Music

The release of Future's new mixtape isn't a jab at baby mama Ciara ... in fact, it's a courtesy move to fellow rapper Drake.

Future dropped his surprise project, "BEASTMODE2," Friday, which also happens to be the same day as Ciara and Russell Wilson's second wedding anniversary. Fans were quick to make a connection between the two events ... and pondered if Future picked the date on purpose.

Sources close to the rapper tell us there was no ill will or planned attack in the mixtape's release. In fact -- it was originally supposed to drop on July 4 -- but Future felt that date was too close to Drake's release of "Scorpion" so he didn't want to compete or mess with Drake's numbers. The two have a long history together -- they've been on tour together and collaborated on an album.

It's just breathtaking ... Donald Trump sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to North Korea with a gift for Kim Jong-un ... a copy of Elton John's "Rocket Man" with Trump's John Hancock on the CD cover.

Pompeo just left for Pyongyang to meet with the North Korean dictator about denuclearization.

During Trump's meeting with Kim, he asked if the dictator knew the song ... he did not -- this according to a North Korean newspaper.

"Big Brother" houseguest Kaitlyn went from zero to stupid real quick when she dropped the n-word Thursday night during the show's online live feed.

She was talking to 2 other guests -- Tyler and Scottie -- about making a quick transition ... when Kaitlyn, who is white, decided it was the perfect time to quote Drake's "0 to 100" ... and NOT the clean version. She said, "I did go zero to 100 n**ga, real quick."

Seems like she realized her idiocy real quick too ... because she immediately said "Oops," and continued mumbling lyrics to the song as if to say ... I was just singing a song, I'm not racist!

All 3 of 'em must have remembered at that moment producers JUST finished warning them about this kinda crap ... after Angela and Rachel worried their tans would make them look too "ghetto."

Kendall Jenner and boyfriend Ben Simmons showed up to the same club as his ex, Tinashe, and things had to have been weird for everyone, although Tinashe brushed it off like a pro.

All three hung out at Delilah Thursday night in WeHo, but no one stayed out too late, which should be a sign things likely were awkward inside.

We got Kendall and Ben leaving the club first. After they leave, Tinashe follows and gets into her own car only a few minutes behind.

Then came the real shocker -- we ask if she and Ben are getting along, and Tinashe held up her phone. She says Ben was texting her WHILE he was in the club ... presumably right next to Kendall.

Mariah Carey transformed from superstar to concerned parent real quick in Vegas after her son put a plastic bag over his head onstage.

Carey's back at Caesars Palace for a string of shows, and brought out her 7-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, while she belted out "Always Be My Baby." The twins tossed gifts to Mariah's fans ... but things got a little scary when Moroccan dug deep into his plastic goodie bag.

7/9 -- A rep for Shaft tells us, "The facts are simple - Cardi B’s music, image, and rise to superstardom were all developed and executed by Shaft and his team of writers and producers. The outright lies and distortions in her claims make you shake your head."

The statement continues, "This is just more of the same campaign by Cardi B and her team to defame and injure Shaft, the one person who saw promise in her, invested time and resources in her, and succeeded in making her rich and famous."

As for Shaft controlling who Cardi could and couldn't date -- a source close to Shaft tells us Offset charged Cardi $50K just to work on her single "Lick" -- a large chunk of change considering he first allegedly told her it would only be $25K.

Cardi B is going after the ex-manager who sued her for $10 million ... and claims he was way too controlling of her career and her personal life ... including her relationship with Offset.

Cardi filed her countersuit Thursday in federal court, and in the docs she says Shaft set up a management deal with her that she considers far too one-sided. According to the suit, Shaft got a 20% commission, but tried to bag even more dough off her Sony music publishing deal. Cardi says he demanded 50% of that deal!

She claims Shaft also tried to control every aspect of her life -- putting "barriers between her and people close to her in an effort to maintain complete control over her." In the suit, she says that bled over into her dating life, with Shaft telling her "who she should and should not see romantically."

As we reported, Shaft sued Cardi back in April claiming he made her a star and she cut him off financially.

Cardi's suing Shaft for more than $15 million.

They've partied together ... they're fans of each other ... and now rapper YG says he knows why Paul George ultimately decided NOT to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers -- Kobe Bryant.

It's not a personal thing ... YG says PG knows the Lakers are (and always will be) Kobe's team and Paul would rather create his own legacy in Oklahoma City, which is why he re-signed with the Thunder.

"Make your own legacy, my n****," YG said.

"That's Kobe Bryant's team right there. The Lakers are Kobe's team. [Russell Westbrook] and Paul George got a chance to make the f*cking Thunder their team."

There's more ... YG added, "Paul George ain't trying to be up under the curse of the Lakers."

Lee Daniels was so enamored by Cardi B when they first met, he asked for a selfie vid with her ... and he claims it's the reason she caught her big break that propelled her career.

The acclaimed director told us -- not only is the rapper his favorite hip-hop artist, but she's been a fave of his since she auditioned for a role on his TV show, "Star" ... almost 3 years ago!

Don't believe him? Check it out.

That's not all -- Lee tells Raquel on this previously unseen clip from "Raq Rants" ... Cardi was cast on 'Love & Hip Hop' season 6 because Mona Scott-Young saw his IG video and also believed she was a star.

Clearly ... Daniels was right about his "next discovery."

Move over, Bruce Wayne ... Chris Brown's rolling like a real-life Dark Knight in a customized SUV that makes the Batmobile look like a soccer mom's ride.

We're told CB dropped more than $350k for a Rezvani Tank -- a game-changer that, for starters, is bulletproof. We're sure Chris isn't looking to test this in the real world, but we're told the Tank can withstand multiple rounds from automatic weapons.

Now, for the serious Batman-like stuff. Chris' customized Tank features:
- Smoke screens to, literally, leave everyone in the dust
- Thermal night vision, viewable on a display screen
- Electric door handles to shock any approaching intruders
- Easily deployed defensive spike strips

Best of all -- even with all those hardcore toys -- we're told the whole rig is actually street legal! More than we can say for that other super whip ...

CB custom ordered the Tank several months ago, and just recently had it delivered.

David Grutman didn't invent the party boat scene, but he damn sure perfected it with the help of Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid -- and now he's unloading their favorite floating playground.

We're told Miami nightclub and restaurant mogul Grutman is selling his 55' VanDutch boat, dubbed The GROOT, for $875k. The 2015 model is stunning and clearly built for ballers -- just ask Rob Gronkowski, Travis Scott and Hailey Baldwin.

It'll be the end of an era for Grutman -- for the last 3 years The GROOT's hosted all sorts of wild parties in the waters around South Beach.

Halsey and G-Eazy's breakup could be seen coming a mile away ... according to sources close to the exes at a concert last week.

We're told the 2 attended Post Malone's show at the Hollywood Bowl last Thursday -- G-Eazy performed a song with Posty -- but weren't their usual inseparable, lovey-dovey selves. In fact, our sources say they were very distant and never hung out together backstage.

Even more telling -- Halsey left the concert and was spotted hitting up the club, Poppy, afterward ... but not with G-Eazy ... with rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

We're told G-Eazy was not at the club. Halsey and MGK were actually linked last summer, but it was never confirmed they were dating. A couple months later ... she was definitely hooking up with G-Eazy.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend took a stroll with their brood, and they're lookin' like the model fam.

Chrissy and John meandered through Malibu Tuesday, shopping at the Malibu Country Mart and then chowing down at Nobu.

Baby Miles seemed content with his pacifier while 2-year-old Luna took in the sights as she got a free ride courtesy of her mom.

Danielle Bregoli's heading out on her first European tour, and she's already thinking about how to spend all her hard-earned cash ... and mom might not be too thrilled when she hears how.

We got Danielle, who -- don't forget -- is only 15, out on Fairfax Ave. on Tuesday and she told she's eyeing some new digs in the nearby San Fernando Valley in the $4 million to $5 million ballpark.

Marlon Jackson isn't paying attention to the negative things people have to say about his late father, Joe, because it's not how he remembers him.

We got Marlon Tuesday at LAX, a day after the Jackson clan gathered together and laid Joe to rest in a private funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park ... the same place where Marlon's brother, Michael, is entombed.

Marlon says the family is doing as well as can be expected. As for criticism that Joe was too harsh on his kids ... Marlon doesn't want to hear it. He wants to hold on to the good memories, of which he says there are many.

Paris Jackson went running to a judge for court-ordered protection against a guy she claims has been stalking her.

In court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Michael Jackson's only daughter says a man named Nicholas Lewis Stevens showed up at a recording studio she was working at in June. Paris had a brief interaction with Lewis, who allegedly told her he'd stopped by the studio on multiple occasions ... once waiting for 15 hours for her.

According to the docs, Paris' friend also confronted Lewis, asking why he was there, to which he replied, "What the f*** does it look like I'm doing here? I'm stalking your bitch." The cops were called and they detained Lewis after he allegedly told Paris, "By midnight it will all be over ... the way it ends is with her or with a shotgun."

The docs say Lewis tweeted at Paris too, saying they were soulmates.

Tina Turner's oldest son has committed suicide ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Craig Raymond Turner died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Studio City, CA. Authorities arrived at his place just after noon Tuesday and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Craig was born when Tina was 18 ... before she married Ike Turner. Once Tina and Ike wed, Ike adopted Craig. His biological father was a saxophonist named Raymond Hill, who performed with Ike's band.

The sad news of his death comes as Tina is making a rare trip outside her new home country of Switzerland to attend Paris Fashion Week events.

Craig was in the real estate business in the San Fernando Valley. He was 59.