One Direction

Liam Payne's new direction is rapping and the word on the street is the 1Der is really good at it too.

Liam's hard at work on his solo debut and had a session over the weekend in Malibu with producers TM 88 from 808 Mafia and Juicy J.

We're told he laid down 5 tracks during the sesh and there's a few where he both sings and raps.

Here's the kicker ... everyone who's heard the material says Liam's an unbelievable rapper. He's already got one up on a lot of MCs because he didn't need a pen or pad to write down his verses -- he opted for freestyle.

Liam's formula of singing the hook and rapping the verse sounds a lot like some guy named Drake.

No pressure.

5 Seconds of Summer is one of the hottest groups around, but one thing still gets under their skin ... a mere mention of One Direction.

We got the group leaving LAX Saturday and when our photog dared to mention their arch rival, an agitated handler laid down the law.

One Direction will get presidential treatment at the InterContinental Hotel in NYC, because the boys just made the joint a must stay in the Big Apple.

The group featured the hotel in their new music video for their song, "Perfect." The marquee showing the hotel's name is plain as day.

The manager at the hotel tells us the free ad has been a bonanza. The penthouse, where Harry Styles laid on the bed, is booked solid for the rest of the week at $5k a night.

Same for the Manhattan suites, which will only set fans back $1,500 a night. Sold out.

The hotel had no idea it would score prime real estate in the music video ... they insist they didn't pay for the plug.

Harry, Liam, Niall, Zayn, Louis ... best pitchmen ever.

Zayn Malik's ex-fiancee Perrie Edwards looks like a desperate chick who's still longing for the guy who dumped her in a new Little Mix music video -- but we've learned it's not what it seems.

The vid for "Love Me Like You" dropped Friday, and fans instantly noticed the engagement diamond on Perrie's finger. People were wondering why she was still wearing it, since they broke up 2 months ago. Was it a dig at Zayn or wishful thinking?

It's neither. We found out the video was filmed around 6 months ago, when Perrie and Zayn were still a thing. Sources who were on the set tell us she kept the ring on during shooting because they were very much in love.

But y'know ... things change. The former One Direction singer broke things off in August, and Perrie didn't take it well.

Silver lining: Perrie gets some pub for her new song.

Fifth Harmony got their big break on "X Factor" just like One Direction, but the girl group doesn't see it ending for them anytime soon.

Dinah-Jane Hansen and Normani Hamilton told our photog at LAX, 1D will go on for infinity. But as we kept talking, it became scarily apparent, Fifth Harmony may be the last group standing.

One Direction is no more, at least for now. The guys are putting the group on ice so they can each do their own thing.

They're calling it an extended hiatus, but we've heard that song before. It's a way to keep the door open just in case ...

They just released a music video which got a lot of attention, so the timing is a little weird, but there's been lots of buzz Harry Styles might bail after Zayn Malik said so long.

Ariana Grande and Niall Horan hung out way past their bedtime Monday night -- but don't get your panties in a bunch just yet 1Ders.

Our Ariana sources say the One Direction singer was invited to her concert in London Monday night. After the performance, she and Niall hung out backstage, but it was anything but intimate. Ariana's manager Scooter Braun and both of their entourages were also there.

After the backstage pow-wow, the group headed off to Cirque Le Soir nightclub -- and stayed out till 3:30 AM. But when the fun was over ... we're told they went their separate ways.

Too bad it wasn't a real hook-up since the normally rabid 1D fans have actually been pretty positive about Ariana. Must be the wild video of their after-party that won 'em over.

Harry Styles paid tribute to 1D, as in ... DEEZ NUTS ... in Las Vegas.

One Direction won the Billboard Music Award for Top Duo/Group, and Harry celebrated by slyly grabbing a hold -- playfully and gently, we hope -- of bandmate Niall Horan's balls.

Watch ... Niall plays it off pretty good.

One Direction is ripping a page out of the Justin Bieber playbook ... shedding the whole teen heartthrob thing for Snoop and his mega-blunt.

Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne got down at Snoop's "Bush" album release party Monday night with the likes of Bow Wow, Bishop Don "Magic" Juan, Slink Johnson, Red Grant, Kurupt and Jermaine Dupri.

Zayn Malik may have actually saved the group from becoming another 98 Degrees, because they now have to recast their image or fade away.

Smoking a blunt with Snoop is a good start.

Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson got a couple of fabulous parting gifts Friday night from an L.A. club ... 2 more than agreeable chicks.

Two of the remaining members of One Direction were leaving Project L.A. when their bodyguards tried a feeble diversionary tactic ... Liam, Louis and the 2 women all left the club separately, but their cover was clearly blown because they all ended up in the same car.

Zayn Malik's exit from One Direction apparently wasn't as friendly as they wanted us to believe ... because Zayn and Louis Tomlinson are publicly trash talking each other.

Zayn just posted this heavily-filtered photo of himself with record producer Naughty Boy. Louis jumped on it, tweeting, "Remember when you were 12 and you used to think those Mac filters for your picture were cool haha! Some people still do HA!"

Zayn was locked and loaded, firing back, "Remember when you had a life and stopped making bitchy comments about mine?"

People connected with 1D were insisting to us when Zayn left ... everyone was cool about his departure ... which made no sense.

Harry ... your move.

There is nothing in Harry Styles' life that isn't awesome -- super popular band, chicks throwing themselves at him, and tons of money to buy cool classic cars.

The One Direction heartthrob was out Monday in Beverly Hills, crusising in a white vintage Mercedes-Benz SL convertible.

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson is easing back into bachelorhood ... by hooking up with multiple chicks at once -- or so it seemed when a pack of at least 3 went to his London hotel room.

Tomlinson was partying at Cirque Le Soir Wednesday night ... before the after-party moved to the Soho Hotel. Best part of the rendezvous -- the girls' walk of shame Thursday morning -- although maybe it's more like walk of fame ... when you've raged with a One Direction singer all night?

Tomlinson broke up with GF Eleanor Calder last month after 4 years together.

Everyone mourns in their own way.

Harry Styles is about to go the way of Zayn Malik -- bolting from the ranks of One Direction ... at least according to acclaimed director and honorary 1Der Morgan Spurlock.

Spurlock directed the docufilm "One Direction: This Is Us" -- which, outside of Simon Cowell, makes him the foremost expert on the band ... among grown men. Morgan told our photog the band will be fine as a foursome for now, but it's only a matter of time before Harry splits.

But even that won't kill the band. Check out Morgan's prediction for Niall, Louis and Liam.

Think flattops -- on white guys. It just might work ...

Zayn Malik broke his silence Friday night -- come to think about it we haven't heard him speak before -- and he heaped praise on his former band, One Direction.

Zayn accepted a trophy at the Asian Awards in London. The award was for Outstanding Achievement in Music. Interesting, because it's the only award Zayn can accept independent of the band. He's getting it because of his Pakistani heritage.

It sounds like there's no beef with the boys.

Zayn Malik has one direction in mind these days ... South, as in the South of France.

The former "One Direction" singer was leaving a hotel with his fiancee Perrie Edwards Friday.

Zayn wants to repair his relationship with Perrie and spend time with his family, which is why he says he left the group.

The South of France is a good place to win just about anyone over.