Music

R. Kelly's former manager, James Mason, agreed to stay away from R. Kelly's girlfriend, her dad and their family for good ... as a result, his terroristic threats case was dismissed.

A spokesperson for the Henry County D.A.'s office, tells TMZ ... the case against Mr. Mason was dismissed last month in exchange for him agreeing to a permanent protective order that prohibits him from having any contact with Kelly's girlfriend, her father, and their family.

In addition, the spokesperson tells us the victim also signed a permanent protective order not to contact Mason.

As we reported, Joycelyn Savage's father told us ... Mason called him back in 2018 and threatened him, saying ... "I'm gonna do harm to you and your family, when I see you I'm gonna get you, I'm going to f***ing kill you."

An arrest warrant was issued for felony terroristic threats and Mason eventually turned himself in. He was released on a $10k bond, and now we've learned the case is a thing of the past.

As you know, Kelly's GF Joycelyn has stuck by his side and adamantly denied she's being held against her will, but her parents believe that is not the case. For years, they say she has been brainwashed and have tried to get her to come home.

Demonstrators have descended upon Washington D.C. to protest against COVID mandates -- and, ironically, they’re blasting music from someone who just succumbed to the virus.

Thousands of people flooded into the National Mall Sunday and gathered at the base of both the Washington Monument and even more packed in front of the Lincoln Memorial ... and wouldn’t you know it, they were playing a Meat Loaf song to get themselves fired up.

The tune blaring over the speakers was ML’s “I’d Do Anything for Love” -- which we suppose is sorta in theme with what the anti-mandate crowd was there for. Song’s all about how one guy would do a lot for a woman he loves, but has a line he won’t cross ... which, presumably, applies to their attitudes toward federal and local policies?

Of course, Meat Loaf himself was against mandates -- having been outspoken about Australia’s lockdowns through much of the pandemic. Sadly enough, Meat Loaf literally just died last week after contracting coronavirus. It’s unclear if he was vaccinated or not.

The protests in D.C. today are expected to draw tens of thousands ... this not too long after the annual March for Life rally this weekend. So far, they're talking freedom, MLK, the constitution ... and a lot of other things they believe align with their vision of the country.

It appears to be peaceful thus far -- and there aren't many counter-protesters either ... which might mean these folks will have the day and space to themselves to push their message.

Kanye West's minivan may not come with little juice box holders -- but it's got swivel seats, custom speakers and TVs big enough for a living room -- all tools to get him in dad mode.

Kanye's been spotted whipping around L.A. lately in a 1-of-1 custom luxury Mercedes-Benz van ... less horsepower than the Lamborghinis we usually see him drive, but it still comes with a hefty price tag of more than $400,000!!!

We're told the vans are sold exclusively by RD Whittington, owner of Wires Only in L.A. and Miami.

Ye's version is called Executive Style, seats 7 and features multiple TV screens, fully reclining and swiveling chairs ... as well as a sound system to rival a recording studio.

We've obtained some photos from inside different versions of the van, Kanye's is almost exactly like the one with red leather seats -- but you can see the insane light and interior options that come with these suped-up minivans.

RD will show off more crazy rides on the Jamie Foxx-produced "Million Dollar Wheels" ... which premieres February 21 on Discovery Plus.

When you think about it, Ye's vehicle makes a lot of sense ... he's got 4 kids to drive around AND a new album on the way. So, the available seating and impressive audio setup are a perfect fit for his needs.

We saw Kanye out to grab some ice cream Thursday in the van -- he had a massive smile on his face when a fan told him he was an "awesome dad."

Kanye West might be able to swap out the boots he's been wearing for weeks on end for something more comfortable and caj -- and it's all thanks to DJ Khaled hooking him up!

DJK gifted Ye a sweet pair of Jordans Saturday during what appears to have been a hangout/collab session at Khaled's pad down in Miami ... where KW was with his crew, and his new boo too -- Julia Fox.

Anyway, check out the sneakers Khaled had all lined up ... and how Kanye reacts upon receiving 'em. It's a super nice gesture, especially considering how rare they apparently are. As Khaled notes, there's only 100 pairs made ... and lucky enough he had some in Kanye's size.

Khaled says he can use the shoes for an upcoming Fashion Week event that Ye's supposed to be attending ... and Kanye seems appreciative of the present.

Of course, they didn't just talk kicks during their time together ... indeed, it looks like Ye and Khaled got to work on some actual music -- much of which was teased on his social media.

No word on what their collab might sound like just yet, but it sure seems Ye and Khaled were feeling it ... dancing around the studio like two little kids having the time of their lives. This is far from their first time making music with one another -- but it's been a while, no doubt.

Justin Bieber needs to vacate the Prince of Pop throne immediately, because his replacement's ready to take a seat -- and that person would be ... The Weeknd.

Abel just hit a new milestone that places him a notch above JB -- at least as far as Spotify numbers are concerned. The Weeknd has become the #1 artist with the most monthly listeners on the music app ... clocking in at about 85.6 million.

That's a healthy amount more than where the Biebs was last year, when he claimed the top spot at 83.3 mil ... and having held the record since for a consecutive 190 days.

Of course, if you've been following along ... you know Abel's been hot on Justin's tail for a minute -- even when the latter hit that benchmark, The Weeknd was #2 at the time ... and with the release of his new hit album, "Dawn FM," it seems to have put him over the top.

The record is getting rave reviews, and is soaring on the charts too -- this not too long after 2020's wildly successful run with "After Hours" ... which is still helping Abel to this day, we're sure.

Now, while The Weeknd is technically deserving of the Prince of Pop title with the achievement ... some say he's still got some work to do, because Justin's got a little leverage on him with an all-time high Spotify record that no one seems to have matched just yet.

While TW has surpassed Justin's average monthly listeners ... it looks like Bieber might hold the ultimate honor, after hitting a peak of 94.6M listeners at one point during his reign.

Adele is super upset over pulling the plug on her Vegas shows, and she offered some of her fans a drink as a token of her gratitude for sticking with her ... but then she quickly took it back. We can explain.

Adele FaceTimed a group of fans who flew to Vegas to watch her kick off her residency Friday night at Caesars Palace. As we reported, Adele put the show on ice for now, because she says half her crew has COVID and certain set pieces haven't arrived ... presumably a supply chain issue.

Well, somehow Adele ended up FaceTiming with a bunch of young fans and offered them a drink token as a token of her appreciation. But, then she realized most were underage so she quickly took it back!

She pivoted and offered them a free gift back at her pop-up store ... which had Adele-emblazoned clothes and other items inside. BTW ... the sweatshirts are priced between $90 and $110 a pop. And, hilariously, she was selling "Cry Your Heart Out" packages of Kleenex.

There's been mixed reaction to Adele postponing her shows. Lots of fans say they understand, but some say Adele should have gone on with the show, even if it was just sitting on a stool and singing, because her voice is why people come.

Lots of people ended up spending a fortune to see the show ... some of the seats cost $12k and even more. There are also hotel and airline expenses.

Julia Fox is scoffing at folks who think she's a clout chaser for dating Kanye West, saying she's so not in it for the fame.

Julia addressed the doubters on her "Forbidden Fruits" podcast Friday, saying she couldn't care less about the attention she's getting.

The "Uncut Gems" star put it this way ... "People are like 'Oh, you're only in it for the fame, you're in it for the clout, you're in it for the money.' Honey, I've dated billionaires my entire adult life, let's keep it real."

Well, dating a billionaire doesn't automatically raise your profile ... but dating Kanye sure does.  But, she goes in hard, saying fame's not her thing anymore.

And, speaking of fame, Julia talked about partying with Ye, Madonna, Antonio Brown, Floyd Mayweather, etc at a restaurant a few days back. She says ... "I was actually supposed to be at dinner for just Madonna and I. All of these other celebs crashed [the party]."

Meat Loaf would stick to the old adage of the show must go on, and Caleb Johnson -- who sings in the late rocker's band -- says that's exactly what the Neverland Express plans to do.

The season 13 'American Idol' champ is doing his best to fill Meat's shoes on the BAT tour, and he tells TMZ ... he's confident the boss wouldn't want them to quit just because he's no longer here.

Instead, Caleb says Meat Loaf's band will keep plugging along with their Music of Meat Loaf shows ... and they're planning some tributes to the man behind the music.

Caleb got Meat Loaf's blessing a few years back to become the lead singer for Neverland Express ... and they've been touring since 2018, with Meat Loaf even joining them on stage last year during a show in Nashville.

As you know ... Meat Loaf died Thursday night after falling critically ill with COVID.

It's a sad moment for the rock world, but Caleb says the band plans to take the stage for its next scheduled show Feb. 4 in Uncasville, CT ... because that's what Meat Loaf would have wanted.

Still, Caleb admits he will be feeling the pressure to keep Meat's legacy alive ... explaining why it's so hard to sing the man's famous rock tunes.

Meat Loaf deserves a heap of honors, so a very famous pizza joint is heaping a ton of meatloaf on its pies to celebrate the singer/actor's life.

Mulberry Pizza in Bev Hills -- owned by Richie Palmer (ex-hubby of Raquel Welch) -- is making a special pizza Monday to honor Meat Loaf.

Richie is a huge Meat Loaf fan -- his jam is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" -- and he tells us it's the least he can do.

The pie looks delish -- it's got meatloaf, of course, basil, cheese and some spices.

Richie put a sign outside one of his Bev Hills locations that says, "Monday in honor of Meat Loaf, meatloaf pizza slice! RIP."

Universal Studios has pissed off some moviegoers whose jam is clearly Ana de Armas ... and they're outraged she was advertised as a star of the film, "Yesterday," but ended up on the cutting room floor.

Two consumers say they plunked down $3.99 to watch the movie about the dude who hits his head and wakes up to discover he's the only person in the world who knows the entire Beatles catalog.

Ana was originally cast to co-star in the film. According to the suit, although Ana appeared in the trailer and various advertisements, she was not in the flick. It's unclear why she ended up on the cutting room floor.

The 2 named plaintiffs are particularly pissed off ... in the trailer, the main character sings the song, "Something" to Ana, but it's nowhere to be seen on screen.

Well, now there's a class-action lawsuit for those who rented the movie in California or Maryland. The class is defined as everyone who purchased the movie, but fact is ... there are probably a lot of people who don't care one way or the other if Ana is in the flick.

What's more ... we're assuming each consumer would get a maximum of $3.99 -- the cost to rent the movie. The lawsuit is for $5 million, so the ones who will make out like a bandit -- the lawyers!

BTW ... the movie was a hit, grossing $150 million.

Meat Loaf -- the singer with some monstrous hits -- has died at the age of 74.

The singer's manager, Michael Greene, confirmed Meat Loaf died Thursday night. Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... he was supposed to attend a business dinner earlier this week for a show he's working on -- "I'd Do Anything for Love" -- but the dinner was canceled because he became seriously ill with COVID. Sources tell us that his condition quickly became critical.

Our sources say Meat Loaf has been outspoken about COVID, railing with folks in Australia recently about vaccine mandates. We do not know if he was vaccinated.

Greene added that Meat Loaf's wife and 2 daughters were by his side when he passed away.

Meat Loaf was one of the greatest rock singers of all time. His 1977 "Bat Out of Hell" album sold an astounding 65 million copies. That album produced several hits, including "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," which charted at #11 on Billboard.

Meat Loaf followed up with a sequel years later -- "Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell" - which produced a number 1 hit, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." He won a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.

Meat Loaf also appeared in a ton of movies and TV shows, including "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Spice World: The Movie" and "Fight Club" He also performed in the musical "Hair," both on and off-Broadway.

His real name was Marvin Lee Aday. As for how he acquired the name of a delicious meal ... his football coach named him Meat Loaf because of his weight. His first band was called Meat Loaf Soul.

Now get this ... his first album was a duet with a singer named Stoney and it was released on Motown.

Meat Loaf appeared on "TMZ Live" back in 2014, promoting his new show in Vegas.

We last got Meat Loaf in NYC back in 2019, where he told us why his stage name should appeal to vegetarians and vegans alike.

Kanye West will give you a fist bump if you call him an "amazing father" ... as one fan found out while Yeezy was grabbing some ice cream.

The bizarre interaction went down Thursday in Calabasas, where Ye hit up an ice cream shop after a doctor's visit.

Kanye's licking his ice cream cone and answering a paparazzi's question about the death of fashion icon Andre Leon Talley ... when suddenly someone comes up and praises Kanye's father skills.

Ye perks up and gives the dude a fist bump, telling him he loves the praise and appreciates the recognition.

Kanye then gets behind the wheel of his whip ... which turns out to be a minivan!!!

Seems he's got plenty of room for North, Psalm, Saint and Chicago to ride in the back.

Adele says she's tried everything possible, but the show will NOT go on, as they say -- COVID has forced her to cancel her upcoming Vegas residency.

Adele apologized to fans Thursday for having to cancel at the last minute. She says she tried hard to make sure her show was ready in time, but she says it's been nearly impossible with delivery delays, and half of her team being down due to COVID-19.

Adele was set to have her opening show this weekend as a part of her “Weekends with Adele” residency. She planned to do 24 shows starting this month and running through April.

But, now fans who traveled to Sin City will have to find something else to do, because they won't be hearing from the Grammy-award winning singer ... not this weekend, anyway.

Adele obviously appeared very remorseful, and distraught about the decision -- she says she intends to reschedule, and she's "gonna get [the show] to where it's supposed to be."

No word yet on when those new dates will be, but ya gotta feel for Adele when you see how upset she is about the delay.

Bobby Shmurda will be stickin' to music because basketball ain't it ... the Brooklyn rapper botched an easy alley-oop dunk -- and it was hilarious!

The epic fail was caught on video ... the 27-year-old went to the famed CoolKicks store in Los Angeles for a sneaker shopping sesh on Wednesday.

There's a basketball hoop in the store ... so when Bobby arrived, store owner Adeel Shams -- aka Champagnepaki -- placed a $1,500 store credit wager on whether Shmurda could beat him one-on-one.

Bobby won that bet ... but Shams wasn't done with him. Next bet ... $1K to BS if he could throw down an alley-oop.

"If he do an alley-oop, I'll give another band on top and I know he not doing that," Shams said.

And, Bobby wasn't playing around. He tucked his chain and took off his hoodie ... for maximum jumping ability. But, midway through his jump, Bobby lost the ball, before crashing to the ground.

"What the f***?!" Shmurda laughed, "I'm going back to the studio! I'm going back to the studio!"

The Super Bowl is still a few weeks away, but you can start losing your minds for the halftime show now ... 'cause the official trailer for the big event just dropped -- and it's awesome!!

Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar are set to share the stage on February 13 ... which, understandably, has a ton of people hyped.

Pepsi just added to the anticipation by releasing a nearly 4-minute Hollywood film-style clip dubbed the "official trailer" ... featuring all the performers getting "the call" and preparing to hit up L.A. for the show.

The vid shows Em, Snoop, MJB, Kendrick and Dre all leaving their daily lives to join forces outside SoFi Stadium ... with Dre moving all the pieces in a big game of chess.

The visuals are nuts ... and if it's any indication as to how the real halftime show will go, we're in for a treat.

Cardi B's announcement she's covering funeral costs for all the victims of the historically deadly Bronx apartment fire has one man -- who lost 5 relatives -- calling Cardi an "angel."

Haji Dukuray's niece was killed in the blaze, along with her husband and 3 children ... and Cardi is making sure he doesn't have to worry about finding the money to bury 5 family members.

Haji, who used to drive 200 miles from his Delaware home to see his niece and her family in the Bronx, tells TMZ ... Cardi is an angel and his family can't thank her enough for what she's done.

He says it's a huge help to his family to not bear the financial burden ... and he's sending Cardi blessings for stepping up to help so many people she's never met.

As we reported, the inferno engulfed a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx earlier this month, killing 9 adults and 8 children -- the city's deadliest fire in more than 3 decades.

Cardi, a Bronx native, vowed to cover funeral expenses and worked with NYC Mayor Eric Adams' office to make it happen.

Haji says he got word of Cardi's gift from Mayor Adams' people -- and had no idea, initially, the rapper was their benefactor.

Remember, Fat Joe is helping rally celebs for relief efforts, and he told us most of the people living in the building were immigrants who lost everything in the blaze.

We got Jim Jones at Impact Zone Gym in New Jersey and asked him about Cardi's gesture ... and he praised her too, saying he would expect nothing less.