Chris Brown is slamming Texas State Representative Venton Jones after he apologized for honoring the singer amid backlash.
The singer is pissed at Jones for apologizing for appearing on stage with Chris to announce that Chris had been placed in the Congressional Record for his musical and entertainment achievements, along with Usher.
Jones made the apology Tuesday on Don Lemon's show after the politician caught heat for honoring a woman abuser ... as you know, Brown was convicted of physically abusing Rihanna in 2009.
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U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett was also on stage with Jones, appearing with the singer and Jones at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday to present him with the honor and shower him with praise.
At first, Brown gave thanks to Jones and Crockett for the award, but after Jones made his public apology, Brown slammed him on Instagram, writing Tuesday night that Jones "immediately started tap dancing and apologizing because he didn't wanna lose voters or support."
Brown also wrote that he didn't ask for the award and was just "minding my damn business" when they came to him with the honor. Brown went on to say, "I have a great idea.. how about yall leave me the f*** alone and let me focus on the fans."
Kanye West's former employee, Benjamin Provo, is laying out his case against the musician as he seeks an 8-figure sum ... claiming he was discriminated against because of his hairstyle.
In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Benjamin says he believes he's owed up to around $23 million in damages from Kanye and his Donda Academy ... claiming he was fired for refusing to cut off his dreads.
Benjamin, a Black man, claims he faced discrimination while working at Kanye's Donda Academy in 2022 ... and alleges Kanye also removed all books by prominent Black leaders.
Boosie Badazz is posting receipts of his alleged conversations with pardon brokers who couldn't secure him clemency from President Trump ... and the texts show a chaotic string of messages full of typos from one of the men he claims he paid $600,000.
The rapper posted screenshots of text messages on his X account Monday ... which appear to be communications between the rapper and Jack Burkman, one of the alleged pardon brokers.
It looks like the messages were exchanged between November 2025 and February 2026 ... and it appears Jack is assuring Boosie that his team is working on getting him a Trump pardon.
Late Migos rapper Takeoff's alleged murderer, Patrick Xavier Clark, is making moves to examine evidence, including the supposed bullets from his fatal shooting ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Clark wants permission to review certain items in the Houston Police Department's possession.
Patrick said he wants an independent expert to examine the evidence to help build his defense ahead of trial, which is scheduled for November.
Ari Fletcher is checking the internet after folks online called her a "deadbeat" mom ... saying social media has the whole grandma situation twisted.
The model addressed critics questioning why her son Yosohn, whom she shares with rapper G Herbo, lives in Atlanta with Ari's mother.
Ari says she "retired" her mom so grandma could double as Yosohn's nanny and homeschool teacher ... all while grandma's currently working toward her third master's degree.
12:32 PM PT --Robert Kraft has fired back at Macklemore ... accusing him of crossing the line with antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
Macklemore says Robert Kraft and a group of other stadium owners basically shut the door on him ... he claims the New England Patriots owner told Ed Sheeran the singer could not play at his venue if Macklemore was involved.
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In a lengthy statement shared to Instagram on Monday, Macklemore says Ed told him Kraft called after the rapper's pro-Palestine comments at MetLife Stadium went viral ... with Kraft allegedly saying Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium, which Kraft owns.
Macklemore claims Kraft then got other stadium owners on board ... and Ed was handed an ultimatum -- drop Macklemore or lose access to their stadiums.
12:51PM PT -- The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tells TMZ ... Mikquale's official cause of death has been determined to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner was ruled a homicide.
Chicago rapper BloodHound Q50 was killed in a brutal early-morning ambush in Chicago -- with six masked gunmen allegedly surrounding the Tesla he was in and opening fire.
Q50 -- whose real name was Mikquale T. Cooper -- was behind the wheel of a white Tesla parked at a BP gas station in Chicago's Fuller Park neighborhood around 4 AM Sunday when he was gunned down, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Police say the 22-year-old had just arrived when a black Infiniti carrying two masked people pulled up alongside him. Around the same time, a silver Honda Accord with four people inside reportedly arrived at another pump.
Boosie Badazz is putting his $600,000 Trump pardon nightmare on national TV ... telling "60 Minutes" he thought dropping that kind of cash meant clemency was basically a done deal.
The rapper sat down for a "60 Minutes" investigation into so-called "pardon brokers" ... political operatives who charge huge fees while claiming they can get cases in front of President Trump.
Boosie says he handed Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl $600K upfront after being led to believe paying up would get him a pardon ... but no pardon ever came.
Macklemore is being sent home from Ed Sheeran's tour after catching major heat over his pro-Palestine onstage remarks ... and the show will go on without him.
Rolling Stone reports Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining tour dates ... after several venues allegedly told the tour they would not allow him to perform.
As TMZ previously reported, Macklemore caused a stir during Ed's MetLife Stadium stop earlier this month ... telling the crowd "Free Palestine" before performing his protest song "Hind's Hall."
Tupac Shakur's convicted killer Duane "Keffe D" Davis was apparently troublesome behind bars, collecting a slew of serious alleged violations before the murder trial ... and some of them involve violence.
TMZ obtained records detailing all of Davis' alleged bad behavior while incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas from the time he was first arrested and booked on September 29, 2023 all the way through the start of the trial.
According to the documents ... in December 2025, Davis was being escorted back to his cell by a corrections officer after visiting with a loved one when he got into a brawl with another inmate in the dayroom. The docs say Davis and the other inmate engaged in mutual combat, grappling with each other and throwing punches.
Pretty Ricky member Spectacular Smith is being sued by an Arizona woman who claims he messaged her on Instagram to meet up before sexually assaulting her.
According to a new lawsuit obtained TMZ, a woman named Alexis Dieng filed a complaint against the rapper in August, alleging he contacted her in October of last year requesting recommendations for restaurants. Dieng claims Smith then cultivated her trust and arranged to meet her in person.
According to the suit, Smith provided Dieng with an initial meeting location but then changed the meet-up place to a residence in Maricopa County ... where she says she eventually arrived by herself around 10:30 PM the next day.
Dieng claims Smith initiated physical contact with her and then engaged in sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
Lil Durk's father, Big Durk, is celebrating his son's courtroom victory ... telling TMZ it's an incredible moment for the entire family.
Big Durk spoke with our cameras outside court Friday in downtown Los Angeles just minutes after a jury found Lil Durk not guilty on all five charges in his federal murder-for-hire case.
He tells TMZ he's "bursting with joy" and can barely contain his happiness ... adding the entire family is on a "high" following the verdict.
The former male escort suing Diddy and Cassie over alleged trauma from their freak-offs says he's got photos that will help prove his case ... claiming the images show him being flown out and put up in hotels for marathon sex sessions.
TMZ obtained new legal docs filed by Clayton Howard, the former sex worker turned law student who testified in the Diddy criminal trial, as he tries to save his lawsuit against the former couple.
Clayton submitted an amended lawsuit with photos attached. He says the first photo was taken on December 16, 2016, and shows the view from a seat on a plane. During the trial, prosecutors revealed how Diddy would hire male escorts and fly them across the country to have sex with Cassie while he watched and gave instructions, so this seems to be what Clayton's getting at.
Kodak Black has beaten the rap again ... this time, prosecutors decided NOT to charge him in a drug trafficking case ... one day after another criminal case was also dismissed in the Florida.
On Friday, prosecutors filed docs saying there was insufficient evidence to prove the rapper possessed contraband during a November 2025 police encounter in Orlando. According to an arrest warrant, police say they found a pink bag with MDMA and $37K, as well as "numerous documents" with the name Bill Kapri -- Kodak's legal name.
Cops say the bag looked like the same one that appeared in one of Kodak's Instagram posts. At the time, Kodak was not arrested, but, after further investigation, police busted him this past May and booked him for drug trafficking. Police say the MDMA they found in the bag weighed 25.34 grams -- well over the trafficking weight of 14 grams.
But now prosecutors say they will not be filing charges in the matter.
