TMZ.com

Kate Middleton kicked off Christmas on the keys and on key ... for the first time ever, she played the piano publicly ... backing up Tom Walker's Xmas performance.

The Duchess of Cambridge showed off some pretty serious skills as she played, "For Those Who Can't Be Here" at Westminster Abbey ... which, BTW, looked awesome.

The vid was released Friday, though it was recorded a few days back at a royal Christmas carol service called "Together at Christmas" -- which Kate hosted. She had tweeted... "I’m so excited to be hosting #TogetheratChristmas here at @wabbey, a place that’s really special to William and me."

She was dressed in red, giving Walker the spotlight, although most eyes were on her. Walker dedicated to those who "can't be at Christmas."

Tom raved about the night they shared the stage ...  "WHAT A NIGHT🤯 I can’t thank enough for being a part of this performance. This is dedicated to those who can't be here this Christmas including my grandad."

BTS's Suga has joined the ever-growing crowd, testing positive for COVID ... and that makes him the second major K-pop star to catch the virus in the last month.

Suga tested positive Friday ... according to his management team. It seems he was flying back from the U.S. to Korea Thursday and tested negative before getting on the plane, but that's a test given 72 hours before flying.

He took the test in Korea Thursday and got the positive results the next day. So, it's possible/almost certain he flew with COVID.

Suga was quarantined after getting tested and even before he got his results -- this per Korean guidelines. According to his team, he was not in contact with other BTS band members, although the time frame here is unclear.

Suga's been fully vaccinated since August, so this was clearly a breakthrough infection. Also unclear if it's Delta or Omicron. His team says he's experiencing no symptoms.

Last month, the group performed a bunch of shows in California ... and Suga stayed on for "personal engagements" and has been working on side projects, according to Big Hit Music.

Kris Jenner is no threat to Mariah Carey for sure, but she did a respectable job with her rendition of "Jingle Bells," with an assist from her future son-in-law.

KJ posted her version of the Xmas staple, as Travis Barker, who produced the tune on "Kravis Records," kept the beat on his drum set. Not bad to have Blink-182 as your backup.

Kourtney Kardashian contributed by playing the song's title.

As for the art on the album cover ... well, it's a back-in-the-day photo, and a good one at that.

It's not the first Kris Jenner release ... back in '85 she recorded "I Like My Friends" to the tune of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A."

Travis Scott and his foundation are working around the clock to make sure kids in his hometown of Houston don't go without a little something to bring home some holiday cheer.

TS and The Cactus Jack Foundation will distribute toys to more than 5,000 kids in Houston who come from struggling families. We're told the gifts will be pushed out across 6 Houston neighborhoods throughout the city before Christmas Day.

We've obtained pics of all the presents and toys for the kids, plenty of dolls, golf sets and even keyboards for the aspiring musician.

Families flocked to the distribution locations throughout this week, and if the kid's smiles were any indication, you can tell the gifts were well appreciated.

The massive donation comes on the heels of an effort Travis is spearheading to make sure a tragedy like what happened at his Astroworld Festival never happens again. TMZ broke the story, TS is working with government officials and music honchos to create a safety plan for cities interested in holding large events in the future.

It was a few weeks ago when Travis sat down with Charlamagne tha God and expressed he felt a responsibility to fix things moving forward and figure out what led to the deaths of 10 of his fans.

Tis the season of giving -- just ask Tory Lanez -- who put $100,000 to work, buying toys and clothing for single moms and their kids.

Donning a Santa hat and mask Wednesday, Lanez was busy giving out the items in Broward County, Florida area as vehicles pulled up to his distribution station. Lanez handed out bikes, Barbies, lightsabers, legos and more ... even passing out snacks and taking the time to chat with those in need.

In all, we're told Lanez spent about $100,000 on the event, telling us, "We’re still battling a pandemic that’s left so many people between a rock and a hard place. I’m just happy I can be a blessing to others and help them safely bring some joy back during the holidays."

If Kanye West is upset about Pete Davidson hanging out with Kim in L.A. this week, he certainly isn't showing it on his face ... Ye was all smiles while he watched his Donda Academy team hoop from the best seat in the house.

Ye sat courtside next to his buddy French Montana and chatted with O.T. Genasis Wednesday night during the Donda Doves Homecoming matchup in Whittier, CA. While he was seated for most of the contest, at one point, Ye got up and chatted with some of the team's players.

As for his attire, Kanye certainly didn't wear a team jersey ... sporting the look we've become accustomed to seeing him rock over the last few weeks -- boots, black hoodie, gloves, sunglasses and a baseball hat. Fans were also instructed to wear all black, and obliged.

Kanye advertised the game on his Instagram a few hours before tipoff, and resale tickets ranged anywhere from $25 to $500 ... aka, not your regular high school game prices.

Kanye started his Donda Academy earlier this year, recruiting basketball prospects to the program which mostly centers around hoops -- usually with multiple practices per day -- and online learning for academics.

Kanye and French go way back ... remember, French used to date Khloe Kardashian, and O.T. Genasis has a child with Khloe's bff Malika Haqq.

Britney Spears is reminding fans what kinda voice she has -- and while she's looking forward to using it again in a studio, she's not ready to let go of her past anger at her family.

Britney posted a video Wednesday standing in front of her mirror and singing at the top of her voice -- not many lyrics, mostly an R&B-style vocal run. Her caption, though, is pure venom for her family ... she wrote, "I just realized this today guys … after what my family tried to do to me three years ago … I needed to be my own cheerleader 🤷🏼‍♀️ !!!! God knows they weren’t."

She posted a bunch of her accomplishments, apparently after a little Googling, she found she's sold 100 million records, 33 million albums and logged billions of online streams. That's the good news.

On the other hand, she says, "I’m here to remind my white 'classy' family that I haven’t forgotten what they did to me nor will I ever forget !!!!⁣"

As for what happened 3 years ago, Brit's likely referring to when her family allegedly put her back into rehab in 2019. Remember, she was just about to start her Vegas show, but needed to postpone it ... and her dad, Jamie Spears, had become very ill.

Britney also teased fans, saying ... "Pssss new song in the works … I’m gonna let you know what I mean 😉 !!!!!"

Mariah Carey's classic Christmas jingle is the gift that keeps on giving ... to her bank account, that is ... we've done the math and she's scored millions of XMAS $$$.

Our music industry sources tell us Mariah still pulls in big bucks on licensing and commercial deals for the classic. While we're told she's only making a fraction of a cent every time someone streams "All I Want For Christmas Is You," the fractions add up to seven figures and counting, considering the popular Xmas track has over 1 billion streams just on Spotify.

One source who manages artists tells us singers typically make between .003 to .004 of a dollar per single stream ... and in Mariah's case, that would work out to between $3,249,600 and $4,332,800 just on Spotify alone ... and the figure will only grow.

Mariah's 1994 song is hugely popular around the holidays and as another source put it ... "Mariah can sit on her a** for the rest of her life and ONLY promote AIWFC and still be a millionaire."

What's more, the numbers don't even take into account streams on other platforms, including Apple Music. We reached out to Apple for an all-time count on 'AIWFC' streams ... so far no word back.

Streaming platforms weren't around when Mariah first launched the song, and it's pre-streaming days when she would've made the most money in sales ... but that doesn't mean today's numbers translate to chump change.

Shaggy does his Christmas a little different than most of us, which is why he's dropping new holiday tunes to spread some holiday cheer ... Jamaican style, of course!

The singer was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to reveal how he's spending this Christmas at his island home, and it sounds like the best party you can imagine. In fact, Shaggy says those festivities inspired him to release a deluxe version of his "Christmas in the Islands" album.

Yes, the record includes his reggae-flavored covers of classics like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Silent Night" ... but it also has originals that reflect the way he and his family have always spent Christmas.

The difference between what he's singing and Nat King Cole's takes -- tons of reggae and dancehall. Shaggy admits his holiday traditions might not be exactly the same as the typical ones in America, and that's why he's out to blend cultures for everyone's get-togethers.

Offset just got $2 million richer!! That is... after Cardi B gifted him a fat check at his celeb-filled, sneaker-themed birthday bash.

Offset turned the big 3-0 earlier this month, and last night he and Cardi turned things waaaay up by cutting her hubby a $2 mil check ... during a night filled with money-hurling, drinks and lots and lots of twerking.

As you see, hubby and wife let loose for the celebration. Offset was decked out in a Louis Vuitton blue jacket, and Cardi's chest glistened with a giant Playboy bunny chain. As you know, she was recently anointed the mag's creative director.

Now, she's looking to help her man diversify too ... Cardi says the $2 mil check for Offset is seed money for some big biz ventures he has coming up in 2022.

That's the trend in show biz these days ... significant others are pumping up loved ones' portfolios. Remember, Tiffany Haddish's wish list was real estate, and ditto for Cardi. Investments are the new Lambo!!!

But, back to the party ... Cardi and Offset weren't the only big names front and center ... Kanye, The Game, Takeoff, French and Quavo also pulled up to last night's event.

Ye came solo, in authentic Kanye fashion ... a purple hoodie, covering his face with a black baseball cap and sunglasses in the dead of night. He layered things up with an oversized leather coat, grey jeans and chunky-soled boots.

Jay-Z says he's in a league of his own when it comes to music and greatness -- to the point he's claiming nobody could realistically touch him in a 'Verzuz' showdown.

HOV did some chest-puffing of his own during a Twitter Spaces convo this week, saying there wasn't a chance in hell another artist could go toe to toe with him over hits ... and not just songs everyone knows well, but ones Jay says no one's heard him perform live.

One example ... the 'Grammy Family Freestyle,' which he says he hasn't even performed onstage before. Bottom line -- he really does believe he's the GOAT of this rap game ... and that there's no true contemporary who could give him a fair fight.

Not everyone agrees, of course -- with some names having already been tossed into the proverbial ring ... like Lil Wayne, Eminem or the great OutKast as potential rivals.

The only way to find out for sure ... putting his money where his mouth is, and making it happen!!! Eh, don't get your hopes up though because it sounds like Jay's too good to consider it ... in kind of a snooty way.

The backdrop to this seems to be Future recently saying he's "bigger" than Jay-Z (in the streets) ... which stirred up a lot of debate as to whether Mr. Carter is as relevant these days as he once was.

Young Jock or Yung Joc? Well, it depends on who's asking -- some "Wheel of Fortune" fans are calling out the show out for misspelling the rapper's name during an episode ... but Joc says that's probably not the case.

Folks believe contestant Kennise Miller might have been cheated out of $39k during Monday night's bonus round when she failed to solve the puzzle under the "person" category.

Turns out the answer was "young jock", but some fans say otherwise.

Instead, they believe it was a misspelling of rapper Yung Joc's name. Well, we caught up with the "It's Goin' Down" rapper who didn't really think the answer was a mistake but was simply intended to be the description of a young athlete.

Joc tells us he is a longtime fan of 'Wheel' -- he says he grew up watching with his mom and grandma .... "So, I'm one of the best people to play "Wheel of Fortune," he says.

Blac Youngsta is either clueless or he's gonna have a wave of hate coming his way from Young Dolph fans after posing next to a tomb with the late rapper's name on it in a new music video.

Youngsta -- who was a known enemy of Dolph -- released the video for his song "Im Assuming" Monday, filmed almost entirely in a cemetery. While it's very brief, around the 1-minute-mark of the video, you see the last name Thornton on the tomb he's rapping in front of ... Dolph's real name was Adolph Thornton Jr.

While the song's lyrics don't seem to directly talk about Dolph's death, they're certainly violent -- "I been a street n**** that murder s*** ... I'm on the verge, 'bout to purge with the young n*****. They stackin' bodies."

Blac Youngsta and Young Dolph had a very nasty history, back in 2017 BY turned himself in to cops investigating a Dolph shooting in Charlotte ... and he was also named a person of interest when Dolph was shot in L.A. later that year.

Charges against BY in the Charlotte case -- where more than 100 rounds were fired into an SUV Dolph was traveling in -- were dropped for lack of evidence.

Diddy is the proud owner of his clothing brand again -- being reunited with his Sean John line after buying it out of bankruptcy for a steal.

The rap mogul won the rights to Sean John after a bidding war with 4 other parties ... claiming it for about $7.5 million, cash. The deal will be finalized this week, barring any objections -- and safe to say, the guy's pretty excited about it.

He tells TMZ ... "I launched Sean John in 1998 with the goal of building a premium brand that shattered tradition and introduced Hip Hop to high-fashion on a global scale."

Diddy adds, "Seeing how streetwear has evolved to rewrite the rules of fashion and impact culture across categories, I’m ready to reclaim ownership of the brand, build a team of visionary designers and global partners to write the next chapter of Sean John’s legacy."

Like we told you ... the SJ line fell into bankruptcy recently under management firm GBG USA Inc., which had owned 90%. When word of its assets being up for grabs reached Mr. Combs, he'd expressed interest in gaining control once again, especially considering how cheap it was going for earlier this month.

Britney Spears' lawyer says it is an "abomination" her father is asking for even more money now that the conservatorship has been terminated and reports have surfaced alleging the conservatorship was one big money grab.

Mathew Rosengart issued a blistering statement -- "The conservatorship has been terminated and Mr. Spears was suspended ignominiously. Under the circumstances, his petition is not only legally meritless. It is an abomination. Britney poignantly testified about the pain her father caused her and this only adds to it. This is not what a father who loves his daughter does."

Jamie Spears filed legal docs to make Britney's estate pay for his legal fees in winding down the conservatorship, asking that it be paid in a "prompt" fashion.

This all comes on the heels of a blistering report by the New York Times, alleging, among many other things, Jamie received a $40,000 loan from Britney's then business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment early on. According to the NYT, Jamie received $6 million from Britney's estate, while Tri Star benefited to the tune of untold millions.

The report also claims the estate paid for a security company that surveilled members of the #FreeBritney movement who went after Jamie and Tri Star and its owner, Lou Taylor.

And the NYT reports Tri Star donated tens of thousands of dollars from Britney's charitable foundation to a Christian counseling group ... a group in which Taylor was associated.

And, the allegations go on ... that Britney's estate paid for advertisements touting Tri Star and Taylor.

As we previously reported, Tri Star was receiving a percentage of Britney's earnings, which for many years were sky-high. When she stopped performing, Tri Star asked Jamie to approve a minimum guarantee of $500,000 which we're told Jamie approved. This drew heavy criticism because the concept of getting a percentage is that you take the good with the bad.

Jamie's lawyer, Alex Weingarten, has said all expenditures were made with the approval of the court or Britney's court-appointed lawyer, saying, "Jamie has nothing to hide and will therefore hide nothing."

A vacant lot next to one of Beyonce's childhood homes is up for sale in Houston... and of course, the sellers are making it all about Bey to try and push the property.

The piece of land, located on Rosedale Street in Houston, is right next to the house where Beyonce spent her early years. The vacant lot was listed for $315k earlier this year but was pulled off-market in November. Interested buyers are still welcome, and there's a number available for them to call and inquire.

We spoke with real estate investor Kevin Wright, who is selling the property, and he tells us that he is asking for an offer close to $315k, but it is negotiable. The lot previously had a home on it, but the house burned down in a fire 4 years ago.

As you can see in photos, realtors are doubling down on the fact Beyonce was the girl next door... even if it was many many years ago. There is a huge sign on the tiny lot -- about a tenth of an acre -- that says "Build On Beyonce's Old Block."

The Knowles family bought their home on the street for $64k in 1981, but moved out before Solange was born in 1986.

It's unclear if they've gotten any offers, but one thing's for sure ... it's bound to attract a Beyhive of attention!!!