Lil' Cease and Jamal Woolard in front of Biggie's old house in Brooklyn, 12.29.08
Photo: MTV News

Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

OK, it's the first Mixtape Monday of 2009, and we're switching up our whole format — at least for this week. We do it big every week, but for this special edition, we went on a tour of Brooklyn with Lil' Cease and Jamal "Gravy" Woolard, who stars as the late, great Christopher Wallace in the Biggie biopic "Notorious." One of the stops that day was to Biggie's home in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn — it was a hip-hop pilgrimage, if you will.

It's not officially recognized as a city landmark, but 226 St. James Place definitely sits on some sacred soil. For starters, it's the home where Wallace grew up to become the Notorious B.I.G. And to hear Cease explain it, there were some other icons who put in time on Voletta Wallace's stoop.

"Nas and Big was cool," Cease told us while standing in front of Big's old building. "Nas would come right here, and we'd go out to Queensbridge."

Biggie knew how to spread love the Brooklyn way, of course, but he also welcomed his fellow MCs, despite their locale. There was Nas, and then Cease said him and Big would go into Manhattan to catch Redman shows.

"Big was a dude that listened to everybody," Cease said. "We didn't just vibe out only to his music and Junior M.A.F.I.A. That's how I know a real hip-hop artist: They listen. They listen and vibe to other people. You find your energy from listening to other people."

The hip-hop gods didn't have it in the cards for Big and Nas to collaborate when God's Son visited BK, but there were some certified bangers created at 226. All Big needed was a beat tape and a pen — he was writing back in the beginning, Cease said — and it would be on.

"Before I'd come up, Big used to throw me down $20," Cease said of the routine, motioning to the Wallaces' upper level. "From the third window right there. I'd go around the corner and get a bag of that brown, a couple Pepsis, some chips, some Dutches [cigars]. We'd go right in there. And I'd sit with him when he wrote the music. I was there when he wrote 'Warning' and 'Juicy.' "

A Mixtape Monday Special Report

We defy you to find an MC with a catalog as deep as Notorious B.I.G.'s in the short time frame he was making music. Last year, DJ Mister Cee, who is credited with discovering Big, dropped the definitive Frank White mixtape with his 10th-anniversary tribute tape. Cee put his weight on it and had all types of obscure gems and street classics on there. In honor of Biggie and his upcoming biopic, we decided to make our own fantasy mixtape. We reached out to several top party and mixtape DJs, asking them to pick one song to put on a Biggie mixtape. Obviously, all responses came back with more than one answer.

" 'The Whut' had everyone around my way saying, 'F--- the world, don't ask me for sh--,' " DJ Green Lantern said. "It was Big and Meth rapping back and forth in the real EPMD way of finishing lines for each other. Sh--, that don't happen anymore. ... I liked early, hungry Biggie that rapped about struggle and hard times a little more than the champagne and name brands that popped up after he got paid. 'The Whut' was him in the hoodie tied tight. ... Black hoodie rap!"

" 'Who Shot Ya' — huge record and was never originally on an album," DJ Drama chimed in. "That was a big song in the streets in '95. Huuuuuge!"

" 'Victory,' because he gave it to n---as," DJ Khaled offered up. " 'What's Beef,' because it's so real. Straight up!"

Well, all three DJs and their peers gave us more choices as we put together a track list for our own B.I.G. tribute tape.

"Player's Anthem"
"I'm just glad that I was there when this record first hit the clubs! It was crazy! Packed clubs would scream when that classic intro would start the song. It made me feel like I was ballin' and paid in my own way. If you had a job and you could afford to get a bottle and girls are around you in your own VIP world, this song was the finisher! Damn, I miss B.I.G.! These loser rappers out now ain't got sh-- on him." - DJ Whoo Kid

"Mo Money, Mo Problems"
"When I first heard that record ... I was in the studio with Big and Puff at Daddy's House, and they played the whole album. ... They told me to choose two songs for my mixtape. I chose 'Hypnotize' and 'Mo Money, Mo Problems.' Clue's 'Show Me the Money' was the place the world first heard those songs. Radio stations added the record in rotation with my voice on it. That's how urgent the records were." - DJ Clue

"You'll See"
"Wow, when did that come out? Like '95? I'm gonna be honest with you: When I first heard that record, I thought there were only two members in the LOX. This was my first time hearing them, and to me, Styles and 'Kiss sounded real similar on that joint. I think everyone ripped that track, but when Big came in — 'Talkin' it, but ain't livin' it/ Cristal pop, I'm sippin' it.' — nuts! At the time, I wasn't even making mixtapes, just a fan back then, and hearing tracks like this and the LOX 'Silver Spoons' joint are what made me wanna make mixtapes in the first place. Classic material. You just came to expect this type of joint from Bad Boy at the time. I wish the LOX and Big had made more tracks together, man. And it just shows how Big could do it for the streets and/or chicks at any time." - Big Mike

"Can't You See"
"The first time I heard 'Can't You See,' my reaction was: 'This is dope, and who are the girls?' Big performed on it like it was his song, and that's what stood out to me! The impact it made on hip-hop and in the clubs is he put the stamp on Total and made them official to hip-hop heads. That 'New Jersey Drive' soundtrack had some heat on it, period!" - DJ Kut

"You Can't Stop the Reign"
"That was Shaquille O'Neal featuring Biggie. Big had to write [Shaq's verses] for him. I thought it was crazy. Big's line about 'condos with elevators in them,' bonkers!" - DJ Envy

"The Whut"
"The impact on that joint, it held two crowns for two different reasons. One, it was a misunderstanding between Big and Wu-Tang. I think Big and Raekwon had a misunderstanding, but it wasn't really nothing blown up. So to have Big and a Wu-Tang member on the same record was huge. The other thing, Meth was phenomenal back then, and so was Biggie. Then that hook! Anybody from the 'hood, that's how they feel when they got something: 'F--- the world, don't ask me for sh--/ Everything you get, you got to work hard for it.' We come from not having nothing. That was right there in the hook. They was saying it for us." - DJ Kay Slay

"Real N---as" freestyle
"Too many choices. But if I had to choose one, 'Road to Riches'! Especially if it's to put on a mixtape. That's the quintessential mixtape joint from Big, to me, and him at his best with a crazy story. ... He really painted you a vivid picture of everything he says, and I love the West Coast beats. ... When the 'Black Superman' beat comes in, it's over! I remember playing that nonstop as a kid. One of my fave songs ever." - DJ Skee

"Big Poppa" So So Def remix
"A classic remix that not many people are up on. JD did his thing with the beat, and Big doesn't redo all the verses. He just re-spits them over with a couple of extra saucy lines." - Nick Cannon

"N---as Bleed"
"I love that record. He tells his story so crazy, and when it ends, you look at everyone in the car that's riding with you to the record, and everyone says, 'Wow!' " - DJ Khaled

"Warning"
"The beat is crazy, his rhyme is crazy, and he tells a story that people can relate to." - DJ Infamous

"Everyday Struggle"
"That song embodies the real essence of street life and gives a true account of what young, black, poverty-stricken and disenfranchised males and females go through on a daily basis in our society. The lyrics Biggie spits in that song will never get old or outdated." - DJ Chuck T

"One More Chance" remix
"That [DeBarge] sample is incredible, the way they incorporate the original hook with the song." - DJ Greg Street

"Unbelievable"
"Classic Premier beat with the R. Kelly sample. I knew Biggie was a problem, but I'll never forget first time I heard the song. It was on Cosmic Kev's Power 99 radio show. I knew Biggie was a hip-hop legend in the making." - DJ Drama

"Think Big"
"B.I.G, Lord Tarik and Pudgee tha Phat Bastard — where is he?!? The record shows the grind Biggie was on in that short window where he was doing records with everybody before Ready to Die came out. Classic early Biggie verse: 'Big Poppa throwin' n---as off the cliff/ Smoke a spliff, disappear with my bi--- in a Mitsubishi Eclipse/ Read my lips, I kill you!' " - DJ Green Lantern

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more this week!

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

• Mixtape Monday Video: 'Notorious'

• Exclusive: Meet The Stars Of The B.I.G Biopic 'Notorious'

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Lil' Cease
• DJ Drama
• DJ Khaled

Lil' Kim (file)
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Two months before she's expected to begin serving the yearlong sentence she was dealt less than two weeks ago, Lil' Kim filed a $6 million civil lawsuit against one of the two men who provided wounding testimony that helped secure her conviction on federal perjury and conspiracy charges.

According to The Associated Press, the suit filed Monday accuses James "Lil' Cease" Lloyd — the leader of Kim's former Brooklyn, New York, clique, Junior M.A.F.I.A. — of using the Queen Bee's name and likeness to promote his forthcoming DVD, "The Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A. Part II: Reloaded," tentatively scheduled for release later this month. Kim split from the group back in 2001.

The suit claims Kim never granted Cease permission to exploit her name and image for the DVD production; doing so, as the filing suggests he has, constitutes false advertising and false endorsement, the AP reports.

Kim also alleges that Cease publicly announced plans to include in-depth interviews with him and other M.A.F.I.A. members in the DVD package, explaining their involvement in the hip-hop diva's trial.

On Tuesday (July 19), a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against Cease, the entire Junior M.A.F.I.A. and the DVD's producer, Ground Zero Entertainment, preventing the sale of "The Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A. Part II: Reloaded." A hearing is expected later this month, during which the same judge will consider whether to grant Kim a permanent injunction, blocking the DVD's release indefinitely. No specific date was established for that hearing as of press time.

Lil' Kim (born Kimberly Jones) was convicted in March on perjury and conspiracy charges, for lying to investigators and to a federal grand jury about her involvement in a shooting four years ago at New York hip-hop station Hot 97 (see "Lil' Kim Found Guilty Of Lying To Grand Jury, Investigators"). Both to the grand jury and during her subsequent trial, Kim testified that she did not see former manager Damion Butler the day of the shooting and was unable to recognize a photograph of Suif "Gutta" Jackson; both men accepted a plea bargain offered by prosecutors and admitted that they initiated the gunfire, shooting at members of rap group Capone-N-Noreaga that afternoon.

Cease and Antoine "Banger" Spain — who also worked with Jones in Junior M.A.F.I.A. — testified that they saw Butler and Jackson at the radio station with Kim the day of the shooting (see "Lil' Cease Says He's No Snitch For Testifying Against Kim").

Kim's sentence is scheduled to commence September 19 (see "Lil' Kim Gets A Year And A Day In Prison").

[This story was originally published at 8:37 a.m. EDT on 07.19.2005]

• Lil' Kim
• Lil' Cease
• Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Lil' Cease (file)
Photo: Atlantic

NEW YORK — Lil' Cease says he just didn't have a choice.

If you're from the streets, one of the most honored codes is that you don't tell, especially not on your friends. And although he testified against his estranged friend Lil' Kim in her perjury trial, he maintains he's not a snitch.

"Being that Kim took the case to trial, they subpoenaed all the witnesses," Cease said on Friday (see "Lil' Kim Found Guilty Of Lying To Grand Jury, Investigators"). "Me and Kim wasn't on good terms for the moment, and she made it clear to the world that she didn't want to have anything to do with me and my peoples. So she wasn't trying to call us to her defense. Being that we was witnesses there, the U.S. government subpoenaed us. And there's nothing you can do about that. When you're subpoenaed, you either come or they take your ass to jail. It's just that simple."

Cease said his appearance in court was the first time he had seen his onetime close friend in several years.

"All the sh-- I been through, this is the first time that I've touched the stand. ... It was just sick. But at the end of the day ... that sh-- was like business," he said. "When [the feds] come in there, they're not playing. With this whole war on rap and these feds and this rap patrol, it's serious. They're looking for someone to make an example of." (For more on the alleged war on rap, check out our investigative report "Is The NYPD At War With Hip-Hop?")

Biggie's onetime hype man and best friend said the Queen Bee should have never taken her perjury case to trial and should have accepted a plea bargain. Cease described the case the prosecution presented as practically insurmountable.

"She's supposed to have caught the picture that they were trying to put [her] away," Cease vented. "But she felt like she could beat them, and I don't know what she was trying to do with that. These federal people knew everything. They had phone taps, they had the video cameras from the [shooting at Hot 97]. They had that all on tape. They had pictures, they had two-way messages. Remember, [the shooting] was in 2001. So they worked on it for about two or three years, and they pulled everybody in there. My peoples, Rock and Gutta, they copped out to the case once they knew they couldn't win it. Shorty thought she could take it further, and she did what she thought she had to do."

The new leader of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. said that despite Kim's conviction, he doesn't expect her to do much time because her record is "as clean as a virgin." Cease also made it clear that despite their ties being severed, he hates to see the woman he was once close to go to prison (see "Lil' Kim Won't Get Maximum Sentence, Expert Predicts").

"No matter what our situations, I didn't have no problems with her," he insisted. "My thing was she didn't call me to her defense, so I left it at that. She could have called me, she could have subpoenaed me as well, but it was the U.S. government that subpoenaed me. She don't mess with me and my dudes, so we kept our distance from them."

• Lil' Cease
• Lil' Kim

• Lil' Kim
• Lil' Cease
• Diddy
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Lil' Cease
Photo: Atlantic

On Monday, James Lloyd, better known as rapper Lil' Cease, was sentenced to five years probation in New York's Kings County district court after pleading guilty to gun possession.

The charges stemmed from a 2001 incident in which Lloyd, along with fellow Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Larceny (born Antoine Spain) a bodyguard (Suif Jackson) and Damien Butler (a.k.a. D-Roc, onetime road manager of the Notorious B.I.G.), was accused of shooting a Brooklyn man in the leg. Police later found two 9 mm handguns in the SUV they were driving (see "Junior M.A.F.I.A. Members Charged With Attempted Murder" ).

Judge Abraham Gerges dropped the additional charges of attempted murder in the second degree, harassment in the second degree and five counts of assault.

Spain's charges of attempted murder are expected to be dismissed as long as Butler, who's already pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, appears for sentencing on January 30. He's expected to be sentenced to three years in prison.

Jackson was sentenced on November 6 to five years in state prison.

• Lil' Cease

"Kells, holla" — Kelly Rowland gave more than a shout-out to her boy Nelly on Friday on Long Island, New York. The singer, who had an in-store autograph session at a Manhattan FYE earlier in the day, made a surprise appearance onstage that night as the Nellyville tour stopped off at Nassau Coliseum, where the duo performed their duet "Dilemma." ... The release date for Dashboard Confessional's MTV Unplugged 2.0 album and DVD has been pushed back to December 17. The 15-track album will feature the recording of the band's "Unplugged" performance, including the songs "Swiss Army Romance," "Remember to Breathe," "Screaming Infidelities" and "Hands Down," while the DVD will feature two songs that did not appear on the original airing of the program. ...

Rapper Lil' Cease (James Lloyd Jr.) pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and, given his clean criminal record, agreed to five years probation. Cease faced attempted murder charges stemming from an August 2001 incident. ... Charges of attempted murder against Cease's fellow Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Larceny (Antoine Spain) are expected to be dismissed following the sentencing of Cease and two accomplices who pleaded guilty to criminal possession and attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. ... Recently reformed cyber-metallers Fear Factory, who originally announced their breakup roughly six months ago, have posted samples of three new demo tracks on their Web site, FearFactory.com. Vocalist Burton C. Bell, drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers have reunited without co-founder/ primary songwriter Dino Cazares, with Wolbers (who also performs with Cypress Hill and with Herrera in the Kush Project) handling both guitar and bass duties for now. ...

John Mayer will launch his latest U.S. headlining tour in support of Room for Squares with a string of 18 dates on college campuses and theaters beginning November 7 in Pompano Beach, Florida, at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater. Robert Randolph & the Family Band will open the first nine dates, followed by bluegrass group Nickel Creek for five nights and popsters Maroon 5 on the final four shows, which wrap with a two-night stand at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... Breaking a five-year release drought in the U.S., Erasure have set January 28 as the date to offer up their new covers album, Other People's Songs. Known for their ABBA interpretations, the duo looked to early rock and roll as an inspiration, tackling songs by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Righteous Brothers and the Ronettes, as well as tracks from Peter Gabriel and the MTV classic "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. ...

10.25.02

Michelle Branch and Santana will perform "The Game of Love" Tuesday, just prior to tip-off of the Lakers/Spurs game at LA's Staples Center to welcome the 2002-03 NBA season. The performance is to be broadcast on TNT during the 76ers/Magic game, which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. Adam Sandler, appearing as the animated character from his film "Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights," is also commemorating the new season of pro hoops with an original song written especially for the NBA, which the league will use in upcoming promotional spots. ... Speaking of Sandler and his "8 Crazy Nights," the soundtrack to the movie, which hits theaters on November 27, features eight original songs written and performed by the comedian. The album, in stores November 19, features "The Chanukah Song Part 3," a duet with comedian Rob Schneider, as well as two duets with O Brother, Where Art Thou? bluegrass star Alison Krauss and the tracks "Intervention Song," "Davey's Song," "Patch Song," "Bum Biddy," "At the Mall" and (NBA alert!) "Technical Foul." ... Meanwhile, Gillian Welch, another O Brother, Where Art Thou? alum, will release a DVD featuring videos and live performances on November 12. The live segments on "The Revelator Collection" was shot in black and white by photographer Mark Seliger. ...

The first show in support of Pearl Jam's new album, Riot Act (due November 12), will be a hometown benefit show on December 8 at the KeyArena in Seattle with all proceeds going to a variety of nonprofit organizations including help for homeless youth, art education, scholarship funds, literacy programs and AIDS awareness and prevention. The band will kick off its world tour in Australia in February, returning to the U.S. in the spring. ... Michelle Branch, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Paula Cole, Deborah Cox and Joni Mitchell are among the aritists who will join Eagles leader Don Henley for the "Stormy Weather 2002" benefit concert on November 13 at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater. The show, subtitled, "An Evening of Romance, Glamour, Fabulous Women, Beautiful Music & the El Nino Orchestra," is the sequel to the 1998 all-star fundraiser Henley organized for his environmental conservation group, the Walden Woods Project. ...

Jerry Cantrell passed out from extreme exhaustion and dehydration after an October 23 show in Portland, his publicist said. The former Alice in Chains guitarist canceled a hometown show in Seattle the next night and Saturday's (October 26) performance in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will continue the tour October 27 in Lincoln, Nebraska. ... Coal Chamber parted ways with drummer Mike Cox on October 24, according to the band's label. No reason was given for his departure and there is no news on a replacement. ... With the November elections fast approaching, NoFX's Fat Mike is coordinating a grass-roots political effort to get people to vote. His Web site, www.punkvoter.com, urges people to "get off of our TV watching, video game playing, apathetic asses" and "take back our country from the corporations that are running it." The site also offers candidate suggestions. ...

The Vandals' 1993 home video, "Sweatin' to the Oldies," will be reissued as a double DVD on October 29 with a new audio commentary track by the band on the original movie. The bonus disc features unreleased footage, including an '80s commercial for an electronic drum starring then-teenage drummer Josh Freese, singer Dave Quackenbush filling in on vocals for Pennywise at a show in Italy and bassist Joe Escalante interviewing Björk during her Sugarcubes days. ... En Vogue — now a trio, with original members Terry Ellis and Cindy Braggs and newcomer Amanda Cole — will release The Gift Of Christmas on November 12. The album, manned by longtime En Vogue producers Denzel Foster and Thomas McElroy, features 11 holiday standards and four originals, including one called "Christmas Wit Cha Honey." ...

Bono has collaborated with Irish musicians Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer on the song "Time Enough for Tears," which is to be featured in the upcoming film "In America," directed by Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In the Name of the Father"). The Cole Porter-ish song, written from a woman's perspective, will by sung by Corrs member Andrea Corr. ... Starsailor are holed up in a studio in their native England with legendary producer Phil Spector working on the follow up to Love Is Here, released in January. The man credited with creating the infamous Wall of Sound, evidenced best by the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," has also discussed working on the Vines' successor to Highly Evolved.

• Destiny's Child
• Nelly
• Lil' Cease
• John Mayer
• Fear Factory

While they're causing bedlam on the Scream 2 Tour, the boys of B2K are hoping to bring some of that commotion to wax. The foursome just started production on their second LP, Pandemonium, and are hoping to release it on December 17. ... Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Creed, Blink-182, Incubus, Rob Zombie, Aaron Carter, Janet Jackson and Kid Rock are among the artists who have painted or autographed clay masks for the Hospice of Michigan's Mask Project 2. The masks will be sold on eBay on September 27, and proceeds will help provide care for terminally ill patients and their families. ...

A hearing scheduled for Friday in Brooklyn Supreme Court, in which Junior M.A.F.I.A. rappers Larceny and Lil' Cease faced an attempted murder charge stemming from an August 2001 incident, was adjourned once again. The new court date is October 21. ... Former Dope guitarist Acey Slade has permanently replaced Tripp Eisen in the Slipknot side project the Murderdolls. Tripp appears on the group's debut record, but opted to make a full commitment to Static-X. ... While they work on the follow-up to 2000's Vapor Transmission, Orgy are prepping a still-untitled live album to accompany a live DVD slated for release in early 2003. In-concert performances of songs such as "History" and the New Order cover "Blue Monday" will be mixed with a few new studio tracks on the album. ...

Kid Rock and singer/songwriter Edwin McCain are co-producing an album for country newcomer Bart Adam Young. The prolific McCain is also collaborating with O-Town on their next album, finalizing his next release (The Austin Sessions, due in mid-February) and touring from September 24 in Atlanta to November 14 in Memphis. ... This year's Resfest, a traveling digital film festival, will include a segment called Videos That Rock featuring clips from the White Stripes, the Hives, Clinic, Cornershop and the Faint. The festival, which will hit San Francisco (September 18-22), New York (October 16-20) and Los Angeles (October 30-November 3) will also include the annual Cinema Electronica, featuring videos by the Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow, Air, Björk and Basement Jaxx. ...

The Allman Brothers Band will play a benefit concert for the Alzheimer's Association on October 3 at the Grand Ballroom of New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The band will be performing at the 18th Annual Rita Hayworth Gala, and founding member Butch Trucks (drums and tympani) will be presented a "Caregiver" award at the event. ... Harmonica-driven jam band Blues Traveler will drop a live album, What You and I Have Become, on October 22. The 11-track LP was recorded in November and December and is only the second live album in the 14-year career of John Popper and company, who have built their reputation on live performances. ...

09.19.02

Christina Aguilera's new album, Stripped, is scheduled for a October 29 release. A video for "Dirrty," a collaboration with Redman that serves as LP's first single, is expected to surface shortly. ... Nelly Furtado is planning to work with Argentinean producer Gustavo Santaolalla on her new album, the singer said at Wednesday's Latin Grammy Awards. Santaolalla has worked with Café Tacuba, Molotov and Juanes, with whom Furtado performed at the ceremony. ... To promote his Shortlisted second album, The Private Press, DJ Shadow will return to the road with confirmed dates starting September 18 in Las Vegas and trekking into October through Scottsdale, Arizona; Dallas; Austin, Texas; New Orleans; and Atlanta. The video for "Six Days," directed by venerable Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai ("Chungking Express," "In the Mood for Love") is airing now, while a remix of the track featuring Mos Def is being readied for a future release. ... Toni Braxton is expecting her second child early next year. Braxton, whose fifth album is due before the end of the year, and husband Keri Lewis had a son last December. ...

Corey Taylor might be in the market for a teeny-weeny jumpsuit as the Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman became a proud papa Tuesday. His fiancée, Scarlet, gave birth to a six-pound, 14-ounce boy. ... Premiere nights on UPN will get musical helping hands from Eve and the Goo Goo Dolls. Eve will perform "Gangsta Lovin' " during the "Monday Premiere Party" on September 23, while the Goos perform "Big Machine" the following day on "The Other Side of Tuesday" which will be hosted by James Marsters, a.k.a. "Spike" of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." ... In addition to Michelle Branch, Dido and P.O.D., Santana also collaborates with Macy Gray on his upcoming album, Shaman, due out October 22. ... Superjoint Ritual, the hardcore metal band formed by Pantera's Philip Anselmo, will release a concert DVD on September 24. "Live in Dallas, TX 2002" features 11 songs from the band's debut album, Use Once and Destroy. ... Soon you can have an "@masterp.com" e-mail address. The entrepreneurial rapper is launching an Internet service that will include nationwide dial-up and broadband Internet access, instant messaging, e-mail, interactive polls and quizzes, audio streams, digital downloads, chat rooms and, of course, exclusive Master P content, including advance concert tickets and unreleased music. ...

He brought his band, a tuba player, backup singers dressed in gangsta suits and openers Amerie and Donell Jones for his performance on the Coors Original Soul Tour Wednesday night, but Raphael Saadiq forgot to bring his map, as he repeatedly said "C'mon, New York" to excite the crowd at the P.A.C. Bank Arts Center in New Jersey. Diq, who will be co-directing the second single from his Instant Vintage album, "Still Ray," on Saturday in L.A. with Chris Morrison, did recover to laugh it off and leave the stage with a standing ovation at the night's end. ... "The Halloween Takeover," a CD-ROM created by Rob Zombie, will be handed out to Spencer Gifts and Spirit Halloween Store customers when they purchase select items this October. The CD-ROM features songs, videos, games and a preview of Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses." ... The Rolling Stones will strut their stuff live on HBO on January 18 when they play Madison Square Garden in New York. The broadcast of one of the final dates of their current Licks Tour will mark the first time the veteran rockers have performed a live concert on American television. ... Haunting Louisville, Kentucky, rockers My Morning Jacket have signed to the Dave Matthews-founded ATO Records — home to David Gray, Gov't Mule and Ben Kweller — and will soon begin work on their third album at their farm/studio in Shelbyville, Kentucky. They are currently on the road with Doves, with dates scheduled through a two-night stand at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles on October 8 and 9.

• B2K
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Janet Jackson
• Lil' Cease
• Murderdolls

Marilyn Manson will make a cameo in "Dead in Hollywood," the first video by Slipknot side project the Murderdolls. Manson plays a "deranged patient" in the clip, which is set in the morgue and autopsy rooms of an abandoned Los Angeles mental hospital, according to the band's publicist. ... A helicopter carrying Shakira was forced to make an emergency landing on a baseball field in the Domincan Republic because of strong winds and rain, according to the Associated Press. Despite the delay, Shakira and her family arrived safely in La Romana on July 29 for a month-long vacation at the pop singer's summer home. ... On Monday (August 5), a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge postponed the attempted murder trial of Junior M.A.F.I.A. members Larceny and Lil' Cease until September 20 ...

Elton John will perform at a private fund-raising event for Janet Reno, who is campaigning for governor in Florida, on September 18 at the Fort Lauderdale Hotel in Davie, Florida, according to Reuters . Sorry, Reno fans — the former U.S. Attorney General and dance party host will not be belting out any tunes with John at the $500-per-ticket event. ... He's been threatening to retire for a while now, and rock legend Little Richard is finally about to pack it in. He currently has shows booked through the end of October, and whether or not he books any more, he's made it clear in recent interviews that he's not going to continue past the end of the year. ...

Desoto Records, the Washington, D.C., independent label run by former Jawbox bassist Kim Coletta, has announced that it will no longer release new material. A statement on the label's Web site clarified that they are still trying to secure the rights to the two Jawbox albums released on Atlantic Records and that they will continue to keep their back catalog in print, among other projects. ... The Desoto Web site also reported that Burning Airlines, who count Coletta's former Jawbox mate J. Robbins among their ranks, have decided to call it a day as well. According to the statement, singer/songwriter Robbins will continue to compose while furthering his role as a producer, while "[bassist] Mike Harbin has started a new label called Silver Three and [drummer] Pete Moffett has been traveling the globe as the drum tech for Alanis Morrisette." ...

08.02.02

Mario and BBMak are slated to perform at the seventh annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day festival on August 24 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. MTV VJ Quddus will co-host the event with gold medalist Summer Sanders, and tennis stars Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Andy Roddick will make appearances. ... Down canceled two non-Ozzfest gigs after frontman Phil Anselmo scratched a cornea and was unable to perform. While Down nixed their July 31 show in Montreal and the August 1 gig in Hamilton, Ontario, the other bands on the bill — System of a Down, Meshuggah and Pulse Ultra — played on.

"Jackass" stunt-monger Steve-O (real name Stephen Glover) posted a $150,000 bond and will be allowed to return to Louisiana to face obscenity and battery charges stemming from a nightclub act (see "Steve-O Suffers For His Art, And It May Land Him In Jail") within a week, a Los Angeles municipal court judge ruled Friday (August 2). Glover's attorney said that once he returns to Terrebonne Parish, he faces an additional bond of $1.12 million, which he hopes to get reduced. Glover is also required to return to Los Angeles on August 16 and prove to the court that he turned himself in to Louisiana authorities, unless he remains incarcerated because he was unable to post bond. ...

Ricky Martin heads the list of five winners of the 16th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, according to the Associated Press. The awards will be presented on September 20 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. ... Diana Ross, who was three concerts into her summer tour, has canceled all the remaining dates, according to Reuters. No reason was given for halting the 10-city outing; in May, the 58-year-old singer had checked herself into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. ... On September 17, the Vandals will release Internet Dating Super Studs, which features songs such as "Disproportionate Head," "Little Weirdo" and "Soccer Mom." The 14-track album was produced by Ryan Williams (Rage Against the Machine, Quarashi) and Vandals guitarist Warren Fitzgerald.

• Marilyn Manson
• Shakira
• Slipknot
• Murderdolls
• Lil' Cease

The score for the vampire film "Queen of the Damned," composed by Korn's Jonathan Davis and former Oingo Boingo keyboardist Richard Gibbs, will be released on June 11. The film's song-based soundtrack, which features tunes Davis co-wrote with Gibbs, came out in February. ... Junior M.A.F.I.A. members Lil' Cease and Larceny were due in court on Thursday to face charges of attempted murder, but the case was adjourned for motions until May 28. The charges stem from an August 2001 incident in Brooklyn, New York. ...

No Doubt, Sum41 and Andrew W.K. are among the acts joining headliners Guns N' Roses and the Offspring at the third annual Summer Sonic concert in Osaka, Japan, on August 17. Hoobastank and Disturbed are also scheduled to perform on the outdoor stage of the two-day concert, while Morrissey and the London Suede head up the indoor lineup with the likes of Cornershop and the Hives. ... Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Chemical Brothers, Slayer and P. Diddy are just a small, spicy taste of the gumbo that is the 31st annual Roskilde Festival. Andrew W.K., Nelly Furtado, Hoobastank, Erykah Badu, Garbage and the White Stripes are also among the 100-plus bands playing at the four-day event, which kicks off June 27 just 20 miles from Copenhagen, Denmark. ...

Eighties choreographer-turned-pop star Paula Abdul will be one of three industry pros offering constructive criticism to contestants of Fox's new reality series "American Idol," set for broadcast June 11. Potential "idols," aged 16-24, can audition for the program — which week after week whittles down a crop of contestants until only one remains — at New York's Millennium Broadway Hotel on Monday (April 29), and if selected, they'll show their skills before Abdul's judging panel two days later at callbacks. ... Hang on to yourselves: June is David Bowie Month at London's Royal Festival Hall. The Thin White Duke's hand-picked lineup for his 10th annual 2002 Meltdown Festival, which kicks off June 15, includes Television, Coldplay, Pete Yorn and Mercury Rev, and Bowie himself will be wrap the event on June 29 with guests the Dandy Warhols. ...

04.25.02

Britney Spears, Madonna, Michelle Branch and Stone Temple Pilots are among the celebrities putting autographed merchandise on the block for the American Red Cross Virtual Auction currently underway on eBay. Additional items up for bid will appear on the site April 29, and the gavel drops on the charity event May 9. ... Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Shakira are among the artists slated for the "Today" show's summer concert series, which takes place outdoors in New York's Rockefeller Center. Highlights include Sheryl Crow (May 3), Train (May 10), Celine Dion (May 17), Shakira (May 31), Goo Goo Dolls (June 7), David Bowie (June 14), Keys (June 21), Enrique Iglesias (June 28), Blige (August 9), Toni Braxton (September 6) and Santana (September 20). ...

Upcoming episodes of Fox's "That '80s Show" will feature a couple of stars who made the decade shine: Deborah Gibson and Duran Duran's John Taylor. Gibson cameos as a Permanent Records patron with a penchant for show tunes in her episode, which taped Wednesday and will air May 7; Taylor plays a roadie-turned-contractor in his installment, which taped April 15 and has yet to receive a broadcast date. ... Rasputina's Melora Creager will fill in for an ill Isobel Campbell when Belle and Sebastian perform on the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" show Friday (April 26). ... Chris Isaak and Natalie Merchant will co-headline a summer tour that will kick off June 21 in Irvine, California. The outing, supporting Isaak's Always Got Tonight and Merchant's latest self-titled release, is currently scheduled through mid-July, though more dates will be added. ... The third annual Latin Grammy Awards will be held September 18 at the new Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the Recording Academy announced Thursday. The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS (MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS). ...

• Korn
• No Doubt
• Lil' Cease
• Guns N' Roses
• Paula Abdul

Lil' Cease and Larceny (background)
Photo: Atlantic

Larceny, a member of hip-hop collective Junior M.A.F.I.A., was sentenced to one year in jail Tuesday in a Manhattan criminal courtroom. The rapper (real name Antoine Spain) was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and ordered to spend the next 12 months in a facility at Rikers Island, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney's office.

The charges stemmed from an incident in March, when Larceny and fellow M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease were stopped by police while traveling in a 1999 Jaguar owned by Lil' Kim (see "Lil' Cease Arrested On Pot Charge, Questioned In Hot 97 Shooting"). A search of the vehicle and its occupants found Larceny in possession of a loaded .22-caliber Baretta semi-automatic pistol and Cease with a small amount of marijuana. Larceny pleaded guilty to the charge on October 30.

Larceny and Cease are also being charged with attempted murder for a shootout outside a Brooklyn, New York, deli in August (see "Junior M.A.F.I.A. Members Charged With Attempted Murder"). A pre-trial hearing on that case is scheduled for January 7.

A judge had recommended Cease's drug charge be dropped if he stayed out of trouble for a year, but as that was not the case, the charges will be revisited after the more serious attempted murder allegations are dealt with.

Following their arrest in March, police also questioned the pair about a February shooting outside the offices of hip-hop station Hot 97 involving Lil' Kim (see "Lil' Kim Present At Hot 97 Shootout, Police Say"). While Larceny admitted to being on the scene, he couldn't offer any information on the incident. No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

• Lil' Cease
• Junior M.A.F.I.A.
• Lil' Kim

Notorious B.I.G.: Celebrating 10 Years Of 'Life After Death'

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Diddy
• Lil' Cease