Music

R. Kelly is feeling the heat in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries, because while law enforcement hasn't nailed him yet, he's been suffering panic attacks severe enough to require medical attention.

Sources connected to the embattled singer tell us the panic attacks started in the days leading up to "Surviving R. Kelly" airing last week. The firestorm that erupted after it aired is affecting him, too, because we're told they've continued ... with one attack being so serious, he sought treatment at a hospital.

Our sources say, more often, he's had doctors make house visits. We're told the episodes are triggered by the overwhelming backlash Kelly's getting from celebs and the general public. He's shocked how the tables have turned ... with most people now believing his accusers.

We're told Kelly's aware the pendulum isn't swinging his way right now in the court of public opinion.

As for his birthday celebration Wednesday night ... we're told Kelly's looking for reasons to get out of his house. Quite frankly, we're told he still believes he's done nothing wrong and doesn't want to seem like he's hiding.

Even R. Kelly's longtime friends are turning on him, like hip-hop icon Grandmaster Flash, who says you won't hear him play a single Kelly hit song from now on.

We got Flash Thursday at LAX and asked him if DJs, in general, should join the #MuteRKelly movement. Little did we know that Kelly and Flash are pals. The Bronx legend told us, "I've been knowing him for a very long time."

Still, he didn't hesitate to say, "I can't play his music." Now, the question Flash really wrestled with was ... what happens the next time he sees his "friend?"

Despite his stance on Kelly's music, Flash says he wouldn't turn his back on him, personally. He has some thoughts on what kinda help Kelly needs.

Now, taking a photo with Kelly??? Grandmaster Flash says that's a different story.

Former NFL All-Pro Arian Foster is facing a force more devastating than any defense he ever ran through ... ANGRY TUPAC FANS ... who are all over Arian, for giving a controversial Pac take.

FULL DISCLOSURE ... Arian is a rapper himself (he's really good) and a HUGE 2Pac fan, so much so that the name of his debut album is "Flamingo & Koval" the intersection where Shakur was fatally shot.

Arian says he named the album that because of how deeply Pac's music has affected him, but when he sat down on "Van Lathan's The Red Pill" podcast, he offered something most 2Pac fans don't, a critique.

"Pac is my favorite artist of all-time, but to pretend his music was just out of this world intellectually deep ..."

Arian's point was that rap has evolved since Pac was around, and when compared to some of the artists dealing with super cerebral topics now, Shakur's topics were more simple.

Welp, that's not how the WORLD saw it, and now Foster has been taking major heat from fans who still have a ton of California love for Pac.

Here are some of the best responses ...

"55 seconds of Arian Foster proving why NFL needs better helmets. Lmao. STFU dude."

"Yeah, I'm cancelling him before I even hear his music. I'm petty when it comes to Pac."

"Arianfoster your comment about Tupac is Kanye West-level crazy wrong."

BTW ... we should say, there were also A LOT of people who agreed with Foster, and a debate is happening. But, they were much more polite in their comments.

So, right now, it seems like it's just Arian against the world. Listen to the full episode of "Van Lathan's The Red Pill"

R. Kelly might have been creepy when Destiny's Child recorded with him in 1998, but Beyonce's dad says no one in the music biz cared about his personal life, because he was killing it professionally.

Mathew Knowles tells TMZ ... every artist back then was judged by their talent and NOT their personal misdeeds. In Kelly's case, that meant giving him a pass for reportedly marrying 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994 ... and settling a lawsuit with a woman claiming he had underage sex with her.

Mathew says creative genius trumped all back then.

If you didn't know ... Destiny's Child -- Bey, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson at the time -- recorded a song with Kelly, but it never made the final cut for a DC album. Bey was 17 at the time, and Mathew makes it clear ... he and Tina Knowles never lost sight of the girls during the session.

Despite the #MeToo era, Mathew thinks the music industry hasn't made much progress when it comes to artists working with dubious characters -- because, for many, it's still just business.

Daddy Long Neck is more than just another internet sensation plotting to take over the rap game ... he's also an expert on neck -- all kinds -- and he came all the way to L.A. to pick the best celeb collars.

We got the rapper at LAX this week, and he tells us the award for the best necks in showbiz goes to 2 actresses already known for being smoke shows. Of course, for DLN it's not about their faces or their bods -- he's more of a chin to chest guy.

You probably recognize Daddy Long Neck from his viral music video with Wide Neck ... ya know, the dude who became famous thanks to insane mugshots showing off his massive neck. Their music vid's already racked up more than 1 million views.

Check out the clip ... Daddy Long Neck has hilarious messages for his fave celeb chicks, PLUS ... freshly single MacKenzie Bezos! She's got a cool $70 bil ... why not shoot your shot??

Aretha Franklin's riches weren't getting much R-E-S-P-E-C-T, allegedly, before she died last August -- cops are on the hunt for someone who stole from her.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, police in Michigan are conducting an investigation into the theft of Aretha's assets before she died.

Law enforcement sources tell us the criminal probe involves someone inappropriately using her funds. We're told a report was filed last June, but it's unclear exactly how much money's gone missing.

As you know ... Aretha's finances have been under the microscope following her death. The IRS is hounding her estate, claiming she owes more than $6.3 mil in back taxes. And, she's being dogged over legal bills.

We're guessing this isn't what Aretha had in mind when she famously sang, "I'm about to give you all of my money."

R. Kelly's estranged daughter has broken her silence with a powerful statement condemning the singer ... and strongly implies she and her family have also been abused by him.

Joann Lee Kelly -- aka Buku Abi -- shared a long, thoughtful message on Instagram Thursday, apologizing for taking so long to say something, explaining she's been searching for the right words for days.

Abi expresses sympathy and devastation for all of the women who've been allegedly victimized by her father, and makes it clear that she, her mother and siblings don't condone any of his negative behavior -- past or present.

She also suggests for that reason, she and her family have not had any relationship with Kelly for years, saying ... "Going through all I have gone through in my life, I would never want anyone to feel the pain I have felt."

Buku adds ... "The same monster you all confronting me about is my father. I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house."

Kelly's daughter says she's chosen to stay out of the spotlight because it's better for her healing process, and the constant reminders of "how terrible my father is" aren't good for her ... so she has to do what's best for herself.

We spoke with Buku back in April about allegations against her dad -- and she didn't say much -- her attitude has clearly changed.

As you know, Kelly's surrounded by controversy and allegations of sexual abuse and predatory behavior in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly."

Cops showed up at R. Kelly's birthday celebration at a Chicago nightclub, responding to a call about a warrant for the singer's arrest ... TMZ has learned.

Kelly was partying his ass off at V75 Chicago early Thursday morning when cops say someone dropped a dime ... calling them to say Kelly was there, and had a warrant for his arrest. Check out the police dispatcher putting the call out to Chicago PD units.

Law enforcement confirmed to TMZ they did indeed go to the club and made contact with Kelly -- however, once they determined there was NO actual arrest warrant ... Kelly was free to go about his business.

It's unclear if the caller was just pranking Kelly, or if the person really thought there was an arrest warrant ... but cops tell us they routinely respond to such calls ... just to make sure.

As for Kelly's party ... it was a pretty wild scene.

He was surrounded by screaming fans as he grabbed the mic and declared, "I don't give a f**k about what's going on!!" -- a clear reference to the controversy swirling around him after the airing of "Surviving R. Kelly."

Lady Gaga's sorry she ever worked with R. Kelly, saying she's going to pull their 2013 track from iTunes and other streaming services as an act of solidarity with the women he allegedly abused.

Gaga spoke out against Kelly early Thursday morn, saying the claims against him are "absolutely horrifying and indefensible" ... and she stands behind the women 1000%.

She says her single with Kelly, called "Do What U Want (With My Body)," came at a dark time in her life -- when her thinking was "explicitly twisted" because she was dealing with the trauma of being a sexual assault survivor herself.

Lady Gaga says she's grown and gotten help since then, and vows going forward to "continue to support women, men and people of all sexual identities, and of all races, who are victims of sexual assault."

She plans to remove the 2013 collab with Kelly online and adds ... "I'm sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner." Interestingly, since posting her plan to pull the track, it's been purchased and streamed way more. Seems like people are getting their last licks.

As you know ... Gaga's statement comes on the heels of major controversy involving Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly," in which he's accused of sexual abuse, pedophilia and predatory behavior.

She'd been mum on the subject until now and taken some heat for it ... especially since she's very much in the public eye right now with all the awards season buzz for "A Star is Born."

Ne-Yo doesn't think allegations against R. Kelly are comparable to allegations against Michael Jackson -- they're worse.

We got the R&B singer Wednesday night at LAX ... and he jumped on the comparison, noting, unlike R. Kelly, there was no video evidence of Michael Jackson abusing anyone.

Ne-Yo also claimed some of Jackson's accusers recanted after the singer's death. He did not mention that Jackson paid $20 million to settle the sexual assault lawsuit filed by Jordan Chandler's parents.

Ne-Yo says he never looked at the video of R. Kelly urinating on a minor when he toured with the singer. He just assumed the vid wasn't real. He now regrets it and says he sees things differently now that he has a daughter.

MJ is the subject of a new documentary premiering at Sundance detailing his alleged sexual abuse of little boys, something that has enraged the Michael Jackson Estate.

R. Kelly is still being booked for concerts in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries -- but don't go looking for him onstage in the U.S. of A. ... 'cause, as of now, they're only lining up for him in Germany.

Kelly is scheduled to perform in Ludwigsburg this coming April. Tickets are currently going for $115 and up, as of this post. He's even offering a meet and greet -- yes, even now -- which will cost fans about $355, if they're so inclined.

Sources close to Kelly tell us the singer also just locked down shows in Hamburg and Oberhausen. What's interesting about those dates is ... they were sealed in the last few days, AFTER "Surviving R. Kelly" aired.

A rep for the venue in Ludwigsburg tells TMZ ... the promoter is fully aware of what's happening with Kelly in the States, and is monitoring to see how things unfold. The rep says, "You can be assured that we are carefully following the situation and, if necessary, will act accordingly."

The rep's clearly referring to the open investigation in Fulton County, GA and any potential criminal cases in Illinois. We also reached out to Belaire -- a listed sponsor on a promotional flyer for this event -- and they told us they had no connection (direct or indirect) to Kelly.

Remember, Kelly's American concerts were getting canceled left and right back in 2017 when BuzzFeed first posted a bombshell report about the alleged sex cult. The airing of 'Surviving' has turned up the heat and spiked public outrage against Kelly.

For now, though, #MuteRKelly doesn't translate well in German.

12:16 PM PT -- We've learned the alleged victim says the incident occurred in New York City and she will personally fly from Texas to Manhattan "in the near future" to file a fresh police report.

The alleged victim's lawyer, Lydia Agu, tells us before she began representing her, the alleged victim was advised to file a police report in the state where she lived. Although Dallas PD tells us they closed the case because there was "no criminal element," Agu says this is purely a jurisdictional issue because the alleged crime took place in NYC.

Agu says her client will fly to NYC and file with the NYPD's Special Victims Unit. Agu filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of her client -- against R. Kelly -- in May.

R. Kelly will not be charged for allegedly giving a woman an STD after cops in Dallas closed their investigation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Dallas PD looked into allegations the singer gave an anonymous young woman an STD after allegedly holding her captive as a sex slave in 2017. We're told no charges will be brought against Kelly in connection to the case .. although, it's unclear why they reached that conclusion.

As we reported, the woman filed a police report in 2018 claiming she'd met Kelly in Dallas the year before. She claimed he restrained her, plied her with alcohol and drugs ... and gave her an unspecified STD.

Her attorney, Lee Merritt, had said the woman planned to file a civil suit against Kelly as well.

Kelly, meanwhile, is currently being investigated by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office in GA -- and the State Attorney in Chicago has made a plea for any witnesses or victims to come forward.

We've reached out to Merritt for comment ... so far, no word back.

D.L. Hughley is clearly struggling with the idea of muting R. Kelly ... because he likes Kelly's music, but can't look past the actions of someone he calls a "talented pedophile."

We got D.L. Wednesday at LAX and he has a hard time saying he's never going to listen to R. Kelly's music again. He admits it's a "tough call." That said, he quickly adds he won't be buying any more of Kelly's work.

As for "Surviving R. Kelly" ... D.L. says no one should be shocked by the Lifetime series, considering most people already knew about the allegations surrounding the R&B star.

Drake better find a new bandwagon to hop on ... 'cause the 6 God has been officially 86'd from the Alabama fan base until further notice ... so says ex-Tide player and UFC fighter Eryk Anders!!

Drizzy has been gettin' roasted for jinxing pretty much every team/player he's touched for years -- Kentucky basketball, Conor McGregor, the Toronto Raptors ... to name a FEW.

Anders -- who won a title with Bama in 2009 -- tells TMZ Sports he's puttin' all the blame on Drake for the 44-16 loss ... and says he's legitimately pissed at the rapper for ruining the Tide's season.

Anders also sent Drizzy a tweet saying he's "fighting him on sight" ... and while he admits it was just a case of Twitter fingers, the hate is real.

"I really do got some heat for Drake right now."

Cops paid a visit to R. Kelly's recording studio in Chicago, which has been featured on Lifetime's docuseries as an alleged "sex cult" base where the singer held girls captive.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... officers dropped by Kelly's westside music studio Tuesday evening, but it appeared to be vacant.

We're told there was no call to police that triggered the visit ... cops went to check out the spot because it's gotten so much publicity from "Surviving R. Kelly." The docuseries portrayed the location as a hub for Kelly's alleged sexual abuse of women.

Interestingly, there was reportedly a party there Tuesday night, on what was Kelly's 52nd birthday. Our sources say cops had no knowledge of the event. We're told officers will continue to patrol the area.

On 'Surviving' ... the parents of one of Kelly's alleged victims, Azriel Clary, go to the R&B singer's studio and throw rocks at it, trying to get her to come outside. The studio is currently listed for sale.

As we reported ... Chicago prosecutors are urging R. Kelly victims to come forward, and we're told at least one victim and the families of 2 others are doing just that ... and believe they have sufficient evidence to prosecute him.

Brandon Church -- the late brother of country star Eric Church -- died as a result of chronic alcoholism ... TMZ has learned.

According to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ ... Brandon had a clinical history of alcohol withdrawal-induced seizure disorder -- meaning he had a history of binge drinking and trying to quit ... which would trigger a seizure.

As we reported ... Brandon suffered 2 seizures when he died last June in Granite Falls, North Carolina. The second seizure -- suffered while he was on his way to the hospital -- appears to have sent him into cardiac arrest.

According to the autopsy, the alcohol abuse also caused a thickening of his heart, coronary artery disease and liver damage. The family has set up a Scholarship Memorial Fund, which has already raised more than $45k. The family asks that donations to the fund be sent in lieu of flowers.