Music

Kanye West and Drake made the once seemingly impossible a reality ... hitting the stage together, playing their hits (both old and new) and even performing the other's songs.

70,000 people piled into the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Thursday to see the "Free Larry Hoover" benefit show. Kanye and Drake danced, rapped and hugged it out on top of a giant mound in the middle of what is usually a football field.

The show started out with Kanye's Sunday Service choir performing from the stands, and both Drake and Kanye walking down the stairs and to the middle of the floor.

From there, it was a myriad of the superstar's hits -- both old and new -- for close to 2 hours. The guest list felt like an award show, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Lizzo, Devin Booker, Megan Fox, MGK, Offset and Drake's dad, Dennis Graham.

Most surprisingly, Kanye played his older, much less religion-based songs like "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Gold Digger" and "Touch The Sky."

Drake, of course, played some of his biggest songs as well as a good mix from his "Certified Lover Boy" album including "Knife Talk" and "No Friends in the Industry." He also shared some nice words about Ye, saying, “When we were walking through the archway it felt surreal, to be on stage with one of my idols as he runs through his catalog.”

The show, first scheduled to start at 8, didn't go on until about 9:30 ... but traffic and logistics issues seemed to be the cause of that, with cars backed up for more than an hour just trying to get into the venue.

Travis Scott says he broke his silence to start a healing process with his fans, and the families of Astroworld victims -- but an attorney for one of those families says the rapper's words did nothing to ease their pain.

23-year-old Rudy Peña was one of the 10 attendees who lost their lives last month at the festival show, and his family has since declined to accept money from Travis for funeral costs. They've also filed a lawsuit against Scott and others.

We spoke with Valerie Cortinas Fisher, the Peña family's attorney, who says the nearly-hour-long interview was painful for them to watch ... and certainly didn't start any healing for them.

Fisher says Travis' history of inciting crowds to go crazy needs to be taken into consideration when determining how responsible he is for what happened.

During the interview with Charlamagne tha God, Travis was questioned about the "rage" culture at his shows. He explained he's grown over the years, and now urges fans to "rage" by having a good time and letting loose, not by being destructive.

We had Travis' attorney, Ed McPherson, on TMZ Live Thursday ... and he said Travis insisted on speaking to Charalamagne -- despite legal risks -- to show he really cared.

Still, not everyone's buying that. Fisher says the pain is still very deep for the Peña family.

Jimmy Buffett's hotel and restaurant chain Margaritaville is taking to the high seas, literally, turning the whole experience into a cruise ship!!!

Jimmy and team just announced the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise ship is set to sail for the first time in April, taking off from Florida and circling down to the Bahamas.

The cruise ship holds 685 passengers and features a Par-A-Dice Casino, a theater, spa, multiple pools and we imagine a pretty kick a** bar, too. Jimmy also had a hand in the boat's decor.

"To me, the only thing better than being on a beach by the ocean, is to be on the ocean," the singer said.

Travis Scott wanted to be heard -- despite ongoing litigation -- insisting on sitting down with Charlamagne the God to share his message of healing and how to fix concert safety issues moving forward ... so claims Travis' attorney.

We had Ed McPherson on "TMZ Live" Thursday who addressed some of the criticism TS has received from people thinking he shouldn't have done the nearly hour-long chat. McPherson says Travis was adamant, he wanted to talk, to let his fans, family and other concert-goers he was there for them ... and wants to help the healing process moving forward.

As for the fact Travis never fully took responsibility for the lives lost at the show, Ed echoes what Travis said to Charlamagne ... his responsibility now lies with figuring out what exactly happened, and how to prevent casualties at shows in the future.

Finally, McPherson reiterates what we've been told since the show -- Travis could not see or hear what was happening in the crowd -- and says the spot in the audience where at least 7 of the casualties took place never showed evidence of a problem during the show's live stream.

Gene Simmons is selling his Las Vegas home overlooking the strip for $13.5 mil -- turning a massive profit if he sells -- but he doesn't want just any knucklehead to live in it.

The "Kiss" Frontman joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked why he decided to sell his beautiful estate and why the price has been reduced -- originally listed as $14.95 mil.

The 11,000-sq-ft home has 6 bedrooms and has many unique features -- including a courtyard, private oasis and 11-seat theater. The singer says he bought a half-acre lot next door and planted 137 trees, so it's really like no other property seen in Vegas nowadays.

Simmons stressed that Vegas is the perfect place to live with no income, state or local tax. So, why in the world is he selling it?! He says his family doesn't want to deal with the Vegas heat or any strippers -- for that matter.

His family might share an unpopular opinion, because in recent years out-of-state buyers have flocked to Vegas, and as far as the prices of homes? Soaring!!

In fact, Simmons says he could really sell the home for nearly double its price, but insists that he doesn't just want any random knucklehead living there. Instead, he wants to meet the next tenant and for them to enjoy living there.

Travis Scott is doing his level best to push all responsibility for Astroworld casualties onto anyone other than himself -- that's how an attorney for one of the victims views the rapper's first interview about the tragedy.

Tony Buzbee is representing the family of Axel Acosta ... a 21-year-old who died from injuries suffered at the concert. He says he watched the 50-minute sit down with Charlamagne tha God and was offended by what he sees as Travis attempting to paint himself as a victim.

"Axel Acosta and the many others killed or injured are the victims. Travis Scott, his entourage, handlers, promoters, managers, hangers on and everyone else who enable him are the problem. Everything that Travis Scott has done or said since ten people died and hundreds of others were injured at his concert has been lawyer driven and calculated to shift blame from him to someone else."

Buzbee -- who's already filed a $750 million suit against Travis and others -- also isn't buying the artist's claim he had no idea of the mayhem fans were going through in the crowd ... even if he wasn't told in his ears. Buzbee says, "He now says he had an earpiece in, and was not told what was going on in the crowd. That raises the question: Did he have an earpiece in his eye? Why did he purposely ignore the death and mayhem occurring literally feet from him?”

Travis has acknowledged seeing at least one emergency vehicle in the audience ... and video shows him pointing it out and seeming very puzzled as to why it was there.

Buzbee believes Travis' interview was just an attempt to dodge responsibility and accountability -- and, in doing so, he says Travis "further exacerbates the pain of those that lost loved ones. Axel Acosta’s family doesn’t want to hear Travis Scott’s excuses; excuses do not assuage their grief and pain."

It's no surprise Adele's Vegas show is a hot ticket, but it's hard to imagine anyone could have predicted just how expensive resale prices would be to see the singer live.

The rollout for "Weekends with Adele" started this week -- a series of Friday/Saturday shows at Caesars Palace from January to April -- and fans were crazy to get their hands on tickets.

Unsurprisingly, presales sold out within minutes, and tickets were quick to popup on resale services like StubHub and Ticketmaster. However, fans who didn't capitalize on the initial sale were pissed to see resale prices ... which ranged from $2k to $35k!!!

One fan wrote, "Adele out her rabbit a** mind with these concert ticket prices." Another chimed in, " ... guess we're the ones paying her husband alimony."

Of course, re-sellers can decide to sell their seats at whatever price they want -- it's up to fans whether or not to spend the money -- and they'll likely take a drop ... but the opening price is crazy, nonetheless.

Adele recently performed for some of her celebrity friends in L.A. -- including Oprah, Drake and Lizzo -- and helped pull off a surprise marriage proposal.

Travis Scott is breaking his silence for the first time since Astroworld, insisting he didn't know the severity of what was happening in the crowd, and alleging the person in his ear never expressed an urgency to immediately stop the show.

Travis sat down with Charlamagne tha God for nearly an hour to talk all things about the tragic Houston festival. Travis says he feels a sense of responsibility to figure out what went wrong, but did everything he could with the knowledge he had during the show.

Travis claims his "in-ear" told him to end the show "after the guest" AKA Drake, and that he was never told just how bad things were in the crowd.

At times, Travis was clearly emotional -- especially when talking about the families who lost loved ones -- and even says he's met with some of them privately.

Travis says, "They lost their loved ones, I just always wanna be there for them, I’m gonna fix this problem and make sure this doesn’t happen in the future and be the number one voice for this. We gotta figure it out.”

Charlamagne asked Travis if he felt a sense of responsibility for what happened, and while Travis admits he was the face of the festival, he says he feels his responsibility is now to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. In other words, he never takes responsibility, nor does he lay the blame on anyone else.

While he was pressured several times to say who was responsible, TS never gives a straight answer -- mostly preaching a message of future prevention.

He does, however, say as an artist, he and his team focus on the creativity of the show ... not so much the safety and logistics -- something that's handled by promoters.

One safety possibility Travis suggests -- though how exactly it would work is still in the air -- is to equip fan festival wristbands with health and location trackers to pinpoint issues in the crowd.

Travis says he never heard pleas from the crowd, asking him to stop ... and says he's done the best he can during shows in the past -- and even at Astroworld -- to stop the show when he could see someone needed help.

TMZ broke the story ... there was an apparent breakdown in communication from the time Houston Fire Dept declared the concert a "mass casualty event" and the time the show ended. We obtained video showing cops watching and recording the show nearly 30 minutes after the declaration was allegedly made.

Scott was heavily criticized for photos showing him golfing with Mark Wahlberg and Michael Jordan over Thanksgiving. Charlamagne asks Travis why he chose to go, and while he didn't really expand, Travis said Mark and Jordan were good people for him to be around, and it was just a thing for the holiday.

Slim 400 -- an up-and-coming rapper in the California hip-hop scene -- has been shot and killed in L.A. ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Slim was gunned down Wednesday night in Inglewood. It's currently unclear what led to the shooting and how many suspects were involved.

Born to military parents in Germany, Slim moved back to Los Angeles as a young child and was raised in Compton. The rapper was later discovered and signed by the now nonexistent Pu$haz Ink music label -- the same one made popular by YG and DJ Mustard.

Slim narrowly escaped death back in the summer of 2019 when he was shot 9 times in L.A. Slim claimed he was ambushed in the attack while visiting family in Compton.

Slim 400 was just 33.

RIP

Drake and Ye wouldn't be getting ready for tonight's huge Larry Hoover benefit concert at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum if music mogul J. Prince hadn't stepped in to broker their peace treaty ... and he's telling TMZ how he pulled it off.

The Rap-A-Lot Records honcho says there was nothing easy about getting the 2 hip-hop giants to lay down their swords after years of sniping that got incredibly personal. When J. Prince joined us on "TMZ Live," he said his choice of words mattered more than ever.

You'll recall ... Prince was side by side with Ye when he recorded a video last month, extending an olive branch to Drake by asking him to join him for a concert that would raise awareness for Larry Hoover's case, in particular, and for criminal justice reform in general.

After that, he got both men face-to-face at Drizzy's Toronto mansion, and Prince says he had to use a "special lingo to reach these guys' hearts."

He says he stressed to Drake ... he had a chance to set an example for all of hip-hop about how to settle beefs peacefully. As he put it to us, "this is a situation that could save lives."

J. Prince was quick to give Hoover himself credit for suggesting the concert ... and Larry Hoover Jr. echoed that when we saw him Wednesday in Los Angeles. He says his father -- who's been locked up since 1995 for a murder, drug conspiracy and extortion -- didn't want to see Drake and Ye possibly lose their lives to violence.

Nicki Minaj is calling the woman accusing her and her husband of harassment a bold-faced liar -- claiming there are holes in her story that NM and co. believe totally discredit her.

The rapper's attorney filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, responding to Jennifer Hough's lawsuit from August -- where she claimed Nicki, Kenneth Petty and a gaggle of lawyers were on her case ... trying to get her to recant her attempted rape claim against Ken ... which she made in the '90s and for which KP was convicted.

Long story short ... Nicki's legal team is calling BS on Hough's allegations, going so far as to ask the court to sanction her for what they say are blatant falsehoods, which they think she hurled in an attempt to score a payday from Nicki.

The crux of their argument lies in a couple different inconsistencies they say lie within Hough's account of things -- namely, her claiming she had to change her phone number due to the alleged harassment she was receiving from Nicki, plus the claim Nicki's team had reached out to her brother with a $500k offer if she recanted in a written statement.

On the phone issue ..,. Nicki's attorney says Hough actually texted Nicki after claiming she needed to change her number and move back in June 2020 to block Nicki and her people from contacting her. Nicki says the text read "US Marshalls are asking questions!!!" The lawyer draws a conclusion from this -- Hough wasn't actually trying to hide her number from Nicki at all (contrary to what she alleges). Nicki's team thinks it makes it clear she wasn't scared and is just looking for a payday.

There's also the issue of an interview Hough gave earlier this year, which the attorney says differs from what she alleged in court docs. In the interview, NM's lawyer says Hough noted her brother told her somebody had reached out with a $500k offer if she talked to a lawyer repping Petty. NM's lawyer said the allegation in the lawsuit that Nicki was behind the offer is merely speculation that gave her a reason to try to sue Nicki.

As the "Masked Singer" finale heats up, former contestant Hunter Hayes -- who was Astronaut on the show -- has a special message for Bull ... and TMZ's delivering it.

Next week, we will see who takes the winning spot, and our 'Masked' sources tell us Bull's chosen to perform Hunter's tune, "Invisible" because he feels a strong connection to it.

That prompted the singer/songwriter to record this heartfelt pep talk before Bull steps into the ring for his final performance.

In the video, Hayes congratulates Bull on getting this close to the title, saying ... "I'm excited for you and for the world to hear your voice." He also made sure to thank him for fighting for his song selection.

Apparently, Bull wants to win so bad, that he is overwhelmed with nerves... we'll see if Hunter's words of inspiration are enough to help him take home the W.

The countdown is on -- with about 24 hours remaining until Drake and Kanye reunite as performers -- and crews for the spectacle are working 'round the clock to finish up the massive stage.

TMZ has obtained a series of photos taken Wednesday inside L.A. Memorial Coliseum where the Free Larry Hoover event is scheduled to go down. You can see a massive, elevated platform in the middle of what is usually a grass field.

Sources with direct knowledge say a crew of more than 200 workers has been going nonstop to get the stage finished. We're told the show's budget -- an estimated $10+ million -- counts for the stage construction/production, space rental, security, event staffers and more.

As for Thursday night's show, our sources say it'll be an "environmental experience," the largest ever created -- and feature incredible projections throughout. Construction crews have even been seen pouring concrete to build up the foundation.

Obviously, Drake and Kanye haven't rehearsed inside the stadium yet, but we're told they've been doing so off-site -- and a dress rehearsal will happen before the real deal Thursday.

Flavor Flav's domestic violence incident from October is all wrapped up and dealt with in the eyes of the law -- he copped a plea to a lesser charge, and is happy to close the book.

The rapper's misdemeanor domestic battery charge was dropped, and Flav pled no contest to one count of coercion. He was fined $640. He will not serve any jail time.

His attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, tell TMZ, "Today the domestic violence charge against Mr. William Drayton (Flavor Flav) was dismissed. Mr. Drayton acknowledged the nonviolent act of grabbing a phone during the incident in question, a misdemeanor, and the case was closed by the court."

They add, "Mr. Drayton and his family are grateful to bring an amicable close to this matter and appreciate everyone's support as he continues his one-year journey of sobriety."

As we reported ... Flav was arrested in October after out in Nevada, this after cops got a call about a domestic incident at his home.

Skilyr Hicks -- a one-time contestant on "America's Got Talent" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The young singer-songwriter passed away Monday, having been found lifeless in the home of a friend -- this according to her mother, Jodi. She says she doesn't know the actual homeowner. Skilyr's body was discovered in Liberty, South Carolina.

While the exact circumstances of her death -- including a cause -- are still unknown to the family, Jodi tells us her daughter battled with mental health issues, including depression and substance abuse. She also says Skilyr was loved by her family and 4 siblings -- using her music to help people in need. Jodi says, "She will live on through her music."

At just 14 years old, Hicks appeared on season 8 of 'AGT' in 2013, auditioning for Mel B, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern ... and impressing them enough to be moved on to the next round.

She performed an original song of her own during her debut, and actually had a good touching backstory that landed her own segment on TV. Skilyr had lost her father a few years prior to the audition and apparently taught herself to play, write and sing.

Hicks scored four yeses from the judges but was eliminated shortly thereafter before the live rounds in NYC. Still, her time on the show was memorable.

The artist ran into some legal trouble in her later years -- getting arrested for underage drinking in 2018, and also spending some time in jail for allegedly roughing up her fam.

She was just 23. RIP

The crime spree unfolding in L.A. has got celebs acting skittish, so much so that there's a big boom in security hiring ... which might sound great for them, but isn't a good sign big picture.

TMZ spoke with two different high-profile security companies that offer services for famous folks and other VIP types -- and they both tell us the same thing ... their business is on the upswing, and it seems to be aligned with what's going on in the City of Angels.

Alfredo Moosa and AJ Moosa of 2 Deep Executive Protection -- which has worked for people like French Montana, Maria, A1 Bentley and more --  tell us they're getting booked left and right these days, especially in L.A. ... where they say they're most in demand.

Take the Tank Davis fight in town this past weekend -- the Moosa's say there alone they had 8 different clients with their guards on hand, who are being hired for way longer shifts than anything they've done in the past (17+ hours) ... emblematic of what they say is happening generally. In the past year ... they tell us they've hired 15-16 new guards.

The Moosa's also say they've seen a lot of their clients lately ditch jewelry and other bling they may normally wear -- which they think has to do with the fact people are getting jacked in brazen attacks of late. 2 Deep is also doing a lot more house calls at the moment -- we're told now, they're being asked to stick around and patrol Airbnbs their clients might stay in ... whether they're actually there or not, a shift from what they're usually asked to do.

There's also Kings Protection -- having been hired by the likes of Quavo, Lil Pump, LeBron James, etc. -- whose CEO, Jack, tells us they too are getting a spike in bookings, and everything else that comes with their offerings.

Jack says they've seen an increase in day-to-day security needs, including clients being out and about in a nightlife setting ... or even just home patrols, something they specialize in. Kings have had to hire 200 more guards this year due to the phone constantly ringing.