Pimp C
Photo: Courtesy of the Butler Estate

Thursday (December 4) marks the first anniversary of the death of UGK rap legend Pimp C (real name: Chad Butler), who was found dead last year in his room at the Mondrian hotel in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County coroner's office, he died of an accidental overdose of cough medication and a pre-existing sleeping condition.

Pimp C's contribution to Southern rap has not been forgotten, however. Along with UGK partner Bun B, he was influential in establishing Houston in the game and inspired the careers of many of the city's MCs. All day, thoughts have been pouring in to MTV News from his friends and colleagues about how the late rapper touched their lives. (Click here for photos of Pimp C and UGK.)

"I'm normally good with words, but it took me a while just to put a three-sentence quote together about him, because there are no words to describe how much he meant to me and so many others," fellow Houston MC Chamillionaire wrote in an e-mail. "It really seems like it was just yesterday that he was here, and I still can't believe he's not. He is deeply missed, and I know his legacy will live on forever."

Slim Thug said that Pimp C's voice still lives on in many artists' music. "I hear him sampled on hooks and hear all the good music he made while alive, and I know we will never forget what he did for Texas."

Pimp C is expected to make a posthumous appearance on Chamillionaire's third album, Venom, and is featured with Chamillionaire on "Underground Thang," a song off of Bun B's II Trill.

Bun B remembered his partner fondly when we spoke to him recently in Houston during the weekend of the "Best of Texas" concert. "It took us awhile to figure out that UGK was not just a group," Bun said. "UGK means so much to so many people."

Bun said he would never forget how they supported and encouraged each other to continue in the game. "There would be different times where his frustration would get overbearing, and he would want to just kind of stop doing it, and I would lift him," he recalled. "And then vice-versa. When I would start feeling indifferent about the game, he would be there to lift me up and keep me inspired."

Pimp C's wife, Chinara Butler, also shared her thoughts on what her husband meant to her family and music.

"To my husband and best friend, words can never express how much you are missed, and how much of a gap you left in the lives of family, friends, the industry and your fans!" she said in an e-mail. "I don't think I'm alone when I say I definitely miss you, speaking the real. You are loved and missed, but your spirit and music will live on forever!"

• Remembering Pimp C: A Year Later

• Slim Thug
• Chamillionaire
• Pimp C

Chamillionaire at the "Best of Texas" concert in Houston Sunday
Photo: MTV News

Houston hip-hop artists have a history of being very talented but, unfortunately, very divided at times. In the '90s, there were rivalries based on what part of the city you lived in. Several years ago, that philosophy was put aside, and the guys from H-Town started collaborating regardless of geography. When the city reemerged and exploded less than a handful of years ago, the scene caught fire with a bevy of pairings: Slim Thug and Chamillionaire. Lil' Flip and Chamillionaire. Slim Thug, Mike Jones and Paul Wall. Bun B and everybody.

Then everybody started doing their own thing again.

"In every argument, both sides are going to feel they are right," said Chamillionaire, who has had issues with Paul Wall and Mike Jones over the past few years. "In hip-hop, it's very competitive — the competitive nature of the music. ... Any little thing can make somebody mad."

At the recent Ozone Awards — supposedly a shining moment for the city — the division screamed when Trae tha Truth laid hands on Mike Jones, punching the MC. To make matters worse, the night ended early without a planned cipher of the city's MCs closing the show. Tsk-tsk.

On Sunday, Houston radio station the Box pulled off what some called the impossible, assembling just about every hip-hop artist in the city — old and new — for what they called the "Best of Texas" concert. It all took place during the Los Magnificos Car Show at the Reliant Center, and it lasted more than seven hours.

"This is home," Lil' Flip said after he got offstage early in the afternoon. "The biggest car show we ever had. Twenty-thousand [people]! Usually we have, like, 12,000."

Flip underestimated the turnout; by show's end, there was talk of the spectator tally being somewhere between 28,000 and 30,000.

"This is our biggest event of the year," Slim Thug explained. "Usually we have artists from all over the country come down and perform. This year, it's all Houston and a few Dallas artists, and it's sold out. This is the biggest turnout they ever had."

Houston legends the Botany Boys, Lil' Keke, Scarface and Bun B joined current hometown superstars Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug and Mike Jones. The night's most anticipated and loudly received sets, however, came from two guys who the mainstream don't really know, Trae tha Truth and Z-Ro, who closed the show.

"It's intoxicating, it's like one of them things rolled up burning," said Z-Ro, who was the undeniable crowd favorite of the night. "Z-Ro, Zeeee-rooooo," the crowd started chanting an hour before he came on.

"The kids and the older people, all walks of life — they out there screaming, word for word," the MC said. "I looked out and didn't see any wall, I didn't see any wall. All I saw was people. I felt I had to be all I can. It's like the army now."

It was very surreal hearing 20,000-plus sing Ro's song "I Hate You B----" like it was a Linda Perry power ballad.

Mike Jones got a very different reaction during his set. Maybe they didn't immediately recognize him because of his significant weight loss (he's been dieting and working out), but when he came out, the crowd was just cold. No booing, no cheering, no reaction. That indifference carried through his show for the most part. He did get them to sing along occasionally, though.

Bun B went over heavily with the crowd. They welcomed him like the legend he is. "Draped Up" and "Get Throwed" drove 'em crazy, while "Int'l Players Anthem" and "Big Pimpin' " kept hands in the air.

Paul Wall rolled out hits like "Sittin' Sidewayz" and "Grillz," but his big moment was bringing out Chamillionaire for 'N Luv Wit My Money.' The two buried the hatchet a while back, but they made it official Sunday night. Cham himself brought out Krayzie Bone on "Ridin' " and Lil' Flip for "Turn It Up."

Although songs such as "Mr. Scarface" and "Money and the Power" were probably older than some of the kids in the crowd, Scarface got them to chant his classics. "Smile" and "I Seen a Man Die" were also in his chamber, but the biggest record for him was "My Mind's Playing Tricks on Me." While it had been billed that the Geto Boys would take the stage together to receive a lifetime-achievement award, Bushwick Bill and Willie D were unexplained absentees.

Trae tha Truth clearly went over his allotted time: The house and stage lights were on during most of his performance. But who's gonna tell the imposing street don to stop rapping? Especially when Trae brought out his son and the kids of deceased Houston icons Fat Pat and Big Hawk.

But Slim Thug gets the show's MVP award. Besides his own set, he jumped onstage no less than five other times for various guest appearances. No "Still Tippin' " with Jones and Wall, though.

• Slim Thug, Z-Ro Talk About The 'Best Of Texas'

• Lil' Flip
• Scarface
• Mike Jones
• Paul Wall
• Slim Thug

Barack Obama in Denver on Thursday
Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images

On Thursday night in Denver, Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination with a historic speech. The address, which took place 45 years after Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, left the Illinois senator's high-profile supporters in awe.

"The imagery and the message behind Obama's speech was more powerful than any that I have ever seen in my lifetime," Chamillionaire told MTV News. "It's really refreshing to actually be able to witness history unfolding like this."

It was a sentiment shared by many of the other celebrities and regular folks who heard what Obama had to say. "[It was] a complete inspiration. I have high hopes for our next president," All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter said.

Meanwhile, longtime Obama supporter Oprah Winfrey told the press after Obama finished his speech that "I cried my eyelashes off. I think it's the most powerful thing I have ever experienced." She added: "He's not an African-American candidate. He's a candidate for Americans."

Pete Wentz summed it up in his MTV Newsroom live-blog entry: "It's strange to get the feeling that you will remember the exact moment and place you were sitting when someone gives a speech."

Also backstage after the speech was Kanye West, who said, according to several media accounts, "It changed my life." Earlier in the week, Kanye admitted that he wished his late mother, Donda West, could have been around to see Obama's historic presidential run. "It's an incredible time to be around. I wish my momma could have seen this day."

"I've never gotten so many chills in my life," Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman told MTV News. "There's the chills you get from hearing an incredible melody in a song, from seeing the best movie you've ever seen in your life, but this was something different. I don't want to this to sound like a joke, but Obama has coin face. His face will look amazing on a silver dollar. And I want to be spending that silver dollar."

His bandmate Patrick Stump appreciated Obama's honesty and integrity in the speech. "He talks about hope, but he actually delivers. He has supports, facts, figures and the ba--s to say it all at the risk of his political standing," he said. "His speeches convince me that he is an honest politician, possibly the first in a desperately long time."

During MTV News' live blog of Obama's speech, Kenna declared Obama the winner after hearing his moving speech about bringing change to Washington: "There is going to be a paradigm shift in the world as we know it. He just won."

Don't miss out on the action: MTV News and our Street Team '08 will be on the ground at the Republican National Convention to sort through all the speeches, streamers and ceremony and find the information you need to choose our next president. Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election. And after history is made in Denver, MTV News will help you make sense of it all in "Obama Decoded," premiering Friday, August 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Barack Obama's Tricky Relationship With Hip-Hop
• Fall Out Boy Mix Politics And Business
• Choose Or Lose Presents: Obama Decoded

• The 2008 Democratic National Convention

• Kanye West
• Fall Out Boy
• Chamillionaire
• The All-American Rejects

Chamillionaire
Photo: Gregg Delman

• Chamillionaire
• Swizz Beatz
• Lil Flip, Big T

Fabolous
Photo: Bennett Raglin/ WireImage

Artist: Chamillionaire

Representing: Houston

Mixtape: Mixtape Messiah 4

411: King Koopa isn't going to stop with just three. Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah 4 will arrive on August 27.

"I think the other ones are so critically acclaimed by fans, I wanna keep that competiveness up with myself," he told us in Houston, where he was waiting to record a freestyle with Killer Mike. "They'll compare this one to the other Mixtape Messiahs. Mixtape Messiah 1 is probably my biggest one thus far. It came out of nowhere. At that time, I had the beef with Mike Jones, and it was a triple-disc CD. Nobody did that. It was real shock value. I'm gonna keep on competing with myself. I might not drop a triple disc; it's a double disc this time. But it's two CDs full of nothing but new material."

Koopa describes this CD as a return to full-throttle rawness with hard punch lines.

"Sometimes I say punch lines to myself and be like, 'This punch line is trying a little too hard,' " he said. "But I know my fans like that. So I'mma give it to them. A lot of fans that like me, like me because I used to take whoever's beat was hot and even beats that weren't hot, that were classic. Let's get it."

You'll be able to get a hard copy of this mixtape in the streets, unlike the last MM.

"I released a part three not too long ago," the Houston native said. "We did the digital [release]. A lot of people were hesitant to put out music a little while ago in the mixtape game. I seen a lot of DJs stop dropping mixtapes. I put mine out online for free. I think it says a lot, though, when you're taking the time to press it up and doing the actual CD. It needs to be physically in the street and hit them nooks and crannies. There's spots where the big artists don't go, but that's where I'm gonna go. We gonna start off slow and go with it."

But fans won't get too long to let this CD marinate, because Mixtape Messiah 5 is coming soon. Chamillionaire has been talking to a slew of DJs — from Drama to Cannon to Whoo Kid — about possibly collaborating with them on the next tape.

Then he'll drop his third album.

"I been working on it for a minute, since The Ultimate Victory," the Grammy winner revealed. "That's crazy, because a lot of my fans think I been on vacation."

Chamillionaire has over 30 records in the can for the still-untitled official project.

Joints To Check For

"Roll Call Reloaded." "On a couple of the other Mixtape Messiah records, I did a roll call, and it's a fire drill of all the other rappers," he said. "I call it a fire drill because we run down a list of everybody that's hot, and I'm gonna exactly rap their styles just to be creative. I start off with Jeezy, then I do Jim Jones, I do Rich Boy, Game, Jay-Z. I do E-40, Lil Weezy, Rick Ross. I had to cut the record because I did a whole bunch of people. I took a B.G. beat and just repped that. This is just one thing to show creativity."

"Internet Nerd's Revenge." "The online thing is real big right now," Cham said. "Even though I'm dropping this in the streets ... I see rappers online, and it matters what's said online. You go to MTVNews.com and see what they saying on Mixtape Monday. Fans complain about everything. They complain about Weezy when he does right, when he do wrong. Same thing with Kanye and everybody. Me and my boys went to all these Web sites, and we took a whole list of everything everybody said bad about Chamillionaire. I did a rap like I'm the person sitting at the computer typing and saying bad stuff about Chamilllionaire. It's some little kid that's on the Internet. He's young; he's getting all this stuff he's saying about me. His mother comes in and asks him, 'Did you take your medication? Are you on those porno sites again?' I'm rapping like I'm him in his voice."

"Go Hard." "I heard this beat that the Clipse did," Chamillionaire told us. "I don't know what album it's on. I really mess with the Clipse too. I remember saying, 'Who did this beat?' It was just knocking. I told my DJ to send the instrumental and said, 'I'm about to rip this.' No purpose, just a whole bunch of punch lines, bringing a little aggressiveness to the mixtape. People might have seen me in my last video dressed like a white man, they might have got it twisted. We're bringing it back to the streets."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ Fade and Grafh - Burn 'Em Down
» Hevehitta, Scarface and UGK - Southern Royalty
» Crooked I - The Block Obama
» DJ Smallz and Smoke - One Day at a Time
» DJ Woogie and DJ Outlaw - SSK Sh*t Vol. 1
» DJ Drama, Gucci Mane and Yo Gotti - Definition of a G

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» Young Jeezy (featuring Nas) - "My President"
» Mariah Carey (featuring LL Cool J and Ghostface) - "I'll Be Lovin U Long Time" remix
» Wale and State Property - "Cyphr"
» D-Block - "Cocaine Music"

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Loso, in case you didn't know so. You know the tear that Manny Ramirez has been on since he was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the L.A. Dodgers? Well, Fabolous has been that times three. All of his guest appearances lately have been pristine. "I'm so NY, like the folks who make PlayStation," he raps on the "Hi Hater" remix. "Yeah, I'm back fresh off the hate-cation/ I let the hatas take a break/ Now I'mma let it out the bag like Jake the Snake."

What's the best verse out of his recent run of cameos that include work with Red Cafe, Mariah Carey and Ryan Leslie? "All of 'em," he said. "Anybody who knows me know I love to step out to the collabo world. Best verse? That's a hard one. I go in different lanes. I give it my all wherever I step up."

Last weekend Fab was in New York with Swizz Beatz. The two came down to Ryan Leslie's video shoot for "Addiction." Yeah, we know Ryan shot a video for the song a few weeks back, but hey, when you have a record that big, you're allowed to make two.

"We're cookin' now," Fab said, standing between Swizzy and Ryan. "You might be looking at two of the producers on that Loso's Way coming this Thanksgiving. We're letting the world know we're coming now."

Swizz Beatz had his own news to let out the bag on the video set: Look for him to run officially with "That Oprah," his ode to making cake.

"The record started off a freestyle, then the traction went real major," Mr. Beatz said, describing the cut that takes the soundscape from Coldplay's #1 song "Viva la Vida." "Being that I've got a relationship with Coldplay already — I've worked with them awhile back — I was like, 'I wanna turn it into a real record.' I took care of the legal side. I'm about to shoot a video to that. Plus, that's where I wanna be at musically anyway. The remix is gonna be crack."

Swizz's second album is due out in the coming months.

"As far as the new album, it's major," the super-producer added. "I don't know the title yet. It's showing a different side. We had the One Man Band that was a lot more hype, a lot more all over the place. This album we got Mary J. Blige on the album. John Legend did my intro. We're just exploring a whole other side of my movement." ...

There has been a Lil' Flip sighting, ladies and gentlemen. A Lil' Flip sighting! Flip touched the town recently in Houston while the Ozone Awards were in his city. We actually chopped it up with him right after Rick Ross and DJ Khaled performed.

"I been grinding, getting my label situation right," Flip said, posted against the wall in a corridor of the performance venue, the Warehouse. "I told myself, 'I'mma go back to the old Flip,' doing a whole bunch of music with a bunch of independent cats. I feel a lot of people underrate me. Right? So, the other day, I did a freestyle like an hour long, an hour straight. Stay tuned. You gonna see my freestyle so I can get in that 'Guinness Book of World Records.' If somebody ties to beat that hour, I'mma hit them with two hours. I got 30 mixtapes coming out. They all got the title 'King': King of Texas, I'm The King of Houston. It's just gonna be a whole bunch of 'Kings.' I'm grinding and still doing my XM radio show."

With regard to his album's release date, the Cloverleaf King says forget leprechauns, he's trying to rub shoulders with Santa Claus.

"The next one is Ahead of My Time," he explained of his long-delayed official release. "That one's been done. Every time I drop an album, I wanna do a December release. Every time it gets pushed back, I never get to get none of the Christmas money. I'mma come in December with the real album.

"The album is already done, but I'mma keep recording," he continued. "Since the label dropped the ball, we're shooting a real video for the 'Fly Boy.' That's the name of my clothes, my group and all that. The first single is called 'Deep in the South.' It samples Jay-Z. It looks like that's the only way I'mma get a song with [him]."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines.

• Mixtape Monday Video: Chamillionaire, Fabolous, Lil' Flip & More

• Fabolous
• Swizz Beatz
• Ryan Leslie
• Chamillionaire

Al Sharpton at his National Action Network headquarters on Friday
Photo: MTV News

Unadulterated anger, confusion but certainly not shock are some of the feelings that members of the hip-hop community have expressed about the verdict in the Sean Bell case. Three New York police detectives were acquitted Friday morning (April 25) of any wrongdoing in the Bell case. Bell was shot 50 times by the cops, who claim they thought he had gun after leaving his bachelor party in Queens. Investigations proved he was unarmed.

"This is just another example that the justice system in America views a black life as worthless," Ice Cube bluntly fumed in a statement.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that shooting an innocent, unarmed man 50-plus times is an excessive use of force," Chamillionaire said. "... I'm sure a lot of people are as disappointed with this verdict as I am. It scares me to know what type of power is given to people who are supposed to be protecting us from harm. It seems like they are all just protecting themselves. The verdict sends a terrible message to people across the nation who already don't have faith in the law or our justice system. It will be hard for people to see this as anything other than a case of police protection. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Sean Bell."

"I don't know what implications a guilty or not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case has on our society," Russell Simmons said in a statement released to MTV News on Friday. "I only know for certain that we need more sensitivity training as part of the police curriculum. I also believe a more intimate dialogue must be promoted between police and communities. This process could change the perception by some in the 'hood who view the police presence as an occupying force when they could or should see them as a security force working for the people."

"The verdict is almost as tragic as the incident," UGK's Bun B said. "We've already lost [a] life, and now we've got a loss of justice and loss of reciprocation for what's happened. And it cuts you on so many levels."

Bun insisted that the law has to change. "Some kind of legislation that holds police more accountable [is needed]," he said. " ... I would love to see the Sean Bell bill passed, you know what I'm saying? Something in his name. Let's not mar his memory with violence. ... I feel like people should be upset. They should be mad, but that's what they expect for us to do with our anger. That's what they expect us to do with our energy, is to put it back out and to take their negative energy and turn it into something even more negative. We gotta take that sh-- and do it into something positive for this dude, because ... Sean Bell could've been anybody, literally. Sean Bell wasn't a celebrity. He wasn't an athlete. ... He was just a man trying to take care of his family, trying to do his thing, just do him. This could be anybody. Any man."

DJ Drama said the Bell case is just one more instance of injustice, and he wasn't surprised by the outcome at all. He was almost expecting it.

"I almost had a feeling of how the outcome is gonna be," Drama said Friday in Atlanta. "To wake up and see that — as much as things change, the more they stay the same. You look at this country on one hand, you have a black man and a woman running for president. Then you look at the justice system, and every cop in the Sean Bell case getting acquitted. We got a lot of work to do. The struggle never ends. It affects all of us. Anybody with a voice, you gotta use your voice and speak on it when you see injustice. That's what I think it is: injustice."

"I just got sick, man," Bun B agreed. "You can't even be surprised, 'cause it's not like this hasn't happened before. It just knocks the wind out of you. For one, I'm like, 'Jesus Christ, so the wife and family get nothing.' Of course, they get the appeal of the verdict or whatever, but it's disgusting, to be honest."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who called the verdict an "abortion of justice," is planning a protest rally in Harlem on Saturday morning alongside Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre-Bell, and victims Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. On Friday, MTV News caught up with Sharpton and the victims' lawyers.

"I think that we need a cross-section of groups to come together," Sharpton said from his National Action Network headquarters in Harlem. "We need to sit down immediately and plan a strategy and make it international, with the goals being a structural change in policing. I believe we can get to the federal government. Then we're going to wait again for another trial. There's something wrong with the law, and we must change that."

Lawyers for the victims' families echoed Sharpton's statements. "We feel as though justice was snatched out of our hands," said attorney Michael Hardy. " ... It's just hard to believe that we can live in a city where several years ago, Amadou Diallo could be shot at 41 times and no one is responsible, and now you can be shot at 50 times with no justification and no one's held accountable for that."

Meanwhile, the hip-hop community will continue to speak out against the case as well. Some are even venting their frustrations in the studio.

"The song is called 'Get Your Issue,' " Bun B said of one of his recent recordings. "It's talking about police brutality in the 'hood and how many brothers over the past years have gone down. It's just really been ugly ... but New York police have been out of line for a long time.

"I don't really know if they're gonna wanna listen to music right now," he added about the Bell family. "But [I made the song] just so they know that people do care. I don't know Sean. I've never met him or seen him before, but he's a black man. He was a human being. He was a husband and a father. I relate to that on all levels, you know what I'm saying?"

Mobb Deep's Prodigy raps about the infamous case on his album H.N.I.C., Pt. 2, which was released Tuesday: "I only lie to the police/ On the real/ New York pricks and di--s/ Know the deal/ They wanna do the kid/ Like my n---a Sean Bell/ F--- that, it be a racist cop/ Burial with the bagpipe music."

Before ending his press conference, Sharpton told a packed room of protesters they had "lost a round, but the fight was still on."

• Sean Bell Shooting Case Ends In Acquittal

• Ice Cube
• UGK
• Chamillionaire

Photo: MTV News

• Chamillionaire

Jay-Z performs at the Apollo Theatre on Tuesday night
Photo: Walik Goshorn

NEW YORK — A few weeks ago, the film "American Gangster" had its premiere at Harlem's Apollo Theater. On Tuesday night, Jay-Z closed out his American Gangster there.

His mini-tour made its last stop in front of a sold-out audience that included Chamillionaire, Beyoncé and LeBron James. While waiting for Jay, a house DJ spun tunes, and later DJ Clue came on to play some records.

You could see James in the balcony sitting by Jay-Z's family, dancing in his chair to "Crank That." "Soulja Boy up in this, ohhhh!/ Watch me crank it, watch me roll." Number 23 bounced to the beat and even tried the famous "Superman" dance.

Just before the real music came on, various music-biz pals, such as Diddy, Ed Lover, L.A. Reid and Warner Music Group President Kevin Liles, filed into their seats.

The Apollo's crimson curtain opened, and out strolled Jay, background singers and band behind him, showering the theater with the rock-hard opening of his latest LP, "Pray."

"This is the genesis of a nemesis/ Mother America's not witnessed since/ The Harlem renaissance birthed black businesses/ This is the tale of lost innocence/ As the incense burns and the turntables turn, and that Al Green plays."

Jay delivered his rhymes with his usual swagger-drenched poise, while his fans rhymed in their seats with vigorous approval.

Hov moved his play list to "No Hook," and when he asked where everybody was from, chants of "Broooook-lynnnnn, Broooook-lynnnnn" started filling the Apollo. He also warned those who weren't giving off enough energy to "cut that cool sh-- out. ... If you ain't here to see Hov, you might wanna leave."

Jigga then hand-delivered the crowd some never-before-heard lyrics: "N---a, this sh-- right herrre/ Make you wanna go throw on your fly gearrr," he rapped a cappella. "Put fly girls in the mirror/ Double-checking their rear/ N---a, this sh-- right herrre/ Make you wear your sunnies at night, no glare/ Nowhere in site, you act like I don't care/ I'm so fly, y'all have no idearrr."

"Blue Magic" and "99 Problems" preceded one of his time-tested concert show-stoppers, "You Don't Know." As always, the song ended with the audience putting up their Roc signs.

"Don't f--- around, that's what I'm talking about," Hov said to the theater when the enthusiasm went up a couple of levels.

Jay fluctuated between his various albums, performing American Gangster's "I Know," Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life's "N---a What, N---a Who (Originator 99)," Kingdom Come's title track, The Black Album's "Public Service Announcement" and The Blueprint's "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)."

Hov then circled back to his current LP. "Can I play something off there real quick?" he asked before the intro for the song "Success" started.

"I got watches I ain't seen in months/ Apartment at the Trump I only slept in once," he rapped. "N---as said Hova was over, such dummies/ Even if I fell, I'll land on a bunch of money/ Y'all ain't got nothing for me."

Jay then signaled for Nas and started looking to his right for him to come out. But Nas came up behind him, holding a huge cigar and a bottle of champagne. It was a huge moment, but the giddiness of seeing the two New York giants together lasted only momentarily, because Nas could not remember the lines to his verse.

Hov did his best to cover him with ad-libs, but it wasn't quite the same impact as it would have been if Nas had remembered his chilling rhymes. God's Son did quickly recover on "Black Republican," another show-stopper.

The old regime of Roc-A-Fella records — Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel (who wore a State Property T-shirt), Freeway and the Young Gunz — came out minutes later for a flurry of the teams' classics, including "Change the Game," "You, Me, Him, Her," "What We Do" and "Can't Stop, Won't Stop."

Some guys in the front started chanting "Ignorant Sh--," pleading for Jay and Sig to do their collaboration from American Gangster.

The lights went out, and you could see shadows of Jay and Beans conferring in front of the drummer. They were obviously throwing a hip-hop audible. The two then walked to the front of the stage, and the song started. The duo even did a unified two-step before the verses started.

"I got you," Sigel said, letting Jay know he knew the lyrics, even though they may not have practiced. Hov knew his rhymes as well.

"Party Life," "Give It to Me" and "Show Me What You Got" followed the collabo.

"I got a lot of records," Jay smiled. "I got a lot of f---in' records."

Later, Diddy came out and acted as Jay's hypeman for "Encore."

"Now can I get an encore, do you want more?/ Cookin' raw with the Brooklyn boy/ So for one last time I need y'all to roar," Jay and the crowd chanted while Diddy spun in circles.

"They love you Jigga," Puff said when the song ended.

Jay confirmed the crowd's cheers by telling everyone that American Gangster opened at #1, tying him with Elvis for most career #1 albums of any artist except the Beatles.

"Without a #1 record, I'm the number-one man," he began rapping. " ... I'm so cool, I'm my number-one fan/ ... Now I'm standing on Elvis' blue suede shoes, 'cause I'm #1 again."

The celebration ended with a song Jay described as being the height of revelry: "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is ...)."

Jay's whole team, including LeBron, who was wearing a Roc-A-Fella chain, came onstage as the record played. Diddy even gave James the mic, and he began rapping some of the words along with Jay.

"Rich n---as, black bar mitzvahs/ Mazel tov, it's a celebration, bitches/ La chaim/ I wish for you a hundred years of success, but it's my time."

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Jay-Z, Nas, Beanie Sigel, LeBron James, More Live At The Apollo Theatre

• Jay-Z
• Diddy
• Nas
• Beanie Sigel
• Beyoncé

Amy Winehouse and husband Blake Fielder-Civil
Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

The trial involving Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, has been delayed in light of allegations that he "perverted the court of justice," or the U.S. equivalent of obstruction of justice. He was back in court on Monday (November 12) for a brief hearing, and according to Agence France-Presse, he smiled throughout the session. The trial, previously slated to start Monday, has been adjourned until November 23, and Fielder-Civil — who was arrested last week following a raid on his and Winehouse's London home — is to remain in custody until then. Michael Brown, a 39-year-old who is supposed to stand trial with his friend Fielder-Civil, was not in court on Monday, and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. BBC News also reports that James King, who was allegedly beaten by Fielder-Civil and Brown in June, was one of the men arrested last week, and that he has also been charged with the aforementioned crime. Fielder-Civil was remanded on technical bail. ...

Teeing with JT: Justin Timberlake has inked a five-year deal with the PGA Tour that will find him hosting a tournament in Las Vegas next year. "Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open," which will be played October 13-19, will help raise funds for the Shriners group, which provides medical care at no charge to children under 18 years old. The singer will play in a celebrity-golf game that week as well. "Raising money to better children's lives while playing golf? I can't think of a better way to pass the time," he said in a statement. ... Timberlake's visibility has also landed him on Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2007" list, and they'll be seen chatting on an hourlong ABC special set to air December 6 at 10 p.m. ET. Former President Bill Clinton, Jennifer Hudson, Posh Spice and two surprise guests will also appear on the show. ... Could J.K. Rowling top Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore on a competing list, Time's Person of the Year? That's how the voting is shaping up on the Time Web site, although, as it indicates, the editors reserve the right to give the honor to the person of their choosing. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are also in the running, and the December issue will be on sale December 21. ...

Radiohead have set the North American release date for In Rainbows. The album will hit stores January 1 through the band's own TBD Records (which, as expected, is teaming with ATO Records Group for the release), with "Bodysnatchers" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" as the first two singles. According to a press release, more information on the album and the band's tour plans will be announced soon. ... In case teens need an extra incentive to rack up credit-card debt, branded cards featuring Hilary Duff and Usher are on the way, according to Brandweek. Duff is getting a prepaid Visa gift card "aimed to show the young ones how to manage their pocket change (and learn about service fees)," according to the branding-news magazine, while Usher has a Debit MasterCard that features an empowerment message. The Platinum Plus Visa card devoted to Elvis Presley actually has a charitable aspect, as money from it goes to a foundation that helps homeless families. A Kiss credit card is available too. ...

Tom Morello, guitarist for reunited rockers Rage Against the Machine, serenaded some 3,000 people involved in the Hollywood writers' strike outside 20th Century Fox Studios in Century City, California, last week, the Los Angeles Times reports. ... Chiodos, Mindless Self Indulgence and Finch are among the first confirmed bands for next year's Bamboozle Festival, which is scheduled for May 3-4 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Jack's Mannequin, Less Than Jake, Forever the Sickest Kids, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, I Am the Avalanche and the Starting Line have also been booked for the bill. ... Xzibit has signed on for a tour of duty in Oliver Stone's upcoming Vietnam movie, "Pinkville." The film revolves around the 1968 My Lai Massacre, during which 500 people — mostly women, children and the elderly — were killed by U.S soldiers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Pimp My Ride" host will play a soldier who is convinced he acted ethically when he carried out his orders. ...

My Chemical Romance's Bob Bryar has issued a statement concerning the band's cancellation of a recent gig at the University of Maine, which had prompted school officials to consider legal action against the band. Late last week, the college's newspaper, The Maine Campus, announced that MCR would be paying the student government $20,500 in restitution fees for scrapping the October 27 show. The student government had previously said it would pursue legal action against the band unless it paid all expenses incurred by Monday, arguing that if it did not recoup the money, it would cost more than $2 from each student's activity fee. "We are very sorry about canceling our recent show in Maine. I have been having many problems with my wrists over the past few years," Bryar wrote in his statement. "They have been getting worse but I kept playing. I have seen many doctors to get some relief so I wouldn't have to stop playing. I guess I pushed it too hard this time. During our [recent] show at Maxwell's [in Hoboken, New Jersey], I got a golf ball-sized lump in my wrist, I started to not only have pain, but lose control and feeling in my fingers. I went through a process to control the swelling and attempted to play the show [opening for] Bon Jovi the next day. The Bon Jovi show was really bad for me — I was dropping sticks and could barely hit my drums. After that show, we decided I had to go get immediate treatment. I had to leave the tour. Being the stubborn person I am, I made a last-minute decision to give it another shot on the second Bon Jovi show. It didn't work, [and] we had to cut the set in half. We have a fill-in now as I am getting treatment. He learned the songs in one day." At press time, the identity of Bryar's fill-in was unconfirmed. ...

In a note posted on his Web site late last week, Kid Rock gave props to the head of his security team, Little Bear, for "finding a hidden camera in the dressing room at the show at the Myth Nightclub" in Minneapolis on Thursday night. "Little Bear, who runs SpyOps.net, discovered the device before the show and alerted the authorities, who are now investigating," Rock wrote. TMZ obtained photos of the alleged spycam from Little Bear that appears to indicate it was set up to broadcast on the Internet, but in a statement from the club released to the Star Tribune, the management explained, "The green-room camera in question is part of the venue's security aspect, available for viewing by head of security only ... Rock's allegation that there was some kind of Internet broadcast in progress is simply not true and without foundation." ...

The Broadway stagehands' strike isn't just affecting theatrical productions — Duran Duran's 10-night residence at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre has also been stymied by the protest. The band canceled its Saturday night show and moved its Monday and Tuesday gigs to the Roseland Ballroom. "We are really disappointed that we weren't able to finish up the run on Broadway, which has been in the planning for months," singer Simon LeBon said, according to BBC News. "However, we are relieved that there was somewhere else available to us so that we don't have to disappoint our fans by not playing." ... With Army of Anyone's future in doubt — the band, featuring former Filter frontman Richard Patrick and two former members of Stone Temple Pilots, is said to be on "hiatus" — drummer Ray Luzier has opted to handle drum duties during Korn's upcoming European tour, set to begin in early 2008. Luzier replaces Slipknot's Joey Jordison, who in turn replaced Terry Bozzio earlier this year, as the band's touring drummer.

11.9.07

Britney Spears fans must be asking themselves why the singer risks getting behind the wheel anymore. According to a video posted on TMZ.com, the singer blew through a red light and made an illegal turn against oncoming traffic, with her two sons in the backseat of her Mercedes as she was driving in Los Angeles on Thursday. The footage also apparently shows Spears' court-appointed monitor ducking in the passenger seat. The video came to light following Thursday's emergency hearing in her child-custody dispute with Kevin Federline, her ex-husband. Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan hadn't seen the footage by the time the hearing commenced, and there's no word yet if this will affect his motion to prevent Spears from driving with her kids. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told MTV News on Friday that authorities weren't planning to cite Spears with any traffic violations because they hadn't been made aware of any unsafe left turns. The spokesperson also said police hadn't heard anything further about Spears recently running over a cop's feet. ...

Weezer fans, the countdown for a new album has begun. The band's mysterious AlbumSix.com Web site has posted release dates for two upcoming projects: Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, which is due December 11, and the simply titled Album Six, which is poised for an April 22 release. ...

Chamillionaire invited old pal Paul Wall to perform with him onstage at a BET Black College Tour stop at Texas Southern University earlier this week. The once-feuding Houston rappers performed their classic collaboration, "N Luv Wit My Money." ...

The nominees for this year's People's Choice Awards rolled out Thursday — and not surprisingly, they're the usual suspects who have been cropping up in other awards competitions throughout the year. Beyoncé is up for three awards; while Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5 and Daughtry landed two nods each. Also in the running in various categories are: Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, Linkin Park, the Killers, John Mayer, Ne-Yo, Plain White T's, Timbaland, Shop Boyz and Shakira. As for the movie contenders, Matt Damon, Jessica Alba, Jamie Foxx, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and others are all in the running. The awards show will air January 8 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. ...

Radiohead have been busting out some surprise covers on Radiohead.tv, which has featured live webcasts by the band for the past two days. Alongside live versions of their own songs, Radiohead have ripped into Björk's "Unravel," the Smiths' "The Headmaster Ritual" and New Order's "Ceremony," according to RollingStone.com. ...

Prince is "not suing his fans," his U.K. tour promoter AEG Live insisted in a recent statement, according to TheDailySwarm.com. Earlier this week, Prince fan sites claimed to have been hit with cease-and-desist letters from his lawyers demanding the sites remove all images, artwork and fan-submitted pictures related to the singer. "Prince is not suing his fans, is not looking to penalize fans and nor is he looking to or inhibiting freedom of speech in any way," the statement reportedly read. "In fact, he is simply looking to provide Prince fans with exclusive music and images entirely free of charge, and bypassing unofficial and unauthorized phony fan sites that exploit both consumers and artists." AEG did, however, single out the fan sites that assembled to create a new URL, PrinceFansUnited.com. While the promoter said mediations are being conducted between the parties to resolve the issue, it claimed, "The three sites in question have falsely positioned themselves as representatives of millions of Prince fans. In fact, many have come out in support of Prince at his official site and even on the messageboards of the unofficial sites in question." More revealing perhaps is that, according to the reported statement, Prince is taking on ThePirateBay.com, the self-proclaimed world's largest BitTorrent tracker. "They are in fact exploiting copyrighted material for their commercial gain," the statement claimed. "The site has flouted constant legal notices from artists and corporations throughout the world while cashing in on advertising monies. All the time, they keep up the pretence of being an anarchist, 'free music' fan site when it is really a massive moneymaking venture." ...

ThePirateBay.com is likely hoping it doesn't meet the same fate as Demonoid, a Canadian BitTorrent tracker that recently folded after coming under fire from the Canadian Recording Industry Association, according to Idolator.com. The CRIA has allegedly threatened the company that had been renting servers to Demonoid, which had moved its hosting company from the Netherlands to Canada because the latter country reportedly has less strict copyright-infringement laws. ... This year's Bang! Festival is a bust. The two-day event, which was set to feature Kanye West and Smashing Pumpkins as headliners and go down this weekend in Miami, has been postponed, according to the Bang! Web site. No reason was announced for the postponement, although tickets can be refunded at point of purchase. ...

Neverland Ranch is safe ... for now. That's the word from a spokesperson for Michael Jackson, who denied reports Thursday that the embattled singer's mansion is facing foreclosure. A day after notice of default on Neverland was made public, spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain issued a statement saying Jackson was never in default on the loan. Bain explained that Jackson's former advisers refinanced the loan in 2006 and that the loan matured last month, and now he's refinancing again. "Mr. Jackson is in the final stages of refinance and will not lose Neverland Valley Ranch," Bain said. The copy of the default notice posted on the Web site of local station KSBY-TV said that as of October 12, Jackson owed $23,212,963 on a $23 million loan. ...

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to terminate the nearly weeklong Hollywood writers' strike. According to Reuters, the actor-turned-politician said on Thursday that he has taken on an unspecified backstage role in trying to end the strike, which is already having a serious impact on shows like "Desperate Housewives" and "24." Schwarzenegger revealed during a press conference at the State Capitol in Sacramento, "I'm talking to the parties that are involved because I think it's very important that we settle that as quickly as possible, because it has a tremendous economic impact on our state." He did not, however, specify his role in the talks. ... Ellen DeGeneres has also made her feelings about the strike known — she has crossed the picket line, People reports. While her talk-show peers have taken an indefinite hiatus, the TV host is continuing to film her daytime program, "Ellen." She skipped her monologue on Friday (November 9), saying she was doing so in honor of her writers. As for the rest of the show continuing, she qualified on her show, "It's sweeps, which is a very important time in television, because that's when you do your best shows, your funniest material." The Writers Guild of America responded to DeGeneres on Friday, saying it was "extremely disappointed to see that Ellen has chosen not to stand with writers during the strike," according to UsMagazine.com. "Ellen's peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the writers and help them get a fair contract, Ellen has not. On her first show back, Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but her actions prove otherwise." ...

Krist Novoselic, former Nirvana bassist and current member of Flipper, kicked off his Seattle Weekly blog this week. In his first entry, he posted about Kurt Cobain, Nirvana's iconic "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video and anarchy, one of the clip's prevalent themes. "Indeed, [ex-Bikini Kill singer and Cobain friend] Kathleen Hanna wrote, 'Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit' on Kurt's apartment wall," he said in the post. "I recall seeing it and thinking, 'Too much cheap red wine!' I don't know why she wrote it, but I know for sure that Kurt Cobain did not have any odor problems. Even though his place was a mess, he took care of his hygiene. This person would soak in the bath night after night only listening to the Beatles." ...

A rededication ceremony for the Peace Garden at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia, is set for Saturday afternoon. The ceremony will begin with a drumline procession into the Peace Garden, followed by a performance from Pac's Kids (students from the center's outreach program); a prayer for peace from the late rapper's mother, Afeni Shakur; and a ribbon-cutting. The free ceremony will end with the release of butterflies. The rededication comes three weeks after vandals defaced a statue of Tupac Shakur in the garden by pasting racist messages on it and hanging a wooden cross around its neck. Earlier this week, a man was charged with felony second-degree criminal damage to property in connection with the incident. Kenneth Anthony Wilson, 43, is being held in DeKalb County jail on a $1,500 bond, though a police spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that authorities doubt Wilson, who is black, had a racial motive in the incident. ...

Hallmark has filed a motion seeking the dismissal of Paris Hilton's lawsuit. The heiress is suing the company for a half-million dollars for using her photo and "That's hot!" catchphrase on one of its cards. Hallmark argued in a statement that, "Hilton has become a household name, based in large part on her efforts to draw attention to herself," according to "Access Hollywood." "Having done so, she has subjected herself to public scrutiny and the parodist's pen. The First Amendment does not allow her to respond by welcoming the fawning and flattering, but silencing the critical and comical." ...

Winona Ryder, mommy dearest to ... Spock? You read it right — the 36-year-old actress will play the mother of Zachary Quinto's character in J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Wars" reboot, Variety reports. She joins Simon Pegg, Eric Bana and other previously announced members of the cast. ...

The popular Pandora Radio Web site made the jump to cell phones on Thursday when AT&T announced that it will offer personalized radio stations from Pandora on eight of its cell phones. As on the Web site, AT&T users can type in a song or artist and start listening to a personalized station within seconds on their handset, according to a press release from AT&T announcing the deal. Songs heard on Pandora can also be bookmarked and purchased later at the AT&T Mobile Music Store. The service is free for five days and then costs $8.99 a month.

• Amy Winehouse
• Radiohead
• Hilary Duff
• Xzibit
• My Chemical Romance

Mariah Carey
Photo: Mariah Carey/Getty Images

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

09.25.07

While her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am is hyping his new project, Songs About Girls, Fergie isn't slowing down with her own solo affair, last year's The Dutchess. The singer just shot a clip for the song "Clumsy" with directors Marc Webb (Diddy, the Pussycat Dolls) and Rich Lee (Chamillionaire, Dashboard Confessional). The surreal, humorous clip features Fergie falling head over heels — get it? — for love in various scenarios. ...

A House panel cast a congressional light on hip-hop lyrics on Tuesday (September 25), with David Banner and Master P giving sharply different views. The Associated Press reports that the latter rapper (real name: Percy Miller) told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he is determined to create clean lyrics. "I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong," he said of his prior material. Banner (real name: Levell Crump), on the other hand, defended his profane lyrics, saying, "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better." But while P and Banner didn't see eye to eye in terms of who is responsible for derogatory language in hip-hop, they agreed that the government shouldn't censor lyrics. "If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities. Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed," Banner said. According to AP, the hearing was similar to the 1985 event in which late rocker Frank Zappa made a feisty appearance also railing against censorship. ...

Like the sound of the "Rocawear Arena" instead of the "Continental Airlines Arena"? Yeah, so does Jay-Z. The ambitious hip-hop mogul is bidding for the arena's naming rights, according to New Jersey's Star-Ledger. Although he is the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and his Rocawar is a sponsor of the NBA team — which currently plays at Continental — sportswear maker Southpole has made the highest bid so far, $2 million. But there's a catch: The reason the name is up for grabs is because Continental is backing out of its deal with the arena, and both the Nets and hockey team the New Jersey Devils are planning to move to other venues. ...

Life isn't getting any easier for Britney Spears. Kim Robard-Rifkin, the reported woman whose car the singer hit in August — for which she was charged with two misdemeanors on Friday — has spoken out to CelebTV.com. "I was not surprised with the criminal charges — this is what happens when somebody hits your car and runs — especially when it is all caught on video," she said in a statement. Spears' former bodyguard Tony Barretto also spoke out on Monday, telling "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had witnessed her using drugs on two occasions. While Barretto did not specify which drugs he supposedly saw her taking, he said both incidents occurred at a nightclub in Los Angeles, one at the table she was sitting at and the other in a private restroom. When Lauer asked him about a third incident in which he alleges to have seen her strung out in a Los Angeles hotel room, Barretto replied, "I did." ...

Sarah Silverman was surprised by the reaction that met her controversial VMA monologue, in which she flung derogatory insults at Britney Spears, among others, she told Us Weekly. Regarding one of her saltiest remarks — that Spears' kids "are the most adorable mistakes you will ever see" — Silverman replied, "The joke that everyone was upset about ... was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that [it] would be deemed hurtful or over the line." She also told the magazine for its new issue, which streets Friday, "I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." ...

Look, up in the sky, it's a new Gnarls Barkley album! And as Cee-Lo recently told MTV News of the follow-up to St. Elsewhere, "It sounds otherwordly. ... It sounds like an original, if I do say so myself. The theme is progression and how there's a first time for everything. You just have to go for it." Beyond that, though, Cee-Lo didn't want to give up too much. Asked about collaborators, he demurred: "Danger Mouse is my special guest. He's my counterpart in the enigma of Gnarls Barkley." No duh — we meant, anyone else? "Let me continue to surprise you," Cee-Lo smiled. For those who caught Cee-Lo's take on Prince's "Darling Nikki" with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs, he wants fans to know that his performance at the show was supposed to be a surprise appearance with Amy Winehouse, "believe it or not." But since she had to bail from the show, he's saving that collaboration for a future appearance. ...

The Sex Pistols — who just tacked two more gigs onto their upcoming November reunion in London, according to BBC News — have another trick up their collective sleeve: A newly recorded rendition of their punk staple, "Anarchy in the U.K." The band entered the studio for the first time in 30 years to record the track, which will surface on "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." ... As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. ... Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and his band have pulled off an arguably more impressive feat: The Montreal quartet have nudged by Arcade Fire and Feist to land the Polaris Music Prize for Best Album. ...

Despite the recent head injuries sustained by guitarist Brent Hinds, Mastodon have booked a gig, opening for the Queens of the Stone Age on October 29 in Los Angeles. The band is also scheduled to appear at the Vegoose festival on October 27 in Las Vegas, where Hinds was jumped following Mastodon's performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Police claim Hinds was attacked outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 10 during an encounter with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and his friend William Hudson. According to police, Hudson assaulted Hinds, and Odadjian witnessed the incident. ... While at the VMAs, Mastodon told MTV News that they wrote their best song ever — even though it's not quite finished yet — while on the way to the big show. "It's pretty much the best record we've yet to write," guitarist Bill Kelliher said before singing a couple of the riffs with Hinds. "That's how it goes — du-duh-du-duh na-nah-nah. We wrote it in the car on the way over here, at least the intro of it. Part one. We're at the really beginning stages. It's going to be awesome, though. Everything we do is amazing." ...

The Game entered his expected not-guilty plea on Tuesday to three felony counts stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) is free on $50,000 bail and has a pretrial hearing set for October 30. ... Jack Bauer might not be such a hero after all: Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday morning for drunken driving in Hollywood, Reuters reports. The actor was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn and blew more than the .08 legal limit upon taking a breathalyzer test. He posted $25,000 bail at a Hollywood police station and is due in court on October 16. ...

The Phil Spector murder trial is in the hands of the jury now, but that hasn't stopped more bizarre developments from emerging in the case. According to AP, over the weekend, a threatening post appeared on a MySpace page possibly belonging to the music producer's wife, Rachelle. "I love Phil Spector!!! The Evil Judge Should Die!!!! Xoxo Chelle," read the post, a police spokesperson told the news outlet. The page, which features an image of Rachelle wearing a "Team Spector" tee, was referred to a sheriff's department unit that investigates such threats. The post has since been removed. ...

Amazon's new digital-music store is up and running, with songs going for 89 to 99 cents and albums selling for around $6-$10. The songs, which don't have copyright protections, can be burned onto CDs and copied to multiple computers. Record-label giants Universal and EMI, in addition to a flood of indie labels, are selling their songs through the site. ... A former trustee in James Brown's estate might have misappropriated up to $7 million of the late music legend's money, special administrators told a South Carolina judge on Monday. State Circuit Judge Jack Early told David Cannon, the former co-executor of Brown's will, to pay $400,000 and produce additional documents. Early also said Brown's family could pursue the claims. ...

The Cult will headline the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which is set to launch October 17 in Pala, California, and run through mid-December, with the full list of dates coming soon. Rounding out the bill will be Vietnam, the Cliks and Action Action. ... Former L7 leader Donita Sparks is going out on her own with her debut solo effort, Transmiticate, due January 22. The effort, which will feature her new backing band, the Stellar Moments, shifts away from the grunge and metal sounds that defined L7 and tinkers with more pop and dance elements. ...

Fans of Los Angeles ska act Hepcat are mourning the passing of bassist Dave Fuentes, 36. While details are scarce, the band did issue a statement, saying, "We are sad to announce that our brother, beloved bandmate and amazing friend, David Fuentes, is no longer with us. He will be missed by everyone but especially everyone in the Hepcat family." He leaves a wife, Yohanna, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Darren, 3. A memorial fund has been established to help his family. ... A special-effects technician working on the set of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" was killed when a truck carrying a camera platform rammed into a tree on Monday in London, AP reports. Filming was not taking place at the time of the accident, which is under investigation.

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Red Carpet Spectacular: Photos From The 2007 Grammy Awards

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New Year's Eve 2007 Performances

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2006: The Best of Studio Photos

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