Music

The Los Angeles Angels are dead last in the AL West right now ... and here's Halos superfan ScHoolboy Q to passionately explain what needs to happen to turn things around!!

"Get some pitching," the "Numb Numb Juice" rapper told TMZ Sports out in NYC on Thursday.

"You can't win if you can't strike nobody out and stop walking people and then people hit the sh*t over the f*cking gate."

Q is a MASSIVE Angels fan -- he's even thrown out the ceremonial first pitch!!

Q's got a point -- the Angels' team ERA is one of the worst in the league with nearly 5 runs allowed per game.

L.A.'s 2-8 in their last 10 games -- they'll have to make it all season without their superstar pitcher Shohei Ohtani ... and the players ain't the only guys missing him.

R. Kelly was so "overwhelmed" with his legal woes, he had no idea what the hell he was reading after he was served papers while in jail ... much less know how to handle it in court and that's why he lost his sexual abuse case ... so claims his lawyer who is fighting to undo the legal defeat.

You'll recall the embattled singer was sued by Heather Williams in Cook County, Illinois back in February ... claiming Kelly sexually abused her when she was 16 years old. The lawsuit came on the heels of Kelly dealing with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Williams' attorney, Jeffrey Deutschman, initially fired off a legal letter in an effort to settle out of court. But, they got no response from Kelly's team so they forged ahead with the lawsuit. What's more ... Williams said she tried serving Kelly at Trump Tower but security made it mission impossible.

Somehow, Williams served Kelly while he was in jail for failing to pay child support ... this according to Kelly's civil attorney, Brian Nix, who tells TMZ ... "R. Kelly was served while incarcerated on the child support case and he was overwhelmed by the experience of being in jail." When Kelly failed to appear for a hearing, Williams won a default judgment against the singer.

Nix says, "[Being overwhelmed] coupled with Mr. Kelly not being cognizant of what the motion fully meant led to him missing the hearing. I had no idea he had been served." There's a hearing set for next month to determine damages.

Kelly's lawyer is trying to get the default judgment set aside so they can fight it out in court on the merits.

Britney Spears will have a big reunion today ... with her kids.

Britney and Kevin Federline have joint custody of 13-year-old Sean and 12-year-old Jayden. The arrangement has been that she gets them 3 days, he gets them 3 days, she gets them 3 days, he gets them 3 days, and so on.

Britney has had less than the agreed-upon 50/50 custody for several months leading up to her stay at the mental health facility. While she was doing poorly, the kids would visit, but Kevin had the kids most of the time.

So, Britney begins her 3 days with the kids today, but there's still significant concern about her mental state. Our sources say the 30-day stay at a mental health facility -- which ended Wednesday -- put her in a better place, but there are still issues with her judgment, and it goes beyond medication.

As we reported, doctors continue to struggle, trying to find the right combination of meds to stabilize Britney. The meds she had been taking lost their efficacy, and creating a new cocktail is fraught with problems. Britney had stopped taking the new meds earlier this year when they were doing more harm than good.

We're told progress is being made, but there's another big unresolved factor. The meds will stabilize her, but there are more fundamental mental health issues that go to judgment and perspective, and that requires intensive therapy ... something she has been and will continue to receive.

Short story ... she's doing better, but she's not right, at least not yet. It's something her dad, Jamie, has been dealing with for nearly a dozen years as her conservator, trying to give her the space she needs to live her life, and at the same time steer her away from disaster.

The woman Remy Ma allegedly punched at a concert in NYC wants the venue and police to preserve surveillance footage of the incident ... a sure sign she's about to sue the rapper.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Brittney Taylor filed legal docs this week asking the Irving Plaza and NYPD to hold on to video, photographs, investigative reports and all other evidence in connection to her alleged altercation with Remy ... during the Pretty Lou's Benefit Concert on April 16.

As we reported, Taylor claims Remy punched her in the right eye after the 2 had an argument in the backstage area. Brittney went to the hospital for treatment and filed a police report.

So far, there have been no arrests or charges filed, and sources close to Remy say there's no validity to the story.

Taylor's sticking to it, though. According to the legal docs ... she says she suffered serious personal injuries and believes there's surveillance of the incident.

Taylor Swift is dropping her new single at midnight ... and she says the new track is all about embracing your individuality, celebrating it and owning it.

After dropping tons of hints about her new song throughout the day Thursday, Taylor finally opened up about her new music in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts during the first round of the NFL Draft, which is going down in Nashville -- Taylor's hometown.

All eyes were on Taylor as she gave some background on the song ... and it's not just because she was wearing a bright, rainbow wrap dress. Any time Taylor drops new music it's huge news, and she says her new song featuring Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco is going to get stuck in your head and make you feel better about yourself!!!

As you know ... Taylor has been teasing a new musical era for months, and things kicked up a notch Thursday when she posed in front of a beautiful mural in Nashville, created by artist Kelsey Montague.

As you can see ... the mural features 2 massive butterfly wings with the word "ME!" sandwiched between them. Taylor said the mural was filled with clues about her new single ... and it turns out the title was in front of our faces the whole time!!!

We talked to the mural's artist ... and Kelsey tells us when she was first approached by ABC about making an interactive street mural, she was simply directed to create something featuring butterfly wings, hearts, stars, flowers and rainbows, and immediately felt inspired.

Kelsey tells us she was kept in the dark about what the project was ultimately for ... but she still had a feeling it had something to do with Taylor.

Taylor's star power was on full display ... because on a night that's about young men finally realizing their dream of playing in the NFL after years of busting their ass on a football field, she completely stole the show.

4/26 6:04 AM PT -- Taylor's song is here, and already it is just shy of 29 million views.

Chief Keef just dodged jail time in his South Dakota airport drug case ... thanks to a sweet plea deal.

The rapper appeared in court Friday and entered a no contest plea for felony possession of a controlled substance. Two misdemeanor charges -- possession of weed and paraphernalia -- were dropped. As part of the deal ... he will serve ZERO time behind bars so long as he keeps his nose clean for a year.

As we reported ... Keef was busted at an airport in Sioux Falls back in June 2017. Cops said he had 4 blunts and an edible in his backpack. We were told Chief just simply forgot he had it on him before boarding his flight.

Usher's selling frenzy continues ... he just sold his third house in less than a year.

The singer unloaded his 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom house in the northwest part of Atlanta. We're told Mychal Jaymes repped the buyer and brokered a deal at $775k. Usher bought the house back in June 2007 for $970k and initially put it on the market about a year and a half ago.

The new owner got himself a steal ... the 2,908 square foot house features a sick rooftop deck and the crib itself is just minutes away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium where the Atlanta Falcons play.

It's been a busy year in the real estate market for the singer ... just last November he sold his Sunset strip crib. Back in August, Usher also unloaded his 7-bedroom, 7-bathroom crib in Alpharetta, GA.

Philip Bailey burst onto the scene in the early '70s as the high-pitched singer -- alongside the band's co-founder Maurice White -- in the epic disco supergroup, Earth, Wind & Fire.

Some of the biggest jams that Philip Bailey and Maurice White shared the vocal spotlight on are "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Shining Star," "Sing A Song" and "Saturday Night" just to name a few.

Bailey also cranked out an impressive solo career with albums "Continuation," "Chinese Wall" and "Inside Out" on Columbia Records in the '80s.

He can also be spotted in the 1987 movie, "Full Metal Jacket," as a soldier.

Arcangel, the huge Latin pop star, just got arrested in Las Vegas after cops say he was caught on camera kicking the crap out of another person.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Arcangel got into an argument with someone outside the Bound Bar just off the Vegas strip around 3:30 AM Thursday, and it quickly turned violent. We're told surveillance footage shows the singer delivering a brutal side kick to the hip of the other person. The kick was so violent, it sent the alleged victim flying into a wall.

Arcangel, whose real name is Austin Agustin Santos, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery and remains in custody. We reached out to reps for the singer ... so far, no word back.

There's no good time to get arrested, but this is really bad for Arcangel, who was scheduled to perform Thursday night in Las Vegas at the Latin Billboard Awards.

There was an unwanted guest running amok at Coachella this year ... herpes.

According to honchos at HerpAlert -- an online diagnosis and treatment website for the STD -- there's been a huge spike in folks looking to get treated for herpes in the communities surrounding the famous music festival.

HerpAlert's been in business for 2 years now, with doctors issuing prescriptions to pharmacies after people submit photos of their, umm ... situation, for medical pros to review. The turnaround time is blazing fast, it only takes about 2 hours.

We're told the site has seen a massive surge in folks seeking prescriptions for herpes since Day 1 at Coachella. A whopping 1,105 cases have been reported in Indio, Palm Desert and Coachella Valley -- and also L.A., Orange and San Diego counties where most of the concertgoers live.

HerpAlert tells us they typically handle 12 cases a day in Southern Cali ... but during the first 2 days of Coachella, the site serviced almost 250 patients!!! The biggest previous spike was during Oscars weekend 2018, when they got a mere 60 cases a day.

Britney Spears will be checking herself out of the mental health facility where she's been for 30 days -- as early as today -- but we've learned she's still dealing with a big, unresolved issue ... her meds.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Britney's mental state is much better than it was when she checked in. As we reported, the singer was distraught over an illness her dad was battling ... made exponentially worse by the fact the meds she'd been taking for her mental illness stopped working.

Doctors were trying to find a new combo of meds, but they couldn't get the mixture right and it was doing Britney more harm than good ... to the point she stopped taking them.

Our sources say doctors still haven't figured out the right formula and call it, "a work in progress."

The sources are quick to say, Britney did NOT check into the facility to get her meds right ... it was to get her head straight. We're told she's doing "a lot better" in that department, but the doctors continue to work on the cocktail of meds.

A lot of people commented on the pic of Britney with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, on Easter Sunday, where she looked a little off. Our sources acknowledge, she's still having difficulty, but nonetheless is in a better head space.

We're told she could leave the mental health facility as early as today but definitely by week's end ... and she's almost certainly going home. Doctors will continue to work with her on getting the medicines right.

Short story ... mental illness is difficult, but she's doing okay.

12:22 PM PT -- The U.S. Attorney's Office says it's not moving forward with charges at this time, but the investigation is continuing.

11:21 AM PT -- We just got this video of Kodak before his show in D.C. and he's grabbing some seafood down the street from the concert venue ... and the sighting is from around the same time the tour bus raid was starting.

7:00 AM PT -- According to cops, they confiscated 4 Glock handguns with magazines. Five people were arrested -- none of them Kodak -- and all were booked for carrying a pistol without a license and possession of large capacity magazines.

Police emphasized they can't confirm the raided bus was Kodak's ... only that it was connected to the show.

4/25 -- A rep for Kodak tells TMZ, "Kodak was 100% not arrested, he is en route to NYC for his sold out show tomorrow night at United Palace."

A tour bus parked outside Kodak Black's Washington D.C. concert just got raided by the FBI and local police while the rapper was inside the venue performing.

You can see in the photos -- obtained by TMZ -- several FBI agents standing outside the bus ... we're told those who were inside the bus were placed in handcuffs and brought outside the vehicle. It's currently unclear if the bus was Kodak's, belonged to crew or other members of the tour.

The agents searched the luggage underneath the bus, everything inside, and the area surrounding the bus is completely roped off.

Sources on scene tell us the feds attempted to enter the venue -- The Anthem -- where Kodak was performing, but promoters did not allow them inside.

It's another possible black eye for Kodak's tour ... as we first told you, Kodak was arrested just last week on weapons and gun charges at the Canada-U.S. border on his way from Detroit to Boston between shows. Cops say they found weed and a gun in the car he was driving.

We reached out to the FBI and local authorities ... so far, no word back.

Woodstock 50 will go down and fans WILL get a chance to buy tickets soon but event organizers insist they just need a little more time to take care of some logistical issues.

TMZ's learned event organizers are waiting to hear back from the New York State Department of Health after submitting a mass gathering permit application, which was submitted April 15. The DOH confirmed to us it did indeed receive the application and it's in the process of completing its review.

ICYMI ... Woodstock 50 was supposed to start selling tickets on Monday but all fans got when they went on Woodstock's website was a message ... "Tickets on sale soon. Subscribe below for updates."

Fans panicked thinking the event might become another Fyre Festival nightmare but that is NOT the case. A rep for Woodstock 50 tells TMZ has indeed delayed its sales as it refines logistical plans. What's more ... the rep tells us ticket sale information will be available through its website in the coming days.

As we first reported ... the massive event slated for August in Watkins Glen, NY will feature a blend of new and old school ... from Jay-Z, Chance the Rapper, Imagine Dragons and Halsey to Carlos Santana and Dead & Company.

Woodstock purists bitched about the lineup but the event's co-creator says they need to get over it.

The reputed gang leader connected to Tupac's murder case is finally gonna do hard time -- but for a completely separate case ... TMZ has learned.

Darnell Brim is getting 10 years in federal prison after ATF agents caught him trying to sell crack cocaine. Brim is believed to be one of 4 men who were riding in the white Cadillac that pulled up to Suge Knight's car in 1996 in Las Vegas. Someone in that car opened fire, killing Tupac.

Brim was busted during a 2013 sting operation. He pled guilty to 2 felonies -- conspiracy to distribute crack and distribution of crack.

As you well know by now, Tupac's murder has never been solved, but according to 1996 LAPD records, investigators believed Brim -- a notorious South Side Compton Crips leader -- was in the white Caddy that was "used by the suspect(s) who shot Tupac Shakur."

Although he was never charged in the case, Brim was hit in a Compton drive-by shooting just 2 days after Tupac's murder -- and cops believe it was retaliation for Pac.

Something about "Purple Rain" speaks to Nicolas Cage's soul, because he hit up the same karaoke bar twice in 3 nights for 2 emotional renditions of Prince's hit ... which is now Nic's anthem.

We got this new vid of him pouring it all out on stage at what's clearly his favorite joint in L.A.'s Koreatown, and this time around it's way more over-the-top, angry and demonstrative than the first clip we got earlier this week.

This performance went down last Friday, and you see Nic pacing around the room during what we'll graciously call ... his impassioned delivery of Prince's classic. We gotta say, he really went ALL out this time -- especially compared to his Sunday night gig.

Seems he toned it down a bit for the encore, but ya can't blame the guy for pouring his heart into the microphone ... he's going through some stuff. As we told you, Nicolas is trying to annul his recent quickie marriage of 4 days.

Some people pay $200/hr for a psychologist -- Nic prefers free karaoke therapy. Well, plus the cost of drinks, we're presuming.

Nic quickly soured on his new wife, Erika Koike, and filed for an annulment. He says they were bombed when they got hitched in Vegas and it was just the spur of the moment. There were signs the union was doomed ... Nic and Erika were fighting before AND after they tied the knot.

Erika sees it another way ... she claims their marriage still counts and she wants his spousal support.

12:13 PM PT -- We've just obtained the mugshot of the suspect, Demonte Jackson.

Bun B got into a shoot-out inside his own home with an intruder who tried to make off with the rapper's wife's luxury car.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ around 5:45 last night, there was a knock at Bun B's door ... his wife, Queenie, opened it -- thinking it was a possible delivery -- to find a masked man holding a gun on the other side. The intruder demanded valuables, and Queenie offered up her Audi in the garage.

Bun B heard the commotion from upstairs, grabbed his gun, and confronted the intruder as he was getting into the Audi. A shootout between the two ensued, and the intruder ran away ... leaving his gun behind.

We're told several hours later, the masked man showed up at a Houston-area hospital with a gunshot injury to his shoulder.

The man was treated and then arrested for 2 counts of aggravated robbery with a weapon and one count burglary.