Money

Antonio Brown has gone ballistic again ... this time demanding to be released from his $50 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.

Antonio spelled it out in an Instagram post on Saturday morning, saying "Release me @Raiders #NOMore."

He also posted a pic of a quote ... "You are gonna piss a lot of people off when you start doing what's best for you."

Here's what triggered the craziness. Late Friday night, the Raiders decided to fine Brown $215k for conduct detrimental to the team over an altercation with GM Mike Mayock on Sept. 4. The way the story goes ... Brown exploded on Mayock, allegedly threatening to sock him in the face while calling him a "cracker." Brown's outrage stemmed from a previous $15k fine for missing team workouts.

Brown reached out to reporter Jeff Darlington and complained the $215k fine voids nearly $30 million in guaranteed money from his Raiders' contract. This pissed him off enough to go on social media and ask to be released.

He's certainly drawing a line in the sand, telling Darlington, "No way I play after they took that and made my contract week to week."

The last 24 hours have been wild to say the least -- Brown posted a video Friday night containing pieces of a phone conversation with head coach Jon Gruden. In the video, Gruden essentially tells Brown to cut the crap and get back on the field. Unclear if Gruden knew he was being recorded during the call. Now it seems Brown's career in Oakland is hangin' by a thread -- and the Raiders will likely make a decision in the next few hours.

Stay tuned ...

The hitmaker behind Justin Bieber, Usher and Chris Brown is hurting to the tune of $1 million ... courtesy of a massive burglary at his Hollywood Hills crib.

The heist at Poo Bear's home was discovered Friday, and unfortunately for him, the bad guy or guys were able to make off with an entire safe ... according to our law enforcement sources.

We're told one of PB's staffers discovered a window had been smashed, and when he went inside he found Poo's safe was gone. We're told the lockbox contained a pirate's booty o' jewelry ... worth at least $1 mil.

Tough news for Poo, who produced "Caught Up" for Usher and a gang of Justin's hits. He's over in Tokyo right now and posted a pic with pals Thursday as he celebrated his birthday.

Watch your back MJ and LeBron, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair tells TMZ Sports he signed a fat deal with Adidas ... and he's comin' for Nike's neck!!!

We saw Flair at LAX earlier this week -- and after he broke down his beef with WWE over "The Man" -- he dropped some endorsement deal news on us.

"Ready for the good news? Adidas thinks I'm 'The Man.' I signed a deal with them, and we're fixin' to make Nike the 2nd brand. It's not gonna be Air Jordan anymore, it's gonna be Air Flair, and I can't jump."

"It's gonna be Adidas, Woooooooo!!!"

Naitch wouldn't go into detail about exactly what the partnership entails, but he rattled off a few NBA stars he's pumped to work with ... and he took aim at Nike's founder and chairman.

"This is me and Damian Lillard. Harden, James Harden, who I love and should be the MVP. Nike's gonna be [outta here]. We're gonna fire a shot over Phil Knight's bow."

Dustin Johnson ain't gonna let a knee surgery keep him from helping those in need ... 'cause the golf superstar's spending his downtime stuffing backpacks to send over to the Bahamas!!

DJ just had arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee on Thursday ... while he's expected to return to the course later this year, he's sidelined for now.

The 35-year-old and his smokin' hot lady, Paulina Gretzky, are doing their part to help those affected by Hurricane Dorian ... hitting Costco to buy out a bunch of backpacks and supplies to send over to the kids in the Bahamas.

"Even surgery won’t stop me from helping our friends in the Bahamas.! #helpthebahamas," DJ said in his IG pic, showing huge piles of coloring books, crayons and other supplies.

DJ and Paulina ain't the only sports stars helping out in a big way ... as we previously reported, Sacramento Kings star Buddy Hield is currently trying to raise $1 million for his native country for hurricane relief ... and his coach, Luke Walton, has chipped in $10k as well!

Great gesture by everyone involved.

... and just for the hell of it, here's Paulina. You're welcome.

Bruce Dickinson was so pissed off after a fan got the crap kicked out of him at an Iron Maiden show, he stopped the concert to rip into the venue and its security force ... and the video is wild!

The Iron Maiden frontman passionately addressed the crowd over the bloody incident Thursday night at the Tacoma Dome ... saying, "I hope that kid is getting hospital treatment now because he's bleeding from head wounds. I hope that kid takes this building to the f***ing cleaners!!!"

Bruce says the band has been playing to hundreds of thousands of people on tour, and they've never seen anything like the beatdown this guy received. He wondered out loud to the crowd if this kinda thing happens frequently at the venue. Either way, Bruce says it's "f***ing madness!!"

The singer asks the crowd if they have any video of the beating, saying the band would be happy to help find the "bullies and the f***ing criminals who are responsible."

Then in a perfect segue, the band starts playing, "The Evil That Men Do."

It's unclear if the injured fan is still receiving medical treatment, or if he's planning to press charges.

Story developing ...

Kanye West is not just a Wyoming visitor anymore, because we've learned he just bought a massive property.

Kanye plunked down some serious money for a property called Monster Lake Ranch. The asking price was $14 million for the huge chunk of land outside Cody, Wyoming.

The Ranch itself has 8 lodging units and is known for "monster trout" fishing. It has 2 fresh water lakes, a restaurant, an event center and meeting facilities. And -- it's a ranch, right -- so there are lots of horse barns, corrals and lots of horsies. Fun fact ... Cody is known as the "rodeo capital of the world." Imagine Sunday Service at the rodeo?!?

We're told Kanye did not pay full price but we don't know exactly how much he plunked down. The property itself is more than 9,000 acres! He now owns 4,500 of those acres, and the rest is leased from the federal government.

Kanye is there now ... earlier this week, he was tooling around his new property on an ATV.

We're told Kanye is currently there ... finishing up his new album, which has a heavy religious theme. As you know, his Sunday Service has become a thing, and now he's going into the studio to put finishing touches on the album that's expected to come out Sept. 27.

Our sources say in the last few days Pusha T joined Kanye in Wyoming. Remember, Pusha was also there when Kanye was working on the album "Ye." He spent a lot of time in Wyoming at the Aman resort putting pen to paper to finish that album.

Scott Disick could soon be doing backflips into a massive pile of money ... because he's looking to make a windfall on a pad he's flipping in Hidden Hills.

Lord Disick is putting his penchant for flipping houses to good use ... he's listing a spruced up crib for nearly $7 million after putting his fingerprints all over the place.

When you think Scott, you think party ... and the dude took a home that was originally built in 1973 and transformed it into a paradise, complete with a baller backyard featuring a zero-edge pool, spa and fire pit!!!

As we first reported ... Scott threw down $3.25 million in April 2018 for the nearly 5,000-square-foot space ... and he took a home that already had a huge pool and waterfalls and managed to make it even cooler.

The contemporary farmhouse welcomes you in with a stunning 10-foot high glass pivot door, and the home's interior looks just as snazzy as the revamped exterior ... just check out the gallery.

Andre Manoukian and Kozet Luciano from Keller Williams Studio City have the listing ... and the asking price is $6,890,000.

BTW ... the crib is only a couple houses down from the same one the Kardashians called home during the first few seasons of 'KUWTK.'

Scott's got his own show about flipping houses, "Flip It Like Disick" ... and this home will be featured on the upcoming season.

This is the second house he's listing. Scott just listed his own home in Hidden Hills for $13 million.

Tyler Perry's coming through in a big way to give aid to those in need in the Bahamas after it was devastated by Hurricane Dorian ... TMZ has learned.

The TV and movie mogul is using his personal seaplane based in Nassau to fly relief supplies to the Abaco Islands (part of the Bahamas), which were hardest hit by the hurricane this week. We're told his plane already made 2 trips Thursday, and Perry hopes to send several more shipments.

As for the supplies ... Tyler's providing the Abaco residents with much-needed water, juice, sleeping bags, diapers, various hygiene products and a lot of other basic necessities. On the return trips they brought back 7 passengers, including small children, a pregnant woman and others who needed medical attention.

As you know ... the Category 5 storm ravaged the island nation earlier this week, leaving at least 20 people dead and a path of utter destruction, especially on Abaco.

The disaster's also sparking generosity on social media -- as we told you, a "Pray for Bahamas" post has gone viral, resulting in thousands of dollars in donations and supplies.

One of the groups getting $200k from Meek Mill is getting blasted for a 2016 photo of its founder cutting a young man's locks -- but the kid himself says it's much ado about nothing.

The pic was tweeted by Crushers Club -- a Chicago youth empowerment group -- almost 3 years ago, and shows Sally Hazelgrove cutting the locks of a teen named Kobe. Someone on the Internet dug up the tweet after TMZ broke the story ... Meek would be donating money to Crushers Club.

The social media backlash is focused on the imagery -- a white woman cutting Kobe's locks -- and Sally's caption, "It's symbolic of change and their desire for a better life." People who are critical think it reeks of cultural insensitivity.

Kobe himself, though, says the critics have it all wrong. Once the Internet outrage began, he quickly posted a video explaining that HE wanted to cut his hair. "That's something I wanted to do because I was tired of it. Tired of gang banging, tired of messing up. Now, I'm a changed young man."

Meek Mill clearly agrees with Kobe when it comes to the work Crushers Club is doing for Chicago's at-risk youth. Meek is in the Windy City -- for his NFL Kickoff concert with Meghan Trainor and Rapsody -- and also to donate the $200k to Crushers.

We reached out to Hazelgrove and she echoed Kobe's statement -- that she was only cutting his hair at his request.

One source involved in Thursday's event said the attacks on Hazelgrove -- who's worked tirelessly for Chicago kids -- came off as reverse racism. Criticism aside ... the event and the donation are going forward as scheduled.

Ezekiel Elliott is making sure a whole lot of people eat after he got his chunk of Jerry Jones' pie ... telling reporters Thursday he's donating $100,000 to the Salvation Army!!!

Zeke just got a brand new 6-year, $90 MILLION contract from Jerry and the Cowboys ... and he just said at a press conference he'll be giving away a portion of it to help the needy in Dallas.

"In my time here in Dallas, I've formed a really good relationship with the Salvation Army," Zeke said ... "And, I wanted to pledge $100,000 to help them build their new facility to help support the people of need in Dallas."

Elliott's had a long -- and funny -- history with the Salvation Army since he joined the Cowboys ... remember, he famously hopped in the red kettle after scoring a TD back in 2016.

Then, of course, he followed that celebration up with a donation into the red kettle after scoring another TD in 2018!!!

Overall, Zeke's helped the Salvation Army raise thousands of dollars in his 3 years as a Cowboy ... but, clearly, he doesn't think that's enough -- and is throwing in more to the pot now.

Nipsey Hussle's estate owes a singer her fair cut of the money the rapper made off his hit song, "Hussle & Motivate" ... according to a claim she just filed.

Tasleema Yasin says she wrote and performed a vocal phrase used throughout the track ... according to the docs filed Thursday in L.A. Superior Court. Tasleema also says her voice is prominently featured in a countermelody, which she sang in her higher register ... and she says can be heard throughout the song's chorus.

She claims she's a coauthor of "Hussle & Motivate" ... which means she's entitled to a big cut of any dough the song earns.

Tasleema doesn't list a specific amount she's due, and wants the estate to provide a proper accounting ... so she can figure out how much.

Sacramento Kings star Buddy Hield has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for Hurricane Dorian relief -- and the first BIG check just came from his head coach, Luke Walton.

Hield -- a native of the Bahamas -- announced his campaign on Wednesday to help relief efforts in his home country. Dorian hasn't just wreaked havoc on buildings and homes, at least 20 people have been killed so far with numbers expected to rise.

Enter Hield, who's channeling JJ Watt ... and doing his best to get money to people in need.

Not only is the Kings hooper encouraging people to donate, he's contributed $100k of his own to get the ball rolling on the campaign.

"I personally know many people who still need rescuing, and there are thousands without medical help, power, food, or other basic necessities," Hield says. "Bahamians are a strong people, but they still need our help to get them through this."

"Together, our donations can help restore hope, life, and basic human needs to these battered areas."

Walton got involved to help out his player's cause on Wednesday ... making a $10,000 donation on the campaign page.

Hield's goal is to raise $1 million ... and has raised nearly $50k so far.

Huge day for Princess Charlotte ... it's her first day of school and her Royal parents couldn't look prouder.

Prince William and Kate Middleton sported huge grins Thursday as they arrived at London's exclusive Thomas's Battersea school. The Royal family walked hand in hand with 4-year-old Charlotte and Prince George. Charlotte -- who is fourth in line to the throne -- looked giddy but also a bit nervous meeting the headmaster.

This is 6-year-old George's third year at the school. You can tell he's already a pro at schooling ... giving the headmaster a firm handshake. William said Charlotte's very excited for her first day as they all walked in.

Thomas's Battersea is a pricey private school. Tuition at the school with 560 students (21 students in Charlotte's class) is around $7,900 for ages 4 to 13 per term. But, Charlotte's getting a sibling discount ... which lowers tuition by about 150 bucks per term.

Hurricane Dorian's decimation of the Bahamas is igniting the generosity of the masses -- and showcasing the power of social media.

The very simple -- yet clearly effective -- "Pray for Bahamas" post spread like fire on Instagram following the Category 5 hurricane crushing the string of islands. DJ Khaled himself and "Insecure" actress Amanda Seales were among a number of celebs who reposted to their millions of followers.

It seems that's when that confounding IG algorithm got busy ... leading to a flyer posted by Smiles Trust Inc. -- a grassroots group spearheading relief efforts -- then going viral.

The org's flyer, posted Monday, listed items the island nation desperately needs. When IG users started reposting both the "Pray for Bahamas" post AND the Smiles Trust list -- the group was almost instantly inundated with TONS of donations.

Smiles Trust tells us in just 2 days ... it raised more than $34k and counting. What's more ... we're told around 2,000 of EACH item listed on the flyer came pouring into the group. Nice!!!

Smiles Trust got so much attention, we're told its website crashed on Tuesday. There are now at LEAST 50 pallets worth of supplies ready to go ... hopefully by next week.

As you know, Hurricane Dorian killed at least 20 people in the Bahamas and reduced houses, hospitals and harbors to rubble. Basic necessities like fresh water, food and medical care are almost nonexistent right now.

The group is now working on setting up 20 drop-off sites for anyone who wants to donate to the cause.

Ric Flair believes the WWE is ripping him off -- using the phrase The Man without his permission ... and now he's threatening legal action.

Flair says he's been referring to himself as The Man since 1981 -- and even holds the trademark for his famous catchphrase, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man."

The problem ... one of WWE's biggest stars -- Becky Lynch -- has been referring to herself as The Man over the past year and the nickname has become a huge hit with fans.

Ric tells TMZ Sports ... he was trying to work out an amicable, private agreement with WWE where they would pay him to allow Becky to continue to use the name, but WWE blew him off.

In fact, Ric says he escalated the situation to WWE executive, Triple H ... but they still couldn't reach an agreement. So, on August 26, he filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to own the term, The Man, specifically as it relates to pro wrestling.

Now, Ric says the WWE is pissed at him for making the move -- and it's caused a rift between himself and his daughter Charlotte Flair, a current WWE superstar herself.

Flair says he has NO beef with Becky Lynch -- and supports the WWE's women's division -- but business is business and he wants what he believes he's rightfully owed.

Ric says if the USPTO grants him the trademark, he'll happily let Becky use it ... as long as WWE pays him -- because "I want it to take care of my family."

And, if he doesn't get paid, Ric says he's willing to explore his legal options to force WWE's hand.

During our conversation, Ric emotionally explains why the most important thing to him is making sure the people he loves -- especially his wife, Wendy Barlow -- are financially secure after he dies ... and that's why he's willing to fight for The Man.

"When I almost died two years ago, one person stayed by me [Wendy]. The whole time -- 31 days in the ICU, 12 days while I was dying on a respirator -- and I'm gonna take care of her, and her family, and my family that has taken care of me no matter what."

Lonzo Ball is admitting he KNEW his $500-per-pair Big Baller Brand ZO2 Prime sneakers were faulty -- and would explode on him during games -- but he continued to hawk 'em anyway.

"Those ZO2s I was playing in, they was not ready," Ball admitted on Josh Hart's 'LightHarted' Podcast.

Ball -- who was playing for the Lakers during the BBB shoe era -- says he would bring 4 pairs of the shoes to games because he knew they would break and he had to switch them out every quarter.

"If you literally had my shoes from those games, they just exploded, bro."

If you recall, BBB initially offered the ZO2 Prime shoes to the public for $500 a pair in 2017 -- but later announced they were scrapping the original design in favor of the ZO2 Prime Remix shoe, a completely different sneaker.

It seems obvious now why BBB made the change. Unclear if any of the faulty shoes were actually sent to customers.

When asked why he wore them -- even after he knew they were defective -- Ball explained, "Because they were my shoes, I had to debut 'em."

Ball says he actually HATED wearing the shoes and implied that his game suffered as a result.

"And, it's crazy," Ball says ... "Right when I switched my shoes, magically, I got good again."

Ball says he kept the secret about his crappy shoes to himself to protect the brand.

Things eventually went south with the Big Baller Brand -- with Lonzo's manager later telling customers to throw their shoes in the trash ... and Lonzo himself eventually covered up the BBB tattoo he had on his arm.

Still, LaVar Ball claims the brand is still alive and he's looking to relaunch at some point in the future.