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Young Jeezy turned a hip-hop show into a sing-along at House of Blues last Tuesday night.

Onstage, there was a collegial atmosphere, with one of the 18 bystanders on stage handing Jeezy a drink in the middle of a song, another handing him a smoke and yet another patting his back. And when he said, "I can do this all night," the crowd went wild. You almost forget how many hits Jeezy is responsible for ("Trap Star," "I Luv It"), and that he has a signature flow (yes, I've been to Spondivit's).

If there's any way that any rapper can go about his craft quietly, Jeezy is the one. Even his explanation for why he raps about drugs, cars, etc., is quiet and to the point. "I stress what I know," he explains. "I don't know nothin' about building houses ... or fixing cars."

It was like a mixtape -- live -- with mostly snippets of songs. The crowd didn't complain, standing for most of the show and rapping along, most with eyes closed and hands raised.

Well, oh my Lord. Maxwell, who produced one of the must-have CDs, has confirmed the dates on a 2008 tour. These will be his first live tour performances in six years. And, lucky us, we get a date with him at the Majestic on Nov. 8. He doesn't look the same ... I mean, he still has that chiseled jaw and a gaze that could launch ships. But, the whole vibe around the wardrobe has changed. Still yummy ...

I finally caught a rerun of the BET Awards and he was part of a tribute to Al Green, who was honored that night in late June. Talk about a welcome sight. His surprise-I'm-definitely-not-dead version of "Simply Beautiful" was simply wonderful and wholly his. The only thing that could have made it any better is if D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill had been waiting in the wings to take their turns. (Although the night's other big surprises, performances from a reconstituted En Vogue, SWV and TLC with Alicia Keys, weren't too shabby either.)

(Photo from www.soulbounce.com)

Today, we profiled My Morning Jacket, who make no secret of their love for Erykah Badu. Now Badu tells us she "loves" the group's version of her '97 hit "Tyrone." "They put a new twist on it," she says. "It's bluesy and soulful, where my version is more joking. I think I prefer their version to mine." Badu calls the Kentucky rockers "one of my favorite bands" and says she plans on seeing them Saturday night at the Palladium Ballroom.