Music

Xzibit is ready to bury the hatchet with MTV parent company Viacom over his "Pimp My Ride" legacy -- but says they first need to acknowledge he got screwed in the first place.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the West Coast vet after he unloaded on Viacom, claiming it's essentially erasing him from the show's history, and in the process, digging into his pockets!!!

X to the Z claims Viacom gave him the shaft by cutting his "image and likeness" from the show in order to get around paying him royalties over the years since the show was in production.

He says episodes cut for DVDs and streaming were also re-edited to remove his music, and DVD covers removed his image and likeness. We checked, and that tidbit appears to be true.

Xzibit was in his prime as a rapper when the show was shooting ... laying platinum albums with Dr. Dre and hitting sold-out shows with Eminem and Snoop Dogg, and he says his celebrity boosted the show's visibility.

In the suit, X calls Viacom's actions "petty," but he told us he's willing to move forward and still hopes to conduct business with them down the line.

Ludacris' manager, Chaka Zulu, was scared for his life, and actually fired back, allegedly in self-defense, during the Atlanta shooting that's left the music honcho in critical condition.

We've spoken with multiple sources who have viewed surveillance footage recorded Sunday outside the APT 4B restaurant. We're told Chaka, his assistant and another friend were leaving an event, walking through the parking lot when Chaka was approached by another man.

Our sources say, in the video, Chaka and the other man start exchanging words, but things escalate, and the conversation becomes visually more intense ... all while the other man allegedly keeps his hand on and around his waistband.

We're told at one point, a female bystander pushed the other man away from Chaka, but he didn't back down ... and then things really got intense when Chaka approaches the man again, who seemingly bumps Chaka with his chest, and Chaka grabs the man by the collar.

From there, our sources say, a group of about 3 or 4 other men -- who'd been standing in the parking lot with the man confronting Chaka -- get involved, rushing in, and knocking Chaka to the ground with a punch followed by kicks and stomps.

We're told one guy in the group makes his way between 2 vehicles, produces a gun, and fires at least 2 shots. Our sources say Chaka, who was also armed, can then be seen getting back on his feet and firing at least one shot in return.

TMZ obtained the dramatic 911 call from the scene, where a man claiming to be restaurant security works to help Chaka ... who had suffered a gunshot wound in the exchange.

A source close to Chaka tells us he was shot at least once -- the bullet came close to his heart -- and he's currently in critical condition.

As for what started the verbal altercation ... we're told it's unclear, though it might have been some sort of dispute about the man not being allowed entry to a party.

Calvin Harris is looking to dominate the Summer '22 party waves with his "Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2" album, and he's enlisting several superstar rappers to get it done.

On Wednesday, the legendary DJ dropped a 'Funk Wav' teaser video, along with the A-list guest list which includes lots of rappers -- like Pharrell, 21 Savage, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, Lil Durk, Latto, Busta Rhymes and Swae Lee.

He's also got Justin Timberlake and Shensheaa onboard for tracks ... and the first single, "Potion," arrived in May, featuring Dua Lipa and Young Thug.

Calvin's 1st 'Funk Wav' was released back in 2017 ... and earned a Gold plaque.

R. Kelly has just been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following his conviction for 9 federal charges, including sex crimes and human trafficking.

The disgraced singer was in the federal courthouse Wednesday in Brooklyn when Judge Ann M. Donnelly announced his sentence ... bringing a close to one of the U.S. Attorney's Office's highest-profile criminal prosecutions in years.

Kelly's known he could get 10 years to life since he was convicted last September on all 9 counts. He declined to give a statement during sentencing.

As we reported, federal prosecutors had recommended no less than 25 years in prison based on the severity of Kelly's crimes.

Kelly's trial had taken just over a month, and his attorneys seemed overmatched in court -- federal prosecutors called for more witnesses than the defense.

Kelly's legal team called on a handful of ex-Kelly employees and associates -- all saying, under oath, they never saw Kelly abuse anyone.

Prosecutors, however, brought dozens of witnesses to the stand, poking holes in that claim ... some said Kelly had managers, bodyguards and assistants who rounded up his potential victims before the singer groomed them for unwanted sex, among other things.

Kelly himself never took the stand.

We spoke with one of Kelly's victims, Lizzette Martinez, who told us he's more than earned a life sentence ... she says the guy's proven multiple times he's using his power to get what he wants, and he shouldn't be given the chance to prey on women again.

Ludacris’ longtime manager Chaka Zulu is one of 3 victims shot outside an Atlanta restaurant, and now we have audio from the horrific scene ... where some calm, quick thinking saved lives.

In 911 audio from Sunday’s shooting, obtained by TMZ, a man who describes himself as Restaurant 4B’s head of security can be heard calmly describing the extent of Chaka’s injuries ... even as he applied pressure to Chaka's wounds to stop the bleeding.

His calmness is in stark contrast to the noise in the background, which was absolute pandemonium.

The caller says Chaka was shot in the upper torso and, at one point, he can be heard raising his voice in an effort to keep Chaka conscious until medics can arrive.

He may very well have saved Chaka’s life. The musician’s family released a statement on Monday saying Chaka had successful surgery and is now in stable condition.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer, Eric Holder, got jumped by other inmates on his way to court ... and the beatdown was so bad he apparently needed stitches to close his wounds.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Holder was waiting Tuesday to catch the bus to court for his murder trial when he got jumped, causing the trial to be delayed.

We're in the courtroom today, and Holder showed up with stitches running up the back of his head. Holder also appears to have a slightly swollen left eye, plus more stitches cutting their way through his hair.

It's interesting ... Holder and his defense attorneys are all wearing face coverings, which they generally have not done in the past.

The jury is in the courtroom too, but no one has so far addressed Holder's injuries ... the judge, prosecution and defense are just moving forward as if nothing happened.

Travis Barker is in the hospital because he has pancreatitis, and doctors believe it was triggered by a colonoscopy ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources connected to the family tell TMZ ... Travis' Tuesday hospitalization was a result of the condition -- which is an inflammation of the pancreas -- and includes symptoms like nausea, intense stomach pain and vomiting. We were not told precisely when Travis had the colonoscopy, but we're told it was recent.

As we reported, Kourtney Kardashian took Travis to West Hills hospital, near their home, early Tuesday. From there, he was taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. -- one of the best facilities in the country.

Travis' daughter, Alabama, posted and deleted a pic of her dad in the hospital while he rested in a hospital bed.

It was pretty evident Travis was in severe pain during his ordeal, tweeting "God save me" from his Twitter account.

Ricky Martin's former business manager claims the pop star shorted him millions of dollars, and now she's filed a lawsuit trying to get a piece of his pie ... which she believes is rightfully hers.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Rebecca Drucker says she originally represented the singer from 2014-2018, but after a 2-year hiatus he called her back into service in May 2020 when his "personal and professional life [were] in absolute turmoil."

Drucker says she did just that ... getting his life and singing career in order, guiding him on recording contracts, touring and sponsorship deals and helping him make millions of dollars on his recent North American tour with Enrique Iglesias.

She also claims she protected him in 2020 when he was allegedly threatened with an unspecified career-ending allegation, bringing in top attorneys to handle the matter ... and Ricky walked away unscathed.

The only problem ... Drucker says Martin stiffed her out of $3 million worth of commissions as she was jumpstarting his career. She says Ricky routinely manipulated and lied to her, ultimately forcing her to quit in April of this year.

She said when she persisted in asking for her money, Martin began threatening her to stay silent and demanded she sign a nondisclosure agreement ... which she refused to do.

Drucker's now suing Martin for the $3 mil, plus punitive damages.

Travis Barker's family continues to be by his side during the drummer's hospital stay ... as evidenced in a photo shared by his daughter.

Alabama Barker posted and then deleted an image on TikTok of her holding Travis' hand while he lay in what appears to be a hospital bed. The 16-year-old included the message, "Please say a prayer" along with the image.

It's still unclear what has landed Travis in the hospital, but you can see in the photo he's got a brace on his left wrist -- though that's likely just a result of decades of playing the drums.

As we reported, Kourtney brought Travis to West Hills hospital Tuesday, near their home, before he was transferred by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai a short time later.

Unfortunately, the "in sickness" part of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's vows is already coming into play ... the drummer was just hospitalized, with his new wife by his side.

Barker and Kourtney first showed up at West Hills hospital Tuesday morning for a health issue Travis was experiencing. Apparently, the medical crew at West Hills felt Travis needed additional care, because he was then taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Kourtney followed closely behind the ambulance, wearing black sweats and a hoodie.

It's currently unclear what Travis' condition is, or what medical emergency brought him to the hospital. Interestingly enough, during the ordeal, he tweeted, "God save me."

Of course, the health scare comes just a month after the two swapped vows during a multi-day ceremony in Portofino, Italy -- surrounded by their closest friends and family members.

Get well soon, Travis!!!

Sam Asghari says he's still getting used to the fact Britney Spears is his wife, and to wearing a wedding ring -- but he's also keenly aware marriage has its benefits when it comes to his career.

Sam opened up about tying the knot with the pop star, calling their wedding day everything they'd imagined. He told 'GMA' ... he and Britney wanted a fairytale and that's exactly what they got.

The couple got hitched earlier this month at their former Thousand Oaks, CA home, and Sam says the intimate guest list of about 50-70 people was perfect -- "We wanted to celebrate with, you know, our loved ones, our close people. We wanted to just celebrate, and that's what we did."

As for why SA was doing this 'GMA' interview ... well, call it one of the perks of marrying Britney Spears -- he was promoting his role in an action film, where he costars with Mel Gibson.

Sam says he's grateful for any opportunities he gets because of Brit, but clearly doesn't want anyone thinking he's just riding her coattails. As he says, "Let's not take away from the fact I've been working hard, and I was already acting."

Britney Spears is not going to sit willingly for a deposition ... that was made clear by her lawyer, who filed legal docs saying Jamie Spears is "shameless"  by, among other things, asking a judge for a depo date "shortly after his daughter's wedding and just before Father's Day."

Attorney Mathew Rosengart claims in searing legal docs ... "Mr. Spears refuses to simply go away, as he should and as any decent man or father would do." Rosengart goes on to say Jamie is piling up legal fees to rehabilitate his reputation.

Rosengart says there's no legitimate purpose to force Britney into a deposition and calls it "morally abominable" and "revenge."

Britney and Rosengart have accused Jamie of gross conflicts of interest -- among other things, alleging he approved unjustified fees requested by business manager Lou Taylor and used Britney's money to pay for unwarranted personal expenses.

On the other hand, among the abuses, Britney has alleged ... that Jamie illegally forced her into rehab and refused to allow her to remarry. These are alleged abuses that might convince a judge that he has a right to confront Britney over these claims. The counter to that is that Rosengart is simply asking for an accounting to determine if Jamie squandered Britney's money, and that can be determined without Britney's direct participation.

Izzy Drake's career as a professional Drake impersonator is on the ropes ... a wobble he's looking to shake by challenging his idol to a $1M celebrity boxing match.

Damon Feldman of Celebrity Boxing tells us he signed the Drake imposter and booked a fight for an August 27th event ... whether the real Drake fights the fake Drake or not.

The stakes here are high ... fake Drake has agreed to stop impersonating the real Drizzy if he loses.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story of fake Drake's embarrassing VIP eviction from one of real Drake's favorite Houston nightclubs.

Outkast's Big Boi is divorced from Sherlita Patton, officially bringing their 20 years of marriage to a close.

Legal documents obtained by TMZ show the court entered the final divorce decree last month, making this a pretty quick dissolution. Big Boi just filed for the divorce in April.

In his filing, he said there was "no reasonable hope of reconciliation" between Sherlita and him -- noting they'd already separated and were living apart.

The two agreed to a postnuptial agreement in 2016, in which they divided up their assets and debts, and more recently agreed to a confidential settlement to tie up any loose ends. The exes also agreed to keep details of their finances private.

Both parties are looking to avoid any mud-slinging -- as part of the divorce, they agreed neither would make threats of "injury, maltreating, molesting, harassing, harming, or abusing" in any way shape or form.

Translation: Let's keep this above the waist and amicable.

As we reported, Sherlita filed for divorce from the rapper way back in 2013, demanding financial support and full custody. Big Boi responded she wasn't getting anything without a fight, but the couple reconciled.

A man who has already been arrested for stalking Ariana Grande has been arrested again ... this time after breaking into her Montecito home on her 29th birthday.

Aharon Brown has a history of dogging Ariana. He was arrested last September at her L.A. home after showing up with a large hunting knife, allegedly screaming at her security, "I'll f***ing kill you and her!" He was arrested for making criminal threats and a judge issued a restraining order prohibiting him from coming near Ariana.

That did not stop him. He violated the restraining order recently by trying to find Ariana and apparently got close. He was supposed to turn himself in Tuesday for violating the restraining order, but Sunday he traveled to Montecito and broke into her house.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... on Sunday, Brown somehow got into Ariana's Montecito home. She was NOT home at the time, but the security alarm went off and cops showed up and arrested Brown.

Jack Harlow's squashed his beef with Brandy, but now he's got PETA on his ass ... and his manager, DJ Drama's speaking up for him, saying the org has the wrong idea about what went down on Jack's music vid shoot.

We caught up with Jack’s Generation Now boss at LAX, where he was feeling great about a big biz move. More on that in a moment, Drama also addressed the controversy over Jack's Drake-featured "Churchill Downs" video.

ICYMI ... PETA had a cow over the music vid, calling for JH and Drizzy to make huge donations to combat racehorse abuse. The video shows horses racing at the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

Drama says he and the team brought no harm to any horses, and coming down on the rappers is a bit misguided. Bottom line? Doesn't sound like PETA's getting those donations.

All that aside, there are big things on the horizon for Drama and Generation Now, which he runs with producer Don Cannon and exec Leighton "Lake" Morrison.

Just last week, they signed an extended deal with Atlantic Records, their partner since 2015 ... a moment that created a "grown man" celebration for Drama.

There's also Jack's upcoming role in the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot ... and if this all works to perfection, Drama sees his protégé landing in Will Smith and Mark Wahlberg's territory.