Sunday March 23rd, 2003
New CD's this past week:
- Incognito - Who needs love :
finally this album is getting a UK release and it
was worth the wait
- Conception - A musical tribute to Stevie Wonder : 14 different artist
all doing a Stevie
song
Short news stories this week:
Monica Is 'So Gone'
R&B singer Monica has released "So
Gone," a third single from her
oft-delayed, forthcoming third album, All Eyez On Me. The Missy
Elliott-produced song is scheduled to impact radio on March 31. Monica
released the album's title track, "All Eyez On Me," and "Too
Hood" as
singles in 2002.
A release date has not yet been set for All Eyez On Me, which will
feature the production of Rodney Jerkins, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri,
and Soulshock & Karlin.
Monica's two previous albums, 1995's Miss Thang and 1998's The Boy Is
Mine, were each certified triple-platinum for sales of three million
copies
Dru Hill Hit With $30 Million Lawsuit From Former Manager
R&B group Dru Hill was hit with a $30
million lawsuit from its former
manager, Kevin A. Peck, who claims the group owes him millions of
dollars in management fees.
The civil suit--which was filed in Baltimore Circuit Court on Thursday
(March 20th)--charges that original groupmembers Sisqo, Nokio, Woody,
and Jazz with unjust enrichment. Peck believes that his management
contract entitled him to a percentage of the group's income from all
three of its albums, as well as the members' solo releases.
Dru Hill attempted to settle with Peck, but were unable to reach an
agreement with him. Peck's attorney Billy Murphy explained that the
manager groomed the group from the beginning, "It was Kevin Peck who
cultivated, groomed, and empowered these guys in Dru Hill, leading them
by the hand out of the projects to the pinnacle of the R&B music
business. Kevin Peck built the foundation that enabled Dru Hill to
attain multiple platinum albums, Number One singles, several music
awards--including four from Billboard-- and millions of dollars in
publishing royalties and sales, including 'The Thong Song' released by
Sisqo in late 1999."
Calls to the group's label, Def Jam Records, were not returned as of
press time.
In related news, Dru Hill premiered its newest video, "I Love You, "
on
Thursday. The group's latest album, Dru World Order, has so far met with
relatively sluggish sales, moving 471,000 copies since its release in
November.
Blackstreet Used The Four Years In Between
Albums To Become Better
Businessmen
The R&B quartet Blackstreet released
its first album in four years,
Level II, last week. The set entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at
Number 14 after selling more than 52,000 copies in its first week.
Groupmember Teddy Riley recently explained that the group disbanded only
to work on becoming better businessmen, and that reconvening was very
simple: "Everyone called this a breakup. We don't call it a breakup--we
just went away to see how much of better businessmen we could be, you
know, independently, and then come back and apply it to what we're about
to do. I feel we've done that. And when we got back together, just so
that people will know, it was, like, 'OK, we're back in spot. We're back
in place--everybody on the same page. Let's roll.' It didn't take much
of talking and deciding on whether we were going to do this or not. It
was, like, 'Yo, let's do this,' and we rolled."
Musiq Hoping To Join Forces With Prince For Juslisen Follow-Up
Grammar purists beware.
Musiq, whose credits include Aijuswanaseing and Juslisen, is planning a
collaboration with Prince, who once used a symbol for his name and has
basically created his own number-inspired alphabet.
The two soul singers, who performed live together at a Prince show last
year, will likely join forces for Musiq's third album.
"I think it's important to collaborate with other people, just to bring
together two worlds and see what comes out of it," Musiq said recently.
"It's all about inspiring people and keeping the ball rolling. What one
does now contributes to the future. If you're not putting nothing out
there that's substantial, there won't be a future in music."
Musiq's not sure who else he will record with for the follow-up to
Juslisen, but the singer will next be seen teaming with Carlos Santana
on "Nothing at All," his contribution to the guitarist's Shaman and
the
album's next single.
"He was going to put someone else on the song, but I was suggested by
his friend's son and he liked what he heard," Musiq said. "It meant a
lot to me to be able to work with Carlos. It was a very peaceful
experience."
Musiq loved the opportunity to salute a legend so much, he signed on for
two upcoming tribute albums, for Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix.
For the former project, Musiq recorded "Visions." "It's the most
beautiful song I've heard in my entire life," he said. "I translated
it
into a way that I would do it."
Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder's Songs, which also
features Mary J. Blige, Brian McKnight, Joe, Glenn Lewis, Eric Clapton,
Angie Stone, India.Arie and others, is was released Tuesday.
MCA Records is releasing the Hendrix tribute, which will include tracks
from Seal, Santana, Prince, Bootsy Collins, Vernon Reid, and Earth, Wind
& Fire. Musiq recorded "Are You Experienced?" for the album, which
does
not yet have a release date.
"Everyone knows I love Stevie, but I'm very influenced and inspired by
all people who are passionate about their music, and Jimi was definitely
that," Musiq said.
Hendrix's half-sister Janie, who is organizing the album, suggested the
song. "I did it and I loved it," Musiq said. "I didn't want to do
it
exactly like it, but I wanted to contribute to the space he was in as
much as I could. I'm playing bass with my band. We cut it straight in
one take."
With both tribute tracks in the can, Musiq is now focusing on his own
album, which he plans to finish by June and release in September. The
singer, who recently signed on for Coca-Cola and Levi's ad campaigns,
said to expect a new and improved Musiq.
"I don't like doing the same thing," he said. "Just in my
approach, I
try to introduce alternative ways of listening to music. It's all in the
name of soul, but just being more innovative with it."
Kelly Rowland Talks 'Can't Nobody'
"Can't Nobody"--Kelly Rowland's
second single form her album, Simply
Deep--is about a relationship, much like her first single, "Dilemma"
featuring Nelly.
This time around, though, there's trouble in paradise. The Destiny's
Child member sings, "I'm trying to let you know what it's all about/I
know you wanna leave/So many silly games people play/Don't act
foolishly."
Rowland says of the track: "'Can't Nobody' is basically talking about a
relationship. You're going through a lot of things, and you're saying to
the person, 'Can't nobody do it like me.' Believe me, I know how that
feels."