Music News
Lady Gaga lit up Miami Saturday night with a spectacular performance. Gaga hit the stage at the AT&T Super Saturday Night concert on the eve of SB 54. She was slick as hell, glittering up the venue with a bunch of costume changes during her set. She strummed the guitar with her boot, played piano while standing on a bench ... the works. Judging by the encore ... Gaga did not disappoint anyone. Descending from the air, Gaga mimicked the entrance to her Super Bowl halftime performance three years ago. And, this is pretty hilarious ... she sent a message to J Lo and Shakira -- "I better hear no lip-syncing tomorrow!" But, then she recanted with some love ... "I love you J Lo. I love you Shakira." She went on ... "I wish so much love and so much luck to everyone that's doing the halftime show, to both the teams that are playing each other in the Super Bowl," she said. "They're all champions." Teary-eyed, she thanked the audience for their support and for allowing her to perform at the halftime show in 2017 -- "Thank you so much for believing in me. I remember when I played the halftime show and it was one of the most special, beautiful things that's ever happened to me. So, thank you," said Gaga, who also wowed audiences at the 2016 Super Bowl when she sang the national anthem. "And once again, all my love to everyone that's performing and playing tomorrow. I hope they all feel as lucky as I do right now." Gaga performed a 2-hour set, which included "Just Dance," "Poker Face," "Born This Way," "Bad Romance" and "Telephone." One fan threw a letter onstage, which Gaga read to the crowd ... "In 2014 I fought for my life due to mental illness that stemmed from my own insecurities and life experiences. Without your radiant positivity and encouragement, I don't know if I would have had the strength to continue to fight to recover my life back," She invited the fan up on stage and hugged her. Gaga said AT&T TV will donate $1 for every tweet using #SuperSaturdayNight to her Born This Way Foundation, which supports mental and emotional wellness. (TMZ)
The Big Game means big paydays for celebs ... and Nicki Minaj, DaBaby, Lil Baby and Yo Gotti are among the famous folks cashing in on appearances at Super Bowl parties in Miami. One of the biggest cash cows for rappers this weekend is Studio 23 in Miami Beach. Sources with knowledge of the deals tell us Nicki's getting $125,000 to host Monday night's finale and Gucci Mane's pocketing $100k to host Saturday night's bash. Jeezy and Yo Gotti hosted parties Friday night, with Jeezy getting $40,000 from Studio 23 and Mirage Miami shelling out $50k for Yo Gotti's services. Gunna's hosting at the Mirage Saturday night, and he's getting $60k -- on top of the $60k he got from Studio 23 for Thursday's gig. Lil Baby and DaBaby are co-hosting the Trap Bowl day party Saturday at Wynwood Factory in Miami's art district, and Lil Baby's earning $70,000, compared to $80k for DaBaby. As for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs players putting their bodies on the line Sunday ... the victors earn $124,000 each and the losers go home with $62,000. (TMZ)
Pitbull did not disappoint at Shaq's Fun House in Miami Friday night, getting the crowd fired up and then delivering a rousing tribute to Kobe. Mr. Worldwide sang "Give Me Everything," and then launched into his commentary, saying Kobe's memory will endure. He then went into a diatribe over the cauldron of hate known as social media. Diddy followed suit, performing "I'll Be Missing You" as images of Kobe filled the venue. He also performed "Mo Money Mo Problems" with his son, Justin. Shaq, of course, delivered a moving, personal tribute to Kobe. As the crowd chanted Kobe's name -- led by Shaq -- the video chronicled the incredible partnership between the 2 basketball greats who together were an unbeatable duo. BTW, Shaq also showed off his DJ skills, which are considerable. DaBaby jumped on stage next to Shaq -- who looks massive by comparison -- and performed "Bop." He was in some hot water last month -- he was arrested and charged with battery for allegedly attacking and robbing a club promoter. That case is pending. And, check out the Rolls Royce outside the venue ... honoring Kobe with his image emblazoned on the whip. (TMZ)
Halsey took a stand Saturday night during a pre-Super Bowl concert in Miami after a fan harassed her by repeatedly screaming out the name of her ex-BF. Halsey was at BudXMiami performing her set when some dude in the crowd screamed G-Eazy's name over and over. Well, that set her off something fierce, as she did her own investigation of sorts to find the culprit. The malcontent couldn't be spotted, so Halsey led the crowd in a rousing call to arms ... "F*** that guy!!!" The fans were more than happy to oblige. She issued a warning ... "If you say G-Eazy one more f***ing time, I will kick you out this building. I will kick your f***ing ass, test me. I will kick your ass out the f**king club. You're not going to disrespect me like that at my own show." Halsey later said, "don't ever let someone make u feel crazy or unhinged cus ur a woman standing up for urself. Don't tolerate disrespect in the name of being 'nice.' Love u." Haley and G-Eazy dated in 2017 and were on-again, off-again until their final breakup in November 2018. (TMZ)
How Lil Wayne's New Music Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant. Lil Wayne is honoring Kobe Bryant in the most special way. On Friday, the "A Milli" rapper released his latest studio album Funeral and paid tribute to the fallen athlete, who passed away on Sunday in a fatal helicopter crash, with his song "Bing James" featuring Jay Rock. For the track's outro, the Lakers superfan left a 24-second-long silence to honor the NBA superstar's number when he played for the L.A. Lakers. In addition to the moment of silence, Lil Wayne's lyrics also reference his favorite basketball team by calling out their signature uniform colors: "Yellow pill, purple drank." This isn't the only way the "6 Foot 7 Foot" rapper has honored Kobe. Once news of the legendary basketball player's passing broke, Lil Wayne took to Instagram to pay tribute. Sharing a throwback picture of himself and Kobe giving each other a fist bump, the rapper wrote, "Forever love. 824." Lil Wayne is among several musicians to honor Kobe. Fellow rapper Drake posted a picture of the "Farewell Mamba" jacket he sported during the L.A. Lakers icon's final game in 2016, writing, "it can't be." Feeling the loss, Cardi B shared a sweet photograph of Kobe, his wife Vanessa Bryant and their children, captioning the post, "Unbelievable." At the time of his passing, Chris Brown wrote "DEVASTATED!! RIP KING," and later debuted a painting he had made in honor of Kobe. Taylor Swift also joined the sea of tributes with a post of her own. "My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can't fathom what the families are going through," she wrote. "Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight." Also sharing her condolences was Pink, who wrote, "My heart is absolutely broken today, hearing this news. I am sending light and love and prayers and healing to this beautiful family. 'he or she who has loved and been loved, has lived' RIP." Justin Bieber penned a tribute to Kobe, writing, "It can't be. You always encouraged me mamba," Justin Bieber wrote on Instagram alongside a photo with Kobe. "Gave me me some of the best quotes that we smile about to this day.! Love you man!" (Eonline)
Eminem Makes Rare Public Appearance to Honor 50 Cent at Walk of Fame Ceremony. 50 Cent received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday and the ceremony featured a surprise, rare appearance from Eminem. Slim Shady himself (real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III) took the podium to pay tribute to his friend, fellow rapper and Power star (real name Curtis Jackson III), who he had discovered and signed to his record label Shady Records in 2002. This marked the first time Eminem, who is notoriously private, has been photographed in public in over a year. "Out of all the things that I don't remember about 2002, I have a very clear memory of the first time I met Fifty," Eminem said. "I think one of the things I noticed when he first walked into the room was his presence, right, because it just kinda felt like he's gonna be a star, like just the way he carried himself, swagger, everything. It just seemed like he was the whole package. What's crazy about it to me is the charisma and the personality matched the intensity of his music and that first album is so classic." "The first time time I met Fifty, I was so excited to meet him, so I started rapping all his songs to him and I didn't really let him talk," he continued. "I kinda was trying to show him how into him I was. But I think I might have probably overdid it." Eminem recalled how his friend and producer Dr. Dre was also impressed by Fifty. "I knew that the dude sitting in front of me sitting across from me was just different. It just seemed like, I don't know man, something, just something about him just drew you in and I think Dre and me knew that...if it worked on us, that it was gonna work on the rest of the world," Eminem said. "I'm glad we trusted our instincts." Eminem said 50 Cent was not only a business partner but "one of the best friends I've ever known in the world." He also addressed the rapper's past feuds; 50 Cent had had beef with the likes of Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent, actress Vivica A. Fox, rappers Ja Rule and Rick Ross, and Nick Cannon, who recently feuded with Eminem. "I would say that it's much more fun to be his friend than it is to be his enemy, 'cause this guy is f--king relentless and he won't stop," Eminem said. "And the same way that he's relentless in his battles, he's also relentless in his business. He's an artist, an entrepreneur, an actor, a director, a producer, he can juggle, he's great at Scrabble. He pretty much does it all, and he's also helped me through a lot of hard times in my own life and he's always been there when I need him." (Eonline)
Taylor Swift Missed the 2020 Grammy's to Spend Time With Her Mom and Family. Family first. Taylor Swift was never locked in to her highly anticipated 2020 Grammys performance, and family responsibilities kept her away from the show entirely, Us Weekly can confirm. "Taylor was at Sundance [Film Festival in Utah] a few days before the Grammys for the premiere of her documentary," a source tells Us exclusively. "She was never confirmed to perform at the Grammys." The insider adds: "She was not going to be in attendance at the Grammys because she was spending time with her family and her mother, who has a brain tumor and whose cancer has returned." Swift, 30, opened up about her mom's tumor in an interview with Variety published on January 21. "Everyone loves their mom, everyone's got an important mom. But for me, she's really the guiding force. Almost every decision I make, I talk to her about it first. So obviously it was a really big deal to ever speak about her illness," the Grammy winner explained. "The symptoms of what a person goes through when they have a brain tumor is nothing like what we've ever been through with her cancer before. So, it's just been a really hard time for us as a family." A second source tells Us Weekly exclusively that the "Lover" singer passed on the awards show after Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan was "fired for bringing up issues regarding unlawful gender discrimination, sexual harassment, unlawful retaliation and unequal pay." Dugan, who was both the CEO and president of the Grammys, sent a letter to the Recording Academy executive committee calling for "transparency and accountability" when asking them to release her from their arbitration clause, Rolling Stone reported on Wednesday, January 29. The former president was put on administrative leave one week prior to the 62nd annual Grammy Awards after she filed a complaint about the Recording Academy being a "boys club" and claimed that she was sexually harassed by the academy's outside counsel, Joe Kratz, who denied the claims. As previously reported by Us, the Cats actress was nominated for three Grammys and was set to perform at the Sunday, January 26, ceremony, but instead decided to opt out. Swift's true reasons for skipping the show come after reports surfaced that she allegedly missed music's biggest night because she wanted to make sure she'd win before appearing on stage. Swift's rep shut down those rumors in a statement to Us on Thursday, January 30, saying, "These statements made by anonymous, unidentified 'sources' are absolutely, 100 percent false and laughable. She just didn't go to the Grammys. You guys need to calm down." The Recording Academy told Us on Thursday that Swift's reason for missing the show had nothing to do with her team allegedly checking on whether she'd win or not. "The Recording Academy is unaware of such a conversation ever taking place," the academy said in a statement to Us. "It is also totally inconsistent with the interactions we've had with Taylor over the years." Ahead of the show, some fans were surprised to discover that the "Red" singer received so few nominations, but the singer herself didn't seem phased. "LOVER IS NOMINATED FOR SONG OF THE YEAR AT THE GRAMMYS!!!" the "Fearless" singer wrote on her Instagram Stories after the nominations were revealed on November 20. "Wrote this one alone in a quiet moment and seeing it honored in the Song of the Year category by my peers means so much, wow ... 3 noms guys!!!" (UsMagazine)
Ally Brooke Teases New Solo Tour & Reflects on Fifth Harmony's Legacy. Ally Brooke's first tour as a solo artist kicks off in a few weeks, and she couldn't be more thrilled. "I'm beyond ecstatic," she tells Daily Pop co-hosts Justin Sylvester and Morgan Stewart in this clip from Thursday's show. "This has been a dream of mine for so long... to finally embark on my own journey and do my own headlining solo tour is beyond words." Brooke, who first rose to fame in 2012 as a member of the now-disbanded pop group Fifth Harmony, goes on to express appreciation for the creative freedoms that come with creating her own music. "Everything is so different," she says of curating her upcoming, and appropriately titled, "Time to Shine" tour versus performing as part of a collective. "I have full control over everything: what I sing about, my lyrics, who I choose to work with, who I choose to have around me, how I present myself. Even just simple things like hair and makeup and timing." Brooke has released a handful of popular singles since 2018 -- most recently, last November's "No Good" -- with a full-length debut album in the works. The multi-talented musician also competed on Dancing With the Stars' most recent season and finished in third place. Looking back on Fifth Harmony, Brooke "can't believe" she contributed to its lasting impact and doesn't harbor any ill feelings over its "indefinite hiatus." "That feels like light years ago, to be honest," she explains, adding, "I think there's a time for everything and Fifth Harmony had its time and ran its course. And we were able to do so many amazing things." The Time to Shine Tour 2020 opens March 6 in Chicago. Tickets are currently on sale at allybrooke.com. (Eonline)
Mase, one of Diddy's biggest Bad Boy Records stars, is coming for blood ... calling the mogul a hypocrite for his Grammys speech, and for keeping him under a horrible contract. The "Mo Money, Mo Problems" rapper went off on Diddy Friday saying it's ironic Bad Boy's honcho is calling on black artists to take back control of their art -- because Mase claims Diddy keeps his own artists "enslaved," purposely starves them and subjects them to his "horrendous business model." On a personal level, Mase is pissed about the $20k he says Diddy paid him for his publishing rights more than 20 years ago, when he debuted at the age of 19. As you know ... Diddy gave a 50-minute speech while accepting an Industry Icon award at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He was also at Jay-Z's Roc Nation brunch earlier that day, toasting black billionaires and black excellence. None of this sat well with Mase, who said he offered Diddy $2 million in cash just a few days ago to buy back his catalog. He claims Diddy told him he had to match a European man's offer and "that would be the only way I can get it back." Mase -- who signed with Bad Boy in 1996, retired in 1999 and returned in 2004 -- added, "You bought it for about 20k & I offered you 2m in cash. This is not black excellence at all. When your own race is enslaving us. If it's about us owning, it can't be about us owning each other. No More Hiding Behind 'Love.' U CHANGED? GIVE THE ARTIST BACK THEIR $$$$. So, they can take care of their families." Mase has feuded with Diddy in the past ... and in 2009 Mase tried getting out of his deal with the label. Brooklyn MC Sauce Money, who in the past has worked with Diddy and Jay-Z, also took a swipe at Diddy for similar reasons ... saying he watched Diddy's speech and "I respect the message, just not coming from him." We've reached out to Diddy's camp for comment, so far no word back. (TMZ)
Kelis claims The Neptunes 'blatantly lied and tricked' her over writing credits. Kelis has dropped a bomb on The Neptunes. In a new interview with The Guardian, the 40-year-old singer discussed the beginning of her career when she often collaborated with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo's hugely successful production duo. "I thought it was a beautiful and pure, creative safe space," Kelis said of working with Williams and Hugo on her debut, "Kaleidoscope." "But it ended up not being that at all." "I was told we were going to split the whole thing 33/33/33, which we didn't do," Kelis explained. She claimed she was "blatantly lied to and tricked," by "The Neptunes and their management and their lawyers and all that stuff," and maintains she made nothing from sales of her first two albums, which they both produced. Kelis added that she didn't notice the financial discrepancy for years between her touring revenue "and just the fact that I wasn't poor felt like enough." Once she noticed, she said she was told, "'Well, you signed it.' I'm like: 'Yeah, I signed what I was told, and I was too young and too stupid to double-check it.'" Writing credit on the 14 tracks that make up "Kaleidoscope" resides solely with Hugo and Williams, with the exception of "Ghetto Children" and "Suspended," on which Kelis shares credit with the pair. On her second album, "Wanderland," Kelis is a credited writer on nine of the album's 14 tracks with The Neptunes, and for her third, "Tasty," the pair have writing credits on five of its 14 tracks, sharing credit with Kelis on one of those. Her fourth album, "Kelis Was Here," was her first to feature zero collaborations with The Neptunes. While Kelis no longer works with Williams, she said there's "mutual respect" between them. "He did that thing to me that he's notorious for, which is making a nod from the stage [to someone in the audience], so it seems like there's mutual respect, when in reality ... I'm like, 'OK, I'm not going to yell back: You stole all my publishing!' So, you end up nodding back and everyone thinks everything's great. Like, whatever." Representatives for Williams declined to provide Page Six with a comment; Hugo's team did not respond to a request. (PageSix)
The Big Game means big paydays for celebs ... and Nicki Minaj, DaBaby, Lil Baby and Yo Gotti are among the famous folks cashing in on appearances at Super Bowl parties in Miami. One of the biggest cash cows for rappers this weekend is Studio 23 in Miami Beach. Sources with knowledge of the deals tell us Nicki's getting $125,000 to host Monday night's finale and Gucci Mane's pocketing $100k to host Saturday night's bash. Jeezy and Yo Gotti hosted parties Friday night, with Jeezy getting $40,000 from Studio 23 and Mirage Miami shelling out $50k for Yo Gotti's services. Gunna's hosting at the Mirage Saturday night, and he's getting $60k -- on top of the $60k he got from Studio 23 for Thursday's gig. Lil Baby and DaBaby are co-hosting the Trap Bowl day party Saturday at Wynwood Factory in Miami's art district, and Lil Baby's earning $70,000, compared to $80k for DaBaby. As for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs players putting their bodies on the line Sunday ... the victors earn $124,000 each and the losers go home with $62,000. (TMZ)
Pitbull did not disappoint at Shaq's Fun House in Miami Friday night, getting the crowd fired up and then delivering a rousing tribute to Kobe. Mr. Worldwide sang "Give Me Everything," and then launched into his commentary, saying Kobe's memory will endure. He then went into a diatribe over the cauldron of hate known as social media. Diddy followed suit, performing "I'll Be Missing You" as images of Kobe filled the venue. He also performed "Mo Money Mo Problems" with his son, Justin. Shaq, of course, delivered a moving, personal tribute to Kobe. As the crowd chanted Kobe's name -- led by Shaq -- the video chronicled the incredible partnership between the 2 basketball greats who together were an unbeatable duo. BTW, Shaq also showed off his DJ skills, which are considerable. DaBaby jumped on stage next to Shaq -- who looks massive by comparison -- and performed "Bop." He was in some hot water last month -- he was arrested and charged with battery for allegedly attacking and robbing a club promoter. That case is pending. And, check out the Rolls Royce outside the venue ... honoring Kobe with his image emblazoned on the whip. (TMZ)
Halsey took a stand Saturday night during a pre-Super Bowl concert in Miami after a fan harassed her by repeatedly screaming out the name of her ex-BF. Halsey was at BudXMiami performing her set when some dude in the crowd screamed G-Eazy's name over and over. Well, that set her off something fierce, as she did her own investigation of sorts to find the culprit. The malcontent couldn't be spotted, so Halsey led the crowd in a rousing call to arms ... "F*** that guy!!!" The fans were more than happy to oblige. She issued a warning ... "If you say G-Eazy one more f***ing time, I will kick you out this building. I will kick your f***ing ass, test me. I will kick your ass out the f**king club. You're not going to disrespect me like that at my own show." Halsey later said, "don't ever let someone make u feel crazy or unhinged cus ur a woman standing up for urself. Don't tolerate disrespect in the name of being 'nice.' Love u." Haley and G-Eazy dated in 2017 and were on-again, off-again until their final breakup in November 2018. (TMZ)
How Lil Wayne's New Music Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant. Lil Wayne is honoring Kobe Bryant in the most special way. On Friday, the "A Milli" rapper released his latest studio album Funeral and paid tribute to the fallen athlete, who passed away on Sunday in a fatal helicopter crash, with his song "Bing James" featuring Jay Rock. For the track's outro, the Lakers superfan left a 24-second-long silence to honor the NBA superstar's number when he played for the L.A. Lakers. In addition to the moment of silence, Lil Wayne's lyrics also reference his favorite basketball team by calling out their signature uniform colors: "Yellow pill, purple drank." This isn't the only way the "6 Foot 7 Foot" rapper has honored Kobe. Once news of the legendary basketball player's passing broke, Lil Wayne took to Instagram to pay tribute. Sharing a throwback picture of himself and Kobe giving each other a fist bump, the rapper wrote, "Forever love. 824." Lil Wayne is among several musicians to honor Kobe. Fellow rapper Drake posted a picture of the "Farewell Mamba" jacket he sported during the L.A. Lakers icon's final game in 2016, writing, "it can't be." Feeling the loss, Cardi B shared a sweet photograph of Kobe, his wife Vanessa Bryant and their children, captioning the post, "Unbelievable." At the time of his passing, Chris Brown wrote "DEVASTATED!! RIP KING," and later debuted a painting he had made in honor of Kobe. Taylor Swift also joined the sea of tributes with a post of her own. "My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can't fathom what the families are going through," she wrote. "Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight." Also sharing her condolences was Pink, who wrote, "My heart is absolutely broken today, hearing this news. I am sending light and love and prayers and healing to this beautiful family. 'he or she who has loved and been loved, has lived' RIP." Justin Bieber penned a tribute to Kobe, writing, "It can't be. You always encouraged me mamba," Justin Bieber wrote on Instagram alongside a photo with Kobe. "Gave me me some of the best quotes that we smile about to this day.! Love you man!" (Eonline)
Eminem Makes Rare Public Appearance to Honor 50 Cent at Walk of Fame Ceremony. 50 Cent received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday and the ceremony featured a surprise, rare appearance from Eminem. Slim Shady himself (real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III) took the podium to pay tribute to his friend, fellow rapper and Power star (real name Curtis Jackson III), who he had discovered and signed to his record label Shady Records in 2002. This marked the first time Eminem, who is notoriously private, has been photographed in public in over a year. "Out of all the things that I don't remember about 2002, I have a very clear memory of the first time I met Fifty," Eminem said. "I think one of the things I noticed when he first walked into the room was his presence, right, because it just kinda felt like he's gonna be a star, like just the way he carried himself, swagger, everything. It just seemed like he was the whole package. What's crazy about it to me is the charisma and the personality matched the intensity of his music and that first album is so classic." "The first time time I met Fifty, I was so excited to meet him, so I started rapping all his songs to him and I didn't really let him talk," he continued. "I kinda was trying to show him how into him I was. But I think I might have probably overdid it." Eminem recalled how his friend and producer Dr. Dre was also impressed by Fifty. "I knew that the dude sitting in front of me sitting across from me was just different. It just seemed like, I don't know man, something, just something about him just drew you in and I think Dre and me knew that...if it worked on us, that it was gonna work on the rest of the world," Eminem said. "I'm glad we trusted our instincts." Eminem said 50 Cent was not only a business partner but "one of the best friends I've ever known in the world." He also addressed the rapper's past feuds; 50 Cent had had beef with the likes of Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent, actress Vivica A. Fox, rappers Ja Rule and Rick Ross, and Nick Cannon, who recently feuded with Eminem. "I would say that it's much more fun to be his friend than it is to be his enemy, 'cause this guy is f--king relentless and he won't stop," Eminem said. "And the same way that he's relentless in his battles, he's also relentless in his business. He's an artist, an entrepreneur, an actor, a director, a producer, he can juggle, he's great at Scrabble. He pretty much does it all, and he's also helped me through a lot of hard times in my own life and he's always been there when I need him." (Eonline)
Taylor Swift Missed the 2020 Grammy's to Spend Time With Her Mom and Family. Family first. Taylor Swift was never locked in to her highly anticipated 2020 Grammys performance, and family responsibilities kept her away from the show entirely, Us Weekly can confirm. "Taylor was at Sundance [Film Festival in Utah] a few days before the Grammys for the premiere of her documentary," a source tells Us exclusively. "She was never confirmed to perform at the Grammys." The insider adds: "She was not going to be in attendance at the Grammys because she was spending time with her family and her mother, who has a brain tumor and whose cancer has returned." Swift, 30, opened up about her mom's tumor in an interview with Variety published on January 21. "Everyone loves their mom, everyone's got an important mom. But for me, she's really the guiding force. Almost every decision I make, I talk to her about it first. So obviously it was a really big deal to ever speak about her illness," the Grammy winner explained. "The symptoms of what a person goes through when they have a brain tumor is nothing like what we've ever been through with her cancer before. So, it's just been a really hard time for us as a family." A second source tells Us Weekly exclusively that the "Lover" singer passed on the awards show after Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan was "fired for bringing up issues regarding unlawful gender discrimination, sexual harassment, unlawful retaliation and unequal pay." Dugan, who was both the CEO and president of the Grammys, sent a letter to the Recording Academy executive committee calling for "transparency and accountability" when asking them to release her from their arbitration clause, Rolling Stone reported on Wednesday, January 29. The former president was put on administrative leave one week prior to the 62nd annual Grammy Awards after she filed a complaint about the Recording Academy being a "boys club" and claimed that she was sexually harassed by the academy's outside counsel, Joe Kratz, who denied the claims. As previously reported by Us, the Cats actress was nominated for three Grammys and was set to perform at the Sunday, January 26, ceremony, but instead decided to opt out. Swift's true reasons for skipping the show come after reports surfaced that she allegedly missed music's biggest night because she wanted to make sure she'd win before appearing on stage. Swift's rep shut down those rumors in a statement to Us on Thursday, January 30, saying, "These statements made by anonymous, unidentified 'sources' are absolutely, 100 percent false and laughable. She just didn't go to the Grammys. You guys need to calm down." The Recording Academy told Us on Thursday that Swift's reason for missing the show had nothing to do with her team allegedly checking on whether she'd win or not. "The Recording Academy is unaware of such a conversation ever taking place," the academy said in a statement to Us. "It is also totally inconsistent with the interactions we've had with Taylor over the years." Ahead of the show, some fans were surprised to discover that the "Red" singer received so few nominations, but the singer herself didn't seem phased. "LOVER IS NOMINATED FOR SONG OF THE YEAR AT THE GRAMMYS!!!" the "Fearless" singer wrote on her Instagram Stories after the nominations were revealed on November 20. "Wrote this one alone in a quiet moment and seeing it honored in the Song of the Year category by my peers means so much, wow ... 3 noms guys!!!" (UsMagazine)
Ally Brooke Teases New Solo Tour & Reflects on Fifth Harmony's Legacy. Ally Brooke's first tour as a solo artist kicks off in a few weeks, and she couldn't be more thrilled. "I'm beyond ecstatic," she tells Daily Pop co-hosts Justin Sylvester and Morgan Stewart in this clip from Thursday's show. "This has been a dream of mine for so long... to finally embark on my own journey and do my own headlining solo tour is beyond words." Brooke, who first rose to fame in 2012 as a member of the now-disbanded pop group Fifth Harmony, goes on to express appreciation for the creative freedoms that come with creating her own music. "Everything is so different," she says of curating her upcoming, and appropriately titled, "Time to Shine" tour versus performing as part of a collective. "I have full control over everything: what I sing about, my lyrics, who I choose to work with, who I choose to have around me, how I present myself. Even just simple things like hair and makeup and timing." Brooke has released a handful of popular singles since 2018 -- most recently, last November's "No Good" -- with a full-length debut album in the works. The multi-talented musician also competed on Dancing With the Stars' most recent season and finished in third place. Looking back on Fifth Harmony, Brooke "can't believe" she contributed to its lasting impact and doesn't harbor any ill feelings over its "indefinite hiatus." "That feels like light years ago, to be honest," she explains, adding, "I think there's a time for everything and Fifth Harmony had its time and ran its course. And we were able to do so many amazing things." The Time to Shine Tour 2020 opens March 6 in Chicago. Tickets are currently on sale at allybrooke.com. (Eonline)
Mase, one of Diddy's biggest Bad Boy Records stars, is coming for blood ... calling the mogul a hypocrite for his Grammys speech, and for keeping him under a horrible contract. The "Mo Money, Mo Problems" rapper went off on Diddy Friday saying it's ironic Bad Boy's honcho is calling on black artists to take back control of their art -- because Mase claims Diddy keeps his own artists "enslaved," purposely starves them and subjects them to his "horrendous business model." On a personal level, Mase is pissed about the $20k he says Diddy paid him for his publishing rights more than 20 years ago, when he debuted at the age of 19. As you know ... Diddy gave a 50-minute speech while accepting an Industry Icon award at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He was also at Jay-Z's Roc Nation brunch earlier that day, toasting black billionaires and black excellence. None of this sat well with Mase, who said he offered Diddy $2 million in cash just a few days ago to buy back his catalog. He claims Diddy told him he had to match a European man's offer and "that would be the only way I can get it back." Mase -- who signed with Bad Boy in 1996, retired in 1999 and returned in 2004 -- added, "You bought it for about 20k & I offered you 2m in cash. This is not black excellence at all. When your own race is enslaving us. If it's about us owning, it can't be about us owning each other. No More Hiding Behind 'Love.' U CHANGED? GIVE THE ARTIST BACK THEIR $$$$. So, they can take care of their families." Mase has feuded with Diddy in the past ... and in 2009 Mase tried getting out of his deal with the label. Brooklyn MC Sauce Money, who in the past has worked with Diddy and Jay-Z, also took a swipe at Diddy for similar reasons ... saying he watched Diddy's speech and "I respect the message, just not coming from him." We've reached out to Diddy's camp for comment, so far no word back. (TMZ)
Kelis claims The Neptunes 'blatantly lied and tricked' her over writing credits. Kelis has dropped a bomb on The Neptunes. In a new interview with The Guardian, the 40-year-old singer discussed the beginning of her career when she often collaborated with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo's hugely successful production duo. "I thought it was a beautiful and pure, creative safe space," Kelis said of working with Williams and Hugo on her debut, "Kaleidoscope." "But it ended up not being that at all." "I was told we were going to split the whole thing 33/33/33, which we didn't do," Kelis explained. She claimed she was "blatantly lied to and tricked," by "The Neptunes and their management and their lawyers and all that stuff," and maintains she made nothing from sales of her first two albums, which they both produced. Kelis added that she didn't notice the financial discrepancy for years between her touring revenue "and just the fact that I wasn't poor felt like enough." Once she noticed, she said she was told, "'Well, you signed it.' I'm like: 'Yeah, I signed what I was told, and I was too young and too stupid to double-check it.'" Writing credit on the 14 tracks that make up "Kaleidoscope" resides solely with Hugo and Williams, with the exception of "Ghetto Children" and "Suspended," on which Kelis shares credit with the pair. On her second album, "Wanderland," Kelis is a credited writer on nine of the album's 14 tracks with The Neptunes, and for her third, "Tasty," the pair have writing credits on five of its 14 tracks, sharing credit with Kelis on one of those. Her fourth album, "Kelis Was Here," was her first to feature zero collaborations with The Neptunes. While Kelis no longer works with Williams, she said there's "mutual respect" between them. "He did that thing to me that he's notorious for, which is making a nod from the stage [to someone in the audience], so it seems like there's mutual respect, when in reality ... I'm like, 'OK, I'm not going to yell back: You stole all my publishing!' So, you end up nodding back and everyone thinks everything's great. Like, whatever." Representatives for Williams declined to provide Page Six with a comment; Hugo's team did not respond to a request. (PageSix)
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