A pre-"Entourage" Adrian Grenier, a post-"90210" Jason Priestley and many others popped up in Brit's clips.
By Jocelyn Vena

Taye Diggs, Britney Spears and Jason Priestley in "Boys"
Photo: Jive

Over the past decade, Britney Spears has had a gaggle of good-looking guys in her videos. From the unknown pretty faces to well-known actors — and even ex-husband Kevin Federline! — Spears has had all different types of eye candy in her clips.

Here, we recall the ones who left a lasting impression:

"(You Drive Me) Crazy," 1999

Male Lead: Adrian Grenier, who had worked in a few smaller movies before starring in the video. The song appeared in the movie "Drive Me Crazy," in which he starred with Melissa Joan Hart.

Since the Video: He's gone on to star in the successful HBO TV series "Entourage," where he plays hot young actor Vincent Chase — a character who eats girls like Britney Spears for breakfast.

"Boys Co-Ed Remix" 2002

Male Leads: To be clear, we aren't sure how all these people ended up in the video — but we aren't complaining, either. Here are the names and their pre-Brit credits: Jason Priestley ("Beverly Hills, 90210"), Taye Diggs ("How Stella Got Her Groove Back"), DJ Qualls ("Road Trip"), Pharrell (Neptunes), Mike Myers as Austin Powers (well, "Austin Powers").

Since the Video: Priestley starred in the Lifetime series "Side Order of Life" and will direct an episode of the new "90210." Diggs plays a doctor on "Private Practice" and had roles in the movie musicals "Rent" and "Chicago." Qualls co-starred in "Hustle & Flow" and has done a lot of cameos on TV shows. Pharrell has worked with everyone from Gwen Stefani to the Hives since his early days with Britney. And Myers, well, he played the Love Guru with another former Spears leading man: Justin Timberlake.

"Toxic," 2004

Male Lead: Martin Henderson, a New Zealander who starred in the TV show "Blue Sky," and supermodel Tyson Beckford, whose previous videos included Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" and 50 Cent's "21 Questions."

Since the Video: Henderson has worked in several Hollywood films, like "Flyboys" with James Franco and "Battle in Seattle" with Charlize Theron. He has a few more movies coming out next year, including "Last Man" with Guy Pearce. Meanwhile, Beckford has also been acting in films such as "Into the Blue," and he recently hosted the Bravo reality show, "Make Me a Supermodel."

"Everytime," 2004

Male Lead: Stephen Dorff, who worked in a ton of movies before hooking up with Britney, including "Blade" and "Cecil B. DeMented."

Since the Video: He's been in a bunch of movies (does anyone remember "Felon" or "Botched"?) and had an uncredited role as an "audience member" in Pamela Anderson's defunct TV show "Stacked."

"My Prerogative," 2004

Male Lead: Kevin Federline, who was a backup dancer and hooked up with Britney before landing in this video.

Since the Video: He has attempted rapping and acting, making cameos in "CSI" and "One Tree Hill" playing a, well, wannabe musician.

Honorable Mention

Madonna should get some credit for her work in Brit's 2003 video, "Me Against the Music," because we always figured Madge wore the pants in that relationship. Since the clip, Madonna has released a couple of albums and done a few tours, but she's also made a headline or two by adopting a son, allegedly dating Alex Rodriguez and getting a divorce from her director husband, Guy Ritchie.

Nameless Dudes

Finally, we'd like to take some time to recognize the anonymous pretty faces from some of Britney's other videos. They include the hot astronaut from the "Oops ... I Did It Again" video, the sexy beach guys in the "Sometimes" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" clips, and the wholesome boy next door in "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart." There was also that guy in "Stronger" whom we'll never be able to place. We hope the same fate doesn't befall Britney's latest man candy, Brandon Stoughton from the "Womanizer" video.

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday, November 30, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

• Britney Spears' Leading Men

• Britney Spears

'They are trying to figure it out between me and Hillary,' rapper jokes of Barack Obama cabinet post.
By Larry Carroll

Common
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

He's a chart-topping rapper, the star of hit films like "Wanted," and a socially conscious citizen who just happens to be BFFs with our new president. With so much news in his life, what's taken Common so long to launch his own bells-and-whistles Web site?

Just moments ago, the soulful Chicagoan flipped the "on" switch, taking ThinkCommon.com live for the whole world to see. Taking a break from stocking it with blogs, videos and tiny robot aliens, he spoke exclusively to MTV News about surfing the Web, out-rapping Hillary Clinton, and his audacious plan to sell his upcoming album for 99 cents.

MTV: On the new site, one of your first blog entries says: "After years of not giving in to the Internet world, I finally got sucked in." What took so long?

Common: I've definitely been avoiding technology. It was due to me wanting to focus on other things, and I didn't get drawn into it until now.

MTV: So you're not the type of guy who rushes out and buys a new iPhone the day it comes out?

Common: No, I've still got the Motorola phone, one of the earlier ones — I've got the RAZR phone. [Laughs.] But I do appreciate those that communicate on the Internet, and I respect that community, so that's why I felt like I wanted to be a part of that and be able to dialogue with people that enjoy music, art and communicating on positive things. ... The Web site is very creative and it looks good, man. This is a reflection of what I want artistically.

MTV: When you check out ThinkCommon.com, the first thing you see is Common's Chicken Shack restaurant. What's going on in there?

Common: That's based on a place in Chicago called Harold's Chicken Shack. ... We created it to be a vault that would house a lot of old music from Common. It's like a vault holding a lot of historic and classic things that come from Common throughout the years. The whole site is based on the Chicago skyline in the future. We wanted to create something that looked futuristic, so a lot of the buildings that you'll see are based on Chicago buildings. Those are my roots.

MTV: So your vision of Chicago's future has the city being taken over by Martians? Because I'm seeing UFOs, and I think an alien is peeking up at me from the Chicken Shack window.

Common: [Laughs.] Yeah, you know that alien/robot thing comes from the video for "Universal Mind Control." [In] my imagination, I believe those spaceships are coming to beam down good information. Positive things are coming from those friendly flying saucers.

MTV: When we click on the theater marquee, we see blog entries about what's going on in your life. Is this going to be a daily thing?

Common: Yeah, I'm going to do my best to do it daily. I have a team of bloggers that will work with me and bring information, and I want to make clear now that this is straight from me. I'll be typing it — or, if I'm not typing it because my typing is slow, I may have my assistant Val typing, but the words are coming from me.

MTV: You've got a tower on your site called "Foundation," and if you click there, you get info for your Common Ground Foundation charity for children. Do you think it's important for a celebrity to give back to his community?

Common: Yeah, and man, we are doing a lot of great things. ... We just had a fundraiser in Chicago in September that brought together a lot of different corporations that donated, and we give the money to programs that are encouraging children to read, encouraging them to educate themselves on health and self-awareness.

MTV: Our new president-elect similarly talks about the importance of public service, and you've been a supporter of Barack Obama's for years. Does it feel like a new day to you, or are you just waiting until January 20th?

Common: I've been feeling a new day since November 4th at 11:35 Chicago time. [Laughs.] Ever since I first heard that announcement and witnessed everything that I witnessed, being at Grant Park. I've been feeling like I'm breathing new air, and I feel the energy coming for a lot of people. I really love it.

MTV: Any truth to the rumor that Barack is considering you for secretary of state?

Common: [Laughs.] Well, they are trying to figure it out between me and Hillary, and I keep telling them I've got some things I can bring to the table that they've never had before. [Rapping] I would be a great secretary of state/ And I'm going to innovate/ Have you ever had a secretary of state/ Who could rhyme so great?

MTV: Wow. I don't think Hillary Clinton could do that.

Common: Exactly!

MTV: Are you going to the inauguration?

Common: Yes, I will be there for the inauguration. I can't wait.

MTV: If you click on your new site's Ferris wheel, it takes you to a shop where you can buy your new album, Universal Mind Control, when it comes out December 9th. But it's only going to cost 99 cents — is that for real?

Common: Yeah, Zune worked out something with the label. Zune has been very supportive of good music. They've been doing stuff with N.E.R.D. and me. I've done a commercial with me and Afrika Bambaataa. They worked out something with the label where you can get the album for 99 cents, and I'm grateful.

MTV: Recently, we've seen bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails give away their albums at reduced costs. When an artist does something like this, is there a danger you might lose a lot of money in the end?

Common: Well, no, [not] for me. I won't make as much as I would have made. But at this point, it's more the "long-run" thing to me, to be honest. ... They'll sell this for 99 cents, and people will be getting in tune with my music, so they'll come out and support a show, go to the Web site and buy some merchandise. ... The most important thing for me is for people to continue to get aware of the Common brand and see something that they want from Common that they can implement into their lives.

MTV: Can we assume that if we buy something at Common's Chicken Shack, it'll be a little bit better for us than normal fast food?

Common: [Laughs.] Yeah, my chicken shack is definitely a little healthier. There might be a little bit of grease on it to give it some flavor, but I'm cooking up comforting food for the soul.

• Common

Chinese Democracy's label is making a sly move to beat 808s & Heartbreak in first-week sales.
By Chris Harris

Kanye West and Axl Rose
Photo: MTV News/ Getty Images

It was shaping up to be an epic battle between two of music's biggest heavyweights, with Kanye West — the Louis Vuitton Don, and the man we crowned the Hottest MC in the Game — standing in one corner, wearing the gold trunks and white Shutter Shades, ready to drop 808s & Heartbreak. And in the other: Axl Rose — sporting the black trunks, a Los Angeles Raiders jersey, red cornrows and a little album called Chinese Democracy.

Who will walk away with the championship belt? Chances are, it won't be 'Ye.

Fans are excited, critics and industry watchers look on with great anticipation, and even oddsmakers have jumped into the fray, casting Guns N' Roses as the favorite. But, at the 11th hour, GN'R are making things a bit interesting in this race toward Billboard's peak position. That's because Axl's got a secret weapon: the Eighth Day.

After years of false starts and broken promises, Geffen Records will finally issue Guns N' Roses' eagerly awaited album this coming Sunday, a day before West's latest hits stores. And a spokesperson for Geffen told MTV News that first-day sales figures for Chinese Democracy will not be reported to Nielsen SoundScan until November 30, the same day West's label will report his week-one sales.

Typically, albums are released in the U.S. on Tuesdays, and SoundScan tracks weekly sales data from Monday through Sunday, meaning that most albums' debut spots on the Billboard chart are based on six solid sales days. At first, most assumed day-one sales of Chinese Democracy — which took Rose more than 16 years to complete — would be reported next week and released the morning of November 26. But GN'R's label is holding off on releasing those sales figures until the following week, setting the stage for an extra boost in the chart standings announced on December 3.

West's only chance at a third consecutive #1 debut is the fact that Chinese Democracy will be available exclusively at Best Buy's Web site and stores, whereas 808s will be everywhere.

This is a different game from last fall, when Kanye and 50 Cent released solo albums on the very same day. After weeks of hype leading up to their showdown, West's Graduation pushed 957,000 copies, easily besting Curtis, which sold 691,000 copies in week one.

Before Geffen's plan was known, MTV News reached out to U.K. betting company Ladbrokes and online-gaming purveyors Bodog Entertainment to see which album they favor for a #1 opening. Despite West's immense popularity, the numerous leaks of Chinese Democracy over the years and GN'R's Best Buy deal, oddsmakers from both companies said Guns' LP has the best chance of scoring a chart-topping debut.

Bodoglife.com Sportsbook manager Richard Gardner put the odds at -130 in favor of Guns — which is basically the same thing as saying there's a 56 percent chance that Axl will outsell West. Meanwhile, he put the odds at -110 for a Kanye West win, or a 52 percent chance that his album will enter the chart at the peak position.

"We would quote 1/3 on Guns N' Roses, and 5/2 on Kanye West," said Nick Weinberg, head of Ladbrokes' novelty betting division. "So we make Guns N' Roses the favorite to top the charts in the week immediately after the release, due to the massive sense of anticipation surrounding the album. A lot of people have been waiting a long time for it."

• Axl Rose's Top MTV Moments
• MTV News RAW: Kanye West

• Guns N' Roses
• Kanye West

By Shaheem Reid

Photo: MTV News

• Kanye West

Check out clips from Britney Spears' 'For the Record' documentary right here!
By Jocelyn Vena

Britney Spears in "Britney: For The Record"
Photo: MTV

In a 33-minute media screening for Britney Spears' new documentary, "For the Record" — which airs Sunday, November 30, on MTV — we get a fuller sense of what the singer's life has been like in recent months; a series of sneak peeks have popped up over the last few days. In the screening, which took place Thursday (November 20), we see the singer on shopping trips in New York, shooting the music video for her single "Womanizer," and her daily contact with hordes of paparazzi.

In the special, Spears likens her life to the Bill Murray film "Groundhog Day," in which every day is the same. "It's like 'Groundhog Day' every day," she says. "It's really boring. Normal is really different for everybody. In my situation, I try to make it as normal as possible for me. It could be a lot worse."

She talks about the ways that her life has changed under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie — whom she pokes fun at in one of the clips from the show — but more so due to the constant media presence surrounding her.

"I used to be a cool chick," she says. "But I feel like the paparazzi has taken that away from me — like, the way I used to live my life. I used to be a cool chick but I'm not anymore."

She also admits in the special that she feels jealous of people like Jessica Alba, or even her younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears, who can go out with their children without being followed by a mob of paparazzi. And she admits that the people she surrounded herself with the last couple years of her life were not the types of people she should have been hanging out with.

"I had let people into my life that were just bad people," she said, adding later, "You're so busy you don't see what's going on. You don't have time to stop and think. ... It's important to have good people around you."

She also talks a lot about the demise of her marriage to Kevin Federline. "When it ended I felt so alone," she explains. "I didn't really wanna think about the reality of it. I never faced it. I just ran. He started to do an album for himself and he started to do things for himself, and I just never saw him anymore."

She addresses her well-chronicled breakdown after she and Federline split.

"My trust has really been battered," she says. "Sometimes it can get kinda lonely. I had totally lost my way. I lost focus. I lost myself. I let certain people into my life that were just bad people ... because I was lonely. I really paid the consequences for that. Big time."

However, she stresses that she doesn't consider herself a "victim."

"I don't like that," she says, "I've been placed in that category and I hate that."

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday, November 30, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

• Britney: For The Record

• Britney Spears

'I'm doing this for the fans and for them to enjoy what Dime was all about,' drummer says of selling products related to his late brother.
By Chris Harris

Vinnie Paul Abbott
Photo: Toby Canham/ Getty Images

On Monday, during an appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program "Rockline," Pantera and Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott was asked to respond to online criticism that he's been profiting from the death of his brother, Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was killed onstage during a Damageplan gig in Columbus, Ohio, on December 8, 2004, by gunman Nathan Gale.

Since his brother's murder, Vinnie Paul has released several Dimebag-related items through his Big Vin Records label, including DVDs and the recently released paperback book "He Came to Rock." The book features more than 400 pictures of the guitarist, as well as personal tributes from the likes of Slayer's Kerry King, Anthrax's Scott Ian and Zakk Wylde.

The show's host asked Abbott about message board postings, questioning why the proceeds from these various posthumous releases weren't being earmarked for charitable causes, instead going to him.

"I don't even know where to go with that other than, you know, [my critics are] not in the same position I'm in or had to go through what I've gone through here," he said. "It's really none of their business where it goes, so I don't know how else to address it — I really don't even think about it. It doesn't cross my mind."

Abbott said he isn't trying to cash in on his brother's tragic end but rather trying to keep Dimebag's legacy alive and well.

"I'm doing this for the fans and for them to enjoy what Dime was all about and give them more than what they already had — to increase his legacy and to make him larger than life forever," Abbott explained. "And he'll outlive all of us. I'm beyond letting things like that pick at me or irritate me. I just have to look past them and keep rolling."

• Pantera

Singer describes the inspiration behind her new album in a video interview on her own site.
By Jocelyn Vena

Britney Spears
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic

In a polished new interview posted on her Web site, Britney Spears reveals the inspiration behind her upcoming album, Circus, and how it differs from 2007's Blackout, which she admits she recorded during a "dark phase" of her life.

"This is something that I've worked for, for a really long time, for like a year now," she says of the album due out December 2, her 27th birthday. "The timing is perfect. It's around my birthday and I'm really excited. I can't wait to share it with my fans."

In the video, Spears says the album's title doesn't solely refer to her life being a metaphorical circus, but also to her affinity for the actual three-ring, big-top kind. "I like the fact that you're always on the edge of your seat when you're at a circus. ... You're never bored," she says. "You're just really engulfed in what's going on around you. And you want to know what's going to happen next."

Britney says she jumped at the opportunity to help write her songs, as soon as she started planning out the sound of the album in the studio. "The process was cool, because I got to write a lot of the songs, and in the beginning, I really took part in that," she says. "I experimented with a lot of the pop producers that I worked with on my earliest albums. I went all the way back old-school, which is a lot of fun to do."

The album also features a song called "Circus." "It's about me as an entertainer — what I do, and what I bring to a show, is basically like a circus," she explains. "I bring costumes and fun theatrical things that make people in awe."

Spears calls her last release, Blackout, "dark and edgier and urban." This time around, fans can expect a more pop feel. "Circus is a little bit lighter than Blackout," she says. "I think a lot of the songs I did at that time, I was going through a really dark phase in my life, so a lot of the songs reflect that.

"But it's interesting because I didn't go on tour with that album, so I'm going to have to bring some of those songs onto this tour that I do," she adds. "So, I'm excited, because it's going to feel like so much new material."

Spears concludes the video with a message to fans. "Thank you so much for sticking by me for this long," she says. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday, November 30, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

• Britney Spears

The couple will be granted a "quickie" divorce in London's High Court, according to reports.
By Gil Kaufman

Guy Ritchie and Madonna
Photo: Fred Duval/ FilmMagic

Less than a month after announcing plans to end their eight-year marriage, Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie are slated to finalize their divorce on Friday in London.

According to a Reuters report, the proceedings will take place in a High Court in London where "quickie" divorces are granted. Madonna and Ritchie are entitled to attend, but the news service said high-profile celebrities tend not to show up in court.

Details of the terms of the divorce between the world-famous pop singer, 50, and the "Sherlock Holmes" director, 40, have not been made public, but they have a joint fortune that's been estimated at more than $525 million. They have an 8-year-old son, Rocco, and an adopted Malawian son, David Banda. Madonna also has a daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship. The custody arrangements for the children have not yet been announced, but reports in the media have stated that Madonna prefers to live in the United States after years of shuttling back and forth from England, while Ritchie prefers to stay in his native Britain.

Madonna's London-based publicist declined to comment on any specifics of the divorce to Reuters, including how the couple will split their fortune. The Times Online reported that Madonna will keep the bulk of her more than $500 million fortune, and that the couple have resolved the question of where the children will live, with the two boys sharing time between the U.S. and England and Lourdes living with her mother in New York. Ritchie, who is estimated to have his own fortune worth more than $50 million, would have been entitled under divorce law to up to 50 percent of the money earned during the marriage, but friends told the paper that he has opted to take very little of his wife's money.

An unnamed friend of the couple told the Times, "He could have hugely boosted his bank balance and set himself up for life, but he already feels he has enough money. ... He also didn't want the whole thing dragging on in the public gaze for months and months and, in any case, his priority was the children's future."

A source told People, however, that the financial details reported in British papers were inaccurate. "He's going to get a huge windfall, contrary to what's being reported," an unnamed source told the magazine. "He's getting a lot of money from the settlement. He's not the gentleman he's portraying himself as."

After several years of speculation about their marriage and denials of an impending divorce — exacerbated by news earlier this year that the singer was spotted getting close with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez — the couple finally confirmed that they were splitting in October.

• Madonna

Lawsuit takes aim at 50's persona of 'belligerence and arrogance.'
By Gil Kaufman

50 Cent
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

The lawyers for Taco Bell may know about the law, but it seems they're not too up on the rules of the hip-hop game.

In a trash-talking countersuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York in September that recently surfaced, the food chain's lawyers shot back against a trademark-infringement suit filed by 50 (born Curtis Jackson) last summer, in which the MC sued the chain for allegedly making him an unauthorized spokesman in a campaign in which they suggested he change his name to "79 Cent" or "99 Cent" to match prices on the Taco Bell menu.

According to a copy of the countersuit obtained by TMZ, Taco Bell engages in some legal trash talking, in which they say the "self-described former drug dealer and hustler" creates music that falls into "the subgenre of hip-hop music known as 'gangsta rap,' a style associated with urban street gangs and characterized by violent, tough-talking braggadocio."

The suit claims that 50 has used his "colorful" past to cultivate an image of "belligerence and arrogance," and says he has a "well-publicized track record for making threats, starting feuds and filing lawsuits," while also painting himself as a charitable person who gives back to his community. Lawyers for Taco Bell claim the suit against them is "another of Jackson's attempts to burnish his gangsta rapper persona by distorting beyond all recognition a bona fide, good faith offer Taco Bell made."

The chain argues that their offer to donate $10,000 to the charity of 50's choice and give the restaurant's patrons free food if 50 showed up at any Taco Bell restaurant and "rapped an order in the drive thru using the name 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent," was made in earnest.

The suit claims that the "humorous but sincere" open letter it sent to 50 had an obvious "jovial spirit," but with a serious underlying offer. "The challenge — asking Jackson to temporarily change his name ... for charity — was a soft ridicule and good-natured lampoon of the rapper's moniker, 50 Cent, and his public image as a gangsta rapper."

As a defense, the suit notes that the letter from Taco Bell's president was not used in ads, that 50's name was never used in an ad campaign and that "celebrity challenges are notable and newsworthy and reported in the media."

In the end, Bell's lawyers say 50 could simply have responded yes or no to the offer, and if he'd said yes, both would have benefited from the publicity for his good deed. Instead, though, the suit claims he launched an "aggressive, offensive attack on Taco Bell in the press," including threatening legal action against the chain in a widely distributed sound bite in which he warned, "when my legal team is finished with them, Taco Bell is going to have a new corporate slogan: 'We messed with the bull and got the horns.' "

Peter Raymond, an attorney for 50 Cent, said in a statement released to MTV News Thursday afternoon (November 20): "Mr. Jackson filed this lawsuit to protect his valuable trademark and privacy rights against infringers like Taco Bell, who seek to make money using his name without his permission. Mr. Jackson intends to demonstrate that Taco Bell and its affiliated companies have used this same infringing tactic before by issuing press releases using other celebrities' names, such as Rihanna, Chris Brown, Fergie and Paris Hilton. Mr. Jackson believes that Taco Bell needs to be stopped. With this recent court filing, Taco Bell has not only misappropriated Mr. Jackson's name, but they have now defamed his character in a desperate attempt to defend their improper actions. Mr. Jackson intends to vigorously pursue this case."

Representatives for Taco Bell had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment at press time.

[This story was originally published at 12:31 pm E.T. on 11.20.2008]

• 50 Cent

Bassist keeps expectations low, but says plane crash put things in perspective: 'Life is too short.'
By James Montgomery

Blink-182 in 2003
Photo: Brian Appio

Last week, at the mtvU Woodie Awards, former Blink-182er (and current member of +44) Mark Hoppus spoke about his best friend and bandmate Travis Barker, who is recovering from second-and-third degree burns suffered in a September 19 plane crash that killed four people and seriously injured DJ AM.

And this week, Hoppus kept on talking — er, blogging — only this time it wasn't just about about Barker, but former Blink bandmate Tom DeLonge, too. Seems that, for the first time since Blink went on "indefinite hiatus" in February 2005, all three members have been spending time together ... which, of course, could mean that we're in the early stages of a full-on Blink reunion. Maybe.

"In the midst of everything else that has happened lately, Tom, Travis and I have all spoken together," Hoppus wrote on his official site, HiMyNameIsMark.com. First, through a number of phone calls, and then a couple of weeks ago we all hung out for a few hours. They've all been great, very positive conversations. We're just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking. It's a good thing. Obviously the first question for a lot of people will be, 'Does this mean a Blink-182 reunion?' The answer is none of us know. We haven't talked about it at all. Right now it's just good for the three of us to see one another, reconnect and let the past be the past. The events of the past two months supersede everything that happened before. Life is too short."

Despite the public silence from Barker's former Blink-mates in the immediate wake of the crash — which lasted just a couple of weeks — this sounds very much like the hatchet being buried. And as if that news wasn't enough to send Blink fans into a tizzy, consider what Hoppus told MTV News last week, when he was asked when fans can expect a new album from his and Barker's post-Blink band, +44: "Hopefully, in the next couple months we'll see [Barker] behind the kit, I pray. No matter what I work on, Travis will be part of, for sure."

Hoppus' post wasn't entirely devoted to stoking the Blink flames. He also wrote at great length about "Little" Chris Baker and Charles "Che" Still, two of Barker's friends and associates who were killed in the crash.

"These past two months have been the hardest times that I can remember, and I hope that we never see anything like this ever again," he wrote. "Even two months later, I still can't believe what happened, and it's too much to talk about. But let me say that I think about Little Chris every single day, and the world is not the same without him. He is one of the best people I've ever known. We traveled the world together, spending countless hours on buses and planes, in hotel lobbies and dressing rooms. ... I'm so sad that he is not here right now. There are just no words."

• Travis Barker And DJ AM Before The Crash

• blink-182
• Travis Barker
• (+44)
• Angels and Airwaves