Rival rappers under one roof

Trash-talking rap rivals Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Kanye West, sharing the same turf on the same night?

Four days away from their same-day, high-stakes album release Tuesday, the megastars are performing tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Isn't that a little like putting Kid Rock and Tommy Lee in the same deejay booth?

50 Cent is performing at the Hard Rock pool at 9 p.m., with his after-party at Body English. West has an 11 p.m. show at The Joint, all part of the MTV Video Music Awards weekend extravaganza.

Depending on how their fans behave this weekend, things might be a little testy when the two rappers go head to head Tuesday on Black Entertainment Network's "106 & Park" program.

More than bragging rights are at stake with their new albums. 50 Cent has announced he will retire as a solo artist if West's "Graduation" outsells "Curtis."

AH, NANTUCKET

We're back from Boston and Nantucket

We downed chowda and beer by the bucket

Had awesome pizza near Fenway

Took duck tour with Tim-MAY!

Missed no-hitter by kid from Pawtucket.

Great wines with Shane, Ted, Mike & Rebecca

While Britney romped in the neon mecca

Saw ol' Ironsides set sail

Heard many a whale tale

The bakery left our diets a shipwreck-a.

We basked in the cool-island breeze

Escaping the triple digit degrees

Rita Rudner's advice

We took very precise

"Don't travel with the Kennedys."

(Limerick assistance from The Leggy Blonde)

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Filming for "What Happens in Vegas," co-starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, moves from New York City to Planet Hollywood Resort late next month.

Party scene: Las Vegas band Panic! At the Disco is performing at the Belvedere Suite in the Palms Sky Villas at 1 a.m. Sunday, with DJ Ruckus and Pete Wentz spinning. Chris Noth, "Mr. Big" on "Sex and the City," is hosting tonight's Bombay Sapphire party at Blush. West is holding his album toast party at 7 p.m. today at Planet Hollywood Resort.

SIGHTINGS

R&B sensation Chris Brown and Jay-Z protégé Rihanna, who are getting talked up as the next Michael Jackson and Beyoncé, exchanging hellos Friday in a cabana at the Palms Pool & Bunga-lows. She's appear-ing at the Orleans Arena on Sunday night. ... Produ-cer Timbaland and 50 Cent, having dim sum at Blush, the new hot spot at Wynn. ... Chris "Luda-cris" Bridges, cele-brating his 30th birthday Friday at Café Martorano (Rio) with music industry friends.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Sen. Larry Craig is now rethinking his decision to resign. He says he's going to talk it over with his wife and the guy in stall No. 3." -- Conan O'Brien

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.