Naughty By Nature
Photo: Berman Fenelus

NEW YORK — From Dirty Jerz to the dirty South? Naughty by Nature are coming with a brand-new sound on their single "Know Me Better." Vin Rock takes the reins for most of the new record, experimenting with Southern delivery while trying to lure a woman to his bedroom.

"You'll find out you played with toys/ Until you had a Naughty boy," Vinnie raps.

The beat has a club thump over heavy bass and synths.

Meanwhile, Naughty's street leaker "I Got" samples Method Man's voice from his timeless theme song "Method Man." Treach commands the record. "I got a chip on my shoulder that Bill Gates ain't make," he raps. "I got a connect up in Harlem, got a great weight rate."

"When the people hear this new album, Anthem Inc., they'll see that Naughty hasn't gone anywhere," Treach advised on a recent visit to the MTV News offices. "We still got that same gutter music. We still have all the big anthem records."

For the album, Vin and Treach reunited with DJ Kay Gee, who handled most of the production.

"The record is coming out real dope," Vin said. "It feels just like back in the day to have all of us back together."

Naughty are looking to drop their LP sometime this fall.

While visiting MTV News, the fellas also took time to reflect on the loss of Michael Jackson, who they sampled for their first-ever hit.

"We are devastated by the loss of Michael Jackson," Vinnie said. "His music helped catapult our careers. 'O.P.P.' is one of the biggest songs ever in hip-hop. We send our condolences to his family and loved ones."

"When we met Michael," Treach recalled with a smile, "no more hardcore gangster rapper. I was in straight fan mode. He's the greatest."

Although Naughty haven't been active with new albums for quite some time, they have been a very hot touring act. The guys are booked all summer in Europe and say they perform most of the year.

Naughty recently signed a deal with Microsoft and Windows Mobile for the new customized Touch Pro2 phone. You can access "Get to Know You Better" and many other Naughty records on the phone.

Vin secured the deal after a chance meeting with a Microsoft exec on an airplane. Naughty and Microsoft just finished a contest last week; a fan won a trip to Los Angeles to see a Naughty concert August 15.

• Naughty By Nature's New Singles

• Naughty By Nature

T.I. and Swizz Beatz at <i>Vibe</i> Magazine's 15th Anniversary Party
Photo: Getty Images/ Johnny Nunez

NEW YORK — Fifteen years old: Not quite legal, but definitely not a baby! Vibe magazine, a staple of urban culture since its inception, celebrated turning a decade-and-a-half old Monday night at the Cathedral nightclub. Celebs who've graced the mag's pages from back-in-the-day up to the present day came out to party with editor in chief Danyel Smith, her staff and lots of alums and celebrities.

Reproductions of iconic covers of the magazine — such as the Death Row one featuring Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Suge Knight — hung on the wall alongside the likes of Aaliyah's angelic posthumous one and the publication's current Jay-Z cover.

The standard for the night was set with throwback performances from Brand Nubian and Naughty by Nature. Meanwhile, Treach's ex-wife Pepa was among those in the crowd, as were Heavy D, Usher's wife Tameka Foster, Fonzworth Bentley, Tianna Taylor and Tracee Ellis Ross.

(Incidentally, Treach was the first star to appear on Vibe's cover, for the mag's preview issue in the fall of 1992. Besides a Naughty by Nature article, features in that issue included LL Cool J, Bobby Brown and "White People Who Think They're Black.")

It was a family reunion for many on the other side of the camera who got their start at Vibe, such as XXL editor Jermaine Hall, radio personality/ creator of The Ave magazine Raqiyah Mays and yours truly.

After a set from up-and-coming British singer Estelle, T.I. and Swizz Beatz were the last performers of the night, joining forces for the collaborative bangers "Bring 'Em Out" and Tip's new joint, "Swing Your Rag" — a lot of Gucci and Louis Vuitton hankies were waved for that one. Swizz then went into his own set with "That Oprah," "Money in the Bank," and "It's Me Bitches."

But the party was far from over and the DJ kept things going for those who didn't want to go home. You could see Grand Puba, wearing a linen shirt, dancing to Nice & Smooth, and Treach getting down to Frankie Beverly and Maze's "Before I Let Go."

• T.I.
• Naughty By Nature
• Swizz Beatz

Naughty By Nature (file)
Photo: TVT

SANTA MONICA, California — Unsigned rappers from all over New Jersey are singing, "Hooray! Ho!"

Naughty by Nature, one of New Jersey's most successful hip-hop exports, have recorded more than 30 local rappers they hope will further put the state on the rap map.

The Garden State Greats, as they are collectively called, have already hit the mixtape circuit on an eponymous 40-song CD and DVD expected to be released officially early this year.

Treach, who co-produced The Garden State Greats with fellow Naughty by Nature member Vinnie, says the idea came from Fam, a member of Naughty touring partners Rottin Razkals. "He was like, 'Yo, there's so much heat in Jersey right now, but it's so hard to get out in the music industry. We need to use our juice and put it all together on one project. No discrimination, as long as they're from Jersey.' "

Each track on the double album features a different unreleased artist, including DTH Mob, Larry-O and Haz the Rippa. Treach and Vinnie appear only as producers.

"We picked the hottest songs and gave everyone the opportunity to get out there and tear something up," Treach said.

The DVD includes two videos, production footage and studio outtakes, said Vinnie, who manages the Garden State Greats' business.

Treach, meanwhile, is finishing a solo album, beginning another Naughty by Nature record and expanding his film career. He has four movies due in 2004 — "The Orphan King," "Playas Ball," "Face" and "Smooth 'Till the Game is Dead" — and is talking with former manager Queen Latifah about a starring project for her production company.

"We're looking at some scripts for the next year," he said. "We're gonna put out three to four a year, even if it's just independent."

As for his solo project, tentatively titled Odiology, Treach would like to collaborate with friends from the hip-hop community — but doesn't count on it.

"A lot of people see you, shake your hand, say we're gonna make it happen, but never make it happen," he said. "Whoever comes to the studio, that's the one that's gonna be on our album."

Naughty by Nature's last album, 2002's Iicons, featured Pink, Method Man and 3LW (see ).

• Naughty By Nature

Four years ago this week, the democratic and often cheeky spirit of the Internet was in full force, as a grass-roots e-mail campaign vaulted an 11-year-old song by '80s heartthrobs-turned-punch lines New Kids on the Block into MTV's "TRL" countdown.

As a result of the digital drive, numerous Netizens visited MTV's Web site to register write-in votes for "Hangin' Tough" (you remember, it's the song on which NKOTB sing, "Listen up everybody if you wanna take a chance/ Just get on the floor and do the New Kids dance" and then proclaim "We're rough!")

"I know it's a very old, very cheesy song, but just think of how funny that would be! To see an old New Kids on the Block song on the top 10!," one version of the chain e-mail read. Apparently plenty of folks agreed, as the song — which was released in 1988 and topped the singles chart in 1989 — landed at #2 on the "TRL" countdown.

One guy who probably wasn't too thrilled with the "write stuff" campaign was former New Kid Jordan Knight, who was working on forging a solo career in 1999.

" 'Hangin' Tough'? I wouldn't go near 'Hangin' Tough.' I wouldn't touch that one," Knight had told MTV News when asked if the set list for his upcoming tour would feature any New Kids nostalgia.

Meanwhile, rapper Ice Cube, who was gearing up to shoot "Next Friday," had just been cast as the lead in "Pimp," a film based on the life of notorious street hustler Robert "Iceberg Slim" Beck. The movie was to be directed by Kevin Hooks ("Passenger 57") and was scheduled to go into production as soon as work on "Next Friday" wrapped up, but as of this writing the movie has not been released.

In related rap and movie news, Dimension Films had just inked a first-look deal with Loud Films, the movie production arm of Loud Records, home of the Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and Big Punisher. Though no movies had been green-lighted at the time, a film version based on RZA's solo album RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo was among the projects being considered.

Rappers Naughty by Nature were getting ready to drop their first album in four years in 1999. Like most hip-hop albums of the time (and now), 19 Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury had more collaborators than an Enron executive, including Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal and Big Punisher.

MTV News caught up with the trio and asked Vinnie Brown to explain how Naughty by Nature convinced so many of their peers to get down with "O.P.P." (other people's projects).

"Well, the thing with [all] the artist collaborations now," he said, "I guess a lot of artists are smarter ... now. A lot of artists were ignorant in the past by 'territorializing' themselves — not wanting to collaborate. But [artists realize] now that it's not about one particular market. One market could be hot this year and be cold the next. So I guess a lot of artists are smarter now in that they're conscious about being diverse and [do so with] collaborations."

For more "This Week In ...", check out the This Week In Archive.

• New Kids on the Block
• Ice Cube
• Naughty By Nature

Fat Joe in "Empire"
Photo: K.C. Bailey

Two gangsters of a very different sort are hitting theaters this weekend — De Niro's funny wiseguy in "Analyze That" and John Leguizamo's Bronx drug lord in "Empire." Select cities will also be treated to the much-heralded, convention-smashing "Adaptation" and the futuristic "Equilibrium."

"Analyze That," the sequel to the "Sopranos"-like psychiatrist/mob-boss comedy "Analyze This," reunites Robert De Niro with comedian Billy Crystal, who returns as the convicted mob figure's psychoanalyst. This time, he's helping De Niro's character cope with life after prison.

In "Empire," Leguizamo ("Moulin Rouge!") stars as Vic Rosa, a criminal whose well-meaning attempt to enter into legitimate business is exploited by a white-collar criminal who Rosa seeks revenge against after losing a large sum of cash to him. Rappers Fat Joe and Treach, along with onetime James Bond girl Denise Richards, co-star.

And how best to encapsulate "Adaptation," a flick with a premise that almost defies description? Spike Jonze directs this story about real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who last teamed with Jonze on the acclaimed "Being John Malkovich," and his fictional twin brother, Donald, both played by Nicolas Cage. It follows Charlie's post-"Malkovich" attempt to adapt a real-life book — about a man obsessed with rare orchids — into a screenplay, and what happens when he decides to insert elements from his own life into the story. It reads confusingly, but by all early accounts, plays effectively. Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper ("The Bourne Identity") and Brian Cox ("The Ring") also star.

Also going the limited-opening route is "Equilibrium," which stars Christian Bale ("Reign of Fire") as a government agent in a future society where expressing emotion is outlawed. The bizarre law is partially enforced by a drug that Bale's character skips a dose of, which eventually sends him into conflict with his job.

• Fat Joe
• Naughty By Nature

Eminem
Photo: Eli Reed

Eminem is hoping to stretch his chart-topping success another mile.

Although it won't feature any music from the rapper, a second soundtrack from "8 Mile" will be released December 3.

Unlike the first soundtrack, which featured music "inspired by" the movie, More Music From '8 Mile' will feature music actually in the movie.

Since "8 Mile" takes place in 1995, songs on the second soundtrack include hits from that time, like Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M.," Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," and Method Man and Mary J. Blige's "You're All I Need."

The first soundtrack spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and has sold more than 1.6 million copies. It features five songs with Eminem, including the massive single "Lose Yourself," along with new tracks from Jay-Z, Nas and others (see "Eminem Writes From Rabbit's Perspective For '8 Mile' Album").

After two weeks, "8 Mile" has made more than $86 million at the box office (see "Harry Potter's Spell Turns Eminem Into Rabbit Stew").

More Music From '8 Mile' track list, according to Interscope Records:

• Mobb Deep - "Shook Ones, Pt. 2"

• Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"

• MC Breed f/ 2Pac - "Gotta Get Mine"

• Naughty by Nature - "Feel Me Flow"

• Outkast - "Player's Ball"

• Junior M.A.F.I.A. - "Get Money"

• Method Man and Mary J. Blige - "You're All I Need"

• Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"

• Method Man - "Bring Da Pain"

• Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."

• The Pharcyde - "Runnin' "

• Mobb Deep - "Survival of the Fittest"

• Eminem
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Notorious B.I.G.
• OutKast
• Naughty By Nature

3LW
Photo: Epic

With the first offering off of their upcoming A Girl Can Mack LP, teen trio 3LW plan to show that they can hang with grown folk.

In the video for "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)," the little women hit the club in search of good times, according to a spokesperson for the group. But the party isn't in any ordinary spot in the Chris Applebaum-directed vid: The songbirds get things jumped off in a futuristic pod-like venue in the middle of the ocean where they come across Loon — who raps on the track — Naughty by Nature and Nick Cannon.

"[The song] is a lot of fun," the group's oldest member, Adrienne, said last month of the P. Diddy/Mario Winans-produced cut. "We wanted to come out with a song that was going to make people happy."

The girls said they have a couple of melancholy love offerings on the LP as well. "There is a joint on our album called 'Crazy,' " Adrienne disclosed. "It's about a girl who's falling in love with a guy that's taken. But not only is he taken, she's taken. They both got people in their lives and she's saying, 'Just this once, I hope two wrongs can make a right.' It's a sad song, the melody is beautiful. It will touch a lot of people that fall in love with people that are taken. Trust me, it happens a lot."

Adrienne and her group members Kiely and Naturi said they've pretty much wrapped up production on their second album (see "3LW Dis Lil' Bow Wow, Leave Club With a Taller Baller" ), but are still in the lab working on a few more cuts.

"Another one of our favorite songs — we haven't really recorded that [yet] — is called 'Ex-Love of My Life,' " Kiely interjected. "It's this girl saying, 'You used to be my love but now you're the ex-love of my life.' I love the beat, that's the best part of the song. It starts off really sad and slow and she's like, 'I have to take this song and flip it.' So she just flips into this really hard beat."

"Goodbye!" Adrienne chimed in. "It's empowering. You know why? 'Cause a girl can mack!"

"Ya heard!" Kiely jumped back in. "Nothing helps a broken heart more than the next two boyfriends. Just keeping it real."

Kiely also keeps it real when talking about 3LW's lyric-penning. She said that they're constantly working on songs but aren't ready to share them with the world yet, especially on the new album.

"We didn't want to make the sophomore mistake," she said. "A lot of times it's a perception that you have a successful first album and you go into your second album and you're like, 'I'mma do it all. I know exactly what I'm doing.'

"We did really good on our first album collaborating," she added. "We're still teenagers. We don't have it all together. But we still have our ideas. That's what's fun about working with all our producers. They let us be us. It was really cool, we didn't want to veer so much, we didn't want to change directions. We just wanted to take it to the next level, hone our craft, keep writing amongst ourselves. Maybe the third or fourth album we'll be writing and producing."

"It takes a while to get it all down pat," said Naturi, building on her partner's thoughts. "That's the mistake a lot of people make."

3LW's rep said the video for "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)" is in post-production and should be ready in July. A Girl Can Mack is slated for an October release.

• 3LW
• Diddy
• Naughty By Nature
• Mario Winans

"How High" co-stars Method Man and Redman have signed on for another fish-out-of-water movie for Universal Pictures, this time playing undercover cops who investigate a drug ring. The script is still being written by Don Scott, who co-wrote "Barbershop," the upcoming comedy starring Ice Cube and Eve. ... Members of Naughty By Nature past and present once handed down the credo to "guard your grill, knuckle up," and Wednesday they had to follow their own mantra, according to sources within NBN's camp — during a live appearance on New York radio station Hot 97, Treach urged former Naughty producer and DJ, Kay Gee, to meet him at an undisclosed location and handle their differences. The two came to blows later that day, and although police were called to the scene to calm things down, no one was arrested. ...

Billy Corgan collaborated on the song "Sacred and Profane" for Berlin's first studio album since 1986's Count Three and Pray. Due September 3, Voyeur blends Berlin's signature new wave with the pop balladry of their biggest hit, "Take My Breath Away." ... Garbage drummer Butch Vig, who suffered a bout of hepatitis A last November, is down in the dumps again. Vig, suffering from an acute inner ear infection, had had to drop off the band's U.S. tour and has been temporarily replaced with Matt Chamberlain. ... Asesino, the band featuring Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and Static-X bassist Tony Campos will open for Static-X on the Puro Marano Tour. The nine-show trek starts June 7 in Houston, and the last date is June 28 in Ventura, California. ...

Silverchair have had to cancel all upcoming tour plans, including 14 North American dates, because frontman Daniel Johns' reactive arthritis, which was diagnosed late last year, has left him too disabled to perform. Though the condition is causing him chronic joint swelling, impaired movement and extreme pain, doctors expect him to eventually make a full recovery. ... Natalie Merchant is asking high school students to submit 1,000-word essays for a contest that will coincide with her summer tour with Chris Isaak. Details on the "My Generation" theme contest, which has a June 20 deadline and a $2,500 grand prize, are available at www.nataliemerchant.com. ... Former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp scheduled a performance for Saturday at Chispa Studios in Los Angeles. ...

Def Leppard have set a July 30 release date for their 10th studio album, X. The British rockers collaborated on the new material with longtime producer Pete Woodruffe, Marty Frederickson (Aerosmith) and Andreas Carlsson and Per Aldeheim (Britney Spears). ... Deathray, a quartet composed of former Cake members Greg Brown, Victor Damiani and, most recently, Todd Roper, will release the five-track EP White Sleeves June 11. The group, which also includes singer Dana Gumbiner, will support the follow-up to their 2000 eponymous debut with a handful of West Coast tour dates that begin June 20 in Los Angeles. ... To coincide with their latest world tour, the Rolling Stones are re-releasing 22 classic albums on August 20 in the new dual-layer hybrid Super Audio CD format, which can be spun on both SACD machines and regular CD players. The material was all originally released between 1963 and 1971. ...

Cathedral will head into the studio July 1 to record their new album, Songs of Praise. ... Engorged's new, self-titled album hit stores June 4. ... Death metal band Marduk had to pull from their upcoming tour with Danzig due to problems with immigration. ... Downthesun, the first signing to Slipknot's now-defunct Maggot Records label, has signed with Roadrunner Records. ... Shadows Fall will tour with Kittie, Poison the Well and Killswitch Engage. ... Due to the declining relevance of singles as a format, Billboard announced that its Hot Rap Singles chart, which depended heavily on sales and therefore was often skewed by obscure independents, will be replaced with the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The new chart will lean more on radio airplay with the intention of more accurately reflecting the most popular rap songs in the country. ...

05.31.02

Incubus, Papa Roach, Rob Zombie, System of a Down and P.O.D. will headline the annual KROQ Weenie Roast in Los Angeles on June 15. Moby, Puddle of Mudd, Hoobastank, Jimmy Eat World, Unwritten Law, the Strokes, Bad Religion, Jack Johnson, the Vines and New Found Glory will also perform at the radio festival, one of the biggest in the country. ... A puppetized Wu-Tang Clan will hang, bang and perform "In Da Hood" on the first episode of "Crank Yankers," Comedy Central's all-star crank call series, which premieres June 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Tenacious D and Ween are among the folks promised for future episodes. ... After he finishes recording his third album this summer, Aaron Carter will launch the Rock, Rap and Retro Tour on August 6 in Nashville. The 30-date outing will wrap up in Boston on September 21, around the time the follow-up to Oh Aaron is expected to surface. ...

Tool have tacked 11 additional dates on to their summer tour with Tomahawk, scheduled to begin July 11 in Bakersfield, California. The new dates run from July 23 in Fort Worth, Texas, to August 12 in Trenton, New Jersey, while the announcement of an additional leg remains forthcoming. ... Jewel, Wyclef Jean and Lifehouse are among the artists confirmed for the 32nd annual Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle. The eclectic summer festival traditionally takes place over Labor Day weekend (August 30-September 2) and features more than 2,500 artists, including Modest Mouse, Ani DiFranco, Kelly Willis, the Mekons, Beachwood Sparks and a reunited Concrete Blonde. ... Sonic Youth will promote their 16th album, Murray Street, due June 25, with a month-long tour kicking off August 1 in Dallas and wrapping up September 1 at the Bumbershoot Festival. On August 11, the New York City rockers will play a free show at Central Park's Summerstage. ...

The White Stripes will capitalize on their white-hot popularity by re-releasing their first two albums, The White Stripes and De Stijl, on June 3. Their third album, White Blood Cells, catapulted the Detroit duo into the mainstream, courtesy of the single "Fell in Love With a Girl. ... Ziggy is descending from the stars once again. On June 6, David Bowie's classic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars will be released with bonus outtakes and demos to celebrate the disc's 30th anniversary, and this summer, Cowboy Pictures will reissue the David Bowie concert film "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars." ... Prince will again open up his Paisley Park home studios for a week of concerts, moderated discussions, music workshops and listening sessions. Xenophobia, as the royal pop star is dubbing the fan club-exclusive event, will run from June 21 to 27, and include appearances by Maceo Parker (June 21), Norah Jones (June 24) and Musiq (June 26). ... The Recording Academy has created a number of new Grammy categories, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Best Rap Solo Vocal Performance has been split into separate male and female fields, bringing the total of rap categories to five. ...

A benefit concert to alleviate the medical costs of Sean McGrath, formerly of Saves the Day and currently with the Alps, who is undergoing chemotherapy after having been diagnosed as having gastrointestinal cancer in April, will take place June 15 at New York's Irving Plaza. The "Hold on to Your Friends" concert will feature peformances from Thursday, Midtown, Taking Back Sunday, the Alps and others. ... Tracks from Felix Da Housecat, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Peaches, Bis and Miss Kittin & the Hacker are featured on the ghetto tech compilation DefiningTech, due June 11. John Selway also appears on the experimental electro album under his alias Memory Boy. ... Female drum'n'bass DJ Reid Speed will spend the summer on the road in support of her recently released mix album, Resonance. Reid Speed hits Baton Rouge, Louisiana, June 1 and travels from the East Coast to the West before closing the tour July 21 in Salt Lake City.

• Method Man/Redman
• Naughty By Nature
• Garbage
• Silverchair
• Def Leppard

Ja Rule's group, Cash Money Click (CMC), along with Naughty By Nature, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz and others, will perform at an afterparty for the Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis title fight June 8 in Memphis. Tyson is apparently counting on a victory, as he is co-sponsoring the event and planning on attending. ... British producers the Space Monkeyz will release a collection of dub mixes of songs from the Gorillaz' debut album. Due July 16, Space Monkeyz Vs. Gorillaz: Laika Come Home features a version of "Clint Eastwood" called "A Fistful of Peanuts" among its 12 listed tunes and one hidden track. ... David Bowie will join the ranks of Neil Diamond, Elton John, Don Henley and others when he performs on A&E's "Live By Request." The June 15 performance will be filmed at Sony Music Studios in Manhattan.

05.20.02

While he wasn't able to lure Foxy Brown from Def Jam, P. Diddy just bolstered the lineup of his Bad Boy label with seminal Southern rap duo 8 Ball & MJG, who recently signed with P.D.'s company. ... On August 3, we'll find out who the year's biggest balla is when Funkmaster Flex hosts his second annual celebrity car show at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. Flex said that playas such as P. Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean will submit vehicles and try to snatch the championship from hip-hop's "#1 Stunna," Baby of Cash Money, who was last year's winner. ...

Nearly seven months after it was recorded, Incubus' home video "The Morning View Sessions" will be released on VHS and DVD. The laid-back performance video, which more resembles an informal jam session than an actual concert, was recorded at Sony Studios in New York the day the band's fourth album, Morning View, dropped. ... Kelly Osbourne will sing her cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" at her live debut at KIIS-FM's Wango Tango festival June 15 in Pasadena, California. The song will be featured on The Osbournes Family Album, due June 11. ... A few weeks after dropping the greatest-hits package Work in early June, electronic duo Orbital will release the next volume in the Back to Mine chillout compilation series. Highlights on the mix include the previously unreleased Orbital track "Ska'd for Life" and material from PJ Harvey and the Divine Comedy. ...

• Ja Rule
• Naughty By Nature
• Lil Jon
• Gorillaz
• David Bowie

Musiq
Photo: Gregg Delman

Musiq juswanstobenumbaone, and on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart the Philly soul singer who hates the space bar and has a penchant for omitting the letter "t" will see his desire realized.

Juslisen, the second album by the smooth crooner, who dropped the "Soulchild" surname for the effort, will place above all others on next week's chart. The follow-up to 2000's Aijuswanaseing sold more than 260,000 copies its first week in stores, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (May 15).

Lauryn Hill has been relatively quiet since her 1998 solo debut, which garnered Grammys for the Fugees member for Best New Artist and Album of the Year, among others. Although Hill has been out of the spotlight for a few years she has obviously not been forgotten by fans, as her second full-length LP, MTV Unplugged 2.0, will make its chart debut at #3, with more than 122,000 copies sold.

This week's big chart debuts, Big Tymers' Hood Rich and Vanessa Carlton's Be Not Nobody, will take relatively large leaps backward in next week's running. The Cash Money rappers' fourth album will fall from the top slot down to #8, with nearly 68,000 fewer copies sold last week; while the 21-year-old singer/songwriter will slip from #5 to #13, with nearly a 43,000-copy dent in her weekly total.

Jazz-pop chanteuse Norah Jones' debut LP, Come Away With Me, will make the biggest leap in next week's top 40, catapulting from #37 to #17 on the wings of the pianist's crossover hit "Don't Know Why."

Rounding out next week's top 10 will be Celine Dion's A New Day Has Come, advancing four places to #2 (142,000); Ashanti's self-titled debut slipping two places to #4 (114,000); country singer Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems falling from #3 to #5 (102,000); the "Spider-Man" soundtrack also dropping a deuce to #6 (100,000); Sheryl Crow's C'Mon, C'Mon inching a slot up to #7 (97,000); Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 9 sliding two notches to #9 (89,000); and classical crooner Josh Groban's eponymous premiere receding a spot to #10 (74,000).

Naughty by Nature's fifth album, Icons, leads the crop of new additions outside the top 10 on next week's chart. The New Jersey hip-hop outfit's first album in three years will land at #15 by moving more than 48,000 copies.

Sandpaper-piped balladeer Tom Waits will place two new albums in next week's top 40: Blood Money at #32 and Alice at #33. The albums moved more than 32,000 and 31,000, respectively. Coal Chamber's third album, Dark Days, directly trails the crooner at #34, selling more than 31,000 in its first week in stores.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include the STP 'n' Staind-stung Family Values Tour 2001 at #55; aggro-rockers Earshot's debut, Letting Go, at #82; the Blink-182-featured various-artists collection Atticus ... Dragging the Lake at #105; 98 Degrees' greatest-hits set, The Collection, at #153; and O.A.R.'s live offering, Any Time Now, at #156.

An interesting aspect of next week's chart is the re-emergence of Eminem's 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP. The anticipatory buzz for the forthcoming The Eminem Show goosed sales of Slim Shady's second LP to warrant its #180 position. The Detroit rapper's next opus drops June 4.

• Musiq Soulchild
• Lauryn Hill
• The Big Tymers
• Norah Jones
• Naughty By Nature

Run's House: Rev's Birthday Suit (Ep. 307)

• Rev Run
• Naughty By Nature
• Redman

P. Diddy, Beyonce, LL Cool J, More At Vibe Awards

• Diddy
• Beyoncé
• LL Cool J
• Mary J. Blige
• Ludacris

Nelly, Kim, LL, Sean Paul, More On Source Awards Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Lil' Kim
• LL Cool J
• Sean Paul
• Clipse

• Naughty By Nature
• 3LW