Cardi B Allegedly Orders Strip Club Bartender Beatdown ... You Slept with Offset!!!

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CARDI AT THE CLUB

11:00 AM PT -- Jade and Baddie Gi are NOT strippers, but rather work as bartenders at the club. They also claim Cardi B threw at least one of the bottles at them during the alleged attack on August 29.

Cardi B is accused of unleashing her posse on 2 strip club bartenders and badly injuring both, and we've learned they're going to cops to trigger a formal criminal investigation.

One of the bartenders -- Jade -- claims Cardi's been threatening her for months, claiming she slept with her husband Offset.

Jade claims Cardi repeatedly threatened her with violence on Instagram, and in June Jade and her sister Baddie Gi, claim they were face-to-face with Cardi at an Atlanta hotel. Jade says Cardi again accused her of sleeping with Offset -- something she denies -- and then Cardi threatened them with physical harm.

Jade says on August 15, she got a warning early in the day that Cardi had targeted her for a beatdown. Later that night in Queens at Angels Strip Club, Jade says 5 people associated with Cardi viciously attacked her, grabbing her hair, punching her and hitting her with an ashtray, causing serious damage.

Fast forward to the wee hours of Wednesday, August 29 ... Jade and Baddie Gi say they came face-to-face with Cardi B at Angels Strip Club, and a group from Cardi's posse attacked both of them ... throwing bottles and chairs at them causing serious injuries that required medical attention.

The women have lawyered up in a big way, hiring the uber prominent Joe Tacopina, who tells us he's mulling over filing a lawsuit against Cardi and others. Tacopina also says both of his clients are going to file a police report and Cardi will be named.

To make it clear ... neither woman says Cardi personally laid a hand on either, but we're told she did yell, "I'm blood I'll fuck you bitches up!"

Sources close to Cardi also tell us that the rapper did not get physical with the women.

We Came as Romans Singer Died from Drug Abuse

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4:00 PM PT -- Kyle died of an accidental drug overdose ... according to a statement from his family. They also say they've created The Kyle Pavone Foundation in his honor to help those struggling with drug addiction.

Kyle Pavone -- the lead vocalist of metal band We Came as Romans -- died as a result of drugs ... TMZ has learned.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office in Michigan tells us ... Kyle died of drug abuse. It's unclear if this means his death was accidental or by suicide ... or if he suffered an overdose or another complication related to drugs.

We're told a toxicology report will take up to 8 weeks to complete.

As we reported ... Pavone's death was revealed by the metalcore band on social media last weekend, with a statement saying, "Kyle's tragic loss came too early in his life and those of his bandmates. All are devastated by his passing. We will miss his smiles, his sincerity, his concern for others, and his impressive musical talent."

Sources close to the situation told us Kyle was transported to a Michigan hospital August 19 and was pronounced dead August 25.

We Came as Romans is best known for their songs "Hope," "The World I Used to Know" and "I Knew You Were Trouble." Their album "Tracing Back Roots" reached #8 on the Billboard charts in 2013.

Kyle was 28.

Dr. Dre, Xzibit Sued We Invested in Your Weed Biz And You Left Us High And Dry!!!

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Dr. Dre and Xzibit screwed 3 people out of a fortune in the cannabis industry by taking their time, money and hard work, and then pretending they never existed ... according to a new suit.

Three individuals are suing the rappers and their weed company, Brass Knuckles, claiming they did a ton of legwork for them and eventually struck a deal to acquire a 14.5 percent stake in the business ... but then got hosed.

According to the docs, Dre -- who the 3 individuals claim is a secret co-owner of Brass Knuckles -- was happy with their work and was going to be involved in promoting some major projects associated with the biz.

The 3 people claim they reached an agreement with Dre, Xzibit and others in the company to pay $5 million to buy their 14.5 percent, and everything was going fine ... until the Brass Knuckles execs got greedy.

According to the docs ... the company was originally valued at $50 million, but after the deal was struck with the group of 3 and they ponied up the $5 mil for their share, it was determined the company was actually valued at $170 mil.

The 3 claim at this point ... Dre, Xzibit and company pretended the deal never existed. The 3's lawyer, Larry Ecoff, tells us his clients were essentially kicked to the curb after the higher valuation, and "this case is all about greed and weed."

They're now suing for breach of contract and want monetary damages ... along with a judge to rule they are 14.5 percent owners of the company.

Dr. Dre's lawyer, Howard King tells us ... this lawsuit is "without any allegations of anything done by [Dre] that would justify naming him as a defendant," and that doing so "is nothing more than a blatant and short-sighted attempt by the plaintiffs to generate publicity for their cause."

We reached out to Xzibit and the cannabis company, too ... no word back so far.

Tyga Kylie's Successful 'Cause of Me!!!

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YOU'RE WELCOME, KYLIE

Kylie Jenner is almost a billionaire and world famous largely because of Tyga ... so says Tyga.

Kylie's ex appeared on Nicki Minaj's Beats 1 show on Queen Radio, and took lots of credit for Kylie's success. He said, "When I stepped in ... it was like, you can do this, you should do this, you should start doing your hair like this."

And then the kicker ... Tyga said, "You need Black people to f*** with you 'cause you need culture. If you ain't got black people behind you, you ain't got nothin'. Ain't nobody gonna listen. You can't influence nobody. So, I had a lot to do with all that."

Nicki bristled when she heard Tyga grab credit, and essentially said it's a sexist view where men jack credit from successful women.

Remember Nicki went after Kylie after her album dropped, blaming her for propelling Travis Scott's album sales above hers, but then walked it back and said she f***s with Kylie.

John Legend I Can't Pick Just One ... Favorite Aretha Song!!!

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John Legend picking a favorite Aretha song is like eating just one potato chip ... it's just impossible.

John was flying solo Thursday night at Craig's in WeHo, when our photog asked if one song from the Queen stood out. Check out John's answer. He probably could have gone even longer.

Aretha's funeral service is being held today, and it's like the Grammy's ... Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Faith Hill, Fantasia, Chaka Khan and on and on.

Former Prez Bill Clinton will speak.

TMZ is live streaming the entire service.

Aretha Franklin Patti LaBelle Rocks the House At Memorial Concert

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Aretha Franklin's memorial in Detroit was a marathon of live music to honor the Queen of Soul -- and Patti LaBelle gave an incredibly moving performance.

Patti sang her hit song "You Are My Friend," and belted what turned out to be one of the best tributes of the night. Other acts including The Four Tops and Johnny Gill also hit the stage at Chene Park Amphitheatre.

We broke the story ... 23 acts were originally slated to perform Thursday, including big names like the Four Tops, Gladys Knight, Johnny Gill, Ron Isley and lots of others. Gladys' rep later clarified she wouldn't be performing, but would be in attendance.

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ROCKIN' FOR ARETHA

The Four Tops performed "Bernadette," "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out, I'll Be There."

It's kind of a big deal these stars committed to the show -- 'cause they're all footing their own travel and lodging expenses, according to a document obtained by TMZ. Clearly, these folks hold Aretha near and dear to their hearts to trek out to Michigan to do this.

Aretha's funeral service is still to come Friday, which will feature headliners like Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande.

A 2-day, open casket public viewing was held this past Tuesday and Wednesday ... which had lines around the block of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Aretha died earlier this month from pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

Originally published 2:33 PM PT ...

Danielle Bregoli This Golden Moment ... Calls for $45k in New Bling!!!

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Danielle Bregoli's gonna need a serious pair of sunglasses if she keeps shining like this ... first going certified gold and now with some new bling.

Danielle -- aka Bhad Bhabie -- was in a celebratory mood after her track "Gucci Flip Flops" featuring Lil Yachty earned gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. With that in mind, we're told Bhabie commissioned celeb jeweler Johnny Dang to create some new pieces for her.

First, she got a 14k yellow gold Bhabie pendant with VVS1 quality diamonds. The enamel's a special paint mixed with 3 different colors and glitter. The second, a grill with flawless diamonds. The pieces are loaded with a total of 7 carats in diamonds.

The price tag ... we're told Bhabie dropped $45k. With sellout shows galore, it's no doubt a drop in the bucket for BB, who btw should probably also earn an award (or get a grill) for producing the funny-ass "Gucci Flip Flops" music video. Congrats!!

Smokey Robinson Reminisces About Lifelong Friend Aretha

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A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES

Smokey Robinson was a lifelong friend of Aretha's, with way too many memories to isolate just one.

We got the legendary singer/songwriter at LAX Thursday, where he was leaving for Detroit to attend the Queen's funeral.

Smokey knew Aretha since he was 8, and he reminisces about the good times they had as kids, when life was very, very different from the way it is today.

As for his favorite Aretha song ... well, Smokey is the nicest guy in the world, but the question just made him scoff.

Aretha Franklin's Funeral Presiding Pastor Promises We're Taking You to Church, Not a Show

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The man in charge of Aretha Franklin's funeral, Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, wants her fans around the world to know one thing -- get ready for church.

The pastor told us he's well aware he'll have a star-studded congregation during Friday's funeral, including Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Whoopi Goldberg, and President Clinton ... to name just a few. But he says the focus still has to be squarely on the Queen of Soul.

Bishop Ellis plans to celebrate her life in a respectful, godly manner. After all, she grew up musically and spiritually in her father's Baptist church -- and while superstar singers will perform during the service, Ellis says it's not going to be a concert.

He gave us a preview of his sermon, and the pressure that comes with overseeing an icon's funeral.

As we first reported, Jennifer Hudson will sing "Amazing Grace" as part of Friday's star-studded service at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.

It starts at 10 AM ET, and we'll be streaming it live on TMZ.

Lil Pump Lawyer Calls Miami Bust Classic Profiling

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Lil Pump was pulled over by cops in Miami because he was a young, hispanic man driving an expensive car -- in other words, he was profiled ... so says the rapper's attorney.

LP's lawyer, Brian Bieber (no relation to Justin), tells TMZ that his client's arrest Wednesday appears to be yet another classic case of profiling -- as Pump was doing nothing wrong on the road ... other than allegedly driving without a driver's license, of course.

Bieber says cops initially told his client they pulled him over for an illegal turn but later changed their story and said they pulled him over because he had expired tags.

Bieber says cops simply saw a young, successful hip-hop artist driving a very expensive Rolls-Royce in broad daylight ... and decided to initiate a traffic stop in search of something wrong -- even though he says Pump hadn't done a thing to warrant such action.

We broke the story ... Lil Pump was cuffed and hauled off to jail after Miami PD says it discovered the license plate on his Rolls-Royce actually belonged to a Mini Cooper. When they asked for a license, cops say Pump told them he'd never obtained one.

He was later released and issued a ticket -- but he won't have to appear in court, as his legal team will handle the proceedings.

Tekashi69 Goes to Mexico Hola, Mi Familia ... Here's Mucho Dinero!!!

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For the first time in his life, Tekashi69 came face-to-face with his family members in Mexico ... and greeted them with warm hugs and cold hard cash.

Tekashi's down in Mexico before he jets off to Europe for the remainder of his tour. The rapper made a quick stop to visit his aunt and uncle, who he says he's only spoken with over the phone. Tekashi's mother left Mexico before he was born and ended up in NYC.

Tekashi and his relatives are clearly emotional ... embracing and exchanging some friendly words. His aunt also gives 6ix9ine a tour of her home. Her famous nephew didn't leave her empty-handed.

He counted out what appears to be several thousand dollars, and handed it to her. Not a bad parting gift.

Aretha Franklin The Queen's Casket is on the Move ... Ahead of Memorial Concert

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2:05 PM PT -- According to witness reports, the Queen of Soul has changed outfits yet again for day 3 of her memorial tour. Today, day 3 has her ensconced in a rose-gold custom knit suit with pink beaded lace.

Day 1 showed Aretha in a tea-length red dress made of lace, with matching leather high heels. Day 2 she was reportedly dressed in a powder blue dress and matching shoes.

Aretha Franklin's casket is going on display at an entirely new location -- which has more of a personal connection than before -- ahead of what's set to be an epic memorial concert.

The Queen of Soul was moved to her late father's former house of worship -- where it all started for Aretha -- at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, as she's set to lie in repose for more public viewing before a star-studded lineup takes the stage in her honor tonight.

As you can see, lines were still forming around the block to catch a glimpse of Aretha and say final goodbyes to the music icon. We imagine it'll be an open-casket viewing, just like it was at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

As we reported ... 22 acts are set to perform later Thursday in a memorial concert for Aretha, where folks like the Four Tops, Johnny Gill, Ron Isley and others are on the bill. Another concert's taking place Friday at her funeral, with acts like Ariana Grande and Stevie Wonder.

Aretha died earlier this month from pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

Originally posted -- 10:56 AM PT

Jennifer Hudson 'Amazing Grace' At Aretha's Funeral ... Here's the Setlist

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Aretha Franklin's service will include both songs of her own and religious hymns -- with Jennifer Hudson set to perform "Amazing Grace" -- TMZ has learned.

We've obtained the production sheet for some of Thursday and Friday's services that lists several of the musical acts and the songs they'll perform.

Jennifer Hudson -- "Amazing Grace"

Faith Hill -- "What A Friend We Have In Jesus"

Ariana Grande -- "Natural Woman"

Stevie Wonder -- "The Lord's Prayer"

Fantasia Barrino -- "Precious Lord"

Hudson's performance has been highly anticipated since she'll play Aretha in an upcoming biopic, and this is the first time we've seen her in possible Aretha mode. Biopic producer Harvey Mason Jr. told us Aretha was upbeat and excited about the project just a week before her death.

Ceremonies for Aretha kicked off Tuesday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History with thousands showing up for her public viewing. The Queen of Soul arrived in a golden casket.

Thursday's event, "A People's Tribute to the Queen," at Chene Park will feature at least 22 musical acts including -- Four Tops, Johnny Gill, Ron Isley -- the event starts at 6 PM ET and will be live streamed here on our website.

Friday's funeral -- featuring Hudson and others -- will be held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit and will start at 10 AM ET. We will also be live streaming that on TMZ.com.

T.I. Arrest Officer on Body Cam ... Rapper 'Thinks His S**t Don't Stink'

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The cop who arrested T.I. outside the guard shack of his gated community talked major trash about the rapper and his level of fame ... and it was all captured on the officer's body cam.

TMZ obtained the footage from the Henry County officer who busted T.I. for public drunkenness and simple assault of the security guard back in May. The video shows the officer talking to the guard, who had refused to let T.I. enter when he didn't have his key.

The guard's supervisor tells the cop, "That's T.I., the rapper." The cop repsonds, "He thinks his s**t don't stink" and then laughs. The supervisor agreed with the officer.

TMZ broke the story, T.I. says the guard -- who was eventually fired over the incident -- had also cursed out Tiny when she called to say it was okay to let her husband enter their gated community.

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DEMANDING ANSWERS

T.I. was heated about the arrest and argued with cops after they took him into custody. He's been charged with 3 misdemeanors ... but most likely won't face any jail time if convicted.

We reached out to T.I.'s attorney, Steve Sadow, about the body cam footage. He declined to comment.

AJ McLean Performing with Aretha Was Incredible

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A MULTI-GENRE INSPIRATION

AJ McClean will never forget the night the Backstreet Boys got to share the stage with Aretha Franklin ... as her backup singers.

We got AJ Wednesday at Malibu Country Mart, and he couldn't stop singing his R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the Queen of Soul. He shared an awesome story from Backstreet's 2001 performance with Aretha and Stevie Wonder.

Just wait until you hear AJ recall his adventure getting Stevie through an obstacle course and out onstage!!!

AJ says he grew up listening to Aretha, and she had a profound influence on the Backstreet Boys and ALL genres of music. AJ was a huge fan of "The Blues Brothers" and loved Aretha's cameo in it.

He hints at possible tributes to Aretha at future Backstreet Boys' performances ... and also shares his thoughts on the perfect songs for the star-studded lineup performing Friday at Aretha's funeral.

As we reported, Stevie, Ariana Grande, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson and many others will be onstage for the service, and you can see the whole thing here -- TMZ will be streaming it live.

O.T. Genasis Cops Say Bar Argument Leads To Gun Threat

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9:17 AM PT -- A source close to O.T. Genasis tells TMZ the dispute was over his ID and another rapper's ID. We're told at no time did any member of his crew pull out a gun or make any threats.

Who needs ID when you've got a gun?

O.T. Genasis rolled deep to The Good Nite bar in the San Fernando Valley early Thursday morning. We're told O.T. and his crew arrived after 1 AM with a bunch of girls, pushed past the bouncer and headed straight to the bar. Things got HEATED when the bartender asked the chicks for ID, and then --- according to cops -- out came the blue steel.

Law enforcement sources and eyewitnesses tell us ... someone in O.T.'s crew pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot up the place. The bartender snapped some pics, and that got the gunman pissed and he tried smashing the phone.

Police were called but, by the time they arrived, O.T. and his boys were gone. Police are investigating what could be a felony -- making criminal threats along with brandishing a weapon.

It's the 2nd time this summer cops have been called on O.T. and co. because of alleged gun threats.

As we reported ... O.T.'s birthday celebration at a bowling alley was swarmed by police after a reported gun threat.

Seems no matter where O.T. goes, guns likely follow.