Jam-packed

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KUBE Summer Jam, with the Cash Money Hot Boys, Brian McKnight, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Destiny's Child, Next, Da Brat, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, TQ, Sole, Run-D.M.C. and Beanie Sigal. Noon today, the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Grant County, sold out. Gorge hotline: 206-464-2000, Ext. 7469.

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Deep in the Eastern Washington desert, where the sun beats down and cowboys lurk, ain't exactly where you'd expect to find much bumpin' bass or an R&B flow. Yet this is what happens every year around this time as KUBE Summer Jam hits the Gorge.

In its eighth year, the radio-station-sponsored multi-bill event is now something of a Pacific Northwest institution, attracting fans all over the West Coast to spend a day listening to mainstream hip-hop, smooth soul and, more likely, to scope out their near-naked peers.

Yes, Summer Jam's showcase is all around you, not just onstage. As 20,000 strangers, many of them teens and college students, squeeze and strain to get the best spot on the lawn or the dance area in front of the stage, plenty of frottage and flirtation goes down. Shoot, that stuff starts on the highway as I-90 fills with SUVs cruising their way to George. Just as KUBE-FM (93.3) is the closest thing Seattle has to an R&B station, the Summer Jam is the Pacific Northwest's melanin-challenged version of Freaknik.

Freaky as things may get in front of the stage, you might want to pay attention to the performers. Each year, KUBE manages to get bigger and more current acts, and this year is no exception. The Jam remains an interesting mix of solid artists, hot new things, old-school stars demanding tribute and one-hit wonders you'll probably never hear from again. Case in point: Two years ago Sylk-e Fyne shared the Summer Jam stage with LL Cool J and, uh, where is she now?

Determining who among this year's lineup is destined for an early demise may be more difficult than usual; almost everyone onstage has a healthy buzz supporting them - even Destiny's Child, who plans to include some Summer Jam footage in its upcoming MTV "Making the Video" special. Wear your best halter tops.

And by the way, there's a reason it's called a Summer Jam: There are a lot of performers crammed into this daylong concert. Twelve acts are scheduled to take the stage within about 10 hours. Some artists only have 10 or 15 minutes to light up the stage.

HERE'S THE LINEUP:

Here's a rundown of the Jam, along with approximate set times for each act. Be aware that these times aren't solid; certain artists may take more or less time, and the order of acts may change.

The Cash Money Hot Boys. Forget about entering the "Willennium," as Will Smith would like 2000 to be called. This year is all about the Cash Money crew. Representing the Dirty South, the Hot Boys - Juvenile, Li'l Wayne, Mannie Fresh and B.G. - were the best thing about the recent Seattle stop on the Cash Money/Ruff Ryders tour. Without them and their "Back That Thang Up" antics, it seems the evening would have been a complete bust. Hopefully this appearance won't put as much responsibility on the Cash Money crew, who rely on their high-roller showmanship as much as on their prodigious lyrical skills. Both have helped them top the charts and influence our popular lexicon; Li'l Wayne coined the term "bling bling" to refer to his bankrolling skills, and now it's everywhere, including the marquees of several video rental stores around town. Set time: 9:45 p.m., 35 minutes.

Brian McKnight. His stuff may be more suited for a cool, one-on-one evening with candles and champagne, but this seductive soul man has a reputation for kicking it into high gear for his live performances, making him a fine fit for two as well as 20,000. Filling out his smooth, sexy vocals with versatile instrumentation, McKnight's album "Back At One" has this musician, who has played Summer Jam before, gracefully working in head-bumping beats along with his famous fiery slow jams. After a day of furious shaking and baking, a session with McKnight might be just the thing to level folks out for the long ride home. Set time: 8:55 p.m., 35 minutes.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. In the wake of releasing their quadruple platinum double CD "The Art of War" in 1997, two of BTNH's members released solo CDs and the rest of the group dropped off the radar. But just when you thought these bones were resting in hip-hop's graveyard, the chart topping Clevelanders are rising again with the appropriately named "BTNHResurrection." Like their other joints, BTNH's fourth album bounces neat hooks and luscious grooves off Krayzie, Layzie, Bizzy, Wish and Flesh's lyrical wizardry. Their stage presence matches the wild energy of the recordings, so their live performance will certainly be something Summer Jammers won't want to sleep on. Set time: 8:05 p.m., 35 minutes.

Destiny's Child: EnVogue is yesterday's fashion and TLC has fizzled out. Enter Destiny's Child, a well-heeled and curvaceous Texas foursome that quickly became the harmonious, cute-girl group du jour. If you escaped "Bug A Boo" or "Say My Name" bouncing all over the radio, congratulations. Trust us when we say you won't remain in blissful ignorance for much longer. Destined for fame? They're there. But greatness . . .? Set time: 6:50 p.m., 20 minutes.

Da Brat: Just two albums ago, Da Brat was a sport-jersey-wearing, sweatband-sporting homegirl from Chi-town and, man, did she look hard. Now with her latest CD "Unrestricted," the round-the-way rapper grows up with a Li'l Kim-style makeover. The summer sun shines on a more emotionally mature Brat, getting romantic with "What'chu Like" and sadly nostalgic with "Runnin' Out of Time." She remains tough, though; just take a listen to "That's What I'm Looking For" for proof of that. Whatever side she shows the Summer Jam crowd, be it gangsta girl or gamin, Da Brat keeps her lyrics tight. Tyrese will join her onstage for "What'chu Like," and Jermaine Dupri also is scheduled to appear with the rapper. Set time: 6:20 p.m., 20 minutes.

Busta Rhymes: Another Summer Jam alumnus, Busta comes back this time even higher up on the rap-fame ladder, lately busting out with dramatics in "Shaft" and peering slyly from the cover of this month's Vibe. He has even pledged his allegiance to the Sci-Fi Channel in its house ads. None of that matters when he hits the stage pumped up with ferocious, manic glee. Busta's latest and, ostensibly darkest opus, "Anarchy," just hit stores this summer, which means more party anthems ("We Comin' Through" is this summer's candidate) and more craziness. Set time: 5:20 p.m., 30 minutes.

Run-D.M.C. Run - that's the good Reverend Run to you - may have found God in all His glory, but that doesn't stop Joseph Simmons and his other half, D.M.C., (Darryl McDaniels), along with Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) from mixing it up onstage about 300 days a year. And just as Adidas is making a big comeback, so is this rap duo with a new CD, "Crown Royal." Maybe Run's older brother, Russell Simmons, will bring them up-to-date on the fashion tip by passing a little Phat Farm their way. Set time: 3:30 p.m., 30 minutes.

Also performing are a few new and promising acts on the hip-hop and R&B charts, including singers TQ and Sole (who get 15 minutes apiece onstage). Nelly, a rapper whose muscular first album, "Country Grammar," debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, will play the Summer Jam for a whopping 10 minutes, the same amount of time allotted for Beanie Sigal. Next, a late entry to the lineup, is also scheduled to appear for a 20-minute set. The whole day kicks off with about three hours of steel-drum and reggae music.