Music

4:29 PM PT -- Goldenvoice issued a statement about the worker who died Saturday, saying ... "Today, Goldenvoice lost a colleague, a friend, a family member. Our friend fell while working on a festival stage. It is with heavy hearts and tremendous difficulty that we confirm his passing. He has been with our team for 20 years in the desert and was doing what he loved. He was a hard-working and loving person that cared deeply about his team. As our lead rigger, he was responsible for the countless incredible shows that have been put on at the festival. We will miss him dearly."

There's already a death on Coachella's doorstep one week before the festival officially gets underway ... TMZ has learned.

A worker died Saturday morning at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA while he was helping set up one of the many stages at the venue. Eyewitnesses on the ground tell us the guy was climbing the stage scaffolding to do some rigging ahead of opening day next Friday.

It's unclear exactly how or why, but we're told the man fell about 60 feet to the ground -- as he wasn't clipped in, meaning he had no safety harness attached to a cable to prevent him from plummeting.

An Indio Police spokesperson confirms that a call was placed around 9:30 AM PT Saturday to report an industrial accident on the Coachella Concert grounds for somebody who'd fallen near the staging area. Police and fire units responded, but we're told the victim was pronounced dead on the scene.

The IPD rep says the exact circumstances surrounding the man's death is under investigation.

Coachella appears to have carried on without very many fatalities up until 2014, when a female festival goer died of a drug overdose ... which is believed to be one of the first -- if not, the only -- deaths to occur in Coachella's two-decade history.

We've reached out to Goldenvoice -- which puts on Coachella each year -- for comment ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 1:12 PM PT

The family of slain rapper Nipsey Hussle will give him a spectacular memorial service at the gold standard for L.A. venues -- the Staples Center ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us, the service will take place Thursday morning at the 21,000 seat venue. We're told tickets will be available for the event through a website. Only ticket holders will gain admission.

Our sources say there was a meeting Wednesday with Nipsey's family and honchos from Staples. LAPD officials were also present in the meeting to help plan logistics and security for the event.

It's a massive undertaking to plan such a major event in less than a week. Staging equipment must be rented, and the rental companies have already been contacted. We've learned ushers who work at Staples have already been asked to reserve the day so they can work.

The turnaround for the venue will also be quick -- the final Clippers game for the regular season is the night before.

Sublime bassist Eric Wilson was seriously injured in an ATV accident on his California ranch ... sustaining a broken arm and 4 ribs -- his manager tells TMZ.

Manager Cheez tells us Wilson was working on his avocado ranch when his ATV rolled over ... crushing him. Rescue responded and rushed him to a hospital near San Diego.

We're told Wilson went into the operating room and the surgery lasted nearly 5 hours.

The accident occurred Thursday and he's still in the hospital, but he's expected to recover and be released early next week.

Back in the '90s, Sublime was an ultra-popular band, with massive hits like "Santeria" and "What I Got." The band broke up in 1997 after its lead singer, Bradley Nowell, died from an overdose. Wilson still tours with Sublime with Rome -- same band, new singer.

As for why he was on the ATV ... he was working on his 20-acre avocado ranch in Bonsall, CA, near San Diego.

Mally Mall and Swae Lee can always visit the L.A. Zoo if they want to see jungle cats and monkeys ... because there's little to no chance they're getting their exotic pets back.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... after Mally's Serval cat and Swae's spider monkey were seized in Wednesday's SWAT raids, the animals were immediately taken to special facilities. We're told Mally and Swae will ONLY get the animals back if they had legal reasons to possess them -- such as owning a zoo or an animal educational facility -- and that's just not the case here.

Even if Mally and Swae had a legit reason for housing the Serval cat and spider monkey, we're told they would still need to apply for permits to get the animals back, but those applications would be blocked because of their history.

Mally's had tons of issues with exotic animals in the past ... the Health Dept. launched an investigation when he brought a capuchin monkey to the Ace of Diamonds strip club, and he once gifted Justin Bieber a monkey and an ocelot.

We broke the story ... 40 SWAT team members, armed to the teeth, raided Mally's home Wednesday morning, executing search warrants for exotic animal possession and human trafficking. Swae's home was also raided.

As it stands, we're told the Serval cat and spider monkey seized in the raids are being housed in facilities that are permitted to possess each type of animal, with the capability of providing proper care and adequate caging.

Maybe just a house cat next time?!?

Nipsey Hussle's death is prompting something extraordinary in L.A. -- a full peace treaty between several gangs, and they're demonstrating together to show their love for the slain rapper.

A peace march went down Friday afternoon in Crenshaw, not far from where Nipsey was murdered. We're told the march was set in motion Thursday evening when gang leaders from Watts, Compton, L.A. and Inglewood all met up to discuss a cease-fire.

During the meeting, we're told leaders talked about putting the word out in their neighborhoods to put down their firearms and show more unity -- starting with the Friday afternoon march.

We're told members of all the gangs are gathering outside a grocery store in Nipsey's Crenshaw hood, and will walk together for a couple blocks ... ending up outside his Marathon clothing store.

There hasn't been this kind of peace between so many L.A. gangs since 1992. We spoke to community leader, Big U, about getting everyone on the same page.

Chance the Rapper's bodyguard allegedly unleashed a can of whoop-ass -- caught on surveillance video -- and now the guy on the receiving end is suing.

Travis Montgomery is suing the rapper's muscle, claiming Star Thomas beat the hell outta him in August 2017 after a verbal exchange inside the lobby of the W Hotel in Chicago. Montgomery says the incident was even more violent considering Thomas's size ... 6 foot 4 and about 300 pounds, according to the suit.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Montgomery says Thomas had blocked him from jumping inside an elevator earlier in the day, because Chance was aboard. Montgomery says he ran into Chance's entourage again later in the day -- and that's when things got violent in the lobby.

Montgomery claims Thomas grabbed him by the neck, pushed him violently into a wall and held him by his neck, choking him. You can see it all play out in the video.

As we first reported ... cops were called to the scene and Thomas was booked for misdemeanor simple battery. Montgomery, who's hired attorney Tim Tomasik ... also has beef with the hotel for having inadequate security.

Ice Cube agrees ... there's absolutely no reason to delay immortalizing Nipsey Hussle on the streets of his hometown, and he also has a message for people feeling the loss.

We got Cube Friday at LAX and asked him about a Change.org petition calling on city officials to rename the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd. and Slauson Ave. as "Nipsey Hussle Way." The petition has spread like wildfire ... and already has more than 420,000 signatures.

Check out the clip ... Cube's on board with anything that keeps Nipsey's legacy alive.

However, he also hinted at something that's been a concern in L.A. since Nipsey's murder: the fear of retaliation and more violence. Even as he offered positive thoughts, Cube's parting words seemed to refer to that simmering threat.

Even police are worried Nipsey's accused killer, Eric Holder, could be offed in jail -- and, as a result, he's being held in solitary confinement.

French Montana's song, "Ain't Worried About Nothin," features his voice and his lyrics, but everything else about it was created by someone else ... according to a lawsuit.

Eddie Lee Richardson, who goes by Hotwire the Producer, says French straight jacked a song he'd uploaded the year before 'Ain't Worried' was released.

Hotwire says his track, "*Hood* Pushin' Weight," hit SoundClick in 2012 as an instrumental with a "unique and artistic array of digital sounds and rhythms." According to the suit, it was also "tagged" with a single and repeating vocal ... "Hotwire." He says it was his way of marking his work, so no one could steal it.

French's song dropped in April 2013, and Hotwire says it's an exact duplicate of the music he created and produced ... just with lyrics and vocals on top of it.

Listen to both tracks ... there is more than a passing similarity, at least to our ears.

Beyonce did NOT walk out of a meeting with Reebok because it lacked diversity contrary to reports ... this according to the shoe company.

A rep for Reebok tells TMZ ... "The report that Beyoncé walked out of a meeting with Reebok due to lack of diversity is categorically false. Our discussions with Beyoncé and her team continued for several months after our initial meeting. We are disappointed that false information is being reported as fact."

It is not yet clear why the deal ultimately fell through.

ICYMI ... ESPN reported during a segment on Rachel Nichols' show, "The Jump," claiming Bey walked out of a meeting with Reebok after realizing its corporate structure wasn't at all diverse.

As we reported ... it was just announced Beyonce ultimately signed with Adidas, which will relaunch Bey's Ivy Park line.

Nipsey Hussle is so beloved in L.A. and beyond, family members in charge of planning his memorial are searching for a venue that can accommodate what will almost certainly be an enormous crowd.

Sources close to the slain Crenshaw rapper tell TMZ ... planning is underway and the family is looking at venues, but their choices are extremely limited because most of what's available is just too small.

We're told the family has already passed on venues with 2,000 seats -- they need something MUCH bigger, and they're looking at venues that can accommodate upwards of 15,000 mourners.

The only 2 real venues in L.A. that could accommodate the crowd would likely be The Forum in Inglewood and Staples Center in Downtown L.A. The other interesting possibility is the Hollywood Bowl. BTW ... Michael Jackson's memorial service was held at Staples.

Nipsey was a man of the people, and we're told his family wants to ensure everyone who wants to will be able to celebrate his life. Nip had an enormous impact on the community and his murder resonated in L.A. and way beyond ... with memorials and candlelight vigils popping up across the globe.

We broke the story ... Nipsey was brutally murdered outside his store Sunday afternoon in the Hyde Park section of L.A.

Avicii's taking a posthumous farewell lap ... with a new album set to be released after the family decided it did NOT wanna keep his music locked away.

The late superstar DJ's team announced Friday it will be releasing a new album this summer titled "TIM." Avicii's government name is Tim Bergling. The album's set to drop on June 6, but fans won't have to wait that long to get a taste of Avicii's latest genius. The single "SOS" will be released on April 10.

Avicii's team says the DJ was close to completing the new album before his tragic passing back in April 2018. The team says Avicii left behind a collection of nearly finished songs ... along with notes, email conversations and text messages about the music.

The DJ's family then decided it wanted to share it with fans around the world. Proceeds from the album will benefit the Tim Bergling Foundation to help prevent mental illness and suicide.

LeBron James and the Lakers paid tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle on Thursday ... with Bron rocking a shirt honoring the slain rapper at the game.

The NBA superstar was crushed after Nipsey was shot and killed outside his L.A. store on Sunday ... sharing recent convos he had with the rapper and listening to his music during workouts.

LBJ honored Nipsey with his wardrobe choice for L.A.'s game against the Warriors on Thursday night ... wearing a shirt with his face on it.

"Man Nip I promise I’ll continue to fly high for you bro!! The Marathon Must Continue On!! 🏁," Bron said on IG.

"And while you’re resting and enjoying paradise I hope I can make you proud down here below. "

The Lakers honored Nipsey with a moment of silence during the game as well.

JR Smith -- LeBron's old teammate -- also repped Nipsey while out in Hollywood on Thursday ... wearing a red Crenshaw hoodie.

A lot of hoopers and other athletes have paid tribute after Nipsey's death this week ... with Russell Westbrook dedicating his 20-20-20 game to him on Wednesday.

Nipsey was 33 years old. RIP.

2:53 PM PT -- Holder just pled not guilty and his bond was set at $5 million ... he will be back in court May 10. Holder's attorney is Chris Darden ... who was famously part of the prosecution team in O.J. Simpson's double murder trial.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer, Eric Holder, is now officially charged with murder, and he's about to appear in court for the first time since his arrest.

The L.A. County D.A. charged him with 1 count of murder, 2 counts of attempted murder and 1 count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Holder faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

The attempted murder charges are for the alleged shootings of Kerry Lathan and Shermi Cervabta Villanueva. We broke the story ... the only reason Nipsey was at his Marathon Clothing store Sunday morning was to help his friend Kerry -- who recently got out of jail -- get some new clothes. Shermi is Kerry's nephew and had driven him to meet with Nipsey.

Holder is being held in solitary confinement, as cops fear he'll be offed in jail because they believe he's a target. As we reported ... LAPD picked up Holder from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department station in Lakewood after his Tuesday arrest, and transferred him to a police station in South L.A.

It's doubtful he sees the light of day anytime soon, his bail's already been set at a whopping $7,040,000.

Cops say they believe Holder -- who goes by the street name, Shitty Cuz -- is the person seen in surveillance video shooting Nipsey and his friends multiple times. The Crenshaw rapper died Sunday afternoon from gunshots to his head and torso.

Beyonce is now kickin' it with the three stripes ... cause she just signed with Adidas!!

The company just announced it's inked Bey to a new "multi-layered" deal. Adidas will also launch her signature sneakers and apparel. As part of the deal, Bey's gonna serve as a creative partner.

Beyonce had launched her own activewear line back in 2016 called Ivy Park -- a collaboration with Topshop. Her new plan is to relaunch Ivy Park under Adidas.

The singer says, “This is the partnership of a lifetime for me. Adidas has had tremendous success in pushing creative boundaries. We share a philosophy that puts creativity, growth and social responsibility at the forefront of business."

Shoe companies signing artists is nothing new. Puma signed Rihanna back in 2014 and Reebok followed suit that same year with Kendrick Lamar. Of course, Adidas started the trend by teaming with Kanye West.

You'll recall the shoe giant signed Ye back in 2013 to produce his Yeezys ... after he bounced from Nike. In 2016, Adidas described its Kanye collab as "the most significant partnership between a non-athlete and a sports brand."

Sorry, Drake ... but for Bey, it's stripes over checks.

Mally Mall has been accused in a civil lawsuit of running a major sex/human trafficking operation out of Vegas.

The lawsuit was filed by 3 Nevada prostitutes, who are asking a judge to declare the State's prostitution law unconstitutional on grounds it violates the 13th Amendment which prohibits slavery.

The lawsuit was widely covered when it was filed several weeks ago, but buried in the documents are allegations against the famed record producer. One of the prostitutes who filed the case claims in 2006 she responded to an ad for a job posting by one of Mally Mall's employees.

The company was VIP Entertainment based in Dallas. She claims this is just one of a number of shell companies Mally Mall used to disguise escort services.

She says she was trafficked across state lines and came to Vegas to work as a prostitute for the company.

The woman says Mally Mall used "methods of fraud" to entice women into working for him by saying the work was glamorous and they were like Playboy Bunnies and he was like Hugh Hefner. She says she was also "forced" to perform oral sex on him.

She says initially she was allowed to keep 30% of the money she earned but eventually she had to give up 100% to Mally. She says she was booked to travel to Chicago and Boston for sex, where she was only given a small allowance to cover food and hotels.

The woman goes on to say at the time, "Mally Mall was entering the music industry and he was recognized as a major pimp in the illegal sex trade in Las Vegas."

Nipsey Hussle was surrounded by family and famous friends when he was pronounced dead at the hospital after being brutally ambushed by a gunman.

Sources close to the slain rapper tell TMZ ... Nipsey's fam and closest pals in the music biz rushed to the hospital Sunday afternoon after learning he had just been gunned down outside his clothing store. Lauren London, YG, DJ Mustard, Dom Kennedy, Karen Civil, twins Malika and Khadijah, and his bodyguard, J-Roc, were there, alongside his brother, Sam, and other family members.

It took a long time for the shocking turn of events to hit home ... we're told everyone who rushed to see Nipsey waited around the hospital for hours after they were told he was dead. As you can imagine, no one wanted to believe their lover, brother, relative or friend was gone forever.

We're told everyone in the room was devastated when doctors delivered the terrible news, and those assembled prayed, cried and tried to console each other. A sad scene, for sure.

Lauren only recently broke her silence on Nipsey's passing, saying she's lost without the father of her child ... and YG posted a heartfelt tribute on social media Wednesday, saying he'll never accept Nip's sudden passing.