Music

Troy Ave's going from hero to zero ... 'cause it turns out he did NOT stand up to an armed robber -- instead, he and his buddy staged a shootout for social media clout.

Here's the deal ... Troy's pal, chef Geoff Cole, posted a wild video Tuesday purportedly showing a gunman sneaking up on both of them outside Geoff's San Diego area home, only to have Troy whip out his own handgun and fire on the supposed assailant.

Well, sources who've been in direct contact with the bogus bad boys have confirmed the whole scene was fake. No one actually attempted to rob Geoff, and we're told Troy did not actually fire any live rounds.

Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul have been living it up all July on their "Good Vibes Only" tour, alongside DaBaby, and IYKYK ... these two cool dudes didn't simply connect over their love for music!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of Wiz and SP kicking it backstage at the recent tour stop in Ohio, sharing their admiration for one another's music and smoking habits.

Sean Paul has several years on Wiz, but still remembers when he topped the chart with "Black & Yellow" way back when.

1:30 PM PT -- Perry Farrell's legal team tells TMZ ... “This is yet another clear example of the group uniting to isolate and bully frontman Perry Farrell. The timing of this baseless lawsuit is no coincidence—it was filed only after they caught wind of legal action coming from our side. It’s a transparent attempt to control the narrative and present themselves as the so-called ‘good guys’—a move that’s both typical and predictable."

They continue, "Just like when they released a defamatory and entirely unfounded statement about Perry’s mental health and unilaterally canceled the remaining tour dates without his input, they’re once again scrambling to get ahead of the truth in a desperate effort to save face.”

Dave Navarro is suing Perry Farrell for assault and battery ... and his fellow Jane's Addiction members are also jumping on the lawsuit -- demanding millions from the lead singer.

Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins filed a lawsuit against Farrell Wednesday over a fight that went down onstage in September 2024 ... which they say derailed their North American tour and planned album afterward.

Remember ... we obtained video from a show on September 13, 2024, where Farrell and Navarro got into each other's faces and began shoving one another.

1:50 PM PT -- The official Tomorrowland Instagram account has confirmed there were no injuries during the fire.

The Tomorrowland Festival organizers are probably wishing they were living in Yesterday-Country right about now ... 'cause at least then they still had a stage!

The multiday fest in Belgium was set to kick off in just a few short days ... but a fire broke out Wednesday and took the whole stage with it -- burning down to the scaffolding from one end to the other.

Tons of videos are circulating online right now ... capturing massive plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and flames quickly burning across the intricate stage.

Nicki Minaj woke up Wednesday and continued her onslaught against SZA and Roc Nation ... screw breakfast, bring on the beef!!!

ICYMI, Nicki erupted like a volcano and spewed lava at both SZA and her manager, Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrence "Punch" Henderson -- and she's denying his "Broken Barbies" track had anything to do with her fury and heavy speculation yesterday!!!

Nicki claims Punch has been harassing her for years -- something he denies, but that's her story and she's sticking to her gunz!!!

Sexyy Red flexed her star power in London over the weekend by headlining the inaugural residency of one of the city's hottest nightclubs -- all while Wireless festivities were going down!!!

The "SkeeYee" rapper was the star of the show at Tape for its 3-night introduction of their new artist residency series.

We're told Sexyy was the chief architect, curating every single detail ... and wasn't shy about sharing the spotlight with Latto, Yeat, Zack Bia, and Ben Da Don, new XXL Freshman Loe Shimmy, and old flames DDG and Rubi Rose, albeit on different days.

Anitta's bringing the heat to her Spanish vacation ... looking like a vision in rojo while wading through the water Tuesday.

The Brazilian singer-songwriter was spotted enjoying an afternoon out in Formentera -- an island off the southeastern coast of Spain ... soaking up the sun in a pair of barely-there bikinis.

Anitta took on a DIY look in a red crochet bikini and matching skirt ... adding a bucket hat to keep the sun from blinding her as she went for a dip in the crystal clear ocean.

The stunning double homicide of "American Idol" music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband has rocked their Los Angeles neighborhood amid skyrocketing break-ins in the area ... and now the family directly next door wants to get the hell out of there.

The neighbor of the slain couple tells TMZ ... he and his family are completely terrified -- but not as shocked as they could be, since he says crime -- home break-ins, specifically -- in the Encino area has escalated dramatically the past few years.

We're told, immediately after news broke of the killings, several neighbors had an impromptu meeting where they agreed to look out for one another ... 'cause it was simply getting too dangerous to rely on home security systems alone.

The alleged murderer of "American Idol" Music Supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, left forensic evidence behind that directly led to his arrest ... sources with knowledge tell TMZ.

The LAPD arrested 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian, and our sources say the key piece of evidence linking him to the crime is fingerprints ... cops were able to lift fingerprints from the crime scene.

Authorities were able to match the prints to Boodarian because his prints were in the LAPD's database. Boodarian had been arrested on 3 separate criminal battery cases in 2024, and protocol is to get fingerprints upon arrest.

Taylor Swift's dad had to go under the knife for a heart procedure ... and she was by his side in the hospital ... but now he's feeling fantastic, TMZ has learned.

The singer's spokesperson tells TMZ ... Scott Swift had quintuple bypass surgery over a month ago and his wife, Andrea, and their kids, Taylor and Austin, were with him through the entire surgery and recovery process. Taylor's rep also told us the procedure was NOT the result of a heart attack, and he's feeling just great.

Scott -- who's been married to Taylor's mom Andrea for 37 years -- originally went in for a check-up and his doctor saw something, which led to the surgery.

Akon is assuring TMZ Hip Hop that reports of his beloved "Akon City" project being canceled are grossly overblown -- but he says there are a few haters who want to see it that way!!!

We caught up with Akon this week in NYC and got updated on his new-age city -- in addition to the country album he told us he was working on back in April.

Akon says his country classic is 60% done ... he doesn't want to rush the process and disrespect the community, and has been spending time in Nashville with Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts to soak up that honky-tonk energy!!!

The Weeknd's provided plenty of music for romantic occasions -- "Earned It," anyone? -- and his love life's been as dynamic as his songwriting.

The hitmaker's dating experience has seen him link up with some of the buzziest names in the entertainment world ... both in the short and long runs.

Here's a look at some of the biggest names the songwriter's been connected to over the course of his career.

One of The Weeknd's most high-profile relationships was with supermodel Bella Hadid, who he first met when he asked her to appear in the artwork for his album "Beauty Behind The Madness."

The pair first set off the rumor mill when they were spotted together at the 2015 Coachella festival, and they made their red carpet debut at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

The Weeknd -- born Abel Tesfaye -- and Hadid remained together for several months, and although they ultimately separated in November 2016, a source told People at the time the two still held "a great deal of love for one another."

The pair went on to reunite -- on strictly professional grounds -- at that year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, during which the singer performed while his ex walked the runway.

A source spoke to E! News and revealed Bella had approached her former partner at a restaurant prior to the event, and the former couple was "really cool with each other."

The Weeknd's love life didn't stop there, as he subsequently started seeing Selena Gomez, whom he had performed alongside during the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

While the pair's romance didn't kick off in earnest for another two years, they made sure their fans were well aware of their connection, as they went Instagram official in April 2017.

Oh yeah, and in case that wasn't enough proof for their respective fanbases, they decided to lock lips at that year's Met Gala.

The thing is, Hadid was pretty upset by the singer's willingness to move on from their relationship ... and an insider told People at the time the model was "hurt and pissed" by The Weeknd's actions.

The model didn't have to remain upset for too long, though, as the singers went their separate ways in October of 2017.

The split, however, was apparently amicable, and Gomez claimed she remained "best friends" with The Weeknd in an interview with Billboard.

The Weeknd appeared to run right back to Hadid following his split from Gomez, as he was seen leaving her apartment in November 2017 ... after which a source told People that, while they were "not back together," the singer had "never stopped loving" the supermodel.

The pair set off more rumors when they were seen together at the 2018 Coachella festival, and they sent their fans into overdrive when they kissed at that year's Cannes Film Festival.

The Weeknd and Hadid were later spotted in each other's company stepping out on several occasions over the course of 2018 -- but they kept quiet about their romance.

The two remained together until August 2019, when they decided to split up for the second time.

Rumors about a potential reconciliation began to swirl after The Weeknd attended Hadid's 23rd birthday party that October ... although our sources told us they had stayed on platonic terms during the event.

The singer was next linked to Simi Khadra, and we shared a video of the pair kissing during his 32nd birthday party in Las Vegas.

It's also worth noting the DJ, as well as her twin sister Haze, were friends with both Hadid and Gomez ... funny how life works out like that sometimes!

While a source told People The Weeknd was "not in a committed relationship with anyone" at the time, the pair kept tongues wagging, especially after they were pictured together at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

The singer also made a reference to having a "girlfriend" -- whom he did not name -- in an interview with the New York Times, and claimed the girlfriend's favorite scene in his film "Hurry Up Tomorrow" was the one where he was hit by a champagne bottle.

7/16 -- 7:42 AM PT -- SZA's manager, Terrence "Punch" Henderson, told The Breakfast Club on Thursday that Nicki Minaj and SZA failed to connect on a song in 2020 ... but doesn't know how things went so nuclear yesterday.

Nicki Minaj was conducting her daily Roc Nation roast -- and somehow SZA got looped up in the social media posts, and 🆘 ... a new beef has been born!!!

SZA rattled off her first post of the day on X Tuesday, posting, "Mercury retrograde .. don’t take the bait lol silly goose" -- which Nicki interpreted as a direct shot at her amid her blasting Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez.

The thing is ... SZA's in a COMPLETELY different time zone, currently on her joint "GNX" tour with Kendrick Lamar, and had just finished her show at Paris La Défense Arena shortly before midnight European time.

12:07 PM PT -- Our law enforcement sources tell us Robin and Thomas were both shot in the head ... and they were found in different rooms.

We're told cops are reviewing surveillance footage and no one is in custody ... and as of now, this doesn't appear to be a burglary because the home was not ransacked.

Our sources say police found no signs of a break-in when they responded to the 911 call last week ... we're told a LAPD helicopter flew over the house but the suspect was not there when cops arrived.

Robin Kaye, an award-winning music supervisor on "American Idol," was found dead inside her Los Angeles home ... and TMZ has learned she and her husband, Thomas Deluca, were the victims of a gruesome double murder.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the bodies of the couple were discovered Monday inside their house in Encino after LAPD officers showed up for a welfare check.

We're told cops saw blood at the front entrance and then smashed a window to gain entry to the home, where they found Robin and Thomas suffering from possible gunshot wounds. They were both declared dead at the scene.

Billy McFarland is no longer the owner of FYRE Festival ... because someone snapped up the rights to the brand on eBay -- and they only needed a little over $245K to snag the winning bid.

FYRE Festival's rights, IP, brand trademark and social media assets were sold Tuesday on eBay for a measly $245,300.

The online sale closed Tuesday at 12:44 PM ET after 175 bids from 42 bidders ... marking the end of Billy's tumultuous saga with FYRE Festival.

Skepta thinks UK rappers can outmatch U.S. rappers -- and Joyner Lucas is making him rethink that decision because, in his opinion, NOBODY CARES!!!

That's the name of Joyner's blistering diss track aimed at Skepta's bloody noggin, released on Tuesday, where JL went full Yankee Doodle Doo on his UK op.

Skepta had let his musket go bang a few days earlier with his "Friendly Fire" diss track ... a formidable effort, but fans are decisively handing Joyner the dub online.