Music

Lauryn Hill shocked fans at the 2023 Roots Picnic by using her headlining performance to orchestrate a mini-reunion with the Fugees ... a complete and total surprise for Pras, who we've learned was shocked at the request to join his former bandmates.

A rep for Pras tells TMZ Hip Hop he was able to make the performance happen last minute, as he's currently awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of conspiracy and fraud in April.

Pras' admiration for his Fugees bandmates Lauryn and Wyclef Jean runs deep ... he considers them family and their longtime bond paid off for Sunday night's impromptu Roots Picnic performance.

We're told the invitation to perform was so sudden, there was no time for rehearsal ... but the legendary hip hop trio managed to belt out 6 songs from the classic multi-platinum album "The Score" for the crowd.

Due to Pras' looming sentencing, a lot of people think this was the Fugees' final performance for a long time, but not necessarily.

Matty Healy put Taylor Swift in a pretty sticky situation recently -- it involved a troubling podcast appearance he'd made -- but we've learned that controversy is NOT the reason they're no longer dating.

A friend connected to Matty's band, The 1975, tells TMZ ... Taylor was aware of Matty's remarks about Ice Spice on the podcast before she started dating him. While it's true her fans applied plenty of social media pressure over it, the friend tells us Matty and Taylor were used to the noise, and simply blocked it out.

ICYMI ... Matty went on the "The Adam Friedland Show" back in February, where Nick Mullen, Friedland and Matty openly laughed and made derogatory comments about Ice Spice ... even mocking her with Chinese and Hawaiian accents.

Amid Matty and Taylor's romance, the clip resurfaced online last month, along with a separate interview clip of Ice expressing her love for The 1975. BTW, all of this was brewing as Taylor and Ice prepared to release their collab, "Karma (Remix)."

Awkward timing to say the least, and although Matty ultimately apologized for offending Ice, some fans felt his mea culpa lacked sincerity. The podcast episode has since been scrubbed from several platforms.

Nevertheless ... we're told all the Swiftee angst over that is not at the root of them pulling the plug on their relationshp -- and, instead, it has more to do with the fact they simply don't have time for each other.

Everyone knows Taylor's Eras tour is packing stadiums across the U.S., and will for a few more months -- and Matty's friend points out The 1975 is in the middle of its European tour now.

We're told they still care for each other, even though things didn't work out romantically.

Mick Mars' legal war with his former band, Mötley Crüe, is set to play out in court, for all to see -- but the Crüe is making a move to take it behind closed doors, despite Mick's protests.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Mötley Crüe is asking a judge to send this case -- kick-started by Mick's lawsuit in April -- into arbitration, where they say it belongs ... and where it will be out of the public's eye.

Mick's lawyer, Ed McPherson, tells TMZ ... "This is yet another attempt by bullies to hide the truth!"

In their filing, attorneys for MC say several different entities have been created over the years to handle varying aspects of the band's biz -- things like touring and recording -- and those agreements contain binding arbitration clauses.

Translation: All grievances that might come up among members, must be handled in private arbitration, instead of airing them out in public courts

You'll recall ... this battle is all about Mick, their longtime guitarist, claiming the Crüe unfairly and unjustly cut him out of touring and his share of tour profits ... after Mick was diagnosed with a debilitating bone disease.

The band's called BS, arguing they were actually trying to do him a solid based on his condition, and even tried to give him fair compensation ... but they say Mick's going about this the wrong way by filing a lawsuit

Bottom line is ... Mötley Crüe's asking the judge to send the matter to arbitration.

Nicki Minaj is being dragged to court over some alleged unpaid bills for custom jewelry ... but her attorney says she's not responsible, and claims the jeweler is just using her for publicity.

The rapper is being sued by a West Hollywood jeweler who claims they loaned out some bling to the rapper -- a pretty standard transaction for celebs, but the jeweler claims some of those pieces came back damaged ... which is not standard.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nicki's stylist Brett Alan Nelson signed a contract with Roseark jewelry store, with Roseark agreeing to loan Nicki jewelry for a public appearance.

The store claims the contract called for Brett to return the bling within a week and pay for any damages the jewelry might incur under his watch.

In the docs, Roseark claims Nicki's stylist failed to return 66 pieces of jewelry by the agreed upon deadline, and, when Brett finally forked over the bling, there was noticeable damage to a set of earrings and a leaf ring.

A source close to Nicki tells us ... everything was returned on time as promised and it was only after items were in the jeweler's possession for some time that the store complained about a missing stone.

The jewelry store says it sent invoices to Brett for the damage, which it says totals $26,239.50 plus interest. The folks at Roseark claim they haven't gotten paid, despite their repeated attempts to collect.

So, Roseark is suing Nicki and her stylist for the money ... even though it appears Nikki never had any direct dealings with the jeweler.

In fact, Nicki's attorney, Jordan Siev, tells TMZ ... "We have not been presented with any evidence that any of the jewelry at issue was damaged by Nicki. This lawsuit appears to be nothing more than an ordinary insurance claim by the jeweler designed to generate publicity for itself and extract a payment to which it is not entitled. We will defend the lawsuit vigorously."

Rock star Bret Michaels has officially sold his stellar L.A.-area home... and he'll have a hard time finding a thorn on this rose of a transaction for his bottom line.

The Poison lead singer closed the deal on his Calabasas oasis, snatching $6.25 million for the place. We don't know how much dough he poured into the property after buying it in 2020 as an investment -- but he paid just under $4.8 mil, so seems like he's in line for a decent profit!

Bret's home is well worth the price tag -- aside from its 5,950 sq. feet, it has one of the best views in the community, giving folks a great look at the city lights, golf courses, and the nearby mountains.

Outside entertaining will be awesome for the new owner ... Bret stacked it with a custom pool, spa and gazebo. Inside amenities include a billiards room and a gym.

The beautiful place was sold off-market, and BOTH sides of the deal were represented by Jordan Cohen.

BTW, it's quite the coup for Jordan, because it closed the same day his book, "The Agent's Edge," dropped worldwide. Talk about a victory lap!

Before this youngin' with her blunt bangs and beaded hair ties turned into an A-list celebrity and actress, she was just playing soccer, competing in gymnastics and singing in the local plays in Boulder, Colorado.

This star has been in a hand full of iconic shows and movies like playing Lara in "Rules of Attraction," the sole survivor in 2003's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and playing Mary in "7th Heaven." When she's not exploring the world with her hubby ... she loves spending quality time with her two kiddos.

Need one more clue? She's always "bringing sexy back!"

Michael Grimm, famous for taking home the title on "America's Got Talent" season 5, is sedated and in intensive care after a mystery health issue.

The singer's wife, Lucie Zolcerva-Grimm, says Michael has been hospitalized since Memorial Day and remains unconscious, though he's finally breathing on his own again.

Michael's wife says the root of the issue is not clear ... but he had not been feeling well for a while, lacking energy and having a tough time finishing his recent performances.

She says things reached a head last month when he became increasingly sick. Michael's wife says he could barely walk and couldn't lift his head, so she rushed him to the emergency room, where things got worse.

Michael's wife says his blood pressure skyrocketed when he got to the ER and he started talking gibberish, so he was rushed to the ICU ... where he remains.

Doctors put Michael on a ventilator and sedated him, his wife says, and he's only recently been taken off the ventilator ... though he's still sedated.

Michael's wife says most of his upcoming shows this month have been canceled ... noting he will not only need to regain consciousness but also undergo physical therapy because he's been bedridden for over a week.

Lil Tjay is in police custody once again ... his lawyer says the rapper got arrested in NYC -- second time this year -- and this time it all went down live on Instagram.

Tjay's lawyer Dawn Florio tells TMZ ... the rapper was filming a short clip for a music video when cops arrived on the scene in Manhattan, and took him in for reckless endangerment.

He captured his arrest on video, too, as he happened to be live streaming Tuesday during the ordeal. Some folks in the crowd told him to stop resisting as his phone ended up in someone else's hand.

TMZ broke the story, the 22-year-old was arrested in January after a traffic stop in the Bronx while en route to shoot a video with Ice Spice. Law enforcement sources told us cops found a handgun in his vehicle, resulting in him getting booked for weapon possession.

Of course, the guy's also lucky to be alive after getting shot 7 times in a 2022 New Jersey robbery.

We've reached out to the NYPD's press office for comment ... so far, no word back.

Rod Stewart is looking to unload his sprawling Bev Hills estate, and as the rock legend sang, every picture tells a story -- especially these shots of the mansion he's listing for a whopping $70 mil!!!

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the 78-year-old icon is selling his expansive 3-story compound, located in one of the most esteemed gated enclaves, North Beverly Park.

The 9-bed, 14-bath home was designed for Rod by famed L.A. architect Richard Landry in the '90s ... and it sits on more than 3 acres of land.

Take a look around ... it comes with a screening room, library, family room, rec room, gym, hand-painted bar and a formal dining room that seats up to 20 people, and that's just a few of its amenities.

The new owners will also enjoy marble floors, elaborate wood paneling, crystal chandeliers and intricate moldings throughout the whole thing.

Step outside, and it's just as glamorous ... a pro-sized tennis court, which can be converted into a soccer field, an outdoor kitchen, a fireplace and an elaborate fountain.

The pool and elevated spa are great spots to take in spectacular views of the canyons and city!

There's also a 3-story guest house with 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and 2 living rooms and a state-of-the-art gym.

Jared Leto's not satisfied with being an actor and singer -- he's adding daredevil to his resume by skipping the stairs at a hotel, and instead climbing up its stone wall without a harness!

Jared was spotted scaling the Hotel De Rome in Berlin Monday. He wasn't super high on the wall, but he was high enough to draw a crowd ... and high enough to hurt himself if he'd fallen. He made it back down safely, though.

Unclear what the actor's intention was, although it's worth mentioning he was there with TikToker Younes Zarou -- the gang was shooting some other segments with Jared near the hotel, including a pretty rad smoke-filled shot.

It's possible his free solo climb was for their mysterious collab ... or maybe JL just got bored.

Matty Healy is a single man turning to some pretty conventional methods to cope with his split from Taylor Swift ... enjoying a flask and cigarettes in the middle of his latest concert.

His band, The 1975, performed in Vienna Monday night, and Matty appears to be back to his eccentric and carefree stage persona. There's no telling what he was tossing back from the flask -- but considering the concert came a few hours after TMZ broke the news of the breakup, a little booze to numb the pain wouldn't be outrageous.

Matty never mentioned his split from Taylor directly, but did a portion of the band's set from a chair while wearing an eye patch ... an accessory he ditched later. At one point, he thanked fans for holding a "You are loved" sign ... saying he appreciated the message, so it's possible the moment was split-related.

We were the first to report the end of Taylor and Matty's relationship, though it's still unclear what led to the decision. It was late last month when we last saw them together -- on a dinner date night in NYC.

Leading up to the breakup, things appeared to be going pretty well between the two -- with double dates, trips to recording studios, and even spending time at Taylor's pad in NYC.

As we reported -- Matty planted a huge kiss on a security guard over the weekend during one of his shows, and while that was kinda his schtick for a while, he said he was giving it up out of respect for Taylor.

Looks like Matty the showman is back.

Britney Spears is in the mood for reconciliation with her children as they prepare to leave California later this summer ... at least that's the vibe she's giving with a new IG post dedicated to her firstborn.

Britney showed her emotions Monday, posting a throwback photo of Sean Preston, and captioning it, "My first love!!!"

This post comes 2 days after she shared a nostalgic pic of her youngest, Jayden. That shot was from when he was only 4-years-old, and still being carried around by his mom.

Britney turned off the IG comments on her Sean Preston post ... just as she did over the weekend with the Jayden photo, which she simply captioned with 2 rose emojis 🌷🌷 and no words.

Britney's posts are interesting because her relationship with her sons has been strained ... and as we first reported, their father Kevin Federline plans to move to Hawaii this summer with the boys and his wife, Victoria.

K-Fed asked Britney to sign off on the relocation plan, and last week she did through her attorney, Mathew Rosengart.

Remember, she hasn't seen Jayden and Sean Preston in more than a year, so her posts feel like a sign she's open to reconciling before they move to the islands.

Britney's recently sat down with her mother, Lynne Spears, to repair that relationship ... so there's some recent precedent here. 🤞🏽

Young Thug’s biological brother, and YSL artist, Unfoonk is behind bars for violating the terms of the probation put in place after his plea deal in the Georgia RICO case.

The judge in Fulton County officially revoked Unfoonk’s probation Monday, and sentenced him to 9 years and 6 months in prison after he was charged with firearm possession by a convicted felon ... among other offenses.

Judge Ural D. Glanville scolded Unfoonk during the sentencing ... reminding the Atlanta rapper of their conversation in May about the strict conditions of his probation, especially when it came to possessing a gun!!!

Back in December, Unfoonk (born Quantavious Grier) took a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO trial, in which he got credit for 2 years time served, and was placed on probation for the next 10 years.

2 Chainz is mourning the sudden loss of his beloved French bulldog, TrappyGoHard, his adorable sidekick for nearly a decade.

2 Chainz posted the sad news on Monday and said the loss is hitting him like a ton of bricks.

The Atlanta rap star praised Trappy for his laid-back demeanor, and fondly recalled how he was able to make the pooch a permanent part of his entourage for worldwide treks.

2 Chainz got Trappy from a top breeder back in 2015, and they instantly became a recognizable duo.

The "T.R.U." rapper says he's confident their union inspired fans to acquire French bulldogs of their own, and openly admitted his love for Trappy runs greater than his care for some humans out there!!!

Trappy was a regular on 2 Chainz's "Most Expensive S**t" series and also made frequent cameos in interviews and social media.

Losing a pet can be just like losing a family member in most cases ... and 2 Chainz's dog was a bona fide star.

Bobby Shmurda is distancing himself and his ears from today's generation of rappers ... claiming to only catch wind of new hip hop music when he's out partying in the club.

The Brooklyn MC got real candid firing off his anti-rap opinions on a recent appearance on "The Danza Project" podcast, where he called out the gamut of today's rappers for leading younger listeners astray with exaggerated narratives of their gangster tales.

Bobby says hip hop is supposed to uplift people, not influence negativity, so he actively stopped following the culture, and chooses instead to bump reggae these days.

He says his connection to rap has been lost to the point that a popular new rapper could diss him on a song, and he would be oblivious to the whole thing!!!

Bobby isn't alone in his thinking there are too many dark clouds hanging over the rap scene these days.

TMZ Hip Hop recently caught up with Ty Dolla $ign and he told us his upcoming dance EP is a direct counterattack to what he calls a negative music overload.

What's odd about Bobby's hot take is that his own catalog features some less-than-happy-go-lucky tracks.

Taylor Swift and Matty Healy are shaking it off when it comes to their relationship -- the singers have broken up ... TMZ has learned.

According to a friend close to the situation ... Taylor is in fact "single" again, although it's still unclear exactly why they've now split up.

It was a pretty whirlwind romance ... just last month Matty popped up at all 3 of Tay Tay's Nashville concerts, right on the heels of news she and Joe Alwyn had split after 6 years together.

From then on Matty and Taylor were pretty inseparable when she wasn't performing. We saw them out in NYC multiple times -- double dating with her friends, and hitting up a recording studio.

Matty was even spotted sneakin' into Taylor's NYC townhouse, and he hung out with Taylor's dad during her Eras Tour stop in Philly.

Although they just started dating, the artists have known each other since 2014 ... when Taylor went to a concert for his band, The 1975.

They haven't been seen in public together since May 25 when they were out on a dinner date.

We still don't know exactly when the breakup went down, but there was a big clue things were over when The 1975 performed this weekend in Denmark.

Matty had a history of kissing random people in the crowd, but during a January concert -- which Taylor was attending -- he said he was putting the kibosh on that move.

Well, lo and behold, during this weekend's concert he locked lips with a security guard. Talk about single and ready to mingle!!!

Of course, that goes for Taylor too.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.