Stack Bundles
Photo: Riot Squad

QUEENS, New York — One of the saddest things to fans mourning the loss of Stack Bundles is that the shining underground-hip-hop crowd-pleaser wasn't able to realize his potential as a mainstream great. On Monday morning (June 18), as people walked down Linden Boulevard on the way to the J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home, "barbershop talk" spilled over into the streets, including memories of how nice Stack was on the mic and how he should've been talked about in the same breath as rap's current household names — not as another MC to be mourned.

"He was like a Jay, 50 and Nas rolled into one," one man, sitting on the roof of a Ford Explorer, said to his friend. They were playing at full volume an old DJ Clue mixtape in which one of Stack's myriad of freestyles was a highlight. The DJ's voice echoed "Clue, Clue, Clue" as Bundles laced the ambience with punch lines.

Down the block was a white stretch Escalade with "R.I.P. Stack Bundles" written on the black tinted windows.

On Monday morning, DJ Clue was at the service with many of his Desert Storm partners, such as Skane Dollar and DJ Don Juan Demarco. Producers DJ Twins, Joe Budden and Brooklyn MC Maino also came out to join family, fans and other friends in giving Stack a final send-off with a viewing and a funeral.

In the casket, Stack wore a red T-shirt, sunglasses and jeans. Outside, "R.I.P. Stack Bundles" was painted on all types of tees, while others were decorated with pictures of Bundles.

"He looked like himself, they really did him right," one woman who said she is Stack's cousin, said to another after the viewing. Several dozen people were lined up in front of the funeral home to get in, while a couple of dozen more stayed across the street, looking on and playing music. Meanwhile, most of the family and friends had to weather getting through a back entrance that was just as jammed. It was at times very chaotic getting in — the place was packed so tight, in fact, that the front door had to be closed off.

Shortly before the services began, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana arrived in a caravan of cars. Jones wore a black T-shirt, while Santana was clad in a white tee and his trademark bandana, which he removed before entering the funeral home.

"Definitely a lot of supporters out there," Joe Budden said shortly after the funeral. "He was a great guy — great personality, very humble, just a character in his own right. He was very intelligent; book smart and street smart. It's a shame he's gone at such an early age. I'm sure God called him for a reason.

"I made it my business to go out there and show him respect," he continued. "A lot of people came out to show him respect. It was sad, though. I can't even lie: I was disappointed. I just feel bad. It could have been anybody [who was killed] — me, anybody. The fact that he never got the point he was striving to get to was a dream deferred. Damn."

Inside, the minister presiding over the services agreed that life is too short and encouraged the congregation to "tell the person next to you that you love them."

"You know why?" he asked. "We don't know when we might have the opportunity again."

Stack, born Rayquon Maurice Elliott, was killed on June 12 not far from his home in Queens' Far Rockaway neighborhood (see "Jim Jones Associate Stack Bundles Killed"). Police, who are investigating the death, said that the rapper was shot in the head and neck in the early morning as he entered his apartment building. He was 24.

He started to get his name buzzing thanks to DJ Clue's mixtapes, on which he rhymed with everyone from Joe Budden to Fabolous. More recently, Stack became a member of Jim Jones' Dipset ByrdGang, and besides Jones having major plans for him in his camp, Stack had his own crew: the Riot Squad.

Some questioned why Stack still loved the 'hood, but those who knew him said he refused to leave until he could bring everyone with him.

"The Stack Bundles that I knew, I'm 80 percent sure is different than the Stack anyone else knew besides maybe his family," Budden said. "The Stack I knew is very much like myself; he was open-minded and eager to learn. ... Everyone knows about his potential and talent and [swagger], but when I think of Stack and myself's relationship, I think of two young n---as from the urban area that would do any and everything to get out and take all of their people with them. The difference is, I'm old enough to differentiate when to [be in] the 'hood and when not to do it. I don't think Stack was old enough to make those same decisions."

"It's a wake-up call," said Maino, a frequent Stack collaborator. "What's unfortunate about the industry is you get famous before you get rich. Your face is on magazines and your face is on DVD [covers]. Everybody knows you. But you don't really have the money and means to get up and do what you want to do — for some people.

"The 'hood is going to be the 'hood," he added. "People are still hungry and envious over what they perceive to be success. ... When you in the 'hood, you could be doing a'ight, but if some people might feel you're sh---ing on the 'hood because you coming through in your Caddy truck or Benz. People be like, 'He thinks he's all that.' You trying to keep it real, but sometimes you can't keep it real in the 'hood, because it's a lot of ignorance that keeps going [on] there. ... It's certain things you can do, certain things you can't do. Stack's situation reconfirms that."

No arrests have been made in connection with Bundles' death.

"It's sad," said a stoic Lupe Fiasco as he exited the funeral service. "Product of the environment. But you know, honor him. Honor him always. Rest in peace, Stack Bundles."

• Joe Budden
• DJ Clue

Nas' <i>Hip Hop Is Dead</i>
Photo: Def Jam

There are probably more coins in your pocket right now than there are new releases this week, but don't forget about that big fat precious silver dollar with an "N" on it that's jingling around. That's right: If this week's batch of fresh titles has a mantra, it's "Make Way for Nas."

UGK and Mos Def — and Katharine McPhee, for that matter — postponed their upcoming efforts, clearing the battlefield so Nasty Nas can wreak havoc. A few other hip-hop artists are holding strong against the big guy, though: Styles P, Trick Daddy, Bow Wow and DJ Clue are also laying out fresh slices, and no less than T.I. is anteing up with a spic-and-span compilation from his label, Grand Hustle.

But if you're not into hip-hop, this might be a good week to take a nap: Aside from a Bullet for My Valentine DVD and a Neil Young reissue, rock fans probably won't be debating which new title to spend their money on this week.

Not that he has any reason to worry, but here's the competition Nas is facing this week, and a reason why he can expect to trounce every one of them:

Styles P's Time Is Money: Despite the cautious title of his new LP, the former LOX-er took a spell to put out the follow-up to 2002's A Gangster and a Gentleman. But now Styles has finally come around to do the whole sophomore thing, and he's galvanized his friends for the affair: The LOX reunite for a remix of "Who Want a Problem," which also features Swizz Beatz; Mario Winans throws down on "Can You Believe It"; Talib Kweli guides Styles to "Testify"; Gerald LeVert joins him for "Real Sh--"; Sizzla shows him through "Fire & Pain"; and the band Flipsyde re-emerge to help Styles "Burn One Down."

Why Nas Will Beat Him: On his new one, Hip Hop Is Dead, Nas' guests include Jay-Z ("Black Republican"), Snoop Dogg ("Play on Playa"), the Game and Floetry's Marsha Ambrosius ("Hustlers"), Will.I.Am ("Hip Hop Is Dead"), Kelis ("Not Going Back"), newcomer Chrisette Michele ("Can't Forget About You," "Hope" and "Still Dreaming") and, last but not least, Kanye West (also on "Still Dreaming").

Trick Daddy's Back by Thug Demand: Chamillionaire, Jaheim, Trey Songz, Trina, Baby, 8Ball and others are helping Trick-Trick celebrate his seventh solo LP. "There are people out there that ain't got nowhere to stay," he said in his most recent press bio. "All they can do is rob or gamble or steal or sell dope. I put people on the level where they can relate and understand what other people go through."

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Because as gritty a concept as Trick Daddy is bringing to the table, Nas' is way more controversial. Hip Hop Is Dead sparked a flurry of debate and outrage before its release, even provoking Ludacris to wear to the BET Hip-Hop Awards a T-shirt that read "Hip-hop is not dead, it lives in the South." Even Nas seems to be taking the other side of the debate on "Hope," which includes the lyric "Hip-hop will never die."

Bow Wow's The Price of Fame: Few rappers have put out five albums before breaking out of their teens, but Bow can now consider himself part of that elite crew. Perhaps to help him grieve over former girlfriend Ciara, who he waxes about on his new effort, the rapper enlisted some help, including Chris Brown and Jermaine Dupri. As a bonus, he doled out signed copies of his album to fans who preordered.

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Nas didn't sign any preorders, but he is gifting early birds who use iTunes with something perhaps even better: an exclusive track called "Shine On!"

DJ Clue's The Professional 3: A Roc-A-Fella co-conspirator for about a decade, the mixtape guru from Queens, New York, sure knows how to attract rap's biggest names. The roster this time around includes Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Juelz Santana, Jadakiss, Swizz Beatz, Paul Wall, Beanie Sigel, Fabolous, Styles P and Kanye West.

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Because even though Clue has been in Jay-Z's good graces for years, it's the man Jay beefed with for years that he's putting all his power behind to promote. Expect Nas' new one to overshadow his labelmate's latest.

Various artists' Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4: T.I. has been dishing In Da Streetz comps since 2002, but finally the mixtape series is getting some extra cred by going retail for its fourth volume. Hoping to piggyback on Tip's five Billboard Awards, the 14-track platter features Young Jeezy ("Top Back" remix), Young Dro ("My Girl"), Yung Joc ("Yeah" remix) and others.

Why Nas Will Beat Them: Those "others" include Xtaci, Alfamega, Macboney and other newcomers. Nas fans, on other hand, won't be distracted by much fresh blood on his new one.

Bullet for My Valentine's "The Poison - Live at Brixton" DVD: The Welsh metalheads have only been around for three years, but they've already proved their salt by selling out the U.K.'s vaunted Brixton Academy for this filmed concert involving 15 cameras. Beyond the live material, there are eight episodes from the band's life-on-the-road "Bullet TV" series, plus an additional hour's worth of videos and more.

Why Nas Will Beat Them: Uh, because it's a rock album?

Neil Young's Living With War - Raw: This limited special edition is boosted by a DVD containing in-the-studio footage for each of the politically charged album's 10 tracks.

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Because it's Nas versus Neil Young.

Song Title of the Week:

"Shortie Like Mine" from Bow Wow's The Price of Fame

New Releases: · Blak Jak - Place Your Bets (Universal Republic) · Bow Wow - The Price of Fame (Sony Urban) [Buy Now] Read: "Bow Wow Fesses Up About Ex-Girlfriend Ciara On December LP" · DJ Clue - The Professional 3 (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) [Buy Now] · Lorraine Hunt Lieberson - Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lierberson: Neruda Songs (Nonesuch) · Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam) [Buy Now] Read: "MTV News Exclusive: Nas Previews Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N" · RBD - Rebels (enhanced; Virgin) [Buy Now] · Styles P - Time Is Money (Ruff Ryders) · Trick Daddy - Back by Thug Demand (Atlantic) [Buy Now] · Various artists - Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4 (Grand Hustle/ Atlantic)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material: · Jerry Lee Lewis - Rockin' With the Killer (Fuel) · Neil Young - Living With War - Raw (limited-edition version with DVD; Reprise) · Various artists - The Ultimate '50s Collection (Fuel)

Music DVDs: · Bullet for My Valentine - "The Poison - Live at Brixton" (Trustkill)

Coming Attractions:

December 26: · Good Charlotte - "Fast Future Generation" DVD (Epic/Daylight) · N.W.A - The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge (deluxe version with DVD also available; Capitol/Priority) [Preorder] · Omarion - 21 (Sony Urban) [Preorder] Read: "Boy To Man: Omarion Grows Up On The 'Personal' 21" · Switchfoot - Oh! Gravity (Columbia) [Preorder] Read: "Life, Death, Social Entropy? Switchfoot Get Weighty On Oh! Gravity" · Various artists - The Family Values Tour 2006 (Firm)

January 2: · Various artists - L-Tunes: Music From and Inspired by "The L-Word" (Columbia) · Carly Simon - Into White (Columbia) · Unwritten Law - The Hit List (Rocket Science) [Preorder]

January 9: · Green Day - 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (enhanced; Reprise) and Kerplunk (Reprise) [Preorder] · Mario - Go! (J) [Preorder] · Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffen) [Preorder]

• Nas
• Styles P
• Trick Daddy
• Bow Wow
• DJ Clue

• Ludacris
• Big Boi
• DJ Clue

Raekwon
Photo: Matthew Peyton/ Getty Images

Even though it's at the top of the Billboard albums chart, Raekwon doesn't seem to be feeling Jay-Z's Kingdom Come. At the New York stop of the Rock the Bells tour on Tuesday night, the co-headliner told the audience in the middle of his set that he didn't care for Hova's new LP adding, "I don't give a f--- about him." The Chef did say he respects Jay's business acumen, though. Opening act Smif-N-Wessun brought out the whole Boot Camp Clik during their set, while Redman, the last performer of the night, took it all the way back to 1992's Whutt? Thee Album. He also played some new material with his Gilla House crew as Julito McCullum from "The Wire" and others stood in attendance. ...

Britney Spears will host New Year's Eve at the nightclub Pure in Las Vegas. "She's going to do the countdown, a champagne toast and watch the fireworks from the terrace," a club rep said. Nick Lachey will be holding the mic at Pure the night before to host a "goodbye 2006" party. Cheers. ... And while conflicting reports suggested Spears and Paris Hilton were in line to co-host the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, the show's spokesperson said late Wednesday (November 29) that neither is confirmed. In the meantime, however, Pharrell and Young Jeezy will join previously announced performers Gwen Stefani, Ludacris and the Killers for the ceremony, set to air Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox. ...

There's more Lachey news too: The sports enthusiast now has a professional team to call his own. On Wednesday, Lachey was announced as part of the new ownership group for the Tacoma Rainiers, the Washington state AAA affiliate of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners. Lachey was introduced at a press conference along with other representatives of the Schlegel Sports Group, a Dallas organization that already owns minor-league teams in Texas and Iowa. "When I was given the opportunity to purchase the Rainiers with [SSG founder] Kirby Schlegel, I jumped on it," Lachey said in a statement. "Baseball is a true passion of mine, Tacoma is a growing city and I have every intention of playing an active ownership role in the Rainiers as we continue to grow." ...

"Destiny's Child Groove" — a mobile-phone game featuring images of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams — will pit players against game characters in a dance battle. The game — which includes "Survivor," "Bug a Boo," "Say My Name" and "Lose My Breath" — is due to roll out on cellular carriers in the winter. ... Tyrese is trying to put together a collaboration between himself, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill that, he said, would find them "singing and rhyming all on the same record." In the meantime, his half-rap/half-R&B album, Alter Ego, is due December 12 and will feature Game, Lil Jon, David Banner, Method Man and R. Kelly, among others. ...

Chris Brown has been working on his second album for the past three weeks, including sessions with production team Dre & Vidal. "I think I am going to name the next album Graduation because I'm 18, last year of high school and stuff like that," he told MTV News. "I am still going to keep it so my younger fans can continue to listen to my music, but I got a couple of joints on there that's for some of the older people." ... Celebrity-covered tote bags featuring the faces of Ludacris, Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte's Joel and Benji Madden are currently available for $5 at Aldo stores and YouthAIDS-Aldo.org. Proceeds from the bags — along with Hear, See, Speak campaign tag necklaces — support the efforts of the YouthAIDS initiative. ...

Hanson have released an Internet-exclusive song in recognition of World AIDS Day. "Great Divide," which was recorded on the group's trip to Africa this summer and features a South African children's choir, is available for download via iTunes. Proceeds from the song, priced at 99 cents, will benefit the Perinatal HIV Research Unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa. ...The massive electronic-music gala Giant is returning to Los Angeles for its annual New Year's Eve. Now called Giant Maximus, the eight-hour event will boast three "big tops," under which Sasha & John Digweed, Armin van Buuren and other electronic heavyweights will spin. ...

DJ Clue will release The Professional, Part 3, the long-awaited follow-up to 2001's The Professional 2, on December 19. Kanye West and Fabolous appear on the first single, "Like This," while Snoop Dogg, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Game, Rick Ross, Jadakiss, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, M.O.P., Mobb Deep, Beanie Sigel, Cassidy, Styles P. and Jagged Edge also guest on the disc's tracks. ... Human-rights groups that expressed concern over Madonna's adoption of 1-year-old Malawian boy David Banda will have a say in the court's decision, The Associated Press reported. The judge who granted Madonna and husband Guy Richie an interim adoption last month — allowing the couple to take custody of the child and bring him to their London home — ruled Wednesday that rights organizations will have a say in the court's assessment of the couple, which is due in May. Under Malawian law, adoptive parents must remain in the country for an 18-month evaluation, a process that the rights groups say they are trying to protect in an effort to combat child exploitation. ...

The winners of YouTube's underground-band contest were announced on "Good Morning America" Wednesday morning. Nashville pop quintet Greenland nabbed Best Song honors for their tune "The Way It Is"; Maldroid's A-Ha-inspired "He Said, She Said" clip earned them Best Music Video; Los Angeles hip-hop/soul collective Ostrich Head notched Best Creative Work for "Freak Show Carnival"; and Philadelphia rockers Pawnshop Rose landed Best Live Performance for "Gets So Hard." Among the prizes were Gibson instruments, trips to NYC and more. ... The Matches, I Am Ghost, Escape the Fate and the Higher are heading out next year to support the punk label the bands currently call home. The 2007 Epitaph Tour starts February 1 in San Diego and winds down March 18 in Las Vegas. ...

"Pelt-wearing party girl" Nicole Richie tops the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' worst-dressed list for 2006. Actresses Ashley Olsen, Christina Ricci and Eva Longoria were also named for wearing fur. Missing from this year's list is PETA's 2005 worst-dressed celebrity, Paris Hilton, who said she's had a change of heart since watching a fur-trade exposé, according to the organization. ... My Morning Jacket, the New Pornographers and Cat Power have been added to the fifth annual Langerado Music Festival, held in Sunrise, Florida, from March 9-11. O.A.R., Matisyahu, Cut Chemist, the Hold Steady, Widespread Panic and former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio are also on the bill.

11.28.2006

Hilary and Joel are no longer an item. Madden confirmed to MTV News on Tuesday (November 28) that his relationship with Duff is over. He said there are no hard feelings between the two, and that he is focusing his energy on Good Charlotte's Good Morning Revival, due next year. ...

Game and Snoop Dogg are in talks to co-headline a second How the West Was One Tour. "We have to get the paperwork right and the money and the promoters and the agents and all that stuff, but once we figure that out, we will hit it," Game said. And speaking of the rapper, he's thrilled with the reviews Doctor's Advocate has earned. "As long they love the record then I'm good," he said. "I don't care about being #1 or #2, it's just about making a good record, making classic music and having longevity in hip-hop." The album recently opened at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, with 358,000 copies sold. ...

Fergie will perform on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007" as well as host the Hollywood portion of the event. Natasha Bedingfield and Meat Loaf will also perform in Hollywood. ... Another Black Eyed Pea, founding member Apl.De.Ap, is using his birthday celebration Tuesday night in Hollywood to support a worthy cause. Apl and his indie label, Jeepney Music, announced that proceeds of his bash will go to Operation Smile, an international medical charity that originated 24 years ago in Apl's home country, the Philippines. The Peas play Los Angeles' Staples Center on Friday. ...

A book report from Britney Spears' junior high days can be in your hands Monday if the price is right. No, the singer isn't going into the term-paper business, but she has donated her take on a translation of Sophocles' "Antigone" — which scored her an 88 and a reminder to "write more neatly" — to be sold via a Christie's auction. One of 170 items Spears donated to go up on the block, the single page is expected to draw a winning bid ranging from $500-700, with proceeds benefiting the singer's charity foundation. ... Christina Aguilera has commissioned Italian designer Roberto Cavalli to exclusively design the '40s- and '50s-style costumes for her Back to Basics tour, according to a report in Women's Wear Daily. Think white satin tuxedos, white fox stoles and silk bustiers with tails for the onstage look of Aguilera's U.S. run, which kicks off in February. ... In other fashion news, young startlets' takeover of the modeling world continues, with Lindsay Lohan recently shooting the spring 2007 ad campaign for Miu Miu, the girlier, lower-price line from Italian fashion label Prada. ...

New Jersey's Eyeball Records will reissue My Chemical Romance's debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, on December 12. The updated version of the 2002 LP, which was produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly, will feature two previously unreleased videos from the band. ... A Guns N' Roses concert scheduled to go down Tuesday at Milwaukee's Bradley Center has been canceled due to Axl Rose suffering an ear infection and strep throat, according to a press release. Doctors have ordered the singer to rest for several days. "I have been fighting this off for a long time but the doctor told me tonight that the only way not to jeopardize the balance of the tour is immediate rest," Rose said in a statement issued Monday. "We will now have three days off before continuing Friday. We are sorry to miss the fans in Milwaukee." ...

Connecticut state police arrested two men Tuesday in connection with the shooting of a 21-year-old man waiting to purchase a PlayStation 3 earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. William J. Robertson and Andrew Patnaude were charged with attempted murder, robbery and assault, and are being held in lieu of $1 million bail pending court appearances. Michael Penkala, who was shot outside a Wal-Mart in the early hours of November 17 when he refused to give up a wallet containing more than $2,500 in cash, is still recovering from his injuries. ... Comedian Tracy Morgan of "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" note was arrested early Tuesday in New York on charges of drunk driving, AP reports. Police told the news outlet that the 38-year-old failed a breathalyzer test at a police station, after which he was allowed to leave without posting bail but had to surrender his driver's license. ...

The reunited Dinosaur Jr. commence a series of gigs starting Tuesday night in Portland, Maine. The band will stage four more U.S. shows before heading overseas to play the All Tomorrow's Parties "Nightmare Before Christmas" shindig, some concerts opening for Sonic Youth and more. The band also has set a May 8 release date for its first-ever DVD, "Dinosaur Jr.: Live From the Middle East," which was filmed at the Boston club of the same name. The trio's first studio album in 18 years is also due around that time. ... Nirvana's breakthrough single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has been named the best pop song of the last 20 years by Britain's Q magazine, besting the likes of Madonna, U2 and Britney Spears. "The thing about 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' it was a watershed moment in rock music. It changed everything," Q's deputy editor, Gareth Grundy, said. "It put heavy music back on the map in the early '90s, really, that combination of punk-rock anger and the heavy Black Sabbath '70s metal. It was something new. Sulky kids everywhere loved Nirvana and continue to do so." ...

Metallica's James Hetfield jammed with Alice in Chains during the band's Sunday night set in San Francisco. Hetfield joined the band band onstage for a rendition of "Would?" ... An exhibit curated by Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy will open Saturday at Los Angeles' Lightbox Gallery. Featuring the works of Manuela Gernedel, Celia Hempton, Shana Moulton, Jo Robertson, Niklas Schechinger and Hank Schmidt in der Beek, Lucy Stein and Anna Witt, the exhibit is expected to run through January 20. ... The reunited Glassjaw will play a handful of shows next month, hitting Nashville (December 14); Fort Worth, Texas (December 16); Tulsa, Oklahoma (December 17); Kansas City, Missouri (December 18); Minneapolis (December 19); and New Haven, Connecticut (December 31). ... Buckcherry and Three Days Grace will tour together early next year. The road trip's routing will be announced next month. ... After a few weeks of work, hardcore icons Agnostic Front have written 10 songs for their forthcoming LP. The band will track the effort before February, and have East Coast gigs lined up through January.

• Raekwon
• Jay-Z
• Redman
• Britney Spears
• Pharrell Williams

Jay-Z and the Roc-A-Fella fam on the cover of <i>XXL</i>
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride for XXL Magazine

Peedi Crakk is wearing a suit like Tom Brokaw's, he's got an ultra-proper inflection in his voice reminiscent of Ted Koppel's, and he's holding an MTV News microphone with all the on-camera swagger of Tavis Smiley. Ron Burgundy's got nothing on him.

"We're live on MTV News at the XXL photo shoot. This is your anchorman Peedi Crakk, Crakk Daddy, signing on," he says in a deep monotone as Kanye West walks in.

"Yeah, what up, Kanyeezee live!" he continues, not breaking his faux-newsman character. "Kanyeezee, ladies and gentlemen!"

Peedi and Kanye join Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek, DJ Clue, the Young Gunz, NBA All-Star LeBron James, 17-year-old singer Teairra Mari, and the head of the family — Jay-Z — for an XXL cover shoot at a studio in New York's Chelsea Piers.

"It's the whole Roc family and a presidential theme, that's why I'm looking classy and classic," Teairra Mari, the young lady Jay has dubbed "The Princess of the Roc," said of the shoot's concept as she stood in a mock Oval Office wearing a black veil, white blouse and black skirt. "It's a very '60s-ish vibe, it's JFK and the whole cabinet. It's great."

"It's the first time we're taking the Roc's new generation — it's sort of a re-launching of the Roc," says Jay-Z, dressed in a swank blue suit. "I just wanted to show the artists, and show the reach with LeBron James."

Jay says James' inclusion in the shoot is just a show of solidarity between chums and nothing more — especially not a business relationship.

"It's absolutely no Def Jam Sports or anything like that," Jay says, quashing a rumor that he might be managing LeBron. "No tampering going on; just a good friend of mine. He's been a friend since before he was in the NBA. If you look back on the tapes, I'm there at the McDonald's High School [All-American] games, supporting him. We're just friends, we have no business dealings at all. I can't do it because I have an interest: I sit on the board of the [New Jersey] Nets. It's a conflict."

Jay also clarified that LeBron will not be signing to the Roc as a rapper or, for that matter, rhyming at all: The superstar is sticking to the court. "I want him to be the greatest," Jay says. "My job is to keep him focused, not to take him outside of his arena."

The side of the studio where Jay and company are getting dressed is hectic but loose. Freeway is walking around wearing a dress shirt, tie and his boxers; stylists are frantically scurrying over to the Gunnerz for last-minute tie changes; Kanye is playing Common's new video for LeBron on his laptop; and Memphis Bleek is searching for a cool hat to rock. Meanwhile, on the Oval Office set on the other side of the studio, you can see various members taking flicks while songs from Kanye's forthcoming Late Registration and Foxy Brown's Black Roses play at full volume (see "Kanye Previews New LP, Modestly Exclaims: 'This Is Killing Everything Out There!' " and "Jay-Z Jumps On Three Tracks For Foxy Brown's New Album")

	Click for photos of the Roc-A-Fella family

From the way Jay raps along and bobs his head to the music, it's obvious Mr. Prez gives his approval.

"Kanye is his own institution," Hova says. "He knows what he wants and he has pretty good taste. Like, when it comes to singles, he'll come and we'll discuss what should be next, but as far as music-making — if I hear something I might say, 'You should add a little bit of choir right there' — but as far as music goes, that's what he does. That's his strong point. So I just leave him alone. He does the whole thing."

No one at the Roc, with the exception of Jay himself, has gotten busier lately than Kanye West, who will be featured on the front cover of the mag along with Jay, LeBron and Foxy (the rest of the crew has been relegated to the interior of the gatefold cover).

"Ever since I got my [Roc] chain, I felt like I was in the game," Kanye says before diving into lunch. "We got this shot where it's me and Jay, it's like the famous shot where Kennedy is talking to his brother. That feels like, 'Damn, I'm right here. This is Jay, I'm right next to him.' It's an incredible feeling. It's overwhelming. I got this song, the first song on the album, that says, 'I think I died in the accident, 'cause this must be heaven.'

"Sometime I wonder, 'Damn, am I still on earth?' " West continues. " 'Is this real life I'm living?' I can make things happen. I want a video like this and it happens. I want my artists to be successful — John Legend goes platinum, Common is a success."

Shooting the cover of XXL with her entire musical family was surreal experience for Teairra as well.

"I can't believe that, this time just last year, I was looking at these people on TV," Mari, whose debut single, "Make Her Feel Good," has become a hit, marveled. "Now I'm here, and they're embracing me. It feels great."

"We're making history," says Peedi — who, since the shoot, has changed his name to Peedi Peedi — as he stands with Freeway, who is now fully dressed in a black suit, hat and shades ("I just got fresh to death," Free smiles). "This is the front cover, the new Roc-A-Fella family. Jay is controlling the whole set. We're here representing, promoting. I feel like a hip-hop hero."

The Roc issue of XXL is on some newsstands now, but hits nationally next week.

• Jay-Z
• Kanye West
• Foxy Brown
• Peedi Crakk
• Memphis Bleek

Photo: Travis_Farrell

• Fat Joe
• DJ Clue
• Jay-Z

<i>White Chicks Like Mixtapes Too</i>
Photo: Clinton Sparks

Artist: Clinton Sparks

Mixtape: White Chicks Like Mixtapes Too

Representing: Beantown

The 411: "Spider-Man 2" and "Shrek 2" may be the summer's biggest blockbusters, but the "White Chicks" are killing them in the category of street cred. Marlon and Shawn Wayans are the hosts, and if you thought they were raunchy hosting the VMAs a few years back, listen up here.

Joints To Check For:

• "Take a Good Look" by Lloyd Banks. Somebody ask 50 Cent and Sha Money XL how in the world this record didn't make The Hunger for More. Banks is in his "Stunt 101" mode, bragging about the baguettes dripping off his body parts, going through "more trees than Tarzan" and wearing a throwback that's "light blue, came out about the same time my grandmother graduated from high school."

• "Rollers" by the Clipse. The Clipse are back in the kitchen, and by "the kitchen," we don't mean the studio. The Virginia brothers have once again taken their content to the place where food is cooked, with raps about the days when they sold drugs for a living. "I'm not Richard Pryor, but prior to rap I was cooking crack over an open fire," says Malice. Don't sleep on the Indian flute on the beat — it's crazy.

• Various Wayans brothers skits. Marlon says its best: "Laugh till you fart." Damon's younger brothers are like bulls in a china shop on this mixtape. The two throw a bit of extra bass in their voices and fling a few extra four-letter words, broaching subjects from not having enough money to girls who tease them so much it hurts.

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

• Nina Sky and DJ Cipha Sounds' The Nina Sky Mixtape
• Lights Out Productions' Welcome to the Aftermath
• The Honorable King Smij's Sshhhh ... Volume 13 R&B, Usher's 90 Minute Freak-Off and Official Down Soufh 2

• Goon Squad's Welcome to Grimmyville Part 2
• DJ Clue's The Mixtape After Tomorrow
• DJ Lt. Dan's The Chef vs. the Butcher
• DJ Kurupt's Hostile Takeover

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

• Alchemist featuring Prodigy, Nina Sky and Illa Ghee - "Hold Me Down"
• Mobb Deep - "Throw Your Hands"
• Kurupt featuring M.O.P. and Roscoe - "Jealousy"
• Jay-Z - "The Game Is Mine"
• Roots featuring Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap - "Duck Down"
• Lloyd featuring Ashanti and Scarface - "Southside" remix

Celebrity Favs

Reggae wild man Elephant Man, who just completed a new track with Will Smith and is gearing up to shoot a video for an "All Night" remix with Janet Jackson, says he loves to be loved. "My favorite mixtape DJ is Mister Cee because he plays a lot of Elephant Man, he keeps it down to earth. He doesn't forget where it's coming from and he's hardcore. Mister Cee, keep on doing what you're doing. Keep it jiggy, good to go!"

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Akon is no dummy. As a singer, touching the streets isn't always the easiest thing to do, especially if nobody has heard of you, so Akon called one of the most street-credible MCs for a little help: Styles P.

"My secret weapon," Akon said of the guest star on the remix of his 'hood favorite, "Locked Up." "I already knew if I could get Styles P. on this record, being that he just got locked up the same way I did, it'll be a wrap. ... He'd heard the record and he already loved the record, so it was just a matter of finding each other. He was looking for me and I was looking for him, so it was meant to happen."

Although Styles shared Akon's vision, the singer's own record label, SRC, wasn't necessarily the cut's loudest cheerleader initially. "Man, we been telling them [about 'Locked Up'] forever," Akon said. "They just didn't want to listen, so we went to the streets to do it ourselves. I said, 'Let's contact every mixtape dude in the city, every mixtape dude in every city surrounding [New York].' We just kept doing that until we went to Florida. Then we took a flight to L.A. and did the same thing there. Once the street buzz came, DJs just started playing it in the club. After that, the radio picked it up, then the label got behind it and it was a wrap."

Akon also pushed his song with an unconventional tour. "We did a penitentiary tour because I was trying to get the bottom of the streets," he explained. "I've been there, I know how these cats think in there, because these are the cats that's really living it."

Living that life cost Akon a couple of years of his life and more than $500,000 in legal fees, but he did have one thing going for him when he got out of jail: his bloodline. Akon happens to be a cousin of choreographer Divine Stevens (Usher, P. Diddy). Seeing that Akon wasn't pursing his singing career with enough drive, Stevens broke into Akon's studio, stole some of his records and began shopping Akon's demo. He eventually caught the ear of SRC CEO Steve Rifkind.

"He flew down to Atlanta to the crib," Akon recalled. " I didn't even know who Steve Rifkind was. So I'm looking out my window like, 'Yo, who's at my door?' We're right in the middle of the 'hood and all I saw was two white guys in black suits and another guy in plain clothes. So I'm thinking the feds are coming to question me about something that they might have overlooked."

Akon's Trouble was released June 29.

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

For more on the role of mixtapes in the music industry, check out the feature "Mixtapes: The Other Music Industry."

• Usher
• Lloyd Banks
• Clipse
• Nina Sky
• DJ Clue

DJ Clue's <I>Where Ya Hood At?? Pt. 1</I>

Name: DJ Clue

Mixtape: Where Ya Hood At?? Pt. 1

Hometown: Queens, New York

Joints to check for: "Dead Mutha----ers," by Cam'ron; "Quick to Back Down" by the Bravehearts featuring Lil Jon; "Talk to Me" by Cassidy featuring Jadakiss; "That's Me" by Gravy featuring Busta Rhymes, P. Diddy and Juvenile; "Clientele Kids" by Raekwon featuring Fat Joe and Ghostface Killah

Previous mixtapes: What, are you kidding me? You haven't bought a mixtape until you've copped at least one of DJ Clue's street discs

The 411: DJ Clue says he's getting so upset with certain mixtape DJs for tainting the streets with garbage that he's going to start paying some of his fellow turntable-loving peers to go on vacation. The Question Mark Man took a break himself this week from his multitude of jobs to return to the gig that made him who he is — the mixtape master.

Where Ya Hood At?? starts off with guns blazing as Fabolous drops a freestyle over DMX's "Where the Hood At?," while 50 Cent laughs at MCs he feels are biting his style, rhyming over the Diplomats' "Gangsta Music."

Swizz Beatz's protégé Cassidy has nothing but lyrical grimaces and malevolent punchlines to shell out on "Talk to Me." When he's not threatening to cut off MCs' feet, Cass is bragging about how his superior rap style can bash that of any foe. The song's guest, Jadakiss, also strikes down on the track like a hungry hawk. Kiss reminisces about how as a child he was so money-hungry that he charged his friends when they wanted to come over to his house and watch wrestling. Although Swizz doesn't rhyme on the song, he serves as an equally important contributor by supplying torrential horns that sound like they belong on a '70s police show.

Elsewhere, Lil Jon continues his quest to become the Southern equivalent to P. Diddy. Taking a break from producing and adlibbing on everyone's tracks, Jermaine Dupri's former employee pairs up with none other than Nas and the Bravehearts on "Quick to Back Down." The song, another unruly Jon-flavored track, has the Queensbridge clique pulling the cards of "cornflake n---as" who act like they're hard but are really scared.

We all know that Joe Budden isn't scared to throw his lyrical jabs around on the mixtapes, but the question everyone on the streets has is if Budden has called out 50 Cent yet. While serving as guest editor for the August issue of XXL magazine, 50 put Joe and his lyrics on blast in a section of the magazine called "Step Your Rap Game Up" where editors make fun of lines they think are corny. During a freestyle on Where Ya Hood At??, Joe defends his lines and retaliates against a certain rap dude who travels in a bulletproof truck.

DJ Clue's trash-talking nemesis Kay Slay keeps the healthy spirit of competition alive this week by putting out two new mixtapes. He's got The Drama Hour, which is hosted by Pharrell Williams and features hip-hop records, and R&B Drama for people who want something smoother to listen to.

Elsewhere on the streets is Mick Boogie's Rock the Mic mixtape. Now don't confuse this CD with the official Rock the Mic mixtape that the G-Unit are putting out soon, but Boogie's offering, nonetheless, has live performances as well as freestyles from the different acts on the tour.

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

For a full-length feature on the role of mixtapes in the music industry, check out "Mixtapes: The Other Music Industry."

• DJ Clue
• Busta Rhymes
• Diddy
• Juvenile
• Ghostface Killah

Name: X-ecutioners

Mixtape: Scratchology

Hometown: New York, New York

Joints to check for: "Ugly People Be Quiet," "Like This (Full & Fresh)" and "Product of the Environment (Remix)"

Previous mixtapes: Although this is their first mixtape, the turntablists have released a bevy of albums, including Built From Scratch and X-ercise.

The 411: In the era of exclusives, some hip-hop purists complain that you don't have to have real skills on the 1s and 2s to make street-savvy mixtapes. And while DJs who only use DATs and CDs may serve as evidence for their criticism, there are still some turntabilists who make their compilations the traditional way — with wax.

The X-ecutioners built a reputation for being one of the most adept crews on the wheels of steel with such projects as 2002's Built From Scratch and their stint on Eminem's Anger Management Tour last summer. However, the three-man collective of Rob Swift, Roc Raida and Total Eclipse (Mr. Sinista has left the group) have actually been doing their thing together since 1989. And their love of the art goes back even further. On Scratchology, they not only compiled records to show which artists inspired them, but they also set out to school the masses on hip-hop history.

"The CD was something that I personally wanted to do for a couple of years, but I didn't want to make a CD that would only reach that underground market," said Rob Swift, explaining why the group opted to release its mixtape on Sequence Records rather than just giving it to the streets. "Scratchology is a way to explain that scratching isn't something that came about in the last five years. Scratching and the DJ, [they] helped launch hip-hop.

"There's basically three periods of scratching," he continued. "There's the genesis with Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc and guys like DXT. Then there's the middle school with people like [DJ] Cash Money and Pete Rock. They basically helped the art grow from where it was invented. Then you have today's [scratchers], [people] like the X-ecutioners and Mix Master Mike. We just played music that reflected those three eras [on our mixtape]."

Some of the cuts that serve as a musical history lesson are "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," where the DJ legend cuts up such records as Chic's "Good Times." From there, the New York troupe reintroduce Herbie Hancock's '80s dance hit, "Rock It." Midway through the mixtape, the X-ecutioners take a more hands-on approach, actually adding their own scratches to the Pete Rock remix of Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down" and Gang Starr's "DJ Premier in Deep Concentration."

Another track starring Primo is also featured later as the mixtape comes to a close. Built From Scratch's "Premier's X-ecution," which features an original beat by the producer/DJ along with Roc Raida's "I'll Kick Ya Ass," are among the tracks on the disc's finale.

"Some of the early songs we played in their original form, like [the track by] Grandmaster Flash and 'Rock It,' " Swift explained. "A lot of people were hearing these songs for the first time. I wanted people to really hear the song in its proper context and see how [the art] has grown. Later on in the CD we started to do more manipulating on records because people are more familiar with those cuts."

And while familiarity is always good, the X-ecutioners say they want more people to become more familiar with them on their next album. Swift and the rest of the gang, who are currently in the lab, said that they are about halfway done, but so far no guest collaborations have been made.

"Right now we're really trying to make a strong effort to do songs that are a 100 percent reflective of the X-ecutioners," he said. "We felt it was important to show people we can stand on our own two feet, but mad respect to everybody like Linkin Park and M.O.P. who were on our last album."

Although Swift says Linkin's Mike Shinoda probably won't rhyme on their new project, he did say there was a possibility that they would get a beat from him. Swift estimated the new album should drop no later than January 2004.

For you mixtape junkies that prefer to hit up your favorite local bootlegger rather than go to a store, there are several selections that just arrived this past weekend, one of which comes courtesy of the Roc. The key word here is "sequel": DJ Clue just released Desert Storm 2 in conjunction with Jay-Z. S. Carter has several freestyles on the mixtape, while his estranged homegirl Foxy Brown is featured via "Why You Hating." Also DJs Kay Slay and Big Mike follow up their joint Racial Profiling effort from a couple of weeks ago with a part 2 as well. 50 Cent, Scarface and the LOX's Styles team up for "Most Hated" and Fox Boogie pops up again, with yet another street offering on "Why, Why, Why."

For a full-length feature on mixtape culture and the role of mixtapes in making a rapper's career, check out "Mixtapes: The Other Music Industry."

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

• The X-Ecutioners
• Jay-Z
• DJ Clue
• Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
• Herbie Hancock

• 50 Cent
• Diddy
• Jay-Z
• Fabolous
• Eminem

2008 Grammy Parties

• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy
• Rihanna
• Paris Hilton
• Miley Cyrus

DJ Clue's Photo Album

• DJ Clue
• DMX
• Jay-Z
• Diddy
• Notorious B.I.G.

• DJ Clue