Music

The photographer that Taylor Swift's father, Scott Swift, allegedly attacked in Australia this week says he's willing to put this whole thing behind them ... on one condition.

Ben McDonald -- the paparazzo who claimed Scott roughed him up Tuesday as he and Taylor's security team were trying to escort her to a waiting SUV in Sydney -- tells TMZ that all would be forgiven if Papa Swiftie just issued an apology.

If Scott did that ... Ben says he'd accept it and drop all this, letting bygones be bygones.

Of course, Scott doesn't seem inclined to admit he did anything wrong -- remember, a rep for Taylor told us the paps that night were being very aggressive and claimed they were the ones in the wrong ... something Ben here tells us is BS.

He insists the visuals speak for themselves -- and says he suspects the reason Taylor and her team (including her security detail) got so pissy is because they realized paps had figured out where they were after a ride on a yacht. Ben tells us he was just doing his job.

While Ben says the events of that night are well-documented, he does admit that he doesn't have any further proof that Scott punched him -- as he claims -- beyond the videos that are already out there ... including the one he shot himself, and another that has since surfaced.

In both videos, you cannot clearly see what Scott's doing ... but Ben's sticking to his claim that the guy got physical with -- as did Taylor's security guards, whom he alleges used their umbrellas on him. As we reported ... cops are investigating Ben's claims at the moment.

One last point of clarification we got from Ben. It's been reported he was involved in another high-profile pap run-in with none other than Nicole Kidman back in 2005 -- when she was reportedly granted a restraining order against him and another photog over alleged surveillance via a listening device -- but Ben tells us that story is old and sensationalized.

He denies planting any listening device near Nicole at the time ... and also notes that while she might've been granted a temporary protective order, a judge didn't find enough evidence to grant her a permanent one once they took a closer look at her claims.

Incluso los fans de la canción "Texas Hold 'Em" de Beyoncé están comentando su similitud con el tema principal de "Franklin", unos dibujos animados de Canadá, y su cantante Bruce Cockburn le dice a TMZ que no se está atribuyendo ningún crédito sobre su éxito.

Por si no lo sabías, el single country de Beyoncé fue comparado con el tema de "Franklin", poco después de su lanzamiento el 11 de febrero.

Muchos usuarios de TikTok e incluso algunos DJs de radio han insistido en que la canción número # 1 del country tomó prestado mucho de "Franklin", tanto es así, que algunos de los TikTokers están recibiendo más de 5 millones de visitas en sus posts.

Sin embargo, Bruce no cree que Beyoncé tenga que pedir disculpas y le dice a TMZ: "Creo que "Texas Hold 'Em" de Beyoncé es una buena canción. Por desgracia, no puedo decir que haya participado en su composición".

Y añade: "La sensación rítmica es similar a mi tema para la serie de televisión "Franklin", pero para mis oídos, ahí se termina la similitud. "Texas Hold 'Em" es su canción, y le deseo mucho éxito".

¿Quizás Bruce sabe que no debe cruzarse con la BeyHive?

Para los que no conozcan "Franklin", el programa infantil de dibujos animados se emitió en Canadá entre 1997 y 2004. El programa seguía las divertidas aventuras de la tortuga protagonista con sus compañeras del bosque.

Ahora bien, Bey debe haber tenido 16 años cuando se estrenó "Franklin", así que dudamos mucho que conozca la serie infantil, pero con sus coautores podría ser otra historia.

Los 3 compositores acreditados, además de Bey, son Elizabeth Boland, Megan Bulow y Nathan Ferraro y ninguno es de Nashville o Texas.

¡Son canadienses!

Ahora, mantengan la calma un momento... no estamos diciendo que sea una prueba de plagio, pero la conexión con Canadá hace que sea un poco más probable que los compositores escucharan "Franklin" o que se hayan inspirado.

Even fans of Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em" are calling it out for its similarity to the "Franklin" cartoon theme sung by Bruce Cockburn ... and while he gets the comparison, he tells TMZ he's making no claim on her hit.

In case you didn't know ... Beyoncé's country single was transposed with the theme for "Franklin" -- a Canadian-produced kids' show -- shortly after it dropped on February 11.

Many TikTok users, and even some radio DJs, insist the country #1 song borrows plenty from "Franklin" -- so much so, some of the TikTokers are getting upwards of 5 million views on their posts.

Yet, Bruce doesn't think Beyoncé needs to lasso up an apology -- he tells TMZ, "I think Beyoncé’s 'Texas Hold 'Em' is a good record. Unfortunately, I can’t claim to have had any part in writing it."

He adds, "The rhythmic feel is similar to my theme song for the 'Franklin' TV series, but to my ears, that’s where the similarity stops. 'Texas Hold 'Em' is her song, and I wish her success with it!"

Perhaps Bruce knows better than to cross the BeyHive?

For those unfamiliar with "Franklin" ... the animated preschool series aired in Canada between 1997 and 2004. The show followed the titular turtle's aminated adventures with his fellow woodland creatures.

Now, Bey would've been 16 when "Franklin" premiered -- so, we highly doubt she's familiar with the kiddo show, however her co-writers on the track might be a different story.

The 3 songwriters credited, in addition to Bey, are Elizabeth Boland, Megan Bulow and Nathan Ferraro ... all of whom are not from Nashville or Texas.

Yup, they're Canadian!

Now, hold your Texas horses ... we're not saying that proves any plagiarism -- but the Canadian connection does make it slightly more likely the songwriters heard "Franklin," and could have been inspired.

Antes de que este niño sonriente se convirtiera en un pez gordo de la industria musical, se dedicaba a sonreír el día de la foto familiar en Virginia, haciendo ritmos y grabando voces en su habitación, ¡con grandes sueños de convertirse en rapero algún día!

Empezó creando canciones para estrellas de la música como Justin Bieber, Katy Perry y Kali Uchis, pero ahora este productor discográfico está creando sus propios éxitos, y basándonos en su feed de Instagram lleno de comida deliciosa, ¡llamarlo un foodie es quedarse corto!

Si necesitas alguna pista más... ¡pregúntale a su novia S.G.!

Before this smiling kiddo turned into a big shot in the music industry, he was just smiling for family picture day in Virginia, makin' beats/recording vocals in his bedroom, with big dreams of becoming a rapper one day!

He started out making tunes for music's hottest stars like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Kali Uchis, but now this record producer is puttin' out his own hits ... And, based on his Instagram feed full of delicious food, calling him a foodie is an understatement!

Need one more clue ... maybe you could ask his girlfriend S.G.!

Diddy's latest accuser is being questioned on several key things after filing a lawsuit full of heavy allegations of sexual misconduct ... but his attorney has all the answers.

Rodney Jones' attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, is firing back after people started questioning his client's claims ... with the first being Rodney's allegation that Diddy forced him to watch a video involving Stevie J having sex with another man.

Remember, Stevie J told us earlier today that all the allegations concerning him were totally bogus -- and an adult film star Knockout has since come forward and said he's the man in the now-viral pic from the supposed sex tape and not SJ. So ... what gives, right?

Tyrone tells TMZ the video in question was allegedly provided to Rodney by Diddy himself, and we're told Rodney's sticking to his story that Diddy told him it was Stevie J -- that's what he's alleging anyway.

In terms of who it actually is ... Tyrone says his client only knew what was allegedly relayed to him when it first fell into his lap during his time with Diddy.

Tyrone also offers an explanation over another question that's been raised -- namely, why Rodney made no mention of sexual assault in his GoFundMe page a few weeks before the lawsuit was filed Monday ... where he literally tried to raise funds in an attempt sue Diddy after claiming he screwed out of royalties and publishing rights on Diddy's latest album.

Tyrone tells us, "Victims of sexual assault respond to their trauma in very different ways. There is no uniformity in response to sexual trauma."

He adds ... "Mr. Jones is a father and Christian. He was willing to sacrifice his rights concerning his assault, in an effort to protect his dignity and the dignity of his family. Mr. Combs was made aware of Mr. Jones' claim for assault from the moment Mr. Jones made his intentions to sue clear."

Tyrone explains the main reason Rodney started the GFM was to pay his previous attorney ... who was hired to assist with collecting the publishing and royalties money. Since then, his claims against Diddy have obviously expanded in scope ... and now Tyrone's involved.

Lastly ... Tyrone also addresses speculation that Rodney isn't the man with Cuba Gooding Jr. in a snap that was included in the complaint as purported evidence -- where the actor is allegedly seen cozying up with another dude, which the suit says is Rodney.

Tyrone's straight-up dismissing the conjecture that it ain't Rodney ... 'cause he says it 100% is. He actually claims they've got the video proof to back up their claims here.

Despite some holes people have tried poking in Rodney's narrative -- his attorney is remaining steadfast ... and insisting his client is telling the truth.

Los Eagles podrían sustituir a U2 como el próximo gran grupo en presentarse en la Esfera, es decir, si las negociaciones llegan a buen puerto, TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes directas nos dicen que la icónica banda de rock está en conversaciones para servir potencialmente como el próximo talento en presentarse en el impresionante escenario de Las Vegas.

Se nos dice que, si bien The Eagles están en conversaciones en este momento, un acuerdo no está en su lugar todavía - y no está claro cuándo exactamente las cosas podrían llegar a su fin.

Una cosa que sí sabemos es el calendario que los organizadores tienen en mente para una posible residencia de Don Henley y compañía. Suponiendo que todo funciona estarán presentándose en otoño/invierno.

Eso coincide con la gira de despedida que los Eagles anunciaron el año pasado apodada "The Long Goodbye", que se supone que comenzará en septiembre en Nueva York. Tienen programados varios conciertos por todo el país que durarán hasta mediados de noviembre.

Suponiendo que todo sale bien estaría programado para comenzar a actuar en la esfera en algún momento a finales de noviembre, y probablemente seguiría tocando por ahí durante unos meses.

Bono y los chicos han estado ocupando el espacio de la Esfera desde octubre y sus últimos espectáculos serán este fin de semana, marcando cerca de 4 meses de música.

Por supuesto, las críticas de la Esfera han sido espectaculares y la gente dice que es realmente una de esas cosas que tienes que ver para creer. Por dentro y por fuera.

Una última cosa, los Eagles han estado de gira con una orquesta en vivo últimamente... esperemos que lleguen a tocar de esta manera en la Esfera.

En términos de dinero, no se sabe cuánto ganarían los músicos de "Hotel California", pero se dice que U2 ha estado ganando unos cuatro millones de dólares por concierto.

The Eagles might be stepping in to replace U2 as the Sphere's next big legacy act -- that is, if they can hammer out these negotiations they're currently involved in ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the iconic rock band are in active discussions right now to potentially serve as forthcoming talent to fill in at Sin City's newest music venue ... which would be a big deal, seeing how there's only been one so far in its big debut.

We're told that while The Eagles are in in talks at the moment, a deal isn't in place yet -- and it's unclear when exactly things might get finalized.

One thing we do know is the timeframe organizers have in mind for a would-be residency for Don Henley and co. assuming everything works out ... we're told they're thinking Fall/Winter.

That jibes with the Eagles' farewell tour they announced last year -- dubbed 'The Long Goodbye' -- which is supposed to kick off in September out in NYC. They have a number of shows scheduled all over the country, and those are supposed to run through mid-November.

Assuming this timeline ends up falling into place the way our sources say they might -- it would appear they'd be slated to start performing at the Sphere sometime around late November, and would probably keep on jamming out there for a few months.

Bono and the boys have been occupying the Sphere space since September, and their final shows are going down later this weekend ... marking about 4 months worth of music.

Of course, the reviews for the Sphere have been spectacular ... and people say it's truly one of those things you have to see to believe. Lots of cool visuals going on inside (and out).

One last thing ... the Eagles have been touring with a live orchestra lately -- and while it remains to be seen if something like that would manifest at the Sphere ... it's possible.

In terms of money, no word on how much the 'Hotel California' musicians would snag for something like this ... but U2 is said to have been raking in about $4 million a concert.

Adele's putting her iconic voice on ice due to illness, and that means ticketholders for any of her next 5 weekends -- the last for this leg of her Las Vegas run -- will have to change their travel plans.

The singer announced Tuesday afternoon she's officially pausing her Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace at the behest of her doctors. She says, "I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break. I hadn't quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed and now I'm sick again, and unfortunately it's all taken a toll on my voice."

It's clear she's been battling health issues ... last Thursday she was out in rainy Beverly Hills wearing a facemask -- and while she still managed to perform this past weekend in Vegas, she told the audience she was struggling to hit her "head notes properly" because her "chest is on fire."

Adele's full run at Caesars was scheduled to end the weekend of June 14 -- but it's unclear what the postponement will mean for fans. She's supposed to start a series of shows in Germany after Vegas.

As of now the postponed Vegas dates are all 5 weekends in March, and she says ticketholders will be sent info on rescheduling ASAP.

Taylor Swift really knew how to win over Travis Kelce's teammates ... 'cause Kansas City head coach Andy Reid just revealed she baked homemade Pop-Tarts for the Chiefs' offensive linemen -- and they were so good, he couldn't get his hands on one!!

Big Red shared the interesting anecdote at the NFL Combine on Tuesday ... when he was asked about the pop superstar's presence around the team.

As it turns out, it was certainly a sweet experience for many ... 'cause Reid said the big boys up front felt the love in the form of some pastries at some point during their championship season.

Big Red explained to "PFT Live" the gesture might have been an attempt to fit in with Kelce's friends ... and he thinks she sincerely enjoyed the "escape" football provided her this season.

Reid -- who pointed out he's known the Swift family for years -- praised how grounded Taylor's continued to be throughout her career ... even though she's the most famous woman on the planet (in his opinion).

Of course, Taylor was present at the majority of Kelce's games this season ... including the Super Bowl, which was a great night for her man's team, and all the postgame celebrations that went down in Vegas.

Fat Joe believes in the separation of style and politics, and as such, is a proud owner of Donald Trump's new gold high-top sneakers ... despite having ZERO intention of voting for him!!!

The veteran rap star recently held sneakerhead court on his IG page and defended his acquisition of Trump's "Never Surrender" kicks -- the exclusive "Friends & Family" editions.

Joe didn't pay for them with his own money but he thinks they're fire, so he didn't refuse the handout!!!

Of course, Joe's allegiance to the shiny sneaks has an extra layer of scrutiny after a Fox News host predicted the shoes will help Trump win over Black voters -- an offensive notion Detroit rapper Peezy gravitated toward ... but not Joe.

He compared Trump to dead artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol ... saying art collectors don't question anything they were into behavior, they simply praise their works.

Unintentional or not, that's pretty high praise for DT.

Two men have now been convicted of murdering Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay ... bringing an end to one of hip hop's longest-running cold cases.

The jury in Brooklyn Federal Court found both defendants Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. guilty Tuesday, just a little under a month after the trial began.

Jay was gunned down more than 21 years ago on the evening of October 30, 2002 ... where prosecutors argued Washington and Jordan both ambushed him at his studio over a failed drug deal, with Jordan executing him at close range with multiple shots to the head.

A third defendant, Jay Bryant, will be tried at a later date after he was implicated in the murder.

Investigators say Bryant left an article containing his DNA at the scene as he's said to have been the point man allowing Washington and Jordan access to the studio to murder the hip hop icon.

Dos hombres han sido declarados culpables de asesinar a Jam Master Jay de Run-DMC, dándole fin a uno de los casos más antiguos del hip hop.

El jurado en el Tribunal Federal de Brooklyn declaró culpables a los acusados Ronald Washington y Karl Jordan Jr. el martes, poco menos de un mes después de que comenzara el juicio.

Jay fue asesinado a tiros hace más de 21 años la noche del 30 de octubre de 2002. Los fiscales argumentaron que Washington y Jordan le tendieron una emboscada en su estudio sobre un acuerdo de drogas fallido, lo que terminó con Jordan ejecutándolo a quemarropa con múltiples disparos en la cabeza.

Un tercer acusado, Jay Bryant, será juzgado en una fecha posterior después de haber sido implicado en el asesinato.

Los investigadores dicen que Bryant dejó un artículo que contiene su ADN en la escena, ya que se dice que fue el hombre clave que le permitió a Washington y Jordan acceder al estudio para asesinar al icono del hip hop.

Kanye West está siendo arrastrado a los tribunales por los representantes de Donna Summer, quienes afirman que hizo un soundalike no autorizado de una de sus canciones más grandes luego de que se le negara la solicitud para usar el sample original.

El patrimonio de la fallecida cantante acaba de presentar una demanda contra Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, el sello discográfico de Ye y otros, y de acuerdo con los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, están reclamando que Kanye quería una muestra del éxito de Summer "I Feel Love" para usarlo en un track de "Vultures".

La canción en cuestión se llama "Good (Don't Die)" y se incluyó en la lista de canciones desde un comienzo, cuando Ye lanzó "Vultures 1" el 10 de febrero a través de diferentes plataformas de streaming.

De hecho, los que han escuchado la canción saben muy bien que suena la voz de Donna en la nueva pista de West, pero el problema, según la demanda, es que Ye nunca obtuvo el permiso adecuado para usarlo y el patrimonio afirma que fueron muy claros en rechazar la solicitud.

Afirman que Ye y Ty se acercaron a ellos justo a principios de este año -el 31 de enero de 2024- para solicitar autorización sobre su icónico éxito, pero se les negó rotundamente.

Dicen que los abogados de Summer todavía controlan una parte de los derechos de autor y afirman que Ye y compañía se acercaron a ellos un poco más de una semana antes de la fecha de lanzamiento de la nueva canción, con Kanye aparentemente queriendo lanzar el álbum el 9 de febrero con la canción incluida.

Los representantes dicen que debido la reputación de Ye últimamente -presumiblemente las controversias en torno a sus comentarios antisemitas y otras declaraciones públicas- decidieron que su canción se utilizará en su álbum.

A pesar de esto, el patrimonio de Donna afirma que Ye lanzó el álbum de todos modos con "Good (Don't Die)" incluida en el track list y que apareció en Apple, Spotify y otras plataformas de streaming.

Afirman que Ye intentó eludir la denegación mediante la creación de una interpolación de la canción de Donna en lugar de la pista real, pero los representantes de Donna afirman que la solución no les aísla de la infracción de derechos de autor.

El patrimonio de Donna dice que se puso en contacto con Apple, Spotify y otros streamers para pedir que retiren la canción, lo que puede explicar por qué el álbum de Kanye desapareció brevemente el fin de semana que fue lanzado. Al final, se volvió a cargar, pero "Good (Don't Die)" se eliminó de la lista.

Sin embargo, debido al tiempo que tomó para que todo esto suceda, los representantes de Summer alegan que la canción ya se ha reproducido millones de veces y el daño está hecho.

Por cierto, "Good (Don't Die)" todavía está incluido en la lista de canciones de "Vultures 1" para aquellos que compraron el álbum por primera vez, y todavía se puede reproducir la canción en su totalidad en Apple Music, algo que hemos confirmado aquí nosotros mismos.

Kanye West is being dragged to court by Donna Summer's estate -- this after her estate claims he made an unauthorized soundalike of one of her biggest songs ... after it denied his request to clear a sample of the real thing.

The late singer's estate just filed suit against Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, Ye's record label and others -- and according to the docs, obtained by TMZ, they're claiming Kanye wanted to sample Summer's smash hit "I Feel Love" for a track on his first 'Vultures' album.

The song in question is called "Good (Don't Die)" ... and it was actually included in the tracklist at first when KW dropped 'Vultures 1' on Feb. 10 across different streaming platforms.

Indeed, those who've heard the song know quite well ... it sounds a lot like Donna's voice from 'IFL' in the new West track -- but the problem, according to the lawsuit, is that Ye and co. never properly got permission to use it ... and the estate claims they were very clear about rejecting the request.

In the suit, filed by attorney Larry Stein, Donna's estate claims Ye and Ty approached them about a month ago -- on Jan. 31, 2024, they say -- to request clearance on her iconic hit ... but the estate flatly denied them.

The estate says Summer's estate still controls a portion of the copyright -- and claims Ye and company approached them a little more than a week before the release date for the new song ... with Kanye apparently wanting to drop the album on Feb. 9, with the song in the mix.

The estate says because of Ye's rep lately -- presumably the controversies surrounding his antisemitic comments and other public statements -- Donna's estate decided her song being used on his album wasn't going to do them any good ... so they say they passed, and rejected his ask for the sample.

Despite this, Donna's estate claims Ye dropped the album anyway with "Good (Don't Die)" on there ... and it showed up on Apple, Spotify and other major streaming/music platforms.

They claim Ye attempted to get around the denial by creating an interpolation of Donna's song instead of the actual track --- but Donna's estate claims the workaround doesn't insulate them from copyright infringement.

Donna's estate says they contacted Apple, Spotify and other streamers to ask they yank the song -- which may explain why Kanye's album briefly disappeared the weekend it was released. Eventually, it was re-uploaded -- but "Good (Don't Die)" is now removed from the list.

However, in the time it took for all this to happen ... Donna's estate claims the song had been streamed millions of times -- and they allege they've been harmed as a result.

BTW, "Good (Don't Die)" is still included in the track list for 'Vultures 1' for those who actually purchased the album when it first dropped, and it still plays in full ... at least, we've confirmed that's the case on Apple Music.

New footage of Taylor Swift's dad coming face to face with paparazzi in Australia has surfaced -- and while it shows more of the incident ... it's still hard to tell what happened.

In the video ... Scott clutches his superstar daughter's hand as she walks along while covering her torso with an umbrella. Chaos quickly ensues ... with Taylor's security detail attempting to create a clear path to an awaiting vehicle for the father and daughter ... who had just left a yacht after arriving from Homebush.

Taylor is seen blindly crawling into the back of the vehicle as paparazzi attempt to get a perfect shot. That's when you can see Scott go around toward the back of the vehicle -- where other paps are -- and some kind of scuffle appears to unfold behind the door.

Again, it's impossible to tell from this shot what went down -- but you do see some activity back there ... and Scott is in the vicinity, as are other security guards.

As we reported ... Scott has been accused of getting physical with one photographer in particular -- identified as Ben McDonald -- in an alleged altercation that the pap has characterized as assault. He went to cops there, and they're investigating this.

A rep for Taylor told us that more than one individual was "aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor" ... and claimed people were grabbing her security team, and threatening to throw a female into the water.

Taylor's camp didn't specifically address the allegation against Scott by the photog.

The cops in Australia note the alleged victim did not require medical treatment after the encounter with Scott. So ... perhaps the whole drama will be shaken off before it turns into something more serious. McDonald doesn't seem inclined to let this go, though.

Time will tell if anything more serious comes about.