Music

Kodak Black could be spending the last year of his sentence at a halfway house ... but first, he's gonna need a few dominoes to fall perfectly.

Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... the rapper is now eligible to spend the last year of his sentence in a halfway house, meaning, he could be out of prison by 2021. Thing is, he first needs to complete a court-ordered 500-hour drug treatment program before getting the green light for the halfway house.

And, therein lies the problem. Cohen tells us the maximum-security program where Kodak's currently behind bars does NOT offer the program. But, there's a glimmer of hope after Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle decided to drop the state's gun case against Kodak Black after speaking with Cohen. With the state dropping 3 felony counts of possession of a firearm by an individual under 24, Cohen says Kodak can now be moved to a lower-security prison where they do offer the drug treatment program.

As for why the state dropped the charges ... a rep for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office tells TMZ, Fernandez Rundle "felt that the [state] charges were a duplicate of the federal charges for which [Kodak Black] had already been convicted and is currently serving his sentence."

Kanye West has joined protesters in Chicago. The rapper is with Chicago Public Schools students to protest the killing of George Floyd as well as to demand CPS cancel their contract with the Chicago Police Department.

Kanye West's giving a huge assist to the families and legal teams fighting for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd ... and helping in other ways too.

Kanye's donated $2 million, so far, to the cause and set up a 529 college savings fund to fully cover tuition for Floyd's 6-year-old daughter, Gianna. He's also made a separate donation to cover the legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families.

Along with that, a rep confirms Kanye's donating to several black-owned businesses in his hometown of Chicago and nationwide that have been in crisis and impacted by the unrest in the U.S.

As you know ... widespread protests and riots have broken out since Floyd was killed in police custody on May 25. The demonstrations are a demand for an end to systematic racism and police brutality ... of which the killings of Arbery and Taylor are also prime examples.

Arbery was shot and killed in Georgia in February after being chased by 3 men who allegedly believed he fit the description of a burglary suspect in the area.

Taylor -- who was an emergency medical worker -- was shot and killed by Louisville cops in her own home in a "no-knock warrant" case, in which cops allegedly busted in without warning.

"You about to lose yo job, 'cause you are detaining me, for nothing!!!"

That's the hilarious freestyle one woman dropped off the dome while getting detained by a police officer ... and the viral video is already getting the meme treatment and a super cool remix!

The clip of a woman in police custody in "Somewhere, USA" started spreading like wildfire Wednesday on social media, and while the original version is gold ... the remix that dropped Thursday is platinum!!!

A cool cat by the name of Random J Pop just popped out the remix, adding a bumping beat to the woman's catchy little ditty ... and ya gotta give them both a listen. The lyrics are great, the tune is catchy, and the best part ... she even has her own dance!!! Watch, 'cause even the cop had to laugh.

Again, no clue where, when or why the woman was in custody -- all that really matters is, "You gotta git this dance!"

The band that provided the magic for Joe Exotic's unique set of songs on 'Tiger King' has good news for everyone itching for more of their good musical vibes.

Vince Johnson of The Vince Johnson Band -- who made up one half of the music duo who wrote and performed Joe's tracks featured on the Netflix series -- just inked an exclusive licensing and distribution deal with BMG Rights Management and Create Music Group.

As part of the agreement, all those Joe tunes (which are actually Vince's) will be compiled onto an album for the first time and be released on streaming services everywhere in the coming months. There'll also be some new tunes, including a cut called 'Killer Carole.' Probably won't be a big hit in Carole Baskin's crib.

We got a little taste of this gem before it officially drops Friday -- we're thinking you can add this one to your back road country playlist. No sign of Joe, though, in the pseudo-music video -- he's a little tied up right now, unfortunately.

In any case, it's great news for Vince and co. ... whom, as we previously told you, were gunning for a record deal of some sort in the wake of the show's massive popularity. Unclear if they've gotten signed to a label yet, but a licensing deal is kinda like getting halfway there.

Of course, Vince lost his longtime music collaborator -- Daniel Clinton -- who helped him pen a lot of the songs on 'Tiger King,' after he passed away from a heart attack late last year. Here's hoping Vince does him proud with this streak of good luck going forward.

Danielle Bregoli -- otherwise known as Bhad Bhabie -- is getting professional help for a couple very serious issues ... she's made the decision to enter rehab.

Sources connected to the rapper tell us Danielle, who's just 17 years old, recently checked herself into a facility at an undisclosed location, and has been held up a few weeks now. We're told she's receiving treatment for a combination of things ... childhood trauma, but also substance abuse in the form of prescription pills.

Our sources tell us Danielle, as well as people around her, were aware of the severity of the issue ... which is why she decided to seek assistance. We're being told she's doing well so far and is optimistic about her progress. She could be in there from 30-90 days.

BB's been kinda off the radar lately, which caught the attention of fellow femcee CHIKA ... who recently called her out for her silence on George Floyd. She wrote, "bad bhabie lil chickenhead ass been silent, too. we really ain’t caught her outside not once. hmm."

Welp, Danielle broke that silence Tuesday with a black square on IG -- following suit with tons of others who went in on a social media blackout this week to honor George and the BLM movement. But, as for not "being outside," well ... she's been busy getting herself right.

Her management team tells us ... "We are very proud of Danielle for recognizing that she needed help and seeking it out."

Here's hoping she comes out the other side new and improved. Get well, kid.

Killer Mike's call with the community leaders and grassroots organizers has wrapped up, and his mission was accomplished ... they had a large platform to inform the public of vital work being done to end racism, and how people can help.

Among the main talking points were the importance of voting out politicians who don't support the cause, supporting black businesses, and striving to end police brutality ... but there was so much more. The speakers also included Gary Davis and Latonya Gates, along with the others below.

Killer Mike's hosting a virtual meeting with grassroots leaders to highlight all the ways they're working to address systemic racism ... and TMZ's live streaming it.

The rapper and activist's media call comes as the U.S. just experienced the 7th straight night of protests and unrest over the brutal killing of George Floyd and the mistreatment of black people in America.

The discussion will include the following grassroots organizers -- Judith Browne Dianis of the Advancement Project National Office, Pastor Michael McBride of Black Church PAC and LIVE FREE gun violence prevention campaign, Nse Ufot of the New Georgia Project, Zakiya Sankara-Jabar of Racial Justice NOW, and Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

Mike mesmerized the country a few days back -- as violent riots broke out in Atlanta and across the country -- with an impassioned speech at a news conference with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

He made it clear he empathized with the rage being demonstrated but urged people to work toward a solution without violence ... advising them to "plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize."

Mike's call with the grassroots leaders is intended to elevate that message even more. The Zoom call's scheduled to begin at 2 PM ET.

The Weeknd just stepped up BIG for Colin Kaepernick -- shelling out $200,000 to the QB's campaign to cover legal costs for people who get arrested while protesting for George Floyd.

Just last week, Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp launched a "legal defense initiative" aiming to cover legal bills for the "freedom fighters" on the ground in Minnesota.

Kap says he's already put together a team of "top" defense attorneys to help out -- but they also asked for donations from outside supporters.

Well, Weeknd -- real name Abel Tesfaye -- has answered the call with a HUGE donation ... and Team Kap couldn't be happier.

"A HUGE thank you to @theweeknd for donating $200,000 to our Legal Defense Initiative to support Freedom Fighters on the ground!"

"This is amazing."

The donation to Kap's initiative is part of The Weekend's $500k contribution to several Black Lives Matter campaigns ... including the BLM Global Network and National Bail Out.

"Keep supporting our brothers and sisters out there risking everything to push for actual change for our black lives," Abel said when announcing his donation.

"Urging everyone with big pockets to give and give big and if you have less please give what you can even if it's a small amount."

Kodak Black was allegedly photographed, and it was sent to a U.S. Marshal -- without his permission -- the day he was arrested at Rolling Loud ... and now, his lawyer's ramping up for a lawsuit.

The Miami Dade Police Department took a report showing that Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, recently filed a complaint with them alleging one of their men illegally snapped and disseminated a pic of KB while he was in custody back in 2019. According to the report, MDPD looked into it and discovered the pic was actually not disseminated by one of their own but perhaps by someone in the U.S. Marshals Service.

The docs -- obtained by TMZ -- outline the steps MDPD took to get to the bottom of Cohen's claims ... and during their back and forth, they discovered a Miami-Dade cop, who was with Kodak the day he was arrested, claimed he was called up and instructed by a high-ranking official -- a U.S. Marshal Chief, per the officer -- to snap a photo of Kodak while he was cuffed. The guy says he did so and sent it along to the USM who wanted it.

Cohen claims that same photo served no law enforcement purpose, but still found its way into the inbox of a local Miami reporter ... who then published it in a local paper. Cohen claims it was all done without Kodak's permission.

Now, the Miami-Dade sergeant, who took the photo and then passed it along to the Marshal, says it was needed for "law enforcement purposes," but Cohen says that's a bunch of BS ... arguing the pic was taken for personal use and/or gain.

Now, Cohen tells us he's taking legal action against the responsible parties.

A rep for USMS tells us they can't comment on the situation, but assure us any allegations of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated.

Faith Evans has found herself in some legal trouble ... 'cause we've learned the singer was arrested after allegedly attacking Stevie J.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Faith was arrested earlier this week at around 1 AM after cops got called to their L.A.-area home. We're told Faith and Stevie got into a heated argument, and at some point, it turned violent.

Our sources say when cops showed up they noticed visible marks and scratches on Stevie's face. It's unclear what triggered the argument. But, in any event ... cops arrested Faith and booked her for felony domestic violence. Faith bonded out later that day.

The arrest comes nearly a year after the couple desperately tried to downplay rumors their marriage was in trouble. As we first reported ... there was palpable tension after our camera guy got the couple leaving the Essence Festival in New Orleans.

Our guy asked them if there's trouble in paradise after Faith and Stevie unfollowed each other on social media ... not to mention Stevie's cryptic string of tweets from, "Drunk people always speak their truth," and "Ones insecurities can damage them" to "All that glitters ain't gold" and "Cherish what you love just know nothing will last forever."

Rick Ross needs to hustle over to a COVID-19 testing center if he wants to visit his kids ... so claims his alleged baby mama.

Briana Singleton filed legal docs in Fayette County, Georgia requesting an emergency hearing to have the rapper -- real name William Leonard Roberts II -- take a COVID-19 test. She wants to know he tested negative before he can visit their 2 infant children ... this according to docs obtained by TMZ.

Singleton claims, even though Ross hasn't been cooperative on the DNA testing, the rapper has made efforts to care for them -- like buying her a Mercedes SUV after their first child was born -- before they broke up around New Years.

Singleton claims RR has stonewalled it on the issue of paternity several times, but claims it hasn't stopped him from depositing money into her bank account to care for the kids. What's more ... she claims she's also pregnant with his third child, due in September.

As for visiting the kids ... Singleton claims the rapper hasn't seen them in nearly 6 months, but earlier this month he expressed interest. Singleton says she's down ... but still maintains Rick hasn't been responsibly quarantining during the pandemic.

She points to videos he's posted on social media, showing him traveling outside of Georgia, and also claims she has concerns about Ross' "constant use of marijuana." It's plain and simple ... she's open to parenting time for Ross but wants the court to ensure “certain health, safety, and precautionary provisions” are in place to protect the children.

There are even more celebs than we initially thought out in L.A. protesting the death of George Floyd -- including, but not limited to, Emily Ratajkowski and Halsey.

Em posted some shots she took from the hectic scene Saturday -- and Halsey's still streaming live on Instagram right now. Not only that, but a new curfew has been put into place in Los Angeles by none other than the Mayor himself, Eric Garcetti.

He says, "We will always protect free speech and Angelenos’ right to live without fear of violence or vandalism. To increase safety for demonstrators, law enforcement and all citizens of Los Angeles, we are putting a curfew in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m."

Machine Gun Kelly is one of a handful of famous faces on the ground in Los Angeles protesting George Floyd's death ... and he's making his voice be heard loud and clear.

MGK was spotted marching with a bunch of other L.A. normies who took to the streets Saturday as part of the latest rounds of protests decrying George's killing. Kelly had a mask on, but you could easily tell it was him. We'd recognize those tats anywhere.

He had a sign with him that read, "Silence is Betrayal." Looks like fellow rappers/pop stars, Mod Sun and Yungblud, were with him too. No sign of Megan Fox, though. In any case, it certainly proved to be a rowdy affair ... someone set a cop car on fire at one point.

Kelly's presence probably shouldn't too much of a surprise. He posted a heartfelt message on the situation Friday, making it very clear where he stood on this.

MGK wrote, "If you look like me and you have racism in your heart, and on your mind, and coming out your mouth, f*** you. I'm ashamed of you. If you enjoy my music or you like my movies, I don't want you watching, I don't want your business. F*** you. I don't want nothing that's a part of the evil agenda...step up and speak out for our fellow people going through all this hell right now."

BTW ... halfway across the country, there was another celeb sighting ... J. Cole! The MC was spotted joining a protest in downtown Fayetteville, NC -- his original stomping grounds.

Good on them.

Killer Mike was true to form Friday night, using his powerful voice and eloquence to empathize with everyone who feels rage and anger over George Floyd's brutal killing, but at the same time ... imploring Atlanta residents not to burn down their homes and their city.

Mike spoke at a news conference where Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms excoriated rioters for destroying parts of the City. Mike started by saying how much he did NOT want to be there but felt it was his duty.

His message was complex. He said the other day he woke up and wanted to burn the world down because he was tired of seeing black men die, but realized it's not the solution. As for what that solution is ... "plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize."

He and the Mayor were clear ... vote out the people who are not serving the community, including prosecutors.

He condemned the violence, but at the same time, he made it clear he understood it ... but it all comes down to this -- "Don't burn your own house down."

Music producer David Jassy says a magical thing happened while producing a mixtape inside San Quentin State Prison -- rival gang members found common ground in their love for music.

The award-winning producer, and formerly incarcerated man at San Quentin, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to download us on his groundbreaking achievement, a 17-track mixtape written, recorded and produced inside one of America's most notorious prisons.

David says the project, dubbed "San Quentin Mixtape, Vol. 1," quickly brought together members from rival sets within the highly-segregated prison.

When he started making beats on a keyboard inside his cell, David says he noticed inmates from different gangs congregating outside -- a super rare occurrence for any prison, let alone San Quentin.

David seized on the opportunity and ran with it ... pairing rival gang members on the same tracks to further boost camaraderie and ease years of tensions.

In the end, David managed to get 17 different inmates to rap about their struggles behind bars without using profanity, while teaching them the ins and outs of the music industry, production and artistry.

The end result goes way beyond creating a record -- as David told us the inmates learned valuable skills they can use in the future. In other words ... true prison reform.

The mixtape dropped Friday on all streaming platforms ... and as we first reported, David already got a huge shout-out from Kim Kardashian, who had visited him at San Quentin before Governor Gavin Newsom commuted his sentence just a couple months ago.

Stephen Jackson is at the forefront of the fight for justice in the killing of his friend George Floyd ... saying he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure the officers are convicted.

The ex-NBA star revealed this week that he's known Floyd for more than 20 years ... saying they even called each other "twin."

Jackson -- alongside Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, rappers Bun B and Trae The Truth, and actor Jamie Foxx -- gave an emotional speech at a news conference in Minneapolis on Friday.

"I'm here because they're not gonna demean the character of George Floyd, my twin," Jackson said.

"You can't tell me when that man had a knee on my brother's neck, taking his life away with his hand in his pocket that that smirk on his face didn't say, 'I'm protected.'"

"You can't tell me that he didn't feel that it was his duty to murder my brother and then he was gonna get away with it."

The officer -- Derek Chauvin -- has been arrested and charged with 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter ... and Jackson says he will fight to make sure all officers involved get proper punishment.

"I'mma use everything I have to get a conviction, to get all these motherf**kers in jail. Excuse my French, I'm angry. I'm a proud black man."

Madonna tried to honor George Floyd by sharing a video of her teenage son dancing to a Michael Jackson song, but social media is a merciless universe ... especially for Madge, these days.

Thursday, before a third night of protests over Floyd's killing was beginning, Madonna released a 3 and a half-minute clip of her son, David Banda, busting moves to MJ's "They Don't Care About Us."

She wrote ... "As news of George Floyds brutal murder travels around the world my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America."

While supportive Madge fans applauded the post and were impressed by David's dancing -- the kid is good -- it didn't go over well with a lot of other people ... who blasted her response to the hot-button issue as insensitive and clueless.

April Reign, the activist who created the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, wrote ... "Nobody asked Madonna to weigh in today. Not a soul. Unforced errors among public figures have been rampant this month." Others sarcastically thanked Madonna for "ending racism."

We'll say this ... Madonna's timing was not good. She posted the vid right around the time federal and local prosecutors held their news conference to say they were NOT arresting officer Derek Chauvin yet for Floyd's death. That non-announcement clearly fueled the rage that turned protests into fiery riots Thursday night.