• Hip hop producer Jay Dee (born James Yancy, pictured), died yesterday. Nobody Smiling just reported the cause of death was complications from lupus, according to Jay Dee's manager. The producer was known for his work The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Common and Slum Village. (Read his AllMusic.com bio here.) Stones Throw released his album Donuts, released under the name J Dilla, on February 7th.

• Slash has spilled the beans on the eternally delayed Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy. Though he's no longer in the band, the former GNR guitarist told Christian O'Connell's Virgin Breakfast Show the album is coming out in March and "apparently is sounds great." (Virgin.net)

• Though he's not well known to Americans, but people in other countries are very familiar with Antony Costa through his year with British boy band Blue. Costa has signed a five-album deal with Universal Records and his debut is expected to be released next month. (ITN)

• The Futureheads are wrapping up the recording of News and Tributes, the English quartet's sophomore album. Producer Ben Hillier had the young band in and our of the studio in just five and a half weeks. (NME.com)

• John Cougar Mellencamp to start a 12-date tour on March 30th. The tour is in support of Words & Music, his two-CD greatest hits collection. (Pollstar.com)

• NPR's World Cafe hosted slide guitar/hip hop duo Slo-Mo and its new album My Buzz Comes Back. The group played three songs and talked to host David Dye. It's a fusion definitely worth hearing. (NPR.com)

• They're starting young these days: Fisher-Price to introduce a digital music player for children four and up. (News.com)