Music

Donald Trump is not only losing to Joe Biden ... he's losing to Linkin Park.

Twitter has removed a video Trump retweeted, with the group's song, "In The End." The original tweet was from the account of Dan Scavino, the White House Media Director.

The video vanished Saturday, replaced with this message -- "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner."

Trump has drawn the ire of Linkin Park before, and they underscored their contempt for the President Saturday, saying, "Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued."

Apparently, Twitter heard them.

Chester Bennington, who fronted Linkin Park until his death in 2017, vehemently opposed Trump, declaring, “Trump is a greater threat to the USA than terrorism!! We have to take back our voices and stand for what we believe in.”

The choice of the song, "In The End," is curious, with lyrics that include this ... “I tried so hard / And got so far / But in the end / It doesn’t even matter.”

Pop Smoke's alleged murderers were tracked down by LAPD detectives the old-fashioned way ... there were no shortcuts or easy breaks.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the big break in the case leading to the arrests of 4 men allegedly connected to the rapper's death didn't come from a tipster, but instead from LAPD detectives pounding the pavement and knocking on doors.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was gunned down back in February by at least 4 masked gunmen after what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at his rental property in the Hollywood Hills.

Detectives went back to the basics because, as we reported, they hit a roadblock back in February when potential witnesses wouldn't cooperate, and combing social media turned out to be a bust.

Our sources say detectives used video from citizens and businesses in the area to help track and ID the suspects, who were slapped with murder charges last week and could face the death penalty.

Sources also tell us cops believe Los Angeles street gang members were involved in Pop's murder, but they say the case doesn't appear to be a gang hit or an East Coast-West Coast beef -- Pop was from NYC.

Instead, police believe the tragedy was a robbery gone wrong after the alleged killers saw Pop's posts on social media in the hours before the fatal shooting. Pop shared his address, and flexed with huge wads of cash.

We're told, even though the arrests have been made, the case remains under active investigation as detectives search for more evidence.

Master P has a simple, but controversial, solution to Nick Cannon's problems ... and firmly believes he should not have apologized for his anti-Semitism.

The No Limit mogul was in Bev Hills when we asked him about the fallout from Nick espousing the anti-Semitic remarks made by Professor Griff and Minister Farrakhan. Master P repeatedly took a pass on addressing the "hurtful and divisive" words Nick admits he used -- but did say, "I hate that Nick Cannon apologized. He shouldn't have did that."

His explanation for that is, basically -- Nick wouldn't have to say he's sorry if he didn't have to worry about losing jobs. Watch the clip. That's what he says.

Of course, that dangerous theory suggests anyone who owns their own business or TV show, should be able to say anything they want ... without consequence.

Remember, Nick said Griff was "speaking truth" when he said, back in 1989, Jews were responsible for spreading most of the world's wickedness -- and even Cannon now acknowledges that stance was horribly anti-Semitic

As you know ... the backlash against Cannon began when he made anti-Semitic remarks on his podcast, got called out, and then dropped by ViacomCBS. About 24 hours later, he changed his tune after speaking with Rabbi Abraham Cooper and issued a seemingly sincere apology to the Jewish community.

Interestingly, the 'Masked Singer' host says that move resulted in Black people turning on him ... calling him a sellout for taking back his comments and deleted that episode of his podcast.

Master P says if Nick's a good person who has good intentions, there's no need to apologize.

Kanye West's presidential campaign just keeps rolling along, and he's now setting his sights on South Carolina ... where he's trying to grab enough signatures to get on the November ballot.

Kanye posted a tweet, urging S.C. voters to support him with a signature. His petition reads, "I am signing to put Kanye West on the ballot in South Carolina ... Click here to add your signature -- YE '20."  He needs around 10,000 signatures to qualify as the official Birthday Party candidate.

TMZ broke the stories of Kanye's efforts, including filing the necessary docs with the Federal Elections Commission and docs to get on the Oklahoma ballot.

Naya Rivera's ex-fiance, Big Sean, has been silent about her tragic death ... until now.

Sean posted a tribute to his ex, saying, "Rest in Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul! Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. You are a hero!  Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn't achieve that on their own."

He goes on ... "I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. I'm still grieving and in shock, I can't believe this is real."

As you probably know, Naya and Sean were engaged in 2013 after dating for only 6 months. They had a bad breakup 5 months later. Naya says the end of the relationship was hurtful ... "We'd been fighting for five straight days while he was traveling, and then on the one day he was back in LA, he said he didn't want to see me."

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are going back to work on the Puerto Rican movie set where they first met ... and set in motion her split from Brian Austin Green.

Megan and MGK arrived Thursday in San Juan after flying in together from the mainland, ready to get back to business on the set of their upcoming movie, "Midnight in the Switchgrass."

As you can see, Megan and MGK are still super close and lovey-dovey as their relationship continues to bud ... and now they're back where it all began.

They met during filming, way back in March, and then started spending a whole lotta time together when the coronavirus pandemic brought production to a grinding halt.

Megan split from her '90210' star hubby after getting chummy with MGK on the Caribbean island and they've been pretty much inseparable ever since ... going on fancy dates, making music videos, traveling the country, sleeping over and having fun in Palm Springs.

One of Elvis Presley's most famous guitars is hitting the auction block ... and acquiring it may require a king's ransom.

Elvis' historic 1942 Martin D-18 guitar -- which The King owned between 1954 and 1956 -- will be up for auction over at Gotta Have Rock and Roll, and no doubt it'll go to a serious collector with huuuuge pockets. The minimum bid starts at a whopping $1.2 million. It's expected to fetch up to THREE MILLION BUCKS.

The investment's totally worth it ... because the instrument oozes musical history. For starters, the guitar is often referred to as Elvis' "Sun Sessions" guitar. Elvis recorded at the iconic Sun Studios in Memphis, TN and also performed with the guitar onstage.

The King of Rock 'n' Roll bought the guitar at O.K. Houck's Piano Store in Memphis, trading in his Martin 000-18 model. He then went on to decorate the body of the guitar with adhesive metal letters spelling out "ELVIS." Today, the guitar's missing the "S." The extensive wear visible on the guitar, no doubt, is due to Elvis' hard strumming and the guitar's frequent use.

And, get this ... during the time Elvis owned the guitar, he also recorded the classics "That's Alright (Mama)," "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Good Rockin' Tonight," to name a few.

The new owner of this guitar will get TONS of paperwork proving the authenticity ... from a photocopy of the receipt from O.K. Houck Piano and photocopies of correspondence from the curator of the Country Music Hall of Fame to a historical note about the guitar ... which has been reported to be Elvis' first guitar. The auction opens on July 22. Good luck!!!

NBA prospect Cassius Stanley just copped a new piece that would make the Gloved One proud -- a diamond pendant of Michael Jackson doing his iconic tilt from the "Smooth Criminal" music video!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the projected 1st round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft hit up Clarity Custom Jewelry, a Black-owned business in L.A., to get himself a personal gift before jumping to the pros.

Jeweler Courtney Roy tells us the ex-Duke guard is a HUGE fan of the King of Pop ... so it was easy to decide what he wanted to get -- a pendant in the shape of Jackson's tilt pose from the 1988 music video!

You know what we're talking about ... about 7 minutes into the vid, MJ and his dancers defy gravity by leaning at a 45-degree angle. It's insane.

Roy tells us it took 3 different designs to get it right for the 20-year-old baller ... but ended up with a product that's decked out with white gold and 3 karats of VVS diamonds.

Roy -- who also designed jewelry for Shareef O'Neal and Patrick Beverley -- says this MJ piece is one of his favs and was thrilled (haha, MJ pun) to make it come together.

No word on how much the piece cost ... but the dude's just months away from cashing in ... so treat yo' self!!

Congrats!!

LAPD is now officially looking into the allegation Megan Thee Stallion suffered gunshot wounds ... and they're taking a hard look at Tory Lanez as the potential trigger man.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... detectives have now opened an assault with a deadly weapon investigation into what allegedly happened early Sunday morning shortly before cops pulled over Tory's chauffeur-driven SUV in the Hollywood Hills.

As we reported, sources connected to the investigation say Tory allegedly shot Megan in the feet as she exited the SUV, on the heels of an argument that erupted in the SUV.

Remember, Tory was arrested and booked for possession of a concealed weapon ... a handgun found in the SUV. Upgrading the investigation to assault with a deadly weapon could mean new charges are coming.

Tory hasn't been named a suspect, but our law enforcement sources say cops are lasered in on him.

Now, sources connected to Tory say it seems he will claim it was accidental ... IF he's charged for the shooting. The fact LAPD is investigating it as assault with a deadly weapon -- as opposed to attempted homicide -- could mean they, at least in theory, believe it was accidental.

Right now, law enforcement sources tell us cops are still having trouble getting witnesses to cooperate, which could make it difficult to prosecute Tory.

The #FreeBritney movement has re-emerged in a big way, with lots of people spinning conspiracy theories that she's being held against her will ... but they got the story wrong.

Folks on social media have been alarmed by Britney Spears posting a gaggle of dance and fashion show videos. They're odd, to say the least ... she's dancing, pacing back and forth and looking not quite put together.

So then, fans started sending Britney secret messages -- "wear black if you need help," and "wear pink if you are in trouble." Well, she wore pink shorts with black polka dots in a dance video, and that's all she wrote.

She also crossed her arms in an "X" fashion and folks interpreted that as saying, "I'm not okay." Well, people went nuts online, again suggesting her conservatorship -- led by Britney's dad, Jamie -- was holding her against her will.

Here's the reality. We've reported for the last 2 years ... Britney is struggling. Her meds stopped working and doctors were having trouble finding the right combination. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she's not been easy to deal with ... she sometimes complains she wants more freedom. Short story -- she hasn't been especially stable managing her mental illness.

There's collateral damage in all of this ... Kevin Federline has had their 2 kids considerably more than Britney -- and it all relates back to her mental state.

The conservatorship has been around for 12 years -- an incredibly unusual amount of time for a conservatorship to last, but this one's different. Our sources have said for years ... Britney's mental illness requires this conservatorship -- probably for life.

Lots of people think this is all Jamie lording over his daughter, but it's not the case. There is a slew of people involved in the conservatorship -- doctors, lawyers, therapists and a judge. There is no way Jamie could go rogue without one of the others taking it to the judge.

Tory Lanez allegedly opened fire on Megan Thee Stallion early Sunday morning after arguing with her and her friend ... according to sources directly connected to the investigation.

We're told the argument started after the group left a Hollywood Hills party together in the chauffeur-driven SUV, and at some point, Megan and her friend, Kelsey Nicole, wanted out of the vehicle.

Our sources say Tory opened fire from inside the vehicle, and allegedly hit Meg in the feet twice. TMZ broke the story ... LAPD pulled over Tory's ride a short time later. Megan's feet were clearly bleeding on the sidewalk as she followed police instructions to exit the vehicle.

Tory was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon. As for why he hasn't been booked for the alleged shooting?

Well, sources connected to Tory say there are mitigating circumstances. Based on what we know, we believe he's going to say it was an accidental shooting.

Also, the initial report to cops was someone had fired a gun into the air, not at someone. Megan initially told police she had cut her feet on glass, but remember ... she's the victim in this case -- as police had listed her from the start. It's entirely possible she felt intimidated as an alleged domestic violence victim.

There's also this complication -- witnesses are not cooperating with police up to this point, according to law enforcement sources ... and without witnesses who are willing to testify it might be hard to prove the case against Tory.

A$AP Rocky fears for his life due to a woman who he claims has been making his life a living hell for 2 years now.

The rapper beelined it to court requesting a temporary restraining order against an L.A. woman named Micaela Jimenez, who A$AP claims has shown up uninvited to his crib numerous times ... even making it into his master bedroom once.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, the rapper says Jimenez "has been relentless in her fixation with me and my whereabouts" to the point she's contacted family members and close friends trying to coax info out of them. Rocky alleges, just last month, she arrived at his house, demanded to see him and threatened to force her way inside.

His security told her to leave, and she eventually did, but not before tossing ink all over his parked car and yelling, "F*** you, I'll be back again!" ... according to the docs.

A$AP claims there were other incidents ... like when he claims he found Jimenez sleeping in her car in close proximity to his house. Then in April, he claims Jimenez showed up saying she's married to the rapper.

There's another alleged incident in December 2018 ... when Rocky was performing at Midnight Rave. A$AP says when he entered the mosh pit, she hugged him from behind. He claims there's video footage of the incident.

That same night, Rocky claims that as he entered his crib to leave the venue she "jumped in without my permission landing on my lap while I was in the backseat. I was startled, shocked and fear for my safety.”

But, the freakiest incident allegedly went down in June 2018 ... when Jimenez allegedly showed up to the crib, punched Rocky's assistant and raced upstairs to his master bedroom. Rocky claims "I was startled, jumped up and began to resist [her] advances.” He claims she also ripped a pearl necklace off his neck.

According to the docs, the rapper's personal security ultimately arrived and removed her ... and Rocky says his assistant filed a police report.

Kanye West is full steam ahead in his 2020 Presidential run ... he just filed a second set of documents Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.

Ye's latest filing is called a Statement of Candidacy, which shows he's raised or spent more than $5,000 in campaign-related expenses. That elevates him to candidacy status under the federal campaign law.

Kanye, of course, lists his party as BDY -- Birthday Party is now abbreviated. He designates the name of his political committee, "Kanye 2020."

He also lists his residence as Cody, Wyoming, where he and Kim just bought a massive property.

This is the second -- and more important set of docs -- that Kanye has filed with the FEC. He filed his first set Wednesday -- a Statement of Organization for the campaign, declaring the Kanye 2020 committee will serve as the Principal Campaign Committee.

It's interesting ... some media outlets are saying Kanye is not running, but we've been told otherwise, and the documents underscore that. The latest was filed Thursday morning at 12:34 AM ET.

Kanye also filed legal docs qualifying him to get on the ballot in Oklahoma, however, he missed the Wednesday deadline in the battleground state of Florida.

Carole Baskin ... what the fudge is this??

The 'Tiger King' star's been cashing in doing Cameo vids for a bit now, but her latest submission -- a birthday shout-out to a fan named Charlotte -- is ... well, priceless.

Carole -- joined by her husband Howard -- kicks off the video message with her tagline, "Hey all you cool cats and kittens," before saying they're "here with the crip mates" to wish Charlotte a happy bday.

And, then it gets REALLY interesting.

Watch for yourself ... pretty sure 50 Cent's "In Da Club" has never been done like this. And it probably shouldn't be ever again.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has a plan to reunite with his young daughter once he's got the ankle bracelet off -- whether his baby mama likes it or not.

The rapper's lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, tells TMZ ... his client is going to be part of 4-year-old Saraiyah's life one way or another in a couple weeks when he's released from home confinement. He says the simplest way to make that happen is get a judge involved to hammer out a court-ordered custody arrangement ... despite protests from his ex, Sara Molina.

Lance tells us Tekashi wants to be there for his kid -- and that the only reason he hasn't been since getting out of prison was for her own benefit. We're told it wouldn't have been prudent to have Tekashi visiting Saraiyah these last few months ... you can imagine why.

Sara says if Tekashi really wanted a relationship with his kid, there are many ways to do that ... and he hasn't to this day.

Sara tells us if 6ix9ine wants in again on his daughter's life, he's gotta play by her rules and ease back in as she sees fit ... not on his timetable. With that in mind, Sara says she has no problem if his own mother continues seeing the girl -- which has gone well thus far.

It's interesting because Sara seems willing to crack the door open for Tekashi in about 2 weeks -- but the way his attorney's talking ... it sounds like they're going over her head.

For Lil Xan, quarantine is a blessing in disguise ... he tells us he's using the downtime to channel his efforts into staying sober and being extra creative in the studio.

The rapper tells TMZ things are looking up after his pandemic-induced panic attack sent him to a hospital ... he says coronavirus quarantine helped him get clean, clearing his head so he can make his best music yet.

Lil Xan tells us it's a lot easier to sober up in quarantine because there are fewer temptations -- nowhere to go, no shows to perform and no excuses to be around situations that could lead to another relapse.

Xan says he's gone cold turkey on prescription pills and feels alive for the first time in a while ... adding he's determined to make the most of what he calls a second chance.

Lil Xan tells us he's used quarantine to rework his music and his life ... he says he wants to be a role model for young people struggling with sobriety, and is even down to be a mentor.

The way Xan sees it ... he tried to spread positive messages to kids in the past, but it didn't really work because he wasn't living a sober life himself.

Lil Xan, who says he was his own worst enemy and was slipping into a really dark area before quarantine, tells us he was being told to go back to rehab during quarantine, but ultimately decided against it and went cold turkey, staying in bed for weeks on end.

Bottom line for Xan ... the past few months have been extremely hard, but he's over the hump and he's turning things around.