Grammy Awards

Killer Mike's epic sweep of 3 categories is the Grammy headline that matters -- not his arrest -- at least, that's how one of the producers who helped him win those trophies will remember the weekend.

TMZ Hip Hop first obtained the video Sunday showing Mike surrounded by several security guards outside Crypto.com Arena -- and they ended up holding him until LAPD showed up to arrest Mike for battery.

Honorable C.N.O.T.E. tells us he spoke to KM moments after the run-in with a security guard, and he says Mike called it "the third best thing" that happened to him on Sunday -- in other words, the whole drama was already rain down the drain for Mike.

His self-titled album dominated this year's hip hop categories -- including Best Rap Album award, for which C.N.O.T.E. produced the track "Spaceship Views."

Jay-Z served the Grammys a bowl of backhanded soup while accepting his award -- but the Recording Academy deserved it, according to a couple Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently linked with Layzie and Flesh-n-Bone, the brotherly faction of the legendary Ohio rap group, and they told us Jay spoke facts when he scolded Grammy voters for Beyoncé’s lack of Album of the Year awards … while also being the record-holder for most trophies.

Few would disagree BTNH deserved their 1997 Grammy for their classic “Tha Crossroads,” but Layzie and Flesh sadly think the Grammys will never hit the bull-eyes when it comes to honoring Black and hip hop artists ... because the culture is just too vast to cover in a single night!!!

Flesh suspects the industry has been permanently infiltrated by rich culture vultures who can sway the people with dollars … and have a negative influence.

It’s the exact sentiment KXNG Crooked shared with us when railing against the industry last year.

So, if a billionaire like Jay is complaining, higher powers must be at work.

While you can’t make everyone happy, Lay and Flesh did have some grace for the Grammys for honoring their late mentor Eazy-E’s trailblazing group N.W.A with a 2024 Lifetime Achievement award -- which, they say, will go a long way in educating Gen Z on rap history.

They blame the internet for scrambling kids’ brains … as seen with the knee-jerk reactions after Killer Mike swept the Rap Grammy categories on Sunday and many younger fans — like Kai Cenat -- claimed they'd never heard of him until now.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Country music legend Toby Keith has sadly passed away surrounded by family due to complications from a lengthy battle with stomach cancer. He was just 62.

Taylor Swift's lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to a man who runs a social media page tracking her private jet whereabouts.

In other Swiftie news ... rumors have been running rampant following the Grammys that Taylor Swift is going to be Lana Del Rey's surprise guest at Coachella in April. Taylor's BF Travis Kelce revealed that he's already listened to her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, and says that "it is unbelievable!"

Rapper Killer Mike addressed his controversial arrest that took place at the Grammy awards, in which he allegedly knocked down a security guard.

Prince Harry is now in the United Kingdom to be with King Charles following his cancer diagnosis.

Plus, the lawyer behind the backup dancers suing Lizzo believes her presence at the Grammy awards was a double standard.

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Killer Mike is clarifying what happened at the Grammys that landed him in cuffs -- and he says it can all be chalked up to confusion ... and someone trying too hard to play police officer.

The rapper tells TMZ ... "As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard but my team and I have the utmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing. Until that time, keep listening to ‘Michael,’ and keep going after your dreams."

A source close to KM tells us he and his team ran into a little mishap while trying to enter the venue -- although it's unclear if they were re-entering, or coming in for the first time.

In any case, we're told there was considerable confusion about where to go and how to get in -- and as Mike and co. were trying to figure this out, they encountered a security guard who apparently started giving them a hard time ... with Mike choosing to keep it pushin'.

Namely, he blew past the guard ... and that seems to have resulted in them chasing him down after the fact -- something TMZ got video of in the immediate aftermath of this alleged incident. In the end, we know what happened ... Mike was detained and ultimately arrested.

Our sources tell us the whole situation was completely overblown and Mike's team is confident -- as is he -- that his name will be cleared when the facts are laid bare.

As we reported ... Mike is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after a citizen's arrest was conducted -- and whole thing kinda put a damper on his big Grammy wins. He's still happy about the accolades, for 'MICHAEL,' not to mention a successful surgery for his son.

Killer Mike está aclarando qué fue lo que pasó en los Grammys que lo llevó a las esposas. Él dice que todo fue una confusión y que alguien quiso jugar al policía con muchas ganas.

El rapero le dice a TMZ: "Como se puede imaginar, había mucho que hacer y hubo cierta confusión en torno a qué puerta de mi equipo y yo debería entrar. Nos encontramos con un guardia de seguridad demasiado entusiasta, pero mi equipo y yo tenemos la máxima confianza de que al final seré absuelto de todo delito. Hasta entonces, sigan escuchando a 'Michael' y sigan persiguiendo sus sueños".

Una fuente cercana a Killer nos dice que él y su equipo se encontraron con un pequeño percance al tratar de entrar en el recinto, aunque no está claro si estaban volviendo a entrar o entrando por primera vez.

En cualquier caso, nos dicen que había una considerable confusión acerca de dónde ir y cómo entrar y cuando Mike y compañía estaban tratando de averiguarlo, se encontraron con un guardia de seguridad que al parecer comenzó a darles un mal rato.

Finalmente ignoró al guardia y esto dio lugar a que lo persiguieran después, algo TMZ tiene video. Al final, sabemos lo que pasó ... Mike fue detenido y arrestado en última instancia.

Nuestras fuentes nos dicen que toda la situación fue completamente exagerada y el equipo de Mike confía -como él- que su nombre será limpiado cuando los hechos queden al descubierto.

Como hemos informado, Mike se enfrenta a un cargo de delito menor luego de ser arrestado, quitándole importancia a su recién ganado Grammy. Él todavía está feliz por los elogios por "MICHAEL", por no hablar de una cirugía exitosa de su hijo.

La presentación de Lizzo en los Grammys levantó muchas cejas, incluyendo las del abogado que representa a las bailarinas que la están demandando y que afirma que el privilegio femenino es la única razón por la que pudo estar allí.

Neama Rahmani, quien representa a múltiples denunciantes de Lizzo, le dice a TMZ que está decepcionado de que la cantante fuera elegida para presentar el premio a la Mejor Canción de R&B, y se pregunta abiertamente por qué la Academia de Grabación querría dar vitrina a alguien que supuestamente acosó sexualmente a sus bailarinas de apoyo.

Neama dice que huele un doble estándar en todo esto y señala que si un hombre blanco se hubiera enfrentado al mismo tipo de acusaciones de acoso sexual, racismo y humillaciones por el peso, no se le habría concedido de ninguna manera la oportunidad que tuvo Lizzo.

En pocas palabras, Neama piensa que los Grammys hicieron la vista gorda a la controversia de Lizzo porque es mujer y se siente frustrado de que la hayan invitado en medio de las denuncias en su contra.

Sin embargo, sigue confiando en que la verdad saldrá a la luz cuando sus clientas ganen el juicio, un resultado que espera que impulse a la Academia de Grabación a creerle a las personas que son lo suficientemente valientes para denunciar a celebridades con poder.

Para su información, Lizzo ha negado rotundamente las acusaciones de estas ex-bailarinas.

Sin embargo, muchos espectadores en casa compartieron el shock de Neama al ver a Lizzo sobre el escenario, con la idea de que no ha sufrido ninguna consecuencia después de las demandas, que tampoco han sido resueltas o conducentes a juicio.

Como informamos, tres de las ex bailarinas de Lizzo, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams y Noelle Rodriguez, demandaron a la cantante en agosto de 2023 por supuestamente crear un ambiente de trabajo hostil.

Dos meses más tarde, fue golpeada con una demanda similar de otro bailarín.

Vale la pena señalar que TMZ obtuvo documentos legales en octubre, donde se constataban que 18 miembros de la compañía de Lizzo habían escrito declaraciones de apoyo a la cantante y estaban disputando las demandas hechas contra ella.

Jay-Z was right to use his Grammys moment to advocate for his wife Beyoncé ... so says another music couple who was at the award show.

We got The War and Treaty at LAX and our photog asked the Best New Artist nominees about Jay using his acceptance speech to talk about Beyoncé's 4 losses in the Album of the Year category.

The husband and wife duo say Jay was being a good hubby by standing up for his woman ... also telling us Hov isn't wrong in his views on Beyoncé albums being worthy of the top prize.

The War and Treaty say Bey is more than worthy, and they feel she's right up there with Michael Jackson in terms of music and philanthropy.

MJ, by the way, won AOTY for "Thriller" way back in the day.

Jay told Beyoncé, and any other disappointed nominees, to keep showing up and pushing for accolades they feel they deserve.

Interestingly, The War and Treaty offered Beyoncé some advice, too -- they think a country record might be the way to go ... though, they're a little bit biased.

Jay-Z dice que la Academia tiene la culpa de que Beyoncé nunca ganara el premio mayor en los Grammys, pero el padre de Bey dice que su propio sello discográfico también está contribuyendo al desaire.

Mathew Knowles se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el lunes, y le preguntamos sobre el discurso picante de Jay en los Grammy, y lo que es la celebración de Beyoncé de nuevo de ganar el Álbum del Año.

Mientras que Jay señaló con el dedo a los votantes, Mathew afirma que el sello discográfico de Beyoncé -Columbia Records- tampoco está poniendo de su parte tras bambalinas.

Como explica Mathew, los sellos discográficos solo pueden apoyar a un artista por categoría, lo que se convierte en un problema cuando artistas del mismo sello están nominados para el mismo premio, como ha sido el caso de Beyoncé al menos dos veces.

Mathew dice que este escenario se repitió en 2017 - entre Beyoncé y Adele, que también está firmado con Columbia, ambos fueron nominados para AOTY (Álbum of the year). El padre de Bey afirma que Columbia Records lanzó su apoyo detrás de Adele y ella terminó superando a Bey para el Grammy.

Harry Styles también está en Columbia... y el año pasado venció a Beyoncé en la misma categoría.

Mathew dice que hay todo tipo de razones por las que un sello discográfico apoyaría a un artista por encima de otro. Desglosó algunos para nosotros, mientras que también señaló que no siempre se trata de la música en sí.

Jay-Z admitió en su discurso que todo este proceso es subjetivo y Mathew no niega que el dinero es un gran motivador también.

El padre de la diva parece indicar que el poder simplemente no está en su esquina para darle el premio mayor.

Por supuesto, la solución de Jay era "seguir apareciendo", hasta el punto en que ya no se pueda negar, pero Mathew está diciendo que la etiqueta de Beyonce tiene que aparecer para ella.

Taylor Swift se cruzó brevemente con su ex novio -Calvin Harris-, en los Grammys este fin de semana, y mientras que él puede haberla visto, ella definitivamente no lo notó.

Los aficionados se apresuraron a notar que las dos estrellas de la música estuvieron brevemente a pocos metros el uno del otro el domingo dentro del Crypto.com Arena, en concreto, cuando Taylor estaba haciendo su gran entrada y consiguiendo una ronda de aplausos de todo el mundo.

Hay videos y fotos de este momento que han estado circulando y se puede ver Tay Tay caminando justo al lado de Calvin, quien estaba sentado en una mesa de espaldas a ella.

En un clip se puede ver que Calvin vio a Taylor, pero giró la cabeza para evitar el contacto visual. Esto llevó a los fans a lanzar teorías de que Taylor lo vio también y que, tal vez, había un poco de incomodidad entre ellos, ya que ambos estaban en el edificio.

Por desgracia para los chismosos, no hay nada más de que hablar. Los testigos que estaban allí nos dicen que Taylor y Calvin no hablaron ni tuvieron ningún tipo de encuentro que les obligaría a charlar y mucho menos reconocer la presencia del otro.

Nos dicen que Taylor y Calvin ni siquiera estuvieron en el mismo espacio durante el show. Fuera de este momento fugaz, cuando ella pasó junto a él, testigos presenciales insisten en que estaba preocupado con su bella esposa -Vick Hope- y no le estaba prestando atención a Taylor.

Por suerte para él, ese sentimiento se aplica a Taylor también. Fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que ella ni siquiera registro que estaba en la asistencia, por lo que bien podría no haber estado allí en lo absoluto.

Taylor y Calvin salieron por un minuto en 2015 y 2016. Estuvieron juntos por un poco más de un año.

Teniendo en cuenta que Taylor siempre tiene algo que decir de sus exes, ver la conexión entre Joe Alwyn y su nuevo álbum tiene sentido, por qué algunos asumirían que hay mala sangre aquí.

Jay-Z says the Recording Academy is at fault for Beyoncé never winning the top prize at the Grammys ... but Bey's pops says her own record label is also contributing to the snub.

Mathew Knowles joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked him about Jay's spicy speech at the Grammys, and what's holding Beyoncé back from winning Album of the Year.

While HOV pointed the finger at the voters, Mathew claims Beyonce's record label, Columbia Records, isn't doing its part behind the scenes ... suggesting it's not going to bat for her when it comes to the voting process or the lobbying involved for award shows.

As Mathew explains, record labels can only support one artist per category, which becomes an issue when artists from the same label are nominated for the same award ... as has been the case with Beyoncé at least twice.

Mathew says this exact scenario played out back in 2017 ... when Beyoncé and Adele, who is also signed to Columbia, were both nominated for AOTY. Bey's dad claims Columbia Records threw its support behind Adele, and she ended up trumping Bey for the Grammy.

Harry Styles is also on Columbia, BTW ... and last year, he beat out Beyoncé for AOTY.

Mathew says there are all sorts of reasons a record label would support one artist over another -- he broke down a few for us, while also pointing out it's not always about the music itself.

Jay-Z admitted in his speech this whole process is subjective, and Mathew's not denying that ... but he says money is a big motivator here too.

Beyoncé may very well win AOTY somewhere down the line ... but at the moment, her father seems to be implying the powers that be just aren't in her corner for the top prize.

Of course, Jay's solution was to "keep showing up," to the point where she can no longer be denied ... but Mathew's saying Beyonce's label has to show up for her.

Steve Harwell and C-Knight's omissions from the Grammys' "In Memoriam" segment Sunday was rude and disrespectful ... according to their nearest and dearest.

Robert Hayes, a rep for Smash Mouth's late lead singer, is hurt over the snub ... though he tells TMZ it didn't surprise him because the Recording Academy never acknowledged Steve when he was alive ... so why would they honor him when he passed?

Smash Mouth was nominated for a Grammy once, in 2000, but didn't win.

His remarks were cutting ... asking who even bothered to watch the Grammys anymore -- and expressing his belief the award ceremony hadn't been good in more than 20 years.

Steve left a lasting influence in the music industry before he passed away in Sept 2023 ... and only 2 months later, fellow artist C-Knight also died, having been taken off life support following complications from diabetes.

C-Knight's brother George Lee Blount echoed similar feelings of hurt and outrage over the "In Memoriam" exclusion.

George tells TMZ ... while C-Knight and his band The Dove Shack never scooped a Grammy, their impact on G-funk and hip hop is undeniable -- adding he was a hip hop legend, and the least they could've done was give him a mention.

George is hoping the same mistake doesn't happen again, urging the Grammys to do more research into artists to understand the hard work and sacrifice they put into their music careers.

Taylor Swift briefly crossed paths with her ex-boyfriend, Calvin Harris, at the Grammys this weekend -- and while he may have seen her ... she didn't notice him.

Fans were quick to notice the two music stars briefly coming within feet of one another Sunday inside of Crypto.com Arena -- specifically, when Taylor was making her big entrance and getting a round of applause from everyone.

There's video and photos of this moment that have been circulating ... and you can see Tay Tay walking right past CH -- who was sitting at a table with his back turned to her.

In a clip of this, it appears Calvin saw Taylor but turned his head to avoid eye contact -- and this led fans to run wild with theories that Taylor saw him too ... and that there, perhaps, was a little awkwardness between them since they were both in the building and mingling.

Unfortunately for the gossip crowd, there's nothing to speculate on. Eyewitnesses who were there tell us Taylor and Calvin didn't talk -- nor did they have any kind of specific run-in that would require them to chat ... let alone acknowledge one another's presence.

We're told T-Swift and Calvin weren't even in the same space during the show -- outside of this one fleeting moment when she happened to pass by him -- and eyewitnesses insist ... he was preoccupied with his beautiful wife, Vick Hope, and was paying no mind to Taylor.

Lucky for him ... that feeling applies to Taylor too. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she didn't even register he was in attendance -- so he might as well have not been there at all.

Taylor and Calvin dated for a hot minute in 2015 and 2016 -- they were together for a little over a year ... and then their romance flamed out before they each moved on to the next.

Considering Taylor still seems to have it for some exes -- see the Joe Alwyn connection to her new album -- it makes sense why some would assume there was bad blood here.

That's just not the case though ... Calvin is in her rearview, and wasn't even invisible in her side-view mirrors for this brief reunion of sorts.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Rapper Killer Mike was arrested outside Crypto.com Arena following the Grammy Awards after he was accused of battery to a security officer. Mike took home wins in all three categories he was nominated for including Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song.

Taylor Swift's success continues as she won Album Of The Year for 'Midnights' ... but folks online called her out over an awkward interaction after appearing to ignore Celine Dion, who presented the award onstage.

Jay-Z defended Beyonce in his acceptance speech, questioning why she has been constantly snubbed for Album Of The Year despite holding the most Grammy awards in history.

Plus, retired porn star Lisa Ann was detained by NYPD at Matt Rife's Radio City comedy show for allegedly "using her phone."

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Killer Mike's officially putting his arrest at the Grammys on the back burner, because after a long wait, his oldest son is finally getting a kidney transplant ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Sources connected to the Grammy-winning rapper tell us Mike is with his son Mikael "Pony Boy" Render Monday as he undergoes the transplant surgery. The 21-year-old has been waiting for a kidney match for 3 years.

Back in November, Mikael got bumped up on the transplant waitlist, and his proud dad talked about it during an interview with Graham Bensinger.

Mike has said Mikael -- who's a musician and rapper, just like Dad -- never had a chance to fully experience his teenage years, because of his battle with kidney disease.

The fact Pony Boy's number got called for the transplant today, of all days, seems like a strange twist of fate ... considering his dad's weekend of some major ups and downs.

TMZ broke the story ... Killer Mike was awarded 3 Grammys Sunday at L.A.'s Crytpo.com Arena -- but he also got arrested.

He was booked for misdemeanor battery after allegedly knocking over a security guard at the venue, but was quickly released on his own recognizance. After getting released ... Mike was in relatively good spirits, even though he'd gone through a fairly dramatic situation.

Paps tried talking to him about it in the aftermath -- but he wasn't really trying to talk much about it ... keeping his attention on the music. In light of this news about his son ... his mind was clearly elsewhere, as he had more important matters to attend to.

Mike won Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance -- but today his focus is purely on Mikael's surgery.

Ludacris is recalling a wild moment from his win at the Grammys back in the day ... and it's all about Justin Timberlake's explicit reaction to Luda's big night -- which sounds jarring.

The story, as Ludacris explained on "Drink Champs," goes like this ... Ludacris was backstage at the 2007 Grammys after winning the award for Best Rap Album and he was dropping f-bombs and letting out his emotions.

Back then, Ludacris says artists went into little holding areas only separated by thin curtains ... which didn't offer much privacy.

Once Ludacris ended his celebration, he says he heard a voice from the other side of the curtain ... "Shut the f*** up, some of us didn't win any g****** Grammys!!!"

Luda says he pulled back the curtain ... only to find Justin Timberlake standing there, and in his mind -- it was clearly him who yelled it.

Hard to tell if Luda is all that bent out of shape about it -- if anything, he seems to find it more amusing than anything all these years later. Based on his demeanor here, he clearly loves to tell the tale and still gets a kick out of it in 2024.

Ludacris says he was extra amped after winning the award because he had come up short for years and set out to win a Grammy when he recorded "Release Therapy."

Justin's funny outburst was a bit premature ... he lost Best Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year for "FutureSex/LoveSounds" but won two Grammys ... Best Rap/Song Collaboration for "My Love" and Best Dance Recording for "Sexy Back."

FWIW, Luda says it's all love with Justin ... calling JT "gangsta" -- so he's good in his book.

Ludacris recordó un gran momento de una vieja victoria en los Grammys. Se trata de la reacción de Justin Timberlake a la gran noche de Luda.

La historia, como Ludacris explicó en "Drink Champs", es así: Ludacris estaba en el backstage de los Grammys 2007 después de ganar el premio al Mejor Álbum de Rap y estaba dejando salir sus emociones.

En aquel entonces, Ludacris dice que los artistas iban a pequeñas áreas de espera que estaban separadas únicamente por finas cortinas que no ofrecían mucha privacidad.

Una vez que Ludacris terminó su celebración, dice que oyó una voz desde el otro lado de la cortina: "¡Cállate la p*** boca, algunos de nosotros no ganamos ningún g****** Grammys!"

Luda dice que corrió la cortina solo para encontrar a Justin Timberlake de pie... claramente fue él quien lo gritó.

Luda parece encontrar muy divertido este asunto todos estos años después. Basándonos en su comportamiento, está claro que le encanta contar la historia y todavía se divierte en 2024.

Ludacris dice que estaba muy emocionado después de ganar el premio porque se había quedado corto durante años y se había propuesto ganar un Grammy cuando grabó "Release Therapy".

El divertido arrebato de Justin fue un poco prematuro, perdió Mejor Álbum Pop Vocal y Álbum del Año por "FutureSex/LoveSounds" pero ganó dos Grammys, Mejor Colaboración Rap/Canción por "My Love" y Mejor Grabación Dance por "Sexy Back".

A propósito, Luda dice que solo tiene amor por Justin, llamando a JT "gangsta" - por lo que es bueno en su libro.