Genre-mixing rewards music

Music without genres? What's the world coming to?

Genre-hopping has resulted in some of the most innovative music this year. No, not rap-rock, but, instead, collaborative efforts between rappers and rockers. "Blow Ya Mind," the duet between rapper Eve and rocker Gwen Stefani, and the Gorillaz album are two of the coolest things to happen to music this year. And more collaborations are on the way, as Timbaland, No Doubt, Ja Rule, Metallica, Jermaine Dupri and others forget labels and just make music.

Leading the way is Timbaland, who produced "I'm Music," a previously unreleased duet between Aaliyah and Beck. The song will be a single from Indecent Proposal, Timbaland's second album with Magoo, due out Nov. 20.

"I'm gonna put it out as a tribute song - it's a beautiful song," Timbaland said on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards. The producer, who's worked with Missy Elliott and Nas, also said that the song will "shock the world." According to Timbaland, "It's probably the biggest song I ever did."

Timbaland and Beck have worked together before on a cover of David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Beck has always de-emphasized musical genres, saying that he prefers to make music without thinking about where it will fit in.

Timbaland plays a role in another anticipated release, No Doubt's Rock Steady, the band's follow-up to Return of Saturn. He's just one of the genre-crossing producers who worked with No Doubt on Rock Steady. Other surprising producers on the album include Dr. Dre and the Neptunes (Mystical, Jay-Z). Rock Steady will be released on Dec. 18.

Meanwhile, Ja Rule entered the studio with Metallica while the band waits for guitarist and frontman James Hetfield to return from rehab, where he is undergoing treatment for substance abuse problems.

"I spin two 12-bar verses with Metallica on their new big, huge record they got that's crazy," Ja Rule said. The Metallica album is slated for an early 2002 release.

In a "We Are the World"-huge collaboration, U2 and Jermaine Dupri are remaking Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," with singers including Fred Durst, Aaron Lewis, Nelly Furtado, the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, Eve, Michael Stipe and Lil' Kim. Dupri was in the studio over several days with some of the artists, while others, including Marc Anthony and Maxwell, will contribute by recording their vocals elsewhere and sending them to Dupri. The benefit single will be released on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day. Proceeds will go to AIDS research.