Controversial S#!T

Akademiks is putting hip hop artists on notice that their live shows pale in comparison to the Afrobeats movement after he witnessed the magic for himself!!!

Burna Boy made history as the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium when he headlined New York's 41,800-capacity Citi Field on July 8.

Ak was in the building for last weekend's show, and marveled at Burna's attention to detail and instrumentation and warned rappers they have to step up their game.

Afrobeats' popularity has grown immensely ... jumping 11.5 billion streams since 2017 and Ak projects rap will continue to be buried due to low-vibrational performances.

Ak argued that wild and crazy fans at a show doesn't mean it's good ... and scolded artists for letting their entourages clog up the stage as well as rapping over their pre-recorded vocals.

On the rapper side, Ak gave Kendrick Lamar his props but that's where it stopped and the podcaster compared much of today's rap concerts to bad karaoke!!!

Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and many more will have the opp to prove Ak wrong when Rolling Loud Miami rolls around this weekend.

Dog The Bounty Hunter's lesbian daughter is apologizing to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney in the wake of her father's homophobic rant, where he appeared to threaten Dylan.

Lyssa Chapman, who starred on Dog's reality TV show, tells TMZ ... she would like to send her apologies to Dylan and the trans community as a whole, and her heart breaks over Dog's hateful comments.

The apology comes on the heels of an interview Dog gave Tuesday, where he launched a homophobic tirade and took shots at Dylan and Bud Light.

In reference to Dylan, Dog said ... "People playing church all led to Bud Light. Is that right? Get that punk down. Rebuke Satan out of him and just give him a couple black eyes. That's exactly and I mean that. If I ever see him, I'm dropping him."

Lyssa says Dog's comments are not in line with her father's character (though he more than doubled-down) ... she feels that's not who Dog is and she says she's trying to find out why he said such nasty things.

Dog's daughter tells us they spoke on the phone after the interview, and she says it was mostly just them yelling and talking over each other ... the conversation, she says, was far from productive.

Lyssa says Dog's comments do not reflect the morals he taught her growing up ... and she loves him, but worries he's watching too much cable news.

Dog's other daughter, Bonnie Chapman, also released a statement aimed at her father, saying, "Jesus loves everyone and would strongly denounce this non-accepting rhetoric. It is utterly repulsive to to advocate violence against our transgender community, and it is equally repulsive to invoke Jesus' name in vain to support such views.

Zayn Malik is finally opening up about his infamous confrontation with Yolanda Hadid a couple of years ago ... and firmly believes he handled the aftermath nearly perfectly.

The singer chatted with Alex Cooper on Wednesday's episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast -- saying he usually keeps quiet when folks online go after him, and he'd decided to take the same approach when he was charged with harassment for the 2021 altercation.

He admits the last thing he wanted was to have an explosive back-and-forth publicly between Yolanda and him, because he wouldn't want his 2-year-old daughter, Khai -- whom he shares with Yolanda's daughter, Gigi -- to see that later in life.

Zayn said he recognizes every family has issues, but believes it should stay within the family ... of course, being a celeb almost always throws that possibility out the window.

TMZ broke the story, sources told us Zayn struck Yolanda in the Pennsylvania home he shared back then with Gigi, and he was charged with 4 criminal offenses of harassment. He eventually pled no contest.

During the altercation, Zayn allegedly called Yolanda a "f***ing Dutch slut," told her to "stay away from [my] f***ing daughter" ... and shoved her into a dresser. He denies it got physical.

DDG says there's a clear separation of church and state when it comes to his playboy raps and girlfriend Halle Bailey ... as relationship balance has been a hot-button topic as of late.

We caught DDG walking into Dash Radio Tuesday and got the scoop on the new lingo of his track "I'm Geekin'" -- which he describes as the latest term for being lit. Ditto for "having motion." 🔥

The song's attracted millions of plays across social media since dropping in April and also picked up guest features from BIA, NLE Choppa and 2023 XXL Freshman Luh Tyler.

All 3 'Geekin'' videos showcase DDG getting grabby with several women who are not his girlfriend but he assures us Halle understands it's just for work and show and not for real!!!

The two stars have been schmoozing strong since the top of 2022, and DDG tells us their relationship isn't affected by what they do for their careers. As he put it, "It's just work."

Boxer Otto Wallin spent 12 rounds in the squared circle with Tyson Fury ... and given that experience, the Swedish boxer believes Francis Ngannou has virtually no chance of beating the Gypsy King!

TMZ Sports talked to 32-year-old Wallin after the Fury vs. Ngannou bout was announced on Tuesday ... where we got Otto's thoughts on the matchup.

"Tyson is the best heavyweight fighter in the world in boxing. Ngannou might be the best at MMA at heavyweight. So this fight is gonna be at boxing so you obviously gotta favor Fury a lot. [Tyson's] fighting someone that's making his pro debut as a boxer really. It's a whole different sport, and as difficult as it'll be for Fury to go over to MMA, it's gonna be the same for Ngannou. So of course Fury's gonna be a big favorite."

Because Fury has an immense skill advantage in the boxing ring, Wallin believes Ngannou must use his strength to make the fight as ugly as possible.

"[Francis] can't box him really. He needs to really make it a fight. A dogfight. Take it to Fury. Rough him up," Otto told us.

"He's gotta go in there and use what he has. He's a strong guy, so try to push Fury around, and try to land punches that he can, cause he can't be there in a boxing match. He can't just stand a long distance and try to box 'cause then he's gonna be picked apart."

And, Wallin knows what he's talking about.

Remember, Tyson and Otto fought at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in September 2019 ... where Fury won by unanimous decision. But, that doesn't begin to tell the story of the fight ... which certainly could've been stopped because of an awful gash on TF's head.

His cut man did an amazing job managing the cut, and Tyson ended up winning a close fight. In fact, it's the last Fury bout that went to the judges. Since Otto, the Gypsy King has stopped heavyweight stars Deontay Wilder (twice) and Dillian Whyte (Derek Chisora, too).

As for his prediction, Wallin sees a knockout on the horizon.

Will his prediction ring true?

Dog the Bounty Hunter went on a homophobic rant that was fire, brimstone and very revealing.

The former reality TV star was interviewed Tuesday with his wife, Francie, talking about faith and religion before he set his sights on the LGBTQ+ community.

The show's host, Sharell Barrera -- who apparently runs an online Christian ministry -- brought up transgender children and LGBTQ+ kids expressing their sexuality.

Dog jumped on it ... saying we as a society have to stamp all that out, going on to say
"Jesus was not a sissy" -- and that we don't need any more "sissy men."

When it comes to the month of June, Dog says ... "The pride comes before the fall." He wasn't done ... moving on to same-sex relationships, particularly men with men, and dropped the antiquated refrain ... "God made Adam and Eve ... not Adam and Steve."

Leslie Van Houten -- a former member of the Manson family -- has been released from prison after more than 4 decades behind bars.

The convicted murderer walked out of a California facility Tuesday after successfully receiving parole earlier in the month ... this after Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would not challenge her release, despite doing so 3 different times throughout his tenure as Governor.

Van Houten was convicted of 2 counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder way back in 1971 for her involvement in the grisly 1969 LaBianca murders here in Los Angeles ... when Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were stabbed to death at their home. Van Houten said she held Rosemary down while someone else stabbed her, and later admitted she stabbed her as well after Rosemary was dead.

In the years since her conviction ... Van Houten's attorneys have said she was young and brainwashed by her cult leader, Charles Manson, at the time -- arguing she had been rehabilitated.

More importantly, Van Houten's lawyers have said she does not pose a threat to society anymore ... and it seems a handful of parole boards agreed with that, signing off on recommendations that she oughta be released, in spite of her life sentence.

Like we said, Newsom has shot her down time and again ... with his argument being, the nature of her crime should prevent her from ever enjoying a free life. But, after his last rejection ... she appealed his decision in court, and they ended up siding with her.

The governor's office said trying to fight it was a losing effort, so they were going to drop it.

Now, at age 73 ... Van Houten's back on the outside, and it'll be interesting to see what she does going forward. At first, she'll be sent to a halfway house where she'll learn basic skills and get up to date on all the new technology that's come out since she was imprisoned.

Van Houten is said to have been a constructive prisoner over the years, having found faith and showing an eagerness to teach/learn. She's also expressed remorse about her role in the murders.

Gunna appears to be having the last laugh at critics who thought his plea deal in the YSL trial killed his career.

The newest Billboard Hot 100 update showed Gunna's latest album single "Fukumean" planted at #8 -- his first Top 10 as a solo artist!!!

Gunna's been mostly mum on social media, but he did plenty of celebrating while shooting the "Fukumean" music video.

The visual features him doing it big on a yacht with friends, girls, and plenty of party favors ... y'know, all the finer things freedom has to offer.

Folks like Boosie Badazz might hate to see it, as some artists have been vocal about feeling like Gunna sold out Young Thug to save his own skin in the YSL RICO case.

YK Osiris and Def Jam are no longer in biz together, TMZ Hip Hop has learned ... after the label dropped the "Worth It" singer from his contract back in December.

Sources with direct knowledge say the split left no bad blood between either camps, both teams just acknowledged the relationship ran its course. Obviously, his recent controversy with Sukihana played no role in the separation, either ... as the decision was made well before.

YK signed to the label back in April 2018 and released 1 album the following year ... the gold-selling "The Golden Child" which produced the 3x platinum single "Worth It."

The whirlwind success perhaps stunted his career growth. YK's openly admitted to blowing through the millions he earned at Def Jam.

On Tuesday, YK made his debut as an indie artist with the emotional track "Dear Fans."

Def Jam also bulked up today ... adding Issa Rae's Raedio label into its fold.

Fran Drescher's Hollywood union is about to head into a strike this week -- which is why her members are pissed over her chillaxin' in Europe ... just a day before s*** hits the fan.

SAG-AFTRA actors seem to be furious after seeing their President hobnobbing in Italy Monday ... next to none other than Kim Kardashian, who's catching a lot of heat amid the ongoing writers' strike (more on that later).

Fran posed for a cozy pic with Kim at a Dolce & Gabbana event -- which KK posted -- and now SAG members are calling Fran out for what they perceive as not taking their own looming strike very seriously. On its face, you can't blame 'em ... 'cause the clock's ticking.

If a deal isn't reached between SAG and movie studio bosses by midnight tonight, actors of all ilks are expected to walk off sets/hit the streets in a new wave of picketing that could rock the industry ... even more so than it already has with writers fighting their own fight.

While SAG itself as an org has actually defended Fran being in Italy -- saying she was there working as an ambassador on behalf of Dolce and Gabbana, which was know by the negotiating committee -- that hasn't appeased the rank and file. SAG says Fran has been in negotiations every day in person or over videoconference and will be returning to LA tomorrow.

Several SAG members blasted this photo ... saying Fran appears to not really care about the fact that actors/her members are about to be out of work. Rather than trying to hammer out a new contract, they say she's just having the time of her life halfway across the world.

There's another element of criticism ... pointed at Kim. As you know, she's in the new season of 'American Horror Story' -- which had already been written before the writers' strike -- but she's been labeled a scab by some ... seeing how she's crossed the picket line and continues to work with Ryan Murphy -- who's also caught a bad rap in this whole saga.

The fact Fran's sidled up next to her specifically doesn't sit well with a lot of actors, and the consensus seems to be ... at the very least, this is not a good look at such a crucial time.

Rep. George Santos ain't Rosa Parks, despite comparing himself to the civil rights pioneer  -- so says the icon's niece ... telling GS to keep her name out of his mouth.

Rhea McCauley tells TMZ ... she felt it was totally inappropriate for Santos to compare himself to her aunt, saying it's apples to oranges when it comes to the situation. She also says other family members related to Parks are pretty pissed about his remarks too.

The NY congressman name-dropped RP in a recent interview he did, where he referenced Sen. Mitt Romney telling him to sit toward the back during Biden's SOTU earlier this year ... this after he'd been exposed as having told several different lies before getting elected.

Santos said he didn't appreciate a white man (Romney) telling a Latino gay man that he didn't belong somewhere -- then saying Rosa Parks didn't give up her seat way back when.

In other words, he seemed to be suggesting ... he wouldn't either, likening himself to her.

McCauley says she and the rest of the fam are ticked off that Santos even brought her up, pointing out that his juxtaposition here isn't even historically accurate -- namely, on account of the fact that Parks was fighting against segregation ... and that George seems to be airing out a petty feud between himself and another politician. Not really the same thing.

One Peso Pluma fan is learning the hard way the singer's security team doesn't mess around -- 'cause the fan got crushed while pulling an onstage prank!!!

The linebacker-worthy leveling went down this weekend at the Mexican singer/rapper's Palm Desert, CA concert ... and you can see the fan sneak onto the stage behind Peso's back as he and the band prepared to take their final bow.

Peso didn't see the guy creeping up, but one of his security guards did, and reacted accordingly ... knocking the guy on his back with a vicious shoulder charge!

What's even crazier, the bruised fan might be thinking it was all worth it ... because Peso actually helped the fan to his feet, hugged him and even kissed him on the forehead.

Peso is on top of his game … his new album "Génesis" just topped the Latin Billboard chart, which might explain the fan’s excitement.

50 Cent is forecasting a grim future for Los Angeles over its no-bail policy ... going so far as to say the City is "finished."

The New York rapper posted the biting message on Instagram, writing, “LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH [shaking my head].” He accompanied his one-liner with a Fox 11 Los Angeles post detailing the reinstatement of the policy two months ago.

Per the reg, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department will no longer detain people accused of battery, vandalism, theft, narcotics use and other non-violent offenses. Plus, anyone arrested for these crimes will automatically be released without paying bail and before arraignment.

You may recall ... during the COVID pandemic, L.A. imposed a no-bail rule to prevent overcrowding in jails for fear of spreading the virus. In July 2022, the policy expired ... but now it's back.

Clearly, Fitty is no fan ... and he certainly isn't mincing words.

Jussie Smollett is carrying on with his life with good pals in his corner like Taraji P. Henson -- even though, in reality, he's far from out of the woods in the legal world.

The embattled actor was in L.A. Saturday with his ex-'Empire' costar during what appears to have been a hike -- or at the very least, something active. In any case, they hit up a little pop-in restaurant right after ... and then parted ways with a sweet little hug goodbye.

A couple of takeaways here ... one, Taraji is continuing to stand by Jussie's side -- which she's done from pretty much the beginning of this saga. So, her support is unwavering.

The other observation one can glean from this is that Jussie truly is trying to move on and put the whole Chicago case behind him by hunkering down on the West Coast ... this despite the fact that there's an ongoing appeal, which he may very well lose once it's heard in court.

As you may remember, Jussie was convicted in December 2021 for lying to police about the hate crime he claimed was committed against him -- and he was sentenced to 5 months in jail.

He'd actually started serving that time, but was quickly sprung pending his appeal ... which his team filed almost immediately. Since then, he's been free to roam around, it seems, and the case is still dragging on -- with a recent hearing just last month ... but no real update.

No word on when exactly we're going to get some closure on that matter, but in the meantime ... Jussie's been busy working on movies and whatnot. In fact, he was recently seen on a film set with none other than Vivica A. Fox -- yet another defender of his.

Victor Wembanyama was asked point blank this weekend if he has any plans to apologize to Britney Spears after one of his bodyguards swatted at her -- and his response is telling.

The young basketball phenom was making the rounds in Vegas Saturday for NBA Con, and it looks like Wemby stopped off at a local gym to say what's up to some young hoopers/adoring fans ... who were absolutely mobbing the guy on his way out of there.

Check out this footage -- obtained by TMZ -- and you'll see what we mean. There's kids all over the place following him as he proceeds to an exit ... and they're vying for autographs.

Interestingly, this is actually a similar vibe to the scene he found himself earlier in the week when Britney attempted to get his attention ... and it also looks like he's rolling with the same security detail -- including, perhaps, the exact gentleman who made contact with BS.

The difference here, it seems, is that Wemby and his crew are a lot more relaxed this time around ... even though you could argue this is more hectic of an environment than when Britney rolled up on him. Watch his bodyguard -- a lot less handsy, but ever watchful.

Then, comes the huge question from someone in the crowd ... who asks Wemby straight up if he wants to say sorry to Britney over what happened -- something she's asked for herself.

There's been different accounts as to whether the security guard in question made amends afterward -- we've heard he did actually come over to apologize to her, but a statement she released suggests otherwise ... as she appears to want more from Wemby and the Spurs.

In any case ... the guy doesn't answer the question here, and simply keeps on going. Assuming he heard it -- frankly, who couldn't have at that volume -- ya gotta figure this means he ain't planning to say more than what he's already said on the matter.

Even when he addressed it with the media, VW didn't seem to show much remorse over the incident -- saying he was pretty unaware of what was going on until after the fact. What he did say, which other video we've obtained contradicts, is that he was grabbed from behind.

Florence Pugh is apparently gonna be in scenes for the upcoming "Oppenheimer" movie where she'll be in her birthday suit ... and it seems she's getting the party started early.

There's a new report out that gets into the purported nitty-gritty of Christopher Nolan's new flick -- and in it, Florence and the lead star, Cillian Murphy, are said to be getting hot and heavy pretty often on-camera... in a way CN's never quite attempted before in his work.

Here's how the Guardian describes it ... "Although Nolan is usually, shall we say, antiseptic in his approach to romance, Oppenheimer represents a significant shift." They add, "It features prolonged full nudity for Murphy and Florence Pugh, who plays Oppenheimer’s ex-fiancee, as well as sex, and there are complicated scenes with Emily Blunt, who plays his wife, 'that were pretty heavy.'" In other words, it sounds like we're gonna be seeing a lot of skin.

Welp, that's definitely not something Florence has any problem with ... as she just recently proved at a fashion show in France this past week, where she was rockin' a sheer gown.

More importantly, FP wasn't wearing a bra or anything underneath -- so her breasts were exposed ... and she wasn't shy about it one bit! Of course, her outfit turned heads.

We've actually seen Florence wear something like this in the past -- namely, about a year ago when was at yet another Valentino fashion show in Europe. There, too, she was sporting a braless, sheer look ... and just like here, she was flaunting her body without reservation.

Florence actually blasted trolls who made fun of her for that, calling them out for body-shaming. Considering what she wore this year -- not to mention the forthcoming "Oppenheimer" scenes -- it's safe to say FP is comfortable in her own skin and then some.

Speaking of "Oppenheimer" ... it's finally getting a last push of interesting press in the final sprint before it comes out -- this after "Barbie" has virtually eaten all the attention thus far.