Sisqó and Christina Aguilera will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards, which will be broadcast live Sept. 7 from Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Sonicnet.com's parent company, Viacom, also owns MTV.) ...

Prince will begin rehearsals Sept. 3 for a tour that will feature four distinct themes, including an acoustic set, and will allow select audience members to vote for the next song at various points during the concerts, according to the artist's official Web site, www.npgonlineltd.com. The itinerary hasn't been announced yet, but the tour will be preceded by several rehearsal shows in clubs and small theaters, the Web site said. ...

The Blues Foundation will honor Ray Charles with its lifetime achievement award at an Oct. 2 celebration at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Past recipients include B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Ruth Brown.

Destiny's Child will perform Sept. 21 at the MuchMusic Awards show in Toronto, according to the Canadian television network. Ben Harper and members of *NSync and Aqua will present awards at the ceremony. ...

TLC's Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins plans to take a two-year break from her group, but meanwhile she will be on the soundtrack for "Rugrats in Paris," according to Maverick Records. The album, due Nov. 7, also includes a track from former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, who composed the film's score. ...

Legendary music executive and producer Clive Davis, who was forced out of his position as president and chief executive officer of Arista Records earlier this year, has founded a new record label with Arista's parent company, BMG Entertainment. The new venture, to be known as J Records, will be an "instant major label," according to a statement released Thursday (Aug. 24) by BMG. Davis and BMG have not announced which artists will be part of J Records' roster. Davis, who signed such artists as Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Whitney Houston during his nearly 40-year career, most recently spearheaded Santana's comeback with the blockbuster album Supernatural. ...

The men of Jodeci are talking about a reunion, according to a representative for bandmember Dalvin DeGrate. The group's most recent album as a foursome was 1996's The Show, the After Party, the Hotel. ...

Lucy Pearl's self-titled debut album, released May 23, has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America this week, according to a press release from the band's publicist. The R&B supergroup is opening for D'Angelo and headlining its own shows this summer on a tour that will be extended into the fall. ...

R&B singer Mya will release "Free," the first single from the soundtrack to the Jamie Foxx film "Bait," this week. The soundtrack — which also features Missy Elliott, the Roots, Donell Jones and Nelly — hits stores Sept. 12; the movie comes out Sept. 15, according to the film's publicist. ...

The third installment of Guru's Jazzmatazz series features a host of R&B artists, including Macy Gray, Kelis, Isaac Hayes, Angie Stone and Amel Larrieux. Look for the album, Streetsoul, on Sept. 26. ...

Boyz II Men will take the stage at New York's Beacon Theater on Sept. 11 in the latest concert to benefit VH1's Save the Music Foundation, which supports music education in New York public schools. Tickets are available only to Time Warner Cable subscribers, and attendees who bring a musical instrument will get a free copy of the group's new album, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya. (Sonicnet.com's parent company, Viacom, also owns VH1.) ...

Don't let the cover of September's issue of Ebony fool you with its photo of a four-member Destiny's Child. An editor's note explains that the shot was taken before Farrah Franklin left the group, and the accompanying story is a light profile of the group as a trio. ...

Boyz II Men fans can send electronic greeting cards featuring song clips and photos of the group from www.egreetings.com, according to a publicist for the Web site. The group's first album since 1997, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, is due Sept. 12. ....

Tuesday's birthdays (Aug. 29): Michael Jackson, 42; Meshell Ndegéocello, 31; Carl Martin (Shai), 30; A+, 18; and Dinah Washington, 1924–1963.

— sonicnet.com staff report