Music

Eminem is opening up about nearly losing his life after suffering a drug overdose years ago.

On the new episode of Paul Rosenberg's "Paul Pod" podcast, Eminem and his manager discuss his 2007 methadone overdose ... and the effects it had on his thinking cap.

Paul recalls asking the doctors about any potential brain damage when things were looking grim in the hospital. Naturally, the two managed to revert the scary moment back to Em's 1999 track "Brain Damage."

Eminem had to eventually be stabilized on several medications to return to health, which became an artistic branding moment for him.

In the song "Deja Vu" from his 2009 album "Relapse," Eminem rapped in detail about the incident and how he tried to hide his addiction from his loved ones.

"Okay, so now ya see the reason how come he, Has taken four years to just put out an album, B/See, me and you, we almost had the same outcome, Heath," Slim Shady spit, referencing Heath Ledger's 2008 overdose death ... before continuing, "Cause that Christmas, you know the whole pneumonia thing?/It was bologna, was it the methadone, ya think?"

Interestingly enough, Dr. Dre recently opened up about his own brush with death, revealing his 2021 brain aneurysm was nearly fatal all the same ... but the Shady/Aftermath tandem appear to be in good enough health to work on new music.

Both Em and Dre have been spotted in and out of studios with Snoop Dogg this year following their Emmy-winning Super Bowl performance from February.

Susan Sarandon's progressive activism isn't preventing her from bonding with folks on the other side of the aisle on her new TV show, "Monarch" -- which she sees as a sign of hope for the country.

The Oscar winner's going full country and western for the new FOX drama, and she told us on "TMZ Live" the music's helped bring the all-star cast together.

Susan admits she knew little about the genre before taking the role as Dottie Cantrell Roman ... the queen of country and matriarch of the show's main family.

The role has her rubbing elbows with real life country music stars, and she told us her politics never got in the way of folks welcoming her with open arms.

For the record, Susan says she no longer considers herself a Democrat. Instead, she's an independent who simply stands up for what she feels is right.

That approach, combined with a healthy dose of respect, is why Susan says she's really hit it off with her new TV husband, co-star Trace Adkins. Yes, he's a Republican, but as she explained it ... "There's hope if we just talk to each other in calm ways."

Hey, it's working for them, America!

Susan tells us, she has more in common with Trace than not, and she believes this is the case for most people in the nation.

Politics aside, she says "Monarch" is really just a great family drama with lots of real country hits -- 'cause the plan is to release many of the songs as radio singles.

Blueface will not be stepping into the ring with Nick Young on Saturday -- the rapper has not yet been approved for a boxing license ... and now event promoter Austin McBroom is scrambling to find a replacement with only 3 days until fight night.

TMZ Sports is told the 25-year-old Thotiana rapper received a letter from the California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday informing him his application for a pro boxing license in the state would not be granted until he appeared before the organization in October.

Obviously, that means Blueface can't fight Swaggy P on Saturday's Social Gloves 2 card at Banc of California Stadium in L.A.

McBroom is headlining the event with rival and fellow YouTuber, AnEsonGib. Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell are also fighting.

Of course, Blueface has made headlines lately for several violent altercations with his girlfriend Chrisean. It's unclear if those incidents played a role in the denial of a license.

It's not the first bout Blueface has been pulled from ... he was taken off the recent KSI card at the O2 Arena in London, where he was supposed to fight FaZe Temperrr.

Now, McBroom and his partners are working tirelessly to find a suitable opponent for the 6'7" former NBA star.

Story developing ...

Ricky Martin says he's been "persecuted, besieged, harassed, stalked and extorted by a maladjusted person" -- AKA his nephew -- and he's now suing the guy who made wild accusations against him.

Martin filed a lawsuit Wednesday in San Juan against Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, who the singer claims is trying to "assassinate" his reputation.

Dennis had claimed back in July that he had a 7-month long romantic relationship with Ricky, and when it ended Ricky began stalking and harassing him -- something Ricky said was patently false. The nephew had filed a restraining order but when the heat was on him he withdrew the whole thing.

According to the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the nephew hasn't stopped. Ricky claims a month after Dennis withdrew his restraining order, he began sending messages to Ricky through Instagram ... threatening to "assassinate his reputation and integrity" unless he anted up cash.

Ricky says in the lawsuit before Dennis filed for a restraining order, he was publicly boasting about being Ricky's nephew. Ricky says the nephew bombarded him with messages -- sometimes more than 10 in a single day -- for 4 months.

Ricky says the messages were clearly written by a "maladjusted individual."

Ricky says the nephew then went rogue, posting the singer's cell phone number on his Instagram. Ricky says the nephew also made an IG account for one of his children, which made him uncomfortable.

Ricky says he's lost numerous, multi-million dollar deals because of his nephew's false allegations, and now wants no less than $20 million to compensate the singer for his losses.

Paul Anka just got a huge tribute over in France ... where President Emmanuel Macron presented him with one of the nation's highest honors.

The "Put Your Head On My Shoulder Singer" tells TMZ ... he's humbled and proud to become an officer in the French order of merit, with Macron bestowing the honor this week in Paris.

As you see, Paul and Macron shared a toast and sipped Champagne during the celebration ... and Anka's got a pretty spiffy badge -- a blue sash with the star of a Grand Cross, signifying the award.

France's "Ordre national du Mérite" was first bestowed way back in 1963 under then-president Charles de Gaulle ... and while it's generally reserved for French citizens, Paul joins a select list of foreign recipients and he's easily the biggest name.

Paul tells us it was a "very special moment for him" ... and you can tell from the pics ... he's wearing a huge grin.

Remember ... Paul is still playing sold-out venues across the world at age 81, including packed houses in France on his recent European tour.

It's been a few weeks since Offset and the other two Migos released competing singles ... and it appears things continue to grow apart for the group.

On Tuesday night, Offset took center stage on 'The Tonight Show' ... giving an interview about his son Wave's 1st birthday party and performing a melody of his new solo songs "Code" and "5 4 3 2 1."

Offset looked comfortable on stage and even filled the space typically reserved for Quavo and Takeoff with backup dancers.

In a clear act of raining on his parade, Quavo and Takeoff, the newly minted duo "Unc and Phew" announced their album Wednesday titled "Only Built 4 Infinity Links."

The album name is a play on Wu-Tang Clan legend Raekwon's debut album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" and the tagline "it only runs in the blood."

The album announcement makes the second drop Quavo and Takeoff released on top of Offset's ... their last single "Big Stunna" was released at the same time as "Code."

Of course, Offset is on an island himself ... thanks to the legal injunctions he's sent to the Quality Control label in order to get them to back away from his solo career.

He's still a part of the label under the Migos umbrella, but that could also change down the line. A rep for Quality Control recently told TMZ Hip Hop ... Offset's gripes were detached from reality ... but everything about these rollouts feels very real.

Reclusive rap legend MF DOOM passed away in October 2020 but his handwritten book of lyrics and rhymes remains with record label exec Eothen “Egon” Alapatt ... at least according to DOOM's widow.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained a statement from DOOM’s widow claiming Alapatt still has her late husband's rhyme book. Jasmine Dumile tells us there have been many unsuccessful attempts to get back the documents, even before DOOM passed.

She adds, "We had hoped after DOOM transitioned Egon would do the right thing and return the books to the family but he has continued to ignore these requests. Unfortunately, Egon is not the only former associate abusing the likeness, art and life's work of DOOM."

Egon owns Now-Again Records, and is a business partner of producer Madlib, DOOM’s renowned collaborator from their 2004 effort "Madvillainy."

However, Jasmine would not specify which "former associate" referring to in her statement -- she said she'll say more when it's "appropriate."

Blackstar rapper Talib Kweli prompted stirred this up last week when he slammed Egon for refusing to return the book in good faith … even after DOOM officiated his wedding in 2012.

Egon has done interviews in the past detailing his friendship with DOOM but Kweli calls it all a farce.

Shoreline Mafia rapper OhGeesy would love to put last weekend in his rearview, for good, but prosecutors won't let him now -- cops say he was riding dirty after leaving a friend's funeral.

Burbank PD pulled over OhGeesy and 3 other people last Saturday afternoon, claiming their car had expired tags and excessive window tint. Officers say they spotted a bottle of codeine in OhGeesy's pocket as he sat in the backseat ... plus, the car's driver allegedly didn't have a license.

That prompted a search of the vehicle, and according to cops, OhGeesy didn't have a prescription for the codeine. Even worse, officers found a loaded gun in the ride.

TMZ Hip Hop has learned OhGeesy and all 3 of his pals were arrested for possession of a loaded firearm. They were all charged for the gun, because no single person claimed it.

Cops also booked OhGeesy for the un-prescribed codeine. His bail was set at $35K, and he eventually bonded out.

The 28-year-old rapper had attended the funeral of his best friend Dennis "Dile" Mitchell the same day as the traffic stop.

Madonna was trapping out the bando earlier this year with her "Frozen (Fireboy DML Remix)" ... and turns out the collab only happened because of what went down in the DMs between the Nigerian Afrobeats star and her.

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Fireboy DML Tuesday in midtown Manhattan, and he says his track with Madonna was actually several years in the making.

Fireboy says Madonna slid in his DMs around 2019 asking him to be a part of the remix. The kicker is the original version was released in 1998 -- when Fireboy was just 2 years old!!!

The comeback trail for Madonna’s 24-year-old hit began in December 2021 when Canadian producer Sickick dropped a remix on TikTok, spiking a Billboard Dance chart before they added Fireboy to the mix.

The music video appropriately took advantage of the "fire and ice" theme and has since racked up 12 million views -- which Fireboy says is a huge win for Afrobeats' mainstream awareness worldwide.

Redman is super proud to announce he's now a licensed skydiver -- revealing he crammed hard to pass his written exam and now has 27 jumps under his belt.

The veteran rap star was out in Houston at an undisclosed film location when he earned his sky stripes ... thanking New Jersey-based Skydive Sussex and Skydive Spaceland Houston for the education and experiences.

Several of Red's hip hop peers -- Cam'ron, Busta Rhymes, The LOX's Sheek Louch, saluted his airtight accomplishment and Ja Rule made a grand revelation that he was working to become a licensed skydiver as well.

Maybe the two former Def Jam Records collaborators could do a face-off in a daredevil Verzuz?!

Apparently, Red's been at this for a while, too. Someone managed to dig up a magazine shoot from 1997 where he was higher than the birds he was flipping off.

In a separate video, Red spoke on cherishing the little treasures ahead of the bigger rewards and seems to be in good spirits.

His long-awaited "Muddy Waters 2" album is said to be finished and he's set to headline a "Goats of Cannabis" concert later this month.

Cali rapper Kamaiyah might be sticking to her guns a little too closely these days -- according to cops the Oakland native was busted at an airport with a loaded gun.

Burbank police sources tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Kamaiyah was catching a flight from Burbank, CA to Oakland on August 31 when TSA agents say they found a loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol inside her purse.

We're told agents also discovered Kamaiyah had a long-standing warrant for her arrest stemming from a pretty infamous 2019 incident -- cops say she fired off a round inside a movie screening room at a Burbank condominium complex.

As for this new airport arrest ... Kamaiyah was booked and held on $70,000 bail, before posting bond.

Her latest album "Divine Timing" dropped off its deluxe edition a couple of weeks ago ... along with nifty trigger-happy cover art with Kamaiyah clutching 2 pistols and showing off the laser beam.

Barton Fitzpatrick was held up at gunpoint this weekend in a scary scene that could've turned deadly ... this according to law enforcement.

Chicago PD sources tell us ... the actor, who's most famous for playing Reg on "The Chi," was the victim of an armed robbery early Sunday morning in Chicago.

We're told Barton was a passenger in a car when someone slid into the back seat out of nowhere ... brandishing a handgun. Our sources say the robber demanded the car, but he ended up bailing on the plan.

Instead, we're told the assailant fled the scene with some of Barton's belongings ... a chain was taken, and possibly other items as well.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported ... but no arrests have been made. Cops are on the hunt.

Rapper 600 Breezy is mourning his girlfriend's sudden death ... and it appears she died by suicide.

600 Breezy just posted a social media tribute to his girlfriend of two years, Raven Jackson, including photos of them together and screenshots of what appear to be a suicide note.

In the text message, Breezy's girlfriend tells him she's tired and has been dealing with bad thoughts for years and was waiting for the right time to act. She mentions she is hanging out on a bridge and notes she "gave up a long time ago."

Raven also tells Breezy it's her choice and it's something she wanted, adding ... "It's one thing to ruin your life, but I had to go and end mines too."

600 Breezy admits his girlfriend was hurting and says he "did everything I could to show her nothing but love and keep her going."

Breezy says her death is going to mess him up for life and will never be able to love again ... and he's telling folks to take people serious when they show signs of mental health issues and depression.

RIP.

Usher is happily accepting the "King of R&B" title, and while Tevin Campbell doesn't disagree with that high honor, he does think there's someone who could challenge ... if he weren't in prison.

We caught Tevin at LAX ... fresh off his jaw-dropping cameo during Usher's Las Vegas residency, where Usher had him perform his classic jam "Can We Talk" in front of thousands of screaming R&B fans.

R&B conversation in 2022 continues to heat up thanks to Diddy and his "R&B is dead" theory, and Tevin initially took a diplomatic approach ... similar to Brian McKnight's, by citing older legends such as Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke as true R&B royalty.

The pressure to pick a true king eventually got to Tevin and he went full Voldemort ... daring to speak R. Kelly's name in an era where the disgraced singer's been blackballed from public praise.

Tevin gives Usher a lot of credit, but says when it comes to R. Kelly's catalog, his hit-making is still unmatched.

He's not alone in this thinking ... Ne-Yo didn't hold his tongue this summer when he admitted to still streaming Kelly's music.

Of course, Kelly is just a few months into a 30-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking, and he's currently standing trial in a 2nd federal case out of Chicago.

A hit is a hit, but it's probably understandable why many fans won't push play anymore.

Kanye West's allies are lining up for his increasingly heated showdown with Adidas -- and he now has a couple of hip hop heavyweights willing to stand with him.

Both Swizz Beatz and Diddy backed up Kanye's recent attacks against the shoe company with individual Instagram posts of their own.

Swizz, who's currently entangled in a legal culture war with Triller over Verzuz, admitted he was butting in the conversation, but still urged Adidas to treat Ye like a Spike Lee joint and do the right thing.

The post was supported by industry execs such as Bu Thiam and Dre London ... and eventually, Diddy, who texted Ye, vowing to never wear anything made by Adidas until everything was smoothed over.

Diddy cited Run-D.M.C. for pioneering the brand into hip-hop fashion, but threatened to burn it all down if Ye and the culture were further disrespected.

The Bad Boy CEO has emerged as a guardian of sorts in 2022 ... taking the exact same stance with Swizz and Timbaland in their fight against Triller.

Ye has been accusing the fledging sports apparel of stealing his designs -- only to sell them in lesser quality and expensive versions and demanding meetings with various heads of the company.

The Weeknd abruptly canceled his Los Angeles show last week after losing his voice -- but his road to recovery is going great -- so says the singer's medical team.

Abel made the happy announcement Tuesday, just days after Saturday night's show at SoFi Stadium, writing, "doctor says my voice is safe and with rest i'll be solid and able to bring the show my TORONTO fans are waiting for. LA date is being worked out soon. thank you SO much for all the love and understanding that's come my way. i love you all so much ... XO"

September 22 will mark the singer's return to the stage for a previously postponed show in Toronto, The Weeknd's hometown. As we previously reported, that show was pushed after a cellular outage caused security and tech issues that prevented the concert from happening.

It was only 15 mins into Saturday's show in L.A. when Abel disappeared from the stage during "I Can't Feel My Face" ... only to come out a couple minutes later to let the crowd know he had lost his voice during a previous song.

The Weeknd was visibly devastated, getting choked up as he announced the show needed to end way early.