TOP HEAVY: Heavy D. and the Boyz...

TOP HEAVY: Heavy D. and the Boyz weigh in June 25 with a new album, “Peaceful Journey,” which features a new Teddy Riley-produced version of the Third World classic, “Now That We’ve Found Love.” Heavy D. also turns his ample charms toward some heavy topics. New tunes include “Sister Sister,” a long-overdue tribute to black women, “Don’t Curse,” a message song featuring Big Daddy Kane, Q Tip and Brand Nubian’s Grand Puba, plus “Letter to the Future” and “Swingin’ With Da Hevster.” . . . Here’s a surprise. The new album by hard-core rap faves N.W.A, titled “Niggaz4life,” makes a spectacular debut at No. 2 in this week’s Billboard charts. The rap group’s strong showing--record label sources say it sold nearly 100,000 copies--gives a much-needed boost of credibility to Billboard’s new Soundscan chart methodology, which has been criticized by record execs for being skewed against new rock and rap artists. . . . ZZ Top kicked off its European tour last weekend with a rowdy performance at the Grossefreiheit, a 1,200-seat Hamburg, Germany, beer hall whose downstairs club was the scene of several early Beatles performances. With tickets being scalped for as much as $1,000, the band played a host of R&B; classics, including Muddy Waters’ “Two Trains Running,” Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom,” Elvis’ “One Night With You” and Ray Sharpe’s “Linda Lou.” . . . Rough Trade Records, which spawned the Smiths, the BH Surfers and the Sundays, among others, has gone out of business, citing financial difficulties. . . . And the Knitters are back together, on a one-time only basis, to play a benefit June 19 at the Music Machine for Sunset Hall, a retirement home for aged activists. The band’s reunited lineup includes Dave Alvin, John Doe, Exene Cervenkea, D.J. Bonebrake and Johnny Ray Bartel.