Music

Katy Perry hit the stage for a surprise performance at a star-studded NYC event on Thursday night ... and she pretty much blew the roof off the place.

The singing sensation was all glammed up in a ruffled cream gown and bejeweled heels as she arrived to celebrate the reopening of the Tiffany and Co. flagship store in Manhattan.

Katy was followed inside the iconic Fifth Avenue building by a bevy of bold-faced names. Among them were Hailey Bieber, Blake Lively, Florence Pugh, Zoe Kravitz, Tiffany Haddish, Mark Wahlberg, Gayle King, Pharrell Williams, Gabrielle Union and her hubby Dwyane Wade.

Everyone was having a great time, chatting and mingling around ... but the real fun started once Katy changed into a sheer gray dress and took the stage for her unexpected show. We're told Katy played 4 songs, including "Firework," "Dark Horse" and "Teenage Dream."

Check out video, obtained by TMZ, showing Katy belting out "Dark Horse" while doing a sexy dance knee-deep in a dense fog from smoke machines. As you can hear, the crowd ate it all up, begging Katy for more.

After Katy was done dazzling on stage, she posed for some selfies with fans.

Before this cool kid rockin' a "Mork & Mindy" tee was drumming beats and touring all over the world, he was grabbing his drumsticks at just 4 years old, sticking his tongue out for the camera, and growing up in Fontana, California.

Before he joined one of the most iconic bands of all time, he was a trashman in Laguna Beach, CA. This talented musician has produced tunes for some of Hollywood's hottest stars such as Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly.

Need one more hint? He's got tats for days!

There will be plenty of hip hop star power at this year's Tribeca Film Festival ... with everything from documentaries, premieres and even performances.

On Thursday, OKX unveiled its laundry list of events, including Megan Thee Stallion's "Storyteller's Conversation" ... where the "Savage" rapper will be taking part in a panel discussion on June 15

French Montana's self-reflective "For Khadija" doc will premiere the following day and it was announced both Drake and Diddy are now officially on board as executive producers.

The June 16 premiere of "For Khadija" ... a first-person glimpse into French's backstory as a Moroccan-born future superstar, a road paved by his single mother.

As Pras waits to find out his sentence after a guilty verdict in his federal fraud trial ... he's also waiting on his Fugees bandmates to publicly show him any support.

Both Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, rightfully, joined the world in publicly mourning artist/activist Harry Belafonte after his death on Tuesday, but one day later their IG accounts were bare of any reference to Pras' trial and verdict.

The Fugees' last album, 1996's "The Score," sold more than 22 million copies worldwide ... but the group never got on the same page to record a follow-up. A 25th-anniversary tour to celebrate the project was scrapped last year due to Pras' legal drama, so it's possible there's a rift between them after all that drama.

As we reported, Pras was found guilty of spearheading a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy alongside Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

The trial included high-profile testimonies from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- but to date, there's been no reaction from Lauryn or Wyclef.

On the other hand, Chuck D is being extremely vocal ... the Public Enemy frontman launched into a tirade Thursday, ripping apart what he calls a hypocrisy on Pras' accused crimes.

Ironically, Chuck also found time to memorialize Belafonte -- sharing the late icon's many virtues with TMZ Hip Hop when we spotted him at the airport.

Tyler, the Creator is telling fans to enjoy his tunes while he's alive and well, because when he dies ... his music will officially stop.

The Golf Wang curator was explaining this tidbit to the crowd last night during his Estate Sale Show at The El Rey in Los Angeles.

Tyler just dropped a deluxe edition of his Grammy Award-winning album "Call Me If You Get Lost" that featured 8 previously unreleased songs ... and told fans he felt the songs were too good to sit in the vault.

The veteran rapper felt it best he let go of the tracks now because he says his living will prohibits his music from being posthumously released ... especially with "random" artists he wouldn't ever collaborate with while he was alive!!!

Fact is, deceased artists have proven to be cash cows over the years. So, whoever's distributing Tyler's music can't be thrilled with his will ... not that anyone's rushing him to the grave.

Thundercat is back in his musical bag for the first time in 3 years with the track, "No More Lies"... his new jazzy, snazzy collab with Tame Impala!!!

The track, co-produced by both prestigious musicians, dropped along with a visualizer showing a gazelle and leopard running in the wild -- perhaps to showcase their adjacent styles on the song ... in a NatGeo kinda way.

Thundercat will be able to test the song out in real time this weekend.

The Grammy Award-winner was tapped to close the 2023 NFL Draft in an effort to "curate a special performance which will pay tribute to the rich music history and the legacy of jazz in Kansas City" ... according to the league.

Machine Gun Kelly's celebrating his 33rd trip around the sun ... and while pics from inside his bash look pretty insane, what's most notable is the absence of his fiancée Megan Fox -- further fueling rumors they might be dunzo.

MGK posted some snaps from his birthday party, captioning them "i am 32 + 🖕🏼” ... with a good chunk of his pals in attendance as he blew out the candles -- on a cake with his cat's face on it, no less.

Looked like a pretty epic party ... one that even cops apparently had to shut down, but fans have been pointing out the fact Megan was nowhere to be found -- and as you can imagine, the comments section had its fair share of people asking where she was.

As we reported, Megan had fans convinced they split back in February, when she unfollowed him and scrubbed a lot of their photos together from her social media -- she also quoted lyrics from Beyoncé's "Lemonade" album ... code for dealing with cheating.

She went dark on IG for a bit before coming back, and denying any cheating rumors that pinned MGK with his guitarist, Sophie Lloyd.

Turns out the death of Canadian actor Saint Von Colucci as a result of a dozen cosmetic surgeries was one big hoax ... in fact, Von Colucci may not have even been a real person.

The Daily Mail, reported Saint died Sunday morning at a South Korean hospital due to complications from the surgeries that cost him $220,000. TMZ followed suit and posted the story.

The Mail quoted someone purporting to be a publicist for Saint, who supposedly went under the knife 12 separate times so he could play BTS boy band star, Jimin, in an upcoming Korean TV drama, "Pretty Lies."

The source told the outlet Saint's surgeries included jaw implants, a nose job, a face-lift, lip reduction, an eyebrow lift and an eye lift.

Ariana Madix is singing her way through any lingering breakup blues she might have -- letting her hair down to belt out some karaoke overseas, and her song choice is an interesting one!!!

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was at The Banshee Labyrinth early Wednesday morning in Edinburgh, Scotland ... and witnesses tell us she was having a good ol' time, even before grabbing the mic.

Ariana got up and sang "Hand in My Pocket" by Alanis Morissette ... which, of course, is all about staying afloat and looking at the bright side in the midst of pain. Sounds familiar.

You can see she really got into the performance, putting a little extra on the line, "Everything's gonna be fine, fine, fine" ... and, at one point, high-fiving a woman in the crowd.

We're told she was there with 2 unknown pals, male and female, and everyone was in a great mood as they chatted before Ariana put on a show.

The generous, and/or drunk, patrons ate it up and showered her with applause.

As you know, she's been going through it since finding out her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval was cheating with their costar, Raquel Leviss ... putting an end to their 9-year relationship.

Of course, AM has seemingly moved on with her Coachella bae, Daniel Wai -- and now, she's sending a "fine, fine, fine" message.

Ne-Yo says he's in a happy place these days, and it's all about the single life and flying free as a bird!!!

We linked with the Grammy-winner Wednesday at LAX, and he had plenty of dating advice to spread, now that his divorce is finally in his rearview ... as we first reported.

According to Ne-Yo, the single life has been enjoyable so far and he has plenty of dating options ... as he's not exclusive to one particular person.

He says his DMs are flooded with plenty of potential girlfriends ... and, maybe surprisingly, he reveals he's down to date fans!

Ne-Yo admits most celebs, himself included, are kinda weirdos ... so having someone "normal" by your side can be a plus. However, he also says there are benefits to dating someone famous, because they get the pressure that comes with the spotlight.

Basically, it sounds like he's open to anyone, regardless of status, who floats his boat!!!

Ne-Yo's dating life has indeed left a trail of fascination as of late.

The "Miss Independent" singer recently made a birthday splurge on Sade, the mother of 2 of his children -- but fans were confused as to whether they were officially an item again.

Well, you heard the man ... his DMs are open!!!

Toni Braxton wants to share her survivor's story after recently undergoing lifesaving surgery to unblock a main heart artery ... because she learned important lessons about taking care of your body.

TMZ Hip Hop caught the R&B legend Wednesday in NYC ... and she was simply grateful to be out and about after her procedure last September. She recently revealed doctors found an 80% blockage in her main coronary artery, which could've led to a fatal heart attack.

Toni tells us she can't tour or sing like she wants to at the moment, but she's slowly getting reacquainted with the studio and promises she'll be back at full strength for her next live shows.

It's been a little over a year since Toni's sister, Traci, passed away from cancer ... and Toni tells us she took the loss so hard, she let her own medical checkups slip.

She's urging fans to pay attention when your body's talking to you and stay up-to-date with doctor visits.

Action-movie star Jet Li was in his late 30s when he showcased his (many) talents during the early 2000s... taking his martial arts and acting skills to the big screen with some of Hollywood's hottest celebrities and putting up quite the fight!

Working alongside Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the 1998 film "Lethal Weapon 4" would be Li's first Hollywood gig. In 2000, he took on the leading role of Han Sing in the action-packed film "Romeo Must Die" next to the late Aaliyah and would continue to be praised for his work for years to come.

And these notable roles don't take away from his 5x title of Men's All-Around National Wushu Champion ... dating back to the mid/late-1970s.

Up-and-coming Los Angeles rapper MoneySign Suede was stabbed to death in a California prison ... cutting his life short as his career was catching steam.

Prison officials for the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, CA tell TMZ Hip Hop ... they're currently investigating MoneySign's death as a homicide after discovering he was absent from a headcount check Tuesday around 9:55 p.m.

According to our sources, the "Back to the Bag" rapper was found unresponsive in another area of the prison. Prison personnel attempted to administer emergency aid ... but were unsuccessful as he was pronounced dead around 10:00 p.m.

We're told the death has prompted officials to restrict prisoner movement while they conduct their investigation ... with assistance from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office and the Monterey County Coroner, the latter of whom will determine MoneySign's cause of death.

Nicholas Rosenberg, MoneySign's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times the rapper was stabbed in the neck in the shower and that those who knew him were shocked.

As news of MoneySign's death circulated, his rapper friends Fenix Flexin and Baby Stone Gorillas took to IG to pay emotional tributes.

Fat Joe is fed up with the medical industry duping its patients into paying unfair prices ... personally flying himself from NYC to Washington D.C. to do something about it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the Don Cartagena as he visited Capitol Hill to rep "Power to the Patients" ... the nonprofit that targets and tackles hidden healthcare fees.

As we told you earlier this week, Joe will be in town through the weekend alongside Busta Rhymes, French Montana and Rick Ross for a special PTTP-helmed concert to bring awareness to the millionaire CEOs of nonprofit orgs. and other associated horseradish ... but today, he was all bars without the beat!!!

We also caught Joe's speech as he addressed the crowd as a proud Bronx native but lashed out at the economic forces that hold Black and Brown people back ... comparing their cries for help as effective as a "dog barking at the moon."

Pras is guilty of committing fraud according to the jury in the federal trial where the Fugees rapper was accused of trading political influence in exchange for millions from Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

During the trial Pras admitted accepting $20 million from Low for a photo-op with then-President Barack Obama as he ran for reelection -- and also helped set up a scheme to illegally funnel money to the Obama campaign through straw donors. Prosecutors were not going after the Obama campaign.

High-profile witnesses Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions took the stand during the case.

Pras reportedly blamed his decision to participate in the schemes on the bad advice of an attorney, but that clearly didn't sway the jury as he's now looking at up to 20 years in prison.

We spoke to Pras outside court during the heat of the trial and he didn't have much to say. The jury clearly felt he said more than enough in court.

Nicki Minaj is on a musical tear like grraah at the moment ... even without a new album out on the market!!!

On Tuesday, her recent single, the Lumidee-sampling "Red Ruby Da Sleeze," crossed the 500k sales mark ... which makes it eligible for a shiny Gold-plated plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America!!!

The track has been lighting up the charts and actively competing with her Ice Spice collaboration ... the "Princess Diana (Remix)" — which shot to No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, making it the first song by the duo to reach that milestone!!!

Matter of fact, the new "Princess Diana" is so popular, it's been outselling the next 13 top-selling songs COMBINED ... according to a new Forbes report.

Morgan Wallen's "Last Night," Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" and Post Malone's greatest hits track "Chemical" are just a few of the heaters Nicki and Ice have been topping as of late.