Music

Dave Chappelle was letting it rip this weekend -- smoking and singing songs next to Snoop Dogg up in Northern California ... and the guy's wife was in on the fun as well!

The comedian was on hand Friday night at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, where he took the stage next to SD to not just tell jokes and talk ... but to actually flex his pipes a bit. Indeed, they were rapping and crooning together -- and it's pretty funny.

Of course, Dave was also kind of in scavenger mode -- smoking what appeared to be a blunt with Snoop -- and the Doggfather actually comments on it at the end of the clip.

Essentially, Snoop says Dave was transforming into himself right before his eyes the more weed he took in -- and he goes on to explain that's why he doesn't like toke up with that many people ... otherwise, there'd be a crap ton of Snoop Doggs running around. 😆

BTW, DC's wife, Elaine, was also there during the festivities ... and it looks like she was having a ball alongside her hubby. There's photos of the two of them hugging up on each other, but this shot here kinda captures the vibe of the night in full.

Kate Bush is having a moment in 2022, which couldn't be more clear than what's happening this weekend -- namely, thousands of people coming together to dance to one of her songs.

It's the singer's 64th birthday Saturday, which also happens to coincide with 'Wuthering Heights Day' ... an annual event where her legions of fans come flocking to different sites around the world to collectively boogie to her signature track of the same name.

Of course, they're all dressed in red ... a direct homage to KB's iconic music video -- in which she also puts on some killer hippy-dippy moves in a field, surrounded by woods.

Supposedly, this has been a thing for a while -- dating back to 2013, it seems -- but the yearly get-together was paused during COVID, and hasn't fired back up until now. Since then, Kate has seen a resurgence in pop culture ... thanks to "Stranger Things" using her song "Running Up That Hill."

Soooo, thanks to that renewed popularity ... this year's Wuthering Heights Day is insane, with pop-ups in Sydney, different parts of the U.K. and beyond -- the turnout might be higher than ever before, frankly.

Looks like Kate Bush's relevancy in society is stronger than it might've been in her heyday. When you got a 'Midsommar'-esque shindig like this -- it's hard to deny, she's still a thing.

Drake's been on a roll with iconic music acts lately, and he kept that going with OVO Fest this week ... kicking off the event with a performance from none other than Nelly Furtado.

It's true ... Drizzy was able to book the reclusive Canadian singer Thursday for his North Stars concert, Day 1 of the event -- which is a big deal ... NF hasn't hit a stage publicly since at least 2017, and hasn't really performed much in general dating back to 2007.

Of course, she was hot stuff in the 2000s ... with a slew of fan-favorite hits, some of which she sang side by side with Champagne Papi and the rest of the crowd, who went nuts.

You gotta watch this, because Drake certainly hyped it up ... telling the audience that he needed them to sing as loud as possible for the next artist he was gonna bring up, noting it was a bit of a mission to get her to come out like this. Then, Nelly emerges ... and it's wild.

She sang "Promiscuous Girl" and "I'm Like a Bird," among other tracks ... and her set essentially became a sing-along. At one point, Drake even said she had a choir on her hands that night -- so yeah, she was feeling the love from the OVO-goers. Super cool moment.

Britney Spears' tell-all is finally completed, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, but we've learned there's a delay in releasing it and it all has to do with .... THE SUPPLY SHORTAGE!

Sources close to Britney tell us ... she recently wrapped up the dishy memoir, which is set to be published by Simon & Schuster. We're told Britney and co. are aiming for a release date in January -- but there's a paper shortage that has upended the plan.

What's more ... our sources say there's no clear date on when the shortage will be resolved ... hence, there's not a firm release date.

A report from Publishers Weekly earlier this year pointed to a couple of major factors for the shortage -- more people started ordering books during the pandemic, decreasing paper supply. There's more -- people walked off their manufacturing jobs at paper plants, causing an ongoing labor shortage.

As we reported ... Britney's tell-all deal she signed back in February scored her a $15 million advance. The deal was one of the biggest for a memoir, behind the Obamas -- who signed with Penguin Random House for over $60M.

Of course, Britney's book will have plenty of material -- from her days as a child star, to finding superstardom and the falling out with her family during her conservatorship.

Polo G and the cops certainly didn't exchange any pleasantries during his arrest back in 2021, we've obtained additional body cam footage from the encounter, video his attorneys were pissed hadn't been released sooner.

The footage shows the aftermath of Polo G's "Hall Of Fame" album release party in Miami, where the Chicago rapper is in handcuffs and stuffed into a police cruiser. Polo was allegedly first pulled over for window tints and got combative when he was asked to roll down his window.

In the body cam footage, Polo G demands to be seen by paramedics and complains of both police brutality and having issues breathing inside the police cruiser.

Polo was eventually taken to a hospital, but his transporting officer first has issues finding the clasp on his $15,000 chain and later admits he's never even heard of him, spawning a debate with the younger cops, who were familiar with Polo G and his new album.

As for how the case ended ... Polo completed anger management classes, and charges for going after the officer were eventually dropped.

Jennifer Lopez is putting the final touches on her performance — going through dress rehearsals for her charity concert over in Italy — and it looks like she's preparing to bring the house down.

J Lo is slated to roc the mic Saturday at a UNICEF benefit for Ukraine ... and by the looks of rehearsals, she'll be wearing an animal print ensemble, unless of course, she’s got multiple costume changes.

It also appears J Lo will have some flashy backup singers and disco balls, all the indications of a real party on stage.

J Lo also practiced some of her dance moves before busting out an animal print coat.

As we reported ... J Lo is sticking around in Europe for the benefit concert after vacationing with new husband Ben Affleck in France.

Jimmy Sohns, lead singer for the 60's band The Shadows of Knight, is dead after suffering a stroke.

Jimmy and his band are most remembered for their iconic, singalong hit "Gloria" ... which was a top 10 hit in 1966. Not to be confused with Laura Branigan's 80s hit of the same name, Jimmy and co.'s famous chorus spelled out the name ... G-L-O-R-I-A.

The Illinois band had announced earlier this week that Jimmy was hospitalized after suffering a stroke -- but on Friday his daughter announced he had passed.

Jimmy and a friend still ran the band's social media pages ... posting old pics from The Shadows of Knight's heyday.

Sohns was still a teenager when his band struck gold with "Gloria." He and his bandmates were all high school pals in suburban Chicago, and got together to play their version of British blues ... a la The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds.

The surviving members were still doing live shows together as recently as 2016.

Jimmy was 75.

DJ Khaled and Quality Control CEO Pierre “Pee” Thomas are some of the most respected, and highly paid, moguls in hip hop -- but even they have no shame in their game hopping on the Mega Millions craze.

Tonight's drawing is up to $1.28 billion and if anyone's got a winning ticket it'll easily change their lives in an instant.

Perhaps wisely, Khaled's viewing the drawing as a great opportunity to promote his next album, "God Did." He posted a vid yelling ... "They didn’t believe in us -- God Did” as he flashes stacks of Mega Millions tickets.

Previously, he'd been relying on Drake, Lil Baby and Jay-Z to hype his album. We're thinking the lotto tickets gotta be at least as effective as them.

Khaled's post certainly gets approval from Pee -- the QC shot caller was busy Friday defending his own purchase of a bunch o' $2 MM tickets.

Khaled is a regular on Forbes’ “Hip Hop Cash Kings” list and Pee is making open bids for 300 Entertainment … so neither guy needs the extra revenue.

Mozzy's having a big week -- on the heels of releasing a new album, he's now officially on the inside ... turning himself in to begin a one-year prison sentence for a federal gun charge.

Court documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop include Mozzy’s self-written letter to the judge where he calls the case a “wake-up call,” and says he's cleaned up his drug use. More relevant to the case, though, he highlights the fact a lot of Black rappers make headlines for being murdered.

Mozzy, who just inked a deal with Yo Gotti, says ... "My lawyers also told me there is a recent study that proves the number one cause of death among black rappers is murder (specifically by gunfire).” He says he's afraid his kids will end up fatherless, and that's his primary reason for carrying a gun without a permit.

He adds, “It is a fear that all black rappers carry with them, all the time. I know that does not legally justify me possessing a firearm. But I took some comfort in the fact that I knew with certainty I was not going to use that gun for illegal purposes. I wanted it solely for self-defense in case of an attack against me or my family.”

That concern echoes many of the fears French Montana warned everyone about when we talked to him shortly after Lil Tjay was shot in NJ.

Mozzy was pulled over in January 2021 in L.A., and cops found a Glock 26 plus 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Shakira will do more than 8 years in a Spanish prison ... if prosecutors get their way.

Prosecutors in Spain said Friday ... if a jury convicts the "Hips Don't Lie" singer for bilking the government out of $15 million in taxes, they'll ask the judge to throw the book at her -- 8 years and 2 months behind bars.

Shakira is being prosecuted for tax fraud ... accused of paying zippo in taxes between 2012 - 2014, during which she allegedly spent more than half the year in the country.

A rep for the singer told People, “Shakira has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm.”

They continue, “Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights and pursue yet another baseless case. Shakira is confident that her innocence will be proven by the end of the judicial process.”

Authorities are out for blood ... in addition to prison time, they want her to cough up $15 mil in unpaid taxes, plus a whopping $24 mil in fines.

Shakira's reps say this is just pure vindictiveness ... a violation of her basic rights. They say the singer has already paid what she owes in taxes, plus $3 million in interest. The way her reps see it, Shakira has fully "abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer."

She apparently was offered a settlement from prosecutors this week but turned it down. It's unclear the terms of the proposed settlement. Instead, Shakira elected to take her chances at trial.

Beyoncé’s fashion icon status is officially in “Renaissance” mode with the release of the new album!

On Friday, Beyoncé dropped her seventh studio collection … ushering in a new wave of glam shots, which she’s done since her debut solo album back in 2003.

Fans have watched her style evolve from the sexy girl next door to the unapologetic Sasha Fierce to the commanding star ... who sometimes allows Jay-Z to share her spotlight. 😉

For this new album, she’s taking a more bold and elegant approach to her look … sporting long leather gloves, gaudy diamonds and shimmery gowns -- much like a renaissance.

Jennifer Lopez is in no rush to return from Europe after vacationing with Ben Affleck ... she's still overseas for work and some play while Ben's on daddy duty in Los Angeles.

J Lo spent her Friday living the island life in Capri, Italy -- grabbing lunch with her team and riding around the city in a cart with her security detail -- all while showing love to her international fans.

J Lo dressed in all white and drew a crowd as her hired muscle whisked her away in the back of a cart, she waved at fans like a beauty queen in a parade.

As for why she's in Capri, Jennifer is the headliner at a show to benefit the people of Ukraine Saturday, with a star-studded guest list ... including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jared Leto, Vanessa Hudgens and Naomi Campbell.

Ben was spotted in L.A. Thursday picking up his son, Samuel, from Jennifer Garner's place.

As we reported, J Lo and Ben jetted off to Paris after getting married in Las Vegas, and their time in France included PDA in front of their kids, romantic dinners, a good cry and an infamous nap.

"Bridgerton" is once again a smash hit, but this time Netflix is pissed ... because it says two musicians ripped off their TV series, turned it into a stage production and turned a huge profit.

The streaming giant is going after the duo Barlow & Bear for  "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert" -- a musical production they performed to a sold-out Kennedy Center earlier this week.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Netflix says the production's opening number, "Tis the Season" is nearly identical to the one they used to introduce the show's main characters and setting. Netflix says Barlow & Bear even ripped off "substantial dialogue verbatim" from the TV show.

According to Netflix, the musicians didn't just steal its intellectual property ... but they also lied about getting permission. In the suit, Netflix includes an advertisement that was posted for the stage production and it includes the text, "BRIDGERTON is a trademark of Netflix used with permission."

Nope. Not according to Netflix, which says it actually "vigorously objected" to Barlow & Bear's use of the show's name, characters and dialogue.

Netflix says the duo has plans to take the musical on the road with a performance in London's iconic Royal Albert Hall -- and they're also selling "Bridgerton" themed merch.

Besides ripping off its TV show, Netflix says Barlow & Bear's pirate operation is competing with its "Bridgerton Experience" ... a 6-city event where fans pay to enjoy an "immersive" night in a ballroom with actors and music inspired by their show.

Celebrities have been taking to the skies in their private jets for years, but a recent study is pointing the finger at some celebs most guilty of poisoning the planet.

According to research gathered by Yard, a marketing agency that focuses on "metrics that matter," celebs like Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, and Blake Shelton have been polluting the air with tons of CO2e this year alone ... but no one has done it more than Taylor Swift.

According to Yard, T. Swift has flown private 170 times since January, with a time in the air of about 16 days. Her total flight emissions for the year come in at 8,293.54 tonnes -- that's 1,184.8 times more than the average person's total annual emissions!!!

To put it into perspective, they say the average person emits 7 tonnes -- annually.

Mayweather comes in 2nd place in the pollution race ... emitting 7,076 tonnes so far -- still over 1K shy of Taylor's mark.

Jay-Z, A-Rod, Steven Spielberg, and Oprah Winfrey also made the list ... and Floyd's plane took the shortest flight of the year, at 10 minutes.

It's interesting ... the Internet started to buzz about celebs and their carbon footprints after Kylie Jenner posted about her and TS' private jets last week, but she didn't make the top ten list. Travis Scott took the #10 spot ... flying a total of 5.8 days so far.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had special gifts for Elton John before his final performance at Gillette Stadium ... giving the music legend a customized football and autographed helmet!!

The team posted the touching moment on social media Thursday ... showing Kraft and Sir Elton sharing a smile and holding the presents before the second of two sold-out shows at the Patriots' home venue.

As it turns out, the two are very close friends ... and John is a big fan of the 6-time Super Bowl winners. In fact, the "Tiny Dancer" singer even served as the Pats' honorary captain when they played at Wembley Stadium in 2009.

The commemorative game football reads "Sir Elton John" and the tour's logo ... while the helmet appears to have a special hand-written message from Kraft to his buddy.

"A gift fit for the 🚀 man," the Pats said in a tweet.

Tyga's ticked off many fans, especially in the Latin community, with his new “Ay Caramba” video, which is filled with unsavory stereotypes ... and now, he's apologizing in a new interview.

L.A.’s Power 106 radio station organized an interview with Tyga and American Cholo ... a podcaster who specializes in untangling various stereotypes and misconceptions in the Latino community.

Tyga's vid has plenty of that -- for example, a sombrero-wearing game show host and couch potato with no shortage of tortilla chips.

AC says the stereotypes were the main cause of concern, simply pointing out how reversing the “chips and low-rider” images with “fried chicken and watermelon” would be easy red flags for African-Americans.

Tyga says he was confused by the original backlash, because he and YG had a huge hit with “Go Loko” a few years ago -- it went double-platinum and amassed over 200 million YouTube views.

T-Raww did apologize during his American Cholo chat -- but the interview ended in a bit of a stalemate. When Tyga was asked if he would take the video down, he hesitated because he said he paid $250,000 of his own money to make the video ... but says he will consider.

So far, it has 4 million views in a little under a month ... and that's probably from a lot of shock-and-awe sharing. "Ay Caramba" indeed.