Beanie Sigel and Freeway
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Beanie Sigel and the Goodfellas are all back together at the table breaking bread — well, except for maybe Beans himself and the man to his left.

"It's a beautiful thing," Freeway said, as he passed on the endless plates of food from Italian restaurant Macelleria in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.

Free and Sigel were fasting due to Ramadan, but most of the State Property crew (save for Oschino and Neef Buck, whom everybody insisted were still down despite their absences) were eating lunch before a late-night performance at S.O.B.'s. The collective has been together making music for the past several months but has only now decided to come up to the surface and speak about it.

Here they are again, world.

"We all been doing this together for a minute," Free said, as he watched Peedi Crakk devour some fries. "When we get together, we make good music. It's strength in numbers. We gonna put something on the streets for y'all real soon."

"This what they been wanting," said Young Chris, who sat at the head of the table. "People been wanting it for a long time. Due to the Roc-A-Fella split, people thought State Property split up. But we been all good. Been like that since day one. Everybody is neutral. We all here, man."

"This is perfect timing," added Omillio Sparks, the most charismatic and slept-on team member. "Even though it's the recession with the economy all twisted, you need music like this back in the streets to make the people feel like it's some sense of hope. Barack the vote, and we're back."

As of now, the State Property soldiers are free agents. They've been making dozens of records — some of which have been intentionally leaked online — out of their own pockets. Beanie is still very much the leader of the organization and said he's weighing his options for the family.

"The plan right now is to make sure ... the State Property project gets finished up," Beanie said. "Find a home for that and make sure everybody's individual projects be set up properly, so we can move forward from there. The State Property album will be good to put things back in perspective and showcase us as artists. At the same time, we got Chris working on his solo project that's long overdue. Peedi's working on his solo project. Sparks, Freeway, me ... we wanna make sure we line up our ducks in order so when this State Property thing pops off, and pops off the way we expect it to, everybody can come right behind it and not miss a beat. We've been sprinkling songs out there and letting people know the best is yet to come, but we're not missing a beat."

"This is gonna be the best State Property album," Peedi promised. "Everybody had time to grow individually. After the last album, we had a good two or three years apart, and we've all been independently putting out mixtapes and trying to create the most we can on our own time. Collectively, we're way more powerful. Nobody is a weak link."

The release-date order as of now goes Young Chris' Now or Never at the top of the year (he just got out of his Def Jam contract but is still signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella imprint); Peedi Crakk's A Night in the Life on Amalgam Digital probably in March; then everybody else from there. Beanie and Freeway are both signed but are unsure of their status with Roc-A-Fella. They are sure of their disappointment over the way their last solo LPs were promoted.

"It's like being on a team with Jordan and you don't get a chance to make it to the championship, you don't even get a chance to play in the game," Sig said about the commercial failures of his The Solution and Freeway's Free at Last under the watch of former Def Jam President and CEO Jay-Z. "That's how I feel. It's like we're mechanics that helped get a car started up and pushing, somebody gets in the car and just pulls off on you, leaves you on the side of the road. That's how it feels."

Still, Sig harbors no harsh feelings for Jay-Z and even dreams of a Roc reunion.

"Its no fault to nobody, I guess, but it's just frustrating," he continued. "You got that within yourself, those expectations. We love Jay. We love him. Jay don't owe nobody anything, but it's frustrating because the public got questions, and they want answers. When they start asking questions, you can't answer or you don't wanna answer honestly. What can you say?"

• Beanie Sigel
• Freeway
• Young Gunz
• Peedi Crakk

Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Jay-Z and Dame Dash
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

NEW YORK — Dame Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke laughed on Monday (October 15) when they came up with a new crew name on the spot: "Block-A-Fella." The "Block" in question refers to their new social-networking Web site, BlockSavvy.com, which has also served as a platform for Dame to blog and, maybe most significantly, resurrect Roc-A-Fella Records material from when Dash and Burke were tight with Jay-Z.

They were so tight that a few years ago, Dame wanted to pay tribute to his onetime inseparable buddy by having several artists on the label remake some of Hov's tunes from his various albums. The project was called Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

"We made this a while ago when [we still co-owned] Roc-A-Fella," said Dame, who later formed the Dame Dash Music Group with Burke after the three principal players sold their remaining 50 percent stake of the label to its parent label, Island Def Jam, in December 2004.

"We got Juelz [Santana] ... Young Gunz ... Rell, Jimmy Jones, Kanye West, Beanie [Sigel]," Biggs added of the Beyond a Reasonable Doubt collection.

(Hear the tribute tracks for yourself! Check out reworked versions of the Reasonable Doubt cuts "Politics as Usual," "Regrets" and "Can I Live," as well as a new rendition of the In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 song "You Must Love Me.")

"At the time, I was looking for platforms to showcase the artists," Dash chimed in. "This was my [mental] state three, four years ago. I was always looking for projects to showcase the artists and move as a team. We had the talent. Cam'ron did a record too. Everybody did renditions of Jay songs. Some from Reasonable Doubt, some from other records."

The entire project was sparked by the original Reasonable reaching a milestone, its 10th anniversary, last year.

"Honestly, Reasonable Doubt was very important to us — despite the fact that people are paying homage to it without us, and I'm seeing stuff on television," Dash said, referring to the "VH1 Classic Albums" episode that broke down the making of the classic Jigga debut. "[But] we're not getting interviewed, which is cool.

"It's a piece of us. It's the only thing we still own that has anything to do with Roc-A-Fella," he continued. "So back then, and being a part of the DNA of Roc-A-Fella, I was always trying to figure out a way to celebrate it. I knew the 10th anniversary was coming up. I said, 'Let's do an album with all the relevant artists doing a rendition of Jay records.' But Jay said he didn't like it, so we scrapped it. ... You know what it was, he said the best record was Jimmy's, so he didn't want to put it out."

Although there aren't any current plans to release the album conventionally in stores, the duo have posted the project up on their Web site.

"We felt like we might as well, why not?" Dame shrugged. "I don't know, I'm living more on the virtual/digital side."

When he thinks back a decade, to the making of Hov's first LP, Dame tells the story of how a couple of decisions and maybe one or two missed studio sessions could have changed history.

"Nas and AZ was supposed to be on 'Bring It On,' they kept not showing up," Dash recalled. "That's when we wanted to put out the Firm. They didn't show up. We was meeting and they was saying, 'Yeah,' but they wasn't showing up. We would be waiting and we would be getting offended. So we brought Sauce [Money] and [Big] Jaz on the song."

"Jay didn't want to rap over that beat," Biggs offered of "Can't Knock the Hustle," "but I called him and said he should rap over the beat, because it would come out hot regardless."

"He didn't want to do it, so I had to get Mary J. [Blige], and [I] gave her 10 grand out of a paper bag," Dash added. "She did it for us. I knew her when she was young."

Some of the tracks on Beyond a Reasonable Doubt feature Cam'ron rapping over "Show You How" — which appeared on The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse — while another has Beanie Sigel redoing In My Lifetime, Vol. 1's "Where I'm From" and Freeway taking on "Politics as Usual."

"It was so ill, because he was talking about struggles in the street," Biggs said about the Jay-Z original. "We did that song before Jacob [the Jeweler] was out. Remember the line, 'to Tito in the district'? When we really started buying jewelry, we would go to Tito. Everything about Reasonable Doubt was [the] reverse of what you think. Like 'Can't Knock the Hustle' — he wasn't talking about hustling, he was talking about the music business [being] the hustle. He was talking to everybody else like, 'Don't knock us.' 'Cause that's the new hustle. That's why it's so funny — people don't understand the genesis. It was representation of us and our life together. 'Regrets' was my favorite song on the album. I liked 'Regrets' and 'Cashmere Thoughts.' He wasn't gonna put 'Cashmere Thoughts' on there — he only put it on there 'cause it was my favorite."

" 'Dead Presidents II' was mine," Biggs said of his favorite Reasonable Doubt track.

Biggs and Dash's post-Roc life, as you know, has also involved fashion and films. Their most current project is "Mr. Untouchable," an upcoming documentary on the life of Harlem, New York, drug kingpin Nicky Barnes that arrives in theaters October 26.

But as far as music goes, it's still up in the air how many more albums Biggs and Dash will put out. They don't see the biz being lucrative anymore.

"We got heat. Nicole Wray's album [Lovechild] is hot, ODB's album [A Son Unique] is hot," Dash said of the label's two LPs, which have been kicking around for quite some time but haven't been officially released. "Everybody acts like they doing us a favor by putting it out.

"We got deals everywhere," he added when asked about a recent deal he struck with Koch Records to distribute his music. "It's not about the deal, it's about the frustration and hassle. We turned into real business men. We're here to make money, and it seems like the money ain't there."

You can hear the entire Beyond a Reasonable Doubt LP on www.BlockSavvy.com.

• Jay-Z
• Freeway
• Jim Jones
• Juelz Santana
• Memphis Bleek

Jay-Z and the Roc-A-Fella fam on the cover of <i>XXL</i>
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride for XXL Magazine

Peedi Crakk is wearing a suit like Tom Brokaw's, he's got an ultra-proper inflection in his voice reminiscent of Ted Koppel's, and he's holding an MTV News microphone with all the on-camera swagger of Tavis Smiley. Ron Burgundy's got nothing on him.

"We're live on MTV News at the XXL photo shoot. This is your anchorman Peedi Crakk, Crakk Daddy, signing on," he says in a deep monotone as Kanye West walks in.

"Yeah, what up, Kanyeezee live!" he continues, not breaking his faux-newsman character. "Kanyeezee, ladies and gentlemen!"

Peedi and Kanye join Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek, DJ Clue, the Young Gunz, NBA All-Star LeBron James, 17-year-old singer Teairra Mari, and the head of the family — Jay-Z — for an XXL cover shoot at a studio in New York's Chelsea Piers.

"It's the whole Roc family and a presidential theme, that's why I'm looking classy and classic," Teairra Mari, the young lady Jay has dubbed "The Princess of the Roc," said of the shoot's concept as she stood in a mock Oval Office wearing a black veil, white blouse and black skirt. "It's a very '60s-ish vibe, it's JFK and the whole cabinet. It's great."

"It's the first time we're taking the Roc's new generation — it's sort of a re-launching of the Roc," says Jay-Z, dressed in a swank blue suit. "I just wanted to show the artists, and show the reach with LeBron James."

Jay says James' inclusion in the shoot is just a show of solidarity between chums and nothing more — especially not a business relationship.

"It's absolutely no Def Jam Sports or anything like that," Jay says, quashing a rumor that he might be managing LeBron. "No tampering going on; just a good friend of mine. He's been a friend since before he was in the NBA. If you look back on the tapes, I'm there at the McDonald's High School [All-American] games, supporting him. We're just friends, we have no business dealings at all. I can't do it because I have an interest: I sit on the board of the [New Jersey] Nets. It's a conflict."

Jay also clarified that LeBron will not be signing to the Roc as a rapper or, for that matter, rhyming at all: The superstar is sticking to the court. "I want him to be the greatest," Jay says. "My job is to keep him focused, not to take him outside of his arena."

The side of the studio where Jay and company are getting dressed is hectic but loose. Freeway is walking around wearing a dress shirt, tie and his boxers; stylists are frantically scurrying over to the Gunnerz for last-minute tie changes; Kanye is playing Common's new video for LeBron on his laptop; and Memphis Bleek is searching for a cool hat to rock. Meanwhile, on the Oval Office set on the other side of the studio, you can see various members taking flicks while songs from Kanye's forthcoming Late Registration and Foxy Brown's Black Roses play at full volume (see "Kanye Previews New LP, Modestly Exclaims: 'This Is Killing Everything Out There!' " and "Jay-Z Jumps On Three Tracks For Foxy Brown's New Album")

	Click for photos of the Roc-A-Fella family

From the way Jay raps along and bobs his head to the music, it's obvious Mr. Prez gives his approval.

"Kanye is his own institution," Hova says. "He knows what he wants and he has pretty good taste. Like, when it comes to singles, he'll come and we'll discuss what should be next, but as far as music-making — if I hear something I might say, 'You should add a little bit of choir right there' — but as far as music goes, that's what he does. That's his strong point. So I just leave him alone. He does the whole thing."

No one at the Roc, with the exception of Jay himself, has gotten busier lately than Kanye West, who will be featured on the front cover of the mag along with Jay, LeBron and Foxy (the rest of the crew has been relegated to the interior of the gatefold cover).

"Ever since I got my [Roc] chain, I felt like I was in the game," Kanye says before diving into lunch. "We got this shot where it's me and Jay, it's like the famous shot where Kennedy is talking to his brother. That feels like, 'Damn, I'm right here. This is Jay, I'm right next to him.' It's an incredible feeling. It's overwhelming. I got this song, the first song on the album, that says, 'I think I died in the accident, 'cause this must be heaven.'

"Sometime I wonder, 'Damn, am I still on earth?' " West continues. " 'Is this real life I'm living?' I can make things happen. I want a video like this and it happens. I want my artists to be successful — John Legend goes platinum, Common is a success."

Shooting the cover of XXL with her entire musical family was surreal experience for Teairra as well.

"I can't believe that, this time just last year, I was looking at these people on TV," Mari, whose debut single, "Make Her Feel Good," has become a hit, marveled. "Now I'm here, and they're embracing me. It feels great."

"We're making history," says Peedi — who, since the shoot, has changed his name to Peedi Peedi — as he stands with Freeway, who is now fully dressed in a black suit, hat and shades ("I just got fresh to death," Free smiles). "This is the front cover, the new Roc-A-Fella family. Jay is controlling the whole set. We're here representing, promoting. I feel like a hip-hop hero."

The Roc issue of XXL is on some newsstands now, but hits nationally next week.

• Jay-Z
• Kanye West
• Foxy Brown
• Peedi Crakk
• Memphis Bleek

Audioslave's <I>Out of Exile</I>
Photo: Interscope

After making history earlier this month by playing the biggest show ever by an American rock band in Cuba, Audioslave are preparing to take on the albums chart this week. The band is releasing its sophomore album, Out of Exile, which follows 2002's self-titled album.

After four long years of waiting for two-dimensional artists Gorillaz to deliver a studio follow-up to their 2001 self-titled album, the band composed of animated members 2-D, Russel, Murdoc and Noodle is back with Demon Days. Led by its first single, "Feel Good Inc.," the LP features two major changes — the absence of former producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and the presence of Danger Mouse in his place.

Common, king of conscious rap, is going back to his roots with his latest album, Be. After releasing 2002's highly experimental, sprawling Electric Circus, Common narrows his focus this time around, employing two main producers, Kanye West and J Dilla.

The Wallflowers are taking a cue from the title of their new album, Rebel, Sweetheart, defying the ever-changing climate of the mainstream with another straight-up rock and roll album that follows 2002's Red Letter Days.

Nikka Costa's long-awaited new album, Can'tneverdidnothin, hits stores this week on the heels of the single "Till I Get to You." Frank Sinatra's goddaughter is back, four years after the release of Everybody Got Their Something.

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus releases his third solo album, Face the Truth, while fiery female rock trio Sleater-Kinney follow up 2002's One Beat with The Woods. South African hard rockers Seether unleash their sophomore effort, Karma and Effect.

On the hip-hop side of new releases, there's the latest from Young Gunz (Brothers From Another), former Immature/IMX member Marques Houston (Naked) and B.G. (The Heart of tha Streetz).

In DVD news, fans of Dave Chappelle who are still reeling over the news that the next season of his "Chappelle's Show" will be postponed can comfort themselves with the DVD of season two.

Also out this week are albums by Belle and Sebastian (Push Barman to Open Old Wounds), Alkaline Trio (Crimson), Gucci Mane (Trap House), the Agony Scene (The Darkest Red), Death in Vegas (Satan's Circus), Shout Out Louds (Howl Howl Gaff Gaff), Pretty Ricky (Bluestars), Meat Beat Manifesto (At the Center) and Shelby Lynne (Suit Yourself).

Out Tuesday, May 24:

• The Agony Scene - The Darkest Red (Roadrunner)
• Alkaline Trio - Crimson (Vagrant)
• Amber Pacific - The Possibility and the Promise (Hopeless)
• Audioslave - Out of Exile (Interscope)
  Read "Audioslave's Morello Says New LP Feels Less Like Soundgarden + Rage"
  Buy Now: Out of Exile (Interscope)
• Walter Beasley - For Her (Heads Up)
• Belle and Sebastian - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (Matador)
• B.G. - The Heart of tha Streetz (Koch)
• Ron Blake - Sonic Tonic (Mack Avenue)
• Blusom - The Metapolitan (Second Nature)
• Brian Bromberg - Choices (Artistry Music)
• The Dave Brubeck Quartet - London Flat, London Sharp (Telarc)
• Richard Cheese - Aperitif for Destruction (Surfdog)
• Freddy Cole - This Love of Mine (HighNote)
• Common - Be (Geffen)
  Read "Common Lets It Be On Upcoming Down-Home Album"
  Buy Now: Be (Geffen)
• Nikka Costa - Can'tneverdidnothin' (Virgin)
  Buy Now: Can'tneverdidnothin' (Virgin)
• Robert Cray - Twenty (Sanctuary)
• Death in Vegas - Satan's Circus (Fuel 2000)
• Tony DeSare - Want You (Telarc)
• Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls (Sanctuary)
• Jeff Golub - Temptation (Narada)
• Gorillaz - Demon Days (Virgin)
  Read "Cartoon Gorillaz Put A Muzzle On Danger Mouse, Damon Albarn"
  Buy Now: Demon Days (Virgin)
• Jackie Greene - Sweet Somewhere Bound (Verve)
• Drew Gress - 7 Black Butterflies (Premonition)
• Adam Guettel - The Light in the Piazza (Nonesuch)
• Head of Femur - Hysterical Stars (spinART)
• Marques Houston - Naked (Universal)
  Read "Omarion, Marques Team Up With 'Served' Director For More Films"
  Buy Now: Naked (Universal)
• Hank Jones - For My Father (Justin Time)
• Sara Lazarus - Give Me the Simple Life (Dreyfus)
• Little Milton - Think of Me (Telarc)
• Lucero - Nobody's Darlings (Liberty and Lament)
• Shelby Lynne - Suit Yourself (Capitol)
• Magic Arrows - Sweat Heavenly Angel of Death (Wobblyhead)
• Stephen Malkmus - Face the Truth (Matador)
  Read "Stephen Malkmus Hoping For Crunk Success With New LP"
  Buy Now: Face the Truth (Matador)
• Gucci Mane - Trap House (Big Cat)
• Hugh Masekela - Revival (Heads Up)
• Meat Beat Manifesto - At the Center (Thirsty Ear)
• Old Blind Dogs - Play Live (Green Linnet)
• Pretty Ricky - Bluestars (Atlantic)
• Seether - Karma and Effect (Wind-Up)
  Read: "Seether Frontman Shaun Morgan Is Very Angry"
  Buy Now: Karma and Effect (Wind-Up)
• SF Jazz Collective - SF Jazz Collective (Nonesuch)
• Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Capitol)
  Read: "Shout Out Louds Out To Show Love Is The Same In Any Language"
  Buy Now: Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Capitol)
• Sleater-Kinney - The Woods (Sub Pop)
  Read "Sleater-Kinney Coming To Your Neck Of The Woods"
  Buy Now: The Woods (Sub Pop)
• Maria Taylor - 11:11 (Saddle Creek)
• Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez - Red Dog Tracks (Back Porch)
• James Blood Ulmer - Birthright (Hyena)
• Wallflowers - Rebel, Sweetheart (Interscope)
  Buy Now: Rebel, Sweetheart (Interscope)
• Cedar Walton - Underground Memoirs (HighNote)
• Young Gunz - Brothers From Another (Roc-A-Fella)
  Read "Jay-Z Gives New Young Gunz Record A Presidential Push"
  Buy Now: Brothers From Another (Roc-A-Fella)
• Youth Group - Skeleton Jar (Epitaph)
• Miguel Zenón - Jíbaro (Marsalis Music)
• Various artists - "Cinderella Man" soundtrack (Decca)
• Various artists - "The Longest Yard" soundtrack (Universal)
• Various artists - "Lords of Dogtown" soundtrack (Geffen)
• Various artists - "Madagascar" soundtrack (Dreamworks)
• Various artists - Motown Remixed (Motown)
• DVD: "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme" (Palm Pictures)
• DVD: "Brian Wilson Presents Smile" (Rhino Home Video)
• DVD: "Chappelle's Show - Season 2" (Paramount)

May 31:

• Better Than Ezra - Before the Robots (Artemis)
• Maxïmo Park - A Certain Trigger (Warp)
• Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth (Epic)
  Read "Noel Gallagher Refuses To Watch New Oasis Video"

June 7:

• Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business (A&M)
  Read "Black Eyed Peas Team Up Again With Timberlake For New LP"
• Coldplay - X&Y (Capitol)
  Read "Coldplay Album Preview: X&Y A Complex Stadium-Rocker"
• White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
  Read "White Stripes Album Preview: Confounding Satan Both Loud And Subtle"

June 14:

• Backstreet Boys - Never Gone (Jive)
  Read "Backstreet Boys Pick Power Ballad For Their Comeback Single"
• Brian Eno - Another Day on Earth (Hannibal)
• Foo Fighters - In Your Honor (RCA)
  Read "Foo Fighters Album Preview: Grohl Gets Grand On In Your Honor"

• Audioslave
• Gorillaz
• Common
• The Wallflowers
• Sleater-Kinney

Jay-Z (file)
Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

Jay-Z set radio station Hot 97 on fire a couple of months ago when he debuted the rhymes for his song "Dear Summer" on the air, and now Roc-A-Fella has leaked a studio version to mixtapes and made plans for an official release.

The song's producer, Just Blaze, says if you were surprised when Jay rapped the song on the radio, you should've been there when Hov rapped the record for the first time over a year ago (see "President Jay-Z Feels 'That Artist Pain,' Readies First Release Under His Watch").

"First time I heard it was when he did the last S. Carter [mixtape]," Blaze explained. "[He was rapping] to that beat for the tennis shoe commercial Green Lantern did the beat for. When he finished the song, [engineer Young] Guru went to stop the beat and Jay was like, 'Nah, keep it going.' He started spitting that rhyme out of nowhere. So it just sat there forever and then he spit it that one day on the radio. Then he was like, 'I want to do it as a song, but I have nowhere to put it.' "

Turned out Jay had the perfect outlet in his younger homie, Memphis Bleek. Back in '98 on Jay's Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life, Memphis had a solo record called "Hand It Down (Intro)" that served as the intro to the album. Jay decided to return the favor by letting "Dear Summer" serve as the intro to Bleek's upcoming 534 LP.

"He's just bringing it full circle," Blaze said. "The record is so crazy we was going to put it out the day after he went to radio, but Jay was like, 'Nah, chill.' Doing that record was kinda like old times. It was nobody in the room but me, Guru and Jay. I could tell it was getting to [Jay] because he had to leave. He was sitting in the studio listening to it over and over and he said, 'I'm outta here. I know what y'all are trying to do.'

"That's the running joke," he continued. "We keep trying to get him to come back. Obviously, the artist bug is still there. If it wasn't, he wouldn't even be in the booth. It's not like he needs to do the intro to Bleek's album. When you're an artist, you're always gonna be an artist even if that's not your main job anymore."

Just said there were certain beats he would save or even tailor-make for Jay back when Jay was actively recording, but now that Hov has declared retirement, Blaze said he doesn't do that anymore — or at least not as much.

"Who knows what's gonna happen?" Just said. "When I see the artist bug coming out, all I can say is, 'I see where he's going' and hope for the best. Me, as a producer, that's my favorite artist to work with. We make really good records together."

For now, though, Just has to find a new favorite. The producer has been in the lab concentrating on the debut of Saigon, the first artist on his Fort Knox Entertainment imprint. Saigon is expected to drop the album later this year.

Besides Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek's 534 also has guest spots from the Young Gunz, M.O.P. and new singer Denim.

• Jay-Z
• Memphis Bleek
• Young Gunz
• M.O.P.

Young Gunz (file)
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

After the public splintering of Roc-A-Fella, Jay-Z rewarded the Young Gunz for siding with him by making the rap duo a top priority for him as president/CEO of Def Jam. Now the two, who've known each other since middle school in Philadelphia, have found a new best friend in producer Swizz Beatz, who helped craft their upcoming Brother From Another LP.

"I'll tell everybody this, and it ain't just because the n---a's right here, neither," boasted Young Chris, flanked by Swizz. "This n---a cooked up [a beat] in like five minutes. He went from the keyboards to the [production console], and we were right there zoning out. In the next 45 minutes to an hour, we're done."

"He gets busy," Neef chimed in.

"A lot of people want me to work with them," Swizz said, "but I see how they work, and I'll be like, 'Naw, it'll be a waste of time.' But working with [Young Gunz] was a blessing. They can get whatever they want from me from now on."

Swizz helmed two songs — "Set It Off," the first single, and "Beef" — while West Coast beat-miner Daz Dillinger did "The B Side." Chad West, Boola and Red Spyder produced the remaining Brother From Another cuts.

Young Gunz's second album also features Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Foxy Brown and 112's Slim, along with the Gunnaz's own artists Pooda Brown and Will Giest from their label, Get In Where You Fit In.

A video for "Set It Off" was recently shot in Los Angeles, with Neef dreaming up the concept.

"It's real cinematic, like a movie," Chris said. "We shot so much it was a two-day shoot. It's us in the process of making an album and video at the same time."

Jay worked closely with them, carrying his new presidential status into the studio.

"Jay's the boss, and we're his priority," Chris said. "He's 110 percent with us because this is his first time coming out being president, so it got to be a good look for all of us. We all got to step up. He's behind the desk, but he still comes to the studio with us. If the beat ain't right, switch the beat, [get a] new producer ... we keep it moving."

While most artists fear the sophomore jinx, worrying that their follow-up album will brick, Neef downplayed any apprehension.

"We don't feel no pressure," he said. "We treat this like our first album. We're keeping the same momentum. We ain't eaten and we're hungry. We hungry, we hungry!"

Chris laughed when asked about the Gunnaz's actual first album, Tough Love. "We gave y'all about 17 joints and y'all didn't appreciate it. This time y'all get 12 or 13. This time I want y'all to listen up."

Brother From Another is slated to drop May 24.

• Jay-Z
• Young Gunz

Photo: Interscope

• 50 Cent
• Game
• Young Gunz
• G-Unit

Kanye West at New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday
Photo: MTV News

After a strong start this year with albums by Kanye West and the Young Gunz, Roc-A-Fella hasn't put out any product. M.O.P. have had to turn to rock and roll to keep their names out there, and despite a mean buzz, Beanie Sigel's LP has been pushed to late September and Cam'ron may not drop until the end of the year.

Plus, due to some recent staff restructuring, there have been rumors that the unfathomable is about to go down — that the Roc is about shut down. Other chatter has the Roc leaving Def Jam and finding distribution elsewhere.

On Friday the label's mouthpiece and CEO, Damon Dash, stopped by MTV and denied that his company was closing its doors. "It ain't like Roc-A-Fella could ever fold," he scoffed. "We've made too much money to fold. That's impossible." But he did say he may be putting up a "for sale" sign in the future.

The Roc is at a crossroads.

"After a decade of success and consistent good music and quality individuals, there comes a time when you can extend your contract or you could sell your company and you can still run things like Russell [Simmons] did with Def Jam and Jimmy Iovine did with Interscope. That's what's happening with us now. The question is, if we do decide to sell the rest of the equity in Roc-A-Fella, how do we move forward?"

Dash said he and his partners, Jay-Z and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, have talked about the company's future, but even if they sold their equity in the company, Dame still wants to call the shots.

"All that is paperwork. We'll never break up," he insisted. "It's Roc-A-Fella for life. I would never pass the torch or leave any of my artists. I look at them like my family, almost like my children. I would never leave them with anybody else. Who else could run Roc-A-Fella but me?

"I signed Kanye personally. I'm just gonna walk away from my man? Couldn't happen." added Dash, who said he and his company have been negotiating with Def Jam for years. "Who else could deal with Beanie Sigel's life and Cam'ron? They have to be understood. We're very unique individuals, and each person get marketed a different way. That's impossible. All we can do is expand and get more money. The purpose of business is to build equity in it and sell it and start another one. But the Roc is something that's my heart, my life, my soul."

On Sunday in New York, Dame had most of his family and a few friends in tow during the city's annual Puerto Rican Day Parade (click for photos). Dash assembled three floats, and by noon he and the Roc were lined up and ready to roll out. The float in front was was supposed to carry Dash, Biggs, West, Juelz Santana and new Roc artist GLC; the second was for artists from Roc-A-Fella's soul division, NBA baller Carmelo Anthony and middleweight boxing champ Winky Wright; and the third was for Beanie Sigel's chain gang of Philly rappers, State Property.

	Roc-A-Fella Puerto Rican Day Parade Photos

As the day started to progress, the floats lined up on 45th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue just sat there, but the activity was poppin' nonetheless as the Roc's stars interacted with each other and the fans.

"Of course I got a little bit in my blood — I'm Puerto Rican — but I just came out to support [Roc-A-Fella]," said Carmelo, who was the first to arrive. When the Roc arrived, it was anarchy. Kanye, Dame and Beanie were swarmed by fans seeking autographs and hugs.

"It's not the Puerto Rican Day Parade, it's the entire world," Dame said with his arms around Sigel and West. "We're paying appreciation to everybody that pays appreciation to us."

Kanye was drained from performing at Summer Jam and then filming the third version of his "Jesus Walks" video until 7 a.m. that morning, but he still found time to come out and show team cohesion.

"This is the reason why I'm able to stand here and do a parade," he said of his Roc-A-Fella brethren. "My whole family helps me out with so many situations. [Roc-A-Fella] helped with my respect and validity I needed to move to the 2 million units I'm at now."

While the floats remained stuck on 45th Street, the party remained in full swing. Christina Milian, Nina Sky, MTV's La La and members of the Terror Squad danced to "Lean Back" on the Hot 97 float while Fat Joe walked around in the street hollering at fans.

"I was the first person to bring hip-hop to the Puerto Rican Day parade," Joe said, wearing a Big Pun T-shirt. "I'm proud of that. The youth is out here crazy. We always have a great time."

Down the block on the Roc float, DJ Envy spun records, but Dame wanted to give the fans a little more, so he had Peedi Crakk and Beanie Sigel perform their new record "Flatline." "Fresh out the federal, cases I got several," Sigel lip-synced as the music blasted, using hand gestures to add emphasis to his raps.

After about the third time the duo performed the record, the police came by and said the music was too loud, then shut the power down for several minutes. When the juice came back on, Freeway and Young Chris of the Gunners stood at the bottom of the float and joined in. "Frontline of the Roc take over your block!" Freeway rapped.

About 45 minutes later, the floats on 45th Street finally joined the parade, and at the end of the procession, Dame and Biggs presented organizers with a check for $15,000. "As you can see, I'm tired, I'm hoarse, but we put it down," Dash said before leaving. "We're all one big family, and whenever you need us we'll be there."

• Kanye West
• Jay-Z
• Young Gunz
• M.O.P.
• Beanie Sigel

The 2004 MTV Movie Awards got a lot meaner on Thursday (May 13). The cable outlet announced that "Mean Girls" star Lindsay Lohan will host this year's ceremony, which airs on June 10. D12, the Beastie Boys and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have already been announced as performers for the show. ...

Jessica Simpson will find out next week if the sitcom pilot she filmed for ABC will get picked up for the network's fall schedule. In the meantime, the project's finally been given a name — simply "Jessica." ... Having recently completed a successful tour opening for country mates the Vines, Jet will launch their first North American headlining trek starting July 1 in Niagara Falls, New York. Dates run through July 27 in San Francisco. ...

Roc-A-Fella Records is now saying that the remix of the Young Gunz track "Grown Man" may not be appearing on the soundtrack to "Catwoman" after all. The label is, however, mulling over plans to include the single on a retooling of the Gunz's Tough Luv LP. ... In response to the controversy surrounding their hip-hop surveillance unit, the Miami and Miami Beach police departments and Miami's Black Host Committee are holding a symposium Friday to educate police officers on hip-hop culture. A private morning session for officers will be followed by a public forum with hopes of, according to organizers, creating a dialogue with the hip-hop community. ...

Moby's proposed cookbook/autobiography, "Teany Book," has been sold to a publishing house. Viking bought the book for a six-figure sum and plans to publish the work early next year. ... O.A.R. will open for the Dave Matthews Band starting June 17 in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and running through June 26 in Milwaukee. The band will head out again with Howie Day and Matt Nathanson between July 16 in Houston and August 21 in Nashville. ...

Velvet Revolver have been added to the Rolling Rock Town Fair Five, which takes place July 31 at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds near Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The band has been added to a lineup that includes Staind, Disturbed, N.E.R.D., the Crystal Method, Hoobastank, Sevendust, Finch, Finger Eleven and Three Days Grace. Additional dates have also been added to Velvet Revolver's first North American tour, which now runs through June 22 in Denver. ... Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson (ex-Replacements) will release his solo debut, Village Gorilla Head, on August 3. Guests include Pixies frontman Frank Black, A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese, GN'R guitarist Richard Fortus and Guns keyboardist Dizzy Reed. Tracks include "Without a View," "Bite Your Tongue," "Something's Wrong" and "Motivation." ...

After Godsmack finish touring with Metallica on May 15 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, the band will play seven radio festivals and solo shows, starting May 17 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and running through May 29 in Noblesville, Indiana. Then Godsmack will hook back up with Metallica for the next leg of their North American tour, which starts May 9 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and runs through November 20 in San Antonio, Texas. ... Van Halen have announced that Silvertide and Shinedown will open their summer reunion tour with Sammy Hagar. Silvertide will perform from June 11 in Greensboro, North Carolina, through July 11 in Auburn Hills, Michigan; Shinedown will play from July 19 in Chicago through August 20 in Los Angeles. ...

5.12.2004

Beyoncé is writing a song for the new Earth, Wind & Fire album, which is due by the end of the year. Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, signed the influential soul band to a new label he recently started. EW&F are also scheduled to record with Sleepy Brown, Pharrell Williams, Angie Stone and Floetry. ... The rumors about Mase's return to rap are no longer rumors. Radio personality Wendy Williams played a Mase track on New York radio station WBLS on Wednesday (May 12) called "Welcome Back," where the rapper rhymes about being welcomed back to the game with open arms. "I'm making money man, without the coca/ Living la vida, without the loca," he raps before singing a chorus reminiscent of the theme song from the 1970s show "Welcome Back, Kotter." ...

BET announced the nominees for the BET Awards '04 on Wednesday (May 12). Outkast raked in six nominations, including nods for both "The Way You Move" and "Hey Ya!" in the Viewer's Choice and Video of the Year categories. Usher got four nominations, including Video of the Year and Best Male R&B Artist, while Beyoncé received five, spanning both music and acting categories, including a nomination for Best Actress. The awards show will be telecast live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on June 29 at 8 p.m. ET. ... John Whitehead, one half of the R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead, was shot dead Tuesday in Philadelphia while working on a car on the side of a road. Another man with Whitehead was also shot but is in good condition. McFadden & Whitehead were discovered by Otis Redding and scored a hit in 1979 with the disco-influenced R&B song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now." Police do not have a motive or suspects in the shooting. ...

No Doubt are auctioning tickets for their upcoming tour to raise funds for Amnesty International's Music for Human Rights initiative. Auction winners will receive two tickets to dates on their tour with Blink-182, two meet-and-greet passes, and signed CDs from both bands. No Doubt released a statement saying that they support Amnesty International's "efforts to secure freedom and equality for every human being on the planet," saying their work "lends a voice to those in need and is an inspiring source of hope for all." You can find the auction at ebay.com. ... Founding guitarist Jacques Brautbar has parted ways with Phantom Planet. In an online post, Brautbar claimed his decade with the band had been extraordinary. ...

A videotape of Vancouver constable Reginald Forster smashing Guns N' Roses fan Robert Parent in the face with his baton was shown Tuesday at the opening of a public inquiry into the police's conduct during the riot that followed a canceled GN'R concert in November 2002. Forster's lawyer argued that his client was really aiming for Parent's shoulder. Although an internal police investigation determined Forster and fellow constable Ryan D'Ononfrio acted appropriately, police complaint commissioner Dirk Dyneveld called for the public hearing. ... Limp Bizkit, Hoobastank and Lenny Kravitz will play on the opening episode of the WB series "Pepsi Smash," now in its second season. The series will premiere May 27. ...

Somebody's rock and roll fantasy is coming true in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on June 26 and 27, when Velvet Revolver and the Darkness headline the inaugural Fantasy Island Festival at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Fountains of Wayne and Robert Randolph and the Family Band are also on the bill. ... Punk stalwart Henry Rollins announced Wednesday that he will head out on a USO/ Armed Forces Entertainment tour during May's National Military Appreciation Month. This is Rollins' second stint with the USO; his first was in December when he traveled to Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Qatar to meet the troops. ...

The flamboyant Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has directed the new Liars video, "We Fenced Other Gardens With the Bones of Our Own." O's beau is Liars singer Angus Andrew. ... Ras Kass filed a lawsuit Monday against Priority Records, Capitol Records, EMI Music and two Priority executives, claiming breach of contract, unfair competition, restraint of trade and other abuses. Among the rapper's various claims is that he has only received $100,000 during the nine years since he signed with the label conglomerate. He is also accusing the labels of failing to market and promote his first two albums and sabotaging the release of subsequent projects. ...

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has been given a trial date of June 14 for his battery case in Naples, Florida. Lifeson is accused of fighting with police officers and pushing a cop down a flight of stairs on New Year's Eve. The guitarist will try to postpone the scheduled trial because Rush will be on the road at that time and more discovery needs to be done for the case. ... Zak Starkey, son of former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, will play drums for Beatles fanatics Oasis when the band headlines the Glastonbury Festival next month. Noel Gallagher told the British Broadcasting Corp. that Starkey has been one of several drummers recording with the band since Alan White was asked to leave in January. As for Starkey's chances of becoming a permanent member, Gallagher said, "If he can get us his dad's autograph, he's in." ...

What could be a second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is opening early next year in downtown Phoenix. The museum, which will host traveling displays, will be housed in a building near America West Arena for at least five years, with the option to become permanent if the hall is well attended. The original museum is in Cleveland. ... Ministry have hired Bryan Kehoe as the band's newest guitar player. He will join Al Jourgensen and Mike Scaccia in a three-pronged attack onstage with Ministry and in the studio with the Revolting Cocks. Earlier this year, bassist John Monte was hired after longtime member Paul Barker left the group. ...

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has had a scholarship named after him by the Berklee College of Music. The Steven Tyler Online Scholarship Program will provide talented musicians across the world with the opportunity to attend the prestigious music school. ... Billy Corgan is giving away a Grammy — to a high school in Chicago. The Neuqua Valley High School, designated a Grammy Signature School for their band, choir and orchestra students by the Grammy Foundation, will be presented with the award — and $5,000 — on May 25 by Corgan, who will also give them a private concert. He plans to perform his latest solo material. ...

• Jessica Simpson
• Jet
• Young Gunz
• Moby
• Velvet Revolver

Irv Gotti pleaded not guilty and was given a one-year deferred prosecution last week in California's Alameda County, stemming from an August incident in which he was arrested for possessing ecstasy and Viagra. Under California law, if Gotti stays out of trouble for a year, the arrest will be wiped from his record. ...

The first single off the soundtrack to the upcoming Halle Berry flick "Catwoman" will be a remix of the Young Gunz's "Grown Man." The track, which was produced by Kanye West, also features an appearance by John Legend. ... Destiny's Child will reunite in the studio June 1 to begin recording their first album in three years. The LP is scheduled for release in November. ...

Pharrell Williams produced the song where Jay-Z coined the phrase "grown and sexy," and now the Neptunes producer is working on an album that's tailor-made for adults. Williams has joined the roster of collaborators for Sleepy Brown's summer debut, For the Grown and Sexy. Outkast are also featured on the project. ... Jay-Z will be among the artists honored at ASCAP's 17th annual Rhythm and Soul Music Awards on June 28 in Beverly Hills, California. Rick James will also receive a special award. ...

As if "Truth or Dare" weren't enough, Madonna's delving back into documentary fare once again, this time with director Jonas Akerlund. The singer has already started shooting for the untitled project, which will chronicle her upcoming tour and the "new" Madonna, among other things. She plans to release the documentary in theaters, her spokesperson said. ... Eighties icons Duran Duran have begun to track their new album in London. All five original members are holed up with producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Good Charlotte) and hope to have the fruits of their labor out this fall. ...

Scott Weiland appeared in a Los Angeles court Tuesday (May 11) to address driving-under-the-influence-of-drugs charges against him, but the case was postponed until June 9. Meanwhile, in a move reminiscent of his bandmates' former frontman, Axl Rose, the Velvet Revolver singer has once again lashed out on the band's Web site against a few rock writers, this time from Revolver and Maxim, threatening to give smack-downs to each and "no more interviews" to other reporters. Weiland, who previously took issue with Rolling Stone, took umbrage with Maxim's description of his "boozy charm" and retorted, "Unless you were born yesterday, you would know I was a dope fiend, not a boozer." As for Revolver, Weiland had more choice words, which he posted Sunday, inviting the magazine's reporter back to his studio to settle things in person. ...

Massachusetts metalheads Shadows Fall will follow 2002's The Art of Balance with The War Within, their fourth album, due in September. The quintet is also working on its first DVD, a tour documentary titled "The Art of Touring: Drunk and Sh---y in Every City." ... Nivek Ogre and Cevin Key are up to their old tricks on the politically biting The Greater Wrong of the Right, Skinny Puppy's first album in eight years and 13th overall. Tool's Danny Carey and Static-X's Wayne Static make guest appearances on the LP, set for release May 25. Skinny Puppy will kick off a monthlong U.S. tour June 11 in Portland, Oregon. ...

Neurosis have posted their new song "Burn" at http://neurotrecordings.com. The track will be on the band's next album, The Eye of Every Storm, which comes out June 29. ... A two-disc ZZ Top career retrospective, Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top, and a video compilation, "ZZ Top - Greatest Hits - The Video Collection," will be released on June 15. ...

05.10.2004

The special edition DVD of Disney's "Aladdin," due October 5, will feature Clay Aiken singing "Proud of Your Boy," a ballad written for the 1992 animated classic that was cut from the final movie and soundtrack. The song, written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (who also wrote songs for "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid"), is about a child's desire to make his mother proud and provides greater insight into Aladdin's character. ... In other "American Idol" news, Kelly Clarkson will perform a solo version of "Beautiful Disaster" on this season's finale, scheduled for May 26. Aiken will likely also perform, although it is not yet confirmed. ...

Outkast's Andre 3000 has always been animated on record and stage — and now he's hoping to be animated on television as well. The Cartoon Network is in talks with Andre to develop a half-hour animated television show as part of its "Adult Swim" program. The cartoon would revolve around one of Andre's alter-egos from his "Hey Ya! video, Johnny Vulture. ... Victoria Beckham is splitting up with her famous partner. Not soccer-star husband David Beckham, but her record producer, Damon Dash. The Roc-A-Fella magnate has ended the hyped-up pop collaboration with the erstwhile Posh Spice and will use the beats with another artist instead, according to a source close to Dash. The pairing was initiated when Dash approached Posh to promote his Roc-A-Wear line in Europe. Two songs the pair created had made their way onto mixtapes, including a collaboration between Beckham and rap group M.O.P. ...

Michael Jackson has dropped his appeal of a judgment against him, which would have required him to pay concert promoter Marcel Avram $5.3 million for canceling two New Year's Eve shows in 2000. Avram originally filed a $21 million suit against the singer, because Jackson allegedly backed out of millennium shows in Sydney, Australia, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Jackson has reportedly settled the matter for $7 million — the original judgment the jury awarded Avram, plus interest — and now won't have to open up his financial matters in court. ... First comes Love, then comes marriages — at least according to the gospel of Courtney Love, who married 20 couples at a Nevada casino on Saturday. As a mail-order minister, Love presided over the ceremonies for radio contest winners, who also had a justice of the peace on hand. The singer arrived an hour and a half late for the proceedings, during which she chain-smoked, sipped beer in a glass and read the vows from a piece of paper she sometimes gave to the couples to read themselves. ...

Phil Spector shocked reporters covering a hearing for his upcoming murder trial Friday in Los Angeles when he loudly insulted a district attorney as he left the courtroom, suggesting to his lawyer Leslie Abramson that the prosecutor proved you could reproduce through unconventional means. Abramson responded, "Phil, I get to be nasty, you don't." She later told Spector not to speak as she conducted a press conference, but the producer interjected several times, describing his arrest with details: "Broken nose, two black eyes and 50,000 volts shot through me [with a Taser gun] after I invited the police into my home." Abramson said the limousine driver who told investigators that Spector said, "I think I shot someone," is a native of Brazil with a limited command of English who was being given immunity from deportation by prosecutors in exchange for his testimony. "He is an illegal alien," Spector added. No trial date was set. ...

Bad Boy Records will host the next bimonthly concert in the Hearts & Voices series benefiting LIFEbeat the Music Industry Fights AIDS and the E.A.R.S. Foundation, a nonprofit providing employment opportunities for urban youth in the music and entertainment industry. Mario Winans, Carl Thomas, Loon and 8Ball and MJG will perform at the May 25 event at the Babalu Theatre in New York, and P. Diddy will appear in a taped message. Roc-A-Fella hosted the March concert with performances by Kanye West, the Young Gunz and others. ... Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who was twice named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), will appear on the cover of "Madden NFL 2005" to emphasize the game's focus on defensive innovations. "Madden NFL 2004," which featured Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick on its cover, sold more than 5 million copies. ...

Blaming a combination of managers, lawyers, record companies and his own waning enthusiasm for the project, Trent Reznor has finally killed off his Tapeworm. The demise of the long-discussed side project, which also featured Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle, Danny Lohner and Atticus Ross, doesn't mean that a Reznor/ Keenan collaboration is completely out of the realm of future possibilities, Reznor said. ... The Beastie Boys are set to headline San Francisco alternative rock station Live 105's annual summer concert, the BFD. Also on the bill are the Strokes, the Violent Femmes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, New Found Glory and Yellowcard. The BFD takes place June 11 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. ...

A hip-hop remake of the 1973 film "The Harder They Come" is scheduled to begin production this fall. Where the original focused on Ivan Martin, a rural Jamaican musician played by reggae artist Jimmy Cliff, the remake will center on an aspiring performer who attempts to break into the New York rap scene. The original film and Cliff's performance of its title track helped introduce reggae to mainstream America. ... Two sneak peeks at the thrash-metal documentary "Get Thrashed" have been posted on the flick's official site, www.getthrashed.com. The first features an array of artists weighing in on their favorite thrash albums of all time, while the second finds Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett (formerly of Exodus) discussing Metallica's influence on the thrash canon. The film is currently being edited and is expected to surface this summer or fall. ...

Velvet Revolver played an invite-only show Sunday night at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. The nearly two-hour set featured material from the band's upcoming album and covers of songs by the bandmembers' former outfits. Singer Scott Weiland crooned mightily on "Crackerman" and "Sex Type Thing" by his old band Stone Temple Pilots, and the Revolver blasted through the Guns N' Roses numbers "Mr. Brownstone," "Used to Love Her" and "It's So Easy." The group closed with a version of Nirvana's "Negative Creep." The band will launch a tour May 13 in St. Louis. ... Smile Empty Soul are the latest band caught in the web of the "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack. The Florida trio join a lineup that includes Train ("Ordinary") and Dashboard Confessional ("Vindicated"). The "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack is due out June 22. ...

Judas Priest have announced another non-Ozzfest date during the summer festival. The band will play with Slayer and Hatebreed on July 30 in Marysville, California. The three acts will also perform together on July 26 in Nampa, Idaho; August 4 in El Paso, Texas; and August 18 in Toronto. ... Both Hatebreed and Brides of Destruction were recently turned away at the Canadian border and had to cancel shows. Hatebreed missed their gig in Vancouver on Saturday because a border patrolwoman wouldn't allow a vehicle carrying the band's merchandise guy and stage manager/guitar tech to enter. "The woman threw a fit when one of us answered one of her questions with a head nod," frontman Jamey Jasta wrote on the band's Web site. "It's a shame that people like this get put into positions of power. She told us she could refuse anyone for any reason at all and that it was all at her discretion." In a separate incident, Brides of Destruction had to reschedule a Toronto show. "We can't play due to past felonies in our camp," bassist Nikki Sixx said on the band's Web site. "The promoter usually has these matters covered and worked out, but he dropped the ball and we've been denied entry to Canada." ...

• The Inc. Records
• Destiny's Child
• Pharrell Williams
• Madonna
• Young Gunz

• Young Gunz

MTV.com Exclusive: Young Gunz Photos

• Young Gunz

Direct Effect Presents: Straight Up Hip-Hop All Week Portraits

• J-Kwon
• Twista
• Cassidy
• Miri Ben-Ari
• D12

Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Nas, Busta, Others Get Hot In Puerto Rico

• Jay-Z
• Busta Rhymes
• Alicia Keys
• Nas
• Freeway

MTV Exclusive: Young Gunz Photos

• Young Gunz

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• Young Gunz