Music

Chris Brown's No. 1 trusted writer, Eric Bellinger, knows his bud very well ... and luckily for Breezy's massive female fanbase, can't foresee a near future with him walking down the aisle!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Eric out in NYC on the promo run for his album dropping Friday, "It All Makes Sense."

While most artists are going the country music route, Eric opted for Afrobeats and solidified his authenticity, grabbing Tiwa Savage for the first single.

She's not a regular mom, Kourtney Kardashian is a COOL mom!!! The oldest Kardashian sister shared life on the road with musician and hubby Travis Barker -- and we've got all the dope pics!

From backstage mirror selfies to showin' Baby Rocky what tour life's all about, Trav's been showin' out for the Blink-182 "Missionary Impossible" tour, and hot mama Kourt is soakin' up all the fun!

The 46-year-old captioned the IG post, "Tour adventures : part 2." Check out this adorable shot of mom and dad with their toddler backstage ...

Rihanna has welcomed Baby No. 3 with A$AP Rocky ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us RiRi gave birth to a baby girl on September 13 in a Los Angeles hospital.

Michael Jackson's sexual assault accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck want a fortune ... MJ's estate says they're seeking $400 million in damages over the alleged abuse.

In new court documents -- obtained by TMZ -- MJ’s estate reveals the eye-popping figure in documents about a dispute with Paris Jackson over payment of their attorneys' fees.

Up until this point, no one knew how much Robson and Safechuck were gunning for ... as they continue their lawsuits against Jackson's companies, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures.

DJ Whoo Kid isn't scared of A.I. stealing any of his live festival gigs soon ... but he says artists like Mariah Carey and sucka DJs who are too busy doing TikToks have another thing coming!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got with the veteran Shade45 host outside the Louis Vuitton store in Bev Hills yesterday to talk on the growing concern within the music industry that A.I. is destined to replace creatives ... Whoo Kid says there is no concern -- UNLESS YOU SUCK.

Whoo Kid chose to use Mariah Carey as a shining example of an artist who could benefit from A.I., suggesting tech will restore her singing abilities -- but he'd still smash!!! His words, not ours, people.

Mariah Carey's celebrating the upcoming release of her new album ... but she's opening about a tragic time in her life in a new interview, revealing there was a lot more going on behind the scenes of the recording than most of her fans knew.

In an interview with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings" Wednesday ... Mariah said the recording process for her upcoming album "Here For It All" was "extremely difficult," as she dealt with the deaths of her mother Patricia and sister Alison.

Mariah's mother and sister died on the same day back in August 2024 -- she was estranged from sister Alison -- and she went through deep emotions about the whole situation.

Cardi B is denying the years-long rumor that she's an industry operation meant to disrupt the hip hop status quo ... especially considering she infamously encroached on Nicki Minaj's hip hop reign.

The "I Like It" superstar addressed the rumor on Wednesday's "Call Her Daddy" episode, saying she was "destined" to be a famous rapper -- and no one signed her to take down someone else.

She never mentioned Nicki's name, but her meaning was clear ... the gossip has been swirling for years, ever since Ye claimed in a leaked clip that she was "a plant by the Illuminati" who replaced Nicki on purpose.

Diddy's lawyer, Erica Wolff, just responded, telling TMZ, “Mr. Nash is another opportunist looking to profit off his proximity to celebrity. This complaint is riddled with falsehoods and stands in stark contrast to the record that has already been established in court."

Wolff went on ... "Mr. Combs has dedicated his life and career to uplifting artists, creating opportunities, and building one of the most influential cultural enterprises in the world. Mr. Nash’s tabloid-style accusations are insulting not only to Mr. Combs, but also to the countless individuals who worked honorably and professionally within his companies."

She adds, "In court, the truth will prevail, as it did in his criminal trial:  that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman. Mr. Combs looks forward to clearing his name again in a court of law where truth matters.”

Diddy is facing a stunning lawsuit ahead of his sentencing ... the mogul's long-time stylist Deonte Nash is suing him for sexual battery, human trafficking and more.

According to new court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- lawyers for Deonte claim Diddy turned his dream of becoming a celebrity stylist into a "nightmare" ... one he was "forced to endure nearly every single day" during the roughly 10 years he worked for Diddy.

The docs go on to say ... "The horrors Mr. Nash experienced continue to plague him even after his employment ended."

Drake blicked up A$AP Rocky a bit on his fiery "Family Matters" diss at the height of his battle with Kendrick and Rocky is finally revealing why he chose to stay silent -- he didn't want to add to the sideshow!!!

In a new interview with Elle, Rocky gave his two cents on 2024 Rap Wars ... calling it "healthy for Hip-Hop" but thinks Kendrick and Drake's beef got overcooked when guys such as Rick Ross, The Weeknd and JasonMartin began to chime in.

“The battle was between Kendrick and Drake, not Drake and everybody else who might have said something at that time -- and that’s mainly why I fell back," Rocky said.

The internet is convinced that Jim Jones is having a midlife crisis dressing like a high schooler, but the Dipset OG explains to TMZ Hip Hop, how can he abandon a lifestyle that he created?!?

The NYC-bred rapper was recently in L.A. for Kai Cenat's 'Mafiathon 3' stream and we caught up to him on his "side-gig" operating the Cousins Maine Lobster truck!!!

Jim quips on how music isn't paying the bills like it used to, but he's found a way to pivot perfectly ... by co-founding a full-scale social media-friendly warehouse compound known as Influencers Club (IFC) with NYC podcaster Esso.

Universal Music Group no longer has to ask about the 411 regarding a lawsuit filed against them over a sample in Mary J. Blige's classic "Real Love" single -- the courts have ruled in favor of the record label to dismiss the suit because the judge says the two songs just don't sound the same at all.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the court examined both "Real Love" and the 1973 protest funk song, "Impeach the President," by The Honey Drippers.

TufAmerica, the company that owns the rights to "Impeach the President," argued UMG had illegally sampled the record by incorporating another song that had first sampled "Impeach the President" into "Real Love."

Fans adore Sabrina Carpenter for her bold lyrics, shameless self-expression and care-free sense of humor ... and now she's revealing what authenticity means to her as an ever-evolving artist.

Sabrina sat down with Vogue Italy for a no-holds-barred interview released Tuesday, and she says she's in a period of introspection, and focused on authentically creating for the present moment and current feelings -- knowing she may change her mind about something in a month from now.

While her song lyrics seem like they were pulled right from her personal diary, Sabrina tells Vogue authenticity isn't necessarily pulling back the curtain on every detail of her life, but knowing when to do so.

Victoria Justice was one of the latest guests on Kai Cenat's steam-boiling Mafiathon III stream and made it worth his while ... by touching all over his soundboard!!!

The former Nickelodeon princess took full advantage of Kai's brief absence and tinkered with the Twitch star's preset sound recordings, ranging from audio uppers such as Lil Uzi Vert's "Do What I Want" and mood benders like Drake's "Marvin's Room."

Speaking of Marvin, Kai got a rise out of Victoria when she pushed the "freaky" button ... causing Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" to blare through the speakers.

Taylor Swift just got some good news -- she's been granted a restraining order against a man she says routinely shows up at her Los Angeles home and claims she had his baby.

According to court documents submitted Monday and obtained by TMZ ... a 45-year-old man named Brian Jason Wagner has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the global superstar for the next 5 years.

Wagner must stay clear of her L.A. home, vehicle, and place of work ... according to the documents. Furthermore, the judge barred him from contacting Swift during this time -- including in person, by letter or digitally.

Teyana Taylor has been flexing her triple-threat traction all 2025 -- which might consummate with her holding a golden trophy!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Teyana in NYC, promoting her hit comeback album and its accompanying short film, "Escape Room."

The last time we caught up with the Rose from Harlem a couple months ago, she was bracing for vocal surgery to repair some damaged cords ... she tells us her recovery's been going so well, she's plotting her tour for the top of 2026!!!

NBA YoungBoy's MASA Tour has been packing arenas with unfiltered YN energy without any of the issues, and the superstar rapper had a shiny, sparkling new honor awaiting him when he touched down in Kansas City yesterday!!!

TMZ Hip Hop has learned NBA YoungBoy received a proclamation announcing September 21 will be his own day in the KC going forward.

The 25-year-old was surprised with the City Key by National Criminal Justice Advocate Donte West, on behalf of KC Mayor Quinton Lucas.