Music

Aaron Carter was in and out of rehab therapy sessions up until his death, and we're told his last scheduled appointment -- which he missed -- was supposed to happen Friday night.

Sources close to Melanie Martin, Aaron's fiancée, tell TMZ ... she was desperately trying to get him help during their off-and-on relationship -- although he mostly kept her in the dark about any recent addiction struggles.

Our sources say Melanie signed up Aaron for outpatient rehab after confronting him back in September. As we reported, he got a welfare check around that time when fans got worried he was huffing compressed air off-camera.

We're told Aaron agreed to go through the program, with the idea that it would go a long way in helping him regain some custody of their son, Prince -- who's currently under the care of Melanie's mom.

Sources say he stopped the program briefly, but was reinstated last week -- Aaron was supposed to have an online session Friday evening, but was a no-show. When the facility reached out to tell Melanie, she broke the tragic news to them.

Keep in mind, it's possible -- if not likely -- Aaron missed that appointment because he'd already died.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to Aaron's Lancaster, CA home Saturday morning for a report of a drowning -- the housekeeper found his body in the bathtub, and the last known contact with him was 2 AM Friday. Aaron's cause of death is currently deferred by the L.A. County Coroner's Office until toxicology results are returned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ there were multiple cans of compressed air in his bathroom and bedroom ... as well as prescription pills.

Justin Bieber is performing at Takeoff's memorial service this week ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us JB is set to hit the stage Friday at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Unclear how long his set will be or what exactly he might be performing ... but we do know he'll be there and mic'd up to sing.

Justin doesn't have any solo songs with Takeoff specifically, but he's done a couple collabs with the Migos -- "What You See" and "Looking for You" -- plus another couple with Quavo ... so there's a connection there.

Bieber doesn't appear to have posted any tributes to Takeoff, but this might be the ultimate way to honor the late rapper. Bieber's and any other performance is gonna be a closely guarded secret the day of ... all phones are going to be confiscated from anyone attending.

Worth noting ... Bieber postponed his world tour earlier this year to focus on his mental health, so him coming back to this is significant.

A Vanderbilt University assistant football coach has been temporarily relieved from his duties ... after he wrote out a social media post that appeared to be defending Kanye West in wake of the artist's recent antisemitic remarks.

Dan Jackson, the school's defensive backs coach, initially posted the comment on his Facebook page -- saying in it, "Kanye is two steps ahead of everyone." He added in the post, "He's not crazy."

Jackson later apologized for it all, calling his wording "careless."

"I accept full responsibility for my words and will learn from this experience going forward," Jackson said.

But, the Commodores announced almost immediately after the post was discovered that they were investigating it all ... and on Monday night, athletic director Candice Lee said the coach will be sidelined as the probe pushes forward.

"Coach Jackson and I have agreed that he will step back from his responsibilities with the team," Lee said in a statement ... adding, "To be clear, Vanderbilt rejects antisemitism, racism and discrimination in all its forms."

Jackson is in his first year at Vanderbilt. He previously coached at Northern Illinois and South Dakota State.

A Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos partnership to buy the Washington Commanders seems to be full throttle ... because Monday night the two billionaires grabbed dinner in L.A. -- breaking bread for more than two hours.

The duo hit up Horses near the Sunset Strip at around 7:30 PM -- just a couple days after it was revealed they both had a mutual interest in putting in a bid for Daniel Snyder's Commanders. The restaurant is closed Monday, but the owner opened the doors just for them.

TMZ Sports has learned Bezos stayed tableside until about 9:30 ... while Jay didn't leave until after midnight.

Both men kept things low-key as they entered and exited the restaurant -- Jay was in a beanie and a hoodie, while Bezos was in a casual polo. Lauren Sanchez accompanied JB -- while Corey Gamble appeared to be there alongside HOV -- not sure why.

You'll recall, Snyder revealed last week he had hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of his team ... and almost immediately afterward, Bezos and Jay-Z expressed interest.

The price tag won't be cheap -- Snyder is looking for more than $7 BILLION for the org. -- that's in the pocket change region for the 2 titans.

On Monday, just before dinner, Sanchez dropped a hint to her followers ... posting a photo with the caption, "Are you ready for some..."

Aaron Carter was heavily focused on making new music in recent weeks, and we're told he was even getting the jump on an album ... hoping it would mend fences with his brother, Nick Carter.

The singer's manager, Taylor Helgeson, tells TMZ ... Aaron started working with his team on "Love 2" -- a sequel to his 2018 album -- just a couple of weeks ago. We're told he was really excited about it, seeing it as some of his best work yet.

Taylor says Aaron was pouring his emotions into the album -- addressing a lot of personal topics, laying it all out for his fans ... so they'd finally understand him and his struggles.

We're told Aaron's other goal for the project was fixing his relationship with Nick and the rest of his family. He planned to use the music to tell them just how much he loves them, especially Nick.

As we reported, Aaron expressed his love for his bro just a couple of weeks before he died ... singing a Backstreet Boys song and telling him he'd always have his back.

TMZ broke the story, Aaron's housekeeper found him dead Saturday in the bathtub at his home.

Nick broke down in tears the next day while honoring his brother in London during a Backstreet Boys show.

Matty Healy didn't beat around the bush at this concert this week -- instead, he just got right to the meat of the matter ... and we mean that literally.

The 1975 frontman was performing with his band Monday night in NYC's Madison Square Garden, where he paused at one point in the performance to munch on a slab of steak live. And, it was beyond just rare ... this thing didn't appear to be cooked whatsoever.

No matter, though ... MH bit into it anyway during the bizarre stunt, in which he was shirtless and on his knees. He didn't stop at nibbling either -- dude seems to have swallowed as well.

If it looks weird on video, it was even stranger for those who caught it in person ... Matty's raw meal got a ton of reactions as the videos started circulating on Twitter. Even his own mom, Denise Welch, bared witness ... saying she, too, had seen her son go full primal.

No explanation was offered for why Matty did what he did, but it's not that far out of his wheelhouse. The guy and his fellow musicians are known for being activists when the time calls for it ... with 1975 having publicly spoken out on a number of issues in recent years.

Matty's addressed stuff like gender inclusivity, LGBT rights, abortion, misogyny, mental health as well as climate change.

Neither Matty nor the band has said, but it's possible this was a demonstration about the environmental impact of meat consumption.

Kanye West apparently hasn't done himself any favors in uploading his Andre 3000 collaboration "Life Of The Party" on his Stem Player device … the song is now at the center of a lawsuit filed by the record company that owns a famous track by KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, the company says it owns the copyright to BDP’s iconic diss track "South Bronx" and claims Ye never got permission to sample the song when he released the "Donda" bonus track on the Stem Player.

The company says Ye and his partner Alex Klein sold around 11K Stem Players within the first 24 hours of its release, raking in around $2.2 million dollars ... but claims they never got permission to use the sample even though the company says Ye’s team initially reached out to try to license it.

The suit alleges the sides never came to an agreement and says Ye’s side eventually retracted its offer to license it.

However, the suit claims Ye & Co. still heavily advertised the track that used the “South Bronx” sample to promote sales of “Donda” and the Stem Player.

The song was originally leaked by Drake ahead of their patchwork reunion during J Prince’s “Free Larry Hoover” concert.

Diddy went above and beyond to make sure his guests were safe at his birthday party ... making sure security was on point after a gun issue caused a scene the last time he hosted a shindig.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the legendary rap mogul had super tight security Friday night for his 53rd birthday bash, with everyone in attendance passing through a metal detector before being allowed inside.

The party went down at Diddy's Los Angeles mansion and we're told one of the streets by his estate was shut down. Our sources say guests were shuttled up to the house, and if they weren't on the list, they were turned away ... no exceptions.

It appears Diddy wasn't taking any chances after what happened this past summer, when he hosted a BET after-party at the same property -- as we first reported, a woman trying to make her way into the after-party was arrested outside Diddy's house after allegedly flashing a gun at other partygoers.

The beefed-up security also follows some recent fatal gun violence involving rappers Takeoff and PnB Rock, who were both shot dead.

Diddy's security seemed to work too ... we're told there were no issues surrounding the party.

As we reported ... Diddy's bash was crawling with celebs, including Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, French Montana, Machine Gun Kelly, Teyana Taylor, Tinashe and Jermaine Dupri and Kehlani.

Yung Bleu knows the lane is crowded for upcoming 11/11 music releases, but he's telling TMZ Hip Hop why there’s no sweat dripping off his brow.

We spoke to Bleu ahead of the release of his 2nd album "Tantra" … which he says will show his range as an artist -- and that means as a rapper, an R&B singer and everything in between!!!

Bleu admits he wants to do well right out the gate, but he adds ... the constant convo about 1st-week numbers is tiring -- mainly because of the amount of music that's being released.

He doesn't feel the need to rally around 1st-week sales or placements, noting there are still 51 more weeks in the year. Given the fact there are so many artists, on so many platforms, these days ... Bleu thinks anyone with a spot on the Billboard or Apple Music 200 is winning.

He admits even having trouble streaming all the releases himself, but he's confident fans will gravitate toward his music ... even if they don't get to it right away.

He has a good reason for feeling that way -- Bleu's debut album, "Moon Boy," has carried him since July 2021 -- which led to going on tour with Chris Brown and Lil Baby while also seeing his "Bad" single go gold.

As far as the new music goes, he just dropped his Lil Wayne-featured "Soul Child" single, which completes his trifecta of working with Young Money legends … having previously scored tracks with Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Rick Ross is currently entangled in a great debate with his homies, who insist he has way too much stuff filling closets at his 235-acre Promise Land estate … and based on the visuals, they might be right.

Rozay showcased mounds of clothes, shoes and other Boss trinkets Monday inside his sprawling estate -- in fact, the display and debate occupied several IG stories.

Rick argued against being a hoarder, calling for A&E to take a formal inspection, much to the annoyance of his biz partner Alex Bostic … who demonstrated just what a cushion the floor has become by plunging back into it without fear of cracking his skull.

Ross' humble home in Fayetteville, GA is one of the largest estates in the U.S. -- and it's home to the largest swimming pool in the country. Size matters, in this case ... as Rick says he can't be a hoarder with so much wide open space around him.

Earlier this year, he hosted a grandiose car show which featured hundreds of custom whips sprawled out across the Promise Land property, but now he's tossing around the idea of a yard sale to end all yard sales.

Aaron Carter was very clearly struggling with an addiction to huffing compressed air, and investigators found evidence of that at the site of his death.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there were multiple cans of compressed air in Aaron's bathroom and bedroom, as well as prescription pills. It's not clear if that's what caused him to drown, but obviously, it's a big clue into what may have happened.

Our law enforcement sources say the last time anyone saw Aaron alive was 2 AM Friday. We're told Aaron's live-in housekeeper heard a knock at the door at 2 AM and answered ... she says cops had come to do a welfare check ... unclear who called them. Our sources say the housekeeper opened the door and when Aaron heard what was going on he told them to leave and ordered the housekeeper not to bother him.

We're told the housekeeper didn't see Aaron all day Friday, and Saturday morning she went to his bedroom door to see if he wanted coffee. She heard his dog inside the bedroom going crazy, so she opened the door and found Aaron's body in the tub.

Law enforcement believes Aaron's body was in the tub for a long time as there was a smell of decomposition and the water had turned an unnatural color. We're told the tub's jets were still running when Aaron's body was found.

TMZ broke the story, cops were called to Aaron's L.A. area home Saturday for a report of a drowning. Dispatch audio from the 911 call revealed a chaotic scene inside Aaron's home with dispatchers describing a "female yelling" for help. We're told that was the housekeeper.

Aaron's cause of death is currently deferred by the L.A. County Coroner's Office until toxicology results are returned ... which could take months. We're told no suicide note was found and there were no signs of foul play.

Of course, there's been an outpouring of love and tributes for Aaron since his death -- Hilary Duff said, "You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent…boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy."

The Backstreet Boys also sang and paid tribute to Aaron, his brother Nick got emotional during the show in London.

Late Migos rapper Takeoff's funeral is set for this coming Friday, and much like his career, the homegoing will be big … going down at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The venue, which is home to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, has the capacity to host more than 20,000 people.

Rev. Jesse Curney, III of New Mercies Christian Church will be officiating the services, which will begin at 1:00 PM … according to Atlanta radio station V-103.

In a statement, Rev. Curney said, "I was really sad to hear the news. Kirsnick has been a faithful member since he was ten years old. He and his family were active and avid supporters of the church and the community as a whole."

Emotions in the city have been heavy since Takeoff was shot and killed on November 1 in Houston.

Graffiti artist Armondo "Ape" Monoletti crafted a mural in Atlanta, just hours after the tragic news and friends and fam of Takeoff held a balloon sendoff over the weekend in his honor.

Aaron Carter's friends, family and even his fans believed the singer was in a dark place, and desperately needed help ... but clearly, it was too late.

In a video allegedly captured from a live stream the singer did in the days leading up to his death Aaron reads a message he says is from his fiancée Melanie which states, "You're going to die."

The words clearly upset Aaron, though we're told he only cherry-picked one part of her text to read to his fans. The text from Melanie was a cry to him to stop huffing on Instagram Live, which had been alleged by many fans. Melanie told him, "If it's true what you're doing, you're not going to end up alive. You're going to die. I love you, this is not safe. Please don't do this to yourself."

Aaron's fans were also very active in commenting on his live streams and social media posts, sometimes voicing their concern if he seemed to be out of it. After his death, one fan wrote, "I was watching his IG live the other day thinking the guy needed help asap."

TMZ broke the story, fans called the cops to Aaron's home for a welfare check in September after they believed he was huffing during a live-streaming session. First responders made contact with Aaron, who told them he'd been asleep, and they left as there was no additional cause for concern.

In another video from Aaron's live just a couple weeks before he died, Aaron expressed his love for his older brother and Backstreet Boys star, Nick Carter, during a live session -- letting Nick know he always would have his back.

Nick released a statement about Aaron Sunday, saying, "My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed."

TMZ broke the story, Aaron was found dead inside his L.A. home Saturday -- cops responded to a call for a drowning ... and multiple sources tell us he was found in his tub.

Justin Bieber was a crazed fanatic during LAFC's championship game on Saturday ... completely losing it as his team came away with the thrilling win!!

LAFC ended up beating the Philadelphia Union in penalty kicks to secure the title ... and JB was clearly on pins and needles as the drama unfolded.

Bieber and his wife, Hailey, sat among the normies throughout the game ... and after the home team came away with the 'ship, Justin lifted her up in celebration.

Biebs even had his own custom LAFC jersey for the game ... draping it over his head as he cheered on his squad.

Justin and Hailey weren't the only A-listers in attendance -- Magic Johnson and Will Ferrell, who are co-owners of the team -- were also at Banc of California Stadium for the matchup.

It was a busy weekend for the duo -- as we previously reported, they were living it up at Odell Beckham Jr.'s birthday bash later that night.

Jessica Simpson is responding to some serious concerns from her fans ... after being featured in an ad online that many saw as anything but normal.

Jessica starred in a new Pottery Barn Kids clip last week ... where she showed off her 3-year-old Birdie's room -- showing how the company's collection brought the place together.

Seems harmless enough ... but the comment section quickly filled up with concerning messages -- with many asking if she's ok, and one even writing "blink twice if you need help Jess." Some saw the performance as forced, with the speech just feeling off.

The 42-year-old singer responded to the noise Sunday night ... posting a clip of herself singing in her studio in order to "ground myself and heal" -- adding, "peoples' comments and judgments can still hurt deeply with their incessant nagging."

She doesn't directly call BS on the worrisome fans' fears, but adds, "The most important thing I have learned through the last 5yrs without alcohol being a guard for escapism, is that I CAN and ALWAYS WILL get through it."

Post Malone is going all out for his fans these days, and his latest move might take the wedding cake -- yeah, he officiated when 2 fans tied the knot on his stage!!!

It all went down after Post's Saturday show in Seattle ... 2 excited fans hopped on stage, where PM was waiting for them and started the ceremony. The women stood face-to-face, as the rapper demanded everyone's attention and then he guided them through a few brief matrimonial steps ... as the crowd cheered from the front row.

After the couple exchanged "I do's" Post gave 'em the green light for THE kiss. Oddly, Post declared them wedded "in the eyes of space" ... but that seemed to work just fine for all parties involved!

This ain't Post's first rodeo pulling out stunts for fans during his shows ... and it looks like he's getting a good rep for being the go-to guy for whatever fans want to pull off at one of his concerts.

You'll recall, PM did a gender reveal last month during his concert in Tulsa ... letting a couple fans know they're having a girl. As they say, the Post Malone delivers!