Music

Lil Keed's family has released a new song from the YSL rapper ... nearly one year after his tragic passing from a rare blood cell disorder.

Keed's mother, Tonnie "HoodMama" Woods-Reed, lead the charge for the rollout with a heartfelt message of bereavement, but still wanted his fans to have music to attach to their own sorrow.

"On May 13, 2022, I lost my son Raqhid Render—who many of you knew as the artist Lil Keed. While this journey through the different phases of grief has been indescribably hard, a way that I have found to cope is through his music."

She continued, "Right before his passing, Keed was hard at work on what would’ve been his highly anticipated next album, Keed Talk to ’Em 2. As much as he was a great father, son, and friend—he was also an artist who (thanks to many of you) lived and continues to live through his music. With that being said, the time has come to share some of our last pieces of Keed with you all starting with the release of his first single, “Long Way to Go.” This song holds a special place in my heart and as you guys will see it will reflect on many aspects of Keed’s journey here on Earth."

His mother concluded, "I hope you all appreciate it as we take the first step in cementing Keed’s legacy. Long Live Keed!"

Panic! At The Disco singer Brendon Urie said goodbye to his band last month, but hello to a much more significant addition to his life ... a new baby.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Brendon and his wife, Sarah, welcomed a new baby earlier this week. We don't yet know the kiddo's name or sex ... but we're told everyone is happy and healthy.

The news is significant for a whole variety of reasons, but the timing is interesting given Urie's announcement on January 24.

As we reported, Brendon's Panic! At The Disco band is no more, and in the announcement about the group's end, he mentioned, "Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon! The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure."

Turns out, that arrival might've been sooner than fans expected ... cuz Brendon and Sarah are now mom and dad.

Latto seemingly wasn't phased by the fact she can't sell her panties ... she got back into her MC bag performing for Spotify's Best New Artist on Thursday!!!

The "Big Energy" rapper was among several performers at the event inside Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood ... and blitzed through a melody of hits dropped by her own DJ Von.

She and her backup dancers also put on a twerking display right before wooing the crowd with her signature "Big Energy" banger, which is up for Best Melodic Rap Performance at this year's Grammys!!!

Latto is also up for Best New Artist at the upcoming awards ... and we can safely say she's capping off a crazy week after nearly becoming $100K richer after attempting to pawn her used underwear on eBay.

As we told you, eBay removed the sale of the cheetah-print panties just as it was hitting the six-figure mark, -- potentially giving her manager Cortez Bryant a goldmine idea to begin selling them to the highest bidder at tour stops.

Anderson .Paak wasn't about to let a whole group of people stand still while he DJ'd some of his best music ... jokingly issuing a threat to play some R. Kelly if they didn't start moving.

AP played a barrage of new wave and funk records during Spotify's Best New Artist party Thursday in L.A. The playlist didn't appear to get the reaction .Paak had hoped for, and he repeatedly instructed the crowd to get their groove on ... even after his trusty trumpet player Maurice "Mobetta" Brown arrived on the scene to spruce things up.

At one point, AP singled out a particular stick in the mud who was killing his vibe on the turntables, but eventually powered through and even rocked out on the drums to close his set.

Finally, he threatens the crowd he'd turn on some R. Kelly if they didn't get their act right.

Of course, R. Kelly's music is a point of controversy over the last few years ... he's got decades of prison time ahead of him after his federal sex crimes case. Apparently, AP knew the right buttons to push to get the people going ... cuz they started dancing!

There's plenty of perks to being Madonna's daughter -- but apparently, even those perks have their limits -- like automatic entry into fashion shows.

Lourdes Leon and a friend thought they'd be able to stroll right into the Marc Jacobs Runway show Thursday night without issue ... but that wasn't the case. Check out the video, paps swarm Lourdes on her way into the Park Avenue Armory.

The two try to walk past security, but the guards aren't havin' it ... blocking the entry and refusing to let them inside.

At one point, even the paparazzi chant "Let her in!" as Lourdes and her friend crack up, but the security guards don't crack.

It's Grammy weekend once again in Los Angeles, and some of the industry's biggest stars aren't wasting any time in celebrating music's biggest honor.

Tons of parties popped up across the city Thursday ... events dedicated to the rookies of the biz and even some dedicated to the veterans.

For starters -- there was the Warner Music Party at The Hollywood Athletic Club -- which brought out Anderson .Paak, Nile Rodgers, Missy Elliott, Wiz Khalifa, Saweetie and Bebe Rexha ... just to name a few.

Some of the biggest names turned out at the Black Music Collective Party at The Hollywood Palladium. While there was plenty of celebrating, Lil Wayne was honored with the Global Impact Award at the event. Drake presented him with the awards, cracking jokes about The Grammys in the process.

Lil Kim, DJ Khaled, Dr. Dre, Ciara and Swizz Beatz were also all in the house to watch Wayne get his props.

The Spotify party kicked off at The Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood -- Ice Spice, Latto and Yung Gravy were some of the newcomers there -- but vets like Jared Leto, Machine Gun Kelly, Drew Taggart from The Chainsmokers and Diplo also went.

There was also Dj Drama's Grammy Weekend Release Party for his new project “I’m Really Like That” at Classic Cat which brought out names like Tyler, the Creator, Blac Chyna, G Herbo and Don Cannon.

Liam Hemsworth is clearly over Miley Cyrus, and the evidence is compelling -- locked in a passionate kiss with Laura Dern -- EXCEPT, it's just a movie!

The 32-year-old stud and the 55-year-old ageless beauty were filming "Lonely Planet" in downtown LA. Imagine driving down a street and seeing these 2 making out ... kind of awesome, until you realize it's all for Netflix.

Liam's been taking heat lately from ex-wife Miley, who recently dropped "Flowers" on his birthday, seemingly shading him.

Liam's been mum over the song ... probably because his mouth is otherwise engaged.

The Etsy designer behind Beyoncé's fabulous disco-style cowboy hat now has firsthand experience with the Bey effect ... after the Renaissance tour announcement forced her to shut down her shop.

Abby Misbin AKA "Trending by Abby" on Etsy, tells TMZ ... a stylist for Beyoncé hit her up way back last June, saying she wanted a mirrored cowboy hat for Beyoncé and would need it in 5 days. Abby says she was thrilled to handmake the hat for her and sold it to her for $215. Talk about a bargain for the likes of Queen B.

Well, about 2 months later Abby's creation showed up in a Beyoncé video teaser ... but even that promotion didn't compare to what was to come.

Abby was pleasantly surprised to see Bey rocking the 10,000 to 15,000 mirror-tile hat once again this week when she dropped her "Renaissance" tour dates.

Abby says that was the tipping point ... she's been absolutely bombarded with orders from folks trying to get their hands on the same hat. She usually gets about 5-6 orders per week, but in just one day she got 60 orders!!! The BeyHive wants what it wants.

Normally she can only make about 2 of the hats in a day -- there's a ton of detail because they're handmade -- so, Abby's had to shut down her shop for now.

This is certainly on brand for the BeyHive ... ICYMI, fans went crazy after she released the dates for her highly anticipated tour.

Going forward, Abby says she's working on fulfilling orders with her sister's help before re-opening her Etsy shop.

Austin Butler, who starred as Elvis Presley in the 2022 biopic, admits he has a problem ... he's still trying to shake off The King's southern twang.

Butler was interviewed for Friday's episode of "The Graham Norton Show" and addressed his Elvis drawl nearly two years after the film wrapped.

Austin said ... "I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing. One song took 40 takes!"

Austin got clowned at the 2023 Golden Globes when he won Best Actor ... sounding like the King of Rock 'n Roll.

After his speech, Austin said, "I don’t think I sound like [Elvis] still, but I guess I must 'cause I hear it a lot."

He added ... the movie "was my only focus in life, so I’m sure that there’s just pieces of my DNA that will always be linked in that way.”

His voice coach agreed, saying Austin's "accent is genuine" and "might stay forever."

Kelly Clarkson's alleged stalker is now facing a slew of criminal charges after the singer claimed the woman keeps showing up at her home ... even with a restraining order against her.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... Huguette Nicole Young was charged last month with one count of stalking, four counts of violating a protective order, and one count of trespassing.

We're told Young pled not guilty and bail was set at $26,000 ... with the court ordering Young to stay the hell away from Kelly, which, frankly, hasn't seemed to work very well in the past.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly previously got a restraining order against Young, but the woman has since been accused of violating the terms of the restraining order a bunch of times.

As we first told you, Young was busted outside Kelly's San Fernando Valley mansion Jan. 25 after Clarkson's security called 911 after cameras appeared to show the woman meandering around the singer's property. Police raced to the scene and arrested her.

It's super strange ... Clarkson claimed Young was repeatedly showing up to her property at exactly 8:59 PM, and there's still no explanation for the time or significance.

Kelly is concerned, though, because sources connected to her told us she won't allow her kids outside the gate at night.

Young's history with Kelly apparently dates back over a decade. She allegedly first tracked Kelly down at her Nashville estate before the incidents in California. Clarkson says Young sometimes even leaves unwanted gifts outside her home.

Ticketmaster is firmly under the U.S. Senate's microscope as the ticket giant prepares to sell tickets to the upcoming Beyoncé tour ... and it's all because of the Taylor Swift disaster.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, which just got finished grilling Ticketmaster's parent company Live Nation, issued a thinly-veiled warning Thursday, the day after Bey announced her "Renaissance" world tour.

The committee's official Twitter account tagged Ticketmaster in a quote tweet for a CNN story about Beyoncé fans preparing for another potential Ticketmaster fiasco, saying ... "We're watching, @Ticketmaster."

Ticketmaster says they're making changes -- staggering sales and using Verified Fan technology -- for the Beyoncé tour after running into major issues with last year's rollout for the Taylor Swift tour, which pissed off Taylor and her fans and led to lawsuits and Senate hearings. Still, the Senate will be keeping a close eye on the process.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who grilled Live Nation execs during the recent hearings, told us on "TMZ Live" the Senate expects Ticketmaster to do better in the future.

Irene Cara, the singer most known for her '80s hits in "Flashdance" and "Fame", died as a result of hypertension and high cholesterol ... TMZ has learned.

In medical docs, obtained by TMZ, the medical examiner in Pinellas County has ruled Irene's official cause of death is Arteriosclerotic and Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease ... it was also noted Irene was diabetic.

As we reported, the singer passed away at the age of 63 in November inside her Florida home.

Irene's best known for her iconic song "What a Feeling" from the '80s flick "Flashdance" ... she won an Oscar for Best Original Song thanks to the hit.

Irene's also the woman behind the song "Fame" from the movie of the same name ... she received a Golden Globe nomination for "Best Actress" for her role in the film.

Fans will remember Irene from other films as well... including "City Heat," costarring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. She also appeared in "Certain Fury", playing opposite Tatum O'Neal.

T.I. and Tiny's little girl, Heiress Harris, is launching her music career with a bang-up cover of Rihanna's 'Black Panther' anthem "Lift Me Up" ... and Mom and Dad gotta be proud!!!

Heiress -- who's only 6 years old, btw -- dropped her rendition Thursday on IG ... and instantly earned some rave reviews from fans in the comment section.

Director J. from No Degree Productions shot the video on a beach similar to Riri's original vision ... and Tiny pitched in on the co-production.

The young starlet has also been working hard with her vocal coach Annie Tracy to perfect her sound ... and it sounds like the hard work is paying off.

No doubt this will reignite the whole nepo baby debate -- but Heiress clearly has real talent and unmistakable musical genes. Her mother is 1/4 of award-winning R&B quartet Xscape, and her dad's earned his rep as one of the GOAT rappers.

Ruth's attorney, Mark Boskovich, tells TMZ, “Why should Nick Carter be believed with his long history of abusing females. A jury will weigh the evidence and decide.”

Nick Carter says the woman accusing him of sexual battery over 21 years ago -- when she was a minor -- is deliberately dragging his name through the mud with a series of lies ... and he's now going after her in court for the more than $2.35 million he says she's cost his boy band.

The Backstreet Boys member filed his countersuit Thursday against Shannon Ruth. TMZ broke the story, Ruth initially sued Nick in December, claiming he sexually assaulted her after a concert way back in 2001 when she was underage.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nick says he won't allow himself to be smeared by Ruth's accusations, which he vehemently denies, and says her lawsuit is the culmination of a years-long conspiracy to take him down.

Nick says Ruth has been coached by a father and daughter, Jerome and Melissa Schuman, to make false claims about him as part of an extortion attempt. He also blasts all 3 for trying to take advantage of the #MeToo movement.

Carter says Ruth has changed her story over and over ... he says she initially claimed she was abused by someone else, then claimed Nick physically abused her, and ultimately accused Nick of sexual assault. Nick says the Schumans have been "coaxing" Ruth to "inflate" her allegations.

Nick points out Ruth waited years to report her sexual battery allegations, and he says an independent investigation resulted in no criminal charges. He says Ruth tried to extort him through civil attorneys, who abandoned her case when presented with the cold, hard facts.

Nick says as a result of Ruth's lawsuit, The Backstreet Boys had to cancel appearances and endorsement deals -- costing them more than $2.35 million.

And get this -- Nick says his late brother, Aaron Carter, was also dragged into the conspiracy. Nick claims Ruth and the Schumans preyed on Aaron before his death, when he was beefing with Nick and on drugs, exploiting "Aaron's fragile condition and family stresses to cloak their defamatory campaign with credibility, relentlessly and repeatedly using Aaron to try to legitimize their frivolous tales."

But, Nick says Aaron ultimately realized he was being used and manipulated by Ruth and the Schumans, apologizing to Nick and publicly stating the accusers were lying.

The day Aaron died, Nick claims Jerome Schuman tweeted ... "I am sad that the chess game we started together was never finished."

When TMZ called Nick’s attorney, Michael Holtz, he told us, "As our Counterclaim sets out in detail, Nick has been the target of a malicious and long-running conspiracy. He has never done the outrageous things of which he has been accused; in fact, he is the victim of a calculated and concerted disinformation campaign designed to destroy his reputation."

Holtz continues, "He looks forward to setting out the truth, vindicating himself in court, and putting an end to the smears and attempted shakedowns for good."

Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa are re-sparking their synergy -- the 420 warriors are feeling good about their finished product after a long night in the studio.

Both rappers posted pics inside Snoop's compound ... J's were blazing, naturally, and their IG captions also hinted they were working on a sequel to their 2012 stoner flick "Mac & Devin Go to High School."

The film not only helped jumpstart Snoop and Wiz's budding friendship, but also birthed their smash hit "Young, Wild & Free" ... which also featured Bruno Mars.

We hear there are no official plans for a new project, but in his post, Snoop says something will be dropping in summer. No shock, when these 2 get together there's always a good buzz.

Wiz actually pulled an all-nighter at Snoop's studio, causing him to shuffle his gym schedule a bit ... but he appears to be getting back to his regularly scheduled program as we speak!!!

Wiz is currently finishing up his next solo album, "Wizzlemania" but recently complained about collaborators taking too long sending their verses.

Latto's skivvy side hustle got derailed by eBay, but all hope is not lost ... her manager Cortez Bryant is considering -- perhaps jokingly -- a very unique merch idea.

We caught up with Tez at LAX, and he says Latto and the rest of the team were taken aback, just like everyone else, when bids for her used cheetah print panties nearly reached $100K!!!

The bidding war got hot with more than 100 entries, but before Latto could cash in, eBay shut down the auction.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Latto's underwear auction violated the company's "health and hygiene" standards and Tez doesn't disagree they made right the decision -- but he doesn't seem opposed to our idea of making additions to the "Big Energy" rapper's merch store!!!

Immediately after eBay's takedown, Latto got back to work in the studio to finish her newest record ... which Tez tells us is officially named "Lottery" and is dropping soon.

Tez says Latto made the eBay post in jest to fire back at the trolls but also isn't passing judgment on the highest bidder of her used bloomers!!!