'NSYNC are sure making it difficult for the Johnny-come-latelys — you know, the concert stragglers who make it to the show just in time to catch the headlining act.

After already lining up Smash Mouth and Ginuwine to set things off on various dates of their upcoming Celebrity 2002 Tour, which kicks off March 3 (see [article id="1452031"]" 'NSYNC Bringing Smash Mouth, Ginuwine On Tour"[/article]), the fivesome has secured even more star power with opener P. Diddy.

"I just signed on to do the last couple of weeks of the 'NSYNC tour," Diddy said last week on the set of his video for "I Need a Girl" (see [article id="1452193"]"P. Diddy, Usher Shoot Clip For 'The-Not-About-J.Lo' Song"[/article]). "We all got the same management. But it really came across with [myself and 'NSYNC] being cool. I did some dates with Britney [Spears] and it was fun. People took it as being different. 'Why is a hip-hop act on that kind of tour?'

"But the whole spectrum [of music] is getting bigger," he continued. "I could play with Lenny Kravitz, I could play with Smash Mouth, 'NSYNC, Limp Bizkit, whoever wants to hear good music. Then I could go rock a hip-hop tour and have the best of both worlds."

P.D. said he's also looking forward to a summer outing with some of his fellow rap world constituents.

"Everybody is talking to everybody, trying to figure out who's going with who for the summer," he said.