Record executive Lance Rivera was stabbed in the shoulder and abdomen last night during a star-studded party at New York City's Kit Kat Club celebrating the release of Q-Tip's new album, Amplified. Rivera, who heads the late Notorious B.I.G.'s label, Untertainment Records, was rushed to Saint Vincent's Hospital, along with an unidentified man who was punched in the face during the fracas. Rivera, 33, was treated and released earlier today. Rolling Stone has learned that police are currently seeking rapper Jay-Z for questioning in connection with the incident; the rapper's lawyers told MTV News on Thursday afternoon that their client had nothing to do with the stabbing and is cooperating fully...

COURTNEY LOVE has agreed to play a forensic expert in the movie Darker Saints, but that doesn't mean she's slowed the search for a new HOLE bassist. According to band manager Janet Billig, the group is still sifting through tapes, but has put off the decision regarding MELISSA AUF DER MAUR's replacement until after the first of the year. And no, they're not considering hiring ex-SMASHING PUMPKIN D'ARCY WRETZKY, despite rumors to the contrary. As for the flick, Billig said it was premature to talk about Saints, but did allow that Love has agreed to act in the dark thriller, which will begin filming next spring in Toronto and New Orleans. "We haven't found a director yet, but we're going forward with it." Love is also set to co-produce...

We knew that KID ROCK had fans in high places, but who knew that PRESIDENT CLINTON was an admirer of the raunchy rapper. On Tuesday night (Nov. 30), Rock posed for pictures with Clinton at a reception for the sixth anniversary of the passing of the Brady Bill, put on by the Center for the Prevention Against Hand Gun Violence in Hollywood. According to a spokesperson for the musician, Kid Rock asked the nation's leader if he minded if he gave the universal heavy metal salute when they were photographed. "Do anything you want," Clinton reportedly told Kid Rock...

The Tuesday night debut of the ironically named "WTO Band," which was to feature former DEAD KENNEDYS frontman JELLO BIAFRA, ex-NIRVANA bassist KRIST NOVOSELIC and former SOUNDGARDEN guitarist KIM THAYIL, at Seattle's Showbox venue was cancelled due to the curfew imposed by the city's mayor Paul Schell. The curfew was in response to the riots that grew out of protests of the World Trade Organization meetings. The show was to be a benefit the Institute for Consumer Responsibility . . .

TOMMY HILFIGER may have JEWEL, and CALVIN KLEIN has SHIRLEY MANSON and KIM GORDON, but now DONNA KARAN has her own rock star. The prolific designer has just signed up BRANDY as the spokesperson for her new DKNY Jeans Juniors line. "I have been a huge fan of Donna Karan forever. She's one of my favorite designers," Brandy said in a statement. The singer-cum-actress will appear in campaigns for the jeans this spring and fall 2000, and will also make a handful of in-store appearances and sponsor a national sweepstakes contest where the first prize will be a trip to the set of the singer's UPN sitcom Moesha . . .

The memory and musical legacy of the late DOUG SAHM will live large this weekend with a two-day memorial jam at the Austin, Texas, club Antone's. Friday's lineup of eclectic performers -- many of them close friends of Sahm -- includes AUGIE MEYERS, JOE ELY, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, CHARLIE SEXTON, KIM WILSON, DAVID GRISSOM, LITTLE JOE, SPEEDY SPARKS, the WEST SIDE HORNS, LAZY LESTER, DENNY FREEMAN, JOHN REED, ALVIN CROW and more. Saturday will feature JOE "KING" CARRASCO, THE MAVERICKS, LEE ROY PARNELL, PAUL RAY, LOS JAZZ VATOS, and Sahm's sons SHANDON and SHAWN. The money raised will be used for a memorial. Sahm died of heart trouble on Nov. 18...

As if the K-Mart ads weren't enough, the recently reunited country music ma and daughter team known as THE JUDDS have announced a nineteen-date U.S. tour to begin Feb. 4 in Denver and wrap up March 31 in Atlanta. The duo was previously only planning to reunite for a New Year's Eve show in Phoenix, which will be their first show since 1991, when WYNONNA JUDD's mother, NAOMI, retired due to her battle with acute hepatitis. Blood tests now show that she is free of the virus, so it's back to business for both of them...

For the past few weeks, the rumor mill has been running over with talk of unrest in the TLC camp, largely as a result of two Entertainment Weekly articles: In the first article, ROZONDA "CHILLI" THOMAS and TIONNE "T-BOZ" WATKINS complained about LISA "LEFT-EYE" LOPES; in a subsequent issue, Lopes challenged her sisters to each record a solo album, to see whose was best. But, anxious to clear the air, ROZONDA "CHILLI" THOMAS told a radio interviewer: "No, we're not breaking up. It was just one of those days, and the [writer] caught us, me and T-Boz, on that day. You know, it's like we're sisters. So, that day the two big sisters were mad at the little sister... We all go through our little changes, we all overall love each other. That's what's so special about our little group."...

R.E.M. is sending off a special stocking stuffer -- a limited edition CD -- to their fanclub members. The holiday treat will contain a version of "Country Feedback," featuring NEIL YOUNG on acoustic guitar, as well as Young's "Ambulance," with Ol' Neil on vocals, backed by R.E.M. Both songs were recorded live at the 1998 Bridge School Benefit...

THE ROOTS rethought their New Year's Eve plans and decided to say "The hell with Radio City Music Hall!" Instead of playing on the Rockettes' stage with ERYKAH BADU and D'ANGELO, the esteemed live rap group will play with less pomp and circumstance at the small New York club Life. According to a spokesperson for the band, they're expected to hit the stage at 3 a.m. Also scheduled to rock the party are GRANDMASTER FLASH, KID CAPRI and FUNKMASTER FLEX...

Former SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist D'ARCY WRETZKY has made good on her promise to break into movies by landing a role in Peaces Of Ronnie, starring opposite bad boy/part-time pugilist MICKEY ROURKE. According to Chicago writer Steve Knopper, who interviewed her for Chicago Magazine, the cool blonde bassist will portray a "comedic Mafia hit woman" which certainly plays against her rather wry, humorless persona. Not only that, Wretzky put together a compilation of songs for the film's soundtrack, which she calls "the ultimate soundtrack for my generation." This will be the third screen outing for Wretzky. Prior to her role in Ronnie, she had appeared in the 1994's Vieuphoria, a Pumpkins concert film. She has also appeared with her old mates on The Simpsons...

Record buyers might not always love The Bodyguard soundtrack, but they certainly did during this past decade. According to "Billboard," the album is not only the best-selling soundtrack of all time, but was the highest-selling record of the Nineties, period. Take that, Titanic!...

The love for NOTORIOUS B.I.G. continues flowing, with his second posthumous release, Born Again, set to hit record stores on Dec. 7. The album's just-announced tracklisting and guest lineup go as follows: "Born Again (Intro)"; "Notorious B.I.G." (feat. Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy); "Dead Wrong" (feat. Eminem); "Hope You Niggas Sleep" (feat. The Hot Boys & Big Timer); "Dangerous MC's" (feat. Mark Curry, Snoop Dogg & Busta Rhymes); "Biggie" (feat. Junior M.A.F.I.A.); "Niggas"; "Big Booty Hoes" (feat. Too $hort); "Would You Die For Me" (feat. Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy); "Come On" (feat. Sadat X); "Rap Phenomenon" (feat. Redman & Method Man); "Let Me Get Down" (feat. G-Dep, Craig Mack & Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott); "tonight" (feat. Mobb Deep & Joe Hooker); "If I should Die Before I Wake" (feat. Black Rob, Ice cube & Beanie Sigel); "Who Shot Ya"; "Can I Get Witcha" (feat. Lil' Cease); "I Really Want to Show You" (feat. K-Ci & Jo-Jo, & Nas); "Ms. Wallace (Outro)"...

Todd McFarlane may be bringing out ALICE COOPER and JANIS JOPLIN action figures next year, but it's the BRITNEY SPEARS doll that's tops with the gift givers this year. Dick Dibble, girls toy buyer at Kay Bee Toys revealed said that he "can't keep them in stock." A similar sentiment is echoed by Bob Weinberg, Senior VP at Toys'R'Us.com. "Play Along's Britney doll is one of our top toys this Christmas, and all indications suggest that Britney will continue to perform well into next year." Her record company certainly hopes so. There are six 11 1/2" dolls in the collection licensed by Signature Network. Each doll has been constructed to resemble Spears in each of her three hit videos, and in her live performances. They retail for $14.99 to $19.99 ...

"I'm not like other guys," Michael Jackson says to former Playboy Playmate Ola Ray in his "Thriller" video. While the quote may be the understatement of the millennium, the video itself has topped TV Guide and MTV's list of "100 Greatest Videos Ever Made." "Thriller" clawed its way past MADONNA's "Vogue" for the top spot. The list will appear in TV Guide's Dec. 4 issue, and MTV will air interviews with artists and directors behind the videos Dec. 6-11. Rounding out the top ten are NIRVANA's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," PETER GABRIEL's "Sledgehammer," RUN-DMC (with AEROSMITH)'s "Walk This Way," GUNS N' ROSES' "Sweet Child of Mine," BEASTIE BOYS' "Sabotage," ROBERT PALMER's "Addicted to Love," 2PAC's "California Love" and Madonna's "Express Yourself" ...

There's still a whole lotta love for LED ZEPPELIN. The band, who managed only one Top 10 U.S. hit, 1969's "Whole Lotta Love," just became the third act in history to have four or more albums certified diamond, for sales of at least 10 million units, by the Recording Industry Association of America. Zeppelin's big four are Led Zeppelin IV (22 million), Physical Graffiti (15 million) Led Zeppelin II (12 million) and Houses of the Holy (11 million). GARTH BROOKS, also with four diamond albums, and the BEATLES, with five, are the only others to accomplish this feat ...

"My name is Hooooooo-mer!!!" KID ROCK will guest star and perform on The Simpsons next spring. The episode will feature Homer, all loaded up on Duff, crashing a spring break party where the Detroit madman and his crew are rockin' the house ...

PUBLIC ENEMY's resident clock watcher FLAVOR FLAV will release his first solo album, It's About Time (get it!), on Jan. 11. And the puns keep comin', as Flav covers Chicago's 1970 hit "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is." The first single, "Flav 2K," is currently available as a free download at Flav's site, www.flavorflav.com. Yeah boyee!...

Being careful not to lend too much credence to what's reported in the British tabloids, we are nonetheless intrigued by the recent flurry of, uh, "news" about OASIS bad boy LIAM GALLAGHER. By now you may have already heard the story that Gallagher went missing for three days late last week. While reports indicate that he turned up on Sunday night, The Mirror has reported that his return wasn't greeted with open arms by his family. They say Gallagher's wife, Patsy Kensit, and his mum, Peggy, were so miffed about his disappearance that they asked him to shove off, and he is supposedly lodging at a London hotel until he's sufficiently repented. The Mirror also speculates that Liam's vanishing act was the result of his disappointment and outrage upon hearing that Alan McGee, the head of Oasis' U.K. label, Creation Records, had announced his imminent retirement...

Plans are afoot for MADONNA's long-overdue world tour to kick off in Sydney, Australia, during the second half of 2000, to coincide with the Sydney Olympics. In Music & Media reports that not only will the Material Girl materialize in the seaside town, but that she'll also put in an appearance in Weipa, North Queensland, where every year the local male population run through the town to raise $3,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Organizers of the event explained that Madonna's agent gave them assurances that she would attend. The Flying Doctors are a nonprofit charitable organization that provides aeromedical emergency and health care services, communications and educational assistance to people who live, work and travel in Australia's country areas ...

Kyle James Eastern Jr. and Michael Sheldon Pierson, both of rap group DIGITAL UNDERGROUND, were arrested Sunday night in Little Rock, Ark., for alleged first degree sexual abuse, according to a spokesperson for the Little Rock police department. Eastern and Pierson are accused of having kissed and touched a woman against her will in a bathroom at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds, where the group was performing that night. Eastern was also charged with drug possession (marijuana), but was reportedly released along with Pierson after each paid a $2,500 bond. Digital Underground had a hit in 1990 with their song "Humpty Dance" ...

Always the funnyman, WILL SMITH has made sure that the upcoming The Will Smith Video Collection, due out on Dec. 7, will not only include clips of "Men in Black," "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" and "Wild Wild West," but every blooper, pratfall and embarrassing moment in the making of the vids. The tape will also feature the requisite behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes . . .

BLONDIE have filed a breach of contract lawsuit against EMI Records. The suit, filed Nov. 24, contends that EMI has failed to adhere to royalty rates established in 1996 for the band's 1977-1982 output for EMI predecessor Chrysalis Records. In a statement from the band's new label, Beyond Records, Blondie's DEBORAH HARRY said, "The reality of what musical artists actually earn is extremely disheartening. An artist's work is repeatedly repackaged and marketed, and the artist rarely sees increased income" . . .

LIVE fans who were bummed out when the band members got sick and cancelled a few shows earlier this month are about to get their due. The group has rescheduled the four nixed shows for Jan. 3 at Detroit's State Theater, Jan. 22 at Cleveland's Agora Theater, Jan. 28 at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, and Feb. 6 at SUNY Cobbleskill. Plus, in addition to a hometown New Year's Eve show at Hershey Park Arena in Hershey, Pa., they've added the following new dates: 12/30, Asbury Park, NJ, Convention Hall; 1/23, University Park, Pa., Pennsylvania State University; 1/26, Ottowa, Ont., Robert Guertin Arena; 1/27, Montreal, Que., Molson Centre. Expect more dates to be added soon . . .

U.K. news sources are reporting a blossoming friendship between PRINCE WILLIAM and BRITNEY SPEARS. According to the Daily Mail, the seventeen-year-old heir to the British throne has been a fan of Spears for some time. When the former Mousketeer got wind of his adoration she had her management send the royal teen a copy of her album and some photographs. Her generosity did not go unnoticed, and a few weeks later, she received a note from William inviting her to contact him when she next visits the U.K. The two didn't hook up when Spears was in Dublin for the European MTV Awards, but she's told pals that she plans to be in touch the next time she's on British soil. "She's been walking around on Cloud Nine since receiving a thank you note and can't stop showing people her note from a real prince," said one insider . . .

DOUBLE TROUBLE drummer CHRIS LAYTON and bassist TOMMY SHANNON are putting out their first album since the tragic helicopter death of their compatriot STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN in 1990. They've already enlisted long-time friends and supporters like JONNY LANG, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, DR. JOHN, DOYLE BRAMHALL II, CHARLIE SEXTON and JIMMY VAUGHAN for the disc, which they are producing themselves . . .

RICKY MARTIN is going back to the soaps: The twenty-seven-year-old was a one-time regular on ABC's General Hospital in his salad days and wants to play doctor again. Martin just signed on for a guest spot on top-rated medical drama ER to be filmed next year. Martin told reporters, "Believe it or not, I'm a frustrated doctor, and it would be a great place to let my frustration go. I love medicine . . .

AUGIE MEYERS, JOE ELY, RAY WYLIE HUBBARD, FLACO JIMENEZ and LITTLE JOE HERNANDEZ were among the thousand mourners who gathered at the Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in San Antonio, Texas, last Tuesday to bid farewell to the late, great DOUG SAHM. Sahm, who fronted the SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET and the TEXAS TORNADOS, died of heart trouble on Nov. 18 . . .

OZZY OSBOURNE is moving on up. The old bat-biter has just purchased his second mini-mansion in Beverly Hills, for a cool $6.5 million. According to the Los Angeles Times' Hot Properties column, the fifty-year-old rocker snapped up the Mediterranean-style house the first day it went on the market, explaining that he wanted more space and a better location than the 9,000 square-foot home that he bought last January. Osbourne's new home not only has five bedrooms, but a maid's room and guest quarters. Ozzy and wife Sharon have put their former home on the market for $4.5 million.

BILL CRANDALL, JENNY ELISCU, RICHARD SKANSE, JAAN UHELSZKI
(December 2, 1999)