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Chuck keeps bringing the noise
Chuck D's online radio web site, BringTheNoise.com, has reached an agreement with internet label Atomic Pop to start a joint venture that will focus on streaming radio. Both BringTheNoise.com and Atomic Pop, which is Public Enemy's record label, will offer streaming radio shows on their sites at 9 p.m. EST six days a week, including one hosted by Chuck D himself. "BringtheNoise is something I've always wanted to do because rap music doesn't get the recognition it should on traditional radio or MTV," Chuck D said in a released statement. "This is an opportunity for good music, by new artists you would normally never hear about, to get out to fans around the world regardless of the gatekeepers of traditional media." While the radio shows will take Saturdays off, P.E. apparently won't follow that schedule on their latest tour. They're booked for dates in Europe every day between Dec. 2 and Dec. 15 -- 14 shows in 14 days.


Eminem: Happily married man?
The last time a prominent white rapper was caught keeping a secret like this, his career ended. No, Eminem hasn't been caught lying about his tough times growing up a la Vanilla Ice. In fact, a report in The Detroit News confirmed that court documents support his claims of having a hard-knock life. As a child he attended five elementary schools in four cities before dropping out of high school after failing ninth grade twice. But, that same report revealed that Eminem, a.k.a. Marshall Mathers, married the mother of his 4-year-old child, Haile, this summer in a private ceremony.
Click here for proof. The same woman who supposedly is depicted dead in the trunk on the cover of his album (a fantasy he plays out on the disc and again on Dr. Dre's 2001). Obviously, it's good to know he doesn't really have homicidal tendencies toward the mother of his child, but the lyrics suggested that he at least didn't get along with her (and got the album banned from some national chains). Apparently, Kimberley Anne Mathers has been in on the joke the whole time. "Nobody really knows he's married. A big part of it is females buy 80 percent of Marshall's records," his wife said in the interview with the newspaper. "Lots of girls are fans, and he's good-looking. They think they stand a chance." Even though the three plan to move into a $400,000 house in the Detroit suburbs before the end of the year, Kimberley said that they aren't living the good life yet. "We aren't going around with diamond rings and fur coats," she said. "He earned his money the hard way." While its probably unfair to compare Eminem's situation to Vanilla's (after all, Em does have skills), it seems certain Dr. Dre isn't the only "family man" on Aftermath.


Warren G reunites 213
Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg -- the Long Beach trio once known as 213 -- will be reunited on the next single from Warren's I Want It All album. "Game Can't Wait" also will feature another family reunion -- the remix will be produced by none other than Warren's step brother, Dr. Dre. The G Child's third album already has gone gold and so has the first single, the title track featuring Mack 10.


Europe gets Jay-Z early
Europeans are going to get an early Christmas present. According to Billboard, Jay-Z's highly anticipated follow-up to 1998's Vol. 2 . . . Hard Knock Life will debut first in Europe on Dec. 13. Vol. 3 . . . Life And Times Of S. Carter still will hit the U.S. on the long-announced release date of Dec. 28. Vol. 2 sold 4.6 million units and netted a best rap album Grammy Award. Since then, Jigga's stayed in the public eye with a 54-city tour and appearances on the "Blue Streak" soundtrack and Mariah Carey's No. 1 single, "Heartbreaker." Jay has said in the past that he hopes to sell 1 million copies of Vol. 3 in the first week, but he assured fans that he won't sell out to ensure sales. "I made a lot of really good tracks on the last album," Jay-Z told Billboard. "And I think I made even better tracks on my first album. So to top the last album as far as sales, you can't try to do that. That's when you lose your soul. You lose the music that people have come to expect from you. As far as sales are concerned, I don’t know how to top it. But creatively, I feel I'm at my best." The first single, "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)," features Roc-A-Fella labelmate Beanie Sigel and will be released Dec. 13 on 12-inch vinyl only.


N.W.A reunites on "Next Friday"
Ice Cube's "Next Friday" soundtrack will have an added bonus when it drops on Dec. 14. Besides containing tracks from Pharoahe Monch, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Wu-Tang Clan, Kid Frost and Kurupt, the compilation will feature the long-awaited reunion of N.W.A. Dr. Dre confirmed recently that he collaborated with Cube, MC Ren and Snoop Dogg (as a tribute replacement for the late Eazy-E) for a track called "Chin Check." Dre also discussed the possibility of a full N.W.A album by Christmas 2000, titled Not These N----- Again. Cube teamed with Mack 10 and Ms. Toi for "You Can Do It," the "Next Friday" soundtrack's first single, which has been getting decent airplay. The movie hits theaters Jan. 14.


Outkast prevails in court
A Detroit federal judge has ruled that civil rights activist Rosa Parks did not have her rights violated by Outkast's song "Rosa Parks." The judge ruled that Outkast was protected by the First Amendment and are not obligated to compensate her.


Willie D hits the ring
According to EUR, Willie D of the Geto Boys will make his professional boxing debut on Dec. 18 against former light heavyweight and middleweight champion Reggie Johnson. But this isn't Willie D's first organized fight. Willie knocked out Melle Mel in a celebrity boxing match a few years ago.


Let Luke get the phone
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? How about a personalized answering machine message from Uncle Luke? Former 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell is selling answering machine greetings at his web site, LukeRecords.com. Just send him $5, a tape and self-addressed, stamped envelope and he'll hook you up in 3-5 days with a greeting for your answering machine.


Dr. Dre 2001 or $20.01?
Apparently, some people are suffering sticker shock when stopping by to pick up the latest albums by their favorite artists. Many albums, including Dr. Dre's 2001, are being released with a list price of $18.97, an all-time high and an increase of a buck or two over most releases. (Of course, you can find it cheaper at several major chains or
order it through The 411 Online for just $13.28 -- that's 30 percent off. But, hey, this isn't a sales pitch.) Stores are reporting that some people have opted to pass on some of the other albums that have been released so far on this new price scale, including Method Man and Redman's Blackout! However, chances are Will Smith and Raekwon will be tougher obstacles for Dre's album sales to overcome than an extra dollar.


A Nastradamus prophecy
Nas is revolutionizing the snippet tape. Fans can hit his web site
(www.nastradamus.com) and hear samples of four songs from his album, Nastradamus, scheduled for release Nov. 23. The site contains a message from Nas, a discography, a bulletin board, tour information, video clips and samples of "Nastradamus," "Shoot 'Em Up," "Quiet N-----" and "Last Words."


Giving props to hip-hop
Not since Naughty By Nature dropped "Hip-Hop Hooray" has rap music received such mainstream recognition. Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Nas, Krayzie Bone and Outkast are set to perform live on Wednesday at the the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to celebrate the launch of "Roots, Rhymes and Rage." Hip-hop's first exhibit in a major museum spans three floors and is divided into five chronological sections. Among the items on display are a hat, sunglasses and Adidas sneakers donated by Run-DMC; the first rap Grammy Award, which was presented to DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will "Fresh Prince" Smith for "Parents Just Don't Understand;" and a letter, dated Aug. 1, 1989, from the FBI to Priority Records expressing the organization's concerns about N.W.A. The exhibit is scheduled until August 2000.


Dre takes over New York
MTV transformed into Dre TV on Thursday as part of the network's Spanking New Music week -- and New York City shut down. Well, part of it at least. Broadway was closed to traffic outside the MTV studios to make way for a live performance by
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Xzibit. Dre and Snoop rolled up in a '64 Impala and proceeded to perform "Still D.R.E." and a touch of "La Di Da Di" before Xzibit joined them on stage for "B Please." Dre then started handing out copies of his upcoming album, 2001, which for the rest of us has been delayed a week and now will be released Nov. 16. Meanwhile, MTV's sister station, VH-1, will spotlight Dre in a segment of its most popular show, "Behind the Music." The show will document Dre's life from the World Class Wreckin' Cru and N.W.A to Death Row and Aftermath and airs Nov. 23.


The miseducation of Puffy
Have you seen the commercial where the performer is hyping the crowd and yells, "We love you Detroit!" only to have the crowd fall silent and have his sidekick tell him that the Detroit show was the night before? Well, Puff Daddy's getting a little taste of that for his new remix of "Satisfy You" featuring The Luniz, the original samplers of that Club Nouveau beat just four years ago. In his effort to show California love, Puffy starts giving shoutouts to all the Bay Area cities: San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego... San Diego?! The city is 500 miles south of the Bay. Apparently, radio stations are already having a field day with this one.


Jay-Z a no-show on "Today"
Although reports said he would be there, Jay-Z appeared only in audio format (i.e. on tape) on Monday morning's "Today" show on NBC. Originally scheduled to perform an outdoor concert on the debut of CBS' "The Early Show," Carey switched to NBC when CBS failed to secure clearance from New York City to stage the event in Central Park. So did Da Brat, Missy Elliott or even Mobb Deep (who were last-minute subs on "The Chris Rock Show" and the Family Values tour, and appeared on a remix from Carey's last album) come through to fill in? Uh, no. Carey performed "Heartbreaker," "Hero" and "Mariah's Theme," a song from her new album, Rainbow, which comes out Tuesday.


Lauryn goes live
Lauryn Hill performed Monday afternoon in front of 450 school children at New York's Irving Center, and the event simultaneously was webcast live across the world on
Alta Vista. Hill played all of her hits from her Grammy-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill during her one-hour set, including "Doo Wop (That Thing)," "Lost Ones," "Ex-Factor" and "Everything Is Everything," as well as "Ready or Not," "Fu-Gee-La" and "Killing Me Softly" from her days with The Fugees. She also saved a moment for inspiration. "Life is not about money, y'all. Life is not about clothes. Life is not about how much your house cost. It's what's inside here, y'all," she said as she pointed to her heart. Alta Vista is donating $100,000 to The Refugee Project, a non-profit organization founded by Hill that promotes literacy, education and the pursuit of knowledge among today's youth everywhere.


Foxy rocks Macy's
In a continuing effort to promote her latest album (and Calvin Klein), Foxy Brown turned in a live performance on Thursday at Macy's in New York's Herald Square. Foxy, who was part of Calvin Klein's latest print and outdoor ad campaign, performed clean versions of "Hot Spot," "Ill Na Na" and "Big Bad Mama" at the department store. After the performance, Foxy greeted fans and autographed copies of a limited edition T-shirt designed for the occasion. On Thursday, Oct. 14, Macy's began placing large shots of Foxy's Calvin Klein ads in its storefront windows and pumped Foxy's music into the street.


Jay-Z's film delayed
The New York Daily News is reporting that Jay-Z's tour documentary, "Backstage: A Hard Knock Life," will not be released in theaters until next year. The film originally was going to be distributed by former NBA star (and current Swedish basketball star) Magic Johnson through his theater chain, but those plans fell through because he "couldn't handle" the task, according to Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash. "Backstage: A Hard Knock Life" now will be distributed by Dimension/Miramax Films and will be released early next year. Roc-A-Fella Records will release a soundtrack to the film with new tracks by Jay-Z, DMX, The Lox, Amil, Memphis Bleek and TLC's T-Boz. Meanwhile, Johnson begins the latest phase of his basketball career in Sweden on Monday, playing his first professional game since retiring from the Lakers in 1996.


All about Snoop
Snoop's life story will hit book shelves in December and is titled "Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg." It will cover his crime life, his rise to fame, his escape from Death Row and much more. The book was written with the assistance of veteran music writer Davin Seay, whose works include
"Erik Estrada: My Road from Harlem to Hollywood." Hey, if it works for Ponch... Click here to check out the cover and find out how to pre-order Snoop's book.


Q-Tip gets Amplified
Q-Tip has set Nov. 23 as the release date for his debut solo album, Amplified. The first single from the album, "Breathe And Stop," should be hitting the airwaves within a few weeks, while Tip's "Vivrant Thing" from the Violator album still is getting heavy rotation. The album is the first release under Tip's new record deal with Arista Records and was produced by The Ummah and DJ Scratch. Q-Tip also is starring in his first major film project, "Prison Song," which he also co-wrote with director Darnell Martin. A career retrospective of A Tribe Called Quest, Anthology, is due to hit stores on Oct. 26.


Ice Cube signs production deal
Ice Cube, who is currently starring in "Three Kings" and putting the finishing touches on War & Peace Vol. 2: The Peace Disc, quietly has been building a career as a behind-the-scenes player in the film industry. Cube recently signed a production deal with Artisan Entertainment, the home of "The Blair Witch Project." The agreement with Artisan is a two-year, second-look deal, which supplements Cube's first-look deal with New Line Cinema. The deal encompasses films with budgets of $3 million or less, which Cube will produce along with Matt Alvarez, his partner at Cube Vision. The deal will concentrate on films that aim for the hip-hop market, with an emphasis on using music to market the films. In addition to "Three Kings," Cube has appeared in "Boyz N The Hood," "Trespass," "Anaconda," "Higher Learning," "The Glass Shield," "CB4," "I Got the Hook Up," "Dangerous Ground," "Straight from the Streets," "Friday" and "The Player's Club," but he is not under contract to star in the films that he develops. His next film is "Next Friday," the sequel to 1995's "Friday," due to hit theaters on Jan. 14. A few days later, on Jan. 25, Cube will drop The Peace Disc.


Dogg Pound under fire
According to MTV, one man was killed and two others were wounded last night during a shooting at a Los Angeles recording studio where the Dogg Pound's Kurupt and Daz were working. According to a report from the LAPD, at least two armed men fired upon the three victims at 11:40 p.m. (PT) as they were standing in the parking lot at Echo Sounds studio. One victim, 23-year-old Dwayne "Draws" Dupree, died from multiple gunshots to the torso. Two others, Jevon "Realistic" Jones and Willard "Act Da Fool" Givers, were wounded from gunshots to the foot and calf. Dupree, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was employed as a security guard for both Daz and Kurupt. Givers and Jones were escorted from the scene by paramedics and then later released after being treated at nearby hospitals. Publicists for Kurupt and Daz confirmed that the rappers were at Echo Sounds at the time of the shooting, but neither have issued statements about any possible knowledge they may have in regard to Dupree's slaying.

Homicide detectives from the LAPD's northeast area division are currently investigating the attack and slaying but have yet to indicate a possible motive for the apparently unprovoked shooting. The incident is similar to a shooting earlier this month at Puff Daddy's recording studio in New York City. Rappers Lil Kim and Lil Cease were working together in the studio at the time of that shooting, which left one woman injured from cuts suffered by shards of glass from a shattered window. The New York City Police Department have yet to make an arrest or identify a motive for the shooting.

More news on Dr. Dre, Lil Kim and Eminem


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