Tom Morello
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Looking at daily headlines, you'd think the radio would be filled with songs of revolution and protest.

President Bush's approval ratings recently dipped below 30 percent — the third lowest of any president in the past half-century. Gas prices have more than doubled since he took office. Plus, the Iraq conflict is more unpopular (nearly 60 percent of those polled say sending troops was a mistake) after three years than the Vietnam War was at the same point nearly 40 years ago (48 percent). Not to mention the lingering public anger over the government's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina and concern over the latest wrinkle in the White House's domestic spying program, a USA Today story that reported that information on domestic calls were being put in a massive database.

When you see footage of demonstrations from the 1960s and early '70s (usually anti-war or pro-civil rights) on television, it's almost invariably accompanied by a protest song from the era — by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon or another activist-minded performer. Such songs were everywhere at the time — so you'd figure, with social unrest at its highest level since the 1970s, that today's airwaves and charts would be buzzing with angry songs, right?

Right?

Well, Young's weighed in with a hastily recorded and rush-released anti-Bush screed called Living With War, which came out last week. And in the underground, hip-hop acts such as Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, the Coup and Perceptionists have made strong statements about Bush and the war, as have punk bands State Radio, Sick of It All, Against Me!, Dollyrots, NOFX, Kill Radio and Outernational. Even some notable rap stars, like Juvenile, Papoose and Killer Mike, have addressed Katrina in songs and freestyles.

But other than some recent songs on albums by Pearl Jam, Pink, System of a Down and the Dixie Chicks — and a kindred-spirit effort from Bruce Springsteen featuring protest songs from decades ago — major artists have barely made a peep of protest in song.

What gives?

Are artists afraid to talk for fear of payback at the cash register and/or radio — i.e. getting "Dixie Chicked"? (see "50 Cent Still Tops; Dixie Chicks Backlash Hits Home On Albums Chart") Do they not have anything to say? Do they feel that pop music is simply not an effective forum for fighting the power? Or is it just a collective case of battle fatigue — has everyone been so beaten down by the doublespeak and half-truths of the War on terror that protest feels futile?

We asked artists — from Public Enemy leader Chuck D and Audioslave's outspoken guitarist Tom Morello to the Dixie Chicks and rabidly political band Anti-Flag — why they think more musicians aren't making noise about the state of the nation.

The Chicks are the obvious people to speak with first, since they suffered a radio ban and serious backlash three years ago after singer Natalie Maines told a London audience, "We're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment set off a whirlwind of controversy that has dogged the country act ever since — and led to the term "getting Dixie Chicked" for when an artist gets a commercial and public smackdown for speaking out.

The Chicks' new album, Taking the Long Way, takes on their detractors with songs such as the first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice" (which some stations have refused to play), and Maines recently told us her band's experience has clearly cast a chill on dissent.

"After what happened to us, it gave people that idea: 'We know what happens to you if you don't like the president. You lose lots of money in album sales, so I'm going to speak to the people who do like him, and then I'll make lots of money,' " she said, before adding that post-Katrina, it seems to have become a bit more acceptable to speak out.

Tom Morello agreed, pointing to bands like the Coup, the Living Things, Bright Eyes and his side project, the Nightwatchman, as acts that are voicing strong opinions.

"It seems like there's quite a bit of really uncompromised, great, leftist rock and rap happening now," he said. "Bad presidents make for good art and music."

However, he noted that the hip-hop world's contribution to the voices of dissent has been an "enormous letdown," especially in light of past anti-establishment acts like Public Enemy.

"It's like Public Enemy and N.W.A were warring for the heart of the hip-hop nation, and a gentrified, blingy version of N.W.A won out," Morello said. "You listen to [Public Enemy's] 'Fight the Power' and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and you can hear America changing. Now it's just the relentless booty shake of hollow bling. There's not yet a soundtrack like in the '60s, when the music of the time was the music of revolution."

From a purely commercial perspective, rapper/poet Saul Williams — whose lyrics are often extremely political — suggested that some artists might be avoiding commenting on the war and Bush because, unless you're a legend like Neil Young who can get a label to rush-release an album just months after your last one dropped, it can instantly date your music.

"The war could end two days after you do a record on it," he said. "But in the face of political strife, there should be more artists speaking up."

Hip-hop legend and professional agitator Chuck D said the music business is so focused on sales and results these days that it scares young artists away from doing anything controversial.

"Young groups are not paid to take chances," he said. "Someone like Neil Young has more references and perspectives from a different time. Young bands are clouded by weapons of mass distraction. But I don't buy that it's apathy: Bands are still looking to be loved, but there aren't a lot who compare themselves to bands who have prospered by saying something that needed to be said, like Green Day or [Public Enemy] or Neil Young. But why take a chance on making music a certain way if they don't believe the media will cover it? People like Neil Young are from a time when you felt one man can make a change, whereas young people in society today feel invisible."

Other artists, like Walkmen singer/guitarist Hamilton Leithauser, said they simply don't expect pop stars to offer political commentary.

"I don't look to Pearl Jam or R.E.M. for politics," he said. "We're all very politically conscious in our band, and we all grew up in Washington, D.C., but I don't really want to hear it. We used to go to Dischord [Records, which featured politically motivated bands like Fugazi] shows when I was younger, and 80 percent of the concert would be somebody up there with, like, a clipboard reading furiously in a blind rage about every f---ing topic you can possible imagine. And two and a half hours later, Fugazi [would] rant about the sh-- too.

"After awhile you'd be like, 'I didn't come here for this!' I mean, if they want to do that, great; more power to them. But I'm not gonna get involved in that. I think you can do that in a different way."

Battle fatigue has also definitely had its effect, said Kirk Huffman, guitarist for the punk band Gatsby's American Dream. Huffman said he's not out in the streets shouting slogans because he skipped his 10th-grade English class to do that at the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999.

"I was exceptionally talented at holding a fist in the air and saying the same phrase monotonously over and over again, but pepper spray hurts like a motherf-----," he said. "My point is, do you have any idea how deep this thing really is? Trying to 'turn over the system' by talking about it and voicing your opinion was an idea that died at Woodstock — and it ain't doin' so well in the nonprofit-organization sector of things nowadays either."

In some cases, it's simply a matter of not knowing what to say, according to Rock and Roll Soldiers singer Marty Larson-Xu.

"I write the songs for our band and I can tell you why I don't focus on politics," he said. "I feel music is a creative avenue that I use to get away from everything and try to express ourselves in a way that gives people an avenue to escape reality."

Larson-Xu said there are already enough places to get the news besides his band's albums. Plus, he thinks a lot of young bands simply don't know enough about what's going on in the world to write about it. "I don't feel like I'm knowledgeable enough about politics to write songs for or against anything," he said. "There are many people who are so much smarter than me, and I couldn't deliver a message like Kill Radio or Anti-Flag."

The latter is one band that said it has definitely not given up the fight. The decade-old punk band's latest salvo, the highly charged For Blood and Empire, is packed with virulently political songs such as "The Project for a New American Century," the anti-war anthem "I'd Tell You But ..." and the current single, "The Press Corpse," which decries the media for toeing the White House line.

"It's been shocking to me over the last couple of years to see so few bands questioning the White House in any way," said Anti-Flag singer Justin Sane. "I've always been a person who believed there's room for all music — pop bands that sing about relationships and love, and hip-hop bands who sing about bling and the police. That said, I have found it frustrating and concerning that no one in the mainstream is taking a hard stance and questioning the policies of this regime. Why? I think a lot of these bands have been following the lead of the news media, who have failed terribly in their job as watchdog of the powerful."

Sane said he's witnessed an "either you're with us or against us" stance that has stymied a lot of dissent and public debate. "Because in the height of nationalism in the months and years after 9/11, people are very worried about appearing unpatriotic," he said. "There's been an overt message in the mainstream media that if you criticize the president, you're criticizing America and you're unpatriotic — which is ridiculous, because this country was founded on dissent."

• Chuck D
• Public Enemy
• Tom Morello
• Audioslave

Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Looking at daily headlines, you'd think the radio would be filled with songs of revolution and protest.

President Bush's approval ratings recently hit 31 percent — the third lowest of any president in the past 50 years. Gas prices have more than doubled since he took office. Plus, the Iraq conflict is more unpopular (nearly 60 percent of those polled say sending troops was a mistake) than the Vietnam War was at the same point nearly 40 years ago (48 percent). Not to mention the public anger over the White House's domestic spying program and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

So just like the Vietnam/ civil-rights era of the late 1960s/early '70s — which saw landmark protest songs from Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon — the airwaves and charts ought to be buzzing with angry songs, right?

Well, Young's weighed in with a hastily recorded and rush-released anti-Bush screed called Living With War, which came out Tuesday.

And in the underground, hip-hop acts such as Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, the Coup and Perceptionists have made strong statements about Bush and the war, as have punk bands State Radio, Sick of It All, Against Me!, Dollyrots, NOFX, Kill Radio and Outer National. Even some notable rap stars, like Juvenile, Papoose and Killer Mike, addressed Katrina in recent songs and freestyles.

But other than some recent songs on albums by Pearl Jam, Pink, System of a Down and the Dixie Chicks, the pop and rock charts have been practically devoid of any protest music.

What gives? Are artists afraid to talk for fear of payback at the cash register and/or radio, i.e. getting "Dixie Chicked"? Do they not have anything to say, or is pop music just not the most effective forum anymore for fighting the power? Then again, maybe it's just a collective case of battle fatigue. We asked everyone from Public Enemy leader Chuck D to Audioslave's outspoken Tom Morello, the Dixie Chicks and rabidly political band Anti-Flag why they thought more bands aren't making noise about the state of the nation.

The obvious place to start with are the Chicks, who suffered a radio ban and serious backlash three years ago after singer Natalie Maines told a London audience "we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment set off a whirlwind of controversy that has dogged the country act until now and led to the phrase "getting Dixie Chicked," for when an artist gets the commercial and public smackdown for speaking out.

The Chicks' new album, Taking the Long Way, takes on their detractors with songs such as the first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice" (which some stations have refused to play), and Maines recently told us her band's experience has clearly cast a chill on dissent.

"After what happened to us, it gave people that idea: 'We know what happens to you if you don't like the president. You lose lots of money in album sales, so I'm going to speak to the people who do like him, and then I'll make lots of money,' " she said, adding that post-Katrina, it seems as if it has become a bit more acceptable to speak out.

Tom Morello agreed, pointing to bands like the Coup, the Living Things, Bright Eyes and his side project, the Nightwatchman, as acts that are voicing strong opinions.

"It seems like there's quite a bit of really uncompromised, great, leftist rock and rap happening now," he said. "Bad presidents make for good art and music."

If there's one gripe he has, it's that hip-hop has been an "enormous letdown" since militantly anti-establishment acts like Public Enemy.

"It's like Public Enemy and N.W.A were warring for the heart of the hip-hop nation, and a gentrified version of N.W.A won out," Morello said. "The blingy version. You listen to Fight the Power and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and you can hear America changing. Now it's just the relentless booty shake of hollow bling. ... There's not yet a soundtrack to it like in the '60s when the music of the time was the music of revolution."

On a purely commercial tip, rapper/poet Saul Williams said some artists might be avoiding commenting on the war and Bush because, unless you're a legend like Neil Young who can get a label to rush-release an album just months after your last one dropped, it can instantly date your music.

"The war could end two days after you do a record on it," he said. "Plus, there's so much going on all the time that's interconnected. ... At this moment, someone has a gun to their face, someone is making love and someone is being born and someone died. Music ought to reflect that balance. But in the face of political strife, there should be more artists speaking up."

Hip-hop legend and professional agitator Chuck D blamed the media for focusing so much on profits and sales that it scares young bands away from doing anything controversial.

"Young groups are not paid to take chances," he said. "Someone like Neil Young has more references and perspectives from a different time. Young bands are clouded by weapons of mass distraction. But I don't buy that it's apathy. Bands are still looking to be loved, but there aren't a lot who compare themselves to bands who have prospered by saying something that needed to be said, like Green Day or [Public Enemy] or Neil Young. But why take a chance on making music a certain way if they don't believe the media will cover it? People like Neil Young are from a time when you felt one man can make a change, whereas young people in society today feel invisible."

When it comes to hip-hop, Williams lamented that the genre is often dictated by trends, and the most recent ones have reflected what's going on in the government.

"When I think of Bush and Cheney and guys who have been CEOs in big business and how they shouldn't hold shares in corporations that do government business, but they do, and getting jobs for their friends at Halliburton — that's gangsterism," he said.

Other artists, like Walkmen singer/guitarist Hamilton Leithauser, said they don't expect pop stars to offer political commentary.

"I don't look to Pearl Jam or R.E.M. for politics," he said. "We're all very politically conscious in our band, and we all grew up in Washington, D.C., but I don't really want to hear it. We used to go to Dischord [Records] shows when I was younger, and it would always be 80 percent of the concert was somebody up there with, like, a clipboard reading furiously in a blind rage about every f---ing topic you can possible imagine, and two and a half hours later, Fugazi [would] rant about the sh-- too, and after awhile you'd be like, 'I didn't come here for this sh--.' I mean, if they want to do that, great. More power to them. But I'm not gonna get involved in that. I think you can do that in a different way."

Battle fatigue has also definitely had its effect, said Kirk Huffman, guitarist for the punk band Gatsby's American Dream. Huffman said he's not out in the streets shouting slogans because he skipped his 10th-grade English class to do that at the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999.

"While I was exceptionally talented at holding a fist in the air and saying the same phrase monotonously over and over again, pepper spray hurts like a motherf-----," he said. "My point is, do you have any idea how deep this thing really is? Trying to 'turn over the system' by talking about it and voicing your opinion was an idea that died at Woodstock and ain't doin' so well in the nonprofit-organization sector of things nowadays either."

In some cases, it's simply a matter of not knowing what to say, according to Rock and Roll Soldiers singer Marty Larson-Xu.

"I write the songs for our band and I can tell you why I don't focus on politics," he said. "I feel music is a creative avenue that I use to get away from everything and try to express ourselves in a way that gives people an avenue to escape reality."

Larson-Xu said there are already enough places to get the news besides his band's albums. Plus, he thinks a lot of young bands simply don't know enough about what's going on in the world to write about it. "I don't feel like I'm knowledgeable enough about politics to write songs for or against anything," he said. "There are many people who are so much smarter than me, and I couldn't deliver a message like Kill Radio or Anti-Flag."

The latter is one band that said it has definitely not given up the fight. The decade-old punk band's latest salvo, the highly charged For Blood and Empire, is packed with virulently political songs such as "The Project for a New American Century," the anti-war anthem "I'd Tell You But ..." and the current single, "The Press Corpse," which decries the media for toeing the White House line.

"It's been shocking to me over the last couple of years to see so few bands questioning the White House in any way," said Anti-Flag singer Justin Sane. "I've always been a person who believed there's room for all music — pop bands that sing about relationships and love and hip-hop bands who sing about bling and the police. That said, I have found it frustrating and concerning that no one in the mainstream was taking a hard stance and questioning the policies of this regime. Why? I think a lot of these bands have been following the lead of the news media, who have failed terribly in their job as watchdog of the powerful."

Sane said he's witnessed an "either you're with us or against us" stance that has stymied a lot of dissent and public debate. "Because in the height of nationalism in the months and years after 9/11, people are very worried about appearing unpatriotic," he said. "There's been an overt message in the mainstream media that if you criticize the president, you're criticizing America and you're unpatriotic. Which is ridiculous, because this country was founded on dissent."

• Chuck D

"Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels"
Photo: Wenner Books

Diamonds are more than a rapper's best friend — they're a billboard telling the world so many different things, primarily that you've made it, or that you're spending like you have and you're about to lose it all. Whatever the message or the motive, it's a primary form of communication in hip-hop that's now getting its own decoder book.

Former MTV News scribe Minya Oh (also known as Hot 97's Miss Info) chats up rappers from 50 Cent and Lil Jon to Chuck D and Slick Rick in her book, "Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels" (out next week via Wenner Books), which explores the bling phenomenon from back in the day to present day, with everyone rocking their most choice ice.

(Click here for photos from "Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels")

"People want to sparkle," Oh said. "Everyone wants to stand out, none more so than rappers. They were struggling to find their place in both music and the larger American culture, and went from struggling minority to legit millionaires. They're living out champagne wishes and caviar dreams, and then we follow suit by getting our own little personal piece of glamour. There's never been more rhinestones on the least jewelry-related products. We're seeing bling bling in banking ads, chewing gum ads, hundreds of products. It now translates to all types of people, because it makes you more glamorous than you were."

Some bling seems purposely designed to make you seem less glamorous, though — like Lil Jon's pimp cup and ODB's gold fronts. The problem with wearing your bling in your mouth, though, is that it can be quite painful. Slick Rick had a diamond put onto his gold tooth against his jeweler's recommendation (never mind his dentist's!), and he couldn't talk. Baby tried to avoid the pain factor by having his metal mouth permanently bonded. "He can eat anything, even if it's scalding hot," Oh said — not that she recommends this, of course.

But for a lot of the rappers Oh spoke with, their bling also had a personal meaning. Snoop Dogg, for instance, wears different pendants to represent different homes, "Like a dog with a new collar," she said, "going place to place." For 50, who accuses other rappers of wearing fakes and not admitting it, his bling represents honesty: He admits to wearing duplicates of his real jewelry, which he keeps in a lockbox for safekeeping. "He knows he can afford the real thing, and for him it's common sense," Oh said. "Plus, he's rough with his jewelry, and had to Krazy-Glue his diamonds back into his chain. It's better to wear replicas. It's good business [sense]."

But other approaches work too. Ghostface relates how he told his label to give him the marketing budget for his album, and he would market himself — but ended up blowing it all on a huge gold eagle to wear on his wrist. "For any normal person, that is the stupidest thing you could do," Oh said. "But you can't argue that his strategy didn't work. Everyone talked about it, and no one will forget it."

After boasting about their collections of chains or ice, some of the rappers also opened about how they couldn't really afford what they bought, or how they felt pressure from their fans to maintain an image they couldn't keep up. They talked about the jealousy involved, about being threatened, being robbed and being hurt. And their regret is palpable. "If anything, the book shows the good, the bad, the ugly, and then the sad," Oh said. "They're chasing these gold dreams, but what happens when you put too much value in your chain? If you spend all your money on your ring and then you go broke? It's not an advertisement for jewelry."

Be sure to check out "The Bling Report": "Bling Bling" author Minya Oh interviews Mike Jones, Paul Wall and others, and gives a sneak peek at what the stars will be wearing on the VMAs carpet. Look for it August 28 on Overdrive.

• A Flash Of "Bling Bling": Hip-Hoppers And Their Crown Jewels

• Slick Rick
• Chuck D
• 50 Cent
• Lil Jon

Axl Rose
Photo: John Shearer

Besides raising the bar for video games with some of the most innovative and expansive gameplay ever, the developers of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" have pulled off another feat that many thought to be impossible: They nailed down W. Axl Rose.

The famously reclusive Guns N' Roses frontman's voice can be heard as a DJ on one of eight in-game radio stations players can listen to while cruising the streets of the fictional state of San Andreas in the highly anticipated game, which became available Monday night. Rose adopts the persona of Tommy "The Nightmare" Smith, of the classic rock station KDST The Dust, who spins an array of tunes such as Foghat's "Slow Ride," Humble Pie's "Get Down to It," Grand Funk Railroad's "Some Kind of Wonderful" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird."

Public Enemy's Chuck D can also be heard in the game, as radio DJ Forth Right MC, host of the classic hip-hop station Playback FM. Other celebrity DJs include Parliament/Funkadelic's George Clinton (as the Funktipus), dancehall stars Sly and Robbie, and comedian Andy Dick on the talk-radio station.

Rose's appearance in San Andreas, set in the gang-riddled West Coast of the early 1990s, marks the first time in over a year since a studio recording of his voice was heard by the public, although the New York Mets' Mike Piazza leaking a new GN'R tune on a syndicated radio show wasn't an "official release" (see "New GN'R Tune Leaked By ... Mets Catcher Mike Piazza?!"). Prior to that, Rose came out of years of seclusion with a new incarnation of Guns N' Roses to perform at the 2002 VMAs. Guns N' Roses launched an ill-fated tour soon after, but it was scrapped amid controversy after only a few dates (see "It's Extra Official: Promoter Says GN'R Tour Totally Off").

The in-game soundtrack will be released November 23 as both a double album and an eight-disc box set that features all of the more than 150 tunes heard in the game (see "2Pac, Public Enemy, Rick James On 'San Andreas' Soundtrack").

Rapper Game also shows up as the character Mark "B Dup" Wayne and as a caller to one of the radio stations. Samuel L. Jackson takes on a starring role as officer Frank Tenpenny, a corrupt cop in Los Santos, one of the three cities in the state of San Andreas. Actor Chris Penn ("Starsky & Hutch," "Reservoir Dogs") plays his partner, officer Eddie Pulanski. James Woods, Peter Fonda, Ice-T, David Cross, Bijou Phillips and Charlie Murphy of "Chappelle's Show" fame are also featured.

With a script partially informed by D.J. Pooh, co-writer of the 1995 film "Friday," "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" centers on the character Carl "CJ" Johnson, played by aspiring rapper Young Maylay. After his mother is murdered, CJ returns to his old neighborhood and is soon framed for murder by a couple of cops. As CJ, players must perform a variety of missions for the blackmailing cops that often run afoul of the law.

Two years in the making, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" is poised to be among the best-selling games of the holiday season. Around the country, fans of the "GTA" series (this is the fifth installment) lined up for blocks to become among the first to get their hands on what is so far the must-have game of the year. One fan, a 23-year-old production associate at MTV News who sacrificed sleep to get acquainted with the game on Monday night, stayed awake long enough to recount his first few hours in San Andreas (see "My First Night In San Andreas: One 'GTA' Addict's Account").

• Guns N' Roses
• Charlie Murphy
• Game
• Chuck D
• David Cross

LL Cool J testifies in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday
Photo: CBS News

Rappers LL Cool J and Public Enemy's Chuck D rolled up on opposite sides of Capitol Hill Tuesday for a Senate hearing on the hotly debated topic of file-sharing.

Also present at the Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee hearing, called to investigate whether the recording industry's campaign of suing suspected online pirates is too harsh, was Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America. Bainwol asked P2P networks to act responsibly and take steps to help stem the rampant copyright infringement that occurs on their networks. The RIAA suggested three ways for them to do so.

First, P2P interfaces can change their default settings so that users don't unwittingly allow other people to access files on their hard drives. P2Ps can also alert users to the laws and penalties of copyright infringement. And finally, filters can be put in place to prevent copyrighted material from passing through the networks.

"The law is clear," Bainwol said at the hearing. "Yet the understanding of the law is hazy. Why? In large part it's because the file-sharing networks like Kazaa deliberately induce people to break the law. These systems should no longer induce music fans to break the law, diminish computer security, disregard privacy or compromise the integrity of content. There is a brighter future just around he corner if the operators of these networks just voluntarily execute these three common sense and easily implemented reforms."

Chuck D wasn't about to let online freedoms be curbed. "P2P to me means power to the people," he said. "I trust the consumer more than I trust the people at the helm of these [record] companies."

LL used a rather bizarre metaphor to render the practice of illegal file-sharing down to its basic element: stealing. "If a contractor builds a building, should people be allowed to move into it for free, just because he's successful?" asked Mr. Cool J, as he was addressed at the hearing. "Should they be able to live in this building for free? That's how I feel when I create an album or when I make a film and it's shooting around the planet for free."

In response to accusations that the RIAA's tactics were too heavy-handed, Bainwol said that before a lawsuit is filed, the defendant will be notified by letter to encourage a settlement, and as of Monday 64 had been reached (see "Sixty-Four Alleged File-Sharers Back Down In Face Of RIAA Lawsuits"). "We are trying to be reasonable and fair and allow these cases the opportunity to be resolved without litigation," he said.

On Monday, heads of the P2P networks Limewire, Grokster, Blubster, Bearshare, Morpheus and eDonkey 2000 met to announced the formation of the trade group P2P United. The members of P2P United are opposed to instituting filters but are willing to work with record companies in finding a way to pay artists for the work that's traded over the network.

They also took offense to industry allegations that P2P networks are havens for child pornographers, hackers and spyware. "[Those charges] are not central to the relevant debate," said Adam Eisgrau, P2P United's executive director, "and that debate is about how we build an online marketplace for the 21st century."

For complete digital music coverage, check out the Digital Music Reports.

• LL Cool J
• Chuck D
• Public Enemy

Alanis Morissette
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Alanis Morissette, Peter Gabriel and Public Enemy's Chuck D are set to be honored at the 10th annual Rock the Vote Awards party which is being held at New York's Roseland Ballroom on February 22, the night before the Grammy Awards.

Morissette and Gabriel will both be bestowed with the Patrick Lippert Award, named for the Rock the Vote president who spearheaded the young-voter drive in 1992, while Chuck D will receive the Rock the Vote Founders' Award, according to the organization. Lippert died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993.

Morissette garnered recognition for efforts that include participation in the benefit concert Groundwork, which raised money for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as various fundraisers for gun control and September 11th relief. Meanwhile Gabriel is active in the Witness project, which arms activists with video cameras to prevent human-rights violations. He was also among the organizers for the Human Rights Now! Tour with Amnesty International, and participated in the various benefits and events organized by Nelson Mandela and Greenpeace.

A longtime supporter of community service organizations, Chuck D is being honored for his Rock the Vote efforts, in addition to his work with the National Urban League and National Alliance of African American Athletes.

Dave Matthews and Destiny's Child were last year's recipients of Patrick Lippert Awards (see "Destiny's Child, Dave Matthews Feted At Lippert Awards").

• Alanis Morissette
• Peter Gabriel
• Chuck D
• Public Enemy

Zack De La Rocha voicing his support for Mumia Abu-Jamal at a 1999 press conference.
Photo: MTV News

Death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted in a controversial trial of murdering a police officer, is entitled to a new sentencing hearing, a federal judge said Tuesday (December 18).

Abu-Jamal's case has attracted many outspoken supporters, including the former members of Rage Against the Machine, the Beastie Boys, Chuck D and others, who have rallied for him to receive a new trial or freedom.

In a 272-page ruling, U.S. District Judge William Yohn Jr. ordered the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to conduct a new hearing for Abu-Jamal within 180 days or his death sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment, according to Associated Press reports.

The former journalist and Black Panther was sentenced to die in 1982 after he was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1981 shooting of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, who had pulled over William Cook, Abu-Jamal's brother, for a traffic violation.

Abu-Jamal claims he was driving a cab when he saw Cook being beaten by Officer Faulkner with a flashlight. In court trials, authorities acknowledged that Faulkner hit Cook with a flashlight after Cook struck the officer. Prosecutors said that Abu-Jamal shot Faulkner in the back, then stood over the officer and shot him in the head.

Yohn's ruling marks a small victory for Abu-Jamal, who exhausted the state appeals process two years ago. Yohn had denied a petition to hear new evidence in September, and Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Pamela Dembe refused a retrial last month because her court had no jurisdiction to grant one.

Calling Abu-Jamal a political prisoner who was browbeaten by a racist justice system, several musicians, actors, writers and activists have campaigned to "Free Mumia." Supporters believe Faulkner's killer escaped on the night of the shooting and claim Abu-Jamal was set up because of his work as a political commentator and his involvement with the '60s black-activist organization the Black Panthers.

Former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha, one of Mumia's most outspoken supporters, called Tuesday's decision "a huge step forward in the road to freeing one of America's most renowned and dedicated activists."

De la Rocha's former bandmate guitarist Tom Morello said Tuesday's order was "a tremendous victory for the cause of justice." "The noose has been removed from this political prisoner's neck for the time being, thanks in large measure to persistent public outcry," Morello said in a statement. "Remember, this is a case that is being tried both in the courts and in the streets. And while this battle will continue, today's ruling is a cause for celebration."

Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion (see "Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine Plan Mumia Benefit"), Mos Def, Dead Prez, members of the Roots (see "Mos Def, Black Thought To Perform At Mumia Benefit"), Sting (see "Police To Protest Sting Over Mumia Support") and others have held various benefit concerts for Abu-Jamal over the years. Some of those artists collaborated as the Unbound Allstars to record "Mumia 911" in late 1999 for the Abu-Jamal benefit album, The Unbound Project Vol. 1.

De la Rocha even met with United Nation's International Commission of Human Rights about Abu-Jamal's case (see "Rage's Zack De La Rocha To Discuss Mumia Abu-Jamal Case With U.N. Commission").

For much more on the controversy surrounding Abu-Jamal, see "Weeding Through The Rhetoric: What's The Rage/Beasties Benefit About?"

[This story was updated on 12.18.01 at 7:10 P.M. ET.]

• Rage Against the Machine
• Beastie Boys
• Chuck D

India.Arie
Photo: Motown

John Mellencamp has been R.O.C.K.ing in the U.S.A. with singer/songwriter India.Arie and rapper Chuck D in the past few weeks for an album due later this year.

Arie, who released her debut album, Acoustic Soul, in March, flew to Mellencamp's hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, after appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago early last week, to record a song called "Peaceful World." "It's gonna be his first single," Arie said on Tuesday. She described the song as "that John Mellencamp thing, with guitars and fiddles, and singers and vocal stacks and vocals coming in and out. ... The first time I sang it, I was like, 'I like this.' And by the end I was just in there singing, 'Come on, baby.' I love it." Arie also said Mellencamp invited her to tour with him in November. A spokesperson for Arie's management company said Arie would love to make such a tour happen, although there are no firm plans. Mellencamp's publicist was unavailable for comment.

An earlier version of "Peaceful World," without Arie's vocals, made its debut during last month's broadcast of the Indianapolis 500, in a commercial for the Indy Racing League. Mellencamp's wife, Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp, an IRL spokesperson, said that version is scheduled to air again, in a promotional spot, during ESPN's airing of the league's next race Saturday from Richmond, Virginia.

Irwin-Mellencamp said the song is about race as well as racing, with lyrics "about people getting in other people's way." The album, with the working title Cuttin' Heads, will follow up 1999's Rough Harvest. Mellencamp also recorded with country singer Trisha Yearwood, who said recently that she did harmonies on a song called "Deep Blue Heart." In a post on the official Public Enemy Web site, Chuck D said he made the trip to Bloomington in early June to put a verse down on a song that he said addresses Mellencamp's disgust and confusion at the use of the "N" word. The rapper posted some lyrics, including the line, "It's wild 'cause I connect the word with pain/ Now some smile when they scream the name." A spokesperson for the rapper confirmed that the post was by Chuck D.

Mellencamp keyboardist Moe-Z wrote during an Internet chat last weekend that the first single should be out in August.

Mellencamp and band kick off a North American tour July 31 in San Diego, with homecoming shows scheduled for September 21 and 22 in Noblesville, Indiana. Mellencamp is slated to play Farm Aid, also in Noblesville, on September 29.

India.Arie teams up with Sade for a road trip that opens July 14 in Portland, Oregon, according to her management company. The tour originally had been scheduled to start in Vancouver.

• John Mellencamp
• India.Arie
• Chuck D

Will Smith
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Will Smith, LL Cool J, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Redman and Ja Rule came together on Wednesday for the second day of Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit, which centered around a keynote address by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

Despite the assembled star power — which also included Capone-N-Noreaga, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli and such early pioneers of hip-hop as Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc — the artists were in the New York Hilton as listeners, not as performers.

The spotlight was on Farrakhan, whose nearly three-hour speech urged rappers to accept their responsibilities as role models and to avoid internecine violence and feuds.

"With leadership comes responsibility. You've now got to accept the responsibility you've never accepted," Farrakhan said, standing behind a lectern on a stage where Latifah, Chuck D and Simmons sat. "This may be the most important speech I've ever given. You are the leaders of the youth of the world." LL Cool J said after the speech that he embraced Farrakhan's message. "It doesn't matter how good you're supposed to be at what you do. If you can't inspire people to be positive and be leaders and dream, you're not utilizing the power that you have for the best." Farrakhan urged artists to address current events in their lyrics and "speak to the issues that enlighten your people." He mocked artists who he said thank God when they win awards but embrace Satan when it comes time to write lyrics.

Even during the harshest criticism, the audience of artists and executives repeatedly interrupted Farrakhan's speech with forceful applause. Several artists also met privately with Farrakhan after the speech, according to event publicists.

Will Smith, who arrived after Farrakhan finished speaking, said that he had been waiting for an event like the summit for a long time.

"Rap music is the black American voice to the world. All people all around the world know about blacks in America is rap music," Smith said. "My only question I have is, is it an accurate depiction of who we are? A lot of rappers have no idea how important their voice is, how important that message is and how important that picture is." Though the scheduled agenda of Wednesday's summit focused on speeches by Farrakhan and by Kwesi Mfume, head of the NAACP, many of the most interesting moments came as artists met offstage, sometimes in unexpected combinations.

As Ja Rule stood near a lunch buffet explaining his hopes for the summit, Grandmaster Flash walked by and interrupted him. "This man is a perfect example of what hip-hop can be," the veteran DJ said, as Ja Rule beamed. The two men began chatting and posed together with DJ Kool Herc for photographers.

Despite Smith's superstar status, he appeared at the event accompanied only by his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. He signed autographs for fans, including several members of the solemn, bow-tied Fruit of Islam security guards who swarmed the hotel during the event.

The summit, which kicked off Tuesday (see "P. Diddy, Luther Campbell On Hand As Rap Summit Begins"), is scheduled to conclude Thursday with a press conference that organizers promise will reveal concrete results of the event.

• Russell Simmons
• Will Smith
• LL Cool J
• Queen Latifah
• Wyclef Jean

Twisted Sister's Dee Snider
Photo: Atlantic

A little rouge goes a long way.

Lit, Motörhead, Sevendust, Joan Jett, Anthrax and Chuck D are among the acts lined up to salute Twisted Sister on Twisted Forever, a 16-track tribute to the '80s glam metal icons due in August.

Joan Jett has recorded the band's signature hit "We're Not Gonna Take It," while Lit (who landed Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider for their "Zip-Lock" video) will offer a version of "I Wanna Rock." Motörhead, Sevendust, Anthrax and Chuck D dig deeper into the band's catalog, pitching in renditions of "Shoot 'Em Down," "I Am (I'm Me)," "Destroyer" and "Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant)," respectively.

Sebastian Bach, Fu Manchu, Nashville Pussy, Nine Days, Overkill, Cradle of Filth, Vision of Disorder, the Step Kings and Hammerfall also step into the band's color-coded boots for the album.

Twisted Sister themselves even get in on the act, offering a cover of AC/DC's "Sin City," a favorite during the band's early rehearsals.

The project has been in the works for years, and at one point, Slipknot, Kittie and Type O Negative were also talked about for the album (see "Lit, Slipknot, Others May Tribute Twisted Sister"). However, those acts will not appear when the album arrives on August 14.

Twisted Forever tracklist:

• Lit - "I Wanna Rock"
• Joan Jett - "We're Not Gonna Take It"
• Motörhead - "Shoot 'Em Down"
• Nashville Pussy - "The Kids Are Back"
• Nine Days - "The Price"
• Chuck D - "Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant)"
• Anthrax - "Destroyer"
• Overkill - "Under the Blade"
• Cradle of Filth - "The Fire Still Burns"
• Vision of Disorder - "Don't Let Me Down"
• The Step Kings - "Burn in Hell"
• Fu Manchu - "Ride to Live, Live to Ride"
• Sebastian Bach - "You Can't Stop Rock 'N Roll"
• Hammerfall - "We're Gonna Make It"
• Sevendust - "I Am (I'm Me)"
• Twisted Sister - "Sin City"

• Twisted Sister
• Sevendust
• Lit
• Chuck D
• Joan Jett

Alanis, Vanessa Carlton, Robbie Williams, More Rock The Vote

• Alanis Morissette
• Peter Gabriel
• Robbie Williams
• Vanessa Carlton
• Chuck D