Music

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland's $28 million legal war with Triller over their Verzuz payouts has come to a close -- the 2 hip hop superproducers have settled.

TMZ broke the story ... Swizz and Timbaland sued Triller following the sale of their series, accusing Triller of failing to deliver on all the promised payouts -- and although the terms of their settlement are confidential, both guys say they're happy with the outcome.

Tim and Swizz say ... “Verzuz has always been a platform that is by the artists, for the artists and with the people.”

Their joint statement to Rolling Stone continues, “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”

Swizz added, "Was I ready to go to war? Yes. Am I used to it? I’m from the South Bronx. But I had to take my emotions out of it. There were too many creatives for me to lock this whole thing in the lawyers’ box.”

Verzuz was a huge draw for hip hop and R&B fans throughout the pandemic ... boasting marquee matchups like Jeezy vs Gucci Mane and Brandy vs Monica.

After news of the lawsuit spread, the hip-hop community rallied around Swizz and Tim and threatened boycotts.

Diddy, Jermaine Dupri and Styles P were just a handful of the rappers of who promised to move on from Triller if the company didn't do right by the Verzuz co-creators.

Taylor Swift fans might think their favorite musician is lined up to play the next Super Bowl Halftime show, but it just ain't true ... TMZ has learned.

Social media was on fire Friday after TS fans thought the NFL dropped a few Easter eggs that hinted at Taylor being the big performer. However, we've spoken to sources with direct knowledge who tell us Taylor's NOT going to be performing at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.

As for those Easter Eggs, the NFL sent out a press release at midnight announcing Apple Music would take Pepsi's spot as the sponsor of the show. If you're not familiar, Taylor's been making a lot of midnight announcements lately, so fans believed there was a connection.

What's more, Taylor's had a deal in place with Coca-Cola for years, making a Pepsi halftime show impossible ... so with Pepsi out of the picture, fans thought it made sense for Taylor.

Tommy Lee is taking another shot at selling his home in Calabasas ... because he just put it back on the market.

The rock star drummer listed his picturesque estate this week for $4,599,000. It's the same price he listed the home for back in May 2020. It didn't sell the first time so Tommy took it off the market to lease it for a year and has now relisted it.

Tommy's place is 6 bedrooms and 12,000 square feet of pure luxury ... the crib is custom built with all the bells and whistles, including a home theater and a state-of-the art recording studio.

The three-story home features sweeping city views, which are also visible from the private pool and spa.

Tommy's estate is built around a central atrium with a retractable roof ... and there's a concession bar and a wine tasting area.

Gear up Swifties -- Taylor Swift could be this season's Super Bowl halftime show act ... at least, that's what the musician's fans are thinking after the NFL appeared to drop a big clue into it all on Thursday night.

Here's the deal -- back in May, Pepsi pulled out of its longstanding partnership with the league and its Big Game's halftime show ... and on Thursday night, the NFL announced it's finally replaced the soft drink company with Apple Music as the new sponsor.

In its announcement, the league made no mention of a potential halftime performer for Super Bowl LVII ... but, according to Swift fans, it didn't need to -- because the timing of the release said it all.

The league curiously dropped the news at midnight -- something that's been associated with Swift for YEARS. She's put out albums twice since 2020 that were released at that time, and she's sung the word "midnight" hundreds of times in her tracks.

Swift is also set to release a new album next month ... titled "Midnights."

Taylor has never done an SB show before -- with many believing she wouldn't take the gig due to being locked in a sponsorship deal with Pepsi's biggest competitor, Coca-Cola.

With Apple Music now in, though, it seems Swift would be free and clear to belt out "Shake It Off" to millions during the Super Bowl's break on Feb. 12 without issue.

Trae Tha Truth is making sure Dave Chappelle stays shining during his stand-up gigs -- he just hooked up the GOAT with a diamond and gold rendering of his signature logo!!!

The Houston rapper was recently in L.A. when he surprised the legendary comedian with the custom pendant, straight from famed H-Town jeweler Iceman Nick.

We're told the piece consists of 15 carats of VS quality diamonds and is valued at $25,000. It was intended to be a small gesture -- Trae noted Dave already has everything money can buy, but he picked wisely.

DC was floored when he opened the jewelry box, and admitted he didn't have a logo chain in his collection ... and graciously accepted the chain and pendant combo.

Dave and Trae have been friends for several years ... Trae regularly shows out to support when Dave is touring around the country, as he is now.

Trae has been in a giving mood lately ... his Relief Gang charity recently delivered clean water and supplies to Jackson, Mississippi residents struggling with contaminated water pipes.

In a far less kind gesture ... he helped hand out a certified beatdown to his former rapping partner Z-Ro a couple of weeks back -- but according to Boosie Badazz, J. Prince's mediation skills have been activated to squash that beef.

Desiigner is trying to complete his next album, but it looks like all hopes of snagging red-hot rapper EST Gee's contributions are in the crapper.

According to Desiigner, he reached out to Gee for a feature verse ... only to learn the tab would run him a cool $75k. Desiigner used to be signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label ... which is probably why he took such offense to Gee's price and ripped him a new one on social media.

He apparently ripped more than that -- he claimed to be on the toilet taking a dump when he fired off his response to Gee!!!

Desiigner then went on to scoff at EST Gee's gold plaques and advised the Kentucky-bred rapper to keep all his gold chains ... and accused him of being a slave within the music industry. Yikes!

It's unclear if Desiigner wanted Gee for his clout or credibility. He does call the Yo Gotti-signed rapper complete garbage -- but those disses came only after he didn't like Gee's fee.

Don't sleep on Drake's ability on the basketball court ... 'cause the hip hop superstar can flat out hoop, so says Dribble2Much, Drizzy's longtime trainer.

TMZ Sports recently talked to Dribble2Much -- AKA Johnny Stephene -- and we asked him, who is the best hooping rapper.

"Big shoutout to my boy Drake right now because listen, me and Drake have been working for several years. We're good friends, first of all, and he really loves basketball. He loves the game. The fact that he loves the game and so passionate about getting better at something that he loves, put us on the same level as far as mentality-wise."

FYI, in addition to Drake, Dribble2Much has worked with celebs like 2 Chainz (and many more), and NBA superstars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, DeMar DeRozan and Chris Paul.

So, when the man says Drake can play ... listen.

Drake wasn't always regarded as a good player. In fact, he was routinely clowned on social media back in the day for his perceived lack of ability on the court.

But, Johnny says there's been a huge improvement.

"Listen, he's not that Drake from five years ago my man. He's got way better, man. I'm excited just because it's healthy for him to be playing and just being happy doing what he loves. That's dope."

His biggest strength?

"Shooting the ball."

'F.N.F.' rapper GloRilla is maximizing her rookie season with acts of kindness -- just ask her alma mater, who were just surprised with a $25,000 check!!!

Glo was back home in Memphis Thursday at Martin Luther King Prep High School where she donated the funds to the school's fine arts programs in hopes of fostering more talented acts down the line.

MLK Prep principal Chiquita Perry accepted the check in front of students and faculty members, and Glo called being in the position to give back a blessing, just like her recent single.

As we reported, Glo's charitable check comes on the heels of Cardi B also visiting her former school stomping grounds, where she presented her high school with a whooping $100k check earlier this month.

As fate would have it, the two rap stars are combing forces for Glo's upcoming single "Tomorrow 2" ... which drops on Friday.

Glo is a leading favorite for hip hop's 2022 rookie of the year. Her breakout hit "F.N.F. (Let's Go)" dropped in April and peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 ... which earned her a cash-filled contract with Yo Gotti that boasted a $500K stipend.

The last time we spoke to Glo, she said she was already looking to invest her signing bonus and wasn't splurging just for the sake of the 'Gram.

Nardo Wick will be taking names when he hits the road, thanks to the Florida rapper's recent purchase of an insane supercharged Apocalypse HellFire 6x6!!!

Apocalypse Manufacturing tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Nardo dropped a cool $270,000 for the super truck ... which isn't hard to fathom with all its high-powered trimmings and 750 Horsepower Hemi Hellcat engine that can flex 0 to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds!

The truck is a 6x6 wheel drive vehicle ... and Nardo himself specifically ordered the biggest accessories he could get -- a 12” infotainment screen, 40" tires, 22" inch SFJ rims, purple accents on its weatherproof interior to combat hurricane season, and a premium sound system to test out his new jams.

Those jams include DJ Khaled's "It Ain't Safe" from his No. 1 album "God Did" ... where Nardo stunted with his Apocalypse HellFire alongside Kodak Black in the official video.

Ludacris' manager, Chaka Zulu, has been arrested for murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a man outside his restaurant -- but new video from the incident shows Zulu getting beaten by a group of men before he fired -- giving way to a self-defense argument.

We've obtained surveillance footage recorded June 26 outside Zulu's Atlanta restaurant Apt4B. A group of men, including Artez Benton -- who was killed in the melee -- arrive to Apt4B, park in the valet area and make their way inside. 10 minutes later, the men leave the restaurant after some sort of dispute.

That's where the video starts. Zulu, who was previously in the parking lot speaking to a friend, starts making his way back toward the restaurant ... when he gets into a heated exchange with Tre'mon Robinson, one of the guys who was told to leave the restaurant.

During the argument, a man named Corey Crawford is seen retrieving something out of a vehicle. A source directly connected to the case tells us Zulu's legal team believes Crawford was getting a gun.

Robinson motions to his friends to come over and then appears to chest bump Zulu ... and that's when all hell breaks loose.

Chaka grabs Robinson, but Crawford and Benton jump in and they all begin pummeling Chaka. At one point, Chaka's female assistant (in the orange shirt) attempts to help Chaka, but Robinson punches her in the face ... knocking her to the ground.

Crawford ducks for cover behind two vehicles, and that's when shots ring out. It appears Chaka is the first to fire, striking Benton ... a plume of smoke is visible from Chaka's gun. Another plume of smoke appears to emanate from Crawford's gun. It appears he fired several shots and one hits Chaka in the back.

Benton was hit in the chest ... you see him crawl away. He later died from his injuries.

As we reported, Chaka's been arrested for murder, aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He turned himself into authorities last week, but from the beginning, he's maintained he acted in self-defense.

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.