Bizzy Bone
Photo: Joe Corrigan/ Getty Image

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member Bizzy Bone has been identified as the man who was beaten and robbed at a Los Angeles hotel last week, allegedly by an employee of an anti-gang organization.

While returning to his room at the Universal Hilton on January 5, Bizzy (born Byron McCane) was confronted by several people who beat and choked him before stealing his jewelry, according to the Los Angeles Times.

On Friday, Los Angeles police arrested Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones, 30, a contract worker for the anti-gang organization Unite One, which does work for L.A. Bridges II gang-intervention program. Law-enforcement officials told the paper they are still seeking other male and female suspects in the case.

Jones is being held on $1.1 million bail. An official at Unity One told the paper that he was terminated from his contract but that he could possibly be rehired if cleared in connection with the case.

The Unity One program was founded after the 1992 Los Angeles riots by former gang member-turned-peacekeeper Darren "Bo" Taylor, who died in August.

Bizzy is an original member of the Cleveland rap crew best known for their intricate double-time flow and for being mentored by late N.W.A. member Eazy-E. Bizzy was kicked out of the group in 2003 for frequently missing shows and public appearances. He was not involved in sessions for their 2007 album, Strength and Loyalty, but he is rumored to be working on a reunion album with the rest of the group — including long-missing member Flesh-n-Bone, who finished an 11-year stint behind bars last year.

• Bizzy Bone
• Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
• N.W.A.
• Eazy-E

50 Cent's <i>The Massacre: Special Edition</i>
Photo: Aftermath/Interscope

50 x 2: With a replacement black backdrop on the cover and a bonus DVD adding an extra ounce or two in weight, it won't be hard to distinguish the special edition of 50 Cent's The Massacre from the previous pressings — the enhanced version, the collector's edition, et al. The audio disc has a remix of "Outta Control" with Mobb Deep and the DVD features a video for every song on the original release.

Bang and Blame: The Rolling Stones' first studio album in eight years, A Bigger Bang, isn't all hyperbole. The album reportedly represents the band's fascination with the scientific theory of the origin of the universe — as also illustrated by the cover, which depicts the Stones staring into a ball of light. Tracks include: "Sweet Neo Con," their supposed bash on Bush; "Laugh, I Nearly Died"; "Look What the Cat Dragged"; and "Rough Justice."

Bloom's Day: If you're living in Canada and carrying a computer, you've got an extra edge when it comes to hearing Sarah McLachlan's stuff, as the north-of-the-border singer put out an exclusive EP through iTunes Canada in anticipation of her second remix album, Bloom. Tracks from the LP include: "Train Wreck (Sly & Robbie Mix)," "Dirty Little Secret" (Thievery Corporation Mix)" and "Just Like Me (Will.I.Am Remix)," which is actually a song McLachlan collaborated on with DMC.

E Springs Eternal: As it spells out on the cover, this package binds together the best-of Eazy-E collection Eternal E, with the new bonus track "Lil Eazier Said" by Lil E., and a DVD featuring seven clips by E and two by N.W.A. The video disc closes with three public-service announcements by the nonprofit health-care organization Kaiser Family Foundation, a touching reminder of the rapper's tragic end.

Allstars Duke It Out: In one corner we have blues jammers North Mississippi Allstars tag-teaming with Lucinda Williams, Robert Randolph, Al Kapone and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on Electric Blue Watermelon. In the other we've got George Clinton and his indomitable P-Funk All Stars with How Late Do U Have 2 B B 4 U R Absent. Seeing as how this is the inauguration of Clinton's the C Kunspyruhzy label and he's got a 50th-anniversary tour in the works, he deserves the heavyweight title.

Have We Seen You Before?: Released on a tiny independent label, Seu Jorge's Cru squeaks by this week, mirroring the Brazilian artist's fleeting (but hilarious) presence singing David Bowie covers in Portuguese in Wes Anderson's oddball pic "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou." José González has made a slight appearance on the small screen — or at least his music has, on "The O.C." Veneer features "Crosses," a song that surfaced on one of the episodes.

Song Titles Of The Week:

"Mediocrity Gets You Pears (The Shaker)" (Against Me!'s Searching for a Former Clarity)

"Woe Is the Contagion" (Twilight's Twilight)

Other Notables:

Joan Baez's Bowery Songs: With covers galore — Bob Dylan, whom she has saluted tirelessly throughout her career, Steve Earle, and Natalie Merchant — Baez also chips in with four unreleased songs on this November 2004 concert. There isn't much break between numbers, save a brief dedication to Michael Moore.

Richard Youngs' The Naive Shaman: Purported to feature the Glasgowian's first kazoo work since 1992's obscure New Angloid Sound, the prolific multi-instrumentalist also lets loose with a 16-minutes-plus track, "Summer's Edge II." (There is no "Summer's Edge I," of course.) He also shines bright with "Life on a Beam" and "Illuminated Land."

Richard Thompson's "Grizzly Man" soundtrack and The Old Kit Bag reissue: The guitarist who was once notorious for releasing the worst-selling album in the history of Warner Bros., Henry the Human Fly, takes on a different species with a documentary soundtrack. Fans might raise their eyebrows at this one, but they'll undoubtedly want to pick it up — it's 84 minutes of pure Thompson. A DualDisc version of 2003's The Old Kit Bag also comes out this week.

New Releases:

• 32 Leaves - Welcome to the Fall (enhanced; Double Blind)
• The Absence - From Your Grave (Metal Blade)
• Against Me! - Searching for a Former Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Doug Alan - Sun, Surf and Sand (AmeriMusic)
• Augustana - All the Stars and Boulevards (Epic)
• AZ - AWOL (Fastlife)
• Joan Baez - Bowery Songs (live recording from November 6, 2004, in New York; Koch)
• Baleen - Follow Me Blind (LiquiLab)
• Bellini - Small Stones (Secretly Canadian)
• Between the Buried and Me - Alaska (Victory)
• Black Dice - Broken Ear Record (Astralwerks)
• Brick Bath - American Currency (Crash)
• Blood on the Wall - Awesomer (The Social Registry)
• Bozzio Metropole Orkest - Chamber Works (Favored Nations)
• King Britt - King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan (Ropeadope)
• Kate Campbell - Blues and Lamentations (Large River)
• Johnny Casino's Easy Action - We've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know (Steel Cage)
• Casual - Casual Presents Sam Rockwell (Hieroglyphics)
• George Clinton Presents the P-Funk All Stars - How Late Do U Have 2 B B 4 U R Absent (C Kunspyruhzy)
  Buy Now: How Late Do U Have 2 B B 4 U R Absent (C Kunspyruhzy)
• Barbara Cook - Tribute (DRG)
• Deaf Pedestrians - Deaf Pedestrians (Dot Point Period)
• The Divorce - Gifted Program (Made in Mexico)
• Dreamside - Spin Moon Magic (Dancing Ferret)
• Drums & Tuba - Battle Olé (Righteous Babe)
• Exploited - Beat the Bastards (Reis) (Abstract Sounds)
• Frontier Index - Frontier Index (Rainbow Quartz)
• José González - Veneer (Hidden Agenda)
• Adam Harnett - Adam Harnett (Goretti)
• Beth Hart - Live at Paradiso (Koch)
< LI>Richard Hawley - Cole's Corner (Mute)
• Heatmakerz - Crack, Vol. 1 (Fastlife)
• Heaven 17 - Before/After (Ninth Wave)
• Armand Van Helden - Nympho (Ultra)
• Honky - Balls Out Inn (Small Stone)
• Immaculate Machine - Ones and Zeroes (Mint)
• The Immortal Lee County Killers - These Bones Will Rise to Love You (Tee Pee)
• Indukti - S.U.S.A.R. (Laser's Edge)
• Liz Janes & Create (!) - Liz Janes & Create (!) (EP; Asthmatic Kitty)
• Howard Jones - Revolution of the Heart (Koch)
• Seu Jorge - Cru (Wrasse)
• Little Bruce - Base Rock 2 Pimp Socks (High Speed Entertainment)
• Mad Science Fair - ... For a Better Tomorrow (Mud)
• Marat - Again (Morisen)
• Sarah McLachlan - Bloom Remix Album (Arista)
• James McMurty - Childish Things (Compadre)
• Merciless - Block Monster (Big Gun)
• Mortal Decay - Cadaver Art (Crash Music)
• Alison Moyet - Voice (Sanctuary)
• Johnny Napp - Cowboy Up and Party Down (Johnny Napp)
• New Model Army - Carnival (Attack Attack)
• New Monsoon - The Sound (Harmonized)
• North Mississippi Allstars - Electric Blue Watermelon (ATO/RCA)
  Buy Now: Electric Blue Watermelon (ATO/RCA)
• Hope Partlow - Who We Are (Virgin)
• The Peasall Sisters - Home to You (DualTone)
• Duane Peters & the Hunns - Beyond Warped Live Music Series (Immergent)
• The Phenomenauts - Beyond Warped Live Music Series (Immergent)
• Qualo - Believe. (The Movement)
• Stan Richardson - Moon on the Water (Gemini Sun)
• The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang (Virgin)
  Read: "Rolling Stones Announce World Tour, Unveil New Song"
  Buy Now: A Bigger Bang (Virgin)
• Secret Oyster - Vidunderlige Kaelling (Laser's Edge)
• Sexsmith & Kerr - Destination Unknown (Emergent)
• Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand - Dream Big (Capitol)
• Robert Skoro - That These Things Could Be Ours (Yep Roc)
• Socratic - Lunch for the Sky (enhanced; Drive-Thru)
• Space Mtn - A Drawing of a Memory of a Photograph of You (Aeronaut)
• Angela Strehli - Blue Highway (M.C.)
• Symphorce - Godspeed (Metal Blade)
• Ben Taylor - Another Run Around the Sun (Iris)
• Lewis Taylor - Stoned (with bonus tracks not on European version; HackTone)
• Richard Thompson - "Grizzly Man" soundtrack (Cooking Vinyl)
• Big Mama Thorton - Big Mama Thorton in Europe (Arhoolie)
• Twilight - Twilight (Southern Lord)
• Dinah Washington - Blues for a Day (Delta)
• Watch Them Die - Bastard Son (Century Media)
• Kathy Valentine - Light Years (All for One)
• Valina - Epode EP (54º40' or Fight)
• Valis - Champions of Magic (Small Stone)
• Viva K - Viva K (Stinky)
• Wobbler - Hinterland (Laser's Edge)
• Richard Youngs - The Naive Shaman (Jagjaguwar)
• Various artists - Aerosmithsonian: A Tribute to Aerosmith (Perris)
• Various artists - All Men Country (Direct Source)
• Various artists - The Best of Just Jazz (Direct Source)
• Various artists - Putumayo Presents: Latin Lounge (Putumayo World Music)
• Various artists - Summoning of the Muse: A Tribute to Dead Can Dance (Projekt)
• Various artists - Tone Poets (Acoustic Disc)
• Various artists - Ultimate Pickin': The Best of Instrumental Bluegrass (Pinecastle)

Notable Reissues:

• 50 Cent - The Massacre: Special Edition (CD/DVD; Aftermath/Interscope)
  Buy Now: The Massacre: Special Edition (Aftermath/Interscope)
• Billy Bragg - Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (double disc with bonus tracks; Cooking Vinyl)
• Eazy-E - Eternal E: Gangsta Memorial Edition (Priority)
  Buy Now: Eternal E: Gangsta Memorial Edition (Priority)
• The Human League - Hysteria (Astralwerks)
• M83 - M83 (Mute)
• River City Tanlines - River City Tanlines (collection of 7-inches; Dirtnap)
• Richard Thompson - The Old Kit Bag (DualDisc; Silverline)
• Run-DMC - King of Rock, Raising Hell, Run-DMC and Tougher Than Leather (Arista)
  Buy Now: King of Rock (Arista)
• Steve Vai - Archives, Vol. 4 (Favored Nations)
• Venice Underground - Venice Underground (DualDisc; Immergent)
• Van Zant - Brother to Brother (DualDisc; Silverline)

DVDs:

• Dave Brubeck - "Brubeck Returns to Moscow" (Koch Vision)
• Lunachicks - "XXX Naked" (Koch)
• Mariah Carey - "Music Video Box Document" (Koch)
• Rolling Stones - "Music Video Box Document" (Koch)
• Bruce Springsteen - "VH1 Storytellers" (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Punk: Attitude" (Capital Entertainment)
• Various artists - "Rockin' the Corps" (Image)

Coming Attractions:

September 13:

• Pussycat Dolls - PCD (A/M)
• Paul Wall - The People's Champ (Atlantic)
• Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound (Columbia)
  Read: "Switchfoot Look Like California Raisins After Video Shoot"
  Buy Now: Nothing Is Sound (Columbia)

September 20:

• David Banner - Certified (Universal)
• Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
(Columbia Records)
• Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Disturbed Songs Will Be 'United In Anger' On Third Album"
  Buy Now: Ten Thousand Fists (Warner Bros.)

September 27:

• Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights (Lost Highway)
• Blackalicious - The Craft (Anti-)
• Sheryl Crow - Wildflower (A/M)
  Buy Now: Wildflower (A/M)

• 50 Cent
• The Rolling Stones
• Sarah McLachlan
• Eazy-E
• George Clinton

T.I. (file)
Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

According to sources close to both MCs, T.I. and Lil' Flip were involved in a melee on the streets of Houston on Thursday. Sources say T.I. was at a local radio station telling listeners he was going to be out in Lil' Flip's 'hood of Cloverland. When T.I. and his crew finally arrived in the area, Flip and his entourage confronted them; a fight ensued, but no one was injured and no arrests were made. Representatives for Tip and Flip declined to comment. ...

On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of Eazy-E's death, the rapper's label has announced it will re-release Eternal E: The Best of Eazy-E with the addition of a DVD of videos. The Gangsta Memorial Edition of the album, due in stores August 30, will feature the 16 tracks released on the 2003 version, along with videos for Eazy's "We Want Eazy," "Only If You Want It," "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" and "Neighborhood Sniper," and N.W.A's "Appetite for Destruction," "100 Miles & Runnin' " and the title track from the group's landmark gangsta rap album, Straight Outta Compton. ... Testimony in the Michael Jackson trial on Friday continued to center around fingerprint evidence found on the adult material seized from Neverland. Fingerprint testimony had started on Thursday but had mostly focused on the techniques of the science instead of the evidence found. On Friday, though, detectives testified that five prints found among the "adult material" were identified as the accuser's, two were from the accuser's brother, and 12 were identified as Jackson's. "I can't take anymore," Judge Rodney Melville joked about the dry testimony when he ended court 15 minutes early. Meanwhile, Jackson attorney Brian Oxman returned from his brief hospitalization for pneumonia. ...

Showing she definitely just wants to be "Friends" with hubby Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce on Friday (March 25), citing irreconcilable differences, The Associated Press reports. Pitt and Aniston were married in July 2000; the Hollywood power couple had announced a separation in January via a joint press release. ... Farnsworth Bentley celebrated his birthday with a few hundred of his closest friends Thursday night at New York's Cielo, where he also screened his BET "Rip the Runway" hosting debut. Among those in attendance were Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Common, Jean Grae, Pharoahe Monch, DJ Absolut, Black Sheep's Dres, Miri Ben-Ari, the Alchemist, and "America's Next Top Model" winner Eva Pigford and her former fellow contestants Yaya and Toccara. ... Later that night, Just Blaze kept the party jumping over at club Table 50, where he acted as the house DJ. While Just spun early '90s classics from Brand Nubian, N.W.A, and others, Q-Tip, one of the top MCs of that era, got on the mic and acted as hype man. Farnsworth, 3LW and Irv Gotti were a few of the luminaries who popped up on the scene. ...

This week, 50 Cent became the first artist since 1964 to score four simultaneous top-10 hits on Billboard's singles chart. "Candy Shop" and "Disco Inferno" — from his chart-topping album The Massacre — and the Game's "Hate It or Love It" and "How We Do" tracks, which feature 50 on guest vocals, are sitting at #1, #5, #6 and #8, respectively. The Beatles were the last act to achieve such a feat, with songs dominating the chart's top five spots. ... In his latest crusade against violence in rap music, the Reverend Al Sharpton has asked the FCC to deny airplay for 90 days to artists who encourage or take part in violent acts, according to The Associated Press. Sharpton also wants to target radio stations that encourage this type of violence by having them fined and their licenses reviewed. So far, the FCC has declined to comment. ...

While in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to play the tsunami-aid concert Force of Nature on March 18, Will.I.Am toured the area to view the devastation, and has since decided to help rebuild the area more directly. The Black Eyed Peas rapper has hooked up his charitable foundation, the Will.I.Am Foundation, with Octogon, LLC and Force of Nature to construct new homes in the region. "Seeing the disaster with my own eyes has been life-changing," he said in a statement. "Seeing the children on the street and families displaced makes it clear that we need ... to help rebuild the homes lost." ... The African Well Fund will launch its third annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fund-raiser on March 27 at the Hard Rock Cafe in San Diego — the same night and city where U2 kick off their Vertigo Tour. The AWF raises funds to build wells in African countries like Uganda and Ethiopia, where clean drinking water is scarce. Donations will be collected until March 10, Bono's birthday. For more information, check out AfricanWellFund.org. ...

The Flaming Lips and the Pussycat Dolls rocked out Thursday night to usher in the new Mazda MX5 Convertible at an event called "Hot in the City" at New York's Gotham Hall. Those in attendance included Ashanti, Danger Mouse, Carson Kressley, and actresses Samaire Armstrong and Bree Turner (Lindsay Lohan's co-stars in her upcoming film "Just My Luck"). ... A live DVD of Ben Harper playing with the Blind Boys of Alabama at the historic Apollo Theater in New York's Harlem is slated for release on Tuesday, according to Harper's official Web site. ...

U.K. rapper and grime poster child Dizzee Rascal is gearing up to tour North America for the first time, in support of his most recent album, Showtime. Dizzee's trek starts March 30 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps April 30 in Chicago. ... Just because Guided by Voices broke up doesn't mean that former leader Robert Pollard is slowing down his deluge of releases. He's just released a four-song EP called Zoom and is prepping reissues of the band's 1986 debut EP, Forever Since Breakfast (due Tuesday), on hand-numbered red vinyl with bonus tracks. For true collectors, look for the rare, vinyl-only live album from 2000 recorded under the name Hazzard Hotrods (October), which was improvised live in a video store in 1990. December will bring another massive compilation of GBV songs, Suitcase 2, with more than 100 never-before-heard versions of classic and unreleased songs. And look for albums by the side projects Moping Swans and the Circus Devils in May. ...

03.24.2005

Destiny's Child will play a special show for the troops at San Diego's Camp Pendleton on April 1. About 25,000 Marines are expected to attend "Rockin' the Corps," which will also feature Godsmack, Kiss, Ted Nugent and comedian Jay Mohr. The event will be produced by Quincy Jones and filmed for a televised special and DVD, with all proceeds going to support soldiers and families of Marines deployed overseas. ...

Will Smith is teaming up with Jon Voight to launch a children's film festival. The duo are modeling the festival, called Giffoni Hollywood, after a likeminded event in Giffoni, Italy, in which kid-geared full-length films and shorts are judged by youngsters between the ages of 9 and 17. Giffoni Hollywood will debut on April 28 at Hollywood's ArcLight Cinemas, and will last for four days. ... Bow Wow wants you — on his next album. The rapper's launching a contest to find his biggest fan; his devotees are being asked to create 30-second video clips about why they love him for possible inclusion on the DVD portion of his upcoming CD/DVD release, Wanted, due out June 28. Ten grand-prize winners will make the cut. Log on to www.bowwowwanted.com for more info. ...

Clay Aiken, a UNICEF ambassador, recently toured the Indonesian province of Aceh, one of the areas hit hardest by the December 26 tsunami. "The trip was for fact-finding purposes," Aiken told the Jakarta Post. "There are citizens in the U.S. who have offered their time, effort, money and resources and there are some who try to find out where their money is going and what type of work is being done." ... Meanwhile, fellow "American Idol" season-two finalist Kimberley Locke is shopping a reality series about recording her second record and planning her wedding. The working title is "Aren't You That Girl?" ...

Britney Spears is getting a makeover — along with Kelly Clarkson and Pink. They're among the stars who'll have hit tracks revamped on Superstars Remixed, due out May 10. Included on the LP will be Britney's "Toxic," retooled by Armand Van Helden; Beyoncé's "Naughty Girl," massaged by Victor Calderone; and Maroon 5, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera tracks redone by Junior Vasquez, Hex Hector and Peter Rauhofer. ... After a few DJ shifts here and there, Moby's performing with his band again for the first time in the U.S. in two years — as the headliner for this weekend's Ultra Music Festival, the closing ceremony of Winter Music Festival 2005 in Miami. Also on the all-day Saturday bill at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater are Kelly Osbourne, Tiffany, Perry Farrell, the Crystal Method and Josh Wink. ...

Sticman, one half of political rap group Dead Prez, recently received more than $50,000 in settlement fees from the city of New York, according to the duo's attorney. The rapper and three associates were arrested during a photo shoot and sued the New York Police Department for false arrest and excessive force. A portion of the settlement will be donated to the Malcom X Grassroots Movement to further prevent police misconduct. ... The late Jam Master Jay's mother, Connie Mizell-Perry, was honored at a proclamation ceremony on Wednesday at New York's City Hall. City Council Speaker Gifford Miller was the keynote speaker and praised Mizell-Perry for her work with the Jam Master Jay Foundation. ...

On April 5, the Smashing Pumpkins will make their digital debut. The defunct alt rock band, which has not allowed its songs to be legally downloaded until now, will release 227 tracks for download, including 113 album tracks and 114 rarities and B-sides, according to a spokesperson. The band has also set a deal to offer ringtones for hits such as "Disarm," "1979," "Today" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings." The songs will be available on all the major download services, including iTunes, Rhapsody, MusicMatch, Napster, Sony Connect, WalMart.com and Musicnet. In other Pumpkins news, former leader Billy Corgan has set TheFutureEmbrace as the title of his upcoming solo debut, which is scheduled for a June 21 release. ... Tom Petty is hitting the road for a string of springtime dates, and he's taking the Black Crowes with him — for some of the time, at least. The recently reunited Crowes will play the first month and a half of dates on the tour, from June 8 in Fort Myers, Florida, until July 30 in Saratoga Springs, New York. At the moment, the tour is scheduled to end August 26 in Berkeley, California, though more dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. ...

Joan Jett loves rock and roll — and she's going to share it with you starting this week as a DJ on Sirius Radio's Underground Garage channel. The singer joins a crew that includes Beatles expert Martin Lewis, "Handsome" Dick Manitoba, Kim Fowley and other rock luminaries to offer insight and kick out the jams from bands like the Ramones, the White Stripes, MC5, the Kinks and more. "We don't care if it's 50 years old, or 50 minutes old. If it's fantastic, we play it," fellow DJ Steven Van Zandt said in a statement. Jett's shifts are at 3-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-3 a.m. ...

• T.I.
• Lil' Flip
• Nelly
• 50 Cent
• Eazy-E

Andrew W.K.
Photo: Island

If you're fed up with bubblegum pop and need a hard rock primer course, this week in new releases is for you. While you won't find much along the lines of mainstream releases, you will, however, be bombarded with numerous reissues from such rock gods as Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden.

Newcomers Andrew W.K. and the Walkmen drop their debut albums as well. These two might sound familiar: former Jonathan Fire*Eater members The Walkmen from "You Hear it First" and Andrew W.K. from the virtually inescapable pictures of his bloody mug on the cover of I Get Wet.

If you're looking to rock a wee bit harder, Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo unveils the fruits of his labors with bandmate Rex Brown, Corrosion of Conformity's Pepper Keenan and members of Crowbar and Eyehategod with Down II, Down's follow-up to 1995's NOLA.

In recognition of the seven-year anniversary of Eazy-E's death, Ruthless Records will release Impact of a Legend, a CD/DVD combination package that includes music videos, interviews, song lyrics, photos, a collectors' comic book and the EP The Godfather of Gangsta Rap.

And, to further feed your nostalgic tendencies, it's all about compilations from Extreme (Millennium Collection), April Wine (Classic Masters) and Mr. Rico Suave himself, Gerardo (Fame, Sex, Y Dinero). Yeah right, like you're not curious. ...

Out Tuesday, March 26:

• All-4-One - A41 (AMC)
• All That Remains - Behind Silence & Solitude (Prosthetic/Metal Blade)
• Gregg Allman - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Mercury)
• Andrew W.K. - I Get Wet (Island)
• April Wine - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Avant - Ecstasy (MCA)
• Baha Men - Move It Like This (S-Curve/Capitol)
• Big Head Todd & the Monsters - Riviera (Big/Warner Bros.)
• Blend - Echo Warrior (Shadow)
• Bludgeon - Crucify the Priest (Metal Blade)
• Brass Construction - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Cam'ron - Harlem's Greatest (Epic)
• Carpathian Forest - Black Shining Leather (World War III)
• Caitlin Cary - While You Weren't Looking (Yep Roc)
• Beth Neilsen Chapman - Deeper Still (Artemis)
• Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick at Budokan (reissue, Legacy)
• Chinchilla - Last Millennium (Metal Blade)
• The Commodores - Live! (reissue, Motown)
• Con Funk Shun - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Mercury)
• Ferry Corsten - Global Trancemissions 2 (Moonshine)
• Crimewave - Scripturewon: Beginning of (Crimewave)
• Jack Dangers - Variaciones Espectrales (Instinct)
• Diamond Rexx - Rated Rexx (Crash)
• Dixie Dregs - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (A&M)
• Down - Down II (Elektra) Read about it ... Pantera's Phil Anselmo Gets Down And Dirty
• Drag the River - Closed (Upland)
• Dr. Hook - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Eazy-E - Impact of a Legend (Ruthless)
• Mark Elf - Dream Steppin' (Jen Bay)
• Mark Erelli - The Memorial Hall Recordings (Signature Sounds)
• Ester Drang - Goldenwest (Burnt Toast)
• Extreme 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (A&M)
• Fine China - You Make Me Hate Music (Tooth & Nail)
• Jeremiah Freed - Jeremiah Freed (Universal)
• Funky Green Dogs - Super California (MCA)
• G. Love & Special Sauce - Best of G. Love & Special Sauce (Epic)
• Jeff Gauthier Goatette - Mask (Cryptogramophone)
• Gerardo - Fame, Sex Y Dinero (Thump)
• Johnny Gill - Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
• Gomez - In Our Gun (Virgin)
• Ben Green - Ben Green (Artemis)
• Eric Hansen - Nuevo Flamenco Romancero (Neurodisc/Priority)
• Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters (Heavenly/Capitol)
• Corey Hart - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Hatebreed - Perseverance (Universal)
• Hillbilly Idol - Hillbilly Idol (Slewfoot)
• The Hollies - The Hollies' Greatest Hits (Legacy)
• Huntingons - Rock'N'Roll Habits for the New Wave (Burnt Toast)
• Infamous Mobb - Special Edition (Landspeed)
• Infinity Tha Ghetto Child Pain (MCA)
• Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Killers (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Life After Death (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Live at Donington (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Powerslave (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Real Live Dead One (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio (Columbia) Read about it ... Iron Maiden's Eddie Makes A Killer Toy
• Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Virtual XI (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - X Factor (reissue, Portrait)
• Isley Brothers - Isley Brothers Greatest Hits Volume 1 (Legacy)
• Jaz-O & Immobilarie - Kingz Kounty (D&D)
• Mason Jennings - Century Spring (Bar/None)
• Jetenderpaul - Presents the Modal Lines (Burnt Toast)
• Jetenderpaul - Wooden Spires (Burnt Toast)
• Jon B. - Are U Still Down: Jon B.'s Greatest Hits (Epic)
• Juba Collective - Juba Collective (Premonition)
• Richard Kaufmann - Common Senses (Record Cellar)
• Keplyn - Animus Diaries (Beatnik)
• Kidneythieves - Zerospace (Extasy)
• Kinky - Kinky (Nettwerk)
• Mac Dre - Mac Dre Presents the Rompalation Volume 3 (Cavvy R.)
• Masterbeat - Black Party 2002 (Master Ent.)
• Masterbeat - White Party 2002 (Master Ent.)
• Nicole McCloud - So What (Artemis)
• Mindy McCready - Mindy McCready (Capitol)
• Mediaeval Baebes - The Rose (Nettwerk)
• Missing Persons - Lost Tracks (One Way)
• Moodswings - Horizontal (Water Music)
• Estrella Morente - My Songs and a Poem (Narada World)
• Steve Morse Band - Split Decision (Magna Carta)
• My Morning Jacket - Chocolate & Ice> (EP, Badman)
• The Nels Cline Singers - Instrumentals (Cryptogramophone)
• Ted Nugent - Ultimate Ted Nugent (Legacy)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (reissue, Epic)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (reissue, Epic)
• Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears (reissue, Epic)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Tribute (reissue, Epic) Read about it ... Ozzy Bringing Back Blizzard, Madman, More With Bonuses
• Pepper - Kona Town (MCA)
• Porter Hall, TN - Welcome to Porter Hall, TN (Slewfoot)
• Power Houze - Family Business (Power Houze)
• Billy Preston - King of the Road (Park South)
• Pretty Willie - Enter the Life of Suella (Universal)
• Procol Harum - Classic Tracks and Rarities: An Anthology (Metro)
• Psychotogen - Perverse & Unnatural Practices (Crash)
• Ra Desperidos - Tired of Strugglin' (Koch State)
• Rae & Christian - Nocturnal Activity (K7)
• Randy & Rainbows - 2002 Millennium (Park South)
• Rene & Angela - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Pepesito Reyes - Pepesito Reyes (Narada World)
• Minnie Riperton - Come to My Garden (reissue, Varese Sarabande)
• Diana Ross - Diana Ross (Remastered, Motown)
• Scientific - From the Nest of Idea (Burnt Toast)
• Seafood - When Do We Start Fighting (Nettwerk)
• The Secret Machines - September 000 (EP, Ace Fu)
• Sinister Luck Ensemble - Anniversary (Perishable)
• Sleeping Flies - You Are Superior (Kindercore/_EWB)
• Sparta - Austere (EP, DreamWorks) Read about it ... Sparta Rise From At The Drive-In's Ashes With EP, Tour
• St. Germain - Boulevard (Pias)
• Tony Stampley - Rebelution (DreamWorks)
• Sukilove - Talking in the Dark (Hidden Agenda)
• Supertones - Live Volume 1 (BEC)
• T-Connection - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends (Victory)
• Tavares - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Tied & Tickled Trio - Electric Avenue Tapes (Clearspot)
• Tower of Power - Soul With a Capital "S" (Legacy)
• The Trouble With Sweeney - Dear Life (Burnt Toast)
• TwoThirtyEight - Regulate the Chemicals (Tooth & Nail)
• Ultimate Fakebook - Open Up and Say Awesome (Initial)
• Various artists - Audio NL (Shadow)
• Various artists - The Best of Narada New Age (Narada)
• Various artists - Blazin' Hip Hop & R&B (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Clockstoppers" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - Club Hits 2002 (SPG)
• Various artists - Lowrider Scrapin' Tour 2002 (Thump)
• Various artists - MTV: The Best of TRL Pop (UTV)
• Various artists - "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" Soundtrack (Ultimatum Music)
• Various artists - Pledge of Allegiance (Columbia)
• Various artists - Pure Energy 8 (SPG)
• Various artists - Riot Contract Killers (Riot)
• Various artists - "The Rookie" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "The Scorpion King" soundtrack (Universal) Read about it ... Creed, Nickelback, System Of A Down On 'Scorpion King' Soundtrack
• Various artists - "The Time Machine" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Urban Legends Volume 1 1990-2001 (Epic)
• Various artists - WWF Forceable Entry (Columbia) Read about it ... Creed, Limp Bizkit Meet In Ring On WWF Forceable Entry
• The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone (Star Time) Read about it ... The Walkmen: You Hear It First
• Weekend Excursion - Take Me Home (Redeye)
• Cassandra Wilson - Belly of the Sun (Blue Note)
• Denison Witmer - Of Joy & Sorrow (Burnt Toast)
• Ying Yang Twins - Alley: The Return of the Ying Yang Twins (Koch)

Coming Soon (Dates Subject to Change)

April 2:

• Apex Theory - Topsy-Turvy (DreamWorks) Read about it ... Apex Theory Offer 'Hope' To Metal — Diggy-Da
• Ashanti - Ashanti (Island/Def Jam) Read about it ... Ashanti Asserts Her Independence On Solo Debut
• Tweet - Southern Hummingbird (Elektra)
• Various artists - Loud Records 10th Anniversary (Loud)

April 9:

• Baldwin Brothers - Cooking With Lasers (TVT)
• Bonnie Raitt - Silver Lining (Capitol)
• Sloan - Pretty Together (RCA)
• Ultrapull - From All Directions (Gold Circle)
• Quarashi - Jinx (Columbia)

April 23:

• Naughty by Nature - Iicons (TVT)
• Tina Novak - Been Around the World (Arista)
• Q-Tip - Kamaal the Abstract (Arista)
• Sneaker Pimps - Bloodsport (Tommy Boy)

April 30:

• Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow (MCA)
• Donell Jones - Life Goes On (Arista)
• Various artists - "Spider-Man" soundtrack (Columbia)

June 4:

• Lil' Romeo - Game Time (Universal/No Limit)

• Andrew W.K.
• Down
• Cam'ron
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Iron Maiden

Eazy-E
Photo: Ruthless

The vaults of long-gone-but-not-forgotten hip-hop pioneer Eric "Eazy-E" Wright have been opened, and previously unreleased music from the West Coast rap legend will be released on March 26 to coincide with the seven-year anniversary of his death. An eight-song EP titled Godfather of Gangsta Rap — with music recorded between late 1994 and a little before his death in 1995 — will accompany the DVD "Impact of a Legend" when it hits stores.

According to Ruthless Records, the label Eazy founded and which is now run by his widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, the EP features appearances by newcomers Paperboy & Flossmode and has production by Rhythm D.

In addition to a documentary, songs lyrics, a full discography and 10 videos including "Straight Outta Compton" and "We Want Eazy," the "Impact of a Legend" DVD features a PC-compatible video game called "Hittin' Switches."

In the game, the player takes on the persona of Eazy-E and is living a day in his life. In addition to fixing up a low rider with a booming system, rims and hydraulics to make the ride bounce, the player may come across some rivals and engage in a shootout.

Eazy-E founded the groundbreaking rap quintet N.W.A in 1987 with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. After releasing solo LPs and group albums from 1987 to 1991, the crew officially disbanded. Before his death from AIDS, Eazy was starting to see his label take off again, with then newjacks Bone Thugs-N-Harmony reaching the platinum-plus plateau.

Ruthless said it took so long to release the Eazy material because the label has just resolved litigation with Eazy's former business partner and manager, Jerry Heller, over the rights to his music.

Godfather of Gangsta Rap track list, according to Ruthless:

• "Intro"
• "Eazy 1,2,3"
• "The 9"
• "Bounciní "
• "The Rev"
• "No More Tears"
• "Ruthless Life"

• Eazy-E
• N.W.A.

EPMD's Erick Sermon plans to release a new solo album, his third, on May 16 under the pseudonym Erick O'Nassis, and he's managed to work in a few interesting guests into the project.

• Eazy-E
• EPMD

Bizzy Bone, the second of the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony clan to go solo, has just released his first album, "Heaven'z Movie," which had quite a box-office take in its first week, and will debut at number three on the next "Billboard" album charts.

The first single off of the album is "When Thugz Cry," which Bizzy told MTV News was inspired by his ability to move on creatively after the death of his mentor, Eazy-E, and some of the problems Bizzy and the rest of the Bone Thugz have had to overcome in E's absence.

"When [Eazy-E] was here," Bizzy said,

The liner notes for "Heaven'z Movie" thanks everyone from Jesus to Bizzy's Granny Rose, but there's also a lengthy list of sarcastic, four letter thank yous. One person definitely not thanked is Ruthless Records' president and Easy E's widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, whom Bizzy refers to as a "black widow." Woods-Wright was not available for comment.

It has long been rumored that Bizzy wants to break away from the Ruthless label, which in November will release a limited edition Bone Thugs-N-Harmony CD and video compilation entitled "Volume One: The Collection."

• Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
• Eazy-E

Ruthless Records, the rap label formed by Eazy-E before he hooked up with N.W.A., marked its tenth anniversary this year, a milestone that surprises even some Ruthless insiders.

"It's a trip man, just thinking about our life over the years," Ice Cube recently told our friends in the MTV Radio Network about the anniversary. "You know, nobody thought that was going to last ten years."

Late rapper Eazy-E formed the label in 1988, but didn't hit paydirt until he teamed with Cube, Dr. Dre, Yella and M.C. Ren in N.W.A., which brought the label its first multiple-platinum selling album with 1989's "Straight Outta Compton."

The label is marking the anniversary with a collection called "Ruthless Records 10th Anniversary: A Decade Of Game," which is in stores now.

Ice Cube has a few irons of his own in the fire as well. The rapper's motion picture directorial debut, "Player's Club," hits theaters this week, and he has also teamed with Mack 10 to re-work the Clash classic "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" for an upcoming Clash tribute album (see "Ice Cube Talks About Taking On The Clash, N.W.A. Reunion"). The album will also feature offerings from Bush, Rancid and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and will be released on Epic Records.

• Eazy-E
• Ice Cube

The two record set called "A Decade Of Game" should be out on Eazy's Ruthless Records this Spring, with songs written after the rapper learned he had AIDS.

The first single, called "24 Hours To Live" is due out on radio in March. Word is that more than twelve tracks by Eazy are being readied for a possible summer release.

• Eazy-E

July 28 [14:00 EDT] -- Another salvo was reportedly launched on Friday in the legal battle over the estate of late rapper Eazy-E.

The Associated Press reports that Ruthless Records, Tomica Woods (Eazy-E's widow), and Ronald Sweeney are charging the rapper's former manager, George Heller, with draining excess profits from the rapper in a suit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The AP reports that the estate claims Heller created a hidden expense account for himself with Ruthless Records funds. The estate also reportedly accuses Heller of taking more than his share of profits from Ruthless, and of failing to share in the company's losses.

Heller himself had reportedly already filed a suit of his own against Ruthless on June 6 claiming that he helped the rapper build Ruthless into a successful label, and consequently was due 20 percent of the company's profits.

• Eazy-E