"How High" co-stars Method Man and Redman have signed on for another fish-out-of-water movie for Universal Pictures, this time playing undercover cops who investigate a drug ring. The script is still being written by Don Scott, who co-wrote "Barbershop," the upcoming comedy starring Ice Cube and Eve. ... Members of Naughty By Nature past and present once handed down the credo to "guard your grill, knuckle up," and Wednesday they had to follow their own mantra, according to sources within NBN's camp — during a live appearance on New York radio station Hot 97, Treach urged former Naughty producer and DJ, Kay Gee, to meet him at an undisclosed location and handle their differences. The two came to blows later that day, and although police were called to the scene to calm things down, no one was arrested. ...

Billy Corgan collaborated on the song "Sacred and Profane" for Berlin's first studio album since 1986's Count Three and Pray. Due September 3, Voyeur blends Berlin's signature new wave with the pop balladry of their biggest hit, "Take My Breath Away." ... Garbage drummer Butch Vig, who suffered a bout of hepatitis A last November, is down in the dumps again. Vig, suffering from an acute inner ear infection, had had to drop off the band's U.S. tour and has been temporarily replaced with Matt Chamberlain. ... Asesino, the band featuring Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and Static-X bassist Tony Campos will open for Static-X on the Puro Marano Tour. The nine-show trek starts June 7 in Houston, and the last date is June 28 in Ventura, California. ...

Silverchair have had to cancel all upcoming tour plans, including 14 North American dates, because frontman Daniel Johns' reactive arthritis, which was diagnosed late last year, has left him too disabled to perform. Though the condition is causing him chronic joint swelling, impaired movement and extreme pain, doctors expect him to eventually make a full recovery. ... Natalie Merchant is asking high school students to submit 1,000-word essays for a contest that will coincide with her summer tour with Chris Isaak. Details on the "My Generation" theme contest, which has a June 20 deadline and a $2,500 grand prize, are available at www.nataliemerchant.com. ... Former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp scheduled a performance for Saturday at Chispa Studios in Los Angeles. ...

Def Leppard have set a July 30 release date for their 10th studio album, X. The British rockers collaborated on the new material with longtime producer Pete Woodruffe, Marty Frederickson (Aerosmith) and Andreas Carlsson and Per Aldeheim (Britney Spears). ... Deathray, a quartet composed of former Cake members Greg Brown, Victor Damiani and, most recently, Todd Roper, will release the five-track EP White Sleeves June 11. The group, which also includes singer Dana Gumbiner, will support the follow-up to their 2000 eponymous debut with a handful of West Coast tour dates that begin June 20 in Los Angeles. ... To coincide with their latest world tour, the Rolling Stones are re-releasing 22 classic albums on August 20 in the new dual-layer hybrid Super Audio CD format, which can be spun on both SACD machines and regular CD players. The material was all originally released between 1963 and 1971. ...

Cathedral will head into the studio July 1 to record their new album, Songs of Praise. ... Engorged's new, self-titled album hit stores June 4. ... Death metal band Marduk had to pull from their upcoming tour with Danzig due to problems with immigration. ... Downthesun, the first signing to Slipknot's now-defunct Maggot Records label, has signed with Roadrunner Records. ... Shadows Fall will tour with Kittie, Poison the Well and Killswitch Engage. ... Due to the declining relevance of singles as a format, Billboard announced that its Hot Rap Singles chart, which depended heavily on sales and therefore was often skewed by obscure independents, will be replaced with the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The new chart will lean more on radio airplay with the intention of more accurately reflecting the most popular rap songs in the country. ...

05.31.02

Incubus, Papa Roach, Rob Zombie, System of a Down and P.O.D. will headline the annual KROQ Weenie Roast in Los Angeles on June 15. Moby, Puddle of Mudd, Hoobastank, Jimmy Eat World, Unwritten Law, the Strokes, Bad Religion, Jack Johnson, the Vines and New Found Glory will also perform at the radio festival, one of the biggest in the country. ... A puppetized Wu-Tang Clan will hang, bang and perform "In Da Hood" on the first episode of "Crank Yankers," Comedy Central's all-star crank call series, which premieres June 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Tenacious D and Ween are among the folks promised for future episodes. ... After he finishes recording his third album this summer, Aaron Carter will launch the Rock, Rap and Retro Tour on August 6 in Nashville. The 30-date outing will wrap up in Boston on September 21, around the time the follow-up to Oh Aaron is expected to surface. ...

Tool have tacked 11 additional dates on to their summer tour with Tomahawk, scheduled to begin July 11 in Bakersfield, California. The new dates run from July 23 in Fort Worth, Texas, to August 12 in Trenton, New Jersey, while the announcement of an additional leg remains forthcoming. ... Jewel, Wyclef Jean and Lifehouse are among the artists confirmed for the 32nd annual Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle. The eclectic summer festival traditionally takes place over Labor Day weekend (August 30-September 2) and features more than 2,500 artists, including Modest Mouse, Ani DiFranco, Kelly Willis, the Mekons, Beachwood Sparks and a reunited Concrete Blonde. ... Sonic Youth will promote their 16th album, Murray Street, due June 25, with a month-long tour kicking off August 1 in Dallas and wrapping up September 1 at the Bumbershoot Festival. On August 11, the New York City rockers will play a free show at Central Park's Summerstage. ...

The White Stripes will capitalize on their white-hot popularity by re-releasing their first two albums, The White Stripes and De Stijl, on June 3. Their third album, White Blood Cells, catapulted the Detroit duo into the mainstream, courtesy of the single "Fell in Love With a Girl. ... Ziggy is descending from the stars once again. On June 6, David Bowie's classic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars will be released with bonus outtakes and demos to celebrate the disc's 30th anniversary, and this summer, Cowboy Pictures will reissue the David Bowie concert film "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars." ... Prince will again open up his Paisley Park home studios for a week of concerts, moderated discussions, music workshops and listening sessions. Xenophobia, as the royal pop star is dubbing the fan club-exclusive event, will run from June 21 to 27, and include appearances by Maceo Parker (June 21), Norah Jones (June 24) and Musiq (June 26). ... The Recording Academy has created a number of new Grammy categories, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Best Rap Solo Vocal Performance has been split into separate male and female fields, bringing the total of rap categories to five. ...

A benefit concert to alleviate the medical costs of Sean McGrath, formerly of Saves the Day and currently with the Alps, who is undergoing chemotherapy after having been diagnosed as having gastrointestinal cancer in April, will take place June 15 at New York's Irving Plaza. The "Hold on to Your Friends" concert will feature peformances from Thursday, Midtown, Taking Back Sunday, the Alps and others. ... Tracks from Felix Da Housecat, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Peaches, Bis and Miss Kittin & the Hacker are featured on the ghetto tech compilation DefiningTech, due June 11. John Selway also appears on the experimental electro album under his alias Memory Boy. ... Female drum'n'bass DJ Reid Speed will spend the summer on the road in support of her recently released mix album, Resonance. Reid Speed hits Baton Rouge, Louisiana, June 1 and travels from the East Coast to the West before closing the tour July 21 in Salt Lake City.