Hear and Now: This week on the music beat

PASS THE MIKE The new video from rowdy New Orleans rappers Big Tymers packs some extra punch: to wit, a guest appearance by Mike Tyson. Turns out Iron Mike agreed to appear in the clip for ''10 Wayz'' as a favor to Brian ''Baby'' Williams, the copresident of Big Tymers' label, Cash Money Records. Williams says the fighter, whom he met in Las Vegas a couple of years back, is interested in working with the label, possibly developing a female vocalist or two. ''I told Mike we'll do whatever, whenever, however,'' says Williams. ''We got a good friendship. It ain't nothin' signed, it's just verbal.'' Williams also told Tyson that a few Cash Money artists, including Juvenile and the Hot Boyz, will write a song and perform it at the pugilist's as-yet-unscheduled next fight. Tyson was unavailable for comment, but perhaps Cash Money should offer him an A&R job: He'll probably bite.
— Tom Sinclair

DOT-COMEBACK Whither Weezer? Five years ago, the L.A.-spawned rockers were the alt-nation's token nerds, thanks in part to the power-pop single ''Buddy Holly'' and its Spike Jonze-helmed clip. But after their 1996 album, Pinkerton, tanked, they were written off as a one-album wonder — during which time lead singer Rivers Cuomo was still recuperating from leg surgery. Now, in an unlikely comeback story, the re-formed band — minus bassist Matt Sharp — has just added five dates to their sold-out 15-city tour (with online scalpers commanding up to $100 a ticket). ''There was always this Internet contingent that was rabid about Weezer,'' says drummer Pat Wilson, ''but I didn't know how that would translate in the real world. It seems we're more popular than when we stopped playing.'' The hiatus, Wilson says, was due to the search for a new bassist (Mikey Welsh) and intraband tensions after the Pinkerton tour: ''We just hated each other.'' Things have cooled down enough that Weezer hope to record a new CD this fall for a spring 2001 release, and want to make another video with Jonze. And as for the more out-there musings about how Cuomo spent his downtime? ''He definitely was showering,'' assures Wilson. Weez would hope so.