Music

The Freedom 250 event has just announced the first wave of performers for the Great American State Fair ... and some of them are already backing out.

But not C+C Music Factory, who's taking a metaphorical -- and literal -- dump on critics who are upset he's performing at a MAGA-coded event.

In a wild 7-minute rant from his toilet, the group's lead rapper, Freedom Williams, insisted he doesn't "f*** with Trump" and almost told his agent he was out ... until people started calling for his cancellation.

Madonna may be a pop legend, but she hasn't forgotten where she's come from.

She's teaming up with loyalty program Bilt, and together they are covering one month of studio rent for all musicians who are currently leasing space at The Music Building in Manhattan.

Madonna herself used to play in that same rehearsal facility ... and it's where she started shaping her music career back in the 70s.

Drake's producer-turned-musical artist, Elkan, spoke out about his work with the legendary artist while addressing whether he still listens to Kendrick Lamar.

Elkan, who was behind one of Drake's biggest hits, "Nokia," talked about working with the legendary star on his latest 3-album project.

Our camerawoman asked the musician if working with Drake means you no longer listen to Kendrick ... to which Elkan had an interesting answer.

MC Lyte is paying tribute to Rob Base after his death last week ... saying the loss hits even harder because of the massive mark he left on hip hop culture.

We caught up with MC Lyte in NYC Tuesday ... and she made it clear Rob wasn’t just another rapper to her -- calling him one of the genre’s most prolific MCs, something she got to witness firsthand after sharing stages with him over the years.

Catch the full clip because Lyte was clearly emotional reflecting on the loss of Rob, who died at 59 following a private cancer battle.

Sonny Rollins -- the legendary jazz saxophonist honored twice by former President Barack Obama -- has died in New York.

Sonny's rep, Terri Hinte, announced that he passed away Monday afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY. A cause of death was not released.

Rollins was known as one of the most iconic musical figures of the last 2 centuries, choosing his tenor saxophone as a way to reach the world. He was also considered the greatest saxophonist of the bebop era, alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker. 

American singer-songwriter Tiffany Alvord was just a teen when she became known for covering songs on YouTube back in 2008.

Tiffany's YouTube videos have amassed millions of views -- her cover of Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away" stands at 43 million views.

5/26 -- 11:50 AM PT -- Zayn responded to the video on IG, making it clear his fans are "always respectful and amazing" -- and said, "the issue was the multiple fully grown men that were blocking the doors of the hotel and the car for 10 minutes not letting us or security out."

Zayn Malik only had one direction on his mind -- straight into his waiting car ... but unfortunately for him, fans had other plans!

Check out this clip of Zayn leaving his hotel in Manchester, UK -- where a swarm of fans got way too close and blocked him from even opening the car door ... leading to the very frustrated singer yelling, "Get the f*** out of the way!"

Zayn eventually forced the door open and jumped inside -- while a female member of his entourage can also be heard trying to figure out how she was supposed to squeeze into the car chaos too.

Before this lil' daredevil holding a tarantula turned into a musical icon, he was just admiring Elvis Presley's music ... and looking up to Coldplay!

This talented guy has won several American Music Awards -- both solo and with his boy band. He's heading into tonight's award show with several noms, including "Artist of the Year" ... and that's what makes him beautiful!

Don't Speak, Blake Shelton ... just enjoy seeing your wife, Gwen Stefani, and her No Doubt bandmates on the Sphere stage!

The country music star made it out to Sin City on Saturday to support his better half ... clapping, laughing and cheering her on as the group dominated the stage.

Stefani pointed out Shelton's presence at another point in the show ... acknowledging he pulled up for her -- leading to some cheers from the audience.

Dr. Chris Brown will see you now ... because the artist now has an honorary doctorate!

Harvest Christian University -- a private faith-based school in Dallas, Texas -- awarded Brown a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Visual & Performing Arts Friday.

Doc Brown posed with his honorary degree in full graduation regalia ... a massive grin on his face as he showed off the honor.

Caleb Shomo is opening up about his personal life in a huge way ... revealing he's gay after more than 14 years of marriage to his wife, Fleur Shomo.

The Beartooth frontman shared the emotional announcement Saturday on Instagram, saying he felt it was time to set the record straight after growing speculation about his personal life.

"I am a proudly gay man," Caleb wrote, admitting he's been struggling privately with his sexuality for years while also battling alcohol issues. He said getting sober helped push him toward finally confronting feelings he'd buried for a long time.

Queen Latifah's regal looks over the years deserve a frigin' award!!!

Here is a 32-year-old version of the rapper-actress lookin' fire at a Hollywood luncheon in back in 2002 (left).

And, more than two decades later, it's hard to believe this queen is 56! Here's a shot of her serving style and stunning looks at CinemaCon 2026 just last month (right).

Queen Latifah is set to host tomorrow's American Music Awards, where we're placing our bets on her looking gorgeous, but the question here is:

Good Genes or Good Docs?!

William Stiteler -- the guy behind the viral 🎶First Time in San Juan🎶 A.I. song blowing up TikTok and Instagram -- says he never expected the goofy Puerto Rico anthem to become an actual hit ... because he doesn’t even consider himself a musician.

Roll the clip ... the creator of the Saxboy Billy account tells TMZ he writes all the lyrics himself, but says the songs were originally just meant to add comedy to his travel videos online.

"I'm not a musician, baby. I'm a slob," he told us. "I don’t claim this to be music."

One of music's biggest nights is goin' down tomorrow, so we're giving you an exclusive opportunity to cast your faves and place your bets ahead of the show ...

Calling all you mighty Millennials, ballin' Boomers, groovy Gen X-ers, and everyone else ...

The American Music Awards are on Monday, and unlike other award shows, the AMAs are fan-driven. We’re showcasing the hottest Gen Z nominees of 2026, backed by stats that prove their popularity.

And of course, we’ve included honorable millennial mentions -- all of whom Gen Z loves, too!

Nicki Minaj made a surprise cameo appearance Thursday at Elon Musk's Starbase site in Texas, where SpaceX tried to launch its new megarocket into outer space -- but it all fell apart due to technical issues.

Still, Nicki had a blast attending her first attempted rocket launch, hanging out with some of the SpaceX staff -- and even getting interviewed on camera.

Check out the clip ... Nicki called the moment "historic," pointing to her T-shirt emblazoned with the rocket's name, "Starship," which is almost identical to the name of one of her most famous songs, "Starships."