Crazy Town
Photo: Chapman Baehler

We couldn't get enough of them. Their songs were our soundtrack, and we laughed, danced, cried and loved along with them. They flashed across our radio and TV burning brightly — but where have they been lately? As you'll find out in this regular feature, sometimes the stories behind your favorite songs are more interesting than the hits themselves.

Who?: City High

Biggest hit: "What Would You Do" (2001)

Why do I know that name?: If you watched the 11th season of "The Real World" from Chicago or remember the mama-drama smash "What Would You Do," you'll recall that the tune was sung by a Fugees-like trio called City High who quickly blew up and then disappeared almost as fast. The group, comprised of singer/rappers Ryan Toby, Robby Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz, originally came together as a duo featuring solo singers/songwriters Toby and Pardlo, who were signed to Fugees member Wyclef Jean's Booga Basement imprint. "It was sort of like 'Making the Band,' " said Toby of the duo's origin. "Wyclef put us together. We all went to the same high school, but not at the same time. I met Robby when I was a senior and he was coming in as a sophomore, and when he was a senior, Claudette came in as a freshman. We didn't meet until after high school and we started working together through a mutual friend who was managing Robby."

After Pardlo signed a solo deal with Jean, Toby was brought in to write songs for the album, and because Jean knew he could sing from his small supporting role in Sister Act II, he suggested the two form a K-Ci & JoJo-like group. By chance, Ortiz was brought in to sing the hook on "What Would You Do," and the rest is history.

The "new Fugees": "I was like, why is she singing the hook? But when 'Clef heard her, he was like, 'Who's that girl?' And when he saw her he fell in love and they were like, 'You could be the next Fugees!' " Toby recalled. "What Would You Do" first popped up on the soundtrack to the 1999 Eddie Murphy movie "Life," and then was included on the band's eponymous 2001 debut with a new mix that interpolated bits of Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode." The unlikely hit about a woman who becomes a stripper to make money to feed her kid was a top-10 smash and was quickly followed by another top-20 single, "Caramel," on which Ortiz sang lead. A third single, "City High Anthem," didn't hit as big. "We were blowing up pretty fast," Toby said. "But we were three solo artists that were put into a group situation. It was successful and rolling along, but there was still that thing where everyone wanted their solo careers. It started to take a toll on us, and with the rigorous schedule and being with each other 24 hours a day we decided we had to go our separate ways before we wanted to knock each other's heads off."

An end ... and a new beginning: The band appeared in a series of mini commercials/ music videos promoting 2002's "The Real World: Chicago" and then quietly disbanded a year later. But that wasn't the end for Toby and Ortiz, who got married and started a family shortly after. Toby — who co-wrote the hits "Miami" for Will Smith and "Caught Up" for Usher, as well as two songs on Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough — has completed work on his solo album, Soul of a Songwriter, which he plans to release later this year on his own label. Ortiz has finished work on her self-titled solo debut, due this spring on Interscope, which features tracks co-written by Toby and such hitmakers as Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal and the Trackmasters, with guest spots from Fabolous and the Game. Though he hasn't spoken to Pardlo since the group broke up, Toby said his old bandmate is back in New Jersey working on music and producing.

The moral: "Success isn't worth risking a friendship and peace of mind," said Toby. "We got lucky because we got the exposure and we got to travel and sell records and make money and then part ways and go back to our solo careers."

Who?: Crazy Town

Biggest hit: "Butterfly" (2001)

Why do I know that name?: Fewer acts in recent memory looked like less likely pop-pin-up material than the tattooed and pierced club kids that made up Hollywood's Crazy Town. Formed by rapper/producers Seth "Shifty Shellshock" Binzer and Bret "Epic" Mazur in 1995 out of an earlier group called Brimstone Sluggers, the band eventually morphed into a collective that was equally influenced by punk rock, hip-hop, pop and old-school metal. Mazur, whose father was once Billy Joel's manager, went to high school with Ice Cube and House of Pain's Everlast and Danny Boy, and began making beats at a young age, working on records by Eazy-E, Bell Biv DeVoe, Prince and MC Lyte, briefly serving as House of Pain's DJ and helping put together and produce the first album by the Black Eyed Peas. As nü-metal bands like Limp Bizkit were ruling the charts, the duo hatched their idea for a group that blended rock and hip-hop in a different way, bringing in a group of backing musicians that included Doug "Faydoedeelay" Miller on bass, guitarists Rust Epique and Anthony "Trouble" Valli, turntablist DJ AM and James "JBJ" Bradley J. on drums.

"Butterfly" to the top: The group's 1999 debut, The Gift of Game, was produced by friend and nü-metal go-to guy Josh Abraham (Orgy, Limp Bizkit) and featured special guests KRS-One and dancehall toaster Mad Lion. While the first two singles, "Toxic" and "Darkside," failed to connect, the third, the smooth pop-rap hybrid "Butterfly," along with its cartoony punk-girl-nymph video, became one of the biggest-selling singles of the year. "We were on the road for a year and a half at the point that 'Butterfly' hit," said Mazur while driving to a recording session in Los Angeles recently. "When it went #1 in 15 countries we were in Germany, and pretty much everywhere else in the world we were known for more than that song, but in the U.S. it was 'Butterfly' except for some kids who knew us from the second stage at Ozzfest." While they had worked hard to earn their success, several of the group's members had debilitating drug habits and the pressure to follow up "Butterfly" marked the beginning of the end.

Darkhorse loses the race: "We were more than 'Butterfly,' and when the second record came out and it wasn't hip-hop crossover like that song the label didn't know what to do with it," said Mazur of 2002's more rock-oriented Darkhorse, which found Kraig "Squirrel" Tyler replacing Epique on guitar (Epique would die of a heart attack at the age of 35 in 2004) and former Shuvel drummer Kyle Hollinger taking over for Bradley. Despite a guest guitar solo from Weezer's Rivers Cuomo on the single "Hurt You So Bad," the group had trouble regaining whatever street cred they had left. "Everyone seemed to love the album, and then our management signed Shania Twain, we came back from Europe and it was almost like the record was dead before it started." Because "Butterfly" had gotten so big, the group's fears that it would define its career came true. Though they were really tight before, success began pulling them apart and Mazur said they realized they were not what they had set out to be. "It's a lot easier to manage working on your own than as part of a band with six people," Mazur said of the group's acrimonious dissolution in 2003. "It's like having six ex-wives."

What now?: Mazur and Tyler have gone back to producing under the name the Pharmacy, with two songs on the recent Plain White T's album and an upcoming debut they wrote and produced for a singer named Rama Duke. Binzer, whose poppy 2004 solo debut, Happy Love Sick, was a flop, scored a dance hit with his vocals on the 2002 Paul Oakenfold tune "Starry Eyed Surprise," has completed an album under the name Cherry Lane and has been performing around Los Angeles in his new band, Porno Punks. DJ AM has become a staple of the tabloids, getting more attention for his exploits dating Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore than his turntable skills, though he has several residencies and reportedly commands more than $20,000 for a three-hour set.

The moral: "It's not like we live in the past and think about what could have been," Mazur said. "We were lucky to have the success we had and we got to see the entire world and had a #1 hit. If it had been handled right, maybe we'd still be together. But after going through that experience, I'm happy with where I am in my life."

Ever wonder what happened to Semisonic? How about Snow? Ace of Base? Tell us which faded stars you'd like us to check up on, and you just might find them in a future edition of "Where Ya Been?" Send us your suggestions and we'll get digging ...

Past "Where Ya Been?" artist profiles:
"Where Ya Been? Lilith Fair Edition: Sarah McLachlan, Joan Osborne, Lisa Loeb"
"Where Ya Been? '90s Hip-Hop Edition: Onyx, MC Lyte, Rob Base, Young Black Teenagers"
"Where Ya Been? Grunge Edition: Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney"
"Marvelous 3 Now Down To One, SWV End 10 Years Of Resting Their Voices"
"Sammie Graduating To Comeback, Third Eye Blind Can See Clearly Now"
"Vitamin C Juicing Up A Comeback, Fastball Heading Back To The Mound"
"Dream Wake Up, 'Sex' Burns Marcy Playground"
"Willa Ford Strips Down, Jesse Camp Drops Out"

• Favorite Artists From The Past: Where Ya Been?

• City High
• Crazy Town

B2K
Photo: Sony

The folks responsible for the Now That's What I Call Music! series are taking their next compilation LP to the street.

Off the Hook, a hip-hop/R&B version of Now, is scheduled for release May 21, according to a Columbia Records spokesperson. Like the Now series, the LP is a collaborative effort between Sony Music, Universal Music Group, EMI and Jive Records.

The album's 20 previously released tracks feature the smooth R&B of B2K, the soaring sultriness of Aaliyah and the aggressive bounce of Mystikal. The newest cut on the LP, "Feels Good" by Naughty By Nature featuring 3LW, comes from the rappers' next album, Iicons, due May 7 (see "Naughty By Nature, 3LW Save The Day In 'Feels Good' Video").

Off the Hook track list, according to Columbia Records:

• Jermaine Dupri featuring Ludacris - "Welcome to Atlanta"
• B2K - "Uh Huh"
• Jagged Edge featuring Nas - "I Got It 2"
• Lil' Bow Wow - "Take Ya Home"
• Aaliyah - "More Than a Woman"
• Mystikal - "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)"
• Joe - "Let's Stay Home Tonight"
• Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule - "I'm Real (Murder Remix)"
• Nas - "One Mic"
• Glenn Lewis - "Don't You Forget It"
• Ruff Endz - "Someone to Love You"
• Keke Wyatt featuring Avant - "Nothing in This World"
• City High - "City High Anthem"
• India.Arie - "Video"
• Angie Stone - "Wish I Didn't Miss You"
• Janet Jackson featuring Missy Elliott - "Son of a Gun"
• N.E.R.D. featuring Lee Harvey and Vita - "Lapdance"
• Mr. Cheeks - "Lights, Camera, Action"
• Petey Pablo - "Raise Up"
• Naughty By Nature featuring 3LW - "Feels Good"

• Jermaine Dupri
• B2K
• Aaliyah
• Mystikal
• Jennifer Lopez

City High
Photo: Interscope

When City High finally get some time off from performing, they're heading to Orlando, Florida. Don't expect to see them taking in any Magic playoff games, though — they'll be working on their second album.

The group's Claudette Ortiz said that she and her bandmates, Ryan Toby and Robby Pardlo, will be heading South next month to begin work on the follow-up to City High, which has sold over 837,000 copies to date, according to SoundScan.

"The first album, we did a lot of our own music," said Ortiz, who has taken up playing the guitar. "We worked on the album a whole year because the label wanted more pop songs. Most of the songs originally had a lot of hip-hop flavor. This second time around we may want our own style, but the label may want more pop joints anyway.

"I'm going to do a lot more writing," she added. "We're going to be playing a lot more instruments. We may have more [collaborations], different writers to get different flavors."

City High may have a new single out later this summer, said a spokesperson for the group's label, Interscope. No album release date has been set.

• City High

Pink
Photo: Arista

The next compilation in the immensely popular Now That's What I Call Music! series features all the regulars — Britney, Backstreet, 'NSYNC, Destiny's Child — but also steps out of its shell by including alternate remixes of three recent hits.

The Sweet Dreams Mix of Pink's "Get the Party Started" featuring Redman, the Trackmasters Mix of City High's "Caramel" featuring Eve, and the All Cities Remix of Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" are among the 20 songs compiled on the ninth Now album, due March 19.

They join Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U," Backstreet Boys' "Drowning," 'NSYNC's "Gone" and Destiny's Child's "Emotion" as well as other pop luminaries like Jennifer Lopez ("Ain't It Funny"), Mary J. Blige ("Family Affair"), Nelly Furtado ("Turn Off the Light") and Shakira ("Whenever, Wherever").

Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 9 also has a particularly strong rock flavor, to the tune of Incubus's "I Wish You Were Here," U2's "Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," Lenny Kravitz's "Dig In," Aerosmith's "Just Push Play" and Adema's "Giving In."

Hip-hop favorites "Livin' It Up" by Ja Rule featuring Case, "Roll Out (My Business)" by Ludacris, "Lights, Camera, Action!" by Mr. Cheeks, and "Differences" by Ginuwine round out the lineup.

Now That's What I Call Music! debuted Stateside in 1998 after great success overseas and has become the biggest-selling compilation series in American history with more than 28 million albums sold. Every volume has reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, with a few reaching #1. The eighth volume featured Aaliyah, Destiny's Child and Janet Jackson (see "Now 8 Hits Collection Dedicated To Aaliyah").

• P!nk
• City High
• Petey Pablo
• Britney Spears
• Backstreet Boys

Wyclef Jean
Photo: Columbia

Wyclef Jean, Macy Gray and Sheryl Crow are among the artists who will be heard on the fifth installment of the A Very Special Christmas series.

This year's edition, due November 6, features 15 traditional holiday songs rearranged or rewritten by artists from an array of genres, Interscope Records said.

A Very Special Christmas 4, released in the fall of 1999, was a live album recorded at a concert held the previous year in Washington, D.C. (see "Crow, Blige, Run-DMC On Live 'Very Special Christmas' Album"). The first three, like the new LP, were compilations.

A Very Special Christmas 5 also includes songs from Dido, City High, Eve 6, Stevie Nicks, B.B. King and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, among others.

Wyclef covers "The Little Drummer Boy," during which he breaks into the Calypso standard "Hot, Hot, Hot." He also produced City High's funky "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and raps on Stevie Wonder's "Merry Christmas Baby." Wonder also duets with singer Kimberley Brewer on "I Love You More."

"Merry Christmas Baby" is the first single from the LP, and a video for the song, featuring Wyclef in a Santa suit, is currently being cut.

Aside from producing the album with Bobby Shriver, Jon Bon Jovi contributes a bluesy rendition of "Blue Christmas." Bon Jovi and his namesake band have contributed to three of the four previous A Very Special Christmas records.

Most of the material on A Very Special Christmas 5 was recorded specifically for the LP, which, like the past projects, benefits the Special Olympics.

The new album includes a live version of Stevie Nicks' "Silent Night," which was featured on the first A Very Special Christmas in 1987.

A Very Special Christmas 5 track list, according to Interscope:

• Macy Gray - "This Christmas"
• Wyclef Jean - "The Little Drummer Boy/Hot, Hot, Hot"
• Eve 6 - "Noel! Noel!"
• Jon Bon Jovi - "Blue Christmas"
• Stevie Wonder and Wyclef Jean - "Merry Christmas Baby"
• City High - "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
• SR71 - "Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You"
• Dido - "Christmas Day"
• Sheryl Crow - "Run Rudolph Run"
• B.B. King and John Popper - "Back Door Santa"
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Little Red Rooster"
• Powder - "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"
• Stevie Nicks - "Silent Night"
• Stevie Wonder and Kimberley Brewer - "I Love You More"
• Darlene Love - "White Christmas"

• Wyclef Jean
• Macy Gray
• Bon Jovi
• Dido
• Stevie Wonder

Britney Spears performs at the 2001 Video Music Awards
Photo: MTV

While you can't take anything away from those who walk away with a shiny little Moonman, true music immortals cement their legendary status by turning in great performances at the Video Music Awards.

Many of the performers at this year's VMAs hoped to nestle their names in the industry annals by bringing some backup for their sets at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center — even if that meant scouring the jungle for creatures, awaking the dead or putting in calls to Neverland. (Click for a complete list of VMA winners.) (Click for candid VMA photos.)

Performing her upcoming album's first single, "I'm a Slave 4 U," show headliner Britney Spears exposed more skin with her Jane of the Jungle outfit than she did with her flesh-colored digs last year. But Britney couldn't duplicate the shock value of 2000's strip routine even by teasing, "Don't you wanna dance up on me?"

"All you people look at me like a little girl," a lip-syncing Britney mouthed after making her way out of a cage.

"I can't deny it/ I'm not trying to hide it," the song continued while her dancers, painted with tiger prints, showcased Britney's new choreography to a Neptunes-produced beat similar to the soundscape of Vanity 6's 1982 single "Nasty Girl."

A real tiger stayed locked at the back of the stage, but Spears did show her beastly side, walking around with a python on her neck.

Missy Elliott brought the most stars with her, proving that it's better to "Get Ur Freak On" with friends. Missy re-created scenes from her six-time nominated video, hanging from a chandelier while being lowered to the stage. Meanwhile, zombies boogied in the background and Petey Pablo acted as one of her hypemen.

Nelly Furtado, who did a snippet of a verse from the "Get Ur Freak On" remix, slid onstage through the mouth of colossal statue head. When the head revolved, an animated Ludacris and a sex-oozing Trina joined the festive fray with their verses from "One Minute Man."

'NSYNC showed the most clout by getting Michael Jackson to come out of his almost decade-long hiatus for a solo routine to the beat of their hit "Pop." The self-proclaimed King of Pop showed he hasn't missed a step by popping and doing the robot.

The set started with Justin Timberlake in a sketch similar to the intro in the song's video, highlighted by him smacking the booty of his sexy secretary — or, rather, what he called his "sexetary." The guys of 'NSYNC, a few of them jumping out of giant cartoon newspaper ads, performed with a small army of colorfully painted dancers.

Jay-Z was aided by a smaller army of dancers as Jigga used children dressed in Chicago Bulls uniforms at the end of "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)." Jay, wearing a Michael Jordan jersey, took his street ball-themed performance literally as he rhymed his tune outside the Met on a circular stage. Ballplayers re-created moves seen in Nike ads before Jay hit the stage, displaying synchronized dribbling.

Staind didn't stay in sync with the other performers. The group, which prides itself on its us-against-the-world mentality, performed a somber rendition of "Fade" by itself.

U2 also decided to go it alone, but hey, they were the night's guests of honor. The foursome picked up the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award but not before they worked for it. The legendary band, who got five nods overall, performed "Elevation," which was nominated for four awards, as well as "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of."

Jennifer Lopez, dressed in a white skirt and matching low-cut top, let the sounds of salsa and a sample of Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" fill the auditorium as she started the show's performances by shaking it up with her backup dancers before going into the "I'm Real" remix.

Her song's co-star and writer, Ja Rule, then entered the theater via a giant fire escape to help her on the current #1 song in the country. The performance was a battle of the sexiest six-packs as J. Lo and a bare-chested Ja both exposed their abs while strutting around the stage.

Linkin Park were the next to bounce across the stage, showing love to acclaimed DJ troupe the X-Ecutioners during "One Step Closer." The turntable assassins cut up records during the breakdown before Linkin Park's lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, brought things to a close screaming, "Shut up when I'm talking to you!"

Alicia Keys hoped to carve out her place in history, not by bringing a celebrity guest, but an entire choir for her soulful rendition of "Fallin'." Dressed in jail suits, the choir sang "I keeeeep on faaaallllllin' in love," while Keys played the piano and crooned.

Outside the Met — taking on the role their homeboys Papa Roach played last year — boisterous foursome Alien Ant Farm launched the VMA pre-show festivities with a deliciously disorderly performance of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal."

The logo of the insect that's stamped on their ANThology album cover was plastered on a circular stage surrounded by howling fans. "Annie are you OK?/ Are you OK Annie?" frontman Dryden Mitchell sang while the song's riotous soundtrack played in the background. Lending support, the rest of the band did its best to re-create Jackson's indecipherable crying ad libs.

City High, who were nominated this year in the Best Hip-Hop Video category for "What Would You Do," were backed by a DJ and a band for their performance. The trio were also supposed to be joined by mentor Wyclef Jean, but he missed the show. He's still mourning the death of his father, who passed away earlier this week.

"Rest in peace, Mr. Jean; rest in peace, Aaliyah," the trio said before they started a somber version of "What Would You Do." The New Jersey collective picked up the pace, singing the breakdown over an instrumental of Bubba Sparxxx's "Ugly." Eve, who was up for three VMAs, then walked through the crowd onto the stage for her guest spot on a remixed version of "Caramel."

Eve's entrance was upstaged minutes later when P. Diddy and members of his Bad Boy Family showed up at the Met atop an 18-wheeler with a surprise performance of "Bad Boy for Life."

(This story was updated at 1:35 a.m. ET Thursday, September 7, 2001.)

Catch all the sizzlin', star-packed VMA action direct from Miami on August 28. MTV News' preshow kicks things off at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT, followed by big show at 8 p.m.

Vote for the Viewer's Choice Award, see a timeline of MTV Video Music Awards history, and relive highlights of last year's event. And for more MTV Video Music Awards news, check out the MTV News VMA archive.

• Britney Spears
• Jay-Z
• Staind
• Jennifer Lopez
• Ja Rule

RZA performs at Riverbank State Park
Photo: Image Direct

NEW YORK — The RZA, Res, Blu Cantrell and City High braved the rain Tuesday in Harlem to kick off MTV's VMA Music week with a free concert in Riverbank State Park.

With the rain sputtering then picking back up, Res, who has just replaced Alicia Keys on the Maxwell tour, opened things up. Backed up by a live band, the 23-year-old Philadelphia native sang a few selections from her current LP, Ice King, as well as a soulful cover of Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9."

Using just a DAT, Blu Cantrell performed a short one-two punch set of the dramatic ballad "Till I'm Gone" and her hit, "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)," as the sun finally decided to show up.

City High raised the energy level by mixing hip-hop with their acclaimed R&B vocal skills. Freestyling over the beat to Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," group member Ryan Toby rhymed about the group's origins and introduced his partners Robby Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz.

The New Jersey collective, who often hit the stage with a band, opted for a DJ to perform cuts such as "City High Anthem," "Caramel" and its remix, where Ortiz sings in Spanish.

"We're representing peace and positivity," Pardlo said before the group went into its closer, the VMA-nominated "What Would You Do?" As finales often are, this was a highlight with the mostly pre-teen crowd, especially during the breakdown in the song where the group uses a piece of Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode."

The hip-hop vibe was thrust ahead full throttle when the show's headliner, Wu-Tang Clan's the RZA, took the stage. Flanked by members of Killarmy and the Black Knights, RZA started off by rhyming his verse to "Duck Seazon" off of the Wu-Tang Forever LP.

"It's Wu-Tang ni---, ain't nothing changed ni---, still shame on a ni--- ...," the Staten Island MC brashly rhymed on the mic.

He let out the heavy artillery with his verse from the riotous Wu-Tang classic "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit." Aware of all the child spectators, RZA tried to keep his explicit language to a minimum, eliminating "f---" and chanting "Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to buck with" on the chorus.

However, when it was time to transform into his alter ego, Bobby Digital, RZA — who released Digital Bullet under his alias last week — and his crew let the blue language fly during performances of Digital Bullet cuts "Must Be Bobby" and "Domestic Violence Part 2."

"Your friends ain't sh--, your wip ain't sh--, pocketbook ain't sh--" they chanted on "Domestic Violence" before RZA offered his apologies.

"Pardon our language," he said to the kids. "But you know your moms and pops be cursin' too. It's hip-hop."

RZA let it be known that not only his rap roots but his entire life's origins started in Brooklyn, segueing into another Digital Bullet cut, "Brooklyn Babies," for which he brought the track's guest star, Masta Killa, onstage.

"A Brooklyn baby I was born up in Kings County/ Seven months before the Queen found me," RZA rhymed over a synthesized track that gradually sped up and slowed back down as the song progressed.

The set's finale was RZA's current single, the Latin-flavored party song "La Rumba." Method Man, one of the track's three cameo performers, wasn't in attendance; the other two, Killa Sin and Beretta, were on hand to lend support to their mentor. Two bikini-clad female dancers joined them onstage.

At the end of the show, RZA stood onstage alone, reiterating that his performance was in fun. "I hope we ain't offend nobody," he said. "To all the kids, respect your parents and all that."

Neither the children nor their parents seemed to mind RZA's onstage antics, as chants of "Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang!" went out as he exited.

Catch all the sizzlin', star-packed VMA action direct from Miami on August 28. MTV News' preshow kicks things off at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT, followed by big show at 8 p.m.

Vote for the Viewer's Choice Award, see a timeline of MTV Video Music Awards history, and relive highlights of last year's event. And for more MTV Video Music Awards news, check out the MTV News VMA archive.

• RZA
• Blu Cantrell
• City High
• Res

• City High

• City High

City High: Top of Their Class

• City High