Controversial S#!T

Jamie Foxx apparently misses the 2000s, when things were simpler and when he was rolling in the good times ... a stark contrast to what he says is the overall climate right now.

We got the A-lister Friday as he was leaving lunch in Bev Hills, and asked about Takeoff's murder -- over which he sent condolences ... but it also launched him into a train of thought about what he considers a massive cloud of negativity that's hovering above Hollywood.

Jamie suggests there's a general heaviness among his celebrity pals these days -- especially rappers, it seems -- that's leading to some dark moments and tragedies ... which he says could be avoided if everyone just went back to having fun again like they used to.

He talks about making records and partying it up ... implying that camaraderie and light-heartedness are long gone in 2022 among his music industry peers. Instead, we're seeing more killings than ever ... not to mention more controversies than ever, a la Kanye West.

JF tells us he'll never speak ill of his brothers -- Kanye included, with whom he's made a handful of hits over the years -- but does say he thinks the solution to all the rancor and handwringing that seems to consume everyone lately is a little more focus on positivity and less attention on the ugly side of things ... particularly when it comes to the media.

While Jamie is right about the world changing since the aughts, his desire to roll back the clock is probably a pipe dream. With the advent of social media/tech, Trump-fueled politics and huge societal shifts in attitude about what's acceptable and not ... something tells us we're never going back. With that said, his sentiment is certainly appealing and nostalgic.

In the meantime, he's a throwback to those peak Jamie Foxx days. If only, if only ...

The new 'Black Panther' is mostly being hailed as a triumph/a great tribute to Chadwick Boseman -- but there are still some who aren't happy with how the page was turned.

Indeed ... the #RecastTChalla crowd is out in full force right now on Twitter -- this after 'Wakanda Forever' hit theaters this weekend -- and they're voicing their ongoing grievances about Marvel/Disney choosing not to find a new lead hero in the wake of CB's real-life death.

They've been on this for a while now, with their main argument being that the character is bigger than just Chadwick alone ... something Kevin Feige and co. firmly disagreed with.

Now that the sequel is out, the #Recast crew feels like their argument is even stronger than ever ... pointing out what they see as holes and flaws in the new flick that they think a simple recast would've fixed. At this point, we're getting into ***SPOILERS AHEAD***

You can hop into the trend yourself to see all the points, but basically ... super fans just aren't happy with how T'Challa's death is addressed, probably because they never quite explain what killed him -- other than to mention some vague disease he succumbed to.

There is certainly a lot of onscreen mourning, and Chadwicks' shadow looms large as the backdrop -- but you never hear his voice in the film ... only silent flashbacks/montages. Some say there should've been more of a creative effort to actually have him reappear/speak on camera somehow -- like Carrie Fisher did in 'Rise of Skywalker' -- but it never happens.

There's also the issue of Letitia Wright/Shuri -- who, in fact, becomes the new Black Panther ... but literally just for the last 30 minutes or so, and only has one big fight sequence before she loses the suit. It's badass, but super brief -- and a fair amount of people feel like there simply wasn't enough Black Panther in 'BP' ... so they're complaining about this too.

Last but not least -- and this one is a *HUGE SPOILER* -- there's a new "T'Challa," of sorts, that's introduced at the very, very end in the post-credits scene ... T'Challa's son, Toussaint.

Essentially, they tease the notion that the kid will one day become the new king of Wakanda/assume the Black Panther mantle ... which effectively means more movies, etc.

Shannon Sharpe says it's time to get past the latest Kyrie Irving controversy ... telling TMZ Sports that the Nets star's mea culpa is enough for him to be ready "move on" from it all.

Sharpe explained his stance on the matter to us out at LAX on Friday ... saying now that Irving's apologized -- and both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai have deemed him to be not antisemitic -- he's down to put the whole saga in the past.

"He's done what they asked him to do," the Hall of Famer said. "He's apologized."

Sharpe did acknowledge that Irving's apology may not have been as prompt as some people would have liked -- but he went on to say it's still enough in his eyes.

"Hopefully, he meets with some of the people that were offended by the link he posted," Sharpe said, "and then, yeah, I agree, I'm ready to move on."

As we reported, after Irving tweeted out a link to the antisemitic film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" and then refused to apologize for it ... he was hit with an indefinite suspension by the Nets.

But, since that time, Irving has said he's sorry ... and apparently had productive meetings and conversations with both Silver and Tsai about it all this week.

Clearly, Sharpe -- who has been critical of Irving on FS1's "Undisputed" in the past -- believes that's all enough.

Fat Joe's about to drop his memoir, which is filled with lessons many young rappers could use -- but it's actually an old-school rapper, one Kanye West, who recently sought out Joe's counsel.

The legendary Bronx MC joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and revealed he, almost literally, ran into Ye while walking out of his L.A. hotel room. Joe says Ye asked him for advice on how to handle all the backlash for his bigoted and antisemitic remarks.

He says he told Ye the truth, as he sees it, reminding him he's got pals from all walks of life and all religions. FJ advised Ye to keep God in mind, and stop using hurtful words.

Joe's got a lot more gems to drop -- especially for hip hop's up-and-comers -- in 'The Book of Jose.' His memoir will be available Tuesday, and reveals his days as a street hustler and his rise to rap superstar. He told us he knew exactly when his life had changed, and he needed to stop hanging with his old crew from the block.

It comes down to 2 words: RICO laws! You gotta see Joe explain the light bulb moment.

BTW, after his Ye run-in ... Joe also had an encounter with Will Smith, who's been laying low since that Oscars slap.

Bobby Shmurda is handing out zero stars in Atlanta after seeking out his beloved oxtail dish, but commenters like Rich Homie Quan are telling the "Shmoney" rapper he just needs a better tour guide.

A disgusted Bobby took to Instagram to blast his oxtail, rice and peas meal from the Peach Cobbler Café ... claiming he was served runny rice that was oozing a creamy white substance.

He also compared the food to the crap he got in jail while doing 6 years at Rikers. 😬

Bobby also wasn't feeling the mondo-sized chicken wings and proclaimed New York City to be the mecca of Jamaican-American food ... much to the disapproval of Atlanta's very own Rich Homie Quan.

RHQ doesn't think Bobby got a proper Atlanta eatery experience and advised him to check in with locals in the know.

Other commenters agreed, telling Bobby to check the reviews of the spots he visits beforehand.

Bobby just cooked up a new album in "SHMURDAGOTCASH" and has plenty of spot concert dates remaining for the rest of the year.

Former Cleveland Browns star Joe Thomas just went scorched earth on Jim Irsay ... blasting the Colts owner for hiring "drinking buddy" Jeff Saturday as Indy's next head coach.

Thomas, who played 11 years in the league, didn't hold back a thing while appearing on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" on Friday ... calling the Saturday hire "the most egregious thing I can ever remember happening in the NFL."

"It is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen in my entire life," the ex-offensive lineman said.

Thomas' main issue is Saturday's experience. The former Colts center never coached at the NFL or collegiate level -- and had been working as an ESPN analyst at the time of the hiring.

Thomas called it a complete slap to the face of all of the other coaches in the league who have worked tirelessly at their crafts for years.

Thomas then said Saturday's introductory press conference earlier this week -- one in which Irsay said he was actually glad Jeff didn't have prior head coaching experience -- was also disrespectful to those around the NFL.

"I was in France with my kids earlier in the week, but when I saw this, I thought it was a joke," he said. "I thought maybe I had a little Google translate and all the sudden I'm in the wrong calendar and it's April 1st or something going on."

Thomas threw some shade Saturday's way too ... seemingly implying the 47-year-old should have simply rejected Irsay's job offer.

Pete Rose is making a last-ditch effort in hopes of getting his Baseball Hall of Fame ban lifted ... sending an incredibly emotional letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred this week to plead his case.

Charlie Hustle has been public enemy #1 in Cooperstown ever since his infamous betting scandal came to light ... and hasn't been able to even sniff the voter's ballot as a result.

But, now that he's 81 years old, Rose is pulling out all the stops in hopes of someday knowing what it feels like to be called a "Hall of Famer."

TMZ Sports has obtained a copy of the Hit King's message (which was sent to MLB offices on Monday) ... and it's powerful stuff.

"I am writing today for three reasons," Rose said in the letter. "First, because at my age I want to be 100% sure that you understand how much I mean it when I say that I'm sorry. Second, to ask for your forgiveness. And third, because I still think every day about what it would mean to be considered for the Hall of Fame."

Rose acknowledges the hurt he caused the people he loves and respects, as well as Cincinnati Reds fans ... saying it's one of his biggest regrets.

"Besides spending time with my kids and my partner, there's nothing that made me happier than playing baseball in front of fans. That I let them down and brought shame to the sport we all love is something I think about every single day."

Of course, if it weren't for the betting scandal, Rose would be a shoo-in for the Hall -- he has the most hits in MLB history and has three World Series wins, three MVPs and 17 All-Star selections.

In his letter, Rose even apologized to the athletes he played alongside during his incredible career ... admitting it hurts to watch them grow old without having to deal with any sort of controversy.

"You can't imagine how painful it is when I see my teammates from all the great teams I played on and players I played against go about their lives in ways I wanted to. I want to be a part of that too and I know I probably never will. I am so grateful for the time I shared with them on and off the field. Nothing replaces it."

"I am asking for your forgiveness," Rose concluded. "Despite my many mistakes, I am so proud of what I accomplished as a baseball player -- I Am the Hit King and it is my dream to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Like all of us, I believe in accountability.  I am 81 years old and know that I have been held accountable and that I hold myself accountable. I write now to ask for another chance."

We're told Rose has not heard back from commish or the league yet.

Return to the office or resign!!!

Elon Musk was secretly recorded giving that ultimatum to remote-working Twitter employees while discussing plans for a 40-hour work week during a recent staff meeting. As you may recall ... some employees were clocking 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week to meet Musk's aggressive demands following his $44 billion purchase of the company.

A clip from the fiery recording was released by ABC News Thursday night ... and Musk can clearly be heard laying down the law.

"Let me be crystal clear, if people do not return to the office when they are able to return to the office -- they cannot remain at the company. End of story," Musk pointedly says on the audio.

A Twitter worker pushes back ... "Even if people returned to the office. The offices are separate offices -- we won't be in person anyways."

But, Musk isn't having it ... "You can still maximize the amount of in-person activity."

He then compares Twitter to his other company, Tesla, to drive home his point, "Tesla is not one place either, but you know, it's basically if you can, if you can show up at an office and you do not show up at the office, resignation accepted!"

Musk goes on to say plenty of Tesla employees work remotely, but they are "exceptions" and "exceptional people." He ends with ... "I totally understand if that doesn't work for some people. But that's the new philosophy for Twitter."

The world's richest man recently cleaned house at Twitter, slashing half the workforce. The fired employees sued Musk for violating federal and California laws by not giving them proper notice before they were canned and offering them unfair severance packages.

Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney for the laid-off workers, told ABC News she will use the audio clip as evidence to show Musk is eliminating remote work to avoid paying employees without giving them proper notice -- a violation of the WARN Act.

Meanwhile, Musk also announced Twitter may fall into bankruptcy if more people don’t sign up for his $7.99 monthly subscription service to offset slumping ad sales.

Following a meeting between Adam Silver and Kyrie Irving this week ... the NBA commissioner now says he has "no doubt" that the Nets star is not antisemitic.

The Association's honcho and the controversial Brooklyn point guard caught up on Tuesday ... and while Silver declined to get into the specifics of their chat during an interview with the New York Times on Thursday ... he did say he came away from the meeting sure that Irving was not full of hate.

"He's someone I've known for a decade," Silver told the outlet, "and I've never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group."

Silver requested the meeting with Irving after the basketball player had tweeted out a link to "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" -- a film filled with antisemitic tropes.

The commish had called Irving's decision to press send "reckless" ... while blasting him for his refusal to immediately apologize. Irving was eventually hit with an indefinite ban from the Nets -- and ultimately said he was sorry.

Silver admitted the league and the Nets should have acted sooner regarding a suspension for Irving over it all ... telling the NYT, "We may have been able to get there faster. I accept that criticism."

But, he did say he believed both the Nets and the league got the suspension right in the end.

Irving is eligible to come off the ban later this week -- though it's unclear if that will actually happen ... as Brooklyn has imposed a myriad of conditions the 30-year-old must meet in order to return to the floor.

Silver also took aim at Amazon during his talk with the NY Times ... clearly believing the film Irving tweeted out shouldn't have a place in the org.'s marketplace.

For its part, Amazon has not yet removed the film ... and has not commented on the situation.

Comedian Matt Rife is literally a stone's throw away from 'SNL' just in case its writers boycott upcoming host Dave Chappelle ... and says he'd be honored to take the gig.

Matt was standing outside 30 Rock in NYC Thursday with his friend and fellow comedian Alex "Fonzi" Cureau -- they were holding up signs reading "Will Write For Dave."

Dave's set to host 'SNL' this weekend for the first time since his controversial 2021 Netflix special "The Closer" ... which his critics have ripped as transphobic.

While all 'SNL' cast members are working with Dave, some of the writers are boycotting ... according to Page Six. As we reported, Chappelle's camp says they've seen no evidence of that all week.

But, just in case, Matt and Alex are at the ready ... and say they're not trying to make any statements about transphobia. Their message is much more simple -- "If you don't want your job I will take it."

Of course, not everyone sees it that way ... Matt and Alex were actually confronted by at least one person who had a problem with their public plea to work with Dave.

Bottom line for Matt -- who famously dated Kate Beckinsale back in 2017 -- Dave's the comedy G.O.A.T., so he's not missing out if there's a shot at writing his 'SNL' sketches.

A disturbing discovery at the site of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has put construction on pause ... because someone left a noose in the area.

The group overseeing construction, Lakeside Alliance, says operations were halted after "an act of hate was discovered at the project site."

Chicago police are on the case ... a CPD officer was photographed leaving the construction site Thursday afternoon with what appears to be plastic bag containing the rope.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says "Racism and racist symbols have no place in Chicago."

Meanwhile, recently reelected Governor J.B. Pritzker condemned the incident, saying he'll make sure Illinois "will make all needed resources available to help catch the perpetrators."

The Obama Foundation called the incident "shameless" and an "act of cowardice and hate ... designed to get attention and divide us."

The Obama President Center is supposed to open in 3 years ... and plans include a library, activity center, plaza, forum and a museum.

Marc Lamont Hill is standing with Megan Thee Stallion against Drake's bars -- and others in hip hop -- and he's getting flak for it online ... something that doesn't surprise the author and activist.

On Thursday, Marc -- along with Congresswoman Maxine Waters, MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, Tamika Mallory and several other influential leaders -- joined the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium in signing an open letter in support of Meg.

The letter denounces violence against women, in general, but also strongly proclaims the culture "failed" Megan after she was shot in the foot ... allegedly by Tory Lanez.

Marc tells TMZ Hip Hop he was approached by Tarana about the letter ... and immediately decided to join the cause.

He says it was a bit mind-boggling seeing so many dudes angry that he spoke out against Drake's "Circo Loco" lyrics -- the ones about the "stallion lying about being shot" -- but ultimately wasn't totally surprised.

According to Marc, hip hop has allowed misogyny to run rampant in otherwise good music for years ... and when Drake is your favorite artist, you're bound to get a little defensive.

Following the track's release, Megan ripped into Drake and social media trolls as a whole ... vowing they would regret making a mockery of the alleged situation.

Her attorney Alex Spiro told us the same thing and then some ... proclaiming all the artists who publicly flipped on Megan will have a stain on their character when all the facts come out in Tory's trial.

Marc says his job as a journalist is to challenge the dominant mind from subscribing to the norm, so he's aware of the uphill battle ahead.

LeBron James says he knows what Kyrie Irving did was wrong ... but the Lakers superstar still came to the Nets point guard's defense Thursday, claiming the punishment KI is now facing is just too much.

James, who played with Irving for several seasons in Cleveland, took to Twitter to relay his stance on the matter to his fanbase ... writing out several tweets while he was in the middle of rehabbing a lower-body injury.

"I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information," James said. "And I’ll continue to be that way, but Kyrie apologized, and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple."

Irving was suspended by the Nets last Thursday after he repeatedly refused to apologize for tweeting out a link to the antisemitic film, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!"

The team called the ban indefinite -- saying Irving would have to satisfy "a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct" in order to return to the floor.

According to Shams Charania, some of the stipulations included sensitivity training, antisemitic training and meetings with Jewish leaders.

James clearly feels it's all too much ... adding, "Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him."

AEW star Max Caster threw shade at Tom Brady, Kyrie Irving and Herschel Walker while rapping right before his match on Wednesday -- targeting three of the most controversial athletes of the moment.

Max and his tag team partner, Anthony Bowens, were walking to the ring to take on The Gunns and Swerve In Our Glory ... when the 33-year-old got busy on the mic.

Caster wasted no time going after TB12, who's struggled all season (game-winning drive on Sunday, aside) as he deals with his high-profile divorce from ex-wife Gisele.

Check out the performance.

"Acclaimed on the mic got the place going crazy, ya'll about to take more L's than Tom Brady," Caster rapped.

"Keep the fence work (???) it's awkward, we got the receipts like he's Herschel Walker."

"I'll make you cry til' you're eyes are burning, I'mma make you say sorry like Kyrie Irving."

Sheesh!

Of course, Tom's Bucs squad is 4-5 ... and after struggling on the field at times, some fans have wondered if he should have stayed retired.

Meanwhile, Herschel, a football legend and current U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia (his race is going to a runoff in early December), has been under attack after he was accused of reportedly paying for a woman's abortion ... despite running on a pro-life platform.

As for Kyrie ... he recently apologized to the Jewish community (though many were unfulfilled by his words) after he posted a link to a controversial film containing antisemitic messaging.

Kyrie Irving's relationship with Nike is "likely over," says Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of the manufacturing conglomerate.

In an interview with CNBC, the billionaire commented on Irving's future with the Swoosh, saying, "I would doubt that we go back. But, I don't know for sure."

"Kyrie stepped over the line. It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. And, I was fine with that."

As we reported on Friday, the shoe giant announced it was suspending its relationship with the Nets' superstar point guard after he refused to apologize for tweeting a link to a controversial film containing antisemitic messaging.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said.

Nike's move to press pause on its partnership with Irving came after the Nets suspended Kyrie for at least five games -- the team felt that the 30-year-old wasn't contrite when he apologized for the harm he caused the Jewish community.

Like the Nets, Nike, too, was disappointed in Irving's seeming reluctance to disavow the antisemitic content in the film he tweeted, which left the company no choice but to suspend Kyrie's deal.

Knight told the outlet that when signing athletes, they consider not only how good the athlete is ... but also the kind of character the individual displays.

KFC does chicken WRONG, at least in Germany, after the company tried to entice customers to buy a fried breast or 2 in honor of a notorious day in Nazi history.

The chicken co. sent out an odd push notification Wednesday ... "Its memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!"

In case you don't know ... Kristallnacht, which translates to the Night of Broken Glass, was a deadly attack on German Jews in 1938, resulting in the death of 90 people and the destruction of numerous synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.

KFC weirdly apologized, claiming the blunder was "an error in our system." The company claims the automatic push notification was "linked to calendars that include national observances."