Music

Nelly took a major step in proving he's got nothing to hide in a criminal case out of the UK, where he's being investigated for alleged sexual assault.

Law enforcement sources tell us the St. Louis rapper was interviewed last week by the Essex Police at their Southend station, where they've opened a criminal probe into an alleged sexual assault from 2017 ... when Nelly performed in the area.

We're told Nelly flew out to meet with cops -- without being asked -- and we're told his participation is a major step forward in the investigation ... but not necessarily the deciding factor. It might be a while before a decision is made on whether to charge him.

Nelly was never detained at the police station. A rep for the rapper tells TMZ ... "Nelly flew to the UK on his own volition last week to work with the police in assisting their investigation to clear his name completely."

As we've reported ... Nelly's been accused of masturbating in front of a woman and forcing his penis in her mouth after a meet and greet in December 2017. She says she was able to flee and didn't immediately go to cops out of fear of not being believed.

Stephen Baldwin and Justin Bieber are two peas in a pod ... because Stephen says he sees a lot of himself in his son-in-law.

Stephen came on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked about his similarities to the Biebs, and Hailey's dad ran through a long list of things they share in common.

It's funny ... Stephen says he and Justin are like 2 big kids who just refuse to grow up!

As you know ... Stephen and Justin get along great, hitting up a music festival last summer for some family bonding.

As for JB and HB pushing back their wedding ceremony a third time. Stephen -- who stars in the new film, "The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story" -- says the couple's gonna take as much time as they need to make sure everything's perfect.

Boogie Cousins will be making a statement with his shoes when he takes the court Thursday night ... rockin' Puma kicks to support Meek Mill's push for criminal justice reform.

Meek teamed up with Puma to launch the new Clyde Court #REFORM kicks -- the profits of the shoe will go to Meek's Reform Alliance whose mission is to reform the probation and parole system in the U.S.

Boogie is down with the cause and has promised to wear the shoes when his Golden State Warriors take on the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Everything about the shoe has a special meaning. The black coloring represents the American prison system. The red symbolizes the blood and sacrifice of those who have fought for justice. Gold stands for future victories.

There's also a quote on the heel from Olympic legend/social activist Tommie Smith which says, "We had to be seen because we couldn't be heard."

T.I. believes Travis Scott's decision to do the Super Bowl halftime show is selfish ... and he hopes the rapper makes up for it by being selfLESS down the road.

Scott's taken all sorts of heat for his decision to perform at Super Bowl 53 from people like Common and Nick Cannon who have been critical of the NFL for the way it's treated Colin Kaepernick.

In fact, Cannon told Raquel Harper on BET's "Raq Rants" that Scott's move clearly shows he doesn't care for black culture.

So, how does T.I. feel about it? See if you can read between the lines ...

"I think every man have an opportunity ... he can make a decision for himself, or he could be selfless. And, nobody can tell someone when to be selfless."

"That's every man's right to choose that moment for themselves. So, if this ain't something that he wanted to be selfless about, hopefully in the future we'll see other moments where he will. You dig?"

We dig.

Not everyone is upset with Scott -- rap legend Nelly told us just a few days ago the outrage over the halftime show is stupid -- and said he'd "probably do it" if asked.

Kelis wants to become a Colombian farmer, and she wants to take her son with her ... according to Nas, who says she's violating their custody agreement.

Nas is pissed off about a bunch of child custody issues -- the biggest being Kelis' plans to hightail to Cartagena. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Kelis already took 9-year-old Knight to Colombia last month. Nas says he was supposed to get their son on New Year's Eve ... but Kelis texted him to say the plan had changed. He says she didn't come back to the states until Jan. 14.

Further, he says Kelis has told him she and her new husband have a farm in Colombia and she intends to stay there. Nas says she's already withdrawn Knight from his private school in L.A. ... and he says Kelis is currently homeschooling the kid in Colombia.

Nas says the whole South America plan is a huge violation of their custody agreement, because she didn't provide the required notice about the travel.

Even when she's in the states, Kelis has been a nightmare when it comes to co-parenting, according to Nas. For instance, he says he didn't get Knight on Father's Day last year, and ditto for Halloween and Thanksgiving ... which Knight is supposed to spend with Dad on even-numbered years.

2:15 PM PT -- The translated document erroneously changed the number of the penal code statute. Avi Bitton, a criminal defense attorney in Paris, tells us the correct statute refers to false accusations and carries a maximum sentence of 5 years.

Chris Brown's Parisian lawyer has made good on his promise ... he just filed a defamation lawsuit against the woman who got his client arrested on rape allegations.

The lawyer, Raphael Chiche, filed the complaint Thursday ... titled "false accusation, committed on January 18, 2019." It appears this is more than a civil defamation case ... according to the doc obtained by TMZ, the lawyer is citing a criminal statute relating to invasion of privacy. A violation of that law carries a maximum 1-year prison sentence.

As we reported, Brown was freed by cops Tuesday, hours after he was arrested. Sources tell us the Paris police had issues with the accuser's story -- that she was raped and abused in 3 separate rooms by 3 people in Brown's hotel suite, with around 20 people in the living room.

A source close to Chris tells TMZ, he acknowledges he's had "issues in the past," but feels he's become "an easy target for anyone to cry wolf."

Although Brown is free and still working in Paris on his music video, we're told the investigation is ongoing.

Chris Brown is walking around Paris without fear of getting cuffed and hauled back to the police station, because cops found his rape accuser's story almost impossible to believe ... TMZ has learned.

One source directly connected to the case tells us, "The weakest part of the case is the alleged victim's statement to police."

We're told she told cops that Chris raped her in his hotel suite dressing room for somewhere between 25 and 30 minutes. She says she then went into another room and was raped again, this time by one of Brown's friends. And then, she said she was "abused" for a third time in another room. We're told police believe the story doesn't hold water because she never attempted to leave or alert anyone of the 20 or so people who were in the living room.

Right or wrong, we're told that's why cops made the decision to release Brown without any conditions, including surrendering his passport. A source close to Brown says police actually apologized to Brown when they let him go.

What's especially interesting ... Brown didn't beeline it for the airport. He's staying in Paris -- at the same hotel -- apparently without fear he'll be arrested again. We're told the investigation is still ongoing, although it seems authorities have made some fundamental decisions about the case.

Brown certainly acted like he was exonerated Wednesday, when he mingled in public, proclaiming his love for everyone.

Ray J has his eyes on conquering ride-share giants like Bird Scooters ... and he's off to a massive start with a 7-figure deal to start his empire.

Ray just sold off his Scoot-E-Bike biz to Canadian company LOOPShare for an amount in the high 7-figures. Ray will still play a big role in the venture, with a goal to provide users with scooters to get around town with ease.

The plan will include 3 types of scooters for users to pick from ... a traditional sit-down model, a vespa style unit and stand alone scooter. We're told the scooters will begin to pop up in cities across the United States and Canada ... with plans to go global.

Not only will Ray play a pivotal role in the company's strategy moving forward ... he'll also be in control of close to 19 million shares.

Tons of celebs have helped Ray J market the electric bikes in the past ... including Snoop Dogg, Stephen Curry and his sister Brandy.

Ray's manager, David Weintraub, tells us Ray's focus has been on growing his tech biz over the last year, turning down several TV deals in the process. We're told his company, Raycon, is already pulling in $2-$3 million in sales every month.

As you know ... Ray J just went on a huge spending spree for his 38th birthday, and now he's got even more cash to treat himself.

Chris Brown is NOT getting the hell outta Dodge after cops released him ... instead he's hanging around Paris for one good reason -- money, and lots of it.

TMZ's learned the singer is right in the middle of shooting a music video. He was seen performing Wednesday on a Paris street. We're told he's honoring his commitment to the project before he takes off Thursday.

We're told Chris dropped 6 figures on the music vid -- for an upcoming song called "Back to Love" -- so it's pretty important to make it happen. Our sources say in addition to the video, he's also working on another project with a dance studio.

Earlier in the day, Brown was seen publicly for the first time since his arrest as he left the Mandarin Oriental Hotel -- the same place where the alleged rape went down. He had nothing but love for everybody.

As we reported ... he was arrested Monday night by French police on possible rape and narcotics charges, but got released the same day without conditions. Chris was allowed to keep his passport and return home, but he's clearly not in a hurry to flee.

Ezekiel Elliott was involved in an altercation with a HUGE celebrity DJ in Vegas early Monday morning -- with the DJ going off about the incident on video after the fact ... and it's intense.

But, sources connected to Zeke tell us ... the Cowboys star is adamant he wasn't the one in the wrong.

Here's what we know for sure ... Zeke and Dak Prescott were partying at Drai's After Hours at The Cromwell Hotel and Casino where DJ Franzen was hanging out.

DJ Franzen is a huge force in hip-hop -- he's tight with guys like Jay-Z, T.I. and Big Sean ... and Drake even gave him TWO shout-outs in TWO different songs ("The Motto" and "Elevate").

Sources connected to Franzen tell us ... he walked over to say hi and that's when Elliott and some of his crew got aggressive and things started to pop off.

One Franzen source tells us ... Dak walked over to the DJ and attempted to smooth things over -- but it was already too late ... Franzen felt disrespected and decided to go off on social media.

"Can you believe Ezekiel Elliott tried to pick a fight with me?!" Franzen said in an IG video first spotted by SportsGossip.com ... "Man, F*CK THE COWBOYS!!!"

"Get the f*ck up out of Vegas man," he added ... "You are never allowed in my section again, you little bitch."

He finished with this message -- "If y'all know Ezekiel Elliott, you tell em DJ Franzen said 'F*ck you ... you little bitch ass motherf*cker.'"

Our Zeke sources tell a different story ... claiming Franzen came over in an aggressive manner and was talking trash about the Cowboys.

One source put it this way, "He was trying to provoke Zeke."

Chris Brown is stepping out in public for the first time since being arrested for allegedly raping a woman in a Paris hotel -- something he called total BS -- but today he's spreading a message of love.

Brown was leaving the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris Wednesday -- the same place where the alleged rape went down -- and he had just a few simple words to share, "I love everybody."

As we reported ... Chris was arrested Monday night by French police on possible rape and narcotics charges. The alleged victim told Closer Magazine Brown brutally and violently assaulted her for 25-30 minutes in a dressing room after a night of partying.

Although prosecutors initially told us Chris would have to answer in court and possibly surrender his passport, he was released the same day of the arrest with no conditions. He still has his passport and is free to return to the U.S.

Sources familiar with the Parisian legal system tell us there are signs the case fell apart.

Photos from inside R. Kelly's alleged "sex cult" recording studio in Chicago have just been released ... showing proof of code violations and plenty of evidence someone may have been living there.

The photos were taken by Chicago officials when they raided the building on suspicion the unit may be used as a permanent residence. Check out the gallery ... it's a completely bizarre scene inside the studio that was heavily featured in "Surviving R. Kelly."

During one point in the documentary, the family of one of Kelly's alleged victims showed up at the property to try and rescue their daughter.

Busta Rhymes' New Year got off to a heated start -- he came pretty close to blows with a guy who was not down with Busta hitting on his wife ... so we're told.

Witnesses at the scuffle tell TMZ ... the rapper was sitting in his car in Times Square in the wee hours of New Year's Day when a man and his wife walked by. We're told the wife said "hi" to Busta, but the husband didn't like Busta's response -- he allegedly invited her to hang with him in his ride.

We're told the man had words for Busta, who got out of his car and began arguing with him ... which is where the video picks up. Things escalated pretty quickly, and the guys got face-to-face and grabbed each other before Busta's security broke it up.

Everyone eventually walked away, but we're told cops showed up and talked to the man who got into it with Busta. There are no signs any arrests were made during the incident.

We've reached out to Busta's rep, but no word back yet.

Confrontations like this are nothing new for Busta. We broke the story ... he snapped on a dude in Miami in October 2017 and looked ready to brawl before his crew stopped him.

There's also his infamous gym freakout in 2015 ... where he threw a protein shake at an employee.

Jay-Z, Meek Mill and a coalition of powerful voices have formed a new organization that they say will "fight different" for criminal justice reform ... and they've got $50 mil between all of them to get it started.

The rappers joined forces with the likes of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai, Van Jones and others to launch Reform Alliance Wednesday, which they say will fight to get at least a million people out of jail over the next five years with a focus on probation and parole.

Meek kicked things off by recounting his harrowing story of being jailed for 5 months on a petty probation violation, and says there are countless people caught up in the system who are voiceless ... for whom he now wants to speak and fight.

He did an interview on The Breakfast Club last month, and outlined the parameters of what his support would look like.

The group announced Van would lead the effort as the CEO, and he gave a poignant speech saying Reform Alliance would amplify the social activists who've been pushing for this reform for decades now. He made clear that RA was not a bank, that it wasn't just going to hire a bunch of lawyers for people and that it wouldn't be reinventing the wheel of criminal justice reform.

On the contrary, Van says the org aims to change fundamental laws that are unjust and ass-backward, which incarcerate men and women for absurd lengths of time ... and cost taxpayers millions of dollars unnecessarily.

Jay also spoke on why he joined the board, saying that the issue of criminal justice reform affects everybody in one way or another. He also highlighted what a complete family unit can achieve even under the hardest conditions when education is at the forefront.

As you know, Meek has become a symbol for criminal justice reform following his 2-4 year prison sentence for probation violations in 2017, and he's been championing the cause ever since his hard-fought release on bail.

The movement's already been effective ... President Trump signed the First Step Act into law, earning huge praise from CNN's Van Jones.

T.I. is standing firm in defense of Chris Brown in the wake of a rape allegation, and he says it's because he still values "innocent until proven guilty" ... unlike most folks.

We got T.I. at LAX Tuesday and asked whether he believes the French woman who went to police this week alleging Chris raped her in Paris. It's a firm no from T.I. -- he says he's siding with Chris (for now) since he knows CB and doesn't have any reason to doubt him.

Moreover, T.I. says there are no facts that have surfaced to support the woman's claim ... and he's not about to jump on the bandwagon of condemning someone without giving 'em their day in court. For the record ... Chris has vehemently denied the charge.

Check out T.I.'s take. He touches on what he describes as a new culture of assuming guilt based on a mere allegation ... which he strongly disagrees with. While he supports real victims of abuse coming forward to share their stories, T.I. warns us of opportunists looking to capitalize on the climate with false accusations.

He notes that he's not necessarily saying that's the case with Chris, but it's clear he's got his suspicions ... and will wait to pass judgment until a jury does their job.

As for Chris, he's been released from police custody without bail ... and is free to leave France. Some legal experts in Paris tell TMZ, the fact that authorities released Brown without any conditions is evidence there's a problem with the case.

If you owned a major sports agency, wouldn't you travel to wherever the hell the #1 player in the country was at??

That's what Jay-Z did on Tuesday night -- flying out to Pittsburgh to watch the Pitt Panthers take on Zion Williamson and Duke at the Petersen Events Center.

For the record, it's not like this was some marquee matchup -- Duke is the #2 team in the country and Pitt isn't ranked.

So, why would Jay -- as busy as he is -- leave Beyonce and the kids to see a college hoops game?

Seems pretty obvious he's making a run at Zion -- like every other major sports agent on the planet.

Zion is expected to be the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft -- and it would be a huge score for Roc Nation which already has stars like Kevin Durant, Saquon Barkley and Todd Gurley on the roster.

In typical Zion fashion, he balled out in front of Hov -- dropping 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in the 79 to 64 victory.

Also, Zion's teammate, R.J. Barrett -- who's also projected to be a Top 3 pick -- did well, posting 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Duke's #3 guy Cam Reddish had a decent stat line -- 15-6-4.

Jay had been planning the trip for weeks, according to Pitt coach Jeff Capel who told reporters, "His people reached out to me a few weeks ago about them wanting to come ... people from Roc Nation."

"Our athletic department and our ticketing people did an amazing job accommodating that. It’s great to have the greatest rapper ever in the arena.”

Guessing Jay can charge this trip to the company account -- like he's always said ... he's a not a businessman, he's a business, man.