Rock News: Music's high and low notes

TIMBERLAKE'S HEARTBREAK

After months of vituperation, Justin Timberlake finally admits former lover Britney Spears broke his heart in a cover interview for the February issue of Vibe. Timberlake, hyping his new album, "Justified," talked about the betrayal theme in his new video for the single "Cry Me a River."

The video depicts the ostensibly scorned 'N Sync frontman video taping a dalliance with a comely brunette; a little high tech help to enact revenge on a live-in lover who's apparently two-timing. The "live-in lover" in the video is played by a blonde Britney Spears look-alike. So is this how Justin and Britney unraveled?

"Britney's a fire sign, a Sagittarius, they do things on a whim," Timberlake told Vibe. He went on to admit his relationship with Spears overwhelmed his sensibilities.

"I feel I became so consumed with her that I didn't see some things that I should have seen. I don't feel like I'm saying too much by saying she knows why this happened," he said.

Using his heartbreak as inspiration, making "Justified" was therapeutic for Timberlake. "I can't honestly say I've gotten used to it, 'cause the nights are crazy," he admitted. "I've cried myself to sleep looking at the ceiling, missing what we had."

MASTER P SMACKDOWN FROM GRANDMA

Master P lost $105,000 for sampling a grandma's phone message about pot for one of his productions. The Louisiana-based impresario, whose Cash Money label is a multi-million dollar business, lost a suit filed by 80-year-old Geneva Burger of Pomona, Calif. Master P used a sampled recording made by Burger on a phone conversation from 1997 as part of "Sky's the Limit," an album by Magic.

"When people get hooked on pot," Burger asked, "can they get sick if they don't get it?"

When Burger heard her voice on the album, she slapped Master P with the lawsuit, claiming to have suffered anxiety when she heard her voice on a "crude gangsta rap CD."

Superior Court Judge R. Bruce Minto awarded punitive damages to Burger in the form of $105,000.

OZZY LIKES CLASSIC ROCK

Ozzy Osbourne told mtv.com his listening habits are a lot less heavy metal and a lot more classic rock.

"The Beatles are my favorite thing," confessed his Oz-ness. "I like the older stuff when I was younger, like Zeppelin, the Beatles, McCartney, Lennon albums. Early Bowie albums like 'Ziggy Stardust.' My heroes are dying off now. George Harrison recently died, which was tragic... I'm listening to Paul McCartney's new album right now."

BUDDY GUY IN THE BIG EASY

Chicago blues guitar superstar Buddy Guy was spotted enjoying the tunes on Bourbon Street in New Orleans over the weekend. He spent most of Saturday night at the Funky Pirate, first listening to the Swamp Tones, then digging the always awesome Big Al Carson doing his down and dirty blues set. Guy later made it down the Frenchmen Street for the late night hang, digging Joe "Survival" Caruso and the Big Bossmen at the Spotted Cat. Guy was rumored to be scouting Big Easy blues talent for a State Department tour.

BRIAN FRAZEE FEEDS THE ID

Producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Brian Frazee is set to release his debut album, "Feeding the Id" (HeartAttackMusic) Feb. 4, 2003, with a promotional tour to follow. Falling somewhere between Jeff Buckley, U2, Rufus Wainwright and Jon Brion, Frazee also has been compared to Emmitt Rhodes and Joseph Arthur. Performing solo or with his band, and often switching between piano, guitar and bass, Frazee infuses his performances with a broad vocal range and eccentric stage presence. The tour starts Jan. 22 at Hollywood Alley in Phoenix, runs through the Midwest before heading east, with the highlight a Feb. 17 appearance at New York's Continental club, before returning to Phoenix to wrap up Feb. 28 at Patriot's Park.