Music

LL Cool J is coming to the defense of hip hop's pioneers ... as he blows a gasket over DJ Akademiks calling older rappers "dusty," and not as rich as the new generation of artists.

In a fiery Instagram Live, LL picked apart Akademiks' stance -- noting how music fans don't check the pockets of legends like Miles Davis, John Coltrane or popular rock musicians. His point is simple ... why do it for hip-hop icons?!?

Ak questioned the validity of some older rappers' stake in the culture on account of their bank accounts -- which LL calls a "misinformed" opinion.

LL also pointed out that when rap started, there were no managers, endorsement deals or big label budgets ... and hip hop stars of the past literally had to create the movement from the ground up.

The Rock The Bells Festival founder said comments like Ak's are exactly why he started the event ... to preserve the foundations of rap, and advised the blogger to never play himself, noticeably checking his composure to prevent from exploding!!!

LL's thoughts immediately garnered plenty of backup -- Busta Rhymes, DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9, and Pharoahe Monch were just a handful of pioneers who cosigned the message.

LL didn't want to mention Akademiks by name ... but his fellow hip hop legend, former Hot 97 standout DJ Mister Cee, connected the dots and found Ak ranting about older rappers on one of his Twitch streams.

Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are still going strong, despite all the breakup rumors ... and she was her man's number one fan at his final show in NYC.

Harry's last show at Madison Square Garden was sold out, but somehow Olivia got a front-and-center view Wednesday night ... supporting HS and dancing to the music.

All the fans in the crowd got a feathered boa ... including Olivia, who rocked it around her neck during the concert.

As you know, there've been lots of breakup rumors swirling around for a while now. Folks suspected their relationship was on the rocks, especially after the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where they hardly interacted.

Kanye West says he's fighting to be heard as a parent since splitting from Kim Kardashian ... but he's also apologizing for the headaches he's caused her up to this point.

The artist was candid about his co-parenting struggles when he told Linsey Davis on 'GMA' his ability to have a voice in the relationship with Kim -- once they divorced -- was something for which he fought.

He recalls his time butting heads with Kim about what kind of clothes their kids can wear -- even saying it feels similar to his recent battles with Gap and Adidas.

As you know, Kanye pulled the plug on his partnership with Gap last week, claiming the company double-crossed him with empty promises.

And, while he apologized directly to Kim, saying he's sorry for stressing out her and the family -- he also claimed he's being discriminated against ... in business and as a parent.

Adam Levine isn't putting down the mic while he's in hot water over a DM mess -- he's still stepping into the spotlight on stage ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the singer is still scheduled to perform early next month with his band, Maroon 5, at The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation's annual fundraising gala, "The Event" in Vegas.

The gig is set to go down Oct. 1 at the MGM Grand, and we're told the show will go on -- even now, with Adam's relationship status in the headlines amid a DM scandal. Our sources tell us there will be no red carpet at the event, similar to last year, so Adam won't be grilled by reporters.

Not just that, but our sources tell us Adam is also going to forge ahead with other professional commitments he's already made -- and that would seem to include his M5 world tour, with stops all over Asia through the end of the year, as well as one final NYE show in Palm Springs.

It's interesting, considering the drama has now ballooned even beyond what was originally alleged. It all started with one woman claiming she had an affair with Adam, which he denied. She offered up DMs suggesting he wanted to name his unborn kid after her.

Although Adam denied being physically involved, he did cop to sending flirtatious messages and also expressed regret, while noting he's working it out with his wife, Behati Prinsloo.

More women have come forward with claims he was DM'ing them as well -- including some famous ladies alleging he attempted to DM them.

Adam and Behati were photographed together this week, but it's unclear where things stand between them.

At any rate, AL's plowing ahead with his frontman duties.

Looks like Adam Levine and his wife are on the same page when it comes to weathering the storm of cheating allegations -- they're already laughing together, even as more women come forward.

Behati Prinsloo had a big smile on her face as she and Adam were out and about Wednesday in Montecito, CA. At one point, Adam was holding her hand, and there's really no apparent sign of tension between them.

This comes the day after the Maroon 5 frontman admitted he "crossed the line" by communicating online with multiple women. He denies there were any physical affairs with the women -- something at least one of them, Sumner Stroh, disputes.

Adam also said he and Behati would get through this together, and there's plenty of evidence that's exactly what they're doing.

Aside from the PDA, both are still wearing their wedding bands, and her baby bump is just barely visible. Remember, Behati and Adam just announced a couple weeks ago she's pregnant with their third child.

As we first reported, the "Girls Like You" singer now says, "My wife and my family is all I care about in this world."

Jadakiss' past life as Diddy's ghostwriter still haunts him ... mostly because he hated everything about the process!!!

The LOX rapper was chopping it up on Smoke DZA's 'Personal Party' podcast, revisiting his stint on Diddy's Bad Boy Records -- which was very early in his career, and, apparently, incredibly challenging.

Jada recalls writing Diddy's verses for his debut album "No Way Out" via the tracks "Victory," "Senorita" and the crown jewel "All About The Benjamins," which amounted to a ton of heat for which Jada got zero credit, publicly.

Despite his high skill level, Jada says it was difficult ghostwriting for Diddy simply because they weren't in the same tax bracket, but he had to emulate his boss' fancy lifestyle!!!

Jada says Diddy would simply instruct him to write from the perspective of "Puff Daddy" ... which was tough, considering Puff was already an established mogul hailing from Harlem, while Jada was a rookie from Yonkers who didn't understand the game.

He admits he was a bit rough around the edges ... eventually smoothing out his sound and mentality as he got older. The LOX only released one album on Bad Boy in 1998, but let Jada tell it ... history could've been written differently.

He also recalled Suge Knight phoning LOX rapper Sheek Louch's house with an offer to join Death Row Records amid their label bidding war -- an obvious attempted chess move against Diddy during the height of the East Coast vs. West Coast feud.

Jada says the group pondered the move to L.A. ... seeing as how Death Row was arguably the hottest label out, but ultimately he felt they would've betrayed their NYC lineage by hopping on the California love bandwagon.

Boosie Badazz is feeling optimistic about former Houston rap collaborators Trae Tha Truth and Z-Ro potentially settling their feud -- which already got violent -- and all it took was J Prince coming on the scene.

Boosie was recently back in his favorite VladTV hot seat and revealed he'd seen the Trae and Z-Ro fight footage, but didn't have much of a reaction. The Louisiana rapper chalked up the scuffle-up general town bidness, and expressed regret 2 artists he previously worked with came to blows.

He's also happy no one was shot or killed, especially in the aftermath of PnB Rock's murder.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Z-Ro was jumped by Trae and several others outside an event for 50 Cent's Tycoon Weekend earlier this month after initially denying the altercation took place.

The silver lining, as Boosie sees it, is that Rap-A-Lot Records CEO and Houston OG J Prince was recently "at the table" with Z-Ro ... which typically signals a peace treaty in the works.

PnB Rock's murder investigation is taking a deep dive into his past -- because, apparently, cops are under the impression this might've been more than just a random robbery ... on the contrary, it may have been a planned execution by a foe.

LAPD sources tell us the case is moving in several concurrent directions -- and one involves detectives digging into the late rapper's personal life ... especially when it comes to who he rubbed elbows with -- or possibly butted heads with -- resulting in would-be beefs.

We're told investigators are especially interested in his ties to Atlanta -- where he apparently spent quite a bit of time -- as well as his home city of Philly ... and they're asking any and everybody if PnB had known enemies who might've had it out for him.

PnB's lyrics are also under a microscope at the moment, with cops wanting to see if he referenced any feuds he might've had with any of his peers and/or other individuals.

This is an interesting development. Cops initially thought it was a fatal robbery -- in which random thieves came across PnB and/or his girlfriend's social media, saw what they were up to, and went on the attack. But why then didn't they just snatch his chains and leave, rather than shooting him multiple times and killing him?

Cops now believe this could've been a more elaborate scheme by someone with a vendetta.

No matter how you cut it ... the fact that this L.A. investigation is now crossing state lines is pretty stunning -- and they certainly wouldn't do that without at least a good hunch.

Now, as for where things stand in terms of ID'ing the suspects and/or the getaway car ... our sources say cops are still trying to track down the vehicle through video feeds. We're told they're getting lots of tips, but it's taking time to sift through them to see which are legit.

Roddy Ricch is calling his hometown a danger zone in the wake of PnB Rock’s slaying inside a beloved L.A. restaurant.

The Compton-bred rapper admitted his PSA was a bit out of the ordinary for him, but felt the need to speak out as things continued to spiral.

He posted ... "LA ! Usually I try to mind my business and let the world rotate but we gotta do better ... It’s too much senseless violence. Too much opportunity and motivation to take things other people work hard for. It’s too much life to live to take someone else’s away."

In addition to PnB Rock's murder last week, Los Angeles has seen an upswing in violent crimes ... including armed robberies and burglaries, and Roddy's calling it out.

He added, "I love my city but we can’t keep going out like this. Before you know it, it’ll be nobody left to take from or kill. Let’s stay on point stay aware and find better ways to pursue our dreams because this shit turning into ALL NIGHTMARES."

Roddy and PnB were friends and former labelmates at Atlantic Records where they collaborated on PnB’s 2019 album "TrapStar Turnt PopStar."

LAPD's investigating potential motives in the case … including the possibility PnB’s murder was preplanned and detectives are examining his lyrics for clues to any potential beefs.

Diplo has emerged victorious against a woman he claimed was harassing him and his family -- and could walk away with over a million bucks for it ... once the judge signs off.

The DJ's case -- which dates back to last Spring -- went to arbitration after he sued Shelly Auguste for allegedly hounding him with threats of revenge porn ... not to mention what he claims was an incessant badgering of his baby mama and other relatives.

According to new court docs, Diplo is asking the Los Angeles Superior Court to confirm the monetary award that was greenlit for him by the arbitrator ... a cool $1.2 million and change -- which covers damages, attorney fees and other costs.

Diplo's legal team is clearly viewing this as a decisive win, calling her an "obsessive and unstable fan" who was out to exploit a one-time consensual relationship with their client for as much money as possible ... adding, "Her fifteen minutes of fame are now over."

You'll recall ... this all started in 2019, according to Diplo, when he hooked up with this lady -- only for things to fizzle out the following year. He claimed that she wouldn't let it go, though, and pestered both him and his brood with provocative messages and his nudes too.

Diplo was so overwhelmed by the situation, that he says he had to sell his house just to get away from all this -- that is, until he filed suit and took her to court. He also took out a TRO against Auguste -- and she did the same, only to later have it tossed -- and it's finally over.

Diplo's attorney, Bryan Freedman, tells TMZ ... "We are all extremely pleased for Wes (Diplo) and his family. What happened here is simple. The arbitrator looked at all the facts. She evaluated the evidence impartially. And justice prevailed."

Tekashi69 is being forced to cough up some serious dough to Fashion Nova, according to a judgment in the company's 2020 suit ... and his bill could skyrocket if the other defendants don't pony up the cash.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, show Tekashi agreed to a judgment against him in the amount of $350K, after Fashion Nova alleged he and others walked away with their cash in 2018.

Tekashi agreed he alone is responsible for paying off around $39K of the total.

However, he could wind up paying WAY more ... because if the other defendants -- such as booking and entertainment companies -- don't cough up any of the remaining $311K, Tekashi will remain on the hook to satisfy the full judgment.

Tekashi puts it simply, telling TMZ ... "That's hilarious," laughing at the amount of money he could owe. Unclear why he finds the situation funny ... seems like a big chunk of change.

As we reported, the clothing co. paid Tekashi an advance of $225K for brand promotion in 2018 -- he got locked up 2 weeks later ... making him unable to perform his duties.

DJ Envy thinks all rappers should invest in some form of protection for their jewelry following PnB Rock's murder, and "The Breakfast Club" co-host has much experience insuring valuables.

We caught Envy strolling through LAX, where he said hip hop's latest tragedy resonated greatly with him as he too has a prized collection of jewelry and chains.

At the core, Envy feels the world should be a place where people should be allowed to wear the spoils of their success without fear of violence ... but he's quick to acknowledge that just ain't reality!

Envy admits he tends to leave the flashy stuff locked up at home when he's traveling for DJ gigs or car shows -- but if he does hit the scene with a bit of bling, Envy says he's always trailed by security and sometimes self-protection.

He's also been robbed before, and says sometimes it only takes one time getting burned before you opt to carry your own heat.

As we've reported ... PnB was murdered last week in an L.A. Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, and the killer made off with his chains as he lay on the floor dying.

Lil Baby is feeling it from fans after he was spotted partying in Vegas, hours after canceling a show in Vancouver ... but he certainly didn't wanna talk about it.

Baby hit Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills with some friends Tuesday, and while we asked him several times about the incident from over the weekend, he only tried to deflect the attention elsewhere before eventually hitting an ice cream truck, where he ordered Flamin' Hot Funyons.

As we reported, Baby's fans in Vancouver went ballistic over the weekend, destroying property, when he pulled out of his performance at Breakout Festival. The rapper stated, "I have been going so hard these past few months without any breaks that it finally caught up with me."

However, he was seen just hours later partying in Vegas at Zouk Nightclub for Canelo Alvarez's victory over Gennady Golovkin with the likes of Travis Scott and DJ Drama.

New Orleans having America's highest murder rate in 2022 makes veteran NOLA rapper/activist Dee-1 sick to his stomach, and it's also why he's taking issue with Fat Joe's recent remarks about robberies.

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Dee-1 following the new report about murders rising 46% in NOLA since last year. The city is close to passing the 2021 total of 221 slayings, and it's only September.

Dee -- who's currently at Harvard University -- says it doesn't take a 4.0 student to see hip hop has been amplifying street activity across the board, and Joe Crack's street-influenced commentary following PnB Rock's murder has him extremely frustrated.

Joe recently appeared on Charlamagne's "Hell Of A Week" and said he's fine with someone robbing PnB, but not the murder -- but Dee says that mentality ignores the root problem.

Dee says Joe and other OG's should know better and thinks artists have been hiding behind the "freedom of speech" rights for too long ... highlighting bad stuff to sound good.

As for his hometown, he says too many in NOLA were competing to have the hardest 'hoods in America, and tragically they've succeeded.

Dee is at Harvard via the hip hop fellowship Nas started years ago, and as part of his studies, he's examining hip hop culture at its core ... in addition to its influence on the youth.

If you noticed Freddie Gibbs trending Tuesday it's because he's promoting his new album, and firing off some stray shots while he's at it.

The Gary, Indiana native checked in with Funk Flex at NYC's Hot 97 to deliver a freestyle over Amerie's "Why Don't We Fall in Love" instrumental ... all in the name of plugging his upcoming project -- "SSS a.k.a. Soul Sold Separately" -- and teasing the embattled R. Kelly over his money woes.

"Fuck R. Kelly, bitch I’m the new king of R&B,” Freddie rapped before later promising to put money on Kellz' books for using his name as promo.

The embattled R&B legend recently had to forfeit his prison piggy bank of $28k to pay restitution to his victims, and the future isn't looking up for him either.

Funk Flex got quite the kick outta the diss lines, especially when Gangsta Gibbs clarified he had no "free R. Kellys" to give out ... only thoughts and prayers.

Freddie also revisited his uncooked beef with Akademiks by firing off the homophobic verse ... "Bout to squeeze Akademiks' titties, I love a fat bitch /You a d**k-in-the-booty n***a, go get the strap bitch."

Despite the aggressive rap, Gibbs said he could also see him and Ak having a lot in common ... if they ever had an actual conversation.

The two have been throwing Instagram shots for some time, mostly to entertaining results.

To put the icing on the cake, Freddie unveiled the 'SSS' tracklist, with features from Rick Ross, Pusha T, Anderson .Paak, Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul and Moneybagg Yo ... via the first single "Too Much."

The U.S. Space Force has released its official song ... and folks online certainly don't appear to be warming up to the new jam.

The military branch unveiled its official tune Tuesday during an Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland titled "Semper Supra", which means "Always Above" in Latin.

One social media user wrote, "Wtf is this? Might as well use the #StarWars theme song! What a joke! #spaceforce". Another guy criticized its "night and day" lyrics saying ... "there is no night or day in outer space..."

FYI, the Space Force was born in 2019, so it was only a matter of time before it adopted an official song like every other military branch.

Of course, this isn't the first time the Space Force raised some eyebrows. You'll recall, it got a lot of backlash in 2020 when the force dropped its camo uniforms. And folks pointed out the fact that it might not be the best idea, when trying to fly under the radar in space.