Music

Young Dolph -- who was murdered last month -- was honored Saturday night at Rolling Loud 2021.

Dolph's artists Paper Route Woo and Snupe Bandz performed a tribute to the fallen rapper and O.T. Genasis joined them on stage to share the moment.

Dolph was a staple at Rolling Loud, performing 4 times over the last few years. Woo and Snupe are also the PRE artists who worked during the Thanksgiving holiday to keep Dolph's name alive through a turkey giveaway that was planned prior to Dolph's tragic death.

Immediately after Dolph died, Rolling Loud posted a tribute ... "LONG LIVE YOUNG DOLPH 🙏"

As we reported, Dolph was gunned down November 17 in Memphis, outside a local cookie store. He had been targeted in the past ... back in 2017, Dolph was shot multiple times outside a shoe store in Hollywood. That same year his SUV was sprayed with more than 100 bullets.

Dolph's murder was clearly a targeted attack. No one has been arrested for his murder.

'SNL' is nothing if not predictable, and they were true to form Saturday night when they skewered 2 recently-unemployed brothers.

Dr. Anthony Fauci -- no, really it was Kate McKinnon -- was offering advice on how to navigate the holidays in the midst of another COVID surge. There was some pretty funny role-playing ... such as a worried passenger wonders out loud to a flight attendant about COVID and whether the mile-high club can get you pregnant.

But then the brothers Cuomo appear, and they introduce themselves this way ... "Hello, I am disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo. I'm disgraced former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, and we both lost our jobs because of COVID."

Ted Cruz is hilarious, as he pretends to have the last laugh in his war with Senator Bob Dole, who died last week. Dole famously said no one liked Cruz ... well, watch the rest.

Justin and Hailey Bieber wasted no time customizing their new Bev Hills mansion just to their liking ... filing and completing plans for changes throughout the property.

According to permits, obtained by TMZ, the couple has done overhauls in their kitchen, bathrooms and has even installed a plunge pool ... perfect for anything from relaxation to exercise.

The costs of the renos aren't public, but JB and the Mrs. went with Zac Taylor Development to get the job done ... so it couldn't have been cheap. Taylor has worked on projects with other celebs, including Adam Levine and Kris Jenner.

The couple first bought the Bev Hills palace for $25.8 million back in August 2020. It sits on 2.5 acres with 7 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a koi pond and a tennis court.

Clearly, Hailey's excited about the new bathroom, as she recently revealed on a segment of her YouTube show, "WHO'S IN MY BATHROOM" that she and Justin had recently moved into the home and were already filming from inside the bathroom ... looks nice!

Megan Thee Stallion is now Megan Thee Graduate -- 'cause she just got her diploma ... and the video is something to behold.

The rapper received her Bachelor's Degree Saturday during a graduation ceremony at Texas Southern University -- where she's been studying health administration for a while now ... which all paid off in a climactic walk across the stage, in a traditional cap and gown.

Check out the clip ... MTS definitely made it a moment to remember, posing for selfies and waving at the crowd as her name was read (Megan Pete for official purposes). It was quite surreal, in a good way.

Gotta say, we're impressed. This ain't an honorary degree or anything (something celebs are adorned with all the time). Meg actually buckled down and hit the books -- and has been for years now -- enrolling in the HBCU and working her butt off to achieve undergraduate status.

Word is ... Megan was studying at Prairie View A&M way back in 2013, and transferred to TSU shortly thereafter -- but as her rap career has taken off, she's had to do online classes on and off while navigating her professional life.

It's a lesson for the kids out there -- even as an incredibly famous star, you can still achieve your dreams, especially if it's in higher education -- something Meg has said she's wanted under her belt, with her late mother in mind. Her mom passed a couple years back.

She wrote, "I want y'all to remember that you can do whatever you wanna do and be whoever you wanna be, cause look at me!"

If Kanye West and Drake performing together wasn't enough evidence that they've truly buried the hatchet -- take a look at this ... definitive proof they're pals again.

Here's Ye and Drizzy during Thursday night's show -- but in a way we hadn't seen them before ... namely, up close and personal. As you can see they couldn't be happier in one another's presence, grinning from ear to ear and leaving the Coliseum shoulder to shoulder.

Of course, we saw these two have a ball during the actual event -- but frankly, the view (be it in person, or even on Amazon) wasn't this good ... and it's clear from these photos that Drake and Kanye are genuinely past their beef.

As we reported ... it was mostly Kanye's show, as he carried a majority of the set with hits new and old. Drake came out and performed too ... albeit for a much shorter time.

It was pretty neat -- Drake performed some of Kanye's songs, and vice-versa ... making for the ultimate crossover experience for fans. Speaking of them, the place was absolutely packed to the gills ... and word is, getting in and out of the area that night was nuts.

Jennifer Lopez might be hot stuff -- but she ain't finer than the great Salma Hayek ... at least that's what Twitter seems to have decided.

Another poll on the bird app has gone viral ... this time with the question being -- who's the baddest out of these 2 ladies??? Those gals being ... J Lo and SH, of course. In fairness, they didn't choose the most flattering shot of Jen here, but still ... the people have spoken.

It appears Salma is the clear victor in the looks department -- with one user responding, "Salma past, present, in her prime, now & twice on Sundays." Another wrote, "Don't ever disrespect Salma and her elite horchata buckets again." Uhhh ... okay.

No doubt, both women are beautiful -- but based on how people are responding to the very unofficial poll ... the feeling is -- Salma may, perhaps, be underrated. Crazy, we know, but if you consider the fanfare and hype one gets over the other ... that sorta makes sense.

Frankly, J Lo is talked about and idolized waaaaay more than Salma is -- but it could be because she's a lot more public with her life ... which obviously includes her SOs, who are a thousand times more famous than Salma's husband, Francois-Henri Pinault.

He's a billionaire and all, but nobody really knows who the guy is. Point being, Salma is very low-key and private compared to J Lo -- which possibly plays into how folks perceive them.

But, on a basic hotness level, it would seem people hold Salma in higher regard ... and there's even visual proof some are offering up to make their point. Salma has shown a lot of skin on camera, and that well of content is helping fans firm up their argument.

Jen, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily flaunt her stuff on the big screen all that much -- but she isn't shy about showing off her body either.

Jingle Ball 2021 did not disappoint ... lots of big stars showed up, but COVID reared its ugly head after the show.

Nick, Joe and Kevin -- aka the Jonas Bros -- performed, along with Dixie D'Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Saweetie, Bazzi, Tate McRae and Kane Brown. It was super glitzy and as far as what happened on stage ... it seems flawless. But, the virus took its toll, sidelining one of the big stars of the night.

Jimmy Fallon hosted the shindig at Madison Square Garden.

Lil Nas X performed some of his biggest hits including "Industry Baby," "Old Town Road," and "(MONTERO) Call Me By Your Name." Shortly after the concert wrapped, Capital's Jingle Bell Ball shared the upsetting news that Nas and Coldplay will no longer be performing at their scheduled shows. Someone on both of their crews tested positive for COVID. Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran will be playing extended sets on their respective nights.

ArrDee and Tom Grennan will also perform in place of Nas and Coldplay this weekend at the London event.

This news comes after Doja Cat announced that she will no longer perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stops in NYC and Boston this weekend after members from her production team tested positive for COVID.

"We recently learned that a few members on my production team have tested positive for Covid 19 and are now on quarantine," reads the message posted on her socials.

While Ye and Drake's historic concert for Larry Hoover is giving their fans all the feels ... the feds are pissed the music icons are pushing to release a guy the government considers the "worst of the worst."

One federal law enforcement source -- who is connected to Hoover's case -- tells TMZ ... prosecutors are "surprised" to see Drizzy and Ye throwing so much support behind the #FreeLarryHoover movement, considering the facts of his case.

For those not in the know ... Hoover was convicted and sentenced for an Illinois murder in 1973. He wasn't the triggerman, but prosecutors said he directed the shooting of a man he accused of stealing from his gang. Hoover is credited with founding Chicago's infamous Gangster Disciples.

While he was serving 150-200 years for the murder, the feds stepped in to indict and convict Hoover for drug conspiracy, extortion and engaging in organized crime. In 1997, he started serving 6 life sentences in a federal Supermax prison.

The feds think that's exactly where he belongs ... but Hoover's backers believe the U.S. government outrageously over-sentenced him -- considering his federal crimes were related to drug distribution, and not murders.

Our source says the feds acknowledge there are lots of low-level drug dealers who got draconian prison terms in the '80s and '90s -- think Alice Marie Johnson -- who are worthy of this kind of celeb backing. Remember, Kanye even asked then-President Trump to pardon Hoover back in 2018.

Trump shot that down, and just this past summer a federal judge denied Hoover's request for a compassionate release. The 71-year-old has been in prison for 48 years.

Things certainly got heated between DJ Akademiks and IG model Whitney LeDawn -- with cussing, yelling and even drink-throwing -- but Whitney says she NEVER pulled a gun ... despite claims to the contrary.

Ak claimed that during the turbulent interview, Whitney brandished her gun in a threatening fashion ... something LeDawn adamantly denies. The model admits to carrying a firearm, but says she never flashed or threatened anyone with it.

LeDawn now believes the only reason she was brought on the show was to be made fun of, specifically for having a baby out of wedlock as a Christian woman ... and thinks the gun claim was only made to help boost attention around the episode.

During the episode, Akademiks teased LeDawn about the gun, telling her to "reach for it" and "try it" ... but she says she never caved.

The model says Instagram deleted her account after reported "bullying" violations, but she claims she was only responding to hate from DJ Akademiks' fans after her appearance ... she added that she hasn't been contacted by the police or anyone from the podcast.

Travis Scott's Cacti hard seltzer will have to find a new home if it hopes to continue, because Anheuser-Busch has made the decision to discontinue the beverage.

In an announcement Friday, AB said, "After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.”

According to a report from AdAge, the company would not specify if the decision came because of what happened at Astroworld.

A source close to Travis, however, tells us the two sides had an agreement that was to end November 30, saying, "this is not a cancelation or creasing of an ongoing agreement." We're told the Nov. 30 decision was a mutual one.

Cacti seemed to be a marketing hit, selling out in stores and even causing a frenzy when TS hit a local grocer in Los Angeles to promote the product.

It's currently unclear if Travis will attempt to repurpose the brand elsewhere.

Kim Kardashian wants to move forward with her life as a legally single woman, and just filed docs to do so in her divorce with Ye ... TMZ has learned.

Kim filed legal docs Friday ... which if signed off by a judge, will make her officially single. She's essentially asking the judge to separate issues of child custody and property from marital status. Kim is also asking that her maiden name be restored ... aka, drop the "West."

It's interesting ... Kim's lawyer is disso queen Laura Wasser, who has frequently made similar moves with other celebrity clients, including Dr. Dre and Kelly Clarkson -- separating marital status from other issues. It allows people to get on with their lives ... settling other issues for a different day.

What's especially interesting ... just hours before Kim filed for a change in her marital status, Ye went on stage at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, and as he sang "Runaway" he ad-libbed over vocals at the end of the song to say, "Run back to me ... more specifically, Kimberly."

Kim attended the show, bringing the couple's kids North and Saint to watch dad do his thing and give some family support.

TMZ broke the story, Kim's already taken one big step in figuring out the property side of things -- buying Kanye out of their Hidden Hills Estate for $23 million. But, there are still other property issues that are outstanding. We're told there will not be any dispute over custody ... they will get joint custody and are committed to co-parenting.

One thing is for sure, divorce or not ... Kim and Kanye have, for the most part, remained a united front when it comes to their kids and emotional support. Just days ago they attended close friend Virgil Abloh's funeral together.

It wasn't the first time we'd seen Ye make a public play for his estranged wife, either. On Thanksgiving, he released a 5-minute-long video confessing to his issues with alcohol and times when he embarrassed Kim ... including wearing a MAGA hat.

Dr. Dre and Nicole Young have reached an agreement in principle to finally put their divorce to bed ... TMZ has learned.

The two had been at war over money for well over a year, Nicole wanted $2 million a month in temporary spousal support, and Dre ended up ponying a one-time check for $2 mil and $500k in attorney fees. A photo showing the producer and businessman with balloons that read "Divorced AF" started to make rounds on social media Friday.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us that no deal has yet been signed, and as one source put it, "This whole thing could blow up again."

Michael Nesmith, singer/guitarist for the famously famous 60s group The Monkees, has died.

His family said, "With infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully of natural causes."

Nesmith was part of the quartet that was manufactured for a TV show about a rock 'n roll group ... and the group exploded with hit after hit ... at one point even rivaling The Beatles.

Among the hits ... "Last Train to Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "I'm a Believer," "Valerie," and many more.

Mike fought for artistic control of the group ... he wanted them to be a real group, not just one that's made for TV. Point of fact ... initially on the show, they didn't actually play the instruments. He once got into such a heated discussion over this he put his fist through a wall.

Mike once said, "We were kids with our own taste in music and were happier performing songs we liked -- and/or wrote -- than songs that were handed to us."

One of his biggest impacts after the group disbanded ... he helped launch MTV by pitching a show called "PopClips," which evolved into the 24-hour video channel.

His mom famously invented Liquid Paper -- AKA white-out -- which became a cash register for the family.

Now 3 of the 4 Monkees have died. Mike and sole survivor Micky Dolenz performed their final show together last month at the Greek Theatre.

Nesmith was 78.

RIP

Kanye West was electric in his return to the stage in Los Angeles, but also showed he's still struggling to accept his ongoing divorce with estranged wife Kim Kardashian -- begging her to come back -- so they can be together again.

Ye and Drake hit the stage in front of 70,000 at The L.A. Memorial Coliseum Thursday night, and to everyone's surprise, Ye played a ton of songs from his entire catalog. One of those songs was "Runaway," but Ye started to freestyle at the end of the song while the music continued.

Kanye continued to repeat "Run right back to me!" then saying, "More specifically, Kimberly."

The crowd went crazy with those words ... but it was the only obvious mention Ye made to his estranged wife outside of lyrics that were already written in songs.

Kim was in attendance at the show, bringing the couple's kids, North and Saint. Kendall and her boyfriend, Devin Booker joined as well.

Of course, Kim's been coast-to-coast with Pete Davidson over the last few weeks ... most recently, we saw the two celebrating Pete's birthday at Kris' home in Palm Springs before heading back to L.A. where they were spotted grabbing dinner and then breakfast and snapping photos (above) with a fan in the same weekend.

Russell Wilson has 2 kids with Ciara, but #3 could be on the way soon ... 'cause the NFL star was LOVING his wife's topless twerk sesh on Instagram, letting the whole world know just how much he was feeling it.

The 36-year-old singer posted the steamy vid to her 30 million followers on Thursday ... dropping low and putting her dance skills on display while balancing a bottle of booze on her head, as part of the "Balance Challenge" trend.

"She Got Balance," Ciara captioned the vid. "That @TenToOneRum is fun! 🤩"

The clip is obviously great, but what had even more people going "OMG" was the Seattle Seahawks QB's reaction to the vid.

"❤👀❤ see you later tonight after work hahaha 🤣 #TenToOne 🤣"

Of course, the whole thing was a bit of a marketing campaign for Ciara, who became part-owner of the Ten To One rum back in October.

"I couldn't be more excited to help the brand build on its amazing foundation," Ciara said, "and invite new audiences to rediscover their love for rum through Ten To One."

Cops in and around L.A. are beefing up patrol and bracing themselves for possible gang retaliation killings in the wake of Slim 400's murder and a growing gang war in the city.

Law enforcement sources tell us that while they don't believe Slim was a targeted hit, they still think the killing was gang-related ... which almost always means revenge. Our sources say they believe Slim happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and his alleged ties to the Bloods didn't help.

We're told lately things have really ramped up between the Bloods and the Crips, so tensions are already high, and Slim's murder likely won't help that.

We're told the Inglewood Police Dept. will have a heavy and visible presence around the place of Slim's killing in hopes to discourage it from happening again to someone else.

As we reported, footage of the killing surfaced online Thursday showing the brazen attack. Slim's murderer walked up a driveway, pulled his gun and opened fire several times ... killing the rapper.