Photo: Getty

• Kanye West
• Pharrell Williams
• Cee-Lo
• Obie Trice

Eminem
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

Eminem is cocked, loaded and back in the game. His would-be-mixtape-turned-compilation-LP, Eminem Presents the Re-Up, is headed to #2 on the Billboard albums chart, and as the 309,000 fans who copped the disc have found out, he has a whole new arsenal of artists he's working on.

Of course you're already familiar with 50 Cent (whose Before I Self Destruct LP is coming in early 2007) and Obie Trice (whose third effort is due next Christmas or in early 2008), but who exactly are the new guys? If you don't know them already, buckle up: You're about to get real familiar as we run down some of Slim Shady's latest recruits:

Name: The Alchemist

From: L.A.

Role: The Re-Up producer; Eminem's DJ; top-flank producer for Mobb Deep, the Lox and G-Unit

Down Since: 2005, when Em's DJ at the time, Green Lantern, abruptly parted ways with the camp

Re-Up Experience: "We pulled it off," he said. "It started out like a mixtape for the street and developed into this. Everyone is working on their albums, and they have to go in and make these songs that will be big. You expect that from a major artist, but to go in and just do stuff for the mixtape and put it in the stores is dope. This fits perfectly on a mixtape because everyone was just being themselves. I put [the album sequence] together like how I do my mixtapes. I went to Detroit and hooked up with Em. He gave me a couple of days to piece the joint together. It wasn't about using a bunch of intricate blends; it's about delivering you to the next song. It had to flow."

2007 Business: "Chemical Warfare is the name of the new sh--," Al said about his next solo release, which could very well come out independently. "It's hard. I'm just waiting for the right time, crafting my records; in the meantime, I'm dropping mixtapes. When it shapes to what I want it to be, I'll start promoting my album and it'll be dropping. Without blowing up, I'm working with most of the usual suspects: the Mobb, I'm also collaborating with the Shady/G-Unit camp. I'm rhyming a little more, having more fun making records. It's still about my beats though."

Name: Ca$his

From: Orange County, California, by way of Chicago

Role: Spearhead the next wave of Shady Records' dope MCs

Down Since: "I got signed on March 7, 2006," he said. Ca$his was called off the bench when Em heard "Talkin' All That Sh--," one of the first songs he recorded for the label. He got his name years ago, though, because his trash-talking reminded friends of Cassius Clay, a.k.a. Muhammad Ali.

Re-Up Experience: "It's a good look," he said. "I'm honored to be a part of this album. I'm extremely honored to be a part of that single ['You Don't Know']. This time last year, I never thought I would be on anything Eminem-affiliated. It's overwhelming, but it pushes me to write even harder because I don't ever want anybody to feel I have a spot I don't deserve. I go hard like I don't have a record deal."

2007 Business: "I got an EP dropping late January, County Hound," he said. "I'm mixing it down. I call it that because I used to live in Cook County, Chicago, then moved to Orange County, California. And I've been to county jail.

"Then the album should be [dropping] sometime this summer. It's called Forks and Six Point Stars. I'm working with Alchemist, I got some joints from Emile, [(+44) drummer] Travis Barker, Jelly Roll, supposed to go in with DJ Quik, I have over 200 songs recorded for the album. Anything we do now is just the finishing touches. I'm gonna do like 30 more songs. Me and Em gotta go back in too. Every time I go to Em's crib in Detroit, I walk out with 15 songs. I'm getting something from [Dr. Dre] too."

Name: Bobby Creekwater

From: Atlanta

Role: Ride that Down South momentum to international fame as an MC

Down Since: This time last year. He was discovered by Shady A&R Director Riggs Morales.

Re-Up Experience: "Em, he's definitely ... dude is more focused, and he re-energized us. Being able to see a veteran that has reached the top of the food chain as far as music is concerned, we aspire to get to that point. Seeing him motivates us to go that much more harder. The energy [in the studio] is crazy. As a MC, you don't wanna be the one not coming with it. You might hear somebody bussin' and say, 'Let me get back to the pen and pad.' "

2007 Business: "Bobby is my grandfather's name," the ATL native began to explain about the origins of his moniker, while giving a little insight into his debut LP. "Creekwater, the full meaning of that name, is on the Brilliant Mistake album — my solo album, which comes out first quarter 2007. That title came from a conversation I had with my mother talking about child birth. You have people that plan to have children and children are sometimes things of circumstance. I asked her, 'Was I a child of circumstance or was I planned?' She said I wasn't planned. So I said, 'I was a mistake then?' She said, 'God don't make mistakes. Even if he did, it would be a brilliant mistake.'

"I'm working with all in-house [artists] thus far. I'm probably mid-point and haven't went outside my camp thus far."

Name: Stat Quo

From: Statlanta, Georgia

Role: Live up to his hype from a few years ago, when he emerged on the mixtape circuit rapping on a Dr. Dre beat

Down Since: "I signed officially ... it's been three years now," he said.

Re-Up Experience: "We went in the studio, everyone got to vibing and the music came out crazy," Stat said of the project. "Em was like, 'Let's make it an album.' It's a family thing. Sometimes hard times bring people closer together. The struggle, the strife brought everybody closer together. Em is killing it. He's almost done with his album, 50 is almost done with his album and Dre is coming in September."

2007 Business: "I feel like my album is not just an array of songs," Stat said. "I feel it's a total experience. When you listen to my music, it's taking you to another place, and that place is Statlanta. I'm working with Dr. Dre, Eminem, L.T. Mo, Three 6 Mafia, DJ Toomp, Scott Storch." Look for Stat first quarter of '07 as well.

• Eminem
• Ca$His
• Bobby Creekwater
• Stat Quo
• Obie Trice

Christina Aguilera's <i>Back to Basics</i>
Photo: RCA

Back to Basics has Christina Aguilera back on top. Sales of the double LP put the singer at #1 on Billboard's albums chart for the second time in her seven-year career.

Nearly 342,000 copies of the disc were scanned its opening week, outselling the debut of her previous effort, 2002's Stripped, according to the latest SoundScan data. Stripped failed to open on top, taking second place with more than 330,000 scans. Aguilera's self-titled 1999 debut did bow at #1 after moving 253,000 units.

Christina's climb to Billboard's apex was barely challenged by Lyfe Jennings, who sits in the chart's #2 slot with his sophomore offering, The Phoenix. With first-week sales reported at 136,000, the R&B crooner's latest failed to pose a serious threat to Aguilera's dominant release. And country star Trace Adkins didn't stand a fighting chance against the "Dirrty" girl. His new LP, Dangerous Man, sold 115,000 copies to claim the chart's #3 spot.

The Billboard albums chart's top five is packed with nothing but new releases, with Atlanta R&B quartet Cherish taking #4 after selling 91,000 copies of Unappreciated its first week out. The soundtrack to the Disney Channel movie "Cheetah Girls 2" opens at #5 with more than 87,000 sales.

The 22nd installment in the Now That's What I Called Music! compilation series slips three spots to #6, selling 83,000 copies its sixth week in stores. The previous chart champ, Rick Ross' Port of Miami, slides to #7 with 79,000 scans.

Eminem protégé Obie Trice is back with Second Round's on Me, which racked up close to 74,000 in first-week sales to debut at #8. The "Step Up" soundtrack steps three spots back to #9, selling 64,000 copies. Rounding out the top 10 is Nickelback's All the Right Reasons, which holds the #10 spot for a third week and moved another 53,000 units to reach a 46-week sales total of more than 3.3 million copies.

In addition to the six newcomers who cracked this week's top 10, seven other new releases sneaked onto the Billboard chart. The soundtrack to America's #1 film, "Snakes on a Plane," comes in at #43. With tracks from Cobra Starship, Panic! at the Disco, the All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy and Coheed and Cambria, the disc generated close to 19,000 in retail interest. Dancehall specialist Cham's Ghetto Story follows at #53, selling 15,000-plus units, while the inaugural release from Dave Navarro's the Panic Channel, (ONe), opens at #108 with more than 8,000 sales.

The incomparable Yanni returns to the chart at #124, selling 7,000 copies of his Live: The Concert Event. Arizona-bred punks Change of Pace bow at #155 with Prepare the Masses, which sold just over 5,000 units its first week in stores. And coming in at #180 with 4,000 copies sold is Gargolas Next Generation, a Latin reggaetón compilation featuring Tego Calderón, Mario VI and Valentino.

Check out "Christina Aguilera's Old Soul" for an inside look at Back to Basics.

• Christina Aguilera
• Lyfe Jennings
• Trace Adkins
• Cherish (Rap)
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)

Christina Aguilera's <I>Back to Basics</I>
Photo: RCA

Agile Era: Everyone's aware of Christina Aguilera's fixation with the first half of the 20th century by now, but are they obsessed enough with her obsession to throw down twice as much loot for her new album? We'll find out this week with the two-CD Back to Basics. The set features a guest spot by adult-contemporary mainstay Steve Winwood on "Makes Me Wanna Pray," while Christina gets more current with DJ Premier and Linda Perry elsewhere. The video for the title track is tacked on for good measure, but fans who preordered the "premium package" also earned an exclusive tee and red 7-inch single. Someone's feeling generous these days.

Twice as Trice: Obie Trice's been promising Second Round's on Me for a little while now, but he's finally ready to whip out his wallet and pay up. Eminem, whose Shady Records has been tailoring the disc as more of a street record, executive produces and appears on "There They Go" alongside Big Herk and Trick Trick. 50 Cent crops up on "Everywhere I Go," while Nate Dogg ("All of My Life"), Akon ("Snitch") and Trey Songz ("Ghetto" and "Mama") also spot the sophomore Trice.

Hissteria: You've seen the "Snakes on a Plane" trailer, recited Samuel L. Jackson's catchphrase to your friends and heard Cobra Starship's virulent theme song enough times to throw you into a tailspin, but finally the fangs have been bared. In anticipation of the film's Friday release, Snakes on a Plane: The Album spits up a new Cee-Lo tune, "Ophidiophobia" (the fear of snakes); a new acoustic song by Coheed and Cambria; plus exclusive remixes of Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy and All-American Rejects tunes. Sounds like a lethal combination.

Thunder Down Under by underground-punk vipers Hot Snakes will be no match for the soundtrack, but devout fans will no doubt swallow up the posthumous live LP. Recorded on May 10 last year for the Australian Broadcast Company for air on radio, the set features "Think About Carbs," "U.S. Mint" and "Let It Come."

A Soon-to-Be Millionaire?: Not to be confused with Mr. "Ridin Dirty," Jamaican singer Cham follows up 2000's Wow ... The Story with a different tale, Ghetto Story. The title track features Alicia Keys, as does its video, while Rihanna and Akon also give the dancehall performer a boost. Songs include "Rudeboy Pledge," "Wah Den a She Now?" and "Tic Toc."

Widespread Panic: Dave Navarro is no longer with Carmen Electra, but he has at least one new love on his hands: Panic Channel, which reteams him with Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney. The dudes debut this week with (ONe), which alludes to the fact that it's a debut record and they want you to turn "on" the Channel (get it?). "It was necessary to take our time in order to create an internal history," Navarro said in a post on the band's Web site, regarding the debut's long delay.

Ladies' Week: Christina's leading the charge this week, but she's got a huge crew of femme followers behind her. Hilary and Haylie Duff, Aly & AJ, Kelly Clarkson, JoJo and other youthful pop tarts align on (Lip Smackers Presents) Girl Next. That comp will be up against Raven-Symoné's "Cheetah Girls 2" soundtrack, but Girl Next has some fresh faces on its side: Hannah Montana, Hayden Panettiere and Jordan Pruitt, who are all being introduced on that collection.

Another newbie, Joanna — who appeared in MTV's "True Life" and will open for Nick Lachey on his fall tour — has a bit more in common with Christina: She, too, enlisted Linda Perry's guidance for This Crazy Life. But while the pop genius wrote the title track, Joanna is going with "Let It Slide" as the first single to her long-awaited maiden release.

Also stepping out for the first time on her own is Leigh Nash, who logged a handful of hits with Sixpence None the Richer but is now doing her own thing. Her Blue on Blue debut features two songs co-written with her producer, Pierre Marchand — Sarah McLachlan's longtime collaborator — plus "Ocean Size Love" and "My Idea of Heaven." The LP's dropping on Nash's own One Son Records.

Speaking of Canadians (McLachlan), Juno Award nominee Kinnie Starr called on another Canuck, Tegan and Sara's Tegan Quinn, to sing along on "La Le La La." As it turns out, the track was mixed by Howard Redekopp, an affiliate of another set of Canadians, the New Pornographers. Starr — who was part of Cirque de Soleil's risqué "Zumanity" show and whose stuff has appeared on "The L Word" — also coats her Anything LP with "Rock the Boat," "Sex in the Prairies" and "Wind in Your Sail."

Jazz singer Patricia Barber also pipes up this week, with a more conceptual release: Mythologies. The disc's based on a book your Greek-history teacher should have assigned to you, "The Metamorphoses of Ovid," and hosts hip-hop kids singing, a gospel choir chanting and a guest saxophonist tooting. It's also got a tribute to Nina Simone in "Icarus."

On the subject of salutes, a couple of women are paying homage to the humans on the other end of the gender spectrum, i.e. men. Americana goddess Maria Muldaur — who redid Peggy Lee tunes on her 2003 album, A Woman Alone With the Blues — turns her appreciative gaze to another icon with Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan. She reinterprets "Lay Lady Lay" as "Lay Baby Lay" and also touches on "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" and the title tune.

Blues stalwart Rory Block reaches back even further with her tip-of-the-cap to the genre's trailblazer Robert Johnson. The Lady and Mr. Johnson finds her doing the devilish Delta thing on "Hellhound on My Trail," "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and "Preaching Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)."

But the blues' undeniable queen — when it comes to popularity at least — must be Bonnie Raitt, and she, too, crops up this week. VH1 Classic Presents: Decades Rock Live! is the first release from the series to boast a CD and a DVD, and it was also the first episode to air. The guest list seals the deal, with Norah Jones, Ben Harper, Alison Krauss and Keb' Mo' ganging up with Raitt for "Love Sneakin' Up on You."

Song Title of the Week:

Cee-Lo's "Ophidiophobia" from Snakes on a Plane: The Album

Other Notables:

Sublime's Sublime - Deluxe Edition and the Sex Pistols' Spunk: The landmark disc by the reggae-lovin' dub-rockers is supplanted by a two-CD 10th-anniversary edition, bristling with unreleased tuneage, a Wyclef Jean remix of "Doin' Time," acoustic takes and more. On the opposite end of the punk spectrum, the Pistols' hard-to-find live bootleg from 1977 gets a proper release in time for another anniversary: It's been 30 years since the group recorded its first demos. The warts-and-all disc has 15 tracks and includes all the between-song banter.

Various artists' Musicfest NW Vol. 1: Like the Pistols' bootleg, this disc will also be tough to find — but worth the search, as the proceeds are going toward the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls and Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Featuring tracks by Spoon, Kristin Hersh, Crooked Fingers' Eric Bachmann and Centro-Matic, the comp revolves around Portland's three-day September festival, which this year will host Spoon's Britt Daniel, Hersh and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, who also appear here.

Fernando's Enter to Exit: Also representing Portland this week are Fernando Viciconte and his band o' brothers — which includes the Eels' Jeff Lyster and Derek Brown. Fernando, who say on their MySpace page that they sound like "the mating call of the North American dairy cow," do some colorful uddering on "Howard Hughes," "One Trick Pony" and "Pasajeros." Moo.

New Releases:

• A Change of Pace - Prepare the Masses (Immortal)
  
• Trace Adkins - Dangerous Man (limited edition with bonus DVD also available; Capitol)
  Buy Now: Dangerous Man (Capitol)
  
• Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (The End)
  
• Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics (two CDs; RCA)
  Read: "Christina Makes Her Comeback Twice As Nice By Expanding Basics Into Double LP"
  Buy now: Back to Basics (RCA)
  
• Carmen Appice - Ultimate Guitar Zeus (Escapi)
  
• Patricia Barber - Mythologies (Blue Note)
  
• Rory Block - The Lady and Mr. Johnson (Rykodisc)
  
• Paul Burch - East to West (Bloodshot)
  
• Cham - Ghetto Story (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: Ghetto Story (Atlantic)
  
• Cherish - Unappreciated (enhanced; Capitol)
  Buy Now: Unappreciated (Capitol)
  
• Damnwells - Air Stereo (Rounder/ Zöe)
  
• Mark Farina - Ministry of Sound Sessions (Ministry of Sound)
  
• Fernando - Enter to Exit (In Music We Trust)
  
• Philip Glass - "The Illusionist" soundtrack (Rykodisc)
  
• Hot Snakes - Thunder Down Under (live; Swami)
  Buy Now: Thunder Down Under (Swami)
  
• Lyfe Jennings - The Phoenix (Columbia)
  Buy Now: The Phoenix (Columbia)
  
• Joanna - This Crazy Life (Geffen)
  
• Sarah Kelly - Where the Past Meets Today (Gotee)
  
• Andy Fairweather Low - Sweet Soulful Music (Proper)
  
• Mahavatar - From the Sun, the Rain, the Wind, the Soil (Escapi)
  
• Eliot Morris - What's Mine Is Yours (Universal)
  
• Maria Muldaur - Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan (Telarc)
  
• Leigh Nash - Blue on Blue (One Son/ Nettwerk)
  
• The Panic Channel - (ONe) (Capitol)
  Buy Now: (ONe) (Capitol)
  
• Bonnie Raitt and Friends - VH1 Classic Presents: Decades Rock Live! (with DVD; Capitol)
  Buy Now: VH1 Classic Presents: Decades Rock Live! (Capitol)
  
• Reel Big Fish - Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album (two CDs and one DVD; Umbrella Label)
  Buy Now: Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album (Umbrella Label)
  
• Carrie Rodriguez - Seven Angels on a Bicycle (enhanced; Back Porch)
  
• Kinnie Starr - Anything (Universal)
  
• Mike Stern - Who Let the Cats Out? (Heads Up)
  
• Tally Hall - Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Quack!Media)
  
• Obie Trice - Second Round's on Me (Aftermath)
  Read: "Eminem Denies Retirement Rumors; Currently Hard At Work On Obie Trice LP"
  Buy now: Second Round's on Me (Aftermath)
  
• Unwed Sailor - The White Ox (Burnt Toast Vinyl)
  
• Warface - Insanity of the Obsessed (BCD)
  
• Yanni - Yanni Live!: The Concert Event (Image Entertainment)
  
• Various artists - Drum Nation Volume 3 (enhanced; Magna Carta)
  
• Various artists - (Lip Smackers Presents) Girl Next (Hollywood)
  
• Various artists - Musicfest NW Vol. 1 (Musicfest NW; available on CDBaby.com and in Portland, Oregon, record stores)
  
• Various artists - Snakes on a Plane: The Album (enhanced; New Line)
  Read: "Snakes On A Soundtrack — Samuel L. Jackson Film Nabs Fall Out Boy, Panic!, Cee-Lo"
  
• Various artists - "The Cheetah Girls 2" soundtrack (enhanced; Disney)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Alabama - The Christmas Collection (Madacy)
  
• Audience - Audience ... Plus (Akarma)
  
• Robbie Basho - Venus in Cancer (Tompkins Square)
  
• Willie Bobo - Lost and Found (Concord)
  
• Crusaders - 1 and The 2nd Crusade (Blue Thumb)
  
• Crystal Gayle - The Ultimate Collection: Live (with DVD; Madacy)
  
• Vince Gill - The Christmas Collection (enhanced; Madacy)
  
• Grand Funk Railroad - Greatest Hits (with DVD; Capitol)
  
• Monkees - The Monkees and More of the Monkees - Deluxe Edition (two CDs each; Rhino)
  
• Keith Moon - Two Sides of the Moon (two CDs; Castle)
  
• Oak Ridge Boys - The Definitive Collection (MCA Nashville)
  
• Kenny Rogers - The Christmas Collection (Madacy)
  
• Sex Pistols - Spunk (Sanctuary)
  
• Sublime - Sublime - Deluxe Edition (enhanced two-CD set; Geffen)
  
• Josh White and Big Bill Broonzy - Josh White Comes A-Visitin', Big Bill Broonzy Comes A-Singin' (Empire Musicwerks)

Music DVDs:

• Madonna - "American Artist" (Locomotive)
  
• Webb Wilder - "Tough It Out! - Live in Concert" (with bonus CD; Landslide)
  
• Various artists - "Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars" (Geneon/ Pioneer)

Coming Attractions:

August 22:

• Kelis - Kelis Was Here (Jive)
  Read: "Kelis Preparing To Get 'Bossy' With Her Next 'Strong Kind Of Girl Record' "
  Preorder: Kelis Was Here (Jive)
  
• Lamb of God - Sacrament (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Epic)
  Read: "Lamb Of God Ease Up On Bush But Get Deep Musically On Sacrament"
  Preorder: Sacrament (Epic)
  
• Method Man - 4:21 ... The Day After (Def Jam)
  Read: "Method Man Drops Diddy, Seeks Clarity On New LP, 4:21 ... The Day After"
  Preorder: 4:21 ... The Day After (Def Jam)
  
• Outkast - Idlewild (La Face)
  Read: "Missing Outkast? They've Already Lined Up Three 'Idlewild' Singles"
  Preorder: Idlewild (La Face)
  
• Paris Hilton - Paris (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Paris Hilton's Debut Merges Hip-Hop, Reggae, Rod Stewart"
  Preorder: Paris (Warner Bros.)

August 29:

• Tego Calderón - The Underdog/ El Subestimado (Atlantic)
  Preorder: The Underdog/ El Subestimado (Atlantic)
  
• The Roots - Game Theory (Def Jam)
  Preorder: Game Theory (Def Jam)
  
• Jessica Simpson - A Public Affair (Epic)
  Read: "Jessica Simpson Album Shifts Gears Along With Personal Life"
  Preorder: A Public Affair (Epic)
  
• Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler (Red Ink)
  Read: "Dave Grohl Helps Pete Yorn Rock, Tupac Inspires Him To Be Prolific"
  Preorder: Nightcrawler (Red Ink)
  
• Young Dro - Best Thang Smokin' (Atlantic)
  Preorder: Best Thang Smokin' (Atlantic)

September 5:

• Audioslave - Revelations (Epic)
  Read: "New Audioslave LP: 'Led Zeppelin Meets Earth, Wind & Fire' "
  Preorder: Revelations (Epic)
  
• Beyoncé - B'Day (Columbia)
  Read: "Beyonce's Triple Threat: New Album, Film, Fashion Line Before Year's End"
  Preorder: B'Day (Columbia)
  
• Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death (limited edition with bonus DVD also available; Sanctuary)
  Preorder: A Matter of Life and Death (Sanctuary)
  

• Christina Aguilera
• Obie Trice
• The Panic Channel
• Cobra Starship
• Cham

Gwyneth Paltrow
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin welcomed their second child over the weekend, according to Paltrow's representative, and the younger brother of Apple has his own unconventional name: Moses. Coincidentally (but perhaps not), a Coldplay song titled "Moses" appeared on the band's concert album, Live 2003. ...

Obie Trice will be featured on Thursday's episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The rapper's new "Snitch" video features clips from the show, which will feature an appearance by another rapper, Akon. ... On Friday Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine proposed offering a $50,000 reward for information about the unsolved murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G., The Associated Press reports. The reward would be offered for just 60 days, in the hopes that "someone will come forward with information which will lead to the eventual apprehension of the murderers involved in this case," Zine said in a statement. The motion is being reviewed by a council committee. A $25,000 reward was established back in 1997, but expired after several months. The Los Angeles Police Department recently reassigned the case to a team of new investigators. ...

Now that Jessica Simpson has wrapped work on "Employee of the Month," she's got her eyes set on another movie project: the big-screen version of "Dallas." The singer confirmed that she's had a meeting with the film's producers about playing the part of Lucy Ewing (a role originated by '80s bombshell Charlene Tilton). "That would be an honor for me," Simpson said. "I'm a Texas girl, so you can't go wrong there." Still, as much as she's hankering to play another Southern girl on the silver screen, Simpson's not expecting it to be easy to get the role. "But you know, however it all works out, I'm just kind of going with the flow," she said, "one day at a time." ...

Jermaine Dupri has been saying he'd like to pair up his two favorite female singers — his girlfriend, Janet Jackson, and his longtime collaborator Mariah Carey — for a duet. Carey says while Dupri hasn't approached her with the idea, she'd consider doing it. "I love Janet," Carey told MTV Radio. "I've been a big fan of Janet's since 'Control.' So if Jermaine has a concept, we should go and write something." ...

The Arctic Monkeys have scheduled a return trek to North America this summer. Their outing kicks off May 27 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps up June 17 in Toronto. ... In other tour news, Alice in Chains will kick off a run of U.S. club shows May 18 in Los Angeles. The rest of the tour's schedule should be revealed within the next few weeks, but according to the band's Web site, "every city the band plays in has its own Major League Baseball team." Comes With the Fall frontman William DuVall has been tapped to sing lead vocals on both the U.S. dates and during the group's forthcoming European trek. A spokesperson for the band said in addition to DuVall, there will be a rotating cast of celebrity vocalists stepping up to the mic. There's no word yet on who those guests may be. ... Also, People in Planes have extended their North American trek through June 17 at Houston's Buzzfest. The band will also perform "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)" on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" May 17. ...

Alicia Keys was in Africa Monday (April 10) visiting a free AIDS treatment clinic in Masaka, Uganda, as part of her work with Keep a Child Alive. The Masaka Healthcare Center cares for nearly 4,000 Ugandans receiving antiretroviral therapy, thanks to sponsorship from Keep a Child Alive as well as Uganda CARES/ AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Ugandan Ministry of Health. ... Diddy is one of the performers set for the three-day Plymouth Jazz Festival, which will also feature Sting, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, Doug E. Fresh and Barrington Levy. The fest takes place April 21-23 on the island of Tobago in the Caribbean. ...

Dashboard Confessional's still-untitled album will hit stores June 27, according to a spokesperson for the band's label. Look for the disc to feature 10 cuts, including "Sweet Lungs," "Dusk and Summer," "Heaven" and the LP's first single, "Don't Wait." ... The Living Things are taking a new approach with their follow-up to Ahead of the Lions — instead of blasting us with their opinions on various political issues, they're seeing how everyone else feels for a change. "It'll be real-life stories from people we've met on the road, more storytelling about how they feel, and how everything's affecting them," singer Lillian Berlin said. Songs include "Honest Abe," "History Is Dead" and "Red White and Blues." There's no name for the album just yet, but they're considering the following working titles: Missouri Aches, Letters From Exile and Before the West Was Won. ...

Fatboy Slim has recorded a new single called "That Old Pair of Jeans," which he will include on The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder, due June 20. Another new track, "Champion Sound" (featuring Lateef), will also be included, as well as the DJ's remixes of Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" and Groove Armada's "I See You Baby." A best-of DVD, "The Greatest Hits - Why Make Videos," is due the same day. ... The Lostprophets have set a June 27 release date for their third album, Liberation Transmission. The Welsh rockers are shooting the video for the first single, "Rooftops," in Los Angeles this week. ... The Brand New Heavies have reunited with singer N'Dea Davenport and will release a new album June 27 called Get Used to It. A tour is in the works for July and August.

04.07.06

Guess that ring didn't mean a thing after all. Despite Ciara sporting a rock from Bow Wow that many assumed was an engagement ring, the couple don't appear to be headed down the aisle anytime soon. Ciara's rep confirmed the couple's split. ...

Nine of the 10 Ozzfest dates that Ozzy Osbourne will be headlining during this summer's trek have been revealed. The festival's namesake will top the bill during the tour's first night in Auburn, Washington, on June 29, as previously reported, and he'll also close out shows in San Francisco (July 1); San Bernardino, California (July 8); Chicago (July 16); East Troy, Wisconsin (July 22); New York (July 29); Boston (August 1); Camden, New Jersey (August 4); and Bristow, Virginia (August 6). The Ozzman's 10th appearance will be announced in the coming weeks. Bands on the lineup for this year's Ozzfest include System of a Down, Disturbed, Lacuna Coil, Hatebreed, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society and Atreyu. ...

"South Park" is used to getting slammed by everyone from the Catholic League to Scientologists, but the foul-mouthed cartoon got some good news Wednesday when it was announced that it picked up a prestigious Peabody Award. In announcing the win, the Peabody panel said that "primitive animation is part of the charm of TV's boldest, most politically incorrect satirical series. Its simple style also makes possible the show's unmatched topicality." The awards will be handed out on June 5 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York by former winner Jon Stewart. Other honorees included PBS' "American Masters" series for its Bob Dylan biopic "No Direction Home" and WNYC Radio in New York's Radio Rookies Project, in which teenage reporters recorded moving first-person stories. ...

Kelly Rowland previewed tracks from her upcoming My Story ... at a listening party in New York on Thursday. R&B singer Tank, who worked with Jamie Foxx on his Unpredictable album, helped write and produce two songs, "The Show" and "Ghetto," and Kelly hopes to get Snoop Dogg on the latter track. Kelly told the crowd that the project "sums up my thoughts, my emotions and everything I have been feeling these past couple of years." My Story ... is due July 11. ... Jessica Simpson is being sued again. Tarrant Apparel Group, who she originally signed up with to create her clothing line, filed a breach-of-contract complaint on Thursday in New York, claiming that the singer failed to promote its products. The company's asking for $100 million in damages. ...

JoJo's about 90 percent done with her upcoming album, due late this summer, but there's going to be a longer wait after that for the next one — the 15-year-old singer said she's hanging it up until she's 18, as far as her music is concerned. "I want there to be growth," she said. "I want to live and experience things. That's something that's important." Until then, JoJo is busy collaborating with Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett and Billy Steinberg (who co-wrote Madonna's "Like a Virgin"). ... Minneapolis rockers Soul Asylum will release their first new studio album in eight years, The Silver Lining, on July 11. The disc will feature several of the final recordings of bassist Karl Mueller, who died last year of throat cancer. ...

Sufjan Stevens will release The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album on July 25. The New Pantheon award-winning Illinois was initially conceived as a double album, according to a press release, and the 21 songs that didn't end up on the disc were culled together to create The Avalanche. Look for the disc to include the tracks "The Vivian Girls Are Visited in the Night by Saint Dargarius and His Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies," "The Mistress Witch From McClure (Or, The Mind That Knows Itself)," "The Perpetual Self, (Or, What Would Saul Alinsky Do?)" as well as three alternate versions of the tune "Chicago." ...

According to guitarist Josh Rand, Stone Sour's forthcoming LP — tentatively titled Come What May — is in the bag. The band recorded 16 tracks for the effort, including "30/30-150" and "Zzyzx Road." "We're in the process of picking just how many will go on the album," Rand wrote in a posting on the group's Web site. "It's much more diverse and mature than the first record. Sonically, it's amazing." Randy Staub (H.I.M., Avril Lavigne) will begin mixing the album Monday, and it should surface in July. ... Brand New have a free concert set for April 15 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville; the show is open to anyone who'd like to attend, even those who aren't enrolled at the school. The band, which has been working on the follow-up to 2003's Deja Entendu, will also be touring for much of the summer, starting with a gig in Sayreville, New Jersey, on June 20. The U.S. trek will make 30 stops before winding down July 27 in New York. ...

Former teen idol Leif Garrett has been jailed for 45 days after failing several drug tests while staying in a strict live-in drug rehab program, according to The Associated Press. The 44-year-old singer/actor began the sentence on March 30 after a court commissioner determined that he had violated the terms of the program, which he was placed in after violating probation in a 2004 cocaine possession arrest. ... The last show of Eric Clapton's European tour will be a first, marking his debut at Moscow's Red Square. Kicking off May 5 in France, the trek will hit 14 countries before wrapping up in Russia on August 3.

[This story was originally published at 12:47 pm E.T. on 04.10.2006]

• Coldplay
• Obie Trice
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Jessica Simpson
• Mariah Carey

Eminem
Photo: Fernando Leon/Getty Images

The once-omnipresent Eminem has been lying low for the past several months (matrimonial drama aside), but he maintains that talk of his retirement has been grossly exaggerated.

Em recently taped an interview with Obie Trice for Shade 45, his Sirius Satellite radio station, and refuted the rumors.

"People get it twisted when I said I'm taking a break," Em told host Lil Shawn. "I never said I'm going to stop doing music. What I meant was that I'm taking a break from being the frontman and the center of attention. I want to fall back for a minute, but I never stop recording. I keep busy."

Em — who this week filed for divorce from wife Kim less than three months after remarrying her (see "Eminem Files For Divorce From Kim — Again") — has been holed up in the studio producing tracks for Obie Trice's upcoming LP, Second Round's on Me.

"It's not about something to prove," he answered when asked about Obie's objective with this album. "This time it's about hitting an audience we didn't connect with before. We want to target and market this album more to the streets."

Obie's first single is a record called "Snitch," where he and guest star Akon talk about how someone violated one the biggest codes of the streets: no snitching.

"I know the people are going to appreciate the song," Trice said. "It's a hard-ass, real-music type of song. The lyrics and hook feel good."

Obie also addressed the shooting that occurred on New Year's Eve (see "Obie Trice Recovering From New Year's Eve Shooting"), in which he was shot in the head by an unknown gunman while driving on a highway in Detroit. The MC still has a bullet lodged in his head.

"It's still in there right now," he said. "My skull hasn't completely healed yet, but I'm doing good. It hasn't really affected my day-to-day, and the doctors will be able to remove [the bullet] soon."

Em visited Obie the day after the shooting and was completely shocked about how well his friend was doing.

"I'm expecting to see him laid the f--- up and he's upstairs doing push-ups!" Em described. "I'm like, 'What are you doing?' 'Bullet in the head, still alive, already home!' "

Besides Obie's new LP, Slim Shady also said he was excited about some of his new signees, Bobby Creek from Atlanta and Ca$his from Orange County, California.

"I feel like we got an all-star team now."

Obie Trice's new LP is slated for a May 30 release. You can catch the full Eminem and Obie interview Friday on Sirius satellite radio, channel Shade 45 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. ET. Em is slated to call in again on Cipha Sounds and Angela Yee's show on Shade 45 on April 13 at 11 a.m. ET.

• Eminem
• Obie Trice

Obie Trice (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Rapper Obie Trice is at home recovering after being shot in the head in the early-morning hours of December 31.

His record label, Shady, released a statement Wednesday (January 4) saying that Trice — who was treated and released from the hospital on the same day he was shot — still has the bullet lodged in his skull. Doctors initially concluded that the bullet's position made it too risky to operate upon and remove. In the coming days, they expect to determine whether it can be removed at a later time.

Trice was shot, while riding with his girlfriend on a Detroit freeway, by an unknown assailant in another vehicle. Michigan State Police are still investigating and no suspects have been named yet. In the statement, Trice declined to speculate on the reason for the shooting.

"This is living in Detroit, and that's all," he said. "You hear about it because it's me, I got ties to Eminem or whatever, but I got people that are out there dealing with it every single day where I'm from. As far as all the rumors and guessing games, people talking road rage and all that nonsense, I'm not getting involved in any of that right now."

According to his label, Obie is at home resting and will be checking in with his doctors again very soon.

• Obie Trice

Obie Trice
Photo: Gregg Delman

Shady Records rapper Obie Trice was shot and wounded early Saturday morning while driving on a Detroit highway. He was taken to a hospital where he was treated for his wound and released, according to The Associated Press. State police in Michigan say Trice was driving with his girlfriend in Southfield when a shot was fired at them from another car. There are no suspects in the shooting at this time. ...

Sure, she's not one of the winningest coaches in college football history, but FedEx Orange Bowl organizers are still stoked that Ciara will be sharing the field with Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions and Bobby Bowden's Florida State Seminoles. The "1, 2 Step" singer has been confirmed to headline the Orange Bowl halftime festivities, which promise to be the biggest ever for a college sports event. To stage the performance Bowl bigwigs have recruited ACT Productions, which has organized a number of Miami-based events in the past, including Kanye West's 2005 VMA party. The game airs live on ABC on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. (Our money's on Joe Pa.) ...

Blink-182's Travis Barker and wife Shanna Moakler welcomed their second child, Alabama Luella, into the world at 12:22 p.m. on December 24. The Barkers have a 2-year-old son, Landon, together; Moakler also has a 6-year-old daughter, Atiana, with former fiance Oscar De La Hoya. "It's been amazing," Barker said. "I've been staying at the hospital and hanging out with her, and then coming back home and putting my son to sleep every night. It's so crazy having a little girl — everything from the way she cries to the way she looks at you is so different." The second season of the couple's reality series, "Meet the Barkers," premieres Tuesday on MTV and chronicles the nine months leading up to Alabama's birth. ... Hawthorne Heights, the All-American Rejects, Thursday, Every Time I Die, From First to Last, Say Anything, It Dies Today, the Bled, Circa Survive, Senses Fail, Mae, Armor for Sleep and Streetlight Manifesto have all been added to the lineup for Bamboozle 2006, which already included headliners Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday. The festival's booked for May 6-7 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ...

The man who stole Will Smith's identity and ran up fraudulent charges of more than $32,000 has been sent back to prison for two years for violating his probation. According to The Associated Press, Carlos Lomax, 45, who in 2002 was sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to opening 14 bogus credit-card accounts in Smith's name, was released from a halfway house in June, but failed to rehabilitate himself and make restitution to his victims. ... William Orbit, best known for producing Madonna's Ray of Light album, has a new album of his own on the way. Hello Waveforms, due February 7, features guests Sugababes, Kenna and Finley Quaye. Song titles include "Humming Chorus," "Who Owns the Octopus?," "You Know Too Much About Flying Saucers," "Bubble Universe," "Spiral" and "Sea Green." ...

Michael Vale, the actor best known for the five-word phrase uttered by his character Fred the baker — "Time to make the donuts" — died on Saturday at age 83, according to The Associated Press. For 15 years, Vale put on his droopiest look for more than 100 Dunkin' Donuts commercials in which he wearily mumbled the line. He retired from the role in 1997. ... Mike Peters, 46, frontman for 1980s rockers the Alarm ("Sixty Eight Guns," "Rain in the Summertime"), has posted a letter on the band's Web site announcing that he's begun chemotherapy treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was diagnosed on December 8 and wrote, "The good news is that although my illness is not curable, it is treatable." The singer said his doctor's prediction was that "it is a disease I will probably die with, rather than of." Peters was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma more than a decade ago. He quit the Alarm in 1991 and has toured with other side projects since and said he plans to keep touring during treatment. ...

A CD chronicling the early years of grunge, Sleepless in Seattle: The Birth of Grunge, will hit stores on February 7. The 20-track compilation will feature seminal recordings from a number of the acts that helped birth the genre, including Green River, the Melvins, Malfunkshun, U-Men, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, Babes in Toyland, Tad, Skin Yard and more. ... Muse plan on issuing the follow-up to 2003's Absolution sometime this spring, the band revealed on its Web site. The group is also looking forward to touring in support of the as-yet-untitled LP. ...

Who guitarist Pete Townshend has announced on his Web site that the group will tour in 2006. "I have said many times, repeated up until a few days ago, that I am reticent about committing to a tour without a completed new Who album under my belt," Townshend wrote in a Christmas Eve diary entry entitled "I will go on tour." He explained, "As things stand I am still pushing to produce some more songs. So the announcement may seem premature. It is not." Townshend said the band's manager has come up with a "great scheme" that would allow the band — whose only other original member is singer Roger Daltrey — to avoid releasing a full new CD before the tour, but did not elaborate on what that plan was. The guitarist also did not say when the tour would begin. Townshend has been working on songs for what would be the group's first studio album since 1982's It's Hard. ...

According to Sonic Youth's Web site, the avant-garde rockers are plugging away on new material, which should surface sometime in 2006. Precious few details have been revealed about the as-yet-untitled LP, beyond four tracks likely to make the final cut: "Pink Steam," "Do You Believe in Rapture?," "Or" and "Sleeping Around." ... Pennywise will ring in 2006 with a 14-date tour, and have tapped No Use for a Name to handle opening duties. The punks will get things started in Los Angeles with three shows set for January 11, 12 and 13 and will wrap things up January 29 in San Francisco. ...

On February 28, Victory Records will release a live CD and DVD by recently reunited Chicago punk-pessimists the Smoking Popes. Just last month, the Popes thrilled fans with a set at Chicago rock club the Metro during the Flower 15 festival, and have recently announced plans to tour again. The still-untitled live album will be the first Smoking Popes release since they called it quits back in December 1998. ... The Minus 5 will release a self-titled album on February 7 that will feature two tracks cut in Chicago with the members of Wilco and guest spots from John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan and members of the Decemberists. The group, which features R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, will tour with Robyn Hitchcock beginning in February. ...

Mest, fresh from performing on Social Distortion's fall run, will launch a 17-gig headlining tour of their own on January 31 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dates run through March 8 in Chicago. ... G. Love and Special Sauce have lined up a 24-date tour that will kick off on January 12 in Memphis, Tennessee, and wind down March 11 in Jacksonville, Florida. The band's also been working on material for its next studio LP, which will be the Sauce's follow-up to 2004's The Hustle. ...

12.27.2005

Britney Spears' husband, Kevin Federline, has created his own Web site, Kevinfederline.com, complete with a defensive animated intro chock full of sexual innuendo, two snippets of music and a message to his fans ("I don't think we've ever been formally introduced. My name is Kevin Federline. I'm 6 feet tall, have brown hair and brown eyes. I enjoy horseback riding, long walks on the beach and the wind whipping through my hair. Ha ha ha.") Federline promises his site will let people know who he really is when it fully launches in 2006. ...

"American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood's has been named Oklahoman of the Year. The Checotah native was given the title in the latest issue of Oklahoma Today magazine, which cited her for embodying all the qualities that make the state great. ... Actress Laura Dern and longtime boyfriend Ben Harper (of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, not Yellowcard) made it official on Friday during a sunset wedding ceremony in Los Angeles, according to Us Weekly. The pair — who have two children together — got married in front of more than 150 friends and family members at a mansion formerly owned by actor Gregory Peck. ...

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is after the music industry again. Spitzer, who has recently won multimillion-dollar judgments against two major labels for alleged payola practices, has issued subpoenas to all four majors in an investigation over the pricing of digital downloads. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Warner Music Group has verified that it received a subpoena as part of the industry-wide probe over whether the companies conspired to fix wholesale prices for downloadable music. Sony BMG also admitted to receiving a subpoena and sources at EMI Group and Universal Music said they either had or would soon be served as well. ...

The Secret Machines have announced the full track list and release date for their upcoming album Ten Silver Drops. The follow-up to their 2004 break-out album, Now Here Is Nowhere, features eight tracks (titles include "Lightning Blue Eyes," "I Hate Pretending" and "1,000 Seconds") and will hit stores on April 18, according to the Machines' label, Reprise Records. ... Tegan and Sara will release their first DVD, "It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!," on February 21. The disc will include a recent concert shot at the Phoenix in Toronto, a documentary about the making of So Jealous, and tour footage shot by the sisters. ...

Vietnamese police have announced that they will formally charge British rocker Gary Glitter with child molestation later this week, but drop an additional charge of child rape, according to a Reuters report. With medical tests inconclusive, officials were forced to drop the more serious allegation, which could have carried the death penalty. Glitter (real name Paul Gadd), 61, has been in detention since November 19, when authorities arrested him as he was trying to leave the country. He had denied the abuse allegations and said he was helping the girls — some as young as 12 — learn English. ... David Bowie completists, take note: On February 13, the singer will release the digital EP Serious Moonlight Live, which features four live tracks — including "Space Oddity" and "Young Americans" — taken from his 1983 Serious Moonlight World Tour. One month later, he'll reissue the "Serious Moonlight" concert film as a deluxe-edition DVD. Extras include an extended version of "Ricochet," which captures behind-the-scenes moments from tour stops in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok, Thailand. ...

• Obie Trice
• Ciara
• Travis Barker
• Hawthorne Heights
• Will Smith

50 Cent and Eminem (file)
Photo: MTV News

Eminem is hitting the road this summer, and he's bringing along a lot of friends. The Anger Management 3 tour is shaping up to the blockbuster of the summer, with a roster that also includes 50 Cent, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, G-Unit, D12, Obie Trice and Em's latest protégé, Atlanta's Stat Quo.

The 20-date, five-and-a-half-week tour will kick off on July 7 in Noblesville, Indiana, at the Verizon Wireless Music Center and is currently slated to conclude in Em's hometown of Detroit at Comerica Park on August 12.

Though 50 Cent will miss the first two dates because of filming on his movie debut (see "50 Cent's 'Locked And Loaded' To Be Helmed By Oscar-Nominated Director"), 50 is on board for the rest of the tour, his first-ever outing with mentor Eminem. Ludacris will fill in on the first two dates.

"We've been waiting for the right moment to go on tour, and it all finally came together," Eminem said in a statement. "We wanted to put together the best lineup we could. I'm always trying to top the last tour whenever I go out. I think we're really doing it this time."

50 also predicted the tour would be the talk of the summer. "Whenever I get together with Em you know it's going to be hot," he said. "Right now, I don't see anything that will stop this from being the tour of the summer. You better put in for that time off from the job now before somebody else beats you to it. Or quit your job so you can see every show."

	Inside Anger Management: Eminem and 50 take you behind the scenes of their tour while Lil Jon teaches a barbecue lesson, only on Overdrive.

Sirius Satellite Radio's Shade 45 channel, which is programmed by Slim Shady and his crew, will feature exclusive live performances and backstage interviews all summer. A live DVD from 2002's Anger Management Tour featuring sets from Em and D12 is slated for release this summer.

Anger Management 3 tour dates, according to Interscope Records:

• 7/7 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
• 7/8 - Columbus, OH @ Germain Amphitheater
• 7/11 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
• 7/14 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
• 7/17 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater
• 7/19 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion at San Jose
• 7/22 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
• 7/23 - Devore, CA @ Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen
• 7/24 - Las Vegas, NV @ Thomas & Mack Center
• 7/26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
• 7/28 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Centre
• 7/29 - Selma, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
• 7/31 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
• 8/1 - Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre @ State Fairgrounds
• 8/2 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre
• 8/5 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion
• 8/6 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
• 8/8 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• 8/10 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
• 8/12 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park

For a feature on 50 Cent, check out "All Eyes On 50 Cent: The Sequel."

• Eminem
• 50 Cent
• Lil Jon
• G-Unit
• D12

Outkast
Photo: LaFace

In a week that will see more than two dozen new releases enter the Billboard albums chart, eight of them in the top 10, Outkast were able to outwit, outplay and outsell every other artist to place at #1.

The Atlanta duo moved more than 509,000 copies of their double album, Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, according to SoundScan, to best the closest competition, Dave Matthews' Some Devil, by 40,000 copies.

Results May Vary proved an appropriate title for Limp Bizkit, whose latest album will be their first not to land at #1 since their debut, Three Dollar Bill, Yall$, was released in 1997. Instead, Fred Durst and company's fourth studio album sold more than 325,000 in its first week to come in at #3.

Slick R&B wonder R. Kelly will take the #4 spot with his modestly titled greatest-hits set, The R. in R&B Collection Vol. 1. The 23-track LP, featuring the current hit single "Thoia Thoing" and remixes of previous singles "Ignition" and "Fiesta," sold over a quarter-of-a-million copies.

Whether folks relate to his dental homage "Got Some Teeth" or they're just hoping to score one of those "golden tickets" packaged inside the album that permits a visit to Eminem's studio, Obie Trice doesn't mind. Either way, the Detroit rapper can raise a glass to the fact that Cheers sold more than 225,000 copies to take the #5 spot.

The Long Road is also an apt description for Nickelback's latest as it tries to measure up to the Vancouver band's previous album, Silver Side Up, which sold more than 4.7 million. Judging by their fourth album's first-week sales of 200,000, the Kroeger brothers' band seems to be driving in the fast lane toward that mark.

Capping off next week's top 10 debuts is St. Lunatic Murphy Lee's solo debut, Murphy's Law. Boasting contributions from Lunatics ringleader Nelly, Jazze Pha, Lil Jon and Jermaine Dupri, as well as a reprise of "Shake Ya Tailfeather," Lee's collaboration with Nelly and P. Diddy, the LP will lay down the law at #8, having sold more than 134,000 copies.

There has yet to be a week this year to pack such a powerful top-10 punch. The last album to bust the half-million mark was Linkin Park's Meteora in March, which sold more than 810,000 then. Every album currently in the top bracket sold in the six figures, and the top four alone sold more than 1.5 million copies. While that is impressive by today's standards, each artist's first-week total falls short of figures in years past.

Outkast's last album, 2000's Stankonia, sold more than 557,000 its first week out. Given some allowance that Some Devil is a Matthews solo affair, the last Dave Matthews Band album, 2002's Busted Stuff, moved more than 621,000 copies. Limp Bizkit get credited with the biggest drop-off; their 2000 LP, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water sold over a million copies the week it was released. And R. Kelly's Chocolate Factory, released in February, sold more than double the copies of this greatest-hits set.

Burning, downloading, exorbitant pricing, a lack of quality ... whatever the cause, the effect of the music industry's slumping sales has never been more evident.

The remainder of next week's top 10 finds last week's #1 album, DMX's Grand Champ, falling six spots to #7 (150,000); John Mayer's Heavier Things slipping five spots to #9 (122,000) after three weeks; and Hilary Duff's Metamorphosis dropping five places to #10 (117,000).

Rob Zombie's best-of collection, Past, Present & Future, which compiles faves from ex-group White Zombie and his solo days, sold more than 94,000 copies to place at #11. Four spots later, Fuel's Natural Selection, the band's follow-up to 2000's Something Like Human, comes in after selling more than 70,000 copies.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include R&B crooner Anthony Hamilton's Comin' From Where I'm From at #33; The Best of Pantera - Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits at #38; Baby Bash's Tha Smokin' Nephew at #48; Elvis Costello's classically influenced 20th album, North, at #57; Rufus Wainwright's Want One at #60; Vertical Horizon's fourth album, Go, at #61; Meat Loaf's first studio album in eight years, Couldn't Have Said It Better, at #85; Def Jux rapper Aesop Rock's Bazooka Tooth at #112; jam band the String Cheese Incident's Untying the Not at #157; and the self-titled debut by the Fire Theft, composed of former members of Sunny Day Real Estate, at #198.

• OutKast
• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews
• Limp Bizkit
• R. Kelly

• Obie Trice

Sway Goes Backstage With Eminem And 50 Cent

• Eminem
• 50 Cent
• D12
• Obie Trice