Music

Norman Lear is beaming with positivity after hitting a monumental milestone in his life ... sharing what life really means to him, as well as one of his favorite songs.

The TV producer and writer took to Instagram to ring in his 100th birthday, with the help of his daughter, Kate -- opening with a snippet of Dean Martin's "That's Amore" before unloading his gratitude.

Norman says it's a miracle to be living in the times we're in now, with everything that's become available to us, and believes living in the here and now is one of the most important things we can do.

Forget the past, forget the future -- being in the moment is something Norman has treasured for years, and wants everyone to do the same.

Norman's decades in TV have been nothing short of brilliant ... working on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" with legends back in the day before moving to classics like "Sanford and Son," "All in the Family," and "The Jeffersons."

Everything he touched turned to gold -- he's even picked up 6 Emmys for his work over the years as he pushed the boundaries of TV, incorporating controversial topics like abortion, mental health, and sexuality into his shows.

Jamie Foxx really knows how to bring down the house, even when he's on a break from show biz ... because he got an Italian restaurant to join him in a rowdy singalong.

The Oscar and Grammy (that's key here) winner was enjoying a night out with friends in Capri when it quickly turned into a full-blown show ... and, he definitely had the crowd going!

Jamie was in great spirits, and he was sipping some too when he got on a microphone to remind the joint who he is ... in song, of course.

In his best R&B/operatic voice he sang, "I'm Jamie Motherf***ing Foxx!!!" -- and the band quickly joined in and pretty soon the whole place was belting out the simple, and hilarious, tune.

Of course, Jamie mixed in one of his radio hits too -- singing a little bit of his "Gold Digger" chorus -- but trust us, everyone left that restaurant singing one name. You will too after watching this.

This outing, combined with his South of France yachting with a mystery lady, makes it clear ... NO ONE is enjoying summer more than Jamie!!!

Chris Brown says the organizer of a benefit concert for victims of Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas has it all wrong -- he didn't bail only hours before the event, and he's even offering a donation to support the community.

Ms. LaJuan Bailey recently blasted CB, claiming he bailed on a March 19 show at the Toyota Center in Houston -- called "One Night Only" -- to raise money for people whose homes were damaged in the 2021 storms.

Bailey says she advanced more than $1 million for Brown's performance fees, accommodations and private plane ... only to get word he was canceling during sound check.

We've spoken to sources close to Chris and have seen a letter his legal team allegedly emailed to event organizers on March 17, informing them CB would no longer perform.

The letter states Bryson Tiller, who was also to perform at the event, had been removed from the lineup without a viable replacement, a violation of the contract Chris had in place ... so Chris wasn't going to perform.

The letter appears to have been sent 2 days before the show, not during the sound check ... when Bailey claims she found out. It's unclear if her team knew earlier and just hadn't told her.

Now, our Chris sources say both sides have been in negotiations to settle the situation -- with Chris offering to make a 6-figure donation to a Houston-based charity, but no agreement's been made yet.

Comedian Lil Duval was in no joking mood Tuesday night ... he got into a car accident in the Bahamas and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Duval, who's a regular on MTV's 'Guy Code' and VH1's 'Hip Hop Squares', posted a video to IG, showing himself covered in bandages and strapped to a gurney as he's wheeled out of an ambulance onto an airstrip.

Medical personnel tended to LD before he was lifted into a small plane. The video ends with LD lying on the stretcher while flying over the Bahamas at night.

Several hours ago, LD gave a brief update to his 3.8 million IG followers, saying he was hit by a car while riding his 4-wheeler. "Now my leg broke and i gotta get flown over to nassau and have surgery."

Duval is also a rapper who has worked with Snoop Dogg and T.I.

T.I. responded online to the bad news, sending his well wishes, "Maaaaaan I'm gon pray that you get well first. Then find it in yo heart to sitcho old ass down somewhere & rest big bro.... Amen [praying hands emoji]."

2 Chainz, Bun B, Angela Simmons, Jamie Foxx, Michael Blackson and other celebs also showed support for LD and hoped for a speedy recovery.

We've reached out to LD's reps and the police for information on his condition ... so far no word back.

Paul Anka is still doing it his way ... performing in front of sold-out venues across the globe at 80 years old ... and he's going to ring in 81 with a special gig next to Andrea Bocelli!!!

The "My Way" singer just wrapped up his tour across Europe, where he played to packed houses in France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Germany ... not to mention 2 additional sold-out shows in Israel with more than 4,000 in attendance.

Paul tells TMZ ... he had an unbelievable experience on his overseas tour ... and, frankly, it's pretty amazing for a guy who's been in the biz for over 6 decades to still be touring the world.

As you see, Paul's still got tons of energy ... during his tour, he was interacting with the crowd and rockin' the mic!!!

Paul's going to turn 81 Saturday and we're told he'll mark the occasion with a special gig at Andrea's home in Forte dei Marmi, Italy ... the music icons will perform "My Way" together as part of a benefit for Bocelli's foundation.

Britney Spears may be singing again, but she won't be talking under oath ... at least that's what her lawyer is insisting.

Attorney Mathew Rosengart filed legal docs in the ongoing legal battle against Jamie Spears, saying the battle will be won with documents, physical evidence and the testimony of Jamie. Rosengart says Britney's testimony would not be relevant to any legal proceeding.

Rosengart goes even further, saying he has no reason to call Britney as a witness if the case ends up in trial. He says the fact she would not be called as a witness "eviscerates" any reason why she would need to be deposed.

It appears Rosengart is zeroing in on alleged malfeasance on the part of Jamie that involves money. Although he hasn't played his hand, it seems he may be steering clear of some of the personal allegations Britney has made against her dad.

As we reported, Jamie has asked the judge to order Britney to sit for a deposition, arguing she has made numerous claims against him in court and on social media and some of these allegations go to his performance as a conservator. Jamie has disputed many of the claims Britney made in court a year ago in June.

Kendrick Lamar’s cool with it if you find yourself needing a box of tissues during his Big Steppers Tour ... 'cause moving fans is the whole point of his music.

Kung-Fu Kenny did a rare interview with upstart journalist Jazlyn "Jazzy" Guerra following his set at Rolling Loud Miami … reacting to the now viral clip of a security guard crying as Kendrick performed his ‘DAMN’ track, “Love” during his recent Houston concert.

Kendrick doesn’t use social media that often but admitted he did see the clip after having a few days for it to reach his radar.

Fresh off the stage and still adorned with his Tiffany Diamond crown of thorns, Kendrick explained his music was always intended to bring out positive emotions in people.

He spoke directly about the emotional guard, saying he was curious about what was going through the guy's mind during the song. He really was barely holding it together ... in a beautiful sorta way.

For his part, the guard later owned his viral moment, and further elaborated … blaming K. Dot’s lyrical skills for his waterworks.

Soulja Boy and conservative YouTuber Charleston White tell different versions about their violent run-in in Miami ... but both parties agree it involved pepper spray, and SB got the worst of it.

SB unleashed a fiery Instagram rant Tuesday ... dismissing Charleston’s claims he'd fired off mace to the face when Soulja went after him this past weekend. Instead, the rapper wants to compare bank accounts, or step into a boxing ring to settle their differences.

In addition to flashing stacks of cash, the “Crank That” rapper announced he's dropping a new album on his birthday, which is coming up on Thursday.

Despite all those distractions, it was hard to ignore the big ol' shiner under Soulja's eye … which might support Charleston’s account that he sprayed SB directly in the face.

Charleston broke down the alleged incident with DJ Akademiks -- his version, anyway, which is that Soulja and 10 others cornered him before he pepper sprayed his way to safety.

One more thing both guys agree on is that there’s video of their confrontation, but neither seems to know anything about its whereabouts.

Lil Baby's loyalty was on full display at Rolling Loud when he successfully swatted off a few fans trying to pose as fam slipping backstage!

The 4PF Records boss was spotted conducting his own ID check of entourage members … which is typically security’s job, but nonetheless, he was able to diffuse any mishaps from going down.

You can almost hear what sounds like Baby scolding the actual Rolling Loud security for getting the head count wrong as he takes matters into his own hands.

He points out familiar faces and even possibly lets a few well-behaved fans slide through before security steps in and creates a human wall around the gate.

Baby was among the many rap stars present for Rolling Loud Miami, dedicating his “Drip Too Hard” performance to its incarcerated costar Gunna among other his other hits.

Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am says he doesn’t dig Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.'s music, and he has a good reason for not following the status quo of worshipping the late rap icons -- he doesn't relate to their music!!!

Will was a guest on veteran rapper Skillz's podcast, “Hip Hop Confessions” ... and says the legends' music didn’t “speak to his spirit."

He also speculated ... had he absorbed Biggie and 2Pac's raps, he would’ve been stuck in his L.A. hood instead of touring worldwide with his multi-platinum group.

It’s an interesting take, especially since Will has credited late N.W.A co-founder Eazy-E -- AKA “The Godfather of Gangsta Rap” -- numerous times for jump-starting his career.

Will says acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Eric B. and Rakim and De La Soul were way more influential to BEP than Pac and B.I.G. ... which is totally evident in their music.

Kendrick Lamar gave Rolling Loud fans an Instagrammable moment when he linked with his “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” collaborator Kodak Black on his home Florida turf.

K. Dot summoned Kodak for their song “Silent Hill” from his recent album, which resonated with the Miami crowd -- besides the home cooking for Kodak, Mr. Morale” is 2022's biggest rap album.

Kendrick’s pgLang protégé, Baby Keem was also in the mix, and the duo performed “Family Ties."

As for Kodak's appearance, his lawyer Bradford Cohen says it took some doing to make it happen. He tweeted about his efforts to spring Kodak from his arrest last week, so he could be on stage with Kenny.

The surprise collaboration helped cap a weekend's worth of rap festivities, that also featured Kid Cudi storming off his Kanye West-replacing gig … only for Ye to pop up with Lil Durk regardless.

Lil Baby, Future, Saweetie, Gucci Mane, Fivio Foreign, Playboi Carti, Dreezy, Soulja Boy and many more also were on hand for RL and there are still NYC and Toronto dates left to close out the year.

Unlike Frank Sinatra, Fivio Foreign's got regrets, and it sounds like he wants to mention this particular one -- about his entry into the rap game -- to a lawyer.

The Brooklyn rapper was on the "Million Dollarz Worth of Game" podcast when he talked about signing his first contract with former Bad Boy Records star Ma$e in the late 2010s. No, Fivio never says the word "tricked" while breaking it down for Gillie Da Kid and Wallo267 -- but it's clear he's pissed about his paltry $5k signing bonus.

Rappers have grown accustomed to big budgets these days and Fivio’s early beginnings sound similar to several other young musicians' come-up stories: naive about the biz, but eager to start their careers.

Fivio claims Ma$e pretended to point out specifics in the fine print of his contract to get him to sign right away. Again, he doesn't use the phrase "snake oil salesman," but there's a strong insinuation.

He also says the manager who introduced him to Ma$e pressured him to sign on the spot without consulting a lawyer first.

The final hint of Fivio’s regret came when he revealed Ma$e had failed to get him a G Herbo collaboration after all this time, but he finally got one in the works -- off the strength of his own name.

That MDWG interview wasn’t the only shot Ma$e’s had to eat -- Diddy’s mom recently interrupted a Bad Boy roll call on her son’s live stream to give stern warnings to the Harlem World rapper.

Lana Del Rey claims she has a stalker on her hands, one that's very interested in her car as well -- this according to LDR herself, who just got court-ordered protection against this guy.

The singer was granted a temporary restraining order in Los Angeles County, where she claims she's been getting harassed by some guy named Eric Everardo -- who she says has visited her home on at least 2 occasions ... and allegedly jacked a vehicle there too.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lana says Everardo first visited her residence without permission in February of this year ... when she claims he made off with one of her rides, a Jaguar, and was eventually criminally charged for that.

That wasn't the end of it though. Lana goes on to claim Everardo came back to her crib earlier this month and left a bag at her gate with a disturbing letter inside relaying his desire to see her again. LDR claims he also texted her sister a couple times between February and July, but it's unclear how he got her number.

In any case, Lana says she doesn't know this man and fears for her safety, and the safety of her family members. A judge signed off on the TRO and set a hearing on the matter for next month.

BTS fans finally have their chance to live just like their favorite boy band ... the house the K-Pop superstars once called home is now available for a once-in-a-lifetime overnight stay.

Airbnb is giving two lucky fans the chance to rest their heads in the same house the group lived in while filming season 2 of "IN THE SOOP BTS" in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The homes got plenty of features to make sure none of BTS' seven members ever got bored, and guests will be able to enjoy them as well ... including an outdoor pool with a unicorn-shaped float, a basketball court, a karaoke machine, and sound system and all of BTS hit tracks and albums.

Guests won't go hungry either ... with catered dishes that have been BTS approved -- including charcoal grilled Korean beef, which the boy band dubbed, "the best taste in the universe."

Airbnb will offer the one-night stay in a raffle next month with entries at $7 a pop -- in honor of the 7 members of the band.

Country music icon Hank Williams Jr.'s late wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died from a collapsed lung -- and it happened just one day after she'd gone under the knife.

Mary Jane's death is being classified as an accident according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner, who says she suffered the fatal injury during a cosmetic procedure.

The Medical Examiner says Mary Jane underwent liposuction on her back, arms and stomach, and had her breast implants removed during the March 21 surgery.

The M.E. says she suddenly became unresponsive the following day, and she died.

TMZ broke the story ... Hank's wife of over 30 years died March 22 in Jupiter, FL, and a family member said the early indication was she'd suffered a complication from surgery.

That initial theory seems to be at least close to the truth. Mary Jane's plastic surgeon, Dr. Harold Bafitis, told the ME he was about to see her for a follow-up visit in her hotel room when she suddenly became unresponsive while sitting up in bed.

Britney Spears is officially back in the studio, joining forces with Elton John for a remake of one of his greatest hits ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the two artists linked up on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to record a new rendition of EJ's "Tiny Dancer."

We're told the song is currently still being mixed. Page Six, which broke the story, reports Britney and Elton actually met up in person at a Beverly Hills studio to cut the song -- and that it's due out through Universal Music in August. Andrew Watt is said to be the overseeing producer. We're told it will be released within a month.

Of course, this is huge news ... as it would mark Britney's official comeback to the music industry -- this after being released from the conservatorship and regaining her freedom.

BS has signaled she wants to get back to work, but has also been taking her time readjusting to a normal life ... and also getting married, among other life adventures. As fans of hers know, Britney still very much has song and dance running through her veins.

She constantly records herself at her home doing new choreography and routines -- and recently, we've heard her clear out her pipes with an oldie-but-goodie song of her own.