TMZ.com

Beyonce and Jay-Z celebrated an anniversary Saturday night ... the 18th anniversary of 40/40.

A ton of celebs hit the party, including Megan Thee Stallion, Swizz Beatz, Quincy Jones, Meek Mill, Remy Ma, Lil Uzi Vert, Van Jones, Pusha T, Joe Budden, Belly, Fabolous and Victor Cruz.

We tried asking Jay about the flap over the blood diamond Beyonce was wearing in their Tiffany and Co. ad, but that was a no-go.

Van Jones talked to us about Jay getting into gaming, and why it makes total sense and why it's important for the Black community to get involved at the ground stage.

The 40/40 Club, a chain of Jay's sports bars and lounges, opened in NYC back in 2003, followed by ATL in 2005, Vegas 2 years later and the Barclays Center in 2012.

Beyonce looked amazing ... you gotta give it to her for the pink platform heels.

Young Thug must've been a huge fan of the "SimCity" video game series as a kid ... 'cause the tiny town he envisions building feels like an awesome mini metropolis.

So, here's the deal ... the rapper turned 30 earlier this month and among the fancy gifts that came his way were 100 acres in the greater Atlanta area ... gifted to him by his manager, Geoff Ogunlesi.

Atlanta realtor, Trey Williams, helped Geoff lock down the land deal and the plan's for Young Thug to subdivide the property with the name, "Slime City." Trey tells TMZ ... YT wants to build really nice homes, a waterpark, perhaps a camping site and so much more.

Young Thug wants to host his annual "Slime Fest" on the property. Hence ... "Slime City." YT has hosted "Slime Fest" every year -- sans 2020 for obvious reasons.

Trey says Young Thug will include a dirt bike trail on the property ... where people who love riding bikes and 4-wheelers can cut loose.

Trey says Young Thug's already been chopping it up with architects and engineers. There are a few permits they're waiting on ... but as soon as they get the green light, it's game on.

We're told this is just one way Young Thug wants to give back to his community. Just recently the rapper bought his mom a new home in the ATL ... and he plans to do the same for his dad. As for how much YT dropped for the property ... Trey wouldn't say.

Justin Bieber has left every other artist on Spotify in the dust -- hitting a major milestone by attracting the most listeners ever, which begs the question ... is he MJ's heir apparent???

The Biebs broke a record this week ... raking in the most monthly listeners on Spotify over the course of the streaming platform's history, with a whopping number of 83.3 mil -- the first time that's been accomplished -- this as his "Justice" album continues to surge on the charts.

And, don't get us started on his hit single with The Kid LAROI, "Stay," which continues to cruise at #1 several weeks after its release. Safe to say, August has been good to JB.

BTW, as far as Justin's Spotify lead ... he's far ahead of the rest of the pack by millions of listeners. The Weeknd clocks in at #2 with 74.5 million monthly listeners, Ed Sheeran is #3 with 72.4. And his female contemporaries are even further behind ... in the 60s.

The record before this was around 82 mil monthly listeners -- held by Ariana Grande for a good while. In any case, some major congratulations are in order ... and maybe some title-bestowing too. A lot of people are throwing around the term "Prince of Pop" right about now.

There's some controversy with that ... some feel he isn't deserving (for a variety of weird reasons) -- but the numbers don't lie, and Justin's longevity speaks for itself. So yeah, he may just be the modern-day prince of the genre ... behind the all-time king, Michael, of course.

Speaking of MJ, the dude's music continues to hit new benchmarks in its own right ... even today, more than a decade after his untimely death. "Thriller" was just certified 34X Platinum this week -- yep, people are still playing that classic.

Kanye West and Drake's beef has trickled into real life harassment -- some fan(s) of the latter took it upon themselves to hit up Ye's childhood home with some hateful words in tow.

Photos surfaced this weekend of three different signs that appear to have been left on the front steps of the South Shore Chicago house that Kanye grew up in ... and which he bought in recent years and is reportedly in the process of renovating.

It also served as the centerpiece of his latest listening event there in town -- with Ye creating a replica version of the crib to help tell the story of his "Donda" album. Now, it's tainted.

Somebody left signage touching on Drake's lyrical shots that he fired last weekend ... in which he called Kanye "burnt out," among other things. One sign echoes those words exactly, while another warns that Drizzy's album, "Certified Lover Boy," is coming soon.

And, the middle sign randomly takes a swipe at Justin Laboy -- a social media influencer who's been relaying a lot of Kanye "Donda" news lately ... seemingly on his behalf.

Luckily, no real damage to the home was done ... but it still feels like crossing the line into a space that's obviously sacred to Ye. Unfortunately for him, the address is widely public ... and doesn't seem to have any barricades or security around to keep nosy prowlers out.

The fact someone had the gall to go to Kanye's actual house to do this perhaps speaks to the stunt he pulled on Drake this week ... posting the dude's Toronto address publicly.

Eric Clapton is putting his anti-vaccine sentiments into song -- the guy just released a ditty that's all about resisting COVID vaccines and restrictions ... and it's surreal.

The legendary rocker and guitarist debuted his new track, "This Has Gotta Stop," Friday ... which at first feels like a social justice-like protest song -- based on the lyrics and visuals. But, when you read between the lines and read up on EC's recent COVID remarks ... it's clear what he's talking about.

The chorus goes, "This has gotta stop, enough is enough // I can't take this BS any longer // It's gone far enough, you wanna claim my soul // You'll have to come and break down this door." His first talks about knowing something was wrong when the proverbial man started laying down the law ... which Eric says made him apprehensive and break out in sweat.

He goes on to talk about what he thinks this future (of COVID mandates, vaccine requirements, etc.) will mean for his kids down the road. There's also a lot of animations of people being controlled by strings and hypnotized ... so it's clear what he thinks of it all.

Of course, that's no surprise ... Eric made his feelings known about a month ago when he announced he wouldn't perform at venues with vaccine requirements ... going on to liken it to "discriminated audience(s)." Even before that, he's been pushing anti-vaccine rhetoric pretty much all throughout the pandemic -- so, now, it appears he's channeling that in music.

Kanye West may have put on a buzz-worthy show in Chicago for his third "Donda" listening event, but the showing for vaccinations wasn't great ... only 13 attendees got the shot.

A spokesperson from the Illinois Department of Public Health tells TMZ ... 13 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to guests at Soldier Field Thursday Night.

A rep for the venue previously told us 1,500 doses would be available ... so a very low percentage went into arms.

On the bright side -- at least for those who are not anti-vaxxers -- 13 is an increase from the 4 vaccinations at Kanye's last listening party in Atlanta, which had 40,000 people in attendance.

As for the Chicago show ... attendance was 38k, but attendees were not required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter. So, considering the percentage of Illinois' population who have had at least one dose is just above 65 percent ... ya gotta think there were way more unvaccinated people there than 13.

Oh, and look at these lines ... not a lot of social distancing going on.

Kanye's "Donda" event 3.0 had a lot of interesting moments though ... from DaBaby and Marilyn Manson being his controversial guest performers, to Kim Kardashian showing up in a wedding dress.

Gene Simmons says his KISS co-founder, Paul Stanley, is not feeling great after catching COVID, but he's going to be just fine thanks to the vaccine ... and Gene's urging everyone to get their shots too.

The famous rock 'n' roller joined "TMZ Live" Friday to talk about canceling the band's Pennsylvania show after Paul tested positive for the coronavirus.

Gene says Paul, who's been fully vaccinated, started to lose his voice Thursday and felt tired so the band's doctor suggested he and the crew get a COVID test. Sure enough, Paul tested positive ... and Gene says everyone else on the tour was tested too, but all came back negative.

Gene says everyone involved is quarantining to make sure additional tests don't come up positive. As for Paul, medical professionals advise COVID carriers quarantine for 10 days.

Gene says there is no KISS without Paul, which likely means the band won't hit the stage again until Sept. 9 in Irvine, CA. So upcoming shows in NC, GA, MI, OH, IL and WI will almost certainly be rescheduled.

Beyonce's mom is out for blood against those who've turned her daughter's Tiffany campaign into a controversy about blood diamonds.

Tina Knowles went off on Instagram on all the "socially conscious activist[s]" who've called out Bey for wearing the famous 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond ... which is from a colonial mine in Kimberley, South Africa.

If you haven't heard, Beyonce's just the 4th woman to wear the iconic diamond -- and the first Black woman -- as part of Tiffany & Co.'s new "About Love" campaign ... which also features her husband, Jay-Z.

It seems Bey didn't know the jewel was a blood diamond ... so the question -- was Beyonce tricked by Tiffany and Co. into wearing it in the ad? There are reports Beyonce is pissed she didn't get a heads up.

A lot of folks don't care about that though, and have called her out for flaunting it ... but Mama Tina's not having it.

Knowles directed a comment on Instagram toward these critics, asking how many of them own diamonds, and if they do ... "did you go to try to check to see where the diamond came from?"

Her point is ... every person who has an engagement ring or owns diamonds probably does not research their origin, so all the "righteous" bashing of her daughter is hypocritical.

It's a fair point ... but likely not one that will shut everybody up on Twitter.

Speaking of, several Twitter folks have also rushed to Beyonce's defense ... pointing out that there was no such backlash when Lady Gaga wore the Tiffany Diamond at the Oscars in 2019.

Kanye West has a lot of people scratching their heads ... his "Donda" listening event has started in Chicago with appearances from DaBaby and Marilyn Manson.

West packed fans into Chicago's Soldier Field Thursday night, the event was supposed to start at 9 PM local, but kicked off closer to 11. He opened the event with one of the album's most popular songs, "Jail" -- which previously featured a verse from Jay-Z -- but the verse was replaced by one from DaBaby ... a puzzling move.

Not only was DaBaby -- who recently made disgustingly homophobic comments at Rolling Loud -- on the song, he also joined Kanye on "stage." Marilyn Manson -- who has been sued by multiple women in the last few months for sexual assault -- was also on stage.

Much like the other listening parties, Kanye has only danced to the album, not performing it live.

As for the stage ... it's a replica of Kanye's childhood home that he grew up in in Chicago.

While controversial, DaBaby's appearance at the event makes sense if he's on the album. As for why Manson -- who looked very out of place -- was included ... that remains to be seen. He's apparently not featured on any of the songs.

Kanye West fans are probably hoping there's a "Beetlejuice" situation with his "Donda" album -- after the third listening party it'll magically appear -- but regardless ... Kim Kardashian and their kids are in attendance once again.

As you probably know, Ye's holding another big event in anticipation of the release of his 10th studio album, but this one's the most special of the 3 ... because it's in his hometown of Chicago at Soldier Field.

Sources close to Kim and Kanye tell TMZ ... she and their 4 kids flew from L.A. to Chi-town Thursday, attending the show for support, just like they did for his Atlanta shows.

We're told he requested their presence because this listening event -- which will showcase a replica of his childhood home -- is very important to him.

As far as Kim and Kanye's relationship's concerned ... our source says it's still very much the same -- amicable and supportive. We got a glimpse of that as the 2 went out for lunch last week, and Kim's also keeping Kanye's last name ... despite what he does with it.

Paul Stanley has tested positive for COVID-19, and now KISS won't be taking the stage for a scheduled concert in Pennsylvania ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Paul tell TMZ ... the KISS lead singer is fully vaccinated and feeling fine despite testing positive. But, nonetheless, the band still had to call it quits on their show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA.

There were rumblings on Twitter Paul was having heart issues -- and that's why the show was canceled -- but we're told that's NOT the case. In fact, Paul got on Twitter to let fans know the heart attack rumors were BS, and he's healthy as an ox. His tweet did not mention his positive test.

KISS is currently on tour and their next scheduled concert is Saturday in North Carolina.

A rep for the group tells us, "More information about show dates will be made available ASAP. Everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated."

The rep continues, "The band and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows. The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines."

Kanye West isn't requiring folks to be vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19 to enjoy his "Donda" event in Chicago ... but the good news ... fans can get inoculated on site.

A spokesperson for Soldier Field, the football stadium where Kanye is hosting his next listening party for his upcoming album, tells TMZ ... there will be more than 1,500 doses on hand for Kanye fans who want to roll up their sleeves.

We're told the doses are split between the two-shot Pfizer and one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines. For anyone getting their first shot of Pfizer, which just got full FDA approval, we're told officials from the Chicago Department of Health will be on-site to help set up appointments for the second dose.

Kanye's not the one pushing the vax ... we're told the folks who run Soldier Field, ASM Global Management, worked with the City of Chicago to make this happen.

It'll be interesting to see how many folks roll up their sleeves before listening to Kanye's upcoming album ... vaccines were available at Ye's last listening party in Atlanta, but only a measly 4 out of 40,000 got the shot.

There won't be quite as many folks allowed into Soldier Field ... the home of the NFL's Chicago bears is operating under reduced capacity ... with only 38,000 allowed inside instead of the usual 63,000.

Chopmaster J -- co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop group Digital Underground -- was told to stay the hell away from an event honoring the group and its late co-founder Shock G ... and he certainly isn't happy about it.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Chopmaster J was ecstatic when he found out the city of Oakland would be honoring the group and Shock G at a city-wide event last weekend. The day included a Digital Underground Day of Proclamation.

Problem is ... we're told a former band manager reached out to CJ and told him he was NOT welcomed at the event. Making matters worse ... we're told the city of Oakland's Digital Underground Day of Proclamation is only to highlight Shock G, and not CJ.

Digital Underground broke up in 2008 after a fallout between Chopmaster J and Shock G ... but we're told while they didn't speak for years following the breakup, they still considered each other brothers outside the group. Shock G died in April.

Chopmaster J -- along with his son, who goes by SOTU -- formed a new group ... D.U. Next Generation.

We're told Chopmaster J is bummed his contributions to the group's legacy are not even mentioned in the proclamation. The language's exclusive to Shock G's contributions ... even though August 25, 2021, is slated to be Digital Underground Day in Oakland.

Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones' only drummer for nearly 6 decades, died Tuesday in London ... TMZ has learned.

Charlie was in London's Royal Marsden Hospital when he passed away, and we're told Shirley -- his wife of nearly 57 years -- was by his side. The Stones announced earlier this month that Charlie, their eldest band member, would not be able to play during their upcoming tour because he needed time to recover from a procedure.

A rep for the group tells TMZ, "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts ... Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation."

The band did not reveal what the procedure was. Watts had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2004, but after treatment it went into remission, and he and The Stones immediately launched into a 2-year-long world tour.

In fact, in the band's 58 years, Charlie's never missed a tour ... so it was already a big deal he wouldn't be with his mates -- Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood -- in September when they kick off their latest U.S. tour. As Charlie joked in a statement, "For once my timing has been a little off."

Charlie -- along with Keith, Mick and Brian Jones -- is a founding member of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band. They all met in 1962, while playing London's blues clubs, and first came together as a band in 1963.

He occasionally toured with his own band too, the Charlie Watts Quintet ... which was more of a jazz act. Charlie's first love was jazz, and he learned to play drums while listening to Charlie Parker records.

Over the years, he's also become famous for being the stylish Stone -- he would commonly wear sharp suits onstage and off. Vanity Fair named Charlie to its International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 2006.

Of course, he's also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones ... who now have the unenviable task of carrying on without the guy who's been called the soul of the band. Steve Jordan was already sitting in for Charlie, but it's unclear how Watts' death will impact the band's schedule. Their first show is set for Sept. 26 in St. Louis.

Charlie met Shirley before the Stones formed, and they got married the year after that. They have one daughter, Seraphina, and a couple of grandkids.

His passing is the first death for The Stones since Jones drowned in 1969.

Charlie was 80.

Kid Cudi is mourning the loss of his beloved dog ... and it'll make you cry to hear about it.

The rapper wrote a heartbreaking tribute to Freshie ... a dog he got in 2010 after the producers of "How to Make it in America" told him he'd be a weed-selling, dog-walking character on season 2. He got the dog to prepare for the role.

Cudi and Freshie formed a tight bond ... "I had no previous interactions [with] dogs prior, other than giving one a pet if my friends had one at their place. I was truly nervous around dogs and I wanted to be comfortable onset [with] them so it felt legit."

He added, "I had no idea I would have such a best friend in my life. He's been here for 11 years, and my life has been one hell of a rollercoaster this whole time."

The rapper said Freshie would come up to him and lick his face if he was crying. Kid Cudi called Freshie his guardian angel because there were nights where he held a knife to his stomach but, "I'd see Freshie and I couldn't do it. He would stare at me when I would have a knife to my stomach, eyes glaring at me tellin' me to put the knife down."

Kid Cudi checked into rehab in 2016 for depression and suicidal urges.

Kanye West is doing some home cooking for his next "Donda" event ... because it looks like he's recreating his Chicago childhood home on a big stage.

Check out this image from inside Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, where Kanye is getting set to host his 3rd listening party for his upcoming album.

As you can see, construction is in full swing on a structure that looks a lot like the home where Ye grew up on the South Side of Chicago ... and it seems the house is smack in the middle of the football field.

Remember ... the album name is "Donda," an homage to his late mother, so it seems fitting Kanye would represent their old home for his listening party in the city where he was born and raised.

Kanye's also been all about this era of life ... he recently scrubbed his entire Instagram page except for a lone image of the old Chicago crib, which he bought last year for a cool $225,000.