Music

Barbra Streisand and Ariana Grande blended classic and contemporary voices for one helluva surprise performance, and only 2 words come to mind -- like buttah!!!

The legendary singer was in the middle of performing Tuesday night at United Center in Chicago when, out of nowhere, Ariana -- who idolizes Babs, btw -- strolled onstage. Naturally, her surprise appearance drew a roaring ovation as they launched into Barbra's 1979 hit duet "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)." AG sang the legendary Donna Summer's part.

You can tell Ariana's THIS close to losing it herself from excitement. Her review of the performance was pretty simple -- she wrote on social media, "Best night of my life."

After exchanging pleasantries, Ariana cracked a joke, "I'm gonna go pass out now. You're just gonna find 10 pounds of hair."

The "7 Rings" singer later posted a picture with Barbra and captioned it, "Cherishing this moment forever." It seems Ariana decided to stick around in Chi-town after her Sunday performance at Lollapalooza.

Nipsey Hussle's clothing store in South L.A. has been getting a bad rap in the press at the hands of the L.A. City Attorney's Office ... so claims the late rapper's business partner.

L.A. businessman David Gross -- who's a co-owner of the strip mall in the Crenshaw District, where Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store is located -- is alleging the City Attorney's Office was running a smear campaign against the property in an ongoing, months-long effort to get them the hell out.

Gross says he received the letter in February of this year -- which he claims the City Attorney's staff leaked to the New York Times -- alleging the strip mall is a hot spot for gang activity and crime, and that the city can force him out if he doesn't nip it in the bud.

Nipsey's biz partner says the City Attorney's Office has wanted Nip and his comrades out of the area since day one -- and has stopped at nothing to accomplish that ... even after the MC's death.

As we reported ... the LAPD and L.A. City Attorney's Office was investigating gang activity in the area around Nipsey's store, which has been a long-standing problem.

In fact, the LAPD was set to meet Hussle a day after he was gunned down, to discuss ways to curb gang violence in his hood.

Gross writes, "The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office was trying to end us. Literally. They wanted to expel The Marathon Store from Slauson Plaza." He adds, "No doubt, if Nipsey was alive they’d still be stalking it, after doggedly pursuing him, his brother, his team and his businesses for damn near a decade. To no avail."

He follows by saying that once the City Attorney's Office realized he was partners with Nipsey and co. ... cops were sicced on him, and the resulting bad press has torpedoed other business deals of his. Gross says another bad article about Marathon Clothing is forthcoming, and he wanted to get ahead of it.

As for what's happening now -- sources connected to Nipsey's camp tell TMZ that city officials have continued to visit the store as recently as 2 weeks ago to resolve this issue -- namely, that the Marathon Store plaza has continued to attract crime and gangs. Gross tells TMZ the City wanted him to post "No Loitering" signs in the strip mall, but he felt that would be a license for cops to harass patrons.

So much for taking their relationship to the next level -- The Weeknd and Bella Hadid have called it quits again ... and it sounds like a case of history repeating.

Sources close to the on-and-off couple tell TMZ ... Abel has been hyper-focused on his new album and hasn't been putting the time into their relationship. So, it's probably no coincidence he just tweeted this ... which seems to back that up.

As we've reported ... this isn't a first for Bella and The Weeknd. They've broken up and gotten back together a few times since they were first linked at Coachella in 2015.

They reconciled again about a year ago, and it seemed they were getting more serious than ever in October ... when he got a fancy condo in NYC and asked her to move in with him.

Still, distance has always been an issue for the 2 with their respective careers, and there have been reports it's been extra rocky for them lately ... and they actually haven't been together for months.

Rita Ora's hot girl summer leaves very little to the imagination ... not that we think anyone's complaining.

The pop singer and actor's been enjoying the luxury lifestyle in Ibiza with friends this week, while her string bikini selections defy the laws of physics.

This one in particular -- a black 2-piece with a singular red star on the bottoms to match her nearby tattoo -- appears to be at least a couple sizes too small. Just the way Rita likes it.

Despite the barely-there swimwear, Ora doesn't seem to have any pause about taking a plunge into the sea ... wardrobe malfunctions be damned.

Inhibitions tend to be thrown to the wind when one's balling out on a yacht ... but Rita's next level.

Zayn Malik's ex, Gigi Hadid, appears to have moved on from their relationship -- now, it looks like her former beau has too ... 'cause he's moving on out of the neighborhood.

The One Direction star listed his SoHo penthouse -- which is a stone's throw away from Gigi's NoHo apartment -- just over a year after purchasing it for north of $10 million. Zayn snapped it up in March of 2018 shortly after he and Gigi temporarily broke up ... now, he's put it on the market again a few months following what seems like a permanent split.

The on-again, off-again couple reportedly called it quits for good in January of this year.

Zayn bought the place above its listing price of $10.5 mil, shelling out $10.69 big ones. He's currently selling it for $10.8 million -- trying to recoup some of that cash, apparently.

If you got $10 million or so lying around, it might be a good buy. The penthouse has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and 932 square feet of a private roof terrace space. It also features heated floors, 12 foot vaulted ceilings and sprawling floor plan.

It's that time of year ... Magic Johnson's annual MEGAYACHT ITALIAN VACATION -- and this year, he's on the most expensive yacht yet!!!

Magic -- along with LL Cool J, Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete and others -- are sailing off the Amalfi Coast on a yacht called the Aquila ... a 281-foot ship that costs $950k per week to rent!!!

The ship is INSANE ... it's like a floating mansion/hotel all in one -- with a crazy gym, dining room area, movie theater, hot tub, massive outdoor deck, 2 massage rooms and its own NIGHTCLUB!!!

The ship officially fits 12 guests and has a crew of 28!!!

Usually, Magic's Italian vacations last around 6 weeks ... so if ya do the math, we're talking $6 MILLION!!!!!

And, of course, Magic usually hosts a rotating group of super famous and wealthy friends including Samuel L. Jackson and Steve Harvey ... so keep your eyes out for them.

Back in 2017, Magic and the rest of the Johnsons sailed on a ship called the Siren, which runs about $700,000 per week -- chump change for Magic.

What's funny about this story ... Magic quit his job with the Lakers this year (which reportedly paid $10 mil per year) and he's STILL balling out like a boss!!! Bigger than ever!!!

Yung Miami -- one half of the hip-hop duo, City Girls -- was the target of a drive-by shooting in Miami ... but fortunately she and her unborn baby were unharmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Miami-Dade PD got a call of a shooting early Tuesday morning near Circle House Studios. Yung Miami was in the red Mercedes G-Wagon that took fire, but we're told she was not hit.

You can see Yung Miami in a video from after the shooting scene talking to cops, explaining what happened.

She told officers the shots came from behind her from a vehicle with its lights off, and a bullet struck the spare tire of her ride. She was reportedly leaving the studio when it happened

Miami-Dade PD is investigating, but we're told there are no suspects at this time.

Yung Miami revealed she's pregnant with her second child in June, but it's unclear how far along she is. What's interesting -- just a week ago Kodak Black dissed her in a freestyle from jail and made a detestable comment about her pregnancy.

Kodak rapped, "I bought Yung Miami a ring, she wanted 808 baby. When I see her I'ma hit that b*tch in her stomach. The way I keep my sh*t too real, they say I'm f**king up my money."

808 is a reference to 808 Mafia producer, Southside, who's Miami's baby daddy.

City Girls is best known for their hit track, "Twerk," featuring Cardi B.

P!nk's manager and crew are lucky to be alive after their private jet crash landed and burst into flames in Denmark hours after leaving her show in Norway.

The scary incident went down in the early hours Tuesday at the Aarhus Airport, when the plane apparently missed the runway and crashed into the turf beside it.

P!nk's manager and other members of her tour team were among the 10 aboard the Cessna 560XL. They were coming from her concert in Oslo Monday night, on their way to Denmark to prepare for her next tour stop.

Thankfully, everyone on the jet escaped without injuries. They were taken to a nearby hotel for the night. P!nk was not on the flight.

It's not yet known what caused the crash landing, but the plane reportedly caught fire as it was making its final descent at 12:38 AM. Danish air crash authorities are investigating.

Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson are proving old flames die hard ... especially when ice cream's involved.

The Coldplay frontman and 'Fifty Shades' star -- decked out in a red jumpsuit -- were out Monday in the Hamptons, hanging with his son and his buds. They plopped themselves on a picnic table and enjoyed lunch before scarfing down some ice cream.

It's quite the family scene, considering Dakota and Chris had supposedly broken up a couple months ago. All signs pointed to a split ... because a week after their reported breakup, he was seen hopping on a helicopter with a mystery woman.

Meek Mill has to wait a few more weeks to find out if his 2008 gun conviction gets tossed out or if he gets a new trial -- but that's all happening in front of a new judge, which has to be a huge relief for the rapper.

Judge Leon Tucker was presiding Tuesday morning when Meek walked into the Philadelphia courthouse. He's replacing the controversial Judge Genece Brinkley for Meek's potential retrial, which was granted by a panel of judges in Pennsylvania Superior Court in July.

Tuesday's hearing was an extremely brief bail hearing. Meek was released on his own recognizance, and Judge Tucker said both sides will return August 27 for a status hearing. At that point, they'll figure out whether to go to trial or just drop the whole matter.

As we reported ... it's highly unlikely prosecutors will refile the case and retry Meek. His attorney Joe Tacopina tells us, "While we had hoped that this matter would end today, we remain confident that justice will prevail in Meek's case once and for all."

That's because the main witness in the '08 case turned out to be a dirty cop, and a retrial over a decade later would mean the memories of other witnesses would be less reliable as well.

Nick Jonas is fully committed to his new life as a married man ... because he's just 86'd his bachelor pad and he's on the hunt for a $20 MILLION mansion he can share with Priyanka Chopra.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... Nick sold his Beverly Hills bachelor pad last month on the down low. It wasn't even officially listed.

We're told Nick pocketed $6.9 million on the sale. He scooped up the sick bachelor pad in April 2018 for $6.5 mil, so after realtor fees and whatever improvements he made, he'll be lucky to break even.

The old place is pretty BALLER ... it's in the exclusive Beverly Hills Post Office neighborhood ... the super modern home is 4,129 square feet of pure luxury. It has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms with an amazing infinity pool and sweeping views of the hills and canyons.

Our sources say, Nick and Priyanka have been looking in Bel-Air and Bev Hills ... their budget is around $20 million, but they haven't found the perfect place just yet.

As for dropping $20 mil on a pad, they can afford it. Nick's worth a reported $25 million, and Priyanka reportedly comes in a skosh higher, at $28 mil.

Travis Barker's weekend was an emotional roller coaster in El Paso -- it started with plans to visit a friend in prison and then rock out with his band ... but his band ended up in lockdown across the street from the slaughter as he was miles away visiting a friend in prison.

As you know, a gunman with an assault rifle opened fire Saturday morning at a Walmart in El Paso, TX ... killing 22 and injuring many others.

Blink-182 was in town for a show, and Mark Hoppus tweeted they were about to head to the mall where the massacre took place when they got word their hotel was on lockdown.

Barker wasn't with the band ... he had traveled 250 miles to visit rapper 03 Greedo at the Fort Stockton prison.

We're told Travis promised his friend he'd visit him whenever he was in Texas and made plans in advance to see him before the Blink concert. We're told he was at the prison visiting Greedo at the time of the shooting ... but didn't get word of it until after he left.

Travis was horrified at the news, but thankful his bandmates and the crew were okay. Blink-182 postponed its show out of respect and to show solidarity with the community.

As for Greedo -- we're told he's doing well behind bars and is staying positive and healthy. He's currently serving a 20-year sentence on drug and gun charges.

Drake is bringing some heavy hitters to the stage Monday in Toronto for his annual OVO Fest ... we just got wind of the lineup, and it's INSANE!!!

Our sources tell us this is the star-studded group set to perform ... Meek Mill, Chris Brown, Tyga, YG, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Offset, DaBaby, Lil Baby, Rick Ross and Gucci Mane!!!

OVO Fest 2019 kicked off Sunday night at the Budweiser Stage in the Six ... with special performances by B2K, Mario, Lloyd, Pretty Ricky, Ying Yang Twins and Bobby V.

A solid opening-day lineup, no doubt ... but tonight is shaping up to be EPIC!!!

Safe to say OVO Fest is the place to be for a little Monday fun day ... and for everyone who is not up in Canada tonight, good luck dealing with a serious case of FOMO.

Kylie Jenner's man, Travis Scott, is a petal pusher!!!

Kylie's turning 22 this weekend, and Travis has figured out what to give a billionaire that's super special ... and we're guessing this will be the first of many presents.

Kylie shared video of her walking through her mansion Monday afternoon, feet crunching on rose petals as Stormi plays with the flowers.

Travis' gift also came with a note to Kylie ... it reads, "Happy Birthday!!!! We're just getting started. Love you!!!!"

It's a tall order for Travis, given what Kylie did for him back in April when he turned 28. She slapped a pic of her and Stormi on a billboard in WeHo ... for the world to see.

We're guessing Travis' gifts will be on display for all to see.

BTW ... Kylie and Travis have been together for a little over 2 years. They hooked up at Coachella and haven't really been apart since.

R. Kelly just got hit with more sex crime charges ... this time in Minnesota, where prosecutors say the disgraced singer once paid a teenage girl to have sexual contact with him in his hotel room.

According to prosecutors, the alleged incident went down on July 11, 2001 in Minneapolis ... and they say the alleged victim was between the ages of 16 and 17.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says the alleged victim initially approached Kelly seeking an autograph, and claims Kelly paid her $200 to get naked and engage in sex acts with him.

Prosecutors are charging Kelly with two sex crimes ... engaging in prostitution with someone under 18, and hiring/offering/agreeing to hire someone for sexual contact.

Freeman says there was no sexual intercourse between Kelly and the alleged victim, but he claims there was "dancing and sexual contact." He admitted the case will be difficult to prosecute, given that the evidence is almost 20 years old. Prosecutors say the tip came through a Chicago tip line.

The alleged victim is being represented by Gloria Allred.

R. Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, just weighed in on the new charges ... tweeting, "give me a break. This is beyond absurd."

Kelly is currently in custody in New York, where he’s pled not guilty to 5 federal criminal charges including kidnapping and racketeering. The New York case is separate from Kelly’s 13-count indictment in Illinois federal court, which includes charges of child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice. Kelly is also fighting 10 charges of aggravated sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois.

Aaron Carter adopting dogs and allegedly selling them for a profit is NOT against the law -- but that doesn't mean it would be right ... according to the county of Los Angeles.

L.A. County Animal Care and Control tells TMZ ... IF Aaron is actually adopting dogs from around the area only to later flip them for cash, he wouldn't be committing any crimes by doing so. That said, it sounds like the LACACC frowns on the practice.

Lancaster Animal Care Shelter -- which is run by L.A. County -- says, "Our goal is to find each animal a forever home and when someone adopts, they become the legal adopter. His actions aren’t illegal and there have been no reports of him harming the animal." They add, "Unless, there is criminal activity going on, we are unable to ask for the adopter to return the dog."

We're told selling off rescue dogs is a moral issue in L.A. County, not a legal one, though.

You'll recall ... the animal shelter where Aaron adopted his English bulldog appeared to be concerned over allegations that Aaron was trying to sell it just a couple days after taking it home. They updated their Instagram with a flash warning of sorts, saying they were "working on this situation." Presumably, people were blowing them up about this.

Most private animal shelters require you, by contract, to return the animal if you no longer want it ... instead of selling it or even giving it away to someone else.

For the record, Aaron has flat-out denied any wrongdoing.

In fact, he doubled down with us ... reiterating that the IG Live video in which he's heard discussing selling the bulldog for $3,500 is simply a joke. Aaron did not clarify what exactly he was joking about though ... he sounded sincere in his vid.

Joke or not ... apparently it's no biggie out here in Hollywood.