Music

Detectives working to find out who killed Drakeo the Ruler are fighting an uphill battle, finding it hard to get anyone who may have info on the suspect to come forward and talk ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators are mostly relying on surveillance and cellphone footage to crack the case. As we reported, he was stabbed in the neck backstage at the Once Upon A Time in L.A. festival on Dec. 18.

Our sources say detectives attempting to chat with witnesses to the scuffle ... but they're not talking, which makes it hard/next to impossible to nab the culprits.

Detectives are starting to go another route -- looking to see if the Slim 400 murder might be connected to Drakeo the Ruler's demise.

As we reported, there's a lot of tension between gangs in the City of Angels as of late, so cops are well aware of the chance for retaliation.

Nothing's been made public to connect the Drakeo and Slim murders -- but our sources say cops aren't ruling it out.

Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and 50 Cent were among the acts set to perform at the festival where Drakeo was killed ... Snoop posted a heartfelt message, saying, "My prayers go out to everyone affected by the tragedy. Please take care, love one another and stay safe y'all."

He ended with, "IM PRAYING FOR PEACE IN HIP HOP."

Apparently, buyers like the thought of sharing the same living space once inhabited by Hollywood and political legends ... because Bing Crosby's former estate has attracted offers like bees on honey.

Crosby's pad in Rancho Mirage was listed this week, and agent David Emerson of Compass says interest has been intense ... with a dozen calls a day for the property, and of those ... around 15 real buyers, some of whom have already seen it.

We're told those who have shown interest run the spectrum -- from celebs to wealthy CEO's -- and people all around the world.

The estate is listed at $4.5 million and has hosted the likes of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. In fact, there's a guest house called the "JFK Wing" where he used to stay on the down low with MM, with 2-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms, plus a full kitchen and living room.

In all, the place has 5-bedrooms, 6,700 sq feet of living space, a giant pool, movie theater, 1.36 acres to spread out on and stunning views.

Buckingham Palace nearly put the kibosh on one of Elton John's most legendary performances to honor his friend Princess Diana ... only allegedly giving him the go-ahead in hopes the display would help turn public opinion in favor of the Royal Family.

According to newly released documents, obtained by SkyNews, the Palace believed lyrics to Elton's "Candle In The Wind" were "too sentimental" to be played at Diana's service in 1997.

The report states it was only after a letter from the Dean of Westminster, who believed giving Elton the chance to sing would be "imaginative and generous" to the public (who was pissed at the Royal Family) that the song got the green-light.

Of course, at the time of her death, Diana had been divorced from Prince Charles for a year ... and many felt the Palace -- including the Queen -- hadn't done enough to mourn her.

Diana had bashed Charles for cheating, saying there were, "Three of us in this marriage," referring to Charles' mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles, who he went on to marry. Many thought the Royal Family's lack of empathy when she died was tied to her public bashing of the Prince.

Jack Harlow is gunning for a cop who put his hands on the neck of a woman who wanted to see Jack's show.

Video of the woman surfaced, in which she was confronted by cops who were not letting her inside the venue in Atlanta on Tuesday night.  You see one of the officers put his hands on the woman's neck.

Jack saw the video and was outraged, saying, "... I was disgusted by that cop and all I wanted to do was make something good happen for this girl immediately…I told the world to help me identify her so I could find a way to give her a hug and give her as many tickets to as many shows as she wants."

Jack went on ... "But that's not enough and its not a solution to a systemic issue that people who don't look like me have to face. The next step is identifying this police officer and getting him unemployed as fast as we can. Assaulting a young woman and putting his hands on her neck is sickening."

The cop is a member of the Cobb County PD.  We reached out for comment ... so far, no word back.

Jack wanted to send a message ... "I look out in the crowd every night and see black women in my front row…screaming my lyrics, traveling to see me, supporting me, riding for me. I want this woman, and every black woman that supports me to know - I am so sorry. I want you to be protected and I want this guy to lose his job so f***ing fast. I love you. Let's find this officer."

Jack's in the middle of his Crème de la Crème Tour.

So, you don't want to get the COVID vaccine because you don't trust the science ... well, here's an incentive -- you get the shot, you get to keep your hair.

Singer Ava Max says she's suffered hair loss after contracting COVID. She posted a vid Wednesday night, saying, "Baby hairs Comin THRU. "Also so so happy my hair is growing back. I lost a lot of hair when I had COVID last year!! :( "

Turns out ... the "My Head & My Heart" singer isn't making this up. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, hair loss is a consequence of the virus.

To be specific, the Academy says high fever from various illnesses, including COVID, can result in "noticeable hair loss."

It's actually not technically hair loss -- it's hair shedding. It typically begins 2 to 3 months after the fever subsides. Clumps of hair can come out after showering or brushing, and it can last for as long as 9 months before it stops.

It pays to have your very own full-sized basketball court at home ... just ask Drake, who shared a cute video of his son draining a bucket at only 4 years old!!!

The Toronto rapper posted a video Wednesday showing Adonis take 10 dribbles -- while showing off his counting skills -- before firing up a shot ... and making it. It's hard to tell who is more excited, Adonis or his friend, but there's plenty of excitement to go around.

Another interesting part, it sounds like Adonis' mom, Sophie, is the one recording the clip ... so you gotta imagine she was able to spend the holiday at Drake's mansion as they all celebrated Christmas together.

It's not the first time Drake's shown off Adonis' basketball skills, we've seen him playing on smaller hoops before ... but to score on a 10 foot basket at 4 is pretty impressive.

The man formerly known as Kanye West appears to be trying to fit in as much travel time as he can before year's end ... most recently hitting Belize with his good buddy J Prince.

Ye touched down in Central America Wednesday, and was pictured at the Philip S.W Goldson International Airport posing with Prince. Unclear if Kanye's there for work, pleasure or both ... but J Prince owns an island down there, so there should be plenty of space to relax.

It's unclear if Ye and J arrived together, or if Kanye flew out to meet his friend, but the two have certainly collabed a lot lately.

Remember, it was J Prince who played a pivotal part in bringing Kanye and Drake together for the Free Larry Hoover show in Los Angeles earlier this month. The show was a huge success, bringing over 70,000 people to the L.A. Coliseum and bringing the rappers together as friends again.

No word on if Drake has any plans to hit Belize, but obviously another reunion is no longer out of the question.

Katy Perry is the queen of hip hops ... because she opened her Vegas residency with her own brew ... and you gotta see how she did it!

Katy was performing Wednesday night at Resorts World when she started yapping with a giant COVID mask about this and that ... and then had a hankering for a beer.

So, the 37-year-old mother of 1 was super resourceful, using the can attached to her dress to lactate a glass of Corona, and the crowd loved it.

At one point during the show, Katy popped out of a neon toilet.

It's interesting that Katy actually made COVID a theme in the concert, as you can see from the video.

She'll be doing 32 shows through March of next year. She'll also receive a Queen's ransom for her efforts ... reportedly $168 mil! It's not unprecedented ... Celine Dion and J Lo also made a fortune during their residencies in Sin City.

Simon Cowell quietly tried to save the life of Il Divo singer Carlos Marin ... by offering him a private jet so he could get treatment for COVID.

Simon's not the person who made this public ... it was Carlos' wife, Geraldine Larrosa, who told a Spanish outlet, "Simon personally phoned the hospital and offered to help with anything."

Geraldine says Simon offered to fly Carlos to Spain for some sort of treatment ... treatment that presumably was not available at Manchester Royal Hospital where he was fighting for his life.

Carlos' case was so severe, he had to be intubated. He died on December 19 at the age of 53.

Quavo and his crew beat the crap out of a Sin City limo driver ... all because the driver forgot to pick up someone in their group -- this according to a new lawsuit.

The Migos rapper is being sued by the limo driver, who claims the alleged beatdown went down July 3 in Vegas.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the driver claims he was hired to take the Migos and their group from a local club to the Virgin Hotel ... but he says things went south when the passengers started yelling at him about leaving behind a member of their party.

In the docs, the limo driver tried reasoning with his passengers but was told, "shut the f*** up" ... and then someone chucked a bottle at him.

The driver claims it escalated, with as many as 5 of the passengers attacking him unprovoked ... repeatedly punching and kicking him, leaving him riddled with injuries.

According to the suit, the driver claims hotel staff and security had a front-row seat to the alleged beatdown ... but instead of stepping in to stop the fight, they fled for safety inside the hotel.

The limo driver claims the attack left him suffering physical and mental pain and even disfigurement ... and he's going after Quavo, Migos Touring and the hotel for unspecified damages.

If you're wondering how residents in SoCal are handling the cold and rainy weather of this holiday season, look no further than Kourtney Kardashian and her fiancé Travis Barker, who hit the beach for a stroll bundled up in a ton of layers.

The pair hit the sand at the Rosewood Hotel in Montecito Wednesday, and while it certainly didn't look like they were prepared to take a dip ... the couple looked cozy nonetheless. Both were decked out in all-black and sunglasses, Travis kept his hood up to trap in as much heat as possible.

The Rosewood is special to Travis and Kourtney, considering it's the same spot he proposed to her back in October in a proposal fit with what seemed to be thousands of roses.

As for their sandy stroll, unclear if the two had just finished eating and wanted to take in the sights ... each was carrying a cup of something (hopefully warm).

No details yet on when and where the two will officially say "I Do" -- but there's definitely a strong connection to Montecito -- so maybe they were location scouting.

Avicii's final words before taking his own life have been revealed in a new book, and it underscores the tragedy.

As we reported ... the 28-year-old Swedish DJ committed suicide back in April 2018, using a broken glass bottle.

Diary entries he wrote just before his death are in the book, "Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii” and they are heartbreaking.

The grim entries were written while he was in the hospital and in rehab ... He wrote, "Those days in hospital were the most anxiety and stress-free days I can remember the past six years, those were my true vacations, as depressing as it might sound.”

The EDM singer opened up about his long battle with drug and alcohol abuse... "I had a hard time accepting never drinking again though strongly suggested from all doctors to wait at least a year before even having a beer.” That had shades of a dangerous turn in the rehab movement -- California rehab, which suggests addicts can drink moderately and smoke weed. Experts say it's a recipe for disaster.

He went on ... “Of course, I didn’t listen to the majority of the doctors, I listened to the couple who said it was OK if I was careful. I was ignorant and naive and touring the world, still on the never-ending tour ..."

The day before his suicide, Avici wrote, "The shedding of the soul is the last attachment before it restarts!"

Ice Cube is angry at critics who are grousing he shortchanged actors who appeared in his iconic movie, "Friday."

Cube lashed out on Twitter, responding to an interview Faizon Love did, claiming he was only paid $2,500 to play Big Worm in "Friday." That led others to accuse Cube of "robbing his own people."

Well, Ice Cube blasted back, saying, "I didn't rob no space f***in body." He pointed out it was a super, low-budget flick -- it cost $2.3 mil to make -- and pointed out Faizon only worked 1 to 2 days on the movie during the 20-day shoot.

He went on to say, all of the actors were paid scale and they could have simply declined the offer to appear if they didn't like the salary.

Truth be told ... it's not unusual at all for actors to be paid scale for movies ... even movies with much fatter budgets than "Friday."

Kanye West seems to be moving on with his life after Kim made it clear she's moving full steam ahead with the divorce ... because he was out partying with Instagram model Yasmine Lopez.

Ye and Yasmine were partying in Houston Tuesday night ... he and Justin LaBoy rolled up to James Harden's Thirteen restaurant for J Mulan's birthday... YouTuber Michaela Mendez was also in attendance, standing close to Ye.

It's a sign Kanye too is moving on ... TMZ broke the story, earlier this month Kim filed to restore her marital status to single, STAT, and leave all the other issues for another day.

Kanye clearly wanted to reconcile -- as he made clear during the concert with Drake earlier this month when he told the crowd he wanted Kim back with the lyric, "I need you run right back to me, more specifically Kimberly -- but Kim's made it clear the marriage is over.

As we reported ... Kanye bought a $4.5 million home directly across the street from the family house. We're told he bought the house abruptly -- so he could be close to the kids -- and our sources say this fixer-upper is going to be stripped right down to the studs ... it needs everything.

BTW ... just last week Kanye apparently called it quits with another model, Vinetria, according to page 6. So it seems he's back on the market.

Tupac Shakur wrote a love poem to one of his old girlfriends back in the day ... it appears to have inspired one of his big hits ... and now it can be yours if the price is right!

The folks over at Moments in Time are hawking a handwritten poem Tupac penned to a former flame named Simi ... the story goes this piece of Tupac history inspired his famous "All Eyez on Me."

The poem is titled "All Eye Was Lookin 4" ... and it's going up for sale for $95,000 ... so this is no cheap holiday present ... if you're still doing your holiday shopping.

The auction house says the poem, dated Aug. 26, 1995, ended up in a private collection ... and 26 years later it's hitting the market.

BTW ... Tupac's "All Eyez On Me" came out in 1996 ... so it all tracks.

As you see ... Tupac put his rhyming skills to good use in the poem ... telling a story of how he fell in love with Simi and the direction he hoped their relationship would go.

Dr. Dre has settled his divorce case by striking a property settlement agreement with his ex-wife, and for Dre's part, we're told he's "delighted" Nicole Young is only getting a fraction of his estate.

Dre and Nicole just filed their property settlement agreement, in which Dre agreed to pay Young $100 million -- $50 mil now, and $50 mil a year from now. Dre's estimated net worth is $820 million.

As for why Nicole didn't get half ... there's a prenup which she contested.

In exchange, Dre gets to keep 7 of the properties they own, including a Malibu home, 2 homes in Calabasas, and 4 properties in the L.A. area, including the $100 million Brentwood estate.

In addition, Dre gets full rights to his master recordings, trademarks and interests in various partnerships and trusts. He also keeps all of their Apple stocks, which includes the proceeds from the sale of Beats by Dre.

They divide a fleet of vehicles -- he gets 6 and she gets 4.

She gets to keep jewelry, cash and bank accounts that she had maintained during the marriage.

Nicole must pay her own legal fees ... which amount to millions of dollars.

Sources connected to Dre say Nicole could have actually gotten a bigger piece of the pie had she settled a year ago. One of those sources said, "She could have even been on the field for the Super Bowl halftime show as a friendly ex-wife."

There are also some storage lockers filled with items from their various homes. Dre had put the items in storage, and according to the settlement she gets to keep all the stuff inside that was hers.

The settlement forecloses Young's ability to get spousal support ... something that was hotly contested during the divorce.