Music

2/8 -- A spokesperson with the Georgia State Patrol tells TMZ ... a trooper noticed an orange Corvette fail to signal when changing lanes before speeding past cars in a reckless manner.

Cops say the Corvette also sped past the trooper and swerved in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed before getting stuck in traffic. But, as the trooper finally caught up, the Corvette tried accelerating and change lanes but was unable to do so due to the traffic.

That's when the trooper gave the rapper verbal commands -- get out of the car and lay on the ground, and cops say Lil Baby complied. The spokesperson said the rapper -- gov't name Dominique Jones -- was taken into custody without incident. Cops say a crowd did gather -- which is how the video was taken of the incident -- but said they were peaceful.

Cops say the rapper was turned over to a detention staff without incident. He was charged with failure to use a turn signal, reckless driving and fleeing or attempting to elude.

8:08 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Lil Baby has now been released.

Lil Baby just got arrested by police in Georgia who hauled him out of his car on a highway to slap the cuffs on him ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Lil Baby was arrested Thursday in Atlanta for failure to signal, eluding police and reckless driving. We're told he's expected to be released once he posts bond later tonight.

The video of the Atlanta rapper's arrest is wild ... it shows Lil Baby face down in the middle of the street, with his hands behind his back and a police officer pinning him to the ground. Lil Baby is in the tracksuit, laying down outside the orange Corvette.

As we reported ... Lil Baby started off the week like a boss, arriving at the Stripper Bowl in a helicopter!

What a difference 3 days make.

We reached out to the Atlanta Police Department, but they say they had nothing to do with the arrest.

Originally Published -- 4:50 PM PT

Ariana Grande says the guy who runs the Grammys is a liar for claiming she was just too frazzled to pull it together and perform on Sunday night's show ... she says it all fell apart because he utterly disrespected her.

Ariana has been promoted everywhere as one of the highlights of the show -- on TV commercials, a billboard on Hollywood Blvd., buses, and on and on. Yet, sources connected to the Grammys show tell us, Ariana never made a deal to show up or perform.

The deal she wanted was to perform her massive, #1 hit, "7 rings." We're told the show's producer, Ken Ehrlich, told Ariana that song wouldn't connect with the audience, so he asked her to choose a different song. Ariana felt strongly "7 Rings" was what people wanted to hear, and when Ehrlich wouldn't budge, she said she'd take a pass.

Fast-forward to Thursday, when Ehrlich gave an interview to AP, saying Ariana backed out because she "felt it was too late for her to pull something together."

We're told Ariana is enraged, because she actually continued to talk to the Grammys and offered to perform a song Ehrlich wanted, as long as she could sing "7 Rings," but he still wouldn't budge. She then said sayonara and, days later, Ehrlich came back and said fine, do a medley that includes "7 Rings" ... but by then, Ariana was done with him. In other words, we're told she feels like Ehrlich is lying because he knows he made a mistake and is looking for cover.

As for why she thinks he made a mistake ... "thank u, next" the album drops Friday, and it's expected to be the best-selling album so far this year, and for Ariana not to appear on the TV show will look ridiculous.

The Grammys seating chart -- aka the music biz power rankings -- just came out and a certain star who was born is in the front row, while the biggest Korean stars are in just about every other row.

We're slightly exaggerating but click through the gallery and you'll see the members of BTS are literally spread out over at least 2 rows. Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson and Katy Perry are up front, while Miley Cyrus and her idol, Dolly Parton, will have a chance to get cozy.

The seating chart also reveals where Bad Bunny, Camila Cabello, Drake, J Lo and Cardi B will be hanging during Sunday night's ceremony.

It might not make 21 Savage feel better right now, but something positive could come from his ICE arrest ... according to Miguel who's been tackling immigration policy issues for years.

The R&B-singing great was on "TMZ Live" Thursday when he tried to find a silver lining for 21, saying more and more people will now see the problems with ICE -- especially for non-famous people in the same boat as the rapper.

As you know ... the "Bank Account" rapper was arrested last weekend in Atlanta, remains in custody and could be deported. Even Jay-Z has now stepped in, calling 21's arrest "an absolute travesty" and providing legal assistance.

As Miguel sees it, 21 could now become the face of immigration policy issues -- much the way Meek Mill did for criminal justice reform.

We've just obtained photos of the injuries Bow Wow says he sustained at the hands of his girlfriend -- before they both got arrested -- and they include some deep bite marks.

A source close to the situation tells TMZ ... Bow Wow is still recovering the knock-down, drag-out fight he and Kiyomi Leslie Holden got into last weekend in Atlanta.

We already knew from his mug shot that Bow Wow's face was scratched to hell ... but now we can see what looks like at least one nasty bite, and several scratches on his torso.

As we reported ... Bow Wow was arrested in Atlanta early Saturday morning for allegedly hitting Leslie, and she was also arrested for allegedly striking him.

We broke the story ... in 911 audio released from the incident, Kiyomi Leslie claims Bow Wow hit her multiple times, took her phone and refused to let her out of a bedroom in their apartment.

An additional 911 call was made by the apartment building's manager, claiming a resident heard a male voice saying he would, "Slap the f**k out of this bitch."

2/8 11:33 AM PT -- It seems as though Kelly has already complied with the court's demand to remove the bed.

2/8 -- The judge agreed to meet him in the middle -- he has extended the working hours for the first-floor studio space from 9 AM-9 PM.

Kelly's also been ordered to remove the mattress immediately.

R. Kelly's attorney, Melvin Sims, tells TMZ that they are pleased with the outcome, but still "concerned with the restriction and limitation of any recording artist's ability to create music and ply their trade in a private studio, to certain hours of the day, particularly through the use of local ordinances."

The case has been continued until May 2.

R. Kelly wants back in his studio, and he wants to work late-night hours -- 'cause that's when his creative juices flow the best ... according to new legal docs.

The singer filed paperwork in Chicago Thursday as part of his building code violations case asking a judge to give him access to his studio during the wee hours of the night. According to the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Kelly wants access to the space between the hours of 8 PM to 7 AM.

Kelly says it's during those hours when he puts in the best work on his music, just like a lot of big artists in and around Chi-Town. He also lists this schedule as his employees' normal working hours.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, R. Kelly doesn't spell it out specifically, but we've been told by sources close to the singer that he sometimes spends up to 15 hours in his studio ... and needs a place to crash -- hence the bed that was there as of Wednesday when city officials did a follow-up inspection to Thursday's hearing.

These are photos taken from inside R. Kelly's studio, and as you can tell ... there's still a bed inside that hasn't been removed. City officials attached this photo as evidence that R. Kelly is using the space as a residence, even though he says he's removed most of his other belongings since the city's January raid.

A city inspection showed a number of personal items were being stored inside the studio, including clothes, a massage table, couches, an entertainment set and other miscellaneous items. There was even a full bathroom that'd been installed, shower included.

The building's landlord was facing heavy fines for each of the violations -- which ranged between $500 and $1,000 for each day the violation went unaddressed, adding up to staggering amounts in the tens of thousands. Sources close to R. Kelly tell us he helped the landlord pay off some of those fines.

R. Kelly had already been instructed that he could only use the studio for recording during business hours -- 9 AM to 5 PM.

A judge continued the case and is expected to officially weigh in Friday.

12:28 PM PT -- Contrary to the police report saying ATF was the arresting agency, 21's attorney, Alex Spiro, says, "ICE has confirmed he was targeted for immigration enforcement and nothing more. He was never arrested by the police, and some other individual's firearm and vehicle is not our concern here."

10:56 AM PT -- 21's attorney, Brian Steel, tells us both the Glock and the Dodge the rapper was driving are not his ... Steel would not specify who they belonged to.

21 Savage was driving recklessly and on a path to slam into a fully-marked cop car and that's why he was pulled over on the day he was taken into custody, and it looks like cops believe he was in possession of a fully loaded Glock ... this according to the police report.

TMZ has obtained 3 police reports which chronicle the events that led to the rapper being hauled into custody on the day of the Super Bowl.

According to the docs, 21 Savage was in a red Dodge Challenger that cops say drove across the sidewalk in an attempt to get onto another street. The cops pulled the car over and ATF agents -- who were also on scene -- ordered 21 to stop and throw the keys out the window. According to the report, 21 threw the keys out, along with a bottle containing an unknown substance.

21 got out of the car and was immediately handcuffed and taken away by ATF. The police report has an evidence inventory section and lists the firearm -- the fully loaded Glock -- as connected to 21 Savage. The gun was found in the glove box in the Dodge 21 was driving. It had an extended magazine.

In the center console, there was a styrofoam cup containing an unknown substance. As for the bottle that was thrown out of the car ... cops don't say what was in it but it was taken into evidence.

What's unclear ... how ICE got involved. We had been previously told ICE directly took 21 Savage into custody at the scene, but according to the various documents, there were a variety of law enforcement agencies involved -- DeKalb K-9 Unit, Vice Unit, Narcotics Unit, ATF, Georgia State Patrol and the DeKalb 90 Unit ... but no mention of ICE. A source at ATF tells ICE was there, but for some reason, the agency is not listed on the report.

And, the documents say the target of the operation was actually another rapper -- Young Nudy -- who was in a separate car driving alongside of 21 Savage.

There were actually 3 cars involved in the arrest and cops say all of the people inside were connected. One guy -- Kalil Smith, who was in a different car from Savage -- was driving with an M4 rifle in the floorboard with the muzzle pointed in the direction of the officer.

As we reported, 21 Savage is in the custody of ICE, which is initiating deportation proceedings.

Justin Bieber says he was celibate for a year before getting back together and eventually marrying Hailey Baldwin -- and it sounds like he did it (or didn't do it) for the man upstairs.

The Biebers are featured in a new interview with Vogue, where JB revealed that he'd decided to keep it in his pants for a full 365 days prior to reconnecting with his ex last year as a way of "feeling closer to God." He says he thought it would be a good way of bettering the condition of his soul ... and thinks God rewarded him with Hailey as a result.

Even when they got back together, Justin says they refrained from sex until officially tying the knot in September during their NYC courthouse visit.

Bieber also says he had a "legitimate problem with sex" ... citing it as his remaining vice that didn't provide pleasure anymore. Speaking of vices, Justin also says he abused Xanax in his youth, adding ... "Drugs put a screen between me and what I was doing" -- namely, his promiscuity. He also says his security would sometimes check his pulse at night to see if he was still breathing.

Welp, the Biebers are legally hitched now -- so it's safe to assume they've been busy between the sheets. They say one of their motivations in getting married last September was because of a desire to have sex.

Ariana Grande is flashing a big thumbs-up over her ex, Pete Davidson, getting together with Kate Beckinsale -- but on the issue of backing out of the Grammys ... zip.

AG was leaving Westwood One Radio Networks late Wednesday night in Culver City and our photog asked if she thought Pete and Kate -- who's 20 years his senior -- make a good couple. It's a lot better than that. Ariana says they're, "So cute!!!"

PD and KB have been hangin' quite a bit lately, and recently left a theater together hand-in-hand. The new pairing doesn't seem to bother Ari one bit ... nothin' but love here.

And, not only for Pete ... you gotta see her interaction with our guy. Ariana introduced us to her mom and some of her pals. She still wasn't down to talk about her Grammys boycott -- reportedly because the show's producers won't let her perform "7 Rings."

But, there was one topic she was dying to discuss -- eats. Late-night eats. We've all been there.

Bow Wow might have to give up all of his personal belongings ... after getting royally OWNED in an epic rap battle on 'Wild 'N Out.'

TMZ got this clip of 'Wild 'N Out' cast member Conceited delivering a cold-hearted diss, aimed right at Bow Wow's jugular -- clowning him about how a couple of his exes ended up with Future.

His opening line -- "I think all your exes are psychics by the way they keep seeing the Future." The crowd ate it up, and it got worse from there. Watch ... BW looks pissed.

If you didn't know, Conceited's shot is touchy because it's totally true! Bow Wow was once engaged to Ciara ... they broke up, Ciara started dating Future and, of course, had a son with him. Later, Bow Wow dated Joie Chavis and had a daughter with her. When they broke up ... you-know-who swooped again, and also had a kid with Joie.

The episode -- airing this Friday at 8 P.M. on MTV -- was clearly taped before Super Bowl weekend when Bow Wow and his current GF, Kiyomi Leslie Holden, were both arrested in Atlanta for allegedly beating each other.

5:38 PM PT -- Offset just responded to CB's challenge ... saying "coke head don't want" smoke.

Chris Brown is going after Offset as their beef over 21 Savage continues to escalate ... with CB challenging Offset to a fight, and telling him to suck his d***.

Chris went NUCLEAR after the Migos rapper called him "lame" for posting a meme poking fun at 21 Savage for being from the United Kingdom.

Breezy launched an explicit series of insults at Offset, saying ... "F*** YOU LIL BOY ... SENSITIVE ASS N**** ... IF YOU A REAL MAN FIGHT ME. Oh and another thing, SUCK MY D***!!!!"

CB came back for seconds, because he hurled more insults ... adding this on top of his prior barbs, "If he don't get his EARTH WIND AND FIRE pootytang space suits WEARING CAP ASS LIL BOY da f*** out my comments and off my d***."

As you know, Offset and 21 have been close for years ... and it seems Offset isn't taking crap from anyone making fun of his boy for getting detained by ICE, a saga that's revealed 21 is actually from the UK and not from Atlanta.

Missy Elliott's being sued by the author of 'Bald is Beautiful' .... who claims the rapper stole an image of her smooth dome and slapped it on the cover of her 2016 single.

Jodi Pliszka, who has alopecia, says in her lawsuit ... she never gave Missy permission to use her picture. The shot Jodi's referring to shows Missy -- on her "Pep Rally" cover -- wearing a top that has a bald woman's face and head on it.

In docs obtained by TMZ, the author and motivational speaker says she did a modeling shoot years ago, and the image on Missy's chest is from that shoot.

To the naked eye ... it certainly seems like the woman on Missy's tee bears some resemblance to Jodi -- but whether it really is her might be a question for a jury.

Rap superstar 2 Chainz says he feels he's been getting "sh*tted on" by the NBA for years -- and it reached a boiling point this week when he was NOT selected for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

And yes ... he's serious.

The NBA announced the celeb team on Wednesday -- and while it includes people like Dr. Oz and Bad Bunny ... 2 Chainz didn't make the cut. He vented on Wednesday:

"HEY @nba YOU HAVE NEVER REACHED OUT FOR ME TO PLAY AND TO CLEAR SOME THINGS UP BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE IVE BEEN GETTIN SH*TTED ON BY THE LEAGUE SINCE 2013."

Chainz thinks he's been blacklisted by the league, stemming from a 2013 incident when someone in his camp allegedly hurled an insult at a female NBA staffer.

"He was wrong and I apologized on this behalf," 2 Chainz said. However, Chainz doesn't feel like the NBA accepted his apology because he's still treated like a 2nd class celebrity.

"IM ONE OF @nba BIGGEST SUPPORTERS and BARELY GET 'COURTSIDE' TIX."

By the way, Chainz is a LEGIT baller -- he played college ball on scholarship at Alabama State from 1995 to 1997.

He's not the only celeb upset at the All-Star snub -- Lil Rel is also pissed ... telling TMZ Sports that he's also got the resume to be in the game ... but his phone never rang either.

"I've starred in a basketball movie, got my own show, was in the biggest Netflix film and nothing. WTF. LMAO!"

Bow Wow's girlfriend claims the rapper hit her several times, took her phone and refused to let her out of a bedroom during the 911 call she made to cops.

In the call -- obtained by TMZ -- a distraught Kiyomi Leslie Holden tells the operator she was assaulted by Bow Wow and fled his apartment to make the call. Kiyomi Leslie claims cops showed up for a previous disturbance before the actual arrest, but Bow Wow and two of his friends refused to let her out of a bedroom to speak with officers.

An additional 911 call was made by the apartment building's manager who claimed a resident called her to complain about the fight. The resident allegedly heard a male voice saying he would, "Slap the f*** out of this bitch."

As we reported ... Bow Wow was arrested in Atlanta early Saturday morning for striking Kiyomi Leslie, but Kiyomi Leslie was also arrested for hitting him.

Remember the guy who made the entire planet whip and Nae Nae like nobody's business?? Dude's teamin' up with a Hall of Famer now ... bustin' out a random dance sesh with Andre Reed!!

Rapper Silento broke the internet back in 2015 with his viral hit, "Watch Me" ... and don't lie, you LOVED that song when it came out.

The duo teamed up for a special reading event at the Boys & Girls Club in Decatur, Georgia over Super Bowl weekend ... and took advantage of their time together by whippin' out their moves in the streets of ATL.

4:23 PM PT -- This is a little complicated, but here's why 21 Savage's lawyer applied for a U-Visa 4 years ago. The application was submitted just after a judge vacated his drug conviction, and they felt they were eligible for legal status. That application fell into an abyss -- it was neither approved nor rejected. So in 2017, 21 Savage reapplied for a U-Visa and it has been pending ever since.

What's more ... there is solid law suggesting ICE had to release the rapper on bond, rather than keep him in custody.

Jay-Z is coming to the defense of 21 Savage, slamming his arrest by ICE and throwing some major support his way ... including help with his upcoming legal battle.

The hip-hop mogul calls the arrest and detention of the "Bank Account" rapper "an absolute travesty" ... and points out his U Visa application has been pending for years.

Jay says ... "In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately."

Also, even though Savage isn't a Roc Nation artist, Jay-Z's company has responded to what it calls a "matter of injustice" by hiring attorney Alex Spiro to assist with his case.

Spiro tells TMZ, "We are not going to stop until he is released, bonded out or in front of a judge ... What we have here is someone who overstayed their Visa with an application pending for 4 years - not a convicted criminal that needs to be detained and removed but, by all accounts a wonderful person, father, and entertainer who has a marijuana offense which was vacated and sealed."

We're told 21 actually had a U Visa permit pending for 4 years before he reapplied for one in 2017, which -- as we reported -- may have led to a background check that discovered his visa was expired and triggered his arrest.

21 Savage thinks it's more nefarious than that, though -- he believes ICE arrested him early Sunday morning in Atlanta as revenge for his new music that slammed the behavior of immigration officials.