Music

Shaggy does his Christmas a little different than most of us, which is why he's dropping new holiday tunes to spread some holiday cheer ... Jamaican style, of course!

The singer was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to reveal how he's spending this Christmas at his island home, and it sounds like the best party you can imagine. In fact, Shaggy says those festivities inspired him to release a deluxe version of his "Christmas in the Islands" album.

Yes, the record includes his reggae-flavored covers of classics like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Silent Night" ... but it also has originals that reflect the way he and his family have always spent Christmas.

The difference between what he's singing and Nat King Cole's takes -- tons of reggae and dancehall. Shaggy admits his holiday traditions might not be exactly the same as the typical ones in America, and that's why he's out to blend cultures for everyone's get-togethers.

Cardi B wasn't the only one to shower Offset in gifts for his 30th birthday -- LeBron James also sent some dope presents to the rapper to celebrate the big night!

The King signed a pair of all-white Air Force 1s and shipped them over to Offset's bday bash in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and they're pretty awesome.

The Lakers superstar put his autograph on both sneakers ... and added a happy birthday message to one of the shoes as well.

James also gifted Offset with a custom bottle of his Lobos 1707.

Offset clearly loved the presents -- he shouted out LeBron on social media, thanking the NBA player for the swag.

Of course, the gifts were great, but LBJ had a ton of competition to win the night's best present award.

A bunch of celebs showed up to celebrate Offset at the bash, with most coming baring gifts -- including Cardi B, who handed over her man a $2 MILLION check.

Yeah ... LBJ's signature is great, but hard to beat cash!

Offset just got $2 million richer!! That is... after Cardi B gifted him a fat check at his celeb-filled, sneaker-themed birthday bash.

Offset turned the big 3-0 earlier this month, and last night he and Cardi turned things waaaay up by cutting her hubby a $2 mil check ... during a night filled with money-hurling, drinks and lots and lots of twerking.

As you see, hubby and wife let loose for the celebration. Offset was decked out in a Louis Vuitton blue jacket, and Cardi's chest glistened with a giant Playboy bunny chain. As you know, she was recently anointed the mag's creative director.

Now, she's looking to help her man diversify too ... Cardi says the $2 mil check for Offset is seed money for some big biz ventures he has coming up in 2022.

That's the trend in show biz these days ... significant others are pumping up loved ones' portfolios. Remember, Tiffany Haddish's wish list was real estate, and ditto for Cardi. Investments are the new Lambo!!!

But, back to the party ... Cardi and Offset weren't the only big names front and center ... Kanye, The Game, Takeoff, French and Quavo also pulled up to last night's event.

Ye came solo, in authentic Kanye fashion ... a purple hoodie, covering his face with a black baseball cap and sunglasses in the dead of night. He layered things up with an oversized leather coat, grey jeans and chunky-soled boots.

Jay-Z says he's in a league of his own when it comes to music and greatness -- to the point he's claiming nobody could realistically touch him in a 'Verzuz' showdown.

HOV did some chest-puffing of his own during a Twitter Spaces convo this week, saying there wasn't a chance in hell another artist could go toe to toe with him over hits ... and not just songs everyone knows well, but ones Jay says no one's heard him perform live.

One example ... the 'Grammy Family Freestyle,' which he says he hasn't even performed onstage before. Bottom line -- he really does believe he's the GOAT of this rap game ... and that there's no true contemporary who could give him a fair fight.

Not everyone agrees, of course -- with some names having already been tossed into the proverbial ring ... like Lil Wayne, Eminem or the great OutKast as potential rivals.

The only way to find out for sure ... putting his money where his mouth is, and making it happen!!! Eh, don't get your hopes up though because it sounds like Jay's too good to consider it ... in kind of a snooty way.

The backdrop to this seems to be Future recently saying he's "bigger" than Jay-Z (in the streets) ... which stirred up a lot of debate as to whether Mr. Carter is as relevant these days as he once was.

Young Jock or Yung Joc? Well, it depends on who's asking -- some "Wheel of Fortune" fans are calling out the show out for misspelling the rapper's name during an episode ... but Joc says that's probably not the case.

Folks believe contestant Kennise Miller might have been cheated out of $39k during Monday night's bonus round when she failed to solve the puzzle under the "person" category.

Turns out the answer was "young jock", but some fans say otherwise.

Instead, they believe it was a misspelling of rapper Yung Joc's name. Well, we caught up with the "It's Goin' Down" rapper who didn't really think the answer was a mistake but was simply intended to be the description of a young athlete.

Joc tells us he is a longtime fan of 'Wheel' -- he says he grew up watching with his mom and grandma .... "So, I'm one of the best people to play "Wheel of Fortune," he says.

Blac Youngsta is either clueless or he's gonna have a wave of hate coming his way from Young Dolph fans after posing next to a tomb with the late rapper's name on it in a new music video.

Youngsta -- who was a known enemy of Dolph -- released the video for his song "Im Assuming" Monday, filmed almost entirely in a cemetery. While it's very brief, around the 1-minute-mark of the video, you see the last name Thornton on the tomb he's rapping in front of ... Dolph's real name was Adolph Thornton Jr.

While the song's lyrics don't seem to directly talk about Dolph's death, they're certainly violent -- "I been a street n**** that murder s*** ... I'm on the verge, 'bout to purge with the young n*****. They stackin' bodies."

Blac Youngsta and Young Dolph had a very nasty history, back in 2017 BY turned himself in to cops investigating a Dolph shooting in Charlotte ... and he was also named a person of interest when Dolph was shot in L.A. later that year.

Charges against BY in the Charlotte case -- where more than 100 rounds were fired into an SUV Dolph was traveling in -- were dropped for lack of evidence.

Diddy is the proud owner of his clothing brand again -- being reunited with his Sean John line after buying it out of bankruptcy for a steal.

The rap mogul won the rights to Sean John after a bidding war with 4 other parties ... claiming it for about $7.5 million, cash. The deal will be finalized this week, barring any objections -- and safe to say, the guy's pretty excited about it.

He tells TMZ ... "I launched Sean John in 1998 with the goal of building a premium brand that shattered tradition and introduced Hip Hop to high-fashion on a global scale."

Diddy adds, "Seeing how streetwear has evolved to rewrite the rules of fashion and impact culture across categories, I’m ready to reclaim ownership of the brand, build a team of visionary designers and global partners to write the next chapter of Sean John’s legacy."

Like we told you ... the SJ line fell into bankruptcy recently under management firm GBG USA Inc., which had owned 90%. When word of its assets being up for grabs reached Mr. Combs, he'd expressed interest in gaining control once again, especially considering how cheap it was going for earlier this month.

Britney Spears' lawyer says it is an "abomination" her father is asking for even more money now that the conservatorship has been terminated and reports have surfaced alleging the conservatorship was one big money grab.

Mathew Rosengart issued a blistering statement -- "The conservatorship has been terminated and Mr. Spears was suspended ignominiously. Under the circumstances, his petition is not only legally meritless. It is an abomination. Britney poignantly testified about the pain her father caused her and this only adds to it. This is not what a father who loves his daughter does."

Jamie Spears filed legal docs to make Britney's estate pay for his legal fees in winding down the conservatorship, asking that it be paid in a "prompt" fashion.

This all comes on the heels of a blistering report by the New York Times, alleging, among many other things, Jamie received a $40,000 loan from Britney's then business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment early on. According to the NYT, Jamie received $6 million from Britney's estate, while Tri Star benefited to the tune of untold millions.

The report also claims the estate paid for a security company that surveilled members of the #FreeBritney movement who went after Jamie and Tri Star and its owner, Lou Taylor.

And the NYT reports Tri Star donated tens of thousands of dollars from Britney's charitable foundation to a Christian counseling group ... a group in which Taylor was associated.

And, the allegations go on ... that Britney's estate paid for advertisements touting Tri Star and Taylor.

As we previously reported, Tri Star was receiving a percentage of Britney's earnings, which for many years were sky-high. When she stopped performing, Tri Star asked Jamie to approve a minimum guarantee of $500,000 which we're told Jamie approved. This drew heavy criticism because the concept of getting a percentage is that you take the good with the bad.

Jamie's lawyer, Alex Weingarten, has said all expenditures were made with the approval of the court or Britney's court-appointed lawyer, saying, "Jamie has nothing to hide and will therefore hide nothing."

Lil Durk and his soon-to-be Mrs. are living large on the heels of their mid-concert engagement, flying to Aspen for a little last-minute Christmas shopping ... at Louis Vuitton.

The couple was draped in designer clothing for their holiday shopping spree -- Lil Durk wore a blue Chanel jumpsuit, and his new fiancée, India Royale, had on Chanel earmuffs.

But, all that stuff was overshadowed, almost literally, by the new huge diamond on India's left hand!!!

The Colorado getaway comes right after the rapper got down on bended knee during his Saturday night performance in their hometown of Chicago.

He'd brought India, his longtime girlfriend, out on stage to pop the question -- saying, "You've been the realest to me ... Do you wanna be my wife?"

Of course, the crowd ate it up, and later India posted about the engagement -- "I said 'Yes.' #issafiancé".

She was also sure to show off her new sparkling oval-shaped rock, and so did her jeweler. Can't blame 'em ... the thing is freakin' impressive!!!

India and Durk have been together since 2017, and they have a daughter, Willow, together.

A vacant lot next to one of Beyonce's childhood homes is up for sale in Houston... and of course, the sellers are making it all about Bey to try and push the property.

The piece of land, located on Rosedale Street in Houston, is right next to the house where Beyonce spent her early years. The vacant lot was listed for $315k earlier this year but was pulled off-market in November. Interested buyers are still welcome, and there's a number available for them to call and inquire.

We spoke with real estate investor Kevin Wright, who is selling the property, and he tells us that he is asking for an offer close to $315k, but it is negotiable. The lot previously had a home on it, but the house burned down in a fire 4 years ago.

As you can see in photos, realtors are doubling down on the fact Beyonce was the girl next door... even if it was many many years ago. There is a huge sign on the tiny lot -- about a tenth of an acre -- that says "Build On Beyonce's Old Block."

The Knowles family bought their home on the street for $64k in 1981, but moved out before Solange was born in 1986.

It's unclear if they've gotten any offers, but one thing's for sure ... it's bound to attract a Beyhive of attention!!!

Big Time Rush is in the TikTok hot seat after some users accused the group of knowingly exposing fans to COVID after one member tested positive.

If you hadn't seen, Big Time Rush had a show in Manhattan Saturday, and it was announced to fans just before the meet and greet started that band member Kendall Schmidt had tested positive for COVID-19.

From there ... rumors started to swirl, including one claiming Kendall had been in the building and around his bandmates just before getting his test result. Fans started to draw conclusions -- believing the band continued with the meet and greet and performance, even though they'd been around a sick Kendall.

However, a source connected to the band tells us ... Kendall was not near the group or the venue for Saturday's show, and everyone in the band -- including James Maslow, Logan Henderson & Carlos PenaVega -- all tested negative multiple times before arriving for the gig.

We're told all of the guys wore masks during the meet & greet, for extra precaution, and they stood on an elevated platform to increase distance between fans and them.

Billie Eilish is brave for speaking out about how watching porn as a kid hurt her adult sex life ... at least according to a retired XXX star, who says she's on to something and young people should pay attention.

Randy Spears, who starred in and directed adult movies for decades tells TMZ ... Billie is absolutely right about the damage porn can inflict on the developing brain.

The way Randy sees it ... pornographic images and movies are way too much for children to understand, and he agrees with Billie that such experiences can have lasting negative effects.

As we reported ... Billie says she was just 11 years old when she started watching "violent" porn and she thinks it caused her to have nightmares, sleep paralysis and bedroom troubles when she started having sex as she grew older.

Carlos Marin, a member of Il Divo, has died ... this according to his bandmates.

The operatic quartet confirmed Marin's passing Sunday, writing ... "It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marin, has passed away. He will be missed by his friends, family and fans. There wiIl never be another voice or spirit like Carlos."

They add, "For 17 years the four of us have been on this incredible journey of Il Divo together, and we will miss our dear friend. We hope and pray that his beautiful soul will rest in peace. With Love -- David, Sebastien and Urs."

His death might be COVID related ... as his agent reportedly told some media outlets he'd contracted the virus and was recently hospitalized -- this while he was actually on tour with his guys in Europe.

Marin was the only baritone of the group ... with Urs Buhler, David Miller and Sebastien Izambard -- the other 3 singers -- all serving as tenors. The group was formed by Simon Cowell in '03, sort of as a reimagining of the hugely popular Three Tenors from the '90s.

Speaking of Cowell, he too shared his condolences with a sweet tribute ... "I am finding this so difficult to put into words how I feel right now. I am devastated Carlos Marin has passed away. He loved life. He loved performing and always had so much appreciation towards the fans who supported the group from day 1. Rest in peace Carlos. I will miss you."

Il Divo had a prolific run through the 2000s and well into the 2010s ... cranking out 10 studio albums, 2 live albums, lots of collabs and other mashups of their greatest hits over the years. The 4 crooners are credited with pioneering the way for pop opera ... AKA, popera.

They were a big hit ... producing more than 150 certified gold and platinum hits globally, and pumping out around 30 million album sales as well. Il Divo had some of their original songs -- like "Regresa a Mi" ... but were also well known for their covers, including "O Holy Night," "Hallelujah," "Amazing Grace" and others.

Marin was 53.

Kodak Black is clean and sober -- the rapper just successfully completed 90 days of drug rehab, and now he's turning his attention to his career ... prepping to get back on the road.

Kodak had a court hearing this week to reinstate his supervised release -- now that he's out of rehab -- and his lawyer, Bradford Cohen, says the judge was happy with Kodak's progress.

As we previously told you, the rapper and producer was ordered to a rehab facility a few months back after failing a drug test ... a violation of the terms of his supervised release in his federal gun case.

But, now he seems to be turning things around for the better and we're told he's taking his sobriety seriously.

He's already hit the stage too -- Rolling Loud California was his first live performance since his release ... after which, he headed back to Florida.

Cohen says Kodak is looking forward to making good music, and is going to try to stay away from people, places and things that would put him in harm's way, or trigger him to use again.

Lil Mosey says the alleged victim in his rape case admitted to having consensual sex with him in the past, and he's asking the court for the green light to introduce that evidence at trial.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the rapper claims he met the alleged victim back in the day at one of his concerts, and they eventually engaged in consensual sexual activity ... multiple times.

Lil Mosey claims they had sex at a New Year's party, and then again in a car. He says that the second time happened on the same night of the alleged rape, which she alleges happened later in a cabin.

TMZ broke the story ... Lil Mosey was charged with rape back in April with the woman claiming she blacked out from drinking and woke up to Mosey and another man forcing themselves on her. Mosey's pled not guilty.

The case is being tried in Washington, and the state has a "rape shield" statute that generally prohibits evidence of prior sexual relationships and activities with an alleged victim at trial.

However, Lil Mosey is arguing the evidence of a prior consensual sexual relationship should be admitted because he believes it helps him defend against the allegation she did not consent.

Prosecutors are pushing back against allowing the evidence in court. In new legal docs, they say the alleged victim's prior sexual activity is irrelevant to whether she consented, adding he's been charged with second-degree rape which involves an alleged victim who is incapable of consent.

In this case, the woman claimed she had blacked out from drinking and could not possibly have consented.

Canadian artist Snow (real name Darrin Kenneth O'Brien) reggae rapped his way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for more than a month with his 1992 mind-boggling hit single "Informer" ... which paved the way for his debut album "12 Inches Of Snow" which was released in the winter of 1993 on East West Records.

The OG mumble rapper and musician went on to release five more albums over the following decade with epic titles like "Murder Love," "Justuss," "Cooler Conditions" and "Mind On The Moon" ... and even has a 2019 "Informer" remix alongside Daddy Yankee with over a billion plays on Spotify.