Music

Ariana Grande is back in the studio ... this after a lot of drama and heartache.

Ariana left a West Hollywood recording studio Friday night, flanked by some friends as she got into a Range Rover.

She's sipping on a drink in a red cup, looking chill.

Ariana's new single, "Thank u, Next," has been streamed more than any other song on Spotify after being released a week ago today.

Long before gunshots rang out on Tekashi69's music video set, his crew turned the Bev Hills mansion into a reflection of his technicolor hair ... and TMZ got the first pics inside.

Let's keep it real, the $80 million estate looks like someone puked up a rainbow all over it, but on a positive tip ... it perfectly matches 6ix9ine's hair! This set of French doors that got the ROYGBIV treatment, and we're told an indoor spa area was similarly decked out with multi-colored decals.

It's loud AF, for sure, but we're guessing it would've looked cool for the finished music vid ... which, of course, co-stars Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. We may never know, since production's up in the air after Thursday night's shooting.

Speaking of which, these pics reveal more bullet damage -- you can see some of the ammo left holes in an exterior wall of the mansion. It also shows the shots were aimed at the 2nd floor of the estate.

As for what the palatial home looked like before Tekashi and co. applied their colorful touches?

Check it out -- someone's got a TON of work to do before it looks like this again!

Tupac was spitting game back in high school just like everyone else ... and now his steamy letters can be yours for a small fortune.

The folks over at Moments in Time are selling 2 handwritten letters for a cool $15k. They're from the rapper to a teen crush when he was a 14-year-old freshman in 1985 at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Baltimore. They're addressed to Averel, who at the time was the same age.

The first letter reveals a shy Tupac introducing himself to Averel. Tupac surfaces in the second one as emboldened ... professing his wants and needs, if ya catch our drift. We're told Averel, who sold the letters to Moments in Time, was not impressed by Tupac's game.

Riff Raff says he's already so impressed with the way his "cousin," Mac McClung, is ballin' out at Georgetown, he's droppin' a brand new track about the kid!

Mac has been making headlines for his insane dunks since he was in high school -- and he already posted a highlight reel jam in his 1st college game this week.

So, when we got Raff out in NYC he was all kinds of fired up about Mac -- tellin' us he's almost ready with a new song about the phenom!

"I already got one in the making for one of my albums," Raff says ... "Mac Attack! When he come through with that Mac Attack, shoot."

BTW ... Riff Raff has some hoop talents himself -- and tells us he'd love the chance to join a league like the BIG3 one day.

Then, he showed off his killer handles -- and issued a warning to Harvey ... WATCH YOUR ANKLES!!!

Chuck D thinks Tekashi69 should find younger and wiser friends, because Kanye West ain't doing the trick.

We got the Public Enemy MC at LAX on Friday and asked his thoughts on the drive-by shooting on the set of Tekashi's music vid with Yeezy ... and Chuck straight up tells 6ix9ine to choose better friends, because, apparently, Ye ain't helping.

2:38 PM PT -- Kim just posted an update about the situation, saying, "I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment. It doesn't seem like it is getting worse right now. I just pray the winds are in our favor. God is good. I'm just praying everyone is safe."

She continues, "Fire Fighters, I love you and thank you for doing all that you can to keep us safe!"

The California wildfire that is burning out of control has reached the estate of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and the flames are now on their property.

The mansion Kim and Kanye completed this year is in grave danger of being consumed by flames.

We're told Kim and Kanye have just evacuated their entire security team and flames are slowly creeping up their yard and closer to the home.

You'll recall ... Kim was flying in Thursday night, Instagramming video of the fire as she was landing and saying her family was about to evacuate the area. She had visited San Quentin Prison earlier in the day to learn about the facility's programs for prisoners.

Kim's ex-stepfather, Caitlyn Jenner, just lost her Malibu home ... consumed by the out-of-control fire.

As of this post, the flames are on Kim and Kanye's property but have not yet reached the main house.

Story developing ...

Only Lil Pump could make a mandatory wildfire evacuation a recreational activity -- and he did it as the flames were racing into his backyard.

Pump was still in his Calabasas home on Friday afternoon when he started feeling the heat, and decided it was time to get the hell out. The 18-year-old rapper threw a bunch of his stuff in large plastic containers as he got ready to leave.

Just watch how he used giant spiral staircase to get all his stuff downstairs -- turning the evacuation into more of a carnival game. Hardly the adult approach, but it was efficient.

Pump got a rude awakening though when he saw the fire had reached his property, and bolted in his ride ... shirt off for some reason. In any event ... looks like he's safe.

Singer August Alsina posted a video of his own backyard with flames getting dangerously close to his home. He evacuated the property.

Nicki Minaj is beyond lucky she didn't show up early to film Tekashi69's music video, because the room that got shot up was intended to be HER dressing room ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... at least one bullet pierced the window Thursday night on the master bedroom. As it's the biggest one in the Beverly Hills mansion, it was supposed to be the room where Nicki and her crew chilled during the music vid production.

We're told the original plan was for 6ix9ine to be in that room, but he decided the day before Nicki should have it. That's interesting because if the shooter had inside information from the set, they might have aimed at that room targeting Tekashi.

As we reported ... Nicki was NOT there at the time of the shooting but Kanye West was and he left immediately after shots rang out.

Tekashi's crew had rented the $80 million estate but the shooting brought production to a screeching halt. Someone on set told us approximately 8 shots were fired and when the shots rang out, we're told security ran towards it and saw someone hopping a fence.

We're told while the crew managed to record a few scenes for the video ... cameras were NOT rolling at the time of the shooting. Of course, now the house is a crime scene, so production's been halted.

We've reached out to Tekashi's camp for comment, so far no word back.

Barry Manilow had some super cool laser projectors for his summer performances in Las Vegas, but the singer allegedly never coughed up the dough for the equipment, and now the company that rented to him is gunning for a ton of money ... with the help of a judge.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Barry agreed to rent five expensive Panasonic laser projectors for his performances at the Las Vegas Westgate Resort and Casino, but he returned the equipment after he wrapped and skipped out on the bill.

The rental company claims Barry agreed to rent the lasers for $548,625, and the fee was based on him needing the projectors for two years, but Manilow returned them after only 9 weeks ... and now the rental company is going after him to collect damages.

One voice, suing in the darkness ...

7:35 AM PT -- 50 Cent posted this pic of a bullet hole in a bedroom window at the house where Tekashi's video was shooting.

7:04 AM PT -- Our Tekashi sources say, for now, production for the video is stopped ... and there's currently no plan to start things back up. It's apparent whoever shot up the set knew Tekashi's schedule, making a reshoot that much more dangerous.

6ix9ine's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells us he doesn't believe the shooting violates Tekashi's probation because the rapper was a victim. That being said ... law enforcement sources tell us the Manhattan D.A. is "looking into" whether there was a violation.

Shots rang out at a Beverly Hills home where Tekashi 6ix9ine was shooting a music video with Kanye West and Nicki Minaj ... and we're told Tekashi and Kanye were inside.

Tekashi's crew rented the $80 million estate which was supposed to be the backdrop for the music video for one of the songs on his new album ... a song featuring Kanye and Nicki. By the way ... it's one of the most exclusive, expensive streets in Bev Hills.

Cops say at 10:25 PM they got a "shots fired" call and raced to the home. Someone on set tells us there were approximately 8 shots fired. No one was hit. It appeared to be a drive-by.

At least one bullet went through a bedroom window.

We are told Kanye was there but Nicki had not arrived. Kanye immediately left.

We're told production was halted and the crew was shaken up.

Detectives are now reviewing surveillance video.

Plies just caught a break after being hauled out of an airport in cuffs this summer, because prosecutors are dropping the felony gun charge against the rapper ... TMZ has learned.

A county clerk tells us Plies was facing a felony charge for carrying a concealed firearm, but prosecutors dropped it after he completed a concealed weapons course. They'd also determined he had a valid permit for carrying a concealed weapon.

We broke the story ... Plies was arrested in September after a gun was found in his carry-on luggage as he was attempting to board a Delta flight in Tampa. TSA agents discovered a Glock .43 in one of his bags, as well as a fully-loaded magazine lying next to the firearm, and cops said Plies did not have a permit for the gun.

Sources close to Plies tell TMZ he grabbed the wrong bag by mistake, and admitted the gun is his.

Young Thug is back behind bars after his most recent drug test came back dirty -- and it looks like he'll now have to await trial in a jumpsuit.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, a Georgia judge revoked YT's bond Thursday during the arraignment in his felony drug case. The judge says Young Thug's drug test came back positive, and because he'd been ordered to stay clean as a condition of his release ... he's gotta go back to jail.

YT was booked into DeKalb County Jail at around 8:30 AM PT, and he's currently being held on no bond -- aka he's not walking out of there again, at least not for now.

As we reported ... Young Thug has been charged with 8 felonies stemming from an arrest in 2017, where he was pulled over for tinted windows ... and cops say they discovered multiple drugs in his vehicle.

Demi Lovato's sobriety is still heavily dependent on her ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, who remains a constant in her life after her return to Los Angeles.

Sources close to Demi tell us that while the pair hasn't been seen together in public since Demi returned to the West Coast, she and Wilmer still communicate regularly. Valderrama was a crutch for Demi through her hospitalization and visited her in rehab too ... and continues to do so.

Our sources say the two talk several times a week and meet up as well ... but it's nothing romantic, simply a supportive friendship.

TMZ broke the story ... Demi is splitting her time between a halfway house -- where she spends 3 days per week -- and a private residence in Los Angeles. We're told she's able to go to the gym, run errands and attend multiple AA meetings with the living arrangement.

Lovato has also been spotted out with clothing guru Henry Levy, who she met in rehab several years ago.

One of Ariana Grande's famous exes is beyond thrilled he didn't make the cut for her new hit song about past romances ... so much so, he couldn't contain his sense of relief.

We got Nathan Sykes of The Wanted Wednesday at LAX, where we asked how he felt about not being named in Ari's song "thank u, next" ... which name-checks the likes of Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Mac Miller and, of course, Pete Davidson.

Nathan, who dated Ariana briefly in 2013, hasn't heard the track yet ... but after we described it, he breathed a genuine sigh of relief. Seriously, you have to see his reaction -- pure joy.

The song's basically about what AG's learned from each of her ex-BFs. So, we had to ask Nathan what HE learned from her.

We're not saying he shaded her -- he actually showed Ariana a lot of love here -- but let's just say there was a looong pause after our question.

As for her being single now? Nate's good.

Offset is treating himself to some super expensive jewelry, dropping loads of dough on new iced-out chains and a one-of-a-kind pair of glasses ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the Migos rapper spent a cool 6-figures Tuesday at Icebox in Atlanta ... throwing down for custom diamond Cartier glasses and diamond chains.

Offset really went off, snatching up 2 chains for $40k each and dropping another $20k on the custom diamond Cartier glasses. Yeah, that's a $100k receipt ... in one stop at the jeweler!

And, get a load of this ... the combined chains have more than 80 carats of diamonds, and the eyewear alone has 10 carats. Icy cool specs!

Offset is easily one of The Icebox's favorite clients -- we're told over the last decade he's spent well over $1 mil.

As we reported ... Offset recently blinded Cardi B with birthday bling, and the pendant is one of the most iconic pieces Offset's commissioned from the Icebox.

Scott Stapp admits he might not be alive today if it wasn't for T.I. being in the right place at the right time, but denies the rapper's claim he was suicidal.

We got the ex-Creed frontman Wednesday at LAX and asked about T.I.'s long-held claim he intervened in Scott's 2006 alleged suicide attempt in Miami. Scott tells us T.I.'s version of the story isn't entirely accurate.

Check out the clip ... Scott says he'd had an accident when T.I. found him bleeding out on a balcony at the famed Delano Hotel, but says it was NOT an attempt to take his life.

T.I.'s memory of the event has become music folklore, but Scott doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he gushed about how the ATL rapper really was a guardian angel of sorts.

For the record, in recent years, Scott's described the incident as a fall from his hotel room window while he was on a drug binge.