CNN's Anderson Cooper at "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE"
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — The action might have been on the stage at Thursday night's "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE," as 50 Cent, Ludacris, Kanye West and Linkin Park paid tribute to the troops, but behind the scenes at the Nokia Theatre, there was no shortage of activity either.

Media stars, musicians and even Olympic gold-medalists provided the show behind the show, mingling in the venue's two VIP green rooms — not to mention the "TRL" studios upstairs, where even more folks were packed away — watching the concert live on flat-screen TVs, cracking jokes, exchanging digits and posing for photos.

Early on in the evening, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo held court outside their dressing room, with an army of assistants, photographers and label workers nearby. After a few minutes of hanging out, Fif kicked the door to the room shut so that he could put on his camouflage pants in peace. He emerged a minute later (pants on), telling an associate that he was excited for the night's performance, "because I can reach the troops, and I don't have to go back to Iraq to do it."

Later, after finishing their performance, the entire G-Unit clique posed for photos with sprinter LaShawn Merritt, who won two gold medals in the Beijing Olympics (and, yes, he was wearing them backstage). After the photo op, 50 went back into his room to change, and Banks — decked out in a massive Pelle Pelle jacket — checked out Hinder's set, nodding in time to the pounding drum beat.

Across the hallway, as Hinder were screaming through their set, Ludacris was having a tough time of things. Not only was he visibly limping (as is generally the case when your left foot is immobilized in a giant cast), but the walls of the venue were preventing him from getting cell phone reception.

"I only got one bar down here, man," he said to a security guard, before limping into an open area to try his luck again.

On the other side of the theater, in a bizarrely Moroccan-themed VIP area, Eve reclined on a couch while having her hair styled and talking to a friend about the World Series. And though she's a Philly girl, she didn't exactly sound like she had been paying attention to recent events.

"I'm not really watching it. I know the Phillies are in it, but who are they playing?" she asked the room, which included comedian Jeffrey Ross and CNN's Anderson Cooper. "Who? The Tampa Bay Rays? OK, now I know what to say if people ask me."

Eve was escorted to the stage, leaving Cooper to check out Angels & Airwaves' performance on a flat-screen, and Ross and comedian Whoopi Goldberg to exchange pleasantries and pose for a few pics.

Upstairs in the "TRL" studios, things weren't nearly as jovial. Sure O.A.R. seemed content in their dressing room, but the real drama was between rival rock acts Hinder and Saving Abel. No one seemed to be able to say just what the beef was about, but several headset-wearing members of the MTV production team were whispering about it. It bears mention that though the two bands shared adjacent dressing rooms, no one came to blows (though the guys in Hinder did request some Sprite, which, given their hard-partying personae, was a bit of a disappointment). Perhaps, in keeping with the spirit of things, both sides decided to quash their beef for one night only.

Don't miss "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE," presented by MTV's Choose or Lose campaign and CNN to support veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The show features performances by 50 Cent, Ludacris, Kanye West, Linkin Park, Hinder, Saving Abel and more, and airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

• A Night For Vets: An MTV Concert For The BRAVE

• "A Night For Vets: An MTV Concert For The BRAVE"

• 50 Cent
• Eve
• Hinder

Yung Berg
Photo: MTV News

He already scored with "Sexy Lady," but that was last year. In a world where you can be hot one minute and virtually unknown the next, you've got to live up to — and hopefully exceed — the hype.

So as he unveiled tracks from his debut LP, Look What You Made Me, last week at Legacy Recording Studios in Manhattan, Yung Berg knew that the stakes were high. He's kept his momentum rolling with a spot on Ray J's "Sexy Can I" this year, and he credits Ray for the song that "changed his life."

But Berg is out to prove he's here to do more than churn out catchy hooks. As he unveiled his debut album, he boasted that at just 22, he has his own label (Yung Boss) and he writes, raps and produces music for himself and others.

"I don't know nobody that's signed to their own label," he said. "Twenty-two years old and producing their own records with their tight buddies and [has] millions of downloads."

He's also revealing himself to be a singer. Many of the cuts on Look What You Made Me are slower and feature some of the most prominent names in the genre. Trey Songz lends his vocals on "One Night," and Lloyd turns up on "Manager." He even uses his next single, "The Business," to get some shine for Casha, the first artist signed to his label.

"Its called 'One Night,' " he said of his collabo with Songz, which is a strong contender to be the single. "It's produced by me and my boy J.F.K. It's a real big record. One of them joints that's about the ladies, but all my dudes gonna feel it. All the dudes gonna rock with it. It's got a lot of live instrumentation. Me and the boy J. took it to a whole 'nother level, brought to you by [samples of] Wah Wah Watson. It's a whole 'nother level showing that young-boss swag."

But Berg mixes it up, seemingly having a song (and guest artist) for every occasion. Amerie helps out on the club banger "Get Your Number." "Do That There" is his self-proclaimed "street anthem," and the reggae-influenced "Victory Lap" features Eve and Collie Buddz. But Berg said his favorite song on the album may be "Outta Space," an almost hypnotizing voice-box-drenched track reminiscent of songs by T-Pain and Lil Wayne.

"I'm an R&B dude at heart," Berg revealed. "And I like rap. I started with [DMX]. My craft has evolved. I try to be a jack-of-all-trades where I can sing R&B and write R&B as well as me doing my rap thing and producing as well. I'm multitasking."

But the party didn't end after the new tracks got their world premiere. Berg worked the room, relaxed and in good spirits, soaking up the atmosphere and encouraging everyone to enjoy themselves (imploring guests to stick around and "enjoy the Hennessy"). The party continues when Look What You Made Me drops August 12.

• Yung Berg Talks Dating And Diamonds

• Yung Berg
• Eve
• Trey Songz
• Lloyd

Swizz Beatz
Photo: Peter Kramer/ Getty Images

Artist: We use this term very loosely when referring to Steve-O.

Representing: Comedy, monkey business and head-scratching wayward behavior

Mixtape: The Dumbest A--hole in Hip-Hop

411: "Ahhhhh yeah, dude!" It's not exactly the freestyle cipher we brought you months ago with Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Eve and Drag-On, but the footage we have this week was so foolish, we had to put it up. Proverbial jokester — this guy was actually a professional clown in a travelling circus for a while — Stephen "Steve-O" Glover is rapping again, and we just so happened to have cameras rolling while he and his bodyguard kicked rhymes in their apartment. That was, until the cops came. And oh yeah, former MTV host Tom Green was hanging with them as well. After watching this, no one can argue with O's mixtape's title, The Dumbest A--hole in Hip-Hop. If Sisqó can do country, guess Stevie can rap, huh? At least he is not trying to be too serious with it. We can thank Dave Chappelle for this too. Steve says Dave told him since he wasn't actually an MC, he had "diplomatic immunity" and could basically do whatever he wanted.

Joints to Check For:

» "Crack Cocaine (Feels So Good)." "I don't go by the rules, I go by the streets," O said. "I'm hot in the streets. You know who helped me with this mixtape? Red Spyda and Superstar J. You know who didn't lift a finger? Whoo Kid. Who is that? Punk!"

» If you thought the title of the first song was contemptible, well, let's just say he doesn't tone it down at all throughout the mixtape, whether it be in terms of tone, song names or cover artwork (yikes!). Definitely adult content here. There are songs such as "Steve O's Stupid Outro," "Poppin' Off" and "People Giggled." "Old Steve-O thought it would be funny to become a rapper. Turns out he's good," O said. "This is gonna be sweet."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ Delz, Klassik & Profluent - DJ Delz, Klassik & Profluent Present: Pimp C - Trill Immortal
» DJ Delz, Klassik & Profluent - DJ Delz, Klassik & Profluent Present: Pimp C - Trill Immortal
» DJ Delz - DJ Delz Presents Twin Ghosts: A Tale of Two Families
» DJ Smallz - Texas Trafficking
» Plies and Rick Ross - Goon Music
» Big Mike and Trap-O-Holics - Big Mike and Trap-O-Holics Present: Jadakiss - Al Qaeda Jada (The Prequel)
» DJ Strong, 50 Cent, Whoo Kid and 40 Glocc -Outspoken 3: Infamous/ G Unit Edition

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» G-Unit - "Paper Chaser"
» Jay-Z - "Ain't I"
» Talib Kweli - "Momma Can You Hear Me"
» D12 - "We Deep"
» Jadakiss - "Morning Was Hashbrowns"
» Prodigy - "New Yitti" and "Young Vet"

Fire Starter: Janelle Monáe

She's got a fashion sense that'll make Andre 3000 jealous and feet faster than Fonzworth Bentley. And last week in New York, Janelle Monáe made a name all for herself when she wowed a mostly veteran music-industry crowd at R&B Live with a high-octane performance of her retro single "Violet Starts Happy Hunting." Signed to Bad Boy thanks to Outkast's Big Boi (catch her cameo in 'Kast's "Morris Brown" clip), this ATLien kick-started her career by performing around the Peach State before starting her own production company, Wondaland Arts Society. To date, she has sold more than 10,000 copies of her independently released debut album, Metropolis, which caught the attention of Diddy. "She's the first person I chased after to sign myself since Biggie," he told the R&B Live crowd.

Celebrity Faves

Believe or not, the album name The Maniacal Musical Mind of Ryan Leslie doesn't quite sing like a self-titled one does, so the man behind the new hit "Diamond Girl" is going with his handle as the title for his June 10 debut.

Although "Diamond Girl" doesn't have a video yet, the radio airplay alone is exciting Leslie's peers to make their own unofficial remixes.

"We had a huge look with that G-Unit when they jumped on it," said Leslie, who is best known for producing Cassie's self-titled 2006 debut. "They put it on www.ThisIs50.com. Whoo Kid's been blasting it off. Then MIMS, Craig David, Estelle [all made remixes]. It's been a lot of support, especially from with the industry."

Leslie says don't look for any big remix to the song. He's gonna let everybody do their thing and have fun with his record on the Net and mixtapes much like they did with Cassie's "Me & U."

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

"I got Keith Sweat, Heavy D/ Today, [Kool] Moe Dee, [Al] B. Sure, and my man Bobby Brown ..."

Over the years, new jack swing creator Teddy Riley has worked with all the best, from Michael Jackson to his own group, the legendary Guy. After a long hiatus to raise his kids, Riley is making a comeback.

He's working on Snoop Dogg's upcoming Ego Trippin' LP and even has work with fellow uptown native Juelz Santana on deck.

"I just want him to know I wanna do his music," Riley said on the phone from L.A. last week. "I wanna work with him. I had to come out here [to work with] Snoop because he asked me to come out here first. But I support [Santana]. I support New York highly, and I'm gonna keep on doing it. It's gonna be amazing. Just doing records with Juelz Santana, I think we will definitely have that Harlem swinging song, man. I can't wait to do that."

Santana has already recorded more than a hundred tracks for his upcoming Born to Win, Built to Lose (The Reagan Era). "I'm an '80s baby. I call myself 'human crack in the flesh,' " Santana explained. "Because I feel like my music is crack, people get addicted — they want more, they want more, they want more. And the Reagan era was pretty much the biggest crack era/ drug era of all time. So I'mma bring that back. It's time for everyone to make money, ya dig?

"I realized it had to be that much better, when I got the title," he added. "We born to fail, we can't talk, we can't do nothing [when we born]. We have to strive to win, so that's what I'm about now."

Juelz's homie Cam'ron started the Diplomats — Santana told us last week that all its members will be on the upcoming Diplomatic Immunity 3 LP — and Jim Jones started the Byrd Gang, so it's only right that the youngest of the crew gets in on the act. The Harlem rhyme-spitter is gearing up to launch Skull Gang Records. His lead artist will be Rabbi, and Santana said he and Lil Wayne will be featured on the label's upcoming first single. ...

As Swizz Beatz told us, if you loved that rhyme for "Dr. Carter" that Lil Wayne kicked a cappella for us a few weeks ago, you will undoubtedly bang your head through a wall once you hear the finished song.

"I was like, 'Why the f--- they putting [an] a cappella [version] out?' " Swizz, the producer of the song, said. He noted how Web sites have picked up the exclusive audio Wayne gave Mixtape Monday. "That 'Dr. Carter,' I made [the beat] for Hov to save the game. He vibed with it, but he didn't jump on it. I was like, 'Hov Carter.' 'Wayne Carter.' It still works."

Swizzy says the actual beat has an old-school vibe, but you'll hear all types of hospital sound effects, including flat lines.

Speaking of flatties, the Bronx-bred One Man Band Man said Eve's Here I Am — despite constant push-backs — isn't dead. They're going back in the lab, and Swizz will produce some if not the entire project. Same thing for Cassidy's next album.

"It ain't over until it's out," he said. "Everybody wants the best for her. We just regrouping and starting back."

"It wasn't too many follow-ups that can follow up after 'Tambourine,' just like there wasn't too many follow-ups that can come after 'My Drink N' My 2 Step,' " he continued. "You get those type of records ... I'm sorry to make those type of records, but sh--, they're hard to follow up.

"I'mma get back to doing the [whole] album thing," he added. "It eliminates the problem of what we go through. I let the artist use who they wanna use, this and that, it's crazy. The following up [to the songs I produce], sh-- becomes hard. It's a formula and sound the people are looking for and want. You gotta stay in a zone. If I make 'Drink and 2 Step,' the next three beats I make will be not the same, but [I will make] the same vibe, where it's not too far off, where you can groove. When you get all these different producers, it messes up the formula."

Swizz masterminded the remix to Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine," which features Lil Wayne.

"You gotta just know how to change with time," he said. "I felt it needed a sample, being a DJ. I put it with [Chubb Rock's] 'Treat 'Em Right.' "

Swizz also just dropped one of his own records, "Hard Knocks," with Ruff Ryder Drag-On.

"People would normally expect to see Cassidy on the song with me, but Cass is already established," Beatz explained. "Drag's been in the cut, but he's got super songs. His bars are incredible. He's Mr. Flow. He'll flow on anything. Any way. With the launch of the Ruff Ryders movement on '08, he's gonna get his shine." ...

"I am the King of Bankhead," Shawty Lo told Mixtape Monday of the ATL 'hood last week while he was in New York. "Can't nobody tell you no different. No knock to nobody else, but no matter what I get, that's where I'm at. That where I'm from, that's where I'm comfortable. Ask anybody who's the real Bankhead."

Lo's convictions are so staunch that he named his new DVD "The Real Bankhead Story."

"The DVD follows my life [for] about a month and half," he said. "I feel I'm the realest street figure in Atlanta. They might be rappers — I don't consider myself a rapper. I'm the realest street figure in Atlanta."

Lo was hoping to shoot the remix video for "Dey Know" last week in Atlanta with Ludacris, Plies, Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, but clearing all the parties has turned into a quagmire. Now he's chosen to just go with visuals for "Dunn Dunn."

Video production commences Wednesday in ATL.

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

• Mixtape Monday Video: Steve-O, Juelz, Shawty Lo & More

• Mixtape Monday, 02.04.2008

• Swizz Beatz
• Eve
• Cassidy

Tweetie
Photo: MTV News

Everything goes in cycles. Just a few years ago, in the "Gangstas don't dance, they boogie" era, some fans would look funny at rappers if they got up onstage or in their videos and tried any leg movement more elaborate than a two-step. Well, after a 180-degree turn, having a dance to go along with your ringtone single is almost as common as having a mic in your hand to move the crowd.

There were at least a couple of dozen dances this year that made us lose our breath and get a serious workout on the dance floor. Our resident dance consoeur Tweetie knows how to do them all — and can even make up new dances if she has to. Tweet narrowed down a list of dances to her top 10 favorites of the year and told us why she picked them.

To see Tweet and her girls in action, log on to the "Dances From Tha Hood" site. "Holla atcha bird!"

Top 10 Dances (in no specific order)

1. "The Aunt Jackie" - Jason Fox
This is the simplest but most mysterious dance that I have ever heard of or seen. Finally figured it out, but damn. And can somebody please tell me who the hell Aunt Jackie is? Shout-out to our boy J. Fox — call me!

2. "Tambourine" - Eve
Bangin' song! Swizz Beatz done did it again. Though this dance came and went, it was still hot for the summer. You could do this without sweatin' out your weave and still keep it cute. It's showtime!

3. "Popping" (dance style)
I had to mention this style because it's one of my favorites. I love the isolations and robotic moves that sometimes come from it. It's very popular in the underground world of dance. So many artists, male and female — Michael Jackson, Missy Elliott, Usher, Mya, Omarion, Chris Brown and Ciara — include this style in their videos and stage shows. I love it!

4. "Crank That" - Soulja Boy
This dance is fun and catchy. Funny how people in the clubs only know the first part of the dance, the "Superboy," and then go straight to the "U'lllll!" part. Everything else in the middle always gets lost. But don't ever try to pull off this dance in an empty pool. Going down! U'lllll!

5. "Dutty Wine" - Tony Matterhorn
Caution: Be very careful. This dance may lead to headaches, dizziness and lookin' like a crazy. I'm gonna need a neck brace for this one.

6. "Hot Wuk" - Mr. Vegas
Ay ay ay ay ayyyyy! Aight now, don't git pregnant!

7. "Pop, Lock & Drop It"
Wait! Don't ever have the Teletubbies droppin' it like it's hot on YouTube. Dolla bills everywhere. Git it, Stewie!

8. "Cupid Shuffle" - Cupid
I actually went to a club in Atlanta with my boy Smoov (from the show), and when this song came on, best believe the entire club was gettin' it in! This dance should be done at every black function.

9. "Lip Gloss" - Lil Mama
It's poppin' ... it's poppin'!

10. "The 5000" - DJ Webstar
OK, first off, who told y'all it was called "The 5000"? I understand that after dancing mad hard, gettin' it in and killing it, you're supposed to drop dead of exhaustion (think Chris Brown at the end of his performance at the VMAs or in the "Kiss Kiss" video). Well, honey, it's called a dip or a layout, and it's incorporated into the style of voguing. Janet did it in "So Excited" and Beyoncé's dancers did it in the "Get Me Bodied" video. So Imma need y'all to do your homework before you get up and start falling all over the place lookin' like one of "the kids." How you doin'?

• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Eve
• Lil Mama

Snoop Dogg at the 2007 VH1 Hip Hop Honors
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Q-Tip might refer to himself as "The Abstract," but there was nothing hard to understand about his and A Tribe Called Quest's performance as a part of the fourth annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors tribute held at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday night (October 4) in Manhattan. The show is set to air Monday at 10 p.m. ET on VH1.

The legendary Queens, New York, trio (rounded out to a quartet once again with Jarobi back in the fold for the night) were the main honorees, and the love movement was in full effect as Pharrell, Common, Lupe Fiasco and Busta Rhymes came together to pay homage to Linden Boulevard's finest.

"[Tribe] brought a real sense of the tribal aspect and togetherness to hip-hop," KRS-One said of the group on the red carpet before the show.

Those feelings poured out onto the stage for sure.

Common kicked the set off, beginning with the group's first-ever single, "Bonita Applebaum," and walking past — and touching — a bevy of beauties.

Pharrell and Lupe then traded verses on "Electric Relaxation," before the Chicago MC tripped up a few words on the track.

(Check out pictures of Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Eve, Ne-Yo and more at this year's Hip Hop Honors.)

Prior to the show, Lupe told MTV News that Q-Tip was adamant about having him spit for them as a sort of "hazing." The young rapper wouldn't clarify specifics, but it likely had to do with a post on the Internet that circulated about Lupe not being all the way familiar with one of ATCQ's landmark albums, Midnight Marauders. Tip, it seems, put him to the test.

But if Lupe didn't pass, Busta definitely did and with flying colors.

The longtime Tribe associate roared onstage for the conclusion of "Scenario," decked out in a vintage Leaders of the New School outfit, and brought the place down.

Queens had its day, but Uptown — Harlem, that is — was also in the house without a doubt.

Producer Teddy Riley and veteran exec Andre Harrell pioneered the new jack swing era and Uptown Records run, respectfully. Appropriately, Diddy introduced the duo's video montage; the Bad Boy CEO interned at Uptown before starting his own empire, and his marriage of hip-hop and R&B was an extension of the trend Riley previously kicked off.

Ne-Yo and Keyshia Cole performed the Riley-produced Michael Jackson hit "Remember the Time," and then T-Pain went from rapper-turned-singer to TR impersonator, as he put his own vocal acrobats to Keith Sweat's "I Want Her."

Riley reunited with Blackstreet member Chauncey Black as the two hit the stage to briefly perform the group's "No Diggity."

Whodini and "Wild Style" director Charlie Ahearn and Fab 5 Freddy were also honored.

Jermaine Dupri (who used to dance onstage at early Whodini shows), Nelly and Nick Cannon paid tribute to the "Freaks Come Out at Night" group. Nelly impressed with a mean doo-wop back and forth with one of the Whodini members during a boogie session.

Missy Elliott and Snoop Dogg continued the '90s invasion that was started last year by the Wu-Tang Clan. The lone female among the honorees, however, wasn't lost within the testosterone-fueled performances.

Missy collaborators Eve, Tweet, Ciara and Keyshia Cole paid tribute to the Virginia native; Tweet rocked alongside Timbaland for "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)," while Eve performed "Work It" and her verse from "Hot Boyz." There were no trash-bag sightings, à la the Hype Williams-directed "Rain" video.

Nelly Furtado, with gold tresses matching her gold bangles and bracelets, also performed, rhyming over Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On." Missy was the only honored artist who didn't also perform herself.

Snoop was the sole West Coast artist on the bill, but the L.A. rapper brought a gang of homies with him. Bow Wow, Pharrell, Ice-T, T.I., Daz and B.G. all joined him; first T.I. and B.G. rode on Snoop and Dr. Dre's "Deep Cover." T.I. was in the spirit, decked out in a full khaki suit, Chucks and a Dodgers cap.

It then turned into a full gangster party when the Doggfather went into "Drop It Like It's Hot."

Host Tracy Morgan kept the laughs going throughout the evening with a number of jokes in televised sketches.

"Have you ever been hit in the head with a cell phone by Foxy Brown?" the actor, dressed like a cab driver, asked a passenger. "Then you ain't hip-hop."

"Do you have beef with 50 Cent?" he continued.

But on this night, it was nothing but love.

Chuck D, LL Cool J, Chris Rock, Kool Moe Dee, actress Kerry Washington, Salt-N-Pepa, Michael Eric Dyson and Melle Mel were also on hand, among others.

• Stars Spread The Love At VH1 Hip Hop Honors

• Snoop, Pharrell, Diddy, Ciara And More At The 2007 VH1 Hip Hop Honors

• Snoop Dogg
• A Tribe Called Quest
• Missy Elliott
• T.I.
• Pharrell Williams

Hilary Duff
Photo: Mat Szwajkos/ Getty Images

Hilary Duff is becoming a waitress for "Greta," an upcoming teen interracial romance, Reuters reports. In the flick, which is currently filming in New Jersey, Duff's character is hot for one of her co-workers, a cook (Evan Ross). The movie is being helmed by music-video director Nancy Bardawil (Bon Jovi, Reba McEntire). ...

Don't expect to hear much more from Eve this year. The rapper's first LP in five years, Here I Am — which has been bumped numerous times — won't drop until 2008, according to Billboard. No reason has been given for the delay of the album, which has already been preceded by two songs, "Tambourine" and "Give It to Me" (featuring Sean Paul). ... It looks like Eve can commiserate with the Wu-Tang Clan, at least a little bit: According to a post on the group's MySpace page, fans will have to wait three weeks longer for Wu's long-awaited fifth album, The 8 Diagrams. The album — which features guest appearances from P-Funk mastermind George Clinton and Dani Harrison, son of late Beatle George — is dedicated to the memory of Ol' Dirty Bastard and was originally scheduled to drop on the anniversary of his death, November 13. But now the LP has been bumped from that date to December 4. ...

Beyoncé has rescheduled the November 1 concert that was originally planned for Malaysia and will perform instead in Jakarta, Indonesia, on that day, Reuters reports. The Malaysia show was nixed last week amid protests by local Muslim groups upset that she reportedly refused to obey the country's strict dress code for performers. ... As previously hinted, Rage Against the Machine will headline Big Day Out, the fest that will roam through Australia and New Zealand early next year. The Arcade Fire, Björk, LCD Soundsystem and others will play all six dates on the trek, which runs from January 18 in Auckland, New Zealand, through February 3 in Perth, Australia. ...

According to an article in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair magazine, financial improprieties aren't the only secret disgraced boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman may have been hiding. Interviews with Pearlman's former associates allege that the man behind the careers of 'NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and LFO made advances toward a number of the young men he shepherded to fame. Speaking to former Pearlman protégés and their parents, the article relates stories of young singers emerging from Pearlman's room late at night, buttoning their pants and joking with each other about whether Pearlman had performed a particular sex act on them, with one former assistant referring to the man who enjoyed the nickname "Big Poppa" as a "sexual predator." According to the article, Pearlman — currently in jail and accused of embezzling more than $300 million from investors — acted inappropriately with members of the BSB to the point where several of the bandmembers' mothers suspected "there might have been some strange things going on." In another alleged incident, an aspiring singer was summoned to Pearlman's Miami mansion in the middle of the night to take out the garbage, and when he asked what he needed to do to get into the band, he said, "[Pearlman] leaned back in his chair, in his white terry-cloth robe and white underwear, and spread his legs. And then he said, and these were his exact words, 'You're a smart boy. Figure it out.' " The November issue of Vanity Fair will be on newsstands October 9. ...

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson seems to be taking his new pigskin-comedy flick to heart. The actor announced Tuesday (October 2) that he and his wife, Dany Garcia Johnson, are donating $1 million to help his alma mater, the University of Miami, renovate its football facilities. It's the largest gift a former Hurricane student athlete has ever given to the school's athletic department, and the football team's locker room will be named after Johnson according to The Associated Press. The actor separated from his wife, also a University of Miami alumna, earlier this year but the couple have said they are still close. "Dany and I have always said that being a student athlete here at the University of Miami has always been a tremendous part of our lives," Johnson said Tuesday. "The skill sets that we learned here as student athletes, talking about commitment, talking about sacrifice ... those skill sets are invaluable." ...

Courtney Love has settled a lawsuit brought against her by the attorneys who represented her in legal battles with the surviving members of Nirvana, the Seattle Weekly reports. Katherine Hendricks and O. Yale Lewis claimed that Love owed them more than $340,000, plus interest, for their work on a 2002 suit that Love filed against Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl. Love, controller of the share of Nirvana's business that had belonged to her late husband, Kurt Cobain, allegedly did not fully pay her lawyers, even though she eventually earned at least $9 million as a result of that suit. Love settled with Hendricks and Lewis for an undisclosed sum, and the settlement went into effect on September 17. According to court records, Love paid the Seattle attorneys more than $1 million for their work on the Nirvana suit, but they claim she still owed them $341,000, plus as much as $200,000 in interest. ... Nicolas Cage encountered a most unwelcome houseguest when a man broke into the actor's home in Newport Beach, California, early Monday morning, "Access Hollywood" reports. Robert Furo, 45, has been charged with first-degree burglary and has pleaded not guilty. A pretrial hearing for Furo, who is in custody, is set for October 10.

Morrissey's marathon 10-night stand at the Palladium in Hollywood, which was due to be his last sweep through the U.S. in the near future, has hit a snag — and a burst water pipe is to blame. The shows planned for Tuesday and Thursday have been canceled due to the safety issue, leaving Moz with an eight-night stand beginning Friday. Tickets for the canceled gigs will be honored at either the Monday or October 9 shows, with refunds available at point of purchase for those unable to attend. ... Tuesday has been named "Bruce Springsteen Day" in Hartford, Connecticut, AP reports. Governor M. Jodi Rell announced the designation, which coincides with the Boss' decision to open his upcoming tour Tuesday night at the Hartford Civic Center. Also on Tuesday, Springsteen released his new Magic LP with the E Street Band. ... Matador Records plans to reissue post-punk outfit Mission of Burma's back catalog early next year. The first two discs, 1982's Vs. and 1985's The Horrible Truth About Burma, will be repackaged and expanded. ... Flyleaf will release a two-CD/one-DVD limited-edition version of their self-titled album on October 30. The set will feature a number of videos and acoustic versions of some of the album's tracks, as well as additional bonus content. ...

Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt has quit, according to frontman Brian Molko. "Being in a band is very much like being in a marriage and in couples — in this case, a triple," the singer wrote in a statement. "People can grow apart over the years. To say you don't love your partner anymore is inaccurate considering all that you've been through and achieved together. There simply comes a point when you realize that you want different things from your relationship and that you can no longer live under the same roof, so to speak." ...

Aaron Gillespie, drummer for Underoath and frontman for the Almost, has been sidelined temporarily so that he can heal from an infection on his hand. The infection was caused by a finger blister he incurred from performing, and he had to undergo minor surgery to take care of the problem. Gillespie will sit out the next week of the Almost's tour, with drummer Kenny Bozich filling in for him. ... Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman broke his foot while filming two videos last week and will need four to six weeks for the injury to heal. The band plans to reschedule its U.S. and European tours and is also set to host a release party for its forthcoming album, Ire Works, at a yet-to-be-determined locale on November 13.

10.01.07

Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael, will spend five days with the troubled starlet at a remote lodge in the Utah mountains as part of her recovery, People reports. The two saw each other for the first time in three and a half years when Michael visited Lindsay at the Cirque Lodge rehab center in early September. "It can only help her recovery," Lindsay's mother, Dina, told People in an e-mail of the visit, which is set to begin Tuesday morning. "It's time to mend. He is visiting Lindsay alone because we are giving her dad a chance to make amends." ...

Britney Spears may not have wowed audiences at the VMAs with her dancing, but fans are still apparently digging her music. Spears' current single, "Gimme More," sits atop the digital-sales charts on iTunes and is at #8 on the iPhone ringtone charts, just before former love Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack." ...

Heidi Montag has admitted to Us Weekly that she did indeed undergo breast augmentation and rhinoplasty earlier this year, as had been previously speculated. The "Hills" star told the magazine, "I've always been very insecure about my body. ... If I was with a guy and there was a girl next to me with big boobs, I would be like, 'Oh my God, he's looking at her!' ... I hated my nose too. I have my dad's nose, which is huge." Startlingly, Montag suggested the medical procedures might have mattered even more than life itself. "Right before I went in, I was like, 'What if I don't wake up? Oh, this is scary.' Then I thought, 'I don't care. If I don't wake up, it's worth it.' I just wanted it so badly." ...

Last week was all about partying for September birthday boys T.I., Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne. The three celebrated their birthdays several days ago at T.I.'s Club Crucial in Atlanta with a joint salute to themselves. On Friday, Wayne hosted his official 25th b-day party in Miami with a Harlem Renaissance-themed yacht party called the "Black and White Baller Bash." Diddy, T.I., Juelz Santana and Rick Ross were some of the 300 people cruising with Weezy F. Baby. And on Sunday, Young Jeezy went so fly with his birthday party that he held it in an Atlanta airplane hangar. T.I., Chingy, Jermaine Dupri, Ne-Yo and Yung Joc came out to that bash. ... Speaking of one of those partygoers, Juelz Santana is reaching out to the kids by joining the Stay in School Concert set to go down October 17 at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. Jim Jones, DJ Cipha Sounds and Lil Mama are also participating in the event, which is being put on by the Entertainers 4 Education Alliance — a nonprofit helping provide at-risk youth with positive alternatives to negative behavior through education. ...

Lil Wayne and Fabolous' Monday (October 1) concert at the University of Florida, Gainesville, will help spread drinking and driving awareness, the campus' Independent Florida Alligator reports. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to the Corey Dahlem Benevolent Fund, which was set up after the police officer was killed by a drunk driver following the school's basketball-championship game in the spring. ... Hold your breath: Kanye West has started a blog. He recently launched a blog on Kanye UniverseCity and has put up a clip of his recent performance on "Saturday Night Live," party pics, videos by Lupe Fiasco and Feist and more. ...

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are doubling their fun with a joint tour, which launched Friday with a two-night stand in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but while the two are hoping their relationship helps their careers, Lopez's former flame Ben Affleck says their romance hurt his acting reputation. "It was probably bad for my career," he told Details of their relationship, which lasted from 2002-'04. "What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. I ended up in an unfortunate crosshair position where I was in a relationship and [the media] mostly lied and inflated a bunch of salacious stuff for the sake of selling magazines. And I paid a certain price for that." ...

Paula Abdul is getting ready for the seventh season of "American Idol," which starts in January — but she might be expecting something even bigger in the near future. She told USA Today that having children is "the next step in my life," adding that she would like to give birth "definitely within the next two years. I thought by now I'd have three grown children." Adbul, who has been roaming the country as part of the "Idol" auditions, also said: "With modern medicine, people are having kids in their 40s and even up until their late 40s. In their 50s, they're having their second child. If it doesn't happen naturally like that, I would always consider adopting." ... Pamela Anderson's application for a marriage license with former Paris Hilton beau Rick Salomon has been granted by Clark County, Nevada's Marriage License Bureau, according to The Associated Press. The license means the couple can get married any time during the next year. Anderson had previously been married to Kid Rock and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. ...

Looks like the Spice Girls haven't lost their "girl power" — the reunited group's London concert, set for December 15 at the O2 arena, sold out in a mere 38 seconds, BBC News reports. Three more dates — for December 16 and 18 and January 2 — have been added to the reunion run and will be sold exclusively to fans via e-mail. ... Ghostface, Rakim and Brother Ali will hit the tarmac together as part of the inaugural Hip Hop Live! tour, which will span an October 29 gig in Los Angeles through a November 21 show in Philadelphia. The innovative show will find the rhyme-slingers backed by a 10-piece instrumental band, the Rhythm Roots Allstars. ... Nikki Sixx, Butch Walker, Felix Da Housecat, Howie B and Kelis have joined the international judging panel for the 2007 Diesel:U:Music Awards, which will take place Wednesday at London's Koko Club. They will vote based on music the participating artists uploaded at Diesel-U-Music.com. ...

Ex-Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has opened up to Revolver about "Mourn," a "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott tribute track that appears on his band Down's latest album, III - Over the Under. "That's a very hard, hard song for me to really ... honestly, the song speaks for itself," he said. "It's about feeling isolated from my family in Texas, feelings about the obvious ... deep, deep, deep feelings every day. You know, I've been very quiet ever since [Dimebag's death], but it's all good. I decided a while ago that, yes, absolutely there is a proper time to mourn, and that he deserves a celebration of his life, and that's the path that I've chosen. Every action I do, I think of him. Every push-up I do, I think of him. Every time I hit a line, or I'm working in the studio, I can hear him saying, 'You can do better.' So that's what gets me through the hard times, the trying times, is his positivity." ...

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's alter ego, the Nightwatchman, has been named the support act for System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's upcoming North American solo tour. Morello will play his own headlining date October 11 in Nashville and then join Tankian in Chicago (October 12), Toronto (October 14), Boston (October 15), New York (October 17), Philadelphia (October 18) and Atlanta (October 20). ... Deftones frontman Chino Moreno's Team Sleep side project will take to the road in November for a string of gigs. Joining them on the trek will be former From First to Last frontman Sonny Moore, Monster in the Machine and Strata. The tour kicks off November 29 in Orangevale, California, and continues through December 16 in San Francisco. ... The Mars Volta's next album won't drop until next year. Bedlam in Goliath, which had been planned for a fall release, has bumped to January 29 for unknown reasons. ...

Sylvester Stallone and the crew of his "Rambo" sequel, "John Rambo," witnessed firsthand the aftermath of horrific atrocities happening in Myanmar while filming the movie along the country's border, according to AP. "I witnessed the aftermath — survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off," Stallone, who returned to the U.S. eight days ago, told the wire service Monday (October 1). "We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia, and this was more horrific." The actor left neighboring country Thailand before the Myanmar government began cracking down on pro-democracy protests last week. ... Nelson Mandela is planning a fifth AIDS awareness concert, for December 1 in Johannesburg, South Africa, AP reports. "I am very delighted that we are engaging the youth in schools, communities and through the media breaking the silence and stigmas around HIV and AIDS and making them realize that the power to beat the pandemic lies in their own hands," Mandela said in a statement. More than 30 to-be-announced international and local acts — and 50,000 concert attendees — are expected for the event, which is being held in conjunction with World AIDS Day. ...

Duran Duran are headed to Broadway. The English new-wave veterans will play a nine-show run at the Barrymore Theatre in New York during the first two weeks of November to promote the upcoming release of their Red Carpet Massacre album, which drops November 13. The group will play the entire LP — which features production from Timbaland and Danjahandz and a cameo from Justin Timberlake — each night, then sprinkle in some classic hits. Tickets will cost $75, $125 and $150. ... Add the Pipettes to the growing list of bands canceling U.S. treks due to visa problems — the British female pop trio has postponed a series of dates on its upcoming North American tour. The outing was originally set to start Tuesday in Chicago but will now launch October 25 in Los Angeles. ...

David Gilmour says he has no desire to reunite with his Pink Floyd bandmates, despite a recent European poll in which fans clamored for the band to do so. He claims he's focused on his solo career. "I can't see why I would want to be going back to that old thing," he explained recently to Rolling Stone. "It's very retrogressive. I want to look forward, and looking back isn't my joy. I don't know how one puts it, but going back into all that just wouldn't bring me joy. It's my time of life to be selfish — please myself." Last week, digital-music firm Music Choice published a poll in which 26 percent of respondents said Floyd top their list of bands they'd like to see reunite. ...

Tuesday could be a pivotal day in the ongoing war between the Recording Industry Association of America and rogue downloaders. According to Wired magazine, the RIAA will face off in a courtroom with a Minnesota mother in the first copyright jury trial that could set a precedent on the amount of proof a jury would have to consider to find a defendant liable for copyright infringement. The mother, Jannie Thomas, has adamantly claimed she did not download the 1,702 audio files she is accused of sharing on Kazaa in 2005. ...

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art has closed "Thanksgiving," an installation of pictures by American photographer Nan Goldin that are owned by Elton John, at the singer's request amid a police investigation over whether a photo of two girls violates child-pornography laws, AP reports. ... A man who pleaded guilty in a plot to extort more than $1 million from Tom Cruise for the actor's stolen wedding photos was found dead in his home, according to an AP report. Investigators believe David Hans Schmidt, 47, who had been under house arrest and faced up to two years in federal prison, committed suicide. He was found dead in his home Friday afternoon after police noticed a tracker placed on him had not moved, and he had not checked in.

• Hilary Duff
• Beyoncé
• Eve
• Rage Against the Machine
• Arcade Fire

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz at the <i>Rolling Stone</i> party on Saturday
Photo: Jason Squires/WireImage

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz had more than a VMA win to smile about Sunday night. As the band's Belvedere Suite party in the Fantasy Tower at the Palms Casino Resort got underway in the wee hours, Ashlee Simpson gave Pete a little treat — and it wasn't from the table of free breakfast goodies. Though they were roped off in the small V.I.P. section of the party (which Perez Hilton crashed around 3 a.m.), the couple weren't exactly hidden from view when they gave new meaning to displays of public affection. We tried not to stare, but it's not often you see near-expert lap dances from non-pros. It was actually somewhat instructional, and so expertly done that it made us wonder — did Ashlee take lessons? Somehow, Pete managed to DJ for awhile after that. Also caught in the act at the party: Cee-Lo mooning people (he dove into the Palms pool with all his clothes on later), and Mario Lopez apparently in an argument with a girl who stormed out. ...

(Check out photos of Diddy, Britney, Ashlee, Pamela Anderson, Kanye, Ludacris and many more tearing up the VMA party scene in Vegas — right here!)

Minutes away at Tao, Jermaine Dupri, Nelly and Travis Barker hosted a party where famous friends such as Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke, MIMS, DJ Drama, Shar Jackson, Doug E. Fresh, Fonzworth Bentley, and the Clipse kept coming in all night.

"Hey DJ, I want you to play the song that's gonna move this building!" JD said into the mic. He had a VIP section with Nelly, and both superstars had their girlfriends — Janet Jackson and Ashanti, respectively — with them.

"I'm not even gonna tell you what to play," Dupri continued. "You play the hottest sh-- right now."

On cue: "I get money, I-I get money..." The turntablist dropped 50 Cent's "I Get Money" to a raucous reaction. "OK DJ!" Dupri said a few minutes later. "I want you to drop the second hottest record right now!"

On cue again: "La, la, la, wait till I get my money right" as the DJ dropped Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing."

Later, it was time for an impromptu concert. T.I., whose own VIP section was in back of Dupri's, got on the mic and performed "ASAP," Bring 'Em Out" and "Big Things Poppin'." Not to be outdone, the one-man walking party central himself, Jamie Foxx, got on the mic and did the chorus to "Gold Digger." Nelly also got on the mic in the VIP section, and rocked his new single "Wadsyaname." Alicia Keys and Doug E. Fresh took the mic as well. ...

Over at the Hard Rock Hotel's Body English (definitely one of the most poppin' spots all VMA weekend), birthday boy Swizz Beatz would have gladly accepted a rendition of "Happy Birthday" (the Stevie Wonder version) from his good friend Eve, but the former pitbull in a skirt did give Swizzy a little something extra at his party. Eve starred in her own mini-concert to get the festivities off to a running start. Akon, Alicia Keys, the Clipse (they were making the rounds last night, weren't they?), Pharrell Williams, Angie Stone and Taye Diggs were just some who came out to congratulate "The Monster" on another year. Swizz and friends didn't hold court in a VIP section -- they stayed on an elevated dance floor. Swizz himself got on the mic and rapped along with some of the records the DJs spun, such as "Money in the Bank" and "Top Down." Funny thing, though: At certain points in the party, people were literally jumping up and down, but it wasn't to one of his signature productions like "Get Me Bodied" or "Money, Cash, Hoes." He was hyping the crowd off of dance music, like Daft Punk's "One More Time."

"It's showtime! Push it up, push it up!" Swizz yelled as people bounced into the air. Some of Swizz's VIP friends in the balcony started throwing wads of dollar bills to the dancefloor. ...

Official VMA maestro Timbaland held court over at Jet in the Mirage, where he was joined by Keri Hilson and Yung Berg, who came through with a mini entourage. The multi-platinum producer took the mic and held court, telling the DJ which tracks to play — which were mostly his own! Of course, they were all bangin', from Justin's "SexyBack" to Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right," the atmosphere felt like the show finale all over again. ...

"It's showtime! It's rain time!" Swizz yelled on the mic. One reveler in the balcony got so excited, he lit up two sparklers like it was the Fourth of July and started waving them in the air. ...

Elsewhere, in a considerably less snooty, velvet rope-heavy setting, deep in the heart of so-called "Old Vegas," in a little dive called Beauty Bar with horrifying bathrooms and free cans of Miller Lite, Video of the Year nominees Justice and Kanye West's DJ A-Trak threw an amazingly spare soiree that was short on passed hors d'ouevres (and by "short on," we mean nonexistent,) but long on sweaty grinding and fist-pumping electro. Taking the tiny stage just after 1:30 a.m., flanked by a posse that included artist So Me (who created the animation for the nominated "D.A.N.C.E." clip) and just about everyone associated with the Ed Banger record label, the dynamic duo of Justice threw "D.A.N.C.E." onto the turntables and began to systematically chop it up and break it down to its most funky elements, much to the enjoyment of blissed-out guests like Mark Ronson and the guys from Peter Bjorn and John, not to mention every single hipster in the house. Flipping expertly between pounding house and cheekier exercises in grimey bass, their set was gleefully lo-fi — just two turntables and the occasional graphic projected onto the brick walls — yet perfectly matched with the dingy couches and spare strands of Christmas lights that accounted for all of the B-Bar's decoration. They also managed to rock as hard as anything else we saw this week.

And when they wrapped things up with a remix of "D.A.N.C.E." -- one that managed to work in portions of 50 Cent's banging "I Get Money" -- that was followed by a pretty-much-verbatim rendition of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind," it was a little bit surreal and a whole lot of fun. You know, how Vegas is supposed to be. ...

So are the VMAs hot or what?! But there's much more Vegas riches to share: For a wealth of updates and info on performers, presenters and voting, check out www.VMA.MTV.com. For reports, photos, video and much, much more from previous VMAs, dive into the VMA archives.

• VMAs 2007: The Vegas Honeymoon
• VMA Parties Heat Up Vegas!

• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Adrian Grenier, Nelly, Shia LaBeouf, Britney And More Stars Spotted In Vegas

• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy
• Cee-Lo
• Clipse
• Akon

• Eve

Eve performs at Rain in Las Vegas on Friday
Photo: mavrixphoto.com

LAS VEGAS — Eve's performance Friday night at Rain nightclub inside the Palms Casino Resort was unusually cheerful for the Philadelphia actress/MC.

And for good reason: Just moments before Eve took the stage, she revealed to MTV News that it was her last day sporting her alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet, which she was ordered to wear under court order after crashing her gold Maserati in April while under the influence (see "Eve Opens Up About Singing On New LP, Her DUI Arrest, Hip-Hop Lyrics").

"It comes off tomorrow at 11 a.m.," Eve said.

And what does she plan on doing to mark the occasion?

"I'm gonna have a drink!" she joked, before saying — much more seriously — that she has taken full responsibility for her actions on that night. "At the end of the day, I can joke about it, because I'm an adult. And I know drinking and driving is something very serious."

Eve treated her show just as seriously: She was all business as she strutted onstage to her hit "Who's That Girl?"

"We gonna get excited!" she yelled to the crowd. "Let's go!"

Eve then paraded onstage in four-inch pumps as her female backup dancers got busy. It looked like a fashion show with all the flashing lights from cell phones and digital cameras going off.

She quickly transitioned into "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," minus Gwen Stefani. But Big Boi, Gnarls Barkley's Cee-Lo and "Desperate Housewives" star Josh Henderson added plenty of star power to the club as they dropped in to check out Eve's performance.

(Check out pics of Eve, 50 Cent, Britney and others spotted around Vegas during VMA week right here.)

Decked out in a short beige bubble dress, Eve appeared to be having more than enough fun as she turned to the back of the stage and playfully teased the club-goers lined along the second-floor balcony behind her.

"This is my second single off my new album, coming out October 16," Eve hollered. "Y'all like reggae?"

To rousing applause, she launched into her Sean Paul collaboration, "Give It to You," from her forthcoming Here I Am.

But the night wouldn't end on the right note without her current chart topper "Tambourine." "I wanna see if y'all know how to ... ," she said as the hook to the frenetic track kicked in.

Hands everywhere popped up, shaking like tambourines as Eve rocked the crowd.

"It's party time!" she shouted again — but the crowd didn't need to be reminded.

Wait -- don't cash out on the VMAs just yet! From Britney's sultry comeback performance to the big winners, you saw it all -- well, almost everything! Get yourself even richer with our wall-to-wall show coverage, party reports, videos and loads more at www.VMA.MTV.com. For reports, photos, video and much, much more from previous VMAs, dive into the VMA archives.

• VMAs 2007: The Vegas Honeymoon

• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene

• Eve

Britney Spears
Photo: Ginsburg/Spaly/Splash News

Britney Spears' new single, "Gimme More," premiered Thursday night (August 30) on Z100 and subsequently surfaced on the New York radio station's Web site. She opens the song by singing, "It's Britney, b---h," and producer Danjahandz closes it by saying, "Bet you didn't see this coming." In related news, "Access Hollywood" reports that a source told the news site that Spears' manager Larry Rudolph — who had been in hiding — has finally been subpoenaed in the singer's child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline. ...

Eve and 50 Cent are featured on the double-cover of Rap-Up's September/October issue, and both rappers do plenty of talking inside. For her part, Eve talked about her DUI arrest, fellow female rappers and her plans to start a family. While she didn't comment directly on the case, she did confirm that Sean Penn visited her while she was in jail but said he did not bail her out. Eve lashed out at Don Imus — "he's old enough to know better" — but only had good things to say about Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill — and Dr. Dre. "Me and Dre will always forever be cool. There's a respect, musically. ... We get in [the studio] and it's like shadowboxing." The magazine hits stands Tuesday. Eve talked more directly about her troubles with the law when People caught up with her Tuesday night at a nightclub in Las Vegas. She said she can't get used to the alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet she is being forced to wear. "When they told me I was getting it on, I thought it was going to be like a beeper, but it's like a pair of Bose headphones," she told the mag. She will be allowed to remove the bracelet on September 8. ...

Also featured in Rap-Up is 50 dishing about a handful of female artists. He said Beyoncé is "definitely hot" and called Ciara "talented" but dumped on rumored love interest Mya ("I don't think she's ever gonna be a success"). Fiddy also reiterated that he doesn't beef with Jay-Z and Diddy; riffed on his September 11 competitor, Kanye West; and also shared his feelings on the president. "Me and George Bush were both actually born on July 6, he's just a little older than me. And he does have a talent: He has less compassion than a regular human being." He added, "Me and George Bush are so different. ... I actually go to war, when I go to war. Bush just sends [people] to war. When I took a trip to Iraq — 'cause I went to perform for the soldiers in Iraq — they had the same vehicles that I ride around in New York." While he's not crazy about President Bush, 50 did reveal who he would like to be the successor: "I'd like to see Hillary Clinton be president. It would be nice to see a woman be the actual president and ... this is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term." ...

According to "Access Hollywood," an attorney for Owen Wilson told the TV show that the actor didn't overdose on drugs but rather slit his wrists during his failed suicide attempt on Sunday. The lawyer, who is not named, said Wilson had been taking antidepressants and was not aware of any other drugs in his system at the time of the incident. ...

Snoop Dogg will host this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, to be held in Munich, Germany, on November 1. "I've called up the homeys from east to west and I guarantee it's gonna be off tha chain, ya dig," Snoop told MTV U.K. Foo Fighters and British pop singer Mika are set to perform at the ceremony, which will have a new category this year: New Sounds of Europe. ... Miami's Bang! Music Festival is getting a big dose of Chicago music. Kanye West and Smashing Pumpkins will headline the extravaganza, which has ballooned to two days this year. The Bravery, Riverboat Gamblers and others are also confirmed for the fest, to be held at Miami's Bayfront Park Amphitheater. ... T-Pain is adding a twist to Baby Bash's Cyclone by appearing on the new Lil Jon-produced single of the same name. The Latino rapper also rubs elbows with producer J.R. Rotem, Danity Kane's Aundrea Fimbres and Paula DeAnda on the disc, which streets October 16. ...

Hulk Hogan's son Nick Bollea has posted on his MySpace page a message to fans regarding the Sunday night car accident that left 22-year-old passenger John Graziano critically injured. "I want to thank everyone who has sent their support to me. Right now I would like to ask all of you to focus your prayers on my friend John," reads the post. His sister Brooke expressed similar sentiments in a post on her own MySpace page: "You have all been so sweet to reach out to me and my family during this time. As you guys may know, Nicky has been released from the hospital, but my best friend John is still in the hospital. Every single prayer helps John heal, so please, keep praying and don't give up." ...

Ethereal Icelandic rockers Sigur Rós have pieced together a pair of releases for November 6. Hvarf/Heim is a double-CD: Hvarf encompasses five new recordings of songs — some previously unreleased — from various junctures in the band's career. Heim features six live acoustic versions of songs from Sigur Rós' four albums. A DVD is also on the way — "Heima" follows the group as it performed a series of free concerts in its native Iceland last summer. ...

Bob Marley's family intends to sue Universal Music Group and Verizon Wireless over a recently announced deal in which the companies said they plan to use some of the reggae legend's songs for products including ringtones, Billboard.com reports. Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, the company owned by Marley's family, told the news outlet that the companies' agreement was signed without the family's permission and doesn't mesh with Marley's Universal contract. A statement sent in response by Universal said the label hadn't received a suit and claimed, "We are offering Bob Marley ringtones through Verizon in accordance with the terms of a long standing contract between Bob Marley and UMG." ...

El DeBarge — a member of R&B squad DeBarge — was arrested Sunday for investigation of domestic violence, AP reports. The singer (real name: Eldra DeBarge) is being held without bail at a jail in Los Angeles because he has two previous warrants for his arrest in narcotics cases. ... The driver involved in the car crash that killed "A Christmas Story" director Bob Clark and his son has pleaded no contest to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, AP reports. Hector Velazquez-Nava will be sentenced September 27 and faces up to six years in prison.

08.29.07

Say what you will about those supposed Britney Spears tracks floating around online, but the singer is planning to debut the first single from her new album as early as this weekend. The single is called "Gimmie More," was produced by Danjahandz and is an up-tempo dance track — and is also the song for which the singer was seen shooting a video last month. "It's about feeling good, celebrating womanhood," Danja told MTV News earlier this year. "And if you don't dance to it, I really don't know what you're listening to. It's a new Britney." In related news, Spears will host the grand opening of Las Vegas nightclub LAX at the Luxor on Friday. DJ AM — who, along with Christina Aguilera, is an investor in the club — will man the decks. And the infamous Versace gown Spears was supposed to wear during her aborted OK! magazine shoot went up for auction on eBay on Wednesday (August 29). USA Today reported that bidding on the dress started at $5,700, with proceeds going to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. ...

Amy Winehouse can add the VMAs to the growing list of shows she won't be playing this year. The U.K. starlet — who last week postponed her U.S. tour until 2008 — has canceled her scheduled performance at the awards show on September 9. ... Lindsay Lohan plans to meet with her estranged father, Michael, while she is in rehab, a source told People.com, according to the site. People.com says multiple sources have revealed that Lohan's lawyer Blair Berk is helping negotiate Michael Lohan's visit to the Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah. ...

Christina Aguilera is on for the Emmy Awards. The singer will perform the Tony Bennett standard "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)" with the jazz legend at the ceremony, which will air September 16 on Fox. The two sang the song together on the TV special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," which is nominated for eight Emmy Awards. ...

Gwen Stefani has gotten together with Hewlett-Packard for a creative twist on her Harajuku Lovers line. Starting Wednesday at HP.com/Gwen, fans can make and print CD labels, stationary and more by mashing HL content into their own customized designs. ... Jay-Z and Eve hosted a Rocawear party at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Tuesday night in celebration of the weeklong Magic Fashion Convention. The shindig — which was sponsored by Giant magazine and Mercedes-Benz — also featured cameos by Nick Cannon, Travis Barker and Young Jeezy, among others. ...

Lil Wayne is being sued by a concertgoer who alleges that she was knocked to the ground and trampled at the rapper's October show at Baltimore's Morgan State University, according to the Baltimore Sun. Tyrique Layne, who was a student at the university at the time, claims she needed to stay in the hospital overnight as a result of the injuries she sustained at the concert when a large amount of cash was thrown into the crowd. Layne's suit claims she is suffering headaches, neck and back pain, fatigue and other symptoms as a result of her injuries, and she is seeking $1 million plus interest and costs. ...

A mysterious white powdery substance authorities discovered in a locked bedroom inside rapper DMX's Cave Creek, Arizona, home is not a drug after all, according to Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies. Police — who initially believed the substance to be a drug — have not disclosed what it actually is. But officers also seized a useable amount of marijuana during the Friday morning raid, as well as drug paraphernalia, the carcasses of three dogs and a dozen other dogs that seemed malnourished. Police are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to determine whether DMX was legally permitted to own the weapons. It still hasn't been determined what the three dogs that were found buried in the rapper's backyard died from, but police do not believe they had been used for dogfighting. ...

Beyoncé and Shakira have more than just VMA nominations to get excited about — their "Beautiful Liar" debut is also up for a Latin Grammy, for Record of the Year. Ricky Martin and Calle 13 have four noms apiece, while Juan Luis Guerra leads the pack with five. ... Wyclef Jean keeps inviting more and more guests to take part in his new album The Carnival Volume ll (Memoirs of an Immigrant), which is set to drop November 6. The ubiquitous Lil Wayne and, more surprisingly, System of a Down singer Serj Tankian, have stepped in to help out. ... Kelly Clarkson's live comeback is hitting an early stride. According to her label, tickets for the singer's October 15 and 16 shows at New York's Beacon Theatre sold out in under 20 minutes, prompting the addition of a third show on October 14, which also sold out over the weekend. ...

Ashlee Simpson, Madonna and Hilary Duff are among the loads of artists featured in a new book of photography that revolves around the weekly Saturday night party thrown in New York by trendsetters the Misshapes. Simply called "Misshapes," the book — which also showcases My Chemical Romance, Mandy Moore, Bloc Party, the Killers and more — will be released Tuesday by MTV Press. (See "Misshapes" snaps of Ashlee Simpson, Joel Madden, Pete Wentz, Madonna and more.) ... Nikki Sixx will be the first-ever rock star to act as featured speaker at the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month luncheon in Washington, D.C., on September 6. Sixx's autobiography, "Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star," hits bookshelves September 18. ...

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's battle isn't over — the divorced couple have been wrangling over their 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. In newly released legal papers filed last month and obtained by People.com, Brown claims he hasn't spoken with his daughter since June. "Since Whitney has been awarded sole legal and physical custody of Bobbi Kris, she has attempted to eliminate me from Bobbi Kris' life," the suit reads. "I did all I could to see my daughter ... I also paid approximately $10,000 for Whitney and Bobbi Kris to live in a nice hotel while Whitney was going through rehab ... I basically lived out of my car." In Houston's declaration to the court, she claims Brown has been "almost totally uninvolved in taking care of" Bobbi Kristina and warns, "Bobby is going to try to get child or spousal support from me ... Bobby is fully capable of working and earning substantial sums of money if he would control his personal behavior." Despite the feud, the couple have been spotted together in public recently, having dinner and posing for photos with fans, according to People.com. ...

Linkin Park have already proven themselves to be good Samaritans — they've been donating $1 from every ticket on their Projekt Revolution tour toward planting trees. Now Chester Bennington and the gang are taking their goodwill efforts one step further by building a home for a low-income family in the Gulf Coast. The band has launched a contest named after its recent single "What I've Done" in which the winner and a guest will be able to join LP to construct the house at an undisclosed location in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina. To enter, fans must submit to Contest@MusicForRelief.org a video clip that is less than two minutes long and explains what the person has done to improve the world. Fans can also participate by recording their video at the Music for Relief booth at Projekt Revolution, but all entries must be in by September 29. "We will help build [the home] alongside the family that will move into the house," bassist Phoenix said in a statement. "We hope to remind people that there is still a lot of work to be done." ...

Hulk Hogan's son Nick Bollea was racing another car before he crashed into a tree on Sunday night, according to a Florida woman who told The Associated Press she witnessed the accident. "We knew something was going to happen. You know that this is a bad situation and these guys are hot-dogging," said Frances Vitalis, who claimed to be riding on a motorcycle with a friend behind the cars. A police spokesperson declined to comment to the wire service, citing an ongoing investigation. ... Lawyers in the Phil Spector trial, along with the judge, have agreed that the jury should only consider a second-degree murder charge, as opposed to a lesser charge like manslaughter, the Los Angeles Times reports. Attorneys have now finished the last procedural steps before closing arguments begin September 5. On Tuesday it was announced that Spector had retained San Francisco attorney Dennis Riordan to replace Bruce Cutler, although Riordan will not act as lead counsel. ...

Hard-to-find tracks by Beastie Boys, Interpol and the Decemberists populate the fourth installment in the Give.Listen.Help series, a charity comp available at Urban Outfitters outlets. Most proceeds are going to Art of Elysium, a group that promotes art therapy for hospitalized children. ... Bloc Party will head up the second LA Weekly Detour festival, set for October 6 in downtown Los Angeles. Justice, Satellite Party, Shout Out Louds, Raveonettes, Turbonegro, Kinky and others flesh out the roster for the outdoor throwdown. ... Two of a kind? Mary-Kate Olsen and Ben Kingsley engage in a passionate kiss in their new flick "The Wackness," which finished shooting last week. The 21-year-old Olsen plays a pot dealer's customer in the movie, and the 63-year-old Kingsley acts as the dealer's therapist. ...

Hellogoodbye and Say Anything have been tapped to headline the MySpace Music Tour. The bands will christen the social-networking site's new concert series with a Seattle show on October 16 and plow through a gig in Las Vegas on November 23. MySpace Records artists Polysics will open many dates, from the Seattle show through the Halloween concert in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presale tickets will be made available exclusively to MySpace members beginning Friday. ... Slayer are pulling together footage from last year's Unholy Alliance Tour with Lamb of God and Mastodon for a DVD due October 30. The simply titled "Unholy Alliance Tour" DVD captures the July 13, 2006, stop in Vancouver, British Columbia, and also includes footage of the other two acts on the bill, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed. Behind-the-scenes clips and interviews, many of which were conducted by the bandmembers, flesh out the set. ...

The fire sale of houses and gear from disgraced former boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman — who is currently in jail in Florida and is being accused of defrauding investors of more than $500 million — continues. According to Florida's St. Petersburg Times, in addition to a deal to sell Pearlman's Atlantic City, New Jersey, condo for $335,000 as part of his ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, a deal is under way to sell his Orlando estate for $7.1 million. A Saturday auction of "boy toys" owned by Pearlman — including life-size R2D2, Anakin Skywalker and Han Solo figures, a pimped-out Escalade-style golf cart and a host of weapons — brought in another $280,000. ... Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards doesn't like what the Swedish papers have been saying about the band, so he's taking the fight straight to them. Reuters reports that Richards is demanding that newspapers Expressen and Aftonbladet apologize for their stinging reviews of the Stones' performance in Stockholm earlier this month. "Never before have I risen to the bait of a bad review," Richards said in a statement. "But this time ... I have to stand up for our incredible Gothenburg audience and for our fans all over Sweden ... to say that you owe them, and us, an apology." ...

The free ride for Grateful Dead fans is over. Rhino Records, which controls most of the Dead's music, announced recently that the formerly downloadable live tracks that were posted on the Taper's Section on the band's Web site will now only be available as audio streams. The Section's webmaster, David Lemieux, explained in a note to fans on Monday that the site was always intended "for streaming only." ... A judge ruled Friday in favor of the Recording Industry Association of America, agreeing with RIAA lawyers that "making available" copyrighted works on peer-to-peer networks constitutes copyright infringement, according to a story on Wired.com. The ruling makes clear that it is illegal to share a song in a P2P folder, even if there's no proof that someone else downloaded it.

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• Britney Spears
• 50 Cent
• Eve
• Kanye West
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Luda, Fab, Eve And More Show Up For VH1's 'Hip Hop Honors'

• Ludacris
• Fabolous
• DMX
• KRS-One
• Gym Class Heroes

Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron, Ne-Yo, More At US Weekly's Hot Hollywood Issues Party

• Ne-Yo
• Eve

Stars Descend On The VH1 Hip Hop Honors Red Carpet

• Busta Rhymes
• Kid Rock
• Cypress Hill
• De La Soul
• Eve

VMA: Rap Royalty

• Jay-Z
• Kanye West
• 50 Cent
• Snoop Dogg
• Eve

Danity Kane, Lauren Conrad And Heidi (Klum!), More At The 'Us Weekly' Hot Hollywood Party

• Danity Kane
• Will.I.Am
• Christina Milian
• Jesse McCartney
• Eve

MTV Live: Eve

• Eve

MTV Live Backstage: Eve

• Eve

Snoop, Pharrell, Diddy, Ciara And More At The 2007 VH1 Hip Hop Honors

• Snoop Dogg
• Pharrell Williams
• LL Cool J
• T-Pain
• Ne-Yo

2007 VMA: Winners Gallery

• Justin Timberlake
• Timbaland
• Rihanna
• Robin Thicke
• Jennifer Hudson

Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene

• Britney Spears
• Justin Timberlake
• Timbaland
• Nick Cannon
• Lil Jon