Jam Master Jay, Biggie Smalls Daughters Dough'ing it Right ... Bring NY Pizza to L.A. with Dope Twist!!!

A SLICE OF NY
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Tyra Myricks believes she has a solution to a notorious L.A. problem -- she's bringing New York-style pizza to the West Coast, and tells us she's making it with the right ingredients.

Tyra -- an entrepreneur and daughter of Jam Master Jay -- has teamed up with T'yanna Wallace, daughter of The Notorious B.I.G., to launch Juicy Pizza ... named after the latter's smash 1994 hit track.

Myricks says she came up with the idea when she was struggling to find good NY-style 'za in L.A. -- a common gripe, especially for transplanted NYers. So, she hit up T'yanna with her plan, because Biggie best represents that Brooklyn vibe she wants for their pizza joint.

Tyra took us through the New York-inspired menu when she was on Thursday's "TMZ Live," and revealed their secret ingredient -- real NY water in their dough. You gotta watch to see how they're getting that agua out west.

If you're still not sold, there's also this -- Juicy's gonna have a members-only cannabis lounge in the back ... to attract celebs and turn the place into a Hollywood hot spot. The fun begins real soon, because Juicy Pizza is opening its doors for dinner Saturday night.

For the full interview with Tyra ... check out Thursday's episode of "TMZ Live."

Kanye West & Irina Shayk Together for Months ... First Clue at DMX Tribute

Kanye West and Irina Shayk were an item long before their romantic getaway to France ... and the DMX memorial service was an early sign Ye was on the rebound.

Sources connected to the new couple tell TMZ ... Ye and Irina have been together for months, seeing each other as early as March. In fact, one of the new couple's prior hangout sessions happened in New York City in late April, when Kanye was there for DMX's celebration of life.

There were signs then that Yeezy and Irina were an item ... she was spotted wearing a custom DMX memorial shirt before it was even in the hands of the general public.

Remember ... the custom X shirts were designed by Balenciaga and commissioned by the Yeezy brand, and Kanye helped raise over $1 million for DMX's family with the profits.

As we first told you ... Ye and the supermodel were hanging in France on his 44th birthday Tuesday before hopping on a private jet Wednesday and flying back to the States together.

This is the first public dating we've seen Kanye or Kim Kardashian do since she filed for divorce back in February, but he and Irina have a bit of history ... professionally speaking.

Kanye rapped about her in "Christian Dior Denim Flow" saying, "I wanna see Irina Shayk next to Doutzen" -- and she was also in his music video for "Power." It's a good bet, though, they've been doing a lot more than reminiscing about the old times.

Paul Mooney Letterman, Haddish, Tucker Playing Huge Roles in Memorial Service

Some comedy giants are pitching in to help memorialize Paul Mooney ... including David Letterman, Tiffany Haddish and Chris Tucker.

The late comedian's memorial service is slated to go down June 23 at the Roosevelt Hotel's ballroom. We're told Tiffany and actress Marla Gibbs have confirmed they'll attend.

As for the former 'Late Night' host, we're told Letterman -- along with the Angela & John Witherspoon Foundation -- are just some of the peeps who have contributed toward the cost of the memorial service.

Actor Tim Reid ... along with comedian J. Anthony Brown and Richard and Tina Lawson have also contributed to cover costs.

Chris Tucker and George Wallace are some of the comedians who can't attend the service, but instead will send a video tribute. We're also told invitations have been extended to Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle.

TMZ broke the story ... a star-studded tribute went down for the late comedian at the famed Hollywood Laugh Factory last month. The City of Oakland also honored him after Paul's sudden passing.

Digital Underground's Shock G Died From Accidental OD ... Fentanyl, Meth and Booze

Shock G died in a Tampa hotel room from a deadly mix of drugs and alcohol ... according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

A rep for the medical examiner's office tells TMZ ... the Digital Underground rapper died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol (alcohol) and methamphetamine.

We broke the story ... Shock G was found unresponsive in his hotel room in April, and there were no outward signs of trauma. Shock was last seen the day before he died, by a hotel manager ... who then found him in the room on April 22.

The manager had grown concerned after Shock -- famed performer of the 'Humpty Dance' -- missed check-out time, and immediately called 911.

The Hillsborough County ME says Shock G was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:20 PM ET.

As we first told you ... the iconic rapper's funeral was held May 1, and his Digital Underground family was well represented at the service.

Safaree New Beef with Erica ... I Don't Wanna Miss Our Baby's Birth!!!

Safaree's got more bones to pick with Erica Mena as they fight over child custody in their divorce ... he wants to be present when their new baby's born, and he's running to court hoping to make it happen.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, the 'Love & Hip Hop' star says his estranged wife is due to give birth in July, and he's afraid she won't let him be with her for the delivery.

In the docs, Safaree makes it clear he wants to witness his child's birth, but firmly believes the only way he can assure that happens is for the court to step in and force Erica to allow it.

Obviously, he's afraid she'll freeze him out, if given the chance.

As we first told you ... Erica filed for divorce last month after less than 2 years of marriage, and she's gunning for primary custody of the kids, but Safaree's already filed docs to challenge her on that.

Safaree was there when Erica gave birth to their first child, Safire ... and he claims it's in the best interest of their next kid for him to be there at the birth so they too can start bonding right away.

Chris Johnson Derrick Henry's Gonna Ball Out In 2021 ... After Julio Jones Trade

PERFECT PAIRING
TMZSports.com

Chris Johnson says he's straight-up jealous of Derrick Henry ... telling TMZ Sports the Titans running back is going to FEAST in 2021 after the Julio Jones trade!!

"I wish I could've played there when we had that GM," the former Tennessee halfback said. "They doing what they got to do to win games."

As for why CJ2K sees Henry exploding ... Johnson says it's simple -- with Julio and A.J. Brown now on the outsides, Chris says it's not possible for defenses to just key in on Derrick.

"There's no way you can put 8, 9 in the box on Henry," Johnson tells us. "You got Julio on the outside. You got A.J. on the other side. So, you can't stack the box or anything like that."

"It's like, man, it's crazy."

It's a scary scene to think about -- especially for AFC South teams -- 'cause Henry was ALREADY a beast in 2020.

The 27-year-old monster ran for 2,027 yards, 17 touchdowns AND he added 114 receiving yards.

But, Johnson sees it going even better for Derrick with Julio on the team ... telling us, "I wish they would have made them moves when I was there."

"You love that move," Chris said of the blockbuster trade. "You don't want to continue to run against 8 and 9 in the box. You don't want to do that."

BETTER THAN THE REST
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Johnson -- who by the way is opening up a chain of coffee shops in Florida that he hopes can compete with Starbucks someday -- says the move officially makes the Titans real contenders in 2021 for the Lombardi Trophy.

"Everything look good on paper," Johnson said. "We got to go out there and prove it."

Pat Sajak Pulling for Trebek to Win Emmy ... What's 1 More Loss for Me???

PULLIN' FOR ALEX
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Pat Sajak says he doesn't mind losing another Emmy to the late, great Alex Trebek -- not only because Alex deserves it, but also ... Pat's learned to lower his expectations.

We got the legendary "Wheel of Fortune" host Wednesday in Bev Hills, and asked if he'd be cool with Trebek taking home top honors at this year's upcoming ceremony. Fact is, most see Alex as a shoo-in ... for his talent and for being the sentimental favorite.

Not too surprisingly, Pat told us he was more than fine with that ... because, honestly, what else is the guy gonna say? But, he took it a step further and echoed what Wayne Brady recently told us ... explaining he was actually rooting for AT, like most everyone else in the biz.

6/6/21
HE WAS THE BEST
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Now, when we pointed out the obvious -- namely, that Pat has lost to Alex in the game show host category for many years now -- he jokingly acknowledged it too ... comparing himself to soap opera star Susan Lucci, who was passed over for a Daytime Emmy a whopping 19 times before winning.

Like we said, PS seemed to mostly be kidding here, but he did promise to give us a HUGE scoop ... about his retirement!!!

Chill, it isn't happening anytime soon, but watch what he told us about where you'll hear about it first. Pat Sajak wouldn't lie to us, would he???

Ben Affleck Hits Tables in Vegas for Work & Play ... While J Lo Shoots in Miami

KILLIN' TIME IN VEGAS
TMZ.com

Work is separating Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez for the time being, but he's still making time to have some fun on his own ... he's in Las Vegas, hitting the tables and directing a project.

Check out this video we got -- Ben was at the Wynn Resort and Casino early Wednesday morning, standing alone at a table ... just the dealer and him. Unclear what game he was playing, but witnesses tell us he was in the high limit room. Naturally.

We're told casino staff was standing guard to shoo away any fans who happened to notice one half of Bennifer laying down bets around 3 AM.

EARLIER THAT DAY
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The witnesses say there were no camera crews during his time at the tables ... an important detail, because Ben is actually working in Vegas too. We got more video of him Wednesday afternoon shooting something over at The Palazzo, but we're told the actor shot a ton of other scenes in the working casino, too.

You can hear someone yelling, "action" as he started walking through the casino, but a source tells us Ben is also directing the project.

While he and Jennifer have been nearly inseparable since reuniting last month, y'know what they say ... duty calls. Even they gotta pay the bills.

As we told you, J Lo is down in Miami where she was shooting a music video Tuesday night ... and posing with a few cops who were there for security.

Jeff Lowe Wanted in Vegas for Court No-Show ... Legal Probs Mounting!!!

Jeff Lowe's legal troubles are piling up, and in more than one state ... TMZ has learned.

On the heels of the 'Tiger King' star getting busted for DUI in Oklahoma, Jeff's now a wanted man in Las Vegas ... this according to the clerk at the Las Vegas Municipal Court, who tells us there are 4 bench warrants out for his arrest.

The warrants stem from a 2017 case in which he was charged with 3 counts of not having a proper license or permit for wild animals, and one count of doing business without a license. He was convicted in 2018 of illegally using animals to make money in the Las Vegas valley, but agreed to stay out of trouble to avoid jail time.

According to the clerk ... the bench warrants were issued because Lowe was due in court Wednesday for a hearing, but he no-showed.

We're told Lowe has to post $20,500 to deal with the warrants and get a new court date.

We broke the story ... Jeff and his wife, Lauren, were arrested this weekend for DUI, as cops say they were both intoxicated and driving at different times before they got busted.

5/6/2021
TIGER TAKEDOWN
TMZ.com

In the weeks prior to that ... Lowe had dozens of his big cats confiscated from his Oklahoma zoo. The feds said the seizure was part of an ongoing probe for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act.

We've reached out to Lowe ... no word back, so far.

Kanye West Rebounds with Irina Shayk!!! Bday Rendezvous in France

Kanye West is moving on from estranged wife Kim Kardashian, and he's doing it with ... Irina freakin' Shayk!!!

Ye and the supermodel were spotted out and about in the French region of Provence on Tuesday, his 44th birthday, BTW. They were seen smiling and strolling around on the grounds of a luxury boutique hotel with some friends, but also by themselves ... looking very much like a couple.

TMZ has confirmed they are 100% romantically together, but our sources say it's unclear how serious they are at this point. In other words, yeah ... they're banging. Definitely FWB status, at the very least.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The big news comes on the heels of Kim, and others in the fam, publicly wishing Kanye a happy birthday with social media posts.

It's a pretty wild development -- seeing how it's been less than 4 months since KK filed for divorce ... and it appears Kanye's already got himself a new squeeze. Remember, Kim's the one who submitted the legal paperwork first -- this after quite some time of her and Kanye seemingly drifting apart -- but she doesn't appear to have taken the next step just yet on getting out there and dating someone new. At least ... not publicly, anyway.

While Kim's been somewhat vocal about the split via her family's TV show -- saying she feels like a failure over the crumbling of her marriage -- Ye's been the opposite ... mostly silent on the matter. This move, however, definitely speaks volumes.

Ye and Irina, who has a daughter with Bradley Cooper, have some professional history together -- she's modeled for Yeezy in the past, walking the runway in Ye's signature gear at a Paris fashion show, and he's even name-dropped her in songs before too.

So yeah, they're not total strangers by any means.

'Pushing the Line' Star Yes, I'm Kinda the Jackie Robinson of Slacklining ... Black People Can Do it Too!!!

OPEN TO ALL
TMZ.com

Slacklining, or highlining, definitely ain't for everyone -- the sport is high adrenaline and high risk, and one of its budding stars, Aaron Bray, knows it's not on the radar of most Black people ... something he wants to change.

Aaron joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about the new Discovery+ show, "Pushing the Line" ... which follows Aaron and 12 other extreme athletes busting tricks on long, narrow highlines over scenic canyons.

For the uninitiated ... slacklining's similar to tightrope walking, but uses a 1-inch wide strap that's less tensioned to allow for a bouncing effect. Think tiny, tiny trampoline.

Highlining, however, is a subset of slacklining and it's considered the peak of the sport. It's performed hundreds of feet above the ground or water ... and the mental toughness required is pretty damn unbelievable.

Aaron's been at it for 5 years now and he tells us he's one of the very few Black athletes in America who take part in the sport. He didn't shy away from our suggestion he's the Jackie Robinson of the sport -- in fact, he's embracing the responsibility.

Aaron says slacklining's always been seen as "more of a privileged white boy sport" but he's trying to shift that ... and hopes this new show helps people realize it's okay to break out of the norm.

Silento Judge Denies Bond ... You're a Huge Risk to the Community!!!

Silento's not getting out of jail, at least not for now ... a judge just denied his request to be let out on bond in his murder case.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper had a bond hearing Wednesday in DeKalb County, GA where the judge ruled Silento's history of mental health issues -- coupled with a history of not taking his meds -- made him too risky to be let out on bond while his case is pending.

The judge also cited concerns raised by the prosecutor about Silento's history of being in denial of his mental health issues, specifically noting that the rapper once left a mental health facility in California. The judge also mentioned there was no telling what could happen if Silento decides NOT to take his meds ... noting this would put the community at serious risk.

Prosecutors said even his grandparents argued in strong opposition to the bond.

Silento's legal team tried painting a more favorable picture ... calling him a local treasure who was once on the Governor's Blue Ribbon panel urging kids to stay away from drugs and alcohol. His team says Silento's problem stems from his bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues he's battled for years.

But, the judge didn't go for it ... and ordered Silento to remain behind bars.

TMZ broke the story ... Silento requested he be let out on a $25k bond and assured the judge he wouldn't be a flight risk. He was arrested in February and charged with felony murder for his alleged role in the death of his cousin, Frederick Rooks.

Philadelphia PD Cop Accused of Deleting Suspect's Phone Video ... While His Body Cam Rolled

ALLEGED TAMPERING

A Philly cop inadvertently busted himself pulling an illegal move ... at least that's the claim of a man who recorded his own arrest, only to see that video deleted -- allegedly by the arresting officer -- and now a lawsuit's coming.

According to the police report ... a Philly cop identified as Officer Burnett says he noticed a pickup truck idling for 10-15 minutes at a gas station back in March, so police ran the plates and it came back to Jacob Giddings.

Cops say Giddings had an active warrant for assault, so Officer Burnett asked him to step out of the vehicle, and when he "started to resist" ...  Burnett used force to pull him out.

However, Burnett's body cam was activated, and as you can see ... it captured Giddings apparently recording the incident on his phone from inside his truck. That fact is not mentioned in the police report.

Based on Burnett's body cam, it looks like Giddings lost his phone in the struggle. Later, after Giddings was in custody, the officer picked up the phone and appeared to gain access to the footage. He hits a few commands, but it's not clear from the footage what he did.

Giddings, from the police car's backseat, is heard asking Burnett if the video is still on his phone, and the cop says he doesn't know -- but Giddings believes Burnett deleted the vid.

According to the police report, cops also found marijuana on Giddings and he was arrested and charged with one count of resisting arrest and one count of drug possession. During the bust he suffered minor cuts to his wrist from the handcuffs, and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

THE RECOVERED FOOTAGE

Giddings has lawyered up, and his attorney, Donte Mills of Mills &. Edwards LLP, tells TMZ ... they'll be suing Philadelphia PD for excessive force and assault, tampering with evidence, false arrest and malicious prosecution.

Mills says they later recovered Giddings' arrest video from his iCloud account. We're told Giddings is still being prosecuted, and he doesn’t believe Burnett has been disciplined.

According to Philadelphia Police, "This incident is currently under investigation with our Internal Affairs Bureau. The officer involved has been placed on administrative duty status pending the outcome of the internal investigation."

Megan Thee Stallion Roc's School of Music is On Me ... Donating 4-Yr. Scholarship, Guest Lecturing Too!!!

Megan Thee Stallion's about to be known as MTE -- Megan Thee Educator -- 'cause she's footing the bill for a full-ride scholarship, and will even serve as a lecturer at Long Island University.

Not that Megan's looking to get tenured, but she's definitely all in for Roc Nation's School of Music, Sports and Entertainment. Jay-Z's management firm -- where Megan is a client -- had already announced its partnership with L.I.U. would begin in Fall 2021, but now Megan is stepping up to cover 4 years of tuition for one lucky student to enroll in the Roc program.

Megan is still taking classes at Texas Southern University. Even after achieving superstardom, the Grammy winner's remained committed to graduating with a degree in healthcare administration and wants others to get a shot at higher education.

Meg says, "If I can use my resources to open doors and create opportunities for at least one student, then it's a victory. It's important that we encourage our students to pursue their passions and put them in positions to become the next game changer in whichever fields they choose."

In addition to hooking up a student, we're told MTS will actually participate as a guest lecturer for L.I.U.'s "Industry Expert Speaker Series." As for what she'll be discussing -- we're told that's TBD, but the success of hits like "Hot Girl Summer," and "W.A.P." has to be a potential topic.

We're sure she'll be wearing more on campus than the wardrobe she recently teased for her soon-to-drop "Thot S**t" music vid. Pretty sure, anyway.

Students can apply for Megan's scholarship giveaway through L.I.U.'s website. With college costs soaring, it's a savage deal.

Waka Flocka I'm the Virtual Grad Speaker ... For Chicago High School

Waka Flocka Flame is getting the next generation ready for their next step by delivering the commencement address at a Chicago high school graduation ceremony.

The "No Hands" rapper will appear virtually at Chicago's Soldier Field when graduates from Innovations High School get their diplomas after a challenging school year that required them to learn virtually while overcoming a pandemic.

Waka Flocka Flame tells TMZ ... he's honored to be speaking to the kids, and plans to let them know how proud folks are of them for graduating despite a rough and very abnormal year.

The charter school's executive director, LaShaun Jackson, tells TMZ ... Waka's the right speaker for this graduating class because he's a success story from the streets, and his life has been all about overcoming adversity.

Remember, Waka got a lifetime achievement award for his charitable efforts before former president Donald Trump left office ... and in October he got his honorary doctorate degree in philanthropy and humanitarianism from the Bible Institutes of America.

Waka tells us his message during the June 21 ceremony will be about continuing to push, climb and strive for greatness ... something Jackson says will resonate with and inspire the grads.

'Floribama Shore' Star Gus Deletes IG After Fight With Fan ... Taking Social Media Break

"Floribama Shore" star Gus Smyrnios wasn't "banned" from IG after an online feud with a fan -- but he is voluntarily taking a much-needed break from any further social media interactions.

The reality star's manager, Joseph Fazio, tells TMZ ... Gus deactivated his Instagram after a nasty war of words between himself and two people -- a husband and wife -- who he challenged to meet up and fight, and mocked their appearance.

That's putting it lightly, BTW, you gotta read his posted replies to them.

Much of the interaction was captured and reposted ... after which, his account went blank -- leading many to believe Zuckerberg's IG cops had stepped in. However, Smyrnios shut himself down after realizing he let the drama get the better of him.

We're told Gus responded so ferociously because he felt legitimately bullied by the couple, who were apparently harassing him and telling him to kill himself.

Fazio says, "As we all know, Gus doesn’t hold back his thoughts nor does he back down from a fight but he acknowledges that he should’ve handled this situation differently. He is genuinely apologetic for the things he said but is not apologetic for standing up for himself."

All of this back and forth was over the latest episode of the MTV show. Fans were apparently fed up with Gus' antics and pot-stirring, seemingly forgetting that's his job. Everyone plays a role, even on reality shows.

Anywho ... we're told Gus is going to be taking time off the 'Gram to focus on real life.

He's already started some self-reflection and tells us, "As a society we need to stop rewarding those who blatantly and aimlessly attack people (famous or not) simply because they feel like it. There is a double standard and it makes me sick. I just want it to stop."

Gus added, in his defense, "I’m not a violent or negative person by nature but when someone attacks me something triggers inside of me."

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