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Fear the Draft SATIRE: Conscription is a serious matter, but looking at those who might defend our country doesn’t have to be Don’t laugh, junior. It could happen. If the planets align and the powers that be conspire – despite promises to the contrary – there might be a military service draft out there with your name on it. The specter of a draft, of course, is a deadly serious matter. But we were wondering just what our armed forces would be getting if your average (and not-so-average) slacker and celebrity were conscripted. And while young people won’t be afforded the dubious privilege of scrubbing toilets with an enlisted Elvis – as a previous generation was – our not-so-crystal-clear crystal ball does seem to indicate that their time in today’s Army could be an experience. Just take a look at your first month: DAY 1 Things start out badly as you’re assigned to Geek Company, a bunch of misfits whose lust for all things high tech is exceeded only by their deplorable lack of social skills. On the plus side, yours is the only barracks running Counter Strike LAN computer gaming parties 24/7. Drill sergeants are pleased at what they initially perceive as dedicated training. UNTIL … Everything falls apart during your first session on the rifle range when several nerds warily eye their M16s and ask, “Where’s the mouse?” DAY 4 Britney Spears shows up to boot camp on her tour bus and is overheard breaking up with her latest beau: She later throws a fit when her entourage is barred from accompanying her. (Still later, she’s found AWOL at a Vegas wedding chapel, but that’s another story for another type of news outlet.) During her first week in the service, she, along with Mandy, Lindsay, Hilary, Ashlee, Ashley and Mary Kate form the Coalition for Renaming Army People, insisting that “WAC” is a derogatory term. They don’t realize it’s a World War II-era acronym for Women’s Army Corps. “Women are not whack,” Mary Kate Olsen says, repeating the group’s slogan. Their group, CRAP, doesn’t last very long, though. Drill Sgt. Brigitte Nielsen is on hiatus from “The Surreal Life” and from a pining Flavor Flav (he’s undraftable, “4-F” because of his teeth). She informs the girls that they’ve been watching too many episodes of “Band of Brothers” on HBO and the term WAC is mostly defunct. DAY 7 A week late, Paris and Nicole show up, promptly eschew their pop-princess sisters and set about toying with your poor boys in Company Geek. Gangly slap fights erupt (among the guys, that is), and squad leader, J3d1mast3r624, declares a night of “old- school” Dungeons & Dragons gaming to restore order. After a few root beers and dice rolls, conversation turns to the “Lord of the Rings” movies, and, to impress the girls, the boys all proclaim their intention of becoming Rangers, “like Aragorn.” DAY 10 Current and former young “7th Heaven” cast members arrive for duty and are immediately signed up for the chaplaincy. To duck the assignment, Jessica Beal poses for FHM’s “Girls of the Draft” pictorial. GI Justin Timberlake, fresh off his “2 Seconds 2 Obscurity” tour, helps his squad paint Maxim’s latest Hometown Hottie on the side of their Stryker. Gunner Cameron Diaz unhooks a naval ring caught on a button hole and whines about her “so-enlisted” BDU (Battle Dress Uniform). The Geek boys get latrine duty after they’re caught in formation sending instant messages to each other on their PDAs (“dude, ths drl sgt. sux! LOL!”). DAY 19 Ranger school isn’t going so well for Company Geek. Never mind the excruciating physical tests that push the limits of their very limited endurance. The boys are trying to work out a new “Windtalker” code and can’t agree on what would be Elvish for their favorite Rainbow Six 3 computer gaming term, “breach and clear.” DAY 22 Bam Platoon – made up mostly of the guys from MTV’s “Viva La Bam” – moves in next door to Geek Company and immediately installs yet another living-space skate park as well as a mattress cage for perennial whipping boy Don Vito, who is forced to subsist on one MRE per day. Eminem and the entire Wu Tang Clan have permanent KP for refusing to straighten their berets. Pfc. Diddy creates a new line of “street camo” clothing and makes another bazillion bucks. The new Rangers? Our card-carrying members of the Middle-Earth Enthusiasts Club, Lothlorien (West Coast) Chapter, have finally chosen their call signs. They all go by the gamer tags they use in the latest “Lord of the Rings” massively multiplayer online role playing game. Then, after a wild night of Red Bull and Halo 2 multiplayer on their Xboxes, they get their tags tattooed across their scrawny chests. Most Army “newbies” are confused by the alphabet soup of acronyms. Not these guys. With their LOTR and their FPS, RTS, RAM and ROM, they’ve got the Army outmatched. Acronyms are more a part of gamerspeak than Armyspeak. But, unfortunately for the Middle Earth clan, their new squad leader, s4uron27, is a real hard case and won’t let them cast invincibility spells during Friday night Dungeon marathons. DAY 28 Timberlake’s “uniform malfunction” excuse doesn’t work, and he’s unable to avoid shower-room scrub duty, punishment for an untucked shirt and saggy pants at inspection time. MTV is on campus filming “The Real World 17” (what happens when 20 strangers share the barracks?), and the girls have successfully petitioned the Army to allow their personal Pilates trainers into their dorm. After four weeks, everyone is wiped out – except the young guns from “Survivor All Stars” and “Fear Factor Champions.” They’re just bored out of their minds. November CD Releases On "Then and Now" (Fuel 2000), a reunited Vanilla Fudge applies its slo-mo, psychedelic soul touch to songs by Backstreet Boys ("I Want It That Way") and ‘N Sync ("Tearin’ Up My Heart") and update "Season of the Witch" and "You Keep Me Hangin’ On."
Janet and Britney on Amazon's Worst Albums List Janet Jackson's 'Damita Jo' and Britney Spears' 'In The Zone' have been named and shamed on internet shopping site Amazon.com's worst albums of the past 12 months list. The 40 worst albums also include Kelis' acclaimed 'Tasty,' JC Chasez's solo debut 'Schizophrenic,' Brandy's flop 'Afrodisiac,' Missy Elliot's 'This is Not a Test' and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard's debut 'Soulful.' Copyright World Entertainment News Network 2004
Hip hop dance workshop slated Darrin Henson, who bills himself at "The Original Choreographer to the Stars," is hosting a dance workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Palace Casino. The workshop will be followed by a party from 6 to 8 p.m. "Keep It Movin'," as the program is known, also features instruction by Trent Dickens, a Coast native who lives in Los Angeles and travels and works with Henson's workshop. In the past, Henson has choreographed dance moves for Usher, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears. For more info or to sign up in advance, call Kelli Dickens at 432-0047. All ages welcome. Admission to the event is $105 (cash only at the door).
Home theaters are booming Nine steps, to be exact. Straight down to his basement den. There, he can watch his 63-inch Sony widescreen flat-panel TV (which has the same dimensions as a theater screen) from his sofa with the retractable theater-style cup holders, while eating fresh popcorn out of his theater-style popcorn box - and drinking a very un-theater-like vodka martini. No crying babies. No cellphones. No goo on the floor. And he can always stop the movie if he has to go to the bathroom. "I grew up going to movies when they were twenty-five cents," Stovall says. "You never thought in a million years that you'd ever own a movie, much less a movie theater." Stovall installed the $12,000-plus system about a half-year after he moved into his house in 2002. And increasingly, Americans with means are following suit, with home theaters becoming a priority, rather than an afterthought. There are people whose conventional-looking living rooms turn into theaters with a touch of a button that brings down the screen, closes the curtains and dims the lights. And if you happen to have a spare $300,000, you can do what Jerry Grossman did three years ago - put an actual, literal movie theater into your home. "I remember going to the Loews Paradise in the Bronx; it was a gorgeous theater," Grossman says. That's the reason Grossman and his wife Marsha chose a Loews-like art-deco look for their own theater, which has cove lighting, black and beige carpeting, three-tiered stadium seating, 15 plush reclining chairs with built-in cup holders, nine speakers, and a 110-inch screen with a tied-back theater curtain. First Impressions Theme Theatres, a Miami company that custom-designs theaters for high-end buyers, gets about 35 commissions a year from clients whose ideas are often quirky, always pricey. "We've designed spaceship theaters complete with movable floors and movable space ports," Smith says. "We've designed a Chinese-themed theater with a 10-foot sculptured Kyoto dragon with smoke coming out of its mouth. We did a genie-in-a-bottle theme for Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync." If such over-the-top luxury has you drooling, don't despair. The increasing popularity of HTIB (home-theater-in-a-box) means you can get into the home-theater game with as little as $99. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the percentage of U.S. households with home-theater systems doubled from 16 percent to 32 percent between January 1998 and January 2004 - in large part because of the entry-level market. These low-end systems generally provide a beginner with a DVD receiver, five speakers, a subwoofer and the necessary cabling - everything except the actual video monitor itself. All of this in a single box (usually), and so idiot-proof that even a technophobe can set it up in 20 minutes. "When you go from your regular TV speaker to this, if you set it up properly, the results are night and day," says Chris Chiarella, an editor of Home Theater magazine. Just add a big-screen TV, and you're in business. But be prepared: They don't come cheap. A jumbo-size flat widescreen TV like Stovall's - say, 50 inches or more, measured corner to corner - will run you something like $1,200 minimum for a rear-screen projection model, $5,000 and up for a decent plasma version. Once you've got that, there's no limit to how fancy your setup can get: a theater-style popcorn popper ($900), a soda fountain ($2,000), a candy counter ($3,000), and light-up frames for your movie posters ($10,000). First Impressions offers all these and more. "This is a guy thing," Smith says. "Our clients are typically the males of the house. The guy says, 'You've seen my SUV, you've seen my Ferrari, now check this out.'Ÿ" The boom in home theaters is very much tied in with the rise of the DVD, introduced in 1997. Until then, home movie watchers had their choice of VHS, with its inferior picture, and laserdisc, whose $125-a-title software virtually guaranteed its limited appeal. But low-cost, high-quality DVDs gave many people the itch for systems that took full advantage of the disc's picture and sound capabilities. People began to realize the DVDs they owned had the potential to look and sound incredible on a super-size screen and through surround-sound speakers. In home theater-speak, the magic ratio is "5.1" - that is, three speakers in the front, two in the rear, and a subwoofer for all those boomy deep tones. Precisely what any HTIB system will give you. "For instance, 'Master and Commander' is really a tremendous sounding DVD," Chiarella says. "It surrounds the listeners. You hear cannons going off behind you. It really makes you feel like you're a part of the movie." Apart from the sheer delight of having a new toy, there are cultural forces that are driving home theater owners to cocoon - and to do it in style. One is the difficulty of couples with children. The cost of dinner, babysitters, high-priced tickets and expensive refreshments can make moviegoing more trouble than it's worth. "The whole thing becomes cost-prohibitive," says Stovall, who has two small children. The other is the quality of the theater experience itself. For many, it seems to be going downhill. "You go to the movie, and there's gum on the seat," Grossman says. "I like to sit on the aisle seat, and every aisle seat is always broken. And I hate paying $10 for a $2 bag of popcorn." Not to mention the epidemic of bad manners on the part of many moviegoers who now treat a multiplex precisely as if it were their own living room. "Not only will cellphones ring, but people will answer and have a conversation," Stovall says. "Ÿ'No, no, it's a good movie, you should see it. Oh, now a car just rolled over.'Ÿ" A home theater owner, on the other hand, can select his own audience. "Twice a month, we have movie parties," Grossman says. "We bring five to 10 people over, and they all bring dessert or potluck." Stovall, himself a movie ("Pressure"), TV ("Law and Order," "All My Children") and stage actor, does the same thing for his actor buddies, when there's a fight or other worthwhile event available via his satellite system. But he hasn't gotten over the strangeness, he says, of having a theater-sized image in the intimacy of his own home. "There's a voyeuristic aspect of a large television," he says. "You feel like you're looking in at a window at something."
A dream TV lineup, starring a teen dream
Naturally, I ran in the other direction to escape the Shat, whom I owe five smackeroos after losing the bet that he'd never be in primetime again -- damn you, ABC. I ducked into what I thought was a janitor's closet, which actually happened to be ABC's creative programming closet -- and the wardrobe room for "Less than Perfect." While in the closet, which smells like Andy Dick's dirty drawers, I came across Freddie Prinze Jr., also hiding from the Shat, scribbling down his ideas for the new sitcom the network has just given him. Since Freddie and I go way back, I consented when he asked me to look over what he had so far. Sadly, they all seemed to suck to the same degree, so I couldn't really weed out any winners from the losers. But Freddie and I put our heads together and got a lot done while trying to ignore the Shat's rendition of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," block out Andy Dick's rank piles of laundry and create the best sitcom to hit ABC since "Boy Meets World." Since our primary target is the depressed post-election 18-25 year-old demographic, I figured I would present our top seven pitches to you, my fellow Yalies. Please send your comments directly to netaudr@abc.com. Better yet, if you could recommend that they hire me immediately -- or at least stop using the Shat as a deterrent for my break-ins -- I would really appreciate it. "The Fresh Prinze of West Philly" -- Freddie Prinze Jr. is a Bel-Air boy, born and raised, whose mother sends him to his gangsta relatives in West Philly to teach Prinze to stop being such a pussy. Mario Cantone, Joey Fatone and Sylvester Stallone would play his East Coast homies. "Jeers" -- Prinze plays an ex-B-list movie star who becomes a film critic who frequents a local bar filled with fellow alcoholics. Co-starring Kirstie Alley and Corey Feldman. "The Prinze's Diaries" -- Prinze stars as a frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing Frisco geek who finds out he's the heir to a small, powerless European country. With the help of Rachel Leigh Cook and Hector Elizondo, Prinze becomes hot, self-assured and the ruler of a zany picturesque nation where he will struggle to master archery, ballroom dancing and the art of marrying for money. "Half-Hour Photo" -- Freddie runs a photo developing shop where he, Jack Black and Casey Affleck interfere with the lives of their crazy customers, bewail digital cameras and make fun of Freddie's nemesis/love interest, Christina Applegate. "The Artist Formerly Known as Prinze" -- Prinze plays a retired musical icon obsessed with sex, the color purple, doves and shiny cars. Supporting cast will include Jason Alexander and Dave Chappelle. "Freddie vs. Jason" -- Freddie beats the crap out of Jason Schwartzman for 22 minutes a week, every week, until Jason gets his family, the Coppolas, to come kick Freddie's butt. At which point, the show becomes more "Sarah Michelle vs. Sofia." "The Prinze and the Pauper" -- Freddie is the Prinze; Joshua Jackson is the pauper. Together, they are two college students who fail to get jobs after graduating from a university and become bums in Times Square. Guest appearances will be made by the Naked Cowboy, Simon Rex, approximately ten million tourists and, unless we can stop him, Harvey Fierstein. Freddie and I were pretty proud of our work -- that is, until we heard screams coming from outside. We rushed out of the closet, and the Shat was writhing on the floor. The worst of all possible scenarios had happened. He had just interrupted Kelly Ripa's yoga therapy to tell her Kerry conceded the election. Freddie ripped off his shirt and tore it into bandages to stop the blood flowing from the inch-deep gashes in the Shat's cheeks, but the stench of Andy Dick's unwashed underwear had seeped into Freddie's shirt and the Shat screamed in agony. Throwing the reeking fabric from his face, the convulsing Shat looked into my eyes and pointed his finger at me. "You," he shrieked, "You! Where's my Lincoln?" He grabbed my wrist and shook it for a moment before he passed out. If anyone sees Shatner, tell him I hope he feels better. Since I called 9-1-1 and kept Ripa off him with a Vulcan Death Grip, he can consider us even. He isn't getting a cent out of me, not even if I get this development deal -- but if he really needs some extra cash, I know where Freddie stashes the change he made from "Scooby Doo." Katherine Stevens' suitemate Miriam Clinton will be starring as Ashley Mortgage in 'The Prinze of West Philly.'
For the Record The first photos of Justin Timberlake on the set of "Alpha Dog" are now surfacing, showing the shirtless singer sporting temporary tattoos of the Virgin Mary on his bicep, stars on his arm and Chinese writing on his side to help him look more like the gang member he's playing in the film. Also emblazoned on Timberlake's chest is the writing "Est. 1976." Based on the life of real-life drug dealer Jesse James Hollywood, "Alpha Dog" has fictionalized the thug's tale, renaming him Johnny Truelove. Timberlake plays Truelove's best friend. Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration Release Date: November 30, 2004 Features Usher: A Success of Modern Music Science Usher, the current musical flavor of the times, was nominated for five awards at the upcoming Vibe Awards. On the strength of his top selling album, Confessions, he has become the biggest star in the music industry, for the time being. While he has been making music for years this period of time represents the height of his popularity among all audiences. The idea of a celebrity becoming the flavor of the moment is tried and true however if you spend the time to dig a little deeper a more sinister plot begins to reveal itself. To say 2004 has been the year of Usher is not a ridiculous statement. But if that is the case, then surely 2003 belonged to Justin Timberlake. Ricky Martin owned 1999, and so on and so on. With each year we are subjected to a new artist of the moment, each one slightly altered from their predecessors to help them stand out. While you could say this is due to intelligent marketing, it can also be perceived as going beyond simple good publicity and that is has an obvious scientific methodology to it. To further illustrate this theory I will explore the rises in fame of the three men mentioned above, Usher, Justin and Ricky. The following observations are in no way meant to denigrate their accomplishments or abilities, nor to cast a condescending eye on their millions and millions of fan who enjoy their musical offerings. That should hopefully serve as a pre-emptive measure to any hate mail that might be authored in response to this article, having learned my lesson previously after making a snide comment in regards to Shakira. Starting first with Senor Martin, who rose to stratospheric heights in 1999 and the following year. With a exhilarating performance at the Grammy’s and an undeniable catchy hit "Livin’ La Vida Loca", Martin found himself at the forefront of the so-called Latin explosion. I hesitate calling it full-scale explosion just because prior to 1999, Martin and many other singers, such as Marc Anthony, were already huge stars in the global sense and just because the American public finally started paying attention doesn’t mean that only from that they were validated. Overall, the timing of Ricky Martin was perfect, the Hispanic scene was the new "It", Miami was the hip new city to live in, etc. All of which makes the sudden emergence of Ricky Martin all too convenient. Certainly there are instances of "right place right time" but more often than not, that equation is anything but legitimate. No, I think that certain people got together and decided that Ricky would be the big star. Who those people are I’m not sure, but their power is far reaching, covering all media outlets thereby ensuring maximum coverage on TV, radio, and print. So based on their decision we embraced Ricky Martin into our lives. On it’s own, it seems harmless, the idea of creating stars is an age-old practice, but never before has it been some blatantly planned and easily controlled. Ricky said all the right things, he always smiled, he was the perfect mix of Latino flavor and "wholesome" American demeanor. His star shone brightly on the American media landscape for a few years, but as with all products, he soon becomes obsolete. Enter the next phase named "The Justin Timberlake" project. First cultivated in the boy band circuit, where all potential experiments iron out their kinks, it was only a matter of time till the scientists decided he was ready. As opposed to the Hispanic flair of Ricky Martin, the taste of the public had shifted, instead focusing now on black culture, as interpreted through the white audience. This is why Timberlake worked so well. He combined the singing and dancing abilities of a younger, more san, Michael Jackson, the good looks befitting a proper Southern boy, and he carried and presented himself as a lover of the hip hop culture. The recipe of all the parts mixed perfectly and Justin became a mega-star. Where as he was once the butt of jokes from his boy band days, now he was legit, hanging out with Timbalind and the Neptunes. He broke up with a then still in her prime Britney Spears and managed to actually upgrade to Cameron Diaz, although he made some impressive, and all too planned pit stops with Janet Jackson and Alyssa Milano. For a short period of time, he could do no wrong and those responsible for his success were no doubt sharing toasts and laudatory speeches. The project managers probably figured they had the next five years taken care of. Then "Nipplegate" happened, the image was tarnished and the scramble for a replacement began. All of which brings us to the man of the moment, Usher. Although he first hit the scene way back in 1994 as a fresh faced singer who appealed to the bubble gum audience Usher had seemingly faded away from public consciousness. As is the case with many projects, Usher served his purpose and was no doubt on a course set for oblivion. He got older, meaning the squeaky clean image, once a positive, was now holding him back. Then the Super Bowl happened, and Timberlake fell from his lofty perch. Someone was needed to replace him. But they couldn’t just serve up a carbon copy, they needed to make slight alterations while keeping the core components intact. For instance, the Michael Jackson type performing style remained, based on its success over the years. But other tweaks were needed. Taking into account the Timberlake was a Southern White boy who acted black, the next logical step was to get another Southern Boy who actually was black. Usher was perfect. Much like they did with Timberlake, they paired up Usher with the big names in hip-hop, Little John and Ludacris and recorded a song, the hit "Yeah." Finally, the last step, break him up with girlfriend Chili, of TLC, and put him out on the market as a sexy, single singer who was out having fun but wouldn’t get too wild. All of which was done and presto, Usher is the man. This practice that I’ve just described has been going on forever. Elvis begat Ricky Nelson. The Beatles produced the Monkees. David Cassidy is a classic example of the almost mechanical creation of a pop star. Therefore it should come as no surprise that the practice remains to this day. Nor will it ever end, because while Usher is on top right now, in time people will get bored of him. Then the question will be who is next? Aaron Carter? Bow Wow? A complete unknown? Time will tell.
Nelly Shows Two Sides Two things signal Nelly's transformation from a guy who got lucky with a couple of expertly produced rap jams into a bloated, bling-overloaded supastar. The liner notes to "Sweat," the up-tempo half of his two recently released albums, unfold into a Teen Beat poster of the mini-mogul from St. Lou, biceps tensed under a wife beater, fitted cap pulled low on his skull. One might expect such teenybopper posturing from Justin Timberlake, but when did Nelly decide to enter the must-plaster-teen-girls'-walls arena? Second, a cursory glance at the track listing reveals that Nelly is perhaps the most popular man in music. Or at least he has plenty of friends willing to drop a line on a song if merely to cash a paycheck. Christina Aguilera. Missy Elliott. Stephen Marley. Lil' Flip. Murphy Lee. Mobb Deep. Fat Joe. Even the Lincoln University Vocal Ensemble is in on the act. Nelly's performance with Aguilera of "Tilt Ya Head Back" at this year's MTV Video Music Awards was one of the few inspiring productions of that abysmal show and, fittingly, their recorded version here is a rare moment of illumination once you get past Aguilera's opening salvo of "unhs" and "yeah-eya-yeahs." With its spunky bursts of horns and a delicious sample of Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly," the song marks the only time Nelly comes close to matching the insinuating funkiness that made his biggest hits ("Country Grammar," "Hot in Herre") so blissfully fun. Sometimes, on "Flap Your Wings" and "Getcha Getcha," Nelly's distinctive form of swing rap appears normally a good thing. But all it does here is remind how stylistically shackled Nelly has become. If he isn't doing his loping, St. Louis thing, he's only a step above P. Diddy in the rap-proficiency department. Give a listen to the painfully plodding "Spida Man" or monotonous "River Don't Runn" for proof. Like a one-man OutKast, Nelly is desperate to prove to the world that he's capable of more than kickin' head-nodders that make great background music for fast-food commercials. That's why "Sweat" has a separately released companion album, the slow-jam flowing "Suit." This one also features a foldout Nelly poster, this time clad in a stylish, yes, suit, and an opening smoothie courtesy of The Neptunes. "Play It Off" glides on the structure of an old-school ballad coated with a contemporary drum machine and immediately registers more deeply than the prosaic "My Place," Nelly's current chart-topper with Jaheim. "Suit" also features a spate of guest stars, including Anthony Hamilton, Ron Isley and Tim McGraw. Yes, that Tim McGraw. But the country-music kingpin doesn't have much to do except validate the thin twang of guitar running up the song's underbelly and warble a ghostly line in the chorus of "Over and Over," a decent ballad unabashedly aimed at crisscrossing even more genres for Nelly. Hamilton helps Nelly further his experimentation on "Nobody Knows," which marries vague gospel strains with a chorus that recalls ancient chain-gang chant-alongs. To close out the set, Nelly appeals to his paternal side with the chugging "Die for You," which begins with a phone call to his son and lyrically chronicles the young boy's life and Nelly's feelings about fatherhood. It's a heartfelt outpouring and solidifies the idea that Nelly might be better off slowing down the tempo for a while. His "Sweat" isn't too memorable, but his "Suit" fits him quite well.
50, Justin, Lil Jon, Nelly, Neptunes Spice Up New Snoop LP Look out, Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams may have found himself a new partner in Snoop Dogg. Williams (Hugo's other half in the Neptunes) and Snoop first worked their tandem magic with "Beautiful," and their latest collaboration, "Drop It Like It's Hot," is a top-10 hit. The bass-heavy club banger is just one of several collaborations on Snoop's forthcoming album, Snoop Dogg R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, his debut for Star Trak, the Neptunes' label (see "Snoop Signs With Neptunes For Next Step In Long Label Trek"). Due November 23, the LP also features appearances from 50 Cent, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Lil Jon and Trina, among others. Snoop also pays homage to the old school by enlisting the help of legendary P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins and Gap Band frontman (and frequent Snoop collaborator) Charlie Wilson, who are featured on two tracks each. Track list for Snoop Dogg R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, according to his publicist: * "Intro - I Love to Give You Light" |
| * All typos are that of the original author, not that of DirtyPop.net. |
