KUBE Summer Jam makes it hot in here

Maybe this is the year the KUBE Summer Jam has got its numbers right.

In the decade since it first brought the biggest hip-hop party to Western Washington, KUBE's yearly concerts consistently boast hefty rosters of some of the best-known artists on the charts, in theaters or on TV. Summer Jam packs so many of them on one stage, in a single day, that most barely receive more than a few minutes to strut. Had they known in 1998 what they know now about Missy Elliott, for instance, she would have been granted a little more time than 15 minutes of Gorge fame.

As anyone who goes to these huge, hot affairs knows, most of what happens onstage is just a backdrop to a never-ending parade of quivering halter tops, bikinis and microshorts in the audience, an orgiastic human sea of groping and ogling. (And, last year, fighting. Several arrests were made due to scuffles at the campgrounds after Summer Jam had ended.)

Save for the top three headliners (Nelly, Usher and Jermaine Dupri), most of the artists merely have to take to the stage breathing to assure a fun time will be had by the 20,000-plus crowd.

This year, however, performers are due to get a little more individual attention since Summer Jam 10 has only nine artists on the bill. Compared to years past — Summer Jam '93 brought a whopping 26 artists to the Evergreen State Fairgrounds — this is blessedly lean.

You have to give the station some credit: For all of its recycled artists (Nelly, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J and Da Brat are all return players), there's no one on the bill this year who can truly be called filler. Even Mario shows a little more long-term promise than most artists at the bottom of past bills have, thanks to his remake of a Biz Markie song that's given him a hit in major urban markets.

Here's an examination of Summer Jam's bill:

Nelly: At 23, Cornell Haynes Jr. has a platinum-selling debut CD, "Country Grammar," under his belt, brought his hometown partners in rhyme, the St. Lunatics, out of obscurity into national attention, and has signed a deal with Paramount Network Television to develop a sitcom. His second Billboard chart-topping CD, "Nellyville," bursts with the artist's signature bouncy melodies paired with a smooth, lyrical flow and shows his rise to fame is steadily on course. The platinum-selling "Nellyville's" standout track, "Hot in Herre," produced by the Neptunes, is sure to churn up the Jam crowd with the refrain's invitation to disrobe. Cover your eyes, honey.

Usher: He calls himself "The King of Hip-Pop," and until anyone challenges the title, we'll let Usher have it. R&B hits "My Way," "Nice & Slow," and "You Make Me Wanna" topped the charts and introduced the Nickelodeon generation to the art of screaming at grown men who can hold a note. Usher's got the moves to back up his pipes, incorporating a streetwise style into his tunes that will likely propel sales of his latest CD, "8701." His taste in movie roles, though ... let's just say the latest film he's appeared in was last year's flop "Texas Rangers."

Jermaine Dupri: Producer. Songwriter. Rap star. No, we're not talking about P. Diddy. Dupri is responsible for launching Da Brat, Lil' Bow Wow and Kriss Kross (remember them?) into orbit through his company So So Def Recordings before getting behind the mike to create his own party hits. His second record, "Instructions," intersperses odes to the joys of materialism with songs of love and devotion, so we've heard.

Da Brat: Despite Dupri's protégé trading in her braids and starter jackets for Lil' Kim clothing and shimmering makeup, she hasn't exactly exploded. Even so, Chicago-born Brat has had a consistent presence joining other rap stars and singers on cuts and in TV appearances. Her latest CD is titled "Unrestricted."

LL Cool J: LL headlined Summer Jam in 1998, saving the crowd from turning on him due to his tardiness with a tight, if short, set filled with classic hits like "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "I Can't Live Without My Radio." He's the old-school artist on this bill, because there always has to be at least one.

Busta Rhymes: He staked out his status as a hip-hop force years ago with the Leaders of the New School, and has since blown up to achieve mainstream recognition — Mr. Rhymes can be enjoyed in theaters right now running from Michael Myers in "Halloween: Resurrection" — while maintaining his underground cachet. The iconoclastic rapper's "Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)" is his most recent in a collection of CDs that puts hard, gravelly rhymes over dark, apocalyptic themes and samples. Ah, Busta Rhymes. Now more than ever.

Nappy Roots: Pop-music slurries overflow with rappers putting materialism first, so it's nice to see the Nappy Roots, who sing and spit the joy of being regular guys with regular pleasures. This explains why their first CD is called "Watamelon, Chicken, and Gritz."

Rayvon: Stepping out from Shaggy's shadow, the bouncy one's partner is taking aim on his own solo record fame with "My Bad."

Mario: One wouldn't think about turning Biz Markie's delightfully goofy "Just a Friend" into a steamy hit about young love unrequited. That's just what this teenage artist has done with "Just a Friend 2002," the hit from his debut album, which included an updated rhyme from the Biz himself.

Melanie McFarland: mmcfarland@seattletimes.com.