Photo: DrJays.com

• Robin Thicke
• Rakim
• Jay-Z
• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

Nicki Minaj
Photo: DrJays.com

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Jay-Z gave Robin Thicke a guest verse for his upcoming Sex Therapy album — as well as the idea to invite another performer to the project.

"It was Jay's idea," Thicke said about how Nicki Minaj came to be on "Shakin' It 4 Daddy." "We were in the studio, and I played him the whole album. He was like, 'You should get Nicki Minaj on that. She's got that voice. She's got that swag.' So I leaned over and was like, 'Somebody get Nicki Minaj on the phone! Jay-Z said so!' Next thing you know, we called Nicki. She was excited. But once we told her it was Jay-Z's idea to get her on the track, she started screaming on the phone. She was all excited. She's a super, super talent. I can't wait to do a video with Nicki. There's a power in her. It's not just that she's sexy and that's the only way she can get you to like her. She's got charm — not just sex. Some women may use sex to get what they want; others have charm. She's got charm."

The charm of the Slick Rick/ De la Soul hip-hop vibe on Rob's "Meiple (Me I Play)" attracted Jay to add one of his golden verses. The Jiggaman also gave Thicke his co-sign on another of the album's cuts, "Ms. Sex." The track pays homage to Rakim's classic "Mahogany," which sampled Al Green's "I'm Glad You're Mine."

"Her name was Mahogany, her friend's name was Ebony," Thicke sings on the track, flipping Rakim's lyrics. "I said, 'My name is Rob, and this is Jay-Z.' "

The singer said Hov loved it. "Before anybody else heard it, Jay-Z heard it, and he said, 'That's genius. That's genius on so many levels.' He said, 'First of all, who do you think you are? Who do you think you are, doing Rakim? You got ba--s, boy.' "

Thicke's Sex Therapy comes out December 15.

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

• Mixtape Daily: Jay-Z, Robin Thicke, Nicki Minaj, More

• Jay-Z
• Robin Thicke
• Rakim
• Nicki Minaj

Rakim
Photo: MTV News

Celebrity Favorites

Big ups to DJ Drama. We just had the homie in NYC the last few days. Look for something major from Drama and not one, but two of your favorite New York City rhyme murderers.

Last week, one of the Big Apple's most legendary MCs, Rakim, performed a gaggle of material from his new LP, The Seventh Seal, as well as his classics. Backstage, Ra sat down and reflected on our upcoming Hottest MCs in the Game list. (The 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game list has been rescheduled for October — so you, the fans, can have a seat at the table! The readers' poll now closes September 21. Head here for more info and voting information.) Rakim was voted on our Greatest MCs of All-Time list a few years back, and when looking at who's hot right now, the first name he says is another G.O.A.T.: Jay-Z.

"You gotta give it up to Jay. He's holding New York right now," Rakim said. "You have brothers like Fabolous that's holding New York right now. Rap is spread out right now. It's like the NFL last year. A lot of the teams we thought was going to the Super Bowl last year didn't make it. You have young teams that people sleeping on in the playoffs. It's the same thing in rap. New brothers is sprouting out. It's crazy. From Drake to you name it. I'm a fan of hip-hop as well. I like everybody who keeps the game on their toes and keep it pushing."

Rakim said he's a huge fan of 50 Cent's song "OK, Alright," and he co-signed another New York thumper: Jadakiss.

"Jada, he's the definition of the streets," the legendary MC said. "Jada, Styles P, the LOX, period. You throw on one of their joints ... I'm in the whip, I try to keep my cool in the whip. I don't like bouncing around, getting my crazy on, but it's certain joints you gotta wild out. Roll the window down, blast the joints, let it be heard. That's one of them groups that bang it out."

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

• Mixtape Daily: Tony Yayo, Cam'ron, Lil Scrappy, Rakim

• Rakim
• Jadakiss
• Fabolous

Big Daddy Kane at B.B. King's Bar and Grill in New York on November 14
Photo: Dmitriy Goldin

"Rap soloist, you don't want none of this." What if Rakim did listen to a lot of cats in the streets back in the day, and took Big Daddy Kane's lyrics from "Set It Off" as a stone-cold dis? We might have seen the greatest battle of all time. Or, what if Kane decided to test the blast master KRS-One? What a showdown that would have been.

Last Friday night in New York, BDK was sitting back in chill mode, fantasizing about two dream battles with his peers.

"It would have to be Rakim and KRS-One," Kane answered, when asked whom he would have wanted to battle back in the day in a dream face-off. When asked how the battles would go, Kane displayed the humor that enhanced his obvious lyrical and style acumen in the late '80s and early '90s.

"How would it go?" he asked, before impersonating a boxing commentator. "Out comes Hardy. Griffin retreats back to his corner." (Kane's real name is Antonio Hardy, and Rakim was born William Griffin.)

A big burst of laughter immediately filled the room ("Mad Money" Murph, whom you've heard shouted out in plenty of Kane's records, was there as well). Then, getting a little more serious, Kane explained the rationale behind his dream battle.

"It's the type of thing where, if you gonna battle somebody to prove your greatness, you wanna go to somebody that shares that same seat with you," he said. "Those are probably two of the ones who I felt like [could present a challenge]. Also, [Kool] G. Rap, but I've always felt like G. Rap was like a brother. With us, it was friendly competition."

Kane was in New York on Friday celebrating his 20th anniversary in the rap game. Not only was he partying at B.B. King's Bar and Grill, Daddy Kane was also rapping, sounding as great as he did two decades ago.

"Well, who's gonna come, we will see," he said backstage before his performance. "That's based on surprises, but I know on my part, I'm here to have fun and do the damn thing. I wanna entertain and make sure people have a good time. It's a celebration that means a lot to me."

A little before showtime, friends and famous fans of the Prince of Darkness such as Ice-T, Sugar Hill Gang's Wonder Mike, Greg Nice, XXL Editor in Chief Datwon Thomas, Tony Rock, AZ, Roxanne Shanté, Positive K (who performed his classic "I Got a Man"), DJ Polo, DJ Enuff, Miss Info and Busta Rhymes crammed into the jam-packed building — everybody wanted to hear those hits.

"My best album is probably my second one, It's a Big Daddy Thing," the MC said. "I like a lot of the songs on there. It was put together ... just the structure of the album was tight." He said that Long Live the Kane was his favorite to make, though, because it was his first.

One of Kane's closest friends and collaborators in rap, Biz Markie, was the first to touch the stage on Friday night. The diabolical one set it off with hits such as "Something for the Radio," "Going Off" and "Pickin' Boogers." Roxanne Shanté then got onstage with Biz and the MC-turned-doctor blessed the mic with some throwback flavor on "Def Fresh Crew": "I'm Shante, he's Biz Markie/ Side by side, you know it's we/ No, I don't speak French, when I say 'we'/ I mean us two, not 'Yes, sirree'/ Everyone knows that I am much better/ Come on Biz Markie, get it together/ Talk to the girls, you know they are wack/ Tell those crabs they sound like cats."

Biz killed it, wowing the crowd while finishing off with "Nobody Beats the Biz," "Vapors" and "Just a Friend."

When it was time for Kane to come on, a live band, dressed in black suits and red shirts, played the beat to "Another Victory." Kane arrived onstage, wearing a black vest, red dress shirt and jeans.

His first four records were unmerciful: "Set It Off," "Warm It Up, Kane," "I Get The Job Done" and "Smooth Operator." The second verse of the latter was rapped over Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."

Later, when Kane asked the crowd what year they wanted him to take it back to, a man in the crowd yelled, "Take it back to them bad Reagan years." As the show progressed, BDK told the audience, "No excuses now that Barack is in the White House," before going into "Ain't No Half Steppin'."

Kane's finale included cameos from Masta Ace, Craig G and Marley Marl, but unfortunately no Kool G. Rap. The Brooklyn King's send-off was "Raw," which made everyone in the crowd look forward to the 25th anniversary.

• Big Daddy Kane Celebrates His 20-Year Anniversary In The Game In New York

• Big Daddy Kane
• Rakim
• KRS-One
• Busta Rhymes
• Ice-T

Lil Kim performs at the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors on Saturday
Photo: Peter Kramer/ Getty Images

Throughout the first three decades of hip-hop, female MCs were largely relegated to secondary roles within the hyper-masculine culture of rap. On Saturday night, however, the b-girls were front and center, striking their best posse poses in defiant unity.

At the taping for the third annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, the ladies — led by honoree MC Lyte — collectively shined, showing support for one another and easily stealing the spotlight from their male counterparts.

Lyte, the lone woman honored at this year's ceremony, is the second female act — following Salt-N-Pepa, who were recognized last year (see "Kanye, Snoop, Common Join Ice-T, LL, Big Daddy Kane At VH1 Hip Hop Honors") — to be highlighted by the Hip-Hop Honors. Her all-female tribute ensured that a much-needed woman's touch was added to the proceedings, which were hosted by Ice-T.

Lil' Kim, Remy Ma and Da Brat collectively paid tribute to MC Lyte — the first solo female hip-hop artist to earn a gold single (1993's "Ruffneck") — by joining forces to perform crowd-rousing renditions of the Brooklyn queen's greatest hits, including the scathing "10% Dis" and "Paper Thin."

Decked out in '80s regalia, a raucous Lil' Kim bounced along the stage in a Sergio Tacchini tracksuit, exchanging verses with a doorknocker-earrings-rocking Remy Ma, to the delight of the audience. Da Brat, clad in denim, later joined the duo onstage — as did Lyte herself, along with actress Regina King and Yo-Yo, who introduced the segment.

"It's a man's world, says who?" Yo-Yo said after the performance. "We make this thing go round and round too."

Although it was clearly ladies night at this year's event, there was still plenty of love doled out to the fellas. The man of the evening, without question, was legendary lyricist Rakim, of Eric B. and Rakim fame. The God MC took to the stage, commanding the microphone as if it were 1988 all over again.

Rakim performed a number of songs from his classic catalog, including a new track from his forthcoming album that drew a strong response from the crowd. Common introduced the set, calling the rapper "the best MC to ever touch a microphone." Talib Kweli, who performed Rakim songs along with the Roots' Black Thought, added, "I've been preparing to pay homage to Rakim all my life."

The techno-infused style of Afrika Bambaataa and the punk spin of the Beastie Boys were also acknowledged, as were gangsta-rap pioneer Ice Cube and entrepreneurial wizard and Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, who was introduced by one of his more famous pupils, Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Tribute was also paid to the Wu-Tang Clan — Ghostface Killah and frequent Wu collaborator Cappadonna were notably absent — marking the first 1990s group to be recognized by the Hip-Hop Honors. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Young Jeezy and Lil Eazy-E honored Ruthless Records and N.W.A founder Eazy-E. In one of the more touching moments of the evening, the late rapper's widow, Tomika Woods-Wright, was noticeably moved watching the younger E's performance.

The show, which also featured Big Daddy Kane, Outkast, Fat Joe, Fabolous, Xzibit and Lil Jon among its performers and presenters, kicked off this year's Hip-Hop Week in New York. A number of hip-hop events will take place in the city this week — including exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Museum of the City of New York, as well as an EPMD reunion concert — leading up to the telecast of the 2006 Hip-Hop Honors, which airs October 17 at 9 p.m. on VH1.

• Lil' Jon, Big Boi, Rza And More At VH-1's 2006 Hip Hop Honors

• Lil' Kim
• MC Lyte
• Rakim
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Ice Cube

Lloyd Banks
Photo: Peter Kramer/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Lloyd Banks has been promoting his sophomore solo LP so heavily that the G-Unit member says Rotten Apple will prevent him from returning to the Big Apple.

"I don't plan on coming home," Banks said recently. "I speak to my mother long-distance. But I don't have any kids or a wife, so I don't have to fly back to New York every chance I get. I'm a rolling stone. I get a rush being onstage. My goal is to clock over 150 shows this year."

During his Hunger for More tour, Banks did 150 shows over the course of a year and a half.

"I developed that hunger to be onstage and take over the stage," he said.

Banks has been performing three new songs on tour — and his album isn't even out yet (it's been bumped from its July 18 release and will appear sometime later this summer). He just leaked a new record, "Hands Up," which will be Rotten Apple's first single. Before that, he dropped two records around the same time: "Cake" and "My House."

" 'My House' is a Timbaland-produced track," he said. "I'm getting ready to work with Timbaland again during crunch time before the album comes out. He just makes new music, it sounds like no other music out there. That's what I'm trying to keep. I want to keep my sound new. I don't want people to know who did the beat as soon as they hear the first five seconds of [it]. 'My House,' it's kinda like [Rev] Run did it. 'Whose houuuse? Run's houuuse!' It means whatever it applies to. If I'm at a concert, this is my house. If I'm playing ball, this is my house. Whatever I do, I'm in control. It's a good performance record."

Before deciding on "Hands Up," "My House" was originally intended to be Banks' official leadoff single, because he felt it would be radio-friendly. "Cake" is more of an underground type of song.

" 'Cake' is uncut raw," he added. "If you hear it on radio, you might hear more than a few words bleeped out.

"I don't usually use the heavily sampled record where the hook is already there," he continued about "Cake," "but the hook just kinda grabbed me the way 'Warrior' did. I think I was overseas when I did ['Cake']. I wrote it in 20 minutes, then I snatched 50 [Cent] up for it."

50 appears on "My House" and "Hands Up" as well. As you'd guess, the rest of the G-Unit family is on Banks' LP as well, but Boy Wonder did look beyond his camp for more guest spots.

"Outside the crew, I got Scarface on the album, 8Ball, Rakim," he revealed. "I'm going in on this project. I'm going to show them my lyrical capability. It doesn't hurt to have those legends stand beside me. I been listening to Rakim since I was a baby, as well as Scarface and 8ball. I was in junior high school, elementary school listening to these artists.

"[Rotten Apple] is not officially closed out yet," he continued. "I got some big things in the making right now. On the production side, I have Eminem again. He produced a track. Timbaland [and Mobb Deep's] Havoc did 'Rotten Apple,' which is the opening track. I got a couple from Ron Browse. I got a 'Playboy' part two. The rest of the producers, I really don't know the names, that's how new [they] are. ... I'm pretty sure their names will be out after this album comes out."

Banks says he cheated a little bit while recording the LP over the past two years. Since he was laying off the mixtape circuit, a lot of the rhymes he would have used solely for the streets make up Rotten Apple.

"I was taking all the material that would have been on the mixtapes, and I was using it for my actual album," he explained. "Nowadays, it's hard to mix the two. If you listen to radio, a lot of it is R&B. So I wanted to still have the hit records, the commercial records, but at the same time, I was focusing on putting those mixtape verses on the songs that would be appearing on radio. Just to add a different feel to it. A lot of the grimy street material actually went onto my album. My album is really street-based."

Banks, who just released the street CD Mo' Money in the Bank Pt. 4 a few weeks ago, says he took a self-imposed break from mixtapes because he was starting to hear that the G-Unit were saturating the market. As it turns out, during his mixtape hiatus, he kept hearing people saying he should come back out on the circuit, especially when G-Unit were beefing with the Game, D-Block and Fat Joe. They wanted to hear his battle raps.

Now that Banks is coming out with an official LP, he says he's heard whispers about a G-Unit backlash, especially in the wake of Mobb Deep's highly hyped album not delivering the vastly improved SoundScan numbers they predicted signing to G-Unit Records would bring.

"Nah," Banks said about whether the backlash is real. "It happens with all the artists. It happened with Jay-Z, LL Cool J. They love you then hate you and love you again. With that pressure, it's fun. It's not like the competition is putting pressure [on me]. The competition is [with] yourself. People want you to outdo yourself. That's the biggest challenge: Outdo what I did with a bigger impact. Hey, this is what I get paid for. If it is a backlash, I haven't felt it. If the people feel that way, it's my job to turn their opinions around."

• Lloyd Banks
• 50 Cent
• Eminem
• Rakim

Rakim performs at Ecko's Save the Rhinos benefit concert Thursday night.
Photo: Soulbrother

NEW YORK — The trailer that doubled as Rakim's dressing room Thursday night resembled a dressing room at an arena like Madison Square Garden or Nassau Coliseum, where he used to rock 20 years ago.

There was champagne flowing, accolades, handshakes and hugs from several of his friends and about a dozen photographers trying to capture images of Ra after he triumphantly laced his following with classic lyrics and galvanizing beats.

But this wasn't the Garden or the Coliseum: it was Central Park, where Ra, Common, Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest performed as part of designer Marc Ecko's second annual Save the Rhinos benefit concert.

"I'm in the Garden of Eden right now, Central Park," Rakim said shortly after leaving the stage. "I just got the stamp of approval from Central Park. I got my man Bill Blass, I got Brooklyn with me, my L.I. people, my Bronx people. Detroit is in the house!"

Ra, whose New York concerts have been rare the past several years, started and ended his set the same way — with timeless records.

"Turn up the bass, check out my melody, hand out a cigar," he began rapping, stepping onstage wearing shorts, a green jacket and towel on his head, covered by a matching green fitted cap.

"I'm lettin' knowledge be born," he continued, performing "My Melody," "And my name's the R-A-K-I-M/ Not like the rest of them, I'm not on a list/ That's what I'm sayin', I drop science like a scientist."

With Kid Capri taking the place of Eric B., who spun records for Rakim for years, Ra segued into "Don't Sweat the Technique" and "Follow the Leader," where he hit the crowd with his slow flow while seated in a chair.

Later, Rakim brought out special guest Styles P. of the LOX, who said he was like a kid in a candy store. Styles also said that all the fans who didn't know Rakim's music should go and buy all of his albums, especially if they are rappers. Rakim ended his set with fury, closing out with records like "Microphone Fiend," "I Ain't No Joke" and the finale, "Eric B. Is President."

"Tonight, I think it was 'Microphone Fiend' and 'Juice [Know the Ledge],' " Rakim said backstage of his set's highlights. "I was really feeling it from the crowd. This is big.

"It's like, sometimes I can't explain the way it feels to be around the game this long and for them to embrace me the way they do," he added. "I definitely appreciate it, word up. I'mma try to store the moment forever. It's just a beautiful thing. Thanks to the world for supporting all this time."

"When I seen Rakim, I stopped. He was 20 feet away, I couldn't approach him," admitted Lupe Fiasco, who opened the show, as did fellow Chicago MC Rhymefest. "I was like, 'Yo that's Rakim!' I couldn't say nothing. Then he came at me like, 'You gotta do it for hip-hop.' I was like, too much, too much! Rakim? Crazy."

Common was equally giddy to encounter the rap god. Before he went onstage for his set, Common came into Rakim's dressing room and the pair hugged, gave each other props on their music and started talking about possible future collaborations. Then, lo and behold, hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc arrived and everyone took more flicks.

"That threw me off when [Rakim] said we needed that album, Be," Common said. "It was one of the most incredible albums to him. I was like, 'Damn, that's Rakim — he's listening to my stuff.' It's something when the people you grew up listening to are listening to you. I said we need him. I wanna hear some Rakim music. Hopefully we can do something together. We can light it up."

Common was commanding during his set. He had most of the crowd rapping along with every word on records like "Go!," "Be" and "The Light." But there was no mistaking Common's personal highlight: He brought Rakim onstage and the two freestyled off the top of the dome over Busta Rhymes' "New York Sh--" instrumental.

"I'm already excited to talk about that," Common said after the show. "I didn't know Rakim was gonna come up. I got charged and we put on that 'New York' beat. I already planned to rock to that freestyle. And for him to come up, and he started freestyling off the top of the dome. I didn't know he could come like that.

"I knew he was the best on the written side, but he was ripping it on the freestyle. I was like, 'Man, this is the reason I'm rapping.' For real. Rakim, when he made Paid in Full, it was something about his demeanor and the way he carried hip-hop. I was like, 'I wanna be that.' Rakim is usually the unseen MC. For him to be there and open, that was one of my great moments."

Besides celebrating hip-hop, the show was also meant to raise awareness and money for the preservation of rhinoceroses around the world. Designer Marc Ecko, who chose a rhino for his clothing company's logo, started working with the International Rhino Federation about seven years ago to help save the endangered animals. Last year he held a similar benefit concert in Central Park, which featured the Roots and De La Soul.

"These events raise, like, $150,000," Ecko said, "In addition to another couple of hundred thousand we raise during other events in the year."

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

For even more on Rakim, check out "The Greatest MCs of All Time."

• Rakim, Common, Lupe Fiasco And More Save The Rhinos

• Rakim
• Common
• Styles P
• Lupe Fiasco

• Nas
• Rakim

• Nas
• Rakim

Angelina Jolie
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie opens up about expecting a child in an interview with NBC News, scheduled to air Thursday at 7 a.m. on "Today" and Sunday at 7 p.m. on "Dateline." Jolie's sit-down took place in Namibia, where she's currently focused on a new venture — and it's not delivering a baby (Jolie says she her pregnancy is not yet eight months along). The actress/activist is promoting Global Education Week, an effort to ensure that education is available to all of the world's children, millions of whom do not have the opportunity to go to school. The actress, who says she knows the sex of her baby, did answer questions about Brad Pitt during the rare interview, saying, "I don't talk about our, my, relationship in public. But we also don't talk about it at home. You know, it's one of those funny things that like just happens, you live your life and you're a family. But you never actually discuss [it]. ... So that's why I giggle about it. I just don't know how to address that kind of thing." ...

John Legend and John Mayer are among the acts scheduled to perform at the fifth annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Spring Gala benefit at New York's Apollo Theater on June 5. Tracy Chapman, Joe Cocker and Natalie Merchant are also on the bill and Bernie Mac is hosting. ... After announcing a lawsuit against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday, designer Marc Ecko just released the bill for his second annual Save the Rhinos Benefit Concert, to be held in New York on June 8. Rakim, Common, newcomer Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest are among those tapped for the event. ...

Dave Matthews Band want to help New Orleans recover, so they're offering a $1.5 million challenge grant to help build the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village, which would consist of Habitat for Humanity-constructed homes and feature the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. "After [Hurricane Katrina] first struck, we were shocked by the destruction, and we knew we wanted to help," DMB said in a statement. The grant money comes from a fundraising concert in Denver that also featured the Neville Brothers and the John Butler Trio. "Many people donated their time and resources to keep costs to a minimum so we could maximize the donation," DMB said. "This is our way to get the word out that there is more work to do, and ask people to step up to the challenge and make a donation to help." Contributions, which can be made online at Habitat-NOLA.org, will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the grant, raising the total donation potential to $3 million. ... Shinedown are doing their own part to help rebuild the Crescent City. The Jacksonville, Florida, rock band will take a day off from touring in New Orleans next week to team with Habitat and help rebuild homes. Singer Brent Smith recently wrote "New Orleans" on the front of his shirt for two national television performances of their current single, "I Dare You," as a reminder that work still needs to be done in the city. ...

Mandy Moore is a home-wrecker on the season finale of "The Simpsons," voicing a character named Fiona, the sexy singing wife of a struggling second baseman who seeks marital advice from Homer and Marge. In an episode called "Homer and Marge Turn a Couple Play," airing May 21 at 8 p.m. on Fox, Moore's character seems to be getting back on track with her husband, Buck (voiced by Stacy Keach) — until Buck catches Homer giving Fiona a post-show neck massage, causing both couples to separate. ... Tom Petty's also in for some voiceover action when he returns to "King of the Hill," resuming his role as Lucky in an episode called "Edu-Macating Lucky." On the show's season finale, airing May 14 at 7:30 p.m. on Fox, Lucky gets schoolteacher Peggy to tutor him for his GED, which Peggy hopes will prod him to take a job far away from Luanne — but when she discovers he's planning to propose to Luanne, she purposely teaches him incorrect material. ...

Producer Jazze Pha has put together an R&B quartet called Cherish. The group's debut, Unappreciated, is due August 1, but single "Do It to It," featuring a guest rap from Sean Paul of Youngbloodz and produced by Don Vito, was just released. ... 30 Seconds to Mars, actor Jared Leto's band, recently shot a video for "The Kill" that he is calling an homage to "The Shining." Leto will debut a portion of the video during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on May 2, the night before the band performs on the show. ... Ben Folds recently helmed the soundtrack for "Over the Hedge," the animated comedy featuring the voices of Bruce Willis and Steve Carell. The album is due May 16. ...

A new Web site — NationalDayofSlayer.org — is calling on all metalheads worth their salt to celebrate the legendary thrashers on June 6. According to the site, "6/6/06 isn't a date that comes around very often ... and while plenty of stupid horror movies and terrible albums will be released for the hype value of the day that bears 'the number of the beast,' [we've] decided that this would be a perfect day for Hessians across the country to come together and engage in something upon which we can all agree — listening to Slayer." The site suggests that Slayer fans honor a National Day of Slayer by listening to the band's albums "at full blast" in their cars, homes, workplaces and in public because "national holidays in America aren't just about celebrating; they're about forcing it upon non-participants." The site also suggests staging a "Slay-out" by staying home from work and listening to Slayer all day. ...

Mick Jagger has signed on for a sitcom pilot for ABC's fall schedule, with a working title of "Let's Rob Mick Jagger." The Rolling Stones singer shot his scenes for the pilot last week in an Auckland, New Zealand, hotel room, although the show would take place in New York. In the series, the janitor for Jagger's building would try to rob his apartment over the course of a 24-episode season. If the pilot is picked up, Jagger would appear occasionally, but not in every episode, as the plot revolves around the would-be thieves. Meanwhile, the Stones deny reports that they refused to give up their reservations at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, to accommodate President Bush this June. The band's camp issued a statement saying that no one associated with Jagger, other members of the Stones, the tour director or those responsible for travel arrangements for the tour were ever contacted by the Imperial Hotel, Bush or anyone on his behalf requesting them to change their reservation. ...

Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls are joining forces this summer for a 45-city North American tour. The jaunt, which kicks off June 17 in Las Vegas and wraps up September 9 in Dallas, marks the first time the two bands are heading out on the road together. They'll hit cities including Denver, Detroit, Atlanta and Boston, as well as the Crows and Dolls' respective hometowns, San Francisco and Buffalo, New York. ... The Lemonheads have been playing reunion shows since they re-formed last year, and now the Boston alterna-folk rockers are making it official by signing to a new home, emo/punk label Vagrant Records. The band is currently putting the finishing touches on what will be its eighth studio album, due in the fall. The record was self-financed and co-produced by Lemonheads impresario Evan Dando and drummer Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag). The band is rounded out by bass player Karl Alvarez (Descendents).

04.25.2005

BET is developing a new DMX reality series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Revolving around the rapper's life, "DMX: Soul of a Man" is slated to be part of the channel's next season of programming. ...

Coldplay, Gorillaz, James Blunt and Kaiser Chiefs are among the artists nominated for the 51st annual Ivor Novello Awards, songwriting honors presented by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters. Coldplay lead the list with three nominations — "Speed of Sound" is up for International Hit of the Year as well as Most Performed Work (running against Blunt's "You're Beautiful" in both categories), while "Fix You" faces off with Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" for the Best Song Musically and Lyrically prize. The awards will be presented May 25 in London. ...

In related news, a songwriters panel consisting of Jimmy Jam, Linda Perry, John Rich of country duo Big & Rich and Michael Giacchino — the composer for "Lost" and "Mission: Impossible III" — convened on Thursday in Hollywood for the "I Create Music" Expo. The first-time event, put on by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, also featured Tom Petty, Jill Scott, Glen Ballard, Mike Elizondo and John King of the Dust Brothers sharing words of wisdom with 1,000 budding songwriters and composers. "Songwriting is interesting because it's done behind the scenes and everybody kind of has their own way of doing it," said Jimmy Jam, who took a break from producing Janet Jackson and Jessica Simpson's new records to attend. "The artists make the songs come alive, but without the songs, the artists don't really have anything. Songwriting is the backbone of music, so this is all about music creation, the music creator and to shine a little spotlight on them, which I think is fantastic." ...

The funeral for Keith Bender Jr., the 35-year-old Detroit man police say was shot by D12's Proof at the CCC Nightclub on April 11, has been scheduled for Thursday morning at New Galilee Baptist Church in Detroit. A Keith Bender Jr. Memorial Fund has been established for his family, and donations may be made at any Chase bank in the Detroit area. Proof was fatally shot during the April 11 incident, allegedly by Bender's cousin, Mario Etheridge. ... Lil Jon shot the breeze with none other than Kid from '80s rap group Kid 'N Play at a screening of Larry Clark's "Wassup Rockers" in Santa Monica, California, Monday night. Actor Michael Rapaport also kicked it with Jon for a bit. ...

Phil Spector's murder trial will hardly be a speedy one. The music producer's murder case has been pushed all the way to January 16, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. The trial had been set for September, but Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler told lawyers he had scheduled another trial for the same date. Spector is accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in February 2003. ...

"American Idol" producers are assigning two voting phone numbers to each contestant beginning Tuesday (April 25). "We're getting like 33 million, 34 million calls each week, and we've never gotten quite that many before," Co-Executive Producer Ken Warwick explained. "We normally went to the two and three phone numbers in the finale, but this year, we start this week." ... Pink Floyd's Roger Waters will perform the band's classic 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, from start to finish on his forthcoming North American tour. The 19-gig trek kicks off September 6 in Holmdel, New Jersey, and wraps up October 12 in Seattle. Waters will perform two nights at New York's Madison Square Garden. ...

Want to see a private performance by the All-American Rejects with 15 of your friends? If you answered "You bet," check out the American Eagle Outfitters Web site, where entries for the "Road Trip Party" contest are being accepted until May 2. The grand-prize winner — along with guests — will be flown out to Los Angeles in June for the concert. Before the show, the winner and his or her lucky friends will get to hang out with the band, and the prize also includes hotel accommodations and a $500 shopping spree. First-prize winners will win an All-American Rejects autographed guitar and a $500 American Eagle gift card. The second prize is a $50 gift card and an AAR CD signed by the band. ... Dashboard Confessional's forthcoming album has been given a title: Dusk and Summer. A summer release is planned. ...

OK Go will open select dates for She Wants Revenge as well as Panic! At the Disco this summer — when they're not headlining their own shows, that is. In most of the cities they're scheduled to play, the bandmembers will pair with YouTube.com and select a fan to shoot a 10-minute interview and the band's performance in exchange for editing something for the site. OK Go will release their new single, "Invincible," at the end of May. ... The Fiery Furnaces are hitting the road from June 8 in Detroit to June 30 in Washington, D.C. The duo are supporting the just-released Bitter Tea. ... Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson will release his debut full length, The New Leader, in June. The album, to be issued under the alias DJ Starscream, will showcase a heavier side of mash-ups, which Wilson has dubbed "mosh-ups." ...

Metric frontwoman Emily Haines is taking a break from her synth-rock day gig to make her solo debut with Knives Don't Have Your Back, due September 26. Recorded over four years in four cities — New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and her hometown of Toronto — the 12-track album was produced by John O'Mahoney (Strokes, System of a Down) and Metric guitarist Jimmy Shaw. Knives also includes collaborations with fellow Canadian musicians Justin Peroff (Broken Social Scene) and Evan Cranley (Stars). ... Arcade Fire's touring violinist, Final Fantasy (a.k.a. Owen Pallet), will release his sophomore solo album, He Poos Clouds, on June 13. Eight of the album's 10 songs have a rather interesting inspiration: "Dungeons & Dragons." After his European trek comes to an end, Final Fantasy will play several American dates, including stops in New York; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Columbus, Ohio.

Hoboken, New Jersey, indie rockers Yo La Tengo are self-releasing an album of covers played at annual WFMU fundraisers from 1996-2003. Songs on the 31-track album, titled Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics, were recorded during the eight-year period when the band played requests on host Gaylord Fields' show in exchange for donations to help fund the independent radio station. For sale on the band's Web site, the disc includes the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" and Velvet Underground's "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'." ... FX's fireman drama "Rescue Me" will release a soundtrack May 30 to coincide with the premiere of its third season. Bands on the disc include the Von Bondies (whose "C'mon, C'mon" serves as the series' theme), Stereophonics, the Subways, Ray LaMontagne, Wolf Parade and Our Lady Peace. ...

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