Music

Cardi B is set to have a big 2023 musically — her long-awaited sophomore album is being cut as we speak!!!

Fans' suspicions about an Instagram page with the handle @albumcb2 were confirmed when the account shared an IG Story with Cardi in the studio -- originally posted by her longtime A&R guy, Brooklyn Johnny.

The @albumcb2 page still has a bare-bones look to it and, for now, Cardi is the only follow.

Cardi’s new project has some big ‘Red Bottoms’ to fill. Her debut, 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy” ... went 3x platinum and spawned 2 Diamond-selling singles “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It,” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin.

The album appeared to be ready in July 2022 when she linked with Ye and Lil Durk for her "Hot Sh*t" single, but she declared she wasn't ready for her privacy to be invaded once again.

That being said, there's no better time to launch a new project than when you have a Super Bowl ad coming.

The son of Motown legend Marvin Gaye is under investigation for assault after he allegedly pointed a gun at his cousin in his L.A. home and then took off in his Corvette before police arrived, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... sheriff deputies received a call around 8:05 PM Thursday for a "family dispute" and responded to the Calabasas home of Marvin Gaye III.

We're told Gaye got into an argument with his wife and cousin -- something about a previous assault, but details were sketchy.

The dispute escalated and Marvin allegedly pulled a gun on his cousin. Marvin then jumped behind the wheel of his sports car and sped off, our sources say.

When deputies first arrived on scene, they thought Marvin was still inside the house so they asked him to come outside, but neighbors told them Gaye had already left in his Corvette.

Deputies met with Marvin's relatives and took an "assault" report ... Marvin is identified as a suspect in the report. It's unclear if anyone was injured.

No arrests yet ... but the investigation is ongoing.

Gaye is perhaps best known for winning a $7.4 million lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement over their 2013 song, "Blurred Lines." In the suit, Gaye and his family accused the artists of using their legendary father's 1977 hit song, "Got to Give It Up," without permission.

Lisa Marie Presley has died according to family sources ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell TMZ ... Lisa was pronounced dead at the L.A. area hospital where she was taken after suffering cardiac arrest Thursday morning.

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa was rushed to the hospital after her housekeeper found her unresponsive at her Calabasas home. Her ex-husband, Danny Keough, was there and performed CPR on her until paramedics arrived and took over -- they administered at least one dose of epinephrine during resuscitation efforts.

We're told EMTs were able to regain a pulse before she was transported to the hospital.

A rep for Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie's mother, tells TMZ ... "Priscilla Presley and the Presley family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Lisa Marie. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

As you know, Lisa Marie's the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla ... born exactly 9 months after her parents tied the knot.

She became joint heir to Elvis' estate with her grandfather and great-grandmother after he died of a heart attack in 1977.

LMP followed in her father's footsteps, becoming a singer/songwriter and dropped her debut album, "To Whom It May Concern" in 2003. The record reached number 5 on Billboard's album chart, and earned gold certification.

She also had several high-profile marriages. While Danny was her first husband, less than a month after divorcing him ... she shocked the world by marrying Michael Jackson in 1994.

Shortly after their surprise nuptials, the couple shared a very famous -- and seemingly awkward -- kiss on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards.

MJ and LMP divorced after less than 2 years, and in 2002 she tied the knot with Nicolas Cage -- although, that marriage only lasted a few months before he filed divorce docs.

She walked down the aisle once more in 2006 when she married her guitar player Michael Lockwood -- with whom she had 2 children -- before filing for divorce in 2016.

Just this week, Lisa Marie and her mom attended the Golden Globe Awards to see Austin Butler score a win for his portrayal of the King of Rock n' Roll in the Baz Luhrmann movie, "Elvis."

Lisa Marie is survived by 3 children ... actress Riley Keough and twin girls Harper and Finley Lockwood. Her son, Benjamin Keough, died by suicide in 2020.

She was 54.

RIP

Gunna has at least one rap friend still in his corner amid allegations he rolled on Young Thug ... and that's his "Elon Musk" song partner DDG, who says he's not switching up on his collaborator.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has been on the warpath about artists who, in his eyes, didn't keep the same "snitch" energy for Gunna as they did for him. He called out DDG to Akademiks for not dropping a "🐐" emoji on his IG page like he did for Gunna.

Akademiks eventually got DDG to respond, and the "Moonwalking in Calabasas" rapper explained he's not down with the so-called street code ... or showing fake love for peers.

He admitted he and Gunna weren't exactly BFFs, but didn't feel he'd been keeping it buck if he abandoned him over public hearsay -- aka the rumors Gunna snitched.

DDG also rejected 6ix9ine's claim he was playing favorites ... he said he simply never had a relationship with Tekashi. He says if they were cool, he wouldn't have switched up on him either during his trial and subsequent cooperation with the feds.

Gunna's return to Instagram this week was met with mixed reviews -- including those from his own YSL camp.

Lil Gotit (and his mother) recently put a moratorium on folks posting about his late bro Lil Keed -- as Gunna did, which drew an angry response from Gotit.

Lisa Marie Presley is in the Intensive Care Unit, on life support with a temporary pacemaker after suffering cardiac arrest ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say Lisa Marie is in an induced coma and in critical condition.

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa Marie was in full cardiac arrest Thursday morning, before paramedics arrived. We're told her housekeeper found Lisa Marie unresponsive in her bedroom, and just as the housekeeper made that discovery her ex-husband, Danny Keough -- with whom Lisa Marie lives -- returned home from taking their kids to school. He administered CPR until paramedics took over.

Paramedics gave her at least one epinephrine shot and her pulse was restored. She was then rushed to a nearby hospital.

Our sources say Lisa Marie had complained early Thursday morning of stomach pains, that got more and more intense. The sources wanted to make clear ... this was NOT a suicide attempt.

Lisa Marie's mom, Priscilla Presley and her daughter, Riley Keough, are at her bedside.

Story developing ...

Ray J is coming to the defense of Eddie Murphy -- whether or not he needs it -- by warning Tyrese to shut up about Eddie's Golden Globes joke referencing the Will Smith slap.

An incensed Ray J hit the comment section Thursday on The Jasmine Brand to voice his disapproval of Tyrese's sentiment that everyone, including EM, should stop bringing up Will's infamous slap of Chris Rock at last year's Oscars.

As Ray sees it ... Tyrese is in no position to give Eddie advice, seeing as how his resume doesn't have any classics to measure up to "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Coming to America."

He also seems to think Will isn't above an encore performance, suggesting he might have to unload on Tyrese to get him in line.

It's clear there's bad blood between them, because Ray added, "You know how i feel about you and your antics.!"

We're not sure where Tyrese's sense of humor went -- Eddie all but brought the house down with his joke. It might be a little old, but it was brilliantly delivered.

Lisa Marie Presley has been rushed to a hospital after EMTs responded to her home for a possible cardiac arrest ... TMZ has learned.

Sources directly connected to Lisa Marie tell TMZ ... paramedics performed CPR Thursday at her house in Calabasas before rushing to a hospital. We're also told they were able to regain a pulse before she was transported.

It's unclear what her condition is at this point, but we know she's getting treatment in a hospital.

Lisa Marie, daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, was just at the Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday night in Beverly Hills. She and her mother were on hand to see Austin Butler win a Globe for his portrayal of the King of Rock n' Roll in the film "Elvis."

The 54-year-old singer and songwriter has 4 children, including actress Riley Keough and her son, Benjamin, who died by suicide in 2020.

She owned and operated the immensely lucrative Elvis Presley Enterprises until 2005, when she sold off all of the business. LMP is still the owner of Graceland, Elvis' famed Memphis estate.

Foxy Brown is defending her honor -- just like Shawnna -- against Keith Murray's recent rampage, and she's under the impression the Def Squad rapper's had one too many illicit substances.

The veteran Brooklyn-born rapper dragged KM for filth on her IG page late Wednesday night ... calling him all sorts of "crackheads" and "dope fiends" for his remarks.

She noted how KM's attire alone should've tipped viewers off to his erratic behavior.

KM claimed -- during an interview with "The Art Of Dialogue" -- to have received mind-blowing oral sex from Foxy back in the day while she was dating DMX ... and it's this very type of dialogue that has been getting him in constant trouble!!!

Ludacris' former label standout Shawnna also laid into KM with claims of drug abuse following another nonsensical interview where he made claims of sexual conquests where she's concerned.

Akademiks says he's genuinely concerned for Blueface's career ... especially after his GF Chrisean Rock's admission she smacked him upside the head with a glass of Hennessy!!!

A viral clip from their reality show "Crazy in Love" showed Chrisean cleaning a gaping, bloody wound from the back of Blueface's head ... the aftermath of yet another domestic violence incident between the couple.

Ak scoured Instagram and found plenty of comments about Chrisean's antics superseding Blueface's musical potential -- a sentiment shared by people in the rapper's camp.

Blueface's manager Wack 100 recently confronted Chrisean on the show ⁠... telling her Blueface hasn't carved out a hit since they've been running amok.

That's harsh, but true -- he hasn't made the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist since 2019!!! 😩

Ak also shared a personal conversation he had with Offset about having a smaller profile than his wife, Cardi B ... and the Migos rapper allegedly told him the pressure helps his own hustle.

TMZ Hip Hop recently learned Cardi and Offset have a McDonald's Super Bowl commercial on the horizon ... indicative of their synergy as a couple and business people.

Kanye West appears to be getting quite comfortable with the new mystery woman he's been spotted with around Los Angeles ... sharing a meal and good conversation.

We've obtained a photo of Ye and the mystery blonde Monday inside the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. We're told the pair seemed quite comfortable, chatting while they ate. Unclear why, but Kanye's been spotted at that hotel a lot lately -- so it's possible he's calling it home these days.

The blonde is the same woman he was seen with as they entered the hotel earlier this week -- we don't yet know who she is, but we haven't seen them together outside of the recent sightings. So, if they're indeed an item, it's a new thing.

As we reported, Kanye was previously linked to Julia Fox and Chaney Jones, but both relationships seemed to drop off before getting serious -- at least for Ye. Remember, Chaney did get that tattoo. Oops!

Ye's been rather MIA since his appearance on Alex Jones' "InfoWars" where he announced his love for Hitler and Nazis.

T-Pain is wishing he never slapped down 6 figures on his infamous "Big Ass Chain," but wants it to be a living cautionary tale for other rappers looking to ice up.

Mr. Penderazzdown was speaking with Oliver Tree on his Nappy Boy Radio segment when he admitted the hefty purchase ran him about $400k back in the day. The most painful part, though … he says the chain's now depreciated to about $200K!!! 😓

T-Pain relived the chain’s origin -- he says a random fan dared him to get the diamond-encrusted wonder with the words "Big Ass Chain," and he did it on a whim!!!

The fan still has never been ID'ed to this day, and T-Pain says he keeps the chain around as a reminder not to be dumb with his moolah.

Financial literacy and rapper's extravagant purchases are like oil and water, but Charlamagne Tha God recently set off the conversation about depreciating assets with a simple, yet hilarious, post.

Quentin Miller says he's utterly disappointed in Big Sean's behavior when it comes time to pass out songwriting credits, because he claims Sean Don went MIA on him.

QM says he and Sean first met through Drake circa 2014 while working on their classic duet, "Blessings." He says Sean was impressed with his input, and recruited Quentin to work on "What You Expect" -- Sean's 2021 joint EP with Hit-Boy.

Things started out smooth ... Quentin says he and Sean got close and frequently bounced ideas off each other. When he noticed "Blessings" had won a BET Award, he figured it spelled prosperity for their future collabs.

But then, 2 weeks before the EP release ... QM says Sean stopped responding to texts, and all future communication went through Sean's management.

To make matters worst, QM claims it took 3 months to get his name on the credits and proper publishing once it was officially released -- without his paperwork being signed.

In hindsight, he says he would’ve asked for cash up-front if he knew it was gonna be a ghostwriter situation, but he thought it was gonna be a legit deal.

Dr. Dre has his sights set on a lucrative music deal, one that would sell the rights to some of his royalties and master recordings ... and we're told the price tag is well over $200 million -- WAY MORE than is being reported.

The music mogul is close to selling off some of his music assets in two separate deals ... one with Shamrock Holdings, and another with Universal Music Group ... according to Billboard.

The possible Shamrock deal looks like this ... Dre sells his artist royalties from two of his solo albums -- his share of N.W.A artist royalties, plus his producer royalties and the writer's share of the music where he doesn't own publishing rights.

The potential deal with UMG is a little different ... Dre sells the master recording of his first solo album, "The Chronic," plus his share of some Kendrick Lamar music.

Dre's not selling all of his music ... Billboard characterizes these transactions as mostly "passive income streams" that generate about $10 million annually ... and he's NOT selling his ownership stake in his record label, Aftermath.

Sources close to Dr. Dre tell TMZ ... the actual selling price is actually tens of millions of dollars higher than the $200 million figure Billboard is reporting.

Congrats, Dre. 💸

Jeff Beck, a guitar legend who first made a name for himself back in the '60s, has died.

In an announcement Wednesday, his family said, "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss."

Of course, the death comes as a surprise to many, especially given the fact Beck just did a series of shows with his longtime friend, Johnny Depp.

Beck and Depp took the stage around the world following Johnny's trial with Amber Heard -- where crowds flocked to shows to not only watch the musicians in action, but to voice their support for Depp, too.

Johnny and Beck released a cover of John Lennon's "Isolation" in 2020.

Born in England, Beck first gained momentum with the Yardbirds and then became the frontman for the Jeff Beck Group as well as Beck, Bogert & Appice. He's won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance 6 times and once for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

He was also inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice ... as a solo artist in 2009, and with the Yardbirds in 1992.

Beck was 78.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene talked a big game after Dr. Dre went after her for using his song, "Still D.R.E.," as a music bed for her entrance to the House chamber, but after Dre. delivered a legal threat -- stop using my music, or else -- she backed down.

A Greene staffer just sent a letter to Dre's lawyer, Howard King -- obtained by TMZ -- which reads in part, "On behalf of Congresswoman Greene, please be advised that no further use of Mr. Young's copyright will be made by a political committee or via social media outlet she controls."

It's really something ... Greene responded well before the 5 PM deadline imposed by King.

It had gotten really nasty. King initially fired off a letter to Greene in which he made clear, his client would not allow Greene "to promote your divisive and hateful political agenda."

Greene fired back with a statement of her own, saying, "While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs."

So now Greene will have to find another artist if she wants a music bed to accompany her videos. Thoughts?

50 Cent is taking the high road ... despite all his social media posts to the contrary, he's apologizing to Megan Thee Stallion for not believing her testimony about Tory Lanez shooting her.

The G-Unit legend switched from promoting season 2 of "BMF" to reflecting on his wild Instagram posts where he compared the embattled hottie to Jussie Smollett's lying ways via a meme that went viral.

50 explains he was taken aback by Megan's infamous interview with CBS' Gayle King where she denied having a sexual relationship with Tory -- which we now know was a lie -- but 50 says that fib prompted him to disbelieve everything else she said for nearly a year!!!

Like many people following the case details, 50 says once the mountain of evidence came out, it began to sway his opinion ... with Tory's jailhouse phone call with Kelsey Harris sealing the deal for him.

50's probably one of the least likely rappers to swallow his pride and offer Megan a mea culpa -- trolling is his thing, after all -- but Soulja Boy is calling for the entire hip hop community to do just that ... apologize!!!

SB recently went on the warpath during an Instagram Live session where he threatened to beat up Tory (if) he's ever released from prison, and wished gang rape on him throughout his stint behind bars.