Music

Roger Waters got into a heated debate with a CNN host about who's really to blame for the war in Ukraine -- saying it's actually the U.S. and NATO that are fueling the ongoing conflict.

The Pink Floyd rocker sat down with Michael Smerconish on his weekend show, and they were getting into it over Ukraine and China as well ... with RW taking the position that not all is as it seems when it comes to who's at fault for the fighting dragging on this long.

Watch ... he says we, the States, are partly at fault for keeping it going by not pressuring Zelensky to strike a deal with Putin for a cease-fire -- but instead, continuing to fund/supply their military efforts (Ukraine's, that is).

Smerconish pushes back on that, pointing out that Roger here seems to be pointing the finger at the country that was invaded -- but there, too, Roger doubles down ... and says this thing has been going on for far longer than just a year, arguing NATO has stoked the flames.

When he's confronted with the notion that America has an obligation to step in and be "liberators" ... Roger kinda loses it, saying they have no such place in the world -- even contesting that they weren't going to get involved in WWII until Pearl Harbor was attacked.

One last thing ... they also talk Taiwan, and Roger once again takes a counter viewpoint that the nation does, in fact, belong to the People's Republic, despite what the U.S. might think.

Drake is crowning Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj as the best to ever do it in rap -- and in NM's case, particularly, seems to be throwing a little shade at her contemporaries.

The OVO chief was performing in Toronto Saturday during the Young Money Reunion Tour ... and Drake took several moments during the set to pay his respects to Weezy -- who's credited with finding both he and Nicki all those years ago and getting their careers started.

Drizzy heaps on the praise and adulation for Wayne, who just stands there giddily and accepts it. But watch when Drake starts dishing out GOAT titles ... he bestows LW with the honor, but Nicki as well.

Of course, this is just Drake's opinion ... but it's an interesting argument for Wayne's case. Some say Jay-Z or Nas might be the GOATs of hip-hop, but Champagne Papi has his pick right here.

As for Nicki, he calls her the greatest as well -- but perhaps in the female rap setting. In her case, he actually scoffs at any notion that any other femcee is close in status ... saying NM is the originator and the best to ever do it. That, too, is obviously controversial.

There've been countless female rappers before Nicki who paved the way -- and there are even some now who some believe might be up there ready to take the throne ... aka, Cardi B or even Megan Thee Stallion, just to name a couple.

But Drake doesn't see it that way -- he clearly thinks these two are the cream of the crop ... and they got his cosign on that right in front of a massive crowd.

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari went on the attack after Kevin Federline, the father of her 2 children, did an interview saying the 2 teens are avoiding their mom.

Sam went on social media, saying ... "There is not validity to his statement regarding the kids distancing themselves and it is irresponsible to make that statement publicly. The boys are very smart and will be 18 soon to make their own decisions and may eventually realize the ‘tough’ part was having a father who hasn’t worked much in over 15 years as a role model."

Britney doubled down ... "It saddens me to hear that my ex husband has decided to discuss the relationship between me and my children … as we all know, raising teenage boys is never easy for anyone … it concerns me the fact that the reason is based on my Instagram … it was LONG before Instagram … I gave them every thing … Only one word: HURTFUL … I’ll say it … My mother told me ‘You should GIVE them to their dad’ … I’m sharing this because I can … Have a good day folks!!!"

Kevin did an interview with the DailyMail and the video will appear on ITV this week. He made it clear 16-year-old Sean Preston and 15-year-old Jayden James haven't seen their mom for months, choosing not to attend their wedding, and their decision was intentional.

As for why ... it seems there are several reasons, one of which is that Britney has been posting lots of nude pics on social media, although Sam was quick to respond she "never posted a nude selfie except of her butt."

Kevin really leaned in on the conservatorship, and clearly supported the notion. As you recall, Britney had lost custody of both kids and was ordered to undergo random drug testing by the family law judge before the conservatorship was created, and he gave props to Jamie Spears, saying the kids "had a lot of questions about it," ... I don’t know that I can answer all of them for them but I just tried to explain to them that your mom needed help, you know, and the people were in play to try to make that happen, to make it better."

He called Jamie a "really caring" man, adding, "When Jamie took over, things got into order. He saved her life," ... although he has said in the past he wasn't sure the conservatorship should have lasted 13 years.

Sam was irate, referring to the fact Kevin gets child support until the kids turn 18, saying, "Kevin’s gravy train will end soon [which] probably explains the timing of these hurtful statements. I do not know him personally and have nothing against him aside him [deciding] to vilify my wife. His character is revealed by approval of the cruel 13 year [conservatorship] and his loyalty to Jaimie indicates his approval at time of its conception as well.”

Sam went on, "Things that are now considered normal issues and behavior easily dealt with in therapy or other ways were magnified to justify a 13 year sentence. I will not comment on this matter except to say I have a job."

Kylie Jenner and daughter Stormi were all about Travis Scott's amazing concert Saturday night in London ... they were jammin' just like the normies in the packed stadium.

Kylie and their kid were arms up as Travis performed to a sold-out crowd at The O2 Arena ... which held 20,000 screaming fans.

This was Travis' first arena concert since the Astroworld tragedy last year, and it went off without a hitch ... well, actually, one idiot threw some sort of heavy object on the stage, missing Travis, but he was clearly pissed.

He has another show Sunday night, and he seems thrilled to be fully back.

The rapper wasn't holding back much, if at all. He was all over the stage with max energy, but he was clearly mindful of the crowd ... not wanting to encourage them to go too far.

Travis acknowledged K&S were in the crowd, and then dedicated "Mamacitas" to his daughter. Their baby boy, who was born in February, wasn't at the concert.

Travis intro'd a new song, "God's Country" ... it was supposed to be on Kanye's "Donda" album that was released last year, but didn't make the cut.

There were other celebs on hand ... Kevin Durant and James Harden were backstage popping champagne bottles and dousing their buddy Trav.

After the concert, Travis and Kylie were interlocking fingers as they made their way to a restaurant ... the hard-to-get-in The Twenty Two. Somehow they got a res!

Kylie and Storm had some serious mommy-and-me time all week in the town of Big Ben, shopping and just hanging out.

Apparently, it's all about the he said she said "I Do" ... because Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst has gotten married for the 4th time.

Their marriage record, obtained by TMZ, says Fred and wife Arles Durst got married in L.A. County ... however, the date they tied the knot is unclear.

The actual marriage certificate is confidential ... that's a thing in L.A., especially for celebs, but the County Clerk makes public the fact a confidential marriage certificate has been filed.

The two have been an item for at least a few months ... his band did a show in Pennsylvania back in May, and he brought Arles out to slow dance together to "Careless Whisper" ... before jumping into their hit, "Nookie."

Arles has also changed her last name on Instagram to Durst -- she's got a profile description that reads, "Mrs. D."

As we reported, Fred's 3rd divorce was finalized back in 2019 from Ukrainian make-up artist Kseniya Beryazina.

The guy walked away with all his rights and residuals to his music secured, while having to pay off her car and ante up spousal support.

Before Kseniya, Fred was married to Esther Nazarov for 3 months ... before that, he was with Rachel Tergesen, with whom he has a daughter.

Intentional or not, Kourtney Kardashian's one-upping her kid sister by traveling like the masses and doing better by the environment ... just as a bunch of celebs -- including her kin -- catch heat for huge carbon footprints.

Kourt and her husband, Travis Barker, flew commercial on Alaska Airlines for a trip from LAX to Spokane, Washington earlier this week. We're told Penelope and North were also on board.

They appeared to keep the whole thing lowkey, putting on their masks and hoodies. We know they have a home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Spokane is the nearest airport. So, it's likely they'll be spending some time there.

Of course, commercial cruisin' isn't exactly her family's M.O. lately. Remember, a recent report by Yard, a marketing agency, called out celebs polluting the air by taking private jets.

Kim Kardashian and Travis Scott were among the celebs to make that list -- and, as we reported, Kylie Jenner's carbon footprint has also been a hot topic after she posted a shot of her and Travis with his and her private jets.

She also got flak for reportedly using her PJ to go shopping less than 30 miles from home ... just to dodge L.A. traffic.

Meek Mill is dropping big racks to celebrate his label, copping a dreamcatcher-style Dreamchasers chain -- it's an interestingly timed purchase, and TMZ Hip Hop has all the diamond details.

The piece, designed after a Native American dream catcher said to block out bad dreams, makes the most outta the dual-meaning "DC" emblem ... and comes with a hefty $200,000 price tag!!!

Easy to see why ... it's packed with 100 carats of various diamonds -- round stones, solitaire emeralds and baguettes on the feather -- all sparkling with VVs clarity.

Don The Jeweler of Status Jewelers tells TMZ he and Meek met a little while back at a Roc Nation event where both Young Thug and Gunna vouched on the spot for Don's jewels. Thug specifically called Don "the G.O.A.T." when it comes to custom pieces for rappers.

From there, Meek and the Atlanta-based jeweler sparked a connection and spent the next year outlining the intricate details of the Dreamchasers piece ... which was hand-delivered during Rolling Loud Miami last month.

Don also had the back pendant engraved with the phrase "Dreamchasers catch dreams" ... which signifies the moves Meek is trying to accomplish going forward.

In July, Meek took the reins of his career, vowing to take his DC label to new heights after he departed from Jay-Z's Roc Nation management, his home since 2012.

Kevin Federline is spilling the alleged tea about his kids' relationship with their mom, Britney Spears -- saying their boys don't want to see her right now ... for myriad reasons.

The singer's ex-husband -- with whom she shares two boys, Jayden and Sean -- did a wide-ranging interview with DailyMail ... portions of which are apparently going to be aired on ITV this coming week. Still, some juicy quotes surfaced in the print version of their story.

For starters, Kevin says their sons are deliberately choosing to avoid Britney right now. He doesn't give a clear-cut reason or explanation in DM's post -- but there are hints that they might wanna keep their distance over a number of things, including Brit's behavior of late.

He says, "The boys have decided they are not seeing her right now. It's been a few months since they've seen her. They made the decision not to go to her wedding," going on to add that they were happy for her and that they still wish their mother the best.

One possibility for why they're keeping her at arm's length ... it's actually Britney's constant social media posting -- her nudes, specifically -- that have caused her teenagers embarrassment. KF says he's tried to explain it away, but it's hard on them regardless.

Kevin goes on to say the very public nature of the conservatorship battle has been difficult, generally speaking, and he's tried to shield them from it/the spotlight as best he can ... despite their constant questions about it over the years, some of which he couldn't answer.

He also says Jamie Spears "saved her life" -- and that he'd welcome their grandfather back into his and their life at large, despite the drama that's gone down between them recently.

Anyway, back to Britney. Kevin also had this to say ... while the boys would visit Britney amid her conservatorship, they saw things that made him (and presumably them as well) fairly uncomfortable, but he declines to go into detail with DM.

In light of that, though, as well as her recent lashing out on social media ... he says Sean and Jayden have reached their decision -- and that choice, for now, is to stay away.

Kevin adds, "They tried to give her the benefit of the doubt but at the same time, I can tell that sometimes, it hurts to be in that position. So, I made sure all my kids can come to me at any moment and discuss anything. The boys -- all my kids -- know that they come to me and to my wife and discuss anything."

Nelly and Ashanti appear to be putting a little salt in the wound that Irv Gotti is still dealing with upon learning they were dating way back when -- but it might just be a coincidence.

Here's the deal ... the Murder Inc honcho was N.O.R.E.'s latest guest on "Drink Champs," which just dropped. In preview clips of the episode, Irv could be heard recounting a lot of Ashanti stories -- including how he found out she had gotten involved with Nelly.

Unclear what year this was, but IG says he was watching an NBA game when he saw the two artists walk out and perform together -- which left him stunned at the time, as he himself was apparently romantically linked to her too around the same time. Sounds like he still has some sour grapes over it ... and about his complicated relationship with Ashanti in general.

More on that in a bit ... but first, fast-forward to Friday night -- where Nelly, Ja Rule, Ma$e, Ashanti, Lil Jon and others were headlining the "My 2000s Playlist" concert in Oakland.

Now, they were already on the bill, which was established well before the new "Drink Champs" episode -- but people still lost it on social media when they saw that Nelly actually brought out Ashanti during his set ... this after hers had concluded a few hours earlier.

Some are speculating this might've been a petty play at Irv's expense ... which may be true, especially when you hear Nelly's final joke about "floor seats" at the next NBA game.

Folks can make of this what they will, we suppose, but the timing of it is certainly not lost on people ... even though it may have just came together timing-wise by mere chance.

Travis Scott is back in a big way -- the guy headlined his first big solo show since the Astroworld tragedy ... making his official comeback across the pond for Britons.

The rapper is performing an arena concert Saturday at London's O2 -- where he's doing two shows this weekend -- hitting the stage at around 9:30 PM local time. No introductions were needed ... TS just dove right into his set standing at the top of an elevated platform.

Trav was decked out in some futuristic costume with shades on ... and almost immediately, he cranked the energy level in the room up to 10 -- like he normally does for his shows.

After running through a couple songs up there, he made his way down ... where he kept the hype up. The audience seemed to be rocking with him all throughout. BTW  -- the place is absolutely packed, including in the nosebleeds ... and everyone looks to be vibing so far.

So far, nothing too crazy is going on. Yes ... Travis is screaming/jumping around, per usual, but he doesn't appear to be encouraging anyone to lose their minds beyond what they're already doing. He's literally just performing and staying in his element -- so it's all kosher.

Also ... Kylie Jenner and their daughter Stormi are present for Travis' big day. Trav just dedicated a song, "Mamacitas," to her, saying he knew she was there in the building.

Like we said, this is Travis' first solo performance of this scale since last November. He's obviously performed publicly since then -- in smaller venues and even via cameos at music festivals here in the U.S. -- but this is a big deal ... 'cause it's billed as strictly a Travis gig.

He's going to be headlining some other major events later this year -- including a festival in South America -- and he even has a Vegas residency all set up for him too next month.

Travis Scott is just hours away from performing his first major solo show since Astroworld ... and he's got some important people there to support him as he takes the stage.

Kylie Jenner and the couple's daughter, Stormi, have been in London with TS all week -- doing some shopping, dining and spending some time together. The show is a big deal for Travis, so you gotta imagine he's enjoyed some family time leading up to it.

Unclear if Kylie and Travis' 6-month-old son made the trip, but he's old enough to fly ... so it's possible he's just been staying with nannies while mom, dad and big sister hit the town.

Travis is scheduled to perform two sold-out shows at London's O2 Arena Saturday and Sunday night ... a venue that holds about 20,000 people. A source close to Travis tells us he's, "excited to deliver for his fans in London by being back, thriving on stage."

We've seen Travis pop up at nightclubs and perform a song or two during other artists' sets, but the O2 shows will mark his first solo shows since November at Astroworld.

Travis has taken a lot of heat for the 10 deaths that occurred at the festival, and is fighting a mountain of litigation ... but has seemingly been greeted with open arms by music fans and those hoping to score some of his merch and collabs he's released since the tragedy.

Judith Durham, the lead singer of The Seekers whose song "Georgy Girl" was an international hit, has died.

The Seekers were a huge hit in the '60s, racking up big hits like "I'll Never Find Another You," and "A World of Our Own." But, "Georgy Girl" was a monster ... the title song to the movie with the same name that also became a blockbuster.

Universal Music Australia announced her death, saying she had a brief stay in a hospital and ultimately died from a chronic lung disease.

The company said in tribute, “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star. Her struggle was intense and heroic - never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.”

Judith's sister, Beverley Sheehan, added, "Judith's joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me".

Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, called Judith "a national treasure."

The Seekers were around in a big way from 1963 - 1968, aligning with The Beatles' run.

The group sold 50 million records which was a huge feat.

The group received the Australian of the Year award in '67. Although they broke up about a year later, they reunited from time to time ... as recently as 2014.

Judith was 79.

Shawn Mendes may have made the decision to pull the plug on his world tour, but he's not canceling some serious beach time ... soaking up the sun and taking a plunge.

The Canadian singer was spotted at the beach Friday in Miami, wearing red trunks and with his chiseled figure on display. Shawn got in the water for a bit to cool off, fully submerging before heading back to shore.

As we reported, Shawn recently announced he was pulling the plug on his Wonder World Tour in order to focus on his mental health. The singer told fans that while he thought he was ready to hit the road again, the pressures and stresses of performing city to city and being away from friends and family were too much.

Shawn's family is based in the Toronto, Canada area ... but his ex-girlfriend, Camila Cabello, who Mendes has remained close with since their split lives in Miami -- so it's possible he's spending time with her.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's divorce continues to drag on ... Ye has officially lost his 5th divorce lawyer.

Kim and Kanye had a trial-setting conference Friday in L.A. as part of their divorce. Ye's current divorce attorney, Samantha Spector, had previously asked the judge to relieve her as counsel, saying her relationship with Kanye was irretrievably broken, though she wouldn't say why.

She had a date set next week to officially withdraw, but the judge granted her request Friday, so she's out and Ye is without a lawyer yet again.

What's more, the judge made it clear ... either Kanye gets off the dime and submits his financial declarations to settle the remaining issues, or the case is going to trial in December ... no if, ands or buts.

If Kanye ghosts everyone -- then in all probability when the case comes before the judge in December -- Kim will get whatever she wants.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim got a divorce decree back in March, making her legally single, but there are still a couple of issues to fully resolve -- custody and property, and that's what the judge is dealing with now.

Sources connected to Kim and Kanye say they're getting along -- as we've seen evidenced at their kid's sporting events and family gatherings -- but it's been a roller coaster.

Wiz Khalifa's finally breaking his silence about his angry tirade toward a pair of L.A.-based DJs inside a nightclub ... and he's admitting he was outta line.

During a special edition Breakfast Club interview on Friday, DJ Envy took it upon himself to interview Wiz alongside DJ Drama to rep for all the turntablists worldwide … who may have been bothered at the sight of the star rapper trashing their backup support.

For his part, Wiz didn’t hide behind his celebrity, admitting he wasn’t too big to say he was sorry.

“I apologize to anybody I’ve offended … sincerely,” the Taylor Gang CEO said to kick off the interview, before explaining what went down, from his POV.

According to Wiz, he was booked at club Poppy in WeHo to promote his new album, “Multiverse,” but when it came for his time on the mic, the song order -- which his team sent beforehand -- was outta wack. Also, other songs not included in the setlist randomly popped up during the performance.

Wiz admits that's when he lost his cool -- but in the aftermath, he's taken a lot of heat from the tight-knit DJ community, perhaps most notably from Kid Capri … who actually had a hand in staging the Breakfast Club summit.

Envy says Capri called him asking for Drama’s number and shortly after, the interview was set.

Wiz says he reached out to the DJ, Mikey Danger, multiple times … we have as well.

An important piece of Beatles history is up for grabs -- John Lennon's nasty response to a Paul McCartney interview, and it provides tons of insight into the writing duo's complicated relationship.

John fired off a letter to Paul days after an interview critical of him and The Beatles appeared in a November 1971 issue of British music magazine Melody Maker, and John's reply is mostly scathing ... but also thoughtful and pleading.

From the jump, John's frustration with Paul is clear ... telling Paul he's ungrateful for all the money he's getting from The Beatles. As the 3-page letter rambles on, John takes issue with Paul dismissing his song "Imagine" and berates Paul for being indecisive over the band's breakup.

The Beatles had been broken up for more than a year at that point, and were haggling over money. In the letter, John pleads with Paul to meet him without any lawyers ... then turns around and accuses Paul of buying up shares of another record company behind his back.

George Harrison and Ringo Starr also get roped in, as John rips Paul for telling the magazine George and Ringo would break him -- and also accuses Paul of threatening Ringo and his wife, Maureen.

The typed letter, which includes some of John's handwritten additions and signature, is being auctioned off by Gotta Have Rock and Roll ... and it's expected to fetch at least $30,000.

John also sent the letter to Melody Maker magazine editor Richard Williams, scribbling a plea for him to publish it ... and it appeared in the magazine a few weeks after Paul's interview ran.

There's also a fascinating postscript. John says he's puzzled Paul's interview mentioned leaving their wives, Linda and Yoko Ono, out of the dispute ... to which John replies, "I thought you'd have understood BY NOW, that I'm JOHNANDYOKO."