Eminem [ tickets ] and Elton John [ tickets ] are planning to release their Grammy-night duet of Eminem's song "Stan" as a single, Wall of Sound reported.

From a press release:

Sean "Puffy" Combs' trial for gun possession and bribery may still be in session, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has already judged the rapper to be guilty--of cruelty to countless animals whose only mistake was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The animal rights group intends to plaster the city with posters picturing a fur-clad Combs and declaring him an "Accessory to Murder" of minks, foxes, and other fur-bearing animals.

Combs had reportedly told the organization that he wouldn't make fur a feature of his Feb. 10 fashion show, but then did. As a result of what Combs told the organization, PETA did not stage a protest.

Madonna's website posted an excerpt from Interview magazine, in which she said that she plans to tour this summer.

From a Giant Records press release on the marketing behind Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature":

Set-up began almost six months before the album's February 28 release date. The label conducted several consumer focus groups to find out how both diehard fans and the potential casual buyer would learn about the album, the band's first in 20 years, since 1980's "Gaucho.'' A strategic alliance was struck with Amazon.com which resulted in a comprehensive, multi-tiered campaign that spurred a record number of pre-orders, leading to the album's #6 debut on the national sales charts, with a total of 141k sold in the first week.

Knowing they weren't going to get a lot of help from radio, the company also worked with nine different major retail chains and their online sites, providing exclusive downloads for each available to anyone who pre-ordered the album. An Egreetings card was also made available that spread the word on the album through online viral marketing.

... Television was also part of the mix, with Steely Dan's appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman'' and an AOL chat on release date, leading into a special that ran nationally on PBS-TV affiliates throughout the month of March. A VH1 Storytellers episode was also taped, which ran during the month of April. They were supported by TV and radio advertising surrounding the series of programming events. In conjunction with participating radio stations, there was also a special contest, with winners being flown into New York for the PBS taping. The single, "Cousin Dupree,'' was released to radio, picking up Triple-A play.

... Meanwhile, Giant has coordinated the activity with retail, making sure the group has had constant in-store visibility, and surrounded it with a targeted TV ad buy. A direct response TV campaign is also planned in conjunction with the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The University of Idaho is planning to build the Lionel Hampton Center, a $60 million "performance hall and education facility," Billboard reported.

From the liveDaily Briefly Center for the Study of Porn Evolution:

Hustler Video is preparing to release "Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle." According to the company:

Shot in Snoop Dogg's home, "Doggystyle'' is a cross between a rap video and XXX-rated film. Snoop wrote all the music, including 11 never-before-released tracks. He performs in six original music videos that serve as preludes to five hardcore sex scenes. ...

Why make a porn video? Snoop explains: "We're rapping about it when we're doing records. We're in the studio doing it, we're making hardcore, and we should be able to put out hardcore. And this is an avenue to do it.''

"We're very excited to be releasing this video,'' says Hustler Video owner Larry Flynt. "Like myself, Snoop has had to battle for his First Amendment rights to say what he wants. My forum is Hustler magazine, Snoop's forum is rap music. This video brings together those two worlds.''