Music

Ray J isn't proud of the content he's making with his new streaming company The Dosh Network, and says it's looking like he'll have to clash with B2K's Raz B about it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got the enigmatic R&B star Friday in NYC as he capped off a week guest hosting The Breakfast Club. He's lamenting about "The Dosh Fight Club" ... a series he says is brining out the WORST in participating fighters!!!

Ray says Raz and the network are exposing the fighters' substance abuse and parenting issues and he doesn't want it associated with his own brand.

Raz is an exec at the network, but he and Ray have been butting heads over the level of filth in the content ... and warns there will be ramifications if the course isn't corrected!!!

Despite the brewing drama, Ray says he's truly excited about his RSVP supergroup project ... consisting of himself, Sammie, Bobby V and Pleasure P.

The quad first came together during Ray's ill-fated 2022 Verzuz performance ... which Ray openly admits he bombed -- but still went on to release their first single, "Money Everywhere," as a group Friday.

Ray says the project is self-funded and compares his group's perseverance to the Jamaican bobsled team from "Cool Runnings" ... raunchy XXX lyrics and all.

Tech N9ne is feeling mighty confident his Kansas City Chiefs will take Super Bowl LVII, and he's willing to put his colors on the line in an intense wager with proud Eagles fans Gillie and Wallo!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to the Strange Music co-founder ahead of the big game ... and he had already landed in Glendale, AZ where he'll be assuming his team ambassador duties behind the Chiefs' bench on Sunday inside State Farm Stadium.

Tech tells us if his team's victorious on Sunday, he wants Gillie and Wallo to appear in the official music video decked out in Chiefs gear with egg on their faces!!!

If Jalen Hurts and the Eagles win ... Tech says he's willing to make the trip to Philly and do the "Dirty Bird" dance on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast in Eagles' colors -- but he admits he hasn't given it much thought, because he doesn't believe it'll happen!!!

Tech's "Red Kingdom" track has been the Chiefs' fight song for years ... he performed the track at halftime of last year's AFC Wild Card game, and he's anticipating hearing it blare during the game.

There's money to be made when Rihanna takes the stage during the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday ... with prop bets waiting to be placed on the superstar's outfit and stunts -- and of course, whether she shows skin.

The folks at BetOnline listed a ton of bets, and there's an opportunity to rake in some serious dough ... making the singer's performance even more exciting for viewers.

Will Rihanna expose butt cheek on stage??
-- Yes -120 (risk $120 to win $100)
-- No -120 (risk $120 to win $100)

Will Rihanna expose cleavage on stage??
-- Yes -400 (risk $400 to win $100)
-- No +250 (risk $100 to win $250)

Will Rihanna use a phone/tablet/computer??
-- No -1500
-- Yes +600

And get this one -- Will Rihanna pull a Janet Jackson and show nipple on stage??
-- No -2500
-- Yes +800

There are a ton more prop bets for the actual game ... like the result of the coin toss, the color of liquid poured on the winning coach, what tweet will happen first -- Joel Embiid talking about Rihanna or Eli Apple going off about the Chiefs, and what swear word Travis Kelce will say in his postgame interview.

Shania Twain is opening up about her terrifying 2018 throat procedure, saying it left her with a huge scar, but it was more than worth it.

The Queen of Country Pop was interviewed for an episode of "The Graham Norton Show," during which Shania discussed her fears that her open-throat surgery would have a negative impact on her vocal cords. Turned out, the surgery was a resounding blessing.

Shania said, "The operation was very invasive, and I've got a big scar that I am proud of. I'm very happy to have a scar rather than no voice."

She continued, "The surgery was a miracle, and I am so grateful. Going back into a studio after the operation was a discovery and I was re-learning voice."

She added, "I can get very loud and now I can swear really loudly!"

As you may recall, Shania caught a bacterial infection back in 2003 after she was bitten by a tick while riding horseback in Norfolk, Virginia. As a result, she lost her voice and had to take a break from performing, thinking she might never sing again.

It took doctors 7 years to give Shania an accurate diagnosis ... she had contracted Lyme Disease, which had damaged the nerves of her vocal cords. Over the years, Shania underwent multiple throat surgeries to correct the problem, but the 2018 procedure seemed to be the most concerning.

During her interview, which will air Friday, Shania was joined onstage by other major celebs ... including Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore and Lizzo. The country star also spoke about her first record since her 2018 surgery, "Queens of Me," saying "I ended up making a very happy, inspired, and celebratory album."

And just last year ... Shania hit the stage with Harry Styles at Coachella. Looks like she's back!

Billie Eilish and her family are getting court-ordered protection from the man she claims broke into her childhood home.

The "lovely" singer appeared virtually in court Thursday for a hearing, where a judge granted Billie a 5-year restraining order against 39-year-old Christopher Anderson. Billie's parents, Patrick and Maggie, and brother, Finneas, are also getting protection.

TMZ broke the story ... Billie got a temporary restraining order against Anderson last month after her dad claimed Anderson broke into the family home after professing his love for Billie, even though she's never met him.

Billie says she didn't feel safe visiting her family anymore ... especially after they had to call cops to the home 5 times in December as a result of Anderson's unwanted visits.

Drake is gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday -- which means, per usual, he's playing high stakes and throwing down some serious cash on the game.

The rapper posted receipts to Instagram Thursday showing 7 bets he placed on the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles matchup.

Drake's wagering nearly a million bucks on the big game -- $965K to be exact! If he wins each bet, Drake could rake in a whopping $3.57 million.

Drake knows it too ... that's why he captioned his IG post like this ... "My psychotic bets for Sunday are in @stake."

Philadelphia, as you might know, is favored to win by 1.5 points ... but Drake is going with the Chiefs all the way, plunking down $700K on the team.

Drake also made separate bets -- $50K each -- that Patrick Mahomes and Juju Smith-Schuster would score the first Chiefs touchdown. He then bet $50K the Chiefs would score in both halves of the game, and $30K the team would win all four quarters.

What's more, Drake bet $25K the Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce would be the game's MVP. He also bet $60K the MVP award would go to a tight end, which, by the way, has never happened in Super Bowl history.

As you know  ... Drake likes gambling almost as much as turning a phrase. He wins big and loses big. Last month, Drake took in $2 million on a $1 million bet that the Chiefs would defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship.

Seems Patrick Mahomes' is Rihanna's favorite quarterback, after all ... 'cause just one day after former NFL star Brandon Marshall clowned the NFL MVP, RiRi made it clear she's a huge fan of Patrick!

"I am so sorry you went through that [Patrick]. I still think you're great. [Brandon's] a hater!"

27-year-old Mahomes was at a Super Bowl media event on Wednesday when the Marshall, a 6x Pro Bowler, grabbed the mic and asked Patrick how he felt about Rihanna saying he was her favorite QB.

The only problem ... she never said it. 😂

Rihanna's reaction to the prank ... "That is so mean. [Brandon] is mean, ok? I am so sorry you went through that, okay."

Of course, it's not just Mahomes who will be busy come Sunday night.

Rihanna is performing during the highly anticipated SB halftime show ... and as PM said, there are lots of people, including his own family members, who are more pumped for RiRi than the football game.

According to Billboard, Ice Cube is the 18th greatest rapper of all time ... but the Don Mega doesn't have a f**k to give the publication!!!

We caught up with Cube at LAX, and he couldn't be more UNimpressed with his placement at #18 on the list ... dismissing Billboard's hip hop authority as a staff, chart and magazine!!!

Billboard released the final rollout of its list on Thursday, ranking Jay-Z at #1 and featuring Eminem, Drake and Nicki Minaj amongst the top 10 ... but Cube still didn't care.

Cube dismissed the BB editors even further for snubbing his Mount Westmore bandmate Too $hort altogether -- while the rest of the group, Snoop Dogg and E-40, did make the rankings.

The N.W.A pioneer has never been one to bite his tongue when it comes to critics, and he told us all these silly lists "are like a**holes: they all got one and they all stink."

Cube says he'll stick to his own list. Check out the vid to see where he ranks himself!

Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka'oir Davis added a new family member to their ranks with the birth of their daughter Iceland Ka'oir Davis!!!

The little girl was born Wednesday, and her proud parents shared the news with the world on Thursday ... posting pics of them smiling and coddling their baby bundle of joy.

Gucci revealed the newborn weighs 7lbs 2oz, and most importantly, it was a healthy birth for baby and mom.

Iceland is Gucci and Keyshia's second child together ... she has a 2-year-old, similarly named brother Ice -- so, yeah their playroom's gotta be totally chill.

Nas and 50 Cent are set to have a collab on the upcoming "King's Disease 4" ... cementing a full circle moment for the Queens rap legends who don't exactly have the best career history together.

The two hip hop powerhouses recorded a couple of tracks in the late '90s before 50's rebranding after he was shot 9 times ... and later turned to rap rivals on diss records like "Don't Body Ya Self" and "Piggy Bank" throughout the mid-'00s.

Nas' "KD" series has largely been about destroying and rebuilding bad troupes within hip hop and Black culture and a 50 Cent reunion feels on par for the course.

The news was first revealed in 50's new Billboard cover story, where he's said to also be making his official album comeback with production from Dr. Dre ... 20 years after he first solidified his legacy!!!

50's g-g-g-roundbreaking debut album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" officially turned 20 years old on Monday ... and the megastar rapper got a workout in signing autographed copies for fans!!!

Rihanna wants to make sure she gets her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance 100% correct ... working through 39 different setlists to get it right.

The music superstar discussed her everchanging plans on Thursday during an Apple Music press conference to pump the big show.

Rihanna told panel moderator Nadeska Alexis she hasn't been afraid to take charge, as there's a lot riding on this performance, including her own reputation.

The singer says trying to condense hours worth of musical greatness into a 13-minute set has been damn near impossible, but Rihanna says there are a lot of people who are involved working to make it successful.

She says her bossy side has surfaced on several occasions -- making small changes such as where her guitar players should stand.

We spoke to Rihanna about her pregame jitters back in October and it appears she still has them.

She openly admitted she had some hesitation taking the gig after giving birth to her baby back in May, and lamented over the lack of work/life balance to spend with her child.

Ultimately, the "Umbrella" singer says it was an honor to be put in a position to represent Barbados, immigrants and Black women alike ... and plans on incorporating plenty of her native Caribbean culture into the show.

Britney Spears has been struggling with her mental health and substance abuse, and both problems are now dire enough that people closest to her planned an intervention ... TMZ has learned. As one source in regular contact with Britney told TMZ, "I'm afraid she's gonna die."

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... people around Britney have become alarmed by her erratic, volatile behavior. We're told she's taking meds that "hype her up." Our sources say she's been "flying off the handle" with increasing regularity and is not taking the medications that stabilize her.

Our sources say her manager rented a house in the L.A. area for several months and the plan was to take an unsuspecting Britney to the house, where her husband Sam Asghari, her manager, an interventionist and doctors would be present, in an attempt to convince her she needed help. We're told Jamie Spears, Lynne Spears and Britney's 2 sons were not involved. The plan was for the intervention to go down Tuesday.

We're told the plan was for Britney to live in the rented house for as long as 2 months while she received both medical treatment and psychological counseling.

That plan changed Tuesday ... we're told Britney became "somewhat aware" of the plan and for some reason it all changed and the intervention idea was scrapped. We asked multiple people connected to Britney and Sam why the plug would be pulled given her condition -- we got no answers.

Our sources say Britney agreed to meet with a doctor -- we don't know if it's a physician or a therapist. We're told Britney met with the doctor Wednesday late afternoon and it "went well."

TMZ broke the story, Britney was spotted at a restaurant near her home last month where witnesses tell us she was acting "manic." In video, obtained by TMZ, Britney can be heard rambling incoherently.

GloRilla's stay in the Bay Area ended in a fit of rage ... rage from fans who hurled drinks and spit at the "FNF" rapper when she exited her Oakland after party without performing.

The incident happened Wednesday night at New Karibbean City nightclub, and the video shows Glo and her team making their way to the door as drink lands smack dab on Glo's jacket, angering her and her friends.

One clubgoer yelled out, "F**k you, bitch!!" ... before someone on Glo's team cools her off with a few splashes from her glass to return the favor.

Promoter Con B of Insomnia Entertainment isn't taking responsibility for fans turning on Glo ... but tells TMZ Hip Hop he paid an exec at Glo's label CMG $30K to hear the Grammy-nominated star get lit and is expecting a full refund!!!

Sources close to the situation paint a different story, telling us Glo was never contracted to perform for that $30K -- a claim backed up by Glo's CMG boss, Yo Gotti after he got wind of the incident on Instagram!!!

We're told it was only a couple of rowdy fans upset she didn't perform -- not the entire club like the internet is projecting.

Glo is currently on tour and hit the Oakland club after her performance in San Fran earlier that night.

Burt Bacharach, one of the most prolific composers/songwriters in American history -- responsible for enormous hits like "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" and "I Say a Little Prayer" -- has died.

Bacharach died Wednesday at his L.A. home of natural causes, according to his publicist.

Bacharach and his composing partner, Hal David, were responsible for a string of Dionne Warwick hits, including "Do You Know The Way to San Jose," "Walk on By," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "Don't Make Me Over."

Numerous artists covered his songs, including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones.

Although the 8-time Grammy winner was largely considered a master of easy listening, his songs were covered by artists in all genres of music -- everyone from Luther Vandross to Marty Robbins to Elvis Costello and even The Carpenters recorded his songs.

Everyone knows the #1 hit, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" ... classic Bacharach.

He and David composed the score for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which included 'Raindrops.' They won 2 Academy Awards for the film's soundtrack.

Motown record label founder Berry Gordy tells us, "Over the years, no matter who Burt collaborated with, there was always a recognizable “Bacharach” sound and magic to his songs. He was a unique writer whose music always touched my heart. I will miss him, but I know Burt’s amazing legacy will live on forever."

Burt also wrote several hits with his one-time wife Carole Bayer Sager -- and, in fact, they also won an Oscar for "Best That You Can Do" ... the theme from "Arthur."

All told, he walked down the aisle 4 times, including a 15-year marriage to actress Angie Dickinson. He married for the last time in 1993 when he and Jane Hansen tied the knot.

He's survived by 3 children and Jane. Burt was 94.

Lil Uzi Vert's futsal footwork couldn't save him after he tried to play leapfrog at NAV's outdoor pool ... and the Philly Eagles ambassador was caught in 4K slipping on his ass!!!

On Thursday, NAV posted studio cam of Uzi attempting to hop his way into the island in the middle of his pool -- only to slip on the border and embarrassingly plunge into the water!!!

NAV can be seen bursting out laughing to the point he misses the dap Uzi tried to give him to assure he didn't break any bones!!!

The two wavy artists are frequent collaborators so fans will be happy to know they have another collab coming, which may end up on Uzi's highly anticipated album ... a project he's been successfully building buzz for.

Uzi's been everywhere these past few weeks -- recently repping for the newer class of rappers at the Grammys' 50th-anniversary hip hop tribute, and even marching the Eagles to victory with his hit record "Just Wanna Rock" during their route to Super Bowl LVII.

Scooter Braun, once known primarily as Justin Bieber's manager, is now firmly in the rap world -- his company dropped 9 figures to purchase Quality Control music label ... home of Migos.

S.B.'s HYBE America announced the huge purchase Wednesday, and the price is reportedly in the ballpark of $300 million. Some of the label's other heavy hitters include Lil Baby and City Girls.

Scooter, who also manages Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, told New York Times QC is one of the "most significant labels in the world," adding it doesn't stop at music ... "they also distribute culture. Their artists are the voices of their communities."

This marks the first huge leap the manager's made since taking the reigns as sole chief exec of HYBE America last month. FYI, the company's a division of Hybe, a South Korean entertainment firm that manages huge names like BTS.

The move was met with some heat online -- for those unaware, QC -- founded a decade ago by Pierre Thomas and Kevin 'Coach K' Lee -- has always prided itself in being a Black-owned business.

However, many don't realize Braun and Coach K have a 20 year friendship, working together in Atlanta's Hip Hop community for years. In fact, Scooter recently said of their pairing, "I’ll never forget riding around Atlanta over 20 years ago with Coach discussing our dreams and ambitions and how we said: ‘If they let us in the game, we are never going to give it back’.”