Diddy and Mase
Photo: Peter Kramer/ Getty Images

Celebrity Favorites

When Andre Berto is about to get in the ring or when he's just living the life of a millionaire boxer, he said hip-hop is one of his major loves.

"I listen to T.I. heavy, my man Rick Ross," he said. "I was just with Luda. Drake is real hot right now. I'm just heavy on that right now. Jeezy! I'm into the Southern joints right now. Jay-Z, I listen to Jay heavy. Jadakiss, Fabolous has been doing his thing heavy.

"Every training camp, we pick an album to ride to the whole training camp," he added. "In January, I had a fight. We went with [T.I.'s] Paper Trail the whole camp. This camp, we were going hard on [Rick Ross'] Deeper Than Rap. We're gonna see who we'll go with before this fight in December."

Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Mase has been talking lately about trying to work out a deal with Diddy. He even rapped about renegotiating with Chairman Combs in his song "Get It" with Cam'ron: " 'Mase, you come back if you get 50 percent?'/ I'm like, 'Nah, if I come back I need Diddy percent.' "

Diddy said that he and Mase have been talking, but nothing is solid as far as a Mase project on Bad Boy.

"Mase has called me," Diddy told us. "We've spoken. He's basically said, 'Just keep your eye on me. Making this switch, I gotta kinda bear this cross for a second. Just watch what I do.' I said, 'I've seen.' He's definitely one of the dopest MCs to ever touch the game. People can't deny that. He's one of the most successful. I've seen people come back from different things in this game. I said, 'Yeah. Without a doubt, I'll keep my eye on you.' I spoke to him today. He's out there working."

In June, 50 Cent was a guest on Funk Master Flex's Hot 97 radio show and said he wanted to bring Mase to the G-Unit but Diddy wanted too much money to turn over the contract.

If Mase would come back and make music with Bad Boy, and if Diddy were able to make that long-rumored LOX re-signing come to fruition, he would have one of the strongest hip-hop rosters in the game. You add his foundation players along with the recently added Red Cafe and newcomer Aasim, then a nice nucleus would take shape. But Diddy doesn't want to get too far ahead of himself. He's taking his time and plotting his rap attack.

"With the future of Bad Boy, I definitely think it's time for me to come up with a game plan," he said. "A lot of things have changed. I have a great legacy I have to protect. I'm taking some time. I don't wanna sign anything new. I wanna focus on this Janelle Monáe album, on this Cassie album, on this Last Train to Paris. Those are the albums I'm focusing on. I'm not making anything new. I wanna come up with a game plan that works going forward with the future of Bad Boy."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, And More

• Diddy
• Mase

Cam'ron
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ Getty Images

Give us some warning after making us wait for almost 10 years!

Mase and Cam'ron dropped the collaborative effort "Get It" over the weekend and caught everyone, including New York radio personality Miss Info, off guard. Info, one of my longtime homies, had the exclusive record on her Web site late Friday. According to her, there are more songs to come between the childhood friends and former members of the underground rap group Children of the Corn, with Big L.

Info sat down with me and my partner Rahman Dukes to discuss how the record came about, the impact of the song and what this means for Mase's impending comeback.

" 'This is part of a bigger project' is what I was told," Info said of Mase.

Last we heard, Killa and Jim Jones were busting on Mase during a Hot 97 radio show Info was hosting.

"What was so shocking is that no one's really seen them together or anything like that," Info said. "Nobody knew they squashed some of their old disputes. But behind the scenes, they had resolved their issues, and they've been friends for a little while now. Last year, they got together, they played ball, in Jersey or somewhere like that, from what I understand. The friendship has already been in the works, which is what I like about how this record came outta nowhere. It's not a fabricated publicity stunt, which is what some people were thinking it was. They didn't get together only for a record. They were already friends."

And that's how I loved these guys best: together as Murda Mase and Killa Cam.

"We grew up listening to Murda Mase, Children of the Corn," I said. "That was our introduction to them."

Are you happy Cam and Mase are back together? What else are you expecting from the duo? Sound off below.

• Cam'ron
• Mase

Cam'ron
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

Put this in the "came out of nowhere" files. Cam'ron and Mase have not only reunited after years of bickering, but they're putting out a record together. What? Early Saturday morning Miss Info blogged that Killa Cam had sent her a new song called "Get It." The record features newcomer B. Rossi, as well as fellow Harlem knight Mase, who hasn't seen eye to eye with Cam in years.

The two were thick as thieves in the 1990s, first as neighborhood friends and later as part of the group Children of the Corn with Big L. Mase, in fact, introduced Cam to Notorious B.I.G., which led to Killa's first record deal. But the two had a falling-out more than a decade ago when Mase refused to appear in the video for Cam's "Horse and Carriage," a song the rapper-turned-pastor appeared on. They eventually squashed their differences, but when Mase appeared on Hot 97 to promote his return to rap with 2004's Welcome Back, Cam, Jim Jones and Mase had a very ugly on-air spat. That was the last we'd heard about the Up Top connection.

As of late, though, Mase had been hinting about another comeback, putting out freestyles over songs like Trey Songz's "I Need a Girl" and Drake's "Best I Ever Had." Then he called up New York radio station Power 105.1 last week and shouted out the Diplomats.

"I love both of them," Mase told DJ Self about his relationship with Cam and Jones. "I know we had a lot of bad altercations and stuff like that. I just got love for the family. At the end of the day, my kids are supposed to know their kids. Their kids are supposed to know mine."

Jim Jones called in during Mase's interview to say, "I just wanted to tell you, I tip my hat to you. I apologize for anything I did when I was younger."

A Mase/ Jim Jones record may have been expected, but the Cam'ron reunion came without warning.

"The black Lyor, chicks wanna sip from any glass I pour," Mase raps on "Get It." "Louis dress shirt, Gucci expert/ My net worth make chicks wanna network."

"Mase, you come back if you get 50 percent,'" he adds at the end of his verse. "Nah, I need Diddy's percent."

Killa comes in with swagger: "I blow weed smoke, different guns we tote/ My goddamn chain like a ski slope, please, folks/ Harlem World, you know the boy murder home/ Lennox Ave, you know we the murder zone."

Miss Info gave a little insight into the reunion, writing that the two actually mended their fence a while ago and played basketball together last summer.

• Cam'ron
• Mase

• Justin Timberlake
• Christina Aguilera
• Mase
• Evanescence
• OutKast

• Nas
• Mase
• Juelz Santana

Mase and 50 Cent
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

The deal for Mase to be officially signed to 50 Cent's G-Unit Records isn't done yet, but the first recording from the new alliance surfaced on mixtapes last week. It's a record called "300 Shots" that finds 50, Mase, Young Buck, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks trading verses for more than seven minutes.

So when will the Mase deal be signed, sealed and delivered? After all, he is walking around wearing a G-Unit spinner.

"We're working on it," 50 said during VMA weekend in Miami. "We're in the studio now" (see "Mase Joining G-Unit? Diddy All For It").

Yes, Mase is a great songwriter like 50, and he has history of platinum success. Still, everyone is bewildered by the partnership, considering that Mase is a reverend and the G-Unit are anything but choir boys. That, 50 says, is what makes it an ideal allegiance.

"Mase is perfect," Fif said. "[The doubters] don't understand: I don't want to turn my company into something that's just on the top of the FBI [most-wanted] list."

50 also confirmed what we heard on "300 Shots": The new Mase music is going to sound like the old Mase music — the real old Mase music, pre-Bad Boy, when he was named Mase Murda (or Murder Mase).

"Mase, with a little Murda," is the way Fif described the music being made by the reverend, who raps about leaving a hole in a man's chest on "300 Shots." ("Put guns in n---as' mouths like, 'Who you dissing?'/ Be a year before they know you was missing/ I pop n---as in the chest, they never breathe again.")

"I think his decision [to leave rap years ago] was so drastic, people don't understand what he did, 'cause he was in a really good space," 50 said. "He felt that was his calling at the time. But at the same time, I think they misinterpreted it."

50 said that he and Mase talk often, and Mase has even advised him and helped keep him out of a few troublesome situations. 50 said he did not hold his tongue either when they discussed Mase's five-year hiatus from rap.

"I had a conversation with him," 50 recalled. "I said, 'Mase, you was selling 4 million records at that time. If you felt that way [about changing your message] and made an album at the time about the way you felt — wouldn't you have reached more people than Farrakhan reached with the Million Man March, if you got 4 million people buying your CD?"

"300 Shots" is all over the mixtape circuit and the Internet now. The official home for it is on the G-Unit mixtape G-Unit Radio Part 13: Return of the Mixtape Millionaire. Mase also has his own mixtape coming out with DJ Whoo Kid, and is one of the artists contributing to 50's "Get Rich or Die Tryin' " soundtrack, coming later this year.

For an excerpt from 50 Cent's book, see "From Pieces to Weight." For a full-length feature on Mase, see last year's "Mase: The Fine Line Between Prayer And Playa."

• 50 Cent
• Mase

Snoop and Gwen Stefani
Photo: Jason Merritt

For his first order of business as host of the 2005 Video Music Awards in Miami, Diddy changed the red carpet to white. His second was to force people to step up their games when they walked it by issuing a fashion challenge worth $50,000 to the best-dressed member of each sex.

(Check out photos from the white carpet here.)

While Diddy himself was notably absent from the carpet, his girlfriend, Kim Porter, was not. And as she said herself: She's in it to win it. Her barely there orange dress cut down to her navel (thank you, double-stick tape!) and went only as far up as television will allow. As for the back, the only things touching her skin were ornate red coral strands.

Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas arrived in a canary-yellow dress with a green belt and straps. The front of the dress was a miniskirt and the back was a cascade of train-length ruffles.

Her BEP brethren were also up for the challenge, as usual. Will.I.Am started a trend by wearing velvet in the Miami heat. His red blazer was layered over an orange shirt, a gray vest and white tie; his accessories were a camouflage hat and argyle socks. Apl.de.Ap wore a pink paisley shirt and tie with pink plaid knickers, while Taboo, the most understated of the group, wore a brown suit with camouflage accents and a green tie.

Ciara looked sexy in a black micro-minidress with bat-wing sleeves and knee-high metallic wedge boots with studs adorning the back like a seam (see "Ciara's Hot VMA Look Comes With A Cool Half-Million Price Tag"), while Lindsay Lohan rocked a leopard-print cap-sleeved dress.

As for the fellas, the sharpest dressers were the usual (preppy and cliquey) suspects: Jay-Z, Kanye West, Common and John Legend. Jay's blue-on-blue engineer-striped suit contrasted starkly with his white shirt, white silk tie and tremendous pinky ring. Kanye arrived on the white carpet relaxed, smoking a cigar, with the sleeves of his white jacket and eggplant shirt pushed up to his elbows; down below were lavender pants. Common rocked professorial chic in a brown button-down shirt, maroon tie, green plaid vest and brown trousers. And John Legend didn't arrive on a boat, but he wore a navy captain's jacket with white shirts and pants.

More classic outfits came from the Killers, 50 Cent and Green Day, the night's biggest winners (see "Green Day Clean Up, Kelly Clarkson Gets Wet, 50 Rips Into Fat Joe At VMAs"). Killers frontman Brandon Flowers donned a white dinner jacket, a black V-neck tee, black slacks and elaborately laced tuxedo shoes. Fiddy was all business in a khaki suit, blue shirt and silver tie, while Billie Joe Armstrong wore a white dinner jacket, a black-and-white polka-dot tie, and let a little rock star slip in there with black leather pants. Game, who wore a red bandana-print tie under his white suit and Cincinnati Reds baseball cap, also arrived in a shiny red '75 Chevy Caprice (see "Snoop, Game, Luda And Shaq Show Off Their Donks And Drop-Tops").

Some of the ladies either took inspiration from the 1950s or extra precaution not to let their hair wither in the heat: Ashlee Simpson, Eva Longoria and G-Unit's Olivia all sported beehive-side ponytails as their 'do of choice. Ashlee wore a ruched and ruffled one-shoulder black dress, while Olivia and Eva preferred something more sparkly, in sequins and a draped T-shirt dress with crystal sleeves, respectively.

Paris Hilton put a little sparkle in her step in a tie-dyed Grecian dress with multicolored crystals snaking their way across her midsection, as did Kirsten Dunst in her slouchy, short-sleeved minidress. But it was Beyoncé who outdid them all in a blinding silver floor-length gown.

Trina channeled Beyoncé from awards shows past, wearing a yellow gown with cut-out sides and a green-and-yellow scarf skirt.

Some people opted for a nearly nude look — like Alicia Keys in a beige strapless dress, Hilary Duff in a nude-and-sequined flapper dress, and Kelly Clarkson in a gold satin halter. Lil' Kim's silky blush tank dress was an understated way to get the skin-is-in effect she usually goes for. Jessica Simpson went a less subliminal route and showed her legs from a pair of cuffed black shorts — and a little more up top, thanks to her black-and-white ruffled flyaway peasant top, which revealed her black lacy bra from the back.

Others came in strong, solid colors. Both Ice-T and Mase walked the carpet in bright yellow from head to toe (see "Green Day Hug G-Unit, Neptunes Hand Out Ice Cream — Backstage At The VMAs" for more on Ice-T's VMA experience).

More traditionally, My Chemical Romance ditched their Kevlar (on the white carpet, anyway) and opted for all black. Gerard Way also got in on the velvet act, with soft tufts accenting his tuxedo jacket. R. Kelly also dressed in all black, with the exception of the white lettering on his T-shirt, which read "I'm Rick James, Bitch!" Both Nick Lachey and Joel and Benji Madden followed those guys' lead, as did Jessica Alba in her black shift dress with — you guessed it — a velvet corset belt.

But once again, members of Diddy's crew pulled off the look best: His kids all wore matching white jackets, white shorts, black shirts and identical untied ties.

As for the too-cool-for-school crowd, the Bravery all sported variations on the same look: deliberate haircuts, jeans, tight tees and jackets. Ludacris was cool in a blue shirt, blue-and-white pinstripe pants and a white straw hat. And Usher hopped off his yacht in a shiny blue jacket, white pants, yellow shirt and a silver pocket square.

Finally, the winners of Diddy's challenge did themselves proud: Gwen Stefani in a leopard-print mermaid halter dress with a thin black ribbon belt, and Snoop in a white suit with blue bandana-print lapels, tie and even shoelaces. They weren't the most extravagant or the most restrained outfits — but they were perfectly executed.

• Lindsay, Usher, Snoop, Game, Gwen And More Hit The 2005 VMAs White Carpet
• 2005 VMA Instant Fashion Profile: Ciara
• 2005 MTV Video Music Awards: Backstage

• Gwen Stefani
• Snoop Dogg
• Diddy
• Black Eyed Peas
• Lindsay Lohan

Mase
Photo: Bad Boy

50 Cent is not exactly hip-hop's version of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (at least not yet), but he certainly has been bolstering the lineup at his G-Unit Records over the past few weeks with some high-profile signings, namely Mobb Deep and M.O.P. And now, apparently, he has one more player throwing his team's jersey on: onetime Bad Boy Records flag-waver Mase.

If a rapping minister running with a new-school version of N.W.A sounds outlandish, well, think again. Last week Mase came out onstage with Young Buck during a New York stop of the Anger Management Tour, and later in the week during an interview with Whoo Kid on Sirius' G-Unit Radio program, Mase himself explained the alliance as more than a one-off. He told 50's DJ that he was in fact working on new music and shopping for a new record deal.

"It seems at this point it's gonna be on G-Unit," Mase said. Mase also divulged that since he's been back to the music game, the only two people who have contacted him about a deal have been Jay-Z and 50 Cent.

"When I came back to Bad Boy, they didn't want me to go where I wanted to go [with the music]," he said about the content of his comeback LP, last year's Welcome Back. "They wanted me to do what was safe for them. I had to pretty much sabotage myself. Everybody knows who I am.

"I ain't going to be 50," the Harlem native continued about what his new material is going to sound like. "I ain't gonna be Usher, but right in between."

During the interview with Whoo Kid, Mase also said he would be appearing on the soundtrack to 50 Cent's upcoming movie, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," and would probably put out a mixtape with Whoo Kid because he has a lot on his mind.

As for his relationship with the man with whom he used to wear shiny suits, Mase said he's expressed to the former Puff Daddy that he wants to leave Bad Boy.

"He pretty much knows I don't want to be there," Mase said. "It's nothing personal, but I don't want to be there."

Diddy has publicly stated that he and Mase discussed a contract buyout a couple of months ago. On Tuesday, Diddy said he thought that if the leader of the G-Unit did decide to buy Mase out, it should not be a problem.

"He's definitely got enough money to set everything right," Diddy said of 50 with a smile. "50 hasn't called me about signing Mase. If he's interested in signing him, we could always have a discussion. At the end of the day, I want everybody to be happy and where they want to be. But I'm available, I'm free, he's got my number."

So will Mase be coming out with 50 during his performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28 (see "50 Cent, Coldplay Added To Jam-Packed VMA Performers Bill")?

"I don't know," Diddy said Tuesday in New York while promoting the VMAs (see " 'Five Letters, One Word': Diddy Drops The 'P' "). "I don't want to let anything out of the bag for my fellow artist. That's something y'all gotta tune in to see if he brings out Mase."

Neither 50 Cent nor his representatives would comment on Mase.

For a feature on Mase, check out last year's "Mase: The Fine Line Between Prayer And Playa."

• Mase

Eminem is hoping to make illegal file-sharers feel so empty. In an effort to stop Internet piracy of the rapper's new album, Interscope Records is launching the Very Shady Xmas Contest, in which fans who buy Eminem's new release, Encore, will have the chance to make this year's Shady Xmas List and be eligible to receive one of 400 presents in Shady wrapping paper, including platinum plaques, Sirius satellite radio equipment and subscriptions, exclusive Encore shoes, video memorabilia, Shady Ltd. merchandise and gift certificates, and the chance to work on Eminem's next music video. Fans will have to purchase a legit copy of the album, due November 16, and slide it into their computers to access the registration site, where they will be able to enter the contest up until December 24. ...

Mase tells girls they do not have to show their goodies to attract men, and Ciara agrees. The Atlanta singer has agreed to appear on a remix of Mase's "Keep It On," which is also set to include an appearance by P. Diddy. Ciara has also just completed work on her next video, "1,2 Step," with director Benny Boom and music industry do-it-all Missy Elliott. The clip chiefly takes place in a roller-skating rink and features a performance of the teen's new dance step. ... Guess it really isn't "Bad Boy for Life." After a long feud with P. Diddy, the Hoodfellaz have finally broken ties with Puff's label. Although the group says it is not breaking up in the wake of its release, member Morock has been working on a solo album and is seeking distribution for it. ...

The Nirvana box set, due November 23, finally has a title: With the Lights Out. Among the 81 tracks in the three-CD collection are 68 previously unreleased live tracks, studio outtakes and home demos. A DVD featuring Nirvana performing at a house party in 1987, among other footage, will also be included. ... Trent Reznor has changed his mind. The title of Nine Inch Nails' first studio album since 1999's The Fragile will no longer be called Bleedthrough. The songs are done, Reznor writes on NIN.com, but the title didn't fit them. The album is still expected out in March, with a tour to follow. ...

The band most likely to make lemonade from lemons, New Found Glory will drop the DVD "This Disaster: Live in London" on November 23. The two-hour home video is so named because during the concert, the power went out. Instead of calling off the show, the band simply offered up an acoustic set. ... The last place you'd expect to find lewd, crude rockers the Darkness is in a chick flick, but their hit "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" appears on the soundtrack to "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," along with tunes from Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and Kylie Minogue. Tracks exclusive to the soundtrack, due November 16, three days before the sequel hits theaters, include duets by Rufus Wainwright and Dido, and Sting and Annie Lennox. ...

Madonna's fourth kabbalah-inspired children's book is about to hit stores. "The Adventures of Abdi" follows a little boy who has been given a big task, to deliver a precious necklace to the queen. Along the way, he is robbed, thrown in a dungeon, and encounters a savage snake, but he never despairs, always remembering the words of his mentor: "Everything we have been given in life is always for the best." "The Adventures of Abdi" will hit shelves November 4. ... Because of his humanitarian work, U2's Bono — along with a medical-technologies pioneer and a photo artist — has been named the winner of the inaugural TED prize, which grants the recipient three wishes (actually $100,000 to be spent however he chooses in support of the wishes). Among those on the panel who selected Bono were Goldie Hawn, Eve Ensler, Herbie Hancock and Amazon's Jeff Bezos. The wishes are to be revealed at the next TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference in Monterey, California, in February. ...

"The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story," a documentary that first aired two years ago on the BBC and has only been available as an import, will be released domestically on DVD November 16. The disc features early performance footage and interviews with the band's Roger Waters and David Gilmour, among others. Barrett, the group's original singer, became something of an enigmatic legend after leaving Pink Floyd following the release of their first album, 1967's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Barrett released two albums in 1970 and has remained a recluse ever since. ... In addition to working on their new album, the Flaming Lips have a whole mess of projects in the works. First up is a photo book titled "Waking Up with a Placebo Head Wound: Images of the Flaming Lips From the Archives of Jay Blakesberg and J. Michelle Martin-Coyne 1987-2004." Due November 15, the book will be released in a limited-edition publishing run of 1,500 copies. Pre-orders before November 12 will include a special 7-inch that features two unreleased tracks from the Lips' long-awaited "Christmas on Mars" film. Music critic Jim DeRogatis — who immortalized critic Lester Bangs in "Let It Blurt" — will do the same to the Oklahoma oddballs in his book "Staring at Sound: The True Story of Oklahoma's Fabulous Flaming Lips," due in fall 2005. Meanwhile, Yoko Ono has enlisted the Lips to remix her track "Cambridge 1969" and add their own original music to the song. ...

Robbie Williams has become the first artist to launch an album, with additional video content, on a memory card. In stores Tuesday, the pre-loaded memory card, called simply Greatest Hits, includes 18 of the British singer's hits, such as "Angels" (recently remade by Jessica Simpson) and "Rock DJ." Williams' record label EMI is hoping to deliver more pre-loaded memory cards by other artists in time for the holidays. ... Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power, will release "Speaking for Trees: A Film by Mark Borthwick" on October 26. The CD/DVD features a nearly two-hour film of Marshall playing solo outdoors in the countryside as well as an unreleased 18-minute song, "Willie Deadwilder." The packaging, created by experimental filmmaker and visual artist Borthwick, comes with a 64-page booklet. ...

10.18.2004

P. Diddy has been tapped to co-star in "Carlito's Way: The Beginning," the prequel to director Brian De Palma's 1993 drama that starred Al Pacino. The story focuses on the early drug-dealing days of Pacino's Carlito Brigante, to be played this time by "Friday Night Lights" star Jay Hernandez. Production gets under way next month in New York's Harlem neighborhood, according to Variety. ...

Destiny's Child are planning to perform on Thanksgiving Day at the 2004 National Kettle Kick Off, a live halftime performance during the Dallas Cowboys game, which will be broadcast on CBS. The show officially launches the Salvation Army's Red Kettle fund-raising campaign, to encourage people to donate during the holiday season. "It's so thrilling to be part of this," Kelly Rowland said in a statement. Destiny's Child will perform two new songs from their forthcoming album, Destiny Fulfilled: first single "Lose My Breath" and "Solider." Other songs to be included on the 11-track album, out November 16, are "Cater 2 U," "T-Shirt," "Is She the Reason," "Girl," "Bad Habit," "If," "Free," "Through With Love" and "Love." Producers include Rodney Jerkins, Rich Harrison, Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, 9th Wonder, Rockwilder, Mario Winans and others. ... Paris Hilton made her name through the club scene, and now a few clubs are going to make their name through her. Club Paris will open on New Year's Eve in Orlando, Florida, with future franchises set to open in Las Vegas, New York, Miami Beach, London and — where else? Paris, thanks to a seven-figure deal the heiress just struck with businessman Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian to lend her name. Hilton's contractually obligated to appear at the Orlando club at least twice a month, and is scheduled to attend the opening. ...

Ashanti is being sued by T.E.A.M. Entertainment for $4 million in unpaid royalties. The Georgia-based entertainment company claims the Inc. songbird signed a contract with them when she was 16. Representatives for Def Jam declined to comment on the case, while attorneys for Ashanti and T.E.A.M. Entertainment could not be reached at press time. ... Though Britney Spears managed to respond to her fans via her "letter of truth," she's failed to respond to a pre-emptive lawsuit filed by a drug maker which claims she's threatened to sue them for using her image without permission. A Salt Lake City judge has ordered the singer to explain why she failed to respond to the complaint filed by Zoller Laboratories (the maker of Zantrex-3, which Spears was photographed spilling in an airport a year ago), which asks a federal judge to declare the company has violated no law with its marketing practices, including the use of the spilling incident. U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell gave Spears until Friday to reply. ...

The 32nd annual American Music Awards has added performers Maroon 5, Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, Fantasia, Twista and the team of Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams, who are expected to kick out "Drop It Like It's Hot," the single off Snoop's forthcoming as-yet-untitled album. They join previously announced performers Jessica Simpson, Gwen Stefani, Usher and Kanye West, among others, at the awards show, which airs November 14 on ABC. ... Clay Aiken is teaming with a full orchestra for a five-week North American tour to promote his upcoming as-yet-untitled Christmas album, due November 16. Confirmed dates so far start with a November 27 show in San Jose, California, and include a December 9 stop at New York's Madison Square Garden Theatre. Aiken will also release his first book on November 16, "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life." ... In other former "American Idol" contestant news, Tamyra Gray has signed on to star in Broadway's "Bombay Dreams." Gray, who co-starred in several episodes of "Boston Public," will play Priya for 12 weeks beginning November 9. ...

Soft Cell singer Marc Almond suffered severe head injuries on Sunday when a motorcycle on which he was a passenger collided with a car in central London. The Royal London Hospital initially listed the singer of the 1982 hit "Tainted Love" as critical, but he has since been updated to stable. The driver of the motorcycle was also hospitalized. ... A pair of previously unreleased studio tracks highlight Incubus' CD/DVD set "Alive at Red Rocks," due November 23. As a DVD extra, the show, taped July 26 at the picturesque Colorado stage, is augmented by backstage footage. ...

Snoop Dogg, Young Buck, T.I., Fabolous and Juvenile are among the guests slated to appear on the Youngbloodz's new album, due in early 2005. Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Sha Money and Kwamé are producing tracks for the set, which will launch the group's new YBZ Records. ... Former Geggy Tah singer Greg Kurstin is serving as musical director for Gwen Stefani's upcoming solo tour, which does not yet have an itinerary. Kurstin is also working with Beck to put the creative elements together for his next trek. ...

A longtime member of Michael Jackson's legal defense team has stepped down. Steve Cochran, who represented the singer even before this latest legal drama, officially left Team Jackson for what the singer calls "confidential reasons." Jackson called Cochran a "wonderful person and dedicated lawyer." ... Covers of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," the Beatles' "In My Life," King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" and Arthur Brown's "Fire" are among the tunes that comprise one of the four CDs of an upcoming Ozzy Osbourne box set, due in February. The other discs are filled with rarities, outtakes and demos. ...

Austin, Texas, rockers Spoon are putting the finishing touches on their fifth album, tentatively titled Romeo's Apprentice. Eleven tracks have been completed for the LP, including "The Beast and the Dragon Adored" and "Sister Jack." ... Guitarist Dante DeCaro has left Hot Hot Heat. The band's as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2002's Make Up the Breakdown is due early next year. ...

• Eminem
• Mase
• Ciara
• Nirvana
• New Found Glory

Ja Rule and Fat Joe at the "Welcome Back" concert, Uniondale, NY, 09.25.2004
Photo: Soul Brother

On Saturday night, fans flocked to Long Island, New York, ready to embrace Mase at the Welcome Back concert that was supposed to celebrate his return. For weeks, ads on radio and TV bragged of a bill that would include Fat Joe and the Terror Squad, Elephant Man, Mobb Deep and Lil' Flip, with Mase as the headliner.

But those who came out to see Mase found out that the star of the show was not there. Signs in front of the Nassau Coliseum alerted fans that the blinging showstopper would not be performing and they had the option to get their money back.

"Bottom line, we got a signed contract from him for the show," promoter Naquan Busby said Monday (September 27). "Mase was the only act on the whole bill that was paid 100 percent of his money upfront. He got it, every dime. Homeboy was paid. He disappointed his fans. He disappointed everybody."

Busby said that in addition to wiring Mase's $45,000 performance fee to an account, he also sent the MC plane tickets to travel from Atlanta to New York. Mase never got on the plane. The promoter said he got word from Mase's camp on Friday that the rapper wouldn't appear and would be spending time with his wife and newborn son instead.

Mase was unavailable for comment Monday, and his managers were still preparing an official statement at press time. Representatives at Bad Boy Records had little to say about the matter, issuing a statement to MTV that said, "We don't coordinate our artists' paid appearances. They go through management."

As for the show itself, most of the complaints from those who attended had to do with poor organization, not the roster. There were long lapses between performances, and the crowd had to wait several hours from the 7 p.m. start of the show until the bigger acts like Mobb Deep, Elephant Man and the Diplomats — who served as last-minute replacements for Mase — got on the mic.

There was a special surprise that was well received, however. Ja Rule came out as a guest of Fat Joe's Terror Squad and the two performed their underground humdinger "New York." The show lasted until 1:30 a.m.

The backlash from the Welcome Back concert is not over, according to its promoter. Busby said he was able to recover only $26,000 of his money and will be suing Mase for the rest.

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