News: Doherty, M.I.A., Timbaland, The Game

We've been calling East London's Pete Doherty acolytes 'chimney sweeps' for ages but finally the moniker goes official. Doherty will be performing "Chim Chim Cher-ee" the chimney sweep's official anthem as popularised by Dick Van Dyke at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday (June 17). Part of the Forest Of No Return: Hall Willner presents the Vintage Disney Songbook event, Doherty joins an illustrious cast including Jarvis Cocker and Van Dyke Parks in paying tribute to the best-loved Disney themes.

With lead-off single "Boyz" released yesterday (June 11), M.I.A. begins the campaign for her second album, "Kala", released on August 20. Timbaland and Switch are amongst those confirmed as producers on the record, the track list for which reads like this:

01 Bamboo Banga

02 BirdFlu

03 Boyz

04 Jimmy

05 Hussel [ft. Afrikan Boy]

06 Mango Pickle Down River [ft. the Wilcannia Mob]

07 20 Dollar

08 World Town

09 The Turn

10 XR2

11 Paper Planes

12 Come Around [ft. Timbaland]




Staying with super-producer, Timbaland, the NME reports that the man who dreams up hits for artists from Missy Elliott to Justin Timberlake spent time behind bars in Cologne at the weekend following a brawl. Timberland is reported to have become involved in a fight outside a Cologne hotel when an individual shouted racist insults at the producer, who was talking to the man's girlfriend. Timbaland was jailed and later released on bail early on Monday morning.

Notorious rapper, The Game, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he threatened to shoot a man during an incident at a school basketball match, which was reported here last week. Appearing at Los Angeles Superior Court he denied charges of criminal threat, possessing a firearm in a school zone and exhibiting a firearm in the presence of an officer. He remains on a bail of $50,000 but faces five years in prison if convicted.