A judge issued an arrest warrant for DMX (real name Earl Simmons) on Wednesday (June 28) after the rapper failed to appear in court, The Associated Press reports. "We have granted him a number of courtesies. It ends now," City Court Judge Barbara Leak said in a White Plains, New York, court. DMX's lawyer said the rapper was ill but that he would be in court Thursday. ...

Britney Spears has refused to pose nude for magazines in the past, but she said yes to Harper's Bazaar, which photographed the six-months-pregnant singer Thursday for a feature story and cover of the August issue. Photos from the shoot have already leaked online, and they reveal the singer holding her baby, lying on a terry-cloth-like robe and glamming it up in a black dress to match her new black hair. The issue hits newsstands July 25. ...

Rihanna kicks off her three-month summer tour -- her first road trip as a headliner -- Saturday in San Diego. The singer will be joined by Field Mob at the beginning of the trek, which makes stops in cities including Las Vegas (July 3), Cleveland (July 10), Toronto (July 16), New York (August 1), Chicago (August 10) and Detroit (September 3) before wrapping up at the Los Angeles County Fair on September 16. While she's on the road, Rihanna will also take the stage at the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, Jamaica (July 22), and Fashion Rocks events in Los Angeles (September 6-7) and New York (September 8). ...

Juvenile is bringing his raps to several U.S. military bases this summer. Juvi and openers the Youngbloodz will begin performing for the troops Friday at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Oahu's Kaneohe Bay. After that they'll head to Korea for five dates, ending July 11 at Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek, South Korea. ... Lauren "LC" Conrad says she's not doing "The Hills" because she wants to be famous -- she wants a job in the fashion industry. The "Laguna Beach" alumna told Seventeen for its August cover story that she hopes to create her own line, "specifically for younger girls -- more fun, trendy things." But in order to make that dream come true, "you have to have a name," she said. And in order to make the show work for her, she's quit drinking. "You either have a social life or a successful career. ... Now I barely go out." LC says she's also learned that she has to be "on" all the time now, even when the cameras are off. "You can't be rude if someone comes up to you and you're just in a bad mood," she explains. "I have days where I don't want to talk to anybody. I just want to go to the grocery store and get my soup -- but I can't do that without having to smile. I mean, you only get one chance to make a first impression." [article id="1535299"](Check out photos of LC in Seventeen.)[/article]. ...

Waiting until July 4 to play Ozzfest's second stage wasn't working for Ozzy Osbourne, so he's decided to step into the small time three days early. Ozzy is giving up his mainstage headlining spot to make his second-stage debut Saturday at San Francisco's Shoreline Amphitheatre. ... Korn have a buy-two-get-two-free deal for fans who pick up their "Live on the Other Side" DVD. The first 70,000 copies of the disc include a voucher for two free lawn tickets to the Family Values Tour, redeemable after the purchase of two lawn tickets. ... DJ Quik surrendered to authorities in San Bernardino County, California, on Thursday and is currently in custody, serving a 150-day term for violating a probation order, according to court records. Quik was sentenced in 2005 to two years of supervised probation on charges related to a 2003 incident in which his sister alleged she was assaulted by the rapper. ...

The short, intense life of musician Jeff Buckley is headed for the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer/ director Brian Jun ("Steel City") will write and direct a feature based on Buckley's life that will be co-produced by the late musician's mother, Mary Guibert. Buckley, an emotional singer whose three-and-a-half-octave range gave his vocals a haunted, angelic quality, drowned in Memphis in 1997 at age 30. No release date or casting details have been announced. ...

Phish are bringing a little bit of Brooklyn, New York, to Burlington, Vermont, next month. The world premiere of the band's "Live in Brooklyn" concert film -- shot in Coney Island on June 17, 2004 -- will be hosted at Burlington's Waterfront Park on July 9. The rain-or-shine free screening starts at 8:15 p.m. Fans who can't get to Burlington (or who just prefer watching the show in multiplex comfort) can see the movie on the big screen July 10 at 9 p.m. BigScreenConcerts.com has a list of participating theaters. The "Live in Brooklyn" DVD is in stores July 11. ... Muse's Black Holes and Revelations is also due July 11, but the British band's fans don't have to wait any longer to hear the album. Their latest batch of new music is streaming in its entirety at the band's MySpace page. ...

Does bad karma smell this bad? A judge has ordered Boy George (born George O'Dowd) to spend five days working for New York's Department of Sanitation, AP reports. The singer's community service is the result of his falsely reporting to police that his apartment had been burglarized earlier this year.

06.27.2006

Britney Spears has made it clear that she wants the press to give her a break, and she told OK! Weekly magazine that she's beginning to think her pleas aren't falling on deaf ears. "With the media, it's like, 'You really just have to leave me alone right now.' I think they are getting the picture. It's a blessing and I'm really thankful for it." The pregnant singer, who poses in the magazine to accent her baby bump, says she's not sure how she'll balance family life with her music career. "I'm still trying to figure that out -- taking it day by day," she explained. ...

Michael Jackson is going through another shake-up. While awaiting his civil case with former business partner Marc Schaffel, the singer has severed ties with much of his team. Jackson has fired his accountants, business managers and his Bahrani attorneys, hiring New York counsel and naming his publicist as manager instead. The singer is still planning to put out an album, which he says will be coming out in 2007, and he plans to tour within the next several months as well. And he won't be staying in the Middle East much longer -- he plans to relocate to Europe in the near future, his representative said. ...

Paris Hilton frolics on a beach with a hot guy in the video for "Stars Are Blind," but she doesn't want you to think she's the kind of girl who cozies up to strangers. "It was kind of embarrassing, making out with some guy on the beach," she said. "And I'm worrying that [paparazzi] are going to use the pictures and make up some lie when it's really just a music video, so that was kind of uncomfortable." Hilton says she has readied another version of the video that will explain everything. "You see more of the love story and how I know the guy." ...

New mom Gwen Stefani knows what time it is -- time to debut a line of L.A.M.B. watches. The singer/designer will have 28 timepieces in stores this July, with more due in time for the holiday season. The watches, which include pieces inspired by L.A.M.B. clothing as well as more classic signature pieces designed by Stefani, will debut at Nordstrom's before hitting department stores and boutiques worldwide. ... 50 Cent and Jermaine Dupri were named Songwriters of the Year at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on Monday. The rapper and the producer were each lauded for their contributions to five hit songs. LL Cool J was presented with the ASCAP Golden Note Award, while 50's "Candy Shop" took the Ringtone of the Year prize. ...

"Promiscuous" is a hit in the U.S., "Maneater" is tearing up Europe, and now Nelly Furtado is contemplating which single she'll release next. "There's this hot track that we're thinking about," Furtado told MTV Radio. "It's called 'Te Busque.' It's a Spanish track featuring Juanes from Colombia." But U.S. fans shouldn't count out "Maneater" yet. "Maybe 'Maneater' will come to the States after it's done invading Europe," she said. ... The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday not to weigh in on the contract dispute between TVT Records and the Island Def Jam Music Group regarding Ja Rule's recording career, The Associated Press reports. Island Def Jam was originally ordered to pay TVT $132 million for backing out of a deal that would have the independent label releasing Ja Rule music. A New York appeals court voided the decision in June 2005, reducing the damages to $126,000. Lawyers for TVT sought to have the appeal overturned by the Supreme Court. ...

The Arcade Fire have recorded 15 songs for their new album and hope to make a trek to Budapest next month to record a few more with a full orchestra. That's according to frontman Win Butler, who took a break from the recording process -- currently under way in a church in the band's home city of Montreal -- to post an update on ArcadeFire.com. In addition to big-upping the World Cup, Butler also wrote that the bandmembers are focusing on learning to play new instruments, including "a big f---ing pipe organ. ... It's going to be really interesting [to see] how we're going to fit all of these new sounds on a tour bus." There's still no release date for the follow-up to the Arcade Fire's breakout 2004 album, Funeral, but Butler promises that he'll know more very soon. "The next couple of weeks we will be pulling our hair out," he wrote. "I will say hi when we come up for air." ...

For the first time in more than 35 years, former MC5 members Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson will share a bill with fellow Detroit rock pioneers Iggy Pop and the Stooges. The bands are playing this year's All Tomorrow's Parties Festival, curated by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and set for December 8-10 at Butlins Minehead in Somerset, England. ... British rockers Starsailor have set an August 22 release date for their third album, On the Outside. Rob Schnapf (Beck, the Vines) produced the album in Los Angeles. ...

Leigh Nash, who used to sing for Sixpence None the Richer -- remember "Kiss Me"? -- is releasing her debut solo album, Blue on Blue, August 15 on her own One Son Records. Nash worked with Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright) on the release. ... Stacie Orrico will follow up her self-titled 2003 release with Beautiful Awakening, due August 29. The first single is called "I'm Not Missing You." ... Barenaked Ladies have released online the 16 individual studio tracks for their new single, "Easy," allowing fans to easily remix the tune. The band will do the same for four more new songs and then release a benefit EP collecting its favorite fan remixes of each. The band's full-length Barenaked Ladies Are Me is due September 12.