• Ludacris
• Chingy
• David Banner
• Knoc-Turn'Al

Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, and Nelly announce 2003 Grammy nominations
Photo: MTV News

When nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, reactions ranged from sincere congratulations to "What were they thinking?" (Click here for the list of nominees.)

Few readers writing to MTVNews.com's You Tell Us forum had sour sentiments about demure Norah Jones, the jazz-influenced singer/pianist who's got a chance to sweep the four biggest categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist (see "Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, Norah Jones Nab Most Grammy Noms"). Jones is also among the eight artists who garnered five nominations. (Click for photos of this year's Grammy nominees.)

"I'm sooo happy for [Norah Jones]," wrote 18-year-old Lexi, from Seattle. "I know many people haven't heard her music, but those who have know how great it is. Big ups to the critics for giving this girl the credit she deserves."

Jones' Come Away With Me faces stiff competition from The Rising, Bruce Springsteen's return to form, and, to a lesser extent, The Eminem Show. Although the mainstream seems to have embraced the volatile rapper, with hardly a protest over his third major-label album or his fictionalized biopic "8 Mile," the Grammys might not be ready to bestow such a prestigious honor to a man who had a hit with a song that talks about killing the mother of his child and stuffing her in a trunk.

Then again, Eminem already has five golden gramophones in his trophy case (though none in the big four categories), and the Recording Academy did grant an Album of the Year Grammy to Steely Dan in 2001, for Two Against Nature, which featured the song "Cousin Dupree," about incest. But old guards like Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have always had Grammy odds in their favor, which is why Springsteen stands such a good shot. And even if The Eminem Show doesn't win for Album of the Year and "Without Me" doesn't lay claim to Record of the Year, Eminem is likely to make good on at least one of his other three nominations.

While Jones stands as the artist with the smallest presence at radio compared with fellow new-artist nominees R&B songbird Ashanti, singer/songwriter Michelle Branch, sensitive guy John Mayer and pop-rocker Avril Lavigne, most of you think the latter stands as her fiercest competition.

"I think Avril Lavigne definitely deserves Best New Artist," wrote 14-year-old Ashley of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. "She's worked so hard and accomplished so much this year."

"There is no doubt that Avril Lavigne should win Best New Artist," echoed 14-year-old Danielle, from Somerset, New Jersey. "She writes her own music, had three top 40 songs in 2002, sold over 4 million copies of her debut, Let Go, and hates Britney Spears. What more could you want in a Best New Artist?"

While statistics may garner gold records, they don't necessarily translate to a Grammy. Awards are (theoretically) doled out to those who demonstrate genuine artistry in their work. And that's Avril Lavigne, isn't it?

"Avril has no business being nominated for as much as she was," disagreed 19-year-old Andrea. "As far as music and creativity go, Britney is more creative — and you know that's a stretch, especially since Britney is nothing but manufactured bubble gum. Avril may have had something going with her and her ties but let's face it, MTV, that's all she has had."

After yesterday's announcement of the nominations, Lavigne has a lot more attached to her, namely a monumental mistake when she mispronounced David Bowie's last name. When reading the list of artists up for the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, she mispronounced Bowie as "bow-wie" (rhymes with oh, wowee!). An unnerving hush immediately enveloped Madison Square Garden.

"Am I the only person who realizes what a poser Avril Lavigne is?" queried 22-year-old Kim, from Denver. "First of all, she botched the pronunciation of David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of our time. ... Does Avril know anything about music? ... My point is, although everyone seems to be touting Avril Lavigne as some new prodigy, the fact is that she is not a true musician or artist and is just as fake and untalented as Britney Spears."

And here we thought Avril was the anti-Britney.

While Mayer's the only guy among the gals in the Best New Artist pack, his fans warn not to count him out just because he's outnumbered.

"John Mayer deserves to win the Grammy for Best New Artist," declared 18-year-old Tiffany Johnson, from Austin, Texas. "He is just on a different level from the rest of the nominees. The guy is brilliant."

Nelly, who's up for Album of the Year, Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album honors, among others, is feeling the brunt of haters. For the nearly 5 million copies of Nellyville sold, the St. Louis rapper seems to have just as many, if not more, detractors.

"I want to know what the Grammy folks see in Nelly," demanded 19-year-old Jason Curtis of Seattle. "Everyone is hypnotized by his so-called 'skills,' which are by no means good. As far as I'm concerned, Nelly doesn't deserve a Grammy."

It wasn't all trash talk directed at the St. Louis rapper, however. Many have their fingers crossed that the Band-Aid bearing MC will leave with even more gold than he came in with.

"I'm really anticipating seeing Nelly take home the Grammy for best album," wrote 14-year-old Linzi, from Sandusky, Michigan. "I mean, his music is totally hot, and I'm pretty sure that I don't know anyone who isn't into Nelly."

Linzi, meet 21-year-old James, from New Haven, Connecticut.

"It is clear once again that the awards honor what is popular, not what is good," James began. "Nelly has sunk so far down in the talent pool that he's left rapping about sneakers and some sort of heat wave that has apparently swept Nellyville. Talk about meaningless music. Seriously, if it's that hot in 'herre,' then drink a glass of water. Don't make a freakin' song about it."

Fellow hip-hopper Petey Pablo, up for Best Rap Album with Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, faced some harsh reactions, with fellow nominee Mystikal also catching some heat.

"I am very upset to see that Pete Pablo has been nominated for Best Rap Album," expressed 25-year-old Curtis, from Tallahassee, Florida. "Also, Mystikal's Tarantula album was very disappointing. How come someone like Trick Daddy or Cee-Lo never gets nominated? He is pure trash, and I understand why people like Jay-Z protest the Grammys. If we want to make it mainstream for all these old white people, let's nominate Will Smith. Even though his album sold probably 200 copies, he does not curse."

Such outrage over those who were nominated couldn't rival the furor over those who were left out: uber-producers the Neptunes and anyone from the neo-garage school, such as the Hives, the Vines, the Strokes or the White Stripes.

"How did Dr. Dre get nominated in the Producer of the Year category, while the Neptunes were ignored?" wondered Venni, 18, from Blacksburg, Virginia. "Dre didn't do anything in 2002. Every single song on the radio was produced by the Neptunes."

OK, Venni may be exaggerating a bit, though Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are responsible for Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," all of which are Grammy-nominated.

"I'm surprised the new 'the' bands didn't get major nods," typed an aghast CJ, 18, from Newmarket, New Hampshire. "I'm sad that the White Stripes were shafted, when overrated Avril Lavigne gets all the credit. Well, the Grammys are pretty lame either way."

If the nominations aroused such fervent feelings in these folks, they'd better be prepared for the shock of February 23. While some surprises can be expected with the nods, utter jaw-droppers like the over-the-hill Jethro Tull winning for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1988 are unmatched.

Stay tuned and stay calm.

For a look back at previous big Grammy winners, red carpet photos and much more, visit our Grammy News Archive.

• Eminem
• Norah Jones
• Nelly
• Dixie Chicks
• Bruce Springsteen

Nelly
Photo: Universal

With eight artists grabbing five nominations each, this year's Grammy Awards looks to be one of the most competitive in the ceremony's 45 years. (Click here for the list of nominees and for photos of this year's Grammy nominees and performers.)

Three relative newcomers, Ashanti, Norah Jones and Avril Lavigne, join Sheryl Crow, Eminem, Nelly, Raphael Saadiq and Bruce Springsteen as the artists with the greatest chances of leaving New York's Madison Square Garden on February 23 with the most golden gramophones in their arms.

All eyes will be on Norah Jones, who stands to reign supreme on Grammy night with four of her five nominations arriving in the big four categories: Best New Artist; Album of the Year, for Come Away With Me; and Song of the Year (given to the songwriter Jesse Harris) and Record of the Year for "Don't Know Why." Jones and her full-length debut album also received nods in the categories Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while the LP's producer, Arif Mardin, scored one in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category to give the Norah Jones camp a whopping eight nominations combined.

Eminem, Nelly, Springsteen and Lavigne received two nods apiece for the big awards. Em's "Without Me" is up for Record of the Year, along with Nelly's "Dilemma" (which features Kelly Rowland), Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles." The Eminem Show will vie for Album of the Year honors against Come Away With Me, the Dixie Chicks' Home, Nelly's Nellyville and Bruce Springsteen's The Rising.

Springsteen was also nominated in the Song of the Year category for "The Rising." The Boss' tune, which resonated with many after the events of September 11, 2001, will face off against another song inspired by the tragedy, Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

The Best New Artist category finds John Mayer the sole male amidst a quartet of ladies, Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Jones and Lavigne, whose single "Complicated" is also up for Song of the Year. (Last year, Alicia Keys walked off with the prestigious honor. Who do you think should win Grammy's equivalent to Rookie of the Year? Take our poll.)

"Chauvinists unite!" Mayer joked at Madison Square Garden, in a half-hearted attempt to strum up support for his cause. "I'm just going to go to sports bars and lobby.

"It's cool," he continued sincerely. "I look at the list and say, 'It makes sense to me.' "

While Ashanti is likely to have her fingers crossed for the big Best New Artist win, she'll be doubly excited when the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category is awarded. Besides receiving a nod for assisting Fat Joe with "What's Luv?" the songbird with the second-best-selling debut album of 2002 has increased her chances of winning with "Always on Time," her collaboration with Ja Rule. Ashanti likes both songs, but she looks to the phrase "blood is thicker than water" when deciding whom to root for.

"I don't necessarily have a preference, but it I had to choose, it would have to be my brother Ja," she said. "That's my family, Murder, Inc. Records."

Nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday (January 7) at a press conference held in Madison Square Garden. Among the artists on hand to read the roster of those hopeful for Grammy gold were Ashanti, country singer Kenny Chesney, '80s faceplate Cyndi Lauper, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, Nelly and producer Jimmy Jam, who filled in for a previously scheduled but absent Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

The artists each took the podium in turn to announce the contestants for two of the categories, which made for some interesting pronunciations. Ashanti (pronounced a-shan-tee) became the faux-fabulous sounding "A-shan-tay" whenever most on hand mentioned her name; and Lavigne, in announcing the nominees for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance botched David Bowie's name, pronouncing it 'Bow-wee" (as in the dog sound "bow-wow"). The flub is not likely to go unnoticed among Lavigne's critics, and it just might go down in pop-star infamy, the way Britney Spears' remark that suggested Pat Benatar sang "I Love Rock 'N Roll," a song Joan Jett made famous, did in a fall 2001 interview.

Four nominations fell on the Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson, R&B singer Remy Shand and Chad Kroeger, who scored one with his band Nickelback, and three others for his song "Hero," penned for the soundtrack to "Spider-Man."

Besides two in the big four, Vanessa Carlton's other nomination came in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). While most categories in the Composing/Arranging field are often overlooked in favor of more artist-specific ones, the 21-year-old pianist doesn't consider her third nod to be any less important. In fact, considering that she's the only nominee who's also an artist in that category, she said she's perhaps most proud of that honor because it shows her as the well-rounded artist she is.

"I am most excited for that nomination because it is recognizing the process, something other than the vocal and the song itself," she explained. "It kind of acknowledges how the puzzle fits together. I think [Be Not Nobody] is a beautiful record and I'm really proud to know that people recognized that. I was totally surprised, though. I really was."

India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Randy Newman, Arif Mardin and No Doubt also nabbed three nominations each.

Touting over 100 categories, the Grammys is the most comprehensive music awards show, but even with classifications such as Best Polka Album (for which Jimmy Sturr's Top of the World looks to be the odds-on favorite) and Best Remixed Record, Non-Classical, there just aren't enough designations for some folks.

"Actually, one they didn't mention was best haircut-changing-style every year,' a near-bald Timberlake kidded. "I'm hoping I get the Victrola for that."

Maybe next year, Justin. In the meantime, the 'NSYNC star must be content with just one nomination, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for the Clipse-featured "Like I Love You," the first single from his solo debut, Justified.

Super production duo the Neptunes were puzzlingly absent from the Producer of the Year category, which instead found Dr. Dre, Nellee Hooper, Arif Mardin, Rick Rubin, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis attempting to stake their claim to the title. After producing a number of Grammy-nominated tracks, including Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," it's a mystery why Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams didn't receive any love from the Recording Academy.

"For the second year in a row, can you imagine that?" Williams said of his Grammy dis. "All the work we've done? For whatever reason, nobody thought to put us on the ballot."

The 45th annual ceremony marks the Grammys' return to New York, after Los Angeles hosted the previous four events. The show will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Before the show, catch MTV's pre-show telecast "Backstage at the Grammys," airing at 7 p.m. ET.

MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Nelly
• Avril Lavigne
• Norah Jones
• Eminem
• Vanessa Carlton

Knoc-Turn'Al
Photo: MTV News

HOLLYWOOD — Knoc-Turn'Al can boast something not many, if any, rappers can. He sampled a Beatle.

And yes, he is boasting.

"Paul told us, 'The only reason why I cleared it was because I liked it. Had I not liked it, I wouldn't have cleared it,' " Knoc said proudly at last week's BET Awards. (Click for photos from the show) "So thank you, Paul. Big shout out to Paul McCartney for doing that."

As if borrowing the music from "Old Siam, Sir," which McCartney's Wings released on 1979's Back to the Egg, wasn't enough, Knoc is hoping to get even a little more help from his new friend.

"Come get in the video, too," Knoc said, staring into the camera as if McCartney was watching. "That's gonna be dope. We can go to Paris, man — that's where they want to shoot it at. This song is gonna be a good song."

Regardless of whether the recently married McCartney appears in the clip for "Muzik," it will have what Knoc-Turn'Al called a "rockish" theme.

"We gonna have a scene where I'm walking down a long hall and we have different dressing rooms," he explained. "I'm trying to get the guitar player from Metallica to come through, and some other people. And it's like I'm going through dressing rooms and by the time I get to the third verse, I'm gonna walk out onstage and hopefully Paul will be there. And we'll get on a platform, and a guitar player will be there, and we'll just start crowd-surfing, have the crowd passing us around, and we'll just do it like that."

The song, which was produced by Kayne West (Cam'ron, Beanie Sigel), is about a musician's dedication to his or her craft.

"You really give up your all to be an entertainer, and that's something that the fans and the public need to know," Knoc said. "So I just explain that to them in that song. I think [McCartney] appreciated that, because he understands that he probably sacrificed a lot being that he's been here for 35 years, almost 40 years. He's probably sacrificed a lot in almost four decades."

"Muzik" follows "The Knoc" as the second single from his EP, LA Confidential Presents Knoc-Turn'Al, due July 30 (see "Knoc-Turn'Al Album Won't See Light Of Day Yet").

The West Coast rapper is still working on his debut LP, Knoc's Landin', which has been pushed from the spring to later this year or early next. Dr. Dre is producing several of the tracks, though last week Knoc spent some studio time with Swizz Beatz (see ).

One peer that won't be on the album is Nocturnal, a New York rapper that has been using the same name (albeit with the correct spelling) since 1996, when he appeared on "Never Watered Down" from the PMD album Business Is Business.

When Nocturnal and his manager heard about the other Knoc-Turn'Al, they tracked down his record label and suggested a collaboration. When Knoc's people "blew them off," according to Nocturnal's manager, Nocturnal recorded a dis track called "The Violator."

The song is slated for Nocturnal's Nocranasaurus Rex, which does not have a release date but is already circulating on the Internet.

"The Violator" includes lyrics like "I was on wax before your ass met Dr. Dre" and "I'm lookin' for a bitch n---a who spells Nocturnal with a K."

Knoc-Turn'Al had no comment on the track.

• Knoc-Turn'Al
• Paul McCartney

Knoc-Turn'Al
Photo: Elektra

The good news for Knoc-Turn'Al is that he's finally putting out a disc on July 30 after getting his project pushed back several times.

The bad news is that it's not exactly what he originally had in mind. The West Coast rapper will be releasing an EP titled LA Confidential Presents Knoc-Turn'Al, and it doesn't look like his debut LP, Knoc's Landin', will be touching down anytime soon. The full-length, which was supposed to drop this spring (see "Dre, Timbaland, Warren G Help Wake People Up To Knoc-Turn'Al"), has been put on the shelf and is under reconstruction, according to a spokesperson for the West Coast MC.

Elektra Records blames the change in plans on the record being bootlegged in Los Angeles. The longhaired line-flinger has headed back into the lab and is working on a new version of Knoc's Landin' with Dr. Dre, who produced many of the original's cuts. No new release date has been set.

The EP includes his single "The Knoc," which features Dre and Missy Elliott, "Muzik" and a remix of "Str8 Westcoast," where Warren G, Shade Shiest, Nate Dogg and Xzibit co-star.

LA Confidential Presents Knoc-Turn'Al track list, according to Elektra:

• "The Knoc" f/ Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre
• "Muzik"
• "Str8 Westcoast (Remix)" f/ Warren G, Shade Shiest, Nate Dogg, Xzibit
• "Let's All Roll"
• "LA Nite-N-Day"
• "Cash Sniffin' Noses"

• Knoc-Turn'Al

Knoc-Turn'Al
Photo: Elektra

Newcomer Knoc-Turn'Al thinks he and Dr. Dre. might have set a hip-hop record.

"We worked 72 hours in a studio nonstop recording 'The Wash' soundtrack," Knoc-Turn'Al said last week from his record label's Los Angeles office. "I don't think we could do it again. The security guys would see me coming and say, 'Man is it going to be another one of those days?' "

Just in case that doesn't make the record books, Knoc's got another impressive feat worth boasting about.

In the three years he spent working on his debut album, Knoc's Landin', due April 23, Knoc wrote more than 300 songs.

"As we were going along, I would do 20 songs and then like drop all of them except the three that everybody felt were the hottest," he explained. "When it was all said and done, I had 30 songs [that] I had to drop down to 14. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, but it was still kind of tedious."

Among those that made the cut is "The Knoc," his first single. Both the song and the video — directed by Jeff Richter (Black Rob, Jurassic 5) — feature Dre and Missy Elliott. Like most of the tracks on Knoc's Landin', Dre produced "The Knoc" at his studio.

"He put the beat up, and I just started writing to it that night," Knoc recalled. "It was like me letting people know I'm here and I want to talk to you. I was really trying to hold more of a conversation than anything in that song — let people get the feel that I can rap, I'm not just a hook person."

Knoc-Turn'Al, whose father was in a funk band and took him to Rick James concerts, has been rapping for as long as he can remember. He honed his skills during a four-year stretch in prison, where he wrote 150 songs, none of which appear on Knoc's Landin'.

"You have to keep moving on. Using songs you wrote three years ago is bullsh--," he said. "And I'm not trying to dig up those bones in my closet. That's not something I want to glorify. I don't want kids walking around talking about prison sh--. That's like embedding something in their minds they don't really need to hear."

Once outside of bars, Knoc hooked up with hip-hop label LA Confidential, whose CEO introduced him to Dre. Knoc made an instant impression on the hip-hop mogul and co-wrote and appeared on four songs on his Chronic 2001. He also co-wrote "Bad Intentions" and "The Wash" for "The Wash" soundtrack, Dre's "Put It On Me" for the "Training Day" soundtrack and Warren G's "Lookin' At You."

"Being from the West Coast, that's the ultimate, working with Dr. Dre," Knoc said. "He is the founder and pioneer of West Coast rap. His sound is incredible. Once I hooked up with him, it felt like home" — only more demanding. "It's always a challenge working with Dre because he does not like to be outdone in any way shape or form," he added. "He strives for perfection."

Several other artists appear on Knoc's Landin' as well, including Timbaland, Warren G, Too Short, Hitman and Slip Capone. Knoc-Turn'Al also recorded a few collaborations that didn't make the record.

"I sure hope they aren't mad at me," Knoc said, sounding genuinely concerned. "You gotta realize, not only are you cutting off songs, you're cutting off people. I just hope they don't take it personal. It's a business."

While recording his album, Knoc-Turn'Al got to know other West Coast rappers who have worked with Dre, and he's since bonded with them in a crusade to help the scene grow.

"We got a nice little foundation out here now," he said. "Instead of being all secluded, we're being more together. Like, me and Xzibit went to a club the other night. Instead of alienating ourselves from each other and saying, 'No, I wanna be closer to Dre,' 'No, I do,' like little bitches. We ain't doing that. We're holding this sh-- together."

Knoc continues to write with other artists and is talking with Nate Dogg and Fabolous about a summer tour. Mostly, though, he's just waiting for his album to come out.

"I'm getting anxiety attacks and sh--," he said.

• Knoc-Turn'Al
• Dr. Dre
• Timbaland
• Warren G