Joanna Hernandez and Ray J on "For the Love of Ray J" on Monday
Photo: VH1

In the end, R&B-singer-turned reality-TV star Ray J had a tough decision to make: pick the girl who played hardball and was tagged as a gold digger (Cocktail), the one who came off a bit, well, off (Danger), or go in a more buttoned-own, nitpicky direction (Unique).

On the season finale of VH1's "For the Love of Ray J" on Monday night, Brandy's little bro went for the 26-year-old Sacramento cocktail waitress who came in as Joanna Hernandez but left as Cocktail, and his girlfriend. After months of lap dancing, double dealing and more dirty looks than Miss California would get at a GLAAD convention, Cocktail took home the ultimate prize on Monday night's finale, emerging victorious over a roster of would-be potential boos with nicknames like Danger, Feisty, Chardonnay, Lil' Hood, Stacks, Stilts and Atomic Bomb.

The often weepy Cocktail — who gained a reputation among the ladies for ratting out other contestants' misdeeds and secrets — squared off in the final episode against Danger and Unique. First to go was Danger, who had a panic attack when Ray announced he was visiting each of the women's hometowns. A visit to Unique's fam in Cleveland didn't start off well when, on the private jet there, Uni asked Ray to backburner his celebrity persona and just be "Willie" (his real name is Willie Ray Norwood Jr.). But he overcame his sweaty nervousness when meeting her family, and the two seemed to connect on their final solo date.

Things were not so smooth at Cocktail's California home, where Ray struggled to communicate with her Spanish-speaking mother and was surprised by being served goat meat for dinner. Cocktail employed her unique mind-game skills, though, pointing out on her final date that Unique was trying to change Ray. Oh, and it probably didn't hurt that their date ended with her doing some sexy lingerie dancing on a stripper pole in a shower.

Hernandez, a social worker/go-go dancer who appeared on "The Bad Girls Club" several years ago, said in a post-show interview with VH1 that despite the constant backbiting, "the competition wasn't too tough."

She claimed that she knew she had it in the bag when the competition for the heart of Ray — who has been romantically linked to singer Whitney Houston in the past and who famously appeared in a sex tape with former girlfriend Kim Kardashian — was down to five contestants. Since the show wrapped, Hernandez said that if she doesn't talk to Ray every day, they at least text and make a point of seeing each other twice a month.

"He's my boyfriend, and the fact that I'm not seeing my boyfriend as much as I'd like to is different from what I'm used to," she said, referring to the difficulty of coordinating their busy schedules. "I would love to see him every day and have him come home to me every night. But that's not what it is, and I have to take it for what it is. I'm patiently learning his lifestyle. I expected this, but I'm sad now that I'm going through it. But it just makes the times I see him even more special."

Despite the grim success rate of reality-show relationships, Hernandez said she's absolutely in love with Ray, "head over heels," in fact. "It takes someone that I care about to go through with that emotion and show my vulnerability," she said. "I know I cried every three seconds on the show, but I care about him so much that he can say anything, the sweetest thing, the most horrible thing, and I burst into tears."

Even though Ray's mom said she didn't think any of the finalists were right for her baby, Hernandez said she respected that comment and vowed to prove Mama Ray wrong.

"We're going to try to make it work," she said. "We take things as they come. We're regular people. I know people are like, 'He's this big R&B artist, this big star,' but he's just like me and you. He's a regular person with regular feelings. We're gonna make the best of this, and if it works out, it's better for me and him. We found what we always wanted, and it's love."

• Ray J

Brandy
Photo: MTV News

It's been a whole George W. Bush presidential term since Brandy's last album, Afrodisiac. Back then, her daughter was just a baby — heck, her brother Ray J was just a baby in some people's eyes — and the music business was a whole different animal.

"It feels so great to be back on the scene," she said last week on the set of her video for "Right Here (Departed)." She was getting her feet wet again in front of the camera.

"I went through a struggle, and I really needed to get myself together and connect with my purpose, which is music," she explained of the hiatus, the longest of her 14-year career. "Music is all I know. ... To be on this set today, I feel very blessed for the second chance and for the opportunity, my record company believing in me and everybody here just showing me so much love and support. My fans. It just feels good to be back, and I never wanna leave for that long again."

A decade ago, the singer released her most commercially successful LP, Never Say Never. It was a triumph that undisputedly broke her out of the pack that included a talented consortium of one-named women such as Mya and Monica. Over the years, Brandy has worked less and less with the driving force behind that album's production, Rodney Jerkins. Their differences became evident on the last album, Afrodisiac, when Timbaland replaced Darkchild as her go-to guy. But Jerkins is back for the new album, Human.

"Well, the chemistry brought Rodney and I back together," she explained. "I mean, it's a chemistry that's undeniable, it's magical. I think it's our responsibility to make music together. I think it's our contribution to the world. I mean, I think that we have a place, a lane, and we have people out there that love seeing us working together, and again, I'm just blessed to be back working with him. 'Right Here (Departed)' was the first song that I heard that Rodney wanted to do for with me, and that was the first song I did with him. Our reconnect — and it's our first single. So our experience this time has been very magical. Our sound is a little bit different from our old sound, but we are back, and I'm never leaving Rodney again, and I hope he never leaves me."

"The music brought it back together," Jerkins agreed. "I mean, at the end of the day, we wanted to do something for the fans and show the world that we got this chemistry that can't be denied and can't be stopped. The world is gonna get it when they hear the album. The album just reflects on everything she's been through in the last eight to 10 years and how she came out of it and how she's strong and she's a woman. I'm just here to do my thing and to support it.

"It's definitely a big pop-sounding album, international sounding. But she hits a little bit on the country side," he added about the rest of his work on the album. "Vocally, she does a lot of little country twangs with her voice. We kid around, we joke around that the next album is gonna be country. We're both gonna step out and do some country music. But we're kinda tapping into it, to show that you can mix that sound with urban and R&B and hip-hop. It's just music, and good music lives."

Brandy — who, believe it or not, will turn 30 next year — described the album as more mature but more pop than she's ever gone.

"I wanted to make it for everybody, not just urban but every race, every color, every creed, whatever," she said. "I just wanted to make a universal album, and that's what we did, and we accomplished that. And I'm really excited about it, it's out November 11, and we launch it November 10 with Oprah, so I'm really excited.

"The album title is called Human," she continued. "I wrote the title track to the album, and basically what that song is about is forgiveness. Mistakes are gonna be made; we're all gonna make them. One of the lines in the song is 'I'm only human, I might just tell a lie/ I'm only human, I'm an angel in disguise.' There's another song on the album called 'Warm It Up With Love.' I'm talking about how the whole world is freezing, [but] we just need to warm the world up with love. [Then there's] 'Piano Man,' where I go to this piano man and ask him to play a song of love, play a song about heartache, so we can have the whole world singing tonight. It's really some cool concepts on the album."

The single and its video are about being there for a loved one.

"You can take it like you're talking about a mother and a daughter, a sister, brother, girlfriend, whatever — it's universal in that way," she said. "And the video concept is me crossing over to the other side and coming back into my family's life. Just popping up everywhere, just singing to them, and it's [got] an I Am Legend feel. Sometimes you see me on the street by myself completely, and it's pretty cool. Little X is directing it. I'm really excited about it. I just hope it turns out great and everybody loves it."

Jerkins appears in the video, as does Ray J.

"I always try to get in it when I can," said Ray, who described his older sibling's return as "a long time coming." "If it don't make sense, then I don't [do it]. But she called me down. I canceled all my plans — I had a show to do somewhere else, but I'm gonna be here for this video 'cause I know how important it is for her, and I know just how important it is to be around and just support her and whatever she needs, so I'm here for her."

• Brandy Is Back

• Brandy
• Ray J

Photo: MTV News

• T.I.
• Busta Rhymes
• Ray J
• Sean Garrett

T.I.
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images

Artist: Ray J

Representing: L.A.

Independent Album: All I Feel

411: "VIP'ing and Hennessy'ing." Ray J is the life of the party right now. Following his widely circulated sex tape with Kim Kardashian, adult-entertainment executives have offered him millions of dollars to manufacture accessories based around his manhood, and there's also a DVD called the "Ray J Chronicles" in which he goes around having sex with female celebrities. He claims the offers he's been receiving have totaled over $13 million.

"I turned them all down," Ray told us last week.

The singer/actor feels he has more mainstream life left in his career, but still, he is sitting on a little somethin' from the infamous Kardashian tape. The money turned his cloudy day sunny.

"When the tape came out, it was ugly for a month or two, when the legal situation happened," he said. "I was embarrassed. Then it became all good. We started making a lot of money, and the pain went away. The pain just disappeared."

Ray had great success with the independent release of 2005's Raydiation. It spawned the big ballad "One Wish" and the midtempo track and the mid-tempo track "What I Need." He's now brought his Knockout Entertainment over to Koch Records and is working in conjunction with Shaquille O'Neal's Deja 34 to release his album All I Feel. Ray hooked up with Shaq through a mutual friend.

"He called Shaq, Shaq called me," Ray explained. "DJ Kay Slay has really been the dude that has kept the project together. ... Sometimes you get around, you havin' a lot of fun, you might sway away. But Slay's really been holding the project together. Him being so strong in hip-hop, it's big, me being an R&B artist and him supporting it. So I think he's waking a lot of people up as far as the streets is concerned and DJs to see what Ray J is all about."

Ray's album comes out April 1, but in the meantime, he has a mixtape called Uncut that's out now.

"We did three covers. One of my homies did a cover of me and this girl I know," he said of the illustrated All I Feel artwork, describing the sexually provocative pose in which he and a woman are depicted. "I got a hundred lawsuits from that. Then I did another cover with Slay that was more mainstream. I didn't want to put the controversial stuff on the album. I wanted to put out stuff that people could relate to and look at themselves just like me. All the controversial sh-- is on the mixtape."

Joints To Check For:

» "Sexy Can I." "We ran into some police problems with the homie Yung Berg on the set," Ray said about the video shoot for his first single. "I had to call Shaq and [get him to] pull a little Miami favor for us, 'cause we shot the video in Miami. It took Berg a couple of hours to get out, but when we got the rest of the job done, [there were a] lot of women, partying, sexy people around. We wanted to showcase that. We missed Berg for a couple of hours, but it was fun."

» "Real N---a" (featuring Styles P). "I been listening to Styles since 'Hol-aaah-dayyy,' " Ray J said. " I was listening to the LOX since they was with Diddy. When he did the deal with Koch, they told me, 'He might want to do a song with you.' Then I wanted him to come do a song on my album called 'Real N---a.' For me to work with somebody I grew up listening to was real big. 'Real N---a,' from my side, it's the pimpin' side of being a real n---a. From his side, it's more of the street side: handguns, being in the streets, selling drugs. I think it's a good match."

» "Where You At." "It's with me, the Game and Lil Wayne," the singer said. "It's gangbang-orientated. I'm from the West, Game's from the West, Wayne is from the N.O. Where we all grew up, it goes the same way. I said, 'I'mma do R&B songs and twist it up with a couple of homies who know what it's about. I'm in a cherry-red shirt and my Anaheim fitted [hat], throwin' up the uh, "Baby can you get with it?" ' "

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ Scoob Doo - Street Religion 2
» DJ Delz - Reservoir Dogs (Starring the "Roc Boys")
» Red Cafe and DJ Noodles - Paper Touchin
» Suge White, Cassidy, Jadakiss, Da Real Verble Kent - Triple Threat 2

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» Glasses Malone (featuring Akon) - "Certified"
» Snoop Dogg (featuring Too Short and Mistah F.A.B.) - "Life of the Party"
» Sean Paul (featuring Busy Signal and Busta Rhymes) - "Gun Dem Bark" remix
» Q-Tip - "Fever"
» Charlie Wilson (featuring T-Pain and Trazz) - "Supa Sexy" remix

Fire Starter: Sean Garrett:

OK. You probably already know who Garrett, a.k.a. "The Pen," is. You should: He's written and co-produced some of the biggest records of the past five years, such as "Buttons" (Pussycat Dolls), "Run It!" and "Gimme That" (Chris Brown), and "Yeah!" (Usher). His résumé is sick. Sean, however, is making the transition back to being an artist. (He signed his first record deal at 15 years old, but nothing came of it.)

Sean's debut, Turbo 919, is slated for release toward the end of spring or beginning of summer and will have guests such as Lil Wayne, Akon and Ludacris. ('Cris appears on the first single, "Grippin' on the Bed." They're talking to the ladies.) We heard some of the LP last week, and we can definitely tell you Garrett is bringing back the feeling. Think old Michael Jackson mixed with New Edition in the year 2010.

Celebrity Faves

Hulk Hogan — WWE Hall of Famer, reality-show star and now host of the new "American Gladiators" — came by MTV News' New York offices last week, and boy did we start cooking up some fun scenarios of who the Hulkster would like to see battle in a hypothetical "AG" celebrity episode. 50 Cent vs. Kanye West or Game came up, and Beyoncé vs. Mariah Carey (in high heels) was another dream match.

In the wrestling world, though, Hogan still has the passion for the ring. He says he called out "Stone Cold" Steve Austin a long time ago for a match, but the Texas Rattlesnake never hollered back. ("That's on him. Apparently he don't want none. I'm easy to find, my brother," Hulk said.) So now Hogan has another challenger in mind, somebody he's made bleed in the circle before: "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. As it happens, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon recently sent down the mandate that the next match Flair loses will be his last — he will be forced to retire. Hulk says he's the man to derail Space Mountain and wants to do it at WrestleMania 23 in Orlando, Florida.

"They need a main event real bad," Hogan said. "When I think about Ric Flair styling and profiling, when I think about Hulk Hogan going [head to head] with Ric Flair in my backyard, Florida ... I think that's where it's at. They got a lot of tickets, brother, that need to be sold. The power of the 'Mania, brother? Could be strong. Either he'll put me out for good, or I'll put him out for good. One or the other. That would be the match of the new millennium. Hogan vs. Flair. Maybe get Vince McMahon as a special guest referee. Me and Flair both hate Vince."

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

T.I. is getting ready for a tour. But don't expect to see him on it. Due to a court mandate, he still isn't physically able to travel, but he is putting up funds so some comedians from his hometown can spread their talent across the country.

"We're doing a comedy tour," T.I. told us last week on the phone from his home in the ATL. "I have to give the credit to [Grand Hustle VP] Clay [Evans] and [my manager/ business partner] Jason Jeter on that. We've always had huge connections in the comedy world. We manage Lil Duval. He's hilarious. Then we did the 'Trippin on Tuesdays' in Atlanta. That's the big comedy-club night.

"We've decide to take it on tour with all the comedians out of Atlanta," he continued. "It hasn't really been an outlet for them since [BET's] 'Comic View' left Atlanta. I think it's gonna be a great outcome."

Tip's been working on his next album, Paper Trail, and last week he revealed to us a song title: "Let My Beat Pound."

"T.I.'s great, man," Warner Music Group President Kevin Liles told us in L.A. during Grammy weekend. "His spirits are in the right place. I visited him last week. Keep praying for him. Allow him to do what he needs to do right now. Never believe what you see or what you hear. It's always another side to the story."

There's another side to the story — and there's also another side to Tip's artistic progression. The King of the South said "Let My Beat Pound" is unlike anything you've heard from him in the past, and that we should continue to expect him to advance musically as well as in other aspects of entertainment.

"I think at some point you have to find ways to evolve and mature as an artist," he explained. "Once you've evolved and matured as a man, at some point you're gonna mature outside of music. Which is why it is important to have things under your belt, like an acting career, like the fashion industry, like a StreetCred.com. All of that will reflect in your music. If you're in another industry where you have to pay attention to other artists and you have to pay attention to other things that are becoming successful, other trends, then you'd be a fool as a businessman to not apply that to yourself to take advantage. We keep the sharp knives here at Grand Hustle. We keep the sharp knives." ...

DJ Clue had the Internet going insane recently when he leaked "Ain't I," a Jay-Z record from his Desert Storm Radio 8 (I Am Legend) mixtape. Clue had previously indicated that it would be officially coming out on The Blueprint 3. But Jay-Z sent word through his rep that the song is old and that Hov hasn't announced any new album ... yet.

"That was the word on the street," Clue said about Blueprint 3 coming out. "I got the call [from Jay], but it's all good. It's all love. He was like, 'Yo, you can't be telling people the behind-the-scenes stuff.' So I chilled, laid back. [The mixtape] is still out on the streets. Go get it."

Clue has a slew of projects coming out this year via his imprint Desert Storm.

"New [Fabolous] album coming soon," he said. "Look for Ransom. I got a couple of R&B acts coming too. So look out for '08." ...

While Busta Rhymes took a longer break than usual between 2002's It Ain't Safe No More and 2006's The Big Bang, the dungeon dragon is making sure to kick off this year in high gear with a number of projects. He's knee-deep in his next album, Back on My Bullsh--, and so far he's hooked up with Dr. Dre, Green Lantern, Cool & Dre, Danjahandz, Nottz and Timbaland. Bus-a-Bus also recorded with Pharrell, who actually helped him come up with the title.

"I'm calling it Back On My Bullsh-- for two reasons," Busta explained. "I said it on [a new song,] and it stuck in Pharrell's head. And because this album, in particular, feels like vintage Busta Rhymes, in a 2008 way. It was original and appropriately the right thing to call the project. No deep brain-science ... nothing like that."

In the meantime, Bus is getting ready to flood the streets with a few mixtapes. First up will be King of the Remixes with DJ White Owl, followed by 48 Laws of Power with Mark Exclusive.

"It's the greatest street exclusives and greatest hits and unreleased exclusives, which is me going in, back to back," Busta said.

Then the Flipmode General plans to team up with Superstar Jay for I've Already Outshined Your Favorite Rapper, before he connects with Mick Boogie for Dillagence 2, the sequel to their mixtape tribute to the late J Dilla.

"It's gonna be crazy," Bus said.

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

• Mixtape Monday Video: T.I., Busta Rhymes, Ray J & More

• T.I.
• Busta Rhymes
• Ray J

Ray J
Photo: Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — He flashed a bit of skin in his clip for "One Wish," but for his encore presentation, Ray J is ready to take it all off.

"I want to display a sexier side of Ray J on this one, show a little more of my body and a bit more charisma," the singer/actor said of his forthcoming video for "What I Need," the second single off Raydiation. "It's going to be really, really sexy.

"A lot of people have been requesting it, so I'm gonna give it to them," he continued. "I'm gonna take it to the next level."

Ray has been in talks with Little X (or Mr. X, if you prefer) to shoot the clip in the director's hometown of Toronto in the next few weeks. The song will serve as a sequel to "One Wish," co-written by Rodney Jerkins, in which Ray vented his heartache about losing the woman he loved, stating that "if he had one wish," it would be to have her back with him. The song displayed a newfound maturity in the singer, who used to gravitate toward harder beats and a more thuglike appeal, especially on his last LP, 2001's This Ain't a Game.

With "What I Need," the singer explained, he's "basically saying that all this entertainment, the girls going crazy and me in the club poppin' bottles is fun, but when I'm with my girl that I love, she keeps me grounded, keeps me secure and keeps me focused."

While an official treatment has yet to be drafted for the video, Ray already has some ideas on the direction he wants to go — namely, out of his sister Brandy's shadow and toward being viewed as a respected musical artist in his own right.

It looks like the soon-to-be 25-year-old (his birthday is January 17) is well on his way. "One Wish" is still climbing the Billboard charts, peaking at #3 on the Hot R&B and Hip-Hop Songs chart after 19 weeks out. The budding media mogul is also honing his skills as a savvy businessman as he heads up his new record label, KnockOut Entertainment, and prepares to produce Brandy's next LP (see "All In The Family: Brandy Signs With Brother Ray J's Label").

As if that weren't enough to tie him down, Ray continues to shoot his UPN sitcom "One on One," co-starring Kyla Pratt ("Fat Albert") and comedian Flex Alexander, which airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. Fans had better set those TiVos because Brandy is set to guest star as Ray's sister on a couple of episodes slated to air at the end of February.

Once filming for the show wraps in February, Ray will head out to tour behind Raydiation, a spokesperson said.

• Ray J

Photo: Getty Images

Rodney Jerkins, the producer who has nourished Destiny's Child, Brandy and Mya over the years, has a new group to help: the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Jerkins is putting together a benefit single featuring Ciara, Chris Brown, Ray J, George Clinton, Mary Mary and BeBe Winans, among others.

"People think 'cause the hurricane happened three months ago that it's over," Jerkins said at last week's American Music Awards (see "Will Smith Beats 50 Cent, Kelly Rowland Flies Solo At American Music Awards"). "It's not over. People still don't have homes, people still don't have clothes and I feel it's our obligation as people to help and I'm being one of the ones to initiate it by doing a song that's gonna raise a lot of money for these people."

The song, due in the coming weeks, is a cover of Sister Sledge's 1979 disco smash "We Are Family."

"I love the original so much, it's so classic to me, but of course my beat is gonna be more me," Jerkins said. "I'm keeping the basics of it and vocally you have to let people really be themselves, like there's the template of the song, but I'm still letting the artist be the artist."

Along with the tribute single, Jerkins is keeping busy as usual, making music for the likes of Kelly Rowland, gospel singer Joy Enriquez and Mary J. Blige.

"I did a song [for Mary] called 'Enough Crying' that's amazing," he said (see "Mary J. Blige Gets Over Herself With The Breakthrough"). "It's probably gonna come out for New Year's as a single."

Jerkins, who is currently riding the R&B charts with Ray J's "One Wish" (see "Brandy's Brother Ray J Tells Ladies To 'Quit Actin' "), says he'll also re-team with Beyoncé when she starts work on her second solo album next year.

• Ciara
• Chris Brown
• Ray J

Ryan Cabrera's <i> You Stand Watching </i>
Photo: Atlantic Records

Look Out: Ryan Cabrera might not have finished high school, but he's certainly got skills, having produced his second record, You Stand Watching, all by himself. On top of that, he recorded the sucker in a mere three weeks. Tracks include: "Shine On" (first single), "Hit Me With Your Light" and "It's You."

Pollinating Pac: The Rose, Vol. 2 - Music Inspired by Tupac's Poetry commemorates the ninth anniversary of the rapper's death and finds Ludacris, Memphis Bleek, Talib Kweli and others using Pac's poetry as a launch pad for songs of their own. Teenagers Morgan McKenzie and Amber Granderson bring his story full-circle with the final track, "Poetry"; they're students at Pac's Kids, a summer performing-arts camp set up in memory of the rapper. Tracks include: "In the Depths of Solitude" (featuring Ludacris), "Power of a Smile" (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) and "Life Through My Eyes" (featuring Memphis Bleek and Tupac).

5 Alive: Maroon 5 flipped the name of their CD/DVD combo collection from Live at the Santa Barbara Bowl to the more foreboding Live - Friday the 13th. It's hitched with a bonus DVD featuring an interview with writer/director Mitch Glaser and a photo montage consisting of behind-the-scenes and live footage. Tracks include: "Wasted Years" (unreleased song), "Hello" (Oasis cover) and "She Will Be Loved."

A Novel Idea: As if Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness wasn't enough to chew on, Coheed and Cambria are putting out a 118-page graphic novel to coincide with the long-winded release. Good Apollo tracks include: "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial)," "The Suffering" and "Crossing the Frame."

DualDiscs Galore: Adding extra incentives for fans to buy instead of burn, the video portion of Bon Jovi's limited-edition Have a Nice Day DualDisc has five live clips from a November 2004 gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey, plus a behind-the-scenes video for the title track and a sticker to boot. Flip over Jamiroquai's Dynamite and you'll find two videos and an interview, while David Banner's Certified has some top-secret video goodies.

As Heard On TV: With the Emmys still fresh, the record racks are crossing over into TV land with the "Desperate Housewives" soundtrack (featuring Liz Phair, Macy Gray and Joss Stone); Rock Star: A Night at the Mayan Theatre, a companion to the INXS show; and "American Idol" contender LaToya London's Love & Life. Also, PBS packages three of its specials in video-disc form: the Martin Scorsese-directed Dylan biopic "No Direction Home"; the Carter Family's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"; and "The Sixties: The Years That Shaped a Generation."

Astral Week: Tupac Shakur's The Rose, Vol. 2 captures Talib Kweli wishing on a "Fallen Star"; George Michael decides to "Blame It on the Sun" on Ray Charles' Genius & Friends; Coheed and Cambria take off with Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness; Pilotdrift see "Comets" on Water Sphere; and Trio da Paz "Look to the Sky" on Somewhere. In the meantime, Earth (Hex [Or Printing in the Infernal Method]) and Earth, Wind & Fire (Illumination) stay closer to home. Also going the global route are Alicia Keys and Jermaine Paul ("If This World Were Mine," on So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross); Anthax ("In My World," on Alive 2 (2005)); Jordis Unga (covering David Bowie's "Man Who Sold the World," on Rock Star); Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash ("King of the World," on Mile Markers); Most Precious Blood ("World War You," on Merciless); Bif Naked ("The World Is Over," on Superbeautifulmonster); New Order ("World in Motion," on their "A Collection" DVD); Cage ("Perfect World," on Hell's Winter); the Last Dance ("World Down," on Once Beautiful); and the Cruxshadows ("Edge of the World," on the "Sleepwatching: Volume 1" comp).

Song Titles Of The Week:

• Horse the Band - "Octopus on Fire" (The Mechanical Hand)
• Most Precious Blood - "Narcoleptic Sleepwalker" (Merciless)
• Shaggy - "Ready Fi Di Ride" (Clothes Drop)

Other Notables:

Miri Ben-Ari's The Hip-Hop Violinist and Ray Charles' Genius & Friends: The Jay-Z/Wyclef collaborator has arrived at long last, and she joins forces on her maiden release with Kanye, Fabolous and Musiq ("Fly Away"); Scarface ("Sunshine to the Rain"); and John Legend and Consequence ("I've Been Waiting on You"). Don't miss the bonus reggaetón remix of "Jump & Spread Out," with Fatman Scoop, Zion, Lennox and Pitbull along for the ride. John Legend also crops up on Genius & Friends, which also features Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross and Angie Stone. (And, on that note, Rhino issues the behemoth Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959) the same day.)


Disturbed's Ten Thousand Fists: The metal band enlisted comic-book guru Todd McFarlane for a special edition of its latest; he crafts original art for the expanded, 24-page booklet. Previously, iTunes offered a video for "Stricken," a bonus track ("Monster") and a McFarlane sketch with pre-orders.


So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross, Love to Love You, Baby: A Tribute to Donna Summer and The Killer in You: A Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins: The speedily released Vandross tribute corrals Beyoncé, Elton John, Wyclef and Donna Summer, who gets her own salute the same day via Tom Tom Club, Soft Cell, Heart and others. On the other end of the spectrum, Poison the Well, A Static Lullaby and Hopesfall give Smashing Pumpkins a metalcore makeover with The Killer in You.

New Releases:

• The 88 - Over and Over (Mootron)
• Agent Sparks - Not So Merry EP (Immortal/Epic)
• The American Analog Set - Set Free (Arts & Crafts)
• Anthrax - Alive 2 (2005) (Sanctuary)
  Buy Now: Alive 2 (2005) (Sanctuary)
• A.R.E. Weapons - Free in the Streets (Defend)
• At All Cost - It's Time to Decide (Koch)
• The Audition - Controversy Loves Company (Victory)
• The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity? (Columbia)
• Bang 'Em & Domination - God Giveth, God Taketh Away (Koch)
• David Banner - Certified (DualDisc same day; Universal)
  Read: "Blessed By Lil Scrappy, Produced By Lil Jon, David Banner Gets Certified"
  Buy Now: Certified (Universal)
• Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - Mile Markers (Emergent)
• Josh Bates - Perfect Day (Reunion)
• Miri Ben-Ari - The Hip-Hop Violinist (Universal)
  Read: "Violinist Miri Ben-Ari Enlists Mya, Fabolous, Kanye West For Hip-Hop Debut" 1485394
• Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day (limited DualDisc edition same day; Island)
• Broadcast - Tender Buttons (Warp)
• Kev Brown - I Do What I Do (Up Above)
• Burning Spear - Our Music (DualDisc; Burning Music)
• C-Dott - Loyal to Da Block (Empire Musicwerks)
• Ryan Cabrera - You Stand Watching (Atlantic)
  Read: "Ryan Cabrera's Love-Song LP Isn't All About Ashlee"
  Buy Now: You Stand Watching (Atlantic)
• Cage - Hell's Winter (limited-edition version with bonus disc of instrumentals due same day; Definitive Jux)
• Cartel - Chroma (The Militia Group)
• Ray Charles - Genius & Friends (Rhino)
• Ken Clark Organ Trio - Mutual Respect (Severn)
• Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (Columbia Records)
  Read: "Coheed And Cambria Map Out Final Stages Of Their Convoluted Saga"
  Buy Now: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (Columbia Records)
• Cold Blood - Transfusion (Dig Music)
• Curumin - Achados E Perdidos (Quannum Projects)
• D:Fuse - People 3: Both Sides of the Picture - Live (Moist)
• Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists (special edition due same day; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Disturbed Songs Will Be 'United In Anger' On Third Album"
  Buy Now: Ten Thousand Fists (Warner Bros.)
• DJ Three - Hallucienda (System Recordings)
• Jerry Douglas - The Best Kept Secret (Koch)
• Earth - Hex (Or Printing in the Infernal Method) (Southern Lord)
• Earth, Wind & Fire - Illumination (Sanctuary Urban)
• Echo and the Bunnymen - Siberia (Cooking Vinyl)
• Marty Ehrlich - News on the Rail (Palmetto)
• El Ten Eleven - El Ten Eleven (Bar/None)
• End of Level Boss - Prologue (Exile on Mainstream)
• Estéfano - Código Personal: A Media Vida (Universal Latino Media)
• The Five Corners Quintet - Chasin' the Jazz Gone By (Milan)
• Forgas Band Phenomena - Soleil 12 (Cuneiform)
• God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason (DualDisc; Century Media)
• Alex Gold - Back From a Break (Koch)
• Horse the Band - The Mechanical Hand (Koch)
  Buy Now: The Mechanical Hand (Koch)
• Innerstance.Beatbox - Your Eyes Are Like UFO's My Darling (Consumers Research)
• John Hall - Rock Me on the Water (Siren Song)
• Jackson - Smash (Warp)
• Jamiroquai - Dynamite (DualDisc same day; Epic)
  Buy Now: Dynamite (Epic)
• Kyle Jason - Revolution of the Cool (Slam Jamz)
• JD & the Straight Shot - Nothing to Hide (Rhino)
• Djam Karet - Recollection Harvest (Cuneiform)
• The Kingsbury Manx - The Fast Rise and Fall of the South (Yep Roc)
• The Lackthereof - Christian the Christian (Film Guerrero)
• The Last Dance - Once Beautiful (Dancing Ferret)
• Christine Lavin - Folkzinger (Appleseed)
• Lil Al - The Self Made LP (P.R.)
• LaToya London - Love & Life (Peak/Concord)
• Eric Marienthal - Got You Covered! (Peak/Concord)
• Maroon 5 - Live - Friday the 13th (with DVD; Octone)
  Buy Now: Live - Friday the 13th (Octone)
• Masterplan - Aeronautics (Candlelight)
• Mats/Morgan Band - Thanks for Flying With Us (Cuneiform)
• Katy Moffatt - Up Close & Personal (Fuel 2000)
• Mojo Gurus - Shakin' in the Barn (Empire Musicwerks)
• The Morning After Girls - The Morning After Girls (Rainbow Quartz)
• Most Precious Blood - Merciless (Trustkill)
• Mr. Oizo - Moustache (Half a Scissor) (Mute)
• Municipal Waste - Hazardous Mutation (Earache)
• Bif Naked - Superbeautifulmonster (Bodog)
• Na'sha - My Story (Pure)
• Nashville Pussy - Get Some! (Spitfire)
• NDIO - Airback (Cuneiform)
• New Recruits - Attila Sex Shock (Cancer)
• Old 97's - Alive & Wired (New West)
• Oranger - New Comes and Goes (Eenie Meenie)
• P$C - 25 to Life (Atlantic)
• Paint by Numbers - Plastic (Victory)
• Charlie Peacock - Love Press Ex-Curio (Emergent)
• Pilotdrift - Water Sphere (Good)
• Psyche Origami - The Standard (ArcTheFinger)
• Jon Randall - Walking Among the Living (Sony Nashville)
• Ray J - Raydiation (Sanctuary)
  Read: "R. Kelly, Timbaland Help Ray J Bring The Heat On Raydiation"
  Buy Now: All the Right Reasons (Sanctuary)
• Jenni Rivera - Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida (Fonovisa)
• Shaggy - Clothes Drop (Geffen)
  Buy Now: Clothes Drop (Geffen)
• Billy Joe Shaver - The Real Deal (Compadre)
• Tupac Shakur - The Rose, Vol. 2 - Music Inspired by Tupac's Poetry (Koch)
• Shipwreck Union - Self Defense (Detroit Management)
• Darden Smith - Field of Crows (DualTone)
• Barbra Streisand - Guilty Pleasures (DualDisc same day; Columbia)
• Swords - Metropolis (Arena Rock)
• Tiana - Tiana (Warlock)
• Trio da Paz - Somewhere (Megaforce)
• Paul Van Dyk - The Politics of Dancing 2 (Mute)
• Andreas Vollenweider - Vox (DualDisc; Kin Kou)
• Kim Waters - All for Love (Shanachie)
• We Are Wolves - We Are Wolves (Fat Possum)
• Withered - Memento Mori (Lifeforce)
• Zero Hour - A Fragile Mind (Sensory)
• Various artists - Anjunabeats Volume Three (Epic)
• Various artists - Instrumental Icons, Vol. 3 (Koch)
• Various artists - The Killer in You: A Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins (Reignition)
• Various artists - Love to Love You, Baby: A Tribute to Donna Summer (Koch)
• Various artists - Rock Star: A Night at the Mayan Theatre (Epic)
• Various artists - So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross (J)
• Various artists - "Desperate Housewives" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "Roll Bounce" soundtrack (Sanctuary)

Notable Reissues:

• Anthrax - Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991) (Island)
• James Brown - Gettin' Down to It (Verve)
• Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (DualDisc; Mercury/Universal)
• Coal Chamber - Coal Chamber - The 25th Anniversary Series (Roadrunner)
• Ray Charles - Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959) (Rhino)
• Sam Cooke - Night Beat (limited edition), One Night Stand!: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club and The Best of Sam Cooke (RCA)
• King Diamond - Abigail - The 25th Anniversary Series (Roadrunner)
• King's X - Box Set (limited edition; Metal Blade)
• Steve Lukather - SantaMental (one bonus track; features Slash, Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai; Favored Nations)
• Master P - ReMix Classics (Koch)
  Buy Now: ReMix Classics (Koch)
• Premonitions of War - Glorified Dirt/The True Face of Panic (Metal Blade)
• VHS or Beta - Le Funk (with bonus remixes; Astralwerks)
• Various artists - Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970 Volume Two (with bonus remixes; Astralwerks)

DVDs:

• Anthrax - "Alive 2" (Sanctuary)
• The Carter Family - "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (PBS/Paramount)
• Bob Dylan - "No Direction Home" (directed by Martin Scorsese; PBS/Paramount)
• Jesse McCartney - "Up Close" (Hollywood)
• New Order - "A Collection" (Rhino)
• Traffic - "The Last Great Traffic Jam" (Epic)
• Various artists - "The Sixties: The Years That Shaped a Generation" (PBS/Paramount)
• Various artists - "Sleepwatching: Volume 1" (Dancing Ferret)

Coming Attractions:

September 27:

• Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights (Lost Highway)
• Sheryl Crow - Wildflower (A&M)
• Lil Kim - The Naked Truth (Atlantic)
  Read: "Lil' Kim's Wrath For 50, Foxy Has No Bounds On Naked Truth"

October 4:

• Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (DualDisc; Epic)
  Read: "Fiona Apple's Long-Delayed LP Slotted For October 4 Release"
• Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better (Epic)
  Read: "Set A Man On Fire, Name Next LP - Franz Ferdinand Do Whatever They Want"
• Nickelback - All the Right Reasons (Roadrunner)

October 11:

• Ricky Martin - Life (Columbia)
• Alicia Keys - Unplugged (J)
  Read: "Alicia Keys Taps Mos Def, Common For 'Inspired' 'Unplugged' "
• Ashlee Simpson - In Another Life
  Read: "Ashlee Remembers 'SNL' Incident But Forgets Boys On New LP"

• Ryan Cabrera
• Tupac
• David Banner
• Maroon 5
• Coheed and Cambria

Ray J and Brandy
Photo: MTV News

HOLLYWOOD — It isn't easy being celebrities spawned from the same family tree, but Brandy and brother Ray J have found strength in numbers and joined forces.

"Brandy and I are doing the whole label thing together right now — it's going to be real explosive, so look out for it," Ray J, with Brandy in tow, told MTV News recently at the red-carpet premiere of the MTV film "Hustle & Flow."

The 24-year-old singer/actor launched his own record label, Knockout Entertainment, earlier this year and has signed his big sis, who left Atlantic Records in November after 11 years with the label (see "Another Breakup For Brandy: This Time It's Her Label"). "We're just getting her started right now," Ray said. "We just want to make her happy, make me happy, and keep it movin'."

Brandy said she will most likely hit the recording studio this summer with her old friend, beatmaker Rodney Jerkins, who helmed the singer's 1998 multiplatinum LP Never Say Never. "I'm probably going to get back in with Rodney and really map something out with him," she said. "But for now, I'm just warming up my voice and just getting my creative juices flowing."

Jerkins also executive produced Ray's upcoming LP, Raydiation, which is slated for release on September 20 and will feature tracks from Timbaland, Dark Child and R. Kelly, among others (see "R. Kelly, Timbaland Help Ray J Bring The Heat On Raydiation").

The young crooner has chosen the lovelorn ballad "One Wish" as the lead single from the LP, shelving prior plans to release the R. Kelly-helmed "Quit Actin' " (see "Brandy's Brother Ray J Tells Ladies To 'Quit Actin' ").

"[That song is] about to change my life," he said. "I'm really showing vocal ability from Ray J that people haven't really heard before, so it's gonna be real, something new, and something real positive."

Ray shot the track's music video, directed by Mr. X (Usher, R. Kelly), on July 16 in Los Angeles. "The concept is, it's raining and I'm looking for my girl and I got one wish to get back with her," he explained. "At the end, you will see if it really happens or not.

"It's gonna be real exotic, man. Just sexy," he continued. "It's showing sex appeal and [going] straight for the women."

• Brandy
• Ray J

Ray J (file)
Photo: MTV News

Sisters never listen to their younger brothers. Brandy and Ray J, apparently, are no exception.

While Brandy is busy putting together another sitcom, Ray J is releasing a single called "Quit Actin'."

The song, which recently hit the clubs and will arrive at radio stations this month, isn't exactly a message from Ray to his sister. Nor is it a reflection on his own career, which has encompassed numerous appearances on TV and film.

The song is a message to the ladies who frequent the club scene. One of the featured lyrics is "Quit acting like the blue ain't ice/ And quit frontin' like the whips ain't tight."

R&B mogul R. Kelly produced and also sings on "Quit Actin'," which is the lead single from Ray J's Raydiation, due June 7 (see "R. Kelly, Timbaland Help Ray J Bring The Heat On Raydiation").

"Me and him got a lot to relate to in life and so when I was out there [in Chicago], we had a lot of fun just chillin'," Ray J said. "The song came about from just having fun."

Ray J selected "Quit Actin' " for the single over several other close seconds, including "Sexy," a duet with Mya he described as "a real dark but real sexy record"; "Keep Sweatin'," a Rodney Jerkins-produced dance tune featuring Fat Joe he called "straight for the clubs"; and "War Is Over," a political duet with Brandy.

The siblings recently scored big in Europe with a joint cover of Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise." The hit enabled them to tour together, an experience Brandy relished.

"He's great, and our voices together on that one track just sound amazing," Brandy said. "I know his potential; I know where he can go as an artist, as a man and as an individual."

Raydiation, which also includes production from Timbaland, marks a reinvention of sorts for Ray J, who is stemming away from rapping and showcasing his singing and songwriting abilities.

"It really shows a more mature side of me," he said. "I put my heart and my passion into it. ... The album takes you in and out of relationships, just everyday relationship problems ... then it goes into the clubs and into the bedroom. It's all in the album."

Jerkins, who has produced hits for Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Brandy, said he jumped at the chance to work with Ray J after working with him in the past and hearing how different his new demos sounded.

"I think, over the years, he's grown up and he's matured into the artist that he really is," Jerkins said. "Now you're about to see the real Ray J."

Ray J — who just finished Seventeen magazine's Rock the Runway mall tour and has also been working on TV show "106 & Park" and his own BET countdown show — is looking at reels to select a director for the "Quit Actin' " video. He's also in talks to tour with Destiny's Child this summer.

Ray J just signed to Sanctuary Urban, whose president is Destiny's Child manager (and Beyoncé's father) Mathew Knowles.

"Mathew sent me down to his Houston boot camp and it was for real," Ray J said. "I learned a lot from being down there and I'm still learning. I even told Mathew a couple weeks ago, 'Look, whenever you need me to go back to boot camp, let me know, 'cause that's real good for me.' 'Perfect practice makes perfect' is what my mom always says."

• Ray J
• Brandy

Ray J
Photo: MTV News

SHERMAN OAKS, California — The last time we heard from Ray J, he was telling us to "Wait a Minute."

What he meant was "wait a while."

"Wait a Minute," a Neptunes-produced collaboration with Lil' Kim, was a club favorite in the summer of 2001, but Ray J's been flying under the radar since.

Well, it was not without purpose.

"I feel like if you rush anything, it's never complete and it's never, never what you want it to be," Ray J said last week from one of producer Rodney Jerkins' studios. "Taking your time with music is real important to me. I think whenever the feeling comes, that's when the hit comes, [even] if it doesn't come for two weeks or two months or two years. Whenever you find that chemistry with yourself and the people you're working with, that's when you should put records out."

After more than a year and a half of writing, recording and finding that chemistry, Ray J has finally finished the follow-up to This Ain't a Game (see "This Ain't A Game, Promises Ray J"). Due in March, Raydiation features production from Jerkins, Timbaland and R. Kelly, as well as guest spots from Mya and sister Brandy.

"We wanted to call it Raydiation 'cause we felt like we had to bring the heat this time and every song had to be hot," said Ray J, convinced that he did just that.

"I think people are gonna be just shocked with what we did," added Jerkins, who worked on several tracks.

The biggest shock is that while This Ain't a Game was a hip-hop record, Raydiation finds Ray J abandoning rapping for singing.

"It really shows a more mature side of me and more of [my] vocal ability," Ray said. "I put my heart and my passion into it, and my focus was really to go in there and sing my heart out on this album."

"His vocal ability is incredible, and I'm gonna showcase that," Jerkins said. "It's cool because it's very urban, but the melodies are still crossover melodies, so it's a perfect combination of R&B, hip-hop and pop."

Ray J has yet to decide on the first single, but he's leaning toward Jerkins' "Keep Sweatin'," a high-energy club tune in the vein of Usher's "Yeah!"

"Oh my God, something just happened," Jerkins said. "We just fell on it, and in 30 minutes the track was done. Ray J came out of the booth drenched, literally — you would've thought he was in the pool, he was so soaked. So I think the title fits what we're trying to get the world to do. When people hear the energy of this record and when they're in the club dancing to this record, everybody's coming out of the club sweating."

"Quit Acting," which R. Kelly produced and guests on, is the other finalist and came together after a week of hanging out with the R&B legend.

"It's coming straight for the clubs," Ray J said. "It's saying, 'Quit acting like the blue ain't ice and quit frontin' like the whips ain't tight.' "

"Sexy," Ray's collaboration with Mya, is also for the clubs — strip clubs, that is.

"It's a real dark but real sexy record," Ray J said. "It takes place in a strip club, and you can just mentally take it from there."

Raydiation is more than just club tracks, however, and many of the ballads and mid-tempo numbers clearly address everyday relationship problems. The album also features the political "War Is Over," a duet with Brandy.

"It's just praying and hoping that when the war's over everything will be all right," Ray said. "After the Twin Towers situation happened, that's when I started writing that song. I really wanted [Brandy] to be a part of the song 'cause I felt like a brother and sister speaking on that would be real powerful. It's a real special record to me."

Another song close to Ray J and Jerkins' hearts is the likely second or third single, "One Wish," a ballad about a lost love that showcases Ray's voice.

" 'One Wish' is my favorite song because everybody knows me for doing crossover up-tempo records, but 'One Wish' is a ballad," Jerkins explained. "The lyrical content is so incredible in that song and the melody — when it comes to that hook, you hear that hook one time and you remember it.

"A lot of times artists only have one single and the rest of the album is whatever, but he has a great album and he has great singles," Jerkins added. "So we're excited."

• Ray J
• R. Kelly
• Timbaland

Ray J, Yung Berg, Casely At R&B Live In Times Square

• Ray J
• Casely
• Yung Berg

Raydiation

• Nick Cannon
• Ray J
• Yung Joc

Ne-Yo, Kanye, Daddy Yankee, More At KIIS-FM's Wango Tango Concert, 05.06.2006

• Kanye West
• Ne-Yo
• Rihanna
• Mary J. Blige
• Ray J