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Bow Wow's getting dragged for allegedly swindling a child rapper outta her hard-earned pennies when she requested a feature -- but he insists there was no deal with him, the kid just got catfished.

The case is currently pending in a Georgia court, but Bow Wow is claiming the plaintiff fell victim to an all too common online scam. However, on social media -- where no one waits for a verdict -- folks went on the warpath against Bow.

TMZ Hip Hop got ahold of the docs ... the suit was actually filed back in March by a man named Steven Roberson.

According to Steve, he wired Bow Wow $3K via Cash App, back in 2021, to guest star on a song for his daughter back in 2021 called, "Daddy's Girl." He says the deal required Bow Wow to record his feature within 2 weeks of getting the payment, but that never happened.

Bow Wow is now defending his reputation, insisting he never conducts business through Cash App and doesn't intend to in the future. He says this incident marks the 3rd time someone got duped by someone pretending to be him.

Conor McGregor was devastated to learn of the passing of musical icon Sinéad O'Connor on Wednesday ... telling TMZ Sports he considered her "an international star and an Irish treasure."

The UFC fighter grew close to the singer throughout his career in the Octagon ... particularly after she sang during his walkout at UFC 189 in Las Vegas.

You'll recall ... during the July 2015 performance, she belted out "The Foggy Dew" -- and many have since considered it one of the best entrances to a UFC fight ever.

In fact, McGregor himself called it "an honor to go out to that" ... adding that it was "go-to-war music."

Following her death this week, McGregor told us in a statement he was absolutely heartbroken.

"The world has lost a beautiful voice and an even more beautiful person," he said. "I am honored to have known her, to have played her music both in and out of the Octagon. God rest Sinéad."

He later added in a tweet, "Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot."

The Irish Times was first to report the news of O'Connor's passing ... though the circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.

She was just 56 years old.

Snoop Dogg seems to be making a statement to Tinseltown about the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild strikes -- 'cause he's nixing 2 of his big shows here in solidarity with the union members.

The rapper announced the move Tuesday, writing ... "We regret to inform you that due to the ongoing strike and the uncertainty of when this will be over, we need to cancel the Hollywood Bowl show."

Snoop adds, "We continue to stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters in the WGA and SAG/AFTRA during this difficult time and remain hopeful that the AMPTP will come back to the negotiating table with a REAL proposal and we can all get back to work."

Snoop's cancelation of his big L.A. concerts appears to be symbolic ... as he has other gigs lined up elsewhere around the country, which he did not address. Presumably, they're happening as scheduled.

Now, while Snoop's decision might seem like it's coming out of nowhere -- after all, musicians aren't impacted by the SAG/WGA strikes -- it actually tracks with some bold statements he's made lately demanding change in the recording industry.

He recently sounded off on modern-day artists getting stiffed on residuals in the age of streaming -- while also pointing out showbiz writers and actors are fighting over the same stuff in their strikes.

Bottom line ... he's quite privy to the struggle, and is most certainly in SAG/WGA's corner in the ongoing negotiations. Also worth noting, his Death Row guys are on board as well -- as a handful of Death Row artists and affiliates have been seen on the picket lines themselves.

Jamie Foxx has spoken for the first time about a medical emergency that he says was so serious he wasn't sure he was going to make it.

The actor posted a video on Instagram Friday night, emotionally opening up about the suffering he went through and why he kept the specifics about his medical condition under wraps.

Jamie said, “I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back. I went through something that I thought I would never, ever go through.”

As for why he waited so long to talk ... Jamie said he didn't want anyone to see him with tubes coming out of his body, adding, "I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, a television show."

Jamie shut down online rumors he was paralyzed and blind, while acknowledging he went to "hell and back," but is now able to work despite hitting some potholes in his recovery.

He then gave a shout out to his daughter, Corinne, and his sister, Deidra Dixon, for staying by his side throughout his recent health struggles after his family said he suffered a "medical complication" in April and had to be hospitalized, but he was recently released.

Jamie also kinda made a joke about the theory he used a body double a few weeks ago when he was seen in Chicago swinging a golf club and boating on the Chicago River, pretending to show he was the real deal with a 'Face Off" move!

Choking up, Jamie ended his speech by addressing his supporters ... "I just want to say that I love everybody, and I love all the love that I got. I am on my way back.”

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ, Jamie is not fully recovered but you really couldn't tell from watching him over the past few weeks. He's not committing to all his various projects ... some, we're told, he says he's still not up to doing right now.

Waka Flocka Flame's 2010 party-starter cut "No Hands" is officially legendary, after crossing the 10 million sales threshold.

The RIAA delivered the good news Friday ... prompting Wale to shout out Waka and the track's other contributors, Roscoe Dash and producer Drumma Boy, who handled the dynamite beat.

Drumma Boy tells TMZ Hip Hop about the track's creation ... "[The song] felt special and I felt like the conductor. I saw Roscoe in the corner and really one of the only people really locked in rapping to himself. I said what you got bro ... go in the booth!!!"

He continued, "The rest was history … I had just cooked the beat up from scratch in front of 70+ people so it was like I was the DJ and once I got the people rocking, it was a wrap!!!"

"No Hands" dropped on Waka's first album ... not too shabby for a rookie at the time ... and makes for everyone involved's first Diamond award.

Jamie Foxx is back in front of cameras for the first time since his medical crisis, and we've learned getting back in the saddle was a piece of cake for the Hollywood vet.

Sources tell TMZ ... Jamie shot a brand new BetMGM commercial Wednesday in Las Vegas at the Aria Resort and Casino, and after almost 4 months of recovery and rehab he was in amazing shape -- showing no signs of physical ailment.

We got some behind-the-scenes pics from the shoot, and he looks pretty focused while sitting in the cockpit of a golden F1 race car. We're told the ad will begin airing just before the NFL season kicks off.

ICYMI, Jamie posted a pic from the shoot Thursday, tagging BetMGM and saying "We got BIG things coming soon." His daughter, Corinne, shared a BTS shot of them together, saying she's really proud of her pops.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky also got some face time with Jamie. The Great One is in the ad, too, and described the shoot as ... "One of the best nights of my life with the greatest person. Big things coming soon."

As we reported, JF was spotted out and about earlier this month -- hittin' golf balls at Topgolf, recovering lost purses in Chicago, and breaking a sweat on the pickleball court.

Jamie was working on a Netflix film in Atlanta back in April when he had to be rushed to a hospital for a still undisclosed medical emergency. He was later moved to Chicago to begin a lengthy physical rehab process.

Finesse2Tymes is being accused of living out his rap name ... as Houston cops say he stole a rental car, and he's been brazenly driving it around the city for months!!!

According to the court docs we obtained, a man named Ronald Bell rented an Infiniti QX80 SUV on Feb. 28, 2023 from a Houston-area Enterprise location ... marked with a return date of March 10, 2023.

Authorities say the return date came and went so Enterprise sent Bell a notice to bring it back.

Cops say when they finally got in touch with Bell, he fessed up to Finesse being the one actually driving the vehicle.

The report states Bell set up a three-way call with Enterprise and the Rap-A-Lot Records rapper on April 20, where Finesse told the rental car employee his money was tied up in a Zelle twist-up but would have the vehicle returned in a few days.

The docs say when Finesse failed to return the Infiniti by April 24, Enterprise reported the vehicle, valued at $72k, as stolen and HPD issued a warrant for his arrest.

To make matters worse, cops say the stolen rental car continued to be spotted floating around the Houston area ... including a well-known recording studio in the area.

On April 25, HPD questioned a woman outside the studio, who told them she had recently been hired by Finesse days prior to run errands.

YG is ready to get his show back on the road -- bringing his BFF, Tyga, and his GF, Saweetie, to get in on the action.

The trio of West Coasters popped the lid off their joint "Str8 To The Klub" Tour revealing dates across California, Arizona and Canada and additional support from their fellow Golden State MCs Kamiyah and Wallie The Sensei.

Rap show tour dates have been getting slashed left and right this summer and these guys know where to roam where they're most wanted.

Sources close to the tour also tell TMZ Hip Hop that YG and Saweetie are actively working on new music together, possibly even an EP, and will even be dropping a new video soon.

YG and Tyga also have a joint album that's been in the making for years and just birthed a new single called "Platinum" in June.

Saweetie and YG have also been dating for months ... having been spotted hand-in-hand at several Los Angeles restaurants and even a Mexican getaway vacation.

Kissin' collaborators can often make incredible music, you know.

The Quavo and Lori Harvey dating rumor's been fueled by a couple of misleading photos -- and we've learned all they really have in common right now is the same taste in restaurants.

The buzz is the celebs had a hot lunch date at the San Vicente Bungalows -- an exclusive L.A. hot spot -- and while it's true they were there at the same time this week, they were not together.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Quavo was sitting at a different table from Lori, and he was having a lunch meeting. We're told he was focused purely on business, and not Lori.

Even Lori's tried to squash it by commenting on the TikTok post that claimed they must be dating. She explained she was there with friends, and Quavo co-signed ... calling the post "cap."

Real talk? We're told the pics of them leaving the joint were taken 10 minutes apart. While that's a common tactic celeb couples use to throw off paps, this time it's just a coincidence.

Lori is still dating "Snowfall" star Damson Idris, and Quavo is putting the finishing touches on his "Rocket Power" album, which will feature his collab with Future -- the one with that direct shot at Russell Wilson.

Cops say Robert De Niro's grandson ingested fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, and even though his alleged dealer knew the pills could kill ... she sold them anyway.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, investigators found several pills at the death scene of 19-year-old Leandro De Niro. They say they went through the teen's phone, and discovered he had exchanged texts with a 20-year-old woman named Sophia Marks about purchasing counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax just days before his death.

Most disturbing, cops say during one exchange Marks asked, "do you really need them? I don't wanna kill you." She continued, "I just don't like serving u them cuz they not script."

Eventually, the two struck a deal for 3 of the fake oxycodone pills and two tablets of Xanax for $105 ... and Marks allegedly texted (about the Oxy), "don't go overboard with these."

The drugs were delivered by car to De Niro around 9 PM July 1, and at 1:50 AM July 2 cops say Marks texted the teen, "u good?" ... De Niro never responded.

De Niro was found dead of a suspected overdose on July 2 ... investigators found one bag of cocaine, one straw with residue, two blue pills with "M" and "30" (the oxycodone) and seven rectangular tablets -- believed to be Xanax.

Shockingly enough, cops say Marks continued to sell after De Niro's death -- selling an undercover agent 25 pills for $500 on July 9 ... allegedly telling the undercover, "please be careful with these. don't do more than one at a time. my friend just died."

Investigators say further analysis revealed both the pills found at the De Niro scene as well as those sold to the undercover all contained traces of fentanyl.

Lil Baby is officially a restaurateur now, after cutting the ribbon on his own Seafood Menu Restaurant & Lounge in his hometown!!!

The Quality Control rapper was flanked by a huge audience of supporters as Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos commended Baby for opening the establishment in his old neighborhood ... which, if you're in the ATL, is located at 880 M.L.K. Jr Dr. SW.

Baby was holding his son Loyal and nodded as others received their credit for enduring the construction obstacles that delayed and threatened the restaurant's creation.

Baby's said to have been inspired by many restaurants' resilience to stay open during the trying times of the pandemic and created a spot custom to his tastes.

Baby and his partner Chad Dillon intentionally want to disrupt the local scene, and the restaurant's hook is its 7 unique custom sauces, with Baby particularly raving about the Caribbean jerk.

Lil Wayne was undeniably a vital part of this year's ESPY Awards ... the Young Money rap star had every athlete in the building rocking when he opened the event with a sports-themed rendition of his classic banger "A Milli!!!"

The electrifying performance peaked when Wayne went into the crowd and bounced with reigning Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce, but the hip-hop legend wasn't done highlighting the festivities.

Weezy F. Baby later introduced WNBA 🐐 Sue Bird to the podium and linked up with Angel Reese, 2 Chainz and NBA champ Jamal Murray throughout the evening.

Backstage, Wayne and Quavo dapped it up, and we're told it was the first time they've seen one another since Lil Weezyana Fest last year -- which, tragically, was Takeoff's final show before he was killed.

We're also told Wayne's choice of attire was intentional -- he repped for the late Kobe Bryant in a "Mamba Mentality" sweater, and also donned an LSU hat to signify women's accomplishments ... most notably Angel and Flau'jae Johnson, who has a song collab with Wayne dropping soon.

Shaquil Barrett paid tribute to his late daughter in a touching way this week ... getting the 2-year-old's face tattooed on his forearm -- just three months after she tragically died in a drowning accident.

The NFL star turned to Tattoo Red to get the piece of little Arrayah done ... and the homage came out perfectly.

The ink features an image of the little girl from her second birthday party ... as well as some stars and a ray of light shining through clouds.

Tattoo Red -- who's been inking athletes and musicians for 14 years -- tells TMZ Sports ... it all took about five hours to put down. The artist also said Barrett's wife, Jordanna, got a tattoo on her wrist in honor of Arrayah too.

"Knowing what an emotional piece this was for the family made me feel honored," Tattoo Red said. "I wanted to give them the best piece I could."

Jordanna -- who also has three other kids with Barrett -- recently announced they are expecting another baby ... saying in the big reveal, "Arrayah had a special hand in picking this sweet girl to add to our family!"

Forget diamond pendants ... Univ. of Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels pulled up to Big 12 Media Day with something far cooler around his neck -- a mini-TV that plays his highlights!!

The Jayhawks signal-caller paired it with a crisp, tan suit and red tie ... telling reporters his whole inspiration for the chain was to pay homage to his journey to stardom at KU.

"Just a reminder to everyone I'm walking around, this is what I do," he said as the piece showed him piling up yards. "I like to play football. I like to play quarterback. I like to score touchdowns."

TMZ Sports has learned ... Daniels got the bling from Ivy J Jeweler in Los Angeles -- after the QB's dad saw store owner Gambit wearing a similar one earlier this year.

Gambit said Daniels hit him up just after his pops told him about it ... and the jeweler got to work right away on creating the junior a custom piece.

We're told Jalon's drip is made with 18 carats of VS diamonds ... and also features his "JD6" logo. It all sits on a Cuban link ... and according to Gambit, it cost around $50K.

As for the live pendant, Gambit tells us it's interchangeable -- saying Daniels can upload up to four minutes of any video he wants on it. It all charges like an Apple watch too, Gambit added.

"You can literally have a new chain every day," he said.

Gambit said Daniels -- who threw for 2,014 yards and 17 touchdowns last season -- is the first college athlete to rock his tech chain ... though he has made several other similar pieces for NBA players and UFC stars. He's now hoping the attention Daniels' piece gets opens the door for more football-playing clients.

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s "too small" chain he rocked before the All-Star Game was anything but that ... and TMZ Sports has learned the flashy piece is worth a whopping $145k in diamonds!!

The Atlanta Braves star certainly turned heads prior to his fourth ASG appearance on Tuesday ... rocking an all-pink 'fit with an iced-out mini version of himself doing his famous celebration around his neck.

Gabriel the Jeweler -- go-to guy for some of the biggest names in sports -- tells us the piece is made of 80 carats total ... and the one-of-a-kind accessory was designed in collaboration with Xample Brand, Acuña's agency.

We're told Xample likes to treat Acuña to a new chain for every ASG appearance ... with each one documenting a new characteristic of Ronald's game.

Of course, Acuña's known to do the "too small" gesture whenever he hits homers ... so this year's jewelry was a no-brainer.

The chain itself is Gucci style and composed of brilliant diamonds and baguettes ... and we're told Ronald's family was also gifted smaller versions of the piece as well.

"I am blessed to be selected to play in this year's All-Star Game, and thank everyone who supported me on this journey and believed in me," Acuña Jr. tells us.

LaMarcus Aldridge just got a new massive back tattoo featuring an image of the Joker ... and check it out -- it's so seriously awesome!!!

The former NBA star hit up Andres Ortega and his Onder Ink team last month to get the piece done ... and after sitting under the needle for 10 hours, most of the backside of the hooper's 6'11" frame was completely covered in ink.

On the bottom of the tattoo, Aldridge got Batman's nemesis tatted because, according to Ortega, the former San Antonio Spurs forward said there was a time in his life when nobody believed in him -- and this was his way of laughing at those detractors.

Aldridge also got images of a lion and its cub to represent the relationship he has with one of his children. The skyline of Dallas -- Aldridge's hometown -- was also added to the top of the artwork.

The 7-time NBA All-Star got his jersey No. 12 inked too ... and Ortega tells TMZ Sports he added religious imagery to honor his faith as well as family members who have passed.