ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

POP/ROCK

Hip-Hop Winners From the Source

The broadening landscape of hip-hop was evident Monday night at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards, as Nelly and OutKast--rap stars from St. Louis and Atlanta, respectively--took home top awards. Though New York and the West Coast are longtime hubs of the genre, other regions made their mark.

Nelly won best new artist and, in an upset, took the trophy for best album for his “Country Grammar” in a field that included Eminem and Jay-Z. The flamboyant duo OutKast won the best artist award for a group and the best live performer award. Other winners included Jay-Z (best artist, solo) and Ja Rule (best single for “Put It on Me”).

The awards show, now in its third year, was held in Miami Beach for the first time after an ugly melee in the audience marred last year’s taping at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. This year’s six-hour taping went off without incident, although two men were later stabbed outside the nightclub hosting the gala’s official after-party. One man was in critical condition Tuesday.

The violence should not reflect on the show organizers because the gala’s tie-in events achieved “72 hours of sheer success marred by 30 seconds of discord,” a police spokesman said.

An edited version of the Miami Beach gala will air Aug. 28 on UPN.

RADIO

Paul Harvey Is Back in the Saddle--Part Time

Paul Harvey returned to the airwaves Monday, pleading for tolerance on the part of listeners.

“Americans, in judging the speaking voice which is still undergoing renovation, please be merciful,” Harvey said, as he closed his five-minute morning program, “Paul Harvey News and Comment.”

The call for mercy came after a three-month absence while the 82-year-old broadcaster recuperated from what was first thought to be severe laryngitis.

Doctors later diagnosed a virus that had settled in one of his vocal cords, said Chris Berry, vice president of ABC News Radio.

Harvey’s voice sounded scratchy and hoarse as he began the broadcast with his trademark “Good morning, Americans.” Still, it cleared up slowly as he proceeded. And, at the end, he broke into song: “It’s been a long winter without you. It’s been a long winter without you.”

Harvey said he felt so good to be back on the air that he might start singing the news. “And you wouldn’t want that,” he said, before signing off with his trademark “Good day!”

For a few weeks, Harvey will do only his morning broadcast and his daily “Rest of the Story” program, delegating the 15-minute midday program to guest hosts until he fully recovers.

In November, Harvey signed a 10-year, $100-million contract with ABC Radio Networks under which he’ll continue the commentaries he began in 1951--shows reaching about 24 million listeners a day.

THE ARTS

Two Jobs One Too Many for David Ross

David Ross, who abruptly announced his resignation last week as director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art after just three years, left the post to keep his other job: director of the London-based Web site Eyestorm, which sells art online.

Ross, who took the Eyestorm job in May, and SFMOMA board chairwoman Elaine McKeon told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday that there was no apparent way to avoid potential conflicts of interest with the two jobs. “I decided to just go make some money,” said Ross, whose annual museum salary was $393,000.

QUICK TAKES

Stevie Nicks, citing severe bronchitis, postponed her Universal Amphitheatre shows that had been scheduled for Tuesday night and tonight. New dates will be announced today, a spokesman for the venue said. ... “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” which premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse last year, has set an April 18 opening date on Broadway. The venue is yet to be announced.... Plans to rename a city street in honor of Grammy-winning blues musician and former Springfield, Mass., resident Taj Mahal hit a wall when people who live on the street decided against going through the inconvenience of changing their mailing address. Instead, they’ll erect a plaque to the singer, whom they knew by the name of Henry Fredericks.... Canadian country singer Shania Twain gave birth to a boy on Aug. 12. She and her producer-songwriter husband John “Mutt” Lange named their first child Eja (pronounced “Asia”).... Bob Hewson, father of U2 frontman Bono, died Tuesday after a long bout with cancer. Bono had been flying back to Dublin each night during the band’s current tour to spend time with him. ... Tony Danza (“Taxi,” “Family Law”) will host the “Miss America 2001” telecast on ABC on Sept. 22. It’s the first time the actor will assume this role, in which he’ll serenade the winner and participate in a song and dance performance with contestants.... More than 10,000 slides, negatives and transparencies by photographer Phil Stern--a freelancer for Life and the Saturday Evening Post--have been donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Included in the collection are behind-the-scenes shots from films such as “The Defiant Ones” and “True Grit,” shot from the 1940s through the 1980s.