Lindsay Lohan's first single from her forthcoming, still-untitled debut album is being shipped to radio this week, but it's no longer called "Just What It Is" — the new title of the track is "Rumors." Both lyrical references can be found in the chorus, which details the singer/actress' complaints about being followed by tabloid reporters and paparazzi: "I'm tired of rumors starting/ I'm sick of being followed/ I'm tired of people lying/ Saying what they want about me/ Why can't they back off me?/ Why can't they let me live? I'm going to do it my way/ Take this for just what it is." The album is due out in November. ...

Kevin Lyttle leads fellow Caribbean artists Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz and Vybz Kartel, among others, in the charge to help those affected by Hurricane Ivan's destruction by hosting a benefit show in Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday. Proceeds from the show will benefit the relief efforts in Grenada, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Concertgoers are also being asked to bring nonperishable food and other items. ... On October 2, Leonardo DiCaprio will present Jennifer Lopez with the Noche de Ninos award for her assistance of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The ceremony, to be held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, will be hosted by actor Antonio Banderas. ...

Ben Jelen, Henry Rollins, Bob Mould, Sandra Bernhard and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" mastermind John Cameron Mitchell are headlining an event in Washington, D.C., to support gay marriage. "WEDrock" will take place October 5 at the 9:30 Club, with all proceeds benefiting Freedom to Marry activities in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. "Being a real American, all about that freedom, I can't think of anything more hateful and un-American than someone taking the time to block the union of two people," Rollins said in a statement. "When I see the happiness on the faces of the same-sex couples as they take their vows, it's so completely wonderful and brave and American." ... U2 have announced that How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb will be the title of their new album, due November 23. "Vertigo," the first single off the 11-track LP, will hit radio on September 24. ...

C-Murder pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree attempted murder in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last week, according to a spokesperson for the Baton Rogue District Court. The MC (born Corey Miller) is scheduled to return to court on December 7 for a motions hearing. No trial date has been set yet. Miller is accused of shooting at a Baton Rouge club owner and patron on August 14, 2001. ... Snoop Dogg will host Spike TV's second annual Video Game Awards, which will be televised live on December 14 from Santa Monica, California's Barker Hanger at 9 p.m. ET. The rapper stars as himself in a number of games, including Activision's "True Crime: Streets of LA" and Electronic Arts' "NBA Live 2003," and will play a lead character in the upcoming holiday-season release from EA, "Def Jam: Fight for NY." The nominees for the VGAs will be announced later this month. ...

The Vote for Change Tour, the multi-city, multi-artist trek seeking to motivate voters to remove President Bush from office, will stage its final concert in Washington, D.C., on October 11. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and others will take the stage at the MCI Center for a four-hour performance. "We all wanted to come back together for a finale show after we had finished our separate tour dates," said Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam in a statement. "We thought our nation's capital seemed like the most ideal place to do that." ... R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People," the Go-Go's' "Vacation," the Bloodhound Gang's "Fire Water Burn," Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World," and other songs that punctuated poignant moments in "Fahrenheit 9/11" have been assembled for the soundtrack to Michael Moore's record-breaking political documentary. The album is due October 5, to coincide with the film's DVD release, and a portion of the sales will benefit Rock the Vote. ...

On Friday, before jetting overseas for shows later this month in China and Japan, the Backstreet Boys will perform a warm-up show at the House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The tour marks the boy band's first outing since 2001. ... Twista and his attorney convinced a Chicago judge last week to grant an order restraining the rapper's wife, Rashida Mitchell, from talking negatively about him in the press. The couple have been married since 1991 but began their divorce proceedings in 1999. Mitchell told the Chicago Sun-Times recently that Twista was failing to take care of their 10-year-old daughter. ...

"Go shawty, it's your ..." Well, you know the rest. On Monday night Swizz Beatz celebrated his birthday with a bash at New York club Babalu. Ja Rule, Joe Budden and Lil' Kim all came out for the event. ... Jimmy Eat World are launching a short West Coast tour to promote the October 19 release of Futures. After two late September dates in England, the band will play two shows in California (September 30 in Riverside and October 19 in Pomona) and two in Arizona (October 23 in Tempe and October 24 in Tucson), in addition to shows October 26 in Las Vegas and October 27 in Orem, Utah. ...

The heart of rock and roll is still beating ... on "One Tree Hill," since Huey Lewis just shot two guest episodes for the WB show (click for photos from the show). Lewis, the voice behind such Huey Lewis and the News hits from the '80s as "The Heart of Rock & Roll" and "I Want a New Drug," will play James, the dad of Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz) and will appear in the season premiere, airing September 21, and the following episode on September 28. The show airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. ... Grandmaster Flash is custom-mixing the soundtrack for "The Bernie Mac Show" so that it will flow from one cut to the next. James Brown, Parliament, George Clinton, Sly & the Family Stone, the Commodores, the Neville Brothers and others will be featured on the 17-track LP Music From & Inspired by 'The Bernie Mac Show': Non-Stop Funk Party, out November 2. ...

Two artists sure not to be found anywhere in Liam Howlett of the Prodigy's CD collection: Madonna and the Beastie Boys. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle this week, Howlett put the Material Girl — who just happens to own Maverick Records, the label Prodigy are signed to — on blast, saying that he thinks her music is "sh--." And he went on to call the Beasties' latest album, To the 5 Boroughs, "weak and dated." ... Oasis guitarist/singer Noel Gallagher is featured on "Keep What Ya Got," the new single from former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown's new solo album, Solarized. The LP came out this week in England and is due Stateside February 22. ...

Elvis Costello is taping two concerts on Friday in Memphis for his first live DVD. He's recording the concerts at the Hi-Tone Cafe, the same cafe where he played four shows in April. ... The Accident Experiment are in no need of rescue after the American Red Cross brought a copyright-infringement lawsuit against them for using a logo similar to the one employed by the lifesaving charity organization. With a new logo in tow, the band that features former P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel is reissuing its first EP, with two new tracks, on Thursday as a free download on its Web site, www.theaccidentexperiment.net. The band's full-length debut, United We Fear, is due early next year. ...

Without a singer, Adema are carrying on. Following the departure of Marky Chavez, the band is holding auditions for a new frontman. Adema's third album and last featuring vocals from Chavez, Four Closure, is expected to drop in January. ... Apartment 26, the band featuring Biff Butler, son of Black Sabbath's Geezer, have broken up. The group released a pair of albums since forming five years ago. Its latest, Music for the Massive, was released in February. ...

09.13.2004

Joey Fatone married his fiancee, Kelly Baldwin, in a private ceremony on Thursday, in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. In attendance were the other four members of 'NSYNC. ...

Despite the many recent paparazzi shots showing Britney Spears barefoot with her clothes falling off, the singer's mother is coming to her defense and insisting that her daughter isn't "trashy." On the singer's Web site, Lynne Spears posted over the weekend that what happened to her superstar daughter (stepping on a floor-length skirt and it pulling down too low) has happened to many girls, but "luckily, there weren't hordes of paparazzi around to capture it in photos." As for Britney's tendency to walk barefoot, even in public restrooms, Lynne said that her daughter is under doctor's orders "to wear Uggs or tennis shoes and it's just too hot for that." "I guess it's easy to find these 'flawed' human moments when there's 10-14 cars of paparazzi documenting your every move," she wrote. "My daughter is not one that is going to give into the pressures of dressing up every single day in order to impress the paparazzi vultures that await her outside ... Britney always lets all of this roll off her back and not care about what they say." ...

Simon Fuller, the creator of "American Idol" and its British predecessor "Pop Idol," has sued the creators of the U.K.'s new talent contest "The X Factor," including notorious "Idol" judge Simon Cowell and "Idol" co-producers Fremantle Media. Fuller made the copyright-infringement and breach-of-contract charges after viewing the show's first episode Saturday. In a statement, Cowell and Freemantle insisted the shows are different, and said that although they hope to resolve the matter amicably, they are willing to defend themselves in court. "The X Factor," which features Cowell and Sharon Osbourne among the judges, began similarly to "Idol" but will later find the judges pitted against each other as they coach certain contestants. Cowell is still scheduled to be a judge on Fuller's "American Idol" when it returns in January. ...

It looks like Gwen Stefani's upcoming solo album has a name after all. Though she first planned to title it What You Waiting For?, she's now calling it Love Angel Music Baby, four words whose initial letters spell "LAMB," the name of her clothing line, her rep confirmed. The first single, "What You Waiting For?," was written with Linda Perry and produced by Nellee Hooper, and the video was shot by Francis Lawrence. ... An unauthorized version of the Streets song "Dry Your Eyes," featuring Coldplay singer Chris Martin, has found its way to several Internet sites and radio stations across the country, prompting the British rapper's management to issue a statement denouncing the leak. "We have no idea how anyone heard it outside of the closest people to both bands and aren't particularly pleased," they said, clearly upset that a song featuring one of the world's most recognizable pop voices would create a buzz on their artist in the U.S. ...

Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme is temporarily leaving the Eagles of Death Metal, the side band he drums in under the alias Carlo Von Sexron. In a cryptic letter posted on www.qotsa.com, Homme said he was being replaced by sometime Homme-collaborator Joey "Sexy Mexy" Castillo on the group's upcoming West Coast tour. According to a band spokesperson, Homme hopes to return as the Eagles' "sleazy manager." ... Frank Black, who was known as Black Francis during the Pixies' initial tenure more than a decade ago, is releasing a double-disc collection of Pixies-related tunes. Due October 12, Frank Black Francis will feature one disc of 15 pre-Pixies demos and another of 13 new versions of Pixies classics re-recorded with Andy Diagram and Keith Moline of Two Pale Boys. Black also has the acoustic Honeycomb, a record he made in Nashville with several noted session musicians, due later this year. ...

The Backstreet Boys have designated the Special Olympics to be the charity benefiting from the band's concert in Beijing on September 24. The boy band will donate a portion of the ticket sales to Special Olympics International, which will use the funds to support educational-related initiatives in Beijing. ... "Did Korn inspire you to be who you are today?" That's what the bandmembers want fans to tell them to help promote their upcoming Greatest Hits album. Fans in the Los Angeles area are eligible to appear in a TV spot advertising the release by sending an e-mail to kornstory@hotmail.com describing how Korn's music influenced, inspired or helped them "connect with someone important." Check out the band's official site for details. ...

Modest Mouse have finalized their All Tomorrow's Parties festival lineup. Lou Reed, the Walkmen, Explosions in the Sky, Sufjan Stevens, White Hassle and others will join previously announced performers the Flaming Lips and the Shins at the two-day alternative festival November 6-7 in Long Beach, California. ... Motörhead are canceling their U.S. tour, which was scheduled to start this month, due to a foot injury suffered by frontman Lemmy Kilmister when he was touring Europe a month ago. Kilmister had originally ignored the pain and went against his doctor's recommendation by completing that summer festival tour, but it made the injury worse and his doctor is now insisting that he stay off his foot for several weeks. Motörhead will return for a U.S. tour in March. ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante has set an October 26 release date for Inside of Emptiness, the fourth of the six albums he plans to release this year. The third, produced by Ian MacKaye, is due Tuesday. ...

• Lindsay Lohan
• Kevin Lyttle
• Jennifer Lopez
• Twista
• Backstreet Boys

Mannie Fresh poses in Miami recording studio
Photo: MTV News

MIAMI — "Hug me, hug me, squeeze me, squeeze." Soca star Kevin Lyttle was turning plenty of girls on when he performed at Teasers Thursday night.

Meanwhile, producers Cool & Dre got to party with Mase at their new nightspot LaDea. The duo have a stake in the ownership along with Usher and Big Boi from Outkast. Mase, the flashy Bad Boy, was the guest of honor at his album-release party for Welcome Back.

Over at Crobar, Timbaland took a little time out from making his next masterpiece to chill out. On the ones and twos? None other than "the Kiiiiiiiiiiiid Capri," who kept things jumping by mixing his set with old-school and new.

And if you were driving anywhere near South Beach, you probably saw the Birdman and his flock. Cash Money Millionaires Baby and Mannie Fresh hit town on Thursday and the #1 Stunna was itching to get out on the road. He had six of his cars transported from his hometown to Miami just for VMA weekend. "I feel like I'm [still] in New Orleans right now," the platinum-mouthed king of excess said late in the evening at the famed Circle House studios, where he and Fresh were working. They both have solo albums coming soon.

8.26.2004

In Miami you can do it big, you can do it light — just don't miss the opportunity to go out and party. Pauly Shore started the night off with a screening of his upcoming film, "Pauly Shore Is Dead." Britney Spears, Pamela Anderson, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Charlie Sheen and Chris Rock were all present — in the film, that is (they all make cameo appearances). MTV News' Sway showed up in physical form to give support to his buuuuud-eee ...

Later Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, Mynt Lounge's VMA kickoff party was packed with people getting down to Tony G's set, which included everything from Jay-Z to Queen. Paris Hilton, Simon Rex, Jamie Foxx and Randy Spelling were enjoying the scene (not to mention all of the attention) from a corner table near the DJ booth. Jamie — who has been making the rounds this week — could also be found at Teasers in South Beach, where he and the sexy hometown heroine Trina co-hosted a party. At the same time, Pitbull, whose "Dammit Man" is blowing up, was waaaaaaay off in the cut at a spot he frequents called Hooligans Pub & Oyster Bar. "The women there are off the chain, for real. You don't even understand, homie," Pit said. CULO!

8.25.2004

Trick Daddy and Jacki-O held court at Oxygen Lounge in Coconut Grove on Tuesday night for the Got VMA Tickets? bash. DJ Kool G and DJ Spoon spun hip-hop, reggae and Spanish music while the party people munched on sushi, danced on tables and competed for passes to more parties this week and, of course, Sunday's big show.

8.24.2004

Even though the nightspot known as Opium may be his favorite place to club, Fat Joe's top spot to hang out while in Miami is DJ Khaled's Jerusalem studio. It's the place where he says "the magic is at," and the place he chose to occupy until early Tuesday morning. Joe was working on his collaboration tracks with Scott Storch and R. Kelly for his new album Things of That Nature, while members of the Terror Squad played "NBA Live" on a hanging flat-screen TV.

Meanwhile, Monday night's VMA party MTV @ B.E.D. hosted the likes of Jamie Foxx and former MTV VJ Pauly Shore, who made it through the throngs of people outside to enjoy themselves in the sack. Inside, among the canopied beds/dining-room tables, resident DJ Radamus spun hip-hop while nightie-clad waitresses served drinks to the nocturnal crowd.

8.23.2004

If you're coming to the MTV Video Music Awards and planning to party in Miami this week, be sure to slot enough time during the afternoon for rest. We're just a couple of days into VMA week, and the forecast is calling for after-hours shindigs all week long.

The past two nights (and mornings) have been all about the club called Opium. P. Diddy held court there during the early hours of Sunday morning, and Fat Joe and the Terror Squad got things jumping off at around 2 a.m. on Monday.

DJ Khaled was spinning everything from "Lean Back" to Lil Jon, but the star of the party was not a rapper. Jamie Foxx, who's proved that he can act, tell jokes and sing, put on a new hat at Opium: bartender. With comedienne Sommore and director John Singleton walking around at different parts of the club, Foxx danced on the bar, held a huge flashlight in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other. The ladies were literally throwing themselves at his feet as he poured drinks in their mouths straight from the bottle. He even took time to shine the spotlight — er, flashlight — on himself and sing "Slow Jamz" on the mic.

And the week has just begun ...

The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from Miami on Sunday, August 29, at 8 p.m. on MTV, with the "2004 VMA Pre-show by the Shore" kicking off at 6:30 p.m.

For everything we've got on VMAs past and present, including news, features, photos and more, check out MTV.com's Video Music Awards area.

• Kevin Lyttle
• Mase
• Usher
• Big Boi
• OutKast

With just one major release this week, live albums from veteran rockers and new releases from smaller acts get a chance to shine.

The heavy-hitter this week is newcomer Kevin Lyttle and his R&B-tinged soca sound. Backed by the radio and television success of his ubiquitous single, "Turn Me On," Lyttle releases his self-titled debut album this week.

B.G., the rapper who popularized the all-important phrase "bling bling," releases his Life After Cash Money. Guests on the album include Snoop Dogg, Soulja Slim and Juvenile.

After the loss of two bandmembers last summer followed by talks of calling it quits, Taking Back Sunday took back control of the band and put together a follow-up to their debut album, 2002's Tell All Your Friends. Where You Want to Be hits stores this week.

Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers barrel onto shelves with live albums. Live at Benaroya Hall October 22, 2003 follows a whole mess of live LPs released by Pearl Jam last year. The Chili Peppers' Live in Hyde Park is their first release since their 2003 greatest-hits compilation.

Swedish band Sahara Hotnights are back in action after a three-year absence. The group's third studio album, Kiss & Tell, drops this week.

Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson will release his first solo album, Village Gorilla Head. The album contains material the former member of the Replacements has compiled over the last 10 years.

Badly Drawn Boy is back with his fourth album, One Plus One Is One, the follow-up to 2002's Have You Fed the Fish?

The buzz around New York band Scissor Sisters has been steadily growing for some time. The androgynous group will release its self-titled debut album of glam-inspired rock, pop and dance tracks.

Alt-country band Old 97's drop their sixth album, Drag It Up, the group's first since 2001. Indie pop rockers the Kings of Convenience hit fans with Riot on an Empty Street this week. And on the harder side of things are releases from Kittie (Until the End) and Otep (House of Secrets).

Also hitting shelves is the newest "Now That's What I Call Music!" compilation, Now 16, with tracks by D12, Outkast, Beyoncé, Christina Milian, JoJo and a slew of others.

Out Tuesday, July 27:

• .38 Special - Drive Train (Sanctuary)
• Badly Drawn Boy - One Plus One Is One (Astralwerks)
• BG - Life After Cash Money (Koch)
• Big Satan - Souls Saved Hear (Thirsty Ear)
• The Briggs - Leaving the Ways (SideOneDummy)
• The Buffseeds - The Picture Show (Sanctuary/Fantastic Plastic)
• Comets on Fire - Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop)
• A.J. Croce - Aiden James Croce (Eleven Thirty)
• Gavin DeGraw - Chariot (Stripped) (J)
  
  
• DJ Nu-Mark & Pomo - Blend Crafters (Up Above)
• Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant - Sister Phantom Owl Fish (Ipecac)
• Eleven Hundred Springs - Bandwagon (Compendia)
• Danny Elfman - Soundtrack to "Spider-Man 2" (Sony)
• The Everyones - The Everyones (Tee Pee)
• Freddy Fender - Close to My Heart (Fuel 2000)
• Tony Furtado - These Chains (Funzalo)
• Moses Guest - Guest Motel (Aufheben)
• Anthony Michael James - Old Friends (V-Tone/Compendia)
• Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street (Astralwerks)
• Kittie - Until the End (Artemis)
• Lamia - Dark Angel (Metropolis)
• k.d. lang - Hymns From the 49th Parallel (Nonesuch/Warner Bros.)
• Alan J. Lerner & Frederick Loewe - Soundtrack to "The Little Prince" (Decca)
• Letter Kills - The Bridge (Island)
• Laura Love - You Ain't Got No Easter Clothes (Koch)
• Kevin Lyttle - Kevin Lyttle (Elektra/Atlantic)
  
  
• M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (Mute)
• Malevolent Creation - Warkult (Nuclear Blast)
• Herbie Mann and Phil Woods - Beyond Brooklyn (MCG Jazz)
• Maria McKee - Live in Hamburg (Little Diva)
• The Meat Purveyors - Pain by Numbers (Bloodshot)
• Bob Mintzer Big Band - Live at MCG With Kurt Elling (MCG Jazz)
• Nedelle and Thom - Summerland (Kill Rock Stars)
• Old 97's - Drag It Up (New West)
• Otep - House of Secrets (Capitol)
• Pearl Jam - Live at Benaroya Hall October 22, 2003 (J)
  
  
• Phoenix - Alphabetical (Astralwerks)
• Pidgeon - From Gutter With Love (Absolutely Kosher)
• Doc Powell - Cool Like That (Heads Up)
• Punto Omega - Punto Omega (Metropolis)
• Mike Ragogna - Writer's Block (Collectors' Choice/ Bone People)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live in Hyde Park (Wea International)
• Sahara Hotnights - Kiss & Tell (RCA)
• San Ilya - They Died for Beauty (EMI/Capitol)
• Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters (Universal)
• Shifty - Happy Lovesick (Maverick)
• Starwood - If It Ain't Broke - Break It! (Metal Blade)
• Tommy Stinson - Village Gorilla Head (Sanctuary)
  Read: "GN'R Bassist Works Solo While Awaiting Chinese Democracy"
• Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want to Be (Victory)
  Read: "Taking Back Sunday Are Taking Back The Summer This Year"
  The Leak: Taking Back Sunday's Where You Want to Be
  
• Tomatohead - Punch (Blossom)
• White Mud Freeway - Last Year's Junk (Bar/None)
• The Wylde Bunch - Wylde Tymes at Washington High (Red/ Columbia)
• Hans Zimmer - Soundtrack to "King Arthur" (G2/ Hollywood)
• Various artists - Caribbean Playground (Putumayo Kids)
• Various artists - Forever, for Always, for Luther (GRP)
• Various artists - Now 16 (UTV)
• Various artists - The Notorious Cherry Bombs (Universal South)
• Various artists - Soundtrack to "Motorcycle Mania" (iMUSIC)
• DVD: Moses Guest - "Edit" (Aufheben)
• DVD: Various artists - "Reggae on the River" (Sanctuary/ Ras)

August 3:

• Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Live (Vanguard Records)
• Marc Broussard - Carencro (Island)
• Cherie - Cherie (Lava)

August 10:

• Alter Bridge - One Day Remains (Wind-Up)
  Read: "Life After Creed: Alter Bridge Look To A Stapp-Free Future"
• Richard Marx - My Own Best Enemy (Manhattan Records)
• Mobb Deep - Amerikaz Nightmare (Jive)
• Shyne - Godfather ... Buried Alive (Def Jam)

August 17:

• Ryan Cabrera - Take It All Away (Atlantic)
• Saliva - Survival of the Sickest (Island)
• Talking Heads - The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads (Rhino)

• Kevin Lyttle
• Taking Back Sunday
• Pearl Jam
• B.G.
• Sahara Hotnights

MTV.com Exclusive: Kevin Lyttle Photos

• Kevin Lyttle