Velvet Revolver (file)
Photo: Dan Winters

Usher has been rocked at retail.

Selling more than 256,000 copies of Contraband in its first week out, Velvet Revolver will take Mr. Entertainment down a peg on next week's Billboard albums chart. The hit single "Slither," a ready-made fanbase and a boatload of press combined to give the band — which includes former members of Guns N' Roses and ex-Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland — a #1 placement for its debut album.

Proof that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, Contraband beat the combined first-week sales of the latest releases by both GN'R and STP (both were greatest-hits collections) by more than 41,000 copies.

Usher's Confessions shouldn't take the hit to heart. The more than 170,000 copies it sold last week has bumped the album's total sales beyond the 4 million mark. Usher may not be far from the hot seat for too long, since a re-release of the album, with at least three new songs, is on the horizon, according to producer Jermaine Dupri (see "Usher, Alicia Keys Record Duet").

Avril Lavigne's Under My Skin is showing some staying power after three weeks on the chart. Without a U.S. tour, only a smattering of radio festivals and emphasis given to just one, three-month-old single ("Don't Tell Me"), the album will slip one spot to #3, having sold more than 121,000 copies.

Another steadfast woman, country singer Gretchen Wilson, is showing similar staying power with Here for the Party, which will step back one place to #4, with more than 91,000 copies sold in its fifth week on shelves.

The #7 spot has been seeing a bit of 311 recently. Less than a year after their latest studio album, Evolver, debuted there, the reggae-inspired quintet's decade retrospective, Greatest Hits '93-'03, will follow suit, albeit with 23,000 fewer copies sold.

Perhaps fans gearing up for this year's Warped Tour, kicking off June 25, did so with the 2004 Warped Tour album. Featuring a sampling from this year's lineup — New Found Glory, NOFX, Thursday, Yellowcard and others — the 52-track LP sold more than 60,000 copies to take the #8 spot.

The remainder of next week's top 10 finds Prince's Musicology continuing its strong showing, though receding one spot to #5 (with more than 72,000 copies sold); Hoobastank's The Reason holding on to the #6 spot for the third straight week and selling more than 66,000 copies; D12's D12 World falling two spots to #9 (59,000); and Slipknot's Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) dropping five places to #10 (58,000).

Los Lonely Boys and the Black Eyed Peas continue to benefit from recent exposure. Trailed by a spate of great reviews while on their current tour, the Texas trio's self-titled debut has been on a hot streak in the last three weeks, moving from #31 to #23 to #13; while the Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started," the theme to this year's NBA Finals, helped Elephunk advance seven spots to #14 with 43,000 copies sold adding to its 1.3 million total.

Even a marriage to J. Lo couldn't spark sales for Marc Anthony. The Latin singer's latest, Amar Sin Mentiras, released just days after he wed Jennifer Lopez, will place at #26, 23 spots higher than his last Spanish-language LP, 2001's Libre, though with 17,000 fewer copies.

Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand are still tolling the bell for the aggro nü-metal that once dominated radio airwaves. After more than two months in stores, both bands' albums, Good News for People Who Love Bad News at #21 and Franz Ferdinand at #43, have shown steady improvement in the last three weeks.

Other notable chart debuts include country trio SheDaisy's Sweet Right Here at #16; punk chanteuse PJ Harvey's Uh Huh Her at #29; SoCal punk vets and Warped Tour headliners Bad Religion's The Empire Strikes First at #40; the Calling's second album, Two, at #54; Punk-O-Rama Vol. 9, featuring Pennywise, Rancid and the Bouncing Souls, at #67; Sonic Youth's Sonic Nurse at #70; A--hole, the new solo album from Kiss' Gene Simmons, at #86; Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the major-label debut by New Jersey emocore group My Chemical Romance, at #103; and turntablists the X-ecutioners' Revolutions at #118.

• Usher
• Velvet Revolver
• Avril Lavigne
• Gretchen Wilson
• 311

The X-Ecutioners (file)
Photo: Jon Decola

The X-ecutioners' last album, 2002's Built From Scratch, was a listener-friendly primer of turntable acrobatics. If that LP was the equivalent of an introductory college class — say, DJing 101 — the master DJs' Revolutions, due June 8, is the next level of course study.

Again they've got a star-studded cast of guest lecturers. Where the last album featured Linkin Park, M.O.P., Large Professor, Big Pun and Kool G Rap, this time around, the X-ecutioners have tapped the talents of Rob Zombie, Ghostface, Dead Prez, Cypress Hill, Fat Joe and others to further educate the masses about the art and science of turntablism.

"What we're doing is introducing the art form in stages," said Rob Swift, one-third of the group, which also features Roc Raida and Total Eclipse. "In some ways, Revolutions is an extension of Built From Scratch because once again we worked with MCs to show the connection between the DJ and the MC. But at the same time, we're just so much smarter about recording now. We understand how to make music using the turntable as the main focus but still keeping it understandable so that any average Joe off the street could enjoy a song. So this one's a little more advanced."

For the X-ecutioners, it's more important now than ever that the public understand the role and history of the DJ, a character who once dominated hip-hop but has recently taken a back seat to samplers and drum machines. "A lot of groups don't even have DJs," Swift said. "Hip-hop nowadays has become so separate. You have b-boys in one corner, MCs in another and DJs off in a corner by themselves. But hip-hop was originally about being able to do it all."

And that's exactly what X-ecutioners do on Revolutions, with the help of their gifted guests. The album isn't a self-indulgent display of the trio's DJ skills, nor is it a mere compilation disc: It's a cohesive and exciting showcase of turntable wizardry couched within strong, cleverly arranged songs. During the verses, the X-ecutioners often don't even scratch, but when they let fly to accent a vocal phrase or to solo between verses, they leave no doubt about their virtuosity.

One of the album's highlights is "Live From the PJs," which starts with a Latin beat before shifting into a springy club rhythm. The track is filled with old-school, Run-DMC-style scratching and rapping from Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface and the Roots' Black Thought, the latter of whom offers some heated verbals: "Shots follow the target, I ain't gonna chase y'all/ Swinging aluminum bats, it's not for baseball."

"That's one of my favorites," Swift said. "Basically, we are cutting up the music the way Grandmaster Flash would with the Furious Five in the parks. Back in the days when hip-hop started, you would hear it at the parks in the Bronx. A DJ would bring out his equipment, and his friend would grab the mic and MC the whole show. And you'd just dance or play basketball or breakdance to the music. That was the beauty of growing up in the projects, and I think the song captures that."

X-ecutioners recorded the song in the studio with the rappers, an experience they still get excited about. Even though they've worked with a "Who's Who" of players, being in the same studio as Ghostface and Black Thought was the fulfillment of a dream. "We've been fans of them and bought their CDs and wished we could work with them for years," Swift said. "Watching them spit their rhymes right in front of us for our song was incredible."

But one of Swift's favorite tracks on Revolutions is "Space Invaderz," a beat-heavy, guitar-inflected cut, which features no rapping but has a clear narrative element. "It's a story about a robot that invades New York," Swift said. "And, we are basically trying to save the city by fighting it with scratches. Our turntables are our weapons, and much of the [song's] story is being told through the use of a turntable." Another rapper-less track, called "Don't Believe the Hype '04," is filled with quotes from President Bush about the conflict in the Middle East.

Revolutions also includes a reinvention of White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" with vocals by Zombie and new raps by Slug from Atmosphere (see "X-ecutioners Collaboration May Leave Fans Scratching Heads").

X-ecutioners launch a tour on June 2 in New Haven, Connecticut. Dates are scheduled through July 5 in New Orleans.

• The X-Ecutioners

X-ecutioners (file)
Photo: Sequence

For Built From Scratch, the X-ecutioners' 2002 collection of scratching and samples, the New York turntablists recruited a host of rappers, including Xzibit, Everlast and Inspectah Deck to add vocals. They also teamed up with rap-metal band Linkin Park to record the crunching pounder "It's Goin' Down," which became a surprise hit.

So when it came time to record their follow-up album, Revolutions, due May 25, the X-ecutioners decided to again fuel their acrobatic scratches with high-octane doses of metal, only this time they summoned Rob Zombie for a remake of White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" from 1995's Astro Creep: 2000 — Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head.

"We liked the energy of the song, and naturally we felt it would be cool to follow up on what we started with Linkin Park and the new fans that we reached on the last record," said turntablist Rob Swift. "Before 'It's Goin' Down' there were kids in middle America who knew nothing about the whole X-ecutioners vibe. Then, once we did that song, all these new fans came aboard and learned about the art of DJing and what we do."

Working with Linkin Park, who are big fans of hip-hop and turntablism, was practically a no-brainer, but hooking up with Zombie was more of a stretch. "That's why we wanted to do it," Swift said. "It's not something the average X-ecutioners fan or the average White Zombie or Rob Zombie fan would think of happening. Whereas, if we came out with a song with Limp Bizkit or Korn, that's something that you could see happening. Why do something that's expected? We wanted to shock people and do something that no one saw coming."

The song features samples of the White Zombie original, along with new backing vocals from Zombie and rapping by underground artist Slug from Atmosphere. While Slug's parts were recorded in the studio, Zombie was unable to make it in, so he and the X-ecutioners recorded their parts at home, then mailed each other the files.

"It was similar to what we did with Linkin Park, because when we did 'It's Goin' Down' they were on the road," Swift said. "Rob Zombie is just into so many things, it's hard for him to fit something else into his schedule. So we just made the most of it. Technology has made collaborations a lot easier these days."

Revolutions also features a cut with Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan, Trife, and Black Thought from the Roots called "Live and the PJ's"; a collaboration with Fat Joe called "The Truth"; and one with Dead Prez called "Sucka Think."

• The X-Ecutioners

There's a couple of changes going on with the stars of MTV's "Making the Band." Their official name has been expanded to Bad Boy's Da Band and the group's youngest and wildest member, Chopper, has had to officially change his moniker as well for legal reasons — he'll now be known as Young City. The group is still holding firm to the release date of its debut LP, Too Hot for TV, which is due September 30. ...

All this scratching without any irritation can only mean one thing, the Scratch U.S. Tour. Turntablists Z-Trip, Q-Bert, the X-ecutioners and the Original Jazzy Jay will take off together for a three-week stretch of tour dates that begins November 4 in San Diego. ... John Mayer went to Boston's Berklee College of Music, but he was born in Connecticut and currently resides in Atlanta. Yet the tenuous connection was enough for Boston Music Awards judges to award him Act of the Year honors. Genuine Bostonians Godsmack took Outstanding Rock/Pop Band, Mr. Lif won Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year, Aimee Mann was awarded Outstanding Female Vocalist and Waltham won Local Song of the Year. Other awards went to James Taylor, Melissa Ferrick, Kicked in the Head and Piebald. ...

The self-titled debut album by To My Surprise, the side project of Slipknot's Shawn "Clown" Crahan, carries the release date of October 7. The LP was produced by Rick Rubin. ... Call it the Best of Both Worlds for the mature audience. Musical legends Ronald Isley and Burt Bacharach will release a joint LP on November 11. On the project, Isley sings some of Bacharach's most famous tunes, such as "Alfie" and "Make It Easy on Yourself," accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra. Two new songs, "Count on Me" and "Love's (Still) the Answer," will also be included. ...

U.K. space-rockers Spiritualized have completed the video for "She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit)," the first single from the band's new album, Amazing Grace, due Tuesday (September 9). The clip, which was shot in London two weeks ago by director Walter Stern (the Prodigy, the Verve), is expected to surface shortly. ... Dave Meyers, the director behind Missy Elliott's VMA-winning "Work It" clip, is working on a new opening sequence for "Saturday Night Live." Meyers is also preparing for Westside Connection's upcoming "Gangsta Nations" video. ...

Dope have set an October 21 release date for their third album, Group Therapy. "I Am" is the first single. ... Boomkat just began working on their second record. Taryn Manning said the material will head in a new direction, but offered no specifics. ... Estranged Libertines guitarist Pete Doherty was sentenced Monday to six months in jail after admitting to robbing a bandmate's home. Defense attorneys asked that Doherty be allowed to seek treatment for his drug addiction. ...

Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx and L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns have consummated their relationship by recording their new Brides of Destruction album together. The as-yet-untitled effort has passed the mixing stage and is tentatively slated for a February 2004 release. "The album sounds insane," Sixx wrote on his Web site. Singer London LeGrand and drummer Scot Coogan round out the Brides lineup. ... The Hanoi Rocks reunion disc, 12 Shots on the Rocks, will be released in the U.S. on November 18. The album came out earlier this year in Europe after the group's nearly 18 years of inactivity. The first single will be "People Like Me." In the '80s, Hanoi Rocks were an up-and-coming Finnish hair metal band who called it quits after drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley was killed in a car accident. Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil was driving the car Dingley was in at the time of the crash. ...

The Barenaked Ladies and Train are going to jail. Both bands will perform at the now-defunct and onetime inescapable prison Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay on October 16. The show will be cybercast on t-mobile.com and America Online at keyword tmobileallaccess. ... Rush's DVD "Live in Rio" is set to come out October 21. But those whose sound and video system aren't worthy can experience the magic during a same-day screening at one of 30 theaters across the country. The DVD was recorded at a November 23, 2002 show at the Maracana Stadium in Rio on the final night of the band's Vapor Trails tour. ... Nada Surf will launch a tour on September 25 in New York with Ozma and the Tyde. On October 16, Nada Surf will continue the tour with Death Cab for Cutie. Dates run through November 22 in Seattle. ...

09.08.03

Jive Records announced Monday (September 8) that JC Chasez's solo album, Schizophrenic, has been pushed back to early 2004. ...

So it looks like Beanie Sigel will indeed temporarily make it out of jail. A state judge on Monday authorized the Roc-A-Fella rapper's release, as recommended by a federal judge, into a residential treatment program for substance abuse and anger management while he awaits trial on federal gun and drug charges. Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Temin had temporarily thrown a roadblock in that agreement on Friday because Sigel still faces state charges of attempted murder. According to the rapper's attorney, Sigel will be out on $150,000 bail (posting 10 percent) on Tuesday or Wednesday, at which point he'll check into the unnamed residential treatment center for four weeks. ...

Police in Greenville, North Carolina, have arrested and charged two people for stealing about $300,000 worth of personal property from Trina's hotel room over Labor Day weekend. The suspects, one of whom posed as the rapper's manager, are also facing drug charges after authorities found marijuana during a search of their home. ... Kimberley Locke, the "American Idol" contestant who finished just behind Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, has signed to Curb Records and began recording her debut album Monday in her hometown of Nashville. The singer's first meeting with the label was captured on video and will air in a September 24 FOX special about the American Idols Live Tour. ...

Because it wasn't so "Complicated," Apple's iTunes music store reached the 10-million -songs-downloaded mark in four months of operation. Just before midnight on September 3, Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" put the online store past the milestone. ... Youth rebellion anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" has been dubbed the "unofficial theme song" by Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign spokeswoman, who says it's used to "get the crowd pumped" as Arnold makes his play for the California governor's chair. Ironically, the Twisted Sister album that spawned the tune, Stay Hungry, takes its name from the 1976 comedy film of the same name, in which Schwarzenegger had a role. ...

The Headbanger's Ball Tour kicks off in late October with a bill that features Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall. ... Jane's Addiction, Simple Plan and Static-X will headline concerts to take place at the Gravity Games in Cleveland, which begins Wednesday with Static-X and Die Trying performing at a kickoff event. Yellowcard will join Jane's on Friday. ...

Mandy Moore will host and perform at the fourth annual "Women Rock!" concert for Lifetime. Mya, breast-cancer survivor Anastacia, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Dolly Parton and Kenny Loggins will also perform at the event, which this year will have a "Songs From the Movies" theme. Jessica Alba and Sharon Osbourne will be presenters at the show, which will tape September 30 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and air October 23. ... Tori Amos has compiled a best-of collection, set to hit shelves November 18. Along with hits like "Cornflake Girl" and "Silent All These Years," it will feature two new songs. ...

Travis have scheduled a short U.S. tour in support of 12 Memories, due October 14. The outing begins with two nights in New York October 21 and 22, and ends October 29 in Detroit. ... Similar to Eminem and Obie Trice's recently announced Willy Wonka-inspired contest, the Chemical Brothers will include one "Golden Path Ticket" in specially marked versions of their new album, The Singles '93-'03, due September 30. The winner will be flown to the duo's New Year's Eve show, the location of which has yet to be announced. Fans can also enter a random drawing at www.astralwerks.com. ...

Perhaps Keanu Reeves and Gavin Rossdale can give each other advice about switching from movies to music and vice versa on the set of "Constantine," the upcoming adaptation of DC Comics' cult classic series "Hellblazer." The Bush frontman is in talks to play a nemesis of Reeves' called Balthazar, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Rossdale, who is working on solo material, has already completed work on the soccer flick "The Game of Their Lives" and has a small role in the Brittany Murphy comedy "Little Black Book." ... Count the Stars totaled their van and trailer on the road over the weekend, resulting in the hospitalization of singer Chris Kasarjian and their withdrawal from several dates of their tour with the Juliana Theory. The rest of the band walked away with only minor injuries, but Kasarjian suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung and received several stitches, according to the band's label. ...

• Bad Boy's Da' Band
• John Mayer
• Godsmack
• The X-Ecutioners
• Ronald Isley

Madonna will executive produce a romantic comedy called "She Rocks," which is being described as "Working Girl" set in the music industry. Amanda Peet ("Identity") will star and Amie Steir, who wrote the screenplay, will direct. ...

System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith will take part in the 45th annual Hollywood Stars baseball game at Dodger Stadium on August 9. Tyrese will likely also play ball, a publicist for the event said. Nick Lachey has been invited to play as well, and his wife, Jessica Simpson, has been asked to sing the national anthem at the event, which will be followed by a game between the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. ... Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Lou Reed, Dan the Automator, the X-ecutioners and El-P are among the artists contributing tracks to Bird Up: The Charlie Parker Remix Project, due October 21. Tankian remixed the jazz legend's "Bird of Paradise," with new lyrics and vocals. ...

AFI's self-titled 7-inch has been re-pressed on limited-edition yellow vinyl by Adeline Records, the Bay Area label co-owned by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong that originally released the EP in 1998. ... California punks Death by Stereo were forced to cancel a handful of shows after guitarist Dan Palmer sprained his wrist at the gym. Palmer is under doctor's orders to stay away from his guitar for the next few weeks, but the injury is not expected to affect the band's upcoming tour with Thursday, according to a post on Epitaph Records' Web site. ...

Erik Braunn, the guitar player on Iron Butterfly's 17-minute-long rock classic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," died Friday of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. He was 18 when he replaced original Butterfly guitarist Danny Weis. Braunn played on two studio records, including the platinum In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, which came out in 1968. ... A Hatebreed concert in Providence, Rhode Island, erupted in violence on Thursday when two crowd members started fighting over a girl and one stabbed the other in the stomach with a penknife. The stabber fled, but was caught outside of the club. The victim was treated at the club and was not seriously hurt. ...

07.25.2003

Scott Weiland appeared in a Burbank, California, court on Friday (July 25) to request his case be diverted to a drug court program, where his possession charges could be dismissed upon completion of the program. Eligibility is typically based on possession for personal use, not for sale, among other factors. The Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver singer will next appear in a Pasadena court on August 15 to find out if he qualifies. ...

50 Cent's G-Unit will release their debut album on November 4. Lloyd Banks and Young Buck have joined 50 for recording sessions that will be combined with verses logged by Tony Yayo before he was jailed. ... Jessica Simpson and Justin Guarini will perform at the Miss Teen USA pageant August 12 in Palm Springs. Brooke Burns and Mario Lopez are hosting. ...

Christina Aguilera has invited one of her biggest fans, 13-year-old cancer victim Kayla Sansone, backstage when the Justified and Stripped tour hits her hometown of Pittsburgh on July 28. The visit — as well as a $1,000 donation to the Kayla Sansone fund — was coordinated in conjunction with a charity softball tournament. ...

Fans willing to pay $30-$100 per ticket can help Michael Jackson celebrate his 45th birthday on August 30 at Los Angeles' Orpheum theatre. The American Michael Jackson fan club will host the bash, which Jackson is scheduled to appear at. A raffle winner will get either one of the singer's fedoras or a trip to his Neverland Valley Ranch. ... Not to be outdone, Mick Jagger will celebrate his 60th with friends on July 26, then stage a somewhat larger celebration with 60,000 fans the following day when the Rolling Stones' Licks World Tour reaches Prague's Letna Park. ...

As his onetime soul mate, Angelina Jolie, unleashes her "Tomb Raider" sequel, Billy Bob Thornton is kicking off a tour. Getting his start with Humble Pie and Ted Nugent, Thorton's trek begins Friday (July 25) in Las Vegas and ends September 7 at Farm Aid in Columbus, Ohio. His new album, The Edge of the World, is due September 23. ...

Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, Jakob Dylan, Willie Nelson and producer T-Bone Burnett ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack) are among the former subjects who appear on Rolling Stone photographer Mark Seliger's band's new album. Rusty Truck's debut, Broken Promises, is due September 23. ...

Prog-rock pioneers Rush will release a triple-CD live album and a two-disc DVD, both called Rush in Rio, on September 23. The sets, recorded November 23 on the final date of the band's tour behind Vapor Trials, will feature all 28 songs from the show, including "Tom Sawyer," "YYZ," "Limelight" and "One Little Victory." ...

• Madonna
• System of a Down
• AFI
• Iron Butterfly
• The X-Ecutioners

Name: X-ecutioners

Mixtape: Scratchology

Hometown: New York, New York

Joints to check for: "Ugly People Be Quiet," "Like This (Full & Fresh)" and "Product of the Environment (Remix)"

Previous mixtapes: Although this is their first mixtape, the turntablists have released a bevy of albums, including Built From Scratch and X-ercise.

The 411: In the era of exclusives, some hip-hop purists complain that you don't have to have real skills on the 1s and 2s to make street-savvy mixtapes. And while DJs who only use DATs and CDs may serve as evidence for their criticism, there are still some turntabilists who make their compilations the traditional way — with wax.

The X-ecutioners built a reputation for being one of the most adept crews on the wheels of steel with such projects as 2002's Built From Scratch and their stint on Eminem's Anger Management Tour last summer. However, the three-man collective of Rob Swift, Roc Raida and Total Eclipse (Mr. Sinista has left the group) have actually been doing their thing together since 1989. And their love of the art goes back even further. On Scratchology, they not only compiled records to show which artists inspired them, but they also set out to school the masses on hip-hop history.

"The CD was something that I personally wanted to do for a couple of years, but I didn't want to make a CD that would only reach that underground market," said Rob Swift, explaining why the group opted to release its mixtape on Sequence Records rather than just giving it to the streets. "Scratchology is a way to explain that scratching isn't something that came about in the last five years. Scratching and the DJ, [they] helped launch hip-hop.

"There's basically three periods of scratching," he continued. "There's the genesis with Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc and guys like DXT. Then there's the middle school with people like [DJ] Cash Money and Pete Rock. They basically helped the art grow from where it was invented. Then you have today's [scratchers], [people] like the X-ecutioners and Mix Master Mike. We just played music that reflected those three eras [on our mixtape]."

Some of the cuts that serve as a musical history lesson are "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," where the DJ legend cuts up such records as Chic's "Good Times." From there, the New York troupe reintroduce Herbie Hancock's '80s dance hit, "Rock It." Midway through the mixtape, the X-ecutioners take a more hands-on approach, actually adding their own scratches to the Pete Rock remix of Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down" and Gang Starr's "DJ Premier in Deep Concentration."

Another track starring Primo is also featured later as the mixtape comes to a close. Built From Scratch's "Premier's X-ecution," which features an original beat by the producer/DJ along with Roc Raida's "I'll Kick Ya Ass," are among the tracks on the disc's finale.

"Some of the early songs we played in their original form, like [the track by] Grandmaster Flash and 'Rock It,' " Swift explained. "A lot of people were hearing these songs for the first time. I wanted people to really hear the song in its proper context and see how [the art] has grown. Later on in the CD we started to do more manipulating on records because people are more familiar with those cuts."

And while familiarity is always good, the X-ecutioners say they want more people to become more familiar with them on their next album. Swift and the rest of the gang, who are currently in the lab, said that they are about halfway done, but so far no guest collaborations have been made.

"Right now we're really trying to make a strong effort to do songs that are a 100 percent reflective of the X-ecutioners," he said. "We felt it was important to show people we can stand on our own two feet, but mad respect to everybody like Linkin Park and M.O.P. who were on our last album."

Although Swift says Linkin's Mike Shinoda probably won't rhyme on their new project, he did say there was a possibility that they would get a beat from him. Swift estimated the new album should drop no later than January 2004.

For you mixtape junkies that prefer to hit up your favorite local bootlegger rather than go to a store, there are several selections that just arrived this past weekend, one of which comes courtesy of the Roc. The key word here is "sequel": DJ Clue just released Desert Storm 2 in conjunction with Jay-Z. S. Carter has several freestyles on the mixtape, while his estranged homegirl Foxy Brown is featured via "Why You Hating." Also DJs Kay Slay and Big Mike follow up their joint Racial Profiling effort from a couple of weeks ago with a part 2 as well. 50 Cent, Scarface and the LOX's Styles team up for "Most Hated" and Fox Boogie pops up again, with yet another street offering on "Why, Why, Why."

For a full-length feature on mixtape culture and the role of mixtapes in making a rapper's career, check out "Mixtapes: The Other Music Industry."

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

• The X-Ecutioners
• Jay-Z
• DJ Clue
• Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
• Herbie Hancock

John Houston, Whitney Houston's father, died Sunday of complications from diabetes and heart disease. John, who managed Whitney's career and her mother's before her, recently sued his daughter for $100 million, seeking compensation for helping to get a marijuana charge against her dismissed and for getting her a new record contract. ...

Three strikes is a charm for Avril Lavigne. When her latest single, "I'm With You," topped the Billboard Top 40 Monitor chart, the pop-rocker became the first debut artist since 1994 to clock in with three #1 singles in a row ("I'm With You" follows in the footsteps of "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi"). The last act to accomplish such a feat was Ace of Base. ...

Elliott Smith wears the benefit show cloak of mystery — the singer/songwriter is slated to appear as the surprise guest at an anti-war benefit concert for the Hollywood group Neighbors for Peace & Justice. The concert, called "Love Not War," will take place February 16 at Echo in Echo Park, California. ... The Wylde Ratttz, a supergroup featuring Mike Watt, Sean Lennon, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley, Mudhoney's Mark Arm and others, have posted their unreleased recordings on their official Web site, www.wylderatttz.com. The group made an album after forming solely to record a cover of the Stooges "T.V. Eye" for the soundtrack to the 1998 flick "Velvet Goldmine," but it was never released due to contractual issues. ...

Comedian Richard Cheese and his lounge group Lounge Against the Machine have released a new CD, Tuxicity, on their Web site www.ideatown.com. The album features lounge covers of System of a Down's "Chop Suey!," Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" and the White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl," among others. ... Former Invisibl Skratch Piklz turntablists Apollo and Shortkut have teamed with fellow DJ Vinroc to form Triple Threat. The trio's debut, Many Styles, is due March 3 and features appearances from the X-ecutioners' Rob Swift and Roc Raida, Talib Kweli and Mystic. ...

Zero 7 are eyeing a spring release for the follow-up to their Short List-nominated album, Simple Things. Meanwhile, the British electronic pop collective has released a 3D video for their latest single, "In the Waiting Line," and a collection of remixes by Roni Size, Photek and others. ... In other British electronic scene news, Groove Armada cofounder Andy Cato has produced the debut album from the Weekend Players, which their spokesperson describes as "next century soul." Titled Pursuit of Happiness, the album is due March 11. ...

On May 13 the family of late Who bassist John Entwistle will auction off over 150 of the Ox's favorite basses and guitars at Sotheby's auction house. Included is a pink Fender Precision Bass Entwistle called Frankenstein because it was assembled from the parts of five smashed basses. ... Of all the successful artists to emerge from Sweden, Roxette have been ordained as pop royalty by the country's king. On Friday, Carl XVI Gustaf honored the pop group's Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, along with 27 of the nation's top artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and academics. There's a good chance the royal advisers never gave the king a Hives album to listen to. ...

01.31.03

On Tuesday, 50 Cent will combat file-sharers by releasing the tracks from his upcoming Get Rich or Die Tryin' (due February 11) on Web sites such as Pressplay and Liquid Audio. Each track will cost — no, not 50 — 99 cents. ...

Jennifer Lopez will present an Oscar at this year's Academy Awards ceremony, scheduled for March 23 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Nominations will be announced on February 11. ... "Living With Michael Jackson," a documentary by British journalist Martin Bashir, will air February 7 on ABC, which won a bidding war for the rights to the program. Bashir spent eight months with the singer and was with him during the notorious baby-dangling incident last fall. ...

Usher and Doug E. Fresh, author of the children's book "Think Again," have joined the lineup for the NBA's Read to Achieve Celebration on February 8 at Atlanta's Philips Arena. Both stars, along with players such as Yao Ming, will discuss the importance of reading at the event, which will also feature performances from Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, B2K and LL Cool J. ... Sean Paul, Shaggy and fellow dancehall star Buju Banton will headline the 22nd annual Bob Marley Day festival scheduled for February 15 and 16 in Long Beach, California. Damian, Julian and Stephen Marley will all perform separately, and Steel Pulse will hit the stage as well. ...

Hip-hop DJ Funkmaster Flex and shoemaker Lugz have teamed up to create the first urban driving shoe. The Funkmaster Flex FMF-1, which retails for $70 and comes in black, tan and white, hits the streets this week. ... No release date has been set yet, but Erykah Badu has named her new album Worldwide Underground. Among the tracks on the LP will be a remix of "Love of My Life," which features such microphone leading ladies as Bahamadia and Queen Latifah. ...

Singer Vince Neil's stint on the reality series "The Surreal Life" and bassistNikki Sixx's Brides of Destruction project aren't stopping Mötley Crüe from putting out records, or at least, re-releasing them. According to the band's Web site, the Crüe have inked a deal with Universal Music to reissue their entire catalog, with bonus tracks, on April 1. The band will also release another greatest-hits album (March 4) and a box set later in the year. ... With help from producers the Matrix, Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue) and others, 98 Degrees' Nick Lachey has completed about a dozen songs for his as-yet-untitled solo album, set to drop this summer. The new material is funky and more guitar-driven than that of his group, according to Lachey's spokesperson. Although one hasn't been chosen yet, a single is expected to surface at radio in April. ...

Jets to Brazil frontman Blake Schwarzenbach wrote on the band's Web site that the recent departure of drummer and founding member Chris Daly "leaves the Jet with a pretty sizeable hull breach." The long-running indie rock merchants, formed by Schwarzenbach after the dissolution of the band Jawbreaker, have invited drummers interested in filling the position to drop them an e-mail at distantwizard@hotmail.com. ... Year of the Spider, Cold's follow-up to 2000's 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage, is set for release April 15. ...

• Avril Lavigne
• Talib Kweli
• System of a Down
• Linkin Park
• Elliott Smith

Tool keep ratcheting up their summer itinerary, as they've added 10 dates to the Lateralus tour, from August 15 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to September 7 in Moline, Illinois. Mike Patton's Tomahawk will continue to serve as openers on all the dates. ... X-ecutioners DJ Rob Swift provides a remix of "Something's Coming," the first single from Peter Case's ninth solo album, Beeline, due September 10. Case fronted new wave rockers the Plimsouls in the early '80s. ... Bobby Brown was released from a Fredericksburg, Virginia, hospital Friday after a three-night stay for treatment of an infection, according to USA Today. Brown and wife Whitney Houston had been on their tour bus Tuesday when Brown was rushed to the hospital with a high fever. ...

The British army is withdrawing a recruitment video that featured two Oasis songs without securing the band's permission, according to the Associated Press. Oasis denied use of their music in the video, which depicted soldiers conducting exercises in Kenya to the sounds of "Wonderwall" and "Hello." ... Macy Gray and John Digweed will perform at Milk Studios in New York on Monday (June 24) at a party celebrating Entertainment Weekly's sixth annual "It List" issue. Digweed is this year's "It DJ," according to EW. ... After they spend the summer on the Area2 Tour with Moby, Blue Man Group will finish their second album, tentatively titled The Complex. Due early next year, the record will include collaborations with guest vocalists. ...

The Les Claypool Frog Brigade Presents Purple Onion, the latest from the former Primus frontman's new band, is due September 24. Fishbone's Norwood Fisher, Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes and Weapon of Choice's Lonnie Marshall make guest appearances. ... Boston melodic thrash band Shadows Fall, who hit the road with Kittie, Poison the Well and Killswitch Engage next month, have recorded a cover of Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine" for their next album. The Art of Balance arrives September 17. ... Also in stores on September 17 is Light & Magic, the new album from Liverpool coed electro-heads Ladytron. ...

06.21.02

Korn have canceled two Canadian dates of their Tour With No Name, which started Thursday, because one member, whose name wasn't disclosed, returned to Los Angeles on a personal matter. Fans holding tickets for the Toronto stop on June 26 and the Montreal's visit the following day are asked to hold their tickets, which will be honored during the band's fall tour. ... Britney Spears has another #1 in her collection — she's at the top of this year's Forbes Celebrity 100, the financial magazine's annual ranking of "fame and clout." Spears topped Tiger Woods (#2) and Steven Spielberg (#3), while the other artists in the top 10 are Madonna (#4), U2 (#5), 'NSYNC (#6) and Mariah Carey (#7) who, despite a turbulent year, herself beat out Oprah Winfrey (#8), Michael Jordan (#9) and Tom Hanks (#10). ... Alicia Keys, Nas and 3LW are among those expected to support Teens in Motion, a non-profit group to help New York City teenagers through social and educational programs, at a charity event on June 26 at B.B. King's Blues Club in Manhattan. Olivia, Mario, Avant and Jimmy Cozier are also anticipated to attend. ...

Photogenic U.K. trio BBMak have set an August 27 release date for their second album, Into Your Head. The first new single from Christian, Mark and Ste is "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)." ... Matt Sharp, formerly of Weezer and the Rentals, is playing an acoustic show June 28 at the Morgan Phillips mattress store in Beverly Hills. Ex-Cake guitarist Greg Brown will sit with Sharp, who will be performing on a mattress. ... British singer/songwriter Beth Orton will return to America for her second summer tour in support of Daybreaker, due July 30. The outing begins July 28 in New York and crosses the country before ending August 22 in Los Angeles. ... Electronic music collective Gus Gus will release their third studio album, Attention, on August 27. The record marks their first with singer Earth. ...

A former Beatle has been performing with monkeys — seriously. At the recommendation of Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney spent four hours with two apes at a research lab in Atlanta, where he sang them "Eleanor Rigby" and a new song, and the primates joined the rock legend on keyboards and drums. ... Joel Petersen, bassist for Omaha's the Faint, will release his first solo album, Broken Spindles, in September. His publicist described the record as Aphex Twin meets retro '80s goth. ... Nothingface have written about 20 new songs for their next record. Pre-production begins next month, and the band plans to enter the recording studio in September and finish the album in time for an early 2003 release. ... Carlos Santana and Rubén Blades guest on Revolución de Amor, the seventh album from Mexican rock band Maná, due August 20. Santana is returning a favor from Maná, who appeared on "Corazón Espinado" from his 1999 smash, Supernatural.

• Tool
• The X-Ecutioners
• Bobby Brown
• Korn
• Oasis

Could it be the real Best of Both Worlds? Grammy winners Eve and Alicia Keys just finished production on the video for their duet, "Gangsta Love," which will be the first single off of Eve's August 6 release, Eve-olution. Directed by Little X in Los Angeles, the clip features a huge beach party, according to a spokesperson for the Philadelphia rapper. ... Britney Spears' handwriting analysis, an autographed skateboard from Sum41 and a bra thrown on stage during an Incubus concert are among the items being auctioned off in Jane magazine's Peep Show (www.ebay.com/jane). Proceeds from the auction will benefit Boarding for Breast Cancer and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. ...

If you ordered the Mike Tyson/ Lennox Lewis title fight on pay per view, of course you saw celebrities like the Rock, LL Cool J, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Bacon, Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Webber attending the event. But unless you were in Memphis, you couldn't have spotted the likes of Trick Daddy, Cam'ron, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz, Russell Simmons, Jamie Foxx, Jadakiss and DJ Clue, who attended various afterparties around town, with the most star-studded being at the Peabody Hotel. ... Real life crime boss John Gotti, whose larger-than-life persona influenced a generation of rappers, died on Monday at the age of 61 after a battle with cancer. The slick, suited Gotti provided inspiration for the look, lyrics and even the stage names of a number of hip-hop artists, including Irv Gotti, Nas, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Teflon and a host of others. ...

The X-ecutioners have remixed "Where Do We Go From Here," the first single from Filter's The Amalgamut, due July 30. A vinyl collection of remixes of the song will be released early next month. ... "Queen of the Damned," the stylish vampire film starring Aaliyah, will be released on DVD and VHS August 27. ... Kylie Minogue's "Live in Sydney" DVD, showcasing the final performance on her 2001 world tour, will hit U.S. shores on July 16. Previously released overseas, the disc features performances of hits such as "Better the Devil You Know" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head," behind-the-scenes footage, and a bonus video for "Spotlight." ...

Wyclef Jean recently presented the Maxell Song of the Year award in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest to Philadelphia native Clint Lagerberg. Enrique Iglesias, Black Eyed Peas and Elton John are among the artists on the selection committee. ... Jurassic 5 have recorded the title track to Midway Game's NBA Ballers, due next year for Playstation 2, Xbox and GameCube. Meanwhile, Dry Kill Logic have rewritten "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" as "Riot at the Bat Rack" for Midway's MLB SlugFest 20-03, due this summer for the same systems. ... The release date of O-Town's second album, O2, has been pushed back to August 27. The LP, originally slotted for an August 6 release, sees the group joining forces with Nelly on "Favorite Girl" and with Shep Crawford (Whitney Houston, 98 Degrees) on "I Showed Her." ...

Former members of thrash/death metal band Destruction have formed a new band, Jesus Chrysler Superskunk. ... In Flames' next album has a name: Reroute to Remain. It hits September 2. ... Ex-Fu Manchu drummer Brant Bjork has completed a video for his new band, Brant Bjork & the Operators. ... Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) is launching his own record label, Artists' Network, for performers outside of the pop realm. Stewart also plans to include films, TV, books and visual art under his umbrella, and he has already signed Jimmy Cliff. ...

06.07.02

The Associated Press reports that Jennifer Lopez and her husband of just over eight months, Cris Judd, have separated. The couple reportedly have not yet made plans to divorce, and a spokesperson for Lopez declined to comment. ... Jay-Z showed up at Teen People Magazine's Music Party in New York Wednesday. The shindig, to celebrate the magazine's signature summer issue, featured a musical performance by Knoc-Turn'Al. ... Usher leads the pack for the second annual Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards (August 9) with eight nominations, including Top Artist, Top Single for "U Got It Bad" and Top Album for 8701. Ja Rule, Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z are also among those on the multiple-nominee list. ...

Will somebody please get P. Diddy a soulmate? After rhyming about his search for Mrs. Right in "I Need a Girl" Parts 1 and 2, Puffy now lends his vocals to a remix of Fabolous' "Trade It All," which also features Jagged Edge. The two MCs rap about being willing to give up all their riches for love. ... Dave Matthews Band has announced the opening acts for the second leg of its summer tour. The North Mississippi Allstars will handle duties July 5-12, Norah Jones July 13-21, Spearhead July 23-26, Los Amigos Invisibles July 28-August 2, Corey Harris & the 5 X 5 Band August 26-September 3 and the John Butler Trio September 6-8. ...

Janet Jackson will be presented with the Governors Award by the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy at a June 20 luncheon in Beverly Hills. Previous honorees include Jewel, Brandy and producer Glen Ballard. ... If you go to Wyclef and Ashanti's concert on June 19 in New York, listen up for a sweet announcement: The two artists will reportedly announce the newest color for M&M's candies. ... Shakira was spotted Tuesday at the French Open. The pop songstress was in attendance to watch the quarterfinals match between Jennifer Capriati and Jelena Dokic. ...

Mobb Deep were forced to cancel their London performances after group member Prodigy was admitted to the hospital due to a bout with sickle cell anemia. Their European tour has been postponed until further notice. ... Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has left one of his side projects, the death metal band Necrophagia. ... Prong have been slated to replace Marduk on the Danzig U.S. tour. ... Toledo band Five Horse Johnson were robbed of all their gear while on tour in Europe. ...

Rappers Capone, Noreaga and Angie Martinez will make appearances at the Puerto Rican Day parade Sunday in New York. The parade runs along Fifth Avenue from 44th to 86th streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ... Newcomer Sharissa will sing the national anthem for the Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis fight Saturday night in Memphis, Tennessee. She will also perform at the post-fight party along with several other acts, including Naughty By Nature. ...

• Eve
• Britney Spears
• Cam'ron
• Alicia Keys
• The X-Ecutioners

Eminem
Photo: MTV

The good people of Buffalo may want to board their windows and lock up their pets. Eminem, Ludacris, Papa Roach, Xzibit and the X-ecutioners are headed to town to kick off their Anger Management Tour on July 18 at the HSBC Arena.

So far, Em and company have lined up two months' worth of dates for the trek, starting in the Northeast, rolling across the Midwest and down the Pacific coast before crossing the country again for a string of dates in the South.

Rounding out the Anger Management bill are D12 and Obie Trice — who are expected to join Eminem during his set — and up-and-coming rockers Bionic Jive, who are confirmed for the tour through August 8.

This year marks the second run for the road trip, which debuted in 2000 with Limp Bizkit topping the bill (see "Limp Bizkit, Eminem, Papa Roach Kick Off Joint Tour"). Eminem, Papa Roach and Xzibit shared the bill with Bizkit for Anger Management's debut outing.

Here's how the Anger Management Tour itinerary shapes up, according to Interscope Records:

• 7/18 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
• 7/19 - Hartford, CT @ ctnow.com Meadows Music
• 7/20 - Scranton, PA @ Coors Light Amphitheater at Montage Mountain
• 7/21 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion
• 7/22 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
• 7/25 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center
• 7/26 - Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheater
• 7/27 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
• 7/30 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
• 7/31 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
• 8/1 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
• 8/2 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
• 8/5 - Nampa, ID @ Idaho Center
• 8/6 - Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
• 8/7 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
• 8/10 - Sacramento, CA @ TBA
• 8/11 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
• 8/12 - Fresno, CA @ Selland Arena
• 8/15 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
• 8/16 - Devore, CA @ G.H. Blockbuster Pavilion
• 8/17 - Las Vegas, NV @ Thomas & Mack Center
• 8/20 - Phoenix, AZ @ America West Arena
• 8/21 - Albuquerque, NM @ Tingley Coliseum
• 8/22 - Denver, CO @ TBA
• 8/24 - Maryland Heights, MO @ UMB Bank Pavilion
• 8/25 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Sandstone Amphitheatre
• 8/31 - Tampa, FL @ Ice Palace
• 9/1 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ National Car Rental Center
• 9/4 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
• 9/8 - Toronto, ON @ TBA
• 9/9 - Montreal, QC @ Molson Centre
• 9/12 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake
• 9/13 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace Of Auburn Hills

• Eminem
• Papa Roach
• Ludacris
• Xzibit
• The X-Ecutioners

SXSW 2002 Highlight Photos

• Jerry Cantrell
• Alice in Chains
• The X-Ecutioners
• Quarashi
• Sparta