Fat Joe
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Fat Joe is indeed demonstrating his "crazy versatility" — at least based on a preview of the few records he has leaked from his March release, The Elephant in the Room. On one hand, you have his Don Cartagena side, coming out in the official single "I Won't Tell," which features J. Holiday. It's a smoothed-out record in which Joe promises to not spill the beans about his cavorting with a woman who is with another guy. Then there's "Crack House" (featuring Lil Wayne), for all the Joey Crack lovers of the Bronx, New York, native's brash street-shuffling and strong-arming.

Next up is "300." Produced by LV — he's also worked on Jay-Z's American Gangster, Diddy's Press Play and Ghostface's Big Doe Rehab — the track is an ode to Joe's 'hood Spartans — or as we know them, his Terror Squad.

"It's my modern-day 'My Life Style,' " Joe said recently. " 'This is where we fight/ This is where they die/ Booomf! 300 Terror Squad n---as walking down the block/ I am a professional/ I will cut your testicles.' Real violent sh--. It's hard."

Joe said he'll be balancing that out on the album with another potential single, the Danjahandz-produced "Party All the Time" — yep a remake of the 1985 Eddie Murphy track that was produced by Rick James.

"I got this song called 'Party All the Time,' " he smiled. "We did the old Eddie Murphy [song over].

"The n---a who loves '300' might hate that song," he laughed. "It's too sexy, but I'm killing that sh--. 'Happy, happy birthday baby/ If this is your song/ I love it when you sing that sh-- to me/ It really, really turns me on/ No, I go on, I go hard, it's Joey Crack the Don/ The promoter's buggin', screaming like, "Who invited thum?" ' Danja did that beat. The guys who wanna have a great time and the girls who love to have fun — that's gonna ring off. Versa-til-ity!"

Since Joe interviewed with us earlier in the week, the "Party All the Time" cover has been removed from his album. Joe has recorded a number of songs for his opus and is still finalizing it.

Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch, Cool and Dre, and DJ Khaled also contributed to The Elephant in the Room.

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• Eddie Murphy

Beyoncé
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Everyone's talking about Beyoncé's forthcoming B'Day LP, but the singer's also got something in store for Christmas.

A few months after the release of her second solo album on September 5 (the day after her 25th birthday), Beyoncé will return to music stores as the centerpiece of the soundtrack to the Bill Condon-directed film adaptation of the Broadway show "Dreamgirls," due in theaters December 25 (see "Beyoncé's Triple Threat: New Album, Film, Fashion Line Before Year's End").

The soundtrack's first single, in fact, will be a Beyoncé track called "Listen" that is one of four new songs written for the movie and not featured in the original musical (several online retailers also say the song will be one of three unlisted bonus tracks on B'Day). She plays Deena Jones in the film, the breakout leader of an all-girl singing group that's suddenly catapulted into stardom after crafty manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) lands them a spot working with Eddie Murphy's James "Thunder" Early (see "Beyonce Slimming Down And 'Completely Becoming Deena' ").

"It's a ballad, it's got a big orchestra, so it's totally different for her and for the radio and MTV and everybody — it's gonna be exciting," said Harvey Mason Jr. of production duo the Underdogs (Omarion, Mario, JoJo), who spent six months producing the soundtrack. "That's gonna be a big, big record."

The album's track list is still being finalized, but Mason said the Underdogs recorded more than 50 songs for the movie. "It's got most of the stuff from the Broadway play, and we reinterpreted some of that," Mason said. "And then some small pieces of new stuff in between. We saw a screening of it last week and it's going to be an amazing movie."

Another one of the new songs, "Love You I Do," is a solo tune from former "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson, who plays the group's ousted lead vocalist, Effie White (see Jennifer Hudson's 'Dream' Is Reality: R&B Album, Starring With Beyonce, Jamie Foxx").

"It's a big debut for her," Mason said of her overall performance. "She sings the toughest song, 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going' — everybody knows the song, and she nailed it. She really, really nailed it."

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Mason and partner Damon Thomas also had rave reviews for Foxx and, more surprisingly, Murphy, who has not been heard singing since his failed 1985 R&B album How Could It Be.

"He's singing, he's dancing, he's doing the splits — it's hilarious," Mason said. "Good stuff."

Along with working on the "Dreamgirls" music, the Underdogs have been in the studio recently with Fantasia (working on a duet with Aretha Franklin), Tyrese, Ruben Studdard and Marques Houston. The team has also finished five songs for Omarion's next album.

"He's always been really, really creative and has really great energy, but I think vocally, he's really gotten a lot stronger," Mason said of Omarion. "And with his experiences, he's a veteran now, and I think he knows what he wants style-wise, and what he wants to talk about, and I think it might be a little more personal this time."

Check out everything we've got on "Dreamgirls."

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• Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, More At "Dreamgirls" Cannes Screening

• Beyoncé
• Jamie Foxx
• The Underdogs
• Eddie Murphy

Halle Berry and Alan Cumming in "X2: X-Men United"
Photo: Kerry Hayes

Wolverine's claws proved a bigger draw than Eddie Murphy changing dirty diapers over the weekend as "X2: X-Men United" fended off "Daddy Day Care" to remain tops at the box office.

The Marvel Comics mutant sequel took in $41.4 million over the weekend, pushing its 10-day total close to the $150 million mark, according to studio estimates. (Click for photos from "X2: X-Men United.")

"Daddy Day Care," which stars Murphy as a stay-at-home father who starts a day care center, took in $27.6 million during its first weekend in theaters. (Click for photos from "Daddy Day Care.") "Daddy Day Care" was the only new film to go into wide release over the weekend, and its opening numbers would seem to bode well for Murphy's ailing movie career. While similarly kid-themed Murphy movies like "The Nutty Professor II" and "Dr. Dolittle 2" each earned more than $100 million, his last three pictures have been flops.

"I Spy" made just $33.5 million, despite reportedly costing more than $70 million to make, while "Showtime" grossed just $38 million despite costing $85 million. Last year's "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" was not only Murphy's biggest bomb, but one of the largest flops of all time, taking in just $4 million while costing nearly $100 million to make.

"The Lizzie McGuire Movie" dropped to #3 over the weekend with a $7.8 million haul. (Click for photos from "The Lizzie McGuire Movie.") The Disney-show-turned-movie has made $27.2 million in two weeks of release, while "A Mighty Wind" broke into the top 10 for the first time with $2.8 million. The mostly improvisational mockumentary, from the same comedic minds that created "Spinal Tap" and "Best in Show," landed at #7 and has made $9.3 million in the last four weeks despite playing in less than 800 theaters. By comparison, "X2" is playing in more than 3,700.

The rest of the weekend's top 10 includes "Identity" at #4 with $6.3 million ($39.2 million, three weeks); "Anger Management" at #5 with $5.5 million ($122.9 million, five weeks); "Holes" at #6 with $4.6 million ($51.4 million, four weeks); "Malibu's Most Wanted" at #8 with $2.1 million ($31.7 million, four weeks); "Bend It Like Beckham" at #9 with $1.6 million ($13 million, nine weeks); and "Confidence" at #10 with $1.5 million (#11 million, three weeks).

• Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy in "Daddy Day Care"
Photo: Columbia

Eddie Murphy's "Daddy Day Care" is the only film going into wide release this week, a narrow window between the debuts of sure-fire blockbusters "X2: X-Men United" and "The Matrix Reloaded."

Eddie Murphy plays a father who opens a day care center after the loss of his job forces him to become a stay-at-home dad. (Click for photos from "Daddy Day Care.") Based on a script from "Politically Incorrect" writer Geoff Rodkey, "Daddy Day Care" reunites Murphy with "Dr. Doolittle 2" director Steve Carr, and it co-stars Anjelica Huston ("The Addams Family"), Steve Zahn ("Saving Silverman") and Regina King ("Friday"), who will also be seen in this summer's "Legally Blonde 2" (see "Working on Legally Blonde 2 Brings Regina King To Tears").

"X2: X-Men United" dominated the box office last weekend (see "X-Men Unite To Fight Lizzie McGuire, Take in $86 Million"), and if Murphy's last couple of pictures — the commercially underwhelming "I Spy" and absolute bomb "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" — are any indication, "Daddy Day Care" doesn't stand much of a chance against it.

"The Matrix Reloaded," the first of this year's two "Matrix" sequels, opens next Thursday, May 15.

• Eddie Murphy

64th Annual Golden Globes Nominees

• Beyoncé
• Eddie Murphy

Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, More At The New York Premiere Of "Dreamgirls"

• Beyoncé
• Jamie Foxx
• Jennifer Hudson
• Eddie Murphy
• Jay-Z