Music

Ice-T had a heated confrontation with a cop that escalated to the point the rapper called the officer a "f**king a**hole."

The incident went down in New Jersey last May, but the body cam vid was just released.

It begins with the officer having just pulled Ice over for expired plates ... expired since 2021! Ice-T tells the cop he was actually on his way to the DMV to make things current, but the officer challenged him, asking, "Do you have an appointment?" Ice's reply ... "I don't need one. They know me."

Joe Budden's podcast co-host QueenzFlip is defending his friend in the wake of the rapper's lewdness charge ... and he says the incident won't harm their work.

We got QueenzFlip in New Jersey and our photog asked him about Joe's alleged naked event from last month ... the one where his neighbors claim he showed up at their door in his birthday suit.

QueenzFlip says Joe's always going to be good in his book and he's brushing off the incident ... chalking it up to JB's sleepwalking.

Singer Brenton Wood, best known for his 1967 hit "The Oogum Boogum Song," has died, TMZ has learned.

Wood's manager and assistant, Manny Gallegos, confirmed the news to TMZ, revealing he passed away today at his Moreno Valley, California home, surrounded by friends and family.

As of now, his cause of his death has not been revealed.

Braian Nahuel Paiz, a Buenos Aires-based waiter, has been arrested in connection to Liam Payne's death ... for providing Payne with cocaine.

Paiz was booked by authorities outside his home -- where he was under house arrest -- in the Argentinian capital, days after he was charged in connection with the singer's passing.

Local authorities raided Paiz's home earlier Friday before arresting him.

12:05 PM PT -- In an incident report obtained by TMZ ... the unidentified victim says he was holding a bottle of water when he was pushed from behind at the show, splashing water onto the stage, dousing BigXThaPlug. The victim says BigX looked at him "with a real mean face," prompting someone from the rapper's team to punch him.

The victim told cops other members of the crew allegedly jumped off the stage and struck the victim as many as 50 times over 5 minutes as he covered up in a fetal position on the floor, and he says he was kicked and stomped ... all requiring hospitalization for cuts and bruises. The victim claims 2 gold chains and a pair of $2,000 Cartier sunglasses were stolen during the melee.

BigXThaPlug and his crew cleaned a fan's clock during his sold-out "Take Care" tour, and TMZ Hip Hop has their showdown -- and ensuing brawl -- all on camera!!!

Multiple sources tell us one particular guy in the crowd was heckling BigX during the rapper's Seattle stop on Dec. 8 ... obnoxiously causing a scene as the "Amar" hitmaker was onstage.

A line was drawn when the heckler threw water at BigX ... and the top-heavy rapper and his crew hopped off the stage to defend themselves.

A little winter chill in Colorado? Not a chance -- Jennifer Lopez is cranking up the heat, proving she’s still got it with a sizzling hot snap.

Take a good ol' look for yourself -- Jennifer's serving up some serious sex kitten vibes, rocking a tiny black bikini with gold accents and topping it off with furry boots ... 'cause she's gotta keep some part of her body warm in that Aspen chill!

Jennifer's the queen of full glam, but this time she kept it a bit mysterious with a cowboy hat covering part of her face as she struck a swaggering pose.

Looks like Offset's not having any trouble in the dating department amid his well-publicized breakup with Cardi B ... he was just spotted shopping with a new lady in Dubai.

Offset was booked for big-money shows in Dubai for New Year's, performing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ... and our sources tell us he took Atlanta-based model Melanie Jayda along for the ride.

The couple hit up a Chanel store in the UAE city on New Year's Day, strolling along with $100K worth of merch.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are starting off 2025 with a BANG!

Just check out these photos of the ultra-famous couple -- known for making splashy appearances everywhere they go around the planet.

Bianca, in particular, knows full well how to make tongues wag with her sexy outfits that typically cover very little of her amazing body while she's out in public.

Justin Bieber's here to shut down those Hailey divorce rumors with a cheeky little post, making it crystal clear they're still going strong.

Amid recent online speculation, Justin set the record straight with a sexy snap of Hailey rocking a pink bikini and fur coat on his IG story, with the casual caption, "Um. Goin anywhere with u bb. Happy new year" ... that's one way to quiet the noise!

Hailey's New Year's headband was the perfect touch to ring in 2025 with gusto -- and googly-eyed Justin made sure everyone knew he was kicking off the New Year proudly proclaiming his love.

Taylor Swift can safely add one new fan to her already MASSIVE following -- Caitlin Clark's mom, Anne -- as the Indiana Fever superstar revealed she converted her mom into a Swiftie after the two attended a show in Indianapolis!

Clark joined Travis and Jason Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast ... where the trio gushed over the recently wrapped "Eras" tour, with the 22-year-old saying her mother didn't want to miss out on attending one of the pop stars shows.

"My mom was begging me to take her," she said. "She was like, 'I gotta go, everybody is talking about it.' I'm like, 'okay, okay.'"

Diplo was trippin’ — literally — during a CNN interview to ring in 2025 — and his back and forth with hosts Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper was one for the history books.

The famous DJ made a virtual appearance on CNN’s "New Year’s Eve Live" with Andy and Anderson who were standing alongside each other in Times Square waiting for the ball to drop.

Check out the video … Andy kicked things off by asking Diplo about the most conventional place where he had done LSD.

Celine Dion is setting her intentions for the new year ... hinting another comeback is on the horizon after her triumphant return to performing this summer.

The singer, who announced her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis 2 years ago, took a moment on New Year's Eve to thank her devoted fans for their "unwavering support" throughout this trying time.

As Celine put it ... her fans' "love and energy" has inspired her "every day" amid her health issues -- which saw her take a step back from performing in recent years.

Platinum producer RoccStar thinks VH1 is due for some changes in its 'Love & Hip Hop' schedule ... mainly putting him and Hollywood back on primetime and giving the Miami series the boot!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with RoccStar in L.A. as the last of 2024 wound down, and we got an explanation on why 'L&HH' has been missing from the Thirty Mile Zone since 2019 ... RoccStar says the network didn't want to pay anyone!!!

Omarion, Soulja Boy, Jason Lee, and of course, Ray J & Princess Love were among his 'L&HH' counterparts -- but RoccStar remembers himself being a ratings draw.

Joe Budden was charged earlier this month ... after authorities claimed his neighbor saw him outside their apartment on Ring Camera footage -- completely naked.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... Budden was charged on December 4 in Edgewater, New Jersey for lewdness.

The Edgewater Police Department released a statement on December 30 about the incident after news of the charge broke online ... explaining officers were called to an apartment complex in the area at approximately 7:21 AM.

Luigi Mangione's cultural impact is defying gravity ... he's now the inspiration behind a viral drag performance sparking serious chatter online.

Check it out ... a performer named August Ryder shared footage on X of his set from Sunday's "So You Think You Can Twink" pageant at the Precinct DTLA nightclub in Los Angeles ... where he dressed as the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer and lip-synced to the "Wicked" anthem "Defying Gravity."

Before August even took to the stage, footage of Luigi's high-profile arrest played for the crowd ... which prompted thunderous applause, as well as several hoots and hollers. Yet, it was August's take on the suspected shooter that raised some eyebrows.

Dua Lipa's not doing anything to shut down rumors that she's engaged ... sharing a series of photos on Instagram with her left hand shown prominently -- adorned with a huge gold ring.

The singer-songwriter posted to Instagram just minutes ago ... sipping on a martini in the pics -- with her left hand wrapped around the glass.

Of course, the move drew people's eyes to her left ring finger -- where she's got a gold band topped with what looks like some sort of precious gem.