<i>Red Hot + Indigo</i>

NEW YORK — The Red Hot Organization, whose philanthropic endeavors contribute to AIDS research, will celebrate its 10th anniversary with two additions to its acclaimed series of compilation tribute albums and free downloads of Red Hot tracks both new and old.

On March 13 the organization will release its 13th compilation, Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to jazz composer/pianist/bandleader Duke Ellington that counts hip-hop combo the Roots, R&B crooner D'Angelo, singer Mary J. Blige, hip-hop duo Black Star, jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood, post-rockers Tortoise and the electronic duo Propellerheads among its contributors. "We already tackled the others pillars of 20th-century music: (Antonio Carlos) Jobim with Red Hot + Rio, (George) Gershwin with Red Hot + Rhapsody and Cole Porter with Red Hot + Blue," said Indigo producer Paul Heck. "So we wanted to pay tribute to Ellington as he was the last of those pillars standing." The album will be available exclusively through online retailer Amazon.com until early fall, when it will arrive at offline retail outlets.

Typically for the Red Hot series, the album features many first-time and unexpected collaborations: Black Star, bassist Ron Carter and Hammond B-3 luminary John Patton join forces on "Money Jungle"; Medeski Martin & Wood's six tracks include collaborations with guitarist Kenny Burrell ("C Jam Blues"), Sex Mob trumpeter Steven Bernstein ("Haunted Nights") and trombonist Art Baron ("Creole Love Call"); the Roots and D'Angelo — on keyboards — team for Ellington's "Caravan"; and the Propellerheads and folk singer Martha Wainright pair up for "Star Crossed Lovers." The 17-track album also includes Tortoise's interpretation of "Didjeridoo," from Ellington's 1967 album Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, and Mary J. Blige's solo reading of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me." Red Hot + Riot, the oft-delayed, hotly anticipated tribute to Nigerian afrobeat rebel Fela Kuti, is due later this year. Macy Gray, D'Angelo, the Roots' ?uestlove, rapper Common, Dead Prez, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and Fela's son Femi will appear on the tribute to Kuti, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1997 (see "Macy Gray, D'Angelo, Others Honor Fela Kuti" for more).

Red Hot is also auctioning off 50 copies of "Physiognomy," a collection of photographs taken by Rolling Stone photographer Mark Seliger, each containing a different pictured artist's autograph.

The organization also offers free, full-length MP3 downloads of songs culled from the entire Red Hot + catalogue at amazon.com/music-redhot, where listeners can also make contributions to the organization.

Visit redhot.org for more information on the Red Hot Organization.

Red Hot + Indigo track list:
1. Medeski Martin & Wood — "Acht O'clock Rock"
2. Black Star/Ron Carter/John Patton — "Money Jungle"
3. Mary J. Blige — "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me"
4. Melky Sedeck — "Mood Indigo"
5. Les Nubians — "Come Sunday"
6. Medeski Martin & Wood/Art Baron — "Creole Love Call"
7. Propellerheads/Martha Wainwright — "Star-Crossed Lovers"
8. The Roots (featuring D'Angelo on keyboards) — "Caravan"
9. Kenny Burrell/Medeski Martin & Wood — "C Jam Blues"
10. Don Byron/Dean Bowman — "Bli Blip"
11. Medeski Martin & Wood — "Mount Harissa"
12. Amel Larrieux — "Sophisticated Lady"
13. Kenny Burrell — "In a Sentimental Mood"
14. Terry Callier — "Satin Doll"
15. Medeski Martin & Wood/Steve Bernstein — "Haunted Nights"
16. Medeski Martin & Wood — "Blue Pepper (Dub)"
17. Tortoise — "Dijderidoo"

• Mary J. Blige
• Medeski Martin & Wood
• The Roots
• Mos Def
• Talib Kweli

Instead of teaming up with Mos Def, his longtime Black Star partner, Talib Kweli has switched up his game with DJ Hi-Tek for a new release, "Train Of Thought."

Kweli and Tek make up Reflection Eternal, and the duo's album arrives in stores next week. When asked about rumors of a Black Star breakup or strife between himself and Mos Def, Kweli explained to MTV News' Sway that it's not a case of being in one group or another, but enjoying the freedom that exists with being able to move from project to project.

"Me and Mos were building a lot together," Kweli began. "He was on the first Reflection single. We were doing a lot of shows, and Black Star came out of the energy of us doing shows together.

"The idea was to put [Black Star material] out," he continued.

"The reason why I can be in Black Star and not be frustrated and still feel free is because I can do Black Star, I can do Reflection Eternal, I can do my own stuff," he concluded. "Mos can do his own thing. It's never [a case where] you're locked into a [group] situation. That's why the music we make has a good energy to it, 'cause we can keep it free," [RealVideo]

Reflection Eternal features guest appearances by Xzibit and Rah Digga on a track titled "Down For The Count," De La Soul on "Soul Rebels," and Les Nubians on "Love Language." The album arrives in stores on October 17. In the meantime, you can watch Kweli and Tek spread their wings on the "Okayplayer" tour with the Roots, Dead Prez, Bahamadia, Slum Village, Jill Scott, and more (see "Roots' 'Okayplayer' Tour Firms Up Acts, Dates").

• Black Star
• Talib Kibwe

After releasing the "Hip-Hop For Respect" maxi-single last week, Black Star's Talib Kweli is preparing to hit the road for a month-long tour with L.A. newcomers Dilated Peoples, starting on May 4 in St. Louis.

Kweli and the Peoples will be joined on the first two dates by acclaimed underground hip-hop outfit Jurassic 5, who are playing a few warm-up dates before embarking on this year's edition of the Warped Tour (see "Vans Warped Tour 2000 Maps Out Dates").

Talib Kweli will be out supporting the "Hip Hop For Respect" single, a benefit project that features appearances from Rza, Common, The Fugees' Pras, De La Soul's Pos, Cappadonna, and EPMD's Parrish Smith (see "Black Star And Friends To Issue 'Hip-Hop For Respect'").

The Dilated Peoples, who first emerged on the scene in 1997 with a pair of singles, "Third Degree" and "Work The Angles," will release their first major-label album, titled "Platform," on May 23 via Capitol Records.

Dates for the Talib Kweli-Dilated Peoples tour:

• 5/4 - St. Louis, MO @ Galaxy (w/ Jurassic 5)
• 5/5 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada (w/ Jurassic 5)
• 5/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 5/8 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
• 5/9 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews
• 5/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
• 5/12 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
• 5/14 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 5/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
• 5/16 - Boston, MA @ Axis
• 5/18 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
• 5/19 - New York, NY @ SOB's (without Talib Kweli)
• 5/20 - Providence, RI @ Lupos
• 5/23 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
• 5/26 - San Jose, CA @ The Usual
• 5/30 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
• 5/31 - Seattle, WA @ Aro Space
• 6/1 - Vancouver, BC @ Sonar

• Black Star
• Dilated Peoples
• Talib Kibwe

Almost a year in the making, Black Star's Mos Def and Talib Kweli are finally set to release their "Hip-Hop For Respect" benefit maxi-single, featuring appearances from Rza, Common, Pras from the Fugees, De La Soul's Pos, Cappadonna, and EPMD's Parrish Smith, among others.

• Black Star

Ozomatli, Black Star, and Me'Shell N'degeocello will all play the School Not Jails Benefit concert next month in Santa Cruz, California as part of the campaign against Proposition 21, a juvenile crime initiative.

• Black Star
• Ozomatli

The Roots, Black Star, Common, K-Ci & JoJo, and others will be gracing the soundtrack to the much heralded film "The Hurricane" come January.

• The Roots, Common, Mos Def - "Hurricane"
• Black Star - "Little Brother"
• Kelly Price, Aaron Hall - "Love Sets You Free"
• Jazzyfatnastees - "I Don't Know"
• Me'Shell N'degeocello - "Isolation"
• Gil Scott-Heron - "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
• K-Ci & JoJo - "One More Mountain"
• Bob Dylan - "Hurricane"
• Ray Charles - "Hard Times"
• Etta James - "In the Basement"
• Melky Sedeck - "Still I Rise"
• Ruth Brown - "I Don't Know"
• Clark Anderson - "So Amazing"
• Christopher Young - "The Suite"

-- Sorelle Saidman

• Black Star
• Common

An estimated crowd of 6000 hip-hop fans, MCs, DJs, breakdancers, and graffiti artists gathered on New York City's west side on Saturday for a free concert held in honor of the 22nd anniversary of pioneering b-boys the Rock Steady Crew.

The main stage featured appearances by the Beatnuts, Arsonists, Natural Elements, and Pharoahe Monch, but the biggest surprise occurred mid-day when Roots member and renowned human beatbox Rahzel was joined onstage by Black Star's Talib Kweli for three freestyle-driven songs.

Saturday's free concert was held on the banks of the Hudson River and was the highlight of the ninth annual event saluting the Rock Steady Crew, the internationally renowned pioneers of b-boying (a.k.a. breakdancing). The weekend included a series of parties, concerts, and DJ and breakdancing battles.

The Rock Steady Crew came together in 1977, showcasing unparalleled b-boying skills that would eventually lead to appearances in films such as "Beat Street," "Flashdance," and "Wildstyle," as well as countless showcases throughout the hip-hop community.

"We've been doing the concert since 1991," Rock Steady member and event organizer Crazy Legs told MTV News. "We started doing it because we wanted to honor those in Rock Steady that had passed away around that time... and also, in retrospect, to show how it used to be back in the day when you could just go to a jam for free during the day and have fun."

"We're talking about a crew that respects all aspects of hip-hop," Juju of the Beatnuts told MTV News. "Rock Steady is graffiti, MCing, breakdancing... all that. So it's like their anniversary is like an anniversary of hip-hop."

"This is what it was like before it was on videos and all that," the Beatnuts' Psycho Les added.

Despite the stifling summer heat, dozens of breakdancers entertained the masses in circles broken out like mosh pits. The b-boy vibe, however, is a much more peaceful one than you might find at a rock show.

"Right now, it's good that we do get the media attention," Crazy Legs said on the resurgence of b-boying/breakdancing. "because it will inspire a lot of young kids to get involved with something that's positive and have the opportunity to learn something that they can use to focus all the negative energy into. All that stress. Just go out there and be competitive, battle somebody. Get it out of your system and shake hands after."

For more on the Rock Steady Crew, log on to www.rocksteadycrew.com.

• The Beatnuts
• Black Star
• Talib Kibwe

Common, De La Soul, Cappadonna, Black Moon, Doug E. Fresh, Kool G Rap, Rass Kass, and Sporty Thieves were among the artists who convened in New York City last weekend to record a track railing against police brutality.

Inspired by the shooting death of African immigrant Amadou Diallo at the hands of New York Police officers, the artists gathered at New York's Sony Studios to record "Hip Hop For Respect." The single is the outcome of a call placed by Mos Def and Talib Kweli of Black Star to respond to crimes against humanity.

"Seeing the people on television getting arrested," Kweli told MTV News,

Because of the widespread response, Black Star has decided to expand the idea of a benefit single to an album, allowing artists who could not make the recent studio session an opportunity to participate in the project. Proceeds from the single will benefit a foundation with an anti-police brutality mission.

• Black Star
• Cappadonna
• Common
• De La Soul

As the Sno-Core Tour ambles to get off the ground on the West Coast, yet another mini-festival combining elements of hip-hop and hardcore with snowboarding and skateboarding has been announced for the East Coast.

• Black Star
• Eminem

Rage Against the Machine, the Beastie Boys, Bad Religion and Black Star took to the stage last night in East Rutherford, New Jersey, performing at the much-debated benefit concert to raise money for the federal appeal of convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal.

• Bad Religion
• Beastie Boys
• Black Star
• Rage Against the Machine