Eminem
Photo: Anthony Mandler/ Interscope

Eminem and Kim Mathers finalized their second divorce Tuesday (December 20), The Associated Press reports. The two parties will divide their property under terms of a private settlement and will share custody of Hailie Jade Scott, who is 10 years old. Eminem did not comment after the brief hearing, but Circuit Judge Antonio P. Viviano said the couple "conducted themselves with dignity and respect. All in all, they are a very fine couple to deal with." ...

If you've wanted to share the screen with Lindsay Lohan but are a bit lower down on the star ladder, this could be your chance. A Lohan thriller tentatively titled "I Know Who Killed Me" is seeking extras (18 and over, with ID) available to film key scenes in San Luis Obispo, California. The open call will be held Tuesday from 5-10 p.m. at Maggie's Diner in San Luis Obispo. ...

What's good for Drew Lachey is apparently good for Joey Fatone. The 'NSYNC member told Orlando, Florida, radio station WTKS-FM on Friday that he'd like to appear on the hit TV show "Dancing With the Stars," AP reports. Fatone said producers of the show had asked him three times to appear, but that he'd turned it down. Now that the show has become a hit, he's reconsidered. "I like doing it because it's challenging," Fatone said of dancing. "Can you imagine me wearing those stupid tuxes?" ...

A February 13 release date has been set for the Unholy Alliance collection, a CD/DVD set chronicling the Slayer-anchored tour's July 13 stop in Vancouver, British Columbia. The discs will include performances from all of the bands on the trek's bill: Slayer, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed. The DVD also includes backstage footage and band interviews. ... The Warner Music Group is about to get a bit more hardcore. The home of soft-rocker James Blunt has agreed to pay $73.5 million to acquire a majority stake in heavy-metal label Roadrunner Music Group, home to Slipknot, Megadeth and Nickelback. Roadrunner, based out of Amsterdam, will be a freestanding label within the Atlantic Records Group, already home to hard acts Metallica and Staind. ...

As he is wont to do, Bright Eyes — a.k.a. indie wunderkind Conor Oberst and whoever he feels like playing with — will release not one but two recordings (at least) next year. On March 6, they'll drop Four Winds, a six-song EP featuring six new tracks, including "Reinvent the Wheel," "Smoke Without Fire" and "Cartoon Blues." Then, on April 10, they'll release the full-length Cassadaga, featuring guest appearances by M. Ward, Gillian Welch and former Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss. The album — which was recorded in New York; Los Angeles; and Lincoln, Nebraska — is actually named after a Florida town that is commonly known as "The psychic center of the world." ...

You Hear It First alums and Woodie Award winners Plain White T's have set aside a chunk of 2007 for touring. The gang will head out for a March 4 gig in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and follow through until a May 2 concert in Chicago. ... Another band of up-and-comers, Mewithoutyou, will hit the road for a co-headlining jaunt with Sparta on February 22 in Omaha, Nebraska. That 22-date trek ends March 19 in St. Louis. ... In more tour news, Badly Drawn Boy has sketched out a North American run that will see him hitting Philadelphia March 3 and wind down in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 27. ... And finally, the reunited Lemonheads will check in again with another leg come early '07. Evan Dando and company will hit Carrboro, North Carolina, on January 25 and conclude the tour in Hoboken, New Jersey, on February 24. ...

It was cool while it lasted. On Monday, members of the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Santana sued the owner of Wolfgang's Vault, which has been offering streams of hundreds of rare concert recordings from major rock stars on its Web site. According to Reuters, the bands are claiming the site was illegally offering the recordings by artists ranging from A Flock of Seagulls to Bob Marley, the Clash, the Who and Bob Dylan — some of the thousands it acquired from the vault of late concert promoter Bill Graham — in order to stimulate sales of its concert T-shirts, photos and vintage posters. The suit was filed against Vault owner William Sagan, who bought Graham's assets for $5 million three years ago. ... In related news, the Dead and Doors will receive lifetime-achievement Grammys prior to the awards show on February 11, AP reports. Folk icon Joan Baez, jazz great Ornette Coleman, opera singer Maria Callas, soul stalwarts Booker T. and the MG's and departed country hero Bob Willis will also receive the honor. ...

Stacie Orrico has finished the video for her new single, "I'm Not Missing You." The song is featured on Beautiful Awakenings, an album she co-wrote many songs to that is due January 16. Orrico's self-titled album, which earned her a Grammy nomination, came out in 2003. ... Doing a sitcom for VH1 in which she played herself apparently wasn't enough reliving for Tori Spelling.The former "Beverly Hills 90210" starlet is writing a memoir as well, in which she'll discuss her childhood privileges, tabloid misperceptions, success and regrets in a humorous and self-deprecating way. The yet-untitled book is due for publication in spring 2008 by Simon Spotlight. ...

Legendary soul label Stax is relaunching in 2007 to mark the golden anniversary of its 1957 formation. The recording home of such R&B luminaries as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave and Isaac Hayes plans to release 20 CDs and DVDs in the new year, including new music from Hayes and Angie Stone. ... A warrant was issued by immigration officials Monday for Yoko Ono's driver, Koral Karsan — who was arrested last week and charged with attempted grand larceny after he allegedly threatened to kill Ono and her son Sean Lennon and release personal audio recordings unless he was paid $2 million. According to AP, immigration officials issued the warrant to determine if the native of Turkey is in the U.S. legally. ... Joseph Barbera, an animator who co-created dozens of cartoon series — including "The Flintstones," "Tom and Jerry," "Yogi Bear" and "Scooby Doo" — with creative partner William Hanna, died Monday in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 95.

12.18.2006

Justin Timberlake will perform with an unsigned artist at the Grammy Awards via a new contest put on by Yahoo! Music and the Recording Academy. My Grammy Moment will allow fans to vote for their favorite unsigned act at Yahoo! Music, and the three finalists will also be able to participate in a variety of music-education initiatives put on by the Recording Academy. ...

Even without a new album out, Britney Spears is #1. But the chart the singer is topping is probably not one she was hoping for. ViralVideoChart.com has released a list of the top viral videos of the year, and Spears has locked up the top two spots. A clip of her burping and babbling about time travel was seen more than 3 million times, followed by the infamous footage of soon-to-be ex-husband Kevin Federline apparently getting the news of his impending divorce via text message, which clocked 2 million hits. The Spears and Federline clips were followed by comedian Michael Richards' racist stage rant and footage of Lindsay Lohan dissing Paris Hilton. To make matters worse, Spears also earned the mantle as 2006's worst celebrity dog owner, according to a poll of dog-magazine readers. "She once had three Chihuahuas ... and never left home without at least one of them on her arm," Hilary O'Hagan, editor of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog said in a statement The Associated Press. "As soon as she met K-Fed and had kids, [the dogs] disappeared." ...

Ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined the band for five songs during its Sunday gig in Los Angeles, Reuters reports. Stradlin — who left the fold 15 years ago but has made sporadic appearances at GN'R reunion shows — played and sang harmonies to "Paradise City," "Patience," "Nightrain," "Used to Love Her" and "Think About You." ... Pay no mind to the speculation that Korn's days may be numbered. Nothing could be further from the truth, frontman Jonathan Davis wrote in a blog post. Since the announcement last week that drummer David Silveria was "taking a break" from Korn, fans have been wondering if they should be worried about the band's future. "He really needed to take a break," Davis wrote. "He was very burnt out. He will not be on this record [we're working on at the moment] or tour, but will be back for the next one, if ready. Until then, we will have a fill-in drummer. We are NOT breaking up, this is not the last album. Everything is fine, this is only temporary." ...

By now, Michael Jackson fans should know to always make backup plans. After promising to appear at an expensive Christmas party for fans on Tuesday in Tokyo, Jackson has postponed the event until next year so he can add another date to the meet-and-greet, according to a Reuters report. The party for 1,600 fans that was to include dancers, a band and gospel singers will now take place on March 8 and offer more tickets at the top prices. Platinum ticket holders were promised a chance to meet Jackson and take a photo with him for a mere $3,428 each. Buyer beware — Jackson will not perform at the show but will watch it from a VIP box and make brief remarks. The second-day event will give fans a chance to see a show featuring dancers performing Jackson's hits as he looks on from the VIP area. ...

J Dilla's Ruff Draft album is being re-released as a two-CD set in March. Bonus vocal tracks, interludes and instrumentals will be included. ... The singers behind the Kidz Bop albums are going on tour in the spring in conjunction with volume 11, due February 20. The group recently debuted on QVC. ... Whitney Houston, her mother, Cissy Houston, and cousin Dionne Warwick have recorded a song together for the first time. Aptly titled "Family First," the song will be featured on the soundtrack to "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls," due January 9. The CD will also feature songs from Beyoncé, R. Kelly and a collaboration between Anthony Hamilton, Jaheim and Musiq. The movie opens February 14. ...

The Arctic Monkeys have announced a huge show to celebrate the release of their second album in the spring. The 50,000-capacity gig — which they've promised will feature their longest set to date — will take place July 28 at the Lancashire County Cricket Ground in Manchester, England. The show will include yet-unannounced support bands chosen from among the group's favorite acts, according to an announcement on its Web site. ... The Kaiser Chiefs are launching a North American tour April 13 in New York. The tour, sponsored by the New Musical Express, currently includes stops in Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco, with more to be announced in January. ...

Pete Townshend will be the keynote speaker at next year's South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. The Who guitarist will give his keynote address on March 14 and perform with artist Rachel Fuller and other special guests the following day. ... The first U.S. performance by Yusuf — a.k.a. Yusuf Islam, a.k.a. Cat Stevens — will be broadcast Thursday. Recorded in New York on November 19 to an invite-only crowd, the intimate gig will air at 11:15 a.m. PT on Santa Monica, California's NPR affiliate, KCRW. ...

The reunited Glassjaw are offering fans a chance to become the band's next ex-member. The winner will be made an official member of the band, get kicked out, then will be listed as an ex-member on the band's Web site and even receive a phone call from an actual former member of Glassjaw. More information on the contest can be found at the band's MySpace page. ... Pastor Troy was arrested Friday morning in Atlanta for an alleged parole violation following an interview on the city's Hot 107.9 radio station, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The rapper, who was on probation for driving offenses, was arrested after a tipster called the authorities to report that he was at the studio. Officers took Troy into custody after confirming a warrant for unspecified probation violations.

• Lindsay Lohan
• *NSYNC
• Mastodon
• Slayer
• Lamb of God

Jamie Foxx and Clive Davis
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, California — At Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party Tuesday night, one man managed to surprise an A-list audience with two of music's biggest stars, reunite a legendary R&B group, spontaneously re-create one of hip-hop's greatest tracks and find the fantasy in Fantasia ... all in about 45 minutes.

And no, it wasn't Clive Davis.

The famed music mogul's name was on the invitation, but the night clearly belonged to Jamie Foxx, whose one-of-a-kind set had more surprise twists than an episode of "24."

The actor-turned-surprisingly-successful-singer took the Beverly Hilton ballroom's stage shortly before midnight, crooning the "Slow Jamz" hook into a diamond-studded microphone, ad-libbing lyrics and breaking into verses from some of R&B's greats.

After seamlessly segueing into "Unpredictable" and bringing out Ludacris for his verse, Foxx paused behind his piano to address the room of megastars (Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Diana Ross, to name a few) and bigwigs (Quincy Jones, L.A. Reid, Russell Simmons ... you get the point).

"Some say hip-hop killed the R&B star," he said. Then, before finishing his thought, he broke into "Warm Bed," leaving the piano and pacing the stage, sharing dirty thoughts of what he wanted to do to his girl. Suddenly, he looked out in the star-studded crowd and wondered aloud what a woman would do back. He slowly walked off the stage and eventually came to Fantasia, who was quick to play along, sitting Foxx down and seductively dancing around him. "I'm a young girl," she belted back. "And I will do young girl things."

	Ashlee, Fergie, Jamie, Ciara, More At The Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party
	Jamie, Kanye, Snoop, Kelly, More Perform At The Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party
	Kelly Clarkson, Common, More At The What's The Download Rap Session
	Pussycat Dolls, Good Charlotte, Macy Gray At The Grammy Style Studio
	The 48th Annual Grammys Nominees

"I'm a grown man and you don't even know your body yet," Foxx sang back. "I'll make the back of your knees wet." He stopped himself just short of leaving her his hotel-room key, then asked for a reaction from a younger singer. "Mario, show us that sweet voice," he said, welcoming the young singer for another impromptu collaboration.

Then, just when you thought it was over, Foxx said he wanted to hear from some older men. "Ladies and gentlemen, Jodeci," he sang as the group sprinted onstage, singing Foxx's "Do What He Do." A few dozen vocal runs later, Foxx finally finished his thought: "R&B is back."

With that out of the way, Foxx moved on to a little hip-hop, and pulled some more tricks from up his sleeve. He launched into Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman," now known as the sample for "Gold Digger," so who better to make a surprise appearance than Kanye West himself?

"Get down girl, go ahead get down," West rapped, announcing between lines that he actually wants the crowd to get up. "It's reverse psychology," he deadpanned.

As Kanye finished the final verse, a glowing Foxx started pointing to the crowd, and within seconds Doug E. Fresh was on the mic, beat-boxing along to "Gold Digger." As Fresh transitioned into his most famous track, "La Di Da Di," Foxx corralled Snoop Dogg to join him, taking on Slick Rick's verses like they were his own.

"Where's Jay-Z?" Foxx yelled at one point as Kanye danced behind him. (Jigga had unfortunately already busted out.) "Sometimes your words just hypnotize me," he sang along with Snoop, summing up his performance.

"It's an honor to work with Clive Davis," Foxx said before the show, praising the man he would later imitate onstage. "From Barbra Streisand all the way to 50 Cent, he knows music."

Davis also knows how to throw a party, probably because he's been doing it for 30 years. And like every other year, Tuesday's event was a celebrity extravaganza, beginning with a red-carpet traffic jam where Ashlee Simpson trailed Kiss' Paul Stanley, Maroon 5 bumped into the Neptunes, and Carrie Underwood gushed over the Foo Fighters.

Davis' event is also known as a coming out party for some of his hottest young acts (Alicia Keys was introduced at his Grammy party a few years ago) and Tuesday night was no different.

After a hits set from Rod Stewart, Davis proudly welcomed Chris Brown, the 16-year-old Usher-in-training who danced and sang through the one-two punch of "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" and "Run It." On his heels, Davis also introduced R&B singer Heather Headley, comparing her to a young Anita Baker and Whitney Houston.

Kelly Clarkson followed, wailing "Since U Been Gone" and slowing down for an acoustic take on "Because of You," easily the night's most vocally perfect number.

"It's an honor to perform in front of some of my favorites," she told the crowd. "I mean Mary J. Blige!"

Blige was scheduled to close the show herself, but with performances running late, she was forced to miss her set so she could rehearse for Wednesday's Grammys (see "Jamie Foxx And Kanye Go For The 'Gold,' U2 And Mary J. Team Up At Grammys").

Fantasia — who performed a Luther Vandross tribute with Anthony Hamilton after Foxx — stepped in, singing Vandross's "Power of Love" to close the night.

Celebrating 30 years of Arista, Santana and Rob Thomas also performed the label's biggest hit, "Smooth," earlier in the night, and the label's first artist, Barry Manilow, sang a medley of hits. Davis also used the event to announce some label news, stating that his J Records just signed Pearl Jam.

So perhaps Foxx can work Eddie Vedder into his show next year.

The show's over, but there's still plenty of Grammy goodness right here on MTVNews.com. Check out photos of the hottest green-carpet and onstage moments, find out what went down at the celeb-packed parties, and share your thoughts on the performers, winners and losers.

Plus watch videos of all the nominees on MTV.com and check out exclusive video footage from the big night on Overdrive.

	Snoop, Chappelle And Fall Out Boy Jump Onstage And Jam With The Roots
	Yellowcard Divide Screaming Fans, Push For Rock Credibility
	Kanye Gives Tom Cruise Something To Shout About At Pre-Grammy Party
	Check Out Everything We've Got On The Grammys

• Jamie Foxx
• Kanye West
• Snoop Dogg
• Ludacris
• Beyoncé

<i>Now That's What I Call Music! 20</i>
Photo: Utv Records

With 1999's Supernatural, an album featuring duets with Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, and Eric Clapton, among others, iconic guitarist Carlos Santana stumbled upon an award-winning, cash-culling formula: Recruit some of music's biggest names, and record tracks with them. Santana's Supernatural, which has gone on to sell more than 11.5 million copies, was followed by 2002's Shaman, which debuted as Billboard's #1 with close to 300,000 in first-week sales; that album included guests Dido, Macy Gray, Seal and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger.

Sticking with that blueprint for success, Carlos Santana once again collected a handful of hitmakers for his latest outing, All That I Am, which features Michelle Branch, Outkast's Big Boi, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Joss Stone, Metallica's Kirk Hammett and "American Idol" runner-up Bo Bice. The ingredients were all there for All That I Am's chart-topping debut, and with sales of more than 142,000, Santana gave it the old college try. But the producers behind the unstoppable retail force known as the Now That's What I Call Music! series drafted some equally imposing all-stars for the 20th installment in the best-selling compilation franchise.

According to the latest SoundScan totals, Now 20, which boasts tracks from Missy Elliott, Black Eyed Peas, Franz Ferdinand, Coldplay, the Pussycat Dolls, Ciara, Destiny's Child, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy and others, crushed Santana to take Billboard's #1, with week-one sales of close to 378,000. But Carlos shouldn't take the defeat too hard — few can top the consistently successful Now collections when it comes to chart debuts.

Santana and the wow of Now aside, it was a frail week at retail for chart newcomers. This week's Billboard totals reflect the advent of the holiday-shopping season, as the chart is riddled with greatest-hits collections released in droves toward the tail end of the year. This week, Blink-182's Greatest Hits debuts at #6 with close to 72,000 copies sold, while Slipknot's 9.0: Live, which is loaded with live renditions of some of the mask-donning metal band's most powerful tracks, opens at #17 with 42,000 plus scans.

John Fogerty's The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/ Creedence Collection debuts at #13 with 47,000 copies sold. Sliver: The Best of the Box, a collection of unreleased Nirvana tracks and a sampling of tunes issued via last year's With the Lights Out box set, debuts at #21 on the chart, selling more than 38,000 units. Ozzy Osbourne's Under Cover, an album of classic rock covers (several of which first appeared on Ozzy's Prince of Darkness box set), debuts at #134, with nearly 9,000 in sales.

A number of previously released hits discs also experienced a surge in sales this week — most notably, Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits, which takes #60 with more than 17,000 copies sold thanks to an 18 percent increase in retail interest, and Hilary Duff's Most Wanted, in at #52 with 20,000 scans reflecting an 11 percent sales spike.

As for the chart's top 10, Nickelback's All the Right Reasons holds strong at #3 with sales of close to 101,000 while the Black Eyed Peas, who are dominating airwaves with the single "My Humps," finish at #4 with 86,000 in sales for their latest, Monkey Business. Destiny's Child's #1's falls four spots to #5 with week-two scans of 85,000, while Martina McBride's Timeless takes the #7 spot with sales of 63,000 and change. Wherever You Are, the latest from Christian rockers Third Day, debuts at #8 with nearly 63,000 copies flying off record-store shelves, followed at #9 by Rod Stewart's Thanks for the Memory ... The Great American Songbook, Volume IV, which sold 62,000 copies. Ashlee Simpson's I Am Me rounds out the top 10 with sales of 54,000.

Other notable debuts on this week's chart include former Phish-erman Trey Anastasio's Shine, which opens at #64 with 16,000 copies sold, and Imogen Heap's Speak For Yourself, which debuts at #182 with 6,000 in sales.

For more on Blink-182's break, see the feature "Tom DeLonge: No More Compromises"

• blink-182
• Santana
• Missy Elliott
• Fall Out Boy
• Kelly Clarkson

Carlos Santana and Michelle Branch peform at the 2005 World Music Awards
Photo: Getty Images

When Carlos Santana collaborates, big things tend to happen. That might be why Outkast's Big Boi, Mary J. Blige and Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am are among the many artists who signed on for the guitar great's latest album.

All That I Am, due November 1, features Big Boi and Blige on a track called "My Man" (penned by the Outkast rapper with Rob Thomas; Thomas co-wrote Santana's 2000 hit, "Smooth"), and Will on "I Am Somebody." Other guests include Bo Bice on "Brown Skin Girl," Sean Paul and Joss Stone on "Cry Baby Cry," Aerosmith's Steven Tyler on "Just Feel Better," Anthony Hamilton on "Twisted," Los Lonely Boys on "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" and guitar virtuosos Robert Randolph and Metallica's Kirk Hammett on the aptly titled "Trinity," according to Santana's publicist.

All That I Am's first single, "I'm Feeling You," features Michelle Branch and her new group, the Wreckers, and was written by the red-hot team of John Shanks and Kara DioGuardi (see "Ashlee And Hilary's Hitmaker Is Eager To Work With Paris Hilton"). Branch last worked with Santana on the Grammy-winning "The Game of Love," from the latter's 2002 album, Shaman (see "Santana Says Angels Recommended Michelle Branch For Song").

Santana produced the new album with J Records domo Clive Davis, the man behind both Shaman and his hugely successful Supernatural, which sold more than 23 million copies worldwide.

On Thursday, Santana kicks off the second leg of his Embrace Your Light Tour in San Jose, California. Robert Randolph and the Family Band and the Salvador Santana Band (fronted by Carlos's son) are opening on the trek, which lasts through mid-October.

• Santana
• Mary J. Blige

Carlos Santana (file)
Photo: Arista

A former employee of Carlos Santana has sued the guitar hero and his wife for allegedly firing him for not being spiritual enough.

In a wrongful-termination suit filed in California on April 13, Bruce Kuhlman claims he was terminated at the urging of Santana's wife, Deborah, who was following the advice of her spiritual guru, Dr. Dan, according to a Reuters report.

Kuhlman claims in the suit that Dr. Dan, using his patented Neuro-Emotional Technique, informed the 59-year-old former employee that his "enlightenment/consciousness level" was too low because of his age and that "the more enlightened a person was, the closer to God he was and the better employee he was." Kuhlman began working as Santana's personal assistant in 1988 and was running the Santana band's licensing operation when he was fired last year.

He is seeking more than $100,000 in punitive damages from the couple and is also asking a judge to stop them from using the doctor's technique to "calibrate" employees.

According to Kuhlman, the calibration process was key to assessing new hires. He claims that when Deborah Santana hired three new female employees, she asked the doctor to calibrate them over the phone.

During the process, the doctor allegedly used his wife as a stand-in for the new employees and would push down on her arm while Deborah Santana told him information about the potential hires. "Based on this evaluation by Dr. Dan and his measure of the applicant's 'consciousness level,' Deborah would decide whether to hire them," according to the suit.

Kuhlman has also accused Deborah Santana of using slurs against male employees and claims in the suit that he was fired after missing an appointment with the doctor in April 2004. He claims that the missed meeting led to him being cut out of nearly $250,000 in performance bonuses from the licensing operation.

A lawyer for Santana would not comment to Reuters about the suit.

Santana has often spoken about his deep spirituality (see "Santana Says Angels Recommended Michelle Branch For Song"), even crediting his Supernatural sweep of the 2000 Grammys to a bearded angel named Metatron, who he said watches over him. Shortly after that year's eight-Grammy haul, he told Rolling Stone that Metatron visited him with the message: "You will be inside the radio frequency for the purpose of connecting the molecules with the light," which inspired him to make the album.

• Santana

Jay-Z may have retired from the rap game, but he's working double duty this week to help his protégés shine.

First up there's The Roc Files Volume 1, featuring Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Foxy Brown and the Jigga Man himself. Then, Memphis Bleek's M.A.D.E — an acronym for Money, Attitude, Direction and Education — finally hits shelves and, wouldn't you know it, Beanie and Jay turn up on that LP as well.

Raekwon reunites with some of his Wu-Tang buddies — Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna — on The Lex Diamond Story, and Santana's Ceremony — Remixes & Rarities features what its title promises plus three unreleased tracks, "Manana," "Curacion" and "Let Me Love You Tonight."

Sarah McLachlan's Remixed finds her ethereal songs electrofied by beatmakers BT ("Hold On" and "I Love You") and William Orbit ("Black"). Meanwhile, the Goodie Mob hit us off with some Dirty South Classics, And Then ... Joe drops his new material as well.

Finally, Outkast release a DVD of their funked-up and freaked-out videos. Hey ya!

Out Tuesday, December 16:

• B-Legit - Word Pimpin' (Outbac)
• Broken Bottles - In the Bottles (TKO)
• Down South Georgia Boys - 'Til Death Do Us Part (Universal)
• Goodie Mob - Dirty South Classics (La Face)
  Buy Now: Dirty South Classics (La Face)
  
• Joe - And Then ... (Jive)
• Sarah McLachlan - Remixed (Arista)
  Buy Now: Remixed (Arista)
  
• Memphis Bleek - M.A.D.E. (Def Jam)
  Read: "Memphis Bleek Gets Past Bleak Period, Now Has It M.A.D.E."
  Buy Now: M.A.D.E. (Def Jam)
  
• Raekwon - The Lex Diamond Story (Universal)
• The Rum Diary - Poisons That Save Lives (Substandard)
• Santana - Ceremony — Remixes & Rarities (Arista)
• Scarling - Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole (EP, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• Spits - The Spits (Dirtnap)
• Year Future - Year Future (EP, Gold Standard Laboratories)
• Various artists – "Cold Mountain" soundtrack (DMZ/Soundtrax)
• Various artists - The Roc Files Volume 1 (Def Jam)
• Various artists – "Something's Gotta Give" soundtrack (Soundtrax)
• Various artists – "Wicked" original Broadway cast recording (Decca)
• DVD: Outkast - The Videos (Arista)

December 23:

• B2K - "You Got Served" soundtrack (Sony)
• Juvenile - Juve the Great (Universal)
• Various artists - "Big Fish" soundtrack (Sony)

January 6:

• Clarence Clemons - Live in Asbury Park Vol. 2 (Valley)
• Paul Weller - Under the Influence (UTI)
• Justin Timberlake - Live From London (BMG)
• DVD: Coldplay - Unauthorized (Music Video Distributors)

January 13:

• Crystal Method - Legion of Boom (V2)
• Lou Reed, John Cale and Nico - Bataclan 72 (Pilot)
• Runaways - Waitin' for the Night (Cherry Red)

January 20:

• Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine (Arista)
• Ani DiFranco - Educated Guess (Righteous Babe)

January 27:

• Stereolab - Margerine Eclipse (Elektra)

• Memphis Bleek
• Raekwon
• Santana
• Sarah McLachlan
• Goodie Mob

Prince
Photo: Steven Parke

Since their songs have such a sensual flow, no one's ever questioned whether or not Prince or Musiq are experienced. Some folks may not know they're also experienced — as in fans of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Prince and Musiq will both be featured on the Hendrix tribute album this fall, and they'll probably both be excited to hear there's another album of previously unreleased Jimi material on the way.

For the tribute disc, titled Power of Soul, the Minnesota native with a penchant for purple recorded a version of "Red House," which he's renamed "Purple House," and Musiq reinterpreted "Are You Experienced?" (see "Musiq Likely Joining Forces With Prince For Juslisen Follow-Up").

The Hendrix love fest also includes Santana covering "Spanish Castle Magic," Parliament/Funkadelic singer George Clinton and bassist Bootsy Collins funkin' up "Power of Soul," and Earth, Wind & Fire turning on the heat for "Voodoo Chile."

A couple of collaborations will appear on the album as well. Kid Rock's guitarist Kenny Olson joins Chaka Khan on "Little Wing," and guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck and pop/R&B singer Seal take on "The Wind Cries Mary."

Power of Soul will include one of the last recordings by the late John Lee Hooker, the disc's second version of "Red House." And former Hendrix alumni also chime in; Band of Gypsies drummer Buddy Miles plays on "Manic Depression" and bassist Billy Cox performs on "Machine Gun."

The tribute record was assembled over much of the past year by Jimi's half sister Janie Hendrix and her husband Sheldon Reynolds, who played guitar in Earth, Wind & Fire and the Commodores. The project was delayed when Jimi's dad, Al Hendrix, passed away last April.

The goals for Janie were to show how many artists Hendrix influenced and to expose a new audience to his timeless music.

"Jimi's music is really universal, and we wanted to express that," she said. "The songs [on the tribute record] all have their own feel. It's not just a recreation of Jimi. It is Jimi's music, but woven in is the talent of each individual artist."

The way the musicians vibed off Hendrix parallels the way Jimi was inspired by the bluesmen who motivated him to pick up a guitar, Janie said.

"He took Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker, and expanded upon what they were doing and then gave it back to a new generation."

Proceeds from Power of Soul will go to the United Negro College Fund.

When the mobile Hendrix museum Red House swings by their locale, many artists on the record will likely take the stage with the company's tribute band, but no all-star concert has been planned, Janie said.

The buzz from Power of Soul should nicely set the stage for a brand new Hendrix album. The guitar hero's estate has a few legal hurdles to clear, but by year's end it hopes to issue a disc of previously unreleased songs, outtakes and live material, Janie said. If its plan falls through, the foundation has a backup: a previously unheard complete concert recording.

"We're very proud of these things [Jimi did], and we can't wait to share them with people," she said.

• Jimi Hendrix
• Prince
• Santana
• Musiq Soulchild

• Santana
• Jennifer Lopez

Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, and Nelly announce 2003 Grammy nominations
Photo: MTV News

When nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, reactions ranged from sincere congratulations to "What were they thinking?" (Click here for the list of nominees.)

Few readers writing to MTVNews.com's You Tell Us forum had sour sentiments about demure Norah Jones, the jazz-influenced singer/pianist who's got a chance to sweep the four biggest categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist (see "Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, Norah Jones Nab Most Grammy Noms"). Jones is also among the eight artists who garnered five nominations. (Click for photos of this year's Grammy nominees.)

"I'm sooo happy for [Norah Jones]," wrote 18-year-old Lexi, from Seattle. "I know many people haven't heard her music, but those who have know how great it is. Big ups to the critics for giving this girl the credit she deserves."

Jones' Come Away With Me faces stiff competition from The Rising, Bruce Springsteen's return to form, and, to a lesser extent, The Eminem Show. Although the mainstream seems to have embraced the volatile rapper, with hardly a protest over his third major-label album or his fictionalized biopic "8 Mile," the Grammys might not be ready to bestow such a prestigious honor to a man who had a hit with a song that talks about killing the mother of his child and stuffing her in a trunk.

Then again, Eminem already has five golden gramophones in his trophy case (though none in the big four categories), and the Recording Academy did grant an Album of the Year Grammy to Steely Dan in 2001, for Two Against Nature, which featured the song "Cousin Dupree," about incest. But old guards like Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have always had Grammy odds in their favor, which is why Springsteen stands such a good shot. And even if The Eminem Show doesn't win for Album of the Year and "Without Me" doesn't lay claim to Record of the Year, Eminem is likely to make good on at least one of his other three nominations.

While Jones stands as the artist with the smallest presence at radio compared with fellow new-artist nominees R&B songbird Ashanti, singer/songwriter Michelle Branch, sensitive guy John Mayer and pop-rocker Avril Lavigne, most of you think the latter stands as her fiercest competition.

"I think Avril Lavigne definitely deserves Best New Artist," wrote 14-year-old Ashley of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. "She's worked so hard and accomplished so much this year."

"There is no doubt that Avril Lavigne should win Best New Artist," echoed 14-year-old Danielle, from Somerset, New Jersey. "She writes her own music, had three top 40 songs in 2002, sold over 4 million copies of her debut, Let Go, and hates Britney Spears. What more could you want in a Best New Artist?"

While statistics may garner gold records, they don't necessarily translate to a Grammy. Awards are (theoretically) doled out to those who demonstrate genuine artistry in their work. And that's Avril Lavigne, isn't it?

"Avril has no business being nominated for as much as she was," disagreed 19-year-old Andrea. "As far as music and creativity go, Britney is more creative — and you know that's a stretch, especially since Britney is nothing but manufactured bubble gum. Avril may have had something going with her and her ties but let's face it, MTV, that's all she has had."

After yesterday's announcement of the nominations, Lavigne has a lot more attached to her, namely a monumental mistake when she mispronounced David Bowie's last name. When reading the list of artists up for the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, she mispronounced Bowie as "bow-wie" (rhymes with oh, wowee!). An unnerving hush immediately enveloped Madison Square Garden.

"Am I the only person who realizes what a poser Avril Lavigne is?" queried 22-year-old Kim, from Denver. "First of all, she botched the pronunciation of David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of our time. ... Does Avril know anything about music? ... My point is, although everyone seems to be touting Avril Lavigne as some new prodigy, the fact is that she is not a true musician or artist and is just as fake and untalented as Britney Spears."

And here we thought Avril was the anti-Britney.

While Mayer's the only guy among the gals in the Best New Artist pack, his fans warn not to count him out just because he's outnumbered.

"John Mayer deserves to win the Grammy for Best New Artist," declared 18-year-old Tiffany Johnson, from Austin, Texas. "He is just on a different level from the rest of the nominees. The guy is brilliant."

Nelly, who's up for Album of the Year, Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album honors, among others, is feeling the brunt of haters. For the nearly 5 million copies of Nellyville sold, the St. Louis rapper seems to have just as many, if not more, detractors.

"I want to know what the Grammy folks see in Nelly," demanded 19-year-old Jason Curtis of Seattle. "Everyone is hypnotized by his so-called 'skills,' which are by no means good. As far as I'm concerned, Nelly doesn't deserve a Grammy."

It wasn't all trash talk directed at the St. Louis rapper, however. Many have their fingers crossed that the Band-Aid bearing MC will leave with even more gold than he came in with.

"I'm really anticipating seeing Nelly take home the Grammy for best album," wrote 14-year-old Linzi, from Sandusky, Michigan. "I mean, his music is totally hot, and I'm pretty sure that I don't know anyone who isn't into Nelly."

Linzi, meet 21-year-old James, from New Haven, Connecticut.

"It is clear once again that the awards honor what is popular, not what is good," James began. "Nelly has sunk so far down in the talent pool that he's left rapping about sneakers and some sort of heat wave that has apparently swept Nellyville. Talk about meaningless music. Seriously, if it's that hot in 'herre,' then drink a glass of water. Don't make a freakin' song about it."

Fellow hip-hopper Petey Pablo, up for Best Rap Album with Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, faced some harsh reactions, with fellow nominee Mystikal also catching some heat.

"I am very upset to see that Pete Pablo has been nominated for Best Rap Album," expressed 25-year-old Curtis, from Tallahassee, Florida. "Also, Mystikal's Tarantula album was very disappointing. How come someone like Trick Daddy or Cee-Lo never gets nominated? He is pure trash, and I understand why people like Jay-Z protest the Grammys. If we want to make it mainstream for all these old white people, let's nominate Will Smith. Even though his album sold probably 200 copies, he does not curse."

Such outrage over those who were nominated couldn't rival the furor over those who were left out: uber-producers the Neptunes and anyone from the neo-garage school, such as the Hives, the Vines, the Strokes or the White Stripes.

"How did Dr. Dre get nominated in the Producer of the Year category, while the Neptunes were ignored?" wondered Venni, 18, from Blacksburg, Virginia. "Dre didn't do anything in 2002. Every single song on the radio was produced by the Neptunes."

OK, Venni may be exaggerating a bit, though Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are responsible for Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," all of which are Grammy-nominated.

"I'm surprised the new 'the' bands didn't get major nods," typed an aghast CJ, 18, from Newmarket, New Hampshire. "I'm sad that the White Stripes were shafted, when overrated Avril Lavigne gets all the credit. Well, the Grammys are pretty lame either way."

If the nominations aroused such fervent feelings in these folks, they'd better be prepared for the shock of February 23. While some surprises can be expected with the nods, utter jaw-droppers like the over-the-hill Jethro Tull winning for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1988 are unmatched.

Stay tuned and stay calm.

For a look back at previous big Grammy winners, red carpet photos and much more, visit our Grammy News Archive.

• Eminem
• Norah Jones
• Nelly
• Dixie Chicks
• Bruce Springsteen

Nelly
Photo: Universal

With eight artists grabbing five nominations each, this year's Grammy Awards looks to be one of the most competitive in the ceremony's 45 years. (Click here for the list of nominees and for photos of this year's Grammy nominees and performers.)

Three relative newcomers, Ashanti, Norah Jones and Avril Lavigne, join Sheryl Crow, Eminem, Nelly, Raphael Saadiq and Bruce Springsteen as the artists with the greatest chances of leaving New York's Madison Square Garden on February 23 with the most golden gramophones in their arms.

All eyes will be on Norah Jones, who stands to reign supreme on Grammy night with four of her five nominations arriving in the big four categories: Best New Artist; Album of the Year, for Come Away With Me; and Song of the Year (given to the songwriter Jesse Harris) and Record of the Year for "Don't Know Why." Jones and her full-length debut album also received nods in the categories Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while the LP's producer, Arif Mardin, scored one in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category to give the Norah Jones camp a whopping eight nominations combined.

Eminem, Nelly, Springsteen and Lavigne received two nods apiece for the big awards. Em's "Without Me" is up for Record of the Year, along with Nelly's "Dilemma" (which features Kelly Rowland), Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles." The Eminem Show will vie for Album of the Year honors against Come Away With Me, the Dixie Chicks' Home, Nelly's Nellyville and Bruce Springsteen's The Rising.

Springsteen was also nominated in the Song of the Year category for "The Rising." The Boss' tune, which resonated with many after the events of September 11, 2001, will face off against another song inspired by the tragedy, Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

The Best New Artist category finds John Mayer the sole male amidst a quartet of ladies, Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Jones and Lavigne, whose single "Complicated" is also up for Song of the Year. (Last year, Alicia Keys walked off with the prestigious honor. Who do you think should win Grammy's equivalent to Rookie of the Year? Take our poll.)

"Chauvinists unite!" Mayer joked at Madison Square Garden, in a half-hearted attempt to strum up support for his cause. "I'm just going to go to sports bars and lobby.

"It's cool," he continued sincerely. "I look at the list and say, 'It makes sense to me.' "

While Ashanti is likely to have her fingers crossed for the big Best New Artist win, she'll be doubly excited when the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category is awarded. Besides receiving a nod for assisting Fat Joe with "What's Luv?" the songbird with the second-best-selling debut album of 2002 has increased her chances of winning with "Always on Time," her collaboration with Ja Rule. Ashanti likes both songs, but she looks to the phrase "blood is thicker than water" when deciding whom to root for.

"I don't necessarily have a preference, but it I had to choose, it would have to be my brother Ja," she said. "That's my family, Murder, Inc. Records."

Nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday (January 7) at a press conference held in Madison Square Garden. Among the artists on hand to read the roster of those hopeful for Grammy gold were Ashanti, country singer Kenny Chesney, '80s faceplate Cyndi Lauper, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, Nelly and producer Jimmy Jam, who filled in for a previously scheduled but absent Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

The artists each took the podium in turn to announce the contestants for two of the categories, which made for some interesting pronunciations. Ashanti (pronounced a-shan-tee) became the faux-fabulous sounding "A-shan-tay" whenever most on hand mentioned her name; and Lavigne, in announcing the nominees for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance botched David Bowie's name, pronouncing it 'Bow-wee" (as in the dog sound "bow-wow"). The flub is not likely to go unnoticed among Lavigne's critics, and it just might go down in pop-star infamy, the way Britney Spears' remark that suggested Pat Benatar sang "I Love Rock 'N Roll," a song Joan Jett made famous, did in a fall 2001 interview.

Four nominations fell on the Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson, R&B singer Remy Shand and Chad Kroeger, who scored one with his band Nickelback, and three others for his song "Hero," penned for the soundtrack to "Spider-Man."

Besides two in the big four, Vanessa Carlton's other nomination came in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). While most categories in the Composing/Arranging field are often overlooked in favor of more artist-specific ones, the 21-year-old pianist doesn't consider her third nod to be any less important. In fact, considering that she's the only nominee who's also an artist in that category, she said she's perhaps most proud of that honor because it shows her as the well-rounded artist she is.

"I am most excited for that nomination because it is recognizing the process, something other than the vocal and the song itself," she explained. "It kind of acknowledges how the puzzle fits together. I think [Be Not Nobody] is a beautiful record and I'm really proud to know that people recognized that. I was totally surprised, though. I really was."

India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Randy Newman, Arif Mardin and No Doubt also nabbed three nominations each.

Touting over 100 categories, the Grammys is the most comprehensive music awards show, but even with classifications such as Best Polka Album (for which Jimmy Sturr's Top of the World looks to be the odds-on favorite) and Best Remixed Record, Non-Classical, there just aren't enough designations for some folks.

"Actually, one they didn't mention was best haircut-changing-style every year,' a near-bald Timberlake kidded. "I'm hoping I get the Victrola for that."

Maybe next year, Justin. In the meantime, the 'NSYNC star must be content with just one nomination, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for the Clipse-featured "Like I Love You," the first single from his solo debut, Justified.

Super production duo the Neptunes were puzzlingly absent from the Producer of the Year category, which instead found Dr. Dre, Nellee Hooper, Arif Mardin, Rick Rubin, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis attempting to stake their claim to the title. After producing a number of Grammy-nominated tracks, including Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," it's a mystery why Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams didn't receive any love from the Recording Academy.

"For the second year in a row, can you imagine that?" Williams said of his Grammy dis. "All the work we've done? For whatever reason, nobody thought to put us on the ballot."

The 45th annual ceremony marks the Grammys' return to New York, after Los Angeles hosted the previous four events. The show will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Before the show, catch MTV's pre-show telecast "Backstage at the Grammys," airing at 7 p.m. ET.

MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Nelly
• Avril Lavigne
• Norah Jones
• Eminem
• Vanessa Carlton

Jamie Foxx, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, More Perform At The Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party, 2.7.06

• Jamie Foxx
• Kanye West
• Kelly Clarkson
• Mario
• Rob Thomas

Jamie Foxx, Ashlee Simpson, Ciara, More At The Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party, 2.7.06

• Jamie Foxx
• Ashlee Simpson
• Ciara
• Mary J. Blige
• Ludacris

Timberlake, Black Eyes Peas, More At Avalon Hollywood 02.11.2005

• Justin Timberlake
• Black Eyed Peas
• P!nk
• Floetry
• John Legend

2002 Latin Grammy Awards

• Justin Timberlake
• *NSYNC
• Nick Carter
• Backstreet Boys
• Nelly Furtado

Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party, L.A., CA 02.26.02

• Mya
• Backstreet Boys
• Kid Rock
• N.E.R.D.
• Busta Rhymes