Music

Madonna's confirming she's got a knockout new boo ... this one's a young boxer boy toy, and they're already in PDA mode.

The 64-year-old singer went IG official Tuesday with 29-year-old Josh Popper ... she posted a shot of them smooching while wearing black masks -- very Ye-ish, TBH (sans antisemitism). Madge captioned the pic, "Killers who are partying."

She said they were making out at a Purium party, and she was dressed as Queen Esther -- maybe not a historically-accurate look, but it's not like anyone's gonna tell Madonna.

The Queen of Pop was spotted earlier this week with Josh, supporting him ringside at one of his recent matches in NYC.

FYI -- Josh hasn't turned pro yet in the boxing world, only competing in a few fights so far ... although he's made it clear that's his dream. Before stepping into the ring, he was a defensive lineman at Rowan University.

He's also featured on the latest season of Bravo's "Summer House" as a boxing coach to cast member Samantha Feher.

You'll recall, Madonna called it off with her model BF Andrew Darnell 2 weeks ago -- soon after getting criticized for the way she looked at this year's Grammy Awards.

Tony Yayo isn't vibing with Lil Uzi Vert's recent performance where he chanted he "made a City Girl" believe in Satan -- in fact, Tony doesn't even wanna touch the topic with a 10-foot pole!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught the G-Unit rap star Tuesday in NYC, and he thinks Uzi took things too far during his Rolling Loud California set ... and really didn't have advice for Uzi's girlfriend, JT of City Girls, about whether she should run for the hills.

Yayo tells us he grew up in the church, so he's allergic to all things Satanic ... a stark contrast to the strong critique R&B superstar Summer Walker leveled at Uzi.

Summer questioned whether he's actually the devil's advocate, or just following the trend in rap that pumps up "demons" at every turn.

Avril Lavigne's looking carefree with her new BF, but her ex-fiancé, Mod Sun, is having a hard time watching her move on so quickly and so publicly.

Sources close to Mod Sun tell TMZ … he's been down in the dumps since his split from Avril, which, as we first reported, was far from a mutual decision. As if being blindsided by the abrupt end to their engagement wasn't bad enough -- we're told he feels absolutely devastated by her budding romance with Tyga.

Avril and Tyga have been together all over Paris for Fashion Week, and they're pouring on the PDA pretty heavily... we just shared shots of them locking lips Monday night at one event.

Those pics are especially triggering for Mod.

Our sources pointed out Avril and her new guy are making out in the same city where Mod got down on bended knee to propose almost a year ago -- so, he views Avril parading around Paris as a huge slap in the face ... or even vengeful toward him.

We're told he feels he did nothing wrong, which is what makes Avril's new relationship a tough pill to swallow.

TMZ broke the story ... Avril recently called off their engagement, just a few days after Mod started touring in support of his "God Save The Teen" album.

According to sources close to Avril, they'd been "off and on" for months, and it just wasn't working -- but Mod sources claim they were together without interruption and living together.

You'll recall, MS recently opened up about the breakup on IG ... saying his fans and tour life were helping him get through it all.

Finesse2tymes is shaking his head at the blame tossed his way following his performance at the ill-fated Rochester, NY GloRilla concert where 2 people were trampled to death.

The Mob Ties rapper gave his condolences when we caught him out in NYC on Tuesday ... but also clarified his IG post about the incident.

Finesse2tymes took a page from his own "Back End" song lyrics -- "It's cool when they do it, it's a problem when I do it" -- to hammer his point, which is that he's being unfairly targeted.

Video footage of the grisly aftermath shows dozens of bodies sprawled out across the ground of the venue Main Street Armory, with a police investigation determining fans panicked after thinking they heard shots fired after the concert ended ... causing several jams inside exit ways.

In addition to the 2 fatalities, 7 other concertgoers were treated for injuries.

Both Finesse and GloRilla were actually gone from the venue when the stampede happened -- but the "F.N.F" rapper also shared her condolences after learning what happened.

Local media has also speculated the Armory was over its 5000-person capacity welcoming 2 of hip hop's hottest new rappers.

Metro Boomin's long string of hits is proving to be a cash cow ... the hip hop superproducer just sold off a portion of his catalog publishing rights for a whopping $70 million!!!

Shamrock Capital reportedly closed the deal Tuesday and came up on several high-profile recordings such as Migos' "Bad and Boujee," Post Malone and Quavo's "Congratulations" and "Heartless" by The Weeknd -- all of which went #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Shamrock also recently acquired a chunk of Dr. Dre's catalog for $200 million, and famously bought the rights to Taylor Swift's first 6 albums back in 2020 -- so, the investment firm appears to be the go-to spot for blockbuster music to get a second shelf life.

In spite of his already historic career, Metro has been leveling up for months ... following the release of his chart-topping last album "HEROES & VILLAINS."

The Atlanta native is in charge of pumping the superhero-level music for the upcoming "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" film ... and the film's writer and producer, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, recently told Hailee Steinfeld how excited they are for his inclusion.

Miley Cyrus topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks with her latest single "Flowers" ... and Mike WiLL Made-It is predicting even more success with their collaborations on her new album!!!

The hip hop superproducer is announcing the restart of the "Mike WiLL x Miley Cyrus wave" ... with a few braggadocious tweets ahead of Friday's release of her album, "Endless Summer Vacation"

The pair have been frequent collaborators since going platinum with 2013's hit, "We Can't Stop" and the EarDrummers leader has production credits on several of the upcoming "Endless Summer" tracks, including "Thousand Miles" and "Violet Chemistry."

Flavor Flav couldn't believe his ears when we told him what Melle Mel said about Lil Wayne ... but one thing's for sure, he has no problem with hearing artists using Auto-Tune!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught the legendary Public Enemy rapper and his icy new clock Tuesday outside Il Pastaio in Bev Hills ... and he instantly became intrigued when he realized Melle was capping on Wayne.

Ultimately though, he disagreed with the notion Auto-Tune is a stain on the Young Money lyricist's career.

Flav says Auto-Tune is simply an instrument, no different than a horn or piano, but he drew the line when we asked if Public Enemy ever got their T-Pain on in the studio.

Flav also has a soft spot for Wayne's raps -- he still gets namedrops and shoutouts from Weezy from time to time!!!

Flav isn't the only Public Enemy member attempting to clarify Melle's dated delivery ... Chuck D recently compared the Furious Five rapper to NBA great Wilt Chamberlain ... who often gets omitted from conversations as the years go by.

Eric Bellinger understands his longtime collaborator Chris Brown's perspective when he hurled a fan's phone deep into the audience last week, but ultimately thinks it was overkill.

We caught up with EB at LAX, where he assessed both sides of CB's interaction last week with a fan in Berlin. In Eric's view ... the fan wanted to capture the moment firsthand, while Chris felt like his intimate performance was the moment.

EB couldn't help but laugh at Chris' zany nature at the end of the day and noted being the lead performer with dancers, bright lights and an earpiece can be a lot to take on.

The Grammy winner also felt like Chaka Khan was out of pocket when she referred to Mary J. Blige's rendition of her "Sweet Thing" classic track as "flat" ... before apologizing when fans went on the warpath on social media.

Like many fans, EB disagrees Mary's version was flat and notes both iconic singers have totally different styles and strengths ... pointing out how Chaka can't bop on stage like Mary!!!

Chaka blamed her acidic comments on her disdain for Rolling Stone's best singers list and EB thinks her apology was much needed.

Kevin Gates doesn't agree with Melle Mel that Eminem's race gives him white privilege when it comes to hip hop props, and, personally, he's got Marshall in his Top 5 ... dead or alive!!!

We caught the "Bread Winner" rapper ahead of his bang-up Rolling Loud California set and he defended Em ... saying the fact he wrote the iconic track "Stan" back in 2000 should be enough to put him near the top of anyone's list.

Billboard's 50 best rapper list has stirred up emotions left and right, and Melle's just the latest artist to skewer it after he was placed at #48, while Em was #5.

KG acknowledges Melle's right to his own opinion, but says he doesn't see people as "black or white" ... just "real and fake," but ultimately he doesn't care the Furious Five legend is yapping about the list.

What Kevin does care about these days is eating and living healthy ... the primary reason he partnered with Ambrosia Collective last year for his custom line of superfood supplements and products.

He copped to being somewhat of a fair-weather vegan, though, on account of some of his bedroom activities with his woman, if you get our drift. If ya don't ... watch the clip.

Suge Knight's son was one of the many folks laughing his ass off at Chris Rock's 'Suge Smith' line ... but he's certain Will Smith's got nothing on the OG!!!

Suge J. Knight tells TMZ ... it was pretty dope to hear his dad's name thrown in during CR's comedy set -- even though it wasn't a positive reference, and his father will remain behind bars for years to come.

He says, "We all know Suge Knight as that guy who's all about that action. It's funny to see that Suge has been in jail for a minute but he still has this legendary status."

As we reported, Chris finally addressed Will infamously slapping him at the Oscars during his live Netflix special, "Selective Outrage."

CR didn't hold back at all, and the reality is ... calling Will "Suge Smith" was probably the most gentle jab Chris threw at him or his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

There's no hiding it anymore, Avril Lavigne and Tyga certainly look like they're dating ... kissing in front of cameras in the city of love.

Avril and Tyga locked lips Monday at the Mugler X Hunter Schafer Party during Paris Fashion Week ... and the smooching all but confirms a romantic relationship.

They certainly looked like a couple at the party, holding hands as they walked into the swanky bash.

Remember, Avril and Tyga sparked dating rumors earlier this year, and have been hanging out a lot both in Los Angeles and Paris, the same city where her ex, Mod Son, proposed.

TMZ broke the story ... Avril called off the engagement to Mod in February, about a year after he popped the question. Sources told us the former couple had been on and off for several months before she pulled the plug.

We've also seen Avril and Tyga grabbing dinner together at NOBU and hugging in the parking lot.

Angela Yee didn't paint "The Breakfast Club" as a great place for women to work while chatting with Tamron Hall ... but DJ Envy's rejecting her view, and, perhaps, reopening old wounds from December's abrupt breakup.

Envy denied Yee's claims she was the only woman on the staff during most of her time at 'BC,' noting they've had a female producer for years and even she replaced a different woman.

Yee was on "The Tamron Hall Show" last week and talked about her old show as a sorta "boys club" -- but on Monday, her former cohosts said the allegation diminishes the women who propelled the show behind-the-scenes.

Envy says he spoke to Yee directly on Sunday, and claims she owned up to misspeaking during the interview ... claiming she was referring to a lack of female cohosts, despite her saying the complete opposite during her confessional.

Charlamagne Tha God didn't have much to add to Yee or Envy's side, but thinks Tamron and her producers are out to fill the sensational void left due to the departure of Wendy Williams on daytime TV.

Envy says Yee will be clearing the comments up on her "Wake Up" show later today ... as they angered many women working at the station, including the Executive VP of Programming, who happens to be a woman, 🙈

The band's manager and drummer, Jason Bader, tells us while the group hasn't yet seen the offer, they'd never accept it.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval's cheating scandal is worth six figures to a site pushing adult content ... he's got a live streaming offer on the table, and a possible way to avoid some potential nastiness on his band's upcoming tour.

CamSoda is making an offer they hope Tom and his band can't refuse ... $540,000 to stream 12 concerts live on their site, instead of taking his show on the road and playing in front of an audience.

Tom's Enemy No. 1 in the Bravo realm now that he's destroyed a nearly 10-year relationship with longtime girlfriend and castmate Ariana Madix by cheating on her with fellow 'VR' cast member Raquel Leviss ... and CamSoda thinks Tom's going to catch tons of flak if his band plays before a live crowd, so they're offering him a way out.

Tom's band, the aptly named Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, is scheduled to play 12 shows across the country from April through June, and CamSoda is trying to convince him to scrap the shows and live steam instead, warning him it may not be safe to play in front of a live audience.

CamSoda's vice president, Daryn Parker, fired off an offer letter to Tom, pitching the $540k live stream deal as a way to save the band from potential "Justice for Ariana" chants and tomato throwing.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, CamSoda tells Tom, "livestreaming your tour from a safe place would make the most sense" ... and they're offering the band $45k per show to pull the plug on the tour and go virtual.

Of course, CamSoda is still CamSoda, and the adult live streaming porn site adds ... "You can dress in your outfits, show some skin, and even tell your side of the story if you'd like."

Melle Mel of the legendary Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feels some kind of way about being ranked so far below Kendrick Lamar and Eminem ... and he's slapping both emcees with backhanded compliments.

The veteran rapper recently argued to "The Art Of Dialogue" that while both Kendrick and Em are lyrically proficient, their styles and music aren't influential or mimicked by enough rappers to earn high-class status in hip hop.

According to Billboard's list, Melle Mel is the 48th-best rapper of all time, compared to Kendrick at #2 at Em at #5 -- but Melle says their music doesn't get burn in the streets or clubs ... or so he's heard.

Melle doesn't deny he's an old fart but still thinks his radar works well enough to know Kendrick doesn't deserve to be ranked that high.

In the case of Em, Melle thinks Slim Shady benefits from reverse affirmative action ... earning more attention simply because he was a capable white rapper in an arena dominated by Black artists.

Melle says if he was white, his legacy would be in line with Elvis Presley's ... a debatable point but he's not the only pick on the BB list upset with the final count.

When we spoke to Ice Cube -- who placed #18 -- the N.W.A legend shredded the entire operation for lack of credibility and reminded us that opinions aren't facts!!!

Ice Spice had fans in a frenzy during her Rolling Loud California set Sunday ... one of 'em even attempted to rush the stage, until Ice's bodyguards treated the guy like a true munch!!!

The Bronx-bred rapper riled up the Inglewood crowd as she walked out to her recent theme song, “Princess Diana" ... when the guy attempted to profess his love to Ice in person, only to be met with the stiff hand of security.

Fans were chanting loudly for Ice when she hit the stage and even got creative with their signs, competing for a chance to be the 23-year-old's part-time snack.

Air-tight protection has been a huge part of the rap conversation as of late, especially for female artists, in light of GloRilla's security guard getting arrested for an illegal gun charge ... but Ice had wiggle room to perform and twerk for the fans.

She also performed her hits “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “In Ha Mood" and her reigning smash collabo with PinkPantheres “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.” ... which is currently No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was recently immortalized on TikTok alongside Kim Kardashian and North West!!!

North recently went viral by drawing a portrait of Ice and scoring the video with "Boy's a Liar" ... and the breakout rapper returned the favor in person right ahead of her RL set.

Gary Rossington, the last original member of legendary rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died.

The guitarist, behind such memorable songs as "Freebird" and "Sweet Home Alabama," passed away Sunday, according to a statement released by the band.

Although his cause of death was not disclosed, Rossington suffered from a series of heart-related issues over the years, including a heart attack in 2015. He also received an emergency heart procedure in 2019.

Members of Skynyrd paid homage to Rossington in their statement, "It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today."

They continued, "Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does."

As you may recall, Rossington was aboard a plane that crashed after it ran out of fuel over Mississippi in October 1977, killing three of his bandmates: lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines.

Three other passengers also died, including the group's assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick.

Rossington miraculously survived, but his arms, legs, ankles, and pelvis were shattered.

It took 10 years ... but the band got back together in 1987 and Rossington rejoined it with a new line-up. Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Rossington was 71.