Music

Snoop Dogg is proclaiming Shaquille O'Neal to be the best NBA player to ever release hip hop music ... this, after getting wind of The Big Aristotle's latest rap collab!!!

As we told you last week, Shaq linked up with L.A.-based group Coyote for their single "3 Lokos" ... the first of a newfound partnership.

Shaq told the artists he wanted to bring "'90s energy" to the song ... which clearly struck a chord with Snoop to the point he crowned the big man with such a big honor!!!

Shaq's place in hip hop is indeed solidified ... having his 1993 debut album "Shaq Diesel" go platinum while earning respect from many established rappers at the time.

The NBA legend also brought 3 championships to Los Angeles with the Lakers in the early '00s ... undoubtedly an extra reason to get Snoop's top pick. 😉

NBA rappers have gotten a lot more competitive since Shaq's era and Damian Lillard, will likely have something to say about Snoop's taste ... he's long touted himself to be the best NBA player to ever clutch a mic.

He just dropped his new album with co-signs from Rick Ross and Lil Wayne and even performed during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, where he also played.

Cardi B and Offset get an A+ in the parent department ... hitting the Happiest Place on Earth to celebrate their baby boy's birthday!

The crew was spotted having a blast at Disneyland Monday for Wave's 2nd birthday -- the whole fam, including 5-year-old Kulture, was certainly garnering attention at the theme park, walking around with VIP tour guides and a handful of security.

Offset was spotted carrying the birthday boy outside The Haunted Mansion, which just got its 'Nightmare Before Christmas' overlay ... hopefully not too spooky for the little ones.

Kulture was also seen jumping with joy after takin' a ride on Big Thunder Mountain, zipping around with one of the folks in their party while her mom and dad shared a row behind her.

BTW, Wave might be a little too small to take on that rollercoaster, cause he wasn't spotted unloading with the rest of his fam -- but maybe he got a churro to hold him over.

Beyoncé celebrated her birthday with another packed L.A. concert ... one that was filled to the brim with celebs, and came with a surprise performance from the legendary Diana Ross.

The Beyhive was out in full force Monday night at SoFi Stadium to celebrate the singer's 42nd birthday -- with Kim & Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, 10-year-old North, and 11-year-old Penelope Disick all showing up as one happy family.

The sold-out crowd, and perhaps Beyoncé, got an exciting surprise when Diana Ross hit the stage to sing "Happy Birthday" ... along with all the fans. Bey was rightfully emotional after Diana's gift -- shouting out, "Give it up for the queen!"

Other faces in the crowd included couples like Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, and Justin and Hailey Bieber -- and Adele, Winnie Harlow, Vanessa Bryant, Tom Sandoval, Scheana Shay, Keke Palmer, Zendaya, Chris Rock, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington and even Meghan Markle all showed up for the big gig!

Beyoncé also brought out Kendrick Lamar to perform the remix of their collab, "America Has a Problem."

As we reported, Kylie Jenner and  Timothée Chalamet were also at the concert -- goin' public with their relationship by packing on the PDA while in the VIP section.

Beyoncé celebró su cumpleaños con otro concierto en Los Ángeles, repleto de famosos y la actuación sorpresa de la legendaria Diana Ross.

Los fanáticos de Beyoncé estaban a todo pulmón la noche del lunes en el estadio SoFi para celebrar el cumpleaños número 42 de la cantante, con Kim y Kloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, North, de 10 años y Penélope Disick de 11, juntos como una familia feliz.

El público, que agotó las entradas, y tal vez Beyoncé, se llevaron una emocionante sorpresa cuando Diana Ross subió al escenario para cantar feliz cumpleaños, junto con todos los fans. Bey se emocionó con razón con el regalo de Diana, exclamando: "¡Un aplauso para la reina!".

Entre la multitud, también se vieron los rostros de celebridades como Jeff Bezos y Lauren Sánchez, Justin y Hailey Bieber, Adele, Winnie Harlow, Vanessa Bryant, Tom Sandoval, Scheana Shay, Keke Palmer, Zendaya, Chris Rock, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington e incluso Meghan Markle, todos quisieron estar presentes para el gran concierto.

Beyoncé también invitó al escenario a Kendrick Lamar para interpretar el remix de su colaboración, America Has a Problem.

Como ya informamos, Kylie Jenner y Timothée Chalamet también estuvieron presentes en el concierto, haciendo pública su relación y mostrándose muy cariñosos en la sección VIP.

Kylie Jenner y Timothée Chalamet acaban de hacer público su ardiente romance en el concierto de Beyoncé, delante de una gran multitud y un montón de celebridades.

TMZ obtuvo un video de la pareja durante la actuación especial de Beyoncé por su cumpleaños número 42 el lunes por la noche en el Sofi de Los Ángeles, donde aparecen uno encima del otro.

Estaban en la sección VIP con la hermana de Kylie, Kendall, Lori Harvey, Justine Skye y Justin y Haley Bieber. Adele, Zendaya, y Kim Kardashian también estuvieron presentes.

Echa un vistazo a las imágenes en las que se ve claramente a Kylie besando a Timothée, muy apretados el uno del otro.

Se dice que estuvieron abrazados toda la noche y que no pararon de besarse a la vista de todos.

Kylie le quitó la gorra a Timothée y le arregló el pelo.

En otro video, Timothée sonríe y conversa con Kylie mientras fuma un cigarillo.

Ya en abril estaba bastante claro que Kylie y Timothée estaban saliendo. El carro de Kylie había sido fotografiado afuera de la casa de Timothée, estacionado, y también habían sido filmados comiendo tacos.

El mes pasado TMZ dio la primicia... Kylie y Timothée eran todavía un tema a pesar de un informe publicado en sentido contrario.

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet just went public with their very hot romance at Beyoncé's concert ... packing on the PDA in front of a huge crowd and a slew of celebs.

TMZ obtained video of the couple all over each other at Bey's special performance celebrating her 42nd birthday Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

They were hanging out in the VIP section with Kylie's sister, Kendall, Lori Harvey, Justine Skye and Justin and Hailey Bieber. Adele, Zendaya and Kim Kardashian were also on hand.

Check out the footage, which clearly shows Kylie sucking face with Timothée, their arms wrapped around one another.

We're told they held each other close all night and kept locking lips right out in the open for everyone to see.

Kylie removed Timothée's cap at one point and fixed his hair for him.

In another video, Timothée's smiling and chatting with Kylie while he's puffing on a cigarette.

Back in April ... it was pretty clear Kylie and Timothée were dating. Kylie's vehicle was photographed parked outside Timothée's house and the two were also filmed going out for a taco run.

And last month, TMZ broke the story ... Kylie and Timothée were still an item despite a published report to the contrary.

Now, it seems, there's no hiding the romance. It's out in the open and in full swing.

Shakira's hips don't lie, and neither do these photos when it comes to how great of a weekend she's having with her little ones ... just take a look for yourself.

The Colombian singer was down in Miami Monday with her two children, Milan and Sasha, and what appear to be a few friends of theirs ... who got treated to a little jet ski excursion on the water, with Mama Bear leading the way.

Check it out ... you see Shakira taking a couple of the boys along for a ride -- with everyone wearing life vests ... and the kiddos holding on for dear life and Shakira tears it up.

Nothin too crazy, of course -- but you can tell they were catching some speed for a bit.

Now, the other thing to take note of here is the fact that Shakira appears to be flying solo -- namely, there isn't a dude (aside from the jet ski guy) in sight ... which is interesting.

There've been dating rumors about her swirling all year -- everyone from Lewis Hamilton to Jimmy Butler have been mentioned as potential flames ... as has Drake and even Tom Cruise. The only one of those dudes she's actually been spotted with though is LH.

Gary Wright has died after a long battle with his health ... TMZ has learned.

Justin Wright, Gary's son, tells us his father passed away Monday morning at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, CA -- which is in the South Bay. We're told he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's about 5 or 6 years ago, as well as Lewy body dementia shortly thereafter.

Gary's Parkinson's progressed rapidly over the past year, and Justin says his dad eventually lost the ability to move around and speak. Over the past few days, we're told, nurses who were working at Gary's home told the family he was entering his final chapter.

His family and loved ones were by his side at the time of his death -- word of which has already started to spread in the music world, including to singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop.

Bishop posted 2 shots of him and Gary, adding ... "The attached photos hold precious memories from the very first and last time we shared the stage together, alongside our mutual musical pal John Ford Coley. Gary's vibrant personality and exceptional talent made every moment together truly enjoyable. His legacy will live on for many years to come."

He adds, "I will always cherish the warmth and kindness shown to me by Gary and his wife Rose, and I will forever hold dear the stories he shared with me about days gone by. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans during this difficult time."

Gary will, perhaps, best be remembered for two massive songs he churned out in the mid-1970s -- "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive" -- but his catalog goes well beyond just that.

He ended up producing 12 different albums dating back to 1970 ... not to mention a ton of compilations and collaborations he did with other musicians. One of the famous partnerships he was a part of for a while was with none other than former Beatle George Harrison.

Gary served as the keyboardist on George's album "All Things Must Pass" and is credited with helping out on other solo songs of George's too. George returned the favor for one of Gary's albums, having worked on "Footprints."

Gary has done a lot for music in general -- he's also known as one of the first mainstream artists to introduce the synthesizer in pop ... which has become a staple in the biz today.

Ashley Tisdale is getting dragged into court over a car crash she allegedly caused ... but her team is calling BS.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a woman named Lina Gonzales is suing the actress for injuries she claims she suffered from the accident that occurred in September of last year. As a result of the crash, Lina alleges she's suffered wage loss, medical expenses ... and, interestingly, loss of love and protection -- now seeking damages from a judge.

Her attorney, Michael R. Parker, tells TMZ ... the accident went down as Lina was driving on Hollywood Blvd., waiting for her turn to make a left in the left turn lane. However, while waiting, he alleges Ashley changed lanes and collided with Lina's car.

According to Parker, it didn't end there ... he says Lina told him Ashley made a big fuss about the situation and even allegedly called her names.

Lina's attorney says the accident caused her severe neck and back injuries ... and to make matters worse, she's facing roughly $140k in medical expenses. Parker says he made a demand $600k to Tisdale ... but it was rejected, hence this new lawsuit.

Diddy chose to do the right thing over money -- evidenced in the fact that he turned down a fortune to make sure his former artists have control of their own music .. TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the media mogul and Bad Boy label honcho is making an unprecedented move in the music industry right now -- namely, handing over the publishing rights to several of his former BB acts ... and forsaking a lot of cash to do so.

Word of this started to percolate just a few days ago, when Cam'ron took to social media to announce that Ma$e had finally sealed the deal with Puff and secured his catalog for himself.

It sounds like that had been a long time coming, but what we're told is ... Ma$e is far from the only ex-Bad Boy artist to be receiving the rights to their music -- several others have recently signed deals with Diddy to do the exact same thing, including some huge names.

Our sources tell us that some of the other artists to have gotten a similar deal recently include ... Faith Evans, The Lox, 112, the Notorious B.I.G.'s estate, and others. BTW, Diddy is hooking up the writers who were working with him too ... they're getting a cut in all this.

Here's the kicker ... in opting to do this -- which we're told Diddy sees as the noble move -- he actually sacrificed quite a bit of dough, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Our sources say Diddy has been approached for Bad Boy's entire portfolio and was offered a king's ransom for it all ... but he turned that down and chose to go down this route instead.

Again, we're told the rationale for this boils down to wanting to revolutionize the industry with this to empower artists and to switch up the dynamic -- which has been a certain way for a long time. As part of his legacy, Diddy's hoping to enrich others in his community.

This is a big part of Diddy's identity lately -- as seen with other charitable efforts he's taken -- and now ... he's mirroring that same energy here as a label exec, choosing people over personal wealth. Our sources say he hopes others in the music biz will follow suit.

Diddy's empire is already as big as they come, so the fact he's breaking a small piece of it off and giving back to those who helped him build this is a pretty awesome thing to see.

Smash Mouth's lead singer, Steve Harwell, has died ... TMZ has learned.

The rock band's longtime frontman -- who was one of the original founding members dating back to 1994 -- passed away Monday morning at his home in Boise, Idaho as a result of liver failure -- this according to his manager.

We're told he was surrounded by family and friends and passed peacefully and comfortably.

TMZ broke the story ... Steve had been in hospice and was given only days to live this past weekend. As such, he was receiving end-of-life care at home with friends/family. We'd been told he succumbed to his health battles over alcohol abuse, among other ailments.

Remember, SH announced he was retiring from performing a couple years ago following a show in which he was found to have been slurring his words and acting erratic onstage.

His passing marks a tragic day for Smash Mouth fans -- of which there are many. His band skyrocketed to fame in the late '90s and early 2000s, on account of their album "Astro Lounge" ... which featured some of their most famous songs, like "All Star."

Of course, their involvement in the "Shrek" film put them on another level of fame -- as did their cover of The Monkees' hit song "I'm a Believer." Around this time, they were huge. Other notable tracks that Steve contributed to ... "Walkin' On the Sun," "Then the Morning Comes," "Can't Get Enough of You Baby," "Pacific Coast Party" and "Why Can't We Be Friends."

Steve dealt with hardships through much of his life -- his infant son died at only 6 months due to leukemia -- and he himself had been diagnosed with illnesses over the years too.

Despite this, he carried on with a smile and did what he loved in music and performing ... bringing joy to many, many listeners throughout his career. Steve was only 56.

Joe Jonas has been shopping for divorce lawyers, as TMZ first reported, but he's not giving up the symbol of marriage ... he was wearing his wedding ring Sunday night at his concert.

Joe and his bros performed at the Moody Center in Austin, and the gold band on his ring finger was impossible to miss.

It's unclear what message he's sending, but it comes after fans noticed he had not been wearing the ring recently and people began to wonder if the marriage was in trouble.

TMZ broke the story ... Joe and wife Sophie Turner have been having problems for the last 6 months and Joe's team has contacted at least 2 divorce lawyers over the past few days for the purpose of ending his marriage.

Sophie was rocking out at Yankee Stadium at the Jonas Brothers’ kickoff concert last month but has been MIA ever since.

As we reported, Joe has been caring for the couple's 2 young children most of the time over the last 3 months, even as the band toured the U.S.

TMZ also noted that regardless of whether he rocks the ring or doesn't ... our sources are firm on this much -- their marriage is circling the drain and on its way to family court in due time.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori can't seem to stay out of trouble in Italy ... the couple was reportedly barred from using a Venice boat rental company due to indecent exposure.

The ban stems from an incident last Monday when the rapper and his model wife were riding in a water taxi through the historic island city, according to Daily Mail Australia.

One photo caught Bianca kneeling in front of Kanye, who was seated on a bench with his hand gripping the back of her head. Another snap showed Kanye's pants pulled down from behind, revealing his butt crack.

The water taxi company, Venezia Turismo Motoscafi, was totally in the dark until the images surfaced in the media.

Now, a rep for the company has issued a statement, saying, Ye and Bianca are "no longer welcome" on its vessels.

The spokesperson insisted the driver didn't see "these obscenities" because he was too busy operating the boat. If he had, he would have immediately reported Ye and Bianca to the authorities.

What's more ... the rep claimed a third person, who was with Ye and Bianca, blocked the driver's view of the couple.

Britney Spears has been steering clear of a bunch of different social media deals, TMZ has learned ... despite a potentially big payday for some Instagram posts.

We've learned several companies have contacted Britney's reps, asking if she'd promote their products online for a decent chunk of change.

We're told Britney has turned thumbs down on the offers, in part because she wasn't crazy about the companies. We're also told the companies wanted more than just a post ... they wanted a photo shoot and some video of her pitching the product.

There is big money to be made ... we're hearing Gwyneth Paltrow gets around $100k for a single Insta post promoting products, and Kim Kardashian has snagged around a million bucks for a single post.

Britney has around 42 million followers on social media, so she could make a killing, but for now, she's taking a hard pass.

Hurricane Chris was found not guilty of 2nd-degree murder in March ... a grueling three-year battle, the "Ay Bay Bay" rapper says cost him over a million dollars in potential earnings.

It's a point of contention for Chris, who tells us the Shreveport police didn't properly investigate the scene back in June 2020 and he's now preparing to sue for all damages and lost wages.

A jury determined Chris acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Danzeria Farris Jr. at a Texaco station in their hometown ... but only, he claims, after a key investigator was nailed on the stand for failing to track the witnesses and identify the threat on Chris' life.

Chris says the situation left him remorseful, as he's actually friends with some of the deceased's family members. He's excited to resume his career ... which will include acting.

Chris says he had to miss out on auditions for hit TV shows such as "Snowfall" and 50 Cent's "BMF" ... roles he says his real-life experiences would've enabled him to slay.

On the music front, Chris is aiming for a comeback with a pair of mixtapes he plans on dropping before the year is up.

Steve Harwell is experiencing the last chapter of his life -- this after battling medical complications for years -- and his family is saying their goodbyes ... TMZ has learned.

A manager for the Smash Mouth lead singer tells us Steve has been struggling with alcohol abuse throughout his life -- and now, he's reached the final stage of liver failure ... for which he'd, up until recently, been receiving treatment at a hospital.

At this point, we're told SH is in hospice at home ... where his friends and loved ones have gathered over the past 3 days. Steve's manager says he likely has only a week or so to live.

This news comes almost 2 years after a troubling incident involving Steve ... where he appeared incredibly disoriented during a live performance, slurring his words and yelling at the audience. It was concerning at the time, and shortly thereafter ... he said he was retiring.

At the time, sources close to Steve told us he'd been battling ongoing health issues -- stemming from a number of diagnoses he'd received over the years, including cardiomyopathy, heart failure and Wernicke's encephalopathy. His substance abuse was also mentioned to us back then ... which we were told had contributed to his declining state.

It's an incredibly sad development for fans of his ... and for music lovers everywhere.

Smash Mouth contributed some of the biggest pop culture hits in the early 2000s -- including, of course, "All Star," "I'm a Believer" and others ... some of which were featured in "Shrek."