Music

Before this South African native and adorable kiddo in his blue outfit turned into a singin' stud and actor, he was just entering competition shows, singin' up a storm and growing up in Perth, Western Australia.

2023 has been quite the year for this star ... releasing yet another hit ("One Of Your Girls"), and Timothée Chalamet recently portrayed him on a "Saturday Night Live" skit. He's also no stranger to the TV screen ... he acted alongside Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd on HBO's "The Idol."

He's got over 8 million YouTube subscribers!

Kodak Black's attorney says the rapper's arrest for cocaine possession is a case of mistaken identity ... at least when it comes to the drugs cops allegedly found on him.

Bradford Cohen, Kodak's lawyer, just reacted to his client's most recent arrest in Florida, saying ... "In this latest case, my belief is that the 'rock' this officer found when tested will be a Percocet, not cocaine."

As we reported ... Kodak was arrested last week after cops said he was found asleep at the wheel of an SUV with a mouth full of white powder and several white rock-like objects on the ground ... which Kodak alleged was Percocet.

The arresting officer tested the powder on the scene and says it came back positive for cocaine ... but Kodak's attorney says, "The test they do is a presumptive test for illegal substances. It just turns blue."

Kodak was ultimately arrested for possession, tampering with evidence, and violation of his existing probation ... with a traffic violation tacked on.

Cohen tells TMZ ... the rapper has a dependency on prescription pain pills, including Percocet, and his team is working on a treatment program for him.

Cohen tells us ... "There will be a couple of different phases of this treatment in order for him to get better. You have to treat the root problem of the dependency and that's what is going to happen. We are going to alleviate dependency."

RZA and The Wu-Tang Clan are entering the chambers of a Las Vegas residency in 2024 and The Abbott is promising to showcase the talent of his group and hip hop as a whole!!!

In a new interview with Torae for SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation, RZA gave an update on current Wu-Tang music ... which he says has stalled a bit due to schedule conflicts.

However, he says the Clan is sitting on beats supplied by Swizz Beatz, DJ Scratch and their in-house production wiz Mathematics, so the opportunity to create is always there.

RZA also points out he didn't design the early Wu-Tang music for dancing, and you won't see their fans twerking ... instead, he's crafted beats for the crowd to bring the ruckus!!!

RZA's had this thought process for years but says he used to be stingy with the beats because producers were making beats geared toward radio success instead of joints that allow MCs to do what they do best -- make quality raps.

On Tuesday, the legendary 10-man clique announced “Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues … The Las Vegas Residency” will kick off Super Bowl LVIII weekend in February, and will spin the block later in March.

1:52 PM PT -- We should note ... the version Kanye West appears to have played in the Miami club featured other voices singing the chorus, so it's possible he can get away with it through a loophole.

Kanye West's new take on the Backstreet Boys' hit "Everybody" has been getting a ton of buzz, but there's one massive problem ... Ye never cleared it with the boy band.

Sources connected to BSB tell TMZ Kanye failed to get the collective OK from Nick, Kevin, Howie, Brian, A.J. and their team to use the 1997 classic.

In Kanye's version, you can hear the original song and chorus before Ty Dolla Sign takes over, singing the original lyrics from "Everybody."

Of course, not clearing the song creates an interesting challenge for Kanye considering he's supposed to release his album this week and the song is a listed track. Not to mention, he's played it out in public in Miami, promoted it on social media and pumped it through the speakers at his album listening event in Miami Monday night.

So by all counts ... it seemed like Kanye was planning to have it on his "Vultures" album.

We don't know if Kanye reached out and was denied usage of the track or whether he just never asked at all ... but either way, it ain't good for Ye.

Kanye's been the center of controversy for months, with his antisemitic remarks -- expressing his love for Hitler -- and dangerous social media rants. As we reported, Ye wore a black KKK-style hood Monday night at his public event.

Obviously, a lot of artists have distanced themselves from Kanye ... and it'll be interesting to see his chances of locking down clearance for additional tracks in the future.

La nueva versión de Kanye West del éxito de los Backstreet Boys "Everybody" ha provocado un montón de rumores, pero hay un gran problema, Ye nunca le pidió permiso a la banda.

Fuentes conectadas al grupo le dicen a TMZ que Kanye no pudo obtener la aprobación colectiva de Nick, Kevin, Howie, Brian, A.J. y su equipo para usar el clásico de 1997.

En la versión de Kanye, se puede escuchar la canción original y su estribillo antes de que Ty Dolla Sign tome el relevo y empiece a cantar la letra original de "Everybody".

Por supuesto, no pedir autorización por la canción crea un desafío interesante para Kanye, teniendo en cuenta que se supone que debe lanzar su álbum esta semana y la canción es una de las pistas de la lista. Esto, por no mencionar, que la ha tocado en público en Miami, la ha promovido en sus redes sociales y la hizo tumbar por los altavoces en el evento dedicado a escuchar su álbum en Miami el lunes por la noche.

Así que por todas partes, parecía que Kanye planeaba tenerlo en su álbum "Vultures".

No sabemos si Kanye se acercó a ellos y le negaron el uso de la pista o si simplemente nunca pidió permiso en absoluto, pero de cualquier manera, no es bueno para Ye.

Kanye ha estado en el centro de la controversia por meses por sus comentarios antisemitas -expresó su amor por Hitler- y por peligrosos desplantes en redes sociales. Como informamos, Ye usó una capucha negra al estilo del Ku Klux Klan el lunes en su evento.

Bhad Bhabie knows how to make money ... even finding a way to do so in announcing the sex of her soon-to-be-born kiddo.

On Tuesday, Bhabie showed off her baby bump in sporty soccer and biker-inspired clothes ... complete with pink exhaust fumes from the motorcycle to reveal the little one on the way is a girl!!! The photo shoot was a collab with Heaven by Marc Jacobs and designer Victor Barragan!!!

Bhabie tells WMD Marc Jacobs' team had no idea she was pregnant when they reached out for the campaign, but they still wanted to do it and molded the campaign around her bundle of joy.

Bhabie says she hopes to share the photos with her daughter soon, who she's expecting with her boyfriend Le Vaughn.

Bhad Bhabie sabe cómo hacer dinero, encontrando un modo original de hacerlo incluso para revelar el sexo del bebé que está por tener.

El martes, Bhabie lució su barriguita en un atuendo deportivo inspirado en el fútbol y las motos, ¡¡¡y lanzó gas color rosado de la moto para revelar que la pequeña que viene en camino es una niña!!! La sesión de fotos fue una colaboración con Heaven by de Marc Jacobs y el diseñador Victor Barragan.

Bhabie le dice a WMD que el equipo de Marc Jacobs no tenía ni idea de que estaba embarazada cuando se pusieron en contacto para la campaña, pero aún así quisieron hacerlo y moldearon la campaña en torno a su embarazo.

Bhabie dice que espera compartir pronto las fotos con la niña que espera con su novio Le Vaughn.

El exnovio y ex colaborador de Cassie, Ryan Leslie, dice que están a punto de reanudar su relación en el frente musical, mientras ella se prepara para salir de gira.

TMZ Hip Hop se puso al día con RLes el martes en Nueva York y le preguntamos si había visto algo en el pasado que pudiera corroborar las acusaciones de Cassie en la demanda contra Diddy, que se resolvió recientemente a través de un acuerdo.

Ryan y Cassie salieron a mediados de la década de los 2000 y trabajaron juntos en la música en ese entonces, pero nos dice que sus interacciones con Diddy se produjeron más adelante, cuando él ya no estaba cerca.

Ryan dice que él y Cassie volvieron a conectar a finales del 2017, cuando falleció su ex mánager Ed Woods. Y está claro que han seguido en contacto desde entonces. Ryan Leslie nos dio una gran actualización, revelando que ella está planeando regresar a la música con una gira, lo que también podría significar el lanzamiento de nueva música en el horizonte.

RLes es un productor polifacético que ha incursionado en la tecnología a lo largo de los años y aunque está prestando mucha atención a la inteligencia artificial, dice que está realmente centrado en ayudar a los artistas a asegurar su futuro financiero.

Cassie's ex-boyfriend and former collaborator Ryan Leslie says they're about to resume their relationship on the music front, as she prepares to hit the road.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with RLes Tuesday in NYC, and we asked if he'd seen anything in the past that would corroborate the allegations in Cassie's lawsuit against Diddy, which they recently settled.

Ryan and Cassie dated in the mid-2000s, and worked on music together at the time, but he tells us her interactions with Diddy came later, when he wasn't around.

Ryan says he and Cassie reconnected at the end of 2017 when their ex-manager Ed Woods died and it's clear they've stayed in touch since then. He gave us a big update, revealing she's planning on making a music comeback in the form of a tour, which could also mean there's new music on the horizon.

RLes is a multifaceted producer who's been known to dabble in technology over the years, and while he's paying close attention to the AI movement, he says he's really focused on helping artists secure their financial futures.

MC Hammer has clear reasoning as to why he didn't participate in any of the events to celebrate Hip Hop's 50th anniversary -- the culture's gotten childish and he's a grown-ass man!!!

The 60-year-old rap legend outlined his stance during Tupac Shakur's Oakland street naming last month, and the clip is beginning to blaze the internet.

During the ceremony, Hammer celebrated not using his legendary career for interview clicks, but also laid into veteran rappers who have been rapping about murder all these years ... without the body count or rap sheet to back up their bars.

The "U Can't Touch This" rapper became friends with Pac during his time living in the Bay, and credited his late homie for being the only one to get him to play along with the charade of the music biz.

The Grammys aired its star-studded celebration this week and the event's producer, Questlove, openly expressed his disappointment Hammer told him no, despite repeated requests.

Hammer wasn't alone in deflecting from HipHop50 celebrations -- André 3000 didn't see much merit in them at this point in time.

Jodeci, the R&B group that racked up hits and crazy headlines equally over the years, is reuniting in a major way next year ... with a Las Vegas residency!!!

All 4 original members -- K-Ci, Jojo, Devante Swing and Mr. Dalvin -- will be at House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 2024 throughout March and July.

The Show, The After Party, The Vegas Residency is modeled after the group's classic third album ... so, expect a lot of "Freek'n" in Sin City!!!

As a quartet, Jodeci sold millions of records and brothers K-Ci and Jojo sold millions more as a duet ... which means the show could be like a one-band "Verzuz" on stage.

They've also been keeping their chops sharp performing with fellow R&B royalty SWV, Dru Hill, Charlie Wilson and New Edition in the past year.

Kanye West continues to piss people off, this time over fashion ...  rocking a hood that bares a shocking resemblance to standard issue for the KKK.

Ye showed up with the headpiece at one point during his "Vultures" album listening event Monday night in Miami ... previewing his music at the late-night event during Art Basel.

Kanye's has displayed this imagery before ... back in 2013 for the music video of "Black Skinhead" -- which was seen as artsy/edgy back then, but is viewed in a different context now, obviously.

Anyway, as for the music ... people online seem to be loving it. Plus, he had huge stars show up in person to support -- including some folks with whom he collaborated on the new album -- namely, Ty Dolla $ign, Offset, Lil Durk, Chris Brown, Kodak Black, Freddie Gibbs and others.

The even bigger news -- his 10-year-old daughter, North, not only showed up for the party and performed ... she's on the album!

In addition to North, Ye's wife Bianca Censori, and kids Chicago and Saint were also there. It's unclear if Kim showed up ... but Bianca was seen carrying Chicago in her arms during one intimate moment.

As we reported, Ye did a surprise performance in Miami over the weekend during DJ Khaled's set at a nightclub ... and he also hosted an impromptu listening party at a Jamaican restaurant in the area for "Vultures."

It's interesting ... Kanye was blasted for his antisemitic remarks last year, but these days he's just part of a growing, angry crowd -- from Harvard on down.

Mercy 👏 Miller👏 Went👏 Off👏

Master P's son, one of the best high school basketball players in the entire country, had an absolutely gaudy stat line Monday night, dropping 68 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists on 28 for 38 shooting (74%)!!

Thanks to the ridiculous performance, Mercy Miller's Notre Dame Knights squad beat Oakwood, 104-44.

Mercy's 68 points were good enough for the ND school record (Sherman Oaks, CA) ... and one of the greatest scoring performances in California history.

Miller, a 6'4" guard who committed to the University of Houston last month, is averaging 36 points and 11 rebounds a game this season.

It shouldn't come as a shock that Mercy can hoop his ass off. His brother Hercy Miller hoops at the Univ. of Louisville ... and dad, aside from being a hip hop mogul, played in the NBA.

The undefeated, 6-0 Notre Dame team is regarded as one of the best teams in their division, the CIF Southern Section.

Mercy will have a few days to rest his arms after putting up all those shots ... his Knights team doesn't return to the court until December 19, when they'll play a 2-4 Marshall H.S. squad.

Notre Dame will also be in action on January 6th ... under the bright lights at Crypto.com Arena when they play in the Coastal Catholic Classic Game, with proceeds going to the You Are Not Alone Foundation, which helps kids struggling with mental health issues.

Kanye West sigue cabreando a la gente, esta vez por su ropa, pues el rapero lució una capucha que tiene un parecido chocante con las del Ku Klux Klan.

Ye apareció con el tocado durante un evento de su álbum "Vultures" el lunes por la noche en Miami, previsualizando su música en el evento nocturno durante Art Basel.

Kanye ha mostrado estas imágenes antes, por ejemplo en 2013 para el video musical de "Black Skinhead", que en ese entonces fue visto como artístico y vanguardista, pero que hoy se ve en un contexto muy diferente, obviamente.

De todos modos, en cuanto a la música... a los usuarios les pareció encantar. Además, recibió el apoyo de grandes estrellas en persona, incluyendo algunos colaboradores del nuevo álbum, como Ty Dolla $ign, Offset, Lil Durk, Chris Brown, Kodak Black, Freddie Gibbs y otros.

La noticia aún más grande es que su hija de 10 años, North, no solo apareció en la fiesta y actuó, ¡sino que está en el álbum!

Además de North, la esposa de Ye, Bianca Censori, y sus hijos Chicago y Saint también estuvieron allí. No está claro si Kim apareció, pero Bianca fue vista llevando a Chicago en sus brazos durante un momento íntimo.

Como informamos, Ye hizo una actuación sorpresa en Miami durante el fin de semana durante el set de DJ Khaled en un club nocturno y también organizó una fiesta improvisada para mostrar su disco "Vultures" en un restaurante jamaicano en la zona.

Es interesante. Kanye fue criticado por sus comentarios antisemitas el año pasado, pero por estos días solo es parte de una creciente multitud enojada, desde Harvard hacia abajo.

Bianca Censori's looking like a whole new woman -- it just takes a lap dance to finally see her grinning, relaxing and thoroughly enjoying an afternoon outing with Kanye West in Miami.

Of course, Bianca's been her husband's muse ... serving as a blank and expressionless canvas for his artistic creativity -- no matter how bizarre -- which is why this video of her cutting loose Sunday is so interesting.

With Ye distracted by others, the Aussie model focused her attention on DJ Sky High Baby ... who got to work twerking in Bianca's lap -- and as you can see, she was totally diggin' it.

The stone-cold Bianca we're used to seeing was long gone, as she encouraged her friend's erotic moves. Good thing Mrs. West was dressed for the occasion, in an eye-popping sheer get-up.

She's also vibed along to the music blasting at Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen -- the same spot where Kanye played some of his new music from his upcoming album with Ty Dolla $ign.

It's a rare light-hearted, carefree sighting of Bianca ... who's trekked around the world with Kanye this year -- although, his critics think he's treated her more like an accessory during their travels.

Case in point, the couple drew the gaze of onlookers while hitting up Art Basel the same day ... with Bianca in her skintight, sheer outfit and teddy-in-hand.

North West stole the show at Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures" listening party by making her rapping debut, and the moment was serious bonding time for Ye's family!!!

Monday night in Miami, Kanye and his Rap Avengers assembled to preview the album and North had the crowd going crazy with her bars ... "It's your bestie, Ms. Miss Westy!!!"

Outside the event, Bianca carried Chicago as Saint trailed close by -- Ye and Bianca have been married about a year now, and the kids have clearly warmed up to her!

Kanye kept on his hooded garb while his 10-year-old had the audience inside Wynwood Marketplace in the palm of her hands.

The listening event was also a sanctuary for a couple of other embattled rap stars -- Offset, fresh from his split with Cardi B and Kodak Black, who was just released from jail, were also there soaking up vibes.