J-Bo and Sean Paul of the Youngbloodz
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

J-Bo and Sean Paul of Atlanta-based crunk outfit Youngbloodz were arrested in Georgia Thursday for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of firearms.

Police officers patrolling in Coweta County stopped the duo's tour bus along I-85; according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the bus was en route to Columbus, Georgia, where the group was scheduled to perform that evening.

J-Bo (Jeffrey Ray Grigsby, 29) and Sean Paul (Sean Paul Joseph, 27), were both released Friday on bond, the paper reports, as was the group's dozen-member entourage, the members of which had been detained on the same charges.

Coweta County Sheriff's Corporal Clinton Reynolds said he pulled over Youngbloodz's tour bus over after noticing its expired Florida license plate. "When I made contact with the driver, I was immediately hit with the odor of burning marijuana coming out of the vehicle," Reynolds told the Journal-Constitution. "I told the driver I smelled marijuana, and I called for backup units."

Several officers searched the bus and uncovered 11 plastic bags, filled with approximately half a pound of marijuana, and two firearms, a Glock .40 caliber and Taurus .45 caliber. The bags of marijuana were hidden throughout the bus in various spots, including inside a vacuum-cleaner bag, an iPod box, a garbage can and a box of tissues. The weapons were hidden under a pair of mattresses.

A spokesperson for the band's label confirmed in a statement Friday that J-Bo and Sean Paul had been arrested, but added that the duo have "never had any trouble with the law" and said they're "completely innocent and they will be exonerated from these charges."

• Youngbloodz

Jermaine Dupri (file)
Photo: Getty Images/Sandra Rose

It looks like Jermaine Dupri is not only going to find a new home for his So So Def Records, but he's also picking up a new executive position.

On Monday (January 24) Dupri was officially named president of Virgin's urban music division and it was announced he's bringing his So So Def imprint with him.

"I gotta get acclimated to all the e-mails, meet the people, see who's gonna be in there and who ain't. I gotta do what I gotta do now," Dupri said of his first day in his new office.

He said he wasn't swayed to sign on the dotted line by the rumored $20 million (which he wasn't at liberty to comment on) he snagged or by the fact that girlfriend Janet Jackson happens to be the label's biggest act.

"Everybody believes I'm over here because of Janet and for the money. It has nothing to do with that," he insisted. "I feel like today's market is open for anything. My goal is to get Virgin poppin' just like Lil Jon did [with TVT]. He made an independent look like a major. I'm at a major that don't look like a major. I'mma try and make it look major."

In December Dupri said he was leaving Jive — which had taken over So So Def's distribution when Arista collapsed in early 2004 — for a situation more compatible with his roster.

"I'm just looking for a nice place to put out records and a place that's in love with what I do," the veteran producer of such artists as TLC, Usher and Jay-Z said at the time. "I love to put out records. I make something I believe in."

Among the acts on the So So Def roster are the Youngbloodz, Da Brat, Daz Dillinger, 3LW and of course Dupri himself.

J.D. contemplated releasing his own Green Light album first once he landed a new home, but he's decided to try his hand at breaking a new act instead. He's handing the ball to ATL newcomer T-Waters, who's been on several mixtapes rapping with the LOX's D-Block crew. Daz Dillinger will probably bat second.

"People look at Daz and say, 'He was with Tha Dogg Pound,' " Dupri said. "That era in their music has never gone. I'mma see Daz come back and you'll probably see some of them usual suspects on his album. I think him and Game got a song together, him and Snoop got a record. [Daz's] album will definitely be one of them rap records that from East to West you have to buy."

Besides the So So Def family, J.D. just finished work on new albums by Mariah Carey and Bow Wow and is going to executive produce a new one from his aforementioned main squeeze (see "Jermaine Dupri: New Janet LP's 'Gonna Be Straight 'Control' '").

• Jermaine Dupri
• Janet Jackson
• Youngbloodz
• Da Brat
• Daz Dillenger

JC Chasez, who will promote his solo LP, Schizophrenic, with a spring tour, is pitching Jive Records an interesting idea for the outing. "If we could get a JC/ Justin [Timberlake] tour ... that'd be a pretty good show," he said recently. If that doesn't work out, Chasez would be into hitting the road with his pal BT. ...

The Youngbloodz are teaming with the YMCA to launch a youth basketball league in Atlanta. "The main focus of this league is not just about winning games," Sean Paul and J-Bo said in a statement. "We are hoping to mentor these guys along the way, encouraging them to be productive members of the community by enforcing the principles of teamwork and cooperation." ... The man who tried to con Lil' Kim last June by telling her he knew where her lost jewelry was and would return it for $5,000 in advance and another $20,000 later has been ordered to pay a $500 fine and sentenced to five days in jail. John Acheson, who never knew where Kim's jewelry really was, pleaded guilty in Queens Criminal Court in New York to attempted grand larceny last week in order to avoid a more serious felony grand-larceny charge, which could have carried a four-year jail sentence. Acheson is currently on parole for selling his ex-landlord $47,000 of phony stock. Kim's jewels were stolen June 20 at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and were later recovered near an airport employee's locker. ...

Damon Dash is set to direct "State Property 2," the sequel to the 2002 movie in which he starred. Production begins this week in New York. The movie, which will again center on characters played by Beanie Sigel and Dash himself, will be released through Lions Gate in 2005. ... Alanis Morissette has complied with radio programmers' request to change the opening line of her new single, "Everything." "I can be an a--hole of the grandest kind" is now "I can be a nightmare of the grandest kind." ... Though Scott Weiland's DUI trial was to start Monday in Los Angeles, it was continued until March 22. The Velvet Revolver singer is charged with driving under the influence of drugs. ...

Slipknot are inviting fans to appear in their video for "Duality," which will be shot in the group's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, on March 27. "Should be a crazy time, and from the sounds of the video, if you show it will be like watching the band perform live in your house," a post on the band's label's Web site read. The video will be directed by Mark Klasfeld and Tony Petrossian. ... Slipknot/ Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor tied the knot with his fiancée, Scarlett, Thursday at a small ceremony at the Des Moines Botanical Center. At the reception held back at their house, bandmates from both groups, friends and family celebrated with a karaoke machine until 4 a.m. ...

Kid Rock didn't let the crowd that was starting to leave stop him from sitting down and joining a spontaneous jam session at New York restaurant Elaine's on Sunday night. His show wasn't attended by many, but among the few in attendance, celebrating the induction of Rolling Stone editor and publisher Jann Wenner into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, were Mick Jagger, Cameron Crowe, Heart's Nancy Wilson, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven, Mick Jones, Don Henley, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and actress Leelee Sobieski. ... U2's Bono has contributed the song "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" to Nancy Sinatra for inclusion on her upcoming album, To Nancy With Love. Bono originally wrote the tune for her legendary father, Frank, to sing, but he never did. The U2 frontman, however, performed the tune for Frank Sinatra's 80th birthday television celebration in 1995 and released it in 1997 as a B-side of the single "If God Will Send His Angels." To Nancy With Love will also include collaborations with Morrissey, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Jon Spencer and others. ...

In the wake of Urban Outfitters pulling its controversial "Voting Is for Old People" T-shirt from store shelves, Chris Heister from Philadelphia has created a Web site where visitors can make their own "Voting Is for ..." tees (www.votingisforpeople.com). Customized designs can be made in less than 24 hours for about $17 dollars. Some popular slogans so far are "Voting Is for Sexy People," "Voting Is for Rich People" and "Voting Is for Amish People." ... Starbucks will now let coffee drinkers mix their mochas with a little music. On Tuesday, the java franchise will launch a service that will allow customers to create their own mix CDs out of a collection of 250,000 songs. CDs start at $6.95 for the first five songs and $1 for every additional song. The service initially launches in Santa Monica, California, and will ultimately be found in 2,500 franchises nationwide by 2006. ...

The three-CD album and double-DVDs recorded last year at the "46664" AIDS benefit concert in Cape Town, South Africa, will both come out on May 4. The releases feature performances by Beyoncé, Bono, Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Queen, Ms. Dynamite, Eurythmics and many others. ... Sugar Ray are developing a reality show with VH1. "Three roadies go to work with us and we abuse them to death," singer Mark McGrath explained. "They're called 'techs' now, they're not 'roadies' anymore ... and they work 20-hour days. I think that the kids are gonna think they are coming to party with the band, but they're gonna be working. People are gonna go home crying, people are gonna go home with a drinking problem, and people are gonna go home injured. That's my kind of reality show." ...

03.12.2004

Like J. Lo and Jessica Simpson before her, Britney Spears is becoming her own brand by getting into the fragrance, skincare and cosmetics business. Elizabeth Arden announced on Friday (March 12) that the singer would develop and market her own line of products, with personal involvement in all aspects of development. "I love perfume and cosmetics, and am so excited to develop my own line with Elizabeth Arden," Spears said in a statement. She'll first roll out a fragrance, to debut this fall. ...

The Miami Beach Black Host Committee will meet Friday to outline its concerns to the city's mayor and police chief regarding a report that local police are specially monitoring rappers and their associates. The committee, formed by the city's mayor to help improve relations with black residents and visitors, said it was deeply offended by the police's strategy, according to The Miami Herald. ... On Thursday, the judge in the Michael Jackson molestation case ordered that an audiotape with defense interviews with the alleged victim and his family remain sealed, as it could identify areas of defense strategy. The tape was of an interview conducted early last year by an investigator for Jackson's attorney Mark Geragos. However, several videotapes that were deemed "innocuous and unrevealing of defense strategy" will be released. Jackson is due back in court on April 2. ...

New Found Glory are shooting the video for "All Down Hill From Here," the first single from their new album, Catalyst, on Sunday in Los Angeles. Meiert Avis, best known for early U2 and Bruce Springsteen videos, is directing the clip, which will see the band performing in an animated world. Catalyst is due May 18. ... The launch of the Pixies' reunion tour will no longer be in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on April 14 — the first date of the trek is now April 13 in Minneapolis, where the band is currently rehearsing. Tickets for the "secret" show at the Fine Line Music Cafe sold out in four minutes on Thursday, when it became a secret no more. ...

Dan the Automator and Prince Paul have resurrected their Handsome Boy Modeling School and will follow up 1999's So ... How's Your Girl? with a summer album featuring appearances by Pharrell Williams, RZA, Musiq, Jack Johnson, the Deftones and Mike Patton. Meanwhile, the duo will make a rare public appearance during South by Southwest opening for N.E.R.D. on March 20 at the Austin Music Hall. Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo, who has a project with Dan the Automator called Head Automatica, as well as Encore and Casual will join the School onstage. ... Metallica, Jane's Addiction, Pink and Johnny Cash have all been nominated for 2004 Prism Awards, which are given annually to actors, musicians and comic-book artists who accurately depict the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use. The awards, now in their eighth year, are presented by the Entertainment Industries Council Inc. This year, Jane's Addiction's "Suffer Some" will compete with Pink's "Save My Life" and others for the Music Recording Award, and Metallica's "Frantic," Johnny Cash's "Hurt" and Three Days Grace's "I Hate Everything About You" will be amongst those to duke it out for the Music Video Award. ...

After he is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, Prince will perform a midnight show at Club Black in New York. Tickets are on sale now on his Web site and will be available through Ticketmaster beginning Saturday. ... Every person who attends one of Prince's concerts on his upcoming Musicology tour will get a copy of his new CD of the same name. Those who don't catch him live can download a copy from his NPG Music Club (www.npgmusicclub.com) starting March 29. ...

The Dead drummer Mickey Hart and pedal-steel guitarist extraordinaire Robert Randolph will co-host the 2004 Jammy Awards, which will take place Tuesday at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell and Edie Brickell will join the list of performers, which already includes Steve Winwood, Chris Robinson, Dr. John, Slick Rick, Dickey Betts and others. ... The Dave Matthews Band is in the beginning stages of organizing a July 4 weekend festival in New York after a survey on the band's Web site found fans were most interested in that date and location. Another survey is out now to gather more input. ...

From the Sugarhill Gang to 50 Cent, a new four-CD box set called The Hip-Hop Box will collect the biggest hits and turning points in the 25-year history of hip-hop music. It's due on April 20 from Hip-O Records and includes tracks from Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Main Source and others. ... Wu-Tang Clan's RZA is attempting to traverse the globe for a brief tour in May. Beginning May 1 in Spain, he'll go on to perform in Athens, Greece; Cairo, Egypt; Rome; Moscow; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Pozen, Poland; wrapping up May 23 at the Istanbul Hip & Hop Festival in Turkey. ...

Fresh from winning Best Comedy Album for Poodle Hat at last month's Grammys, "Weird Al" Yankovic is launching a five-week tour beginning March 24 in Akron, Ohio. The outing wraps up May 2 in Pompano Beach, Florida. ... 311 celebrated 311 Day (March 11) Thursday in New Orleans with a colossal five-hour performance. The band played 68 songs, including rarities like "Juan Bond," "Let the Cards Fall" and "Right Now" and covers of the Clash's "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais," the Cure's "Love Song" and Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er." The show, which featured burlesque dancers, stilt walkers and fire eaters, and other events tied into the celebration (including a tailgate and pre-party) were recorded for a DVD due at the end of the year. ...

• JC Chasez
• Justin Timberlake
• *NSYNC
• Youngbloodz
• Slipknot

Bubba Sparxxx
Photo: MTV News

Much has been said about the new generation of the Dirty South, the rappers who have benefited from the success of groups like Outkast and Goodie Mob. Now, some of them are uniting under the tutelage of super-hitmaker Timbaland to form the "new South" all-star group, New Money.

Bubba Sparxxx, Sean Paul from the Youngbloodz and Pastor Troy are hooking up for the side project, which formed last summer when Sparxxx and the Youngbloodz dropped a white label of the song of the same name for a DJ Enuff mixtape. Also in the mix are newcomers G-Walk and producer Polo.

"We've got nine songs now and hopefully we'll finish up the rest real soon," Sparxxx said. He hinted that the New Money album would come out through Interscope — where he finds his home through Timbaland's Beat Club Records — in early 2004, though a label spokesperson couldn't confirm that.

"One day Bubba told me he had a dream that we and G-Walk were in a group together," Sean Paul of the Youngbloodz said. "Then it all came together. We were out one night actin' a fool, spendin' plenty of money. We were spendin' that new money because the old money was gone."

In other Bubba Sparxxx news, it seems he and Blink-182 are becoming fast friends. Not only did the punk-pop group take Bubba on tour (see "Blink-182 Mix Maturity, Mohawks While Bubba Gets Jiggly At NYC Dollar Date"), they will remix his next single, "Back in the Mud."

"It's a big thing for them to help me out," Bubba said. "I had given up on people being genuine and really doing things with the good of their heart, and here's a situation where they told me they heard the album and fell in love with it."

• Bubba Sparxxx
• Pastor Troy
• Youngbloodz

Nelly, Kim, LL, Sean Paul, More On Source Awards Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Lil' Kim
• LL Cool J
• Sean Paul
• Clipse