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Blueface is the proud new owner of a soul food restaurant in SoCal, but it might never have happened if he hadn't had a little misfortune ... with his car.

The rapper joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday on the heels of opening a new eatery called Blue's Fish & Soul in Santa Clarita -- which he says is the only spot to get legit soul food in the area -- and told a serendipitous story of how it went down.

Blueface says it all started when he got back from a trip, and discovered his car had been stolen from the airport valet ... bummer of a welcome home.

He didn't let it get him down, though, and just went to a Mercedes dealership to buy a new ride ... and on his way home, he stopped at a restaurant called SCV Fish Market. He says the owner was literally minutes from selling the place to someone else.

That's when Blue seized his opportunity, and outbid the other buyer on the spot ... and the rest is history.

For those interested, the menu at Blue's features his mom's Southern recipes for fried fish, shrimp and hushpuppies, chicken platters, mac and cheese, collard greens and a lot more. Plus, his signature Blueface lemonade!

Michael B. Jordan almost went the way of other celebs when it comes to booze and cultural appropriation -- but he saw the early warning signs, and decided to pivot.

The actor's been under fire since this past weekend for photos that leaked, apparently showing him at some sort of a launch party for a new rum line, with which he seemed to have a direct connection. The rum was called "J'ouvert" -- the name of a traditional Caribbean festival, akin to Carnival.

The photos seriously pissed off some people -- especially those with Trinidadian roots, where J'ouvert is said to have started -- who accused MBJ of cultural appropriation, exploitation and outright insensitivity in trying to commercialize something to which he has zero ties.

There were rumblings he might have partnered with someone with a Trinidadian background for this venture -- but even still, it didn't look good ... and Michael was silent for days over it.

Now, he's finally speaking out and promising to rebrand in the near future, writing in part ... "I just wanna say on behalf of myself and my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture (we love & respect) & hoped to celebrate & shine a positive light on."

Quavo giveth ... he taketh ... and now he selleth.

It looks like the rapper did in fact take back his ex, Saweetie's, 2020 Bentley Continental, despite what Quavo sources had insisted, because that exact same car -- complete with "icy" headrests -- is up for sale on the luxury and exotic car dealership Jakes Motorcars.

The GTC V8 convertible is being marketed as a used luxury whip that has only 2,191 miles. It's still pricey tho ... at a cool $279,888.

You'll recall the Migos rapper once gifted Saweetie the Bentley, but after their very public breakup .... there were rumors he took it back as payback. At the time, our Quavo sources insisted the whip was a lease and that he struck a deal with the dealership that allowed him to end the contract early, which Quavo allegedly did when the relationship went kaput.

We reached out to Quavo's team to tell them we found the listing, and they refused to comment.

It's not Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers ... no, the NFL player with the top-selling jersey over the last 24 hours is none other than Carl Nassib!!!

According to the ultra-popular fan gear website Fanatics, Nassib's #94 Las Vegas Raiders jersey has been flying off the shelves ever since the D-lineman announced Monday he's gay.

It's unclear the total number of Nassib jerseys that have sold so far on Monday and Tuesday (we're working on it) ... but as the #1 jersey seller in America's most popular sport, it's safe to say A LOT of Nassib units have been moved in the last 24 hours!!

Of course, the support for Nassib since he made his announcement has been overwhelming ... everybody from Saquon Barkley to Roger Goodell to even O.J. Simpson has praised the 28-year-old for coming forward.

In fact, the NFL was so moved by Nassib's announcement and simultaneous charitable donation to The Trevor Project -- an org. established to help prevent suicides in the LGBTQ community -- it agreed Tuesday to match the pass rusher's $100k.

As for Nassib's head coach, Jon Gruden also threw his support behind his player Monday evening ... telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "I learned a long time ago what makes a man different is what makes him great."

Losing a bunch of money on Dogecoin?? Here's a new investment opportunity -- an autographed ticket from Kobe Bryant's last NBA game is hitting the memorabilia stock market ... and it has the potential to go to the MOOOON!!!

The late NBA legend played his last game on April 13, 2016 ... putting up an iconic 60-point performance against the Utah Jazz.

Now, a ticket stub from that memorable night -- signed by the Black Mamba himself -- is making its way to the Otis investment app ... and folks can get a piece of the history for $10!!!

The ticket is valued at $31,700 and has a PSA VG 3 grade -- only 4 other tickets have ever been graded higher ... so, that's pretty good!!

Bryant memorabilia has skyrocketed in value since his heartbreaking death in Jan. 2020 ... with collectors paying up to 20x more for items in the days following the tragedy.

As we previously reported, the Otis app works just like the stock market -- the ticket will go up for trading once all the shares are sold ... and shareholders will be able to keep or sell their shares.

COOL RANCH DORITOS EARRINGS FOR THE WIN!!!

Check out U.S. track star Christina Clemons -- who rocked the snacky jewelry during her 100m hurdles race this weekend ... AND MADE THE OLYMPIC TEAM!!!

The 31-year-old -- who had never made the Olympics team in the past -- put up a scorching 12.53 finish at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Oregon on Sunday ... earning her a spot on Team USA!

Now, Christina is smartly hitting up Doritos for an endorsement deal -- and we gotta say ... IT'S GENIUS!!!

Not only does Christina have an incredible backstory ... overcoming injuries and defying the odds ... but she also apparently LOVES the chips!

"I made the Olympic team wearing a bag of @Doritos on my ears," Clemons tweeted ... "Twitter, I need y’all to do your thing! We need to blow Doritos mentions UP 🙌🏾😂"

Hey, the Doritos slogan is "For the Bold" -- and what's bolder than wearing chip bags on your ears for the biggest race of your life ... and then winning!?!?

So far, Doritos hasn't responded to Christina -- but we gotta imagine they're gonna jump all over this.

And, if they need more convincing ... just watch Christina's emotional post-race speech when she explained all that she's overcome.

"I've been going after this team since 2012," Clemons said.

"I ruptured my Achilles in 2013. I wasn't healthy enough in 2016. We had to wait a whole year in 2020 and now here I've been looked over, I've been counted out but when God is with you, it doesn't matter! I'm just so happy!"

"I'm just ready! I'm ready! My teammates, America, we go so hard!"

LET'S GOOOOO!!!!!

Damon Dash is taking the L -- at least for now -- in his attempt to auction off Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" album as an NFT ... but he's not likely to give up just yet.

A source close to the case tells us the court ruled in favor of Roc-A-Fella Tuesday by ruling Damon's prohibited from selling the NFT of Jay's debut studio album, and any planned auctions to do so must be halted.

Of course, the ruling is only temporary, but we're told the federal judge said Jay and Roc-A-Fella's arguments were "deemed credible and correct." That being said, more filings are almost certain to come in the future from Dash's side.

We broke the story ... Roc-A-Fella sued Dash -- one of its cofounders -- claiming he did not have rights to sell "Reasonable Doubt" because the company owns it.

RAF -- repped by powerhouse attorney Alex Spiro -- claimed Damon was trying to cash in on the NFT craze, so they took him to court to stop any potential sale and make him turn over any NFTs he'd already minted.

But, Dash told us the lawsuit wasn't going to stop him and clarified he wasn't just trying to sell Jay's album, but his ENTIRE stake in Roc-A-Fella. Dame claimed Jay-Z lowballed him with an offer to buy out his 1/3 stake in the company ... so he's shopping around.

Britney Spears doesn't seem to be stressing over her highly anticipated court appearance this week ... she just keeps on dancing.

Just days after Brit told her fans she has "no idea" if she'll ever take the stage to perform again, she busted out some serious moves in a silver bodysuit ... grooving to Prince's "Sexy Motherf***er."

She posted that she was going on a boat for dinner Monday night and asked her followers if she should wear the bodysuit or go with a dress. Spears also revealed she just took a trip to Maui with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and didn't want to leave.

Britney had to leave though, because she's due in court Wednesday for her conservatorship case ... where she's planning to testify before the judge, instead of letting her lawyers do the talking.

As we've told you ... Britney's made it clear that she won't be on stage again until her father, Jamie, is no longer in control of the conservatorship, so it's interesting she's answering fan questions about it on IG.

She said, "Will I ever take the stage again? I have no idea. I'm having fun right now. I'm in a transition in my life, and I'm enjoying myself so, that's it."

It's unclear what she means by that, but our sources say as recently as a few weeks ago Britney was not making any moves to launch a tour or plan a show or anything.

VP Kamala Harris didn't rip Nina Simone's family from her estate, as the late singer's kin claim ... at least according to a business associate of Nina's, who claims Kamala was ensuring Nina's vision for her trust was realized.

Here's the deal ... Nina's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, and granddaughter, RéAnna Simone Kelly, are ripping Harris -- then-CA Attorney General -- for allegedly icing them out of Nina's estate, but legal docs seem to tell a different story.

According to Nina's will, obtained by TMZ, Nina put the bulk of her estate assets into a charitable trust to benefit the musical education of Black African children from Ghana, Liberia and South Africa.

The docs show Nina named South African singer Miriam Makeba as the trustee, and if Miriam was unable to act as trustee, MM could appoint a successor to continue to run the trust for the benefit of Black African children.

As you know ... Nina died in 2003, and Lisa was ultimately put in charge of her estate and trust. Later, in 2013, she was accused of misappropriating funds tied to the charitable trust.

That's when AG Harris and her office got involved. In the end, they reached a settlement where Lisa relinquished the rights to Nina's work and stepped away from the role.

While Nina's descendants are ticked off, the way the icon's business associate sees it ... Kamala played it by the letter of Simone's will, and carried out her very clear wishes.

Paul Walker's supped-up Toyota Supra that he drove in "The Fast and the Furious" has gone to one super-charged fan ... who snagged the fast whip at an auction for $550k.

The 1994 car was auctioned off in Las Vegas this weekend ... and the winning bid came from a phone bidder for Brian O'Conner's original 10-second car. The Supra's auction had been one of the most anticipated ones in recent memory.

'F&F' fans know this car all too well -- it's the one he fixed up before smoking a Ferrari while racing down PCH in Malibu.

The car was also featured in the second installment ... 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious." The new owner will get all the extensive documentation of the car's origin plus a certificate of authenticity. BTW, the car was built at The Shark Shop in El Segundo, CA.

Under the hood, the Supra's got what's billed as "perhaps the most renowned engine to ever come from Japan" -- the 2JZ-GTE. Remember ... Dominic Toretto's crew guy, Jesse, famously said in the first installment "2JZ engine ... this will decimate all."

As we reported ... the late actor's baby brother, Cody Walker, wouldn't even venture to guess what this car would go for at auction ... but he knew it would rake in some serious cash. And, he was right.

He also told us he thinks Paul would have thought the auction itself for a car like this is kind of hilarious.

Cody was in middle school when the OG 'F&F' film came out ... and he said folks stop him all the time to tell him his bro is what got them into loving fast cars. There's a legion of 'F&F' fans that have grown exponentially thanks to the enormous success of the franchise.

After DMX gave it to us for the better part of 3 decades, the late rapper's label returned the favor and covered his funeral expenses.

According to X's probate docs, obtained by TMZ, Def Jam Recordings paid the bill Brooks Memorial Home Inc. in Yonkers, NY sent to the family. The receipt, dated May 5, 2021, covered the services of Earl Simmons ... X's full government name.

According to the document, those costs included the transfer of remains to the funeral home, embalming ... plus the hearse and flowers.

There's no specific mention of the awesome monster truck that carried DMX's casket to Barclays Center celebration of life in Brooklyn.

Speaking of which, that customized red casket went for $7,450, according to the docs. The total tab Def Jam paid came to $35,228.13.

As we reported ... DMX died at the age of 50, following an overdose back in April.

His kids and famous friends like Nas, Eve and the original Ruff Ryders delivered powerful words at his service.

Kendrick Lamar's humble home east of L.A. has hit the market, and unlike the properties of most celebs ... it can be yours for way less than a million bucks!!!

The rapper's owned the modest -- in hip-hop star terms -- 4-bed, 2.5-bath property in the Inland Empire city of Eastvale for several years ... as it's been a family home where his parents and siblings have resided.

As we told you, though -- Kendrick bought a $2.65 million crib in Calabasas a few years ago as an investment property, and his family got to move into that one ... leaving the Eastvale pad empty.

Though it's not as glamorous as might be expected, the home is a spacious 3,500-sq.-ft. that comes with a 3-car garage and a nice yard with a BBQ station.

It was built in 2006 so it's still very modern ... and it also boasts a swimming pool and spa.

Kendrick's listed the house at $800,000, so he's set to make a nice chunk of change when it sells because he paid $523,400 for the place in 2014.

"Gorilla Glue Girl" is looking to become the Kylie Jenner of hair care now that she's got her own line on products ... and she wants to rip a page from Oprah's book too.

Tessica Brown tells TMZ ... the recent launch of her "Forever Hair" products has been a rousing success with over $25,000 in sales and the early returns have her determined to become a billionaire just like Kylie did with makeup.

As we first told you, Tessica is hawking hairspray, sleek edge control, and hair growth drops -- and says her initial line of products were inspired by her infamous substitution of Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray.

Tessica's already got big plans for her first $25k ... she says she's gonna buy a house in Louisiana, and once she rakes in more it'll be time for her Oprah moment.

Damon Dash says Jay-Z attempted to buy his share of Roc-A-Fella records for a price that was way too low -- so he's out to find a new buyer -- and not even a lawsuit from the label will stop him.

Damon's firing back after getting sued by RAF for attempting to sell off Jay's "Reasonable Doubt" album as an NFT. Dash tells us the lawsuit is full of inaccuracies, and it's not the album he's trying to sell ... it's his ENTIRE stake in Roc-A-Fella!!!

In fact, Dash claims as recently as March of this year, Jay-Z attempted to buy his 1/3 share of RAF at, "a price I deemed unacceptable" ... so he's looking for a buyer on his own.

If he comes to an agreement with someone, Dash says, "Under the terms of the deal with a potential buyer, the buyer would buy my share of Roc a Fella Records and Jay-Z will have exclusive administration rights."

Dash claims the lawsuit filed against him Friday was only a scare tactic to prevent him from selling something he believes he has the legal right to sell.

The Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" Skateboarder is seeing his dreams come full circle -- the video of him swigging juice just helped launch his own line of cranberry drink ... strictly for adults.

Yep, Nathan Apodaca's rolling out a cranberry flavored alcoholic beverage with BeatBox called Cranberry Dreams Cosmo ... according to his rep, Gina Rodriguez.

As you can see ... Nathan's already shot a commercial, and naturally, it shows him riding a skateboard with some drinks. Hey, it's kinda his thing.

We're told BeatBox is hawking Nathan's signature beverage for $3.99 a pop and it's launching Sunday in 2,000 liquor, grocery and convenience stores, including big chains like Kroger and Circle K.

Nathan's team says his drinks will also be available online by the end of the month. Something to keep in mind, though, before ya drink and ride -- the Cranberry Dreams Cosmos are fully loaded ... 11.1% alcohol, which is the equivalent of 4 light beers.

As you know, Nathan went viral last year after posting the video of him riding around drinking Ocean Spray and jamming out to Fleetwood Mac. He's since cashed in on merch and sponsorship deals.

Nathan tells us he's just happy to be able to provide for his family like he never could have imagined, and he just wants to keep bringing smiles to people's faces.

Roc-A-Fella is knocking Damon Dash's hustle ... the record company is suing one of its own founders in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, claiming Dash is trying to auction off one of Jay-Z's debut albums as an NFT.

The record company is going after Damon for allegedly trying to mint "Reasonable Doubt" as a non-fungible token (known as an NFT) and auction it off to the highest bidder ... a piece of hip-hop history RAF says is not Dame's to sell, because the company owns it.

According to the docs -- filed by powerhouse attorney Alex Spiro -- Damon planned to sell the album as an NFT at a since-canceled auction, but the company is worried DD will just try to find another platform to hold the auction.

In the suit, RAF claims Damon is "frantically scouting for another venue to make the sale" and believes DD is still looking to cash in ASAP on the recent NFT craze.

RAF's asking a court to step in and stop Damon from going through with the auction and it wants Dash to turn over any NFTs of "Reasonable Doubt" he may have already minted.