Toni Braxton

For The Record: Quick News On Kanye West, Tool, Cam'ron, Guns N' Roses, Kristen Bell, Three 6 Mafia & More

22 May 2006 04:14:00 EDT

Kanye, Tool anchoring Street Scene; Cam shows Katt love; Axl says Hilfiger slapped him.
By MTV News staff report

Kanye West
Photo: ShowBizIreland/ Getty Images

After helping anchor Coachella and Wango Tango, Kanye West has signed on for another big extravaganza: San Diego's Street Scene 2006. Slated for August 4-5, the 22nd installment of the fest will feature Snoop Dogg, Tool, Wu-Tang Clan, My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard, AFI, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Queens of the Stone Age, Bloc Party, She Wants Revenge, Sean Paul and tons more. Two-day passes can be bought starting Monday (May 22), while single-day tickets will go on sale in July. ...

Cam'ron shared some crew love at New York's Nokia Theatre early Sunday morning, coming onstage to support comic Katt Williams, who headlined a show that started a little past midnight. Williams' debut LP, It's Pimpin', Pimpin', drops on Cam's Diplomat Records later this year. ...

During an interview Friday with Los Angeles radio station KROQ, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose discussed the run-in he had Thursday with fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger in New York. Rose said the altercation, inside the Plumm nightclub, started over a drink. "I moved his girlfriend's drink so it wouldn't spill," Rose explained, adding that Hilfiger then smacked his arm and told him to put the drink back. "He just kept smacking me," said Axl. "It was the most surreal thing, I think, that's ever happened to me in my life." Rose filled out a police complaint against the designer. Following the fracas, which took place at Rosario Dawson's birthday party, Guns N' Roses performed an acoustic set, and Axl dedicated the song "You're Crazy" to "My good friend Tommy Hilfiger" during the performance. ...

"Veronica Mars" star Kristen Bell and music legend Prince have won the annual World's Sexiest Vegetarians poll put on by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway and Joaquin Phoenix were also in the running. ... Three 6 Mafia are performing live at WWE's "Friday Night Smackdown!" which will be taped Tuesday in Bakersfield, California, to air Friday on UPN. WWE: Wreckless Intent — featuring "Some Bodies Gonna Get It," the Mafia's theme song for wrestler Mark Henry, along with tracks by Saliva, Silkk the Shocker and P.O.D. — hits stores Tuesday. ...

The Arctic Monkeys will embark on their upcoming North American tour without bassist Andy Nicholson, who will miss the shows due to exhaustion. "Owing to fatigue following an intensive period of touring, Andy shall be taking a rest," the band's management said in a statement. Nick O'Malley will stand in for Nicholson on the tour, which begins in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 27. Of course, the British press has interpreted the news to mean that Nicholson is out of the band, but a U.S. spokesperson for the Monkeys said Nicholson will rejoin them after the North American tour wraps. ...

Queen Latifah will be honored with the William "Jazz" Jones Brightest Star Award by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark at the organization's 18th annual Evening of the Stars on Monday (May 22) in New York. The gala, featuring Kenan Thompson and Miri Ben-Ari, recognizes contributions toward improving the quality of life of inner-city children and their families. John Sykes, president of network development for MTV Networks, will be presented with the 2006 Award for Caring, and one young person will receive the organization's Youth of the Year Award at the ceremony. ... Salma Hayek is hosting Wednesday's Colombia sin Minas concert, a special acoustic showcase featuring Juanes, Alejandro Sanz and Ana Gabriel. The benefit concert, held at Los Angeles' Gibson Amphitheatre, will raise money to aid children victimized by antipersonnel mines in Colombia. ...

Staind, Flyleaf, Nonpoint, Wicked Wisdom and Dope are among the bands confirmed for the JJO Band Camp 2006 festival, scheduled for August 6 at Willow Island in Madison, Wisconsin. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks. ...Primus and the Flaming Lips have been confirmed as the headliners for this year's Hedgpeth Festival, set to take place July 28 and July 29 in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Mike Patton's Peeping Tom, They Might Be Giants, the Kings of Leon, Blue October and Minus the Bear are also on the festival's bill. ... When it comes to Las Vegas entertainers, few can fill Wayne Newton's shoes, but Toni Braxton is going to give it a try. The singer will take over for Newton as the headliner at the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel and casino, she announced at a press conference Friday. "Toni Braxton: Revealed" kicks off August 3 and is set to run six nights per week through March 2007. ...

Chevelle have been forced to pull out of the first eight dates of their forthcoming tour with Nickelback and Hoobastank after bassist Dean Bernardini sustained an injury to his left hand. The canceled dates run from the tour's June 30 opener in Cincinnati though a July 26 stop set for Columbia, Maryland. The trek is scheduled to wrap up September 16 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Me First and the Gimme Gimmes have been busy recording material for their forthcoming album. The band, featuring members of Foo Fighters, NOFX, Lagwagon, No Use for a Name and Swingin' Utters, has been working in the studio since April, putting its spin on songs written by Johnny Cash, the Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks and Hank Williams, among others. There's no word yet on when the yet-untitled release will be in stores. ... Conan O'Brien will host the 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air live August 27 from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium on NBC. Emmy nominations will be announced July 6. O'Brien previously hosted the ceremony in 2002. ...

Freddie and the Dreamers leader Freddie Garrity died Friday while hospitalized in Wales, The Associated Press reports. He was 69. Freddie and the Dreamers, a British band best known for the 1965 U.S. hit "I'm Telling You Now," sparked a loose-limbed dance called "The Freddie," inspired by Garrity's bouncy onstage moves. ... Longtime Grateful Dead crewmember Lawrence "Ramrod" Shurtliff died of lung cancer Tuesday, the AP reports. Guitarist Bob Weir called the 61-year-old, who served as president of the Dead's board of directors when the band incorporated in the 1970s, "our rock."

05.19.2006

Brandy has signed on to judge "America's Got Talent," a televised contest created by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, The Associated Press reports. David Hasselhoff and British newspaper editor/TV personality Piers Morgan will also be on the panel that decides the fates of aspiring entertainers vying for a $1 million prize. The series, set to debut June 21 on NBC, will be hosted by Regis Philbin. ... Staind will perform at the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 as part of ABC's pre-race telecast, beginning at noon EST on May 28. A day earlier, the band will headline Indianapolis' annual X-103 May Day concert, which also features Three Days Grace and Flyleaf. ...

Stephen King has posted an angry rant aimed at ABC on his Web site. "Those of you who are familiar with the wonderful world of television may have noticed that 'Desperation' — probably the best TV movie to be made from my work — has been scheduled by ABC to run, not just against 'American Idol,' but against the 'American Idol' finals!" the author wrote. "Am I bitter? Hell, yes, I am bitter!" ... The name Nevaeh (pronounced "neh-VAY-ah") is proliferating faster than any baby name in more than 100 years — and, according to The New York Times, it all stems from Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D., who appeared on MTV in 2000 with his baby daughter, whose name is "heaven spelled backwards," he explained. According to the paper, there were just eight newborn American girls named Nevaeh in 1999, and last year there were 4,457 — the fastest climb among all names in more than a century, the entire period for which the Social Security Administration has such records. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan will issue an iTunes-exclusive EP on June 13. The release will feature new versions of "Unretrofied" and "The Perfect Design," along with four covers: Nine Inch Nails' "Wish," Massive Attack's "Angel," Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose" and Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You." ...

William Hung will be crowned this year's Artichoke King at the Castroville Artichoke Festival this weekend in Castroville, California. Marilyn Monroe was the first "Artichoke Queen" in 1947. ... They Might Be Giants are going to help creep up "Coraline," the stop-motion animation adaptation of "Sandman" writer Neil Gaiman's award-winning book. The band will provide songs to the film, while Dakota Fanning will lend her voice to the young girl who walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an eerie alternate version of her life, complete with counterfeit parents and children sucked dry. Henry Selick ("James and the Giant Peach," "The Nightmare Before Christmas") will direct the film, which is due in 2007. ...

Warped Tour stalwarts and self-described "gypsy punks" Gogol Bordello will host a concert to benefit the Romani Jag Organization, a group that raises awareness about the struggle of Roma gypsies in Ukraine and, most recently, an increasing trend of anti-Roma police brutality. The event will be held June 9 at New York's Irving Plaza. ... Montreal stoner rockers Priestess haven't even released an album in the U.S., but that's not stopping them from heading out on tour this summer. Their debut, Hello Master, drops on June 13 and two days later the power rock quartet will hit Los Angeles' Spaceland for their tour opener. The trek wraps up July 12 in Philadelphia and will see the band on the road with the Bronx, Riverboat Gamblers and the Electric Six. ...

The Senate voted Thursday to approve a drastic hike in fines for television and radio stations that violate indecency rules. According to Reuters, the tenfold increase in fines per violation from $32,000 to $325,000 for airing profanity or sexually explicit material still pales in comparison to the bill passed by the House last year, which would push fines up to $500,000 per violation and require the Federal Communications Commission to consider revoking a station's license after three indecency violations. House and Senate leaders will now have to hash out a compromise before an increase becomes law.

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Lil' Kim, Toni, Sheryl And Gretchen Lead Female Billboard Invasion

5 Oct 2005 11:37:00 EDT

Three 6 Mafia, Sean Paul also open in the chart's top 10.
By Chris Harris

Gretchen Wilson's All Jacked Up
Photo: Sony

For Memphis rappers Three 6 Mafia, who open at #3 on Billboard's albums chart with Most Known Unknown, visions of a chart-topping debut were annihilated by country queen Gretchen Wilson and rock leading lady (and soon-to-be Mrs. Lance Armstrong) Sheryl Crow, who finish the week at #1 and #2, respectively.

Female artists debuted big on the chart, owning four of the six new releases that crack the latest top 10. Newcomers rule again this time around — as was the case with the two charts that preceded it — bucking the tendency for top-10 LPs to linger within those ranks for weeks.

While Most Known Unknown managed to move more than 115,000 units during its first week on record-store shelves, Three 6 Mafia were outdone by Crow's Wildflower, which finished with 140,000 scans, and Wilson's new one, All Jacked Up, scoring first-week sales of nearly 264,000 to earn Billboard's blue ribbon.

But Gretchen and Sheryl weren't the only ladies leading the chart. With just over 114,000 copies of her LP Libra scanned, sexy R&B songstress Toni Braxton earned herself the chart's #4. And finishing in this week's #6 slot is Lil' Kim's latest hardcore outing, The Naked Truth. Kim's take (close to 109,000 discs) might come as something of a bittersweet triumph for the rapper who recently left her New Jersey manse for a Philadelphia prison cell. The pint-sized rapper bested dancehall dude Sean Paul, whose latest offering, The Trinity, sold more than 107,000 copies its first week out to earn the chart's #7 spot.

Kanye West's Late Registration falls two spots to #5 after moving close to 110,000 units during the album's fifth week at retail. The previous chart's #1, Disturbed's Ten Thousand Fists, takes a 61 percent hit in sales, slipping to #8 with over 92,000 copies sold. Bon Jovi's Have a Nice Day also suffers a fall, dropping from #2 to #9 with nearly 89,000 scans. The Black Eyed Peas round out the top 10 with sales of Monkey Business hovering just under 77,000.

Grunge granddaddy Neil Young's new disc, Prairie Wind, opens at #11 with 72,000 scans, making it the week's seventh-biggest debut. The chart includes many fresh faces, including #18 finisher H.I.M. — Bam Margera's nominee for best band ever. The Finnish emo-metal act's first proper U.S. release, Dark Light, sold more than 46,000 copies. Another favorite of Bam's, Bloodhound Gang, return to the chart at #24 with Hefty Fine, which sold nearly 36,000 copies during its opening week. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' Jacksonville City Nights debuts at #33 with 31,000 copies sold, while Mack 10's Hustla's Handbook finishes at #65 with 17,000 plus scans.

Other notable debut showings were turned in by Ill Nino's One Nation Underground (#101 with sales of nearly 11,000), Blackalicious' The Craft (#102, over 10,000), Panic! At the Disco's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (#112, nearly 10,000), Project 86's ... And the Rest Will Follow (#131, 8,000) and Wolf Parade's Apologies to the Queen Mary (#158, close to 7,000).

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Destiny's Child Give Lap Dances, Fugees End Feud At BET Awards

29 Jun 2005 07:44:00 EDT

Winners Kanye West and Usher didn't show, but the focus was on the performances.
By Corey Moss

The Fugees' Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill onstage at the 2005 BET Awards Tuesday
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — The reunited Fugees gave a surprise performance, Destiny's Child gave surprise lap dances and BET gave some, well, not-so-surprising awards on Tuesday at the fifth-annual BET Awards.

As has become an awards-show ritual over the past 12 months, Kanye West was the top winner, taking home Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Video of the Year for "Jesus Walks."

West, like Best Male R&B Artist winner Usher, Best Actor winner Jamie Foxx and six other victors, was not in attendance at the Kodak Theatre, shifting the focus off the awards and on to the show's performances.

The once-feuding Fugees kicked off the show with an unannounced medley of "Ready or Not," "Fu-Gee-La" and "Killing Me Softly." "We've been in the studio," Pras said before the show. "We're trying to figure out how we gonna do it."

Perhaps even more memorable were Destiny's Child, who ended their rendition of "Cater 2 U" by randomly pulling Terrence Howard ("Crash," "Ray," "Hustle & Flow"), Nelly and Magic Johnson onstage for steamy lap dances. While Nelly and Johnson simply sat stunned, Howard played along, fanning himself and staring deeply into Beyoncé's eyes.

"She touched me!" an excited Howard said backstage. "She touched my face! She touched my hair. I'm thrilled. My wife can't be too happy, but baby, she came and got me. ... I tried to say no."

Along with performing, Destiny's Child also won Best Group. Other winners included Alicia Keys for Best Female R&B Artist, Remy Martin for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist and John Legend for Best New Artist. Legend also marked the evening by performing with his musical hero Stevie Wonder.

"I've never won an award before, and so this was it for me," said Legend, who performed "My Cherie Amour" with Wonder after singing "Ordinary People" solo. "I was nervous, man; you could tell."

"Usher, Outkast, Jay-Z, Beyonce Clean Up At BET Awards"), Ol' Dirty Bastard and Johnnie Cochran were also honored with special tributes.

The night was not without the ubiquitous Tom Cruise, who called Foxx on his cell phone to present him with his award.

"I'm jumping up and down on the couch right now in my room," Foxx responded, mocking Cruise's now-infamous "Oprah" appearance.

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For The Record: Quick News On 'American Idol,' Aimee Osbourne, Janet Jackson, Outkast, Chevelle & More

7 Apr 2005 05:21:00 EDT

'Idol' finalists covering Diana Ross, Aimee Osbourne undergoes surgery, Toni Braxton recording again.
By MTV News staff report

"American Idol" finalists (file)
Photo: FOX

On April 19, the final 12 "American Idol" finalists will release a cover of Diana Ross' "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" to benefit the American Red Cross. Desmond Child produced the song as well as the B-sides, covers of Ray Stevens' "Everything Is Beautiful" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," made famous by Cher, Neil Diamond and the Hollies. ...

The Osbournes have been hit with yet another health scare. Aimee, the eldest child of the Osbourne clan, is currently being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Los Angeles after a lump was removed from her breast, The Associated Press reports. Sharon, who battled colon cancer in 2002, released a statement on Wednesday saying the operation went well and she expects her daughter to make a full recovery. ... Officials at Duke University announced on Wednesday that the school will continue with its iPod initiative, the goal of which is to integrate the device into the university's courses. A few important changes will be taking effect in the coming school year, though — the iPods will now only be given out to students who are enrolled in a course integrating it specifically into the curriculum, rather than handing out iPods to the entire freshmen class, which the school did last fall. ...

Michael Jackson's inner circle continues to collapse, as one of his former publicists and another family friend have teamed up to write a tell-all book. Former PR rep Bob Jones and Stacy Brown have written "The Man Behind the Mask," to be published in May by Select Books, which will detail Jackson's alleged relationships with young boys such as Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin. The older Culkin has previously denied that anything inappropriate happened. ... Jackson's sister Janet, meanwhile, is slated to be one of the presenters at the fourth annual Atlanta Heroes Awards, along with Big Boi, Jon Bon Jovi, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The ceremony, which will take place April 21, will honor Usher and the B-52's, among others. ...

Andre 3000 will be honored at the 2005 General Motors International Style Awards in Atlanta on May 6. The Style Atlanta award, as it is known, will also be bestowed upon another high-profile Andre at the black-tie event: Andre Leon Talley, editor-at-large at Vogue magazine. ... Toni Braxton is back recording and her new, still-untitled album should be out by September. Braxton, who has a recurring role on "Kevin Hill," has the first single ready; the song is produced by Scott Storch and titled "Please." ...

Riding high on the rock-radio success of their new single, "The Clincher," Chevelle are heading back out on the road for another round of tour dates. Having just wrapped their headlining stint on the 2005 SnoCore Tour, they'll start all over again on April 8 in Louisville, Kentucky. Their new jaunt runs across most of the South before finishing up on May 21 in Urbana, Illinois. ... Travis Meeks from Days of the New (best known for their 1997 hit "Touch, Peel and Stand") may not have made the cut to be the singer for Velvet Revolver, but he's got something on Scott Weiland — a reality show chronicling his recovery from drug addiction. Meeks will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Intervention," A&E's new documentary series, where he reveals that he's addicted to crystal meth while his girlfriend and family try to get him into treatment. Meeks gets out of rehab in about two weeks; the show airs shortly before then, on April 17 at 10 p.m. ET. ...

Fall Out Boy's lyricist and bassist Peter Wentz wants to be the next Emily Strange — he's got a dark and twisted clothing line inspired by his book called "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" that features bats, monsters and other figures from his childhood nightmares and slogans like "We Are All Gods and Monsters" and "Girls Love Monsters Too." The clothing line includes men's and women's wear, jewelry, belt buckles, hats, patches, buttons, stickers and wristbands, and is available via mall chain Hot Topic and online at www.clandestineindustries.com.

04.06.2005

Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. line is expanding to include sneakers, which she plans to have in stores by fall. The singer's just inked a licensing deal with K-Swiss' Royal Elastics, which will land the shoes in high-end boutiques and department stores. "It's very much about my style and how I like to put things together," Stefani said in a statement, "and I'm really excited to be adding a collection of L.A.M.B. sneakers to my closet." The collection will feature classic silhouettes incorporating song lyrics and will cost from $99-$180 a pair. ... Speaking of sneaks, Stefani's partner in crime for her current single, "Hollaback Girl," is getting some action for his shoe line as well. Pharrell Williams (who produced Gwen's single) has started a street skate team led by pro Terry Kennedy and including the producer's younger brother, Kato. Dubbed the "Ice Cream" skate team (after Pharrell's sneaker line), they'll tour for seven months in Northern California before releasing a DVD this fall. ...

This fall, KnuckleBonz, Inc. will be releasing a collectible figurine of the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott as part of its Guitar Hero series, which already includes Slash, Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde. To be fashioned out of polyresin, the statue will display the Pantera/ Damageplan guitarist with his "Dean from Hell" axe. A limited edition of 3,333 of the hand-painted figures will be produced. Those who simply must have one can visit www.guitarhero.net and pre-order it for $99. ... Busta Rhymes is getting a lot of action thanks to the Pussycat Dolls, who recruited the rapper for their first single, "Don't Cha" (out April 19), as well as their video, which will be shot next week in Los Angeles with director Paul Hunter. The Dolls are planning a stint of radio shows this spring, including KIIS-FM's annual Wango Tango in Los Angeles, while their debut album is expected this summer. ...

Ryan Seacrest is bringing his "American Top 40" radio countdown show to the small screen. Ryan Cabrera, Gavin DeGraw and Maroon 5 are among the performers on the April 24 FOX special, while Avril Lavigne, Ciara and the Black Eyed Peas will also appear. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. ... Dude, next time your aunt wants to take you on a Bookmobile tour of the Library of Congress, you should totally go! Kurt Cobain's there! Flavor Flav too! The library just announced the newest additions to its U.S. National Recording Registry, which collects "culturally, historically or aesthetically important" sound recordings that document life in the American 20th century. And this year, those recordings include Nirvana's Nevermind, Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Other recordings making the cut this year include John Williams' 1977 soundtrack to "Star Wars," Neil Armstrong's first words on the moon and a 1923 recording of President Woodrow Wilson addressing Congress. ...

Russell Simmons wants you to get down with down dog. The hip-hop mogul is releasing a new series of yoga videos called "Yoga Live." Though he has been practicing yoga for more than 10 years, don't expect to see Simmons in full lotus on the workout tapes; the four videos covering the basics are taught by three different professional yogis. ... Sony BMG has come up with a novel way to convince kids to pay for music downloads: give them away for free. The world's biggest music company is currently footing the bill for dorm residents to download songs for free on a number of campuses, according to an Associated Press report. Several rival companies are also offering free or discounted downloads, and schools expect that students will eventually pay $5-$8 a month in dorm fees for the services, which some universities plan to use to help lure prospective students to their campuses. ...

Guitar-pop act the Shins will embark on a 25-date tour Wednesday night (April 6) at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. They'll be taking New Zealand's the Brunettes with them for the 19-city road trek that stops in Chicago, New York, Nashville, Seattle and Denver before eventually returning to Portland for two encore performances at the Crystal Ballroom May 15-16. ...

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Toni Braxton Celebrates Return To The Stage, Looks To First LP For Inspiration

8 Aug 2003 08:02:00 EDT

Singer at work on first release for Blackground Entertainment, due in December.
By Nida Khan

Toni Braxton
Photo: Arista

NEW YORK — It wasn't exactly what you might have expected from Toni Braxton's return to the stage.

Instead of hitting an arena to roll out her catalog of hits to an audience of thousands, Braxton returned to Broadway last month to tackle the title role of the award-winning musical "Aida."

"I feel relieved," Braxton said, her opening-night performance freshly behind her. One hand holding her husband's and the other trying to keep her long dress from touching the grimy streets, Braxton entered the Laura Belle restaurant to celebrate her return to the Great White Way. "I loved it. I haven't worked [onstage] in five years — I've been pregnant for two — so it feels good to be back out there."

Braxton, no stranger to Broadway, began her live theatrical career in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in 1998. And through November of this year, she's playing the role of a Nubian princess forced into slavery and trapped in a love triangle in Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida" (see "Baby Might Do His Famous Birdcall For Toni Braxton During Her 'Aida' Run").

"I'm more comfortable performing," she said. "But the acting is a little more challenging for me. Doing 'Beauty and the Beast' helped me exercise that muscle, so I'm a little more comfortable than I was the first time."

With a high-profile Broadway run and her second child — Diezel Ky Braxton Lewis, born in March — it might seem like her recording career is on the back burner. But Braxton is marching ahead, and plans to have a new album in stores in December. The album will be her first since parting ways with her longtime label, Arista Records, and inking a new deal with Blackground Entertainment.

"It was just time to move on," she said. "It was just time."

Although Braxton's era with Arista was thick with hits, her move to Blackground was not a huge jump. For the past several years, Aaliyah's uncle/Blackground CEO Barry Hankerson managed Braxton's musical career, the singer's publicist said.

"It's going to be more like the first album," Braxton said of her first Blackground release. Braxton's 1993 self-titled debut LP sold 10 million copies worldwide.

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Toni Braxton

Snoop Dogg: Rap's Slanguistic Sensai

13 Jun 2003 07:24:50 EDT

Photo: MTV News

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Baby Might Do His Famous Birdcall For Toni Braxton During Her 'Aida' Run

12 Jun 2003 07:54:00 EDT

R&B singer working on her new LP, will appear on Big Tymers CD.
By Shaheem Reid

Baby and Toni Braxton
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — When Toni Braxton begins her four-month Broadway run as star of the Disney musical "Aida" on June 30, she'll have at least one of her good friends coming out and showing support.

"I ain't never been [to Broadway, but] I'mma come check you out," Cash Money's Baby, who was seated next to Braxton in an MTV studio, said to his buddy and song collaborator last week. "I'mma come with about 50 of the homies, ya dig? We're gonna take [up] the whole upstairs section. I ain't trying to be down[stairs]. I'mma peep the play."

Maybe Baby will even give one of his patented birdcalls if T.B. garners an ovation.

"What's the name of [the show], 'Iesha'?" he asked with a wide grin, showing off his sparkly diamond-encrusted chompers.

"It's not 'Iesha,' " Braxton laughed, sharing in the amusement. "It's 'Aida,' dammit. That would make the play really ghetto, if it was 'Iesha.' "

"What is it, 'I'eema?' " he carried on with his ribbing, chuckling lightly. "I'll be there to peep that. Believe that."

Braxton first stepped under the bright lights of the stage in 1998 as the female lead in the Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast" (see "Toni Braxton's Broadway Debut Set"). The Grammy Award winner says she welcomes the opportunity to do a musical once again.

"Coming back, I'm really excited. I love Broadway," Braxton said. "It gives me a chance to sing [and act] at the same time. The younger audiences will come, hopefully, to see me in it. The theater is so important for younger people. It adds a little bit of culture [and] it helps in our music. Broadway is one of the reasons we do what we do. Music has so many different faces."

Braxton is once again recording music as well. She recently changed record labels, leaving her first home, Arista, for Blackground. Other than the Cash Money Millionaires, she's not quite sure about who she's going to work with, but wants to deliver a nice mixture of songs on her next LP, which is slated for a fall release.

"My albums are always kinda eclectic," she explained about her collaborations. "It can be anything from David Foster, to Babyface, to Cash Money — it can be anyone. We're just in the preliminary parts of it right now, working it out. I'm going to do my traditional sad, love song ballads, of course, and get some dance tracks in it as well."

Baby and Toni first worked together for "Baby You Can Do It" off of last year's Birdman album (see "Cash Money's Baby Makes Video Plans With P. Diddy, Toni Braxton"). Other than her next LP, the two are slated to once again team up on the Big Tymers' upcoming Big Money Heavyweights, which is due later this year.

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For The Record: Quick News On Justin Timberlake, Madonna, 'American Idol,' B2K, Nothingface, Toni Braxton & More

2 Apr 2003 05:31:00 EST

Justin Timberlake
Photo: John Shearer

Justin Timberlake and B2K are among the artists who will perform at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on April 12 at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. A host of other artists are scheduled to appear, including Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini of "American Idol," Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone and Brad Pitt. Rosie O'Donnell will serve as emcee. ...

The charity single due April 15 from the 10 "American Idol" finalists will now be a cover of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." The group originally recorded "What the World Needs Now Is Love" with Burt Bacharach, but changed the song after the Greenwood hit went over so well on a recent episode of the show. ...

Madonna has collaborated with photographer Steven Klein for a dark and eerie exhibition called X-STaTIC PRo=CeSS, which opened Thursday and will run for six weeks in New York. The multimedia exhibit features three video works and two photographic animations created by the two. In one installation, Madonna is heard reading excerpts from the book of Revelation, accompanied by images of a burning wedding dress and herself as a masked beast. Klein's previous works have been featured in Calvin Klein, Versace and Gucci ads and on the covers of W and Vogue magazines. The exhibit is open Tuesday through Saturday at Deitch Projects in Manhattan, and is free. ...

The fourth annual Latin Grammy Awards will return to Miami this year, according to the Latin Recording Academy. The show is set for September 3 at the American Airlines Arena and will air on CBS. ... R&B singer Angie Stone will join the Broadway production of "Chicago" on April 14. She will take over the role of Matron "Mama" Morton, the character Queen Latifah portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie version of the Bob Fosse musical. ...

Toni Braxton gave birth to her second son, Diezel Ky Braxton Lewis, on March 30 at an Atlanta area hospital. She and her husband, Keri Lewis, had their first child, Denim, last year. ... The HBO show "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry" will begin its third season April 4 with a performance by Jill Scott. Six other new episodes will follow. ...

The Dead, the reunited surviving members of the Grateful Dead, are launching a summer tour, which will kick off June 15 at the second annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. A first leg of the Dead Summer Getaway will go through July, followed by a second leg running through August. ... Metal band Nothingface vacated their tour opening for Ministry after only two dates. The bandmembers decided to bail after the March 29 show in Phoenix because they wanted to play headline sets to their own fans instead of playing second fiddle to a bigger band, said their publicist. Nothingface will begin their own tour soon and will play on the second stage at this year's Ozzfest. Nothingface's new record, Skeletons, comes out April 22. Ministry will remain on tour through May 24 in Somerset, Wisconsin. ...

Once the Hives, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Sahara Hotnights and other Swedish rockers became trendy, it was only a matter of time. Agnetha Faltskog is coming back. The former ABBA vocalist is working on her first album in 16 years, reported Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. Vocals for the record, which is scheduled for release next winter, will be in English. Faltskog's last record was 1987's I Stand Alone. ... If your favorite compilation album is Freedom Rock, you'll be ecstatic to find that Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon are hitting the road together this spring for three months. The '80s radio dream bill, called Classic Rock's Main Event, runs through July 9 in Uniondale, New York. ...

04.01.03

T.A.T.U. will collaborate with flame-throwing German industrial metal outfit Rammstein on a "most unpredicted project," according to a statement on the pop duo's Russian-language official Web site. "T.A.T.U.'s producer, Ivan Shapovalov, and Rammstein's management are now discussing the details," reads an English translation on a T.A.T.U. fan site. ...

Fabolous has recorded rhymes for a remix to B2K's latest hit, "Girlfriend." R. Kelly wrote the track. ... Ashanti has made her concert in Huntington Station, New York, on Thursday free for family members of those serving overseas in the U.S. military. Ja Rule and Redman have also joined the bill, a homecoming of sorts for Ashanti, who calls nearby Glen Cove home. ...

Portions of the Music as a Weapon 2 Tour, which began March 6, are being recorded for two live albums. One, from tour headliners Disturbed, will feature the previously unreleased tune "Dehumanized," while the second will be a compilation of live cuts from fellow aural assaulters Taproot, Chevelle and Unloco. No release dates have been set. ... Santana and Moby are the latest artists to call off shows in Hong Kong out of concern for the mysterious and deadly virus SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Moby's shows in Singapore on Tuesday and Hong Kong on Thursday were postponed indefinitely, and Santana's Hong Kong gig on April 11 was moved to Osaka, Japan. Last week, the Rolling Stones canceled two Hong Kong shows because of the disease, 1600 cases of which have been reported worldwide — 60 have died. ...

A second Bonnaroo festival for 2003 has been set for August 8-10 at Calverton Enterprise Park in Riverhead, New York. This marks the second year for the eclectic three-day music and camping event. Eighty thousand tickets for the first incarnation, held June 13-15 in Manchester, Tennessee, and featuring Neil Young, the Flaming Lips, Ben Kweller and My Morning Jacket, among others, sold out exclusively through www.bonnaroo.com in just 18 days, topping last year's mark of 70,000 tickets in 19 days. A lineup for Bonnaroo NE has yet to be announced. ... Mondo Generator, the side project featuring Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, are slated to drop their second album, A Drug Problem That Never Existed, in July. For a preview, check them out on tour with labelmates Tomahawk and the Melvins April 28 in San Diego, April 29 in Anaheim, California; and April 30 in Las Vegas. ...

The man who once sang as about a rat feasting upon a "tender" cat could take you to dinner. The WWE and Lion's Gate Films are offering a chance to win a date with Rob Zombie through a promotional contest being staged in support of Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" film. Details can be found at the World Wrestling Entertainment Web site, wwe.com. ... The Vans Warped Tour and the Take Action! Tour, along with the National Hopeline Network, have teamed up to present "Kevin Says ...Take Action!" on this summer's Warped Tour. Named for Warped promoter Kevin Lyman, the area, which will promote activism and be located in the vending booths, will provide information on various nonprofit organizations and feature participation from some artists. The annual Take Action! Tours, a product of indie imprint Sub City (subcity.net), has featured such bands as Jimmy Eat World and Alkaline Trio since its inaugural run in 1999. The Hopeline Network is a suicide prevention hotline (1-800-SUICIDE). ...

Kittie and producer Garth Richardson filed suit against the band's label, Artemis Records, Monday, claiming the Canadian metal band is owed nearly $900,000 in royalties and other compensation, while Richardson is due more than $120,000. An Artemis spokesperson said the label had not yet received the complaint, and therefore had no comment on it. ... On June 6, art rockers Clem Snide will release Soft Spot, the follow-up to their third album, The Ghost of Fashion. Joe Chiccarelli (Elton John, Rufus Wainwright) produced the record. ...

Sometimes staggering obstacles can open up new paths. Beleaguered R&B icon Diana Ross has taken her recent failed marriage, filmed drunk-driving arrest and unsuccessful Supremes reunion tour as an opportunity to write a new book. "Upside Down: Wrong Turns, Right Turns and the Road Ahead" will come out this spring. ... The organizer of British summer event the Glastonbury Festival has made a heated plea for partygoers not to pee in the bushes, ditches or river that flows through the site. "Urine is a huge pollutant and kills fishes," event coordinator Michael Eavis told www.efestivals.co.uk. The sold-out celebration, which takes place June 27-29, will feature additional porto-potties and security to try to flush away the urine problem. A lineup for the event has not yet been announced. ...

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Ja Rule, Jay-Z, '8 Mile' Soundtrack Bested By Shania Twain On Albums Chart

27 Nov 2002 12:43:00 EST

Twain's fourth album, Up!, sold more than 874,000 copies its first week in stores.
By Robert Mancini

Shania Twain
Photo: Universal

If you're one of those people who grouses that the holiday shopping season seems to come earlier each year, don't bother looking at next week's Billboard albums chart, where a flood of new releases — led by country crossover diva Shania Twain — storm the chart and rake in some early Yuletide coin.

Twain's fourth album, Up!, sold more than 874,000 copies, easily surging past the rest of the pack and into next week's #1 spot, according to sales figures released by SoundScan on Wednesday (November 27).

In all, eight new releases crack the top 20 next week. The pop comp Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 11 — featuring Nelly, No Doubt, Kylie Minogue, Aaliyah, Dixie Chicks and others — debuts in the runner-up slot, selling just under 316,000 copies.

Ja Rule boasts the week's next highest debut, landing at #4 with his The Last Temptation, which moved more than 237,000 copies in its first week in stores. Ja comes in right on the heels of Eminem and the "8 Mile" soundtrack, which holds strong at #3 after selling an additional 281,000 copies.

A few rock veterans also managed to bust into the top 10. Matchbox Twenty's third album, More Than You Think You Are, sold more than 178,000 copies to debut at #6, while the debut album from Audioslave (featuring ex-Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and former members of Rage Against the Machine) will debut at #7 with 162,000 copies sold.

The surge of new blood pushes last week's #1, Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse, down to #5 on next week's chart. Missy Elliott, a rising Avril Lavigne and Justin Timberlake round out the top 10.

Toni Braxton, Mudvayne and late Beatles guitarist George Harrison will also make the top 20 next week. R&B songstress Braxton's More Than a Woman sold more than 97,000 copies in its first week in stores to debut at #13. Taking a much louder route, Mudvayne will debut at #17 after selling just under 79,000 copies of The End of All Things to Come. Harrison's posthumous solo offering, Brainwashed, sold more than 74,000 copies to debut at #18.

Talib Kweli came thisclose to scoring a top-20 debut with his latest, but the rapper's Quality sold 67,000 copies to come in at #21, missing the top 20 by less than 500 copies.

The week's other notable debuts include Craig David's Slicker Than Your Average at #32, Erick Sermon's React at #71, Cash Money Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 at #87, Susan Tedeschi's Wait for Me at #90 and the "Friday After Next" soundtrack at #114.

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Jay-Z Says He Would Have Liked To Be On Braxton Track

14 Oct 2002 04:12:00 EDT

Jigga says Braxton's 'Me and My Boyfriend' had 'zero' influence on his ' '03 Bonnie & Clyde.'

Jay-Z
Photo: MTV News

"Zero," Jay-Z said on Friday about the amount of influence Toni Braxton's "Me and My Boyfriend" had on the making of his " '03 Bonnie & Clyde," which features Beyoncé Knowles.

Both songs use music and lyrics from Tupac's "Me and My Girlfriend," and last week Braxton publicly accused Jigga of stealing her idea to take from Pac's musical love story of a man and his gun (see "Deja Feud: Jay-Z, Toni Braxton Tracks Sample Same Tupac Song"). Members of the Roc-A-Fella family quickly came to Jay's defense (see "Jay-Z Camp Refutes Toni Braxton's Tupac-Biting Claims") and now Mr. H-to-the-Izzo tells his side of the story.

"If I heard Toni Braxton's record, my thing is, I would want to be on it with her," he explained. "I wouldn't want to take it from her. I don't even think like that. My first thought would be, 'Maybe I could call her up, maybe I could get on that record.' The most obvious [explanation] is it's neither one of our records. It's not like you made an original idea. She's not in hip-hop, but it happens in hip-hop often. We go to sample the same thing and my record came out first. I'm sorry. What can I do?"

Jay was off to Miami over the weekend to shoot a commercial for his November 12 release, Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse. From October 26 to 30, he and Beyoncé will be in Mexico to shoot the video for " '03 Bonnie & Clyde" with director Chris Robinson. The clip will be loosely based on one of Jay's favorite movies, 1993's "True Romance," which starred Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette as two lovers on the run from cocaine dealers.

Jay has released another song from Blueprint 2 to the mixshow and mixtape DJs called "Hovi Baby." At a listening session last week in New York (see "Jay-Z Album Preview: Hova Ups The Ante With Blueprint 2"), Jay said it was his "barbershop argument" song. On the cut, Jay tells why he is not to be messed with on the mic.

— Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

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