Rage Against The Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins and Dr. John are among the more than 110 acts confirmed for the 2007 Voodoo Music Experience, which expands this year to three days to accommodate the number of artists who comprise the diverse talent line-up.

Set for Halloween weekend in City Park, New Orleans' signature fall music event encompasses three full days of music--October 26, 27 and 28--with performances from Wilco, Tiesto in Concert, Kings of Leon, Sinead O'Connor, Common, Ben Harper and Galactic, among others (full list below). These acts will appear in the Voodoo Music E...

Britney Spears is reeling after rap stars Akon and Common blasted her much-hyped comeback performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The singer, making her first major public appearance in four years, wore a silver and black sparkly underwear set and knee-high black boots to debut her upcoming single Gimme More. But her critics claimed she looked disinterested and out of shape.

And her fellow celebrity pals seemed to agree.

Speaking backstage after the event, Akon said, "That could have been better. She needed to focus more. She looked nervous and I thi...

Hip-hop star Common has pledged to stop using gay slurs in his songs after homosexual fans made their feelings known about his lyrics. The singer admits he didn't realize his words were upsetting fans until he was approached by two devotees after a concert.

He says, "They was like, 'Why you keep disrespecting homosexuality?' I thought about it. I ain't here to judge 'em, so I just decided not to approach it like that."

Common has also censored the word 'n---er' in his songs after apologizing to TV host Oprah Winfrey for using the derogatory term.

He adds, "I took out some ...

Actor Jeremy Piven makes a cameo appearance in rapper Common's new music video Drivin' Me Wild. The pair co-starred in movie Smokin' Aces.

Kid Rock was an unexpected guest at Paris Hilton's end-of-summer beach party in Malibu, California on Saturday. The socialite played hostess to rap mogul Russell Simmons and Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin at her rented beach house.

Joss Stone, Aimee Mann, Lloyd Cole and The Raconteurs star Brendan Benson will take part in an all-star tribute to the music of Elton John at New York's Carnegie Hall in October. Each artist will perform a cover ...

A Tribe Called Quest will take the stage along with honorees Snoop Dogg, Whodini, Missy Elliott, and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing at the fourth annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." VH1 will also honor the seminal hip hop film "Wild Style."

Hosted by Tracy Morgan, VH1 will once again pay tribute to the hip hop luminaries who broke new ground and pioneered the genre into a true cultural phenomenon.

Taping at New York City's famed Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday, October 4, and premiering on VH1 and VH1 Soul on Monday, October 8 at 10PM*, this year's show will feature pe...

British pop star Lily Allen has reportedly been dropped from the MTV Music Video Awards following her recent U.S. visa problems. The Smile singer, 22, was detained by customs and immigration officials in Los Angeles earlier this month after flying in from Australia for the MTV Video Music Awards nominations party.

Officials were reportedly interested in Allen's March arrest in London following an alleged altercation with a photographer. She was cautioned for the incident after voluntarily attending a police station in June. British newspaper the Daily Mirror reports Allen's recent pro...

Hip-hop star Common has struck up an unlikely friendship with Angelina Jolie on the set of their upcoming movie Wanted. The rapper - real name Lonnie Lynn Jr. - reveals co-star Jolie was "very friendly" on set and even introduced partner Brad Pitt to the cast.

He says, "Angelina was the best - I've gotta tell you. She was, like, one of the coolest people I've ever met. I felt like the way she was encouraging me was just really warm and cool, and she brought the family around. I got to meet Brad - everybody was cool, just down-to-earth people there."

"It's good to meet somebody w...

Hip-hop duo UGK have jumped straight in at the top of the U.S. albums chart with their first disc in five years, "Underground Kingz." Joining UGK at the top of the chart is another new entry, Plies' Real Testament, which debuts at number two.

Compilation album "Now, That's What I Call Music" sits at three for a second week, while Miley Cyrus' double album "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" climbs a place to four.

Rounding out the top five is The Jonas Brothers' eponymous sophomore disc, another new entry.

Last week's number one, Common's Finding Forever drops to...

Hip-hop star Kanye West has come to the aid of British pop star Lily Allen by offering to fly her back to the U.K. in his private jet after visa troubles have plagued her latest trip to the U.S. The unlikely pair has struck up a close friendship since teaming up to film rapper Common's new single Drivin' Me Wild.

West heard the young singer was feeling down after problems with her U.S. working visa and so offered her first class treatment on his private jet which lands at the Harrods VIP entrance at London's Heathrow airport. An insider told British newspaper the Daily Star, "They've ...

Rapper Common has shot straight to the top of the U.S. albums chart with his new disc Finding Forever, holding off competition from rockers Korn's Untitled.

After two weeks at number one, the latest Now, That's What I Call Music compilation falls to three, while the Hairspray soundtrack drops two places to four.

Rounding out the top five is Miley Cyrus' double album Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus.

At six is a new entry, R&B star Sean Kingston's eponymous debut.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

British pop star Lily Allen has dismissed reports she has had her U.S. working visa revoked, calling the stories that broke on Tuesday "rubbish."

The singer was detained by customs and immigration officials in Los Angeles on Sunday, as she flew in from Australia for the MTV Video Music Awards nominations party in Las Vegas.

Officials were reportedly interested in Allen's March arrest in London following an alleged altercation with a photographer. She was cautioned for the incident after voluntarily attending a police station in June.

However, Allen was permitted entry to t...

Lil' Wayne has topped a controversial new list of the Hottest MCs in hip-hop. The New Orleans, Louisiana native beat T.I., The Game and Outkast's colorful Andre 3000 to claim the crown in the studious MTV poll.

Hip-hop fans have flooded the cable network's website both to disagree and agree with the new countdown, with many upset that Nas doesn't make the top 10, which is:

1. Lil' Wayne

2. T.I.

3. The Game

4. Andre 3000

5. Kanye West

6. Young Jeezy

7. Jay-Z

8. 50 Cent

9. Common

10. Jim Jones

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News ...

Rapper Common refuses to step into the digital age and set up an email account because he prefers talking to people face-to-face. The star - real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. - admits he has no plans to buy a computer anytime soon as "life is good" without the hassle of modern technology.

He says, "I don't own a computer and I don't have an email address. Life is good without a computer for me. If you can't get eye-to-eye with me then I need to hear your voice."

-Common Pictures

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

The success story around Joss Stone continues to grow this week with the British soul singer and songwriter's new album-- Introducing Joss Stone-- being certified gold by the R.I.A.A. with half a million copies sold in the U.S.

The album, which was released by Virgin Records on March 20th, jumped from #25 to #16 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart this week, and is the only album in the Top 20 to enjoy a sales increase. The jump comes on the heels of Stone's television appearances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, where she performed the album's lead-off single "Tell Me 'Bout It," and ...

Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman's new movie epic, Australia, has been given a $164,200 grant from the Australian government. The period film, which will be shot in Bowen and Darwin over the next four months, is being dubbed "Australia's Gone With The Wind."

The release date for the new Christopher Walken movie, Balls Of Fury, an outrageous comedy about Ping-Pong, has been moved up to August 31. The film had originally been bumped to September 14 from its original date of April 27.

Rapper/actor Common has signed up to star alongside Angelina Jolie in comic book adaptation Wanted, an...

Rap star Common has apologized for publicly commenting on a rape case involving the Duke University lacrosse team before knowing the facts of the case. The hip hop star voiced his views about the three lacrosse team members accused of raping an exotic dancer during a performance at Emory University in Atlanta last year. Common slammed the sportsmen during the gig when he rapped, "You know I never get lost, yo f#%k them damn n%#gers from Duke Lacrosse."

The artist will be appearing at the Duke's last day of classes concert tonight in North Carolina and hopes his apology will prompt the ...

Further establishing their status as one of the preeminent soul/funk groups in music today, Soulive joins the famed Memphis soul label, Stax Records. The band’s Stax debut, No Place Like Soul, is set for release July 31. The album marks the inaugural release by one of the label’s trio of newly signed artists, which also includes Angie Stone and Isaac Hayes.

With the new addition of Toussaint, a vocalist who has spent the past several years touring with his reggae outfit The China Band, No Place Like Soul is the first Soulive album with a full-time vocalist and is the first that the ban...

R&B star Common's new album is set to be a star-studded affair with Lily Allen, Kanye West, D'angelo, Will.I.Am and late rapper J Dilla all appearing on tracks. Rapper West produces a handful of tracks on the album Finding Forever, including the lead single The People, while the reclusive D'angelo appears on the tune So Far To Go.

However the highlight is Driving Me Wild, which features British singer Allen. Common also samples Nina Simone on the album, which is set for a July release.

-Check out Common photos

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

British soul singer and songwriter Joss Stone will hit the road in April for a North American tour supporting her new album, Introducing Joss Stone, which will be released by Virgin Records on March 20th. The tour, which begins April 27th in Connecticut, will make special stops at the Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans and the annual Summerstage concert series in New York City's Central Park, before concluding in Virginia on June 13th.

For her first proper tour in nearly three years, the Grammy-winning star will be showcasing tracks from Introducing Joss Stone -- an electrifying m...

Rapper Common will perform at America's Duke University in April, despite last year attacking three members of its lacrosse team accused of raping a stripper.

Common slammed the sportsmen during a gig at Emory University in Georgia when he rapped, "You know I never get lost, yo f--k them damn n--gers from Duke lacrosse."

The episode left officials at Duke fuming, but they had already booked Common a year in advance - and claim they couldn't back out of the contract.

Students at the North Carolina University are reportedly split on whether Common should be allowed to perform. ...

Consequence was born in Queens at the dawn of the hip-hop era, when all rap was East Coast rap and all of rap's influential early artists were based in the New York City area. Throughout his career, Consequence gained credibility not only on the streets with his peers but with the critics as well. A gifted storyteller, he has a keen and unwavering sense of what he is all about. His objective realizm provides a clear alternative not only to gangsta rap but also to the watered-down and overly calculated pop-rap. "What I rhyme about is what I see around me, I'm a result of the hood, my rhymes ...

Multiple Grammy Award nominees singer/songwriter James Blunt, rapper T.I. and legendary funk band Earth, Wind and Fire together with Mary J. Blige and Ludacris are set to perform on "The 49th Annual Grammy Awards," live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Sunday, Feb. 11 (8:00-11:30 PM live, ET/delayed PT) on CBS.

Multiple Grammy Award winners Burt Bacharach, Natalie Cole and Reba McEntire, rapper/actor Common, as well as actresses Alyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders, actress/singer Mandy Moore, Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino and actor Luke Wilson have been added to present.

Rapper Common raised his game to a new level when recording a song for new movie Freedom Writers because he was performing alongside the late Martin Luther King Jr. The hip-hop star teamed up with Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am to record "A Dream" for the film, about a teacher who inspires a class of at-risk students to not let their impoverished backgrounds hold them back.

But for Common, the reality of rapping alongside civil rights leader King was a revelation.

He tells MTV, "The movie was already inspiring, but to be on a song with Martin Luther King, I had to write to the best of...

Darien Brockington's name is an ancient Persian word meaning "He who upholds the good." Darien believes that his name is the embodiment of his purpose in life and is the essence of the music he creates.

As Darien puts it, "I'm trying to create music that can be played throughout the ages." Drawing from a wealth of musical influences, Darien's music fuses jazz, rock, R&B and soul. With his talent, this dynamic artist hopes to set the standard by re-introducing the world to true music.

After meeting in college, Darien linked back up with Little Brother around the time their debut, ...

For the first time ever, MTV2, together with Asylum records, will release a My Block: Chicago – The Soundtrack on October 10 and feature 15 tracks by some of the hottest and most respected artists from the Windy City including Common, Lupe Fiasco, Twista, Kanye West, and much, much more. MTV2's "My Block: Chicago – The Soundtrack" showcases essential tracks from Chicago's celebrated hip-hop history as well as exciting, fresh new sounds from the streets of Chi-town. The first single from "My Block: Chicago – The Soundtrack" is "Got What You Need" by one of Chicago's hottest MC's on the ris...

In 2004, John Legend (then known primarily as an in-demand all-star studio session man) stepped into the solo spotlight as a premier singer-songwriter-pianist-performer in his own right with his debut album Get Lifted. Driven in part by the hit singles "Ordinary People" and "Used To Love U," Get Lifted was a critical and commercial triumph, earning John an astounding eight Grammy nominations -- he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Ordinary People") and Best R&B album -- and selling more than three million copies worldwide.

For most performers, achievements of that ...

-VH1's "Hip Hop Honors" Airs Oct. 17 at 9pm (EST)

VH1 pays homage to the hip hop pioneers who transformed the genre into a true cultural phenomenon with the third annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." Hosted by Ice-T, this year's "VH1 Hip Hop Honors," will pay tribute to Wu-Tang Clan, Afrika Bambaataa, Russell Simmons, MC Lyte, Rakim, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, and Eazy E. The VH1-created awards special honors hip hop's pioneers and luminaries who have transformed this musical genre into a cultural phenomenon. The music and influence of each of the honorees will be recognized through performances...

Rappers Common, T.I. and RZA have joined the cast of director Ridley Scott's new film "American Gangster." Common, real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., TI, real name Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., and RZA, real name Robert Diggs, will join cast members Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

The drama revolves around the empire of New York drug kingpin Frank Lucas, who smuggled heroin in the body bags of soldiers killed in Vietnam. Shooting began earlier this month in New York City.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Rapper Common vows to dress more tastefully because he is aware "not everyone wants to see his a**." The hip-hop star, real name Lonnie Rashid Jr., claims people express themselves through their clothing and a person's wardrobe indicates how they want to be treated by others.

He tells Men's Health magazine, "Dressing like a gentleman brings respect. There comes a time in a man's life when he's got to pull up his pants. Not everyone wants to see your a**."

-See photos of Common.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Hip-shaker Shakira and the rejuvenated Red Hot Chili Peppers lead the field with seven noms each, followed closely by the majestic Madonna and upstart Las Vegas rockers Panic! at the Disco, both with five nods. Christina Aguilera is next with four.

Nominations in the major categories are:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Christina Aguilera: "Ain't No Other Man"

Madonna: "Hung Up"

Panic! at the Disco: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"

Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"

Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"

BEST MALE VIDEO

Busta Rhymes f/ Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliot...