U2 recording in Fez

It's been a minute since Bono and the boys from U2 were in the news multiple times a day, be it for music or saving the world. But don't fret, as the band is currently recording new material in Fez, Morocco, and has been working with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno again.

The legendary production duo has worked on many of the band's great albums over the years, like The Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire, and Lanois was recently spotted with the band in Dublin, according to a U2 fan site. The recording sessions have moved to Fez, where the band filmed the music video for the song "Mysterious Ways."

Kanye moves up Graduation date

Ever the contrarian, Kanye West has pushed the release date of his album up, bucking the hip-hop trend of constantly delayed albums. West's forthcoming Graduation, originally slated for a release in September, is now set to hit stores in late August, Def Jam said this week. West leaked the news through a recently released, 25-track Internet mixtape called Can't Tell Me Nothing, which features him rapping over such intriguing samples as Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and Peter Bjorn & John's indie hit "Young Folks."

"Can't Tell Me Nothing," the first single from Graduation, was coproduced by West and DJ Toomp. A Hype Williams-directed video for the song debuted last Friday on West's Web site. In related news, West has compared himself to Mel Gibson, saying that he and the movie star are both outspoken and don't get enough accolades for their work as a result. "My favorite movie of the year was Apocalypto and I love Mel Gibson. Sometimes I feel a little like Mel Gibson. [People say to him] 'OK, Mel Gibson, we know [your movie is] the best, but if you shut up, maybe we can give you an award.' That's how I think that's how people feel about me sometimes."

Copeland blasts Police show as 'lame'

Well, that certainly didn't take long. Just two shows into The Police's reunion tour, drummer Stewart Copeland has blasted the band's set in Vancouver, calling it "lame" and saying Sting jumped in the air like a "petulant pansy." In a blog on his Web site, Copeland wrote, "It usually takes about four or five shows in a tour before you get to the disaster gig. But we're The Police so we are a little ahead of schedule." The self-eviscerating post gives a detail-laden blow-by-blow of the band's performance, saying that he, Sting, and Andy Summer were often on the wrong page.

"I collect myself in the dark and start to warm up the gong with a few gentle taps," he wrote of the band's opening sequence. "But I'm overdoing it. It's resonating and reaching it's crescendo before the stage has fully reached its position. Sort of like a premature ejaculation. There's nothing for it so I take a big swing for the big hit. Problem is, I'm just fractionally too far away and the beater misses the sweet spot and the big pompous opening to the show is a damp squib. Never mind."

"'Crack!' on the snare and I'm in, so Sting starts singing," he continued. "Problem is, he heard my crack as two in the bar, but it was actually four--so we are half a bar out of sync with each other. Andy is in Idaho ... This is unbeLIEVably lame. We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea."

Prince gives single away on mobile phones

Verizon Wireless customers can get a sneak peak at Prince's new album for free, as the legendary artist is giving away the first single from the album, to Verizon customers. The song, "Guitar," is the lead single on Planet Earth, due out later this summer. Verizon Wireless customers who use the service provider's new V Cast song ID feature, which identifies songs for listeners who hold their phone next to a speaker, can download the song now to their phones.

Fans who download the free ID feature can then go to Web sites such as revver.com, myspace.com, or veoh.com to play the video from the Prince single holding the phone close by. The phone will then provide information about the song and an option to download it wirelessly on the spot.

My Chemical Romance's Way engaged

My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way has reportedly gotten engaged, confirming the rumor to MTV2 at the Rock Am Ring festival in Germany. Speculation surrounded the frontman after he started wearing a ring on his left hand in recent days.

In an interview, the band tried to stay mum on the subject, telling MTV2 that it was a "friendship ring." But Way gave in, saying, "They're lying. The truth is I'm engaged and I'm really excited about it."

Lily Allen buys London home

Although she's been living in the US for the past several months, Lily Allen has been keeping close tabs on the London real estate market, and recently purchased a new home there. Allen flew to London from NYC for two days this week to close the deal, and announced the purchase on her MySpace blog. Once the deal closes, Allen will be able to move out of the north London home she shares with her mother Alison Owen and brother Alfie.

"I've been trying to find a place to live for a while and I've been spending all my mortgage money on handbags and shoes that I can't afford. While I love handbags and shoes, I think it's more important to have a place to call home ... it's amazing and I'm so happy, I really feel like I've earned it, I've worked so f***ing hard, I've laughed, I've cried, I've had awful hangovers, I've had a number one, I've been snubbed at awards ceremonies, and I've got amazing fans who write lovely things to me when I'm feeling low. And to top it all off, if everything goes to plan I might have my own house!"

Attorney denies police seeking Fat Joe

Fat Joe may have witnessed a fatal shooting outside a popular South Beach, Florida, restaurant, but the heavyweight rapper is not avoiding police in any fashion, his attorney told HipHopDX.com today. Witnesses told investigators that Fat Joe was riding in the same black Cadillac Escalade as the two victims of a Memorial Day shooting outside David's Cafe II, police spokesman Sgt. Bobby Hernandez told the Associated Press. Police believe Fat Joe, whose real name is Joe Cartagena, was an acquaintance of the two victims, Hernandez said.

Lessli Paz, 25, of New York, was shot once and died at the scene. Homestead resident Joey Navarro, 26, was hit three times and died shortly after being taken to a hospital. Police arrested Miami resident Jermaine "Wufgang" Chamberline, 24, on charges of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was taken into custody Monday afternoon and was jailed without bond.

"I don't know where this [story] comes from that Joe doesn't wanna help," attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told the site. "We're not looking to hide anything. [Police said to us], 'We don’t even know that we wanna speak to him. We've already made an arrest. The guy's already confessed. If we wanna speak to him we'll call you back.' The guy doesn't call me back. I mean, we're not gonna storm the Miami police station and demand that they take a statement from Fat Joe."