POP/ROCKRapping on Capitol Hill: Two rappers, Tragedy...

POP/ROCK

Rapping on Capitol Hill: Two rappers, Tragedy the Intelligent Hoodlum and YoYo, along with brothers Allen and Albert Hughes, directors of the film “Menace II Society,” will speak about music censorship on Capitol Hill today at a Congressional Black Caucus forum headed by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). Says rapper Tragedy: “Certain elected officials have condemned rappers who are addressing serious issues that face us. Such attacks have merely been a method by which to intimidate or stop a black voice. Rappers who address these issues deserve respect, not condemnation and attack.”

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A Bridge for James Brown: A ceremony Wednesday marked the dedication of the James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge in Steamboat Springs, Colo., with “Godfather of Soul” James Brown donning a cowboy hat and greeting hundreds of cheering fans. “Papa’s got a brand new bridge,” the “I Feel Good” singer said. The county had held a contest to name the bridge, and on a lark Brown’s fans started a campaign to name the bridge after the Georgia native. The ceremony was nearly marred when racially offensive graffiti were found on the bridge before the ceremony, but they were quickly removed.

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First-Time Sponsors: Sandra Bernhard & the Strap-Ons and David Drake, the author and star of the play “The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me,” will perform at the Sept. 26 entertainment industry fund-raiser for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a group that seeks an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation. This year’s dinner at the Beverly Hilton marks the first time that corporate sponsors have come from the music industry--including such firms as Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, MCA Music, EMI Music Publishing and Warner Bros. Records. Film sponsors include Fox Inc., MCA Inc., MGM, Paramount, Sony, Disney and Warner Bros.

THE ARTS

Tickets Still Available: Opera patrons can still get tickets in every price range for the July 16 “Three Tenors” concert at Dodger Stadium, box-office personnel report. Tickets for the concert reuniting Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti are available in every price range: $15, $35, $75, $150, $300, $500 and $1,000, believed to be the highest price ever for a concert in Los Angeles. While the $500 and $1,000 tickets are guaranteed floor seats, concert promoters have not determined how many seats will be available at any price level. Tickets can be bought in a lottery system through the Dodger Stadium Box Office until further notice.

TV/MOVIES

Animation Nominees: “Batman: The Animated Series,” “Disney’s the Little Mermaid,” “The Ren and Stimpy Show,” “The Simpsons” and “Tiny Toons Adventures” are the nominees for the 21st annual Annie Awards from the International Animated Film Society’s Hollywood branch. Nominees in the film category: Disney’s “Aladdin,” Hanna-Barbera’s “Once Upon a Forest” and Tokyo Movie Shimsha’s “Little Nemo in Slumberland.” The awards will be presented Nov. 5 in North Hollywood.

QUICK TAKES

Sharon Stone, Jerry Seinfeld, Dennis Miller, Boyz II Men, Rita Rudner, James Earl Jones and baseball great Willie Mays are among those scheduled to star in “Baseball Relief: An All-Star Comedy Salute,” a Comic Relief benefit scheduled to air Oct. 15 on Fox. . . . David Crosby and former Beatle George Harrison will lend their voices (playing themselves) for the Sept. 30 episode of Fox’s “The Simpsons,” in which Homer Simpson remembers his glory days as a member of a barbershop quartet. . . . Tickets go on sale Monday for two Neil Diamond concerts--Dec. 16 and 17 at the Forum. . . . “Cheers” and “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer will serve as host of Sunday’s AIDS Walk Los Angeles, an annual fund-raiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles.