Eminem
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

With Eminem's presence sorely missed in the hip-hop scene, the least bit of news about him makes fans and media alike go crazy. The latest rumor surrounding the Detroit MC was that he had ballooned to more than 200 pounds. Word on the street is that Slim Fast even came out and publicly offered him an endless supply of its dietary drink — and a spokesman position!

One of Em's friends and frequent collaborators, Trick Trick, says all the joking about Slim Shady not being slim anymore is just ridiculous.

"Em just picked up some weight, that's it," Trick, a fellow Detroit native, downplayed Thursday afternoon. He's nowhere [near] 250 pounds or anything like that. He picked up a little weight. He ain't walkin' around obese or some sh-- though. He can still run two miles if you want him to and still out-box the majority of them. My man still gets down."

Trick says Em getting down isn't just a physical thing — Slim Shady is still lyrically sound and ready to knock off heads. In fact, he is just one of the guests on Trick's upcoming independent LP, The Villain.

"He's still the coldest that ever did it," Trick said. "The game needs his album. He's rapping on [my album track] 'Who Want It.' He's like, 'Who want it?' [In the song] he's hanging out and these f---ing idiots are always at it. If you want it, come get it. He ain't trying to do nothing but be Em. I'm being me. If you want it, I got ya. He's Em on there. He's going for it. Whoever wants some can come get it. Em produced and rapped on it."

Marshall Mathers isn't the only one onboard Trick's LP, though. Em's pal Dr. Dre produced a record called "Hold On."

"The [rhymes] I did over Dre's track, I had to come hard," Trick added. "You can't just rap on a Dr. Dre track, you have to come with it. It has a message, but it's a street message. ... Street cats have to deal with a lot. A lot of people in the music business overlook the streets. You gonna encounter adversity. You can't fall off. You gotta hold on."

According to Trick, however, the most special cut on The Villain — the first single to which, "Let's Work," was just released — is a song called "Together Forever." He says it features the last-ever verse recorded by his friend Proof from D12.

"He did the verse in the studio [here in Detroit]," Trick began. "We went to a [strip] bar, then went to the casino. The next night, we met at a club called [the] Good Life [Lounge,] and he was trying to get me to drink this Patrón. I was like, 'N---a no!' Then we went back to the casino. Then the next night was the night he passed away."

Trick continued, saying that the song, "Together Forever," also features Kid Rock and Esham: "[It's] like the old Run-DMC song [of the same name]. Proof [sounds] old-school [on the song]. Everybody went old-school on it. Kid Rock is rapping too. Proof and E-Sham didn't used to get along, but they made peace. We're all going eight [bars], eight [bars] eight [bars]."

As for the title of his new album, The Villain, Trick said it's pretty self-explanatory.

"I ain't knocking nobody on how they do their music," he said. "But the artists, sometime we tend to sway with the time. It's ok to test the water a little bit, but you gotta give them you. I'm back on that gangster sh---, cuz. I'm not gonna front. I'm talking about that's straight hardcore, raw Detroit gangsta sh--. My album ain't negative, but I got a point of how I do things. People think I'm just wigging out doing this and that, getting in trouble. That ain't the case. I'm breaking down situations; 'if you do this to somebody, this is gonna happen to you.' "

• Eminem
• Dr. Dre
• Trick Trick
• Proof Of D-12
• Kid Rock

Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV News

Snoop Dogg entered a no-contest plea on Wednesday to the felony charges brought against him for sale or transportation of marijuana and illegal possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to five years' probation and will be required to perform 800 hours of community service; a three-year state prison sentence was suspended. The charges stem from the rapper's October arrest at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. "Snoop accepts full responsibility for these matters," his attorney, Donald Etra, said in a statement. "He understands that, while he has every reason to seek security and protection, he cannot have a gun in his own vehicle, and he must only employ licensed security personnel. By the same token, although Snoop possesses a medical marijuana certificate, he recognizes he cannot possess more marijuana than permitted by that law. This was an expedited way of resolving these matters," Etra's statement continued. "It permits Snoop to get back to what he does best, namely, entertaining his fans through his music and films as well as serving his community as coach of his 2,000-member youth football league." ...

Zack de la Rocha will reunite with Tom Morello on Saturday — two weeks before Rage Against the Machine's reunion gig at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival later this month. De la Rocha and Morello will perform together in Chicago as part of the 2007 Coalition of Immokalee Workers Truth Tour. The two will participate in a parade that will make its way through downtown Chicago and return to the city's Federal Plaza for a celebratory rally. ...

Jennifer Lopez stuck up for one of her "American Idol" students on Wednesday (April 11), saying that Simon Cowell's assessment of contestant Haley Scarnato was "brutal" during an interview on Ryan Seacrest's Los Angeles radio show. After Scarnato's Tuesday night performance, Cowell said the contestant's revealing outfit was a smart way to win votes. "I don't think that's what she's doing," Lopez said. ... Proof's life is set to premiere on the big screen one year after the D12 rapper was killed. A documentary called "Time-A-Tell," which provides a look at Detroit's hip-hop scene, will include footage of the rapper in the studio as he worked on new music. "Time-A-Tell" is set to premiere Thursday at 8 p.m. in the GM Theater Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum. ...

The White Stripes have announced additional details about their upcoming Icky Thump album, due June 19. By now, you're already aware of the track list and the upcoming tour surrounding the disc, but did you know that the cover of Thump features a black-and-white photo of Jack and Meg White dressed as a Pearly King and Queen? For those not in the know — which is roughly 98 percent of you — Pearlies are Englishmen and women who dress in traditional cockney costumes, covered in mother-of-pearl beads. It's a manner of dress that dates all the way back to the late 19th century, when street merchants would sew pearls onto their clothing, and it only further expands the Stripes' growing Anglo obsession — the album's title is a play on the Yorkshire slang term "by ecky thump," which is used to express surprise — though that doesn't make it any less confounding. Oh, and also, Thump will apparently feature a song called "I'm Slowly Turning Into You," which, as a Stripes press release tells us, "may be the first song ever written based on a video treatment ... this one is inspired by Michel Gondry." ...

Avril Lavigne will return to "Saturday Night Live" as a musical guest for the third time on Saturday's episode, which will be hosted by Shia LaBeouf. Björk is also heading for an "SNL" third — she's performed once with the Sugarcubes and once solo — on April 21, when Scarlett Johansson will host the show for a second time. ... Paris Hilton told "Extra" that rekindling her friendship with Nicole Richie was as simple as dialing a number. "It was Nicole's birthday and I really missed her, and I just decided to pick up the phone and call her," Hilton said. "We just got together that night, and it was like there was never anything that happened." Despite their very public falling-out, Richie agreed that the two just picked up where they'd left off. "It was weird," she said. "like we had seen each other yesterday." ...

Guns N' Roses have postponed the start of their world tour, set to launch Saturday in Japan, due to an injury suffered by bassist Tommy Stinson. "I accidentally fell down a flight of stairs," he explained in a statement. "I put my hand down to break my fall and heard a loud 'pop.' The next morning my hand looked like a balloon. I went to see my doctor and while the good news is that it's not broken, the bad is news is it's severely sprained and I may have done some ligament damage." The band plans to reschedule whatever gigs they miss due to Stinson's ailment. ... In a March 26 decision made public this week, a New York State justice denied Janet Jackson's request to dismiss a $120 million suit filed against her and New York's Club Marquee after a February 2004 incident at the venue. Plaintiff Leonard Salati claims that he was assaulted at the nightclub by two men that he believed to be bodyguards for Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. New York Supreme Court Justice Rolando T. Acosta's decision also specifies that Jackson will be ordered to answer questions about the incident under oath, noting that the court "grants no exemptions for celebrity status." ...

After decades of shielding their private lives, the Jackson family is getting into the reality TV business, according to Variety. Unfortunately for nosy fans, the show in question isn't a tell-all, but an "American Idol"-style singing competition and instead of Michael and Janet Jackson sitting on the judges' panel, it will be siblings Jermaine, Tito and LaToya. The "Pop Dynasty" show will search for a new superstar singing family along the lines of the Jacksons, with segments that will explore the personal dynamics of the contestants sibling relationships. ... Willa Ford has been cast as Anna Nicole Smith in the independent film "Anna Nicole," Variety reports. The biopic is scheduled to begin filming next week. ...

Germs drummer Don Boles, who was jailed last week after police detected drugs in a bottle of soap found in his car during a traffic stop in Newport Beach, California, now has the soap manufacturer in his corner. The Los Angeles Times reports that Boles, who was pulled over for a broken taillight, was arrested on suspicion of felony narcotics possession after a field test detected date-rape drug GHB in the contents of a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Executives at Dr. Bronner's hired an attorney to represent Boles on Monday. Company president David Bronner said that because the soap contains hemp oil, a test may detect THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), but called evidence of GHB "beyond belief," speculating that the test "must have been flawed or tampered with." Bronner said he does not believe that Boles was using the soap to carry the drug because the drummer would be foolish to lie about that when the Orange County Crime Lab is doing a definitive test of the bottle's contents.

04.10.2007

Snoop Dogg will be arraigned Wednesday morning on felony charges of sale or transportation of marijuana and possession of a firearm, the Los Angeles County Superior Court confirmed to MTV News Tuesday (April 10). The charges stem from the rapper's October arrest at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. ...

A Bahamian judge ruled Tuesday that Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby, Dannielynn, CNN reports. A DNA test made the confirmation with 99.9 percent certainty. The deceased model's former boyfriend says he hopes to have custody of the child soon, and Howard K. Stern — Smith's lawyer and former companion, who she listed as the father of Dannielynn on the child's birth certificate — said he endorses Birkhead as the father. ...

Jennifer Lopez tells MTV Tr3s that creating her Spanish-language album Como Ama una Mujer changed her perspective — and may impact what you hear on her next English-language LP. "I have a totally different way of approaching the music now," she explained. "What I will do, what I won't do, making sure it's stuff I believe in. ... In that sense, it's helped me grow. So hopefully that will be reflected in the English album. And I think it is. This is the same type [of music] — dance, R&B, funk — but hopefully with that new kind of growth that happened from that last album." Lopez will be the "American Idol" guest mentor on Tuesday for the show's Latin-theme night. ...

Carrie Underwood certainly has more people vying for her attention after winning "American Idol" and selling millions of albums, but she's still a little lonely. "I'm not saying I want to get married tomorrow," she explained in the May issue of Cosmopolitan, "but I'd like to have someone other than my mom to call when I have good news." Underwood said there's a good reason that she's alone. "Guys who would never look at me twice before might ask me out now, so I guess I have better opportunities. But when I do meet a guy, there's this 'Does he just want his picture in a magazine?' factor." ...

Kelis is defending her recent behavior at a gay dance bash dubbed "The White Party" that took place in Palm Springs, California, over the weekend. Responding to allegations that Kelis demanded her payment up front and didn't want to do a soundcheck or rehearsal before performing, spokeswoman Tracy Nguyen said in a statement, "Allegations of diva behavior by Kelis at the recent White Party are completely untrue. There were many missteps behind the scenes which created a less than suitable environment for any artist to perform. Because of her love for her fans, Kelis made the decision to take the stage, against any advice not to do so." ...

Looks like Ozzy Osbourne will have his new album good to go in time for Ozzfest. The Ozzman has set May 22 as the release date for Black Rain, his first slate of new studio material in six years. He has set aside "I Don't Wanna Stop" as the first single for the LP, which will also feature "Thank God for the Almighty Dollar," "Civilize the Universe" and "Countdown's Begun." Track samples are being streamed at Ozzy.com. ... Deftones are heading out on a U.S. headlining tour that kicks off May 11 in Mesa, Arizona. Dir en Grey join the tour as a support act beginning with the June 6 show in Providence, Rhode Island, while Fall of Troy will open all dates. The trek is currently scheduled to make 33 stops, in cities including Dallas, New Orleans, Cleveland, New York, Detroit, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. The run concludes June 28 in Los Angeles. ...

Johnny Cash's Hendersonville, Tennessee, home was destroyed by fire on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. Cash and his wife June Carter Cash lived in the historic lakeside house from the 1960s until their deaths in 2003. "So many prominent things and prominent people in American history took place in that house — everyone from Billy Graham to Bob Dylan went into that house," Cash collaborator and neighbor Marty Stuart told the news service. The cause of the fire is unknown. ... Is Jim Morrison's rap sheet about to grow shorter? A cable-TV producer from Dayton, Ohio, has written to Florida Governor Charlie Crist asking for the late Doors singer to be pardoned for exposing himself at a concert in Miami 38 years ago, AP reports. "We'd just like to see where we get to a point to let Morrison be judged because of the music and poetry and not be judged because of this Miami case," Dave Diamond said of Morrison, who was born in Melbourne, Florida. Crist — an alumnus of Florida State, which Morrison also attended — said he is "certainly willing to review" the request. ...

Eighteen Visions have thrown in the towel. "We have been a band for a very long time and feel good about everything we were able to accomplish," the band said in a statement. "At this point in our lives and our careers, we feel it's time to move on to something fresh and new — whether it be music, touring or just being at home to live and enjoy life." The band has planned two farewell gigs scheduled for April 19 in San Diego and April 20 in Anaheim, California. ... Guitarist Jona Weinhofen is moving on from the disbanded I Killed the Prom Queen to replace guitarist Scott Danough in Bleeding Through. "We felt that we had grown apart and it was time for both parties to move on," Bleeding Through said in a statement. "We wish [Danough] the best. We are already writing new material and looking forward to our next tour, which will be in Canada." ...

Former "You Hear It First" artists the Fratellis are hitting the gas with the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for select dates on the latter band's spring tour. First the Fratellis will play six shows without BRMC — from April 26 at New York's Irving Plaza through May 4 at Scottsdale, Arizona's Martini Ranch. Then the two parties will link up for seven shows, from a May 5 gig in Tempe, Arizona, through a May 13 show in Seattle. ... MxPx, Hawk Nelson, the Classic Crime, Sullivan and the Fold will be featured on all dates of the Tooth & Nail Tour. The trek launches May 1 in Seattle and runs six weeks, wrapping up June 11 in Salt Lake City. Project 86 and Run Kid Run will play select shows on the tour. ... The Meat Puppets have recorded their first album in over a decade. The LP, due July 17, will feature guitarist/singer Curt Kirkwood and his brother, bassist Cris Kirkwood, and has been titled Rise to Your Knees. The band also has a handful of tour dates scheduled, beginning with a fan-only event set for May 14 in San Diego, followed by shows in West Hollywood, California (May 15); San Francisco (May 16); Portland, Oregon (May 18); Seattle (May 19); Salt Lake City (May 21); and Boulder, Colorado (May 23).

• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Snoop Dogg
• Rage Against the Machine
• Proof Of D-12
• The White Stripes
• Avril Lavigne

JoJo celebrates her 16th birthday with "Seventeen" magazine
Photo: MTV News

Think your 16th birthday was sweet? JoJo got the royal treatment Thursday night when Seventeen threw a bash for her at the boutique Carnaval in New York's East Village. The event was also held to honor the pop prodigy for gracing the magazine's prom issue cover. Her fans, along with a fab fashionista — Heatherette designer Richie Rich — sang "Happy Birthday" as she blew out the candles on four raspberry-and-chocolate-vanilla mousse cakes. On Friday night (December 15), JoJo will hit the stage at Z100's Jiggle Ball at Madison Square Garden. ...

(Check out pics from JoJo's b-day bash right here.)

A Los Angeles police officer who filed a lawsuit claiming sexual misconduct against a former deputy chief is also charging she was targeted by the same official after he allegedly confiscated her computer containing critical information about the investigation of the Notorious B.I.G. murder case. According to the Los Angeles Times, a probe has been launched by the internal investigation arm of the Los Angeles Police Department to look into both matters. Attorney Bradley Gage, who is representing Sergeant Ya-May Christle in her case, is also one of several lawyers who sued the city and police department on behalf of the estate of the late rapper. Police Chief William J. Bratton issued a statement saying his precinct will comply with the investigation and turn over all relevant documents requested. ...

The final album recorded by D12's Proof, Time a Tell, will be released next year, according to The Detroit News. The 18-track effort by the rapper, who was killed during a dispute at a Detroit nightclub on April 11, was written and recorded in a single day in January. The LP will be released via Iron Fist Records, the label founded by Proof. ... Ex-Phish major-domo Trey Anastasio is facing a variety of charges after a police officer pulled him over early Friday morning in a town in upstate New York near the Vermont border, The Associated Press reports. Police are charging him with possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated and — because he was driving with a suspended license — third-degree aggravated unlicensed vehicle operation. Police found painkillers and an anti-anxiety drug that was prescribed to someone else in his vehicle. Anastasio was released and will appear in court at a later date. ...

In just 35 minutes, Muse sold all 150,000 tickets to the massive concert they have planned for London's Wembley Stadium on June 16. An additional 42,000 tickets have been sold for the recently added show to be held the following day at the same venue. Muse are the first band announced to play Wembley since it was rebuilt. ... The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour was the highest-grossing one of the year, according to Billboard. Tickets for the trek, which started in August 2005 and lasted until November 25, 2006, amounted to about $437 million. Second was Madonna, whose Confessions tour made $195 million and was the top-grossing trek ever by a female artist. ... The Nintendo Wii has been a smashing success, but not in the way the company had intended. After a rash of reports of the straps breaking on the wandlike game controllers, causing them to fly off user's hands and smashing TV screens, Nintendo announced Friday that it would recall and replace 3.2 million straps for the unit's controllers. According to AP, the worldwide recall will replace the current slim strap with a beefier one, costing the company several million dollars. ...

Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson recently donated 36 electric guitars to Little Kids Rock, a program providing free instruments and instruction for public school students. Delson hand-delivered the guitars to Los Angeles' Nightingale Middle School. ... The Roots — who were recently nominated for two Grammys — are heading to South Africa for the first time as part of their ongoing world tour. The group is taking an unusual approach, following its Thursday performance on a flatbed truck in Johannesburg with shows in Cape Town on Friday and Durbin on Saturday. In February, the Roots will come back to North America for a three-month outing with Lupe Fiasco. That jaunt begins February 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and concludes with a two-night stand in Philadelphia on April 3-4. The collective is off to Australia after that. ...

The Internet was atwitter late Thursday night thanks to one phone number: (866) NEON-BIBLE. Why? That's the way the Arcade Fire chose to debut "Intervention" — the first song from their hotly anticipated new album, due in March on Merge Records. Fans who called the toll-free number were greeted with the sound of a creaky organ followed by a voice telling them to enter extension 7777 to hear "an important message from the founders of the Neon Bible program." After dialing the extension, "Intervention" — which has been a staple of the band's live set for a few years — plays. Influential BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe played the song on the air Thursday night. Friday morning, several music blogs began, um, "reporting" that the Arcade Fire's new album will be called Neon Bible — though a spokesperson for Merge told MTV News there is no album title yet, and the band is still mastering the record in London. ...

Ozzy Osbourne fans can expect to see the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness on tour this spring, wife and manager Sharon Osbourne said during a recent appearance on the "Dr. Phil" show. Ozzy has been working on a pair of albums, the first due in February. The second will serve as the soundtrack to his long-in-the-works musical about Russian monk Grigori Rasputin. ... Meanwhile, Jack Osbourne is among the stars of the new CBS reality series "Armed & Famous," which follows five celebrities through the police academy and on patrol in Muncie, Indiana. "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada, "Jackass" wild man Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña, La Toya Jackson and WWE wrestler Trish Stratus are also featured. ...

Stephen Colbert and Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk will compete in a guitar solo contest on "The Colbert Report" on Wednesday. The contest stems from a feud Colbert started when he accused the band of riding his coattails with a contest that asked fans to contribute animated footage for the Decemberists' new video. ... They Might Be Giants, Harry Shearer ("The Simpsons," "For Your Consideration") and "Late Show With David Letterman" musical director Paul Shaffer are among those converging at New York's Canal Room on Friday for Judith Owen and Harry Shearer's Holiday Sing-Along, put on by Shearer and his wife. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Tipitina's Foundation to aid the rebuilding of New Orleans' music culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

12.14.2006

Rihanna, Ludacris and KT Tunstall have been added to ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007." All three acts will perform at Nokia Theatre Times Square in New York. In the meantime, Lady Sovereign has hopped onto the roster for "MTV Goes Gold: New Year's Eve 2007," for which she'll join other performers Nas, Gwen Stefani, Ciara and more. The show airs live December 31 at 11 p.m. ET, with a tape delay on the West Coast. And last but not least, Ruben Studdard is playing a free New Year's Eve show in Hawaii. The Honolulu Symphony will join the "American Idol" winner for the event, dubbed Gospel Goes Classic. ...

Kelis hosted Trace magazine's 10-year anniversary bash Wednesday night at Room Service nightclub in Manhattan. The R&B vixen was joined by her husband Nas, "Project Runway" winner Jay McCarroll and current Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera as they all toasted to the cultural mag reaching its diamond mark. Kelis, Snoop Dogg, supermodel Iman and Mya are set to appear in Trace's 10-year anniversary issue. ...

Harry Potter has a home in Georgia after all, The Associated Press reports. On Thursday (December 14), the state's Board of Education upheld a Gwinnett County school board decision denying a mother's request to have the volumes removed from library shelves. "It's mainstreaming witchcraft in a subtle and deceptive manner, in a children-friendly format," said Laura Mallory, the mother in question. She might challenge the board's ruling. ... Trick Daddy is hosting Christmas toy drives in Miami on the next two Saturdays in conjunction with his Trick Luvs Da Kids Foundation. Pitbull will also be in attendance. ...

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt aren't done adopting children, the actress told "Good Morning America" on Thursday, according to AP. "Now the questions are more when you have a mixed-race family, do you balance the races so there's another African person in the house for Z? So there's another Asian person in the house for Mad?" Jolie said, referencing Zahara and Maddox, two of the couple's three children. ... Katt Williams pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon and was sentenced to three years of probation on Thursday, AP reports. The Los Angeles judge also told him to pay restitution but gave him credit for the three days he spent in jail early last month. ...

Taking Back Sunday have recorded a version of "12 Days of Christmas" for AOL Sessions. A fan-made animated video is also circulating. ... Editors have released an EP of remixed tracks from The Back Room exclusively on iTunes. The U.K. rockers are currently recording their proper follow-up. ... The ultra-rare copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico that was "won" by a hoax bid last week is about to be up for auction on eBay once again. The LP, which was to be sold for $155,000, was expected to be back on the site Thursday afternoon. ...

After months of legal wrangling, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that "Alpha Dog" — a crime thriller starring Justin Timberlake — can be released in theaters January 12 despite objections from murder suspect Jesse James Hollywood, on whom the movie is based. According to The Hollywood Reporter, an attorney for Hollywood said he will file an appeal on the ruling based on his belief that releasing the film will make it impossible for his client to get a fair trial. The film, which also stars Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, changes the characters' names, but Hollywood's attorney is concerned that the big-screen retelling of his client's alleged kidnapping and murder of California teen Nicholas Markowitz over a $1,200 drug debt could taint a jury pool. ...

According to a post written on Nine Inch Nails' Web site, not only is Trent Reznor hard at work on a new NIN album, but it's "possible" he's finished already. "We begin mixing in January," Reznor wrote on NIN.com. "Juggling fifteen all-new tracks around. Testing sequences. No leftovers from [2005's] With Teeth. Highly conceptual. Quite noisy. F---ing cool." ... Less than a week after an album's worth of demos she recorded as a gift for her pal Dave Sitek were leaked to the Internet, Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O has weighed in on the situation. Her take: "Sh-- happens." Writing on the YYYs' site, O took the high road — as opposed to Sitek, who practically wished karmic castration on those responsible for the leak of the KO at Home album. She said she felt "a little grossed out" by the idea of her song sketches hitting various file-sharing sites but shrugged the whole thing off and even ended her post with some advice for curious fans. "If you happen to get your mits on one of those old demos ... my personal favorites and the only ones I would have released for anyone to enjoy [are] 'Pumpkin' and 'Snakes and Worms,' " she wrote. "The rest I would have pitched or buried." ...

Slash and Chris Robinson were among the guests who popped up onstage with Jet at a Los Angeles club show over the weekend. Former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones also took part in the show, which ended in an all-star jam of the Faces' "Ooh La La." ... Army of Anyone will headline the 2007 installment of the annual SnoCore Tour, which kicks off in Houston on January 18. Hurt have been tapped to open. Dates are currently scheduled through February 8 in Hartford, Connecticut, with a full run of shows to be announced in the coming weeks. ... Hinder have rolled out a whole host of tour dates for the coming year. Two dozen stops have been scheduled from January 13 in Ketchum, Idaho, through February 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Black Stone Cherry and Finger Eleven will open on most of the dates. ...

Yoko Ono alleges that her chauffeur threatened to release private audiotapes and photographs and to kill her and her son, Sean Lennon, if she didn't give him $2 million, The New York Times reports. Koral Karsan, 50, who worked for Ono for 10 years, was arrested at his home in Amityville, New York, on Wednesday and was charged with attempted grand larceny, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Following his arrest, Karsan claimed that Ono had fabricated the charges to stop a sexual harassment suit. Police said the charges followed a confrontation with Ono in her apartment on Friday, in which Karsan presented Ono with a list of his complaints along with a photo of her in her pajamas and a tape that contained her "personal opinions on people and events." During a meeting on Tuesday, Karsan met with Ono's lawyer and allegedly demanded $2 million and threatened to kill Ono, Sean Lennon and himself if his demands were not met.

• JoJo Celebrates Her 16th Birthday With "Seventeen" Magazine
• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• JoJo
• Proof Of D-12
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Muse
• Linkin Park

Proof
Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

The bouncer who fatally shot Proof in April was set free Thursday (October 26) in Detroit.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Vera Massey Jones sentenced 28-year-old Mario Etheridge to time served and a $2,000 fine after being convicted last month of carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm in a dwelling or occupied structure, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Etheridge, who has been in jail since the April 11 incident at the CCC Club, faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the weapon possession and four years for the discharging (see "Man Who Shot Proof Found Guilty Of Two Weapons Charges"). He had no prior record.

The bouncer shot Proof after the D12 rapper shot Etheridge's cousin, Keith Bender Jr., who died one week later. Etheridge was not tried for homicide because Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy opted not to pursue murder charges against him (see "Prosecutor Says Proof's Slaying Was Justified").

• Proof Of D-12

D12's Proof
Photo: Appio

Mario Etheridge, the man who fatally shot D12 rapper Proof during a bar fight in April, was found guilty on two weapons charges Wednesday after a three-day trial — during which witnesses gave sometimes conflicting accounts of what happened at the CCC Club in Detroit that night.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Etheridge, 28, was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and of discharging a firearm in a building, a felony with a maximum penalty of four years in prison (see "Detroit Prosecutor Says Proof's Killer Sparked Fatal April Gunfight").

Etheridge was not on trial for homicide because Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy opted not to pursue murder charges against him (see "Prosecutor Says Proof's Slaying Was Justified"). Worthy said Etheridge, a bouncer at the after-hours nightclub, acted in self-defense on the night of April 11 when he shot Proof (born Deshaun Holton), 32, who had shot Etheridge's cousin Keith Bender Jr. in the face following an argument over a pool game (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club" and "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies").

"No one can calm a violent situation down by introducing a weapon," Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Elizabeth Walker said, according to the Free Press. "Today's verdict proves this. Sadly, there are still two dead people and that is tragic."

The jury in the case was told that Etheridge was involved in two shooting incidents at the club that night. In the first, he fired two shots into the ceiling in an attempt to stop a fight between Proof and Bender, and in the second he shot Proof.

Etheridge will be sentenced on October 17. Because he has no prior convictions, he may not necessarily face prison time, the Free Press reported.

• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Proof Of D-12

Proof
Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage.com

Opening arguments were presented on Monday inside Michigan's Wayne County Circuit Court in the trial of Mario Etheridge, the man accused in the April 11 shooting death of D12 rapper Proof during a heated altercation at Detroit's CCC nightclub.

While Etheridge was not charged with Proof's slaying, he is standing trial on felony weapons charges, and prosecutors placed some of the blame for the fatal shootout in the 28-year-old bouncer's hands.

According to police, Proof, who was born DeShaun Holton, shot Keith Bender Jr. in the face following an argument inside the after-hours club. Police claim Bender's cousin, Etheridge, who was working security at the club that night, responded by shooting Proof — who was 32 years old at the time of his death — once in the head and twice in the chest. Proof was pronounced dead not long after the incident, and Bender, who was 35, clung to life for one week before his passing (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club" and "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies").

The Detroit Free Press reports that Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Walker told jurors on Monday that Proof and Bender had been fistfighting inside the club, but that it was Etheridge who escalated the situation by bringing guns into the mix when he fired two rounds at the ceiling to quash the fracas. Not long after, Proof pulled out a gun and fired on Bender, she said.

Etheridge's attorney, Randall Upshaw, countered that his client was trying to protect the club's patrons when he fired at the ceiling — and later, at Proof, according to the Free Press.

Etheridge was charged on April 14 with carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a dwelling or occupied structure, both felonies (see "Proof Shooting Suspect Charged — But Not With Murder"). If convicted, he faces up to nine years behind bars. Prosecutors declined to pursue murder charges against Etheridge, finding that he had acted in self-defense and in defense of his fallen cousin (see "Prosecutor Says Proof's Slaying Was Justified").

Four witnesses to the incident were called to testify on Monday and Tuesday; three of them appeared to struggle with recalling the night's events and statements they had made to police in the wake of the shooting. All, though, agreed that Proof first fought with another man before engaging Bender. The witnesses also testified that Proof had spent the night traveling from bar to bar, drinking heavily and getting into arguments, according to the Free Press.

One witness, Andre Boyd, told the court that Proof's first argument was heated, and then recounted how the rapper later fought with Bender. He also said that a large man, who he failed to identify as Etheridge, shot three rounds at the ceiling.

Tony Watkins, who identified himself as Proof's roommate and personal assistant, testified that he has no idea how Proof got the gun he used to shoot Bender, adding that the only gun he knew was present was located in a car parked outside the club and belonged to a member of the rapper's entourage that evening. The Free Press reports that Watkins claimed Bender and Proof were pulled apart before the fighting intensified, but that matters were made worse when Bender "took an open swing at [Proof]." Bender's fingertip, Watkins explained, brushed across Proof's forehead, and "that's when Proof got into a rage trying to get at the guy."

Testimony was expected to continue Wednesday morning (September 20), and closing arguments could come as early as Wednesday afternoon.

Last month, Bender's family filed a lawsuit against Proof's estate. The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, claims Proof is liable for attacking and critically wounding Bender during the April incident (see "Proof Liable For Shooting Death, Lawsuit Claims").

• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Proof Of D-12

Proof
Photo: Jay Morel

It has been four months since D12's Proof was killed outside a Detroit nightclub during an early morning shooting incident that also claimed the life of Army veteran Keith Bender Jr. Now Bender's family has taken legal action against the late rapper's estate.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the suit was filed Tuesday in Michigan's Wayne County Circuit Court, and seeks an undisclosed amount in damages.

The filing states that Proof, who was 32 at the time of his death, is liable for attacking and critically wounding Bender during an April 11 fight at the CCC Club along Detroit's Eight Mile Road (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club").

Proof sustained a gunshot wound to the head during the incident and died that morning. Bender, who police say was shot in the face by Proof during the altercation, died April 18, following a week on life support (see "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies").

An earlier lawsuit filed by Bender's family was dismissed, the Free Press reports (see "Proof's Estate Sued By Shooting Victim's Family"). The suit filed Tuesday claims that Proof was known to carry weapons and had a history of criminal acts of violence. It states that the two men started fighting inside the club, but things escalated when Proof allegedly drew a gun and shot Bender.

According to police, Proof then stood over Bender and pointed his gun at the fallen man as if he were going to fire off another round. That's when one of the club's bouncers, Mario Etheridge, pulled out a gun and shot twice at the ceiling before turning the gun on the rapper.

Etheridge, Bender's cousin, was charged three days after the shooting with weapons violations but not with Proof's homicide. In late May, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said that Etheridge acted in his cousin's defense and would not face murder charges related to the shootout (see "Prosecutor Says Proof's Slaying Was Justified").

David Gorosh, a lawyer who had represented Proof in the past, could not be reached for comment.

• Proof Of D-12

Proof
Photo: Interscope

Eminem is continuing to pay tribute to his friend, late D12 member and Detroit rap ambassador Proof.

Em and the rest of the Shady Records family have set up BigProof4Ever.com, where T-shirts and a poster bearing Proof's likeness and the words "Big Proof Forever 1973-2006" are being sold (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club"). The shirts and poster are designed by graphic artist Shepard Fairey, who started his anti-authority Obey Giant campaign in the 1980s. All proceeds from the Web site go to the Big Proof Forever Foundation, an organization that will benefit Proof's five children.

The site also features some of the words Eminem spoke at his friend's funeral (see "Eminem, Obie Trice Speak At Packed Funeral For Proof").

"Right now, there's a lot of people focusing on the way he died," Eminem says in one clip from the April service. "I want to remember the way he lived. Proof was funny, he was smart, he was charming. He inspired everyone around him. He can never, ever be replaced. He was, and always will be, my best friend."

Proof was shot and killed on April 11 at a Detroit after-hours club by Mario Etheridge after an argument between Proof and Etheridge's cousin, Keith Bender, turned violent. Police say Proof killed Bender during the incident (see "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies"). In May, a Detroit prosecutor said Etheridge, who was a bouncer at the CCC nightclub where Proof was shot, acted in his cousin's defense (see "Prosecutor Says Proof's Slaying Was Justified").

• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Eminem
• Proof Of D-12

Proof
Photo: Eddie Malluk/ Wireimage.com

Two men were charged Sunday with the killing of Gerald Rosic Gadie, the 31-year-old Detroit man who drove Proof to the hospital after the rapper was fatally shot April 11, the Detroit Free Press reports. Gadie was found dead in the basement of his home on May 27. Police say he was shot in an apparent dispute over 20 pounds of marijuana and $7,000 that had been stolen from him earlier that month. John Henry Williams II and Corey Frazier were arraigned on charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during a felony. If found guilty of first-degree murder, the men face mandatory life sentences without parole. ...

Only weeks after giving birth to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie has revealed to CNN's Anderson Cooper that she and Brad Pitt are planning to adopt again, The Associated Press reports. "We're looking at different countries. It's gonna be the balance of what would be best for Mad and for Z right now," she told Cooper, referencing her two other adopted children, Zahara (who the couple adopted from Ethiopia) and Maddox (Cambodia). ...

Good news for Justin Timberlake fans: Jive Records has announced the name and release date of the singer's second solo LP. FutureSex/LoveSounds is due September 12, and Timberlake plans to preview the album with a U.S. club tour in August. Venues and dates are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. The first single from Timberlake's second solo LP will be "SexyBack," a track co-written and co-produced by Timberlake, Timbaland and Nate Hills. The song will hit radio July 7. ...

In other big release-date news, Audioslave's third LP, Revelations, has been scheduled for a September 5 in-store date. The effort was recorded at Los Angeles' Henson Studios with producer Brendan O'Brien (Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden) and will feature a dozen tracks: "Revelations," "One and the Same," "Sound of a Gun," "Until We Fall," "Original Fire," "Broken City," "Somedays," "Shape of Things to Come," "Jewel of the Summertime," "Wide Awake," "Nothing Left to Say but Goodbye" and "Moth." ...

The New Jack Swing Reunion Tour rolled into New York at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, with headliners Guy breaking out old dance moves like the running man and classic hits like "Groove Me" and "I Like." While Guy performed as their best-known lineup, groups Tony Toni Toné and Blackstreet hit the stage with revamped rosters featuring a couple of new members. ... Two unreleased songs will appear on The Ultimate Luther Vandross, according to AP. "Shine" was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and "Got You Home" will also accompany the single-disc collection, due August 22. ...

Bruce Willis is the latest celebrity to sue the paparazzi. The actor filed a defamation suit Monday against a photographer who said Willis attacked him outside a restaurant in Los Angeles earlier this month, according to AP. Willis is seeking no less than $1 million in general, special and consequential damages, plus later-to-be-determined punitive damages. ... A screenwriter's lawsuit against George Clooney and Warner Bros. was dismissed by a judge in Paris Monday, AP reports. Stephanie Vergniault had claimed that one of her scripts had been plagiarized for "Syriana," but the judge disagreed. ...

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have headed back Down Under, but this isn't just an ordinary homecoming. "We are very happy to be back in Australia," the couple said in a joint statement, before revealing: "We have come home to celebrate our wedding with our family and friends." ... The presence of one of President Bush's twin daughters at a Radiohead concert at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York last week has frontman Thom Yorke fuming. In a post to Radiohead's blog, "Dead Air Space," Yorke wrote that the concert was interrupted for several fans thanks to six Secret Service Agents, who cleared a path for the first daughter's exit and "manhandled ... some poor soul." Yorke wrote that the incident left the band with a multiple-choice quandary. "I don't know whether we should be A. honored; B. amused; C. bemused; D. ask if she had a valid ticket; E. object belatedly on moral grounds; F. ask again if she had a ticket and question whether this [is] really what our gigs are about; G. don't blame the daughter for the father; H. shut up and smile." ...

He'll hit the big screen with Game on Friday in "Waist Deep," but Tyrese Gibson currently has a real-life drama on his hands. "Last week, 17 potential songs that were supposed to be released on my upcoming double album Alter Ego — some tracks with me rhyming and some new R&B songs — were stolen from my Headquarter Entertainment offices," Tyrese said in a statement. "These songs not only have been stolen, but they have been leaked on the Internet as well." Tyrese, who says he's working on "getting to the bottom" of the theft, explained that the unfinished tracks have not been mixed and aren't ready for release. "As an artist I feel violated and disrespected." He still plans to have the double LP — featuring one R&B disc and one rap disc — out this fall. ...

Snoop Dogg was joined onstage by "American Idol" title holder Taylor Hicks Saturday, during a performance at Birmingham, Alabama's City Stages festival, The Birmingham News reports. Hicks played the harmonica on "Gin and Juice" and rolled out his famed dance moves with a second appearance later in Snoop's set. ... Previously unreleased tunes from Fall Out Boy, Audioslave, Rob Zombie, Nickelback, Wolfmother, Yellowcard, Mötley Crüe and Papa Roach will be featured on the soundtrack for the upcoming videogame "FlatOut 2," which will be released for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC in August. ...

During a press conference preceding their performance at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds in Estonia on Tuesday, Metallica's James Hetfield said that the songwriting sessions for the group's forthcoming album are "coming along exactly as [they] should. We're not rushing too much. [We're] taking our time. We want this to be just really good. We have a lot of material, which is better than the other way around. We're going to be [at it] a little while. Rick Rubin is the producer, who's done very amazing things with people. So we're pretty excited about his input." Drummer Lars Ulrich recently told BBC Radio 1 that the band's new album's going to be in stores in the summer or early fall of 2007. "I think we've realized that the creative process works a little slower for us than it used to, and we're OK with that," he said. "It's not a bad thing, unless, of course, you're waiting for a record." ...

The reunited Alice in Chains have booked three additional U.S. gigs, adding shows in Del Mar, California (August 18); Kelseyville, California (August 20); and Mansfield, Massachusetts (as part of Locobazooka! radio fest on August 23). Sony Legacy will release the two-disc The Essential Alice In Chains on July 25. The collection will feature 28 tracks, including "Man in the Box," "Rain When I Die," "Heaven Beside You" and "Would?" ... Camp Freddy, the Los Angeles-based covers band that features former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and Velvet Revolver's Matt Sorum and Scott Weiland, will be playing a gig in Las Vegas on July 1, with Navarro's new band, the Panic Channel. ...

Iron Maiden have named their forthcoming album. A Matter of Life and Death, recorded with producer Kevin Shirley (H.I.M., Rocket From the Crypt) at Sarm West Studios in London, should hit stores in early September. Shirley said he feels "incredibly privileged to have been around to see this album born and breathe life. There have been only a couple of occasions in my career when the entire process of recording felt so complete — and it is on display here." Frontman Bruce Dickinson is also psyched about the LP, commenting that the effort contains "such a wide scope of musicianship ... and in parts, this album is truly epic. Every one of us has put everything into this record and it's really paid off. However we've had such fun making it that it's almost difficult to believe what we've managed to achieve in the time it took." Look for the album to feature 10 tracks, including "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns," "Out of the Shadows" and "For the Greater Good of God." ...

First, the European leg of the Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang tour survived a rescheduling due to guitarist Keith Richards' brain surgery. Now, fellow guitarist Ron Wood has checked into a London rehab clinic for treatment of alcohol abuse — but that won't alter the tour's planned relaunch on July 11 in Milan, Italy, according to a Reuters report. The Stones' spokesperson confirmed that Wood, 59, checked into a facility this week, but would be ready to perform with the band in Milan. ... Toronto "gay church folk" ensemble the Hidden Cameras will release their third record Awoo on September 19 on Broken Social Scene's Arts & Crafts label. The 13-track disc features the tracks "Death of a Tune," "Hump From Bending" and "The Waning Moon." A North American fall tour is in the works. ... Scottish indie-pop outfit Camera Obscura are coming across the pond in support of their third disc, Let's Get Out of This Country. The 22-date tour begins July 4 in Toronto and wraps up July 30 in Newport, Kentucky. ... Rudy Ray Moore, one of the Original Kings of Comedy, has been hospitalized. The 80-year-old Moore, a.k.a. Dolemite, is in the intensive-care unit of a hospital in Inglewood, California, as he battles "a serious undisclosed illness," according to a press release. ...

06.16.2006

Britney Spears has a plan to combat reports in the tabloid media: "I need to come up with my own magazine and say the real deal," the singer told Matt Lauer in an interview that aired on "Today" and "Dateline NBC" Thursday. With Sean Preston, a baby on the way and her music career to stay on top of, a foray into publishing is unlikely to happen, but Spears is venting about the press anyway. "I can't go anywhere without someone judging me," the tearful singer said, adding that the February incident in which she was photographed driving with then-4-month-old son Sean Preston on her lap was not a big deal. "I did it with my dad. I'd sit on his lap and I'd drive. We're country." And the time she tripped with Sean in her arms and ended up on the cover of the New York Post? "Accidents happen!" she responded. "There will be plenty more oopses. I'm not perfect. I'm human." Despite reports that her marriage is in trouble, the singer called Kevin Federline an "amazing" husband. "He cares so much and his heart is awesome." Spears said. She also credited Federline with helping her cope while she deals with the pressures of being in the public eye. "I'm an emotional wreck right now." ...

Look out, Beyoncé: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have their eyes on you. The animal-rights group secretly placed a winning bid to an eBay auction that granted the victor a dinner with the singer, according to The Associated Press. At the dinner Wednesday in New York, members of PETA approached a reportedly shocked Knowles about using fur coats in her clothing line, although they were eventually booted from the restaurant. ...

Snow Patrol have realigned their 2006 tour schedule after it was put on hold due to singer Gary Lightbody's severe throat problems. The band will play Boston's Bank of America Pavilion on August 15, after which it'll kick off a full-fledged jaunt September 6 in Atlanta. The fun ends September 28 at San Diego's House of Blues. ... Prince surprised outdoor music lovers in Brooklyn, New York, Thursday night, showing up for a cameo at Maceo Parker's show at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Even Parker — a saxophonist and longtime James Brown collaborator who joined Prince on his Musicology tour — wasn't expecting the very special guest, The New York Times reports. ...

John Mayer and Sheryl Crow are joining forces for a tour that kicks off August 24 in Pittsburgh. The 27-date tour will make stops in cities including Boston, Cincinnati, Seattle, Denver, San Diego and Houston before wrapping up October 12 in Tampa, Florida. ... The July 14 date on this summer's Ozzfest, which was scheduled to take place at the Float-Rite Park in Somerset, Wisconsin, has been canceled. The Ozzfest camp didn't give a reason for nixing the date. ... Heavens, the side project of Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba and F-Minus bassist Joe Steinbrick, will release their LP, Patent Pending, September 12. The Epitaph release will feature "Counting," "Dead End Girl" and "True Hate." ...

Pixies frontman Frank Black has lined up a handful of solo dates for August, giving him a chance to headline his own shows in between opening for the Foo Fighters on their acoustic trek. Black will hit the road August 9 in Salt Lake City and swing through Indianapolis; Omaha, Nebraska; Santa Cruz, California; and Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The tour wraps up August 31 in Sacramento, California. Black's Fast Man/ Raider Man double-disc drops Tuesday. ... Sensitive rockers Rainer Maria have announced plans for an extensive U.S. tour in support of their fifth studio album, Catastrophe Keeps Us Together. The 36-date trek kicks off July 14 in Phoenix and runs until September 1 in San Diego. The Format will headline all dates, except for an August 5 gig at Lollapalooza. Catastrophe hit stores in April. ...

On Friday (June 16), a Manhattan judge issued an arrest warrant for Boy George after the troubled singer didn't show up in court, AP reports. George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was supposed to explain why he wants to change his sentence for falsely reporting to the police that his apartment had been burglarized. After O'Dowd made the false claim in March, police discovered cocaine in his apartment. ... Just how New Year's Eve 1998 finally brought an end to questions about what it'd be like to party in 1999, Sunday should resolve any lingering concerns among Beatles fans over what would happen to Paul McCartney when he's 64. Macca hasn't revealed his birthday plans yet, but AP reports that the Beatles Story Exhibition in McCartney's Liverpool hometown is throwing down with a karaoke contest, balloons, cake and more. ...

If Dinosaur Jr. have reunited, then why is J Mascis excavating Dino bones with another set of backing musicians? Well, for a good cause, of course. To benefit the far-reaching humanitarian organization Amma, Mascis is ganging up with members of Broken Social Scene, including frontman Kevin Drew, for a one-off gig in Toronto. The show goes down at the Mod Club on June 23. ... Selling 14 millions albums worldwide isn't enough to satisfy the Barenaked Ladies, apparently. The Toronto band has a new LP, Barenaked Ladies Are Me, slated for release September 12 through its own Desperation Records imprint. The Ladies are planning to release two digital versions of the set that same day: one with two additional tracks not on the standard CD, and another 27-track deluxe edition. ...

Philadelphia's Mewithoutyou have completed work on their third album, Brother, Sister. The record was produced by Brad Wood (who helmed their breakout 2004 LP, Catch for Us the Foxes) and features guest vocals by Jeremy Enigk (Sunny Day Real Estate, the Fire Theft) on two tracks. Sister is due in stores September 26. ... The Reverend Horton Heat will stage a traveling musical revival with his long-running psychobilly band this summer. The tour launches June 30 in Tempe, Arizona, with 45 gigs scheduled through late September. The band is also slated to appear December 1 in Irving, Texas. Danish rockers Horrorpops will open on most dates, along with California's Throw Rag. ...

EMI North America agreed Thursday to pay $3.75 million to settle a pay-for-play investigation by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, The New York Times reports. The gubernatorial candidate had been probing radio air time traded to benefit artists including Gorillaz, Coldplay and Beenie Man. Spitzer announced settlements with Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group last year. Investigators are now expected to focus on the conduct of radio corporations, including Clear Channel Communications and CBS Radio. The Federal Communications Commission is also investigating payola claims in radio broadcasting.

[This story was originally published at 12:47 p.m. ET on 06.19.06]

• Proof Of D-12
• Justin Timberlake
• Audioslave
• Radiohead
• Taylor Hicks

D12's Proof
Photo: Appio

A Detroit-area prosecutor said Tuesday (May 30) that the bouncer who shot and killed Proof on April 11 acted in his cousin's defense and will not face murder charges.

Mario Etheridge had been charged with weapons violations three days after the nightclub shootout, at which time Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was still considering murder charges, noting that the investigation "was far from over" (see "Proof Shooting Suspect Charged — But Not With Murder").

In a press conference Tuesday, Worthy said the evidence clearly shows that Etheridge acted in lawful defense of his 35-year-old cousin, Keith Bender, the man allegedly shot by Proof (see "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies").

Etheridge, though, will still have to face the weapons charges and is due back in court Friday.

Worthy told reporters that Etheridge — a bouncer at CCC, an after-hours club on Detroit's Eight Mile Road — shot twice at the ceiling in an attempt to stop Proof before turning the gun at the rapper (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club").

Etheridge's lawyer, Randall Upshaw, has maintained that his client took a gun from someone during the attack, but Worthy said witnesses saw Etheridge with two guns on him. If convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm in a public place, Etheridge faces up to nine years in prison.

• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Proof Of D-12
• D12

Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Proof Of D-12
• D12