Music

Vanilla Ice isn't inserting himself in any hip hop convos or debates like some rappers -- he's giving fans free reign to make the decision for him!!!

We linked with the "Ice Ice Baby" all-star at LAX this week speaking pretty modestly about his career ... his signature hit was actually the FIRST rap song to top the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1990 and his debut album made him a household name selling millions of copies worldwide.

Ice maintains life in the U.S.A. was simpler in the '90s before computers controlled our lives ... bring back Blockbuster, "Beavis & Butt-Head" -- and those were just the B's!!!

Snoop Dogg's old-school playlist picks weren't connecting with Anthony Edwards when the rap superstar was chilling with the Men's Olympic Basketball Team ... so Tha Boss Dogg adapted like any true master would and got with the times!!!

As the guest of honor, Snoop got to control the music while hanging on the back of the bus (when the team wasn't getting their beauty rest) and admitted he noticed Ant-Man wasn't moving and grooving to the sounds of Curtis Mayfield on the "Super Fly" soundtrack like LeBron James was.

The King is a true-born Ohio Player but "Super Fly" was released 29 years ago -- before Ant was born, and Snoop quickly changed it up to BossMan Dlow's "Get In With Me" to get the star guard more charged up!!!

DJ Envy is still rooting for Cardi B and Offset's marriage -- even hours after the "Bodak Yellow" rapper filed for divorce ... and he's even got advice on how to make it work.

We got the 'Breakfast Club' co-host in NYC Thursday -- and he tells TMZ Hip Hop he has relationships with both Cardi and Offset ... and thinks they're both genuinely good people, even if they have some kinks to work out between them.

Of course, he's reacting to Cardi setting the internet ablaze -- not only announcing her divorce but the fact she's pregnant with a new baby ... and DJE has thoughts.

Cardi B created a firestorm with the whirlwind news of her divorce and pregnancy -- but a new song that's out aimed at her soon-to-be-ex-husband Offset has people buzzing too ... even though it's really much ado about nothin'.

Here's the deal ... right on the heels of Cardi's divorce news, a song surfaced on YouTube that was being attributed to Cardi -- and it was being advertised as a diss song at Offset ... which was titled 'Tia Kemp (It's Over)' ... and it sure sounds like Cardi rapping on the beat.

There's a pic of Rick Ross' ex Tia Kemp on the album art for this -- which had people confused as to whether this was actually Cardi crapping on her estranged hubby. Well, as it turns out ... we know that's not the case.

A fundraiser for the families of the 3 young girls who died at the Taylor Swift-themed dance party in Southport, England is picking up some major steam -- hitting almost half a million bucks.

Cristina Jones and Holly Goldring from the Taylor Swift UK & EU Facebook Group started a Just Giving fundraiser that’s blown their OG goal of £13,000 ($16,555) out of the water, with £342,867 ($436,623) raised so far at the time of writing.

The proceeds are going to Alder Hey Children’s Charity to help pay for the girls’ funerals -- and in an IG statement shared by Holly, the charity brought Taylor into the mix ... thanking fans for channeling the spirit of her music and turning their empathy into action.

Britney Spears' life is ready for the big screen -- her bestselling memoir is on track to be turned into a biopic ... and we now know who's got the final say on who plays Brit.

Universal Pictures made the announcement Thursday -- saying they've secured the rights to the singer's book, "The Woman In Me," with filmmaker Jon M. Chu set to direct and Marc Platt set to produce/develop.

Sources familiar with the project tell us there've been no conversations yet about who would be cast to play Britney ... there isn't a casting director attached to the movie at this point, but we're told Britney will have casting approval. So, what she says goes on the lead star.

Cardi B is pulling the plug on her marriage -- again -- filing for divorce from Offset ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, the split has nothing to do with cheating. We're told this "is a long time in coming" -- the 2 have been growing apart for a long time. As one source put it, "They're just disconnected from each other."

We're told if you look back at Cardi's posts from December, she said, "You know when you just out grow relationships ... I'm tired of protecting peoples feelings ... I GOTTA PUT MYSELF FIRST!"

Cardi B didn't want anyone to see what's going on with her this week ... 'cause her team was in the midst of a major cover-up while out in NYC ... and we mean that literally!

TMZ obtained photos of the rapper Wednesday out in New York City ... and as you can see, something was going on with her and her crew -- 'cause a bunch of them were trying to hide her behind umbrellas.

Cardi stepped out on 34th and Broadway in broad daylight -- dressed in baggy clothes -- and her team literally formed a human barrier around her ... but look closely at the photos, she's not entirely covered up.

The teenager who's been accused of stabbing and killing multiple little girls who came together to dance to Taylor Swift music smiled at the media while in court this week.

17-year-old Axel Rudakubana -- who's being tried as an adult -- showed up before a judge Thursday in the U.K. and was arraigned on murder and attempted murder charges ... getting rung up for the deaths of 3 girls, and the brutal stabbing of several others.

Per local media ... Rudakubana walked into the building and looked out to reporters who were on hand -- and he apparently flashed a grin before trying to bury/hide his head.

Damon Dash’s money troubles aren't getting any better ... 'cause his entire stake in Roc-A-Fella Records is now being auctioned by the Feds.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ … the music mogul -- who co-founded Roc-A-Fella with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke -- will have his 33.3 percent interest in the company sold off by the U.S. Marshal at a public auction on August 29 in Manhattan.

The docs say bidders will have to first register to appear at the auction by sending an email to attorney Christopher Brown.

Rising country star Megan Moroney is speaking out about Morgan Wallen dating rumors for the first time -- this two years after they first hit the fan ... and she says it wasn't serious.

Megan spilled the tea on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast Wednesday ... saying she and Morgan were never in an exclusive relationship -- and they were basically just banging after meeting in 2020 before the pandemic hit.

As for keeping their fleeting fling hush-hush at the time, Megan chalked it up to Morgan's super private nature ... and it sounds like MM herself is pretty low-key too.

Robin Antin's new show is putting the real in reality TV ... after 2 members got into a messy catfight over some stupid boy drama.

Check it out ... the crew for "Playground" is enjoying a nice dinner out with The Pussycat Dolls creator, when things get tense between Deanna and Alexis. In the footage -- a peek at episode 9 of the Hulu series -- Deanna learns her coworker hasn't been all that honest about their mutual friend, Tuil ... who Deanna has been getting cozy with.

Thanks to one truth bomb from Madison ... it comes out Alexis went out on a dinner date with Tuil ... though she says she didn't think Deanna would care since she supposedly had already lost interest in him.

Chris Brown's legal team says the $50 million lawsuit against him and Yella Beezy is a grand ol' shakedown.

According to the lawsuit, the R&B megastar spearheaded a beatdown of 4 men backstage following his Fort Worth, TX tour stop on July 20, as well as a security guard who claims he suffered injuries attempting to break up the ruckus.

Brown's attorney, Levi McCathern, tells TMZ Hip Hop ... he's suspicious about how fast the 50-page lawsuit was drummed up after the alleged brawl and claims the men who say they were beaten up were well enough to leave the venue without medical aid.

50 Cent says his appearance at the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show almost didn't happen ... suggesting it was because Jay-Z tried turning his company Roc Nation into Block Nation.

In his new cover story with The Hollywood Reporter ... 50 claims Roc Nation attempted to keep him off the Emmy Award-winning spectacle alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.

In fact, 50 says Em turned renegade and threatened to remove himself if 50 got banned ... "Eminem wouldn’t do it without me," he recalled to the outlet.

Katy Perry’s out at "American Idol" -- and Carrie Underwood is very close to filling in her seat ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Carrie and her team are in the final stages of locking her into a contract to appear on the hit ABC show -- and if all goes smoothly, the former 'Idol' winner will soon join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as the new judge.

What's also interesting about this news ... Carrie actually has an appearance scheduled on 'GMA' this upcoming Friday -- for their summer concert series -- but of course ... an official announcement could come that day as well. As you know ... ABC is the parent company.

History has been made ('cause surely this has never happened before) ... a young soccer fan completely blew off Rihanna, asking the superstar singer to TAKE a photo of him with Christian Pulisic, instead of including RiRi in the pic!

Talk about something the young guy will later regret. 😆

The unintended snub happened over the weekend at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx ... where AC Milan played an international friendly  against Manchester City.