Music

Post Malone could NOT look more ecstatic living life in the wild.

The rapper and his crew are currently in South Africa getting in on all the touristy stuff. They all hit up the popular Lion & Safari Park in Broederstroom, South Africa and got a little taste of everything ... from petting cheetahs to feeding giraffes. Side note: who knew giraffes were huge Lays chips fans?

Check out the vid ... Post also got to pet a lion cub and even had a cheetah lick his hand. BTW ... Post was in South Africa because he performed earlier this week at the Castle Lite Unlocks hip hop experience in Johannesburg.

Ray J and Jordyn Woods are apparently in cahoots to promote one of his new products ... Woods is featured in a celeb-filled video for Raycon Headphones.

Ray just put up the video, which also features Cardi B, Offset, Melissa Etheridge, Snoop Dogg and others ... hawking Ray J's Raycon E50 Earbuds.

Woods and Ray J are a pretty interesting pairing, considering their unique connections to the Kardashian and Jenner families ... and we're told, Ray and Jordyn were introduced to each other after JW and Kylie had their falling out.

Sources tell us Ray J's manager, David Weintraub, recently made a $30,000 offer to Jordyn to promote more of Ray's products ... but nothing has been settled.

Ray and Jordyn were together this week, kicking it with Michael Blackson on the set of VH1's "Hip Hop Squares."

This has got to put Jordyn in hot water with the Kardashians -- or at least some of them -- because they believe Jordyn already betrayed the fam once over the whole Tristan Thompson thing.

Carrie Underwood is accused of being a "Sunday Night Football" theme song stealer -- another singer claims Carrie straight jacked her hit, "Game On" ... and used it without permission.

The woman behind the suit is Heidi Merrill -- a singer who had success with the sports-themed song "Cornhusker Strong" back in 2015.

Merrill says she wanted to ride the wave and make more sports-themed music so she came up with the song "Game On" in 2016 and posted it to YouTube in March 2017.

In her suit, Merrill says she met Carrie Underwood's producer, Mark Bright, at an event in Nashville in August 2017 and asked if Carrie would be looking to create a new song for the 2018 NFL "Sunday Night Football" show open.

Merrill says she submitted the song to Bright -- but was eventually told Carrie's camp passed on using "Game On."

Fast forward to Sept. 2018 ... Merrill says she was shocked to see Underwood and NBC promoting a secret new theme song for 'SNF' ... which ended up being called "Game On."

Merrill says Carrie's version is "substantially -- even strikingly -- similar, if not identical" to her own song ... and she's pissed!

She's now suing Carrie, Mark Bright, NBC, the NFL and more for copyright infringement -- but she has not listed an amount she's looking for.

12:30 PM PT -- Chance says his wife was responsible for persuading him to hop onstage, and he did a full 3 minutes and "conquered a fear of mine." He shared a little bit more of his material -- it's not too shabby ... especially the Chris Hansen joke!

Chance the Rapper put on his comedian hat and used an open mic night to try out some new material, and the takeaway -- he is an amazingly talented ... rapper.

We kid, because ya really gotta hand it to him -- Chance was on a date with his wife, Kirsten Corley, Tuesday night at Chicago's Laugh Factory. After the main show, the club opened things up to the audience and Chance seized the opportunity.

Like most struggling comics ... his act needs some work. Check out the video ... the rapper gets off to a decent start by talking about how different groups of people know him for different things, and then he really goes for it -- with a fart joke!

It gets worse from there, and even Chance knows things are going off the rails after his fake news take. Fortunately, he seems to have a lot of goodwill with the crowd.

People in the club tell us he wrapped up his set pretty quickly after that ... before he could ruin it.

BTW -- here's Chance's Kit Kat commercial from a few years back ... in case you didn't get the reference in his stand-up set.

R. Kelly once again wiped the slate clean when it comes to back child support ... 'cause he's all paid up until the next round ... according to his attorney.

Steven Greenberg says his client forked over the delinquent $32k in child support and interest that ex-wife Drea Kelly was demanding. Greenberg tells us the cash covers everything owed up to this point, and R. Kelly "doesn't owe one more single solitary cent" ... at least 'til next month's $21k child support payment is due.

As for how exactly R. Kelly's coming up with this kind of dough right when he needs it -- when just a few months ago it seemed he was struggling -- Greenberg tells us he assumes the singer's rolling in the royalties, although he notes he's not certain about that.

We know R. Kelly's been working some gigs here and there for income, but it doesn't seem he's been hitting the road much since his paid appearance in April. His crisis manager, Darrell Johnson, says they're working to secure more work in the near future.

The royalties thing could make sense -- R. Kelly's music streams have seen a spike since he's been corralled back into the spotlight. Presumably, those are paying off for him now.

Either way, Greenberg tells us that there shouldn't be any more significant issues with R. Kelly's child support payments going forward. He says he can't guarantee they'll always be made right on the dot, but they'll get to Drea without major hiccups as his criminal case proceeds.

Takeoff was the man of the hour at his beverage-fueled surprise 25th birthday party ... but Cardi B made sure to grab some -- okay most -- of the attention.

Cardi and her husband, Offset, joined Quavo to celebrate the bday of their fellow Migos rapper in downtown L.A. Tuesday night, and the party theme was sweet ... as in loaded with sugary drinks, candy and cake.

The bash looked fun as hell too ... with a variety of arcade games, delicious food, and of course -- TakeOff's Drank Factory. According to Quavo, the party was thrown as a surprise for his pal ... he shared a post saying, "Surprise Take U Deserve It!!!"

Yes, sir!

As for the cake ... Cardi showed off plenty in a black fishnet getup accentuating her backside. Following her wardrobe malfunction at Bonnaroo, it appears she decided to go with a "less is more" approach to her outfit.

R. Kelly will spend next Father's Day behind bars, and Joycelyn Savage will spend it with her parents ... at least, that's what Joycelyn's dad hopes.

Tim Savage -- who says his daughter is one of the singer's sex slaves -- tells us he's counting down the days until the embattled singer goes to jail and his daughter comes back home.

Joycelyn's dad says Father's Day left him with an empty feeling, because he only got to spend time with 2 of his 3 daughters ... and he's blaming it all on R. Kelly, and wishing the worst for him.

As you know ... Joycelyn lives with R. Kelly, but her family believes she's been brainwashed. They've been fighting like hell to free her from his clutches -- so far, to no avail.

R. Kelly's staring down some hard time ... he's facing 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse and was recently hit with 11 felonies related to sexual assault.

The Savages were featured in Lifetime's "Surviving R. Kelly," and it won the MTV Award for Best Documentary Monday night, which Tim says is a step in the right direction.

Don't rule out a Justin Bieber vs. Tom Cruise fight in the UFC ... so says Dana White who tells TMZ Sports there's a very REAL chance the two could actually throw down in the Octagon.

After 25-year-old Bieber tagged the UFC president in a twitter post last week calling out 56-year-old Tom Cruise, White says he blew it off initially ... until he got some phone calls from "real guys" connected to the superstars.

Dana wouldn't say who he spoke with but was clear they're legit -- and they told Dana both Tom and Justin "really wanna do this fight and they believe that Tom Cruise would do the fight."

"I told them that if that's true -- and everybody involved really wants to do it -- we can talk."

In fact, White says if there's real interest from both stars "I'd be an IDIOT not to make this fight!"

And, to all the doubters, Dana says he didn't think there was a chance Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor would ever evolve into a real fight ... but that happened, right?!

Remember, Justin Bieber has trained with Floyd -- who once said the singer has enough fighting talent to be a pro boxer.

And, Tom Cruise was a star wrestler in high school -- and has a reputation for being one of the toughest actors in Hollywood who's been doing his own stunts for decades.

So, if they do agree to a fight ... it could be very interesting.

White adds, "That would be the easiest fight to promote in the history of my career."

After sending the tweet, Bieber said the whole thing was a joke ... but hey, people can change their minds.

2:10 PM PT -- According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, cops were unable to find any DNA on the gun found in the same car YT was riding in. We're told because there were 3 people in the vehicle, investigators could not determine who the weapon belonged to, so YT will not face any charges.

The D.A.'s Office also cleared up details on the car accident that triggered the search. It was actually the police cruiser that was "unable to stop in time" before it hit Thug's Rolls-Royce.

Someone's gotta pay for what the D.A. deemed, "minor damage."

Young Thug's lawyer, Michael Goldstein, tells us, "I commend the District Attorney's Office for making the right decision after carefully reviewing the facts and body worn video over the past 9 months. The fact so much time and work went into this decision reinforces trust in our system of justice."

Young Thug will NOT be prosecuted in his L.A. gun case ... TMZ's learned the District Attorney is rejecting the case.

The D.A.'s Office tells us ... the case was rejected earlier this month due to insufficient evidence. YT's attorney, Michael Goldstein, confirmed to us the case is now closed. TMZ broke the story when cops busted Young Thug back in August -- a member of Thug's crew ran into a police car, which triggered a vehicle search. That's when cops discovered the weapons.

YT -- who was seen in handcuffs and escorted to a waiting cruiser -- was booked just after for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony. The bust came on the night he was celebrating the release of his new album, "Slime Language" and his 27th birthday.

So, the arrest was quite the double whammy ... but now it's water under Thug's bridge.

DMX is resuming his acting career, but in a role most would consider a stretch ... 'cause now he's playing Johnny Law and busting bad guys. It's called "range" in the biz.

We got this shot of DMX on the set of the upcoming film, "Chronicle of a Serial Killer" ... and he's fully embracing the role of a cop, badge and all! It's a pretty striking image, considering X's lengthy rap sheet.

The movie features Brendan Sexton as a serial murderer ... and DMX is playing Detective White, who's trying to track down the killer. Tara Reid, Eric Roberts and Aly Mang are also starring in the film.

TMZ broke the story ... Michael Madsen was booted from the cast because of his recent DUI charge, and as it turns out ... DMX was tabbed to fill Michael's shoes.

The director, Steve Stanulis, tells TMZ ... when his casting director suggested X for the role, he knew it was a perfect fit, and the rapper didn't even have to audition. Steve says he has no doubt DMX is "going to bring a different dynamic to the role."

Filming just started in New York, and Steve says he's excited to bring DMX into the fold.

XXXTentacion is being remembered on the one year anniversary of his murder ... by a bunch of fans who have flooded to his gravesite.

Throngs of people made their way to the Gardens of Boca Raton Memorial Park on Tuesday ... where XXX -- gov. name Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy -- was buried. There's a massive mausoleum there erected in the rapper's honor.

We're told immediate family members also arrived and went inside the mausoleum and closed the doors behind them. The public was not let inside the structure for the private moment.

As we first reported ... XXX was shot dead exactly 1 year ago when 2 men wearing hoodies rolled up on XXX at a motorcycle dealership in Pompano Beach, FL and opened fire. The deadly shooting was caught on video.

The suspects -- who made off with a Louis Vuitton bag and $50k in cash -- are now awaiting trial.

X's girlfriend gave birth to the rapper's son 7 months after his death. He chose the name for his firstborn son -- Gekyume Onfroy, who was born 3 days after what would have been the rapper's 21st bday.

BTW ... X's official Instagram account just posted a video announcing that a documentary on the rapper has been in the works and is coming soon. Check it out.

Zachary Levi didn't waste time firing zingers during his opening monologue at the MTV Movie & TV Awards ... most laughed sans Princess Love.

The star-studded affair was taped Saturday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica but aired Monday night. Jada Pinkett Smith (Trailblazer Award) and The Rock (Generation Award) were just some of the honorees. Hollywood's heavyweights rolled through ... from Tiffany Haddish and Tessa Thompson to Elisabeth Moss and Melissa McCarthy.

But, things got off to an awkward start during Zachary's opener when he decided to go there. As Princess Love and Ray J sat side by side ... Zachary delivered a Kim Kardashian sex tape joke.

Check out the clip ... Ray J stands up when he hears his name but moments later is reduced to sitting with a blank stare on his face after Zachary's punch line. Princess Love was none too amused ... giving cameras the double bird.

Mötley Crüe rockers Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx say the new documentary about the band breaking up is the same ol' situation of ... someone getting their story all wrong, and without their permission.

The Crue dudes are pissed over the latest episode of Reelz network's docuseries "Breaking the Band," which focuses on the group's turbulent history. Neil is especially miffed about how the show portrays his departure from the band in 1992, blaming him for prioritizing motor racing over music ... so he took to social media to let it out.

Vince says ... "Breaking the band, f**king memories from a manager Doug Thaler who can't remember that he's the one who actually broke up the band! The band didn't break up because of me racing."

He adds ... "It broke up because he was too much of a pu**y who didn't just say, 'Hey guys, let's take a week off and come back with cooler heads.' He called me an hour later and said I was out of the band! Great management!"

Neil's not alone, because Sixx also slammed the doc on Twitter by saying ... "I am very disappointed that they think they can tell our LIFE story just to sell advertising ( mostly incorrect ) and without any bodies persmission [sic]."

Nikki also claims Motley Crue didn't authorize the "bottom of the barrel" network to make a "Breaking the Band" episode about them, and their lawyers will be taking further legal action against Reelz.

For the record ... Neil rejoined the band in 1997 after releasing a solo album and Crüe releasing a self-titled album with his replacement.

The music video directors Tory Lanez accused of colorism are baffled, claiming if anything in the behind-the-scenes video suggests there's a culprit ... it's the people in Tory's camp.

Capone -- half of the directing duo, Capone x Guise, that shot Nafe Smallz's "Good Love" video featuring Lanez -- says their team has zero problems with featuring dark-skinned women on camera.

In case you missed it ... Lanez claimed the directors tried swapping out a dark-skinned woman for someone lighter-skinned, but he pushed back and insisted on shooting with the darker skinned woman. A behind-the-scenes video clip -- shared by Tory -- appears to show the attempted swap ... but it's unclear who ordered it.

Capone insists it wasn't anyone on his team, adding most of the people present on the set during that particular scene were from Tory's camp ... insinuating the attempted swap came from there.

Further proof, according to Capone, is that he and Guise are heavily involved in the Afrobeats scene, and the majority of their work features dark-skinned women. On top of that, "Good Love" is highlighted by all types of beautiful black women ... including the darker-skinned model in question, who is seen several times in the music vid.

As Capone puts it ... his team would "never allow something as disgusting as what Tory Lanez is portraying."

He says he and his team are very upset their fun vision for this video has been overshadowed by Tory's allegations.

Sorry, LeBron ... you LOST the trade that made Anthony Davis your new teammate, so says Master P -- who tells TMZ Sports the Pelicans WON the blockbuster swap!!!

"We got everything!" P says.

Bron's squad orchestrated the biggest trade in L.A. history over the weekend ... sending off Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and a bunch of draft picks for AD.

If ya think Master P -- who's a New Orleans legend that loves his Pelicans -- is busted up over the move ... think again, 'cause he thinks New Orleans actually got better!!

P also tells us getting Davis will put a ton of pressure on LeBron in L.A. ... and says the King better start winning now.

Danielle Bregoli has nothin' but her love of McDonald's and Twitter to thank for getting fired from a show she was set to play in the Middle East ... but it's pretty hard to see this as her fault.

Bhad Bhabie responded to a tweet last week that had tagged her in between a bunch of Arabic text, which she playfully answered by saying ... "why yes, I do like McDonald's fries. They be tasting good as f*** sometimes. I appreciate u asking bich. Much love."

Standard Bhad Bhabie banter, right? WRONG!!! ... according to the Jordanian promoters who canceled her upcoming show there, anyway. They said the Bhad Bhabie concert for July 8 was being axed for her insensitive comment, which they considered a breach of contract.

Turns out, the tweeter was a prominent Palestinian marathon runner who was actually saying that would-be ticketholders in Jordan should boycott BB 'cause he believes she supports Israel. Unclear what he was basing that on, but that's what he tweeted.

Now, sources close to Danielle tell TMZ the whole thing is a major overreaction on the part of the promoters, because the kid didn't even know what the hell she was reading.

We're told Danielle hasn't taken a stance on, or pledged allegiance to either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

To that point, she has a Tel Aviv gig scheduled for the day after her now-canceled Jordan show.

We're told her team doesn't really get why she was accused of being pro-Israel, or why the promoters felt her jokey tweet was anything but that -- since it seems pretty clear she had no clue what the initial tweet meant.