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Jamie Foxx: 'I got booed at the Apollo'

By: LAURI NEFF
The Associated Press

Is there anything Jamie Foxx can't conquer? His first try at the Apollo, apparently.

The singer/actor/comedian says the first time he tried his stand-up act on the famed stage, he was roundly booed.

Foxx gave up the goods on himself as the New York City theater celebrated its 75th anniversary this week. He says it wasn't about his act _ the audience heard "He's from L.A." and just started booing.

And he says they were quite animated about it: "They booed me in opera," he jokes, and then began singing a "boo" riff.

Foxx didn't get booed offstage at Monday night's celebration, but says it still remains his favorite memory of the place.

Kelis lays out support needs from Nas

The Associated Press

Kelis (KA'lees) says in a court filing that she wants soon-to-be ex-husband Nas (NAHZ) to pay for tens of thousands of dollars in baby supplies.

Kelis Rogers is scheduled to deliver the former couple's first child next month. She is seeking $20,000 to buy strollers, cribs and other baby supplies for homes in Los Angeles and New York.

She is also seeking money to pay for a baby nurse, nanny and other staff. Her filing states she didn't work much in 2008 and is reliant on Nas, whose real name is Nasir Jones, to maintain her lifestyle and care for the child.

A phone message left for Jones' attorney was not immediately returned Wednesday.

The couple was married in July 2003 and Rogers filed for divorce in May.

Black Eyed Peas Take Top Two Slots On Billboard Hot 100

Ayala Ben-Yehuda, L.A.

After eleven weeks at No. 1 with "Boom Boom Pow," the Black Eyed Peas are right behind themselves at No. 2 with the debut of "I Gotta Feeling" on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.

With their No. 1 and No. 2 songs this week, the Peas are the first duo or group since OutKast to occupy the top two spots on the Hot 100. OutKast accomplished that feat with "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move" at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the issue dated Feb. 4, 2004.

"I Gotta Feeling" moved 249,000 downloads in its first week, taking the lead on the Hot Digital Songs chart.

Meanwhile on the Hot 100, Keri Hilson's "Knock You Down," featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo held steady at No. 3, Pitbull's "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" dropped 2-4, Lady GaGa's "LoveGame" climbed 6-5 and Jeremih's "Birthday Sex" fell 4-6. Rounding out the top 10 this week are Lady GaGa's "Poker Face," which fell 5-7, Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning," rising 9-8, Shinedown's "Second Chance," which dropped 7-9, and Beyonce's "Halo," which went from 8-10.

Drake's "Best I Ever Had" scored the week's greatest airplay gain, climbing 36-27 on the chart. The week's greatest digital gainer was Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield," which jumped 65-46 following the video's MTV premiere.

Among the new tracks on the Hot 100 this week are Kid Cudi's "Make Her Say," featuring Kanye West and Common, at No. 51; Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor" at No. 85; and Matt & Kim's "Daylight," at No. 95. The song was featured in a Bacardi ad and saw its downloads jump 22% this week to 22,000.

Elsewhere, on the Hot Dance Club chart, Pet Shop Boys net their 25th top 10 single as "Love Etc." climbs 13-9 in its fifth chart week. And Dangerbird Records' Silversun Pickups become the first independently-distributed act in more than a decade to reach the top of the Alternative radio airplay chart as "Panic Switch" climbs 3-1.

Justin needles his record boss about 'SexyBack'

By: NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
The Associated Press

Jamie Foxx is the comedian, but he provided the music and Justin Timberlake got all the laughs at a charity event to honor their record label boss.

Timberlake, Foxx and others paid tribute to RCA/Jive Label Group President Barry Weiss on Thursday as Weiss was honored by the UJA-Federation as the group's music visionary of the year. Weiss has helped guide the careers of Britney Spears, Timberlake and 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys and many others during his career.

Timberlake was the master of ceremonies at the event, and offered plenty of Jewish humor.

"Who am I? I'm just another schmendrick who used to be in a goy band," he said, to a room of laughter. "I don't know what the hell that means either, but I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be funny."

"Ok, that's enough schtick in the box from me," was another Timberlake one-liner.

He also needled Weiss about his lukewarm reaction to one of Timberlake's songs before it was released.

"If I remember correctly _ and trust me I do _ Barry said, `That song is not what people want from you, Justin ... That song is not going to sell,'" he said, before the speakers started to blast "SexyBack," one of his biggest hits.

"I think he was just jealous, he wanted to be the one bringing sexy back."

But in a serious moment, he called Weiss "one of the smartest, most hardworking, dedicated men working in the music business, one of the only people left in the music business who doesn't want to be in the spotlight."

Foxx performed, but didn't sing his No. 1 hit "Blame It," joking it wouldn't be appropriate for the charity event. Instead, he sang "Georgia on My Mind," the classic hit from Ray Charles, whom Foxx won an Oscar portraying.

Others in attendance included Diane Sawyer and Chris Daughtry. The UJA-Federation of New York provides services to the needy throughout the world, and supports Jewish education programs.

Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Drake Announce 'Young Money' Tour Dates

Mariel Concepcion, N.Y.

Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy Tell'Em and Drake will go on an official tour this summer, and the dates have just been confirmed. The "Young Money Presents: Americas Most Wanted Music Festival" trek will start on July 27 at the Toyota Pavilion at Scranton, Pennsylvania, and will end on August 23 in Dallas, Texas.

According to reps, Wayne will headline while Jeezy, Soulja Boy and Drake will serve as openers. Tickets for the 21-city tour go on sale June 20th via Ticketmaster, Live Nation and select venue ticketing systems.

Lil Wayne's upcoming rock album, "Rebirth," was originally slated for an early April release then pushed to May and then June. Now, his seventh solo studio album is due on July 21 via Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Records. First single, "Prom Queen," reached No. 15 on the Hot 100 chart earlier this year.

Drake, who is an affiliate of Wayne's Young Money label and possibly the most sought-after artist in hip-hop, recently went in the studio to work on his highly-anticipated debut, "Thank Me Later," although it is unknown yet which label will release it.

Soulja Boy is currently working on his third studio album, "The DeAndre Way," as well as Jeezy, who is readying his "Thug Motivation 103." Neither album has a release date yet.

Here are the dates to the "Young Money Presents" tour:

July 27: Scranton, PA (Toyota Pavilion)
July 29: Saratoga, NY (Performing Arts Center)
July 30: Pittsburgh, PA (Post Gazette Pavilion)
July 31: Philadelphia (Susquehanna Bank Center)
August 1: Wantagh, NY (Jones Beach Theater)
August 2: Virginia Beach (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
August 4: Toronto (Molson Amphitheater)
August 5: Montreal (Bell Centre)
August 6: Cleveland (Blossom Pavilion)
August 7: Washington, D.C. (Nissan Pavilion)
August 8: Raleigh, NC (Walnut Creek Amphitheater)
August 9: Atlanta (Lakewood Amphitheater)
August 12: Phoenix (Cricket Wireless Amphitheater)
August 13: Los Angeles (TBD)
August 14: Irvine, CA (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
August 15: Oakland, CA (Sleep Train Pavilion)
August 17: Vancouver (GM Place)
August 18: Edmonton, AB (Rexall Place)
August 20: Denver (Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre)
August 22: Houston (Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
August 23: Dallas (Superpages.com Center)

Blink-182 To Unveil 'Up All Night' On Tour

Gary Graff, Detroit

Having abandoned the idea of completing a full new album as "too ambitious" before its upcoming tour, blink-182 will instead have one new song ready before it hits the road on July 23 in Las Vegas.

Guitarist Tom DeLonge tells Billboard.com that the track, titled "Up All Night," has "got a little bit of (Pink) Floyd, a little bit of Rush, a little bit of blink in there. It's crazy, but it somehow sounds exactly like where we left off (in 2005). It's an amazing song."

DeLonge says the tune is nearly finished, waiting just for Travis Barker to complete his drum tracks. Release plans haven't been determined yet.

The guitarist explains that he, Barker and bassist Mark Hoppus fully intended to complete an album but the success of the tour derailed that idea. "I think nobody realized how massive this tour was going to be," DeLonge says. "The tickets outsold what the promoters expected, three to one. So everyone's trying to play catch-up right now and really nail this tour to be the best it can be and get everything ready, so there's no studio time right now. Everyone's so busy just trying to make this thing happen, I think."

DeLonge says blink-182 fans can expect to hear plenty of hits in a two-hour set that will feature "massive production and arcs in the show that involve lots of bad words...The talks this morning were hot to incorporate the word 'fuck' in such a way that it somehow is parallel if not better than when it was lit on fire 10 years ago."

That, of course, poses an interesting conundrum for DeLonge and his bandmates, who did not have children in the days of the flaming Fuck sign.

"I remember on the very first song of some of these larger tours we did, when the big Fuck sign lit on fire, parents would stand up and walk their kids out," says DeLonge, who's also working on a film and movie project called "Love" with his other band, Angels & Airwaves. "Now I feel like that's what I'm gonna be doing, but to my own (six-year-old) daughter. I'm gonna have to leave the stage to go walk her out.

"A DJ explained it really good to me once; 'I tell my kid it's not bad if it's art. If you're not doing art, you can't say words like that.' I thought that was a really good way to handle it."

Springsteen, Phish, Al Green jam at Bonnaroo

By: JAKE COYLE
The Associated Press

The eighth annual Bonnaroo Music Festival offered, if nothing else, an expanded view of what it means to jam.

Though Bonnaroo _ held on a giant farm in the Tennessee hills _ was founded as a roots rock, jam band festival, it years ago adopted a wider musical spectrum that draws from all genres. Bonnaroo's origins were easy to recall with Phish _ today's pre-eminent jam band, reunited after a five-year hiatus _ performing for the first time together at Bonnaroo, a festival founded in the image of the Vermont band's destination concerts.

Phish performed a flawless if relatively uneventful three-hour set Friday and were closing the four-day festival Sunday evening.

But as Bonnaroo has grown to become arguably the country's biggest music festival, its essence still remains centered on live performance and virtuosity _ which came in all sounds.

Bruce Springsteen, the Saturday night headliner, might rarely deviate much from his decades-long catalog, but he (again) proved there's no better showman in rock. Across three hours, he repeatedly ran into the crowd, leaning out across the barricades, taking requests _ even the out-of-season "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" _ and dancing with a young, awe-struck girl.

The Boss also struck a tone mindful of the current economic climate. Along with his songs about down-on-their-luck characters and blue collar life, Springsteen encored with Stephen Foster's Civil War-era "Hard Times Come Again No More."

"You pick up the newspaper and you look out and you seen millions of jobs here in the country lost. Hundreds of thousands of jobs every month," said Springsteen. "You see things that I never thought I'd see. There's many, many folks struggling out there."

He wasn't the only one to touch on the recession. Jenny Lewis, the singer-songwriter who sometimes fronts the California band Rilo Kiley, introduced a new song about today's times, noting she comes from "a state that's totally bankrupt." On the song, "Big Way," she sang, "They're gonna get you in a big way."

But Springsteen was far from the only showman at Bonnaroo. Few weren't impressed by the 63-year-old Reverend Al Green's performance Friday afternoon. He sang his soul classics _ "Let's Stay Together," "Here I Am" _ with a gospel flair, hitting high notes that he said proved he still had it.

Wanting to come down and dance with the crowd _ whom he tossed roses to _ Green admonished the "yellow shirts" (the security guards): "We didn't come out there to hurt nobody. We came to love."

There were many neo-soul acts at Bonnaroo who showed influence from Green. Among them: Raphael Saadiq, who sped up his pace on his "100 Yard Dash," and a fro-less Erykah Badu, who performed a slow-burning set Sunday afternoon. She was followed by Snoop Dogg, who declined a lazy summer show and instead rocked with a bass-thumping, audience-bouncing performance.

Green played at nearly the same time Friday as David Byrne. Some hoped they would unite to perform Green's "Take Me to the River," which Byrne memorably covered when he was with the Talking Heads. Instead, Byrne played it himself. It was part of a memorable set of art funk for Byrne, who brought his conceptual stage show of dancers to Bonnaroo.

Many other pairings between the 100-plus acts at the festival did happen.

The Beastie Boys were joined by Nas to perform a new song off their upcoming record. Elvis Costello, who performed solo, joined Lewis for her "Carpetbaggers." Byrne, who curated a stage on Friday, hopped up to sing with the buzzed-about Dirty Projectors.

Jimmy Buffett was a late addition and joined his Coral Reefer All-Stars, who were being led by his recent discovery, guitarist Ilo Ferreria. Buffett said he had some difficulty adjusting to the early noon showtime (especially for a festival that goes until 4 a.m.) but said margaritas were still in order.

Some of the best jamming came from the tent devoted to African music on Friday.

Femi Kuti, Amadou & Mariam and _ in particular _ "Vieux" Farka Toure played top notch Afropop from West African. Toure, the son of Mali legend Ali Farka Toure, tore through bluesy, funky tunes. He led the crowd in a chant, only afterward informing them of the translation: "Love is good."

The same tent on Saturday transformed into a bluegrass stage featuring the Del McCoury Band and the David Grisman Quintet. There, the solos became fast-paced banjo and acoustic guitar flourishes.

And some of the strangest, most psychedelic jamming came from the mostly electronic outfit Animal Collective, who hypnotically pushed their "Fireworks" past the 10-minute mark.

Ashley Capps, the co-founder of Bonnaroo and the president of AC Entertainment (which produces the festival with Superfly Productions), said about 75,000 attended. That's up significantly from last year's fest, no doubt partially thanks to the thousands of devoted Phish fans who were eager to see their reunited band.

Capps acknowledged Thursday _ when thunderstorms pounded and tornado warnings swirled _ was "a challenging night." But the rest of the festival was marked by mostly sunny, clear and hot weather. Capps said it was one of the smoothest running Bonnaroos yet.

None got the benefit of the good weather more than Wilco, who played a scintillating sunset performance Saturday, running the gamut of their earlier material as well as songs off their upcoming disc, "Wilco (The Album)."

The band played on the main stage before Springsteen, and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy could already feel the Boss's presence.

"If anybody boos us tonight, we have a built in excuse," said Tweedy. "They're just yelling 'Bruuuuuce.'"

Any summary of the festival is sure to leave many out. Others performing included: Nine Inch Nails, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Public Enemy, Gov't Mule, Grizzly Bear, Lucinda Williams, Santigold, The Decemberists, the Mars Volta, moe, Of Montreal, Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk and Neko Case.

Bon Jovi among those inducted in songwriters hall By: JOHN CARUCCI The Associated Press Jon Bon Jovi considers writing classic songs as a way of being remembered throughout time. "It's the closest thing to immortality as we're ever gonna see here," he said. There may be another way: the Songwriters Hall of Fame. And on Thursday night, the New Jersey rocker and his writing partner, Richie Sambora, joined Crosby, Stills & Nash for one of music's top honors. Also honored at the induction ceremony, which represented the Songwriters Hall's 40th anniversary, was Jason Mraz, who was given the Hal David Starlight Award honoring a younger artist's promise. Mraz performed his hit single "I'm Yours" to the delight of the crowd of his more established peers. "I believe in 20 years, or whatever, (he) is going to be in the Songwriters Hall of Fame," Rob Thomas said before the ceremony. Other performers ranged from James Taylor to the cast of the recently revived "Hair," whose composers were also inducted. Kara DioGuardi, the "American Idol" judge and songwriter, said the Songwriters Hall is important because composers still don't get enough recognition. "A lot of the public still considers artists to be the only people that write their songs. They don't even think there could be another songwriter. They just think whoever is singing it, wrote it," she said. Crosby, Stills & Nash, among the acts who wrote their own material, were inducted by singer-songwriter Taylor, who performed a medley of their hits. "They speak for a generation. I know that sounds cliche, but it's really true," he said before the ceremony. Clint Black honored the British songwriting team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway with their classic "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress." The pair penned many hits, including "You've Got Your Troubles," "My Baby Loves Lovin'" and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again." They also wrote the Coca-Cola jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." Chris Daughtry of the multiplatinum band Daughtry inducted Bon Jovi and Sambora Afterward, Bon Jovi, with Sambora on a double-neck guitar, performed "Wanted: Dead or Alive," one of Bon Jovi's many signature hits. Earlier in the evening, Daughtry talked about the impact Bon Jovi had on his band. "They're a huge influence on our career as songwriters, as performers, as people," he said. Broadway was represented with two inductions: Stephen Schwartz, composer of the hit "Wicked," was inducted by Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik. Schwartz then performed a solo version of "Defying Gravity," the dynamic duet sung by the show's witches Elphaba and Glinda. It took on a much different demeanor with its creator's solitary voice. The last induction of the evening went to Galt MacDermot, James Rado and Gerome Ragni, writers of the musical "Hair." Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., whose group, The Fifth Dimension, took "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In" to the top of the charts in 1969, were joined on stage by the current Broadway cast for a finale that brought the ceremony's approximately 1,000 guests to their feet.

Mariah Carey? Drake? Who Will Have The Summer Jam Of '09?

We predict this year's warm-weather anthem, in Bigger Than the Sound.

By James Montgomery

We're only four days away from the official start of summer (a.k.a. "the summer solstice," if you're an evil Wiccan), which means two things: First, prepare to get skin cancer. And second, it's time to kick off the 2009 Summer Jam Sweepstakes!

Now, let the record state that I absolutely hate summer, as I am a pale scrivener who frequently gets sand kicked in his face. I burn easily, I can't swim and I sweat more than you could possible imagine. And yet, I still look forward to the summer-jam season every single year, because I love pop music ... and the more tangy and saccharine and completely disposable it is, the better.

See, summer is when the masses take their shirts off, get wasted and grind against one another at Señor Frogs locations all across the Caribbean (and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina). It's the time when they get ill-advised tattoos in places like Panama City, Florida, or wake up in a Lake Havasu holding cell or make out with some dude for 15 hours on the Jersey Shore. And, of course, the masses demand a musical accompaniment for all this: hooky, catchy, downright fluffy stuff — music to get drunk and tanned and kissed to.

Last year, that meant gems like Estelle's effervescent "American Boy" and Tyga's hyperactive "Coconut Juice," songs that came out of nowhere to compete with the big boys (and girls) for the summer-jam crown. And that's why predicting the winners for the 2009 sweepstakes is so difficult: really, anyone can win this thing, especially since all it takes to land a summertime smash is a catchy beat and lyrics with the heft of margarita mix.

But, that said, I'm still going to try my hand at predicting the winners. Sure, there will be some dark-horse candidates along the way, and don't forget the new songs from heavy-hitters like Jay-Z and Young Jeezy that are looming on the horizon. But, since summer can't wait forever (and because I have a huge gambling problem), here's my attempt at handicapping the race for the summer jam of 2009. Read it while you tan or do something you'll probably regret for the rest of your life!

Mariah Carey, "Obsessed"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 4:1

Just 14 months after 2008's E=MC² album fizzled, Mimi returns, this time with an Auto-Tuned kiss-off to wannabe lotharios (and Eminem?) that will probably be the soundtrack to a million summer hookups and just as many public-intoxication collars. And I'm not just saying that because the hook reminds me so much of Jamie Foxx's "Blame It," either. Glossy, flossy and decidedly "urban," Mariah strikes back. Your radio has been warned.

Drake, "Best I Ever Had"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 6:1

The latest in a long line of heavy-browed sensations (after Chris Paul and that one Jonas brother), Drake doesn't even have a record label, and already he's landed tons of buzz, some hit singles and the approval of Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, who are taking him out on the road this summer. "Best I Ever Had" is a straight-up classic R&B jam — strictly for the ladies, yet also cool enough for the dudes to dance to. And that bodes well for him this summer, to be certain.

Black Eyed Peas, "Boom Boom Pow"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 8:1

This one would probably be higher on my list, if not for that fact that it probably peaked too early (you know, what with it topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 consecutive weeks now). Still, there's no denying this tune's pull — the mega-catchy, futuristic knob-twiddling from Will.I.Am, the big vocals from Fergie, even that karate dude isn't totally awful here — which should still earn it a ton of summer plays. Also, this is probably the first BEP song that I'll ever admit to liking, even if I do so begrudgingly.

Jeremih, "Birthday Sex"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 10:1

Another one that's probably already peaked (by now, Jeremih's tune is practically inescapable), but don't count it out of the Summer Jam Sweepstakes just yet: There's still gonna be plenty of ladies celebrating their birthday in Cancún and Cozumel, and all of them are gonna be looking for one thing.

Sean Kingston, "Fire Burning"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 11:1

I wrote about this song earlier this week, calling it a "sweaty, sunny, summertime jam." And while it certainly is — all dance-floor whoops and sing-song vocals — the question remains: Will the masses buy the baby-face Kingston as a mature, loved-up ladies man? Actually, what am I talking about? It's the summer. No one cares about crap like that!

Das Racist, "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 12:1

Especially if you're talking about summer in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Easily my favorite song of 2009, much to the consternation of everyone who's ever loved me/shared office space with me.

Flo Rida, "Sugar"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 12:1

"Sugar" should probably be much higher on my list, especially when you consider that it might just be the most "by the books" summer jam ever created: sample one annoying/forgotten pop track (in this case, Eiffel 65's "Blue"), rap about females and various female-related proclivities, shoot a video on the beach, repeat if necessary. Bonus points for the fact that Flo Rida rarely actually wears a shirt, which should endear him to the toned and tanned masses.

La Roux, "In for the Kill"

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 13:1

This is my wild-card pick. A British electro duo fronted by the striking Elly Jackson, La Roux's gauzy synth pop has already won over the likes of Katy Perry and Lily Allen (and those two don't agree on anything). And armed with the success of songs like "In for the Kill" (in England, this kind of stuff actually charts!), they're taking aim at the States. This is perfect music for drinking in the clubs and vomiting in hotel rooms — try it and see for yourself!

Wale (featuring Lady Gaga), "Chillin' "

Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 15:1

I love this song, and not just because of Wale's clever verses ("I remain a Giant/ And you're Jeremy Shockey"), the deft production work (spindly beats mingle with a sample of Steam's 1969 track "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," in case you were wondering), or because Gaga seems to be channeling M.I.A. on the hook. No, it's because this is hungry, bare-bones hip-hop, the kind of stuff they don't make any more. It's what all the cool clubs will be playing this summer.

Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks" and Discovery, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"

Odds That They Will Rule the Summer: 10,000:1

The summer jams for the kids who don't take their shirts off at the beach. Two of the best indie songs of the year, the former all gorgeous harmonies, the latter ridiculous, azz-shaking glitch pop, you'll be sure to hear these (sorta) blasting from MacBook Pros for the next four months. Could also insert Phoenix's "Listzomania" in here too.

                                                                                                  Read More at: http://www.mtv.com/news/

Former Nirvana bassist ends Wash. protest campaign

The Associated Press

The former bassist for Nirvana says he has made his point and ended his protest candidacy for a county clerk position in Washington state.

Earlier this month, Krist Novoselic started the campaign to protest the state's system of letting candidates pick their own party affiliation.

Novoselic, who lives in tiny Deep River, is the head of his local chapter of the Grange, a civic organization.

His election paperwork for Wahkiakum county clerk declared that he was running under the "Grange Party" banner, even though the Grange isn't a political party

In his Seattle Weekly blog last Friday, he says his point is "crystal clear: It's wrong for me to drag a private association unwittingly onto the public ballot."

And he suggests: "Let parties nominate their own candidates."

We love giving unsigned talent a chance to be heard. This issue of "Da Come Up', section with VBLAZIN MAGAZINE brings you Skitzo.

19 years old, and from York Pa and goes by Ez Tha Lyrical Skitzo. He been rhyming since he was 8 and he just recently dropped a mixtape(Skitzophrenia) available now on datpiff.com. He's unsigned looking 2 be signed, He also has another mixtape due the end of this month (Skitz02)He's come up with the whole Skitzo thing cause every track he lets people hear they think its somebody else everyone, He just switches flows so often it's hard to keep up. He also make beats and Is currently working on an album. He's looking forward 2 performing this summer, and is not quite sure where but his managers got all that info. But 4 anything else hit him up at: therealez@gmail.com or his manager durvelwilson@gmail.com

See and hear his music at:
 www.myspace.com/moetmuzik

Fleetwood Mac going its own way again

By: ED CONDRAN

When iconic bands reunite for a tour, it's often difficult for members of those veteran acts to resist the temptation to play old favorites with their former mates and to perform in massive halls with all the respect and amenities you can imagine.

Oh, and then there is that massive payday groups such as Fleetwood Mac receive for their two-hour shows.

However, Lindsey Buckingham didn't necessarily run back and join his ex-mates for a reunion.

After all, the vocalist-guitarist has been focusing on his solo work over recent years, putting out two of his finest albums with 2006's "Under the Skin" and 2008's "Gift of Screws." Both discs garnered critical acclaim and helped him pack theaters throughout North America.

"I needed a three-year period where they couldn't come knocking on my door," says Buckingham. "That allowed me to put out two albums."

Now that those solo efforts are out of his system, he is more than happy to rejoin Fleetwood Mac for a tour, which stops Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

"I'm more than happy to make time for this band," says Buckingham. "I love being part of this group. I love the camaraderie, the songs and all that comes with being in Fleetwood Mac. Just because I delayed the group getting back together doesn't mean I didn't want to come back.

"We all have things to do. I have a family now with a wife and three young children (under 10). But now is the time to get back again. We're a band again - it's just a great situation."

Expect Buckingham and his bandmates - vocalist Stevie Nicks, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood - to deliver plenty of hits during their "Unleashed" tour.

"The fans still want to hear songs like 'Go Your Own Way,' 'Dreams' and 'The Chain,' " Buckingham says. "We still love playing the songs. We never get tired of them. It's something that I think we'll always love to do. This is interesting - going out for the first time without a new album to support. It's a blast doing the old songs."

Not that Buckingham would like to rest on his laurels. He hopes the group will write and record a new disc.

"Hopefully, the tour will spark us to make a new record," he says. "Let's see what happens. I'm open to anything."

If Fleetwood Mac doesn't craft a new disc, count on Buckingham to make another album on his own.

"I feel very creative right now," he says. "I like to keep putting out records. I'm sure I'll put another (solo) one out, but it would be really cool if we could make another Fleetwood Mac album."

Fleetwood Mac appears Saturday at Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets: $49.50, $79.50 and $149.50. Information: 800-736-1420.