Spliff Star and Busta Rhymes, "New Mexico Takeover 4" concert, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 08.30.2009
Photo: Nigel Degraff

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — The summer concert season closed out with a bang at the Journal Pavilion on Sunday night, as Florida kings Rick Ross, Pitbull, and Flo Rida filled out a roster that included Bun B, Warren G, Twista and headliner Busta Rhymes at the "New Mexico Takeover 4."

Bun B was one of the first big names to hit the stage, tantalizing the crowd with way-back UGK hits such as Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'," then forwarding to current classics like "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)."

Backstage, Warren G and Rick Ross plotted future collaborations. "I need some of them beats," Ross, surrounded by the Carol City Cartel and Masspike Miles, said to Warren in his dressing room with a grin. Meanwhile Warren, who had performed some of his classics like "Regulate" and "This DJ," talked about working with Michael Jackson. The West Coast producer said he has three songs in the can from years back with MJ, however, Jackson controlled the music and Warren has never gotten his hands on the finished songs.

Later Ross took the stage with his swagger-filled brand of gangsta music.

"I need silence for one second," the Boss said early in his set. "I gotta talk a little business." All of a sudden, as if on command, it started raining. "I heard it ain't nothing but hustlas out here."

This led, of course, to "Hustlin'." Later came "We Takin' Over" and "Push It."

"I love it! The weather is beautiful," Ross said during "Yacht Club."

The show stayed Miami, with Flo Rida getting loud love from the spectators with his hits such as "Low" and "Sugar." Flo's finale was "Right Round" where he rode on a bodyguard's shoulders through the crowd while he rapped.

However, Pitbull — whose new LP, Rebelution, drops this week — was probably the star of the night. The largely Hispanic crowd sang and danced along with songs such as "Bojangles," "Toma" and "Pull Up."

"I know you want me, you know I want ya!" they sang along heavily on "I Know You Want Me." "Hotel Room" was his closer.

Pitbull was a tough act to follow, but the mighty Busta Rhymes kept fans on their feet with his set, which featured hits like "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See," "Fire It Up," "Break Ya Neck," "Arab Money" and many others. Each record was performed with so much energy that you would have sworn it was Busta's last-ever concert.

"Pass the Courvoisier" ended the show, with Bus giving a champagne bath to the front row while Spliff Star showered people on the side of the stage.

• Busta Rhymes, Pitbull, Rick Ross, Play N Skillz And More At The "New Mexico Takeover 4" Concert, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 08.30.2009

• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• Pitbull
• Flo Rida
• Warren G
• Twista

Omarion's <i>21</i>
Photo: Sony

A quick glance at this week's Billboard albums chart shows not only what finished on top — R&B hunk Omarion's sophomore LP, 21 — but the large number of albums that sustained painful post-Christmas sales hits.

For the second time in his brief career as a solo artist, the ex-member of B2K scores himself a chart-topping opening, selling 119,000-plus copies of his latest. Omarion's first LP, 2005's O, also bowed at #1 but sold about 60,000 more units (see "Omarion's Solo Debut Tops Albums Chart").

As is the norm, record sales during the final week of the year took a serious nose dive again in 2006 — down from 12.7 million the previous week to just 4.9 million. Comparatively, during the same week last year, Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable occupied the #1 slot with close to 200,000 copies sold and overall sales dropped to 5.8 million from 13.6 million the week before (see "Jamie Foxx Bumps Mary J. Blige From Billboard's #1").

Virtually every album on this last chart of '06 experienced some sort of sales decline, with Mos Def's Tru3 Magic being one of the sole exceptions. The album — which Geffen rushed into stores after it was leaked online — failed to chart last week after selling just 1,087 copies but finishes at #151 this time around with 10,000 scans — representing an 816 percent spike in sales, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

Omarion's 21 was one of seven new releases to crack Billboard's top 200. Switchfoot's Oh! Gravity debuts at #18 with 63,000 scans; the band's 2005's effort, Nothing Is Sound, opened at #3 with 131,000 sold, while 2003's The Beautiful Letdown took #85 with 14,000 copies snatched up.

At #100 this week is 15 Years on Death Row, a two-disc compilation that sold 14,400 copies and features classic cuts from Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Warren G and Nate Dogg. Meanwhile, Family Values Tour 2006, another collection featuring the likes of Korn, Deftones, Stone Sour and Flyleaf, follows at #102, selling 14,300 units. Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky, a greatest-hits comp surrounding Sylvester Stallone's epic boxing series, comes in at #109 with 13,700 in sales, while The Best of N.W.A. finishes at #143, selling 10,300 copies. And finally, Matisyahu's No Place to Be bows at #146 with 10,200 units scanned.

Following Omarion at #2 this week is Akon's Konvicted, which sold another 112,000 copies its seventh week in stores. Climbing 24 spots to #3 is the soundtrack to the motion picture "Dreamgirls," which sold 104,000 copies and features the film's stars Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy. Last week's #1, Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead, falls three places to #4, with sales reported at 101,000 and change, and Young Jeezy's The Inspiration pops up at #5 with close to 92,000 sold.

The Now That's What I Call Music! 23 collection, boasting contributions from Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera and others, finished at #6 with 89,000 copies sold. That's followed at #7 by the Eminem-helmed 22-track Shady Records compilation The Re-Up, which notched 84,000 scans.

Timberlake remains in the top 10 with his FutureSex/LoveSounds, checking in at #8 with nearly 83,000 units flying off store shelves. Ciara's Evolution occupies the chart's #9 position with 79,000 scans, while the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original series "Hannah Montana" rounds out the top 10 with 78,000 copies sold. Total sales of that disc, however, were down from the previous week by 78 percent.

• Omarion
• Mos Def
• Akon
• Switchfoot
• Dr. Dre

• Snoop Dogg
• Tha Dogg Pound
• Ice Cube
• DJ Quik
• Too Short

Warren G
Photo: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images

Grinding the rough streets of Long Beach, California, as a youngster wasn't easy for Warren G.

The West Coast rapper, also known as the Regulator, has dealt with some harsh demons on his way up and out of the 213 — gangs and drugs, to name two. He describes his journey in In the Mid-Nite Hour's autobiographical second single, "I Need a Light," featuring longtime friend Nate Dogg, who, along with Snoop Dogg, took much of the trip beside him.

"The song talks about a lot of situations, what I've been through from me growing up to now," G told MTV News recently. "It's also a lot of situations Nate and Snoop have been through [too] — just us being hip-hop artists and the life of living in Long Beach."

"This is a lot deeper than other songs we've done together," Nate added. "It's about how when you're going through troubles, people deal with stress differently. Like, I have so much going on that I just need to relax. There's just so much stress going off."

Throughout the track, G, who refers to himself at one point as a "serious basket case," spits rhymes about running with a gang and getting arrested. Then he segues into his decision to leave that lifestyle and start doing right by his family and others, making the point that change is possible, though not always easy.

Directed by Paul Hunter (Snoop, Pharrell), the clip is a throwback to the early 1940s with a bit of contemporary flair — the duo are decked out in chic black suits, engulfed in rich colors and dark silhouettes and surrounded by flashy cars and beautiful women. But it also shows the rapper's sweet side, interspersing images of him with a bride, a wedding ring and babies.

"The tone of the video shows the classic side of Warren — how he built his empire from the streets of Long Beach and expanded it to the world," Hunter said in a statement. "He's showing everyone that it's all about class and treating people right."

G said he's in a much better place now, mentally, and he's ready to show that to the world. "I'm just happy, man," he said. "There's so much going on, and I just can't wait to have fun."

No doubt the rapper will have his share of good times reteaming with his 213 comrades, Snoop and Nate, as they prepare to unleash some new material in the coming months.

"We will probably drop a single called 'PYT' around early May so it can ride out the summer," G said, adding that he could be joining Snoop on tour this summer with Ludacris and Ice Cube. "He called me and asked if I wanted to get on the tour, and I was like, 'Let's do it!' That was it, done deal. Now we just have to work out the particulars."

Finally, G said another 213 record could soon be in the works, their first new album since 2004's The Hard Way (see "Snoop's 213 Get Wrong Number While Doing Things The Hard Way").

"I talked to Snoop the other day, and we talked about doing another one," he said. "We haven't set it in stone yet, but it's going to go down, and once we do it, it's going to go pretty fast."

G said he plans to step in as the album's producer this time around.

"I can't wait," he said of the supergroup's return. "We make hit records together, and when we get together, man, it's magic."

• Warren G
• Nate Dogg

Alicia Keys performs at "Unplugged"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

More Keys Please: Devout Alicia Keys fans will want to nab the CD+DVD version of Unplugged, which boasts two additional audio performances, "Goodbye" and "Butterflyz," on the CD, and behind-the-scenes action and a video for "Unbreakable" on the DVD. That's not to mention a booklet that has poems, a letter from Keys, liner notes, photos and info on Keep a Child Alive, a nonprofit she aligned herself with for a World AIDS Day benefit last year.

Leading a Double Life: DualDiscs are all the rage, and record companies usually send them to stores at the same time as the standard album in order to maximize sales potential. Not so with Ricky Martin's Life, which will come out in regular form Tuesday but won't see a DualDisc release until November 22. Tracks on both editions include: "I Don't Care" (featuring Fat Joe and Amerie), a Luny Tunes reggaeton remix of "Que Mas Da" and the Spanish track "Déjate Llevar (It's Alright)."

A New G Thang: G-Funk guru Warren G resurfaces after his longest solo hiatus yet — nearly four years — with the indie release In the Mid-Nite Hour. After spending time with 213 for last year's The Hard Way, Warren gets some help from his comrades on a few tracks: Snoop crops up on "Chronic Break" and "Garilla Pimpin," while Nate Dogg chimes in on "We Need Each Other." Raphael Saadiq, Bishop Lamont and Chuck Taylor also lend their skills.

Dive Right In: Originally called [Adult Swim] Presents DangerDoom, The Mouse and the Mask still realizes what Danger Mouse and MF Doom set out to do: high-five the animated-TV block with a set of inspired songs, plus character voices and skits from shows like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Sealab 2021." Cee-Lo and Ghostface Killah dip their toes into "Benzie Box" and "The Mask," respectively.

United They Stand: In addition to this week's two metal-champ collections — Numbers From the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden and the Roadrunner Records 25th anniversary throwdown The All-Star Sessions — there's a spate of other kinetic alliances happening. Illinois punks Resident Genius jam along to a recorded phone conversation they shared with legendary Boston University prof/activist Howard Zinn for You Can't Blow Up a Special Relationship; elusive indie darling Chan Marshall (a.k.a. Cat Power) hops onto grimy Aussie instrumental trio Dirty Three's Cinder; and ex-Swans singer Jarboe duets with members of Low, Ministry and Bauhaus on her new one, The Men Album. (For three points: Blixa Bargeld of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds also sings with Jarboe; her fellow Seed, Warren Ellis, is Dirty Three's violinist.)

SteEPed in EPs: Neo-goth dance punks American Eyes find an unlikely producer in Michael Patterson (Diddy, Notorious B.I.G.) for their first release, Never Trust Anything That Bleeds; likewise, chaotic London punks the Rakes make their debut with Retreat. Also, Lambchop pay Nashville neighbors Hands Off Cuba a visit with Colab; the country-rockin' Magnolia Electric Co. taped two of their Hard to Love a Man tracks at Steve Albini's, uh, Electrical Audio Studios; San Francisco solo artist Kelley Stoltz breaks bread with Sub Pop on The Sun Comes Through; and another solo artist, Amanda Rogers, goes even further out on a limb by covering At the Drive-In, among others, on Something Borrowed Something Blue.

Song Title of the Week: "Major Disappointment Reporting for Duty" (Drowningman's Don't Push Us When We're Hot)

Other Notables:

Sevendust's Next: After eight years and a bitter breakup with career-long label TVT Records, the metal squad is resurrecting itself with a fresh new label (the Universal-affiliated WineDark), single ("Ugly") and guitarist, Snot's Sonny Mayo. Keep an eye out for limited-edition copies of 'Dust's fifth studio record, which come with a bonus DVD.

Gang of Four's Return the Gift: The truly seminal U.K. dance-rock group initially decided to put out a batch of re-recordings of its classic songs as a stand-alone disc and hold off until 2006 for an equally tempting set of remixes by Hot Hot Heat, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No Doubt's Tony Kanal and others. Now they've decided to simplify by melding the two into a 26-track, double-CD set.

Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News DualDisc: Humble-rodent connoisseurs probably have the bonus track "I've Got It All (Most)" — which previously appeared as a B-side but is tacked onto the Good News DualDisc for good measure — but they should take note of the many visual nuggets: two videos, behind-the-scenes stuff and an interview with main man Isaac Brock directed by — you guessed it — Isaac Brock.

New Releases:

• 31Knots - Talk Like Blood (Polyvinyl)
• Abel - Alegria Musica (Tommy Boy)
• Adult. - Gimme Trouble (Thrill Jockey)
• Agents of the Sun - Monarchs of a Fallen Society (DCide)
• Gary Allan - Tough All Over (MCA Nashville)
• Allister - Before the Blockout (Drive Thru)
• American Eyes - Never Trust Anything That Bleeds (EP; Side One Dummy)
• American Werewolves - 1968 (Fractured Transmitter)
• Apache Indian - Time for Change (Explorer)
• Barr - Beyond Reinforced Jewelcase (5 Rue Christine)
• Hudson Bell - When the Sun Is the Moon (Monitor)
• Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave (Hydra Head)
• Peter Brötzmann & Han Bennink - Schwarzwaldfahrt (Atavistic)
• Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic Vol. 1 (Inside)
• Castanets - First Light's Freeze (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Celebration - Celebration (4AD)
• Cheetah Girls - Cheetah-Licious Christmas (Disney)
• The Clientele - Strange Geometry (Merge)
• Company - Parallel Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Constantines - Tournament of Hearts (Sub Pop)
• Susan Cowsill - Just Believe It (Blue Corn)
• Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales (deluxe edition due same day; Verve)
• Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)
• Deerhoof - The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
• Default - One Thing Remains (TVT)
• Dios Malos - Dios Malos (Star Time)
• Dirty Three - Cinder (Touch and Go)
• Drowningman - Don't Push Us When We're Hot (Thorp)
• Early Man - Closing In (Matador)
• Explosions in the Sky - How Strange, Innocence (Temporary Residence)
• Gamma Ray - Majestic (Sanctuary)
• Gang of Four - Return the Gift (two CDs; V2)
  Read: "No Doubt, Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Plan Gang Of Four Remixes"
• Mark Gardener with Goldrush - These Beautiful Ghosts (United for Opportunity)
• Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds (Misra)
• Hanson - The Best of Hanson: Live and Electric (limited edition; two CDs with DVD; Three Car Garage)
• George Huff - Miracles (Word)
• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - The Sameness of Difference (Hyena)
• Jarboe - The Men Album (Atavistic)
• Jonathan Kane - February (Table of the Elements)
• Alicia Keys - Unplugged (special edition due same day; J)
  Read: "Alicia Keys Taps Mos Def, Common For 'Inspired' 'Unplugged' "
• Lambchop/ Hands Off Cuba - CoLAB (EP; Merge)
• The Living Blue - Fire, Blood, Water (Minty Fresh)
• The Long Winters - Ultimatum (Barsuk)
• The Magnolia Electric Co. - Hard to Love a Man (EP; Secretly Canadian)
• Ricky Martin - Life (Columbia)
• The Mass - Perfect Picture of Wisdom and Boldness (Crucial Blast)
• Joe McPhee and John Snyder - Pieces of Light (Atavistic)
• Minus Story - No Rest for Ghosts (Jagjaguwar)
• Mouse on Mars - Live04 (Sonig)
• New London Fire - I Sing the Body Holographic (Eyeball)
• Dolly Parton - Those Were the Days (Sugar Hill)
• Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later (Altitude)
• Daniel Powter - Daniel Powter (Warner Bros.)
• The Rakes - Retreat (EP; Dim Mak)
• Resident Genius/ Howard Zinn - You Can't Blow Up a Special Relationship (Thick)
• Roadrunner United - The All-Star Sessions (Roadrunner)
• Amanda Rogers - Something Borrowed Something Blue (EP; Immigrant Sun)
• Kate Rusby - The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Compass)
• Saving Jane - Girl Next Door (Madacy)
• Sevendust - Next (WineDark/Universal)
  Read: "Sevendust Turn Up The Heaviness, Leave Beef Behind On Next"
• Kelley Stoltz - The Sun Comes Through (EP; Sub Pop)
• Story of the Year - In the Wake of Determination (Maverick)
• T.A.T.U. - Dangerous and Moving (Interscope)
• Susan Tedeschi - Hope and Desire (Verve)
• Warren G - In the Mid-Nite Hour (Lightyear)
• Paul Weller - As Is Now (Yep Roc)
• Nancy Wilson - "Elizabethtown" score (RCA)
• Woolly Bandits - Say Hello to My Little Friend (Dionysus)
• Young Playthings - Pick Up With the Young Playthings (Dionysus)
• Various artists - Numbers From the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden (Restless)
• Various artists - One Million Strong Vol. 2: Love Peace & War (Bungalo)
• Various artists - "Dora the Explorer: Dance Fiesta!" (Nick/Jive)
• Various artists - "North Country" soundtrack (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" soundtrack (Varèse)

Notable Reissues:

• Johnny Adams - The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album (Rounder)
• Allman Brothers Band - Gold (Mercury/Universal)
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Gold (Mercury/Universal)
• Colosseum II - Strange New Flesh: Upgraded (Castle/Ryko)
• John Coltrane - One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (two CDs; Impulse)
• The Diplomats of Solid Sound - Instrumental Action Soul (Hammondbeat)
• Dru Hill - Hits (Def Soul Classics)
• Billie Holiday - Gold (Hip-O/Universal)
• Buddy Holly - Gold (Geffen/Universal)
• Holy Terrors - This Is What It Sounds Like When You're Dead (Eulogy)
• Shirley Horn - But Beautiful: The Best of Shirley Horn on Verve (Verve)
• John Legend - Get Lifted (Columbia)
• Don McLean - Rearview Mirror: An American Musical Journey (Hyena)
• Men's Recovery Project - The Very Best of Men's Recovery Project (5 Rue Christine)
• Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News (DualDisc; Epic)
• Nekromantix - Brought Back to Life Again (Hellcat)
• New Edition - Gold (Hip-O/Universal)
• Linda Perry - In Flight (enhanced; Kill Rock Stars)
• Nina Simone - The Soul of Nina Simone (DualDisc; RCA)
• Lyn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Me Tight: Anthology 65-73 (Trojan)
• Tigertailz - Banzai and Berzerk (Ryko)
• Tom Verlaine - Warm and Cool (with bonus tracks; Thrill Jockey)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - A Real Mother for Ya (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - Ain't That a Bitch (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - Funk Beyond the Call of Duty (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Hank Williams - Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection (Mercury Nashville)
• Bill Withers - Just as I Am (DualDisc; Columbia/Legacy)
• Yanni - Live at the Acropolis (with DVD; RCA Victor)
• Various artists - Sand & Steel: The Classic Sound of Jamaican Steel Drums (Trojan)
• Various artists - Southern Rock: Gold (Hip-O/Universal)

DVD:

• Terry Callier - "Live in Berlin" (Verve)
• Charlie Daniels - "The Kings and Friends: Live at the Gothic With Special Guest Hazel Miller" (Burnside)
• K-Ci & JoJo - "All My Life: Their Greatest Video Hits" (Universal)
• Alicia Keys - "Unplugged" (J)
• Machine Head - "Elegies" (Universal)
• Bobby McFerrin - "Live in Montreal" (Universal)
• Carmen McRae - "Live in Montreal" (Universal)

Coming Attractions:

October 18:

• Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (Reprise)
• Ashlee Simpson - In Another Life
  Read: "Ashlee Remembers 'SNL' Incident But Forgets Boys On New LP"
• Thrice - Vheissu (Island)
  Read: "Thrice Going Underground — In A Sense — For Enigmatic Vheissu"

October 25:

• Chamillionaire - The Sound of Revenge (Universal)
• Destiny's Child - #1's (DualDisc; Columbia)
  Read: "Destiny's Child Look Back With #1's Before Going Their Separate Ways"
• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)

November 1:

• Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of the Box (Geffen)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Under Covers (DualDisc due same day; Epic)
• Santana - All That I Am (Arista)
  Read: "Guest List For New Santana LP: Big Boi, Mary J., Will.I.Am, Bo Bice And More"

• Alicia Keys
• Ricky Martin
• Warren G
• DangerDoom
• Gang of Four

213's Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and Warren G
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — It's been long understood that Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and Warren G wanted to come together and represent for their Long Beach 'hood in a West Coast supergroup called 213. But it's been so long since they first talked about it that Long Beach no longer has that area code.

Such telecommunication barriers have not put the project on hold. The three showed up in New York on Monday to make everything official and announce the July 20 release of the debut 213 album, The Hard Way.

Though this will be the first album released under the 213 name, the three hip-hop heavyweights formed the crew when they were young pups growing up in Southern California — before producer Dr. Dre discovered Snoop and birthed the G-Funk era.

"[We] started in like the late '80s, early '90s, just around the neighborhood putting it down," Warren G explained. "I was on the turntables, Snoop was rappin', Nate was singin'. We kept striving and striving and striving."

The three have been recording songs for 213 over the past year. They originally were scheduled to release the album on Geffen Records, but the trio recently struck a deal with TVT Records.

Snoop sees the 213 project as a chance for the group to bring West Coast hip-hop back to the masses. "Music right now is missing a sound like this," he said. "All of us coming together and putting our projects on the back burner to make this happen is only going to enlighten our solo careers. And it's fun to do because we're homeboys and always dreamed of it. So why wait till we're 37 or 50 years old and no one wants to hear us anymore? Why not do it when we in our prime?"

The group did use West Coast producers like Battlecat but also people like Kanye West and DJ Hi-Tek, both of whom hail from the Midwest. Warren G did not produce any of the songs on the album, he said, because he wanted to concentrate on his rhymes.

Maybe 213 are taking a cue from the success of 50 Cent and G-Unit, because the name of the first single from The Hard Way is "Groupy Luv." G-Unit have a song on their Beg for Mercy called "Groupie Love."

Snoop explained the concept behind the single. "We're trying to find groupie love. That means beautiful girls who want to become video stars aspiring to do something with their careers. We can give you that upliftment. We can get you in the video."

When asked if 213 would tour, Nate Dogg deadpanned, "How else do you think we'll get groupie love?"

The members then explained, more seriously, that they plan on mounting a small tour starting June 11 that'll see them doing a medley of solo hits and new 213 songs.

• Snoop Dogg
• Warren G
• Nate Dogg
• 213

Snoop Dogg (file)
Photo: MTV News

Whether he wore his Huggy Bear attire is unclear, but Snoop Dogg had some business meetings before he attended the "Starsky & Hutch" premiere a couple of weeks back.

If the rapper appeared a little more lively than his usual laid-back self at Los Angeles' Mann's Westwood Village theater, it's probably because his all-star group 213, featuring Warren G and Nate Dogg (see "Warren G Calls 213 A 'No-Brainer,' Raps Over 'Sesame Street' Track With Snoop"), signed a record deal hours before.

"We just did the deal with TVT today, so y'all be on the lookout," Snoop said as he strolled the red carpet in full-on pimp wear (see " 'Starsky' Premiere Gets People Talking About Owen Wilson's 'Singing' " ). "The album should be out late April or early May."

The trio began rapping together years ago, before any of their careers took off, but have only now gotten around to recording together. In fact, the rappers took their moniker from the Long Beach area code they all grew up with, which has since changed to 562.

"Yeah, it ain't no more. But that's what it's all about," Snoop said, laughing. "It's a dream for us, since we [were] kids."

"Dollar Dollar Bill," the first single from 213's album, The Hard Way, is due on airwaves soon.

"You got a lot of different styles," Warren G said of the album as he walked with Snoop at the premiere. "You got Snoop, Warren and Nate all bundled up in one. Soul, hip-hop, gangster — that's what it is."

The album marks a return to music for Snoop, who has shot three movies during the past year: "Starsky & Hutch," "Soul Plane" and "The L.A. Riot Spectacular" (see "Snoop, Porn Stars To Appear In Satire Of 1992's L.A. Riots"). As much as Snoop, who would love to make a "Starsky & Hutch" sequel (see "Snoop Plans To Outdo Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Video"), is excited about his thespian future, he insists he will never abandon hip-hop.

"I'm still having fun, musically. It's still beautiful to me," he said. "Whenever people need me, I come through. I might be on a hook, I might be on a verse, I'm gonna keep my name out there."

In the meantime, Snoop is rehearsing his live show for the Projekt Revolution Tour (see "Dates For Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution Announced; Used Join Trek").

"Being out with these great bands, I got to put together a great show so when I'm done doing what I'm doing, everyone can say Snoop did his part," he said. "I already know they gonna do what they do, so I gotta step my game up."

• Snoop Dogg
• Nate Dogg
• Warren G
• 213

Warren G
Photo: Davis Factor

When Snoop and Nate Dogg tell you, "This is 213, go bust on it," you stop what you're doing and go rap on the track they're directing you toward. So goes the history of how Warren G's latest collaboration with his two best friends came about.

The song, "Fly," finds all three breaking women's hearts over the beat to Monica's "So Gone." So far the tune has been a smash on the mixtapes and has made its way onto the radio, becoming one of the most heavily rotated records in L.A.

"Nate came in and put a hook on there," Warren said a few weeks ago, speaking on the phone from Seattle. "Snoop put a verse on there. I came in like, 'What's happening?' I really listened to it after we finished. I was like, 'Where did they get this beat from? This sh-- is incredible.' I'm driving one day and I heard Monica singing over it, and I was like, 'This sh-- is crazy.' It tripped me out but we had a ball doing it."

Warren says "Fly," which was recorded in early spring, probably won't make the cut for the trio's long-talked-about debut LP, but the rhyming beatmaker promised that the group has plenty of other material to choose from.

"We recorded about 30-something songs," he disclosed. "That's how fast we work. We just pull up a gang of beats and start doing them."

213 want to limit the number of guest rappers on the LP, but Snoop wants to get his pimping accomplice 50 Cent on the album and Warren wouldn't mind having Nas, Eminem and the remaining members of N.W.A jump onboard. Warren's half-brother Dr. Dre has confirmed that he'll produce on the project and Pharrell Williams has already submitted beats (see "Snoop's 213 Working With Neptunes On Long-Awaited LP").

"I'm doing like, four tracks on the album that's off the chain," the G-child promised. "I'll probably end up doing more stuff but I guess Snoop wants to get flavor from other guys. But I know how to make it happen. Not to say that the other guys don't, but we've got chemistry. That's the formula: Warren G, Dr. Dre, Daz. The same people that was involved in The Chronic. But I don't mind getting nothing from Pharrell and the other cats because they make hit records. I don't mind getting more hits."

If it were up to Warren, the 213 hit parade would've started up a long time ago, but he blames the politics of each group member being on a different label and differing schedules for the slow start.

"I'm happy to have the chance to finally do it like we used to," beamed Warren, who started making records with Snoop and Nate when they were kids. "I've been telling Snoop for years, 'Let's do this 213.' I get tired of every time I do an interview, everybody asking me what's up with 213. I told Snoop, '[The] next time you go to a radio station, they gonna ask you that sh--.' He went to a radio station and he did a quiz and asked [the listeners], 'What would be the hottest sh-- for us to do? A 213 record, a Dogg Pound record or an Eastsidaz record?' Everybody told him 213, which is a no-brainer. Snoopy is hard-headed sometimes, but that's my dog."

One of the records they already have in the can is a track called "Rolling Down the Highway" and another is called "Sunny Days," where the three West Coast giants perform over the beat from "Sesame Street."

Outside of his reunited group debut, Warren has been working on his next solo album. He doesn't have a deal yet, but has laid tracks with friends like Raphael Saadiq and Xzibit. G has also landed a deal with JVC for his own line of products, which he designed, called "The Warren G Series of Speakers and Amps." He's even got his own JVC boombox ready to hit stores, but he doesn't have a name for it yet.

213 does not have a name for their album or a release date, but the members hope to drop the LP this winter.

• Warren G
• Snoop Dogg
• Nate Dogg
• 213

Five years ago this week, Tommy Lee was sitting behind bars. Police took the Mötley Crüe drummer into custody after responding to a call from wife Pamela Lee, who accused him of assaulting her in the couple's Malibu, California, home. The actress reportedly suffered injures to her hand and back but refused medical treatment. The tattooed rocker was held in lieu of $1 million bail — twice the normal amount for such an offense, because he was on probation for attacking a photographer outside a Los Angeles nightclub.

Meanwhile, the Smashing Pumpkins were having their own legal woes. The rock band's label, Virgin, had filed suit against the Pumpkins in response to the band's assertion that it was done with its recording contract. Four months earlier, Billy Corgan and company informed the label that they would not be delivering any more albums, citing a California labor code that limits personal service contracts to seven years. It's the same code that was earlier invoked by Toni Braxton against LaFace Records and would later be cited by artists ranging from Courtney Love to Incubus.

Virgin's suit sought to recover damages for each undelivered album as well as compensation in the form of interest and legal costs. A spokesperson for the band declined to comment on the legal wrangling but told MTV News that the band's nearly completed new album would still be released on Virgin, despite the Pumpkins' earlier assertion.

A year before, the melancholy alt-rockers had sued their publishing company, Chrysalis Music, for "declaratory relief, rescission and damages for breach of contract," as well as "slander of title," among other claims. The Pumpkins claimed their 1992 contract with Chrysalis was for four albums and was void, and that the company continued to receive money for a fifth disc and was wrongly demanding the publishing rights to two more.

In more optimistic news, Warren G was broadening his horizons in 1998. His G-Funk record label had just joined forces with independent film company New Regency Enterprises ("L.A. Confidential," "Pretty Woman") and its affiliated Restless Records label. The multimillion-dollar deal gave the rapper's label wider distribution through BMG and put G-Funk one step closer to being more than just a label.

Teamed with New Regency, Warren G had an avenue to move into film work as an actor or a producer of films and soundtracks. "This is a dream come true for me," he said in a statement. "It opens the door to many different areas of the entertainment business." To that end, the rapper also signed on with United Talent Agency, the management team behind Jim Carrey, Sandra Bullock and Drew Carey.

For more "This Week In ...", check out the This Week In Archive.

• Mötley Crüe
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Warren G

Knoc-Turn'Al
Photo: Elektra

Newcomer Knoc-Turn'Al thinks he and Dr. Dre. might have set a hip-hop record.

"We worked 72 hours in a studio nonstop recording 'The Wash' soundtrack," Knoc-Turn'Al said last week from his record label's Los Angeles office. "I don't think we could do it again. The security guys would see me coming and say, 'Man is it going to be another one of those days?' "

Just in case that doesn't make the record books, Knoc's got another impressive feat worth boasting about.

In the three years he spent working on his debut album, Knoc's Landin', due April 23, Knoc wrote more than 300 songs.

"As we were going along, I would do 20 songs and then like drop all of them except the three that everybody felt were the hottest," he explained. "When it was all said and done, I had 30 songs [that] I had to drop down to 14. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, but it was still kind of tedious."

Among those that made the cut is "The Knoc," his first single. Both the song and the video — directed by Jeff Richter (Black Rob, Jurassic 5) — feature Dre and Missy Elliott. Like most of the tracks on Knoc's Landin', Dre produced "The Knoc" at his studio.

"He put the beat up, and I just started writing to it that night," Knoc recalled. "It was like me letting people know I'm here and I want to talk to you. I was really trying to hold more of a conversation than anything in that song — let people get the feel that I can rap, I'm not just a hook person."

Knoc-Turn'Al, whose father was in a funk band and took him to Rick James concerts, has been rapping for as long as he can remember. He honed his skills during a four-year stretch in prison, where he wrote 150 songs, none of which appear on Knoc's Landin'.

"You have to keep moving on. Using songs you wrote three years ago is bullsh--," he said. "And I'm not trying to dig up those bones in my closet. That's not something I want to glorify. I don't want kids walking around talking about prison sh--. That's like embedding something in their minds they don't really need to hear."

Once outside of bars, Knoc hooked up with hip-hop label LA Confidential, whose CEO introduced him to Dre. Knoc made an instant impression on the hip-hop mogul and co-wrote and appeared on four songs on his Chronic 2001. He also co-wrote "Bad Intentions" and "The Wash" for "The Wash" soundtrack, Dre's "Put It On Me" for the "Training Day" soundtrack and Warren G's "Lookin' At You."

"Being from the West Coast, that's the ultimate, working with Dr. Dre," Knoc said. "He is the founder and pioneer of West Coast rap. His sound is incredible. Once I hooked up with him, it felt like home" — only more demanding. "It's always a challenge working with Dre because he does not like to be outdone in any way shape or form," he added. "He strives for perfection."

Several other artists appear on Knoc's Landin' as well, including Timbaland, Warren G, Too Short, Hitman and Slip Capone. Knoc-Turn'Al also recorded a few collaborations that didn't make the record.

"I sure hope they aren't mad at me," Knoc said, sounding genuinely concerned. "You gotta realize, not only are you cutting off songs, you're cutting off people. I just hope they don't take it personal. It's a business."

While recording his album, Knoc-Turn'Al got to know other West Coast rappers who have worked with Dre, and he's since bonded with them in a crusade to help the scene grow.

"We got a nice little foundation out here now," he said. "Instead of being all secluded, we're being more together. Like, me and Xzibit went to a club the other night. Instead of alienating ourselves from each other and saying, 'No, I wanna be closer to Dre,' 'No, I do,' like little bitches. We ain't doing that. We're holding this sh-- together."

Knoc continues to write with other artists and is talking with Nate Dogg and Fabolous about a summer tour. Mostly, though, he's just waiting for his album to come out.

"I'm getting anxiety attacks and sh--," he said.

• Knoc-Turn'Al
• Dr. Dre
• Timbaland
• Warren G

Grammy Parties 2006

• Britney Spears
• Kevin Federline
• Maroon 5
• Chingy
• Christina Milian