Money

LaRussell has zero fear of AI rap recordings blocking his shine amid his breakout season ... and that's because he's confident AI can't recreate the human experience!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Oakland rapper on the music video set of his "Hell of a Feeling" collab with Symba ... who stressed to us why both hip hop culture and the Bay Area need the track.

The thought of AI made LaRussell LOL as we gauged his thoughts on the industry's hotly debated topic ... and turns out he has no concerns, despite major labels putting up roadblocks!!!

Universal Music Group recently sent out demands to Spotify, Apple Music and all the top streaming services to block AI companies crawling their platforms ... and Drake was none too pleased hearing his AI mimicked vocal rapping Ice Spice's hit "Munch."

LaRussell makes his bread as an independent artist and thinks AI can only increase his cash flow if used correctly.

Daniel Snyder needed to sell the Commanders ... so says the team's former star running back Brian Mitchell, who tells us former Washington players, him included, are thrilled the embroiled owner is finally selling the organization.

"When Dan [Snyder] came along, he had this mindset where, yeah, he needed us when he needed us, but he didn't want to have us around a lot," Brian, who was at a "Bye Dan" event celebrating the sale, told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Even more so than the former players, Mitchell, a former All-Pro, says Commanders fans wanted Synder out, adding he hasn't heard a single person voice support for the 58-year-old owner, which speaks volumes to how people feel about him.

"I think a lot of fans are happy because they just wanted to get rid of him," Mitchell said. "You get to a point where you just don't think you can have success with a certain person, and it got to that point."

The Super Bowl champion said Washington went from a storied franchise to the laughing stock of the NFL under Snyder's tutelage and felt "something needed to change" for the fans and players to have some pride in the team again.

Mitchell -- who spent ten seasons with Washington -- recalled how the organization painted him to be a problem child and never hesitated to let him go ... a standard BM feels should also be applied to ownership.

Of course, DS' reign was plagued by scandal ... that got so bad Congress opened an investigation into the inner workings of the org.

Synder purchased the franchise in 1999 (for less than $800 mil), but after 24 years and a massive $6.05 billion bid from an ownership group featuring NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, 76ers owner Josh Harris, and billionaire Mitchell Rales, Snyder's tenure is coming to an end.

Jeff Franklin, the creator of "Full House," has put his swanky Bev Hills home on the market once again, and there's a reason it hasn't sold for over a year ... it's just too attractive to celebs. Let us explain.

The sitcom creator relisted the 21K-square-foot mega mansion Wednesday, with an asking price just shy of $60 mil -- and as we reported, this isn't the home's first time at the rodeo.

Jeff had the compound listed 3 times last year ... asking for $85M in January, $70M in June, and $60M in September. Clearly, the house was initially overpriced, but the reason it didn't sell is more complicated.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... every time Jeff looks to unload the property, he gets calls from celebs, top business execs and even royals looking to rent the property, fetching an average of $350K a month. Once the lease runs out, he puts it back on the market.

You'll recall, Jeff's 9-bedroom, 18-bathroom home comes with the works -- a 75-yard pool with multiple waterfalls, a movie theater, a billiards room, a hair salon, and its own gym. There's also a 16-car garage underneath ... not to mention those stellar views of L.A.

The home sits where Sharon Tate and her friends were brutally murdered by Charles Manson's followers back in 1969 ... but the murder house was razed and replaced with Jeff's massive Mediterranean-inspired estate decades later.

The celebrity jeweler who's suing Antonio Brown over $1 million worth of diamonds that he says the NFL star took from him tells TMZ Sports everything would be forgiven if AB would just send the stuff back.

Shuki International opened up to us on Thursday out in Los Angeles about the lawsuit he filed against the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver this week ... and he explained he has absolutely no bad blood with the 34-year-old at all.

In fact, he told us he still loves the guy, considers him a great friend ... and plans on hitting a rap stage with him soon.

But, Shuki says AB has really put him in a bind over some of the diamonds he lent him back in 2022 ... and now, he wants Brown to either pay him for them or return 'em.

"This is just a wakeup call," Shuki said of the lawsuit against Brown. "Call me. Bring back the baby."

According to Shuki's lawsuit, the jeweler gave several items to Brown last year -- including two diamond fingers that he said were worth $500K apiece.

Shuki told us on Thursday that when he handed them over to Brown ... he expected the former football player to wear them for a little bit before giving them back so Shuki could ultimately sell them.

The jeweler, though, said when he recently tried to get Brown to return them ... the dude straight-up ghosted him.

Now, Shuki -- who's designed pieces for many high-profile clients, including Floyd Mayweather -- is pleading with Brown to get in contact with him so they can resolve everything.

"He's just got to rotate the jewelry," Shuki said. "You cannot just hold it, you know what I mean? It's mine. I gotta look good."

Odell Beckham Jr.'s on a roll ... days after securing a lucrative one-year contract with the Ravens, a judge denied Nike's request to dismiss OBJ's lawsuit against the sportswear giant, ruling the case can go forward.

Nike initially filed docs claiming there were no grounds for the case and asked a judge to throw out the suit on February 28. After reviewing the motion, a circuit court judge in Multnomah County, Oregon (where Nike's headquartered) denied the motion to dismiss, according to court records.

Of course, it doesn't mean OBJ has won the case. A defendant asking the court to throw out a lawsuit is pretty standard, and it's a difficult motion to win, but the bottom line is it's a win for the star WR.

We broke the story in November ... 30-year-old Odell accused the Swoosh of screwing him out of millions of dollars by suppressing shoe sales that would've triggered an automatic lucrative contract extension.

Beckham Jr. also said Nike withheld money he was rightfully owed for what they deemed footwear and glove violations (customizing Nike products).

At the time he filed the lawsuit, Odell issued a statement to us, reading in part ... "Unfortunately, Nike did not honor its commitments. Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand. I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises."

Beckham Jr. continued ... "Today, I'm taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love – especially those who don't have the means to stand up for themselves. We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments too."

All told the Pro Bowler says Nike shorted him around $20 million ... and Odell wants his cash, and now it looks like his attorneys will get their day in court.

On the field, Odell is the newest member of the Baltimore Ravens, signing a contract worth between $15 and $18 million earlier this week.

The argument between Cash App founder Bob Lee and the man accused of stabbing him to death allegedly centered around the suspect's sister ... according to prosecutors.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say Lee and Tech start-up owner Nima Momeni had a spat before the stabbing ... and a witness says it was about whether Momeni's sister, Khazar, was doing drugs or anything inappropriate.

Prosecutors say the witness claims Lee tried to talk Momeni down and reassure him about Khazar. According to the witness that convo happened at some point in the afternoon or evening of April 3.

From there, investigators have pieced together the events leading up to Bob's death using videos. According to the docs, Bob left his apartment at 12:31 AM on April 4 ... and took an 8-minute walk to Khazar's apartment. Around 2 AM, Nima shows up at Khazar's apartment, and, a few minutes later, he and Bob leave together in Nima's car and drive to a secluded area.

When they get out of the car, Nima allegedly uses a kitchen knife to stab Bob 3 times ... once directly in the heart. Again, prosecutors say they have video of the stabbing. As we've reported, surveillance video -- obtained by Daily Mail -- shows Bob at 2:35 AM, injured and bleeding and desperately looking for help.

The docs say Khazar even texted Lee after the argument, making sure he was ok -- writing "Nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you."

She added, "Thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class Love you Selfish pricks."

As we reported, Momeni was arrested Thursday for the murder of Lee ... and it turns out Momeni has a history of arrests -- including a DUI in 2004 and illegal possession of a switchblade in 2011.

Jeremy Meeks says going from the mean streets to jail to fashion runways and movie sets has been one wild ride, which is why he's written an autobiography ... but he's not stopping there.

We got the actor/model at LAX and he was beaming as he told our photog about his Hollywood success ... telling us he just got back from shooting a Christmas movie and is excited about his upcoming book release.

Jeremy, who first became famous as the "hot felon," says it's surreal to see his life story in book form, and his goal is to get the publication made into a TV series.

We asked why not a feature film, and he said it would be impossible to chop his life down to a couple hours or less ... so, a series makes more sense.

Jeremy's book is called "Model Citizen" and it's coming out October 10 ... and it tells the story of his meteoric rise from poverty to global fame.

Remember ... Jeremy had a long rap sheet before his 2014 arrest and mug shot earned him the "hot felon" and "prison bae" monikers.

Jeremy's mug went viral, sparking a modeling career that blossomed into acting gigs and led to him dating and having a child with Topshop heiress Chloe Green.

The Dallas Mavericks season may be over, but the team's still making headlines -- the NBA fined the organization $750K for resting several key players like Kyrie Irving vs. the Bulls in the second-to-last game of the season, with the league accusing the team of losing on purpose.

The league announced the hefty punishment Friday ... explaining the Mavs violated the league's player resting policy on April 7 in the game with Chicago to improve their chances of keeping their first-round draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

NBA executive VP Joe Dumars condemned Dallas for the move ... saying the team's actions "undermined the integrity of the sport," adding their actions "failed our fans and our league."

The Mavs were tied with the Bulls for the tenth-best lottery odds heading into the matchup ... and would have owed the Knicks their first-round pick if they beat Chicago, going back to terms agreed on during the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

The NBA launched an investigation after Dallas rested several key players -- Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood, and Tim Hardaway Jr. -- even with the team's play-in tournament hopes still alive. Luka Doncic played the first 12 minutes and 35 seconds but missed the rest of the game.

Dallas head coach Jason Kidd seemed to confirm the idea of resting their players in the crucial game came from upper management ... but said he agrees with his bosses' decision.

The short-handed Mavericks took Chicago down to the wire ... but ultimately lost their final two games, finishing the regular season with a disappointing 38-44 record after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.

Bradley Cooper is making more real estate moves ... now unloading his longtime Venice property, after giving it an interior makeover.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... The actor listed the pad for $2.4M... which, would leave him with a nice chunk of change after snagging it for $1.19M back in 2004.

The price tag seems to be well worth it ... he's completely transformed the inside of the home, working with renowned designer Santillane de Chanaleille.

The 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home comes with a natural aesthetic ... featuring high vaulted wood ceilings, concrete floors, and accordion doors that lead out to a fire pit and hot tub. There's also a built-in barbecue when you step outside.

There's also a converted garage, which can be used as a bonus room for an office, home gym, or living space.

Bradley already has another beautiful 3-level townhouse in Venice, a $13M townhouse in NYC and purchased a $4.8M pad in the Pacific Palisades in 2021.

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba made a young fan's night and future -- by gifting him not only the jersey off his back, but a law school scholarship!!

The heartwarming moment went down Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Toronto Maple Leafs played the Rangers.

Garden of Dreams Foundation member Isaiah Márquez-Greene, who survived the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 but lost his sister Ana in the horrific event, met Trouba, his favorite player, on the ice and got the #8 jersey as a gift.

26 people, mostly elementary school-age kids, were senselessly murdered by a 20-year-old man on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

"I've been a fan of you since Winnipeg [Jets]," Marquez-Greene told Trouba.

The hockey defenseman was flattered and signed the jersey for Isaiah ... but he had more in store for him.

"I know your story. I feel for you," Trouba said. "You're an amazing human."

That's when Trouba surprised Isaiah -- who wants to be a lawyer -- with a full scholarship!

"From the Garden of Dreams, this is a scholarship for law school! So you're gonna graduate from college, you're going to go to law school and you're gonna have no debt coming out of school."

Trouba even gave Isaiah his phone number to stay in touch so he gets his party invitation when he graduates.

"I want an invitation to when you graduate law school," Trouba said. "And I'm gonna check in with you when you go to college next year."

According to Márquez-Greene's mother, Nelba, the 18-year-old will be heading to UConn this fall.

Anthony Edwards, who famously played Goose in "Top Gun" and Dr. Mark Greene on "ER," is looking to unload his beautiful O.C. beach house ... with an emphasis on "beach" 'cause the new owner will literally be on it.

Maverick's former flyguy (RIP. 😢) has listed his Dana Point, CA vacation home for $6.5 mil, and for that kinda dough ... it comes with some breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.

Anthony's place is just a few steps from the sand, and sits on a lot that's more than 10K square feet ... making it one of the sweetest vacation homes in the area. It's well-secured, too, with privacy gates.

The crib was originally home to the family of oil tycoon Edward Doheny, dating back to the 19th century when the development of Dana Point was just taking off.

The Spanish Colonial style is also a great model of what the original homes in that area looked like.

Look, nothing's gonna bring back Goose, but chillin' on his beachfront patio would be the next best thing ... if ya got a few mil to burn!

Justin Alexander from Compass holds the listing.

Post Malone’s one-of-a-kind Raising Cane’s is officially open for business, and the rap-n-roller conducted ribbon-cutting duties Thursday to seal the deal!!!

The Diamond-certified artist fired up the staff inside his restaurant and autographed cups ahead of the grand opening with much enthusiasm.

Outside, Post kept that same energy  … smacking high fives and posing for pics with swarms of fans who ignored the rain and flocked to the new Midvale, Utah location.

Post and Cane’s founder Todd Graves relayed to the crowd how their mutual admiration for one another birthed this collaboration -- the joint's loaded with Post’s memorabilia such as axe guitars and past custom outfits … including the dress he wore for Billboard and a super ping-pong funnel!!!  Seriously, the thing goes across the whole restaurant.

Fans who visit this particular location will be able to eat like Post as well ... his custom meal, the “Posty Way” is highlighted on the menu.

Megan Thee Stallion's battle with her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, is hitting a new low -- a financial one, because she claims Carl Crawford is draining all its money without paying her.

Megan filed a new motion Thursday, raising all sorts of red flags about 1501's bank accounts. In the docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, she claims label head Crawford is lining his pockets with money earned off her hits ... while she's getting squat.

Her immediate concern is the company's money is running low. Megan claims 1501's primary account has less than $10,000 left in it, but much more than that was deposited. The exact amount is redacted in the documents, but Meg says it's in the millions.

So, where's the money going? Megan claims Crawford, J. Prince and Gee Roberson -- who are both involved in running the label -- are the only ones getting paid.

As we've reported, Megan is suing her label for royalties and to be released from her contract. She's filing this motion because her fear is that when there's finally a judgment in her favor, 1501's cupboards will be bare.

It's the Magic Hour in the DMV -- Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has reportedly agreed to sell his team to Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Sixers owner Josh Harris ... and the final price tag is a whopping $6 billion!!

The two sides reached an agreement on Thursday ... with Sportico reporting Harris and Johnson's group, which also includes billionaire Mitchell Rales, was able to seal the deal.

Snyder -- who bought the team in 1999 for $750 million -- hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale back in November ... which garnered interest from Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z.

Snyder's tenure as owner of the Commanders was plagued by several controversies, especially over the last few years. In 2020, 15 former employees claimed they were sexually harassed and/or verbally abused in the workplace.

Things were allegedly so bad, Congress stepped in, with several former Commanders staffers testifying on Capitol Hill.

Once the sale is final, it will be the biggest transaction in U.S. sports history -- passing the Denver Broncos franchise, which sold to Walmart billionaire Rob Walton for $4.6 billion in 2022.

The sale adds to Magic's growing collection of professional sports teams in which he has an ownership stake -- including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks and LAFC.

Harris -- who made his fortune in finance -- also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils.

If the sale goes through, there will be plenty of Commanders fans thrilled with the new era for the franchise.

We reached out to the NFL regarding the report ... which declined to comment.

If you thought the styles from the 2000s were dunzo, you were wrong -- 'cause Kristin Cavallari is bringing 'em back with a splash ... alongside her "Laguna Beach" crew.

The businesswoman is launching a special jewelry line through her Uncommon James brand -- and while it's new -- it's also kinda old in a sense ... or rather, nostalgic. She and her team are calling it the Back to Laguna Collection, and it's chock full of pieces from the aughts.

Here's the best part ... Kristin actually got together with former 'LB' co-stars to shoot a promo for this retro campaign, which features all your fave personalities from the show. Yes, that includes  ... Talan Torriero, Jason Wahler, Alex Murrel, Jessica Smith and Alex Hooser.

Not just that -- but KC's ex-boyfriend, Stephen Colletti, is also in this thing. How about that?!

Indeed ... it's a welcome stroll down memory lane -- and you can see it on the 'LB' stars' faces here. FWIW, we're told they had a helluva time filming this as well ... they reunited in December at Pacific Palisades High School, where the good times (and cameras) were rolling.

Sources tell us that in between takes and during breaks, Kristin and co. were yakking it up like the old days -- as many of them hadn't seen each other in years. Pretty darn neat.

Now, as for what's included in this new Back to Laguna collection ... well, it's good stuff. A lot of these jewelry items are things you might've seen -- or even worn -- back in 2004 ... like the iconic black cord choker, gold rings (for all your fingers), earrings, bracelets and necklaces that reflect the aesthetic from back in those days.

In other words ... all the accessories you used to love as a teen and/or early twentysomething are back and for sale -- all courtesy of Kristin and Uncommon James -- plus a little help from her old friends.

It doesn't get more Orange County than this, folks.

Former 'Bachelorette' contestant Will Urena says there's a good chance he could've been killed recently in Colombia ... and he chokes up recounting the gruesome details of what went down during the attack.

Will, who appeared on Michelle Young's season, tells TMZ ... he was at a bar in Medellín over the weekend when he met two women who proceeded to drug him. He says they led him out to the street, which is when he briefly blacked out.

While going in and out of consciousness, Will remembers being horrifically beaten, stabbed and spit on by a group of men.

The injuries are no joke, BTW ... Will says he was stripped down to his underwear and robbed of his belongings and jewelry. Luckily, a taxi driver found him covered in blood several hours later and took him to a hospital.

Will says his local friend, who he was in town visiting, filed a missing persons report after losing him at the bar ... and cops put two and two together once he showed up at the hospital.

Will tells us he had to stay in Colombia an extra day after those spine-chilling events because he was still drugged the next day. Thankfully, his passport was in his room when he was attacked, and he was able to fly home Tuesday.

As you know, Will told fans about his terrifying trip once he got back stateside ... saying the past few days were "something I could've never imagined."