Sound Check: STP, Gang Starr

April 26 -- CN'T STP: Rock and rollers Stone Temple Pilots will release Shangri-La Dee Da, the follow up to 1999's No. 4, on June 26 through Atlantic Records. The single LP (there had been talk of a double album) was recorded in a Malibu, Calif., villa with producer Brendan O'Brien.

NEW CLIP: New York hip-hop duo Gang Starr has returned to the studio to begin recording a follow-up to 1998's Moment of Truth. The set, expected early next year, may include guest appearances from Virgin Records artists D'Angelo and Aaliyah, according to Billboard.

CENTER STAGE: Former Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro will make his solo debut on June 19, with the release of Trust No One on Capitol Records. He is joined on the album by producers Jon Brion and Matt Chamberlin.

SOUTHERN MEN: Atlanta rap act Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz make their views of the Confederate flag controversy clear on the cover of their upcoming album, Put Yo Hood Up. The cover photo will show the group members standing in front of, and surrounded by, Confederate flags that have been set on fire. Numerous states in the South, including Mississippi and South Carolina, have debated recently about the continuing presence of the symbol within the states' flags.

KNOCKOUT: Jack Johnson, the all-star rock act fronted by rapper Mos Def, is nearing completion of its first album, for Rawkus Records, tentatively titled Black Bastard. The band includes Bad Brains guitarist Dr. Know, Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and Living Colour members Doug Wimbish and Will Calhoun. The album's expected out this fall.

STRUMMING AGAIN: Former Clash singer Joe Strummer, who released only one album in more than 10 years after the Clash broke up, is back in the groove again. He has recorded a relatively quick follow-up to 1999's Rock Art and the X-Ray Style, and will release it July 24 through Hellcat Records. As with the last album, he is working with his band, The Mescaleros.