Music

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are hanging out in her home state ... and we've got them looking cute and getting flirty on date night.

The country music singer and "Outer Banks" star went out Tuesday night in Nashville, hitting up Robert's Western World for a little bit of live music with their dinner.

We got this video of Kelsea and Chase sitting face to face at a table ... and he leans in to whisper in her ear before putting his hand on top of hers. Fair to say, things are moving along for the new couple.

Folks who were there say it was clear they were enjoying each other's company over an appetizer -- no kissing or any other heavy PDA, but they were vibing, chatting and generally getting along well.

Sounds like this could've been one stop on a night of honky-tonkin' in downtown Nashville ... because they were only at Robert's for about 30 minutes before they left.

TMZ broke the story ... Chase confirmed he and Kelsea are an item, after they kicked it at the National Championship football game at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium. He told us she's a sweet girl and they're having a good time together.

Juice WRLD’S ex-girlfriend, Ally Lotti won't be spending any time behind bars if she stays out of trouble for 6 months ... thanks to the plea deal she struck in her cocaine possession and shoplifting case.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Ally was accused of felony possession of methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin ... but that charge was dropped along with misdemeanor theft of property.

Ally ended up pleading guilty to misdemeanor possession of instruments of crime, and got a 1 year suspended sentence and 6 months probation. If she keeps her nose clean during that period, the case will be dismissed.

Her boyfriend, Carter Jamison, who was also arrested for property theft, pled no contest to that charge and got the same sentence as Ally. Each paid $1,160 in fines.

As we reported, a security guard spotted Ally and Jamison attempting to steal a bunch of items earlier this month from a Walmart in Arkansas.

Cops say the store's security cams caught Ally and Jamison at a self-checkout station, where they failed to scan several items ... including wall mirrors, a bed frame, a bath towel and a digital scale.

According to the docs, the arresting officer found capsules of cocaine in Ally’s pocket and purse.

Their high-profile attorney, Bradford Cohen, told TMZ a different story … Cohen says Ally and Jamison thought they had scanned and paid for all the items. He also said a Walmart employee confirmed the purchase by checking their receipt. He added that his “clients would never take something intentionally and this seems like a misunderstanding.”

Still, Ally did plead guilty to a crime.

21 Savage is basking in the limelight of a pretty tremendous accomplishment -- Complex says the Savage Gang leader is the "Best Rapper Alive" ... and even he admits the title's misplaced.

The "Her Loss" costar called the honor "an overstatement," but says he operates with tunnel vision while focused on making the best possible product.

Fans on social media simply called BS on the announcement ... mainly because 21 was heavily featured on Metro Boomin's album in addition to "Her Loss," but didn't release a solo project of his own in 2022 to fully earn the crown.

21 follows the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Lil Baby and DaBaby on the annually updated list, but he told the publication his benchmark is still the one set by Jay-Z.

21 says Hov conducted his hip hop career "the right way," and he strives to follow that blueprint as his own career progresses.

In 2022, he linked with Drake for the chart-topping single "Jimmy Cooks" ahead of their "Her Loss" album collab ... which also hit No. 1 on its respective Billboard chart with nearly Gold numbers in its first week -- 404,000 album-equivalent units streamed.

The "Best Rapper Alive" look wasn't just marred by skeptics ... 21 admits he's not loving his Atlanta hometown's raging crime wave, revealing he no longer enjoys going to clubs and functions after Takeoff's fatal shooting in November.

While that tragedy happened in Houston, 21 maintains ATL has a dark cloud of energy hovering over it, and doesn't feel anything can be done to restore the positive vibes. 😢

Ashley Trowers, the daughter of “Love & Hip Hop New York” star Rich Dollaz, was arrested in Memphis after cops say she shot at her ex-boyfriend ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

According to the arrest docs we obtained, Ashley told officers she was on her first day at the job as security at a Kroger gas station around midnight on January 24, when her child's father Demiah Tatum, and another man named Mykel Yates approached her in a Cadillac ATS.

Ashley says she tried to flee, but when they caught up to her ... she fired two shots that struck the Caddy. She then called police, and informed them she has a restraining order out against Tatum and got scared when she saw him.

She was surprised he knew where she was because it was her first day on the job, and Ashley claims she thought she saw someone in the car reaching for a gun. Yates returned to the scene an hour later without Tatum, and told cops they were just trying to give her some money.

Ashley was arrested for aggravated assault and transported to Shelby County Jail before being released later on her own recognizance.

Interestingly, Ashley's mother, Miracle Kay Hall -- who's also been on 'L&HH' -- was arrested in 2018 for allegedly shooting her husband. She claimed self-defense and the aggravated assault case was eventually dismissed.

K-pop superstar Lisa from BLACKPINK posed for a pic with a diehard Blink on Wednesday ... and that fan just so happened to be soccer superstar Neymar!!

One-fourth of the popular group shared the snapshot to her Instagram story just minutes ago ... showing the two celebs smiling from ear-to-ear.

As it turns out, the Paris Saint-Germain striker has been a BLACKPINK supporter for a while now ... he's shared their music videos on his Twitter, and even danced along to their song, "How You Like That," while streaming PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds back in 2021.

In fact, the superstar athlete has even used the group's skins pack on PUBG as he played in front of his 2.1 million followers.

The interaction was mutually exciting for the two stars ... as Neymar shared the pic on his own Instagram as well.

FYI -- Lisa and Neymar combine for 289 million followers on Instagram ... as they're some of the most-followed accounts in their respective fields.

Britney Spears' fans believed something was seriously wrong with the singer after her Instagram account disappeared ... calling the cops to her home to see if she was in danger.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Britney deleted her Instagram account -- something she's done many times -- at some point within the last 12 hours. For whatever reason, fans became alarmed, believing the deleted account meant Britney was in trouble ... and called the Ventura Co. Sheriff's Office.

Deputies from the sheriff's office then went out to Britney's home and determined there was no reason to believe she was in danger. It's unclear if they spoke to Britney directly, or if someone else assured them she was OK.

The incident comes less than two weeks from when Britney was spotted at a local restaurant where witnesses tell us she became "manic," frustrating her husband, Sam Asghari, to the point of getting up and leaving. Video, obtained by TMZ, showed Spears babbling nonsense at the table.

As we reported, Britney recently changed her name on her Instagram account to River Red, posting a video dancing and announcing, "I changed my name to River Red" ... and including, "don't underestimate the power of purity."

TMZ broke the story, Britney recently started showing her Calabasas home off-market to potential buyers. She only bought the home last year -- but we're told she was never really a fan of the place -- buying it for $11.8 million and now selling it for $12 million.

The welfare check was conducted at the home she's lived in for years in Thousand Oaks.

Rich the Kid has a permanent stamp to rep his friendship with Takeoff -- a new tattoo of the late Migos rapper's signature.

The "New Freezer" rapper was down in Tampa and got inked up by Tattoo MF Red ... splashing an assortment of purple and black hues to complete the piece on the back of his right hand.

Red, a go-to for celebs and athletes in the area, tells TMZ Hip Hop he got Rich's hand tat drawn up in a flashy 30 minutes ... in between his recording session at STB Entertainment studio and a radio interview he conducted.

Unlike some rappers paying tribute on social media, Rich's ink and love for Takeoff can't be misconstrued for clout chasing, as they got pretty tight over the years.

Takeoff was the one who actually taught Rich how to make it rain in the club, and they had numerous collaborations together ... never hesitating to go outta their way to celebrate each other's birthdays.

The last time we spoke to Rich, he fondly remembered those moments with Takeoff ... and he was also looking forward to the music he'd be making courtesy of his new multi million dollar deal with RCA.

Rich was recently in the studio with Takeoff's brother YRN Lingo ... who approved of the finished product and promises to drop a banger this Friday.

Chris Brown was just hit with a whopping tax bill that totals $4,044,596.76 --  but never fear, the R&B artist might be able to cut into his debt if he ever decides to sell off his huge collection of designer and custom clothes

Breezy posted a video that laid out his massive clothing collection on racks ... with the scene looking very much like a department store aisle!!!

He also called out all rappers and artists who think they have more drip than him to post their own closets for comparison -- a challenge that Rick Ross, who's been known to be a hoarder in his own right, just may take on.

The timing is interesting ...  TMZ Hip Hop confirmed Breezy was recently hit with a federal tax lien for $2,245,561.50 and $1,059,967.78 for money apparently owed to Uncle Sam in 2022.

Additionally, we've learned the state of California filed a state tax lien for $739,067.48 ... so he's looking at around $4M in total!!!

Breezy's been down this road before ... having hosted a massive yard sale back in 2019 but even if Breezy doesn't sell off items this time around to pay the tax bills, he still has steady tour revenue to look forward to.

The upcoming European leg for his Under The Influence Tour recently added new dates in big cities like London, Amsterdam, and Paris after tickets sold out following the first announcement.

Kanye West could be barred from entering Australia to meet his new wife's family because of his praise for Hitler and his antisemitic diatribes, government officials said Wednesday.

The rapper is reportedly planning to fly with Bianca Censori to her hometown of Melbourne next week for the get-together with her clan.

As we first reported, the couple tied the knot during a private ceremony earlier this month without filing a marriage certificate. It's not clear if Kanye has gotten a visa for the rumored trip or even applied for one.

In any case, Australia's Education Minister, Jason Clare, says if Kanye does apply for a visa it might get rejected. The Land Down Under has a history of turning away people with antisemitic beliefs.

Clare told Nine Network TV ... "I expect that if he does apply, he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions," as anyone who has expressed such views.

As you know ... Kanye recently went on a bizarre anti-Jewish campaign, praising Hitler and Nazis. He was seen hanging out with notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Ye was suspended from Twitter after posting an image of a Swastika merged with the Star of David. Kanye also went live on-air with alt-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for his show, "Infowars." Among other things, Kanye said, "I like Hitler."

Given his rhetoric, it appears Kanye has an uphill battle with Australian Jewish groups, who have already called for him to be refused entry in anticipation of any visa request.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Peter Wertheim told Sky News ..."We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail."

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will make the final decision on whether to let Kanye into the country, if it comes to that.

Stay tuned.

Justin Bieber's feeling himself after selling the rights to his entire library of music for $200 million ... and the proof is in the pants.

The Biebs busted out some eye-catching polka dot trousers Tuesday night as he headed out to dinner with wife, Hailey in New York City ... fresh off his huge payday.

Justin also rocked a pink jacket, beanie and a pair of black and brown boots ...  while Hailey wore a leather jacket and matching vest and heels.

The couple's got $200 million reasons to enjoy a night out in the Big Apple ... earlier in the day, Justin officially sold the rights to his publishing and artist royalties from his song catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Capital.

As we reported ... the deal's been in the works since December and it's being hailed as the most lucrative music rights sale for any artist from Justin's generation.

The $200 million pact reportedly covers all 290+ songs in Justin's library released through 2021 ... including his latest album, "Justice."

Something tells us Justin's picking up the tab tonight.

Mark Ronson says Justin Bieber's call to sell off his music catalog is a sweet decision, and he also says Bieb fans can chill ... this is not a sign the singer's ready to hang it up.

We got the producer/DJ Tuesday at LAX, and he doesn't see J.B.'s estimated $200 million catalog sale as a dead end -- noting it could be a good thing for fans, possibly showing Justin has a bunch more music to make, and is just looking to maximize profits off what he's done so far.

Obviously, Mark doesn't know exactly what's going through Justin's head ... but he notes money's got to be a big factor.

As we reported, Justin had his eyes on the big deal with Hipgnosis Songs Capital in December, which included his entire music catalog -- 6 albums over a decade, as well as all singles and collabs. Hipgnosis announced the closing of the mega sale Tuesday.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar says Ticketmaster's stranglehold on the concert tickets and venues is a longstanding problem -- but she gives full credit to Taylor Swift fans for pushing the issue over the hump.

The Senator from Minnesota joins us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to reveal why Swifties' making a historic fuss over the botched presale for Taylor's tour, directly led to Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee grilling of Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company.

Klobuchar dropped something that's always a bombshell in Washington -- the 'B' word ... as in, bipartisanship! She tells us the much-anticipated hearing had lawmakers in agreement about Ticketmaster's monopoly, and the need for the company to finally face the music.

Although Swifties got the ball rolling ... she says this issue goes well beyond Taylor's tour -- because Ticketmaster dominates the game by selling tickets, running promotions and even owning some of the venues.

The Senator says testimony from industry experts -- including some musicians -- makes it clear to her it's nearly impossible for competitors to drive down rising ticket prices.

She says bands have been sounding the alarm for years, including Pearl Jam back in the day -- but the dam broke in November, when Taylor's legion of fans got pissed off and even Taylor called out Ticketmaster.

Sen. Klobuchar says the tide's finally turning, and she expects real changes from Ticketmaster ... and quickly. You can see the full interview on Wednesday's "TMZ Live" ... check your local listings.

Polo G is looking to set the trend of "smart jewelry" -- the Chicago rap star's cashing out for a diamond-encrusted bulldog that's plenty flashy, but also functional ... as an iPhone case!!!

Skylar Langfeldt of Icebox Diamonds & Watches tells TMZ Hip Hop the pendant took a couple of months of engineering to perfect all the features. For instance, Polo's phone can actually be charged without being removed from the sparkling accessory.

We're told the pendant includes more than 500 grams of 14kt white gold with 90+ carats of diamonds -- and there's another 55 carats of bling on the accompanying chain!

Fans might confuse Polo for a Boston Red Sox fan after seeing the chain and pendant's red letter "B" enamel accents -- but we're told it's actually a tribute to BMoney 1300 ... Polo's friend who was murdered in August 2021.

Rick Ross has a ton of cars in his collection, but one he won't add is a Tesla … as he believes the electric whips are nothing but entrapment on wheels!!!

Rozay explained his anti-Tesla stance Tuesday while speaking to fans on Instagram … the rapper believes the U.S. government can tap into the cars at any given time and in his case, haul him off to jail for questioning!!! 😂

He then hilariously paints the picture of being at one of his Wingstop franchises when his Tesla is overpowered ... and redirected toward the precinct where an agent awaits.

Lawmaking officials may not have a habit of jailbreaking everyday citizens’ Teslas, but Rozay doesn’t have to settle for the trend.

Babyface will be belting out "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LVII next month … and the R&B legend tells us he never expected in a million years he'd be tapped for the honor.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Babyface shortly after the NFL and Roc Nation's Tuesday morning announcement, and he was already predicting he'll be a frazzled mess leading up to game day -- but he still plans on giving the millions of viewers an honest performance that showcases his talents!!!

Face knows he's got big shoes to fill ... the late Ray Charles’ rendition of 'ATB' -- performed at the World Series in 2001 -- is immortalized in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and is a radio staple every 4th of July.

He says the song speaks to his soul melodically, so he plans on putting together one of his classic Babyface arrangements -- and adds he'll even have some divine inspiration.

What's making the once in a lifetime performance even more special, is the fact he's teaming up with the clothing company Shine the Light On -- a special collaboration to pay tribute to his mother, who passed away in 2012.

Fair to say Babyface will have some angels on his shoulder on Super Bowl Sunday because he's also thinking about late brother ... After 7 singer, Melvin Edmonds, who died in 2019, and was an avid football fan.

He isn't the only performer who's admitted to pregame jitters -- when we spoke to Rihanna last year, she copped to being a little nervous for her halftime show performance. Yes, even superstars get butterflies!!!

But, Babyface has zero doubts RiRi will kill it, and he floated his wishes to record with her down the line.

BTW, Roc Nation also tapped Sheryl Lee Ralph to sing "Lift Every Voice" and Chris Stapleton for the national anthem.

Shy Glizzy is defending his name after OnlyFans star Sky Bri accused him of slipping her a pill while they were shooting his "White Girl" music video.

The D.C. rapper addressed the allegation for the first time while he was on Akademiks' Spotify podcast, 'Off The Record' ... he denied doing it, and shot holes in her account of what happened on set.

Shy said, as an artist, he simply doesn't have any responsibilities on a music video set and therefore, wouldn't have been in a position to interact with Sky the way she described the shoot going down last year.

It might have been best for him to stop there, but Shy added ... he's too much of a player to get caught up and didn't feel the need to react to "false allegations."

Calling yourself a "player" is probably not the best choice in this situation, but Shy says fans haven't heard of any previous sexual misconduct allegations against him so he claims Sky's claim can't be true.