Music

No shirts were taken off, twisted around hands and spun like helicopters at NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte ... and Petey Pablo is pissed.

Remember, Pablo's 2001 hit, "Raise Up," is all about North Carolina pride -- and the NBA even used the song in an All-Star game promo.

But Pablo, who's from NC, wasn't invited to perform during the ASW festivities -- and it's clear he's upset about it, calling out the NBA, TNT and the Charlotte Hornets on social media.

"To all my fans thank you guys for all the love and support. You will have to ask @NBA @NBAonTNT @hornets @NBAAllStar why I wasn’t added as a performer this year for all star.

"I guess they just wanted to rock the building and not tear the whole roof off."

Instead, ASW featured performers like Meek Mill, J. Cole and constant tributes to the Curry family (Steph, Seth and Dell all have deep ties to NC).

The players didn't seem to miss Petey -- as evidenced by this pic of LeBron James and his teammates coming out of the locker room at halftime to watch J. Cole perform.

Soulja Boy and Blac Chyna's relationship started as a total troll job against Tyga, but just like in a rom com ... it transformed into the real deal.

Sources close to the new couple tell TMZ ... when they initially started chatting a couple weeks ago by sliding into each other's DMs, they concocted a plan to piss off Tyga -- start pretending they were dating.

As you know ... Tyga is Chyna's ex and Soulja Boy and Tyga have had serious beef in 2019 over who had the biggest comeback last year. So, we're told they both were down to hang out, hook up and piss off their nemesis.

Then a funny thing happened -- the 2 actually started to like each other after a few dates and decided to make it official ... according to our sources.

We're told they appreciate and respect that the other one has their own career rolling right now, and they feel like they can take things slow. So far, no talk about moving in together or anything too serious.

As we reported, they already took things to the next level on Valentine's Day ... with a pricey shopping outing in Beverly Hills.

YBN Almighty Jay is being investigated for allegedly jacking another rapper's chain, Rolex and cash ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... YBN Almighty Jay was filming videos Thursday in Chatsworth, CA with another rap artist, when he and his crew allegedly ran off with tons of loot after the last take. We're told YBN Almighty Jay has been named a suspect felony grand theft in the police report.

We're told YBN Almighty Jay and his entourage allegedly stole a $40k chain, $20k Rolex and $20k cash from rapper Skinnyfromthe9.

In surveillance video, obtained by TMZ, you see 2 men approach Skinnyfromthe9 as he chills in a Range Rover. After a struggle, the 2 men hightail it outta there.

Sources say the rappers were using Skinnyfromthe9's chain, Rolex and cash as props in a skit for social media.

Talk about a complete 180 for the National Anthem performance at this year's NBA All-Star Game ... sorry, Fergie.

Anthony Hamilton took the reigns Sunday to do his own rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," and he absolutely killed it ... even with a slowed-down version -- unlike his predecessor.

The soul singer took his time, and hit every note he needed to ... and the crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Even more telling ... no NBA players were laughing. You'll recall ... Fergie had guys like Draymond Green and others giggling on the court.

Fergie eventually came out and apologized for her performance after it was roasted by just about everyone, saying she tried her best.

No question ... Anthony's got Fergie beat. But the real question now is, who did better ... AH or Marvin Gaye??? In case you didn't know, MG belted out what many consider to be the best rendition of the National Anthem during the 1983 NBA All-Star Game.

Details of Tekashi 6ix9ine's plea deal are now public, and it looks like about the best deal he could get ... way less than even the minimum sentence for a boatload of crimes.

Tekashi was facing a MINIMUM of 47 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars after pleading guilty to racketeering, conspiracy, firearms offenses, narcotics trafficking and other crimes.

As we reported, the rapper cooperated with the feds and even testified before the Grand Jury. The U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York agreed "not to prosecute [69] for the crimes set forth in Counts One through Nine." So, various crimes are off the books. In addition, prosecutors agreed not to go after 69 for crimes he told prosecutors about but have not yet been charged.

The plea deal also says, "It is understood that the defendant's cooperation is likely to reveal the activities of individuals and that witness protection may be required at a later date." It sounds like that may be necessary, because 69's testimony implicates hardened criminals accused of extremely violent crimes.

It's ultimately up to the judge to determine sentence ... but the prosecutors say if Tekashi keeps talking, he'll get a gigantic break ... "should the defendant successfully cooperate, the government agrees that it will file at the time of sentencing a motion ... for a sentence below any mandatory minimum."

6:44 PM PT -- R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg tells TMZ ... "I am unaware of any 'special' grand jury being convened to look into R. Kelly. There is no record of any such proceedings, and no need for them. The report is false."

A grand jury has been convened to hear evidence against R. Kelly in the wake of a new sex tape that reportedly shows him having sex with a 14-year-old girl -- and some of his alleged former victims might've been the reason a jury was formed so swiftly.

Sources connected with the Cook County State Attorney's investigation tell us a number of women who claim to be victims of R. Kelly were recently flown out to Chicago to watch the sex tape Michael Avenatti handed over to prosecutors.

Avenatti says the tape clearly shows R. Kelly having explicit sex with the girl. CNN -- which saw the tape -- described lurid details, including R. Kelly allegedly urinating on the minor.

Our sources say that these women -- some of whom have never surfaced -- were brought in to watch the new tape to see if anything looks familiar ... including the setting, surroundings, location and, of course, the identity of the 14-year-old.

The tape, and possible witnesses who can contextualize the video, may be enough for a grand jury to indict.

1:22 PM PST -- Roy Richter -- who serves as the president of the Captains Endowment Association, a union that reps Emanuel Gonzalez -- tells TMZ ... the allegation that Gonzalez told fellow officers to shoot 50 Cent on sight last year is completely false. Richter tells us Gonzalez never said that, and that he completely denies any suggestion he did. In fact, Richter says it was 50 who put Gonzalez's safety at risk by publishing a threatening Instagram post.

10:00 AM PST -- 50 Cent has responded to the Daily News article on Instagram saying, "I take this threat very seriously," and he is consulting with his legal counsel all the while posting a photo of Emanuel Gonzalez.

An NYPD officer is under investigation for allegedly telling his fellow cops to shoot 50 Cent on sight ... TMZ has confirmed.

Police sources tell TMZ, Commanding Officer Emanuel Gonzalez made the comment last June during roll call at the 72nd Precinct. What apparently triggered his comment ... 50 was scheduled to attend an NYPD boxing match in the Bronx. Gonzalez said, "Shoot him on sight."

Gonzalez has had beef with 50 ... according to the NY Daily News, which broke the story, a month before Gonzalez made his comment he filed an aggravated harassment complaint claiming 50 threatened him on Instagram.

50 had accused Gonzalez of "shaking down" the owner of one of 50's go-to clubs ... this according to the Daily News. 50 wrote on his Instagram, "Get the strap" -- slang for gun. Gonzalez says 50's followers subsequently threatened him with violence.

We're told Gonzalez has said it was just a joke, but the matter was reported to higher-ups in the Department and Internal Affairs is now investigating.

Gonzalez is a long-timer in the Department -- 30 years -- and he's still on duty.

50's rep tells TMZ," Mr. Jackson takes this threat very seriously and is consulting with his legal counsel regarding his options going forward. He is concerned that he was not previously advised of this threat by the NYPD and even more concerned that Gonzalez continues to carry a badge and a gun."

Miranda Lambert has left Tennesse and is now back in the Big Apple with a hunk of a husband hanging from her arm ... and some sweet new bling perched on her finger.

The country singer was spotted hand-in-hand with Brendan McLoughlin Saturday in SoHo, where they were both rockin' their wedding bands, and a little something extra for Miranda ... her engagement ring. They also had matching leather jackets to boot.

Good choice in attire ... NYC reached a high of 42 degrees Saturday afternoon, so the coats probably kept them warm in the chilly weather. A new boo helps in that department too.

As we reported, Miranda announced her surprise nuptials this weekend to the NYPD officer, who seems to have come out of nowhere. Reports say the newlyweds got hitched in late January down in Nashville ... where she recently had a bit of a salad spat.

Like we first told you ... Miranda got into a heated argument at a Nashville steakhouse last weekend, which boiled over into her dumping a salad onto a woman's lap.

BlocBoy JB is a wanted man in his home state of Tennessee ... according to police, who say he's facing multiple criminal charges.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office tweeted out the news Saturday about the local Memphis MC, saying BB JB -- real name James Baker -- is wanted for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, and for theft of property.

It's unclear what incident these charges stem from, but cops are asking the public for any information about his current whereabouts.

BlocBoy's Instagram story has been quiet over the past 24 hours, but he posted a photo of himself with a tagged location of Memphis, TN just last weekend.

You'll recall ... BlocBoy JB is one of many celebs currently suing the developers of Fortnite for allegedly ripping off his Shoot dance and throwing it in the game ... calling it the Hype dance.

21 Savage skipped out on a paid gig at a club after voicing complaints about the opening act and demanding he be allowed to carry his gun ... this according to the promoter who booked him.

The promoter, Karen Smith, tells TMZ ... she booked 21 Savage for a fee of $17,000 to play a Sept. 2016 show at Bo'Maz Club in Hinesville, GA, but 21 and his crew bounced without saying a word.

The promoter tells us she caved and allowed him to carry his weapon. We're also told by someone who was at the show ... 21 groused about the opening act -- a local rapper -- and asked the DJ to cut him off but the DJ refused. 21 got angry, and he and his crew beat it.

In video from the club, obtained by TMZ, you see the local rapper performing on stage when 21 and his crew get up and leave ... before he performed a single song.

We broke the story ... the promoter went to cops in October 2016 and filed paperwork to get a felony warrant against 21 Savage for theft by deception, claiming he walked off with $17k for a show that never went down.

The warrant was issued but sat for more than 2 years. After 21 was arrested by ICE on Super Bowl Sunday, the club owner went to the Sheriff and decided to pursue the criminal case.

21 Savage turned himself in Friday morning and was booked for felony theft by deception. He was released within a half hour.

We reached out to 21's lawyer, Abbi Taylor, and she doubled down on her claim that 21 has committed no criminal offense. We believe he'll end up paying the woman and if that's what she's after she'll probably drop the case.

Don Cheadle made a powerful statement on 'SNL' Saturday night -- not audibly, but visually.

Cheadle hosted the show and when he introduced the musical guest, Gary Clark, Jr., he wore a tee with the words "Protect Trans Kids" emblazoned on it.

The actor said nothing about the message, but as you know Donald Trump has attacked the trans community with policies like booting them from the military. Trump also reversed the Obama policy of supporting the rights of trans students to use the bathroom of their choice.

Soulja Boy's visit from Johnny Law did not end well -- for the cops -- which is why there's now a second investigation involving the rapper.

Law enforcement sources tell us the Ventura County Sheriff's deputies who executed a search warrant at Soulja's crib last week returned to their vehicles to find their tires slashed. The deputies were there investigating the allegation from of the rapper's exes that he had kidnapped her.

We're told while detectives were inside Soulja's home, someone slashed the tires of 3 unmarked police cars ... causing damage in excess of $1,000. Our sources say the Sheriff's Dept. has opened a felony vandalism investigation. The cars were parked on the street, not on Soulja's driveway.

We're told the Sheriff's Dept doesn't know if the tire slashing is connected to anyone in Soulja's house.

As for the "kidnapping" investigation -- we're told Soulja is cooperating and cops seized some items during their search.

It sounds like there's some serious buyer's remorse going on with the last Presidential election because people went wild for Hillary Clinton Friday night.

Hillary, Bill and Chelsea hit up "To Kill a Mockingbird" -- the hottest ticket on Broadway -- and we're told by others who attended when the crowd inside realized the former first fam was several rows back from the stage they all went crazy ... erupting in big applause.

Beck's divorcing his actress wife, Marissa Ribisi, after nearly 15 years of marriage.

The singer filed the divorce petition Friday in Los Angeles. He and Marissa got married in April 2004 and they have 2 kids together -- a 14-year-old son named Cosimo, and an 11-year-old daughter named Tuesday.

Marissa's had roles in "Dazed and Confused," "Pleasantville" and several other movies. She's the twin sister of Giovanni Ribisi.

The production company behind a Drake documentary is suing Universal Music Group for ratting them out, and getting the project yanked from streaming platforms.

Symettrica Entertainment rips UMG in the lawsuit, saying the music co. fired off notices to remove all the Drake music and video clips the documentary entitled, "Drake: Re-writing the Rules." Obviously, that would create a major hole in a Drake documentary ... if it were devoid of his image and music.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Universal's power move "has nothing to do with purported 'copyright infringement,' and everything to do with placating its artist Drake by attempting to suppress any commentary or criticism of Drake."

The unauthorized doc was released on Vevo in November, and then hit Netflix, iTunes and Amazon on January 16. Symettrica says it got UMG's notice the next day and, 2 days later, all the digital platforms caved ... saying they had no choice but to pull the documentary.

Symettrica insists its use of the Drake clips was fair use, and says it's lost a ton of money because UMG shut them down.

The death of Anthony Myrie, a NY state prison inmate, has become a cause celebre -- with Cardi B and Meek Mill suggesting a cover-up -- which is forcing the prison to release new details about the mystery.

New York Department of Corrections spokesperson Thomas Mailey tells TMZ ... the death of Anthony Myrie on February 11 at the Greene Correctional Facility near Albany "appears to be consistent with sudden cardiac arrest."

Mailey says the prison typically doesn't provide facts about an ongoing investigation, but it's making an exception due to "the abundance of misinformation in circulation."

After news of Myrie's death came out ... Cardi and Meek both shared a message from Myrie's family, alleging prison guards may have been responsible for hurting him. They also accused prison officials of lying about where his body was being held to "buy time to cover this up."

According to Mailey ... Myrie was involved in a 3-on-1 fight with other inmates, but officers broke it up without using force. Mailey says Myrie was examined after the incident and the medical staff found no injuries.

However, Mailey says Myrie complained of chest pain shortly afterward while he was waiting to be interviewed by prison staff. When they took him back to the medical unit, he collapsed ... "unconscious and unresponsive."

He was given emergency medical services by the staff before being transferred to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.