Looks like 50 Cent is at it again. The G-Unit honcho was on Funkmaster Flex's radio show in New York on Wednesday night, taking aim at Ja Rule, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Nas and Kelis. 50 said he has a track titled "Piggyback" that addresses his beefs with all of the aforementioned artists, adding that he took particular offense to Fat Joe and Jadakiss' support of Ja Rule on the hit single "New York." "They co-signed that one," said 50. "Even people who were on the outskirts, like, 'Nah, I don't want no part of it' and 'Y'all need to just chill' -- they have cameos [in the video,] saying, 'I'm from New York!' " He also accused Nas of making anti-G-Unit statements at his free show in New York's Central Park this summer. There's no word on whether the song will be on his forthcoming St. Valentine's Day Massacre, due March 8. ...

Meanwhile, reports are surfacing that 50 gave a deposition in September with regard to a $21 million suit filed in November 2003 against the rapper, Interscope Records and Shady/Aftermath Records by a New York Post photographer who claims the rapper's bodyguards assaulted him. James Alcorn says the men accompanying 50 assaulted him outside a store in Manhattan, causing "severe and serious injuries." According to Alcorn's attorney, the case is close to being put on the court calendar and should be given a trial date for early 2005. ... Q-Tip, D12's Kon Artis and Rockwilder are among the hip-hop producers who have created original 30-second ringtones for BlingTones, which is calling itself the first wireless record label. Salaam Remi (Nas) and Hi-Tek (Talib Kweli) are also signed on with BlingTones, and the company is talking with comedians about creating humorous ringtones. ...

Mudvayne have announced a U.S. club tour in support of their upcoming album, Lost and Found. The trek will kick off in Sacramento, California, on January 29 and continue through cities including Detroit, Cleveland, Boston and Philadelphia before concluding on February 17 when they play New York's legendary CBGB's. ... Three years after they released Discovery, French electronic duo Daft Punk will return with Human After All. The group's third album is due March 21 internationally, with a domestic due date expected later. ... New York rockers Ivy will release their next album, the 10-track In the Clear, on March 1. Collaborators on the album include A Perfect Circle/ former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Girls Against Boys' Scott McCloud. The album was mixed by Steve Osborne, who has worked previously with New Order and Happy Mondays. ...

12.21.2004

50 Cent's new album, St. Valentine's Day Massacre, originally slated for release the day after the dateless masses' least favorite holiday, is now set to drop on March 8. ...

Disturbed have joined the ranks of bands showing their respect for the late Dimebag Darrell by putting on a benefit concert for the Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund on February 23 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Guest performers, ticket prices and on-sale dates will be announced soon. ... Soon after George W. Bush is sworn in for a second term, 3 Doors Down will be kicking out the jams a few blocks away. The band has been tapped by the Recording Industry Association of America to perform at its late-night inaugural bash on January 20 in Washington, D.C. ...

Korn's penchant for loud rock shows could force Tampa, Florida's Ford Amphitheatre to halt all future performances. The band reached record-breaking noise levels at its December 7 show, and received more complaints about the volume of its performance than any other prior concert at the venue. The high volume led the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPC) and the county commission to file a suit against Clear Channel Entertainment (which owns the venue) and the Florida State Fair Authority, seeking civil penalties and injunctive relief for more than 160 noise violations they received stemming from concerts at the venue -- 50 of which were logged during the Korn concert. The next course of action will have to be decided by a circuit judge, which likely will not happen until January, according to the general counsel for the EPC. ... It wouldn't be surprising if Ozzy Osbourne was becoming a little paranoid about all the robberies going on around him. Fortunately, some items taken in a recent burglary of the home of his former manager Patrick Meehan were recovered Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. Eight gold and silver Black Sabbath discs were found in a plastic bag dumped behind some recycling bins in London, a week after they were pilfered from Meehan's home in Kent, England. ...

It was inevitable that the NFL would use Fountains of Wayne's "All Kinds of Time" in a promo spot, only why did it take them so long to realize the perfect match? After it premiered on last week's broadcast of "Monday Night Football," the song, whose title is one of football's most oft-spoken clichés, will be used throughout the remainder of the season. Like the 30-second spots made for TV, a longer 60-second spot displaying a montage of great quarterbacks will be shown in stadiums. ... Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Fountains of Wayne's label, S-Curve, confirms that there are plans in the works to release an album's worth of B-sides sometime in 2005. The album will pull stray tracks from almost all of the band's releases, dating back to its first single in 1996. There's also talk of a few new tracks making an appearance on the as-yet-untitled LP. ...

My Chemical Romance are asking their loyal fans to join them for a day of mourning. For its video for "Helena," the band is seeking fans in the Los Angeles area to be part of a funeral scene. The shoot will take place January 7-8. Interested fans over the age of 18 should send their photo and contact information to mcrvideo@hotmail.com; they will be contacted if chosen and paid minimum wage for their time. ... Two months after an Ohio musician filed a petition in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against Staind, claiming the band obtained the use of its name illegally, the group has retaliated by filing a complaint against Jon Stainbrook. The band claims Stainbrook, who performed under the name "The Stain," deliberately let the trademark registration lapse so the name would revert back to him. ...