Music

Akademiks is putting hip hop artists on notice that their live shows pale in comparison to the Afrobeats movement after he witnessed the magic for himself!!!

Burna Boy made history as the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium when he headlined New York's 41,800-capacity Citi Field on July 8.

Ak was in the building for last weekend's show, and marveled at Burna's attention to detail and instrumentation and warned rappers they have to step up their game.

Afrobeats' popularity has grown immensely ... jumping 11.5 billion streams since 2017 and Ak projects rap will continue to be buried due to low-vibrational performances.

Ak argued that wild and crazy fans at a show doesn't mean it's good ... and scolded artists for letting their entourages clog up the stage as well as rapping over their pre-recorded vocals.

On the rapper side, Ak gave Kendrick Lamar his props but that's where it stopped and the podcaster compared much of today's rap concerts to bad karaoke!!!

Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and many more will have the opp to prove Ak wrong when Rolling Loud Miami rolls around this weekend.

Meek Mill isn't trying to explain away his call to "Free Tory Lanez" from prison ... instead, he's standing on that statement, even if it's rubbing some fans the wrong way.

The Dreamchasers rapper made the rallying cry during his headlining performance at Rolling Loud Portugal on July 7 ... right before performing "Litty Again," his 2016 collab with Tory.

Meek and Tory have recorded several tracks together over the years and naturally built up a friendship.

But, that bond isn't making fans forget Tory was convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion several months ago -- so, Meek's now fending off angry supporters of the "Savage" rapper ... and there are a lot of them!!!

Meek told the mob his wishes to see Tory's freedom extend to other incarcerated rappers too -- like Young Thug, YNW Melly and YFN Lucci -- and he suggested fans shouldn't engage with artists, if they're just going to "smear" them later.

The Philly superstar also distanced himself from any role model responsibilities  ... maintaining he doesn't have a "controlled voice."

A$AP Rocky's upcoming "Don't Be Dumb" album has him really excited -- the kind of excitement that makes him flash all his pearly whites with the mere mention of the topic!!!

That was the Harlem-bred rap star's vibe when TMZ Hip Hop briefly caught up with him out in West Hollywood on Tuesday.

Rocky was hopping in his PMF yellow Hummer but had enough time to give us the thumbs-up confirmation that his recent music video shoot out in Barbados will make his album's final cut ... whenever it happens to drop.

He tapped into his Barbadian roots during an island getaway with Rihanna last month when he found time to film content for the album. There's no telling if RiRi will add vocals to the project as of now ... but the suspense helps balance out the anticipation!!!

Fans have been waiting on Rocky's comeback for years now .. his last album "Testing" dropped all the way back in 2018 and the new album countdown seems imminent.

Britney Spears is still furious with Victor Wembanyama's security ... calling his use of physical force in Vegas last week completely unnecessary -- while demanding he issue a public apology.

The "Toxic" singer opened up about the situation Tuesday in a video posted to her Instagram ... after she says she heard a local radio host say she deserved to be hit in the face for touching Wemby.

She called out the station for the opinion ... explaining in all her years of touring and being in public around rowdy fans -- her security team has never taken things that far.

"I've been with the most famous people in the world -- *NSYNC at one time," she said. "Girls would like literally throw themselves at them. On my way into the place, actually, I was knocked down by like three 12-year-olds trying to get my picture. My security not one time touched them or even came near them."

"Point being," she continued, "I didn't appreciate the people saying that I deserved to be hit, because no woman ever deserves to be hit."

In her video, Spears also recounted the July 5 scene from her perspective once again ... saying she was backhanded so hard in the face that she went down to the floor and needed to be picked up by her best friend.

Of course, video TMZ obtained showed she never hit the ground after being struck -- though the sunglasses on her face were knocked to the floor.

She went on to say the San Antonio Spurs star's security apologized to her at her table inside Catch restaurant at The Aria some 30 minutes following the incident ... but he, Wemby and the team have yet to publicly say they're sorry -- something she clearly wants.

It's the second time in the last week Spears has spoken about the incident ... she previously wrote a lengthy note on Instagram, saying all she had wanted from Wembanyama outside the eatery was to "congratulate him on his success."

As we reported ... Las Vegas Police investigated the incident, but decided against filing charges.

Wembanyama, meanwhile, went on to play in two games in the NBA's Summer League in Vegas with mixed results following the incident. He's since been shut down by the Spurs in anticipation of the upcoming season.

Zayn Malik is finally opening up about his infamous confrontation with Yolanda Hadid a couple of years ago ... and firmly believes he handled the aftermath nearly perfectly.

The singer chatted with Alex Cooper on Wednesday's episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast -- saying he usually keeps quiet when folks online go after him, and he'd decided to take the same approach when he was charged with harassment for the 2021 altercation.

He admits the last thing he wanted was to have an explosive back-and-forth publicly between Yolanda and him, because he wouldn't want his 2-year-old daughter, Khai -- whom he shares with Yolanda's daughter, Gigi -- to see that later in life.

Zayn said he recognizes every family has issues, but believes it should stay within the family ... of course, being a celeb almost always throws that possibility out the window.

TMZ broke the story, sources told us Zayn struck Yolanda in the Pennsylvania home he shared back then with Gigi, and he was charged with 4 criminal offenses of harassment. He eventually pled no contest.

During the altercation, Zayn allegedly called Yolanda a "f***ing Dutch slut," told her to "stay away from [my] f***ing daughter" ... and shoved her into a dresser. He denies it got physical.

DDG says there's a clear separation of church and state when it comes to his playboy raps and girlfriend Halle Bailey ... as relationship balance has been a hot-button topic as of late.

We caught DDG walking into Dash Radio Tuesday and got the scoop on the new lingo of his track "I'm Geekin'" -- which he describes as the latest term for being lit. Ditto for "having motion." 🔥

The song's attracted millions of plays across social media since dropping in April and also picked up guest features from BIA, NLE Choppa and 2023 XXL Freshman Luh Tyler.

All 3 'Geekin'' videos showcase DDG getting grabby with several women who are not his girlfriend but he assures us Halle understands it's just for work and show and not for real!!!

The two stars have been schmoozing strong since the top of 2022, and DDG tells us their relationship isn't affected by what they do for their careers. As he put it, "It's just work."

Popular social media podcaster Funny Marco is now facing a $6 million lawsuit from the company that helped launch his podcast ... with the company claiming he went on a campaign to destroy their reputation in an effort to get paid more.

The suit was filed on Tuesday by Breakbeat Media and veteran publisher Dave Mays, creator of "The Source" magazine.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Marco and Breakbeat struck a deal in August 2021 to host his content on their YouTube channel.

But following the runaway success of the channel beginning with a Boosie Badazz interview they paid $15k for, the company claims Marco breached his contract on numerous occasions in an attempt to get more money out of the company.

Breakbeat says it caved to many of Marco's demands to incorporate his Cornbread TV brand into the mix ... and even gave him 35% of the revenue and rights to the production, but the suit claims Marco wasn't satisfied and continued to post to his own YouTube channels in violation of the deal -- siphoning hundreds of thousands in revenue from the Breakbeat channel — despite repeated requests to stop.

Marco's also accused of fumbling the bag for Breakbeat multiple times ... claiming he refused to read on-air ads and allegedly entered into side deals with advertisers.

Mays also says Marco would bad-mouth the company ... hurting its ability to sign other celebrities and influencers like Jess Hilarious, Sukihana and Bubba Dub to join Breakbeat.

Breakbeat Media is now seeking at least $5 million for Marco alleging screwing with the business and harming its reputation, and Mays is seeking $1 million for damage to his character.

Tom Sandoval says he has no issue with Adele despite her dragging him over his cheating scandal ... and she's far from canceled in his world.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was out Tuesday in the San Fernando Valley when a pap asked him about Adele dissing him last month during her Las Vegas residency.

Remember ... Adele asked the crowd what exactly Tom did for a living other than cheat on his girlfriend on reality TV, and she wasn't impressed by his music career.

Tom's taking it all in stride though ... saying he understands why Adele would have a negative view of him based purely on 'Scandoval,' which he feels is no fault of hers.

While Tom says he's never been to an Adele concert, he wouldn't turn down an opportunity to see her perform just because she gave him a hard time.

Tom's obviously had a lot worse said about him -- mainly from costars, and especially his ex, Ariana Madix -- so, it makes sense he's basically unbothered by Adele joining the chat.

A jury determined a handwritten document found in Aretha Franklin's couch is a valid will ... a major development after years of her kids battling over her estate.

The ruling on the hard-to-read pages came in Tuesday in a Michigan court. The will was found in 2019 -- the year after she passed -- in a notebook tucked under the couch in Aretha's Detroit home.

The docs, dated March 31, 2014, are significantly different from a 2010 draft of her will.

The newer pages apparently designate her sons Kecalf and Edward as executors of her $6 million estate, and it looks like the name "Teddy," AKA Ted White II -- their brother who was pinned as executor in the 2010 version -- is crossed out.

What's more, the 2010 will appeared to require Kecalf and Edward would have to take business classes, and get a degree or certificate to benefit from Aretha's estate -- but the 2014 version doesn't include that requirement.

TMZ broke the story, no will was initially found when Aretha died in 2018 following a battle with pancreatic cancer -- but since then there has been an all-out war between her children.

Naomi Osaka and Cordae's little bundle of joy is here -- the "Gifted" rapper announced at a recent show the tennis superstar gave birth to their first child!!

The talented MC shared the big news at his gig in Calgary ... telling the crowd he's officially a proud papa.

Remember, Osaka announced she was expecting a kid with Cordae by sharing a sonogram on Instagram in January ... and the two hosted a lavish pink-themed baby shower just last month.

The couple has yet to address the birth on their social media accounts .... but according to People, the baby girl arrived in Los Angeles, and "they are doing well."

Of course, Osaka has been away from the tennis court since her announcement ...  but continued to train during her pregnancy as she vowed to make it to the 2024 Australian Open.

"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future," Osaka said at the time. "One thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

Kourtney Kardashian definitely has that pregnancy glow ... because she was looking stunning while having some fun in the Hawaii sun.

KK took the kids to the sandy beaches of Kauai Tuesday, showing off her baby bump while wearing a cheetah print swimsuit. Looks like everyone was havin' a blast on their outing -- herself included.

It's unclear what the tropical trip is for, but Kourt's daughter, Penelope, just turned 11 a few days ago, and it could also be a babymoon -- however, Travis Barker is missing out, if that's the case ... since Blink-182 is still on tour.

As we reported, Kourtney revealed baby #4 during Blink's L.A. concert last month ... holding up a sign with the happy news -- a nod to the band's "All the Small Things" music video.

The couple later revealed they'd be having a boy during their gender reveal ... shooting blue streamers into the sky after a drumroll by TB himself.

Gunna appears to be having the last laugh at critics who thought his plea deal in the YSL trial killed his career.

The newest Billboard Hot 100 update showed Gunna's latest album single "Fukumean" planted at #8 -- his first Top 10 as a solo artist!!!

Gunna's been mostly mum on social media, but he did plenty of celebrating while shooting the "Fukumean" music video.

The visual features him doing it big on a yacht with friends, girls, and plenty of party favors ... y'know, all the finer things freedom has to offer.

Folks like Boosie Badazz might hate to see it, as some artists have been vocal about feeling like Gunna sold out Young Thug to save his own skin in the YSL RICO case.

YK Osiris and Def Jam are no longer in biz together, TMZ Hip Hop has learned ... after the label dropped the "Worth It" singer from his contract back in December.

Sources with direct knowledge say the split left no bad blood between either camps, both teams just acknowledged the relationship ran its course. Obviously, his recent controversy with Sukihana played no role in the separation, either ... as the decision was made well before.

YK signed to the label back in April 2018 and released 1 album the following year ... the gold-selling "The Golden Child" which produced the 3x platinum single "Worth It."

The whirlwind success perhaps stunted his career growth. YK's openly admitted to blowing through the millions he earned at Def Jam.

On Tuesday, YK made his debut as an indie artist with the emotional track "Dear Fans."

Def Jam also bulked up today ... adding Issa Rae's Raedio label into its fold.

Britney Spears is telling her story in her own words -- and this time it's not going to come via a social media rant -- she's finished her book, and it's due out this fall.

Britney's memoir, titled "The Woman In Me," is set to be released Oct 24 ... and she's already taking pre-orders for the highly-anticipated tell-all.

The book is being published by Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books, which is hailing Britney's memoir as "a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope."

The cover features a black and white photograph of a topless Britney ... folding her arms to cover her breasts.

We've also learned Britney's memoir was the reason she was in Las Vegas earlier this month ... she went to Sin City to celebrate finishing the project, but it all got derailed by the Victor Wembanyama slapping incident.

Nonetheless, she still stuck around for dinner at Catch to enjoy her latest accomplishment ... as much as she could.

Le'Veon Bell is having painful flashbacks about being swindled by Moneybagg Yo and DaBaby's artist Stunna 4 Vegas ... after he claims he paid them cold hard cash for some BS bars.

The NFL free agent made the unsolicited revelations on social media while recalling several high-profile rapper collabs ... and singled out Moneybagg and Stunna for not giving their all on the tracks and just maybe not respecting his talent!!!

LB says platinum-selling producer Tay Keith held up his end of the bargain on the Moneybagg track, but Mr. Wockesha didn't deliver and Bell thinks he and Stunna used him as a cash grab.

Drake, SZA, and Rihanna are the only artists LB says he'll let get away with sending over a lame feature without any rebuttal ... but he did go out of his way to salute both Lil Durk, Snoop Dogg, and the late Lil Keed for being stand-up guys in the studio with him.

LB says he's been holding on to the Snoop track since his early years playing with Pittsburgh after he had to choose a career, but hopes to bring it to life one day.

The father of late music icon Selena Quintanilla is going after a cruise company ... claiming it had no right to set sail as a tribute cruise to his daughter and her legacy.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. is suing Catalina Classic Cruises over its Cumbia Cruise L.A. trips -- something he says has been dubbed this year as a "Tributo a Selena."

The evening boat cruise apparently takes passengers across Long Beach Bay with music bumping, which presumably would include Selena's hits. The party at sea is fit with 2 dance areas, food, and a couple of full bars.

Abraham says the company's a repeat offender ... claiming it called last year's trip “Cumbia Cruise Homenaje a Selena y La Sonor Dinamita por Maritza y Su Sonora.”

Abraham insists he still controls the rights to Selena's trademarks, name, voice, signature, and likeness in connection to merch and ads, among other things ... and he claims the company never got permission to use them.

He says the use of Selena's name on the cruise has caused substantial confusion and even deceived people into thinking her estate approved the usage -- which he says just isn't true.

Abraham's now seeking to block the use of his famous daughter's name and trademarks and wants the company to fork over any profits the tribute cruises made with her name.