Money

Sounds like Moneybagg Yo's new line for any promoters looking to book him for live gigs is, basically ... "New album, who dis?" -- and he says they better be ready to spend top dollar!!!

We ran into the red hot rapper Tuesday at LAX, where we congratulated him on his new album, "A Gangsta's Pain" -- which is getting tons of praise, and also jacking up his rate for shows. Moneybagg confirms it's a cool $200k to book him now.

That's a huge leap from where he was just a year ago ... check out what MBY says he used to charge not too long ago. Not to get all math-y on ya -- but it's an 80% increase!

You can see Moneybagg's crowds have gotten exponentially bigger over the past year or so. Not just that, but he's starting to gain some ground with new, broader audiences ... due, in part, to appearances on the 'Tonight Show' and elsewhere.

Clearly, things are going well for him -- and it also sounds like he's being smart with his money ... telling us he definitely does some spending, but throws some in the bank as well.

Since he likes to flaunt a bit, we had to ask ... as his stacks continue to pile up, what's the big-ticket item he's eyeing???

His answer might surprise you a bit -- seems like he might wanna dip his toe into real estate, but on a larger scale than just one new crib.

This is gonna be stomach-churning for some ... video of NRA exec Wayne LaPierre and his wife hunting elephants in Africa, and his lack of marksmanship at crunch time made the brutal event even more inhumane.

The disturbing footage shows the LaPierres in Botswana during a 2013 trip, and as they trek through the bush with guides and a couple of friends, they find what they came to kill -- an adult elephant grazing nearby.

The New Yorker and The Trace obtained this video of Wayne taking aim at the animal and taking it down with a single rifle shot -- but one of the guides said the bull wasn't dead, and instructed Wayne on where to aim for the kill shot. The National Rifle Association's Executive VP took 3 more shots -- from about 20 feet away -- but couldn't put the poor elephant out of its misery.

The guide finally asked someone else in the group to make the shot.

Later that day, it was Wayne's wife, Susan's turn, and she killed an even bigger elephant from closer range ... as it seemed to be staring right at her. It's hard to see any "sport" in what happens in this video.

According to the New Yorker, the video was supposed to be used for a TV show called "Under Wild Skies," but never saw the light of day ... due to the NRA's concerns about a PR blowback. Both Wayne and his wife celebrated with smiles, hugs and high fives after their kills. Susan is seen cutting off the elephant's tail and shouting, "Victory!"

Jon Taffer says things are looking up after the pandemic decimated Vegas ... but he's not focusing on the world-famous strip, he says it's all about helping the little guys.

The "Bar Rescue" star joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and told us why the smaller joints catering to Sin City locals need his help, and why business that survived coronavirus closures and restrictions could soon cash in big time.

Jon says the upcoming season of "Bar Rescue" is all about Vegas, because the City had one of the country's highest unemployment rates during the height of the pandemic ... with the hospitality industry taking the brunt.

The way Jon sees it ... major hotels and businesses on the strip will be just fine, but the bars targeting locals off the strip are in need of rescuing, and he's ready to get to work.

Lots of folks think of buffets when they think of Vegas, and Jon says those are coming back to life too ... with vaccines playing a key role.

Britney Spears' father, Jamie, is going after her mother, Lynne, for objecting to the legal fees linked to the singer's conservatorship ... claiming Lynne has no idea what she's talking about and is not looking out for their daughter's best interests.

Jamie's attorneys at Holland & Knight LLP filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, calling out Lynne for "raising objections to fees related to matters that she has no knowledge of."

This is in response to Lynne filing legal docs last week objecting to 4 months of fees totaling $890k and requesting about a quarter of that be returned to Britney's estate. Lynne alleged the law firm was doing unnecessary and improper work as part of a "national media tour" to combat negative coverage.

But, Jamie's lawyers are clapping back, saying that their fees are legit and she's causing undue delay and expense while "stirring up more unnecessary media attention.

Holland and Knight adds ... "Lynne Spears is the one who exploited her daughter’s pain and trauma for personal profit by publishing a book about [Britney]," referring to her 2008 book, "Through the Storm."

Jamie's lawyers go on to accuse Lynne of making misleading and "seriously flawed objections" to H&K's fees, specifically her gripe about media-related matters.

H&K says Britney is a world-famous entertainer and adds, "this Conservatorship has always been, and continues to be, the subject of increasingly intense media scrutiny both in traditional news media as well as on social media and most recently documentary films." It claims its media-related work is necessary and litigation-based.

Conor McGregor is putting $500k to a good cause after all ... with the UFC superstar making a surprise donation to help kids in south Louisiana this week.

Remember, Dustin Poirier blasted McGregor earlier this month ... saying Conor never made a sizeable donation to Dustin's "The Good Fight Foundation" as promised back in October 2020.

The 2 stars publicly railed each other ... with Conor accusing Poirier of running a shady operation ... and Dustin claiming McGregor's camp was ducking his calls about the matter. Poirier later apologized for making the situation public.

Now, it appears McGregor is still looking to help out ... by shelling out half a million dollars to the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana, which is located in Poirier's hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.

It's worth noting -- Dustin's foundation has worked with this B&GC location in the past. We're told that despite all the drama, Conor still wanted to help out ... resulting in the $500k donation.

The B&GC is ecstatic to receive the help ... saying, "This investment is a gamechanger! Thank you, Conor, for helping to ensure that our kids have what they need to grow and thrive this summer!"

The club says the donation will help fund the 2021 summer camp and other recreational activities throughout the area.

Forget Rolexes, presents and cash ... Patrick Peterson just paid his new teammate for jersey #7 in a WAY cooler fashion -- making a sweet donation to the guy's former high school!

The new Minnesota Vikings corner -- who rocked #7 during his college days at LSU -- wanted to sport the digit in his first year away from the Arizona Cardinals this season.

The problem? Quarterback Nate Stanley already had the number ... and Peterson didn't want to just railroad the 2nd-year man for the uniform.

So, Peterson made a trade ... in exchange for paying for new shoulder pads for Stanley's alma mater, Menomonie High School in Wisconsin, Nate gave up the jersey!

And, Patrick was stoked about the transaction ... joining Bryant McFadden on their "All Things Covered" podcast and explaining why he has so much love for the number.

"Once [the NFL] passed that new rule where skill positions were able to wear any number between 1 and 49, it was only right," said Peterson, who wore #21 with the Cardinals.

"I always wore it in high school, I wore it in college. I always felt comfortable with it. And that's what I felt started me. So it was only right to go back to my roots and rock that seven."

The move could be a huge one for Peterson and the Vikes ... when Patrick donned that number back at LSU -- he became one of the greatest defensive backs in college football history.

G.O.A.T. players fetch G.O.A.T. numbers .. and that's why LeBron James and Tom Brady's trading cards just sold for a combined $3.44 million at auction!!

A King James '03-'04 Upper Deck "Exquisite Collection" Rookie Patch Autograph card -- 1 of only 99 ever made -- sold for $1.72 million ... a record for the super coveted card.

The card -- rated a mint 9 -- comes complete with an LBJ autograph ... and a rookie patch from one of James' rookie Cleveland Cavaliers uniforms.

As for the 7x Super Bowl champ, the Brady 2000 Playoff Contenders #144 Signed Championship Ticket Rookie card -- graded a near mint 8.5 by Beckett -- it also sold for $1.72 million.

Both cards closed Saturday night on the Goldin Auctions website ... after weeks of fierce bidding.

The scary part ... GA founder Ken Goldin says he expects prices to continue to rise.

"Prices for cards across sports like golf, soccer and hockey, and for trading card games like Pokémon, have absolutely taken off and we’re just scratching the surface!”

Kanye West has the Midas touch ... a pair of shoes he wore during his performance at the 2008 Grammys just sold for a record 7-figure price.

The prototype Nike Air Yeezy 1 brought in a whopping $1.8 million in a recent private sale, according to Sotheby's, which brokered the deal.

Kanye famously wore the kicks, known as the "Grammy Worn" Nikes, at the 2008 Grammy Awards, when he performed "Hey Mama" and "Stronger."

The $1.8 million sale price completely shatters the record for the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold ... it's the first pair to sell for over $1 million, nearly tripling the previous high of $615k for a pair of 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1s Michael Jordan wore when he broke a backboard during a preseason game in Italy.

MJ's record didn't last long ... those kicks sold last year, and now Kanye's got the top spot.

Ye and Mark Smith designed the size 12 shoes, a combination of Nike and Yeezy signature brandings. There's a classic Nike Swoosh, plus a Yeezy forefoot strap and a bright pink "Y" medallion lace lock.

The Kid LAROI is still a few months shy of turning 18, but he has many reasons to celebrate early ... and we're thinking a Benjamin Franklin-themed party is fitting after his new deal with Sony.

The Australian singer, songwriter and producer known for hits like "Without You," and his collaboration with Juice WRLD on "Go," finalized a contract that will pay him $4.2 million in advances alone ... according to his minors contract.

The Kid LAROI -- gov't name Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard -- got $1.2 million immediately after signing the deal. He's also getting $1.75 million after his publisher gets the deal approved by the court ... and another $1 million payable in 12 monthly installments after that.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, it says KL will get another $250k on the 1 year anniversary of the deal -- and all of that is before his royalties kick in.

The Kid LAROI became known to mainstream audiences when the late rapper Juice WRLD mentioned him while on tour Down Under. They eventually collaborated on a couple of tracks ... and LAROI's singles soon started gaining serious traction in the U.S.

His popularity's still on the rise ... 'cause even Miley Cyrus recently teased an upcoming remix of LAROI's 2020 single "Without You." She uploaded a 20-second clip featuring the track and headlines of her past relationships.

Kanye West turned out to be quite present throughout DMX's tributes this weekend -- and he'll continue to be ... because he's got a seven-figure gift for the man's family.

Sources close to Kanye tell us the custom DMX T-shirt designed by Balenciaga -- which was commissioned by the Yeezy brand and put up for sale Saturday as X's memorial got underway -- ended up cranking out huge profits quickly ... upwards of a million bucks.

Balenciaga had already said they'd be giving the net profits back to the fam -- but the fact those sales produced a million dollars is staggering. Then again, the shirt was retailing for $200 a pop ... so we suppose it makes sense. The DMX tribute shirt sold out in 24 hours.

There's another way Kanye got involved in Saturday's ceremony -- which Swizz Beatz actually alluded to during the event. Yes, we've heard Kanye and the Yeezy team did, in fact, design the stage where the Sunday Service choir performed, and where guests also spoke.

You might've noticed the elaborate set pieces at play -- the stage looked like an inverted pyramid ... or maybe even two. Our sources say Ye recruited renowned visual artist Akeem Smith to help with the layout ... and it looks like their joint efforts paid off, because it definitely made for quite a spectacle -- one that was worthy of DMX and his loved ones.

Just like most of us over the last year, the White House is leaning on Zoom to conduct meetings and get face time with folks amid the pandemic, but chances are President Biden's Zoomin' is MUCH more expensive than yours.

According to federal docs obtained by TMZ ... the Executive Office of the President has spent a little more than $422,000 on Zoom licensing fees since mid-January, right around the time Biden took office.

That might seem pretty hefty -- especially for those who mostly use Zoom for free or at a low cost to chat with family and friends ... but the licenses needed for the government to use Zoom, at the capacity required for the Prez, really add up.

As you might know ... Biden's been on Zoom a lot lately, including for the current virtual Global Climate Summit with dozens of other world leaders.

POTUS also swore in hundreds of federal appointees and staff via virtual Zoom ceremonies after his inauguration.

Former "American Idol" finalist Avalon Young has been through the wringer the past few months, and though she's staying strong and positive ... she needs help.

The singer's been diagnosed with brain cancer, telling TMZ a series of medical issues around Thanksgiving led to the discovery of a large brain tumor ... and a 16-hour surgery in February to remove it.

Avalon says it was gnarly, but she was hopeful after it was done she was getting better. Sadly, she was recently told there's still cancer in her brain, and she needs another surgery to remove what's left of the tumor ... along with undergoing radiation treatment.

Like we said though, Avalon's got a great attitude heading into her next procedure -- which is scheduled for May 27 -- but she desperately needs funds to cover the cost.

That's why she tells us the GoFundMe she set up is so important to her and her family, and hopefully ... this next surgery will get the job done, and she can get back to work.

Master P says he hammered out a multi-million dollar deal for his H.S. basketball-playing son ... and is simply waiting on an NCAA rule to change before putting pen to paper and making his kid a millionaire!!

TMZ Sports was talking to P and his 19-year-old son, Hercy Miller -- a top H.S. senior who just committed to play ball at Tennessee State -- when the hip-hop legend dropped the news.

"We have a lot of deals on the table, not only for Hercy, but for [son] Mercy. In August, the league is changing, the NCAA. You'll be able to make money off your likeness, you'll be able to do marketing deals," P says.

"So, right now I have a deal on the table for Hercy for $2.5 million. He never even played a lick of [college] basketball."

FYI, Hercy will be a college freshman this fall.

Historically, college athletes were forbidden from getting paid ... but all that started to change last year when the NCAA finally -- after immense outside pressure -- reversed course and threw support behind amateur athletes' ability to make money through endorsements.

P -- a business mogul who's made millions through music, fashion, movies, and everything in-between -- believes players will be allowed to start earning as early as this August ... and that's why he has a fat contract waiting for Hercy.

But, the future Tennessee State hooper isn't the only Miller boy getting the bag ... P says he has a $1 million deal on the table for his 15-year-old son, freshman B-ball star Mercy Miller.

The deals aren't yet signed ... so P didn't want to reveal the companies he's working with -- however, he did say Hercy's deal is centered around a product.

We also talked to P and Hercy about high school basketball stars hooping at HBCU's -- instead of traditional college basketball powerhouses -- a trend Hercy hopes to kickstart with his recent decision to play at Tenn. St.

"The game is changing," Master P says ... "I feel like now, a lot of high school kids are gonna start saying, 'I wanna go somewhere and make history, be a part of the moment and make a difference and also get to the league.'"

Jake Paul is trying to shame Dana White into ponying up BIG money by using an old clip of DW flippantly saying he'd bet a million bucks on Ben Askren ... but the video proves nothing.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer posted a series of snippets Saturday on his IG Story, showing he and Snoop Dogg are still trying to collect on a bet they insist Dana made over the boxing match from last weekend. In Jake's eyes, he's got the smoking gun to prove his case.

He resurfaced an interview Dana did on Mike Tyson's 'Hotboxin'' podcast -- in which he casually said he'd bet a million dollars that Askren would whoop Paul in the ring.

Since then -- and in light of Jake actually winning -- both he and Snoop have been demanding he fork over anywhere between 1 and 2 million dollars ... while Dana has denied ever making such a bet with them, specifically. Fact is, Dana seems to be right.

First off, this clip that Jake surfaced isn't new ... it's been out for a month now and everyone was well aware Dana said he'd throw down a mil. However, it seems like Jake/Snoop are the only ones who took it literally and for some reason ... think they're owed something.

There's also the fact that there's ZERO evidence suggesting Dana made a one-on-one bet with Snoop at any point ... not for a million, and not for two million. Dana has repeatedly denied doing so, even explaining that if he was gonna bet that big ... he'd do it in Vegas with better odds. So again, Jake's video doesn't appear to be anything more than a troll job.

Fact is ... harping on a hypothetical bet is a little absurd at this point. By the looks of it, Dana doesn't owe Jake or Snoop a dime ... so this social media campaign won't go anywhere.

Donald Trump shoulda called 1-800-NOBILLS, because his now-defunct campaign is being dunned by a bill collector after its client got royally stiffed.

The City of Albuquerque shelled out more than $200k for security-related costs associated with a 2019 campaign rally ... this according to The Hill. The City had blocked off City Hall, among other areas of town, and it required massive police presence, which forced the City to pay cops a bundle of OT. There were many other expenses as well.

The rally was held in the nearby city of Rio Rancho. A spokesperson for the City said campaign honchos told them from the jump they wouldn't cover the expenses, but now the matter has been referred to a debt collection agency.

The campaign has also stiffed the city of Rio Rancho to the tune of $239,475. And, Bernalillo County also sent the campaign an invoice for nearly $140,000, which has now been written off as a bad debt.

Apparently, some of the notices of delinquent payment were sent to Trump's doorstep at Mar-a-Lago.

This isn't the only case where the Trump campaign allegedly cut and run. The City of El Paso hired lawyers to try and recover more than half a mil for rally-related expenses for a 2019 rally.

Michael Lohan has been arrested again ... this time for allegedly getting illegal kickbacks from a rehab facility.

Lindsay Lohan's dad was taken into custody on 6 counts of illegal patient brokering ... this according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's website.

The 60-year-old allegedly cut deals where he referred drug addicts to a Florida facility and got money for each referral. According to authorities, "Patient brokering corrupts our health care system because decisions are motivated by greed instead of patient needs."

Lohan allegedly got checks totaling more than $25,000.

South Florida, where Lohan has been in the rehab biz for years, is considered the recovery capital of the world. Authorities say the prime patient is someone with good health insurance, so some recovery centers will give these kickbacks because the facility will in turn get paid through the insurance company.

Lohan has had his issues with the law in the past ... domestic violence and restraining order issues among others.