After several false starts, Outkast's long-awaited "Idlewild" looks like it just might make its latest release date. Not only has "Mighty O," the first single from the film's soundtrack, hit Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart, the duo already have their follow-up single lined up. "Morris Brown," a Big Boi solo track featuring Scar, Sleepy Brown and the Morris Brown College Band will be released next, Jive Records announced. Outkast's "Idlewild" soundtrack album is due August 22, and the film is slated to hit theaters three days later (check out "Idlewild" photos here). ...

Eminem and Kimberley Mathers met in a private hearing on Thursday (June 22) as part of their divorce proceedings, The Associated Press reports. Details of the meeting were not made public, and Kimberley Mathers' lawyer would not comment on it. ...

DMX was cited last week outside a Scottsdale, Arizona, nightclub for carrying a concealed handgun, The Arizona Republic reports. It was his third run-in with the law in just three weeks. X was stopped Friday by police who claimed they'd seen him remove a gun from a holster and slide it beneath the front seat of his 1964 Chevrolet convertible. DMX was not arrested, but was cited for a misdemeanor weapons violation as he did not have a permit to conceal the gun beneath the automobile's seat. ...

Celebrity weeklies insist that Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are having marriage trouble, but the couple have nothing but nice things to say about one another. Spears called K-Fed an "amazing" husband with an "awesome heart" in an interview with Matt Lauer aired last week, and now Federline is returning the kind words. "I think she's wonderful, man," he told entertainment-news show "Extra" on Wednesday. While Britney and Kevin know just what to call each other, they haven't decided what they will call the child they're expecting. "We haven't thought of a name," Federline said. "We're still in discussions. We don't want to know what it is or anything like that." ...

Reese Witherspoon is the latest celebrity to take the tabloids to court. On Wednesday, the actress filed a lawsuit against Star, accusing the magazine of running a story that falsely claimed she was pregnant with her third child, AP reports. "The true facts are that plaintiff is not pregnant, does not have a baby bump and has not otherwise gained weight such that she has had to resort to wearing empire-waist dresses," the lawsuit read. Mike Kahane, the general counsel to the tabloid's parent company, called the suit "frivolous." ...

Jamie Foxx will perform July 2 at the Essence Music Festival, joining Chris Brown, Jaheim, New Edition, Bobby Brown and Doug E. Fresh's Pioneers of Hip-Hop (featuring Slick Rick, MC Lyte, Biz Markie, Dana Dane, the Sugar Hill Gang and Whodini) in the lineup for the event, which runs July 1-3 at Houston's Reliant Park. ... Harry Potter fans who prefer to see their hero stand six-stories tall usually have to wait a little longer than those satisfied with the regular big-screen experience, but Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will premiere on IMAX screens the same day it hits conventional theaters: July 13, 2007. Only 386 days to go. ...

Last weekend in Paradise Cove, California, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and his longtime girlfriend Kyoko Ito were married in a small ceremony that was attended by a who's-who of the Weezer universe, including all Cuomo's current bandmates, former bassist Matt Sharp and guitarist Jason Cropper, along with Make Believe producer Rick Rubin. According to a post on Weezer.com, the ceremony featured "fine live string-quartet music and delicious vegan fare." ... "Snakes on a Brain" by Los Angeles pop band Captain Ahab beat out nearly 500 entries in a contest to have a song on the "Snakes on a Plane" soundtrack. New Line Cinema and social-networking site TagWorld selected Louden Swain as the runner-up and will also include their "Here Come the Snakes" on the soundtrack, due August 18. ... Former Diddy protégé Loon is releasing his next album, No Friends, on his own label, Boss Up Entertainment. The record is due August 29. ...

Pearl Jam will be the main attraction for a rare theater gig that's scheduled for July 20 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon. Tickets for the concert, a benefit for the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, go on sale Saturday. Comedian David Cross will deliver a stand-up set before Pearl Jam take the stage. The band is in the midst of a U.S. tour that's scheduled to conclude with a two-night stint at the Gorge in George, Washington, July 22 and 23. ... Kylie Minogue, who postponed the Australian leg of her Showgirl Tour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005, plans to make it up to fans in November, Reuters reports. Concert promoter Michael Gudinski said the tour has been renamed the Showgirl Homecoming Tour, and will run a bit longer to allow Minogue more downtime between shows. He added that the singer is currently recording new music. ...

Selma Blair and Ahmet Zappa are ending their two-year marriage, according to People magazine. The "Legally Blonde" actress cited irreconcilable difference with the son of Frank Zappa. ... Pete Yorn is scheduling free afternoon concerts at local independent record stores during his summer tour. The brief in-store performances will be recorded for a limited-edition souvenir-CD series, Live From ... , to be available exclusively at the local independent record store that hosts the show. ... The Shout Out Louds have released a remix EP on iTunes and other digital retailers. Combines includes one new song, "I Meant to Call," and a remix of "The Comeback." ... Lou Barlow and company are reissuing their Sebadoh III album on September 5. A bonus disc with rare tracks and B-sides will be included. ...

If you want to be like the Hulkster, it will take years of training and dedication. But if you have $25 million at your disposal, there is a short cut to living like the legend. Hulk Hogan has put his Belleair, Florida, home — featured on VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" — on the market, AP reports. The 17,000-square-foot mansion on 2.3 acres boasts seven fireplaces, a swimming pool, a waterfall and a guest house. The Hogans are leaving the Tampa area behind to head to Miami in an effort to support the careers of daughter Brooke and son Nick. ... Tom Petty has signed with Rick Rubin's American Recordings. "Having Tom on American is a dream come true for me," read a statement by Rubin, who has produced Petty in the past. ...

The woman who claimed Michael Jackson molested her son — her married name is Janet Jackson, coincidentally — was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on a charge of welfare fraud. According to the AP, the 37-year-old woman entered a plea of not guilty and her lawyers hope the case can be resolved without trial. She is accused of accepting $8,000 in fraudulently obtained assistance and committing perjury four times on welfare applications by hiding the fact that she received a substantial settlement in a civil suit against department-store chain JC Penney before filing for benefits. She pleaded the Fifth to protect herself against self-incrimination on questions about the welfare issues during the musician's trial, which ended in his acquittal on child-molestation charges. ...

New York teenager Darren Samuel was convicted Tuesday of robbery and second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of a 15-year-old over an iPod. Samuel, 17, faces up to 25 years in prison for his part in the attack of Christopher Rose, who was stabbed in the chest when he and friends resisted a group that accosted them in the street and demanded they give up an iPod one of them was carrying, according to the AP. Samuel admitted to being part of the group that robbed Rose during his trial, but said he "froze" during the attack and did not participate in the stabbing. His 20-year-old cousin will be tried on murder charges next month.

06.21.2006

Rihanna stepped in front of TV cameras in New York on Wednesday (June 21) to shoot scenes for the ABC daytime drama "All My Children." The singer is guest-starring as herself on the show, hitting the fictional Pine Valley to christen a new club with an opening-night performance. Rihanna's appearance on the soap is scheduled to air July 25. ...

Rihanna's not the only one moonlighting on daytime TV. Mary J. Blige is filming an appearance for ABC's "One Life to Live," according to The Associated Press. The episode will air July 28. ...

Despite being locked in a Los Angeles recording studio with producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Less Than Jake), My Chemical Romance are already lining up tour dates for the fall. They've just announced a pair of co-headlining gigs with Taking Back Sunday scheduled for September 2 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the following night in Syracuse, New York. MCR and TBS will be joined at both dates by Say Anything, while Hot Like a Robot will open the first show and the Honorary Title will, um, do the honors the next night. For more information, including on-sale dates, check out MyChemicalRomance.com. ...

50 Cent ranked #8 on Forbes' Celebrity 100, an annual list of the most powerful names in the entertainment business. And it isn't just music that has the rapper living large. In a profile for the magazine's July 3 issue, 50 counts real-estate deals, his G-Unit clothing line and a stake in the beverage industry among his successes. He also reveals a new partnership with Apple that would offer a line of affordable computers to inner-city customers. "I make the decisions," 50 said of his business deals. "If I fail, it'll be my fault." ...

The Humane Society of the United States' Protect Seals campaign caught up with Paris Hilton, Nick Lachey, Nelly Furtado, Amanda Bynes and Fall Out Boy at the Much Music Video Awards in Toronto last week. The group got the celebrities to sign a petition urging Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to stop the clubbing of baby seals in Newfoundland. ... Nicky Hilton's pursuit of fashion has her teaming up with a new chick: Tweety. The socialite/designer will meet the demand for high-end designer goods featuring the cartoon bird with her Tweety Designed by Nicky Hilton venture. The apparel-and-accessories collection will debut in spring 2007. ...

Lauryn Hill, India.Arie and Al Green are headlining the inaugural Soul-Full Saturday festival in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida. The Roots are also playing an acoustic set at the event. ... He was a big man and he's an even bigger legend, but Mezco Toyz has found a way to scale Notorious B.I.G. down to a pocket-size plastic package. The company's 9-inch B.I.G. action figure, due in stores this fall, sports a white suit and comes with a removable hat, cane and jewelry. The little Biggie will be available for preorder on MezcoDirect.com later this summer. ...

10 Years, Bury Your Dead and Bullets and Octane are the first bands announced for the second stage of the Family Values Tour, which kicks off July 27 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The trek will also feature a paintball competition, batting cages and other activities. "In Denver, we will have stripper poles set up in the lawn," Korn singer Jonathan Davis said in a statement. "In other markets, we have people setting up wading pools. We are really going to make sure this tour can be as much fun as possible." Davis said fans should e-mail him their ideas at jd@familyvalueslive.com. ... Hilary Duff has plans to hit the road for a short summer tour that will kick off June 30 at the Konocti Harbor Resort in Kelseyville, California. That performance will be followed by four Canadian shows in July; two gigs in New Jersey on July 28 and 29; a swing through the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on July 30; and a slot at the Puyallup Fair in Puyallup, Washington, on September 24. ...

Were the Neptunes fronting with "Frontin' "? That's what Peter and David Currin claim in a federal lawsuit filed in Connecticut on Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The songwriters say portions of their 1993 song "I'm Frontin' " were used in the Pharrell Williams/ Jay-Z track from the Neptunes' 2003 Clones album. The Currins allege that the lyrics, music and rhythm of their song — which they say they sent in demo form to Diddy — are "substantially similar" to the Neptunes single. Star Trak Entertainment, Arista Records, Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records, BMG Music and Bad Boy Entertainment are also named as defendants in the copyright infringement claim, which seeks damages, royalties and an injunction to prevent further distribution of the song. ...

Moby, Martha Stewart, B-52 Fred Schneider, Christy Turlington and Ed Burns turned out Tuesday night for a New York screening of "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man," which doubles as a concert film about and tribute to the legendary singer/songwriter. Highlights include U2 playing backup band for Cohen for his performance of "Tower of Song" at New York's Slipper Room, Rufus Wainwright turning the dark "Everybody Knows" into something comedic at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the notoriously private Cohen divulging details about his creative process. Nick Cave, Beth Orton and Jarvis Cocker from Pulp also make appearances. ...

Journals, photos, film reviews and more personal items by troubled Brit rocker Pete Doherty are being compiled into a hardcover volume to be published in March, AP reports. ... The Mars Volta's forthcoming Amputechture has been slated for an August 15 release and will boast eight bafflingly titled tracks, including "Tetragrammaton," "Meccamputechture" and "El Ciervo Vulnerado." ... Nine Inch Nails have teamed up with Chicago's Front Row Center to offer fans who'll be seeing Trent Reznor's industrial outfit this summer a unique keepsake: a commemorative, suitable-for-framing print that promises to be "a conversation piece for years to come," according to the company's Web site. Front Row Center will be selling authorized, professionally shot photographs from each stop on Nine Inch Nails' summer trek through the partnership with NIN. The photos will be available within 24 hours of each gig for a limited time, and will have a custom matte embossed with the Nails' logo. ...

Bowling for Soup will launch a full U.S. tour Thursday in Austin, Texas, with Army of Freshmen in the support slot. The run will conclude August 27 in Denver, with stops planned in more than 40 cities, including St. Louis, Atlanta and New Orleans. ... Everclear have been away from the spotlight for a few years now but plan to return this fall with a new album. The band, whose only remaining original member is frontman Art Alexakis, will release Welcome to the Drama Club on September 12. The album features a dozen tracks including "Under the Western Stars," "A Shameless Use of Charm" and the first single, "Hater." The "Hater" video could stir some controversy as, according to the press release, "The song's theme was broadened to rail against those who justify hate in the name of religion as represented by the crude and violent exploits of the clip's fictional 'Hater Jesus' character." ... Primal Scream's Riot City Blues has a U.S. release set for August 22. The LP, which was produced by Martin Glover (Killing Joke, the Verve), includes "Nitty Gritty," "When the Bomb Drops" and "Sometimes I Feel So Lonely."