Diddy and Jadakiss
Photo: Bad Boy

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

People have been talking about Diddy and Mase reuniting ever since an online video surfaced in which the Harlem MC said he was coming from a meeting with the Bad Boy head honcho. But a different reunion might be going down between Diddy and one of his other acts.

"I would definitely love to do the next LOX album," he told Mixtape Daily recently in Los Angeles. "I would love to collaborate with them. I think it's important just to do. ... I would look forward to it."

Puff and the Warlocks together again? That would be big news for New York. The two factions were at odds for years before eventually patching things up. Jadakiss has openly discussed the possibilities in the past, but nothing has ever come out of it.

Now, with the Yonkers trio and Diddy both aligned under the Interscope umbrella, it sounds like things could be happening soon.

"We been talking about it," Diddy revealed. "We have to sit down and have a real meeting about it."

The ink on Diddy's new deal for Bad Boy with Interscope is still drying, but he's hard at work managing projects between the 'Scope and Atlantic, where a handful of his artists, including Cassie and Day26, still reside.

Acquisitions were on Diddy's mind, as he spoke about Raekwon's previous comments about him trying to sign the Cuban Linx rapper and Ghostface. But Diddy has too much unfinished business to handle, not to mention putting the finishing touches on his next album, before he recruits anyone into the fold. So any future plans may have to wait.

"I've always been a fan of Raekwon and Ghostface and Wu-Tang," Diddy explained. "To be honest, I don't know what the future holds for Bad Boy/ Interscope. I wanna take it day by day and get acquainted. The first move now is to get out this Dirty Money album, The Last Train to Paris. We gonna focus on that. Cassie has a new single, we're gonna focus on that. Day26, we still in business with Atlantic, we're gonna see that all the way through. We still have some unfinished business we have to take care of before we get into the future."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Slaughterhouse, Drake, Diddy And More

• Diddy
• The Lox
• Sheek Louch
• Jadakiss
• Styles P

Fabolous
Photo: Arnold Turner/ WireImage

Fabolous couldn't wait to release his remix of "Throw It in the Bag" — he dropped the retooling of his hit single Monday, complete with a guest spot from Drake. The track also samples The-Dream's "Fancy."

"Me and Drake, we just met each other in passing on the road," Fab told MTV News. "We kicked it a few times. We kept ending up in the same circles. Eventually we figured out we wanted to work. I had the remix. I had the beat for a minute ... I also didn't just want to do the regular remix, have the same typical remix that everybody is doing where they keep the same beat and get the select few MCs [to appear]. Drake was new — everybody got wind of Drake behind the success of his mixtape and 'Best I Ever Had.' I figured that would an interesting move. I reached out and he was like, 'Yeah.' I just sent it to him."

The remix may be included with Loso's Way as a special iTunes bonus. As for the "Loso's Way" movie, it ends on a cliffhanger. The film revolves around an MC named Loso who navigates his way through the music industry, but faces antagonism from an up-and-coming rapper named Banged, played by Styles P.

"Styles gave a real street appeal," Fab said of his friend's performance. "It felt genuine. I wanted whoever the dude who did that part to feel genuine. Styles definitely gave that appeal to the role."

Although Styles came off authentic in his acting stint, Fab says it was humorous watching his real-life friend dis him.

"It was funny ... he was acting, but you had to make it feel genuine," Fab added. "Styles might go and get an Oscar behind that — just remember to say my name when he goes for the award."

• Fabolous
• Styles P
• Drake

Fabolous
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Fabolous woke up one morning handcuffed to a hospital bed. After being shot. Whatever happened to bedside manner?

Actually, this all happened to Fab's character Loso in the new film "Loso's Way," and we have an exclusive clip from the upcoming DVD.

The flick starts off with Fabolous and one of his hustling partners being chased through the streets. Loso evades the long arm of the law, but his homie isn't as lucky. The film then fast-forwards four years, and Loso has become a big rap artist while his friend serves time in prison and eventually gets out.

Chaos prevails momentarily when Los and his Street Fam are out one night, and before they all go to their respective vehicles, an unknown assailant shoots Loso in the leg. It's all very similar to when Fab was hit in the leg by a bullet a few years back.

Loso wakes up, handcuffed to a hospital bed and the police try to stick gun charges on him and his crew after they find firearms in the rapper's SUV.

Styles P plays an up-and-coming rapper named Bang, who tests Loso's resolve and street credibility by making a dis song against him. Ed Lover plays the shady head of Loso's record label, who coerces his artist to capitalize off the notoriety of being shot and turn around an LP quickly.

Swizz Beatz, Jadakiss, Ryan Leslie, Juelz Santana, Paul Cain and Albe Back are all featured in the film.

Fabolous' "Loso's Way" film and album hit stores July 28. Ne-Yo appears on the song "Makin' Love," while Trey Songz has hook duties on "Last Time," as does Jay-Z on "When the Money Goes." Lil Wayne is featured on "Salute."

• Fabolous
• Styles P

Missy Elliott
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

The next time you see Missy Elliott, she's going to be in 3-D. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Studios is creating a stereoscopic 3-D video for Missy that combines the tunes "Ching-a-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom." The songs will appear on the February 5 soundtrack to the dance sequel "Step Up 2: The Streets" and might resurface on the rapper's yet-untitled new LP, due in May. The video will premiere on "TRL" on Monday. ...

A New York judge denied Foxy Brown's request to get out of jail early so she can go to California for an ear examination and for a repair of her electronic ear implant. According to The Associated Press, the Manhattan district attorney's office reported on Monday that State Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson will not allow Brown, 29, to go to Los Angeles for the treatment, which prosecutors argued she could get just as easily in New York, where she is being held for violating her probation. ...

Styles P, Ray J and Large Professor have huddled together with AZ to help the hip-hop lyricist with his new album — it's Undeniable. The disc is due February 19. ...

Former "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken, who has faced questions about his sexuality since entering the spotlight more than four years ago, recently told New York magazine that not only is he sick of answering questions about his preferences, he's tired of thinking about something that he simply doesn't have time for. Aiken told the magazine that his social life is "nonexistent, really I'm not a nighttime person." While he's in New York performing in the Broadway production of "Monty Python's Spamalot," he does not plan on dating anyone and is not involved with anyone. "Heck, no," he said, adding that his only companions are "my dogs." Not only that, but Aiken, 29, claims that he's never had a romantic relationship, unless you count the girls he took to dances in high school. "I just don't have an interest in ... any of that at all. I have got too much on my plate," he told the magazine. "I'd rather focus on one thing and do that when I can devote time to it, and right now, I just don't have any desire." ...

The Arctic Monkeys scored a record seven nominations for this year's NME Awards, including nods for Best Album, Best Live Band, Best Album Artwork, Best Video, Best Track and Best British Band, for which they'll be competing against Babyshambles, the Cribs, Klaxons and Muse. The news was more mixed for Amy Winehouse, who is up for Best Solo Artist, but also Worst Dressed and Villain of the Year, where she'll get stiff competition from U.S. President George Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The awards will be handed out in London on February 28. Radiohead are in the running for Best Album, and the Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, the Killers, Kings of Leon and My Chemical Romance are up for Best International Band. My Chem also picked up a nomination for Worst Band, where they will compete with Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds to Mars and Panic at the Disco. ...

Peter Bjorn and John made a big splash in '07, but bandmember Peter Morén has actually been hammering away at an album of his own for many years, and it's finally good to go. The Last Tycoon, the Swede's first solo outing, is more low-key and acoustic than PB&J's Writer's Block release, and is due April 8. The album incorporates vibraphones, strings, synthesizers, a musical saw, drum machines and more. ... Andrew McMahon (Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate) is the subject of a new documentary narrated by Tommy Lee. "Dear Jack," due later this year, revolves around the singer/pianist's recent battle with leukemia. "Andrew is such a hero, and I jumped at the opportunity to help tell this incredible story," Lee — who played drums for the first Jack's Mannequin album, Everything in Transit — said in a statement. Check out the trailer right here. ... Almost five years after the release of his major-label debut, Chariot, which featured the hit "I Don't Want to Be," Gavin DeGraw will finally release his more rock-leaning self-titled follow-up this spring, according to Billboard. The first single is "In Love With a Girl." ...

You know whose fault all this illegal music-file downloading is? Your Internet service provider, that's who! At least according to longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness, who laid the blame on ISPs in a fiery speech Monday at the annual MIDEM international music conference in France. According to the Los Angeles Times, McGuinness' keynote address targeted ISPs as both the primary culprits and potential healers of the worldwide record industry's ongoing ills. "I think the failure of ISPs to engage in the fight against piracy, to date, has been the single biggest failure in the digital music market," he said. "They are the gatekeepers with the technical means to make a far greater impact on mass copyright violation than the tens of thousands of lawsuits taken out against individual file-sharers." McGuinness added that he thinks the prosecution of music fans for illegally downloading music is "counterintuitive," even if there is an "educational and propaganda" effect to them, then issued a challenge to ISPs to do the right thing, suggesting legislation might be required if they don't. McGuinness also had harsh words for record companies who don't treat artists fairly and said U2 have always been one of those bands who "understood that it would be pathetic to be good at the music and bad at the business and [has] always been prepared to invest in their own future. ... We were never interested in joining that long, humiliating list of miserable artists who made lousy deals, got exploited and ended up broke and with no control over how their life's work was used, and no say in how their names and likenesses were bought and sold."

1.28.08

Joel Madden needs to see a shrink — in an upcoming episode of the new Starz comedy "Head Case," that is. The Good Charlotte frontman and new dad will appear on the February 13 episode of the show, which revolves around a judgmental psychotherapist (Alexendra Wentworth) who sees celebrity clients when she isn't out shopping. If you're already psyched for the show, go to Amazon.com's Unbox section to check out the original short-form episodes that launched it. ...

Thank your lucky stars — the Grammy Awards ceremony will go on this year as planned, according to an interim agreement announced Monday (January 28), The Associated Press reports. While the Grammy telecast was still good to go following last week's announcement that the striking Writers Guild of America would not protest it, the interim agreement means content for the show will be written under a WGA contract. "In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the [WGA West] Board felt that this decision should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists," WGA West President Patric Verrone reportedly said in a statement. "Having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation, something our audience has come to expect every year," Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow reportedly said in a statement of his own. ...

Miley Cyrus' Saturday show in New Orleans had a bit of a hiccup when the singer otherwise known as Hannah Montana announced that she wasn't feeling well and left the stage, according to a video posted on TMZ.com. Cyrus returned to finish her set, albeit in a seat, and dad Billy Ray sang with her. ...

Rivers Cuomo, Adam Sandler, Tony Hawk, baseball player Nomar Garciaparra and Andy Samberg kicking around a soccer ball together on a Saturday afternoon? According to ESPN.com, that was the scene over the weekend when the celebs took the field at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, for Garciaparra and wife/ ex-soccer pro Mia Hamm's charity Celebrity Soccer Challenge. Cuomo scored his team's first goal, and he later reportedly said, "It was a dream come true. Passing with [the L.A. Galaxy's] Landon Donovan and going against Mia Hamm — it's just unreal. I was terrified, but I was so excited that the excitement overcame the terror." Milo Ventimiglia, Elisabeth Shue, Seth Meyers and others also participated in the event, the proceeds of which went to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. ...

Jim Jones is reissuing his Harlem's American Gangster mixtape, hosted by Dame Dash and featuring the Byrd Gang crew, February 19. Fans are already familiar with the tape, which was previously available in limited form, but it has since been remixed, remastered and bolstered with new tracks, including "Rockefeller Laws." "Some people do soundtracks to the movies about Harlem," he said in a statement. "We do soundtracks to the streets of Harlem, which made us who we are today." His new studio LP will drop in the summer. ...

Modest Mouse and the National have something special to jot down on their calendars: opening dates for R.E.M. The tour will launch after the release of Michael Stipe and the gang's April 1 album, Accelerate. The cities are as follows: Vancouver, British Columbia (May 23); Los Angeles (May 29); Berkeley, California (May 31); Morrison, Colorado (June 3); Chicago (June 6); Toronto (June 8); Raleigh, North Carolina (June 10); Columbia, Maryland (June 11); Mansfield, Massachusetts (June 13); Wantagh, New York (June 14); Philadelphia (June 18); New York (June 19); and Atlanta (June 21). ... Hot Chip, Spank Rock, Peaches and others are liberally reworking classic tracks by the Pharcyde, Masta Ace, Tone Loc and others for a new collection, Delicious Reimagined, due early this year. Raunchy electro-clash singer Peaches — who has collaborated with everyone from Pink to Iggy Pop — remixed Loc's "Wild Thing" almost 20 years after the song originally came out, adding her own new vocals along the way. ...

Hayden Panettiere spoke about the warrant for her arrest — which she was slapped with in the fall after confronting Japanese fishermen to protest the hunting of dolphins — at a related demonstration in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. According to The Washington Post, the "Heroes" actress and Save the Whales Again! Campaign spokeswoman told a crowd, "I was wearing a wetsuit and shoes. I was like, if I'm going to jail, I ain't going to jail in a bikini." ... peta2 has a few new friends you might know: MTV News' own John Norris, as well as the stars of "Rob & Big." Norris stars in a new online video for the youth animal-rights organization that explains why he went vegan, while Rob Dyrdek and Chris "Big Black" Boykin appear in an ad with their dog, Meaty, along with the statement "Have the Balls to Spay or Neuter Your Dog." ...

Black Lips have drooled out an exclusive iTunes Live Session EP that the so-called "flower punk" band recorded over the summer in San Francisco. The Lips are also in the running for Yahoo's User's Choice program, the winner of which will play a performance in the company's studio in Santa Monica, California. And they've also lined up a run that will start February 4 in Seattle and end March 22 in Atlanta. ... The second half of Thrice's four-disc concept album will be in stores in the spring. The Alchemy Index, Vols. III & IV: Earth & Air, is scheduled for release April 15. ... From Autumn to Ashes drummer Jeff Gretz recently suffered two broken bones in his foot and will be forced to sit out the band's tour for the next few months. Flood of Red's Graham Griffith will fill in for Getz for most of the tour's remaining stops. ...

New Kids on the Block fans are going to have to keep "Hangin' Tough" — despite reports over the weekend, the old-school boy band is not planning to stage a comeback. While the once-hugely popular teen heartthrobs' Web site has apparently relaunched, bandmember Danny Wood wrote on his MySpace page on Monday morning, "I wanted to address the rumors of the NKOTB Reunion Tour. There has been no talk of this and you are getting it from the source directly. ... You can't believe everything you read." Still, he added, "Never say never!" Let's keep our hopes up.

• Missy Elliott
• Foxy Brown
• Styles P
• Clay Aiken
• Arcade Fire

The LOX's Jadakiss (file)
Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images

NEW YORK — It was a thug's dream come true — a mixtape lover's paradise — when the LOX performed their first official show in five years on Thursday night at the BB King Blues Club. They tore it down.

Please, do not for one second misinterpret "tore it down" for just giving a great performance. Watching a great performance you feel like, "This person on the stage is giving me my money's worth." You talk about it on your way home. Watching somebody tear it down, you stand in front of the venue for a half-hour afterward because you are so hyped, you just can't go home. Watching somebody tear it down, you wish your best friend who missed the show was there with you to share the euphoria, but you revel in teasing him the very next day. "Son! How did you miss the show? You should have been there!"

There's no place in the world that the LOX are bigger than in their hometown of New York. They've meant so much to the city for the past 12 years, especially the streets. Their allegiance to the hardcore underground scene has never withered, and when it comes to respect, you have to mention their names with the most successful and storied MCs from the Big Apple, like Jay-Z, Nas and 50 Cent.

The LOX, as a trio or as solo acts, have never had a #1 song or multiplatinum album. But those may be the only things missing from their résumés. The trio have clearly been some of the most lyrically talented and believable MCs on the block since they came in the door. Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch are some of the few artists who can boast making classic records with Biggie during the mid-'90s dominance of their former label, Bad Boy, and are still considered some of the best today. Ask Jay-Z, who just brought Jadakiss over to Roc-A-Fella.

Thursday night's show was billed as a reunion, but luckily the group never broke up. Its last album, We Are the Streets, came out way back in 2000, but all the guys have been permanent fixtures in each other's lives and careers — all three often pop up on each other's solo albums. If you count remixes and mixtapes, the LOX probably have 10 albums as a group. On Thursday night, it seemed like they tried to perform everything — a late Christmas gift to their faithful fans who sold out BB King's.

As Jada pointed out onstage, the show was like a mixtape box set of their greatest hits coming to life in front of you. They went all the way back to one of their first mixtape appearances, "You'll See," and then returned to the present for Style's heavily rotated "Blow My Mind."

It was time to scream "LOX" right from the onset, with the timeless "N---az Done Started Something," which transitioned into the simply titled, but musically potent "F--- You."

A lot of the records the LOX performed Thursday night were not singles and never made it to radio rotation, but as a tip of the cap to them from the fans, the audience knew every word. These were die-hards.

It was almost instinctive. You may not have heard a song in 10 years, but when Jada, Sheek and Styles broke it out of the vault Thursday night, something in your brain clicked, making you remember the words like you was playing it in your cassette deck yesterday.

Later in the show, as security threatened to shut down the show if people didn't put out their cigars, Styles pleaded with the audience to comply.

"We got lyrical weed," added the charismatic Kiss. "Dope Money" followed. Later came Jada's "Show Discipline" and "All for the Love."

"Whyyyyy-o! Whyyyyy-o!" chants started to ring out from the crowd, giving props to the LOX's original stomping ground of Yonkers, New York, a.k.a. Y.O.

"I got a head rush," Jadakiss smiled after the frenzied "Money, Power, Respect."

After "Reservoir Dogs," Styles warned, "All the pu--- n---as get way in the back. We ain't come to make you dance, sing or [show you're] loyal."Then came another anthem, "Wild Out."

The mic kept getting brutalized with "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye," the absurdly slept-on "It Can Get Ugly" and "All About the Benjamins."

The ladies got some love with "Ride or Die Chick," and even the gangstas had to dance on "Locked Up" and "Can You Believe It." It got so good to Styles on the latter, he started doing the Thunderclap.

SP, who just released his critic-approved Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) got the most light toward the end of the show, performing his new material, such as "Blow My Mind," "Alone in the Streets" and the LOX posse cut "Gangster, Gangster."

"I jumped in with $35,000 [worth of jewelry] on," Jadakiss laughed, leaping into the crowd to perform his verse. Sheek and Styles followed, saying their rhymes with feet planted on the ground next to fans.

After the show, the energy was so high, you could hear men reciting the hook for "We Gonna Make It" in the bathroom. Walking up the stairs and out of the venue, grown fans still had childlike excitement.

"Can you believe they did 'Banned From TV'?" one woman said to her date. "I love that!"

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports. And send your own concert pics, videos and reviews to MTV News You R Here!

• The Lox
• Jadakiss
• Styles P
• Sheek Louch

Madonna
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

Time to pucker up for Madonna's next album — Billboard.com reports that the singer has settled on the title for it: Licorice. The effort, which will reportedly feature "Candy Shop" and "The Beat Goes On" (featuring Pharrell), is due in late April and will be Madge's last effort for longtime label Warner Bros. Kanye West is said to be a guest on "The Beat Goes On," according to the site, which also reports that Madonna's vintage track "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" will get an update on the new disc. ...

Jessica Sierra pleaded not guilty on Thursday (December 6) to charges of disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole on earlier felony battery and possession charges, according to The Associated Press. The former "American Idol" finalist was arrested early Sunday morning outside a bar in Ybor City, near Tampa, Florida, after causing an unspecified disturbance while working inside the establishment. Sierra's lawyer reportedly said he is consulting with doctors to map out a comprehensive drug and alcohol plan for the ex-"Idol" contestant, who is currently being held without bail. Sierra is to remain in jail at least until her next hearing on December 20. ...

Gym Class Heroes, the Academy Is ... and Relient K will help anchor next year's Warped Tour, according to Alternative Press. Every Time I Die, From First to Last and the Bronx are also among the first 18 bands named for the summer trek, with the dates yet to be announced. ... Speaking of summer fests, Bonnaroo will take place June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee, Billboard.com reports. The lineup will be revealed in late January or early February. ... Your chance to download Radiohead's In Rainbows is about to end. The band has announced that the InRainbows.com Web site will close Saturday. But you can still plunk down $80 for the box set at Radiohead's online w.a.s.t.e. store, while supplies last. ...

Ne-Yo and Macy Gray are joining Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and others as they pitch in for presidential aspirant Senator Barack Obama. Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls will play at an Obama fundraiser in Universal City, California, on Monday, while Gray, Tweedy and others will perform at the senator's Friday event in Obama's hometown of Chicago. On a related note, Wilco will set out for a two-week U.S. tour in February. ... Paris, you've got nothing on Britney — Spears outdid Hilton on eBay in terms of related items sold this year. AP reports that 34,345 Brit-related items were sold, compared with 27,377 for Paris. A mere 8,099 items related to Lindsay Lohan were auctioned, while on the movies front, "Transformers" beat out Harry Potter with 442,342 and 344,825 related items sold, respectively. ...

Indie-rockers, state attorneys general and anti-smoking activists are finding themselves on the same side, oddly enough — some of them are reportedly peeved about an ad for Camel cigarettes that appeared alongside a cartoon-heavy indie-rock feature in the magazine's November 15 issue, Pitchfork reports. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has stopped promotions for its "The Farm" marketing campaign after nine attorneys general sued the company over the ads, according to North Carolina's Winston-Salem Journal. More states are reportedly expected to also sue R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which could face a fine of more than $100 million for violating a 1998 agreement between 46 states and tobacco manufacturers. The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement banned the use of cartoons to sell market cigarettes in 1997, effectively killing off Joe Camel. Also being debated, according to Pitchfork, are Camel-sponsored concerts that have featured the Flaming Lips, Band of Horses and the Faint. ...

Alicia Keys will ring in the new year with a performance on the roof of New York's Rockefeller Center as part of Carson Daly's shindig on NBC, People.com reports. The show, which will air December 31 at 11:35 p.m. ET, will also feature Lenny Kravitz performing in Times Square. Keys will sing two songs from her latest album, As I Am. ... LL Cool J, Rev Run, Petra Nemcova, Brett Ratner and other celebs have ponied up items for an ongoing online charity auction staged by Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund. "Diamonds Give" features 15 lots of donated diamond pieces and runs through December 16 on eBay. ...

It sounds like U2 might be going back to the future on their upcoming album. The band, which flirted with dance beats and techno on such albums as 1991's Achtung Baby, is incorporating trance, metal and Moroccan influences on its new disc, according to an interview with Bono in The Independent. The singer said fans will "feel the difference. ... Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dance floor. And that may not be true of this. There's some trance influences." He also said the yet-untitled and unscheduled album has some "very hardcore guitar" and "real molten metal" from guitarist the Edge that doesn't sound "like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either." Though he wouldn't categorize the album as "world" music, Bono said its sound was inspired in part by a religious music festival the guys attended in Fez, Morocco, where they were exposed to Sufi music. "It was a real humbling thing for a punk-rock shouter, listening to these people who just close their eyes for 40 minutes and sing the most sophisticated melodies." So far, U2 have recorded enough material for two records, he added. ...

Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson recently hung with locals, bathed in an irrigation ditch in their boxers and visited an orphanage in Peru this week, according to AP. An image that surfaced shows the two, who reportedly stayed at a cheap hotel room that cost less than $50 per night, smiling and waving in Cuzco. Cameron Diaz, Bill Gates and others visited the area earlier this year. ... Courtney Love has a new video on her hands ... kind of. A clip featuring manga character Princess Ai — whose universe of properties was co-created by Love — will premiere at the New York Anime Festival on Saturday. "Princess Ai: Broken Leash," which includes live action, animation and music, will appear as part of a CD/DVD anthology due in fall 2008. ... It's hard to keep old punks down. After their recent reunion tour of England this year, punk grandfathers the Sex Pistols will hit the road again next summer, according to Reuters. Guitarist Steve Jones did not give any specifics about the 2008 tour on his Los Angeles radio show on Wednesday, other than to say that the group might play an upcoming charity show at London's Royal Albert Hall organized by Who singer Roger Daltrey. ...

And the battle over James Brown's estate goes on. According to AP, two former trustees for the late singer's estate say the judge who is handling the disputes made them resign in late November. In recently filed court documents, Buddy Dallas and Alford Bradley reportedly said they want to retract their resignations and that South Carolina Circuit Judge Jack Early used "improper judicial influence." They are also seeking for the appointment of their successors to be overturned.

12.5.07

Unlike Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, Kiefer Sutherland is not getting off easy with his DUI — the "24" actor has been sentenced to 48 days in a Los Angeles County jail for his September 24 arrest and violating his probation. The actor must start serving his sentence at the Glendale City Jail prior to March 30, UsMagazine.com reports. He has also been sentenced to five years of probation, must finish a year-and-a-half-long alcohol-education program and go to weekly therapy sessions for a half-year. Sutherland, who had a previous DUI before his fall arrest, had been pulled over by police after making an illegal U-turn and reportedly blew twice the legal blood-alcohol level during a breathalyzer test. He issued a statement after entering a no-contest plea in early October, saying, "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox." ... Contrasting with Sutherland's devastating news, Richie caught a break on Wednesday when her court-mandated anti-drinking program granted the socialite a leave of absence, according to People. Coordinators at the program were reportedly worried for Richie's safety, with her rep saying such leaves of absence are granted to people with medical conditions and that she did not get special treatment. Richie is eight months pregnant and has to complete the 18-month program as part of her DUI plea deal ...

Bad news for Vanessa Hudgens: A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday (December 5) that a breach-of-contract suit by her former lawyer can go forward, according to CBS News. Brian L. Schall is suing the "The High School Musical" star for breach of contract, although Hudgens has argued that she was a minor at the time she signed the agreement and therefore isn't bound to it. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tricia Ann Bigelow said the matter of Hudgens disaffirming her contractual obligations within a reasonable time period is a "factual issue," and that Hudgens' decision to wait until she was 18 years and 9 months old to reject the contract is an issue for either a jury decision or a motion for summary judgment. The next hearing in the case is slated for January 15. ... Lindsay Lohan might be facing another setback too: Raymundo Ortega, the busboy who is seeking $200,000 in damages stemming from Lohan's collision with his van in October 2005, says he has proof the starlet was drinking before the crash, according to The Associated Press. He reportedly filed papers Tuesday. ...

An interview with T.I. that was conducted prior to his October arrest on gun charges appears in the December/January issue of Rap-Up magazine, which features him and Nicole Scherzinger on alternate covers. The rapper said he has a new urban-clothing line on the way — called "A King of Oneself" — and also revealed his interest in a different type of endeavor: commercial construction. "I want to build a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart, shopping centers," he told the mag. Tip cited Tupac as the rapper who had the most influence on him growing up — and called out some other big names for keeping him out of trouble. "Sometimes I be wildin' out, then [Suge Knight says,] 'Man, you got too much going on, you can't do that. It ain't like the old days,' " said the rapper, who is currently under house arrest. "[Jay-Z] will tell me the same thing, [Diddy] tell me the same thing, Kevin Liles — everybody trying. Wyclef is another one. People, I guess, just care." ...

For her part, Nicole Scherzinger named Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as the singers she admires the most. She also talked about someone else you may have heard of — Kanye West — and why the tracks he produced for her solo debut didn't make the cut. "I wasn't able to really finish them in time," said the singer, whose Her Name Is Nicole LP is due January 29. "When I have the right time and the right album, I wanna finish those songs. There was talks of putting Common on one of them." Scherzinger also talked about shooting her "Whatever U Like" video with the other Rap-Up cover artist, T.I. "When we did the video it was crazy 'cause we were all up in each other's grills, like [director] Paul Hunter really made us go there, but it was great. He's a professional. Paul was making us tug on each other; we were hard-core for a hot second." ...

Jay-Z celebrated his 38th birthday with Beyoncé in Paris on Tuesday, according to People.com. The couple reportedly holed up in a hotel suite, took a drive around the city, ate at L'Avenue restaurant and caught a cabaret show. ... Pete Wentz, Chris Brown, the Jonas Brothers and Corbin Bleu all made Teen magazine's list of the 50 Hottest Guys in Hollywood — but Zac Efron takes the cake by topping the bunch. ... Keira Knightley stripped down for the revealing cover of the latest issue of Interview magazine. "How does that always happen?" the "Atonement" actress asked herself, in the interview, of taking off her clothes. "Because I say yes, I suppose." ...

Styles P, Hurricane Chris and Fabolous will bring some yuletide cheer to Russell Simmons and Rev Run's eighth annual Youth Holiday Party in New York on Tuesday, with MTV News' own Sway acting as one of the emcees. For the festivities, the Simmons brothers and their Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation will turn the Fillmore at Irving Plaza into a winter wonderland, raffling off prizes like an Xbox 360 and tickets to a taping of "106 & Park." Kids will also get Target gift cards. ...

Journey are counting a new singer among their ranks: Arnel Pineda. The Filipino crooner, who previously covered the band's songs with his group the Zoo, is the third Journey singer in two years — he follows Jeff Scott Soto, who left the fold earlier this year after filling in for Steve Augeri, who split with the band in 2006 due to medical reasons. "I know they'll expect me to sound exactly like 'the voice,' " Pineda said in a statement, referring to yet another former Journey singer: Steve Perry. "But that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world." "Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone," added guitarist Neal Schon, who discovered the singer's Zoo clips online. "I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him ... but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter." ...

Deerhunter, Black Dice, Fischerspooner and others have chipped in unreleased new songs for Living Bridge, a two-CD collection of songs by bands who have previously recorded at Brooklyn, New York's Rare Book Room Studio. The 25-song package will hit stores February 26 and christen Rare Book Room Records, a new label. ... The Breeders will be back in '08 with a new disc hitting stores April 8. Mountain Battles will arrive six years after the band's previous effort, Title TK, which the band took nine years to put out following its most successful album, 1993's Last Splash. The Pixies-affiliated group is also due to tour throughout the year, hitting up South by Southwest and Coachella along the way. ... Peaches will sweeten up New Year's Eve this year by counting down the clock in downtown Los Angeles as part of Hard NYE's bash. She will also perform, as will Justice. ...

Paula Abdul was a "disaster" on "Saturday Night Live" when she hosted the show two years ago — so says Tina Fey in the January issue of Playboy. "I was pregnant at the time and probably a little moody, but I remember thinking, 'She's a disaster!' " Fey said. ... Vivica A. Fox booked herself on Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence, TMZ.com reports. A judge ordered on Monday that the actress be booked or face a bench warrant. ... Charges were dropped against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers after he apologized for creating a drunken fracas at an airport in Ireland earlier this year. The actor, who faced two charges of public drunkenness and breach of peace, said through his lawyer that he intends to make a donation to an unspecified charity. ...

The one guy who seemed kind of charmed by Borat's antics in last year's "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" has joined the parade of people suing the fake Kazakh reporter. According to Reuters, driving instructor Michael Psenicska's suit against the film's makers and star Sacha Baron Cohen claims that he was tricked into participating in a film that he was led to believe was a "documentary about the integration of foreign people into the American way of life." Psenicska said he was paid $500 in cash to give Borat a driving lesson and described the experience as "surreal," saying Cohen drove erratically down residential streets, drank alcohol and yelled to a female pedestrian that he would pay her $10 for "sexy time." Psenicska is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages for being misled, and for the emotional harm he allegedly continues to suffer. Psenicska said if he had known the true nature of the film, he never would have participated. The studio behind the flick said the suit had no merit and that Psenicska was a willing participant in the film. ...

Eddie Vedder is making his first video appearance since his spot in Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" clip 15 years ago. Mr. Ed is supporting his soundtrack to "Into the Wild" with a video for "Guaranteed." ... Saosin can't get enough of the road — the band, which toured for most of 2007, has rolled out a new 2008 itinerary. The California rockers will take Armor for Sleep and the Bled along for their jaunt, which starts January 21 in Tucson, Arizona, and ends February 14 in Chico, California. ... The sounds made by the creepy creatures in Will Smith's new movie "I Am Legend" might seem familiar to Faith No More fans — Mike Patton is the one behind them. The always-busy musician, who previously lent his voice to video games like "The Darkness" and "The Portal," is also delving into the film world with "A Perfect Place," a noirish short film for which he composed the music. ...

The family of Justin Barker, the white student who was allegedly beaten by six black classmates last year in Jena, Louisiana, has filed a civil lawsuit against the teens, their parents, the local school board and a seventh student who was not charged in the case, USA Today reports. The lawsuit claims that the attack on Barker was of "such extreme nature so as to require emergency medical care and treatment for the harm inflicted by the attack, and resulting in extensive and permanently disabling injuries." The suit, filed Thursday, also alleges that employees of the LaSalle Parish School Board were not adequately supervising students or maintaining discipline. ...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will flex his rock muscle on Friday at a fundraising show featuring Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performing solo alongside buzz band the Cool Kids, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins, Jill Sobule and local indie bands the Changes and Canasta. The "Change Rocks" show will take place at the Riviera Theatre in Obama's hometown of Chicago, with tickets ranging from $50 to $500 apiece. ... Hillary Clinton's campaign has had a change of heart. Less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, Clinton has dropped her controversial campaign theme song, "You and I" by Celine Dion, and replaced it with "Blue Sky" by Colorado 1990s college faves Big Head Todd and the Monsters, according to ABC News. ...

We can see now why comedian Dave Chappelle might have walked away from that $50 million Comedy Central deal: He'd rather be doing stand-up. Chappelle broke his own endurance record on Sunday with a set at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, California, that lasted six hours and 12 minutes, besting his previous mark, set in April, by a good five minutes. Club owner Jamie Masada told AP that Chappelle was on a mission. "Dave was determined to keep his record because he recently heard that Dane Cook was planning on trying to break [his] record," Masada said. ... R&B singer Avant has signed to Capitol Records to release his next album, due in the summer. The multiplatinum crooner was previously signed to MCA, before the label folded into Geffen Records, through which he released four albums and a string of hit singles, including his breakout "Separated." Avant's yet-untitled next album is expected to include production from Rodney Jerkins and Mr. Collipark, among others.

• Madonna
• Gym Class Heroes
• Alicia Keys
• Radiohead
• The Academy Is...

Ghostface Killah's <I>The Big Doe Rehab</i>
Photo: Island Def Jam

The eight days of Hanukkah begin at sunset Tuesday (December 4), and in commemoration of the holiday, we've lined up the week's eight biggest new releases:

Ghostface Killah's The Big Doe Rehab
December 4 matters more to Ghost than to a lot of the artists dropping new releases this week, mainly because he actually had to put up a fight to keep the date. While he told Mixtape Monday in October that his seventh studio album had been cemented for a December 4 release date "for the longest [time]," he came to discover that the new Wu-Tang Clan album, The 8 Diagrams, had been pegged for the same date. But apparently in an effort to appease Ghost, RZA delayed the latter disc a week — which likely made him as content as he appears on his new CD's album cover. He has most of his fellow Clan along for the ride — RZA's nowhere to be found, though — as well as Beanie Sigel, Chrisette Michele and others on the follow-up to Fishscale, which was widely ranked as one of the best rap releases of 2006.

Wyclef Jean's Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant
Ghost's guest list pales in comparison to Wyclef's, which isn't just longer but runs the gamut in terms of music genres. Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Serj Tankian, T.I., Norah Jones, Akon, Shakira, Chamillionaire and even Paul Simon play a role on the release, which features a bonus big name on pretty much every track. Pick up the deluxe edition for even more guest-star goodness — Weezy, 'Kon, Raekwon and more are featured on some of the extra CD's five additional tracks and three videos. The iTunes version of Carnival II has yet another bonus track, while the Best Buy edition comes with three Rhapsody Original extras.

DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz: The Album
There's yet another red-hot guest list in the mix this week, and it's the one featured on Drama's long-overdue studio-LP debut. Diddy, Outkast, T.I., Young Jeezy, Lil Jon, Wayne, the Clipse, Yung Joc, Pharrell, Paul Wall and Nelly all piled onto the disc. The effort was delayed a few times due to Drama's much-publicized studio raid earlier this year and controversy over his well-known moniker, which left him time to come up with another banger or two. "What a better time to drop than during the holidays, a week and a half after Thanksgiving?" Drama recently told Mixtape Monday. "I call myself 'Mr. Thanksgiving.' "

Mariah Carey's "The Adventures of Mimi" DVD
Mirroring Justin Timberlake — who released his new "FutureSex/LoveShow - Live From Madison Square Garden" DVD only through Best Buy a couple of weeks ago — Mimi has stepped up with her own exclusive double-DVD release for the chain. Her first video package since 2000's "#1's" collection captures her October 8, 2006, concert in Anaheim, California, with 19 performances, behind-the-scenes clips, a tour documentary, a karaoke-style feature and more.

Nelly Furtado's Loose: The Concert
Furtado is feeling a bit more generous than Carey — the singer is not only releasing her concert set wide, she's also issuing it in both CD and DVD form. The former item finds Furtado running through 11 of her best-known songs while on her recent European and U.S. tours in support of Loose — including "I'm Like a Bird" and "Promiscuous" — while the expanded DVD has her covering Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and chalking up a bunch more songs, including "Turn Off the Light" and "Powerless." In case fans need even more incentive to grab the DVD instead, it comes with a half-hour's worth of behind-the-scenes video footage with the pop star.

Styles P's Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman)
We've been streaming for free the third solo effort from the D-Block member, a disc that has "Blow Ya Mind" (featuring Swizz Beatz) as its first single. But that's not the only guest P has in tow — he also tapped one of his December 4 competitors, Ghostface, as well as Beanie Sigel, Akon, Jadakiss and others. "I'm just trying to be the MC and come with good, old-fashioned street soul music," he recently told Mixtape Monday of the vibe of the effort, which marks his debut on Koch Records. "I really feel like the '90s era."

Godsmack's Good Times, Bad Times ... Ten Years of Godsmack
The hard-rock band has sold about 11 million albums in the U.S. since it formed 11 years ago, and with a dozen or so singles that rock radio has probably burned into your brain, a greatest-hits collection is only fitting. Also "good timing," so to speak — given Led Zeppelin's recent reunion — is Godsmack's cover of the classic-rockers' "Good Times, Bad Times," which kicks off the 16-song menu. Aficionados will likely want to grab the CD-plus-DVD edition, which features the band performing acoustically at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

Blake Lewis' Audio Day Dream
Last but not least, the beatboxing "American Idol" alumnus steps up with his first album — for which he claimed to MTV News that he had invented a whole new genre. "I call it '2080,' because it's a mix of all the great pop music that's inspired me," he said of the disc, which blends funk, soul, rock and pop. The sixth-season finalist's album is led by the single "Break Anotha," which was co-written with and produced by Ryan "Alias" Tedder of One Republic, as well as other tracks Tedder helped craft. J.R. Rotem produced and co-wrote "What'cha Got 2 Lose?" with Lewis and fellow "Idol" finalist Chris Richardson, while none other than Lupe Fiasco — who cranks out his own new album, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," in a couple of weeks — is featured on "Know My Name."

That's a Rap: Hip-hop heads have a lot on their plate this week — in addition to all the above, there's also a new album from Scarface, Made, that features guest spots from (surprise!) Lil Wayne and T.I. Scarface's last album did well, reaching #12 on the Billboard albums chart and selling more than 300,000 copies, but with hardly any promotion behind his new effort, it's going to be tough for him to score a repeat performance. Also back in stores is Too Short, whose Get Off the Stage is coming under the radar as well — probably because it's the last release he's putting out through Jive. It features E-40, the Pack and more.

There's plenty more bristling on the archival front too, chiefly the new two-part The Best of 2Pac collection. The discs are being sold separately and feature one unreleased song and one new remix apiece: Part 1: Thug has "Resist the Temptation" and a new mix of "Dear Mama" featuring Anthony Hamilton, whose original version was nominated for a Grammy Award; while Part 2: Life contains "Dopefiend's Diner," which finds 2Pac using a vocal sample of the melody line from Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner," and an acoustic remix of "Thugz Mansion."

Mack 10, Fiend and Westside Connection are also getting some love from the vaults with best-of collections, while some of Eazy-E's most memorable guest spots were culled for Featuring Eazy-E. An expanded 20th-anniversary edition of N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton is also hitting stores — with five bonus slices, including a live performance of "Compton's N the House" by Dr. Dre and MC Ren, and covers of Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg, C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack 10 and WC. And repping newer talent is TVT's Crunk Hits Vol. 4 comp, which has the latest crunk classics by T.I., Lil Jon, Chris Brown and more.

Song Title of the Week:

"Conjunctions, Conjunctions, Everybody Loves Them" from Memphis May Fire's Memphis May Fire

Album Cover of the Week:

Ex-Boyfriends' three different "Clue"-themed covers for In With

Other Notables:

Various artists' "Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis"
In case you weren't privy to the landmark 7/7/07 event, a little guy named Al Gore is trying to raise awareness about a little issue called global warming. Backing him up at the concerts were about 100 of the world's best-known musicians whose performances across the globe were whittled down for the two-hour broadcast captured on this two-DVD/one-CD set. The first video disc spotlights John Legend, Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol and more; the second one has Rihanna, Foo Fighters and the Smashing Pumpkins, among others; and the CD includes tunes by Madonna, John Mayer, Keane, the Police and others. The net proceeds from the sale of the package go to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

Daft Punk's Alive 2007
The Parisian house duo had a huge year, ruling at Lollapalooza and getting a big boost from Kanye West. Their new live album — the release of which was delayed in the U.S. due to production issues — tries to put all that energy into disc form by immortalizing the act's first show in their hometown in 10 years. The two-disc version comes as a bound book and houses an extra enhanced CD with five songs from Daft Punk's encore, as well as 50 pages of photos and a video of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," which 'Ye lifted for his song "Stronger."

Lamb of God's Sacrament - Deluxe Producer Edition
Not crazy about the metal titans' latest disc, the genre's top-selling album last year? Well, why not rework it yourself? That's what the guys are offering this week — a version of the disc with the studio tracks isolated, separated and prepared for use on Macs or PCs. Fans can rearrange or mix up the music at their whim, which means they'll have no reason to complain if they're still not happy with songs like "Walk With Me in Hell" and "Foot to the Throat."

New Releases:

· 4 Bonjour's Parties - Pigments Drift Down to the Brook (Mush)
· Aloha - Light Works (Polyvinyl)
· Ben's Brother - Beta Male Fairytales (Virgin)
· Bodies of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (Thousand Tongues)
· Bonde do Rolê - Marina Gasolina (EP; Domino)
· Daft Punk - Alive 2007 (limited-edition version comes with bonus CD; Virgin) [Buy Now]
· DJ Drama - Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Atlantic) [Buy Now]
Read: "DJ Drama May Lose His Name, But He'll Always Have Outkast"
· Ex-Boyfriends - In With (Absolutely Kosher)
· Food for Animals - Belly (Hoss)
· Nelly Furtado - Loose: The Concert (Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam [Buy Now]
· Isis - Holy Tears (EP; Ipecac)
· Wyclef Jean - Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant (Best Buy edition comes with three Rhapsody Original bonus tracks; Columbia) [Buy Now]
Read: "T.I. Kick-Starts Wyclef Jean's LP; Mary J. Blige, Akon Tagging Along"
· Blake Lewis - Audio Day Dream (Arista/J) [Buy Now]
Read: "'American Idol' Runner-Up Blake Lewis Creates Own Genre On A.D.D. Debut"
· Memphis May Fire - Memphis May Fire (Trustkill)
· Shane Newville - Formless (Syntax)
· Rademacher - Stunts (self-release)
· Scarface - Made (Asylum) [Buy Now]
· Chris Schlarb - Twilight & Ghost Stories (Asthmatic Kitty)
· Shipwreck - Rabbit in the Kitchen With a New Dress On (None)
· Styles P - Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) (Koch) [Buy Now]
· Tender Forever - Wider (K)
· Too Short - Get Off the Stage (Jive) [Buy Now]
· Armin van Buuren - Universal Religion 2008: Live From Armada at Ibiza (Ultra)
· Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall (with DVD; Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Woelv - Tout Seul dans la Forêt en Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur? (K)
· The Wreckers - Way Back Home: Live From New York City (with DVD; Warner Bros.)
· Various artists - Night Owls 4 - A Shot in the Dark (Syntax)
· Various artists - To the Fallen Records Presents Country: Volume I and Rock: Volume I (To the Fallen)
· Various artists - "P.S. I Love You" soundtrack (Atlantic)
· Various artists - "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" soundtrack (Columbia)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· 2Pac - The Best of 2Pac: Part I - Thug and Part 2 - Life (Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Trace Adkins - Greatest Hits, Volume II: American Man (Capitol)
· Jason Aldean - Relentless (with bonus "Soundcheck" DVD; available exclusively at Wal-Mart)
· David Bowie - David Bowie Box (10-CD box set; ISO/Columbia) [Buy Now]
· James Brown - The Singles: Volume Four - 1966-1967 (limited-edition two-CD set; Hip-O-Select) [Buy Now]
· Nick Drake - Fruit Tree (box set with three CDs and one DVD; UMe/Fontana) [Buy Now]
· Eagles - Desperado; Eagles Live (two CDs); Eagles Greatest Hits: Volume 2; Hotel California; On the Border; One of These Nights; The Long Run; Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and the two-CD The Very Best Of (Asylum) [Buy Now]
· Eazy-E - Featuring Eazy-E (Capitol/Priority)
· Fiend - The Best of Fiend: Mr. Whomp Whomp (Capitol/Priority)
· Godsmack - Good Times, Bad Times ... Ten Years of Godsmack (also available with DVD; Republic) [Buy Now]
· Billie Holiday - Rare Live Recordings 1935-1959 (five-CD box set; ESP Disk Ltd.)
· Lamb of God - Sacrament - Deluxe Producer Edition (with bonus CD of audio tracks that have been isolated, separated and prepared for use on Mac or PC; Epic)
· The Libertines - The Best Of: A Time for Heroes (Rough Trade) [Buy Now]
· Lindisfarne - The Very Best of Lindisfarne (Caroline)
· Mack 10 - The Best of Mack 10: Foe Life (Priority) [Buy Now]
· N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton - 20th Anniversary Edition (Capitol/Priority) [Buy Now]
· Westside Connection - The Best of Westside Connection: The Gangsta, the Killa and the Dope Dealer (Capitol/Priority)
· Various artists - Crunk Hits Vol. 4 (TVT)
· Various artists - 20 Years of Nuclear Blast (Nuclear Blast)

Music DVDs:

· Mariah Carey - "The Adventures of Mimi" (two DVDs; Best Buy exclusive) [Buy Now]
· Brian Eno - "77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno" (two DVDs; Hannibal)
· Nelly Furtado - "Loose: The Concert" (Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Pelican - "After the Ceiling Cracked" (with CD; Hydra Head)
· Scissor Sisters - "Hurrah: A Year of Ta-Dah" (Universal) [Buy Now]
· The Marshall Tucker Band - "Carolina Dreams Tour '77" (Shout! Factory/Ramblin'; one DVD and two CDs)
· Rufus Wainwright - "Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!: Live From the London Palladium" (Geffen)
· Various artists - "Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis" (two DVDs and one CD; Reprise)

Digital Releases:

· Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - American X: Baby 81 Sessions (limited-edition EP; available exclusively at ThinkIndie.com)
· Echo and the Bunnymen - B-Sides and Live (2001-2005) (Cooking Vinyl)
· Interpol - Interpol Live (EP; available exclusively at ThinkIndie.com)
· John Lennon - "John Lennon Video Album" (available exclusively at Starbucks via the iTunes Digital Release card; Capitol/EMI Music Marketing)
· Nassiri - Holiday Collection (self-release)
· Professor Murder - Professor Murder on a Desert Island (free EP; RCRD LBL)
· Various artists - Through the Wilderness: A Tribute to Madonna (Manimal Vinyl)

Coming Attractions:

December 11:
· Bow Wow and Omarion - Face Off (also available with bonus DVD; Columbia) [Preorder]
Read: "Bow Wow Says His Face Off With Omarion Will Mean A 'Whole Bunch Of #1 Records' "
· R. Kelly - "Trapped in the Closet, Chapters 1-22" DVD (Jive) [Preorder]
· Mario - Go (J) [Preorder]
· Wu-Tang Clan - The 8 Diagrams (Best Buy edition comes with exclusive DVD; Def Jam) [Preorder]
Read: "Wu-Tang Clan's 'First-Ever Cleared Beatles Sample' Claim Is Incorrect"

December 18:
· Christina Aguilera - "Back to Basics: Live and Down Under" (RCA) [Preorder]
· Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains (Geffen) [Preorder]
Read: "Mary J. Blige Says She's 'Just Fine' With Her New Album, Losing 'Umbrella' To Rihanna"
· Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 4 (Universal) [Preorder]
· Chingy - Hate It or Love It (Disturbing Tha Peace) [Preorder]
· Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (Geffen)
· Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's the Cool (Atlantic) [Preorder]
Read: "Lupe Fiasco's Cool World: Tragedy Meets 'Mad Poppy Beats'"
· Rick Ross - Trilla (Def Jam) [Preorder]

December 25:
· Various artists - "High School Musical 2": Non-Stop Dance Party (Disney)
· Various artists - "Young Frankenstein: The New Mel Brooks Musical" (Decca Broadway)

• Ghostface Killah
• Wyclef Jean
• Mariah Carey
• Nelly Furtado
• DJ Drama

• Amerie
• Styles P

Jessica Simpson
Photo: Nancy Ostertag/ Getty Images

Don't expect to see Jessica Simpson saluting Dolly Parton when the "Kennedy Center Honors" program airs Tuesday on CBS. Simpson botched a cover of "9 to 5" the first time around, when it was taped on December 3, and even though the show's producers gave her another shot at singing it, a Simpson representative told The Associated Press that the singer wasn't happy with that performance either. ...

Jump ball! The Pussycat Dolls have teamed up with the National Basketball Association and ABC to record the opening number for all regular-season games broadcast on the network from Christmas through the end of the season. The sexy quintet will use an adaptation of its track "Right Now" for the musical segment, which will also be previewed going into and out of commercial breaks during telecasts. ...

Dying to know the title of the seventh — and final — Harry Potter book? You can find out by playing a game of hangman on author J.K. Rowling's Web site. Surf to JKRowling.com and click the eraser on the desk to enter a hallway. Click the first doorknob in the mirror to make a Christmas tree appear. Hit the top panel of the large door and a wreath will materialize. Click the top of the mirror and enjoy the garland. Now click one spider web to make both disappear. Click and drag the fourth wind chime, which will act as a key, to the door. Unlock it and find yourself in a room with a desk. On the desk is a package. Click the package to launch a game of hangman. Keep playing until you guess correctly (a check mark will appear to confirm your win). Or — spoiler alert — skip all that fun and just read on. ... It's called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic confirms. ...

Talk of Jadakiss joining the Cash Money team can be laid to rest, Styles P tells MTV News. Kiss' partner in the LOX said this week that he doesn't know where those rumors are coming from. "I been in the studio with Kiss all week, and he hasn't said anything to me about going to Cash Money." Styles said he fulfilled his solo obligation to Interscope Records and Ruff Ryders with his long-awaited Time Is Money LP, and doesn't know whether his next album — which he is working on now and expects to drop in the spring — will be on a major or independent label. Styles and Jada haven't been going it alone in the studio — Sheek Louch has joined the pair to record a new LOX album. While Styles P the solo artist is a free agent, the LOX are still under contract with Ruff Ryders and Interscope. ...

When it comes to etiquette, "American Idol" champs are winners, and Britney Spears is a loser — according to the National League of Junior Cotillions, which recently issued its 10 Best-Mannered People of 2006 list. Taylor Hicks tops the 10, noted for "his example of humility and politeness," while Carrie Underwood comes in at #9 — behind honorees including Senator Barack Obama and "Dancing With the Stars" finalist/ football star Emmitt Smith — with the league praising "the graciousness she shows to her fans." Spears was singled out as the Most Ill-Mannered Person of 2006, charged with "lowering the standards of morality and her negative influence on the behavior of young people." ... Hicks' manners may come in handy in a couple of months when he serves as grand marshal of New Orleans' Krewe of Endymion Mardi Gras parade. The event will take over the city's historic St. Charles Avenue on February 17. Al Green, Journey and Styx will also take part in the parade. ...

Switchfoot will promote their upcoming Oh! Gravity, due Tuesday, with a North American tour kicking off February 13 in Anaheim, California. The trek ends March 31 in San Diego. ... Robert Randolph and O.A.R.'s Marc Roberge became the latest musicians to enter the virtual world of video game "Second Life" on Wednesday. The artists jammed together, christening the Peacock Room at NBC's Universal Headquarters. ... The Cure will headline the ninth annual Ultra Music Festival at the Winter Music Conference in Miami on March 23 and 24. Tiësto (who rarely performs live), Deep Dish, Shiny Toy Guns, Miss Kittin, Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia and Ferry Corsten are also on the bill. ... Dilana, runner-up on "Rock Star: Supernova," will open for the band of the same name on its upcoming tour. The jaunt begins January 16 in Hollywood, Florida, and ends February 27 in Long Beach, California. Dilana's debut album, featuring No Doubt's Adrian Young on drums, is due in the summer, although two songs ("Supersoul" and a cover of the Police's "Roxanne") are currently available online. ...

P.O.D. have welcomed guitarist Marcos Curiel back into the fold. Curiel was fired from the group in 2003 and replaced by Jason Truby, a former member of Living Sacrifice. P.O.D. will make their first appearance with Curiel in nearly four years on New Year's Eve in New York's Times Square, as part of "Jimmy Kimmel Live." ... Although Fred Durst's film directorial debut, "The Education of Charlie Banks," has yet to hit theaters, he's moving forward with his movie career. The Limp Bizkit frontman will be featured in the black comedy "Play Dead," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Durst will star as the henchman of a drug dealer (played by Jake Busey) in the film, which centers on a fallen TV star (Chris Klein) stranded in a remote Nevada town. ... A group of major record labels, including Sony BMG and Warner Music, filed a lawsuit against AllOfMP3.com on Wednesday, claiming that the Russian Web site sells music without permission. AP reports that the site, which typically charges about $1 per album, maintains that it pays royalties to a Russian licensing group and is operating legally — but the labels contend that the licensing group doesn't have the authority to collect royalties.

12.20.2006

Contrary to earlier reports — and her own MySpace page — Avril Lavigne's new album will not be called The Best Dam Thing, but rather The Best Damn Thing. According to her spokesperson, Lavigne intentionally misspelled the title, "but she decided to change it. Kind of like 'Sk8er Boi.' " ...

A Mobb Deep performance in Belgium was marred by violence Friday when a rowdy club patron threw around bottles of alcohol in the VIP section after security booted him from the area for unruly behavior. G-Unit affiliate 40 Glocc suffered a cut hand, but Mobb Deep will continue with their remaining overseas tour dates: Wednesday night (December 20) in Athens, Thursday in Dublin and Friday in Munich. ... Fresh Azimiz. Bow Wow celebrated the release of his latest set, Price of Fame, Tuesday night at New York's Dirty Disco as Jermaine Durpi, Omarion, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Tommy Hilfiger all toasted the former hip-hop tike. ...

Sure, her album flopped, but Paris Hilton still manages to top charts. The professional party girl's name was among the top Internet search items in 2006, according to Google. Joining Hilton were Borat and the militant Islamic group Hezbollah. Google searchers were apparently more interested in Nicole Kidman's wedding to country star Keith Urban than Tom Cruise's blowout marriage to Katie Holmes. And perhaps even more shocking, more searches were done on ex-Beatle Paul McCartney's divorce than Britney's split from K-Fed. ... Australian officials are hitting back at Pink following the singer's call for a boycott of the country's wool exports, Reuters reports. "Sadly, like any other industry that uses animals, the wool trade uses methods so sadistic that it makes you consider clearing your closet of any animal products," Pink said in a statement released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, citing a practice known as "mulesing," in which sections of skin are cut from a sheep's rear quarters to prevent flies from nesting on the animal. "Pink is entitled to her views," said Peter Costello, treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia. "But at the end of the day would Australia's farmers take advice from Pink?" Australia plans to phase out the mulesing process, which does not employ pain-relief medication, by 2010. ...

Postponed Lady Sovereign tour dates have been rescheduled for early January. Shows in Las Vegas (January 4) and San Diego (January 9) will honor originally purchased tickets, while San Francisco (January 8) and Los Angeles (January 10) stops will require ticketholders to R.S.V.P. via Sov's Web site by Monday to receive a new ticket. Some additional tickets are still available for the makeup shows. ... Rancid fans witnessed what may well be the closest thing to a reunion of legendary East Bay, California, punk outfit Operation Ivy during a concert in San Francisco on Sunday night. According to The Mercury News, Op Ivy frontman Jesse Michaels joined former bandmates Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman during the Rancid gig for a rendition of "Unity" — marking the first time the three have played together since the band split back in 1989. Former Operation Ivy drummer Dave Mello did not perform. ... The Silversun Pickups, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, El-P and Deerhoof will descend on New York's Irving Plaza for the Plug Independent Music Awards February 10. The performers — who will play sets ranging from 20 to 40 minutes — will join host David Cross ("Arrested Development," "Mr. Show"), and Malkmus will receive the Plug Impact Award. ...

George Clinton needs your help. The flamboyant king of interplanetary funk is hoping the public will help him track down the crook who pilfered a video camera and other unspecified valuables from the Los Angeles set of his forthcoming music video. According to The Associated Press, the camera contains footage captured for Clinton's "Bounce 2 This" video, which was shot last week. The theft was caught by surveillance cameras, but the culprit blended in with others working the shoot. Those with any information about the crime are asked to contact police. ... Sony BMG will pay the price for embedding secret anti-piracy software in some of its CDs. The company agreed on Tuesday to stop manufacturing CDs with digital-rights-management software that limits the number of copies music fans can make of the music — and which also damaged some user's computers. According to Variety, the company also agreed to pay $750,000 judgments to the states of California and Texas, which filed consumer protection complaints against the company over the use of the so-called "rootkit" software. Under the settlement, Sony BMG will provide refunds of up to $175 to California consumers, who will have 180 days to file a refund claim through a form available on Sony BMG's Web site. ...

The FBI agreed Tuesday to release 10 documents from the surveillance of John Lennon that had been withheld for 25 years, The Los Angeles Times reports. University of California, Irvine, historian Jon Wiener said the now-public documents — which the FBI said were kept secret to avoid "military retaliation against the United States" — contained details of Lennon's ties to London antiwar groups, but no sign that the U.S. government considered the musician a serious threat. ... The driver for Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, was indicted in New York on Tuesday, charged with four counts of first-degree attempted grand larceny. According to a Reuters report, chauffeur Koral Karsan, 50, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan State Supreme Court to charges that he threatened to release personal photos and audiotapes of Ono and kill her and son Sean Lennon if she did not pay him. The judge in the case ordered Karsan held without bail, fearing that immigration authorities might seize the native of Turkey as they investigate whether he is in the country legally. Karsan's lawyer accused Ono of violating tax laws for paying his client as an independent contractor when he was a full-time employee.

• "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix"

• Jessica Simpson
• Pussycat Dolls
• Jadakiss
• Britney Spears
• Taylor Hicks

Nas' <i>Hip Hop Is Dead</i>
Photo: Def Jam

There are probably more coins in your pocket right now than there are new releases this week, but don't forget about that big fat precious silver dollar with an "N" on it that's jingling around. That's right: If this week's batch of fresh titles has a mantra, it's "Make Way for Nas."

UGK and Mos Def — and Katharine McPhee, for that matter — postponed their upcoming efforts, clearing the battlefield so Nasty Nas can wreak havoc. A few other hip-hop artists are holding strong against the big guy, though: Styles P, Trick Daddy, Bow Wow and DJ Clue are also laying out fresh slices, and no less than T.I. is anteing up with a spic-and-span compilation from his label, Grand Hustle.

But if you're not into hip-hop, this might be a good week to take a nap: Aside from a Bullet for My Valentine DVD and a Neil Young reissue, rock fans probably won't be debating which new title to spend their money on this week.

Not that he has any reason to worry, but here's the competition Nas is facing this week, and a reason why he can expect to trounce every one of them:

Styles P's Time Is Money: Despite the cautious title of his new LP, the former LOX-er took a spell to put out the follow-up to 2002's A Gangster and a Gentleman. But now Styles has finally come around to do the whole sophomore thing, and he's galvanized his friends for the affair: The LOX reunite for a remix of "Who Want a Problem," which also features Swizz Beatz; Mario Winans throws down on "Can You Believe It"; Talib Kweli guides Styles to "Testify"; Gerald LeVert joins him for "Real Sh--"; Sizzla shows him through "Fire & Pain"; and the band Flipsyde re-emerge to help Styles "Burn One Down."

Why Nas Will Beat Him: On his new one, Hip Hop Is Dead, Nas' guests include Jay-Z ("Black Republican"), Snoop Dogg ("Play on Playa"), the Game and Floetry's Marsha Ambrosius ("Hustlers"), Will.I.Am ("Hip Hop Is Dead"), Kelis ("Not Going Back"), newcomer Chrisette Michele ("Can't Forget About You," "Hope" and "Still Dreaming") and, last but not least, Kanye West (also on "Still Dreaming").

Trick Daddy's Back by Thug Demand: Chamillionaire, Jaheim, Trey Songz, Trina, Baby, 8Ball and others are helping Trick-Trick celebrate his seventh solo LP. "There are people out there that ain't got nowhere to stay," he said in his most recent press bio. "All they can do is rob or gamble or steal or sell dope. I put people on the level where they can relate and understand what other people go through."

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Because as gritty a concept as Trick Daddy is bringing to the table, Nas' is way more controversial. Hip Hop Is Dead sparked a flurry of debate and outrage before its release, even provoking Ludacris to wear to the BET Hip-Hop Awards a T-shirt that read "Hip-hop is not dead, it lives in the South." Even Nas seems to be taking the other side of the debate on "Hope," which includes the lyric "Hip-hop will never die."

Bow Wow's The Price of Fame: Few rappers have put out five albums before breaking out of their teens, but Bow can now consider himself part of that elite crew. Perhaps to help him grieve over former girlfriend Ciara, who he waxes about on his new effort, the rapper enlisted some help, including Chris Brown and Jermaine Dupri. As a bonus, he doled out signed copies of his album to fans who preordered.

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Nas didn't sign any preorders, but he is gifting early birds who use iTunes with something perhaps even better: an exclusive track called "Shine On!"

DJ Clue's The Professional 3: A Roc-A-Fella co-conspirator for about a decade, the mixtape guru from Queens, New York, sure knows how to attract rap's biggest names. The roster this time around includes Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Juelz Santana, Jadakiss, Swizz Beatz, Paul Wall, Beanie Sigel, Fabolous, Styles P and Kanye West.

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Because even though Clue has been in Jay-Z's good graces for years, it's the man Jay beefed with for years that he's putting all his power behind to promote. Expect Nas' new one to overshadow his labelmate's latest.

Various artists' Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4: T.I. has been dishing In Da Streetz comps since 2002, but finally the mixtape series is getting some extra cred by going retail for its fourth volume. Hoping to piggyback on Tip's five Billboard Awards, the 14-track platter features Young Jeezy ("Top Back" remix), Young Dro ("My Girl"), Yung Joc ("Yeah" remix) and others.

Why Nas Will Beat Them: Those "others" include Xtaci, Alfamega, Macboney and other newcomers. Nas fans, on other hand, won't be distracted by much fresh blood on his new one.

Bullet for My Valentine's "The Poison - Live at Brixton" DVD: The Welsh metalheads have only been around for three years, but they've already proved their salt by selling out the U.K.'s vaunted Brixton Academy for this filmed concert involving 15 cameras. Beyond the live material, there are eight episodes from the band's life-on-the-road "Bullet TV" series, plus an additional hour's worth of videos and more.

Why Nas Will Beat Them: Uh, because it's a rock album?

Neil Young's Living With War - Raw: This limited special edition is boosted by a DVD containing in-the-studio footage for each of the politically charged album's 10 tracks.

Why Nas Will Beat Him: Because it's Nas versus Neil Young.

Song Title of the Week:

"Shortie Like Mine" from Bow Wow's The Price of Fame

New Releases: · Blak Jak - Place Your Bets (Universal Republic) · Bow Wow - The Price of Fame (Sony Urban) [Buy Now] Read: "Bow Wow Fesses Up About Ex-Girlfriend Ciara On December LP" · DJ Clue - The Professional 3 (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) [Buy Now] · Lorraine Hunt Lieberson - Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lierberson: Neruda Songs (Nonesuch) · Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam) [Buy Now] Read: "MTV News Exclusive: Nas Previews Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N" · RBD - Rebels (enhanced; Virgin) [Buy Now] · Styles P - Time Is Money (Ruff Ryders) · Trick Daddy - Back by Thug Demand (Atlantic) [Buy Now] · Various artists - Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4 (Grand Hustle/ Atlantic)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material: · Jerry Lee Lewis - Rockin' With the Killer (Fuel) · Neil Young - Living With War - Raw (limited-edition version with DVD; Reprise) · Various artists - The Ultimate '50s Collection (Fuel)

Music DVDs: · Bullet for My Valentine - "The Poison - Live at Brixton" (Trustkill)

Coming Attractions:

December 26: · Good Charlotte - "Fast Future Generation" DVD (Epic/Daylight) · N.W.A - The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge (deluxe version with DVD also available; Capitol/Priority) [Preorder] · Omarion - 21 (Sony Urban) [Preorder] Read: "Boy To Man: Omarion Grows Up On The 'Personal' 21" · Switchfoot - Oh! Gravity (Columbia) [Preorder] Read: "Life, Death, Social Entropy? Switchfoot Get Weighty On Oh! Gravity" · Various artists - The Family Values Tour 2006 (Firm)

January 2: · Various artists - L-Tunes: Music From and Inspired by "The L-Word" (Columbia) · Carly Simon - Into White (Columbia) · Unwritten Law - The Hit List (Rocket Science) [Preorder]

January 9: · Green Day - 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (enhanced; Reprise) and Kerplunk (Reprise) [Preorder] · Mario - Go! (J) [Preorder] · Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffen) [Preorder]

• Nas
• Styles P
• Trick Daddy
• Bow Wow
• DJ Clue

Sucker Free on MTV: Fall/Winter 2005

• Keyshia Cole
• Lil' Kim
• T.I.
• Game
• Juelz Santana