Music

Tekashi 6ix9ine will be testifying in front of pretty much everyone except those to whom he's closest -- his family -- because we've learned they're so scared of retaliation, they won't go near the courtroom.

The rapper's immediate family members have decided it's just too risky for them to show their faces when a trial begins for the two men who allegedly had a role in his kidnapping last year. The reason is simple ... Tekashi will be snitching, and they know what happens to snitches.

The fam is especially concerned about members of the Nine Trey Bloods, some of whom will be attending the trial.

We're told his family thinks, at the very least, they'd be harassed, but more likely followed back to their home ... or even outright attacked by Nine Trey members.

Remember, Tekashi was already scared for his family's lives -- despite hiring extra security to guard them -- and it looks like he's following through on that concern now that the day is right around the corner.

As we reported ... prosecutors laid out what Tekashi's going to say on the stand next week, when he'll supposedly name names, connect people to certain incriminating messages ... and implicate himself and other Nine Trey Bloods to a plot on hurting rival rapper Casanova.

Presumably, he'll also get into detail about how he was bankrolling his fellow gang members -- something prosecutors revealed in court docs.

There's obviously a lot on the line ... and Tekashi wants to protect his brood. So, he's going in solo come crunch time.

Nipsey Hussle's estate might need to cough up some cheddar to a songwriter who claims he collaborated with Nip on his last album ... but never got paid.

Bradley Davis filed a claim Tuesday against the estate claiming he, along with 2 others, teamed up in 2013 to write the music that would eventually be used in "Rap Ni**as." The track is featured on Nipsey's major label debut album, "Victory Lap," which dropped in February 2018.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Davis says he copyrighted his work in December 2017. Fast-forward to when the album dropped ... Davis claims Nipsey never got permission to use his work. Davis also claims no royalties were ever paid to him or the other 2 composers.

Davis doesn't say how much he's owed but it's clear he thinks the estate owes him something. For what it's worth ... creditors claims against the estate must be filed within 4 months of an executor being named.

The Village People definitely see a need ... to ... be ... unhappy -- in fact, they're PISSED The White House helped a "YMCA" spoof video go viral, because no one got their permission.

Victor Willis, writer and frontman for the Village People, tells TMZ ... his group is NOT impressed by the Missouri farmers who threw down their best disco moves -- while standing in corn fields with lots o' chicken, milk and even soy, mind you. The intent of the "USMCA" spoof is to push Congress to pass the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

No offense to dancing farmers everywhere, but Willis says, "Because the Missouri Farm Bureau failed to obtain a license for use of my song in addition to intertwining my original lyrics with new lyrics, I must decline this specific use of the song in conjunction with the 'USMCA.'"

Legal stuff aside, though ... ya gotta give the farmers credit for giving their all in the parody. Seriously, they worked soy, steel and a bucket of fried chicken into the lyrics! The White House was clearly into it -- President Trump's down with the USMCA, after all -- because it tweeted the video to its 19 million followers.

Still, the Village People took action and reported the infringement to YouTube. The vid's been removed from that platform, and we're told it will be taken down from others Wednesday.

It's been widely, widely reported Jamie Spears is temporarily out as Britney's conservator, but we've learned that's not entirely true.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Jamie is still ensconced as the conservator of Britney's estate, meaning he has total control over her investments, business deals, check-writing, etc, etc ... all things money.

What Jamie temporarily relinquished -- the conservatorship over Britney's "person." Yep, there are actually 2 conservatorships -- one for the estate and one for the person. The latter is taking care of Britney, making sure she gets proper medical care and on and on.

Jamie said he was relinquishing temporary control because of a medical condition. We've learned he's having ankle surgery that will bench him for 10 weeks. It's undeniable, however, that there was a big problem ... Jamie is prohibited from having any contact with Britney's kids after he allegedly put his hands on 13-year-old Sean.

To all the people ticked off at Kevin Hart on behalf of Lil Nas X for seemingly interrupting his story about coming out -- LNX says feel anyway ya want, just don't count him among the outraged.

The "Old Town Road" rapper says he's not fuming about the perceived slight. While recording an interview Tuesday with DJ Scream and Moran Tha Man -- for their Atlanta-based show, Hoodrich Radio! -- he said, "I'm not mad at Kevin Hart."

Lil Nas really wanted that to sink in for the outrage police on the Internet ... who were still going after Kevin, even after he suffered serious injuries in that car accident.

Last week on HBO's "The Shop" Nas X was asked about coming out as gay earlier this year. Before he could even get into why he came out when he did ... Kevin blurted out, "He said he was gay, so what?!?" Many people found it tone-deaf.

Kevin later interjected with more clarifying questions that some took as disrespect, especially in light of his past issues with the LGBTQ community.

Well, Lil Nas doesn't see it that way -- or if he does, he's not talking about it. He insists there's no beef between Kevin and him. However, he admits IF he did have beef, he wouldn't air it publicly ... and he explained his MO when it comes to celeb feuds.

Wyclef Jean says Michael Jordan's $1 million donation to Hurricane Dorian relief is "100% a big deal" ... but tells TMZ Sports it's important to make sure that huge contribution isn't lining the wrong person's pockets.

The Haiti native knows what he's talking about -- his massively successful Yéle Haiti charity campaign raised more than $16 million for the 2010 Haiti earthquake, only to close down after an investigation determined a large portion of the funds were misused.

So, when we asked Wyclef about MJ's massive donation, the musician praises His Airness for the gesture ... but calls for organizers to not take advantage of people in need.

"The most important thing for me is that the money is really allocated right and we really don't use distractions, don't use people for patsies, don't distract the crowd, have them looking another way," Wyclef says.

"It constantly happens because another man's disaster is another man's gain."

Wyclef says he's praying for the Bahamas and hopes everyone does the right thing.

Aaron Carter's a mixed bag ... and so is the assortment of prescription medication he says he's on for a variety of mental health disorders.

The singer claims he's been officially diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, manic depression and anxiety. Aaron says his mental illness means taking a laundry list of pills ... and he's not hiding anything.

Carter's reveal is just part of a 2-part interview on "The Doctors" this week. We're told along with focusing on his health, the segments will include Aaron's mom and her struggles with alcohol.

Aaron will also be taking a drug test to prove to the docs he's sober as he insists, but as you can see in the clip ... his admission to opioid use after a dental procedure already has eyebrows raised.

"The Doctors" interview comes on the heels of a tumultuous month for Carter -- despite him boldly telling us his mental stability has been "infinite" throughout.

It started in early August with him facing accusations of flipping rescue dogs for profit, then a few days later ... cops were called to his home over fears he was suicidal.

After a nasty, allegedly violent breakup with his girlfriend that resulted in a restraining order, Aaron was spotted buying guns ... and more guns.

All of this and more will be discussed on the 2-part interview airing Thursday and Friday. And, by the way, Aaron's 'Doctors' visit won't be his first ... his dependency on prescription drugs was also the topic 2 years ago.

Prosecutors have just played their hand in the Tekashi 6ix9ine snitching case ... laying out precisely how the rapper will turn on his former gang cohorts when their trial begins next week, and the details are pretty shocking.

The U.S. Attorney in Manhattan sent a letter to the judge in the case, outlining their strategy, which includes key testimony from the rapper who's behind bars after striking a plea deal ... and the key to unlock his cell is snitching on his partners in crime.

According to prosecutors, Tekashi is expected to testify and name names in various alleged crimes, including the July 2018 robbery and kidnapping of Tekashi himself.

The big thing ... he will identify which Nine Trey Blood members are attached to various aliases used in incriminating texts, social media posts, DMs, and other communications. This is critical evidence for prosecutors, since they have to prove the messages were sent by the various defendants.

According to the letter, Tekashi will implicate himself and other gang members in a conspiracy to harm a rapper -- Casanova -- who wrote lyrics they felt were critical of 6ix9ine.

He will also testify ... another member of Nine Trey -- SEQO -- sent out a message if any rival bloods were to come across Tekashi they were to "fire on him."

What's also interesting ... the letter essentially says Tekashi was the bank for the gang ... one of his roles was to make money for the gang and then distribute it among members. Our sources say lots of friction was created when Tekashi turned off the cash spigot. Our sources say that's why the kidnapping/robbery went down ... as retaliation.

As we reported, Tekashi faced a minimum of 47 years in prison, but he could now get out in a matter of years in return for his full cooperation. It's all but certain he would become a member of the witness protection program, but that may be problematic given his distinctive tattoos.

Miley Cyrus is keeping Kaitlynn Carter right by her side ... and they're stepping up their fashion game since their getaway in Italy.

The singer stepped out Tuesday night with her rumored girlfriend for a night on the town in New York City ... dressed in all-black, sleek matching outfits.

Miley's in the Big Apple for New York Fashion Week ... and after her tribute performance at the David Koch Center, she went back to The Greenwich Hotel to grab Kaitlynn for what looks like a date night.

Miley and Kaitlynn have been pretty much inseparable since Miley announced a split from her estranged husband, Liam Hemsworth.

As we reported ... Miley and Kaitlynn went on a lunch date in Los Angeles over the Labor Day weekend, and Miley's mom, Tish, tagged along.

They've each had solo outings, but Miley and Kaitlynn have pretty much been tied at the hip since returning to the States from their Italian vacay.

We broke the stories ... Liam filed for divorce from Miley last month, and she's keeping the pets they owned together when everything's ironed out. So far, the split has been pretty nasty.

Meanwhile, Kaitlynn's going through a breakup of her own with Brody Jenner.

The guys who got millions of people hyped about storming Area 51 this month are telling their tinfoil hat-wearing followers to STOP -- and just get weird with them in Downtown Vegas, instead.

We spoke to Matty Roberts and Frank DiMaggio on "TMZ Live" -- they're the original Facebook event planners who are now organizing a free music festival instead of an illegal raid -- and the two of 'em explained why they had to change up their viral plans.

ICYMI, Matty's Facebook page amassed over 2 million people, who said they were down to break into the mysterious military facility come September 20. Of course, they were going to be met by the heavy hand of the law if they did ... so the chiefs reconsidered.

Instead of an assault on the premise, Matty and Frank decided to bring people together over music instead -- initially planning a festival in neighboring Rachel, Nevada.

Well ... those plans fell through too. MR and FD say the people they thought would be providing infrastructure in the middle of nowhere had gone AWOL, so they wisely decided to relocate closer to the Earthlings(ish) of Sin City. You can tell in this clip they're trying to avoid becoming Fyre Fest 2.0 ... Mojave Desert edition!

Huge weekend for Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris ... who married his girlfriend Amber Reyes in Aruba -- and Floyd Mayweather was right there to party his ass of with the happy couple!

The wedding was amazing -- the two tied the knot on the beach at the Ritz Carlton in front of friends and family. Amber looked beautiful. Wanya looked beautiful. It was great!!!

But, the reception ... THAT WAS OFF THE HOOK -- and featured Wanya and Amber slow dancing to the Boyz II Men classic, "I'll Make Love To You."

Halfway during the song, things went from romantic to ridiculous ... when the guests swarmed the dance floor and began serenading the couple along with the track.

Wanya's bandmate Shawn Stockman got in on the action -- same with Floyd -- as the whole party belted out the 1994 hit.

Quavo is damn proud of Antonio Brown for telling Mike Mayock and the Raiders to kick rocks ... the Migos rapper says he's HAPPY AB got to choose his own team for once!!!

"It's time for players to pick their own destiny," Quavo says ... "You gotta be happy with where you're at. You can't just not be happy at an unhappy home."

In other words, Quavo feels it's about time MORE players take control of their careers instead of being helplessly passed around the league like a piece of meat.

His comments fall in line with critics of the NFL Draft -- where players are essentially powerless when it comes to where they play and who they play for ... regardless of which situation is best for them.

Of course, AB has drawn a TON of criticism for the way he handled his time in Oakland ... with Jerry Rice saying he believes the receiver orchestrated ALL of the drama in order to eventually end up in New England.

But, when we got Quavo out in NYC, he told us he has zero issues if that's indeed the case with AB ... and said he wishes MORE players would do it!!

"You gotta have a good home," Huncho says.

As for Brown's new role with the Pats, Quavo says he has no doubts the guy will be a star there ... telling us, "I think the Patriots will be a good spot for him."

Seems Belichick already agrees ... when he was asked Tuesday about bringing in Brown despite all the baggage, he said, "It's the same thing you said about Randy Moss when we brought him in."

The Weeknd can FINALLY feel his face ... cause he's ditched his beard along with switching up his hairstyle and wardrobe, and we love it!!!

The "Starboy" singer debuted a grown and sexy look Monday night at the Toronto Film Festival. He's there for the premiere of Adam Sandler's "Uncut Gems," in which Abel plays himself. Abel's only on-screen for a few minutes but it was enough to bring out a whole new side of him.

The singer didn't lose all of his facial hair -- he's now featuring the 'stache -- but he's outgrown his flat top for a more classic afro. It might have taken some people awhile to get used to seeing Abel without his trademark locks from back in the day ... but this new look's definitely easy on the eyes, especially in a navy blue suit.

We're not sayin' there's a connection, but the transformation comes a little over a month after his last breakup with Bella Hadid.

Helluva post-breakup look. Just sayin'.

Diddy and Lori Harvey's whirlwind summer romance just wrapped its Mexican leg, and it looks like it was a very successful vacay, and by that we mean ... they're doing a lot of belly rubbing!

The Bad Boy honcho and Steve Harvey's daughter arrived at the Cabo San Lucas airport Sunday on their way back stateside. Cabo was just the latest hot getaway for the couple -- remember, they were just in Italy along with her dad.

Speaking of which, Steve might take interest in a couple of these pics ... at one point, Diddy reached under Lori's blouse and appeared to rub her stomach. Lori did the same to herself.

So, here's the rub ... the gesture made photogs think they'd just saw a sign Lori is pregnant. Could be as innocent as a convo about a big lunch, or maybe a tummy ache. Still, we reached out to Diddy's rep. No word back yet.

After Lori and Diddy returned home, she quickly took off on another trip ... sans her BF, while he's hanging at home.

Kanye West's futuristic housing community needs a new home base ... because his dome-shaped structures in Calabasas have been destroyed.

All but one of the housing prototypes were torn down with about a week to spare before the September 15 deadline ... imposed by the L.A. County Dept. of Public Works for violating the building code.

As you can see in these aerial photos taken Monday ... all that's left at the site, where at least 3 of Ye's huge domes once sat, is a bunch of rubble, a dump truck and one small dome-ish tower. We're told that one is also coming down before the deadline.

We broke the story ... Kanye's neighbors were pissed in mid-August over construction crews working on his property all weekend long, including Sundays, which isn't allowed.

Cops were called and put an end to the noise, but the workers have clearly still been busy with the tear-down process.

As we told you ... Kanye's prototypes are part of his vision of an egalitarian community, but he didn't get the proper permits to build them.

MC Lyte hired an artist to work with her on a project, but never paid him for his contributions ... this according to a lawsuit.

In legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Christopher Smith claims he was hired as an artist, animator and writer on a project for MC Lyte's entertainment management and production firm, Sunni Gyrl, but he says he was never paid for his 1,228 hours on the job. He claims he's owed a total of $38,375.

In the docs, Christopher claims after he was let go from the project, MC Lyte and her biz partner Lynn Richardson sent him a check for $11,250 ... but he says it bounced.

Now, Christopher is suing MC Lyte, Richardson and Sunni Gyrl ... and he wants the cash he claims he's owed.

We reached out to MC Lyte for comment ... no word back, so far.