Music

A death metal concert became a calamity Friday night after a vicious storm ripped through an Illinois auditorium, killing one person and injuring 28 others.

The packed show at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, IL, kicked off about 30 minutes before the massive storm rolled into town, causing the roof to collapse onto some of the more than 260 concertgoers.

Morbid Angel, Revocation, Crypta and Skeletal Remains were all scheduled to hit the stage, but the roof came crashing down and people got trapped underneath the wreckage.

Check out video that surfaced online ... showing the aftermath of the destruction during the mad rush to find victims under the debris.

Firefighters responded to a "mass casualty" incident around 7:30 PM.

Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle announced one person was killed and over two dozen were injured.

Five of the surviving victims were seriously hurt, five others suffered minor injuries, and 18 more sustained moderate injuries. All 28 were hospitalized.

Everyone who attended the performance was accounted for by 10:15 PM.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is addressing his gym beatdown for the first time ... ripping his attackers as "nothing but cowardly."

The rainbow-haired rapper broke his silence Friday with a social media post saying, "what happen here was nothing but cowardly."

Tekashi says he's not mad about being jumped at an LA Fitness in South Florida, explaining ... "In the street there's no rules so I can't say they were wrong." Still, he says it wasn't a fair fight.

6ix9ine took some more shots at the three men arrested over the attack -- Rafael Medina Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado -- saying ... "Just imagine having nothing to do with a situation and feel obligated to make it your business. (Very weird)."

Tekashi also claims he's been walking around without security for the last two years and says people see him out in public all the time. He says, "I really never hid from anything."

The beatdown sent Tekashi to the hospital but he says he's "happy to be here still."

In his P.S. he takes a parting shot at his attackers -- one of whom law enforcement says is a known gang member -- saying ... "I never knew we respected jumping people. When did that ever become a W???"

She can sing, she can dance, she can act ... Teyana Taylor is a triple threat! As a bystander, don't be threatened by these two pics ... see if you've got what it takes to locate the differences in these two shots!

Teyana has been movin' and groovin', promoting her new movie "A Thousand and One" and was captured by the paparazzi in NYC this week. Per usual, the hot momma brought her fashion game, sporting some distressed jeans and a Tupac tee. Can you find the minor changes in the two pics?

Tommy Lee's wife says there's absolutely no bad blood between Pamela Anderson and her, despite the fact they aren't speaking right now -- but she's down to change that.

Brittany Furlan was grabbing a bite in L.A. after her stand-up comedy gig at The Improv in Hollywood. Considering she recently mocked Tommy's ex-wife, suggesting Pam wouldn't care if she died ... we had to ask Brit if Pammy was the butt of any of her jokes that night.

The TikTok clip -- which Brittany posted and quickly deleted -- drew some backlash from fans ... so, kinda makes sense she laid off Pam during her comedy set.

When we got her afterward she said, "We're all good. We want happiness, we want everyone to be friends."

Sounds great ... however, she also admitted she hasn't actually heard a peep from Pam.

So, maybe it's not all that good -- not yet, anyway. Brittany says she'd definitely be down to talk, though, IF Pam ever reaches out.

The tension between the ex and current Mrs. Lee started when Pam was promoting her memoir and Netflix documentary, "Pamela, A Love Story" ... in which she declared her undying love for Tommy.

That prompted Brittany to respond on social media, saying she wasn't sweating Pam's comments ... or the haters attacking her on behalf of PA.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is wasting no time seizing the moment now that his attackers are behind bars ... with the rollout of a new music video and dishing out a ton of cash.

The rainbow-haired rapper dropped "Bori" Friday, along with a music video -- shot in Cuba -- which features images of 6ix9ine receiving medical treatment and giving away $50k in American dollars to the locals.

The brunt of 6ix9ine's injuries appears to be severe during the time of filming. In one scene, he brandishes a bloodshot right eye, and shows him getting an MRI in the hospital.

"Bori" features Cuban singer Lenier and while the track doesn't address the gym attack, it does speak on his love/hate dynamic while also speaking on his love for philanthropy.

Law enforcement personnel in Miami are still probing into the last week's attack but feel they nabbed the responsible culprits -- Rafael Medina Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado -- and claim to have significant evidence that Rafael is a notorious chief within the Latin Kings criminal org.

Fivio Foreign's reentry into the world of live performances is going rather smoothly ... although on a much smaller scale than the festival set he recently missed.

The Brooklyn rapper rocked the mic for Benny Da Jeweler's birthday Thursday inside the Da Mikele Illagio in Queens, NY ... his first time back onstage since his Rolling Loud health scare cancelation.

Fivio performed his hits "Say My Name" and "City of Gods" and also clowned around at the party with the kids, a great sign ... given everything he told us the last time we spoke to him.

He blamed a body shutdown on missing the festival circuit but credited nothing but plain ol' water for snapping him back into shape.

Benny's beloved by many rappers ... having hooked up Diddy, Ice Spice and Lil Tjay with bling within the past year.

50 Cent has no qualms about calling out his ex-flame Vivica A. Fox for what he feels is her encroaching on his "BMF" territory!!!

Vivica is currently promoting the "The First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story" ... an upcoming BET+ biopic, which she's directing.

According to 50's expertise and (close connections), Tonesa was never a part of Detroit's infamous BMF enterprise, and says she's more accurately linked to the Detroit 263 Crew ... which her ex-husband Terry "Southwest T" Flenory commanded.

50 tagged Southwest in his IG post -- perhaps to get a second opinion on the facts -- and also slandered Judge Mathis' inclusion as executive producer. But, Vivica sees the entire ordeal as promotion and happily reposted her former flame's rant!!!

The series was greenlit several weeks ago and begins filming in April in Washington, D.C.

If you remember, Tonesa lashed out against Lala Anthony's "BMF" character "MarKaisha Taylor" and claimed the role depicted her as a pedophile -- so accuracy is definitely her thing.

Kash Doll later defended the role and the show, reminding viewers the show is only loosely based on real life.

One of the men arrested in Tekashi 6ix9ine's gym beatdown is a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings gang ... at least according to the deputies who busted him.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff says Rafael Medina Jr., the oldest of the three men arrested for assaulting and robbing Tekashi, is a documented Latin Kings gang member who, for several years, has held a high-ranking position within the gang.

The sheriff says their Gang Unit Detectives have evidence Medina Jr. is an "Inca" within the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Latin Kings ... meaning he's the chapter's president.

And, get this, the sheriff says the Latin Kings have a rich history of being allies with the Bloods Gang ... which is notable because Tekashi famously flipped on Blood gang members in federal court.

What's more, the sheriff says Medina Jr. was convicted on felony charges in the mid-2000s as part of a federal gang RICO case regarding the Latin Kings.

TMZ broke the story ... three men beat the crap out of the New York rapper earlier this month while he was in the sauna at an LA Fitness in South Florida. Surveillance video from the gym shows the trio making a beeline for Tekashi as soon as they enter the facility.

According to the arrest affidavit, the guys on video beating 6ix9ine are Medina Jr, his son, Octavious Medina, and a third man, Anthony Maldonado.

The sheriff says Maldonado is a member at LA Fitness and got Octavious into the gym as a guest, Octavious then let his father into the gym.

As for the robbery charges ... the men are accused of taking Tekashi's $3,000 Balenciaga shoes, an iPhone, and the $1,200 key fob to his Lamborghini. They were booked Thursday evening and processed into county jail.

Rae Sremmurd previewed their new “Sremm 4 Life” album in West Hollywood last night … and effectively turned up the heat -- maybe a little too much, because smoke alarms were blaring through the party.

TMZ Hip Hop got video inside the SremmLife shindig, which went down at Melrose PL … with both Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi commanding the hosting duties and DJ Carisma on the turntables.

Swae thanked both Eminem and Young Thug for clearing their samples that helped complete the album, which also features Future and Sonny Digital.

Billows of smoke clouded the venue throughout the night, as did the sparklers held by the bottle girls ... but neither ever triggered the smoke alarm!

RS hopped on the mic to take credit for the errant alarm when the air was noticeably clear, with no objection from the crowd, which also included Diplo and Jeremih!!!

The album drops on April 7, which ends a nearly five-year album drought from the platinum-selling brothers.

Mark Wahlberg is diving head-first into his Houston Astros fandom ... going as far as to say he'd donate one of his thumbs to help superstar Jose Altuve get back from his injury!!

The 51-year-old actor is usually a Boston Red Sox fan, but has been supporting the 'Stros due to their ability to wreck the New York Yankees lately. Mark has been welcomed to the H-Town fanbase with open arms ... and even gave the ceremonial "Play Ball!!!" call at Thursday's Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox.

Before his big moment, Mark raved about Altuve's teammate, Alex Bregman ... calling him a good friend and his "favorite Yankee killer of all time."

"I am an Astros fan," he added. "Listen, I live in Nevada now, I'm a fan of real talent. And, you know what, they have an amazing team, and he has amazing talent, but he's also an amazing person, so I'm a big fan of his, especially."

As for Altuve -- who is out indefinitely after breaking his thumb playing for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic -- Wahlberg says he's willing to help out.

"I am also willing to donate either one of my thumbs to Jose Altuve, for sure," Wahlberg told reporters. “So we’re all good. I’m a big fan."

Mark wasn't the only celeb in town for the big game -- Megan Thee Stallion also came through to throw the first pitch!!

As for the game, the Astros lost to the White Sox, 3-2.

Tekashi 6ix9ine should be sleeping a little easier tonight 'cause cops say they have the three men who beat the crap out of him in custody!

A rep for the Palm Beach Sheriff Office tells TMZ ... detectives rounded up Rafael Medina, Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado for assaulting and robbing the New York rapper. The suspects were being booked Thursday evening and processed into county jail.

TMZ broke the story ... three men assaulted the rapper earlier this month while he was in the sauna at an LA Fitness in South Florida. Surveillance video showed them make a beeline for him as soon as they entered the gym.

It's unclear if the suspects have any connection with the gang members Tekashi flipped on in federal court.

Despite the threat of retaliation after he testified, 6ix9ine hardly went into hiding once he finished his abbreviated prison sentence. He returned to making music and trolling his enemies on social media.

Even after the gym attack, he claimed he wouldn't increase his security because he saw the incident as a fluke.

It will be interesting to see if he returns to his regular gym routine now that his alleged attackers are behind bars.

The 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards had a huge turnout ... with some of the biggest names in Hollywood coming out and even taking home honors.

This year's show went down Thursday night at the Beverly Hilton ... and it was all about honoring those in media who have been exemplary in highlighting the LGBTQ+ community and its issues.

The L.A. ceremony was hosted by actress/comedian Margaret Cho, and familiar faces in the crowd included Zaya Wade and her stepmom Gabrielle Union, Lisa Ann Walter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Geena Davis and Vanessa Williams.

Other attendees included Diplo, Orville Peck, Michelle Visage, Billy Eichner, Lance Bass, Jennifer Coolidge, Frankie Grande, Jane Lynch, Chrishell Stause and G Flip.

As far as big winners on the night ... Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny and Jeremy Pope were among the celebs to take home awards for their efforts.

During the evening, recipients for 15 of 33 categories were announced ... with series like "What We Do in the Shadows" and "The White Lotus" among top winners, along with films such as "Bros" and "A League of Their Own."

Kanye West and his Yeezy brand now have to contend with a lawsuit from a former employee, who claims the megastar rapper/designer owes her a cool $275K.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop ... Dora Szilagyi was hired to be Yeezy's "Director of Product Innovation" in June 2021, but only after Kanye convinced her to quit her role at Adidas and work for him full-time.

Dora claims she was promised a $275,000 severance payment if she was fired without cause after September 1, 2021 -- but she claims it was never paid to her when she was let go in mid-December 2021.

In the suit, Dora says she doesn't believe Kanye or his company ever intended to follow through on the severance package, and only dangled it to lure her from Adidas.

TLC singer Chilli isn't afraid to put it out there publicly ... telling us she wants to get hitched to "Boy Meets World" star Matthew Lawrence.

We got Chilli Thursday at LAX, and when our photog asked if she thinks she and Matthew will tie the knot in the future she boldly told us, "I hope so."

TMZ broke the story ... Chilli and Matthew officially started dating right before Thanksgiving, and then they spent the holidays together in Atlanta, where he met her family.

She's also met his family, and they keep getting closer.

Matthew recently made it seem like he and Chilli were trying to have a child together, but they've since clarified his comments. In fact, she reiterated to us at LAX ... her man's words were taken out of context.

Regardless, their relationship is clearly going strong ... when Matthew picked up Chilli at LAX earlier this month, they engaged in some full-on PDA.

Bottom line for Chilli ... Matthew's no scrub and she could definitely see them being husband and wife.

Rihanna's doing it all ... embracing motherhood while also working overtime on her career -- no easy feat when you consider the hours she's putting in, but her son's along for the ride.

Mama Rih was cradling her baby boy Thursday morning, fresh out of a photo shoot that lasted from 7 PM to 7 AM ... according to a photo agency. We're told she arrived the exact same way she left, with her sleeping child in her arms.

We don't know what the shoot was for, but it's possible the baby was included.

RiRi, who is expecting her second child, was also accompanied by another pal and her bestie Melissa ... so, looks like she might have some childcare assistance while on set.

TMZ broke the story ... Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child in May of 2022.

You'll recall, she made a surprising reveal for baby #2 during her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

She's had a busy year, professionally ... in addition to the Super Bowl, she recently performed her Oscar-nominated song from 'Wakanda Forever' during the 95th Academy Award.

Adam Wainwright proved he has both a golden arm AND golden pipes on Thursday ... the Cardinals star pitcher sang the National Anthem for his team's Opening Day ceremonies -- and crushed it!!

St. Louis tapped the injured right-hander for the awesome honor just before the Redbirds took on the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium ... and check out video of his performance -- he proved he can saaaang!!!

The 41-year-old seemed very comfortable on the mic ... hitting every note as the crowd in the stands went wild.

It was a cool moment for the pitcher, who announced last year that this will be his last season wearing a Cardinals uniform.

Also, if you think this was a fluke ... don't -- Wainwright showed at his Big League charity event earlier this year he truly has vocals!