Coolio
Photo: Phillip Massey/ Getty Images

Rapper Coolio (born Artis Leon Ivey Jr.), was charged with possession of a cocaine base — a legal reference to crack cocaine — and battery on Tuesday (March 10), following his arrest on Friday after an alleged incident at the Los Angeles International Airport.

According to a press release issued by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, Coolio, 45, was arrested at LAX after "authorities searched his luggage and allegedly found cocaine. At one point, Ivey allegedly grabbed a screener's arm to prevent the search."

The rapper faces one felony count of possession of cocaine base, one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of possession of a smoking device. He was released on bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on April 3. If convicted in the case, the Grammy-winning "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper faces up to three years in state prison.

Coolio has not had a chart hit in nearly a decade, but his Web site is promoting an upcoming album titled From the Bottom 2 the Top. A spokesperson for the rapper could not be reached for comment at press time.

He has made a second career as an actor, appearing on "Charmed" and "Futurama" as well as a number of reality shows, including "Celebrity Fear Factor," "Celebrity Bootcamp" and the recent online cooking show, "Cookin' With Coolio." He starred last year, along with his family, in the Oxygen network reality show "Coolio's Rules" and was seen in the British "Celebrity Big Brother" program in January alongside such C-list celebrities as LaToya Jackson, buxom English pinup Lucy Pinder and Verne Troyer.

Coolio was in the news several weeks ago when, during a show at the Staffordshire University in England, he was reportedly robbed of his shoes and some jewels when crowdmembers mugged him after he dove off the stage and crashed to the floor when patrons parted and failed to catch him.

• Coolio

Coolio
Photo: Joe Fox/WireImage

Grammy-winning actor/rapper Coolio (born Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) was reportedly arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday afternoon and booked for possession of narcotics, according to Reuters.

The rapper and reality TV star, best known for his 1995 hit "Gangsta's Paradise," was going through airport security to get to his Southwest Airlines flight when a screener found crack cocaine on his body, TMZ reported.

Citing unnamed sources, TMZ reported that when confronted, Coolio allegedly got "physical" with the screener and was then booked for suspicion of cocaine possession.

The LAX Police Department released this statement on the incident: "At approximately 10:38 a.m., rap star 'Coolio,' real name Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., 45, was taken into custody for possession of illegal substance in Terminal 1. He is en route to the Pacific Division station for booking."

A spokesperson for the LAPD said they had no further information at press time on what substance the rapper was allegedly in possession of or if the potential charge is a felony or misdemeanor count.

Coolio has not had a chart hit in nearly a decade, but he has made a second career as an actor, appearing on "Charmed" and "Futurama," as well as a number of reality shows, including "Celebrity Fear Factor," "Celebrity Bootcamp" and the recent online cooking show, "Cookin' With Coolio." Last year, he and his family starred in the Oxygen network reality show "Coolio's Rules," and he was seen in the British "Celebrity Big Brother" program in January, alongside such C-list celebrities as LaToya Jackson, buxom English pinup Lucy Pinder and Verne Troyer.

Coolio was in the news several weeks ago, when he was robbed of his shoes and some jewels by members of the crowd after stage diving during his performance at Staffordshire University in England, according to the British tabloid the Daily Star.

• Coolio

After initially selecting the raunchy celebration of public affection "In Public" for her next single, Kelis has changed her mind. Her follow-up to the suggestive "Milkshake" will now be "Trick Me," a song about scorned love set to a ska-like beat from producer Dallas Austin. She's scheduled to shoot the video for the song at the end of February. ...

Turk was arraigned on charges of first-degree attempted murder Friday (January 30) in a Memphis courthouse, where he will return February 18 to enter his plea in a preliminary hearing. The Hot Boys rapper's bail was also reduced from $1 million to $750,000. ... After Fred Durst lambasted a Spanish journalist on the Limp Bizkit Web site for asking about his "knack for pissing people off" and then dared the writer to be "front and center" at next month's concert in Spain, the scribe shot back in an open letter to the Bizkit bigwig. While defending his line of questioning, Jordi Meya asked that Durst "prove [him] wrong by having an adult conversation, instead of trying to kick [his] ass when [he] comes to Spain." ...

Ryan Adams will undergo surgery this week to repair his left wrist, which he broke during a January 22 show in Liverpool, England. His North American tour, which was to run from March 2 in Columbia, Missouri, to March 26 in Denver, has been canceled. ... Rapper Mos Def will play the role of Ford Prefect in the upcoming flick "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," based on the novel by Douglas Adams about a man who is saved from the destruction of planet Earth by his best friend, who turns out to be an alien. Mos, who also starred in "The Italian Job" and "Monster's Ball," will start shooting in April. ...

He may not be the hunkiest musician on the block, but Elvis Costello knows the secret to making the ladies swoon, which he promises to share in a forthcoming book. His idea for the how-to book (as in "How to play guitar, sing loudly and impress girls ... or boys," as he says in the proposal) is based on the presumption that people need to take a more punk approach to learning music: "While I am not promoting musical illiteracy, it is my own experience that the rapid mastery of a few chords gives almost instant satisfaction and encouragement to the beginner. ... This in turn may actually inspire a curiosity to learn more about music, to train the ear to understand harmony ... and all the while basking in the admiring and occasionally lustful gaze of members of the opposite sex." ... Coolio is bringing his braids to TV both here and abroad. After losing his shirt on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," the rapper is set to get all alphabetic on comedienne Kathy Griffin and former "Cosby" kid Keshia Knight Pulliam on "Celebrity Spelling Bee," a three-part FOX series beginning February 13. He'll also participate in "Comeback — The Great Chance," a German TV show that pits artists past their prime against each other for a chance to record with an as-yet-unnamed superstar producer. ...

If you ever wanted to have the Offspring stage a concert in your living room, now you can — only problem is that the bandmembers are just three inches tall and may cause small children to choke. The Offspring collectible play set, which is already available in Japan, comes to these shores in a few months. Online orders are being taken at store.merch.com/offspring. ... Rancid's Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen will return to the studio in March to begin work on the as-yet-untitled follow-up to Frederiksen's 2001 side-project album, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. Armstrong produced, engineered and mixed that effort. Now on tour with Armstrong and the rest of Rancid, Frederiksen is slated to play with the Bastards at this summer's Vans Warped Tour. ...

Iggy Pop's hometown reunion show with his band the Stooges will be available on a DVD titled "Live in Detroit" on March 23. The proto-punk band's first Motor City show in nearly three decades took place August 25. ... Following in the footsteps of Prince, Metallica and most recently Jay-Z, the Dandy Warhols want to release a Black Album of their own. Comprised of never-before-released material they had recorded prior to releasing ... The Dandy Warhols Come Down in 1997, The Black Album will be combined with another LP of rarities, titled Come on Feel the Dandy Warhols. The band hopes to release the double-disc set in a few months exclusively on www.dandywarhols.com. ...

The Barenaked Ladies will launch a 32-date North American tour February 11 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The outing, which will feature Gavin DeGraw on the first half and Howie Day on the second, will wrap up April 1 in Calgary, Alberta. Before joining the Ladies, Day is touring with the Stereophonics beginning February 4 in Washington, D.C., and ending February 28 in San Francisco. ... Canadian chanteuse Sarah McLachlan will launch her first North American tour in five years on July 5 in Seattle. Dates run through September 10 in Vancouver, British Columbia. McLachlan will be touring behind her album Afterglow. On Monday, her new single, "Stupid," will ship to radio; a video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller. ...

Bad Religion are reissuing remixed and remastered versions of five of their early albums. The LPs, due April 6, will be accompanied by a DVD release of their 1990 home video, "Along the Way." ... For his next solo album, Grown Backwards, due March 15, former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne hummed into a tape recorder and cut up the sounds to create some of the songs. Singer Rufus Wainwright appears on the operatic track "Au Fond Du Temple." ...

01.28.2004

The Foo Fighters have been added to the performance lineup for the 46th annual Grammy Awards, while Hilary Duff, Faith Hill, B.B. King, Brian McKnight, Carlos Santana and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry are slated to present awards to the winners. Additionally, Alicia Keys, Celine Dion and Richard Marx will render a special performance in honor of R&B great Luther Vandross. The awards ceremony takes place February 8. 50 Cent, Christina Aguilera, Outkast and Justin Timberlake lead the crop of previously announced performers. ...

The lovefest between football players and rap stars continues down in Houston. On Thursday (January 29), P. Diddy will host the 10th annual EA Sports Madden Bowl, which pits celebrities against each other in a tournament-style, video-game football playoff. While players like Tony Gonzalez, Clinton Portis and Ahman Green make their virtual goal-line stands, such artists as Lil' Flip, Killer Mike and the X-ecutioners will be performing. ... Godfather of Soul James Brown was released from jail on his own recognizance Thursday, a day after he was arrested and charged with beating his wife. He's being accused of pushing his 33-year-old wife, Tomi Rae Brown, to the floor in their Beech Island, South Carolina, home. Brown's attorney said the charge won't affect the state pardon he received in May, which stemmed from a 1988 drug and assault conviction that cost him two and a half years behind bars, and another drug offense a decade later. ... Kid Rock is shooting a video for his next single, "Cold and Empty," next week in Los Angeles. The Malloys, whose credits include Blink-182's "First Date" and New Found Glory's "Head On Collision," will be directing. ...

Good Charlotte are expected hit the studio to begin work on their new album April 1 with producer Eric Valentine, the man behind the group's 2002 LP, The Young and the Hopeless. ... Ryan Adams claims that he may lose 20 percent of the movement in his wrist after breaking it during a show in Liverpool on January 22. In an interview with British music paper NME, Adams noted that he also injured his leg and smashed his face with the microphone when he fell from the stage. ... As unlikely as it may seem, a collaboration between the Darkness and Black Eyed Peas isn't beyond the realm of possibility. While both groups have been touring Australia and New Zealand on the Big Day Out Tour, which wraps up February 1, Darkness singer Justin Hawkins has been joining the hip-hop collective onstage for their song "Let's Get Retarded." BEP's Taboo, meanwhile, cited the heavy-handed British metalheads in an interview with Aussie outlet Undercover News as an act he'd like to work with for the Peas' fourth album, Monkey Business, due in November. ...

While gearing up for the Virgin College Tour this spring, Michelle Branch has chosen " 'Til I Get Over You" as the third single off Hotel Paper. The tune is expected to surface at radio in mid-February. ... Adding insult to injury, pop singer Daniel Bedingfield has been charged in New Zealand with careless use of a vehicle in the single-car accident that he suffered on January 2. The 24-year-old Bedingfield is still healing from neck injuries but will have to appear in court to answer the charge at a yet-to-be-determined date. ...

Folk legend Art Garfunkel might be fighting the drug-possession charge that stemmed from his bust on January 17, when a New York state trooper pulled his vehicle over for speeding and found marijuana in Garfunkel's jacket. His lawyer, who will not discuss the case, appeared in court on the singer's behalf Wednesday, but the case was adjourned until February 11. Garfunkel faces up to a $100 fine, barring any prior criminal convictions. ... After five years with Wilco, multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach has left the band for undisclosed reasons, according to a post on Wilco's site. Bach had played on 1999's Summerteeth and 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. His departure comes while Wilco are putting the finishing touches on their fifth album. ...

Fat Joe has started recording a second Terror Squad album, which will be released later in the year. Meanwhile, his protégé Tony Sunshine has nearly completed his debut. ... Joe is also one of several guests on Tony Touch's latest album, The Piece Maker 2, due February 24. P. Diddy (with Black Rob and G. Dep on "Non-Stop"), Sean Paul, Method Man (with Raekwon, U-God and RZA on "Rock Steady"), N.O.R.E. and Slick Rick are among the other collaborators. ...

Norah Jones is featured on a new album from her former collective, Wax Poetic. Titled Nublu Sessions, the project is due February 10, the same day as Jones' own Feels Like Home. ... Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien and his girlfriend, Susan, are the proud parents of a new son, Salvador O'Brien. The couple returned from a hospital in England on January 26 with the nine-pound baby, their first. ...

Cypress Hill are shooting a video this week for "What's Your Number," the Clash-sampled first single off their forthcoming album, Till Death Do Us Part. Directed by Dean Karr (Queens of the Stone Age, Marilyn Manson), the clip takes place in a club where Cypress Hill are performing and stars S.T.U.N. drummer Bobby Alt. ... Although the Polyphonic Spree are just starting to catch fire with their 2-year-old debut, The Beginning Stages Of ..., the 24-piece symphonic ensemble has already recorded its follow-up, Together We're Heavy. The album is due this summer. ...

"Live on the Road With the Dropkick Murphys," the band's first DVD, gives fans a feel for what three months in a bus with the Boston punk band is like. Due March 9, the DVD features more than four hours of material, including all of the group's videos. And if there were any question about the DKM's Irish roots, the band will play five sold-out shows in its Boston hometown in the four days leading up to St. Patrick's Day. ... Sparta's yet-untitled second record, the follow-up to 2002's Wiretap Scars, is tentatively scheduled for release in early May. The disc was produced by Mike Major and is being mixed by Andy Wallace. ...

Tears for Fears have set an April 6 release date for their reunion album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending. The first single, "Closest Thing to Heaven," will hit radio outlets on February 9. ... Air will promote Talkie Walkie, released Tuesday, with a North American tour beginning April 2 in Austin, Texas, and ending May 3 in Oakland, California. On May 2 the duo will play the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. ...

Bob Dylan has booked 10 shows for March, and many more will be announced in the days ahead. The tour starts March 1 with the first of a three-night run in St. Louis. Dylan will also play three concerts in Detroit, starting March 15. The last scheduled date is March 19 in Toronto. ... Dashboard Confessional, Stevie Wonder, the Strokes, Jewel and Counting Crows will play benefit shows at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California, between February 5 and 7. Proceeds will go to the VH1 Save the Music organization. The concert series is being called Blues Jam Sessions, and all shows are already sold out. ...

While C-Murder waits to find out whether he'll get a new murder trial, a wrongful-death suit waits for him in the wings. A judge in the civil case has ruled that the convicted rapper will be required to give a deposition. Trey Mustain, a lawyer representing the parents of slain teen Steve Thomas, said that he anticipates C-Murder will assert his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and refuse to answer any questions, at which point he'll have to go back to the court to compel answers to questions not covered by the Fifth. A date for the deposition has not yet been set. ... Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Krayzie Bone is preparing to release his third solo album this spring. The as-yet-untitled effort is the follow-up to 2001's Thug on Da Line. ...

Tantric have pushed back the release of their second album, After We Go, from February 10 to February 24. Alongside the single "Hey Now," four other new songs can be streamed on the band's Web site, www.maverick.com/tantric/. ... "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" star Lindsay Lohan contributes four songs to the flick's soundtrack, among them a medley that combines her "Don't Move" with Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" and David Bowie's "Changes." Simple Plan's acoustic rendering of "Perfect" is also one of the highlights of the soundtrack, due February 17. The film, about a New York girl transplanted to suburban New Jersey, hits theaters February 20. ...

The cola wars have come to cyberspace. Days before Pepsi's TV ad announcing a promotion with iTunes is scheduled to premiere during the Super Bowl, Coke revealed that it, too, has struck a deal with a download site, MusicMatch. While the Pepsi ad features a number of teenagers snagged in the recording industry's web to catch illegal downloaders and offers contest winners free downloads on the Apple service, it's not yet known what the Coke-MusicMatch deal will entail, only that it's for the company's Sprite brand. ...

• Kelis
• Turk
• Limp Bizkit
• Mos Def
• Elvis Costello

Papa Roach are looking for an unknown band to play a show with them at the Rock the Rockies show on January 25 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Following an online vote to narrow the choices, Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix and a panel of music executives will choose the band to open the show at the Steamboat Ski Resort. ...

The Los Angeles all-star band Camp Freddy (Jane's Addiction/ ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro, former Cult bassist Billy Morrison, ex-Guns N' Roses/ Cult drummer Matt Sorum and singer Donovan Leitch) were joined by an impressive list of guests for their pre-Halloween show at the Ivar bar Wednesday night. Sitting in on covers of songs by David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Queen were Rolling Stone Ron Wood, ex-GN'R guitarist Slash, Puddle of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin, Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, ex-Marilyn Manson bassist Twiggy Ramirez, Macy Gray and Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti. ...

It really isn't over until it's over. The Fox network is developing a reality series for next summer tentatively called "Second Chance," which will give former pop stars a chance to perform in front of a panel of judges in an attempt to regain their idol status. "American Idol" producer Simon Fuller will, of course, be behind the show, whose launch is dependent on which fallen idols creators can get to sign up, according to a Fox spokesperson. ... Once they've wrapped dates opening for Box Car Racer and completed a string of December radio shows, the Used will hit the road again for a North American headlining tour in January. The dates are scheduled to begin with a January 3 date in Salt Lake City and are currently scheduled to run through a January 20 show in Seattle. ...

Jewel recently spent a few days writing songs with hot producer Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love) that may end up on the Alaskan songstress' next album. The pair first hooked up for a cover of the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit "Sweet Home Alabama" for the soundtrack to the Reese Witherspoon film of the same name. ...

With three cosmonauts on board, the Soyuz rocket blasted off from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday and docked with the International Space Station on Friday. Lance Bass was supposed to be on board as well, but after failing to come up with the Russian space agency's $20 million fee, he was replaced by a professional cosmonaut. ... Coolio embarked on his third USO tour on Friday and will visit U.S. troops stationed in the Balkans until November 10. The rapper, whose El Cool Magnifico was released October 15, will perform free shows and sign autographs for soldiers. ...

10.30.02

It's not a gag. Limp Bizkit have set April Fool's Day as a tentative release date for their new Rick Rubin-produced album. ... Jimmy Fallon will open for the Strokes on six dates of the New York band's current tour, beginning November 22 in Boca Raton, Florida. Fallon's first album, The Bathroom Wall, was released in August. ... He's scooped up Grammys and Moonmen and he's tipped for an Oscar, but believe it not, Eminem has never snagged the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart — until this week, according to his label. "Lose Yourself," from the "8 Mile" soundtrack, gave the rapper his first #1 single, knocking Nelly and Kelly Rowland's "Dilemma" from the top spot. ...

Nü-metal architect Ross Robinson will produce the next record from the Cure. It will be released next year by ArtistDirect. ... You've heard Snoop Dogg put his stamp on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," but what if the big Dogg could make the whole Internet speak his language? See what a Snoopified Web might look like by visiting http://capitolrecords.com/snoopdogg/shizzolator/ and typing in the address of a site you'd like to see shizzolated. ... It'll be "Sk8er Boi" meets the "Witchy Woman" when Avril Lavigne makes an appearance on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" November 15. The tie-tethered tart will perform her current single in a club on the episode, directed by Anson Williams, better known as Potsie of "Happy Days" fame. ... Mark your calendars, but be sure to use a pencil. The new release date for We're a Happy Family, the long-awaited Ramones tribute album spearheaded by Rob Zombie, is March 18, following previous due dates in August, November and December. ...

Drummer Bobby Hewitt has quit Orgy and joined Snake River Conspiracy, who are working on landing a new record deal. The band's new three-song demo features "Shut Up," "Methlahem" and "Not Long for This World." ... World Champion Anaheim Angels first baseman Scott Spiezio will have some impressive company when his hard-rocking band, Sandfrog, play Fox Sports Net's "The Best Damn Sports Show Period!" on Friday. With his regular lineup unavailable, Spiezio is bringing in some ringers, including ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde, former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez and ex-White Zombie drummer John Tempesta. ... Rocker Joan Jett filed a lawsuit Wednesday against producers of the film "Prey for Rock & Roll," claiming she has been paid only $20,000 of the $100,000 fee she was promised for filming a cameo in the film and contributing to its soundtrack. The movie, about an all-girl rock band called Clam Dandy trying to make it in the late-'80s L.A. club scene, stars Gina Gershon and "Sopranos" actress Drea de Matteo. ...

• Puddle Of Mudd
• Papa Roach
• Jewel
• Jane's Addiction
• Coolio

LL Cool J is hard as hell, and he's celebrating a feat that's hard as hell: the release of his 10th album, simply and appropriately entitled 10.

Uncle L's album features tracks produced by the Neptunes and longtime collaborators the Trackmasters plus guest spots by P. Diddy, Amerie and Dru Hill.

Country cutie Faith Hill issues Cry alongside some other ladies' releases, including Tracy Chapman's Let It Rain and Lisa Loeb's Hello Lisa.

The Ramones' Loud Fast Ramones: Their Toughest Hits includes the usual suspects "Blitzkreig Bop," "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "Rock and Roll High School" plus a whopping 27 other knuckle-popping tracks, while underground MC Paul Barman releases a decidedly less threatening Paullelujah!

Also out this week is Red Hot + Riot!, an album dedicated to fighting AIDS in Africa and around the world, featuring D'Angelo, Sade, Femi Kuti, Dead Prez and many others.

Finally, Tuesday sees the return of Coolio with his first new album since 1997 called El Cool Magnifico which, of course, roughly translates to "silly title."

Out Tuesday, October 15:

• Abscess - Through the Cracks of Death (Peaceville)
• The All-American Rejects - The All-American Rejects (Doghouse)
• The Aluminum Group - Happyness (Wishing Tree)
• Bill Anderson - No Place Like Home on Christmas (Varèse Vintage)
• Arkestra One - Arkestra One (ESL)
• Bad Astronaut - Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem (Honest Don's)
• Berzerker - Dissimulate (Earache)
• The Blasters - Trouble Bound (HighTone)
• Bond - Shine (Decca)
• Botch - Anthology of Dead Ends (Hydra Head)
• Brian Bromberg - Jaco (A440)
• Campfire Girls - Delongpre (Tornado)
• Terri Lynne Carrington - Jazz Is a Spirit (ACT)
• Cave In - Tides of Tomorrow (EP, Hydra Head/RCA)
• Tracy Chapman - Let It Rain (Elektra)
    
• Tammy Cochran - Life Happened (Epic)
• Joe Cocker - Sheffield Steel (Extra Tracks, Island)
• Deborah Coleman - Soul Be It! (Blind Pig)
• Coolio - El Cool Magnifico (D3)
• Cordero - Lamb Lost in the City (Daemon)
• COS - Siccmade Rituals (Siccmade Muzicc)
• Deride - First Round Knockout (The Music Cartel)
• DJ Touche - Journeys by DJ: Ultraviolet (Journeys by DJ)
• Hilary Duff - Santa Claus Lane (Walt Disney)
• El Da Sensei - Relax, Relate, Release (Seven Heads)
• Edition Terranova - Hitchhicking Non-Stop With No Particular Destination (!K7 Records)
• Fairline Parkway - Fairline Parkway (Lazyline)
• Fatboy Slim - Big Beach Boutique II (Southern Fried)
• Fleetwood Mac - Very Best of (Rhino)
• Fleetwood Mac - Vintage Years Live (Red Ink)
• Garageland - Scorpio Righting (Food Chain)
• Dana Glover - Testimony (DreamWorks)
• Gospel Gangstaz - Exodus (Native)
• Faith Hill - Cry (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Faith Hill Gets Ready For A Good Cry"
• Dave Hollister - Things in the Game Done Changed (Motown) Hopesfall - The Satellite Years (Trustkill)
• INXS - Best of (Rhino)
• INXS - Kick (expanded, Rhino)
• INXS - Welcome to Wherever You Are (expanded, Rhino)
• INXS - X (expanded, Rhino)
• Keith Jarrett Trio - Always Let Me Go (ECM)
• Jets to Brazil - Perfecting Loneliness (Jade Tree)
• Cledus T. Judd - Cledus Navidad (Monument)
• Kane & Abel - The Last Ones Left (Entertainment Solutions/D3)
• Kenoly Brothers - No Distance (Acts 26)
• Natalia M. King - Milagro (Sunnyside)
• Knockout - Searching for Solid Ground (Fearless)
• Gerald Levert - The G Spot (Elektra)
• LL Cool J - 10 (Def Jam)
  Read: "LL Cool J Has No Butterflies, Gives Ladies Extra Love In New Video"
    
• Charles Lloyd - Lift Every Voice (2 CDs, ECM)
• Lisa Loeb - Hello Lisa (Artemis)
• Los Pacaminos - Los Pacaminos (Tornado)
• Madrid de los Austrias - Amor (Provider/:\ run)
• Martini Bros - Play (Turbo Recordings)
• MC Paul Barman - Paullelujah! (Coup D'Etat)
• Meat Beat Manifesto - RUOK? (Lakeshore)
• David Meece - There I Go Again (Aluminum)
• Mighty Mighty Bosstones/Madcap - Mighty Mighty Bosstones/Madcap (EP, Chunksaah)
• Buddy Miller - Midnight and Lonesome (HighTone)
• My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult - Elektrik Inferno Live (Underground Inc.)
• Jason Mraz - Waiting for My Rocket to Come (Elektra)
• Neurosis - Live in Lyon (Neurot)
• One Man Army - Rumors and Headlines (BYO)
• Pele - Enemies (Polyvinyl)
• Pentagram - Turn to Stone (Peaceville)
• Bill Perry - Crazy Kind of Life (Blind Pig)
• Plus One - Christmas (Atlantic)
• Ralph Dog - Afflictions (Bomb Hip Hop)
• The Ramones - Loud Fast Ramones: Their Toughest Hits (Rhino)
• Ship of Fools - Let's Get This Mother Outta Here (Peaceville)
• Slow Gherkin - Run Screaming (Asian Man)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road (SCI Fidelity)
• Sugarman 3 - Pure Cane Sugar (Daptone)
• Swedish Egil - Presents Telica (Thump)
• Taproot - Welcome (Atlantic)
    
• Asmus Tietchens - Gamma-Menge (EFA-CAR)
• Titiyo - Come Along (Extra Tracks, Lava)
• Amon Tobin - Out from Out Where (Ninja Tune)
• Trance Allstars - Synergy Vol. 2 ? The Story Continues (Ultra)
• The Ukrainians - Respublika (Omnium)
• Various artists - 666: A Double Dose of Maiden (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Chillout Tribute to Pink Floyd (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Christmas on the Mountain: A Bluegrass Christmas (Universal South)
• Various artists - The Ethereal Tribute to U2 (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Extra Yard (Big Dada)
• Various artists- For Those About to Rawk - A Punk Tribute to AC/DC (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - "Jackass" soundtrack (American)
  Read: "Andrew W.K., Slayer, Ramones On 'Jackass' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - "Jacked Up" soundtrack (Penalty)
• Various artists - Pickin' on George Strait Vol. 2 (CMH)
• Various artists - Pickin' on Kenny Chesney (CMH)
• Various artists - Progressive UK Session Vol. 1 (Water Music)
• Various artists - A Punk Tribute to the Clash (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Radio Disney Holiday Jams, Vol. 2 (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Red Hot + Riot!(MCA)
  Read: "Macy Gray, D'Angelo, More Tribute Fela Kuti"
• Various artists Samedi: Mood Music for Saturdays After Dark (Water)
• Various artists - State of E:motion Vol. 10 - The EFA Dance Department (EFA-CAR)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Madonna (Vitamin)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Nine Inch Nails (Vitamin)
• Various artists - "Swept Away" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Cher Vol. 2 (Big Eye)
• Various artists - "The Truth About Charlie" soundtrack (Epic)
• Various artists - Turbo Studio Sessions Vol. 3 (Turbo Recordings)
• Walt "The Wizzard" Williams - Insight of a Wizzard (Big Waad)
• Yakuza - Way of the Dead (Century Media)
• Frank Zappa - Zappa Picks by Jon Fishman of Phish (Rykodisc)
• Frank Zappa - Zappa Picks by Larry LaLonde of Primus (Rykodisc)
• Warren Zevon - Genius: The Best of (Rhino)
  Read: "Singer Warren Zevon Terminally Ill"

October 22:

• 3LW - A Girl Can Mack (Sony)
  Read: "Remaining 3LW Pair Too Busy To Hold Auditions For New Member"
    
• Adema - Insomniac's Dream (EP, Arista)
• The Donnas - Spend the Night (Atlantic)
• Foo Fighters - One by One (RCA)
  Read: "Foo Fighters Cross The Rock Line On One By One
    
• Kelly Rowland - Simply Deep (Columbia)
  Read: "Kelly Rowland Moves Into 'Leave It To Beaver' House"
    
• Saint Etienne - Finisterre (Mantra/Beggars)
• Santana - Shaman (Arista)
  Read: "Michelle Branch Plays Romantic 'Game' With Santana"
    Buy Now: Shaman (Arista)
• SR-71 - Tomorrow (RCA)
• Various artists - Metal Blade 20th Anniversary (Metal Blade)
• Various artists - "Paid in Full" soundtrack (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
• WC - Ghetto Heisman (Def Jam) Read: "WC Goes For The Ghetto Heisman With Help From Scarface, Cube, Snoop"

• Christina Aguilera - Stripped (RCA)
  Read: "Christina Aguilera: Not Your Puppet"
    
• Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (Epic)
  Read: "Tori Amos Writes Scarlet Letters, Draws Tour Map">
    
• Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Thug World Order (Epic)
• Nick Carter - Now or Never (Jive)
  Read: "Nick Carter Album A Trip Back To The '80s"
• Nirvana - Nirvana (Geffen) Read: "Courtney Love, Universal Reach Agreement; Nirvana Material Freed Up For Release"
• Shaggy - Lucky Day (MCA)
    
• Sigur Ros - Untitled (MCA)
• Too Short - What's My Favorite Word? (Jive)
  Read: Too Short Gets Serious (About Pimpin') On New Album"
• Various artists - "8 Mile" soundtrack (Shady/Aftermath) Read: "Eminem Writes From Rabbit's Perspective For '8 Mile' Album"
• Various artists - Irv Gotti Presents ... The Remixes (Murder Inc./Def Jam)
  Read: "Irv Gotti Shooting Ja Rule, Bobby Brown, Charli; Reveals Remixes List"

• Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed the Fish? (Artistdirect)
• Björk - Björk's Greatest Hits (Elektra)
• Björk - Family Tree (Elektra)
• David Cross - Shut Up, You F---ing Baby! (Sub Pop) Read: "David Cross Says Shut Up, You F---ing Baby! With Sub Pop's Help"
• David Gray - A New Day at Midnight (ATO)
  Read: "In Bed With Your Daughter? No Thanks, Says David Gray"
• Ms. Jade - Girl Interrupted (Beat Club/Interscope)
  Read: "Ms. Jade, Nelly Furtado Battle Timbaland On Video Set"
• Jaheim - Still Ghetto (Divine Mill/Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Jaheim Shooting For 10 Million With Still Ghetto"
• Jay-Z - The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) Blueprint 2"
• Third Eye Blind - Crystal Baller (Elektra)
  Read: "Third Eye Blind Recruit Fred Durst, Andrew W.K. For Third Album"
• Justin Timberlake - Justified (Jive)
  Read: "Dirty South Pop: Timberlake Teams Up With Bubba Sparxxx"
• Twista - Kamikaze (Atlantic)
  Read: "Twista Finishing His Kamikaze, Playing Mickey And Mallory With Lil' Kim"
• U2 - U2 - The Best of 1990-2000 (Interscope)
• The Wallflowers - Red Letter Days (Interscope)

• 3 Doors Down - Away From the Sun (Universal)
• Crazy Town - Darkhorse (Columbia)
  Read: "Crazy Town Take On All Comers With Darkhorse"
• Fat Joe - Loyalty (Atlantic)
  Read: "Fat Joe Won't Dance With Ginuwine, But Records With R. Kelly"
• Kool G Rap - The Giancana Story (Rawkus/Koch)
  Read: "Kool G Rap LP Finally On The Way, Capone-N-Noreaga, Michael Stipe Included"
• O-Town - O2 (J)
  Read: "O2 Gives Members Of O-Town Room To Breathe, Write"
   Buy Now: O2 (J)
• Pearl Jam - Riot Act (Epic)
  Read: "Pearl Jam Finalize Riot Act, Plan More Live Albums"
• Saliva - Back Into Your System (Island)
  Read: "Saliva Shoot Down Domestic Abuse On New Single 'Always' "
• TLC - 3D (Arista)
  Read: "TLC Album Preview: 3D Tributes Left Eye With Sass, Spunk, Silence"
• Various artists - "Die Another Day" soundtrack (Warner Bros.)
  Read: Madonna Escapes Electric Chair, Engages In Deadly Duel"

• Audioslave - Audioslave (Epic)
  Read: "Rage/Cornell Project To Release Album In November"
• Toni Braxton - More Than a Woman (Arista)
  Read: "Toni Braxton Working With Gotti, Neptunes, Husband On New LP"
    Buy Now: More Than a Woman (Arista)
• Foxy Brown - Ill Na Na 2: The Fever (Def Jam)
  Read: "P. Diddy In Director's Chair For Ill Na Na 2"
• Craig David - Slicker Than Your Average (Atlantic) Read: "Craig David Plays Willy Wonka In 'Flava' Video"
• George Harrison - Brainwashed (Dark Horse/Capitol)
• Ja Rule - The Last Temptation (Murder Inc./Def Jam)
  Read: Ja Rule, Bobby Brown Team Up For 'Thug Lovin' "
• Nas - God's Son (Columbia)
  Read: "Nas Sets Release For God's Son, Pooh-Poohs Jay-Z's Challenge"
• Matchbox Twenty - More Than You Think You Are (Atlantic)
• Mudvayne - The End of All Things to Come (Epic)
  Read: "Mudvayne Reach The End With New Album"

• Baby - The Birdman (Cash Money)
  Read: "Cash Money's Baby Makes Video Plans With P. Diddy, Toni Braxton"
• DJ Envy - Block Party (Epic)
• Jennifer Lopez - This Is Me ... Then (Epic)
  Read: "J. Lo Sets Release Date For LP After Song Leaks Out"
• Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected? (Island)
  Read: "Sum 41 Ask, Does This Look Infected?"
• Various artists - "Chicago" soundtrack (Epic)
  Read: "Janet Jackson To Appear On LP With Mya ... And Richard Gere"

• Charli Baltimore - The Diary (You Think You Know)(Murder Inc./Def Jam)
  Read: "Charli Baltimore's Working All Night And Needs Pink"
• Dashboard Confessional - Unplugged 2.0 (Vagrant)

• Mariah Carey - TBD (MonarC/Island/Def Jam)
  Read: "Mariah Carey Insists She Just Needed Sleep, Taps Family History For New Clip"

• LL Cool J
• Faith Hill
• Taproot
• The Ramones
• Coolio

Jennifer Garner in "Daredevil"
Photo: 20th Century Fox

Fox made fanboy dreams a reality on Monday by releasing the first glimpse of Jennifer Garner as Elektra on the set of "Daredevil."

Fans of the long-running comic book of the same name have been salivating for weeks at the prospect of seeing the "Alias" star in costume. (Click here for photos.)

"I've been in the suit, and I've been kicking ass," Garner told MTV's "Movie House" guest reporter Rob Zombie. Zombie was the first member of the press allowed on the super-secretive "Daredevil" set, for a "Movie House" segment that premieres Tuesday. "I'm a ninja, as in 'turtle,' " she joked.

Ben Affleck will star as Daredevil, a blind hero who uses extrasensory powers and martial arts to fight crime at night while working as attorney Matt Murdock by day. Garner, who came to prominence first on "Felicity" and later as the star of "Alias," is Elektra, a love interest for Daredevil who happens to be a ninja assassin. Elektra is also a major player in her own right, having been spun off from the Daredevil comic to headline her own titles from time to time.

"I wish I had read 'Elektra' when I was younger," Garner said. "I think she's strong and cool and beautiful and smart. She'd be a good role model — until she turns into an assassin for hire and a hooker. But that's down the road. [In the movie] she's still pretty dignified."

"Daredevil" co-stars Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Scorpion King") as the villainous Kingpin, Jon Favreau ("Swingers") as Matt Murdock's buddy Foggy Nelson and Colin Farrell ("Hart's War") as the costumed assassin Bullseye.

The movie also boasts an appearance by Coolio and a quick cameo by filmmaker Kevin Smith ("Clerks"). Smith scripted the "Daredevil" comic book for several issues. Incidentally, it was Affleck's introduction to a collection of Smith's "Daredevil" stories that originally caught the eye of "Daredevil" film director Mark Steven Johnson.

"Daredevil" is the latest Marvel Comics property to head for the big screen, following "X-Men," the record-breaking "Spider-Man" and "The Hulk," which is currently in production.

A Valentine's Day 2003 release is scheduled for "Daredevil."

• Coolio

Coolio
Photo: MTV News

When are fans gonna hear sumpin' new from Coolio?

Soon, according to the rapper, who made a surprise appearance at the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards to explain where he's been the past few years: "I've been in the lab, man."

His fourth album, Coolio2002.com, is scheduled for a June release and will be "hot," Coolio promised. "I ended up doing so many songs that I had a lot of stuff to pick from. I've basically got an album full of singles."

The disc will include an updated version of "The Gambler" called "The Hustler" that Coolio recorded in 1998 with Kenny Rogers. The unlikely pair also shot a video that Coolio said may finally see the light of day (see "Coolio Films Two Videos In L.A.").

Coolio has also collaborated with Cypress Hill's B-Real and producers the Trackmasters (Jay-Z, Ludacris) and plans to record a song with Snoop Dogg. "I also got a four-piece band that I rock with that plays behind me," he said. "My whole thing is a little bit different now. My flows are polished."

Along with Coolio2002.com, the rapper has formed a collective called the Replacements.

"It's a five-man group, kind of like, for lack of a better description, let's just say a West Coast Wu-Tang, but different in sound and structure," Coolio explained. "One of them is my nephew, the other cat was a freestyle champion here at a club called Elements for about a year, nobody could take him down. He finally retired, undefeated. And another cat by the name Dre Infinite, he actually used to be a rapper, probably a few less years than me. Mobillini is probably the newest cat. He's got a Southern drawl. He's actually from Baton Rouge."

Outside of rapping (and appearing on "The Weakest Link"), Coolio has been acting. He's appeared mostly in low-budget movies, though he just shot scenes for "Daredevil," an action movie starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner based on the popular Marvel comic book series.

"It's something that came kind of naturally, so it was an easy transition," Coolio said. "Acting is all about timing. I mean, who has better timing than the MCs?"

• Coolio

De La Soul
Photo: Mo Daoud

Rumors of Tommy Boy's demise, it seems, have been exaggerated.

"We just opened the new doors at Tommy Boy on Monday," label founder Tom Silverman said on Thursday. However, the company — which was built largely on the strength of hip-hop acts such as De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Digital Underground and Coolio — has sold most of its sonic assets and is shifting its focus to its other strength, dance music.

Warner Music Group, Tommy Boy's longtime partner, acquired the 21-year-old label's recorded music and music publishing catalogs for a little over $10 million, along with the majority of its hip-hop roster: De La Soul and Prince Paul are going to Elektra, while Tony Touch, Coo Coo Cal and Everlast are headed to Warner Bros.

"It was either buy or sell for either party," Silverman explained. "Based on the economy and where we were and where Warner was and where the contract was, it worked out best for us if we sell. When I did that, they bought the company, but they left me the name and some of the artists. We're taking all the dance acts and [Memphis MC] Indo."

Amber, Thunderpuss and Masters at Work are among the dance artists who'll stay under the Tommy Boy banner, while Silverman will remain Tommy Boy's CEO. Despite the multimillion-dollar payoff, he couldn't retire from the music biz — it's in his blood.

"I love it too much," he explained. "That's what I'm into. It's what I've been doing for 22 years. It's what I really like to do. The hip-hop business really changed and became very expensive and risky and not as profitable. I saw that coming a while back, so I created a company that's much smaller, under 20 people. We can make money selling 125,000 records or less. We can make money selling 50,000 records if we're real careful about our spending. With a small company, we can be more creative and have more fun and not be caught up in bureaucracy."

Although he's frustrated at what he calls a stale time in rap, he's hoping to once again break a superstar act but is going to be "very selective" in his search.

"I'm still interested in hip-hop, but I want the next sh--," he said. "I want something that's gonna take it somewhere fresh if I'm gonna get behind it. I can't compete with Def Jam, it doesn't make sense. That's a no-win game."

At one point, Silverman could not lose, putting out records by acts such as hip-hop godfather Afrika Bambaataa and Stetsasonic in the mid '80s. But it was his late 80's and early 90's run that put Tommy Boy in the annals: Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, Coolio, House of Pain and Digital Undergound were all introduced to the world by Silverman.

"I think Tommy Boy is a hip-hop icon in itself," Naughty's Vinnie said of the label. "They were groundbreaking and one of the first labels to step up for hip-hop like that. Coolio, Digital Underground, all of them, it was all love [between us]. It wasn't a cutthroat kind of thing. We were fighting for each other, because it was an intimate situation."

"We were hip-hop history, and unfortunately a lot of hip-hop is history at this point," Silverman said. "I'm interested in hip-hop only if it can reinvent the future, not if it's a reflection of the past. Much of the hip-hop that's out there right now is closer to what mainstream R&B was in 1981 — when we started — than the true essence of hip-hop."

• De La Soul
• Naughty By Nature
• Digital Underground
• Coolio

"How High" thespian Method Man is set to appear on the NBC series "Third Watch" as a gang leader who wants revenge against the Russian mob. The first of Meth's three appearances will be February 25 on part one of an episode titled "Superheroes." ... The Strokes' Is This It came in second to Bob Dylan's Love and Theft for Album of the Year in the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll, which hit streets Wednesday (February 13). A point-based poll of 622 music journalists nationwide determined Björk's Vespertine as the year's third best LP, while the White Stripes' White Blood Cells and Radiohead's Amnesiac occupy the #4 and #5 slots, respectively. Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" was deemed the top single by an overwhelming margin over the place horse, Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood" (a complete list can be found at www.villagevoice.com). ...

Turntablists the X-ecutioners, political rappers the Coup and human orchestra Kenny Muhammad will embark on the inaugural 20-date Adrenaline Tour on April 3 in Austin, Texas. The outing pairs musical performances with the Adrenaline Theater Film Festival, sneak previews of the latest action sports movies. ... Cutthroat game show "The Weakest Link" is rounding up your favorite acts from days of yore for an all-star edition set to air in April. Various charities will depend on Coolio, Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe, Sheila E, Deborah Gibson, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Edwin McCain, occasional Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and country singer Lila McCann to win them some money. ...

Sheryl Crow threw herself a star-studded 40th birthday party at the El Rey Theatre Monday night, according to the Los Angeles Times. Crow performed some songs from her forthcoming C'Mon C'Mon album for guests such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Dwight Yoakam and some actual, paying fans. ... Michael Jackson, Sting and Barry Manilow will be inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13. Movie theme specialist Randy Newman and husband-and-wife team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson will join them in being honored at 33rd annual induction dinner at New York City's Sheraton Hotel. ...

Prince will be popping with a mini tour next month. He's lined up six dates in support of last year's The Rainbow Children starting March 1 in Saginaw, Michigan, and ending March 10 in Cleveland. ... Progedelic Welsh band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci kick off a 12-date North American jaunt on February 27 in Los Angeles and hit Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit and more before closing up March 13 in New York City. ... Following their stint on the SnoCore Rock Tour, Local H will play a dozen Midwest and West Coast shows to promote their fourth album, Here Comes the Zoo, due March 5. The trek begins March 6 in Milwaukee and wraps March 23 in Denver. ... Nils Lofgren, the longtime guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, will release his 11th solo album, Breakaway Angel, in mid-March. The record includes "Driftin' Man," which Lofgren co-wrote with Lou Reed. ...

02.12.02

"Don't Let Me Get Me," the second video from Pink's Missundaztood, will premiere on February 16. Plans for a spring tour are in the works, according to Pink's spokesperson. ... Adema were forced to drop off the Projekt: Revolution bill for at least three shows following an unspecified family emergency. Monday night's show in Lowell, Massachusetts, featured only Cypress Hill, Linkin Park and DJ Z-Trip, and the lineup will be the same for Tuesday (February 12)'s gig in Fairfax, Virginia, and Wednesday's performance in Philadelphia. ...

U2 won Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production in the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, which were presented February 9 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Other winners included Alicia Keys (Best New Artist Tour), George, Washington's the Gorge (Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue), Los Angeles' Greek Theatre (Red Rocks Award for Best Small Outdoor Venue), Dallas' American Airlines Center (Best New Major Concert Venue), Los Angeles' Staples Center (Arena of the Year) and Las Vegas' the Joint (Nightclub Venue of the Year). ... Our Lady Peace lead the list of nominees for this year's Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent to the Grammys, with five nominations, followed by Nickelback and Leonard Cohen with four and Sum41 with three. Nickelback, Sum41, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette and Nelly Furtado will be among the performers at the Juno Awards ceremony April 14 in St. John's, Newfoundland. ...

N.E.R.D., the hip-hop group comprising superproducers the Neptunes and rapper Shay, put a modern-day funk spin on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the Hype Williams-directed video for their next single, "Rock Star." The trio's debut album, In Search Of ... is due March 12. ... Speaking of Hype Williams, the director will release "The Hype Williams Video Collection" on VHS and DVD on April 30. The collection features 10 of Williams' vintage clips for the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Craig Mack, LL Cool J, Ja Rule, Jay-Z and Nas, with the DVD boasting bonus features such as running commentary by Williams, a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a shoot and interviews. ... Donnie Wahlberg, the ruffneck member of late-'80s boy band extraordinaire New Kids on the Block, may get another chance to work his acting chops on the small screen. Having surprised critics with subtle turns in films such as "The Sixth Sense" and "Ransom" and HBO's "Band of Brothers," rapper-turned-actor "Marky" Mark's big bro has been cast as a detective in the pilot for the NBC cop drama "Boomtown," according to The Hollywood Reporter. ...

Sting's 2002 Rainforest Benefit Concert will take place at New York's Carnegie Hall on April 13, with a lineup to be announced in the coming weeks. Ticket prices range from $150 for a single rear balcony seat to $50,000, which covers a private first tier box that seats 16, two backstage passes, two reserved tables at the party, acknowledgement in the evening's program, Rainforest Foundation membership, and 16 concert mementos. ... Mick Jagger recently shot the video for "Visions of Paradise," the second single from his album, Goddess in the Doorway, with director Dave Meyers (Janet Jackson, Dave Matthews Band). Actress Jennifer Jimenez ("Blow") stars. ... Bonnie Raitt will launch a three-month tour on March 30 in Madison, Wisconsin, to promote her upcoming 16th album, Silver Lining, due April 9. She will perform her latest single, "I Can't Help You Now," on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on April 24.

• Method Man
• The Strokes
• Bob Dylan
• The White Stripes
• Björk

"How High" thespian Method Man is set to appear on the NBC series "Third Watch" as a gang leader who wants revenge against the Russian mob. The first of Meth's three appearances will be February 25 on part one of an episode titled "Superheroes." ... The Strokes' Is This It came in second to Bob Dylan's Love and Theft for Album of the Year in the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll, which hit streets Wednesday (February 13). A point-based poll of 622 music journalists nationwide determined Björk's Vespertine as the year's third best LP, while the White Stripes' White Blood Cells and Radiohead's Amnesiac occupy the #4 and #5 slots, respectively. Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" was deemed the top single by an overwhelming margin over the place horse, Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood" (a complete list can be found at www.villagevoice.com). ...

Turntablists the X-ecutioners, political rappers the Coup and human orchestra Kenny Muhammad will embark on the inaugural 20-date Adrenaline Tour on April 3 in Austin, Texas. The outing pairs musical performances with the Adrenaline Theater Film Festival, sneak previews of the latest action sports movies. ... Cutthroat game show "The Weakest Link" is rounding up your favorite acts from days of yore for an all-star edition set to air in April. Various charities will depend on Coolio, Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe, Sheila E, Deborah Gibson, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Edwin McCain, occasional Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and country singer Lila McCann to win them some money. ...

Sheryl Crow threw herself a star-studded 40th birthday party at the El Rey Theatre Monday night, according to the Los Angeles Times. Crow performed some songs from her forthcoming C'Mon C'Mon album for guests such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Dwight Yoakam and some actual, paying fans. ... Michael Jackson, Sting and Barry Manilow will be inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13. Movie theme specialist Randy Newman and husband-and-wife team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson will join them in being honored at 33rd annual induction dinner at New York City's Sheraton Hotel. ...

Prince will be popping with a mini tour next month. He's lined up six dates in support of last year's The Rainbow Children starting March 1 in Saginaw, Michigan, and ending March 10 in Cleveland. ... Progedelic Welsh band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci kick off a 12-date North American jaunt on February 27 in Los Angeles and hit Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit and more before closing up March 13 in New York City. ... Following their stint on the SnoCore Rock Tour, Local H will play a dozen Midwest and West Coast shows to promote their fourth album, Here Comes the Zoo, due March 5. The trek begins March 6 in Milwaukee and wraps March 23 in Denver. ... Nils Lofgren, the longtime guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, will release his 11th solo album, Breakaway Angel, in mid-March. The record includes "Driftin' Man," which Lofgren co-wrote with Lou Reed. ...

02.12.02

"Don't Let Me Get Me," the second video from Pink's Missundaztood, will premiere on February 16. Plans for a spring tour are in the works, according to Pink's spokesperson. ... Adema were forced to drop off the Projekt: Revolution bill for at least three shows following an unspecified family emergency. Monday night's show in Lowell, Massachusetts, featured only Cypress Hill, Linkin Park and DJ Z-Trip, and the lineup will be the same for Tuesday (February 12)'s gig in Fairfax, Virginia, and Wednesday's performance in Philadelphia. ...

U2 won Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production in the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, which were presented February 9 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Other winners included Alicia Keys (Best New Artist Tour), George, Washington's the Gorge (Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue), Los Angeles' Greek Theatre (Red Rocks Award for Best Small Outdoor Venue), Dallas' American Airlines Center (Best New Major Concert Venue), Los Angeles' Staples Center (Arena of the Year) and Las Vegas' the Joint (Nightclub Venue of the Year). ... Our Lady Peace lead the list of nominees for this year's Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent to the Grammys, with five nominations, followed by Nickelback and Leonard Cohen with four and Sum41 with three. Nickelback, Sum41, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette and Nelly Furtado will be among the performers at the Juno Awards ceremony April 14 in St. John's, Newfoundland. ...

N.E.R.D., the hip-hop group comprising superproducers the Neptunes and rapper Shay, put a modern-day funk spin on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the Hype Williams-directed video for their next single, "Rock Star." The trio's debut album, In Search Of ... is due March 12. ... Speaking of Hype Williams, the director will release "The Hype Williams Video Collection" on VHS and DVD on April 30. The collection features 10 of Williams' vintage clips for the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Craig Mack, LL Cool J, Ja Rule, Jay-Z and Nas, with the DVD boasting bonus features such as running commentary by Williams, a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a shoot and interviews. ... Donnie Wahlberg, the ruffneck member of late-'80s boy band extraordinaire New Kids on the Block, may get another chance to work his acting chops on the small screen. Having surprised critics with subtle turns in films such as "The Sixth Sense" and "Ransom" and HBO's "Band of Brothers," rapper-turned-actor "Marky" Mark's big bro has been cast as a detective in the pilot for the NBC cop drama "Boomtown," according to The Hollywood Reporter. ...

Sting's 2002 Rainforest Benefit Concert will take place at New York's Carnegie Hall on April 13, with a lineup to be announced in the coming weeks. Ticket prices range from $150 for a single rear balcony seat to $50,000, which covers a private first tier box that seats 16, two backstage passes, two reserved tables at the party, acknowledgement in the evening's program, Rainforest Foundation membership, and 16 concert mementos. ... Mick Jagger recently shot the video for "Visions of Paradise," the second single from his album, Goddess in the Doorway, with director Dave Meyers (Janet Jackson, Dave Matthews Band). Actress Jennifer Jimenez ("Blow") stars. ... Bonnie Raitt will launch a three-month tour on March 30 in Madison, Wisconsin, to promote her upcoming 16th album, Silver Lining, due April 9. She will perform her latest single, "I Can't Help You Now," on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on April 24.

• Method Man
• The Strokes
• Bob Dylan
• The White Stripes
• Björk