Knowles says enough is enough — people should stop picking on his daughter. In the wake of the latest rumor that Beyoncé's B'Day is being pushed back from its September 5 release date, the singer's manager has come out swinging. On Thursday (August 24), he released a statement attacking the haters. "It is apparent that there is a consistent plan by some to create chaos around Beyoncé's B'Day album release on September 5 in the U.S.," he said. "First, it was a petition against the single 'Deja Vu,' then a rumor regarding conflict between Beyoncé and Rihanna, seizures caused by the 'Ring the Alarm' video, putting out a single to compete with LeToya's album and now, to add to all the ridiculous rumors, my plan to postpone the release of her B'Day album. What will be next? Beyoncé's cut off all her hair? Dyed it green? Maybe she's singing the songs in reverse with some hidden subliminal message!" Knowles went on to say he is pleased with the success of "Deja Vu" and outlined a plan for his daughter to have three singles in the marketplace at once. He also noted that B has not been thrown off-course by the distractions. ...

Volkswagen sponsored a VIP screening and listening party for Outkast's "Idlewild" film and soundtrack on Wednesday night in New York. The screening kicked off at the AMC Loews Kips Bay 15 in Manhattan, where Busta Rhymes, Remy Ma and radio personality Miss Info took in the film. Donnell "Ashy Larry" Rawlings of "Chappelle's Show," Mario and model Tyson Beckford partied at club Providence afterward. ...

Looks like Tokyo can handle Britney's bod after all. Promotional posters for the Japanese edition of the controversial Harper's Bazaar issue featuring a nude shot of Spears on its cover had been deemed "too stimulating" for posting, but now Tokyo Metro has agreed to present the image in full form as an exception to its obscenity rule, The Associated Press reports. The screening team said it understands publisher HB Japan Inc. had intended to portray Spears as a happy mother, not be sexually explicit. "I'm glad the subway officials understood the meaning of the photo," Kayoko Higashino, deputy chief editor of the magazine's Japanese edition, told AP. In the censored area, the publisher had intended to write, "in this place we are not allowed to exercise the same level of freedom of expression as the original Harper's Bazaar." ...

The Black Eyed Peas will be without tourmates Pussycat Dolls for three dates on their current tour. PCD will miss shows on Thursday (August 24) in Mansfield, Massachusetts; Friday in Wantagh, New York; and Sunday in Syracuse, New York, after Nicole Scherzinger was diagnosed with an ear infection that prevents her from traveling and performing. Danity Kane will step in for the Dolls and open Thursday night's show at the Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts. ... Taking Back Sunday and 30 Seconds to Mars will headline the annual MTV2 and LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS benefit concert on August 30 at Webster Hall in New York. ... The Raconteurs will open for Bob Dylan at eight shows this fall, beginning November 9 in Portland, Maine, and ending November 18 in Philadelphia. ...

Dashboard Confessional will hit the road this fall with Brand New for a tour that'll get under way on October 13 in Mesa, Arizona. More dates for the trek should be forthcoming, but for now, here are the ones that have been booked: October 17 in San Jose, California; October 18 in Bakersfield, California; October 20 in Las Vegas; October 21 in San Diego; October 23 in Orem, Utah; and October 27 in Rosemont, Illinois. ... Papoose says the wait is over — he's inked a deal. The Brooklyn, New York, MC, who is one of the hottest spitters in the underground right now, announced on radio station Hot 97 Wednesday night that he has signed to Jive Records for $1.5 million dollars. Reps from Jive could not be reached for comment. ...

Former Jane's Addiction/ current Panic Channel guitarist and host of "Rock Star: Supernova" Dave Navarro revealed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" this week that Jane's fans shouldn't completely rule out yet another reunion of the seminal alternative-rock outfit. "Here's the thing about Jane's Addiction," he said, "as much as I love it and was a huge part of my life, we have reunited three times in our career. When enough's enough, you kind of pack it up, and [frontman] Perry [Farrell] remains one of my favorite all-time singers and he has a great thing coming out called Satellite Party. Never say never. We got our hands full with the Panic Channel. He's got his hands full. I wish him the best. He's a great artist." ...

Metallica and the White Stripes have their stops in Springfield scheduled for next month, and now you can take a look at the bands' two-dimensional likenesses. (Check out Metallica and the White Stripes in "Simpsons" yellow.) The metal legends rock the back of a pickup truck for the September 10 season premiere of "The Simpsons," while Meg and Jack White meet up with a drumming Bart — who picks up the sticks at a child psychiatrist's urging — in the September 17 episode. ... The first L.A. Weekly Detour Music Festival will take over the streets of downtown Los Angeles on October 7 with a lineup that includes Beck, Queens of the Stone Age, Basement Jaxx, Blackalicious, Peeping Tom, Redd Kross, Nortec Collective, Of Montreal, the Like, the Elected and Oh No! Oh My! The all-ages show will also feature DJ sets from VHS or Beta, Steve Aoki/ Kid Millionaire, Shepard Fairey and Travis Keller. More acts are expected to be added soon. ...

Method Man will be meeting fans and signing copies of his latest album, 4:21 ... The Day After, in New York on Tuesday at Virgin Megastore's Union Square location. Wristbands for the event will be handed out beginning at 9 a.m. ... Lupe Fiasco will perform on the Chad Michael Murray TV drama "One Tree Hill" this season. The rapper is scheduled to shoot his scenes next week. ... Constantine Maroulis is joining Haylie Duff and Usher on the Great White Way. The former "American Idol" contestant has signed on for an eight-week run in the Broadway production of "The Wedding Singer," and begins rehearsals Friday. He will play Sammy, the Thriller glove-wearing best friend of lead character Robbie (played by Stephen Lynch). Maroulis will have one big number, called "Single," but it's undetermined if he'll play the bass onstage like his predecessor. ...

Maroulis' "Idol" competitor Mikalah Gordon was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint in Las Vegas early Wednesday morning, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The 18-year-old singer was taking a break from a recording session when she and a friend were approached by a man with a gun. When three other men arrived and forced her to the ground, Gordon began to have a panic attack — which Gordon's mother, Victoria Cavaricci, believes may have saved her life. "She's scarred and scared, but it could have been so much worse," Cavaricci said. "Police said she's so lucky she's alive." ... Apple Computer announced Wednesday that it had settled a patent dispute with Creative Technology for $100 million. The bitter battle over the technologies that run the companies' rival portable digital music players — which Creative claimed to have come up with first for its Zen player — had involved five lawsuits filed by the companies against each other, with each staking a claim to the software that made their players run. According to the Washington Post, as part of the agreement, Apple agreed to pay for a license to use Creative's patent and Creative has been given the OK to design accessories such as speakers and earphones for the iPod, which dominates the portable market with about 75 percent of sales.

• Beyoncé
• Britney Spears
• Jennifer Lopez
• Swizz Beatz
• Beck

Aaliyah (file)
Photo: Blackground

A New York court has ruled that Aaliyah's record company cannot sue the video producer who booked the private jet that crashed in the Bahamas in 2001, killing the singer.

The Manhattan appeals court reversed its June 2004 decision, which had allowed the company to file suit, saying on Thursday that only Aaliyah's parents had a right to sue for wrongful death (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), which they had already done in 2003 and received compensation for, according to The Associated Press.

The June ruling allowed Blackground Records to file suit because Aaliyah was considered the prime "asset" of the company and not just an employee.

According to the AP, Frank Penski, Blackground's appellate lawyer, said as of Thursday he had not seen the decision and did not know if his client would further pursue a lawsuit against the producer.

For complete coverage of the Aaliyah tragedy, see The Aaliyah Reports.

• Aaliyah

Big Boi will perform in New York on Thursday (June 3) for the launch of Calvin Klein's new fragrance, "Eternity Moment." The scent may not be Klein's only new offering — the Outkast rapper is in talks with Klein to release a fragrance of his own. ... Andre 3000 is bringing his eccentric sartorial sense to the hip-hop masses. Or at least those with enough moxie to dress in plaids, suspenders and bow ties. The musician is floating the idea of launching a clothing line, Designs by Benjamin Andre, inspired by his own colorful look and the preppy style of Ralph Lauren. Andre says the line could be out next spring, although no plans have officially been announced yet. ...

Almost three years after Aaliyah died, a New York judge has determined that her record label can sue the video producer who booked the private jet that crashed in the Bahamas, killing the pop star. Justice Carol Edmean of the New York State Supreme Court ruled that Blackground Entertainment, of which Aaliyah owned 10 percent, was entitled to sue because the singer and actress was the prime "asset" of the company, and not an "employee." The production company, Instinct Productions, had tried to have a negligence lawsuit filed last November dismissed because Aaliyah was a company employee. The State Court of Appeals has previously ruled that an employer cannot recover damages when an employee is injured in an incident in which a third party is negligent. ...

Michael Jackson's former rabbi advisor, Shmuley Boteach, has blasted Madonna for what he deems a hypocritical endorsement of Kabbalah's Jewish mystic teachings. In an editorial for Something Jewish, Boteach writes that Madonna shouldn't be Kabbalah's most public figure, since she's a "slut." "Is the Kabbalah Center really so desperate that it is prepared to promote itself through a vulgarian whose main contribution to the culture is porn rock?" he wrote. Madonna's spokesperson called Boteach's comments "frightening for someone who professes to be a religious person." ... Three days after guitarist Trey Anastasio announced that Phish were breaking up, keyboardist Page McConnell assured fans that there were no hard feelings with an online post of his own. "As we wind down the Phish career, it is done with both great joy and great sadness," McConnell wrote. "The joy comes from remembering the incredibly good times we've experienced, the successes we've enjoyed, and knowing that even in our closing we are honoring the band." ...

U2's Bono, Coldplay's Chris Martin and several British actors have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair requesting more aid money for the world's poorest countries. Jude Law, Colin Firth and Minnie Driver are among the others who signed the letter. ... Mandy Moore's line of vintage T-shirts featuring quotes from '60s, '70s and '80s pop songs is now on its way to stores, including specialty boutiques Fred Segal, Kitson and Theodore's. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. ...

The Hives compilation that launched the band in the U.K. in 2001 will finally be released in the U.S. on July 13, a week before the Swedish band's new album, Tyrannosaurus Hives, hits shelves. The compilation, Your New Favorite Band, features four tracks from both Veni Vidi Vicious and the Hives' 1997 debut, Barely Legal, along with three songs from the A.K.A. I-D-I-O-T EP. The U.S. release will also include a bonus DVD with videos for "Hate to Say I Told You So," "Die, All Right!" and "Main Offender." ... Nickelback, 3 Doors Down and Puddle of Mudd will hit the Wild Rose Ridge Amphitheatre in Bottineau, North Dakota, on July 3 for the third night of the seventh Rockin' the Hills festival. Live, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Peter Frampton, Firehouse, Tesla, Foghat, L.A. Guns, Warrant, Great White, Dokken and Jackyl are among the other bands performing from July 1-4. ...

Suge Knight got off the hook, but his Death Row Records was ordered to pay more than $162,000 to a man who claimed Knight and his bodyguards attacked him at a recording studio in 2001. Knight testified he was not in the studio at the time. ... Lil' Wayne's upcoming album, Tha Carter, has been pushed back until June 29. When the LP does come out, it will be the second version of the album the young Cash Money Millionaires star recorded. An earlier version was scrapped last year. ...

Twista is getting it all twisted. The speed-flow assassin has teamed up with Mobb Deep for a remix of Havoc and Prodigy's "Got It Twisted." ... Freestyle warrior Jin is finally set to drop his debut, The Rest Is History. Ruff Ryders has set August 24 as the release date for the young MC's LP. ...

If you want to live large like Jay-Z or Missy Elliott, you used to have to drop by Jacob the Jeweler's shop on 47th Street in New York's Diamond District. But now, out-of-towners can visit the king of bling's Web site at www.jacobthejeweler.com to get their custom iced creations. ... Perhaps the Jack White/ Loretta Lynn pairing served as inspiration? In the wake of his album with Neva Dinova and the launch of his own record label, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst is keeping busy working on a collaboration with country singer Emmylou Harris. ...

Put a fork in the production of "What We Do Is Secret," the flick about the life of Darby Crash and the Germs. "A Walk to Remember" star Shane West was cast as Crash, Bijou Phillips plays Lorna Doom, and Lukas Haas portrays Don Bolles. The fate of the film — and its distribution — remains in limbo. ... Thursday and Funeral for a Friend have both covered Far, and now fans of the influential post hardcore/emo band can get the original version, along with new material. Far are re-releasing their 1998 album, Water & Solutions, with a DVD on June 22. ...

06.02.04

Missy Elliott, Outkast and Mary J. Blige were big winners at MTV Japan's Video Music Awards over the weekend. Missy won Video of the Year for her theatrical clip "Pass That Dutch," Outkast won Album of the Year for Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, and Blige took home an award for Most Impressive Performance. Other winners included Asian favorites Kick the Can Crew, Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki and Janet Jackson, who nabbed the Inspiration Award. ...

Paula Abdul, who penned "Spinning Around" for Kylie Minogue in 2000, plans to continue writing for other artists while she works to get her comeback record off the ground. "I might as well do that if I can't get out and perform," she said backstage at the "American Idol" finale. "Idol" is still the singer's first priority, however, as she enjoys nurturing the contestants during and after the season. "I'd probably breast feed all of them if I could," she joked. ... After years of keeping it real, Lil' Kim might be sporting something that isn't quite genuine. The rapper's signature line of Queen B Royalty Watches, which are expected to be in stores at summer's end, features a face framed by faux diamonds. ...

When the Ozzfest tour isn't causing terror, destruction and mayhem, second-stage bands Lamb of God, Atreyu, Unearth and Every Time I Die will attempt to approximate that effect with a series of dates known as the "Off-fest." Their trek begins in Richmond, Virginia, on July 7, three days before the actual Ozzfest begins, and includes 13 dates before wrapping up August 3 in Tallahassee, Florida. ... Fountains of Wayne will release "Hey Julie" as the third single from their breakthrough third album, Welcome Interstate Managers. The band is touring through mid-July, after which Adam Schlesinger will focus on writing music for a Broadway musical based on the 1990 John Waters movie "Cry-Baby." ...

Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson and G. Love & Special Sauce are among the artists scheduled for the Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival September 3-6. Lucinda Williams, Steve Miller Band, David Byrne featuring Tosca Strings, Lyle Lovett and Donavon Frankenreiter are also performing at the event, at Colorado's Elk Mountain Range. ... British experimental pop band Blur have started working on their eighth studio album, which they're basing on singer Damon Albarn's limited self-released Democrazy. Blur have spent a week recording in the studio and plan to return for another two weeks of recording in September. No release date is set. ...

Flamboyant English rock band Manic Street Preachers have finished recording four tracks for their seventh studio album with producer Tony Visconti, and they're working on the remainder of the disc with Goldfrapp mixer Tom Elmhirst. Tentative track titles include "A Song for Departure," "1985," "The Love of Richard Nixon" and "To Repel Ghosts." The band hopes to have the album out by the end of the year. ... Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez will release his debut solo disc, A Manual Dexterity - Soundtrack Volume 1, on August 16. The Mars Volta are currently working on the follow-up to their 2003 album, De-Loused in the Comatorium. ... Danzig have bumped the release date of their new album, Circle of Snakes, to the last week of August. The track "1000 Devils Reign" will be serviced to radio in June. Other tracks include "Skincarver," "Netherbound," "Hellmask" and "When We Were Dead." ...

• Aaliyah
• OutKast
• Madonna
• Phish
• Twista

Aaliyah
Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage.com 

It's never too late to say thank you.

The family of late R&B singer Aaliyah may have missed last month's American Music Awards, but the family issued a statement on Tuesday (December 2) thanking the producers of the show for naming the singer Favorite Female Artist.

During the ceremony, Aaliyah's award was accepted by Monica, who presented that category (see "50 Cent, Luther Vandross Take Home Multiple AMAs; Many Artists Skip Out"). The singer's family said it would have gladly accepted the honor had it known the singer was nominated. The Houghton family learned of the nomination during the broadcast and this week tried to get across the sentiments that would have been shared on the AMA stage.

"The family is deeply gratified that the public and the AMAs have, year after year, continually recognized Aaliyah's strengths and remarkable talents," the family said via its attorney. "They would like the public, the AMAs and Dick Clark Productions to know of their love and gratitude, and that they would be honored to accept the award on behalf of their beloved Aaliyah."

The statuette is the third AMA given to Aaliyah since she died in August 2001 when her plane crashed as she left the Bahamas (see "Cocaine, Alcohol Found In Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane").

For complete coverage of the Aaliyah tragedy, check out "The Aaliyah Reports."

• Aaliyah

Britney Spears is already a star — but now she has a bronze one on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to prove it. Before almost 2,000 screaming fans, the singer got her star added to the famed sidewalk on Monday, a day before the release of her latest album, In the Zone. "I'm seriously speechless right now," she told the crowd. "This is something I've dreamed about since I was a little girl, and I can't believe I'm actually here with all of you amazing fans. I'm really honored." Spears is the 2,242nd performer to receive the honor. ...

The pathologist who performed Aaliyah's autopsy testified Monday at the opening of a coroner's inquest that the singer died of severe burns and a blow to the head after her plane crashed in the Bahamas in 2001, according to wire services. Dr. Giovander Raju also said Aaliyah had a weak heart and "went into such a state of shock, even if she had survived the crash, recovery would have been near impossible." Investigators who are examining the crash and the deaths of Aaliyah and the other passengers believe the plane was 700 pounds overloaded. Aaliyah's parents reached an undisclosed settlement in a negligence lawsuit against the airline in September. ...

Pharrell Williams, Evanescence's Amy Lee, Jason Mraz, Stacie Orrico, Moby and Dido are among the artists who will be on hand at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on December 4 to announce the nominations for the 46th annual Grammy Awards. The ceremony will take place on February 8. ... R. Kelly as well as 50 Cent with G-Unit have been added to the list of performers for the Vibe Awards, taping Thursday in Santa Monica, California, and airing Friday on UPN. Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones, Ashton Kutcher and the cast of "Girlfriends" will appear at the event, while Monica, Musiq, Kelis, Free and Nona Gaye have been added as presenters. ...

A Christina Aguilera concert shot at London's Wembley Arena recently will air November 30 on the WB. Titled "Stripped ... Live in the U.K.," the special will be released January 13 on DVD. ... Justin Timberlake's upcoming TV special, "Down Home in Memphis," was scheduled for broadcast November 25, though NBC has now bumped its premiere to November 28, a day after Thanksgiving. In the one-hour program, Timberlake gives viewers a tour of his hometown and performs "Rock Your Body" and "Cry Me a River" from Justified, as well as a duet with the Rev. Al Green on his classic 1971 hit "Let's Stay Together." ...

Creed are ramping up for a big 2004, promising to release a collection of hits, unreleased material and new recordings as well as solo projects from frontman Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti. No timetable has been set for the releases. ... Months of touring have not stopped 3 Doors Down from writing material for their next album, which they plan to record early next year. "We stay busy on the road, we write every day," guitarist Matt Roberts said. ...

Big-boned rocker Meat Loaf, touring to support his eighth album, Couldn't Have Said It Better, collapsed on a London stage Monday night and was taken to a hospital for observation. Loaf's spokesperson cited exhaustion due to a prolonged, non-life-threatening viral infection as the cause. He remained hospitalized Tuesday and canceled his show that night, per doctor's orders. ... Wu-Tang Clan's RZA has been forced to cancel the 21 remaining dates on his national tour due to exhaustion, a problem that landed him in the hospital for a few days last week. The producer/rapper, who just released a solo album, Birth of a Prince, is resting for a couple of weeks and will not reschedule the dates. ...

Another brick in the wall ... another rock music action figure. Six of the memorable characters, hallucinations and icons from Pink Floyd's 1982 movie, "The Wall," are now available as part of a toy statuette box set. Each figure — Scorpion & Pink, the teacher, marching hammers, the judge, megaphone hammer and eagle warplane — is 6-8 inches tall and comes attached to its own piece of "the wall." The figures are available from thewalldirect.com. ... A lawsuit filed by P. Diddy's former business associate Kirk Burrowes against the hip-hop mogul was thrown out of federal court Tuesday because the complaint failed to meet the requirements to continue at a federal level. A determined Burrowes now plans to take his case to state court. ...

Kid Rock is checking in with fans before determining the next single from his just-released self-titled album, but he knows what he would like to get on the radio. "I'd love to get some of that rock and roll blues stuff from the record," said Rock, who played an unexpected show Friday at the Malibu Inn along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. "We went into the club to have a drink and then there was a band playing and they said, 'Hey, would you guys like to play?' We said, 'Of course, we'd love to,' and they made a big production out of it. The owner did a sneak move and went and put our name on the marquee." ... Rock attended Sunday's American Music Awards with on-again, off-again girlfriend Pamela Anderson, who said she is launching a clothing line in February. "Pamouflage?" Rock asked. "No, that's just one thing," she answered. "Damn, I like that name," Rock responded. ...

When Chevelle return to the studio in March, the Chicago trio hope to score the assistance of a big-name producer. "I want Dave Grohl, actually," singer/guitarist Pete Loeffler said. As for the direction of the album, drummer Sam Loeffler added, "We're a heavy rock band, so we're gonna stay with that, heavy and melodic. We've got some ideas of things to make it just bigger, more double-kick [drum] stuff and things like that." ... Indie-rock bastions Pavement haven't been a band for four years, but Spiral Stairs' solo career keeps climbing. Guitarist Scott Kannberg's post-Pavement venture, Preston Schools of Industry, is gearing up for its second album, Monsoon, due in January. The follow-up to 2001's All This Sounds Gas features Wilco's Jeff Tweedy on a track called "Get Your Crayons Out." Meanwhile, Kannberg is looking through his archives for a deluxe, expanded reissue of Pavement's breakthrough classic, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, originally released in 1994. ...

Without a TV show on the air, Tom Green is staying busy writing an album to follow up his infamous "The Bum Bum Song." Among the subjects the comedian is tackling with his lyrics are the Grand Canyon, monkeys and vegetarianism. "It's gonna be really positive," he said. "Not a lot of the sex stuff that's in music these days, that's really kinda corrupting our youth." ... One of the country's largest CD-bootlegging operations, believed to have illegally manufactured more than $50 million worth of CDs by artists such as Ja Rule, Ludacris, Britney Spears and Eminem, was busted earlier this month in Atlanta, police announced last week. A raid resulted in the confiscation of more than 127,000 CDs and brought multiple counts of conspiracy and pirating-of-copyrighted-material charges against six alleged ringleaders. ...

11.17.03

One hundred signed copies of Jay-Z's The Black Album, which dropped Friday, are being auctioned off on eBay. In one of the copies will be tickets to Jay's November 25 benefit concert in New York. ...

Though Scott Weiland was due to have his arraignment on a DUI charge on Monday (November 17), the case was continued until December 3. The former Stone Temple Pilots frontman/current Velvet Revolver singer is completing his court-ordered stay at a residential rehab facility, and will not have to appear at the next court hearing, as his lawyer can enter a plea for him since it's a misdemeanor charge. Meanwhile, Weiland's former STP bandmates confirmed in an interview with Guitar One that the band is officially over. Lead guitarist Dean DeLeo told the magazine, "Along with the beauty of STP there was a dark trail that went right along with it ... There's not much I can look back on and say I really enjoyed, without wondering if the floor was going to drop from under us." The DeLeo brothers, having just produced Alien Ant Farm, are now focusing on producing the new band Monterey. ...

Ashanti will join country star Kenny Chesney, soul singer Joss Stone and operatic soprano Renée Fleming for "Christmas in Washington," a TNT television special scheduled to air December 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. President Bush and the first lady are expected to be among the guests for the holiday concert, now in its 22nd year. ... Stacie Orrico will perform her song "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life" at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, which will also feature appearances by Clay Aiken, Aaron Carter, Hilary Duff and Ruben Studdard. Then on December 3, Orrico will continue to spread holiday cheer through New York by helping to light the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. ...

Archetype, Fear Factory's follow-up to 2001's Digimortal, will feature a cover of Nirvana's "School," off their 1989 album, Bleach, as a bonus track. Archetype is due in April. ... New York public-school students will get first crack at the final cinematic chapter in the "Lord of the Rings" saga. Contest winners from 17 participating schools who penned 200-word essays on the theme of the wizard Gandalf's quote, "All you have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to you," get to attend advance screenings of "The Return of the King" on December 1. Meanwhile, New Line is donating a grant to be divided amongst the participating schools, to be applied to the purchase of new books for the schools' libraries. ...

It may not be the Blues Brothers, but Dan Aykroyd is working on a blues album. The "Saturday Night Live" vet showed up at New York's La Rambla to pay his respects — and talk up his new musical venture — at the "SNL" afterparty on Saturday. He was joined by the likes of show host Alec Baldwin, conservative pundit Ann Coulter, Coulter's political nemesis Al Franken, and current "SNL" players Tina Fey and Will Forte. ... Joseph "Amp" Fiddler, keyboardist in '70s funk-rock outfit Funkadelic, is in the final stages of recording a new solo album, to be released in January. Waltz of the Ghetto Fly features songs written with Raphael Saddiq, Jay Dee and former bandmate George Clinton. ...

Two major manufacturing sites for CD bootlegs were busted last week after a year-and-a-half-long investigation by the RIAA and the New York Police Department. Nearly 56,100 counterfeit CDs were taken from one location in midtown Manhattan and one in the Bronx, where 34 CD-R burners and 20 DVD burners were also discovered. ... SoundScan isn't just for record stores anymore — the sales tracking system, which added iTunes and other digital-download services this summer, has expanded to include Napster, BuyMusic, Musicmatch and Musicnow. Last week, SoundScan reported more than 1 million tracks downloaded for the first time since it began tracking downloads in June. The main authority for retail music-sales information, SoundScan's data provides the basis of the weekly Billboard music charts. ...

• Britney Spears
• N.E.R.D.
• R. Kelly
• Creed
• 3 Doors Down

• R. Kelly
• B2K
• Aaliyah
• Nick Cannon
• Jay-Z

It's Fred Durst's birthday, so he's bestowed upon himself the gift of yet another title change for the next Limp Bizkit album. The newly christened Results May Vary, Durst wrote on his band's Web site, is "like a prescription drug, each person's reaction to the ingredients will be differnet (sic)." The first pressings of the album will contain 35 minutes of DVD footage culled from a massive four-hour DVD called Poop, expected to come out before the end of the year. ...

A candlelight vigil will be held for Aaliyah on Monday, the two-year anniversary of her death. Fans are welcome to join and celebrate the singer's life at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, from 4-7 p.m. ... On August 29, a day after their performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, Metallica will perform a rare club show at New York's Bowery Ballroom. Details on how to get tickets will be announced on radio station WXRK (K-Rock) on Friday. ...

Justin Timberlake, Swizz Beatz, DJ Clue, members of the Star Trak family and Kelly Osbourne in a "Clockwork Orange"-like getup all came out to New York's Chelsea Piers on Tuesday night for Pharrell Williams and his partner Chad Hugo's Neptunes Presents ... Clones album-release party. ... Tweet has titled her second album It's Me Again. A release date has not been set, but the singer says the first single is called "Thug Man." ...

Vanessa Carlton, Hootie & the Blowfish and Billy Bob Thornton have been added to the lineup for Farm Aid 2003, scheduled for September 7 in Columbus, Ohio. Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois will also join Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp and others at the event. ... Das EFX will release their first studio album in five years on September 23. How We Do includes the Dame Grease-produced single "Greezy," along with a collaboration with Sean Paul called "Memories." ...

Ever-quotable punk icon Jello Biafra countered a press release from his former Dead Kennedys bandmates, who invited him to participate in what he called "their cash-in nostalgia show in Hollywood on August 19th," with a press release of his own. "What's the matter, not enough Hot Topic bozo teens flocking to stuff cash in their bikinis? [Were] they having that much trouble selling tickets to a bar that holds less than 600 people?" he said, adding, "If they really want to 'bury the hatchet,' why won't they stop suing me? ... I feel sorry for anyone duped into paying top dollar for a ticket because they heard, 'I might be there.' But I hardly think I'm 'letting fans down' by refusing to be part of a nostalgia scam." ... Guided by Voices, Isaac Hayes, Phantom Planet, Rilo Kiley, the Dandy Warhols, Circle Jerks and Earlimart are among the performers slated for this weekend's Sunset Junction Street Fair in Los Angeles. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Sunset Neighborhood Alliance, a neighborhood improvement group. More information on the event and the organization can be found at www.sunsetjunction.org. ...

Along with a DVD he is directing, Moby will release a collection of B-sides from 18 on November 4. The album will include "Love of Strings," one of the most downloaded songs at Apple's iTunes store. ... Purchasers of Andrew W.K.'s The Wolf, due September 9, just might receive a thank-you call from Andrew himself — the zany rocker has announced a promotion to personally phone over a thousand of his fans who purchase his record. The first 250 people to pre-order the album on either his official site or www.amazon.com will receive a call; then, post-album release, he will ring up an additional 100 winners per week through a random drawing he will have on his site. ...

Kittie are taking another legal swing at Artemis Records in their effort to divorce themselves from the label. The band has filed a lawsuit claiming, among other things, that Artemis interfered with its ability to develop new income streams and to tour internationally, and that it offered Kittie inadequate promotion, resulting in a $2 million loss for the rockers. ... Orgy will release their third LP, tentatively titled Punk Statik Paranoia, in January on frontman Jay Gordon's new D1 Music label. ... A two-disc DVD collection called "The Ed Sullivan Show Featuring the Beatles" is set for an October 28 release. The four-hour compilation includes 20 live performances by the band, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Yesterday." ...

08.19.03

Jay-Z's got new beef, this time with Fat Joe. Not really, but the rappers' respective basketball teams in this year's Entertainers Basketball Classic tournament at New York's famed Rucker Park got into a disagreement before the championship game on Monday night. A dispute over which team would occupy the home team's bench resulted in Jay-Z's team refusing to play. Rucker Park commissioner Greg Marius called the game a forfeit — over a bench — and said Fat Joe's squad would remain defending champions. ...

Good Charlotte will perform alongside Britney Spears, Aerosmith and Mary J. Blige at the NFL Kickoff Live 2003 event at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 4. The all-star performance will end with Aretha Franklin's singing of the national anthem. ... DMX debuted his line of dog apparel, dubbed Boomer 129, at the Q Lounge in New York on Monday night. Pit bulls and rottweilers modeled such items as rain jackets, doo-rags and tank tops. Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired the rights to X's next film, "Never Die Alone," and will release the flick later this year. ...

With so many artists already confirmed it's scary, the fifth annual Voodoo Music Experience will once again take place in New Orleans on Halloween, but this year it's a three-day affair. 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Godsmack, Queens of the Stone Age, P.O.D., A Perfect Circle and the Donnas top the list of 31 acts slated to perform at New Orleans' City Park. ...

Ricky Martin, Thalia and Alexandre Pires with Kelly Clarkson are among the first wave of performers announced for the fourth annual Latin Grammy Awards, to be held September 3 in Miami. ... Marc Anthony and his wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Muñiz, welcomed their new seven-pound bundle of joy into the world this weekend. The couple's second child, Ryan Anthony Muñiz, was born in New York at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday. ...

Old-school L.A. punk figure Brendan Mullen — who promoted shows at the Masque, among other claims to fame — is taking on Jane's Addiction for his next project. He's writing the first authorized biography on the band, to be called "Whores: An Oral History of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction." The book is due in 2005 from Da Capo Press. ... To promote his upcoming album, Some of My Best Friends Are DJs, due out in October, turntablist Kid Koala is staging a contest through mom-and-pop record stores around the country. One lucky winner will receive a private home performance by the DJ maestro and will get to keep all the equipment, including turntables, a Rane mixer and speakers. Koala's girlfriend has also promised to cook dinner for the lucky fan. For a list of participating stores, check the Coalition of Independent Music Stores site, www.cimsmusic.com. ...

While Scott Weiland focuses his energy on Velvet Revolver and Robert and Dean DeLeo anxiously await the reception to the Alien Ant Farm record they produced, Atlantic Records is gearing up to release a Stone Temple Pilots greatest-hits collection called Thank You that will include 14 songs culled from the band's five albums as well as an acoustic version of "Plush" and the previously unreleased track "All in the Suit That You Wear." Both the CD and a DVD (compiling all of the band's videos with live and home-video footage) are tentatively scheduled to be released November 4, according to the Stone Temple Pilots Web site. The Alien Ant Farm record truANT hit stores this week. ...

Icelandic critical darlings Sigur Rós have begun work on their fourth full-length album, according to the band's official news site. Live recordings of three new tracks — "Gong," "Milanó" and "Salka" — can be found at www.sigur-ros.co.uk. ... Illvastar, the ex-bassist of the Norwegian black metal band Svartahrid, has been sentenced to a year in prison for defiling a corpse. The metal maniac broke into a mortuary on June 14, decapitated a corpse with a knife, and brought the severed head to a party near the southeastern town of Skien. A guest at the party reported Illvastar to the police. The bassist, who had been drinking moonshine and smoking, had no memory of the beheading. ...

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider's brother-in-law was shot and killed on Monday while walking to work in Midtown New York. Vincent Gargiulo, 34, was slain one block from where he was employed as a construction worker. Police have no substantial leads. ... Despite their name, Rush are in no hurry to release their massive triple-CD live album, Rush in Rio. It, and its accompanying double DVD, have been pushed back to a late October release. ...

Outtakes from Johnny Cash's work with producer Rick Rubin, which yielded four American Recordings albums over the last decade, will surface on the tentatively titled Unearthed box set. Expected to drop by Christmastime, four of the set's five discs will be composed of previously unreleased material, while the fifth will serve as a greatest-hits disc. ... Singer/songwriter Howie Day will follow-up his debut, Australia, with Stop All the World Now on October 7. The LP's first single, "Perfect Time of Day," has begun to surface at radio, and beginning September 28, Day will be accompanied by a full band on tour for the first time. ...

Ben & Jerry are watching their dreams melt before their eyes. A week before the ice-cream-making duo's scheduled 25th anniversary party in Middletown, New York, their One World One Heart Festival has been canceled because of poor ticket sales. The bash was to take place August 23 and 24 and feature such acts as Third Eye Blind, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Tracy Chapman and others. But only 1,000 of the venue's 30,000 seats were sold. ... Chapman, Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson and others have signed on to participate in We the Planet, an eco-friendly tour hoping to spark dialogue concerning global issues. The group will travel the country in hippie-like fashion, via a bus powered by vegetable oil and bio-diesel fuel, and hit up universities and communities across the nation from September 11 to November 9. ...

• Limp Bizkit
• Aaliyah
• Justin Timberlake
• *NSYNC
• N.E.R.D.

Aaliyah's single "Miss You" and the remix which features Jay-Z will be released in stores on April 29. A portion of the enhanced-CD sales will be donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund. ...

Sean Paul, Lil' Kim, Wayne Wonder, Beenie Man and Wyclef Jean will perform at the Reggae Sumfest in Miami on May 25. The event, which will go down at Bicentennial Park, marks the first time the concert is taking place in the United States. Sumfest will still happen in Jamaica this year as well, from July 22-26. ...

Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden appears on "Jaded (These Years)," the first single from Mest's forthcoming eponymous album, the Chicago band's fourth LP overall, due June 10. Madden also shows up in the video, which was shot two weeks ago in Los Angeles. ... Kelly Osbourne was forced to cancel the last three dates of her North American tour after a back injury she sustained in Dallas on April 4 grew increasingly aggravating. Shows in San Francisco (April 13), Seattle (April 16) and Portland, Oregon (April 18) were called off without any plans to reschedule. ...

It's been four years since the estrogen-charged Lilith Fair made its rounds, and just when prospects looked dim for self-respecting rocker chicks, the man behind the Warped Tour is shedding some light on the scene. Kevin Lyman is planning a tour called Girls Garage, which is expected to hit 750- to 1,200-seat clubs and theaters in October. A lineup has yet to be announced, but the trek has already secured its first sponsor, Hurley Girls clothing. ...

On Wednesday night on Funkmaster Flex's radio show in New York, Irv Gotti debuted "Rock With You," the first single from Ashanti's upcoming album, Chapter 2. The LP, which Gotti referred to as "an R&B classic," is due July 1. Gotti also said that he would be contributing a track to the "Bad Boys 2" soundtrack, coming out on Bad Boy Records. ... Giving props to a few of hip-hop's biggest pioneers, P. Diddy has tapped the Roots to appear in his new Sean John campaign. The Roots, reportedly handpicked by Puff, were chosen among other celebrities, icons and entertainers famous for their originality and for paving the way for others in their fields. The Rev. Al Sharpton, actor Mekhi Phifer, rap legends Gang Starr, Fabolous and Diddy himself round out the list. ...

A trio of hipster acts, Hot Hot Heat, Interpol and Electric Six, have joined the eclectic lineup for the U.K.'s annual Reading and Leeds Festivals. The marquee for the three-day outing, August 22-24, is topped by Metallica, Linkin Park, Blur, Blink-182, the White Stripes, System of a Down, Beck, Good Charlotte and Courtney Love. ... Though the couple have yet to announce a date, British tabloids report that Natalie Imbruglia and Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns will wed on December 15 in his hometown of Newcastle, Australia (where they're planning to spend this Easter together as well). The wedding will reportedly be a low-key family affair. ...

Though he's probably still wondering what scarf will go with the cap and gown, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is scheduled to address more than 600 graduates at the commencement exercise of Boston's Berklee College of Music on May 10. Tyler is one of two musicians set to receive honorary doctor of music degrees from the prestigious music school. ... The outstanding songwriting abilities of Elvis Costello (see "Alison," "Less Than Zero" and "Radio Radio" for proof) will be recognized by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at its annual Pop Music Awards on May 10 in Beverly Hills, California. Previous recipients include Quincy Jones, Tom Waits, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder. ...

A Canadian version of "American Idol" is getting set to launch. Brought together by the team behind the Juno Awards, the judges will include singer Sass Jordan and industry insiders Farley Flex, Jake Gold and Zack Werner. Auditions for "Canadian Idol" kicked off in Winnipeg earlier this week, with more auditions slated for Thursday (April 17) at the Metropolitan Centre in Calgary. For more information, check the official Web site at idol.ctv.ca. ... Eighty-five of the 92 U.S. Naval Academy students who had their computers confiscated after they were accused in November of engaging in illegal file-sharing have been disciplined by the Academy. Although their punishment was unspecified, it fell short of suspension or expulsion, and, instead, could have ranged from demerits to loss of privileges. ...

04.16.03

Madonna is still planning on releasing "American Life" as the first single and video from her new album, but it won't be the clip everyone's been talking about. A newly shot, politically nonsticky performance-only video will premiere Wednesday (April 16) at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on VH1. ...

Fat Joe and Jennifer Lopez have combined for a musical Boricua bond. Joey Crack rhymes on J. Lo's remix to "I'm Glad" and also has a new single of his own on the way, his posse cut "TS Piece." ... The Diplomats are busy planning the release of "My Love," the second single off of their new album, Diplomatic Immunity, but they haven't forgotten about their current single, "Gangsta Music." Cam'ron, Jimmy Jones, Juelz Santana and crew recently recorded not one, but two remixes of the track. The first features additional vocals by N.O.R.E. and Remy Martin, while the second remix is a reggae-flavored remake of the Super Cat classic "Dolly My Baby." ...

Who better to show you the hip-hop sights of Harlem and the boogie-down Bronx than some of the genre's forefathers? On the Hush Hip-Hop Tour, such luminaries as DJ Kool Herc, Grand Master Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers, Raheim of the Furious Five and Funky Four, and Kool DJ Red Alert of Zulu Nation and Boogie Down Productions point out such landmarks as the Graffiti Hall of Fame, Bronx Walk of Fame, the Apollo Theatre, Harlem World club and other historic sites. The tours run each month, and customized private tours are also available. Check out www.hushtours.com for more info. ...

Beyoncé Knowles' modeling agency has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against the Destiny's Child singer, disputing the amount of commission they're to receive for her L'Oreal contract. Wilhelmina Artist Management is suing for $88,250, saying that is the 10 percent commission owed to them per a 2001 contract, in which she authorized them to be her exclusive rep in all commercial activities other than music, film and television (except TV ads). ... Officials in West Warwick, Rhode Island, are asking the families of the 99 people who died in the February fire at the Station club whether they should turn the site into a memorial. The owner agreed to donate the property (doing so would rid him of a potential asset in civil lawsuits). ...

Brace yourself — Courtney Love is planning a comeback as "America's Sweetheart." At least, that's the title of her forthcoming solo album, which she's currently recording in France. Love wrote songs in earlier Los Angeles sessions with hitmaker Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera, Jewel) and has since collaborated with her manager and one-time boyfriend, Jim Barber, who is now also working as her producer. The album is expected to be released this fall. ... Polly Jean Harvey is taking a break from her next PJ Harvey album to contribute vocals to the latest solo release from former Screaming Trees and current Queens of the Stone Age singer Mark Lanegan, due in September. Harvey is also collaborating with Queens' Josh Homme on his latest Desert Sessions and writing songs with Marianne Faithfull, according to Harvey's official Web site. ...

Ashanti, DMX, Eve and Shaggy will headline the seventh annual St. Kitts Music Festival at Fort Thomas in the Caribbean from June 26 to June 29. Meanwhile, Ashanti and Ja Rule will perform at a concert called Mesmerize on Saturday at the National Stadium in Barbados. ... Boxing heavyweight Roy Jones Jr. plays the leading man in Da Brat's video for "In Luv Wit Chu," due at the end of April. Jermaine Dupri and the group Cherish were also on hand for the clip, directed by Bryan Barber (Outkast). ...

As record labels and various artists scramble to invent new ways to protect themselves from bootleggers, pinup-boy crooner John Mayer is inviting his fans to bring microphones and recording gear to several of his upcoming dates with Counting Crows. While a posting on his Web site insists that "no soundboard or power feeds are provided" and "wireless receivers are strictly prohibited," other types of audio recording equipment appear to be fair game. ...

Zakk Wylde's no angel, but that's not stopping him from appearing on the supernatural WB TV series "Angel" on Wednesday (April 16). Wylde's bit but crucial part as a guitarist furthers his acting abilities and builds on his previous role in the film "Rock Star," in which he portrayed ... a guitarist. Wylde's latest album, The Blessed Hellride, will hit shelves Tuesday. ... Live have set a May 20 release date for their sixth album, Birds of Pray, produced by Jim Wirt (Incubus). The first single, "Heaven," was inspired by the birth of singer Ed Kowalczyk's daughter. ...

• Aaliyah
• Jay-Z
• Good Charlotte
• Kelly Osbourne
• Sean Paul

Jay-Z
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

Jay-Z is paying homage to his deceased friends and musical peers on a new track.

On what's being called the remix of Aaliyah's "Miss You," Jay starts off talking to the fallen songbird, saying, "What's up baby girl? You know I had to talk to you again," before listing the names of loved ones who are missing her, like Timbaland, Missy Elliott and her brother, Rashad.

"Dame [Dash] told me to tell you, he's doing well/ Due to the circumstances it could've been Bellevue/ I ain't got to tell you, you looking over us, our little angel," he goes on to rap with a down South bounce flow. 

Jay also addresses New York radio host Star, who poked fun at Aaliyah's death on-air shortly after her plane crashed (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). Jigga talks to Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac as well, expressing disdain for all the MCs who bit their rhyme style, and he tells them how rap hasn't been the same since they were murdered (see "Biggie, Jam Master Jay, Left Eye And Their Mothers Honored At B.I.G. Night Out").

It's not yet known where the song will appear, if it will be sold commercially or where proceeds from the single will go, according to a spokesperson for Jay.

With all the time Jay spends in the studio, you just know that the tribute song isn't the only material he's recorded lately. He just wrapped up production on a remix to Talib Kweli's current single, "Get By," with Kanye West, and he expanded outside the hip-hop genre, recording a collaboration with international dance artist MC Punjabi.

Next month, Jay will return to his roots in the street with the S. Carter Collection mixtape around the same time his S. Carter Collection sneaker hits stores on April 18. Among the material featured on the CD will be several unreleased freestyles from Young Hova. 

For a full-length feature on the importance of mixtapes, check out "Mixtapes: The Other Music Industry."

• Jay-Z
• Aaliyah
• Missy Elliott

Aaliyah: A Life In Photos

• Aaliyah
• Diddy
• Missy Elliott
• *NSYNC
• Destiny's Child

Tinashei: Father Knows Best

• Aaliyah

Aaliyah Photos

• Aaliyah

Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Run-DMC, More At Fifth Annual B.I.G. Night Out

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Diddy
• Faith Evans
• Jay-Z
• Run-D.M.C.

Aaliyah's "I Miss You" Video Shoot

• Aaliyah

• Aaliyah

Aaliyah: 1979-2001

• Aaliyah