DMX's <I>Year of the Dog, Again</I>
Photo: Sony Music

Until now, DMX had never known what it was like to finish second with a new LP.

The gravel-voiced, traffic-infraction-prone New York rapper's five previous studio discs all debuted at #1 on Billboard's albums chart. It's Dark and Hell Is Hot opened atop the chart in 1998 after selling more than 251,000 copies, while Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, released that same year, crushed the competition with 670,000 sales.

The trend continued in 1999 with ... And Then There Was X, which toppled the opposition with 698,000 scans, and 2002's The Great Depression followed suit with first-week sales of 440,000. The following year, Darkman X's Grand Champ topped the Billboard chart with sales of 312,000.

But the streak ends here. X's latest LP, Year of the Dog, Again just couldn't top the collective might of Rihanna, Chris Brown, Nick Lachey, Kelly Clarkson and more than a dozen other hitmakers — all of whom can be found on Now That's What I Call Music! 22, which takes #1 for a third time, selling 127,000 copies after slipping to #2 on the previous chart.

DMX didn't go quietly. Week-one sales of Year of the Dog, Again were reported at just fewer than 126,000 — putting X only 1,500 copies behind Now 22 — to score the rapper a second-place ribbon.

There's one silver lining to DMX ending his run at the hands of Now 22: He didn't lose out to a bunch of pint-sized singers. Kidz Bop 10 — featuring the Kidz Bop Kids' versions of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day," the All-American Rejects' "Move Along," and Rihanna's "S.O.S." — sold more than 116,000 copies its first week in stores to secure the #3 spot. Following at #4 is Stone Sour's Come What(ever) May — the first studio release in four years from the rock collective featuring members of Slipknot — which racked up close to 81,000 sales.

Previous chart champ LeToya suffered a second-week slump, as her self-titled debut took a 61 percent sales hit and posted just 65,000 scans to land at #5. Tom Petty's Highway Companion follows at #6 with 57,000 copies sold its second week in stores, and Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere finishes at #7 with 53,000 scans.

Five for Fighting's Two Lights opens at #8 with 52,000 units sold, while Pharrell's In My Mind slides seven spots to #9 with week-two sales of 51,000. Nickelback's All the Right Reasons, which has steadily climbed the chart in recent weeks, jumps two spots to #10 after racking up 44,000 scans its 44th week in stores. And after spending 24 consecutive weeks in the top 10, the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" slips to #11.

Panic! at the Disco will be celebrating this week — and not just because of their five MTV Video Music Awards nominations. After 34 weeks on the chart, the band's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out has surpassed the 1 million sold mark, moving more than 35,000 copies to land at #17 on the latest chart.

Lemonade, the latest from G. Love (who've shed the "& Special Sauce" part of their moniker) is the fifth of 10 new releases to crack the top 200, selling 19,000 units to debut at #39. The Pink Spiders open at #84 with their second outing, Teenage Graffiti, which sold 11,000 copies its first week out. Steely Dan's The Definitive Collection bows at #92 with 10,000 scans, followed at #121 by Powerman 5000's Destroy What You Enjoy with 7,000 copies sold.

Jeannie Ortega's No Place Like Bklyn opens at #128 with close to 7,000 sales, and Kill Hannah's Until There's Nothing Left of Us takes #179 with sales nearing 5,000. Christian-minded post-hardcore outfit Showbread's Age of Reptiles just makes the top 200 cut, debuting at #199 with 4,000 scans.

• DMX
• Rihanna
• Kelly Clarkson
• LeToya
• Five For Fighting

LeToya's self-titled album
Photo: Capitol

Pharrell or LeToya? Which artist could dethrone Now That's What I Call Music! 22, ending the compilation's two-week reign atop Billboard's albums chart?

In My Mind, the long-awaited, much-delayed solo debut from Pharrell Williams — one-half of the hit-making production team the Neptunes — was a popular pick for #1. And with nearly 142,000 copies snatched up its first week in stores, the disc came close to the top. But in the end, Pharrell had to settle for third place.

LeToya, the debut solo LP from LeToya Luckett, an original member of Destiny's Child who co-wrote and performed the group's gold-certified singles "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name," outsold Now by 14,000 copies to finish the week with close to 165,000 scans — and a chart-topping opening.

According to the latest SoundScan totals, Pharrell fell shy of second place by a mere 9,000 copies. The #2 position belongs to the 22nd installment in the Now franchise — an album featuring tracks by Rihanna, Chamillionaire, Chris Brown, Nick Lachey and Kelly Clarkson — which moved 151,000 units its third week out.

LeToya and Pharrell's debut outings are joined in the top five by one other new release: Tom Petty's Highway Companion. The third solo album from the Heartbreakers frontman bows at #4 after selling more than 112,000 copies its first week in stores. Petty's disc steps in just in front of Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere, down one to #5 with 54,000 scans.

The soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" can't be stopped, and takes the chart's #6 opening this week with just under 47,000 sales. Rihanna's A Girl Like Me follows at #7 with 46,000-plus scans, while Nelly Furtado's Loose slips one spot to #8 with close to 45,000 sales. The Pussycat Dolls' PCD climbs one spot to #9, selling more than 44,000 units. Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang rounds out the top 10 with nearly 44,000 scans.

In all, 17 fresh releases make the top 200 — including Jurassic 5's Feedback, which takes the #15 slot on the upcoming chart with sales nearing 34,000. Livin' It Up! the latest from former Van Halen mainman Sammy Hagar and his Wabos, surfaces further down the chart at #50 with 16,000 first-week sales. Flogging Molly's Whiskey on a Sunday bows at #67 with 14,000 copies sold, while rapper Trae's Restless debuts at #87 with 10,000 scans. Gym Class Heroes open at #93, selling more than 9,000 copies of As Cruel as School Children.

Michael Franti and Spearhead's Yell Fire! opens at #125, with sales coming in at 7,000 and then some. The New York Dolls' One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, the seminal punk band's first album in 32 years, follows at #129 with 7,000 sales — just in front of Pastor Troy's By Choice or by Force, which lands at #130 with 22 fewer scans. Stellar Kart's We Can't Stand Sitting Down debuts at #135 with 7,000 scans. The soundtrack to Lian Lunson's film "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man" — chock full of some of Cohen's most revered cuts performed by artists including U2, Nick Cave and Rufus Wainwright — claims the #176 slot with 5,000 sales.

• LeToya
• Pharrell Williams
• Tom Petty
• Jurassic 5
• Gnarls Barkley

LeToya
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

She helped make Destiny's Child a household name by co-writing hits like "Say My Name" and "Bills, Bills, Bills," and now LeToya Luckett wants everyone to know her name, too: The singer released her self-titled solo R&B album on July 25.

LeToya includes "Torn," which peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs chart and maintained a presence on the Hot 100, as well as her next single, "She Don't."

"It's kind of a follow-up to 'Torn' since we have decided to leave him alone," LeToya said, referring to the love-him-or-leave-him story line of the first single. "He's got with somebody else but he's unhappy because he realizes the new girl will never be me. She won't love him, and I was loyal. You got to deal with it."

The album also features producers Jermaine Dupri, Scott Storch, Jazze Pha and Teddy Bishop, and writers Johnta Austin (Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together") and Dave Young (Mary J. Blige's "Alone"). "If you all didn't know, I'm from Houston, so I have to represent," she added, running down a list of collaborations with fellow Texans. "I've got Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, the whole crew" (see "Ex-Destiny's Child Member Turns To God, Houston For New LP").

LeToya's previously released singles also appear on the album, including "U Got What I Need" and "What Love Can Do," which was featured on the "Coach Carter" soundtrack.

Right now, LeToya is in the midst of opening 26 dates on Mary J. Blige's the Breakthrough Experience Tour. "I am so excited because she is one of my favorite artists," LeToya gushed. "I am just blessed, having fun, and it's unbelievable." The tour ends September 8 in Concord, California.

So what's next? Like Brooke Valentine and Bobby Valentino, LeToya hopes to break into the film industry. "I would love to do some acting," she said. "I was big on movies when I was little. I always wanted to be certain actresses and do my thing like that. If someone offered me a movie, I will take your script."

• LeToya
• Mary J. Blige

Pharrell's <i>In My Mind</i>
Photo: Interscope Records

Pharrell at Last: Given his Neptunes and N.E.R.D. projects and the number of hits he's already crafted, it hardly seems fair to call Pharrell a "rookie." But so he is, technically, which sets up his solo debut, In My Mind, as the most anticipated one of the year. Gwen Stefani makes a fleeting appearance on the first track, "Can I Have It Like That," while Jay-Z keeps it real on "Young Girl/ I Really Like You," Slim Thug helps "Keep It Playa" and Snoop Dogg swoons with Pharrell over "That Girl." And if you haven't heard the Kanye-featuring "Number One" by now, one's gotta wonder where your mind's at.

Luckett Strikes: This week may be all about Pharrell, but there's another big-name solo artist debuting this week in LeToya Luckett. The ex-Destiny's Child singer is also going by her first name only and has roped in Slim Thug for some support (on "Hey Fella"). He's not the only one lifting up LeToya, though: she's also getting props from Paul Wall ("All Eyes on Me"), Mike Jones ("Gangsta Grillz" and a remix of "Torn"), Jazze Pha and Bun B ("Tear Da Club Up").

Unleash the Beasties: Surprises abound on the DVD version of the Beastie Boys' fan-filmed documentary, "Awesome; I F---in' Shot That!" For starters, they've separated MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D's vocal channels into an a-cappella-only feature that lets viewers cut out the rest of the music. Fans also have the option of switching between different camera angles — sort of a given, since so many fans submitted footage — or use the "hidden detours" feature to see other angles. And also, the short film starring comedian David Cross that prefaced the one-night theatrical showing of the Beasties' flick and was only supposed to surface just that one time, is included on the DVD.

Life According to Gym: Fans of the Beasties should take note of another collection of comical New York rap-rockers: Gym Class Heroes. The Fall Out Boy friends stick tight to the concept of their sophomore LP, As Cruel as School Children, breaking the tracks into class periods. Don't miss "Lunch: Sloppy Love Jingle, Pt. 1," "6th Period: Viva la White Girl" and "13th Period: On My Own Time (Write On!)," because if you do — need we say it? — you'll be headed to detention.

Trivia Time:

• Puffy AmiYumi have a 10th anniversary to celebrate, and some unlikely friends to celebrate it with. The Offspring's Dexter Holland sings on the Japanese pop duo's Splurge, with Butch Walker and Jon Spencer also contributing.
• The Sleepy Jackson are going the way of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Leader Luke Steele has already dumped three sets of backing bands, one including his brother, and he's only on his second record, this week's Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird).
• Serj Tankian has given System of a Down fans more heavy music to chew on by putting out Bad Acid Trip and Buckethead releases, but he's toning it down a bit with his latest signing, Slow Motion Reign, and their piano-based, eponymous debut.
• Silversun Pickups (Carnavas), Adam Green (Jacket Full of Danger), Code Red (All Aboard) and the Rosewood Thieves (From the Decker House) have something in common, but we're not telling.
• Joan of Arc will have you seeing double, if their wildly experimental post-punk concoction doesn't already do the trick. The band's back in time for its 10th anniversary, putting out a new LP (Eventually, All at Once) on its own label and a retrospective (The Intelligent Design of Joan of Arc) via former home Polyvinyl.
• Tom Petty's Highway Companion is just his third solo album (he's giving most of the Heartbreakers a break this time around).
• Terror play hardcore but have a soft spot for hip-hop: Murs and Atmosphere DJ Mr. Dibbs add some verses to the band's Always the Hard Way.
• Sammy Hagar likes tequila? Who knew? Listen to "One Sip" or "I Love This Bar" on his and the Wabos' Livin' It Up!
• Erase Errata and Mika Miko, who respectively issue Nightlife and C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. this week, just toured together.
• Raul Malo doesn't have writer's block — he only has one original song on his You're Only Lonely to make room for salutes to Willie Nelson, Harry Nilsson and the Bee Gees.
• Mew ought to be touring with Dinosaur Jr. instead of Bloc Party. The band's And the Glass Handed Kites has two guest-vocal spots by J Mascis.

• Pastor Troy is making at least two appearances this week, logging his own By Choice or by Force and adding to The Source Presents: Fat Tape, Volume One with his "Crossroads."
• Spoon's Telephono/ Soft Effects makes two early releases by the band readily available again, and is packaged as a double-CD with a bonus video for "Not Turning Off."
• Barbie Hit Mix 2 is more like karaoke for children, what with songs by Ashlee, Gwen and Hilary being covered by an unspecified group of "today's kids."
• Professor Murder isn't a rapper. Professor Murder Rides the Subway heralds what the wacky white boy — who uses cowbells and a whistle — has dubbed "progressive post-punk."
• Gaelic Storm hope to win over a few boozers with Bring Yer Wellies, but they're going to face some serious competition in fellow Irish band Flogging Molly and their Whiskey on a Sunday documentary DualDisc.
• If the Knife aren't the first musicians to go by that moniker, then they're almost definitely the first Swedish brother/sister team to do so. Silent Shout has already topped the charts in their homeland.
• Damon McMahon's Mansions is less a solo album than a collection of refined leftover tunes by his prior band, Inouk.
• Crash Kelly have toured with Alice Cooper and Skid Row, but they've got Guns N' Roses on the brain these days: Their Electric Satisfaction was produced by former GN'R guitarist Gilby Clarke.
• Ali Farka Touré's Savane was the last album the Mali singer/guitarist recorded before his death earlier this year.
• Steve Lawler has divvied up his Viva into three discs, named "Day 1," "Day 2" and "Day 3." But those aren't live recordings from the producer's recent trip to Ibiza; the "days" actually refer to "states of mind."

Song Title of the Week:

"Cream and Bastards Rise" from Harvey Danger's Little by Little ...

Other Notables:

Tapes 'n Tapes's The Loon: Hipsters have been pining for the official release of this LP since the hooky band took South by Southwest by storm earlier this year. The album, 10,000 copies of which the Minneapolis quartet previously issued on its own, features the priceless lyric "And when you rush/ I'll call your name/ Like Harvard Square/ Holds all inane."

Jurassic 5's Feedback: The Los Angeles squad is hoping the Dave Matthews Band guest spot on their new "Work It Out" single and video gives them a much-needed sales boost. But in case that doesn't work, they've got the Scott Storch-produced "Brown Girl" to fall back on — and a tour schedule that puts other hip-hop groups to shame.

Voivoid's Katorz: The 14th release by the Canadian prog-thrash band also captures its last recordings with Piggy D'Amour, who died from cancer last year. The guitarist asked the remaining bandmembers to use his tracks on their LP, and with help from producer Glen Robinson (Gwar, Annihilator), they did.

New Releases:

• Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang Derdang (Domino)
  
• Bargain Music - American Born (enhanced; Cornerstone)
  
• Boy Kill Boy - Civilian (Island)
  
• Randall Bramblett - Rich Someday (New West)
  
• Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Stranger Things (Fantasy/ Concord)
  
• Bridge 61 - Journal (Atavistic)
  
• Michael Brook - RockPaperScissors (High Wire)
  
• Brötzmann/ Mangelsdorff/ Sommer - Pica Pica (Atavistic)
  
• Burn in Silence - Angel Maker (Prosthetic)
  
• Code Red - All Aboard (Toucan Cove/ Universal)
  
• Crash Kelly - Electric Satisfaction (Liquor & Poker)
  
• Disaster Strikes - Liberty Toast (Alternative Tentacles)
  
• The Drams - Jubilee Dive (New West)
  
• Erase Errata - Nightlife (Kill Rock Stars)
  
• Excepter - Alternation (5 Rue Christine)
  
• Gran Bel Fisher - Full Moon Cigarette (Hollywood)
  
• Flogging Molly - Whiskey on a Sunday (DualDisc; Side One Dummy)
  
• John Flynn - Two Wolves (Mettafour/ Kindred Rhythm)
  
• Michael Franti and Spearhead - Yell Fire! (Anti)
  
• Gaelic Storm - Bring Yer Wellies (Megaforce)
  
• Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (Candlelight)
  
• Gosling - Here Is ... (V2)
  
• Grave - As Rapture Comes (Century Media)
  
• Adam Green - Jacket Full of Danger (Rough Trade)
  Buy Now: Jacket Full of Danger (Rough Trade)
  
• Gym Class Heroes - As Cruel as School Children (Fueled by Ramen)
  Read: "EMTs Ask Warped Tour's Gym Class Heroes: How Are You Guys Alive?"
  Buy Now: As Cruel as School Children (Fueled by Ramen)
  
• Sammy Hagar and the Wabos - Livin' It Up! (Rhino)
  Buy Now: Livin' It Up! (Rhino)
  
• Paul Hardcastle - Jazzmasters V (V2)
  
• House of Atreus - What You've Become (567)
  
• Impac - Almost Famous (Divine)
  
• Inkwell - These Stars Are Monsters (111)
  
• Joan of Arc - Eventually, All at Once (Record Label)
  
• JR Ewing - Maelstrom (Dim Mak)
  
• Jurassic 5 - Feedback (Interscope)
  Buy Now: Feedback (Interscope)
  
• Will Kimbrough - Americanitis (Emergent)
  
• Klezmatics - Wonder Wheel (JMG)
  
• The Knife - Silent Shout (Mute)
  
• The Late Cord - Lights From the Wheelhouse (4AD)
  
• Steve Lawler - Viva (three CDs; Ministry of Sound)
  
• LeToya - LeToya (Capitol)
  Read: "Ex-Destiny's Child Member Turns To God, Houston For New LP"
  Buy Now: LeToya (Capitol)
  
• Toby Lightman - Bird on a Wire (Lava)
  
• Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)
  Buy Now: Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)
  
• Tracy Lyons - I Will (West 57th Street)
  
• Damon McMahon - Mansions (Astralwerks)
  
• Raul Malo - You're Only Lonely (Sanctuary)
  
• Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (Columbia)
  
• Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther (Bella Union)
  
• Mika Miko - C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. (Kill Rock Stars)
  
• Motor - Klunk (Mute)
  
• New York Dolls - One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (with DVD; Roadrunner)
  
• Old Crow Medicine Show - Down Home Girl (EP; Nettwerk)
  Buy Now: Down Home Girl (Nettwerk)
  
• Jake Owen - Startin' With Me (RCA)
  
• Pacifics/ Illmind - The Case (enhanced; All Natural)
  
• Panda & Angel - Panda & Angel (EP; Jade Tree)
  
• Park - Building a Better Park (enhanced; Lobster)
  
• Pastor Troy - By Choice or by Force (Koch)
  Buy Now: By Choice or by Force (Koch)
  
• Tom Petty - Highway Companion (American)
  Buy Now: Highway Companion (American)
  
• Pharrell Williams - In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)
  Read: "Pharrell Williams: Fired Up"
  Preorder: In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)
  
• Landon Pigg - LP (RCA)
  
• Professor Murder - Professor Murder Rides the Subway (Kanine)
  
• Puffy AmiYumi - Splurge (Tofu)
  
• Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third (Red Ink)
  
• Quantic - An Announcement to Answer (Ubiquity)
  
• Rippingtons - 20th Anniversary (with DVD; Peak/ Concord)
  
• Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy - Adieu False Heart (Vanguard)
  
• Rosewood Thieves - From the Decker House (EP; V2)
  
• Say Hi to Your Mom - Impeccable Blahs (Euphobia)
  
• Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer (Nonesuch)
  
• Silversun Pickups - Carnavas (Dangerbird)
  
• Joyce Sims - A New Beginning (Vessel)
  
• Bob Sinclair - Western Dream (Tommy Boy)
  
• The Sleepy Jackson - Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird) (Astralwerks)
  Buy Now: Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird) (Astralwerks)
  
• Slow Motion Reign - Slow Motion Reign (Red Ink)
  
• Supersuckers - Paid (Mid Fi)
  Buy Now: Paid (Mid Fi)
  
• Sylver - Nighttime Calls (Byte/ Universal)
  
• Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon (XL)
  
• Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through the Noise (Zöe/ Rounder)
  
• Terror - Always the Hard Way (Trustkill)
  
• Thor - Devastation of Musculation (Smog Veil)
  
• Ali Farka Touré - Savane (World Circuit/ Nonesuch)
  
• Umbrellas - Illuminare (Militia Group)
  
• Venus Hum - The Colors of the Wheel (Nettwerk)
  
• Voivod - Katorz (The End)
  Buy Now: Katorz (The End)
  
• Paul Weller - Catch-Flame! (live double CD; Yep Roc)
  
• White Whale - WWI (Merge)
  
• Various artists - Barbie Hit Mix 2 (Rhino)
  
• Various artists - Cirque du Soleil Musique - Delirium (Cirque du Soleil)
  
• Various artists - FabricLive 28 (Fabric)
  
• Various artists - Slaying Since 1996 (two CDs; Suicide Squeeze)
  
• Various artists - The Source Presents: Fat Tape, Volume One (Koch)
  
• Various artists - "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man" soundtrack (Verve Forecast)
  
• Various artists - "Miami Vice" soundtrack (Atlantic)
  
• Various artists - "Scoop" soundtrack (Decca)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Kenny Burrell - In a Mellow Tone: The Smooth Swing of Kenny Burrell (Savoy Jazz)
  
• Canned Heat - Instrumentals 1967-1996 (Music Avenue)
  
• Chad & Jeremy - The Ark and I Don't Want to Lose You Baby (Sundazed)
  
• Climax Blues Band - Tightly Knit (Fuel)
  
• Ian Dury & the Blockheads - Laughter (two CDs; Fuel)
  
• The John Doe Thing - For the Best of Us (Yep Roc)
  
• Eldopa - The Complete Recordings (Tee Pee)
  
• Gene & Debbe - Playboy: The Best of Gene & Debbe (Sundazed)
  
• Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - Fresh & Furious: Hip Hop's Beginning (DBK)
  
• Bruce Hornsby - Intersections 1985-2005 (box set with four CDs and one DVD; RCA/ Legacy)
  
• Bob James - Sign of the Times (Koch)
  
• Joan of Arc - The Intelligent Design of Joan of Arc (Polyvinyl)
  
• John & Robin - Do It Again (Sundazed)
  
• Glenn Jones - Forever: Timeless R&B Classics (Shanachie)
  
• Harvey Danger - Little by Little ... (two CDs; Kill Rock Stars)
  
• Loverboy - Get Lucky (Columbia/ Legacy)
  
• Melissa Manchester - Better Days & Happy Endings, Bright Eyes, Emergency, For the Working Girl, Help Is on the Way, Hey Ricky and Home to Myself (Wounded Bird)
  
• Liza Minnelli - Liza! Liza!: The Complete Capitol Collection (two CDs; DRG)
  
• Nazz - The Nazz and Nazz Nazz/ Nazz III: The Fungo Bat Sessions (Sanctuary)
  
• Spoon - Telephono/ Soft Effects (Merge)
  
• Rick Springfield - Working Class Dog (RCA/ Legacy)
  
• Sonny Stitt - Stitt's Bits: The Bebop Recordings, 1949-1952 (Prestige)
  
• Laura Veirs - The Triumphs & Travails of Orphan Mae and Troubled by the Fire (Kill Rock Stars)
  
• Delroy Wilson - The Best of Original Eighteen - Deluxe Edition (Heartbeat)
  
• Various artists - Buzz Ballads (Razor & Tie)
  
• Various artists - The Best of Studio One Collection (four-CD box set; Heartbeat)
  
• Various artists - Casey Kasem: Driving in the 50s, Casey Kasem: Driving in the 60s and Casey Kasem: Driving in the 70s (Top Sail)
  
• Various artists - Soul Power Instrumentals (Time Life)
  
• Various artists - Teen Idols: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Compendia)

Music DVDs:

• Acoustic Alchemy - "The Best Kept Secret" (GRP)
  
• Beastie Boys - "Awesome; I F---in' Shot That!" (Velocity/ ThinkFilm)
  Read: "Beastie Boys Concert Flick Filmed By 50 Fans With Digital Cameras"
  
• Commodores - "Live" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Sammy Davis Jr. - "In Concert Series" (Passport)
  
• Michael Franti - "I Know I'm Not Alone" (Epitaph)
  
• Delbert McClinton - "Live From Austin TX" (New West)
  
• Bobby McFerrin and Guests - "Swinging Bach" (Euroarts)
  
• Stuart Sutcliffe - "The Lost Beatle" (Kultur)
  
• Johnny Tillotson - "Johnny Tillotson Sings His All-Time Greatest Hits" (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• Various artists - "Pure '80s: The Ultimate DVD Box" (three DVDs; Hip-O)

Coming Attractions:

August 1:

• DMX - Year of the Dog, Again (Sony)
  Read: "DMX Signs With Columbia, Will Release Long-Delayed LP This Spring"
  Preorder: Year of the Dog Again (Sony)
  
• Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Slipknot's Taylor Gearing Up For Stone Sour LP — And Tenacious D Tribute"
  Preorder: Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
  
• Various artists - Kidz Bop 10 (Razor & Tie)

August 8:

• Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor (Atlantic)
  Preorder: Food and Liquor (Atlantic)
  
• Rick Ross - Port of Miami (Def Jam)
  Preorder: Port of Miami (Def Jam)
  
• Slayer - Christ Illusion (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "New Slayer Album Might Be Their Fastest Yet"
  Preorder: Christ Illusion (Warner Bros.)

August 15:

• Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics (two CDs; RCA)
  Read: "Christina Makes Her Comeback Twice As Nice By Expanding Basics Into Double LP"
  Preorder: Back to Basics (RCA)
  
• Obie Trice - Second Round's on Me (Aftermath)
  Preorder: Second Round's on Me (Aftermath)
  
• Various artists - Snakes on a Plane: The Album (enhanced; New Line)

• Pharrell Williams
• LeToya
• Beastie Boys
• Gym Class Heroes
• Jurassic 5

LeToya Luckett
Photo: Capitol Records

Six years after she was ousted from the group, original Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett is getting another chance in the spotlight — and she's not wasting time poking fun at her drama-filled exit.

"I think my full name is 'Ain't you the girl LeToya who used to be in Destiny's Child?' My nickname is 'Girl from Destiny's Child,' " said the singer, who's now going by just her first name.

After their March 2000 departure from Destiny's Child, LeToya and fellow ousted member LaTavia Roberson filed a breach-of-contract and defamation-of-character suit in 2002, shortly after the release of the song "Survivor." The former members said they were dissed in the song. The matter was settled out of court (see "Destiny's Child Settle With Ex-Members Over 'Survivor' Dis").

Still, LeToya said she doesn't hold a grudge and still communicates with Beyoncé Knowles and her mother, Tina. (LeToya owns the Houston boutique Lady Elle and carries Tina Knowles' House of Derion clothing line.)

"That was a part of me," LeToya said of her tenure in the group. "A wonderful experience. God chose for me to go in a separate direction. I don't question Him. They've been blessed, they've had an amazing career, and I can say I was a part of that. Now I'm doing my thing and I don't see the bad in [my leaving the group]. I'm so in a different place. People ask me, 'What kept you strong?' I didn't look at it in a negative light. I kept it moving. I have a very strong spiritual base. I stay in church, listening to the Word."

LeToya is scratching the surface with her new single, "Torn," which she hopes will prove that Beyoncé and Kelly Rowlands weren't the only ones who could sing in the original Destiny's Child.

"This album is basically talking about everything I've been through in the last six years: love, life and relationships," she said of her self-titled LP, due this summer. "I just want people to get to know me.

"['Torn'] is very personal," she added. "I know a lot of people can relate to it. It's a relationship record, about a person. Trying to decide whether they want to stay in a relationship or leave. They're obviously in love, caught up. This person has their heart, so they're kind of torn. 'Do I stay, ride it out, or do what's best for me and leave?' That's a hard decision to make. I've been through that before. I know several people who have been through that, torn in between staying and leaving."

For her album, LeToya called up half of Houston to collaborate. Bun B appears on "Tear Da Club Up," Paul Wall jumped on "All Eyes on Me," "Hey Fella" has a guest spot from Slim Thug, and "Gangsta Grillz" features Mike Jones and Killa Kyleon.

"I love Houston music to death," LeToya gushed. "Yes, I was one of the first, but at the same time, I'm happy to be a part of what they're doing. 'Tear Da Club Up,' it's definitely repping Houston. It's a grimy, hard track, with Bun B on it. I also love it because it has the [New Orleans] bounce I grew up on. With New Orleans being so close, they would bring that music back, and that's what we would bounce to. At 14, 15, they would have clubs for teenagers, and we would go in there and sweat your hair out. That's what we really grew up on.

" 'All Eyes on Me,' " she added, "it's talking about you getting ready for the club and all the guys are going to be looking at you. It's really a self-esteem record."

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