According to a source within the Cash Money camp, the Big Tymers have linked up with R. Kelly for a possible first single for their upcoming album, due later this year. Kelly's handiwork definitely will appear on the first single from the label's only singer, TQ: Kelly produced and wrote "Keep It on the Low," which features Baby, for TQ's next LP, Gemini. ...

Exceeding internal expectations, Apple Computer's online music store, iTunes, has sold more than 1 million tracks in the first week since its launch. The store currently has over 200,000 songs for sale at 99 cents a pop, which is part of its appeal over legit services like MusicNet and Pressplay that charge a monthly fee. It's also super compatible with the iPod. iTunes is only available for Mac users now, though a Windows version is due by the end of the year. ...

New Orleans rapper Juvenile won a federal copyright lawsuit Tuesday (May 6) for his 1998 hit "Back That Azz Up." He had been sued by a local DJ working with Take Fo' Records, who claimed that Juvenile used his song without permission. Both men testified in a five-day trial and Juvenile was declared the victor. As a result, Take Fo' was ordered to return royalties from BMI. ... Nothing says Happy Mother's Day like a free performance from Kurupt and the (recently re-renamed) Death Row's Back roster. Suge Knight will host his annual Single Mother's Day Brunch at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, Sunday with Crooked I, Danny Boy and jazz star George Duke performing. ...

In the upcoming video for "Perfect," Simple Plan perform in a nighttime rain storm on the roof of a house where a variety of stories are unfolding inside. "It's a very serious song, so it's going to be pretty intense," director Liz Friedlander said. "I did [Blink-182's] 'Adam's Song,' so I get all the downbeat ones from the power punk bands." ... Talib Kweli made not one but two Brooklyn connections for the remix of "Get By." Bedford-Stuyvesant's Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes, who spent part of his life living in Flatbush, rap on the track that was just released. ... Evanescence, Run-DMC's DMC and Groove Armada have been added to the lineup of the Coors Light Mountain Jam featuring 50 Cent and others. The August 30 event at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, will also feature Gov't Mule and Toots and the Maytals. ...

Robbie Williams has a lion tattooed on his arm and he'll get to play a furry feline soon, too. The British pop star is set to provide a voice, opposite Kate Winslet ("Titanic"), in a BBC Television movie called "Pride" that will be built around actual footage of lions. ... Oasis leader Noel Gallagher recently surprised roughly 100 people in a small Liverpool club with a six-song acoustic set, together with fellow Oasis guitarist Gem Archer, after joining the Stand onstage for one song during their set. The pair reportedly unveiled a new tune, as well as such Oasis standbys as "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger."...

Evan Dando, Semisonic singer Dan Wilson, the Rembrandts and the New Power Generation band appear on Mandy Moore's upcoming Coverage, produced by Minneapolis' John Fields. The covers album includes Elton John's "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and the Waterboys' "The Whole of the Moon," among others. ... Paper Cranes -- featuring actress Rain Phoenix on lead vocals -- had a bevy of celebs in the crowd for their showcase at New York's Mercury Lounge on Monday, including fellow thespians Julia Stiles and Liv Tyler, director Gus Van Sant, and Leona Naess, who got up to sing with the band for its encore ...

A longtime Guns N' Roses photographer has sued Axl Rose for allegedly reneging on a contract he made in January. Robert John, an established photojournalist in Los Angeles, said he agreed to supply the singer with hundreds of band photos taken since 1985 for a fee of $80,000, but that Axl has yet to cough up the cash. ... Newly revamped indie rock heroes Jets to Brazil will embark on a U.S. tour starting May 27 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, their first major outing with former MK Ultra drummer Matt Torrey, who recently replaced founding member Chris Daly. Retisonic and John Vanderslice reportedly will support different legs of the tour. ...

Lookout! Records recording artist Ted Leo has been forced to cancel several dates on his current tour in order to consult a doctor about his strained vocal chords. Leo wrote on his Web site that he lost his voice during a show in Urbana, Illinois, and that he'd prefer to deal with the problem sooner rather than later. He still intends to meet show commitments in late May and early June, and hopes to make up the affected dates. ...

05.05.03

Papa Roach are in pre-production on their record, which they hope to release late this year or early next. "We are skipping the whole summer tour circuit," Dave Buckner said at Saturday's "mtvICON: Metallica" taping. "We are saying, 'You know what? We are going to get back in the lab and come out with some crazy insane, on-fire, kick-ass metal.' " ... Also rushing out another album are Korn. "We have 10 tracks done," Jonathan Davis said Saturday. "Fieldy is almost done on bass and we are moving from guitars to vocals. We hope to have it done in late June." ...

Fuel also hit "mtvICON: Metallica." "We're just finishing up our third album right now," singer Brett Scallions said. "It's going to be a really good record. Hopefully it will be out sometime in September, so look out for it." ... And finally, the headliners shared their plans for the remainder of the year. "We're going to hit the Far East in October, November," drummer Lars Ulrich said. "Australia probably in January, and then [we'll] do indoors in America starting in February. We are really psyched about doing that." ... Encouraged by the enormous success of his S. Carter by Reebok sneaker, Jay-Z told MTV News that he will soon be following up the all-white first edition with red and blue versions. And never forgetting his female fans, Jay-Z also hopes to release pink and yellow S. Carters for ladies this fall. ...

After a trial session with producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck), the Strokes have decided to record their second album with Gordon Raphael, the man behind their debut, Is This It. The decision was reportedly amicable. ... Danish dance group Junior Senior will release their debut album, D-D-Don't Stop the Beat, August 5 on Atlantic Records. The LP, which features the quirky single "Movie Your Feet" -- all the rage in the U.K. -- was first released by Crunchy Frog, the imprint that first showcased the Raveonettes. ... Fieldy's Dreams will be a reality for fans lucky enough to catch the Korn bassist's side project on a string of five tour dates beginning Sunday in Anaheim. The Rock N Roll Gangster, as he referred to himself on his debut album, says he'll begin work on a second album sometime this year. ... They're not called Good Charlotte without reason. On Monday at Philadelphia's Theatre of Living Arts, Benji and Joel Madden will host and perform at the Acoustic Benefit for Positive Force, a show whose proceeds will go toward helping the homeless and elderly. The band will perform that night on "Late Night With David Letterman." ...

Brit wonder Robbie Williams, dancehall singer Sean Paul and comedian Mario Cantone have been added to the lineup of "100% NYC: A Concert Celebrating the Tribeca Film Festival" on May 9 at New York's Battery Park. They join previously announced performers the Roots and Norah Jones. ... Perhaps the thought of touring with Dashboard Confessional scared the Flaming Lips away, but Beck has assembled a stouthearted backing band to accompany him on his trek with Dashboard this summer. Steve McDonald of Redd Kross will play bass, Suzanne Vega drummer Jay Bellerose is on board, Greg Kurstin of Action Figure Party will play keyboards and Josh Klinghoffer will play guitar. ... Expect animation in the new Radiohead video for "There There." The band has tapped London's Black Dog studios -- the art house behind Radiohead's "Pull/Pulk Revolving Doors" and "Pyramid" videos -- to contribute. ...

Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash celebrated his 32nd birthday on Saturday night at Manhattan's Supper Club. Besides his longtime cohort Jay-Z and the Jigga's current companion, Beyoncé, P. Diddy, Da Brat, Denise Rich and "X-Men" co-star Famke Janssen all came out. ... Ashanti is gearing up to shoot a video for "Rock Wit You (Awww Baby)" on Thursday and Friday in Miami with director Paul Hunter. Murder Inc.'s princess is down in Florida finishing up work on her sophomore album, Chapter II. So far there are no guests, and the entire LP has been produced by Irv Gotti and Chink Santana. "Rock Wit You (Awww Baby)" is said to be a heavy performance clip with plenty of beach scenes. ... Following in the footsteps of Rolling Rock's Town Fair, Coors Light is hosting the inaugural Mountain Jam at the Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver. 50 Cent, Korn, P.O.D., the Doors, the Roots and American Hi-Fi are headlining the August 30 event. ...

True Reflections, the debut solo album from the Dave Matthews Band's Boyd Tinsley, named after a DMB song the violinist has sung live for years, is due June 17. Matthews, Lisa Germano, Doyle Bramhall II, Corey Harris and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band guest on the record. ... Tim Armstrong, singer/guitarist in Rancid and the Transplants, is producing an animated movie called "Live Freaky! Die Freaky!," due in December. Armstrong also narrates the film, which features several voices from the punk rock world, including Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, A.F.I.'s Davey Havok, Blink-182's Travis Barker, A Perfect Circle's Josh Freese, X's John Doe, and Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman and Brett Reed. "Lord of the Rings" star Viggo Mortensen also voices a character. ...