Music

Bronx-based choreographer Darrin Henson was in his mid-30s when he switched roles ... from the guy behind the camera credited with creating some of the best moves in the music industry ... to the instructor on the wildly popular how-to dance DVD's "Darrin's Dance Grooves" back in 2001.

Before his grooves were printed on his signature dance series, Darrin was responsible for the choreography for some of the biggest names in pop including Britney Spears, The Spice Girls and NSYNC.

Darrin can still be spotted on-screen with roles on television shows like "The Family Business" and "Double Cross."

Britney Spears is addressing her #FreeBritney crusaders for the first time since her monumental court hearing ... letting them know she knows what they've done for her.

Britney just went on Twitter -- Instagram's been down, if ya haven't heard -- and thanked all of her fans and supporters for helping her take a huge step closer to getting out of her conservatorship.

She wrote ... "#Free Britney movement … I have no words … because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship … my life is now in that direction !!!!!"

Brit added she cried last night for 2 hours thinking about how her fans are the best.

Interestingly ... she also let everyone know she just got back from a trip to French Polynesia, which is apparently how she celebrated last week's victory in court. Well, that and posting some nudes.

As we've reported ... members of the "Free Britney" movement have been pivotal in drawing attention to her case, rallying public support against her father, Jamie, and pushing to end her conservatorship.

Finally, after last Wednesday's hearing, things appear to be headed in that direction very soon ... as Jamie was suspended as conservator and steps have been activated to end Britney's conservatorship once and for all.

Britney Spears' bedroom was secretly bugged, and a former security employee claims the idea was hatched by a woman named Robin Greenhill, but Robin had no interest in answering the allegation.

Greenhill said nothing to a photog at LAX Monday, where she was asked about the claim in the latest New York Times documentary, in which Alex Vlasov claimed Robin, who was a member of Britney's management team, came up with the idea of mirroring Britney's iPhone to monitor her messages and calls.

Robin works for the Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, which denied the allegation.

Sources with direct knowledge of the conservatorship tell TMZ ... Robin was the key person who managed Britney day-to-day, and often allegedly blocked Britney from spending her money, even for relatively inexpensive items.  Some people involved in Britney's life/business say Robin had an iron grip on Britney, making onerous decisions that blocked her from vacations and various purchases.

Robin worked for Lou Taylor, who is a honcho at Tri Star whom Jamie Spears would often call "the smartest person in any room." We're told Jamie delegated a lot of day-to-day decisions to Taylor, who then delegated to Greenhill. We're told Jamie wouldn't hear criticism of the way Taylor or Greenhill were managing Britney ... what they said goes.

Shaq's no stranger to taking the stage, but audience members at his inaugural charity event got a never-before-seen performance when the NBA legend collabed with Snoop Dogg on a hip-hop classic.

The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation held their first-ever "'The Event' Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together" Saturday night in Vegas. Jimmy Kimmel took over hosting duties, but Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson and Snoop were among the performers to grab the mic.

At one point during Snoop's set, Shaq jumped on stage to perform "Nuthin' But A G Thang" ... and as expected, the crowd went wild.

The event raised $2.7 million to benefit The Boys and Girls Club and Communities in Schools throughout Las Vegas and Atlanta ... including ticket sales and a live auction.

Speaking of the auction, Shaq wowed the crowd when he bid $90k of his own cash for a walk-on role in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie.

Lizzo's pissed a bunch of people off again, but this time it's because of her connection to someone some people don't like much ... Chris Brown.

The "Truth Hurts" singer's taking heat for a video that circulated on social media over the weekend, in which she approaches CB backstage at a concert and fangirls out asking him for a photo.

Lizzo calls Brown "my favorite person in the whole f***ing world."

As you know ... Breezy's a controversial figure in the music biz with a problematic past, beginning in 2009 when he beat up his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.

Since then he's had numerous legal issues and alleged violent incidents, and as recently as 2019 he was arrested in Paris on rape and drug charges.

With all that in mind ... Lizzo fans aren't down with her getting giddy over a meeting with Breezy backstage during a stop on the Millennium Tour, and they let her know about it on Twitter ... with many saying she's better than this.

This wouldn't be the first time Lizzo's riled up folks online for one reason or another though. About a month ago she stirred the pot by dubbing Janet Jackson the "Queen of Pop," and before that she was unjustly the target of trolling ... which got so bad that Facebook started deleting hateful accounts.

We broke it all down on TMZ's new podcast.

Akon doesn't regret saying the rich and famous go through more issues than poor people, a comment for which he got significant pushback ... he says he knows what he's talking about.

We got Akon at LAX and asked if he wanted to walk back the controversial remark he shared with us last month. No dice! Instead, Akon doubled down, and explained he was speaking based on his own rags to riches story.

He says he knows what he said pissed off some people, but adds he's not backing down from his stance, because, personally ... he was actually happier before he had money.

The whole controversy started in the wake of Michael K. Williams' death ... with Akon telling us the actor's drug overdose was the latest example of a "façade of success" that often sends celebs into a tailspin.

Akon says he's just speaking from personal experience ... but there is one thing he's sorry about.

Emily Ratajkowski claims Robin Thicke grabbed her breasts during the filming of the "Blurred Lines" music video ... an allegation she's speaking about publicly for the first time in a new book.

According to the Sunday Times -- which says it obtained an early excerpt of Ratajkowski's "My Body" -- the supermodel claims it happened on set for the 2013 vid, which featured Ratajkowski topless through most of the video.

Ratajkowski reportedly describes it like this ... "Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt the coolness and foreignness of a stranger's hands cupping my bare breasts from behind. I instinctively moved away, looking back at Robin Thicke."

ER goes on to say that while she enjoyed most of the shoot, she claims Robin started to get out of hand, which made her think he was drunk.

When the alleged groping happened ... Emily says the video's director, Diane Martel, apparently shouted at him, asking him what the hell he was doing, if she was OK and wrapping production right then and there. Martel confirmed the account to the Times.

Ratajkowski says she felt shame wash over her and feels she didn't handle the alleged situation as well as she could have. Martel also says Robin apologized afterward, and speculated he wouldn't have done it if he was sober.

Cardi B pretty much accounted for every color in the rainbow as she hit up the Balenciaga fashion show Saturday in Paris.

Cardi and Offset caused some serious rubbernecking as they made their entrance during Paris Fashion Week.

Cardi wore an enormous hat and a super colorful trench coat covered in newsprint. And, check out the bling!

There were a bunch of celebs and supermodels on hand, but Cardi undeniably stole the show ... something that happens quite a bit.

Cardi, who gave birth just last month, is clearly back in action ... and, dare we say, looking great.

Balenciaga has cleverly engineered a publicity campaign that has put the company squarely in the zeitgeist of fashion. In addition to Cardi becoming the face of the brand, Kim Kardashian -- clearly with the help and influence of one Kanye West -- made headlines with her getup at last month's Met Gala.

Kanye West has always been obsessed with Apple, and his latest possible venture could put Yeezy in direct competition with the tech giant.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ye's company filed a trademark application on September 21 to slap the name "Donda" on a slew of tech line products. And, by the looks of things ... this line could be one helluva empire.

Ye is looking to lock up the rights to slap "Donda" on a bunch of electronics, including tablet computers, audio speakers and surround sound systems. It seems he took a page out of Steve Job's playbook over at Apple ... 'cause Kanye also wants to emboss "Donda" on wearable computers in the nature of smartwatches, smart glasses, wearable activity trackers and protective flip covers for tablet computers.

Dr. Dre may also be on his mind ... 'cause Kanye may also put his mom's name on earbuds, headphones, wireless headsets for tablet computers and wireless headsets for mobile phones.

If Kanye has his way ... he might do the same to wireless receivers in the form of jewelry and smart rings. It also looks like he wants "Donda" on downloadable electronic publications in the nature of books, magazines, journals, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets and newsletters all in the field of music and entertainment news.

If Eazy-E gets a shout-out during the Super Bowl Halftime Show in L.A. it will be a touching and monumental tribute ... so says the late rapper's daughter.

Ebie tells TMZ ... she's ecstatic about the entertainment lineup for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, less than 15 miles from Compton, where Eazy-E grew up and formed N.W.A. with Halftime Show headliner, Dr. Dre.

Ebie, who feels her father would probably have been part of the Halftime Show lineup if he were alive, says Eazy-E would be proud because he would see an extension of himself on that stage in Compton icons Dre and Kendrick Lamar.

For that reason, she'd love for there to be some kind of acknowledgment of her father during the performance. She says Eazy-E, once the leader of N.W.A., broke barriers and revolutionized gangsta rap ... paving the way for so many other rappers.

Kendrick certainly agrees with that sentiment -- he once penned a tribute to Eazy-E in 2015 saying, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Eazy."

Dre and Eazy, of course, had a falling out that culminated with Dre leaving the group and going solo. They later mended the childhood friendship to the point of reuniting N.W.A. but, sadly, Eazy-E died soon after in 1995 due to complications from HIV/AIDS.

Ebie knows the Halftime Show is not long .... especially trying to fit 5 huge stars in a roughly 20-minute slot. That being said, she hopes a simple shout-out -- even a "RIP Eazy-E" -- would mean the world to her.

Tory Lanez bared witness to the Haitian immigrant crisis for himself this weekend ... and he brought a ton of supplies with him to hand out -- tens of thousands worth of it, no less.

The rapper went down to the southern Texas border Saturday -- near the town of Del Rio, where thousands of Haitian immigrants, among others, are being housed as the U.S. attempts to sort through who's seeking what, and who qualifies to possibly stay temporarily.

As you can see in Tory's IG Story ... it's a bit of a chaotic situation down there, which is why he jetted down with what we're told amounted to upwards of $50,000 worth of essentials -- such as blankets, clothes, towels and other items for the folks horded in these camps.

Looks like all the stuff he brought with him were very much needed (and appreciated) ... as scores of Haitians gathered around the table where TL was handing everything out, which came delivered in a ton of boxes that were unwrapped and organized before he went out.

The reason he's doing all this ... 'cause Tory feels for these folks, many of whom have come a long way in seek of refuge and asylum -- this in the wake of devastating calamites in their home country. We're told Tory feels blessed with his platform and means ... and wanted to spread some of the wealth to these immigrants, who truly need it right now.

Lil Nas X appears to have teased the possibility of being bisexual -- or even toying with the idea he isn't really gay at all ... but context matters, and it's clear he's joking after a breakup.

The rapper tweeted Friday, "this gay s*** was fun at first. i miss p**** now," while adding a sad face emoji. On its face, it's a pretty shocking statement and could be interpreted as potential big news ... that is, if you took it literally. He seems to be saying, at first glance, him being gay was just a little experiment, and that he wants to go back to being straight.

However, he followed up that tweet with another ... "nevermind he texted back." So, it was obviously written in jest -- and when you learn about a recent split of his, it all makes sense.

Here's the deal ... LNX revealed this week that he had, in fact, been dating the dude he got cozy with in his "That's What I Want" music video -- actor-dancer Yai Ariza -- but also noted they'd already broken up ... yet remained on good terms, and could even get back together.

It's unclear how long they dated or when, but in any case ... Nas X likened the relationship to the best he'd ever had, and went so far as to say he was still in love with Yai.

This "p****" remark comes on the heels of that ... and if you're familiar with his Twitter antics, you know he's trolling, which he confirmed soon after. It's almost like when straight women jokingly say they're becoming lesbian after ending things with a guy. Same idea.

Still ... the original sentiment in and of itself could be seen as problematic, and actually has been called out, of late, by the LGBT community. Just ask Miley Cyrus, who sparked criticism 2 years ago when she said sucky men forced her to be gay ... something she apologized for.

Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be the same fury at Nas X here -- perhaps because he covered his bases and made clear ... he's still gay, confirming sexuality isn't a choice.

For Britney Spears, performing is the last thing on her mind despite big changes in her life ... and some folks around her believe she may actually never hit the stage again.

Sources close to Britney tell TMZ ... she doesn't want to work or perform right now, and that's been her mindset for a long time.

We're told Britney's enjoying her recent engagement and the fact Jamie's no longer calling the shots ... but work and performing are not on her priority list, even though she knows her fans want to see her on stage.

The day may never come ... sources say some people who have toured with Britney in the past and have had their hands in the showbiz aspect of her career feel strongly ... she may never perform again.

As you know ... Britney had a residency in Vegas for years, but she claimed in court she was forced to perform and never wanted to do her 2018 European tour.

Britney made it clear ... she would never hit the stage again as long as Jamie was involved in the conservatorship. But, anyone who listened to her in court back in June knows the tour was difficult for her ... even tormenting.

Omarion is getting what many consider a long-overdue apology from his B2K bandmate Lil Fizz ... for getting with his baby mama while about to go on tour with the guy.

Fizz issued his mea culpa Friday at the Forum while he and the rest of the lineup from the Millennium Tour made their stop in L.A. ... and as he performed alongside O and other B2K members. It was a big moment -- dude stopped the whole show to say sorry in front of everyone.

Check it out ... Fizz didn't say exactly what he was apologizing for, but everyone who's been following along knew what was up. He was seeking forgiveness for dating Apryl Jones a couple years back -- who's the mother of Omarion's kids -- and doing so very publicly.

You might recall ... Fizz and Apryl hopped on an Instagram Live feed looking cozy, and word was that they were screwing around -- right as the initial Millennium Tour Omarion worked hard to get together was about to hit the road, with none other Fizz joining as well.

It was awkward as hell ... and yet, Omarion told us at the time that he didn't really mind it, just so long as their relationship didn't interrupt business on the big stage.

Andrew Gallery -- one of Britney Spears' close confidants from early on in the conservatorship -- says the #FreeBritney crowd deserves a lot of the credit for where her sitch is today.

We spoke to the filmmaker this week in L.A. and asked for his thoughts on how things landed this week during Brit's conservatorship case ... which saw her father, Jamie, get the boot and her conservatorship at large possibly on the chopping block next.

The dude is obviously happy for her -- makes sense, he helped create her tell-all doc way back in 2008, and is considered someone who got really close to her, and who's been dropping hints that she's wanted out for a long time now. But, watch who he shouts out.

AG gives it up for the fans who've relentlessly hit the streets in protest, and who've shined a very public light on this whole saga. He says without them, much of this might not have been possible.

Andrew also weighs in on whether Britney needs to remain in the conservatorship -- telling us it's clear to him that she doesn't meet the requirements of someone who does. That's to be determined by the judge, obviously -- she's gotta decide if Brit needs a mental evaluation or not before being cut loose.

In the meantime, though, Andrew has some suggestions on what she should do going forward ... namely, whatever the hell she wants.

One last interesting question we fired off about why he thinks it might've taken this long for changes to come for Britney -- and he takes aim at the deluge of lawyers and business people who've been in and out of overseeing the conservatorship over the years ... some of whom were brought up by name in the past few Britney Spears docs on Hulu and Netflix.

Boosie Badazz performed for all of 2 minutes Friday night when a fight broke out on stage ... and it got so insane promoters pulled the plug on the entire concert.

It went down in Atlanta at the "Legendz of the Streetz" concert with an all-star ensemble which included 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Lil Kim, Gucci Mane, and Fabolous.

A couple minutes into Boosie's set, someone came down from the DJ booth and started swinging at another guy on stage. Unclear what triggered his anger.

Check out the video ... Boosie, in white pants and a pink jacket, is standing at the front of the stage, and when he eyes the fight he beelines it for the action and jumps right in.

You see a security guard guiding Boosie off stage while the fighting escalates ... speakers are knocked over and basically, they all start trashing the joint.

That was enough for the venue ... the house lights went up and the show was over.

There were no injuries to speak of and cops weren't called.