Music

Yung Gravy is excited about his 2023 music career trajectory, especially because he says he's getting ready to drop a pair of album collabs ... with Quavo!!!

Gravy was out Monday night in West Hollywood, and disclosed he'd just gotten back from Tibet, of all places, where he and the Migos rapper created 2 albums worth of material.

The Asian country is renowned as a place of mediation and peace ... so, it seems likely Quavo was there decompressing his mind after being front and center when Takeoff was fatally shot in November.

Gravy says fans can expect the new music to drop in the next 2 months -- which would mark Quavo's first full-length release since dropping the joint album "Only Built For Infinity Links" with Takeoff last year.

He recently cut a tribute song -- the somber "Without You" -- but Gravy seems to be stoked about their upcoming tunes.

Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory is winning rave reviews playing his father in 50 Cent's hit "BMF" series, but his dad Big Meech isn't as easily impressed as regular viewers.

Lil Meech recently revealed to Lore'l on "The Morning Hustle" that the senior Meech -- who's currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for drug trafficking -- calls him out for stuff he sees on the show that he wouldn't do in real life!!!

Lil Meech explained the smallest things ... such as having his shoestrings tied a certain style, and spiking his dad's antenna -- but one scene, in particular, caused him to flare up from the cell.

During the first season, Wood Harris' character "Pat" punches Lil Meech in the stomach ... a complete fallacy in Big Meech's book, who says he's never been beaten up in his life, and we believe him!!!

Lil Meech says he tried to explain to his dad it's simply a TV show with various arcs, but his pops isn't trying to hear it.

Of course, those little white lies make for good drama -- the series was picked up for a third season last week, capping off a string of good fortune for Lil Meech, who just saw the charges in his airport gun case dropped like a bad habit.

Papoose has an enriching message for all artists who are tired of record labels divvying up all their profits -- come join him at Tunecore, where he's just been named the music distributor's head of hip hop!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke with Pap Tuesday morning, and he was more than thrilled to have the opportunity to pivot independent artists away from record deals that don't benefit them.

He explains unlike other distributors, Tunecore allows you to maintain ownership of your masters and obtain 100 percent of the payout your music makes. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, especially if you're still trying to make a name for yourself.

Pap tells us his own experiences in the music industry led him to champion Tunecore -- he famously signed a million-dollar record deal under the tutelage of the late, great DJ Kay Slay, but he admits he's made the most traction in his career by going the indie route.

In 2021, Pap dropped 12 albums -- each named after months of the year, and featuring heavy-hitting cameos from the likes of Lil Wayne, Jim Jones, The Game and his wife, Remy Ma ... and he released all of them through Tunecore to reap all the rewards himself.

Pap says he understands the artists' plight more than anyone, and doesn't knock them for still signing lopsided record deals -- but going forward he's making it his mission to corral as many artists as possible!!!

While Beyonce's concert in Dubai stirred outrage from some fans -- due to the country's anti-LGBTQ+ laws -- her pops looks at it differently, telling us his daughter has incredible power to bring people together ... from all walks of life.

Mathew Knowles tells TMZ ... Queen Bey united a really diverse crowd with her incredible performance overseas, bringing people closer, as she does best.

He says people who weren't at the show might not understand -- adding she gave respect and got respect back from the country, calling it an amazing moment.

MK notes his daughter's always stood for inclusiveness, and believes everyone was there for love. He adds she'd never do something to deliberately hurt someone.

As for the criticism about her NOT performing hits from "Renaissance," Mathew says hold tight ... Beyonce IS planning a tour, and she'll announce it when she's ready.

TMZ caught up with Bey's mom, Tina Knowles, Monday -- telling us her daughter was pretty nervous before her first big show in years, but notes she pulled it off and it was a great trip. She had less to say about the controversy, though.

As we reported, Beyonce's show brought down the house over the weekend as she performed to a packed house for the opening of the new Atlantis resort, and reportedly got paid $24 million.

The backlash, which Beyonce rarely faces, centered around some in the LGBTQ+ community feeling she'd "sold out" by performing in a "homophobic dictatorship."

Mathew says that's a narrow-minded view of what went down.

Panic! at the Disco singer Brendon Urie is wrapping up a HUGE chapter in his life ... because he says his band, which stood for nearly 2 decades, is no more.

Brendon broke the news to his millions of fans Tuesday morning -- starting by saying, "Well, it’s been a hell of a journey."

He goes on to talk about how he and his wife are expecting a baby, which he's obviously thrilled about ... unfortunately, that means he's got to put the music behind him to focus on the fam, instead.

Brendon says, "Thank you all for your immense support over the years ... Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you."

The frontman goes on to further express his gratitude, before saying, "I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe and the UK for one last run together" -- referring to the final leg of his Viva Las Vengeance tour, which ends in Manchester this March.

Panic! was first formed back in 2004 with Brendon's childhood friends, growing huge popularity with their first big hit, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" the following year.

Lil Baby strives to be the most fly rapper in the game and that mentality obviously trickles down to his own children!!!

The Atlanta rapper recently hit up Icebox Diamonds & Watches, his home away from home, to lace his 7-year-old son, Jason, with a couple of new diamond emblems modeled after a pair of Baby's pre-existing pieces.

Skylar Langfeldt of Icebox tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Jason's 4PF chain consists of more than 5 carats of VS diamonds with blue and green enamel accents -- a junior take on Baby's chain, which has 70+ carats!

The fresh father and son duo also plan to stunt at NBA games, as they frequent State Farm Arena for their hometown Atlanta Hawks ... and Skylar says they now have matching pieces to rep their team.

Jason's Hawks pendant sports 2 carats of diamonds and 25 grams of gold -- while his dad's has 10x the bling with 20 carats of diamonds, and 150 grams of white gold.

Tyler Cameron's still the ultimate bachelor ... he went to a friend's wedding over the weekend and had a helluva time, tearing up the dance floor and locking lips with his date.

TMZ obtained video of the 'Bachelorette' star making out with a mystery brunette at the Orlando, FL reception -- they're bumping, grinding, kissing and having a great time as a Bell Biv DeVoe classic played. And, no, Tyler doesn't seem at all worried about his date being "Poison."

Folks who were there tell us the woman wasn't someone Tyler picked up at the wedding -- she appeared to be his plus one, as they arrived together and left together.

Tyler and his date even coordinated their outfits, it seems ... because his green Air Force shoes matched her dress.

It should come as no surprise once you watch the video, but other wedding guests tell us Tyler and his date were very intoxicated at the reception. Nothing wrong there.

We haven't ID'd Tyler's date yet, but we know it's definitely NOT Kristin Cavallari ... which is worth noting because Tyler and Kristin appeared to be on a date around New Year's Eve.

Riley Keough is back home in Los Angeles after burying her mother Lisa Marie Presley at Graceland, and she's revealing Lisa's first grandchild -- the daughter very few people knew Riley gave birth to last year.

The actress stepped off a private jet Monday afternoon at Van Nuys Airport, carrying her baby girl in her arms -- marking the first time we've seen her child in public.

Riley and her Hollywood stunt man husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, made the surprise reveal about their daughter's existence during Lisa Marie's celebration of life ... when Ben read a letter Riley wrote to her mom, which referenced the little girl.

The letter, which Riley entitled "A Letter to My Mama," reads in part ... "I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters."

Ben and Riley had never gone public about having a baby, and, obviously, Riley did a top-notch job of keeping her pregnancy private.

Jay-Z and Yo Gotti's legal counsel at Team Roc are dismissing their lawsuit painting a Mississippi State pen as a deadly horror camp -- but they're also reminding the state they'll be back if prison conditions go south again.

The Parchman Farm penitentiary is still open, but it's undergone a string of renovations since Team Roc filed the suit calling out the state for several fatal stabbings, and unsanitary living conditions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to NBC, the MSP received new stainless steel showers, toilets and sinks after the previous restrooms were crumbling and littered with rat feces. It also has new sports facilities for inmates to partake in basketball, flag football and boxing, and upgraded heating and air conditioning ventilation systems.

As a result, the lawsuit was dismissed, but without prejudice ... which basically means it could be refiled at any moment.

A rep for Team Roc explained that while they're pleased with the new additions, they'll be monitoring Parchman to make sure the facility doesn’t backslide on the improvements.

03 Greedo is finally a free man ... kinda, sorta.

The California rapper got out of prison last week -- paroled after serving 5 years of a 20-year sentence for a drug and weapons conviction -- but says, for now, he'll be living at a halfway house.

It's unclear exactly how long he'll be there, but on IG, he said he wishes he'd recorded more music ahead of going into the bing and yearns to spend time with his daughter.

Being in solitary confinement, and limited to just one 5-minute phone call per week, Greedo said he developed a chip on his shoulder, and he can't wait to explode in the studio once he's really free ... hopefully within the next 6 months.

Greedo says only those in the booth or bed with him will be privy to his inner thoughts after being locked up for so long -- but he thanked fans for keeping his name going strong.

Fans were able to whet their appetites for new music on January 9 when "Free 03" dropped -- the new mixtape full of rhymes from prison featuress guest spots from OhGeesy, BlueBucksClan and the late Drakeo The Ruler.

Angry Drake fans are calling out the NYPD for what felt like electronic surveillance at his sold-out Apollo Theater show -- and after a clip of officers recording ticketholders went viral, the cops say it's not what it seems.

NYPD law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop the video shows officers outside the Apollo recording concertgoers as they exited the theater. We're told that video was shot for a social media post to show how police work with venue security to keep concerts safe for fans.

For angry fans, it felt like blatant profiling and surveillance intended to capture and save images of Drake's fans -- but NYPD's scoffing at that notion. Our sources say the community affairs officers seen with the video cameras are not affiliated with the detective bureau, and do not investigate serious crimes.

There are also dozens of city surveillance cameras around the Apollo ... and the whole city, for that matter. The reality of life in the 21st century is we're all being recorded throughout the day without ever knowing it.

Drake was uptown for 2 nights, and inside the venue, a brief but tense moment occurred during the second show when a fan fell over the mezzanine balcony ... onto the crowd below.

The show was briefly paused for about 15 minutes when a spokesperson announced the fan wasn't terribly injured, and that the show would go on.

Hometown heroes Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana of Dipset were brought out and a tour with his "Her Loss" costar 21 Savage was teased.

Beyonce's weekend concert ruffled a few feathers in the LGBTQ+ community, but Ts Madison doesn't see anything wrong with her getting a fat check in Dubai ... because, first and foremost, she says Bey is loyal to her fans.

The actress and activist joined us Monday on "TMZ Live," dismissing claims Queen Bey "sold out" by performing in the UAE -- where there are firm anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Madison believes most people, even those criticizing Beyonce, would jump at a $24 million payday in Dubai. In fact, she says many people in the LGBTQ+ community already do travel there ... whether it be for work or vacay. So, the whole sellout label seems hypocritical to her.

And, Madison points out Beyonce's been an ally for years ... and doesn't think she'd do something like this to hurt the very group to which she dedicated her latest album, "Renaissance."

As we reported, Beyonce made it a truly grand opening for a new Atlantis resort ... doing a 90-minute set with multiple costume changes, an orchestra and a bunch of her classic hits.

Folks banging on the concert, feel she ditched "her own progressive values" by performing in a "homophobic dictatorship" -- but Madison says those fans should separate politics from the concert ... just as Beyonce seems to have done.

Drake's concert at the Apollo hit pause after a fan fell from a second-story balcony into the crowd below ... and TMZ's got it all on video.

The scary incident happened about 90 minutes into Drake's set, and in the view from the floor seats, you see a body come falling out of the sky ... landing on top of other fans.

Another view, from the mezzanine, shows a man leaning over the balcony and then falling over the ledge.

Drake didn't appear to see the fan fall from the mezzanine, he had his back turned to the crowd at that exact moment, but a few seconds later a crew member runs onstage to tell Drake to pause the show.

You can hear Drake tell the audience, "Just gotta make sure somebody's OK."

Officials tell TMZ ... the person who fell was a 26-year-old man who was possibly intoxicated. We're told the man was uncooperative with officials and was taken to a Harlem hospital.

A rep for the Apollo says "the fan and other audience members reported that they were OK. No major injuries have been reported."

T.I. and DaBaby’s first collaboration ever will appear on the soundtrack for “Fear,” the forthcoming thriller film in which T.I. also stars ... TMZ Hip Hop can confirm.

Sources close to the film’s soundtrack tell us the song’s name is also titled “Fear” and will be featured on the big screen.

Superproducer Sean Garrett will executive produce the album, which will also have more features from DaBaby, E-40 and Freddie Gibbs as well.

Both T.I. and DaBaby performed Saturday to support the film at an event in West Hollywood … where the legendary Atlantans braved sound issues, and ripped the soundman for slacking on the cues to play the tracks!!!

Tip half-joked the DJ should be appreciative of his patience and grace ... reminiscent of when Wiz Khalifa did the complete opposite in a similar situation.

Tip, who’s still yet to do a Verzuz, blazed through several trap classics such as “24’s” and “Rubber Band Man," before passing the mic torch to DaBaby and saluting what he was able to accomplish in hip hop ... hailing from the typically untapped region of Charlotte, NC.

DaBaby graciously thanked Tip for the intro and gave an impromptu performance of his multi-platinum hit “Suge.”

Now's your chance to cop an incredibly rare pair of Jordans -- originally created a few years back to commemorate Biggie's birthday -- and now the kicks are hitting the auction block, but they won't come cheap!

The Air Jordan 13s were designed in 2017 to honor what would've been Notorious B.I.G's 45th trip around the sun ... but the sneakers were never released. They remained locked away ... until now.

23 pairs of the AJs will be auctioned off at Sotheby's ... sizes 7 to 13. The auction tells us they expect each pair to sell between $2,300 to $5,200! There's no reserve price, meaning bidding starts at $1 (and goes way up from there).

As for the design of the sneakers ... the 13s are black with a hint of red. The silhouette of the Brooklyn rapper is stitched on the tongue.

They also feature the words ... "it was all a dream" and "if you don't know, now you know" on the inside of the tongue, which, of course, are some of Biggie's most iconic bars from his 6-time platinum hit "Juicy".

As for why they picked 23 pairs to auction, and chose to auction the sneakers now ... we're told it's to honor Michael Jordan's jersey number and mark the 50-year anniversary of hip hop music.

"This auction marks the only opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike to acquire these special limited-edition sneakers that bring together the legacies of the greatest athlete of all time with the greatest rapper ever," Sotheby's exec Brahm Wachter said.

Proceeds from the online auction, which ends February 3, will go towards the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation ... an organization that helps inner-city kids excel in school by providing sponsorships and grants, among much more.

Notorious B.I.G. -- who was shot and killed in Los Angeles in 1997 -- is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

Travis Barker can't get enough of Kourtney Kardashian -- or at least parts of her, because he's showing off his latest tattoo which appears to be his wife's eyes ... nearly in his crotch.

The Blink-182 drummer showed off his fresh ink over the weekend ... which is plastered high on his right thigh, and looks pretty big, too.

He also posted a shot of them together -- as he hid behind KK's booty ... and the Kardashian seemed to confirm it's her eyes everyone's lookin' at, because she reposted the tat on her account with some eye emojis.

You'll recall, this isn't the only Kourtney-themed tattoo Travis has on his body ... he first got her name on his chest after they started dating back in 2021 -- something he's deemed his favorite piece.

She also gave him a tat herself, writing "I love you" on his forearm, and added a "K" tattoo on him after he got out of the hospital for pancreatitis.