Rapper Yung Joc Shaves Head After Losing Bet Tory Would Walk ... Still Not Convinced, Just a Man Of Principle!!!

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IT'S GOIN' DOWN

Yung Joc is a man of his word when it comes to losing his bets … even if it means turning his head into a cue ball.

The outspoken OG rapper was forced to eat crow and had his head shaved after betting his "Streetz Morning Crew" cohost Mrz Shyneka that Tory Lanez would be exonerated for shooting Megan Thee Stallion at his recent trial. As the world now knows, that, of course, didn't happen.

Last Friday, a jury found Tory guilty on three separate charges ... discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm. The judge promptly remanded Tory to the L.A. County Jail to await his January 27 sentencing. The rapper faces a max of 22 years in prison and deportation back to his native Canada.

Shyneka actually did the honors of giving Joc the buzz cut, leaving his head totally hairless. Throughout the video, it seems, Shyneka is having a blast moving the electric razor over Joc's scalp as if it were a handheld lawn mower. It's all pretty darn funny ... unless, of course, you're Joc ... who, we must say, was a good sport the whole time.

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In the end, Joc was able to turn lemons into lemonade by creating ads of his new noggin to promote his morning show!!!

Joc's team tells TMZ ... the Atlanta rapper's views still haven't changed since the trial ended last week ... Joc believes the evidence against Tory was shaky at best. We'll keep you posted if Joc gives us any more tidbits on Tory.

Tristan Thompson I Wanna Dance with Somebody ... True!!!

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DANCIN' WITH DADDY

Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian have their differences, but something clearly binds them ... their daughter, True.

Tristan posted this video of 4-year-old True, dancing up a storm in a kitchen. It's unclear if this was shot in Tristan or Khloe's house, but either way ... pretty cute.

They're dancing to "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back." Watch ... True shows off her vocals!

It's unclear what the child custody arrangement is ... but clearly Tristan was able to spend some holiday time with his daughter.

Our sources say Tristan and Khloe are getting along ... despite the fact she learned he had gotten another woman pregnant while lobbying her to go for a second child via surrogate -- which they did.

And, speaking of that other woman, as we reported, Maralee Nichols and Tristan settled their bitter custody case ... he's paying her $9,500 a month in child support.

G Herbo Tries to Sing Like Usher ... But, R&B Star Ain't Amused

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HITTIN' THOSE NOTES

G Herbo recorded himself hitting the high notes from Usher's famed "Superstar" challenge Tuesday night — and it elicited a cryptic jab from the R&B star himself.

Herb kicked things off by light-heartedly posting to Instagram that he could sing better than Usher on his "worst day."

Clearly, Usher wasn't amused 'cuz he responded with a 🧢 emoji, which means "You're lying." Of course, the legendary crooner has good reason to be a little irritable ... he recently paid homage to his grandmother, who died earlier in the week.

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Meanwhile, Herb captured himself on a separate IG vid squaring off against his "No Regrets" collaborator YK Dee in a B-Boy dance … the Chicago rapper was sipping a clear liquid -- or some liquid courage as they say -- with every pop lock and two-step.

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PUTTIN’ IT DOWN

Herb's fans, including Lil Wayne's daughter Reginae Carter, were eating up his brand of humor, commenting with laughing emojis.

Maybe Herb will take a stab at stand-up comedy in the new year.

Grammy Nominated Modest Mouse Drummer Jeremiah Green Battling Late Stage Cancer

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Jeremiah Green, drummer for Grammy-nominated rock band Modest Mouse, is fighting late-stage cancer, this according to his family.

His mom, Carol Namatame, posted a Facebook message about Jeremiah's diagnosis, but did not reveal his specific type of cancer. Carol asked everyone to "send healing vibes" to her son, whom she described as "so strong" and "so brave."

Seattle radio DJ Marco Collins also took to FB to give an update about his friend, saying Green had to slam the breaks on touring with the band so he could receive chemotherapy. Still, Collins says Green's "prognosis is good!"

Modest Mouse had been touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its popular second album, "The Lonesome Crowded West." Green, who's 45 years old, was last seen performing Dec. 1 in Los Angeles.

The indie rock band was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005. Green is a founding member of the group best known for the song, "Float On."

Drake Lyrics Surface From Teen Years ... Found in Dumpster!!!

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Drake's one of the biggest things to ever happen in music -- which makes it all the more surprising some of his lyrics from his early days allegedly ended up in the trash -- and are now up for sale.

That's right, Drake fans with serious passion and some serious cash can own a piece of Drizzy history for $20K according to the good folks over at Moments In Time.

A rep for the MIT auction house tells us Drake was working in his uncle's Memphis furniture factory as a youth and the lyrics were found in the dumpster when the factory eventually closed down. Now, they'll be posted for sale.

You can see the greatness brewing in Drake's alleged bars, even though the lyrics weren't fully realized just yet. The pages read like poems, with lines like, "Plates/passed around for collection/Raising money for cheap cell phones with no reception."

Young Drizzy also supposedly penned a song called "Come Spring" which OG fans will recognize eventually evolved into "Come Winter" from his pre-fame debut mixtape "Room For Improvement."

He apparently was a "Certified Lover Boy" even back then, too. Someone by the name of Syliva has her Toronto-based phone number that appears on one of the pages, likely waiting for him when he returned to The 6ix.

Practice makes perfect and naturally, Drake evolved into quite the dominant artist ... ranking #3 globally for most streams in 2022, partially due to the pair of No. 1 albums he dropped this year!!!

Call it motivation for artists to never give up — even if the lyrics suck. They can always write new ones!!!

Bob Marley's Grandson Joseph 'Jo' Mersa Dead At 31

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Bob Marley's grandson, reggae artist Joseph 'Jo' Mersa Marley, has died.

Sources tell TMZ Joseph, known in the music world as Jo Mersa, passed away Tuesday due to asthma-related conditions ... although the specifics surrounding his death are unclear.

Joseph, son of Stephen Marley, took to Miami Dade College and studied audio engineering after spending his early years in Jamaica.

He went on to drop an EP in 2014 called "Comfortable" ... which held some tracks like "Rock and Swing" and "Bogus." He also released the hit single, "Burn It Down," in 2016 -- and put out a 2nd EP, "Eternal," last year.

He was only 31.

RIP.

Diddy Take A Look At My Beautiful New Girl! Shows Her Off For 1st Time

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Diddy just dropped something major on social media, and it ain't new music -- it's the first full look at his beautiful new baby girl.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs put up the cute pic Tuesday ... showin' off his daughter, Love Sean Combs, to the world -- this after spending the holiday weekend with his family in the Caribbean.

The comment section is going nuts, BTW ... because just about everyone thinks she's perfect. One even wrote, "What in the most beautiful baby in the world is going on here 🥺."

As we reported, Love was born on October 15 in Newport Beach, CA ... and he had her with 28-year-old cyber security specialist Dana Tran.

Yung Miami, someone Diddy's also publically dated, recently confirmed he made her aware of the upcoming newborn before October, too.

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In case you missed it, fans almost got a glimpse of Love's face the other day ... but Diddy had to tease everyone, facin' her away from the camera.

Zach Bryan 'All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster' 🎶 New Album Takin' Shots

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Country singer Zach Bryan clearly ain't holdin' back on Ticketmaster ... because he dropped a brand new album that's putting the company on blast for spikes in ticket sales.

Zach released his latest album Sunday, called "All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks)" ... and along with it, a statement to his fans -- firing shots at the ticket honchos for its insane price jumps in sales.

He says he's talked to fans that have paid "upwards of four-hundred bucks" to watch him perform, and he's sick of it ... saying he's chosen to only play a select amount of concerts as a result.

Zach continued, "I am so tired of people saying things can't be done about this massive issue while huge monopolies sit there stealing money from working-class people." He never calls out Ticketmaster directly in his statement -- but the album name alone should be enough proof of who he's pointin' at.

Ticketmaster has been in the line of fire for weeks now ... TMZ broke the story, Taylor Swift fans are alleging the company essentially got into bed with scalpers by allowing bots to block real fans from getting tickets to her latest tour -- and the reason comes down to money. They claim Ticketmaster benefits financially when scalpers resell tickets.

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DON'T MESS WITH SWIFTIES!!!

Attorney Jennifer Kinder, who filed a lawsuit against the company, explained to us why she's not buying the company's claim that the presale event problems were simply a supply and demand issue -- saying it comes down to simple math.

FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried He Should Listen To Rap Before Prison ... According To 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli

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Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried must be worried about serious prison time for his multiple fraud charges ... but have no fear -- because "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli's advice is to listen to some rap before hitting the slammer.

Shkreli, the once-pharmaceutical exec and hedge fund manager, offered his questionable tips and tricks to Bankman-Fried while on Laura Shin's "Unchained" podcast ... saying he should be educating himself about gang culture and "the streets" -- claiming a good dose of rap music should do the trick.

He also thinks shaving his head is a must to ft in ... adding Bankman-Fried comes off as pretty effeminate. Shkreli says deepening his voice while locked up could do him some good, too.

As we reported, Shkreli was released early from prison this year ... after being convicted on securities fraud charges back in 2017 -- and raising the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim, an antiparasitic medication commonly used by AIDS patients and others with suppressed immune systems, from $13.50 per pill to $750.

And as for Bankman-Fried, he was arrested in the Bahamas and charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and more ... and he reportedly could be facing 115 years behind bars if found guilty on all counts.

Shkreli's done the time, Sam, so he's got some advice -- but your call on investing in it!

Spice Girls' Mel C Backs Out Of NYE Show In Poland ... LGBT Community Sings Her Praises

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Mel C of the Spice Girls is pullin' out of her upcoming show in Poland, saying her views don't align with the issues she's discovered ... and the LGBT+ community can't thank her enough for making the last-minute decision.

The singer took to social media Monday ... saying "In light of some issues that have been brought to my attention, that do not align with the communities I support, I'm afraid I will no longer be able to perform in Poland as planned on New Year's Eve."

She doesn't elaborate further on her decision, but people in the comments are praising her for seemingly standing up against the country's anti-LGBT stance in recent years.

For those unaware -- Poland's political views have often been viewed as conservative, and a ton of towns in the country have even been declared "LGBT-Free Zones" ... with the belief that the idealogy behind the LGBT culture isn't a part of the community.

FYI -- Mel was set to perform in an NYE special put on by Poland’s public broadcaster TVP ... a company that's reportedly been accused in recent years of becoming state-run propaganda, possibly even fueling the anti-LGBT fire.

Mel, someone who's often defended gay rights, ends the cancelation post, saying "I hope to be back there very soon" ... before wishing her fans a happy holiday season.

TORY LANEZ WE NEED AN APPEAL ASAP!!! Petition Attacks Jury, Jay-Z, 'Fake' Protection of Black Women

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Tory Lanez's family and friends are banding together to help him avoid prison time ... and they're going after the jury, the music industry, Jay-Z and even suggesting Tory is a sacrificial lamb to do a solid for African American women.

Soon after Tory was convicted for shooting Meg Thee Stallion, an online petition -- Appeal Tory Lanez Verdict -- surfaced. So far, 19k people have signed on, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon.

The petition claims Tory's trial was a "circus of speculation, insufficient evidence, inconsistencies, and drunken memories [that] left us without much moral certainty of any truth."

What's more ... Tory fans are attacking the jury, calling them irresponsible, claiming they rushed their decision and unjustly found Tory guilty on all 3 felony firearm counts.

The petition then lasers in on some wild claims -- "This case is also about branding, marketing, label heads and a music industry that pushes narratives based on who they have personally invested millions into. Could Jay-Z or RocNation be involved??"

And then, it becomes racial ... "Was this case taken because of a political pressure to fake protect black women? African-Americans went along with hashtags that didn't protect anyone & instead caused division between black women and black men."

It will be an uphill climb to win an appeal ... appeals courts generally don't throw out guilty verdicts because they may interpret the facts differently than the jury.

Wiz Khalifa Ballin' Out In Neek Bucks' Vid ... And Tokin' Up During Timeout!!! 💨

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Wiz Khalifa is the coolest guy on the court ... just ask Harlem rapper Neek Bucks, who recently nabbed the Taylor Gang leader for his upcoming music video!!!

The two rappers recently draped up in "ballers" jerseys for a basketball-themed visual ... which looks to be a bench-clearing celebration!!!

We're told the single is called "Shot Caller" and will appear on Neeks' upcoming debut album "Blessed To The Max" ... which is executive produced by Neeks' mentor, Hitmaka -- who's also in the clip.

Wiz appeared to be calling a couple of shots of his own as he took a smoke break while combing through the footage ... and clearly nailed his celebration scenes while totally hitting it off with the cheerleaders!!!

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Neek has emerged as one of rap's more impressive rookies as of late ... earning the respect of OG's like 2 Chainz and Wiz while still connecting with peers like Lil Tjay and G Herbo for collabs all the same.

We're told fans can expect Neek's album come February 2023 ... and the "Shot Caller" finished product should be ready to go around that time as well!!!

Akon on Nick Cannon Let Him Procreate ... F*** Recitals, Total White Guy Thing

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SOW YOUR SEED, NICK!!!

Akon says Nick Cannon should keep on making babies, even if he has to miss a recital or two ... because, from his POV, that's something only white folks care about anyway. 😅

The singer sat down for an interview this past week with Zeze Millz that's making the rounds now online ... and for good reason. What Akon says here is pretty wild -- basically suggesting that Nick doesn't have to be at every one of his kids' events to be a good father.

But, the way he phrases it is ... interesting. Check it out -- Zeze asks Akon if he sees a problem with Nick potentially being spread too thin as he has more and more children -- especially if that manifests in him possibly not being able to be there for all of them at crucial moments, like a dance recital.

To that, Akon says ... NBD, because "that's a white man thing." He hits the point home by saying, "Who gives a f*** about a recital" -- and goes on to list what he sees as the tenets of being a solid dad, using his own 9 children as examples.

In Akon's eyes, as long as a man can provide for his family and teach them fundamental values/morals ... all the little stuff in between doesn't really matter. That's certainly what it sounds like based on what he's saying here -- and, of course, not everyone agrees.

Akon also says if the baby mamas are on board, what difference does it make? He's kinda got a point there -- everyone seems to have an opinion on Nick Cannon's loins ... when, in reality, the only ones who are part of the equation are him, his BMs and the kiddos.

Funny enough ... we actually got Nick during the holiday season, and he somewhat spoke on this exact issue. According to NC, he's able to see all of his 11 children the same way Santa Claus gets around -- Christmas magic!

BTW, Nick's got a 12th on the way ... and it sounds like Akon would be cool playing godfather. Dude's obviously got his back

Cher Shows Off Diamond Ring Engaged to AE???

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Cher is either engaged, or trolling ... and we're not sure which it is, 'cause the rock she's showing off certainly looks like something you receive when someone wants to marry ya.

The singer posted a photo Sunday of a massive diamond ring that she says her boyfriend, Alexander Edwards, gifted her for Christmas -- and while it could certainly go on any finger ... there's a lot of speculation this might belong on THAT finger.

Unfortunately, Cher isn't giving a lot of hints here. All she wrote was, "THERE R NO WORDS, ALEXANDER,A.E." She then noted those are his hands holding the box.

Of course, the internet is flipping out over the fact Cher may be engaged again. She hasn't been married since Gregg Allman way back in the mid-to-late '70s, and obviously Sonny Bono before that. She's dated a lot of people since then ... including some pretty famous men like Gene Simmons, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Richie Sambora, Warren Beatty and others.

None of those relationships ever got to the point of marriage though ... and if she is, in fact, set to walk down the aisle with AE, it'd be pretty stunning -- especially since they've only been dating for a handful of months now.

Although we know they met in September, they only went public as a couple a month and change ago ... so a would-be proposal is clearly moving things along quickly, if that's what's actually going on. Then again, this could simply be a regular diamond ring ... right?

We've reached out to Cher's camp for clarification ... so far, no word back.

Tory Lanez Christmas Dinner From Jail ... Turkey, Muffins and More!!!

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Tory Lanez is now behind bars awaiting sentencing after being convicted for shooting Megan Thee Stallion -- and on Christmas Day ... here's what's waiting for him in the cafeteria.

TMZ has gotten a rundown on what the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department is cooking up Sunday for their inmates in jail ... and with Tory now being one of them, for the time being, he's definitely getting the same meal as everyone else -- and it doesn't sound half bad.

According to LASD, their corrections facilities have quite the food lineup ... including 4 oz of roast turkey, 4 oz of mashed potatoes, 2 oz of gravy, 1 oz of cranberry sauce, 4 oz of green beans, 1 cup of tossed green salad, a dinner roll, a pumpkin muffin and a chocolate milk.

The jails also have religious/medical diet options ... Halal, vegan, diabetic and everything in between -- none of which sound quite as appetizing as what's listed above. FWIW, Tory's currently being held at the Men's Central Jail just outside of Chinatown ... not too far from where he was in court for the past couple weeks, and where a jury found him guilty Friday.

Speaking of Friday, here's a photo of what may have been Tory's last meal on the outside. During an afternoon break amid jury deliberations ... TL and his crew were seen grabbing some pizza in DTLA.

Not too long after this ... he was taken into custody right in the courtroom, and hauled off to jail. His family, as we know, were practically in hysterics -- calling it an injustice.

R. Kelly, Duggar, Ghislaine Maxwell Locked Up For The Holidays ... But, Still Eatin' Good!!!

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Ghislaine Maxwell and R. Kelly are rockin' around the Xmas tree behind bars once again, while "Cheer" star Jerry Harris and Josh Duggar are celebrating the big holiday locked up for the first time ... but bein' in the clink doesn't mean they're missing out on a feast.

TMZ has obtained prison and jail menus for Christmas Day from places where big names are doin' time ... and the holiday grub ain't sounding so bad -- even if there's no turkey.

Here's what these celebs will be chowing down on Dec. 25:

Joe Exotic at FMC Fort Worth:

-- Baked Cornish hen, tofu fried rice, bread stuffing, heart-healthy carrots, chicken gravy, bread & butter, fruit and holiday pies

Duggar at FCI Seagoville:

-- Herbed Cornish hen, glazed ham, veggie stuffed peppers, veggie lasagna, broccoli cheese & rice casserole, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, rolls and holiday pies

Harris at FMC Lexington:

-- Glazed Cornish hen, beef sirloin steak, broccoli quiche, baked candied yams, cornbread stuffing, collard greens, chicken gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, fruit and pies

Fetty Wap at MDC Brooklyn:

-- Herbed Cornish hen, eggplant parmesan, dirty rice, baked beans, green beans, dinner rolls, fruit, pies and juice

R. Kelly at MCC Chicago:

-- Baked Cornish hen, green beans, cornbread dressing, mac & cheese and sweet potato casserole

Maxwell at FCI Tallahassee:

-- Cornish hens, stuffed green peppers, garlic mac & cheese, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, red velvet cheesecake and fruit

In addition to the grub, facilities are giving out holiday-themed bags to inmates filled with more snacks, puzzles and even some games.

Not saying these celebs deserve activities, but billiards tournaments, chess, bands and bingo are just some of the things going down for the holidays. Fetty Wap's facility is even hosting a talent show ... but that sounds like an unfair advantage for the rapper!!!