Music

Rihanna and her creative team are hard at work -- planning her Super Bowl Halftime Show and figuring out whether or not she'll be joined by guests -- with a list of nearly 50 possible names to hit the stage with her ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge of the plans tell us everyone Rihanna's collabed with over the years is fair game to possibly appear -- with stars like Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Calvin Harris, Pharrell, Jay-Z, Drake and more on Rihanna's resume.

We're told at this time, there have been no final decisions on who may join Rihanna, but she will absolutely have the final say. Our sources also tell us there's still a chance she does the whole thing solo and without a guest ... though it's likely she'll have at least one person, if shows in the past few years are any indicator.

As we reported, Rihanna and boyfriend A$AP Rocky were spotted hitting a New York City recording studio Monday night, so it's possible they're working on something together -- maybe even for the big game.

TMZ broke the story, Rihanna will be Super Bowl LVII's Halftime headliner. There were previous reports it was Taylor Swift, but we learned Swift isn't willing to take the SB stage until she's finished rerecording the rest of her old albums.

Lil Wayne is celebrating 40 years of life today, and apparently wants to shed some serious real estate ... because he just listed the Miami mansion he built in 2017.

The Hip Hop megastar is looking for a sizeable come-up ... asking $29 million for the lavish 7 bedroom, 11 bathroom palace after originally paying $16.8 million. That being said, future buyers can't say they won't get their money's worth.

Wayne laced the place with high-end luxuries ... which include a commercial-grade elevator, wine cellar, floating staircases, and an outside dock that spirals 110 feet across the waterfront.

The most attractive amenity within the mansion's 10,300 square footage could arguably be the awesome movie theater ... decked out with suede walls, making for an ideal space to entertain guests.

On the outside of the Allison Island gated community also sits a large pool, complete with an open-air cabana with its own kitchen.

Wayne's living in the California Hidden Hills these days after moving close to Kylie Jenner last year. He just celebrated his 40th birthday in L.A. with plenty of famous pals ... and looked right at home!!!

Pusha T is back with his 2nd McDonald's diss track of the year ... and this time, he's burning the McRib to a crisp!!!

On the new record "Rib Roast," King Push peddles Arby's Real Country Rib Sandwich while sending shots at the Golden Arches with lyrics like ... "McDonald's what you selling mystery meat?/Hop up and go away, what does history teach?/ Mickey D's McRib you ain't it in the streets/The real country style rib sandwich here to compete."

Call it get back from the grill ... Pusha and his brother No Malice of The Clipse wrote McDonald's iconic "I'm Lovin' It" jingle back in 2003, but the brothers didn't cash out on any royalties on the business end.

While speaking to Complex about the premiere of "Rib Roast," Pusha says he has no ill will toward McDonald's, admitting it wasn't the best business for him per se -- but that's not stopping him from killing Ronald & co. on wax.

Pusha's "Spicy Fish Diss Track" dropped back in March, and reportedly gave Arby's an $8 million marketing bump, as well as a better deal for Pusha ... 40% ownership of the track!!!

Pusha says he's trying to take "street hip hop" to the next level, and his partnership with Arby's is just another notch in the résumé.

Charlamagne Tha God recently went viral for not having Chief Keef in his "most influential list" -- a snub that angered many, but not the man, the myth ... Love Sosa himself!!!

TMZ Hip Hop connected Monday with the Almighty So in NYC -- a rare opportunity to gauge his thoughts about his name circulating on social media lately.

On a recent "Brilliant Idiots" podcast, Charlamagne named Kanye West, Jay-Z, 2Pac and Lil Wayne as rap's most influential but rejected the suggestion of Chief Keef because he "didn't influence the world."

Sosa pretty much rejected all of that when we asked him about it ... he dismissed Charlamagne as an opinion factory.

While Charlamagne is denying Chief Keef's legacy, DJ Akademiks has inserted himself in the past as a cornerstone in popularizing drill and Sosa's sound.

Akademiks infamously covered deadly Chicago rap feuds ... much to the disdain of many rappers, but Sosa isn't giving Ak the credit that easily.

He seemed much more interested in showing off his drip and fashion, but casually shot down Ak's claims ... or simply ignored them.

Sosa was in the Big Apple to link with Juelz Santana in the studio and also check out his artist Lil Gnar's Rolling Loud appearance.

Singers, rappers ... Aljamain Sterling will walk to the Octagon to your music -- blasting in the arena, on TV -- at his next UFC title fight, if your song's good enough.

The bantamweight champ is teaming up with 2x Grammy nominee Joyner Lucas ... and they're launching a contest aimed at putting a spotlight on independent artists.

The way it goes ... artists submit a song on Tully, and if Aljo and Joyner like it, you might hear it on the UFC 280 broadcast next month.

Aljamain is fighting T.J. Dillashaw on October 22 in Abu Dhabi ... and the winner's song will be the last thing Aljo hears before he scraps.

Sterling and Lucas' friendship began in April earlier this year ... after Aljamain walked out to Joyner's "I Love" at UFC 273 before his bout with Petr Yan.

Aljamain became UFC champion that night ... and the men later came up with the contest.

Joyner, who pushes independent musicians like him, has also worked with some of the industry's biggest names ... Will Smith on "Will (Remix)" and Lil Baby on "Ramen & OJ."

It's not the first time Joyner's been part of a big-time sporting event. He's a huge Boston Celtics fan ... and performed at halftime of Game 6 during the 2022 NBA Finals.

Larsa Pippen looks like she's super into the son of her ex-husband's famous teammate -- the 'Real Housewives' star and Marcus Jordan were all over each other at a music festival.

Larsa and Marcus were spotted together again Sunday ... this time at Rolling Loud in NYC, and video shows them dancing on each other, getting handsy and snuggling.

TMZ obtained this footage of Scottie Pippen's ex with Michael Jordan's son at Citi Field in Queens, and they certainly look like a couple now ... they're clearly more comfortable with one another since we first saw them hanging out in Miami.

Larsa and Marcus are face-to-face, slow dancing and grinding ... with Larsa nuzzling Marcus' neck and even appearing to kiss him.

At one point, Larsa grabs Marcus by the waist and she later turns around and leans back on him ... and Marcus leans in close and appears to whisper in her ear.

Folks who were there tell us Larsa and Marcus were dancing together all night, hugging and kissing and engaging in a bunch of PDA. We're told Larsa was kissing Marcus' neck, laying her head on his chest and trying to make it clear to all they were there together.

It's interesting to see Larsa and Marcus spending more time together ... as we first told you, they hung out in Miami earlier this month, but both of their camps quickly put to bed rumors of a relationship.

The new video doesn't lie though ... and it's gonna be hard to deny the sparks are flying.

Ya gotta wonder how Michael and Scottie feel about all this -- the 'Last Dance' documentary made it clear there's still some hard feelings between the Hall of Fame Chicago Bulls teammates.

Rachel Dolezal has an OnlyFans page... and while that's soaking in, add this -- the reason she's posting risqué pics is to show her love for Rihanna's lingerie line.

The ex-local NAACP Prez -- famously embroiled in a race controversy years ago for posing as a Black woman -- had 4 steamy photos of hers plastered online Monday night, which were screenshots from what appears to be her OF account ... something we've confirmed really does exist.

Her rep tells TMZ ... yes, Dolezal has indeed started a profile on the site, which as you've no doubt heard, has made some people millionaires. However, the rep says Rachel's in this to pay homage to Savage X Fenty, RiRi's incredibly popular underwear line.

We're told RD got her hands on the latest batch of lingerie, and wanted to show it off for her subscribers ... and they certainly got an eye-full, as did the rest of Twitter.

The OnlyFans URL at the bottom of the leaked pics goes directly to her page, and it's clear Dolezal isn't hiding this. She posts quite regularly, and has had the account for much of 2022, if not earlier.

Her bio says this account is dedicated to her "creative content" where she can interact with her fans. It also notes subscribers get to "see how my sensual side pairs with my creative spirit through intimate images inspired by color, light, and lingerie on the weekends." It's unclear how many sexy pics she's got in total -- it'll cost ya $9.99/month to find out.

Many are expressing shock over this ... but it's not totally out of the ordinary. There are tons of people, famous and otherwise, turning to OF. Like we said, it can be lucrative.

Folks might find this a bit jarring because of Dolezal's buttoned-up past -- which got rocky around 2015, when it was revealed she was actually a white woman who said she identified as Black for years.

Dolezal stepped down from her Spokane NAACP position amid the scandal.

Rihanna's already gearing up for her Super Sunday comeback ... at least that's what fans are hoping as she hits a studio with A$AP Rocky right on the heels of her big NFL news.

Rihanna and her BF were on the move Monday night, heading into a NYC studio session together -- and the timing is just fueling anticipation for her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

RiRi hasn't spoken out about the big gig yet, and the big question is whether she'll finally drop some new music before she takes the stage at Super Bowl LVII. So, every time she gets near a studio between now and February 12 it's gonna be news.

She's been teasing new music for quite some time now. We know she's been really busy lately with all of her business ventures, and welcoming a baby with A$AP ... but if she's diving into new music, this would be the time.

You'll recall, Rih turned down an offer to headline at the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show because of her opposition to the way Colin Kaepernick was treated by the NFL ... but this time she's all in.

Akademiks is addressing the “broke and dusty” slander head-on after making himself hip hop public enemy No. 1 last week -- mostly due to LL Cool J giving him a tongue-lashing on the subject.

The embattled rap journalist visited The Breakfast Club to plead his case, and said he would’ve agreed with LL Cool J … if his “broke and dusty” remarks weren’t clipped and taken outta context.

Ak says he was actually speaking on the larger issue of legendary rappers who refuse to pass their education down to the next generation.

Ak openly admitted he has no problem taking his lumps for his content, but says when it’s time for the culture to attack important issues like rapper murders and the music that’s fueling them, conversations go silent.

There was another elephant in the room to confront … Ak’s comments against Reginae Carter’s dating life and her new relationship.

Reginae is the daughter of Lil Wayne and entrepreneur Toya Carter ... and had been dating YFN Lucci before his incarceration. She now makes YouTube food videos with her current BF … and Ak basically scolded her for switching up when things got tough.

Toya lashed out at Ak for almost calling her daughter a “bitch” on live stream … to which Ak retracted and apologized and has a sit-down scheduled for next week with T.I. ... who says he's Reginae's godfather.

Shakira may soon have her day in court ... because a judge in Spain has given the green light for the singer to stand trial on tax fraud charges.

According to reports, the judge ruled Tuesday prosecutors can move forward with a trial for the singer on 6 counts of tax fraud -- Shakira is accused of not coughing up 14.5 million euros -- or about $13.9 million -- in taxes for income she earned between 2012 and 2014.

Prosecutors believe Shakira was spending more than half her time in Spain during those years -- meaning authorities believe she should've paid up, even though her official residence was in the Bahamas.

As we reported, prosecutors are hoping to get an 8-year prison sentence and a large fine if she's found guilty of the charges.

Shakira's denying having to pay up, though ... recently telling ELLE, "I've paid everything they claimed I owed even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them."

She goes on to say she's confident she has enough evidence to prove she's innocent.

Shakira's also dealing with the fallout from her split with her ex, Gerard Piqué ... the exes recently went to their son's baseball game, but kept their distance from each other the entire game.

A rep for Shakira tells TMZ ... "Shakira has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm."

Adam Levine isn't retreating in the midst of his cheating scandal ... he's going full throttle with his Vegas residency.

Adam will be performing a series of shows in Sin City with Maroon 5 ... this according to Live Nation. Their residency will kick off March 24, 2023 at Dolby Live in Park MGM.

As we reported, Adam's not missing a beat ... he'll perform in early October with Maroon 5 at the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation's annual fundraising gala, "The Event" in Vegas.

Lots of celebs go into retreat mode during scandals like this, but Adam's forging ahead ... showing a united front -- at least in public -- with his wife Behati Prinsloo.

Five women have come forward claiming they were in various stages of a DM back-and-forth with Adam. The first woman claims she had a physical relationship with the singer ... something he's denied.

An out-of-this-world fit David Bowie rocked in a classic music vid is going up for auction ... alongside other unique props and costumes that are sewn into the fabric of music history.

A massive music memorabilia auction is set to go down in a couple of months, held by Propstore Auction ... and one of the major Tom highlights, if you will, is Bowie's spacesuit from his 1980 video for "Ashes to Ashes."

The ultra-rare suit is estimated to make up to $92K during the auction, but that number looks awfully small compared to the $1.7 million the entire auction is expected to earn.

Also going up on the block ... a custom silver sparkle Gibson Les Paul Florentine guitar used by Oasis' Noel Gallagher -- a sleek instrument that could go for $578K.

In the perfect timing department, Propstore will offer a Rihanna-worn top from her 2016 "Work" music video. TMZ just broke the story ... RiRi will be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime show in February.

And, for the army of Spice Girls fans, there will be a pair of signed boots Mel B wore during a tour.

Before this comical kid was singing around the globe, stringin' up originals on his guitar and posting thirst traps left and right on social media, he was just your average teen playing soccer and hockey while growing up in Ontario, Canada.

This cute kid may have worn tighty-whities back in the day, but now he's always rockin' a pair of Calvins. He first popped up on the scene after posting a cover of Justin Bieber's "As Long As You Love Me" on Vine .... who knew that he would "Wonder" off to collaborate with the Biebs in 2020?!

Working relationships are key to locking down guest features ... so says superproducer Hitmaka, who thinks Desiigner blew his top when reacting to EST Gee's $75k asking price for a collab.

We got Hitmaka at LAX and picked his industry brain about Desiigner's recent outburst over EST's steep quote.

He notes artists typically do business off the internet, which could allow for a lower negotiated price. But, ultimately without the established connection, Hitmaka says the price is the price ... whether it's 75 cents or $75k!!!

Desiigner lost it on EST Gee last week ... calling him "garbage" after getting the verse quoted. The Brooklyn-born rapper is now independent after leaving Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music ... which means more DIY opportunities.

Shortly after the viral IG diss, Desiigner seemingly had a change of heart and accepted EST's five-figure fee ... walking back the attacks on the CMG rapper's character -- a humble gesture, but doubtful it'll get him that feature!!!

We also couldn't help but notice Hitmaka was rocking his drippy umbrella chain from NYC Mazza ... and picked his brain on rapper travel protocol with jewelry in the aftermath of PnB Rock's murder.

Hitmaka doubled down on DJ Envy's instructions about artists protecting their valuables ... a clear sign of the times in hip hop culture.

Lil Wayne got an early start to his 40th birthday celebration ... with a star-studded birthday party fit for the legendary rapper!!!

Sources close to Weezy tell TMZ Hip Hop ... the shindig went down at popular L.A. hot spot, The Nice Guy -- and several close friends and family members -- including all 4 of his children, flew in from New Orleans for the event.

Special guests ranged from YG and Yella Beezy to Mack Maine and Cortez Bryant on the hip hop side ... and Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe and Marcus Wiley repped for the sports culture.

NBA YoungBoy understandably couldn't be there on an account of his highly publicized house arrest, but sent a video message addressing Wayne as "his son" ... as they're both branches from the Louisiana rap family tree.

The biggest shocker of the night came courtesy of R&B legend Keith Sweat ... who surprised Wayne with a special performance of his classic track "Don't Stop Your Love."

Wayne's actual birthday is Tuesday, when he'll be getting the royal birthday treatment from the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. We've learned they're unveiling a special exhibit in his honor.

NMAAM and Vanderbilt professors will host an event for the exhibit, which features personally donated antiques from Wayne -- including his Best Rap Album Grammy for "Tha Carter III," his first handwritten letter during his stint on Rikers Island and much more.

Shakira and Gerard Piqué are still practicing social distancing, at least when it comes to co-parenting -- they both showed up to their kid's baseball game, but sat pretty far away from each other.

The exes were out supporting their 9-year-old son, Milan, Saturday in Barcelona ... Gerard was with his mom on one side of the stands, while Shakira came with some of her pals and her mom, sitting on the other side.

The singer even spent some alone time in the dugout, too.

We're told they didn't look at each other the entire game ... it wasn't until their son was saying his goodbyes after the game that they got close.

The icy environment definitely gives "unresolved issues" vibes ... and Shakira's Off-White "keep back" jacket certainly backed that up. She broke her silence on their split last week -- telling Elle she kept quiet on purpose ever since rumors started swirling in June, partially to protect her kids.