Music

CeeLo Green says he should have chosen his words A LOT more carefully when he threw major shade at NFL boycotters ... in defense of his friend Big Boi.

CeeLo was on "TMZ Live" Monday, explaining a since-deleted tweet he fired off after Big Boi and Travis Scott performed in the Super Bowl Halftime show. He'd said, "@BigBoi yo big we riding wit you fam DO THAT SHIT! F**k these so called protesters you just got 100m worth of press. I'll kill for you."

Despite those extremely harsh words, CeeLo told us he meant no harm and was more trying to support his friend, than take a shot at Colin Kaepernick's supporters.

As you know, Adam Levine and Maroon 5, along with their guest stars, took a lot of flak from people boycotting the NFL. CeeLo says he was watching the Halftime Show when his emotions got the best of him.

Still, he faced huge blowback from people who were offended at the "so called protesters" remark. There were other artists -- most notably Jay-Z and Rihanna -- who turned down the SB gig to stand with Kap.

21 Savage never hid the fact that he was in the U.S. illegally, and ICE is now trying to intimidate him into leaving the country he calls home ... this according to his lawyer.

Attorney Charles H. Kuck just delivered a blistering attack on the federal agency that arrested 21 Savage Sunday and is holding him for deportation proceedings.

Kuck says his client actually applied for a U-Visa back in 2017 and the application is pending, and ICE has known about it yet took no action until this weekend.

The attorney also takes aim at ICE for putting it out there that 21 Savage has prior criminal charges, suggesting he does not. Point of fact -- Savage pled guilty to felony drug possession back in 2014, but that conviction was expunged last September.

Kuck slams ICE for detaining his client, claiming he is not a threat to his community nor is he a flight risk ... he also has children here.

And, the attorney goes on ... "As a minor, his family overstayed their work visas, and he, like almost two million other children, was left without legal status through no fault of his own." Kuck says his client has "U.S. citizen children" whom he supports and is eligible for relief from deportation.

The attorney accuses ICE of trying to "unnecessarily punish him," claiming the agency is trying "to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States."

Now, this is interesting ... Kuck says the Visa 21 Savage applied for is based on him being a victim of crime. Kuck tells TMZ, 21 Savage was shot during a 2013 incident where his best friend was murdered. Kuck says he was "severely affected physically and mentally." He goes on to say being a crime victim puts 21 Savage in a position for permanent residence.

21 Savage is a living, breathing example of that ol' saying, "fake it til you make it" ... at least according to ICE.

An ICE official told CNN on Sunday ... "His whole public persona is false. He actually came to the U.S. from the U.K. as a teen and overstayed his visa."

The arrest has totally shocked 21 Savage's fans ... who had NO CLUE about his British roots. We did some digging and to be fair, Sav has never claimed Atlanta as his birthplace. In multiple profiles on the rapper ... media outlets have referred to him as being "from" Atlanta or say he "grew up" there.

That said, it sure doesn't seem like he's ever gone out of his way to correct any reports of him being an ATL native. 21 definitely reps Atlanta in his rhymes ... and he's told tales about getting expelled from an Atlanta school for bringing a gun to class.

Still, he's never said he was "born" there.

As we reported ... Sav was arrested early Sunday in Atlanta by what ICE described as a targeted operation. ICE officials say 21 Savage is actually a U.K. national and has been illegally in the U.S. since 2006. They say he came here as a kid in 2005.

Newsflash to anyone who watched the Super Bowl -- you're officially beefing with Rihanna ... who not only didn't watch the snoozefest in Atlanta but mocked a dude on her flight who did.

RiRi was headed somewhere on a plane Sunday night (prolly somewhere awesome) when she apparently heard a 1st-class cabinmate ask for the Super Bowl to be put on.

She called the dude out on her Instagram Story ... putting a sign that said "weirdo" over his head, then posting a picture of Colin Kaepernick with a diss to anyone who watched the game.

Rihanna has been team Kap all the way in his battle with the NFL ... reportedly turning down an offer to perform in the Super Bowl because of the way she believes the league has treated Colin.

Bow Wow and his GF were in a knock-down, drag-out brawl before they both got arrested ... according to cops.

Kiyomi Leslie Holden called Atlanta PD around 4 AM Saturday to report Bow Wow for assault. She told officers on the scene the whole fight started when they got home from a party. Kiyomi Leslie -- who appears on "Growing Up Hip Hop" -- claims Bow Wow was pissed she was talking to another man at the party, and lit into her about it when they got home.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ, Kiyomi Leslie says Bow Wow hit her in the head, pulled her by the hair, dragged her from her bedroom ... and told her to get the hell out.

For his part, Bow Wow acknowledged being pissed about the other guy ... telling cops she "disrespected him" by hanging "all over another man's body." He claims Kiyomi Leslie called him a "bitch ass n***er" when he complained about her behavior.

He claims he merely told Leslie to leave their home, and placed her bags by the door. He claims Kiyomi Leslie "grabbed a night stand lamp and threw it at him." He says she missed with the lamp, but scratched the hell out of his face ... which is obvious in his mug shot.

An officer on the scene says he saw the lamp on the ground when he entered the bedroom. Cops observed red marks on Kiyomi Leslie's fingers as well as broken fingernails.

TMZ broke the story ... Bow Wow and Kiyomi Leslie were arrested and booked for battery. Kiyomi Leslie says she broke 3 ribs during the brawl.

A woman told police Saturday Soulja Boy kidnapped her but his manager is calling BS ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the allegations tell TMZ, a woman named Kayla was at Soulja's home in Agoura Hills just outside of L.A. Friday night, but at around 2:30 AM Saturday they began arguing and she was told to leave.

We're told Kayla -- who was apparently dating Soulja -- got in her car, put it in reverse and backed down the driveway, where she clipped the curb. We're told Soujla's assistant was outside and witnessed it, and became "agitated" and the 2 started fighting.

Sources connected to Kayla claim Soulja came out and tried to break the fight up, but Kayla claims he punched and kicked her while she was on the ground, and then took her inside the garage and tied her to a chair with an extension cord.

The sources say Kayla was tied up for 6 hours.

We're told she was released, went home and contacted police Saturday morning. We're told she went to the hospital where she was treated for her injuries and was discharged late Saturday night. She claims she has 3 fractured ribs and a concussion.

Law enforcement acknowledges someone filed a kidnapping report Saturday morning and there is "an active investigation" but they would not divulge the name of the suspect or the alleged victim.

Soulja is on 5-years probation for a weapons conviction. He is not allowed to threaten anyone or possess any deadly weapon.

YG was clearly sad after his Rams got killed in Super Bowl 53 -- but despite only posting 3 measly points, the rap star is staying positive about the team's future.

The SoCal rapper was leaving Mercedes-Benz Stadium with fellow Rams backer Tyga after the game -- and the mood wasn't as lit as they hoped it would be.

The good news ... YG insists Rams Nation is still strong -- telling us he's confident Jared Goff and company will return to the big dance in 2020.

"We good, bro," YG said while sippin' on his drink in the parking lot ... "We made it to the Super Bowl, we're okay."

"Next year, bro."

We also asked YG what he thought about the halftime show and whether he'd ever be down to headline the performance ... and you'll want to hear what he says.

Blac Chyna's ex-boyfriend, rapper Kid Buu, was once charged and convicted of child abuse after cops say he punched his baby mama in front of their kid.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a then-19-year-old Kid Buu (real name Markquez Santiago) was busted in Florida in 2008 after he got into a fight with his girlfriend and baby mama, who was a minor. Their daughter was 2 years old at the time.

Cops say the squabble started over the girlfriend wanting to cash a check, which he snatched out of her hands while leaving their apartment. The GF told cops he later returned and found her in their bedroom, at which point she threatened to call 911.

Police say, at this point, he punched her in the face with a closed fist ... all while their then-2-year-old was present. According to legal docs, he then pulled out a gun and told her he'd "kill the cops" if they came.

She fled the home and called the police using a security guard's phone, and Kid Buu was eventually arrested after refusing to cooperate. He denied the allegations, and no gun was ever recovered.

Per court records, he pled guilty to charges of child abuse (without causing great bodily harm), intimidation, robbery by sudden snatching, and criminal mischief. He said he pled guilty "for my own convenience and to move on with life."

Kid Buu was sentenced to two years probation, which he completed in 2010.

This could have been problematic until recently, because Kid Buu was dating Blac Chyna. If Rob Kardashian knew about Kid Buu's conviction he might have pitched a fit because we're guessing he wouldn't want him around Dream.

Famous Dex says the fan who tried stealing a 44-seat airplane to fly himself to see the rapper in concert attempted, hands down, the craziest thing ANYONE has ever done to see him live ... so, he's hooking him up.

A little backstory ... Zemarcuis Scott, a teenager from Texarkana, AR, was busted last Fourth of July after cops say he broke into an American Eagle twin-engine jet at Texarkana Regional Airport with the intention to fly himself to see Dex perform in Illinois.

Cops found Scott sitting in the pilot's seat and said he wasn't worried about having zero flying experience ... because it looked simple. Earlier this week ... Scott pled guilty to attempting to steal a commercial jet and avoided jail time with 5 years of felony probation.

Enter, Famous Dex ... who thought the story was a hoax when he first heard about it, but now wants the fan to go through fewer hassles ... by flying him to one of his concerts, and then some.

21 Savage was arrested in Atlanta this weekend and taken into custody for possible removal from the U.S.

21 Savage was picked up by ICE early Sunday morning. He apparently entered the U.S. legally in 2005 but his visa expired and he reportedly is here illegally.

He reportedly is being held for removal proceedings ... this for being in the country illegally and for being a felon. He was convicted of drug charges in 2014.

His attorney, Dina LaPolt, tells TMZ, "We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding. Mr. Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in the country -- especially in Atlanta, Georgia and is actively working in the community leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy."

An ICE spokesperson says 21 Sav -- real name Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph -- is a U.K. national who is unlawfully in the country and has been since 2006 when his visa expired. They say he came to the States a year earlier at the age of 12.

The spox goes on to say that Sav is currently in ICE custody in Georgia and that he's been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. They add that ICE will await the outcome of his case before a judge to determine future actions.

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis had a rough Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd, which he didn't help when he threw Latin Americans under the bus ... and walked off stage.

Aaron was performing solo at the Pharr Events Center in Texas Saturday night, where eyewitnesses tell us he refused to play his final song on guitar because the audience wouldn't shut the hell up. It was an awkward scene ... like a parent chastising their kids.

You can hear people in the crowd start to get annoyed by their fellow concertgoers -- and perhaps Aaron himself -- and eventually someone asks him to sing something in Spanish ... which spurred an interesting response from Aaron.

He says, "I'm sorry, I don't know how to speak Spanish. I'm American." Some people in the crowd cheered, others seemed to show their disapproval.

Eventually, when the crowd wouldn't quiet down to Aaron's required level ... he left the stage, wishing everyone a good night. Safe to say, people were not happy about it.

9:00 AM PT -- Kylie was apparently screwing with people, because she just commented back to someone who asked if she was pregnant, "no lol."

Kylie Jenner may be telling a joke about being pregnant, but maybe she isn't.

Kylie posted this pic of her and Travis Scott embracing with the caption, "Baby #2?"

It could be a joke, but the timing of the post is curious. Kylie announced she had given birth to Stormi on February 4 last year, during the Super Bowl game.

The new post is 2 days shy of the exact one-year mark of the birth announcement.

What's more, Stormi just had her first birthday last Friday.

And, there's this ... Travis is about to take the stage in ATL during the halftime Super Bowl show ... and an announcement would then go out to the world.

Then again ... she could just be screwing with everyone.

Bow Wow was more than willing to talk after his arrest Saturday morning for allegedly beating a woman ... but what he wants to talk about has nothing to do with the incident.

We got Bow Wow Saturday night leaving Magic City Strip Club in ATL and he said on the advice of his lawyer he couldn't say anything about the incident.

As TMZ reported ... Bow Wow and the woman were both arrested after they allegedly got in some sort of physical altercation at 4:15 AM Saturday in Atlanta. The woman claimed Bow Wow assaulted her. He claimed it was the opposite.

Bow Wow was booked for Battery with Substantial Physical Harm ... despite the fact cops told us the injuries were "minor." He was released on $8k bail.

Jussie Smollett stood tall Saturday night as he made his first public appearance since Tuesday's attack, telling hundreds of fans, "I had to be here tonight. I couldn't let these motherf*****s win."

Jussie performed in WeHo at the famed Troubadour in front of a packed audience of 400 and generally addressed the incident in Chicago. He told the crowd he's okay and still healing.

He asked for solidarity and the crowd was with him, as he said, "I'm going to stand strong with y'all."

At the end of the show, Jussie lit up the stage with a call to action about being black, being gay and being proud. The crowd went absolutely wild.

As Jussie left the venue you can still see signs of the bruising he suffered on the streets of Chicago. TMZ broke the story, Jussie told cops he was walking home from a 2 AM Subway run when 2 men hurled homophobic and racial slurs at him, attacked him and screamed "MAGA country."

Police are still investigating.

Diddy caused pandemonium Saturday night outside Magic City Strip Club in Atlanta after pulling out a big fat wad of cash and hurling it in all directions.

We got the mogul first talking to a couple of guys outside the club, and it seemed to get tense. It's unclear what the beef was about, but it got heated.

In the end, it was all about the Benjamins. The crowd goes a little insane as the loot flies in the air.

When The Beatles officially called it quits in 1970, there were several signs along the way the boys weren't getting along ... including a harsh letter to Paul's lawyer signed by John, George and Ringo.

Now that document can be yours ... if you have a big stack of cash to spare.

The letter, dated April 18, 1969, informs Lee Eastman that he's "not authorized to act or to hold yourself out as the attourney or legal representative of 'The Beatles.'" It goes on to acknowledge Eastman reps Paul McCartney personally ... but that's it.

This document's signed by John Lennon, Richard Starkey (aka Ringo) and George Harrison ... and it's currently on sale for $325k.

There's another letter up for grabs too -- signed by the entire Fab Four -- that's a little more friendly. It's from January 1969 and confirms that attorney John Eastman is authorized to handle the band's contract negotiations "in accordance with our instructions." This one's for sale for $225k.

If you don't know ... a few months after the April letter, John privately informed the other Beatles he was leaving the group. The split wasn't made public until April 10, 1970, though ... when Paul announced he was out.