ENTERTAINMENT               

Members of Destiny's Child, from left, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Beyonce Knowles arrive for the "Fashion Rocks" event at New York's Radio City Music Hall in this Sept. 8, 2004.

"Right now it's a good thing to be on the positive spectrum, on the side of saying something," says Kyprios. "It's not about celebrating money and power because if that gives you escapism from reality and your reality is (crappy) or you're impoverished and this takes you out of your reality and lets you have a good time, then that's OK." He's not alone. Toronto-based emcee K-OS is also part of the movement changing the sound of hip-hop, known for pushing social awareness in his poetry. Kyprios sees his own path as a continual artistic journey upward: more shows, recording another solo record, continuing his work with Sweatshop Union. He also has plans for a book of poetry and wants to get back into acting, an interest he's had to shelve for the last 18 months amid the musical push. "I'm hoping when things slow down I'll be able to get back into it," said Kyprios, who has had parts on the TV series Smallville, Dark Angel, The X-Files and First Wave. All have been filmed in the Vancouver area.

Destiny Child sings for McDonald

OAK BROOK, Illinois- McDonald's Corp. has a new music partner: Destiny's Child. The fast-food company announced Wednesday that the R&B group will play an integral role in its I'm Lovin' It ad campaign, which kicked off last year with Justin Timberlake in a starring role. McDonald's said it will sponsor the group's 2005 worldwide tour and feature the trio in new commercials and special restaurant merchandising.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Destiny's Child will also make appearances on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's causes. "We're lovin' the chance to work with McDonald's and know that together we'll create lots of fun and cool surprises," said Beyonce Knowles, founding member of Destiny's Child, in a statement Wednesday.

Keith Urban on the verge of stardom

Photo: Keith Urban performs in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo credits: M. Humphreys.

 

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - He hears the talk on Music Row about being the next big thing. He tries not to listen. "To me, I'm still this 15-year-old guy in his first garage band. That's how I feel every night when I play," says Keith Urban, who launched his tour Friday in Muncie, Ind., to support his new album, Be Here. Urban's 2002 breakthrough Golden Road sold two million copies and yielded four hits, including Somebody Like You and Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me. The first single, Days Go By, is already No. 1 on the country charts, and Urban is up for male vocalist of the year at next month's Country Music Association awards, alongside superstars Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait. "There's been a very tangible buzz over the past year or year and a half that Keith Urban is a star ready to break out," said Neil Pond, editor of Country Weekly magazine.

 

"He's a great poster boy for where country music can go and wants to go, and that is into a much broader demographic of musical integrity, sexiness and commercial success." Earlier this week, in an empty, dimly lit arena, Urban and his band rehearsed into the evening. The guitar riffs had to be loud, but not too loud. The dobro had to come in at the right moment. The harmonies had to be just so. On stage, Urban looked like a rock star - slight build, shoulder length hair, scruffy jeans, black T-shirt, earring and tattoos. His electric guitar was amped up and a little distorted (he's widely considered a virtuoso on the instrument and counts Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and Angus Young of AC/DC as influences ). The drums and bass thumped at a fast, heavy clip. And when he spoke, his Australian accent made him seem like a character from the British invasion. But while other pop and rock-edged country acts often avoid or downplay the banjos, mandolins and fiddles, Urban embraces them. Not only does he use them in most of his songs, he puts them right up front. His musical epiphany came during a John Mellencamp concert in 1988. "I finally saw a guy who had blended fiddle and acoustic guitar and rock drums and rural lyrics into this amazing package. Because I was thinking, 'Am I rock? Am I country?' - I don't know what the hell I am. Every time I pick up an acoustic it comes out country. Then when I pick up an electric guitar it's a little bit of the other. I think John showed that you can just find your voice, whatever that is." Fans who liked Urban's last album will like this one. The big, full arrangements are there, the smooth vocals and stinging guitar. Urban wrote one of the 13 tracks and co-wrote eight others. He covers Rodney Crowell's Making Memories of Us and Elton John's vintage 1970s Country Comfort.