Pink
Photo: Jo Hale/ Getty Images

The reason Pink is on the "Happy Feet" soundtrack covering "Tell Me Something Good," a song made famous by Rufus & Chaka Khan? She can't get enough of the penguins. "They're so cute and adorable," raved Pink, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ally. "And as soon as someone explained to me that the movie was about animals, I was down for it. I've watched some of the film sequences and it's the coolest thing ever." ...

Gwen Stefani will debut her new single "Wind It Up" at the American Music Awards on November 21. The ceremony, also featuring performances by Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and Carrie Underwood, will air live on ABC 8 p.m. ET. ... Move over waxwork Britney and Beyoncé: Christina's statue is moving in. Aguilera's wax figure will be unveiled at London's Madame Tussauds at the end of month, just as the singer wraps up her U.K. tour. Flashing a sultry over-the-shoulder look, the waxwork Aguilera will be dressed in a sparkly vintage gown and posed in a 1920s-style powder room. The singer's statue will be the final figure unveiled at the London museum this year. ...

Hip-hop heads, peep this: Organizers of the annual West Coast hip-hop festival Rock the Bells are finally taking their show on the road. Headlining the inaugural Rock the Bells club tour will be RTB vets Redman and Raekwon, with Keith Murray, world-record-setting freestylist MC Supernatural and DJ Kool rounding out the lineup. The monthlong trek, which will make 24 stops in major cities in the U.S. and Canada, embarks November 21 in Washington, D.C., and wraps December 22 in Anaheim, California. ... A far-reaching roster of acts — including the Clipse, the Rapture, Metric and Explosions in the Sky — will come together at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on November 11 for Be the Riottt. The 12-hour, four-stage culture exposition will also encompass freestyle-dance battles, urban art and additional sets by Saul Williams, Deerhoof, Tokyo Police Club, Asobi Seksu and Sage Francis. ...

The self-titled debut from Rock Star Supernova — the band featuring ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, Voivod's Jason Newsted, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and frontman Lukas Rossi — will be issued November 21. The disc will contain 11 tracks, including "Leave the Lights On," "Can't Bring Myself to Light This Fuse" and "Make No Mistake ... This Is the Take." ... Pantera's Vinnie Paul has forged a new band called Hell Yeah with Mudvayne's Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett, as well as former Nothingface members Tom Maxwell and Jerry Montano. Hell Yeah have been working on material that they hope to record and release in March, and are mapping out an inaugural tour to support the LP. ... Slayer, whose new Christ Illusion deals with the brutality of war, are taking a break from the European leg of their Unholy Alliance Tour to visit the Spangdahlem U.S. Air Force Base in Germany on November 8. This will be the band's first visit to a military base. ...

Rapper/actor Dwight "Heavy D" Myers filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against an insurance company on Friday, contending that the policy he purchased from National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh should cover his liability in a 1991 celebrity basketball game during which nine people were crushed to death in a stampede. Myers and Diddy were organizers of the event, which brought 5,000 people to the 2,700-capacity City College of New York gymnasium. Myers is seeking reimbursement to cover claims and fees he incurred as a result of personal-injury and wrongful-death suits filed by victims and their families. ... A Manhattan judge ruled Tuesday that former Source editor Kim Osorio is entitled to $7.5 million in damages for her wrongful-dismissal verdict against the hip-hop magazine and former owners Dave Mays and Raymond "Benzino" Scott, not the $15.5 million first announced by Osorio's lawyers. The Associated Press reports that Judge Jed Rakoff ruled that the three defendants owe $4 million collectively, not $4 million each. Osorio was awarded an additional $3.5 million from Benzino for her defamation claim and another $500,000 in lost pay. ...

John Legend's Once Again tour rolled into New York's Nokia Theater on Monday, where GOOD Music labelmate Consequence started the show, followed by a soulful performance from Robin Thicke. Thicke sang his hits including "Wanna Love U Girl" and "Shooter," and even rapped in place of an absent Lil Wayne and Pharrell Williams, filling in their verses on the songs. Legend closed the night out with selections from his two albums. ... A concertgoer attempted to douse Barbra Streisand on Monday, throwing a drink at the stage after the singer launched into a skit criticizing President Bush during a performance in Sunrise, Florida. This follows two similar incidents during Streisand's most recent tour, with the entertainer's Bush barbs drawing audience protest at stops in Philadelphia and New York. ... Start them up? Not so fast. The Rolling Stones have canceled a tour stop in Honolulu and delayed stops in Oakland, California; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Los Angeles in response to frontman Mick Jagger's ailing pipes, according to the band's Web site. ...

The music-publishing industry has announced a tentative deal with file-sharing network Kazaa over copyright-infringement claims, AP reports. The National Music Publishers' Association released a statement characterizing the amount that the peer-to-peer network has agreed to pay as "a substantial sum." A spokesperson for Sharman Networks, which owns and distributes Kazaa, said they were not familiar with the lawsuit and declined to comment to the AP. ... SoundExchange, a nonprofit group representing the music industry, filed a request to the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board calling for satellite-radio giants XM and Sirius to pay royalties of at least 10 percent of the company's revenue for the rights to play artists' music. ...

The end of October didn't just mean that a new "Saw" movie was in theaters — it was also time for Little X's annual Halloween party/ birthday bash. X and former Roc-A-Fella exec/ fashion designer Kenny Burns hosted Monday's party at Lotus in New York. Foxy Brown, Tyson Beckford, Pharoahe Monch, Bilal and Irv Gotti, Ja Rule and singer Lloyd from the Inc. family came out to celebrate. Before the X party, Irv, Ja and Lloyd participated in the Universal Records showcase, where new Inc. artist Vanessa Carlton performed. And after the Little X party, they headed over to the Roxy, where Cash Money Millionaires' Lil Wayne and Baby held an album-release party for Wayne's Like Father, Like Son LP. Hot 97 radio host Angie Martinez was the host. ...

Wondering where Michelle Williams or Claire Danes get clothes to express their whimsical sense of style? The actresses are fans of designer Behnaz Sarafpour, whose dresses usually cost upward of $1,000. But for the next 60 days, Sarafpour will offer less-expensive looks — including flirty dresses, faux-fur jackets and silk blouses — as part of Target's GO International campaign. Target's collection offers a Sarafpour velvet baby-doll dress with ivory satin trim for $39.99, while her elegant plum taffeta dress runs $44.99. Iranian-born Sarafpour follows Luella Bartley, Sophie Albou and Tara Jarmon's Paul & Joe line in the GO campaign. And mark your calendars: H&M will unveil its exclusive line from Parisian designers Viktor & Rolf on November 9. Previous H&M lines designed by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney sold out in hours.

• Christina Aguilera
• John Legend
• Heavy D & The Boyz
• P!nk

D12 had a surprise visitor at their Detroit album-release concert on Friday night — 50 Cent. The mega-star joined Eminem and company about halfway through their concert and performed bits of his hit singles. ...

Bobby Brown appeared in an Atlanta courtroom Wednesday (May 5) on misdemeanor assault charges for allegedly hitting wife Whitney Houston in December. After a five-minute hearing, the judge determined there to be enough evidence against the R&B singer to proceed with the case. Brown was ordered to turn himself in to authorities on July 10 or 11. If found guilty, Brown faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A date for the next hearing has not been set. ... The assault trial against Nas has been postponed once again, this time to June 21. The rapper is facing charges stemming from a December incident in which he allegedly threw a bottle at a man in a New York club. ...

A month after Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy underwent rehab for addiction to painkillers, the band has been added to three stops on the Lollapalooza tour: Clarkston, Michigan (August 3), Toronto (August 6) and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (August 11). Wilco's new LP, A Ghost Is Born, is due June 22. ... The only thing heavy about Heavy D these days is the roll of bills in his pocket. The co-star of "The Tracy Morgan Show," who's lost over 100 pounds, has just inked a deal with Bad Boy, according to a source close to Hev. He has a new track that should be hitting next week. The title is unknown, but it features Heavy's longtime friend P. Diddy. ...

Fans who missed Ghostface's record-release concert in New York last week will get a chance to hear and see how it all went down. The show was recorded for an upcoming live album and DVD to be released by the end of the year. ... Onetime Q-Tip protégé Consequence has a new mixtape due out next month, Take Em to the Cleaners, overseen by his new mentor, Kanye West. The CD features 18 songs, including several new tracks produced by Kanye. On the intro to the CD, Roc-A-Fella head honcho Dame Dash proclaims Consequence to be "family." ...

Van Halen will include three new songs produced by Glen Ballard on their upcoming best-of set, due this summer. The single will be "Up for Breakfast" and the other two tracks are "Learning to See" and "It's About Time." All three will feature vocals by Sammy Hagar, who will join the band on its summer tour, kicking off June 11 in Greensboro, North Carolina. ... A pastor in Calgary, Alberta, will play 20 minutes of Metallica music and the band's video for "The Unforgiven" during his church service on Mother's Day in order to drum some messages about anger and forgiveness into his congregation. "Seeing as Metallica is coming to town this week, we thought we'd preach a message on the heavy metal band this Sunday," Pastor John Van Sloten told the Calgary Sun. Van Sloten has conducted similar sermons to the music of U2, Evanescence and Johnny Cash. ...

Ozzy Osbourne has placed two of the water guns he used to soak crowds during the 1996 and 1997 Ozzfest tours up for auction on eBay. Bidding for each started at $500. Proceeds from the auction, which ends May 10, will benefit the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation. ... The farewell tour for punk-pop band Face to Face, the Only Goodbye Tour, will kick off August 13 in Orlando, Florida. The 21-show trek runs through September 19 in Los Angeles. "As much fun as we had on the Warped Tour last summer, we don't feel like we had a chance to say goodbye properly to the people who have supported us for so long," frontman Trever Keith said. "Now we can." ... On Wednesday, it was announced that the fifth annual Latin Grammy Awards will take place on September 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Nominations for the ceremony, which will air live on CBS, will be announced on July 14. ...

Shock rocker Alice Cooper will receive an honorary doctorate from the Christian college Grand Canyon University at the school's commencement ceremony on Saturday. Cooper is a financial supporter of the university, located in Phoenix. ... A judge in Forde, Norway, has sentenced black-metal singer Gaahl from the band Gorgoroth to 18 months in prison for savagely beating a 41-year-old man and drinking his blood in February 2002. Gaahl was also ordered to pay about $15,000 to the victim, who has been unable to return to work since the attack. ...

05.04.2004

Prince's Atlanta show on Friday featured a surprise opening performance from his longtime friends Morris Day and the Time. Organizers said the band, which performed such hits as "Jungle Love" and "The Bird," just happened to be in Atlanta that night and no other performances with Prince are scheduled. ...

The sequel to the video game "Def Jam Vendetta" is going down in the Big Apple. In "Def Jam Fight for NY," players will duke it out with the likes of Method Man, Lil' Kim, Ludacris, Sean Paul and Slick Rick for control of the city's hip-hop underground. The game is expected to surface in September. ... Are you still trying to nail those dance sequences you saw in "You Got Served"? Dave Scott may be just the man you need. He served as the master choreographer for the movie starring B2K and hosts the hour-long instructional dance program "You Got Served: Take It to the Streets," out on DVD and VHS June 29. Scott breaks down several of the dance combinations seen in the film and gets a little help from Omarion and Marques Houston, who make special guest appearances. ...

The deluxe reissue of Dashboard Confessional's A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, due May 18, will contain a DVD featuring the entire MTV2 "Album Covers" performance, in which the band covered all the songs from R.E.M.'s 1992 classic Automatic for the People. An interview with Dashboard and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe is also included. ... In addition to their Lollapalooza appearances, the Pixies have announced four more shows: November 25 in Toronto (the band's second night in the city); November 26 in Montreal; December 4 in Camden, New Jersey; and December 6 in Washington, D.C. ...

Norah Jones has announced seven North American summer shows, starting in Santa Barbara, California, July 9 and running sporadically through September 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Additional dates will be added shortly. ... What would summertime be without fresh Phish? Undermind, the jam band's follow-up to 2002's Round Room, is set to drop June 15. The album's initial pressing will feature the 26-minute short film "Specimens of Beauty," which documents the creation of the album. ...

They Might Be Giants have set a July 27 release date for their 10th full-length album, The Spine, produced by Pat Dillett (Notorious B.I.G., David Byrne), who first worked with the duo on 1990's Flood. The Giants will promote the album with a tour beginning May 29 in Baltimore. ... Meanwhile, the group's John Flansburgh is teaming with director Spike Jonze to organize a compilation for the anti-Bush group MoveOn.org. Titled Future Mix Tape for America: A Benefit for MoveOn.Org, the album is due later in the year. ...

Kiss figures from the Love Gun era will be released by McFarlane Toys in August. The set features four original bandmembers in costume and makeup and a stage base. ... Adult-movie seductress Jenna Jameson has hooked up with Jackson Guitars to sell clothing and collectibles featuring her image. Merchandise includes sets of drinking glasses, temporary tattoos of the ink on Jameson's hip, posters and T-shirts of Jameson caressing a guitar. ...

• D12
• 50 Cent
• Bobby Brown
• Nas
• Wilco

Justin Timberlake will host CBS' March 25 Celine Dion special, "Celine in Las Vegas ... Opening Night Live," interviewing celebrities at the premiere of the Dion spectacular and giving a tour of the Caesars Palace facility built for the show. Dion will perform several songs, including her new single, "I Drove All Night." ...

Jennifer Lopez is in negotiations to team up with "Chicago" star Richard Gere in a remake of the 1996 Japanese film "Shall We Dance?" This project joins a host of others in the diva's already overflowing date book, including "An Unfinished Life" (set to begin next month), female cop movie "Double or Nothing," Latin female-centered "Dirty Girls," superhero psychiatrist flick "Shrink" and a proposed "Carmen" remake. Lopez has two films with Ben Affleck in the can already, "Gigli" and "Jersey Girl," which will both surface later in the year. ...

Pink and Hole's Eric Erlandson turned up at Cinespace in Hollywood on Tuesday for the premiere of the upcoming music movie "Down and Out With the Dolls." Sahara Hotnights, Coyote Shivers and the Paper Dolls performed. ...

Perhaps Mandy Moore should put in a call to Chelsea Clinton to prepare for "First Daughter," a romantic comedy in which the pop princess will star as a president's daughter who gives the Secret Service the slip and takes off for a European road trip. Meanwhile, Moore's "How to Deal" should hit theaters in July, and she's already completed "Try Seventeen" (with Elijah Wood) and "Saved." ... Heavy D will reportedly star alongside "Saturday Night Live" veteran Tracy Morgan in a new pilot for NBC. The easygoing rapper, whose real name is Dwight Myers, has appeared in several episodes of "Boston Public." ...

John Mellencamp has made his new anti-war song, "To Washington," available to download for free on his Web site. The song questions the president's motives at waging war against Iraq. ... Speaking of presidents, the Presidents of the United States of America are playing their first shows outside of Seattle in five years this weekend in Texas. The band, which is re-releasing its self-titled debut this summer with additional new songs, will hit Corpus Christi on Thursday and the South by Southwest festival in Austin on Saturday. ...

03.12.03

Mariah Carey shot a video for "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" in Los Angeles recently. "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson appears in the clip along with Dave Navarro, who plays guitar on the song, first made famous by Def Leppard. ...

Hip-Hop Summit Action Network Chairman Russell Simmons has sent an open letter to President Bush asking him to reconsider his hawkish stance on Iraq. In the letter, the hip-hop mogul urges Bush to let the U.N. inspectors do their job without establishing a deadline for war, and states, "Domestically, Mr. President, rampant poverty is on the rise ... we in the hip-hop community know and feel the pain, misery and wretchedness of the social condition of our communities. Now with the prospect of a multi-trillion dollar federal budget deficit, an unnecessary war on Iraq is only going to increase the cold damp hands of social dereliction that have a deadly choke hold on too many Americans across the nation." ...

Da Brat is finally ready to make her comeback with an album this summer. The LP's first single, titled "In Love Wit Chu," finds the Chi-Town rapper talking about the bliss she feels with her Mr. Right. That cut will hit radio soon. ... MC Lyte will release her new album, Underground Heat Vol.1, on May 27. The video for the first single, "Ride Wit' Me," features cameos by Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Erick Sermon and Jamie Foxx, who "hosts" the album, recorded at his Foxx Hole studio. ...

Experimental metal bands Meshuggah and Strapping Young Lad will sweep through North America for a 23-date tour beginning April 25 in Seattle and wrapping up May 17 in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival. Meshuggah's latest disc, Nothing, came out in August, and Strapping Young Lad's new one, SYL, was released February 11. ... Thanks to some cracked vertebrae and whiplash, Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan is heading home to Florida and canceling the remaining dates of the band's current tour. While en route to a Wisconsin tour stop, the onetime Morbid Angel guitarist was in a weather-related accident which totaled their van but left his bandmates unharmed. "We apologize to the fans and the promoters," Rutan said via a statement, "and we will be back [on tour] as soon as possible to make up for this." ...  

The Eels are prepping for the release of their new album, Shootenanny!, by offering fans a chance to hear one track a week via their Web site (www.eelstheband.com) until the LP's release in June. ... After two years of work, Guster are ready to release their fourth LP, Keep It Together. The band will begin touring at the end of March in support of the June release. ...

• Justin Timberlake
• *NSYNC
• Jennifer Lopez
• P!nk
• Mandy Moore

Heavy D
Photo: Randee St. Nicholas

When you've been out of the spotlight for a while, one good way to make a triumphant return is to surround yourself with big names. The formula's not foolproof, as evidenced by Run-D.M.C.'s Crown Royal, but it sure worked for Santana, so heavyweight rapper Heavy D is willing to give it a shot.

His new album, H.E.V., will feature appearances by Faith Evans, Loon and P. Diddy, who will also provide production assistance. The rapper only has three tracks left to cut, and he hopes to have the disc out early next year. On other fronts, Heavy D is working with Jay-Z on a track for the superstar's next album, and he's also been in the studio with Fat Joe.

Heavy D left the rap world after 1999's Heavy to focus on his acting career (appearing in such films as "The Cider House Rules," "Larceny" and "Big Trouble"), and during that time the hip-hop scene gravitated away from the old-school funky grooves upon which Heavy D thrived. He's convinced the respite was healthy, and now he's returning to the game in an era that's more embracing of his trademark style.

"The way music is now, it just fits what I do," he said. "It's melodic and really danceable and headed back to being fun, and I want to be a part of that."

At the same time, Heavy D is making an effort to reach out to folks who grew up with his music but who might have abandoned hip-hop style as they've aged.

"I'm making records to fit a generation that's kind of lost right now," he explained. "There are lots of people who are in their twenties and thirties who still are hip-hop fans, but now they're lawyers, they're doctors, they're schoolteachers, and they don't really get into the day to day slang of hip-hop right now. They're not gonna wear their jeans a certain way and they're not going to wear certain clothes. So I think I'm trying to reach out to that as well as the younger market. When you have the combination of hip-hop and pop, I think you can invite everybody to it."

Songs on H.E.V. include "Just a Little Bit" (featuring Loon, with production by P. Diddy), "Would You Love Me?" (with Faith Evans and P. Diddy) "They Love Me California," "Heavy" and the reggae-tinged "Delilah."

While it's too early to announce a single, Heavy D is especially proud of the cut with Evans, on which he raps, "If I never made a video/ If I never made all of this dough/ Would you love me?/ Would you still be down for me?"

"It's me putting myself in this scenario where I'm going, 'What if I really wasn't this guy that I am now?' " Heavy said. "Would this crop of folks I've got around me eyeing me on a day to day basis still love me? Probably not."

In addition to working on his own record, Heavy D has been busy with a slew of production and writing projects. P. Diddy recruited his services for a number of baby groups on Bad Bay, and he's also worked with Black Rob and G. Dep. The project he's buzzing the most about at the moment, however, is a track he's just written for the next Jay-Z album.

"It's very different. I can't go into detail too much, but it's something very different, and people ain't expecting it," he said. "It's incredible. When I brought it to him, we sat in the car for like an hour just vibing to it. And he was like, 'I gotta do the record.' So, we're finishing up now."

Heavy D has also been helping out his old friend Fat Joe. The two have frequently talked about collaborating, but it didn't happen until recently when Joe was having trouble with a few tracks for his next record.

"He played me a couple of things that weren't flowing, so I was like, 'A'ight, by the time I get to New York I'm going to have one for you,' " recalled Heavy. "When I got in, I called him up and was like, 'Yo, check this out.' And he listened to it and was like, 'Yo, I have to do that.' So, we went to the studio and just laid it down."

• Heavy D & The Boyz

Heavy D
Photo: Uptown

P. Diddy won't be changing the name of his company from Bad Boy to Big Boy, but he's got some huge talent coming in.

Heavy D, who has been out of the rap game for the past few years, is producing developing Bad Boy artists and recording a new solo album for the label. He's also playing a major role in Diddy's Big and Tall Sean John clothing line.

"Puff has always been a fan of the lifestyle and culture, and we also want to serve big and tall men as well," said Heavy D, who was chosen as a Sean John rep not only because of his hefty stature, but because he knows how to dress sharp. The Big and Tall line will feature some clothes in the same style as P. Diddy's regular line, but there will also be exclusives.

"It's just about having the right person who thinks like a big guy," he said. "[Puff needed someone] who can be like, 'OK, this might not be comfortable for this individual, or this fabric might not look right on you.' "

When P. Diddy approached Heavy D two months ago, he wanted the well-rounded rapper to completely run the big-boned clothing line. But Heavy was more interested in a supporting role because he wanted to continue to focus on his acting career.

"Running the thing would have involved me moving back to New York," he explained. "With my acting stuff going on I didn't know if I could really do that. But I'm definitely going to play a major part in it because Puff's line is phenomenal. He's going to be like Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren.

"It's not just about the moment," he continued. "In another 10, 20, 50, 60 years from now he's still going to be making incredible clothing. And I want to be a part of that to keep the big boys looking hot."

• Heavy D & The Boyz
• Diddy

Jay-Z, Heavy D, Memphis Bleek, Samuel L. Jackson, Magic Johnson, Vivica A. Fox, and Ron Howard all came out Monday for the premiere of the Eddie Murphy comedy "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps."

Unless you're a card-carrying member of the Amish community, you've probably caught wind of the fact that Murphy takes on six different roles for the film with help of some heavy-duty prosthetics and special effects.

Murphy's co-star, Janet Jackson, is let off a bit easier in the film, as she plays the colleague and fiancée of one of Murphy's comedic creations.

"[Murphy]'s awesome. He's such a wonderful guy," Jackson gushed at the premiere. "He's a comedic genius. It was so pleasant working with him every single day. It was a lot of fun."

During his pass along the red carpet Monday night, Murphy returned the compliment, saying, "She's real sweet and talented. Everything you'd expect her to be."

The film hits theaters on Friday, and the movie's soundtrack (which features Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, DMX, Method Man, Redman, Eminem, R. Kelly, and others) is already in stores.

• Heavy D & The Boyz
• Jay-Z
• Memphis Bleek

Q-Tip will be one of the DJs on hand during the launch party for Onelevel.com, a new Web site described as "the one-stop shop for the hip-hop fanatic."

The high-profile launch party, which will take place Sunday, May 28 at Conscience Point in Southampton on New York's Long Island, will be hosted by rapper Heavy D.

DJ Mark Ronson will also be spinning records for a guest list that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Def Jam executive Russell Simmons, and Bad Boy Records executive Andre Harrell.

Q-Tip, whose debut solo album "Amplified" has gone gold, recently appeared on Lucy Pearl's debut album (See "Lucy Pearl Delivers Snoop, Q-Tip On Debut").

• Heavy D & The Boyz
• Q-Tip
• A Tribe Called Quest

After producing recent records from Monifah and McGruff, well-versed rapper Heavy D has returned to the studio to concentrate on his own new solo album, tentatively titled "Heavy."

• Big Punisher
• Diddy
• Heavy D & The Boyz

It's well-known that Monifah was first discovered by rapper Heavy D, who produced most of the tracks on the singer's 1996 debut, "Moods... Moments," but when it came time to assemble cuts for her new album, "Mo'hogany," Monifah realized she was faced with a difficult decision.

• Heavy D & The Boyz
• Monifah

Jan. 16 [14:00 EST] -- On Wednesday night, veteran rapper Heavy D wrapped tracking with the Fugees on a single for his upcoming album, "Waterbed Hev."

The Fugees Wyclef and Lauryn Hill, sans Prazwell, lent their singing and rapping talent to "Maxine," a song about women on the club scene.

"Waterbed Hev," Heavy D's sixth album, will be released March 25.

• The Fugees
• Heavy D & The Boyz
• Lauryn Hill
• Wyclef Jean
• Pras