Music

Akon says he doesn't party enough to know the ins and outs of Diddy's party scene, but he's hoping the truth comes out, for everyone involved, and perhaps ... the industry learns a few lessons.

TMZ spoke to Akon Friday at LAX, and the multi-platinum hitmaker tells us the constant scandals in the music industry are simply bad for business.

Diddy was spotted in Miami all smiles while out for a bicycle ride earlier this week, and Akon says the best everyone can do is shower Puff with prayers ... and leave it in God's hands.

Abby Lee Miller is all in for JoJo Siwa's "Bad Girl" persona ... and she's loving her brand-spankin' new music video too ... which comes part and parcel with her edgy rebrand.

The famed dance instructor tells TMZ she's seen JoJo's new video for "Karma" ... and even with some of the sassier, gyrating dance moves ... she doesn't think it was too graphic or crossed the line -- in fact, Abby says she thinks JS played it relatively safe.

As for the costumes in the video that some fans said Abby would never approve of, ALM's flipping the script ... saying she absolutely loves them ... quipping to the haters if she could've afforded costumes like that for "Dance Moms," she 100% would have in a heartbeat.

J. Cole's rap battle with Kendrick Lamar might bring some new heat for the Dreamvillain, who's now being accused of dropping transphobic lyrics in his clap back at Kendrick.

Cole bombs K Dot on "7 Minute Drill," the last track of "Might Delete Later" ... the surprise album he dropped Friday -- but fans are also dissecting his bars on the track, "Pi."

Without warning Cole targeted a rapper who dropped a trash album, and spit the damning lyrics ... "They plead the fifth, I'm seeing hints of a trans fella/In cancel culture's vicinity, he's no killer, trust me/Beneath his chosen identity, there is still a pussy, period.”

Michael Jackson's production company wants to stop two of his accusers from getting their hands on police photos that may include images of his private parts -- but they say they have every right to obtain the material.

John Carpenter -- the attorney repping Wade Robson and James Safechuck -- tells TMZ ... "The Los Angeles Police Department and Santa Barbara Police Department gave Michael Jackson and their legal team including Thomas Mesereau all of the incriminating evidence showing that Michael Jackson was sexually abusing children and that his corporations knew about it."

John claims Michael Jackson's companies have had this evidence for decades -- and so he believes they're entitled to the same information.

John C. Reilly ain't just your average movie star -- he's got some decent vocal chops to boot ... with this impromptu performance giving us major flashbacks to one of his roles.

The actor cowboyed up on stage at L.A.'s Fonda Theatre Thursday night ... surprising everyone during Sierra Ferrell's country set -- and as you can see, the crowd goes wild for his performance ... which seems to have come out of nowhere.

John was clearly having fun with this ... he's going full-on wacky and animated for this -- and the crowd can't get enough of him, it seems.

Universal Music Group is facing a new lawsuit ... and it all has to do with Mary J. Blige's most famous song -- which someone is now claiming illegally sampled an old jam.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a company called TufAmerica, Inc. -- which owns Tuff City Records -- is suing the music publishing giant, claiming it sampled their song "Impeach the President" in MJB's "Real Love" without getting permission.

"Real Love" allegedly uses an uncleared sample from "Impeach the President" in both a sound recording and the musical composition. Tuff City claims they've reached out to UMG over the issue, but Universal hasn't addressed their concerns ... so, now they're suing.

Travis Scott's current promo run through major U.S. colleges is causing BIG problems at the University of Texas ... it's triggering people's Astroworld trauma all over again!!

The "Utopia" rapper, and Houston native, happily rushed the Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium field Thursday with the Longhorns football team, creating tons of media for UT in the process.

UT's Instagram account captioned one of the posts, "POV: Travis Scott pulls up to practice 🔥"  ... highlighting a camera angle that showed players stampeding across the ground like a herd of cattle -- but some Texas residents are incensed by the content.

Han pasado exactamente 30 años desde que perdimos a Kurt Cobain y aun con todo el tiempo que ha pasado hay algunas fotos del fallecido rockero que no has visto, incluyendo estas imágenes con Courtney Love.

Para conmemorar las 3 décadas desde su muerte, un matrimonio llamado Constance Hansen y Russell Peacock, que forman el dúo de fotógrafos conocido como Guzman, publicaron un nuevo conjunto de imágenes que capturan a la leyenda de Nirvana en sus alegrías cotidianas junto a su esposa de entonces.

Las imágenes son de su icónica sesión de fotos "Family Values" de 1992 para la revista Spin!. De las 100 fotos tomadas solo se usaron 5 imágenes, incluyendo algunas de su hija Frances Bean con solo 5 semanas. Ahora podemos ver el resto y son fascinantes.

It's been exactly 30 years since we lost Kurt Cobain -- and even all this time later, there are some photos of the late rocker you haven't seen ... including these ones with Courtney Love.

To mark 3 decades since his death, a husband and wife named Constance Hansen and Russell Peacock -- who form the photog duo known as Guzman -- have released a new set of images capturing the Nirvana legend in the simple joys of everyday life with his then-wife.

The images are from their iconic 1992 "Family Values" photoshoot for Spin! magazine, where only 5 images -- including some with their 5-week-old daughter Frances Bean -- were used out of the 100 taken. Now, we're getting a look at all the rest ... and they're fascinating.

The NBA has a new partner ... and it's none other than K-pop group LE SSERAFIM!!

Adam Silver's organization announced the big collaboration this week ... saying the quintet of musicians will headline the NBA's celeb and influencer operation in Asia.

The Association hopes the group's popularity will help expand its fanbase overseas ... similar to what it did when it enlisted BTS' Suga as an ambassador.

It seemed like a pretty "Smart" move -- especially considering Chaewon, Yunjin, Sakura, Kazuha and Eunchae are quite the hoop heads.

In fact, the group hit up a Laker game in customized jerseys back in November ... and briefly got to meet NBA legend Magic Johnson during their time at Crypto.com Arena.

The ladies also took a break from promoting their new project, "Easy," to tune in to the All-Star Game from a cellphone in February ... and recently posted a video of them showing off their choreography while decked out in numerous teams' merch.

With the collab, it's safe to say fans will see a lot more of LE SSERAFIM at games in the future ... and they can expect a ton of new content on socials.

The group made its debut in 2022 ... and has exploded in popularity ever since.

J. Cole went straight for the jugular when firing back at Kendrick Lamar ... calling K.dot's critically acclaimed "To Pimp a Butterfly" album the audio version of a sleeping pill, and folks are mad.

On Friday, Cole left the rap internet in a tizzy thanks to his surprise project "Might Delete Later" ... which features the song "7 Minute Drill," and a direct response to Kendrick's "Like That" disses that dominated the Billboard Charts these past couple weeks.

Cole took a page outta Jay-Z's infamous Nas diss track here ... Kendrick's albums "good kid, m.A.A.d city" and "DAMN" were given their due credit, but JC writes off 'TPAB' off as overrated trash that got the attention of outside media.

El hijo de Diddy, Christian "King" Combs, está siendo demandado por agresión sexual y la presunta víctima afirma que tiene grabaciones de él abalanzándose sobre ella durante una fiesta en un yate y otro denunciante, Rodney Jones, está involucrado en esto también.

Grace O'Marcaigh acaba de presentar la demanda contra King en Los Ángeles, alegando que esto ocurrió cuando estaba trabajando como camarera en un yate que el mismo Diddy alquiló unos días antes de la víspera de Año Nuevo en 2022, según dice ella.

En la demanda, O'Marcaigh alega que estaba haciendo su trabajo durante la velada, que según ella se anunciaba como un paseo familiar. King se acercó e inmediatamente después se quedó fijado en ella, de una forma muy incómoda.

Shakira tiene una controvertida opinión sobre sí misma. Piensa que su singular canto, por el que se hizo conocida hace más de 20 años, hoy la mortifica a pesar de ser el ingrediente secreto de su éxito inicial.

La cantante colombiana compartió sus pensamientos en el programa "Hot Ones", cuando el presentador Sean Evans le preguntó qué momentos de sus primeros años la hacían estremecerse particularmente y confesó que exageraba esos característicos gritos de su voz.

Shakira incluso sacó a relucir la técnica vocal para Sean, y para ser honestos, nos lleva de vuelta a sus primeros días moviendo la cadera con "Whenever, Wherever". Aunque ella está contenta de haberlo bajado un poquito porque era "exagerado" y "demasiado Shakira".

Diddy's son, Christian "King" Combs, is being sued for sexual assault, and the alleged victim claims she has audio recordings of him forcing himself on her during a yacht party ... and another accuser, Rodney Jones, is involved in this too.

Grace O'Marcaigh just filed the suit against King in L.A., alleging she was working as a steward on a yacht she claims Diddy himself chartered a few days before New Year's Eve in 2022.

In the suit, O'Marcaigh alleges she was doing her job during the shindig -- which she claims was advertised as a family-friendly excursion -- and King came on, after which she claims he immediately became fixated on her, uncomfortably so.

Shakira has a hot take on herself -- she thinks that the yodeling she became known for 20+ years ago mortifies her now, despite it being the secret sauce to her early success.

The Colombian singer spilled the beans on "Hot Ones" ... when host Sean Evans asked what moments from her early days made her wince, she copped up to overdoing those signature cries in her voice.

Shakira even busted out the vocal technique for Sean ... and TBH, it takes us back to her early hip-shaking "Whenever, Wherever" days -- but for the singer, she's just glad she dialed it down 'cause it was "exaggerated" and "too much Shakira."

Country music star Colt Ford has landed up in hospital after suffering a heart attack after his show in Arizona this week ... but his team says he's hanging tough.

The singer's team says Colt is currently in ICU at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona -- this on the heels of a medical emergency following his performance at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row in Gilbert Thursday night -- and his rep tells TMZ he's currently stable.

We're told he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis in 2022 -- so it may have something to do with his heart attack ... but it's still unclear at this point.