Dog-lovin' rapper DMX will make a brief appearance in the martial arts action flick Romeo Must Die, due out on Mar. 24. Not only will his mug show-up on the screen, but his voice will be heard, along with those of a slew of other hip-hop and R&B acts, on the film's soundtrack, to be released by Virgin Records imprint Blackground Records, on Mar. 21. On Romeo Must Die: The Album, DMX duets with R&B diva Aaliyah, who also makes her feature film acting debut in Romeo. Other artists contributing tracks include Cash Money's BG, Destiny's Child, Ginuwine, Mack 10, Timbaland & Magoo, and more...

Speaking of soundtracks, the sequel to the 1981 animated cult classic Heavy Metal, cleverly titled Heavy Metal2000, may or may not open in theaters this summer, but the soundtrack is ready to kick your ass. INSANE CLOWN POSSE, MONSTER MAGNET, PANTERA, MDFMK (the new moniker for KMFDM), and more, have contributed new or previously unavailable material. BILLY IDOL, who voices one of the characters in the film, and BAUHAUS both recorded new material for the album. The eighteen-track double-CD, due out Apr. 18, will come in a limited edition form featuring a CD-ROM, PC game demos, a comic book version of the movie and the film's trailer...

After missing a number of concert dates last year following a stroke, RICK JAMES is geared up for a busy 2000. According to the funkster's management, he has recorded a double album's worth of material and should have a home for the album in the very near future. "We're in negotiations right now and things look very good," manager Kerry Gordy said of James latest recording. Though James recorded two discs worth of material (the discs represent "the soft side and the hard side of Rick James"), Gordy says the logistics of finding a label might mean the recordings will be condensed into a single album. James is also gearing up for a full-fledged tour, his first in years. He recently played a House of Blues gig with former protTgT Teena Marie, and is trying to line up a full list of shows for the summer. "Rick's better now. He doesn't want to do a half tour," Gordy says. "He wants to be on the road for a year."...

Since only a lucky few will make it to PETE TOWNSHEND's performances of songs from his Lifehouse Chronicles box set later this week, Web site MCY.com has arranged to share it with the rest of us. The shows themselves will be held on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26, and MCY.com will webcast one of the gigs sometime during the next couple months. They haven't yet determined an air-date, but you can check in with their site for further information...

ANDREW DANSBY, JENNY ELISCU, CHRISTINA SARACENO
(February 22, 2000)