The Dr. Dre [ tickets ]-led Up in Smoke tour rolled into its final month sans rapper-actor Ice Cube [ tickets ], who has left the outing to begin filming the John Carpenter feature film "Ghosts of Mars" in New Mexico. The Up in Smoke line-up continues to feature Dr. Dre, Eminem and Snoop Dogg, among others.

In May, promoters announced that the Up in Smoke tour was being extended into August. Organizers reportedly were always aware that Ice Cube would not be able to join the hip-hop package tour's August dates because of his acting commitments. Ice Cube made his last appearance on July 28 at Baltimore Arena.

From a ticket-sales standpoint, Up In Smoke is shaping up as one of the most successful hip-hop tours ever staged. According to concert industry magazine Pollstar, the tour has averaged a box office gross of nearly $550,000 and attendance of just under 13,000 in each city it has played.

"Ghosts of Mars" will also star Jason Statham and Pam Grier. Courtney Love had been cast in a starring role as well, but she dropped out of the movie last month after claiming that she injured her ankle while training for the role, according to published reports.