Music

Drake's not the only rapper taking over the Apollo Theater these days ... Lil Kim headlined the Harlem Festival of Culture there, and shared the shine with her Brooklyn rap descendant Lola Brooke!!!

Kim brought out Lola Thursday night to perform her breakout hit "Don't Play With It" ... rousing the crowd as the rappers shared a quick embrace before Lola started ripping the mic.

Lola's head was still spinning after her cameo, and she gushed over the moment on Twitter -- where she also got Missy Elliott's stamp of approval.

Lola and her independent label, Team 80 Productions, just inked a deal with Arista Records earlier this month, as "Don't Play With It" makes a push on various Billboard charts.

Harry Styles fans won't forget his latest show -- especially those in the first row -- since he split his pants wide open while performing for a packed house that included his first celeb crush!!!

Harry was onstage at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA Thursday night ... as a continuation of his "Love On Tour" when the wardrobe malfunction went down.

He was in the middle of singing "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" when he dropped low to his knees and ripped a huge hole near his crotch area, giving everyone an eyeful. As you can see, he was pretty stunned by the whole thing.

There's a debate about whether Harry was commando under his leather pants. We invite you to slo-mo, zoom in, enchance -- whatever -- and decide for yourself.

Nice bonus for the A-list celebs who pulled up for the concert -- Kylie Jenner, Trevor Noah, Julie Bowen and Ellen DeGeneres were there. Jennifer Aniston also witnessed the Styles family jewels coming out party ... and that's interesting because she's reportedly Harry's first celeb crush.

In true Harry fashion, he made the best of the moment ... and the crowd went wild at the funny mishap.

He told fans, "My trousers ripped. I feel I must apologize to a certain few of you right down in the front there. I mean this is a family show" ... before jokingly asking "Or is it?!"

He later put a towel around his waist as he continued to rock out onstage.

Yung Gravy is getting a legal Rick-rolling from the man himself ... Rick Astley is suing the up-and-coming rapper for allegedly ripping off the singer's voice from his most popular hit.

Astley filed legal docs Thursday in L.A. claiming Gravy's hugely popular "Betty (Get Money)" uses an impersonated version of his own voice from 1987's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Astley says Gravy and his producers -- including Dillon Francis -- "conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley's voice throughout the song." He's also suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator.

Astley says he never gave Gravy, or anyone involved in "Betty (Get Money)," permission to use or impersonate his voice -- and because Gravy did so, he's spoiled any future chance for Rick to collaborate with another artist in the future.

We should say, however, Gravy did license the instrumental from Astley's '80s hit ... just not his voice.

What's more ... Astley's lawsuit points to some examples where Gravy allegedly claimed he knew he was in murky territory for impersonating Rick, including an interview with Billboard where he said he "basically remade" Rick's voice, "because it makes it easier legally."

"Never Gonna Give You Up" was a huge hit for Astley, shooting to the #1 spot. "Betty" has been Gravy's most successful song thus far -- reaching Gold in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Chrisean Rock says she's got a very big day coming up, she's getting married -- and she's already locked down a wedding dress for the special occasion -- though there may be some serious concern if she's exchanging vows with Blueface.

Witnesses tell TMZ Chrisean stopped by Anita’s Bridal Boutique in DTLA Wednesday afternoon and told staffers she needed the perfect gown for Friday. Yep, Chrisean said she was getting married and was dress shopping only two days before the big day.

Our sources say she walked around and spotted a dress on a mannequin she instantly loved. We're told she only tried it on one time, didn't ask for any alterations and paid a down payment.

We should say, dresses at Anita's ain't cheap -- ranging from $3.5K-$7K -- so it's pretty clear she's serious about the whole thing.

One big mystery ... she never specified who she was getting married to. Of course, she and Blueface have been together for quite some time -- but they're also always performing for cameras -- so maybe she'll pull something out of left field for the special occasion.

Chrisean recently announced she was pregnant, but it's worth noting she and Blueface are also known for their blow-up fights, so it's always possible things go completely sideways before exchanging any vows.

TMZ broke the story, shortly after her pregnancy announcement, Chrisean was filmed getting into a massive brawl with other women -- an obvious concern for someone carrying.

Kanye West just can't quit Balenciaga -- even though the brand ditched him over his antisemitism, he took his new wife for some retail therapy there ... but their trip also included a subtle callback to Nazi Germany.

Ye and Bianca Censori hit up the upscale Bev Hills clothing store Wednesday night on Rodeo Drive, loading up with several bags filled with merch. He's not a billionaire anymore, but the spree is a reminder he's still VERY rich.

We're told the couple also spent some time in a nearby Neiman Marcus ... but it's unclear if KW and BC left that store with any sweet threads.

BTW, Ye appeared to be wearing a t-shirt with a coat of arms of the German Reich ... used before the Nazis adopted the swastika. It's also got the word "Bundeswehr" written above -- the name for the federal defense forces in Germany. This coat of arms is a current logo of the German Army.

That aside, it's still a little odd Ye's shelling out big money at the same place that cut ties with him in October ... while the brand didn't go into detail, you'll recall companies were dropping him left and right at the time after he went on several antisemitic rants.

Ya gotta figure they're making him pay retail now.

As you know, Kanye and Balenciaga have quite the history -- even opening for the company's Paris Fashion Week show weeks before he was canned.

FYI -- Balenciaga went through its own post-Ye scandal ... coming under fire in November for a photo shoot where kids held BDSM-themed teddy bears, and another with what appeared to be legal docs related to a child pornography case buried on a table.

A stalker who just won't quit has gotten arrested again ... outside Kelly Clarkson's house, and there's a pattern with this one that is bizarre and alarming.

Huguette Nicole Young was arrested Wednesday night outside Kelly's San Fernando Valley home. Kelly already got a temporary restraining order against her and a permanent one as well, but the woman has now violated the terms of the restraining orders 12 times.

Security caught her meandering around Kelly's property and called 911. Cops quickly came and arrested her.

Now here's what's super weird. Young has repeatedly shown up at exactly 8:59 PM. So far there's no explanation for the time or its significance.

Young has a decade-long history with Kelly ... first tracking her down at her Nashville home and then following her out to L.A. She sometimes leaves unwanted gifts at the base of Kelly's property.

Sources connected to Kelly tell TMZ ... Kelly is so concerned she will not allow her kids to step outside the gate at night.

Kelly appeared by zoom earlier this month with her lawyer, Ed McPherson, for the hearing on the permanent restraining order, and told the judge about her fears.

Britney Spears was anything but thrilled to have sheriff’s deputies knocking at her door close to midnight … all thanks to some fans who thought their favorite singer may be in danger.

Sources connected to Spears tell us Brit was left “annoyed” after the unexpected visit. We’re told she understands how deeply her fans care about her and her well-being, so she wasn’t totally surprised things escalated to law enforcement’s involvement … but nonetheless, it was an inconvenience.

TMZ broke the story, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office paid Britney a visit at her Thousand Oaks home Tuesday night around 11PM to perform a welfare check.

Law enforcement sources told us they received several calls from fans who became concerned for Britney’s safety after she deleted her Instagram account.

We should note, Britney has deleted her IG several times before and our sources say she did it again, this time without a real reason … sometimes, she just feels like it.

The incident comes just days after Britney announced she was changing her name to River Red on IG.

TMZ broke the story, Britney and her husband, Sam Asghari, recently hit Joey in Woodland Hills for dinner — but the evening went awry — witnesses tell us Britney was acting “manic” to the point of Sam leaving.

Video, obtained by TMZ, showed the singer alone at the couple’s table and rambling incoherently.

Sam has since claimed he only left to get the couple’s car.

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.