Music

The Weeknd's superhero alter ego, "Starboy," was an idea stolen from another comic book creator ... according to the lawsuit the author's filed against the singer.

Eymun Talasazan, the comic book writer, says he created a comic book universe in 2014 that revolved around R&B and rap stars. According to the suit, Talasazan had convos with The Weeknd's people in 2017 about folding "Starboy" into his comic book universe.

Remember, by that time Weeknd already had the hit song and album with the same name.

Talasazan -- who is repped by entertainment attorney Kirk Schenck -- says they never ended up working together. However, he says he did file for a trademark on "Starboy" -- as a comic book hero -- right around the time of his discussions with Weeknd's peeps. The singer was aware of that, and as we reported ... filed an opposition to the trademark.

Cut to 2018, when The Weeknd debuted his own comic book, "Starboy" ... in connection with Marvel. Talasazan says the Marvel comic had a "near identical premise" as the one he pitched to Weeknd's people the year before.

The Marvel connection is interesting because Talasazan says he began collaborating with Stan Lee in 2016 on a story arc and additional characters for his Starboy universe.

Schenck tells us, “This is not a case about who created or first used the term 'Starboy.' This case will decide if a songwriter automatically (without filing a trademark application) obtains trademark protection for all later uses of a word, even if those later uses have nothing to do with albums, song titles, music or lyrics.”

The guy who's been arrested for Tekashi69's kidnapping and robbery is one of the rapper's disgruntled ex-crew member ... and it appears he wanted revenge.

Sources with knowledge of the situation tell TMZ ... Anthony Jamel Ellison used to be part of 6ix9ine's management crew. He was fired after the infamous LAX brawl. We're told he'd been very involved in Tekashi's career in the early days, and felt he should've been paid more for the work he did.

Our sources say Ellison felt he wasn't getting a fair cut of the money Tekashi started making when his career took off. We're told it was a feeling Ellison had been sitting on for a while, and things finally boiled over with the July kidnapping ... allegedly.

We broke the story ... Tekashi was pistol-whipped and robbed blind by goons -- crimes for which Ellison was arrested and indicted last week. Law enforcement sources tell us they believe Ellison had "real beef" with Tekashi.

And, get this ... there's another suspect who's still wanted, whom we're told was also tied to Tekashi, and might've had similar motives.

It turns out Jennifer Lopez's love does cost a thing, MILLIONS in fact, because we've learned the singer is raking in an insane amount of cash for quick appearances at private Qatar-related events.

Sources with knowledge of the deals tell TMZ ... J Lo performed in Qatar last week for a 20-minute set and a question-and-answer session at the grand opening of a super fancy mall. For that, she scored $2 MILLION, plus another million for expenses, including private jets.

We're told J Lo talked with the crowd about women's rights ... a big, evolving issue in the country, and she's one of the few female entertainers invited to the country.

J Lo isn't just rolling in the dough overseas ... next week, she's supposed to perform at the Qatar Airways party at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, where she will have another 20-minute set and earn $1.2 million! But, there's a hitch. Qatar may have stepped over its skis, because check out the invite for the event, naming J Lo as the performer. Our sources say the $1.2 mil fee is Qatar's offer, but it's still under negotiation. By sending out invites, the airline just lost its leverage.

Jennifer's run of cashing huge checks for light work at private parties continues a trend among huge celebs ... such as Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd.

And, don't forget Migos, who performed at a birthday party for Dana White's 16-year-old kid.

Hey, can't knock the hustle.

Cardi B shook things up Tuesday night in NYC, headlining an event for Pandora and twerking in Gold Medal Olympian fashion.

It makes sense Cardi was the star of Pandora Beyond ... she's got more than a billion streams on Pandora. "Bodak Yellow" has been played over 214 million times. And, get this ... 8.1 million people have created a Cardi B station on Pandora.

She's popular everywhere, but her strongest market is New York City and her biggest growth market is Houston.

Cardi's on fire right now. She's one of the judges on the upcoming Netflix hip-hop music competition series, "Rhythm + Flow." The other judges are T.I. and Chance the Rapper. John Legend is the Executive Producer.

She's clearly figured out how to juggle her career with mommyhood ... Kulture is now 4 months old ... they grow up so fast.

Tekashi69's lawyers should be hosting "Let's Make a Deal" ... 'cause they struck another sweet one for him in his alleged assault of an NYPD officer.

The rapper actually showed up for court Wednesday morning in Brooklyn and entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct and, in exchange, prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor assault charge he'd been facing.

TMZ broke the story ... cops busted Tekashi in May because he was driving on a suspended license. During the arrest, he allegedly squeezed an officer's hand. Gotta say, of all his cases ... this was the least gangsta.

For the disorderly conduct, the judge gave Tekashi a conditional discharge. His attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells us that condition is 6ix9ine's gotta stay out of trouble for a year. If not, he could face immediate jail time.

He's been clearing the decks on several of his legal issues. The judge in his child sex case told Tekashi the same -- stay out of trouble -- 3 weeks ago when he got probation.

Of course, a few hours after that, Tekashi's crew was involved in a shooting -- and then there were the shots fired at his Bev Hills music video set.

It's no longer just me, myself and I with G-Eazy -- he's got a cute little blonde babe hangin' off his arm now ... and all signs point to a successful rebound post-Halsey.

The Bay Area rapper was showin' off a bit of PDA Tuesday night with this mystery girl in Los Feliz, where they certainly looked like they were on a date. The two of 'em were seen holding hands and coming in for a big bear hug. Check out her smile ... is that amore?

It's good to see GE getting out there again -- for real this time -- especially after his seemingly unsuccessful night out at Drake's birthday party a few weeks ago. Remember, he left the shindig by himself ... with just a bodyguard in tow.

As we reported ... G-Eazy and Halsey broke up for the second time this year, and even unfollowed each other on social media. She's been rockin' and rollin' since then, showing out for Halloween and, most recently, performing with Weezy on 'SNL.'

Lady Gaga is walking the walk when it comes to helping California's wildfire victims ... and she's doing it with arms full of pizza.

Gaga hit up a Red Cross Shelter in the L.A. area Tuesday night to deliver goodies -- food, coffee and other items -- to hundreds of people displaced by the Woolsey fire. No tip necessary. She's all good.

Can't say she's not a woman of her word. Remember, Gaga -- who was also forced to evacuate -- went to a shelter over the weekend and told evacuees she'd stand by them through the crisis.

Kinda perfect timing that Tuesday happened to be World Kindness Day, and Gaga encouraged others to follow in her footsteps.

A guy who claims he got beat up during a brawl at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club is now looking at the dust-up with 20/20 vision ... and his sights are set on suing.

Jose Irizarry just filed suit against Hov's New York-based sports bar and lounge, alleging the venue's lack of adequate security combined with insufficient crowd control led to him getting seriously f***ed up during a melee that broke out this past March. For the record ... Jay isn't named in the lawsuit.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Irizarry claims he was minding his business at 40/40 when all of a sudden a huge fight broke out between some attendants and security ... and he became collateral damage.

Irizarry says he was struck in the head and body during the brawl, and endured pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses that he wants the club to cover.

P!nk's husband has a message for the spineless thugs ransacking homes left vacant in the evacuation zones of the raging SoCal wildfires ... try looting our neighborhood, and you'll be shot on site!

Carey Hart, the former pro motorcycle racer, issued the ominous warning Tuesday on IG, cautioning looters to think twice if they're coming into Malibu. The caption was paired with an undated photo of masked gunmen behind a sign that says, "Looters will be shot on site."

Looting in the evacuation zones is a major issue in the wake of the Woolsey Fire ... thieves know most homeowners have evacuated, and power outages have turned off security systems on many properties, creating prime conditions for looters.

P!nk and Carey were forced to flee their beachside property in Malibu ... though their home reportedly escaped the flames.

More than 300 law enforcement officers have been dispatched to guard the evacuation zones in L.A. and Ventura County ... but Carey is apparently taking matters into his own hands, and encouraging his neighbors to do the same.

Cops busted the man they believe pistol-whipped Tekashi69 and kidnapped him ... TMZ has learned.

Federal agents arrested Anthony Jamel Ellison a week ago on a federal warrant. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, a grand jury indicted Ellison on 1 count of conspiracy to obstruct commerce by robbery, 1 count of obstructing commerce by robbery ... and 1 count of carrying a firearm to commit a crime.

Ellison was hauled into jail on Nov. 6, and remains in a federal prison in Manhattan, awaiting trial. He pled not guilty to all charges.

TMZ broke the story ... back in July, 6ix9ine was dragged out of an SUV, pistol-whipped and taken to his home, where multiple suspects jacked $750k in jewelry and more than $15k in cash.

They allegedly drove off with Tekashi, who eventually managed to escape from the vehicle and hitchhiked to a hospital.

Chief Keef just caught a huge break in his DUI case ... getting a pretty sweet plea deal that will keep the rapper out of jail.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Chief got his felony DUI charge reduced by pleading no contest to a reckless driving charge.

Chief got off with 6 months probation and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.

We broke the story ... Chief Keef was busted for DUI last year in Miami, after cops pulled him over in his green Lamborghini.

Cops say Chief had a ton of drugs in his system when he was arrested, and the list is pretty wild ... Keef tested positive for Morphine, Codeine, Promethazine, THC, Hydrocodone, Norcodeine, Dihydrocodeine and Hydromorphone. That's 8 different drugs!

The heavy drug use is interesting ... as part of his probation, Chief Keef is barred from using intoxicants in excess. Sounds like it could be a long 6 months for Chief.

The shooting at the home for the filming of the Tekashi 6ix9ine's music video was a VERY expensive setback for the record label behind the project ... as in almost half a million dollars down the drain.

Sources tell TMZ ... Universal Music Group spent upwards of $480k to fund the video shoot that was supposed to feature Nicki Minaj and Kanye West ... before bullets shattered glass in the mansion and things then came to a screeching halt.

It also looks like UMG might be eating this one -- we're told there are zero plans to reschedule or reshoot.

As for why the budget was so steep ... just look at what was done to the interior of the Bev Hills mansion for the shoot. Crew members placed multi-colored decals on lots of the windows, which was supposed to mimic 6ix9ine's hair. Our sources say some of that money also went to SFX, lighting and, of course, salaries.

We broke the story ... Tekashi, Kanye and co. found themselves under attack Thursday night after 2 gunmen opened fire on the Bev Hills estate. Surveillance footage captured the assailants firing off multiple rounds at the house. Nicki was not there at the time of the shooting.

7:15 AM PT -- Es just revealed she first debuted the floating box for the English National Opera in 2007 in a pic posted to Instagram. Clearly, the first time the design was used ... and disabling Lorde's claim in an interview that she came up with the concept on her own ... it was always Devlin's.

11/13 8:55 PM PT -- Turns out the set designer, Es Devlin, has worked with Kanye since 2005. She's helped him design sets for MASSIVE tours including Touch The Sky, Glow in the Dark, Watch the Throne, YEEZUS and Saint Pablo.

What's more ... it's puzzling Lorde tried making the alleged "theft" a gender issue, Devlin is female. Devlin designed Kanye's floating stage for Saint Pablo in 2016. Just one year later, Lorde hired her to design the suspended box look for her Coachella show and then Lorde copied the concept, making it float for her tour ... ironic.

Our Kanye sources say he's never seen a Lorde show and would never think to copy her. There are also striking similarities between other Kanye tour looks, and what Lorde recently did on tour.

6:28 PM PT -- Kanye just announced he will NOT be releasing his "Yandhi" album on Nov. 23 as he'd previously told us, and the decision seems to be tied to his performance with Cudi. In a tweet, Ye says ... "It felt so good being on the stage last night with my brother Cudi. After performing again, I realize the new album I’ve been working on isn’t ready yet. I’ll announce the release date once it’s done. Thank you for understanding." If that means more collabs with KC ... we're not mad.

Lorde is calling out Kid Cudi and Kanye West for allegedly stealing her idea to perform in a floating glass box -- something she did BEFORE Cudi and Ye.

The "Green Light" singer posted photos on her Instagram story Monday, displaying her floating glass box stage design along with the one KC and KW used Sunday night during their Camp Flog Gnaw performance in L.A. The 2 are almost identical.

She captioned one of her pics with clear disapproval, saying ... "I'm proud of the work I do and it's flattering when other artists feel inspired by it, to the extent that they choose to try it on themselves." She continues ... "But don't steal -- not from women or anyone else -- not in 2018 or ever."

Lorde put dancers in her floating box, and even hopped in there herself during her 2017 international "Melodrama" tour. She also used the stage prop during her 2017 Coachella performance.

You may recall ... Kanye was the first big artist to use a floating platform stage during a concert, which was a highlight of the "Saint Pablo Tour" of 2016. It's not the same as Lorde's, but, one could argue, Kanye is the OG of suspended stages.

Originally Published -- 6:34 PM PST

Waka Flocka Flame says he's ready to hang up the mic for that stroller life with his wifey, Tammy Rivera -- and it sounds like a baby could be coming sooner than later.

The Atlanta MC sat down with our very own Raquel Harper for Tuesday night's BET episode of "Raq Rants," and she asked him when he wants to stop rapping. Waka says he's going to retire ... and he's got a pretty good reason.

According to WFF ... he's achieved everything he's ever wanted from the rap game -- money, fame, a better life for himself and, of course, a lovely wife in Tammy ... both of whom used to star in "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta." What more could a man want at this point?!?!

Well, there is one thing left on Waka's bucket list ... a little baby. Check out the clip to see when he and Tammy plan on popping out a kid of their own. It's right around the corner.

Pauly D and Swedish DJ Alesso are among the celebs banding together to help the celeb photographer battling to overcome brutal injuries suffered in a hit and run.

The "Jersey Shore" star donated $2k to help cover Corentin Villemeur's extensive medical bills after he got run over last week outside Avalon nightclub in Hollywood. As we first reported, YouTube star Lele Pons witnessed her friend enter a crosswalk and get hit by an Acura she says ran a red light.

Alesso dropped a whopping $14k into the GoFundMe account for Corentin, and took it a step further by putting the call out to his 5 million followers on social media. DJ Marshmello donated $5k directly. Soccer star Jozy Altidore, "The Fosters" star Maia Mitchell, Bad Bunny's team and creator of Halo Top Ice Cream Justin Woolverton each donated $2k.