Jamie Foxx performs at Houston's Essence fest on Sunday
Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

HOUSTON — "Perm in your hair or even a curly weave/ With that New Edition Bobby Brown button on your sleeve."

There may not have been any New Edition buttons to be seen in the crowd — as LL Cool J once rapped about in "Around the Way Girl" — but there were definitely a couple of "Candy Girl" shirts over the Fourth of July weekend in Houston. All six members of New Edition were in town, as were LL; Mary J. Blige; Doug E. Fresh; Earth, Wind & Fire; Chris Brown; Keyshia Cole; Jamie Foxx; Jaheim and many other stars for three days of concerts and seminars at Essence magazine's 12th annual Essence Music Festival.

The Essence Fest — which took place July 1-3 at Reliant Stadium — featured a bounty of soul, classic hip-hop, and an off-the-chain Bobby Brown.

"New Edition and Bobby Brown, I hope I [perform] before that," Foxx said early Sunday afternoon after getting offstage as a keynote speaker. "After that, it's going to be smithereens. This music is coming back. I been hearing some record execs, and they trying to get back to the R&B thing. Tonight we'll have a chance to sit and reflect [on] when the music just made you want to do the running man."

" 'My Prerogative' — it was crazy," Chris Brown said of Bobby's solo work. " 'Every Little Step,' all that. I was only 2 or 3 years old, so I didn't know all the words, but I could hum the songs. I used to watch the videos when I was younger and try to get the steps. He brought a lot of energy to the game and showed that young kids could do it."

Sunday night was Bobby Brown's opportunity to bring back his whole King of the Stage persona. Away from the arena, Brown isn't nearly as ferocious as he's purported to be. In the wee hours of Saturday night, Brown was in his hotel lobby with some friends and family expressing how disappointed he was to have missed Blige, who performed Saturday. He joked about how his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, hasn't learned how to penny-pinch yet, and he also weighed in on some of his favorite comics — Eddie Murphy was at the top of the list. Passers-by might not have known it was him if it weren't for his New Edition fitted cap and the pictures he was taking with fans.

When he's at the arena, however, Bob is every bit the wild man people loved in the '80s and '90s.

"Bobby, go this way. Bob, we have to go this way. Bobby," Brown's manager and brother pleaded an hour before Brown was due onstage to "reunite" with New Edition. Brown's actually been performing spot dates with his former group for the past few months, jumping onstage for some of their old songs as well as some of his solo classics (see "New Edition Reuniting Again — And This Time, Bobby's On Board").

"We're going to go [right] because they told me to go [left]," he said. "That's what I do. I start trouble. Who's in the mutha---in' house? This is how Bobby bes Bobby."

Instead of following the schedule and going upstairs, Brown went to the side of the stage where Foxx was standing behind a closed curtain. For a few seconds, it looked like Brown was going to jump onstage with Foxx, but a woman in his entourage urged him to calm down. Instead, Bobby went over and talked to Blige, who watched Foxx from the side as well. MJB, who headlined the show Saturday night, looked shocked to see Bob, but nonetheless had a big smile for him as they chatted.

Foxx kept fans on their feet with some selections from his Unpredictable LP but really made people laugh when he walked to center stage wearing dark sunglasses and started a spot-on imitation of Ray Charles, segueing into a snippet of "Gold Digger."

While Foxx was the center of attention in front of the crowd, backstage, all the focus was on some late arrivals. Magic Johnson was greeted by the Reverend Jesse Jackson when he arrived. Chris Brown, who arrived late upon returning from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, lost his opening spot on the main stage and was relegated to a smaller-stage performance in another part of the stadium.

Hundreds of kids missed the rest of the mainstage show to get a good spot for Brown's set, which was cut short because a few girls started to faint. The excitement was too much.

On the big stage, New Edition kept the electricity going. While Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell and Mike Bivins were dressed up in white suits, Brown jumped onstage during "Jealous Girl" and "Mr. Telephone Man" in jeans and a blue suit jacket. It didn't take Brown too long to work his way out of the jacket and jeans, although he did manage to keep a tie on with his T-shirt.

The side of the stage filled with celebrity onlookers; Mary J. Blige watched New Edition with her husband, Babyface rolled in and Play from Kid 'N Play floated around.

"We did the damn thing as usual," DeVoe said in triumph.

"We're only one song into Bobby's set and he's already close to being naked," Tresvant joked while Brown belted his solo hits.

The group's dressing room looked like a 1980s reunion, with Dana Dane, Whodini, Biz Markie, MC Lyte and the Sugar Hill Gang all coming in to meet up with New Edition. A few feet outside the dressing room, Slick Rick and Geto Boy Willie D exchanged pleasantries.

The Essence Festival closed Monday night with Cole, Frankie Beverly and Maze, and Toni Braxton.

Several speakers, such as Monique, Louis Farrakhan and Foxx, spoke on social topics during the weekend seminars. Essence also introduced an initiative aimed to educate and inspire black youth. The magazine debuted a commercial for a program called "Essence Cares," which features Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Diddy, Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte and others.

"What Essence Festival does, if you look at the country overall — you would look at it as far as society — our strongest and weakest link is African-Americans," Foxx said. "We're strong in great things — music, business sometimes. But ... Essence gives us a chance to get our mental together. In this situation, you give young black kids an opportunity to see young black doctors, businessmen. It gives you an opportunity to see something else [other than singers and rappers]."

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Chris Brown Singing, Dancing And More
• The Many Faces Of Mary J. Blige

• Mary J. Blige
• LL Cool J
• Bobby Brown
• Jamie Foxx
• Keyshia Cole

"High School Musical"
Photo: Disney

Arctic Monkeys may have been flush with the British success of Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not — which became the fastest-selling debut album in U.K. history after moving more than 360,000 copies in a single week back in January — but while the album notched the Arctics a very respectable U.S. opening at #24, the band couldn't match the success of two tween-targeting pop collections: the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" and the ninth installment in the successful "Kidz Bop" series.

According to the latest SoundScan figures, "High School Musical" sold close to 101,000 copies to reach Billboard albums chart's coveted apex, the culmination of a steady rise through the top 200 since its release seven weeks ago. The soundtrack debuted at #143 back in mid-January, selling about 6,500 copies. The following week, the album climbed to #58 with 16,000 in sales. Next came the #10 spot, followed by two back-to-back weeks spent at #13. On last week's chart, "High School Musical" came in at #6 with more than 97,000 units scanned. To date, the album has sold nearly 404,000 copies.

Following at #2 this week is Kidz Bop 9, the newest collection of covers supplied by the Kidz Bop Kids. The album, which sold 98,000 copies during its opening week in stores, features children's renditions of Weezer's "Beverly Hills," Gwen Stefani's "Cool," Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends," Nickelback's "Photograph," Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc.," Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" and Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together."

Falling one spot to #3 this week is Sing-a-Longs & Lullabies for the Film "Curious George" from Jack Johnson & Friends. The disc moved more than 89,000 units during its third week in stores. Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough hangs tough at #4, with sales topping 76,000, followed by James Blunt's Back to Bedlam, which climbs three spots to #5 with over 70,000 scans. Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Fifties falls three spots to #6, selling more than 66,000 units while Andrea Bocelli's Amore slips two chart positions to #7, with just over 65,000 sales.

Eminem's Curtain Call: The Hits retrospective finishes at #8 this week with 64,000 copies sold; the disc rises two spots this week, and also passes the 2-million-sold mark. Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts tumbles two spots to #9, with more than 61,000 units scanned, bagged, and carried out of record stores. Last week's #1, Jaheim's Ghetto Classics, suffered the common second-week sales slump, selling 59,000 copies — a 61 percent dip — to finish at #10. And for the first time since its release 10 weeks ago, Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable slips from the Top 10, coming in at #12 with sales of 46,000 and change.

The Kidz Bop Kids and the Arctic Monkeys earned the week's two biggest debuts, (the latter landed at #24 with first-week sales of nearly 34,000), leading a number of noteworthy releases that managed to penetrate Billboard's top 200. Coming in at #26 is the soundtrack to the film "Madea's Family Reunion," which features contributions from Brian McKnight, LL Cool J, Chaka Khan and Al Green, among others. Dance queen Cascada's Everytime We Touch bows at #67 with sales of more than 17,000, and Scarface Presents the Product: One Hunid from Scarface's Underground Railroad Movement opens at #78 with 15,000 scans.

The third installment in the Fired Up series, featuring cuts from Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, claims the #84 spot with more than 14,000 discs sold. F.T.F.O., the latest from Insane Clown Posse member Shaggy 2 Dope, debuts at #88 with nearly 14,000 scans. The Dilated Peoples' 20/20 claims the #97 slot with 12,000 copies sold, and rockers Evans Blue check in at #106 with sales of 11,000 for their debut, The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume. Kinks frontman Ray Davies' Other People's Lives comes in at #121 with 9,000 copies sold, and the Derek Trucks Band's Songlines opens at #163 with 7,000-plus scans.

• Arctic Monkeys
• Jack Johnson
• Mary J. Blige
• James Blunt
• Barry Manilow

Jaheim
Photo: Brad Barket / Getty Images

Four years out of the spotlight can hurt or help an artist in a very big way. People either forget about the musician, casting them off into the land of musical has-beens, or, in Jaheim's case, welcome them back with open arms.

The street-smart balladeer recently returned in full force, with his third outing, Ghetto Classics, landing atop the Billboard albums chart. The record pushed 152,000 units in its first week, knocking the Jack Johnson-powered "Curious George" soundtrack down to #2 (see "Third Time's A Charm For Billboard King Jaheim").

"After two platinum albums, it's an honor to have my third land at #1 in the country," Jah told MTV News.

Classics is the singer's follow-up to 2002's Still Ghetto and his 2001 debut, Ghetto Love. As with his prior discs, Jah recruited his old mentor and friend Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature — who originally signed him to his Divine Mill Records imprint — as well as fresh blood like Scott Storch and Bink.

"[This album] offers a more mature, but still ghetto, side of me," he revealed. "I decided to call it Ghetto Classics because I'm from the 'hood and I'm still in the 'hood. When I go home, it's still, 'Jah, we love your sh--. We appreciate this and that. You're so real.' It's not good to come out and be so clean and [act like] something you're not."

"We are products of the ghetto ... [and] ghetto is beautiful," he continued. "It's you and me, our ancestors. That's not something I'm afraid to put on my banner and carry."

And he's not afraid to romance the ladies. For his next single — the follow-up to "Everytime I Think About Her" featuring Jadakiss — Jah is going with "The Chosen One," a smooth ballad that pays tribute to the woman in his life.

"It's basically telling her, 'You know, baby, I'm here to rub your feet and get your bath water ready — and drink it when you're done, ma. I wanna be the special one in your life ... and do all the things you never had done for you before,' " Jah explained of the track, which he says was inspired by the 1973 crime flick "The Mack."

"It's letting your woman know you could have been doing anything out there in the world, but you chose to live your life and sacrifice for her," he said about the film.

The crooner has yet to shoot a clip for the sultry track but says he wants to reach out to actor Max Julien, who played prisoner-turned-pimp Goldie in "The Mack" and whom he met while on his 2002 tour.

"[Max] was like, 'Yeah, Jah, me and my lady, we love you. We sat here and cried to your songs.' I was like, word?" Jah recalled of the noteworthy moment. "That touched me that pimp had love for the kid. It keeps me going."

The Jersey-born artist was also fueled by working with Luther Vandross' band, who were largely responsible for the "classic" side of the album.

"Ghetto is definitely class. It's so fly," Jah said. "And with a Luther blessing, I can't lose."

• Jaheim

Jaheim
Photo: Keith Major

Hip-hop balladeer Jaheim hit the top 10 back in 2001 with his debut offering, Ghetto Love, and got one step closer to the top a year later with Still Ghetto. More than three years later, the singer's third release, Ghetto Classics, achieves what his previous efforts couldn't: a #1 debut on Billboard's albums chart.

With first-week sales of more than 152,000 copies, Ghetto Classics (produced by Scott Storch and Bink) swipes the #1 spot from last week's victor, the Jack Johnson-rich film soundtrack Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies for the Film "Curious George," which slips to #2. According to the latest SoundScan figures, Classics outsold the "Curious" collection by more than 35,000 copies, earning Jaheim his biggest first-week-sales showing. (Ghetto Love opened at #9 with 80,000 scans, while Still Ghetto bowed at #8 with 111,000 copies sold).

Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Fifties holds the #3 slot for a second straight week, moving more than 116,000 units. Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough slips two spots to #4 with sales of 111,000, while Andrea Bocelli's Amore drops a single chart position to #5, selling just 152 fewer copies than Blige's latest.

The soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" climbs seven spots to #6 thanks to a 32 percent spike in retail interest that amounted to sales of more than 97,000. An 8 percent sales boost helps Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts return to Billboard's top 10, rising four spots to #7 with 87,000 scans. An 11 percent retail kick bumped James Blunt's Back to Bedlam from #12 to #8 this week, selling just 160 fewer copies than Underwood.

Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable moved another 81,000 units to spend a ninth-straight week in the top 10. Foxx checks in at #9, just in front of Eminem's Curtain Call: The Hits, which finishes at #10 with 73,000 copies scanned.

Jaheim scores the chart's biggest debut, but his latest wasn't the only Billboard newcomer of note. New York rockers Matchbook Romance earned the week's second-best debut, as their Voices sold close to 28,000 copies during its first week on store shelves, securing the chart's #43 spot. At #44 — selling only 115 fewer discs — is Brazilian bossa nova king Sergio Mendes' Timeless, featuring Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and Jill Scott.

British metal act Bullet for My Valentine — who will open Rob Zombie's Educated Horses tour this spring — come in at #127 with The Poison selling close to 10,000 copies its first week out. The Secret Life of the Veronicas, the debut from Aussie twins the Veronicas, sold just 26 fewer copies to bow at #132.

• Jaheim
• Jack Johnson
• The Veronicas
• Matchbook Romance

Matchbook Romance's <i>Voices</i>
Photo: Epitaph

They Heart Loud Music: Matchbook Romance and Bullet for My Valentine must have known there'd be so few Valentine's Day-related releases dropping Tuesday.

Matchbook were farm-bound for their second effort, tracking their Voices in a supposedly haunted barn (aren't they all?) in rural Massachusetts. While fans wise enough to preorder were rewarded with free tees, everyone will be able to sharpen their wiseassery with songs like "You Can Run, but We'll Find You," "Goody, Like Two Shoes" and "Singing Bridges (We All Fall)."

Bullet for My Valentine's brand of loud rock is more of the metal variety, and with "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow," "All These Things I Hate" and "4 Words (To Choke Upon)," The Poison might be a tough swallow for some. Preorders were packed with a color poster and candies (for the sweethearts), although everyone will be treated to some enhanced goodies on the proper release. (Don't miss instru-metal greats Apocalyptica on the intro track.)

This Bossa Nova's Boss: Is anything possible with a Pea behind the decks? Sergio Mendes will soon find out as he attempts a Carlos Santana-style makeover with Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am. Even though Mendes is largely responsible for importing bossa nova to America, Timeless — his first set of new material in eight years — is more of an urban affair, jacked up with guest spots by Justin Timberlake, John Legend, the Peas, Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott and many more.

Ghettopoly: Even though his grandfather was one of the Drifters, Jaheim is busy trying to make his own classics — Ghetto Classics, that is. He nabbed white-hot producers Scott Storch, KayGee and Bink for his latest outing (although he does twiddle some of the knobs himself). And yup, that's Jadakiss siding with Jaheim on the first single, "Everytime I Think About Her." This title should fit comfortably alongside Jaheim's previous efforts, Ghetto Love and Still Ghetto.

Tori's Story: Still trying to catch your breath after the 12-disc Original Bootlegs box Tori Amos put out late last year? If so, you might not be prepared for another comprehensive item, "Fade to Red: Video Collection," which recaps everything from "Crucify" — the first track on her 1992 solo debut, Little Earthquakes — to "Sweet the Sting" from last year's Beekeeper. (Don't miss two bonus clips — a remixed "Professional Window" and the U.K. version of "Cornflake Girl" — that appear at the end of disc two.)

Song Title Of The Week:

"If I Drop Names of Exotic Towns That You'll Never See, in the Songs That I Write, It's That That's All I Have When I Miss My Girl & You're Taking Yours Home Tonight" on Luke Doucet's Broken (and Other Rogue States)

Other Notables:

Various artists' I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey and Fahey's The Yellow Princess reissue: Although many had written him off as another folk fogy, John Fahey is getting a posthumous shot in the arm from some of indie rock's finest: Sufjan Stevens, Calexico, Devendra Banhart, M. Ward, the Fruit Bats, Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Granddaddy. Also this week — to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Fahey's death and the 40th anniversary of his signing with Vanguard — the label is brushing up 1968's The Yellow Princess with three bonus tracks and fresh liner notes.

The Sword's Age of Winters: Not to be confused with the Swords Project, Da Swordzmen, Two Lone Swordsmen or the other metal bands that have also taken up the sharp moniker, the Austin, Texas, outfit is stepping up to the plate for the first time with a nine-track maiden release. Conrad Keely of Austin buddies ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead — who took the Sword on the road in early 2004 — embellishes the Age of Winters cover with some magical sketches, sure to make the LP version even more illustrious.

The Veronicas' The Secret Life of ... the Veronicas: If you don't have someone to smooch with this Valentine's Day, you might want to pucker up with the Veronicas — their debut cover's covered with kisses. Unlike Tegan and Sara, these 20-year-old identical twins are decidedly more pop; for their debut, they've brainstormed with writers and producers who have previously teamed with Britney, Madonna and Kelly Clarkson.

Shawn Mullins' 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor: Somewhat akin to Sonic Youth putting out an album the site of their studio, which was devastated in the 9/11 attacks (Murray Street), Shawn Mullins has titled his latest after the New Orleans studio that used to be located right near the levee on Dauphine Street. Needless to say, some of the songs — "Beautiful Wreck" (the first single, co-written with Glenn Phillips), "Solitaire" and even Mullins' cover of "The House of the Rising Sun" — have a much different resonance now than originally intended.

New Releases:

• Carlos Barbosa-Lima - Carioca (Zoho)
• Batagraf/ Jon Balke - Statements (ECM)
• Stefano Battaglia - Raccolto (ECM)
• The Beautiful Girls - We're Already Gone (Cornerstone)
• Elliott Brood - Ambassador (Six Shooter)
• Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (enhanced; Trustkill)
• Béla Fleck & the Flecktones - Hidden Land (Columbia)
• Agnes Chan - Forget Yourself (Bungalo)
• Luke Doucet - Broken (and Other Rogue States) (Six Shooter)
• Frog Holler - Haywire (ZoBird)
• Iro Haarla - Northbound (ECM)
• Jaheim - Ghetto Classics (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Ghetto Classics (Warner Bros.)
• Lil G - The Southside Way (Thump)
• The Lucky Tomblin Band - In a Honky-Tonk Mood (Texas World)
• Magnet - The Tourniquet (Filter)
• Paul Manousos - For Better or Worse (Shock and Fall)
• Matchbook Romance - Voices (Epitaph)
  Read: "Matchbook Romance Declare War On Cheesy Music With Voices"
  Buy Now: Voices (Epitaph)
• Sergio Mendes - Timeless (Concord)
  Read: "Will.I.Am Wants To Pull A Rick Rubin With Sergio Mendes, Macy Gray"
• Jeff Merchant - Window Rolled Down (True Classical)
• Mountain Heart - Wide Open (Skaggs Family)
• Shawn Mullins - 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor (Vanguard)
  Buy Now: 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor (Vanguard)
• National Eye - Roomful of Lions (Park the Van)
• New Radiant Storm King - The Steady Hand (Darla)
• Terje Rypdal - Vossabrygg (ECM)
• Sing-Sing - Sing-Sing & I (Aerial)
• Sissel - Into Paradise (Decca)
• Tyler Stephenson - Life (LmgKidSource)
• The Subways - Young for Eternity (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• The Sword - Age of Winters (Kemado)
  Buy Now: Age of Winters (Kemado)
• Three Fantastic - Three Fantastic (Dot Point Period)
• Toto - Falling in Between (Frontiers)
• April Verch - Take Me Back (Rounder)
• The Veronicas - The Secret Life of ... the Veronicas (Sire/Warner Bros.)

Read: "You Hear It First: The Veronicas"
Buy Now: The Secret Life of ... the Veronicas (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• Watermelon Slim and the Workers - The Coolest New Name in Blues (Northern Blues)
• Various artists - I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey (Vanguard)
• Various artists - "Firewall" soundtrack (Varèse)
• Various artists - "Tsotsi" soundtrack (Milan)

Notable Reissues And Archival Material:

• Cannonball Adderley - Spontaneous Combustion (Savoy Jazz)
• Burt Bacharach - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O)
• Bad Company - Bad Company (gold disc; Audio Fidelity)
• Etta Baker - Traditional Years: Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians (Empire Musicwerks)
• Miles Davis - Out of Nowhere (Savoy Jazz)
• Doris Day - The Love Album (Feinery)
• John Fahey - The Yellow Princess (Vanguard)
• Red Garland Trio - At the Prelude (two CDs; Prestige)
• Freddie King - Live at the Electric Ballroom, 1974 (Shout! Factory)
• Los Lobos - The Wolf Tracks: The Best of Los Lobos (Rhino)
• Liza Minnelli - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O)
• Charlie Parker - Now's the Time (Savoy Jazz)
• Django Reinhardt - An Introduction to Django Reinhardt (Fuel 2000)
• Nina Simone - Broadway-Blues-Ballads, High Priestess of Soul, I Put a Spell on You, Let It All Out, Pastel Blues and Wild Is the Wind (Verve)
• Talking Heads - Little Creatures, Naked, Speaking in Tongues and "True Stories" soundtrack (DualDiscs; Rhino)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Nicolette Larson: Lotta Love Concert (Rhino)
• Various artists - The Best of the 80's Reloaded (Water)
• Various artists - Constellation: The Brightest Stars of Jazz (Savoy Jazz)

DVDs:

• Tori Amos - "Fade to Red: Video Collection" (Rhino)
  Read: "Tori Amos Assembles A Valentine's Day Gift For Her Fans"
• The Moody Blues - "Lovely to See You: Live" (Image Entertainment)

February 21:

• Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Arctic Monkeys"
• Ray Davies - Other People's Lives (V2)
• William Orbit - Hello Waveforms (Sanctuary)

February 28:

• Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely (Victory)
• Kid Rock - Live Trucker (Atlantic)
• Ne-Yo - In My Own Words (Def Jam)
  Read: You Hear It First: Jay-Z's Picks

March 7:

• Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
• Juvenile - Reality Check (Atlantic)
• Matisyahu - Youth (Epic)

Get your MTV News fresh daily as a podcast — in video or audio. Click on Mac or PC for more info.

• Matchbook Romance
• Tori Amos
• Jaheim
• The Sword
• The Veronicas

Eminem
Photo: Eli Reed

Despite a strong first-week showing from Justin Timberlake's solo debut, the "8 Mile" soundtrack will stay a stride ahead of the 'NSYNC singer on next week's Billboard albums chart.

Timberlake Justified his #2 position with more than 439,000 copies sold, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday. However, fueled by the adrenaline-inducing single "Lose Yourself" and the momentum associated with the film topping weekend box-office charts (see "), the Eminem-stamped soundtrack bested the NSYNCer's LP by more than 68,000 copies to bring its two-week total to more than 1.2 million.

Eminem's über-presence in the media last week made more than 114,000 people realize that he's not just a movie star — he's got an album out, too. Sales to those catching on late in the game allowed The Eminem Show to continue its 25-week engagement in the top 10. The LP actually increased its weekly sales tally from last week's 99,000, nudging it up a slot on to #7. In all, the rapper's third major-label album clocks in with total sales upwards of 6.5 million.

Picked from hits of the last decade, including "Beautiful Day," "One" and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2's "The Best Of 1990-2000 will debut at #3 with more than 184,000 copies sold. The landing surprised many chart watchers, not the least of whom is Christina Aguilera, whose second album, Stripped, will drop to #4 (168,000) in its second week.

Jaheim got into the #8 slot with Still Ghetto (see "), his follow-up to last year's Ghetto Love, while fans are still gettin' into the Dave Matthews Band big time. The group's Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado, which will follow at #9, continues their streak of high-charting LPs. Since 1994's breakthrough Under the Table and Dreaming, eight of their nine full-length albums — including live records — have placed in the top 10. Listener Supported, released in 1999, came in at #15.

Elsewhere in the chart's top 10, Santana's Shaman will slip a spot to #5; Faith Hill's Cry will maintain its #6 position for the second week, and Nirvana's greatest hits collection, Nirvana, will bring up the rear, falling seven spots from its #3 debut.

Juggalos nationwide united to give the Insane Clown Posse their highest chart debut in three years. The harrowing harlequins' latest album, The Wraith: Shangri-La (see "), will land at #15 with more than 76,000 copies sold. Only 1999's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, — which came in at #4 and sold nearly twice as much — proved a more successful debut for the clown-faced couple.

"The Other Side," the first single from acoustic softie David Gray's latest album, A New Day at Midnight, helped propel the new release into top 20 territory. The British bard's fifth album will land at #17 after selling more than 71,000 copies in its first week.

In July, he presented the Inc. Now Irv Gotti has served more dishes with a new twist from his posse (see "), and hip-hop heads are salivating for a taste. Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes, featuring new takes on tunes by Ashanti ("Unfoolish"), Toni Braxton ("Me and My Boyfriend"), and Ja Rule ("No One Does It Better"), among others, will come in at #24 with more than 46,000 copies sold.

The Wallflowers' make their second attempt to match the success of their 1996 breakthrough, Bringing Down the Horse, with Red Letter Days (see "Red Letter Days Shows Wallflowers Aren't Leaving The Dance"), which will place at #32 with more than 38,000 copies sold. Unfortunately for Jakob Dylan and company, 2000's Breach fared far better after its first week in stores, having come in at #13 with more than 80,000 copies sold.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli's Sentimento at #12 (98,000); "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack alum Alison Krauss' Live at #36; classic rockers Boston's first full-length album of new material in eight years, Corporate Ame rica, at #42; Eric Clapton's two-disc tour re-visitation, One More Car, One More Rider, at #43; Missy Elliott and Timbaland protégé Ms. Jade's Girl Interrupted at #51; R&B crooner Brian McKnight's 13-year retrospective, From There to Here 1989-2002, at #62; living legend Johnny Cash's latest covers album, Amercian IV: The Man Comes Around, at #70; Grandes Exitos, a best-off culled from Shakira's three Spanish-language albums, at #80; Björk's Greatest Hits at #115; Badly Drawn Boy's uncharacteristically peppy pop album (see " Badly Drawn Boy Salutes Cobain, Turns Down Madonna"), Have You Fed the Fish? at #135; and Ours' second LP, Precious, at #187.

• Eminem
• Justin Timberlake
• U2
• Jaheim
• Christina Aguilera

Jaheim
Photo: Warner Bros.

On "Diamond in the Ruff," off November 5's Still Ghetto, Jaheim sings, "We started out like Bobby and Whitney/ Justin and Britney, then it all got ugly."

No wonder the New Jersey native has had some harrowing experiences with women — he needs better role models.

"A diamond in the rough is something you don't see twice," explained the golden-voiced singer, who also compares a past broken relationship to that of Archie and Edith Bunker and Ike and Tina Turner. "It's something that you had in the past and you wish you had now, something you regret losing now that you're dealing with all this frustration."

The woes continue elsewhere on the LP. On the ballad "Back Tight" he croons, "Looking back at all I put you through/ Too much of a thug n---a to tell you I love you/ ... Thought I had my game tight/ Thought I had it locked down, knowing sh-- wasn't tight."

Fortunately he finds comfort through the discord, rolling with "cash up in the dash, heat up in the seat just in case of beef" and his boo riding shotgun on "Me and My Bitch."

"That's the one they gonna get offended by, but it's real," Jaheim said. "It's talking about me and my lady friend. Just freedom of speech. Ghetto words. Ghetto terminology you use in the 'hood. You call your chick one thing and that's what it is, but it ain't what is. I hope they accept it."

And leave it to guest star Mary J. Blige to bring a little more harmony to his life on wax, via the jazzy "Beauty and a Thug."

"This is like a dream to me," Jaheim said of having Mary J. on his album.

Blige, who knows a thing or two about being thugged out, goes back and forth with Jah, describing a lovable, ruffian "killer bee" and his sexy, "butterfly."

"His style is rough/ He wears his hair in cornrows/ Pants low," Mary sings before Jah comes in to sing about a lady that he likens to a "rose that grew from concrete ... from the street."

"I'm from the streets," Jaheim said, explaining that the album title Still Ghetto comes as a continuation of his first album's title, Ghetto Love. "I definitely don't want to take away from that because that's where I'm from. You're going to hear a lot of that on my records."

"He's so thugged out," goes the melodic chorus on "Beauty and a Thug." "She's so beautiful/ They're so different/ But they're in love."

While there's no word yet on whether the song will be a single, Blige appears in the video for Jaheim's first offering off the album, "Fabulous," which samples Teddy Pendergrass' "Wake Up Everybody" and tries to invoke pride.

"I'm just trying lift a couple of spirits," he said. "If my spirit was broken every day, I know a lot of people feeling the same way. Just because you got a little fame on your shoulders it's nothing, we're still human. I'm glad I got the songs I got, because when I get depressed I can go listen to a record, just write another hit or something. I feel like I'm being blessed."

Still Ghetto track listing, according to Warner Bros.:

• "Intro"
• "Diamond in the Ruff"
• "Let's Talk About It"
• "Put that Woman First"
• "Beauty and a Thug"
• "Me and My Bitch"
• "Back Tight"
• "Special Day"
• "Long as I Live"
• "Interlude"
• "Everywhere I Am"
• "Tight Jeans"
• "What You Want"
• "Every Which Way"
• "Still Ghetto"

• Jaheim
• Mary J. Blige

Jaheim
Photo: Keith Major

Jaheim has some big numbers on his mind.

After selling over 1.5 million copies of his debut album, Ghetto Love, the soulful crooner, who's not normally prone to making brash predictions, is very optimistic about his follow-up, Still Ghetto, due November 5.

"I'm trying to sell 10 million on the first day," said Jaheim, who began the Seagram's Gin Live 2002 Tour September 16 in Philadelphia. "You heard the last album, that was more of a cry. I was crying for position and fighting for the position I got now.

"The way I feel now, I thank the world for giving me the opportunity and acknowledging me," he continued. "All I could do is put my heart and my soul into this new album."

Still Ghetto has much of the Ghetto Love team in place. Kay Gee (Naughty by Nature, Next, Koffee Brown) is again the executive producer, and Eddie F. (Angie Stone, Heavy D), Eddie Berkeley (Next, Luther Vandross), and Eric Williams (Blackstreet) are turning the knobs.

Divine Mill/Warner Bros. executives are keeping copies of Still Ghetto tight to the vest, wary of a repeat of what happened to Ghetto Love. Bootlegging of the debut album became so prevalent in the U.K. that extra tracks were added before Ghetto Love's March 2001 release.

So far, Warner Bros. has taken the wraps off of only one track from Still Ghetto. The single "Fabulous," due to radio by October 1, features a minor-key arrangement complimented by a children's chorus and a high-end percussive treatment.

"Kids are our future ... that's the truth," said Jaheim, 23. "Some kids need to know that. When you touch them like that and they're happy and they smile, you got to acknowledge them."

Kids are attracted to Jah because of his style, which includes baggy jeans, boots and plenty of ice, said Warner Bros. senior publicist Karen Lee. But Lee feels that Jaheim's appeal can cross over to their parents, thanks to the singer's R&B loverman passion, which recalls Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross.

"I'm seeing 50-year-old women at Jaheim's shows," Lee said. "I'll never forget seeing this one woman with a cast on her leg who hopped out of her seat and hopped down the aisle to give Jaheim a rose."

A rose for Jah's sensitive side.

"He's a man who opens himself up, and he's sincere," said fan Krystal DeVille, 32, of the Bronx, at a recent Jaheim show. "But he has that thug look and hardcore mentality."

Jaheim is currently headlining the Seagram's Gin Live 2002 Tour with featured acts Truth Hurts ("Addictive") and hip-hop legend Biz Markie. The outing, which is raising funds for the nonprofit social service group One Hundred Black Men, concludes October 18 in Los Angeles.

The tour gives fans a chance to see the performers in smaller venues as well as the opportunity to watch Jaheim perform with a live, four-piece band for the first time since he became a star. The outing is also Jaheim's first as a headliner.

The rough-times-to-riches story of Jaheim Hoagland began in the projects of New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father died when he was two and his mother, Julia, died when he was 17. There were times when Jah ran wild while he was growing up, but he eventually found direction in his music.

Jaheim was able to get a tape of his singing into the hands of producer Kay Gee five years ago, and subsequent years were spent polishing Jaheim's style. The time also was spent recording songs for Ghetto Love, which produced the hit singles "Could It Be," "Just in Case" and "Anything."

Now it's time for Jaheim, the sequel.

"If you are Jaheim fan, for sure, go out there and get this album the first day it comes out, because it's going to be hard to get it the second day," Jaheim said. "It's going to sell out."

• Jaheim

Alicia Keys
Photo: J Records

Look out NOW. Totally Hits 2002 is movin' in.

Pink, Alicia Keys, Outkast, Alanis Morissette and P.O.D. are just a handful of acts on the fifth volume of the Totally Hits series, which comes out June 4.

Totally Hits 2002 features 20 radio hits from a wide variety of rap, R&B, pop and rock artists. Fat Joe (featuring Ashanti) leads off the disc with "What's Luv?" and Jaheim (featuring Next) closes things out with "Anything." In between, Brandy, Fabolous, Faith Evans, the Calling, O-Town, Jewel and others provide over an hour of listening.

Track list for Totally Hits 2002, according to the album's publicist:

• Fat Joe (featuring Ashanti) - "What's Luv?"
• Tweet (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) - "Oops (Oh My)"             
• Pink - "Get the Party Started"
• Brandy - "What About Us?"
• Craig David - "7 Days"
• Fabolous - "Young'N (Holla Back)"
• Outkast (featuring Killer Mike & Joi) - "The Whole World"
• Michelle Branch - "Everywhere"
• The Calling - "Wherever You Will Go"
• Default - "Wasting My Time"
• P.O.D. - "Youth of the Nation"
• Alanis Morissette - "Hands Clean"
• Natalie Imbruglia - "Wrong Impression"
• Jewel - "Standing Still"
• O-Town - "We Fit Together"
• Faith Evans - "I Love You"
• Alicia Keys - "A Woman's Worth"
• LeAnn Rimes - "Can't Fight the Moonlight"
• Busta Rhymes (featuring P. Diddy & Pharrell) - "Pass the Courvoisier Part II"
• Jaheim (featuring Next) - "Anything"

• P!nk
• Alicia Keys
• Michelle Branch
• Fat Joe
• P.O.D.

Alicia Keys
Photo: J Records

Another awards show, another set of pack-leading nominations for Alicia Keys and India.Arie.

Keys is ahead of all others at the 16th annual Soul Train Music Awards with four nods, while Arie, the late Aaliyah and the Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley follow with three apiece, according to a spokesperson for the March 20 event.

The three ladies, plus Angie Stone, are up for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female, and they'll be competing for Best R&B/Soul Album, Female, with Sade's Lover's Rock. Aaliyah and Keys are also contenders for R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year for Aaliyah and Songs in A Minor, respectively, while Arie and Keys will face off against Fabolous and Bubba Sparxxx in the Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist category.

The Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley received recognition in the categories Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group, Band or Duo for "Contagious"; Best R&B/Soul Album by a Group, Band or Duo for Eternal; and the Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video for "Contagious."

Destiny's Child, Brian McKnight, Usher, Ja Rule, Jay-Z, Musiq Soulchild and Jagged Edge have two nominations apiece.

Arie is also favored to take home the most Grammy Awards on February 27 with a leading seven nominations, while Keys has six (see "U2, India.Arie Lead Grammy Pack"). Keys and Aaliyah also won two American Music Awards in January (see "Alicia Keys, Destiny's Child, Aaliyah Excel At AMAs").

The Soul Train Music Awards will be given out at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, where soul singers the O'Jays will be bestowed with the Quincy Jones Award for Outstanding Career Achievement. Alicia Keys will be honored with the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Female Entertainer of the Year, and Dr. Dre will receive the male equivalent.

A taped broadcast of the awards ceremony is scheduled to air in syndication in late March. An album featuring tracks by several of this year's nominees is due March 26. Compilations based on the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas special are also in the works.

Nominations for the 16th annual Soul Train Music Awards, according to an event publicist:

Best R&B/Soul Single, Female

• Aaliyah - "Rock the Boat"

• India.Arie - "Video"

• Alicia Keys - "Fallin'"

• Angie Stone - "Brotha"

Best R&B/Soul Single, Male

• Jaheim - "Just in Case"

• Brian McKnight - "Love of My Life"

• Musiq Soulchild - "Love"

• Usher - "U Got It Bad"

Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo

• Destiny's Child - "Survivor"

• Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley - "Contagious"

• Jagged Edge with Nelly - "Where the Party At"

• 'NSYNC - "Gone"

Best R&B/Soul Album, Female

• Aaliyah - Aaliyah

• India.Arie - Acoustic Soul

• Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor

• Sade - Lovers Rock

Best R&B/Soul Album, Male

• Jaheim - Ghetto Love

• Michael Jackson - Invincible

• Musiq Soulchild - Aijuswanaseing (I Just Want to Sing)

• Usher - 8701

Best R&B/Soul Album, Group Band, or Duo

• 112 - Part III

• Destiny's Child - Survivor

• Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley - Eternal

• Jagged Edge - Jagged Little Thrill

R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year

• Aaliyah - Aaliyah

• Ja Rule - Pain Is Love

• Jay-Z - The Blueprint

• Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor

Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist

• Fabolous - "Young'n (Holla Back)"

• India.Arie - "Video"

• Alicia Keys - " Fallin'"

• Bubba Sparxxx - "Ugly"

Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video

• Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"

• Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley - "Contagious"

• Jay-Z - " Girls, Girls, Girls"

• Busta Rhymes - ""Break Ya Neck"

Best Gospel Album

• Yolanda Adams - "The Experience"

• Kim Burrell - "Live in Concert"

• Donnie McClurkin - "Live in London"

• Doug and Melvin Williams - "Duets"

• Alicia Keys
• Aaliyah
• India.Arie
• Angie Stone
• Jaheim