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Popeyes meme kid Dieunerst Collin's dreams are finally coming true ... the internet-sensation-turned-college-athlete just inked an NIL deal with the popular fast food chain!!

Popeyes tells TMZ Sports ... the chicken joint is officially partnering with Collin after it was brought to its attention that he was the kid in the viral Vine video from back in the day.

As part of the newly-cemented business relationship, Collin will be featured on a billboard near his hometown in New Jersey.

As we previously reported, 18-year-old Dieunerst publicly campaigned to join forces with Popeyes, writing on social media, "@popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK BUISNESS."

The current Lake Erie College offensive lineman asked people on social media to help him secure the deal ... and it actually worked out for him!!

"A lot can happen with the power of the internet behind you!" Collin said. "I can’t believe I can say I’m officially sponsored by Popeyes."

"Thank you to everyone who helped spread the good word!"

Collin's NIL deal with Popeyes is the latest good news for the 6'1", 330-pound football player ... he won a state championship with his high school, East Orange Campus, in NJ in 2021.

Dr. Dre has his sights set on a lucrative music deal, one that would sell the rights to some of his royalties and master recordings ... and we're told the price tag is well over $200 million -- WAY MORE than is being reported.

The music mogul is close to selling off some of his music assets in two separate deals ... one with Shamrock Holdings, and another with Universal Music Group ... according to Billboard.

The possible Shamrock deal looks like this ... Dre sells his artist royalties from two of his solo albums -- his share of N.W.A artist royalties, plus his producer royalties and the writer's share of the music where he doesn't own publishing rights.

The potential deal with UMG is a little different ... Dre sells the master recording of his first solo album, "The Chronic," plus his share of some Kendrick Lamar music.

Dre's not selling all of his music ... Billboard characterizes these transactions as mostly "passive income streams" that generate about $10 million annually ... and he's NOT selling his ownership stake in his record label, Aftermath.

Sources close to Dr. Dre tell TMZ ... the actual selling price is actually tens of millions of dollars higher than the $200 million figure Billboard is reporting.

Congrats, Dre. 💸

Singer Malu Trevejo is devastated by allegations she was abusive to people who used to work for her ... and she's planning to fight a lawsuit recently filed against her.

Here's the deal ... Malu is being sued in Florida by four people who say they used to work for her. The suit alleges Malu inflicted emotional, mental and verbal abuse on some of her former staffers ... and they're going after her for at least $4 million.

Malu's attorney, Jason Ziven, tells TMZ ... "Ms. Trevejo is aware of the false allegations in the lawsuit and looks forward to defending herself against these baseless claims."

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, folks who say they used to work for Malu claim she would use the r-word and berate them with racial slurs, often hurling obscenities their way too, if they didn't respond to her texts and calls as quickly as she wanted.

One source close to Malu tells TMZ … she's devastated by these allegations and Malu would never hurt anyone in this way.

A Cincinnati store that made custom Damar Hamlin shirts in the wake of the Bills safety's medical crisis tells TMZ Sports it's made $50K off the tees ... and is now planning on donating all of that cash to DH's Chasing M's Foundation.

Cincy Shirts put together three designs after the scary incident on Jan. 2 ... when the 24-year-old collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game.

One shirt reads "More Than Football" with Hamlin's #3 jersey number. Another has Cincinnati's "513" area code on it with Bengals and Bills team colors. The third is a design from a local artist that features the Bengals and Bills mascots wearing No. 3 jerseys.

Cincy Shirts co-owner Josh Sneed tells us the custom pieces are selling like crazy, both in stores and online ... and they're trying hard to keep up with the orders.

Sneed went on to say that all of the proceeds from the shirt sales will be donated to Hamlin's foundation.

"It seems no matter who needs something, this city steps up," Sneed said. "I'm lucky to see this happen time in and time out. Very proud of this city."

Sneed also delivered a box of shirts to Hamlin's family at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and to the Bengals. In fact, cornerback Cameron Taylor-Britt took a selfie wearing one on Thursday.

Tristan Thompson's mom has died suddenly ... and Khloe Kardashian is right by his side, offering comfort and support as he navigates a challenging time in his life.

Khloe and Tristan were spotted Thursday touching down in Toronto together in a private jet. TMZ broke the story ... just hours before they landed, Tristan's mom, Andrea, was rushed to a local hospital after suffering a heart attack at home.

Our sources say Khloe joined Tristan on the flight from L.A. to Toronto to comfort him in his loss. We're told Khloe was very close to Andrea, and like Khloe and the Kardashian family always do -- they'll support a loved one in their most difficult time of need.

As you know, Khloe and Tristan have two children together -- their 4-year-old daughter True and a baby boy born in August via surrogate.

YouTube powerhouse Keenan Cahill, famous for his lip-synch videos with celebrities, has died.

Keenan's manager, David Graham, tells TMZ ... Keenan had open heart surgery on Dec. 15 but there were complications from the procedure and he was put on life support. We're told Keenan died Thursday afternoon in a Chicago hospital after being taken off life support.

Keenan had a huge following on social media ... we're told he was one of the first YouTube influencers to rack up over 500 million views on his channel.

50 Cent actually helped take Keenan's career to the next level ... they did a surprise collab on the rapper's "Down On Me" song, opening the door for Keenan to work with other celebs.

Keenan's Rolodex was pretty impressive ... he also worked with Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, David Guetta, Britney Spears, Jason Derulo, LMFAO and Tyra Banks, just to name a few.

Keenan was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder when he was a baby, Maroteaux–Lamy syndrome, a progressive condition that causes organs and tissues to enlarge, become scarred or inflamed. Some people who have Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome can also have heart issues, which appears to be the case here.

He was 27.

Yung Joc is a man of his word when it comes to losing his bets … even if it means turning his head into a cue ball.

The outspoken OG rapper was forced to eat crow and had his head shaved after betting his "Streetz Morning Crew" cohost Mrz Shyneka that Tory Lanez would be exonerated for shooting Megan Thee Stallion at his recent trial. As the world now knows, that, of course, didn't happen.

Last Friday, a jury found Tory guilty on three separate charges ... discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm. The judge promptly remanded Tory to the L.A. County Jail to await his January 27 sentencing. The rapper faces a max of 22 years in prison and deportation back to his native Canada.

Shyneka actually did the honors of giving Joc the buzz cut, leaving his head totally hairless. Throughout the video, it seems, Shyneka is having a blast moving the electric razor over Joc's scalp as if it were a handheld lawn mower. It's all pretty darn funny ... unless, of course, you're Joc ... who, we must say, was a good sport the whole time.

In the end, Joc was able to turn lemons into lemonade by creating ads of his new noggin to promote his morning show!!!

LeBron James fans are going to go crazy over this ... the shoes he wore during his first-ever H.S. championship are about to go up for sale -- but if ya wanna own 'em, there better be a whole lot of zeros in your bank account.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the black and white Jumpman Swift 6s that James wore when he won a state title as a freshman on the St. Vincent-St. Mary hoops team in Akron, Ohio are hitting the auction block in just a few weeks -- and they're so incredibly rare, they could land over $200,000 when the final gavel hits.

According to Heritage Auctions, which is hosting the impending sale, the sneakers were gifted to LBJ's stepfather, Eddie Jackson, back in 2000.

Jackson says 'Bron signed the kicks and handed them over following his huge game (25 points, nine rebounds) in the 1999-2000 Ohio High School Division III Championship against Jamestown Greenview.

James -- who was 6-foot-2 as a freshman -- added an inscription on both of the size 14 shoes, writing his jersey number "23" as well as "1999-2000 State Champs."

The auction house says the shoes will come with their original box as well.

The Js are obviously ultra rare -- they're one-of-a-kind after all -- but Heritage Auctions officials say they're also the earliest James game-worn material known in existence.

Kodak Black’s generosity sprouted all through NYC this week with a holiday giveaway -- and there's been even more Christmas cheer coming the kids’ way!!!

Kodak’s attorney Bradford Cohen tells TMZ Hip Hip … Kodak’s recent trek through Times Square saw 2,000 toys given to underprivileged kids as part of his ongoing charity work.

The toys weren’t trinkets either … we’re told pricey electronic gadgets such as iPads and AirPods were placed in the grab bags, as well as other gifts.

NYPD provided security to ensure everything went smoothly ... and it did!!! After all, Kodak loves the kids.

Bradford says Kodak's sleigh continued through Fulton County, Georgia on Friday ... where he gave out an additional 1,000 toys and jackets to underprivileged kids.

Nyheim Hines is ready to be both Josh Allen AND Santa's helper this Saturday ... the Bills running back just copped some awesome cleats for Buffalo's Christmas Eve game -- that are elf-themed!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the tailback -- who was traded to the Bills in November -- wanted a Xmas design on his feet to celebrate the holiday during the pregame of Buffalo's tilt with Chicago. So, he hit up his main cleat artist Rodney Jackson for the hookup ... and, as always, the guy delivered.

Jackson customized a pair of Adidas spikes for the 26-year-old ... wrapping the kicks in green velvet material -- just like Santa's elves. The shoes also feature red trimming all over -- plus jingle bells.

The design was all Jackson's idea ... and we're told it only took about two hours to put together, despite a need to finesse the curvy toes.

"I cut elf slippers and added a lil' more stuffing [to the cleats], glued it, sewed it, and added new bells to it," Jackson said.

Of course, this won't be the first Xmas weekend game Hines has been swagged out for ... last year, when he was an Indianapolis Colt, he wore Jackson-made furry Grinch pre-game cleats.

"Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah should be behind bars for 10 years after pleading guilty in her wire fraud case -- at least that's what federal prosecutors want the judge to order.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds are seeking a 10-year sentence against the "RHOBH" alum, insisting she's the "most culpable person charged in this case."

The docs go through a laundry list of reasons why prosecutors think she's deserving of the lengthy lockup ... saying the reality star used the money from her fraud to "live a life of luxury."

Prosecutors say Shah attempted to "conceal her role in the scheme," but was very involved in the day-to-day operations. In the docs, prosecutors say Shah was upset with the amount of money coming in around June 2018, and texted her coworkers, "“I’m coming in to set appts for these guys tomorrow. Please get my 24 karat gold headset with diamond encrusted mouthpiece ready. Papi needs money for the weekend and [a co-conspirator] needs baby mama money.”

They also say her post-arrest conduct shows she deserves a long time in prison -- pointing out she went "on a public offensive against the charges and tried to profit off the charges by selling 'Justice for Jen' merchandise."

As we reported, Jen finally took a deal in July, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing ... and as part of her deal, prosecutors dropped one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Big Scarr, an up-and-coming artist in the rap game, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources say Scarr, real name Alexander Woods, was pronounced dead Thursday. We're told the case is an ongoing death investigation, but there are no signs of foul play.

Gucci Mane, who heads the label Scarr was signed to, posted about his death, saying, "I'm a miss you."

Big Scarr was a member of Gucci's 1017 Records ... and he was recently named to the 2022 XXL Freshman List.

The guy collaborated with big acts like Offset, Pooh Shiesty ... and he's best known for his song "SolcyBozy" with Shiesty, Foogiano and Tay Keith.

Big Scarr's debut mixtape, "Big Grim Reaper," was released on April 16 of last year and it reached the top 25 on the Billboard charts.

As for how Big Scarr got his stage name ... he was badly scarred in a scary car accident when he was only 16 years old, with the accident causing him to be thrown through the windshield of his friend's ride, leaving lasting damage.

Big Scarr was reportedly shot back in 2020, with a bullet traveling up his spine ... and he needed surgery to have his appendix taken out.

He was 22.

The cops working the grisly murder case of 4 Idaho college students were just alerted to the discovery of a white Hyundai Elantra nearly 500 miles away -- and are now working to see if there's any connection between the car and their investigation.

Detectives in Moscow, Idaho have been on the hunt for a vehicle of the same description that may have been at or near the crime scene on November 13.

An official for the Eugene, Oregon PD tells us someone called 911 over the weekend about a person sleeping inside a white Hyundai Elantra. Officers responded to the scene and made contact with the individual -- but no further report was made.

We're told Eugene alerted investigators in Moscow of the vehicle -- and a rep for Moscow tells us they're now working to see if there's any connection with the ongoing murder case.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... and Isaiah Rodgers is certainly ready for it -- 'cause the Colts defensive back has copped some amazing light-up Rudolph and Santa cleats!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Indy star wanted to be decked out for the Colts' game against the Vikings on Saturday ... and reached out to cleat artist Rodney Jackson to get some Xmas-themed feet heat made.

Jackson -- who's been Rodgers' go-to shoe guy for several seasons -- tells us they both decided to go with the two most iconic Christmas characters for the spikes ... and they came out great.

The left cleat, featuring Santa, is wrapped in red velvet with white fur all over it.

The right shoe -- which comes with jingle bells -- has Rudolph's face painted on the toe with the bonus of a very shiny nose that lights up.

It wasn't an easy project ... Jackson told us it took two days to put the Nike cleats together -- from wiring the lights into the spikes to making Santa's beard on his own.

Too Short is officially getting his flowers from his hometown of Oakland -- he now has a street sign in his honor for his years of community service!!!

The ceremony was a full circle moment … the Bay Area rap legend was honored inside his '84 alma mater Fremont High School, where he was a standout drum player.

As a result, Mayor Libby Schaaf proclaimed December 10 as "Too Short Day" and renamed the stretch of Foothill Boulevard after the legendary rap star.

Oakland OGs Sway Calloway and Mistah F.A.B., who himself just received the key to city, were also on hand to show love -- which Short passionately lobbed back to the people of the Bay, touching on many key points that shaped his globally successful career.

Short's Mount Westmore bandmate Ice Cube also shared some emotional words … crediting the "Blow the Whistle" rapper for creating his own rap lane and bringing hope to the state of California as a whole.

It was Mayor Schaaf's last proclamation in office as her term is ending at the end of the year, but she left Short with some bars of her stating, "You have told the stories of Oakland’s streets, so it’s only right that Oakland gives you a street!!!"

Kanye West has lost friends, business deals and billions of dollars for his hatred, and now he can add losing an honorary college degree to his woes ... cause the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has taken it away.

According to a school letter, obtained by TMZ, honchos decided to rescind Ye's degree, stating, "His anti-Black, antisemitic, and incendiary statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities, are disgusting and condemnable".

The letter, written by President Elissa Tenny, continues, "As a community, we know that there are varying opinions on what our School’s response should be––even as we all agree that his behavior is indefensible."

The disgraced rapper was awarded an honorary doctorate back in 2015 for his accomplishments and contributions to art and culture, but Tenny notes, "his actions do not align with SAIC's mission and values."

As we reported, Kanye was on "Infowars" last week claiming his love for Hitler and Nazis.