Music

Gladys Knight is furious that President Biden has invited the likes of BTS to The White House, yet her repeated requests for a sit-down with the President over a vital issue have been ignored ... and she flatly asks the question ... "Are the problems associated with African Americans not equal to those of other races? Why do we have to be last?"

Gladys' company, Riccino Optical, provides COVID-related products, including antigen tests, anti-fog goggles and face shields. Her company, which she describes as an "African American woman owned minority business," has been trying to get a government contract to provide these PPEs to the public, but she says they've been ignored.

The singer says the feds are giving contracts to the "Good old boys' network of Washington D.C. insiders." She goes on to say a contract was specifically targeted to help Native American businesses in this space, yet she says there are no Native American manufacturers of these PPEs, while her company has millions in inventory.

Gladys wrote her letter to Biden in June. Although she went to The White House earlier this week to receive the National Medal of Arts, she did not have a sit-down with the President, even though her husband asked Biden why he hasn't met with her yet.

In her letter, she says, "It is extraordinarily insulting to watch news reports ... that a boy band from South Korea, BTS, had an in-person meeting with President Biden."

She goes on ... "As a longtime, Democrat and Civil rights warrior, as well as a legendary entertainer that has met with President Biden many times in my life, the difficulty of setting up a meeting with him over these issues makes no sense."

Jay-Z is still very much a business, mannnn ... according to Forbes, the Roc Nation rapper is now worth a jaw-dropping $2.5 billion following the sale of his alcohol brand.

The updated ranking from Friday makes Hov the 1,203rd richest person in the world.

Back in February, Jay sold his 50% stake of his D’USSÉ cognac back to its parent company Bacardi for a reported $750 million after a tense court battle ... and still retains sizeable ownership in the brand.

Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is still the richest person in the world with a net worth of $216.1 billion ... but bragging rights for the most-paid rapper currently sit with Jigga.

Not only that, Billboard recently named him "The Best Rapper Of All-Time," and he holds the most Grammys for a rapper with 24.

Tekashi 6ix9ine should get the hell out of Dodge or at least up his security after his brutal gym beatdown -- that's what most people think -- but we've learned that ain't the case.

Sources close to Tekashi tell TMZ ... he's actually been going out in public without his hired muscle pretty regularly over the last year -- without issue. We're told he's not about to let one incident change the way he lives. He wants to continue to live as normal a life as possible ... and is chalking up the gym beatdown as an outlier.

What's more, Tekashi has no plans on leaving South Florida, despite the attackers saying snitches weren't welcome in their neighborhood.

As we reported, Tekashi was sent to the hospital after he was pummeled inside the locker room of an LA Fitness -- suffering injuries to his back, face, jaw and ribs. Video obtained by TMZ shows one of the alleged attackers chatting on a cell phone before bringing another inside the facility.

From there, you see both men beeline it to the locker room to execute their attack with a third person.

Lance Lazzaro, Tekashi's attorney, told us he's going to talk with the feds about getting some protection for his client -- but it sounds like 6ix9ine wouldn't be too keen on accepting any.

Selena Gomez is finally speaking out amid the fan-fueled drama with Hailey Bieber ... coming to HB's defense and condemning the hate coming her way.

Selena took to IG Friday with a message to her fans ... "Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity."

She continued, "This isn't what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I've always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.❤️"

What's more ... Selena follows Hailey on IG ... another sign she wants to douse the flames that have erupted on social media.

ICYMI, the rumored beef between Selena and Hailey surfaced after SG posted a video about her eyebrows ... fans took Kylie Jenner's posts with Hailey as a diss against Selena. It takes too long to explain what the alleged dispute was over [in a word, eyebrows] but it was silly.

Fans speculated there was been tension between the two ladies for years, since Hailey got engaged to Justin a couple months after ending his long-term relationship with Selena.

Selena has clearly moved on and wants everyone else to do the same.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Originally Published -- 7:01 AM PT

SZA celebrated the end of her month-long tour Thursday night with a star-studded performance in L.A. ... but it was J Lo who really stole the show with her crazy dance moves.

Jenny from the Block gave everyone a crash course on how to cut loose to the music of SZA, who was joined by Lizzo and Phoebe Bridgers on stage at the Kia Theatre.

Check out video, obtained by TMZ, showing J Lo shaking her booty while wrapped in a huge fur coat and sporting cool shades. We're told J Lo was also twerking at one point.

It appears Ben took the night off and stayed home 'cause he was nowhere in sight.

Meanwhile, Jeffree Star made a cameo appearance, dropping in with some friends to watch the concert. The makeup guru kept it low-key, chatting with his posse and enjoying all the entertainment.

At two points during the show, SZA shared the spotlight with Phoebe and Lizzo, each singing one song with the R&B superstar. Phoebe cranked out SZA's "Ghost in the Machine" while Lizzo performed her own tune, "Special."

American singer and rapper Matthew Morris, aka MattyBRaps, was just seven years old when he started his music career after sharing his raps and tunes on YouTube back in 2010.

He initially became popular after remixing and covering songs ... Justin Bieber's "Eenie Meenie" being the first of many! Some of his originals like "I'm Missing You" have accumulated over 240 million views on the 'Tube.

Morris collaborated with some big names including JoJo Siwa, James Maslow and Vanilla Ice, and his success landed him on some major talk shows including "Dr. Phil," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "The Queen Latifah Show."

Sam Asghari wants to star in a movie opposite Britney Spears ... and he thinks they would be the perfect fit for an action comedy.

We got Sam at LAX on Thursday and he was just getting back home from filming a project ... so naturally our photog asked him if he would ever want to act with his wife.

Sam says Britney's a great actress and he for sure wants to team up with her on the big screen ... and it sounds like he's already got some ideas for potential projects.

Britney obviously loves to dance, and Sam thinks her natural athletic ability makes her the perfect candidate for an action comedy ... which he seems to prefer over a rom-com.

The way Sam envisions it ... he and Britney could both do their own stunts, and he's seeing lots of action and fight scenes where they both kick some serious ass.

But before the perfect script comes along, Sam says Britney's excited about visiting him on his current film set ... he says he's in L.A. during a break in filming.

Rihanna's house became the center of some serious police action after one man showed up wanting to ask for her hand in marriage.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the man, who traveled from South Carolina, walked up to Rihanna's home Thursday where he was almost immediately greeted by her security.

Our sources say the man claimed he was there to propose to the singer, and Rihanna's team called the cops right away. When officers arrived, they put the man in handcuffs, got him in a car and had a serious chat about his intentions.

We're told it was determined the man -- dressed in a red Nike hoodie -- had not broken any laws, though he was asked to leave and told not to return.

It was back in 2018 when a man named Eduardo Leon was arrested inside Rihanna's L.A.-area home. Leon allegedly had been inside the home for at least a day, while Rihanna was out of town, before he was discovered. He allegedly told cops he was there to have sex with the singer.

There will be no summer renaissance for Beyoncé and Adidas this year ... the two powerhouses have mutually agreed to part ways.

The Wall Street Journal reports Beyoncé's custom clothing line Ivy Park fell WAY below its 2022 sales projections of $250 mil ... only bringing in roughly $40 mil to close out the year.

Those numbers were also considerably lower than 2021's tally of $93 million ... and fresh marketing campaigns with celebs such as Irina Shayk, Yara Shahidi, Megan Thee Stallion and current hip hop it-girl Ice Spice weren't able to rouse the public's interest at the cash register.

Before cutting ties, 2023's projections were shifted from $335 mill to $65 mill. Beyoncé's contract is finished at the end of the year but is still on track to earn her $20 mil annual salary.

What's also interesting about the split is Beyoncé is set to embark on her Renaissance World Tour ... which could've brought in huge merch sales for Ivy Park.

A sickening story out of St. Louis as a local man -- who goes by the rap name Woozy The Goat -- has been accused of killing his own grandparents.

Lincoln Co. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood tells us Davionne McRoberts walked into a psych ward covered in blood earlier this week ... he's been tied to the murders of his grandparents Donald and Kathy McRoberts, who were found dead in their home.

Wood told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch McRoberts is currently being held in the mental hospital under police watch.

There aren't many details yet on the specifics of the murders, but local law enforcement was reportedly looking for Davionne Tuesday night before he essentially surrendered himself to the psych ward.

Davionne's rap persona Woozy The Goat has a very small social media following and appears to have dropped some songs on SoundCloud. He posted some very disturbing messages on Facebook in the time leading up to his grandparents' deaths ... declaring he was God.

In one of the messages, he wrote, "WHO WANNA DIE TODAY? Y'all don't believe me? Come show me I'm not god."

Another reads, "Hey I really am god truly everyone I'm trying to help you all but I came to terms y'all got too comfy in hell I'm not trying to take peoples money when I say donate to $WoozyTheGoat I'm trying to show y'all new life ..."

Lil Nas X's presence on social media has got him in some hot water once again ... with people saying his tweet about 'gays' in Africa is incredibly insensitive on the heels of serious anti-gay legislation in Uganda.

The "Old Town Road" rapper was met with a ton of backlash Wednesday after he tweeted "where do the gays be in africa i wanna come there". The tweet came on the heels Uganda parliament passing one of the most sweeping anti-gay legislations in the world.

The law punishes people with up to 10 years behind bars for simply identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer or anything other than male or female.

More shockingly, citizens can be sentenced to life behind bars for committing gay sex acts and be sentenced to death for "aggravated homosexuality" -- a broad term to include sex acts committed by force as well as incest.

After LNX's tweet, folks quickly hopped on social media to express their disdain, for what they see as an extremely dangerous message. One user wrote, "This is so insensitive especially after Uganda just announced the harsh punishment of even identifying as being LGBTQ” ... and many others backed these same sentiments.

As you know, this isn't the first time he's been in the hot seat for his social media postings, recently issuing an apology for making a trans joke online.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's bodyguard is denying social media rumors he was the one who orchestrated 69's beatdown in a FL gym ... instead challenging his attackers to a pricey fight.

Miami-based bodyguard Bam-Bam lashed out in a fiery IG message, offering $10k to the goons who carried out the attack if they'll fight him -- even offering to go 4 against 1!!!

Here's the deal tho ... Bam-Bam says, "If you lose you die," so there's clearly a lot more than just money on the line here.

Bam-Bam has been seen alongside Tekashi for a long time, but obviously wasn't with him on Monday night at the time of the attack. He also addressed, Bullet Guzman, the man many blamed for the attack.

Bam-Bam seemingly clears Guzman, saying Bullet was not one of the clowns throwing "weak ass punches" ... and cleared him of any wrongdoing.

CeeLo Green intended to make a memorable entrance into a birthday party honoring Shawty Lo, and memorable it was ... for all the wrong reasons.

CeeLo was in attendance for Shawty's bday bash at The Bank in ATL Wednesday and decided he'd join the party on horseback. You can see from the jump, the horse is nervous around the crowd and lights -- as employees try to get the animal steady -- then all hell breaks loose.

The horse jolts around, and its legs slip on the tile floor, causing the animal to buckle -- and sending CeeLo to the ground in the process.

Luckily no one was hurt, and CeeLo made a quick recovery, getting back up onto his feet to enjoy the rest of the party.

Of course, folks on social media had a field day with the whole thing ... quickly posting the moment and joking about his fall from grace.

As you know, Shawty Lo, whose birthday is March 22, died in a car crash back in 2016 ... but his friends and loved ones still gather to remember and celebrate his legacy.

They might also want to take the time to remember horses are likely better left outside.

Tekashi 6ix9ine might've faced an even more brutal beatdown if it weren't for the quick-thinking gym staff that rushed in to get him to safety after he was ambushed in a sauna.

It's a bummer for 69 ... especially since our sources say he'd actually frequented this gym quite a bit in the past without any issues. We're told he's normally in there for about 20 minutes, and sticks to the StairMaster ... minding his business.

Our sources tell us if Tekashi is ever approached or recognized, most of the interactions are peaceful ... and he's usually accommodating and willing to pose with fans. Of course, he's clearly got enemies out there -- no doubt still lingering from the infamous RICO case.

Gunter Nezhoda, famous for appearing on A&E's hit show "Storage Wars," is dead after losing his battle with cancer.

"Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda tells TMZ ... his father died Tuesday night in his sleep in Salt Lake City as a result of complications from lung cancer.

Rene says his dad was diagnosed in September, and the chemotherapy caused holes in his lungs. We're told Gunter recently flew to Utah for emergency surgery, but doctors determined there was nothing else they could do. His youngest son, Ricky, was by his side when he died.

Gunter appeared on seven episodes of "Storage Wars" from 2015 to 2019 ... we're told he filmed an episode with Rene for the upcoming 14th season.

In addition to his reality TV work, Gunter also acted in a handful of movies ... and he played bass with musicians like Kevin Dubrow, George Lynch, Michael Schenker, Pat Travers and Leslie West, just to name a few.

Gunter, who was born in Austria and grew up in Germany before moving to Las Vegas, was also a professional photographer, working with big-name companies like Ford, Microsoft and Big-O Tires. Some of his photos were published in magazines and advertisements.

Gunter was 67.

Rick Ross can now add top-shelf cannabis distributor to his résumé, thanks to his new partnership with brand High Tolerance, TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

The MMG rap star's strain will be called "Collins Avenue" -- after his old Miami-Dade stomping grounds -- and he's put a boss-like stamp on the product.

"High Tolerance is the best flower for all the ones who like to blow that good gas," Rozay tells TMZ Hip Hop. "This is the best flower in the world ... this is why I decided to team up with High Tolerance. They have the best flower on the streets. Shout out to Manny, the biggest."

HT's co-founder Manny also showed excitement for having Rozay on board ... telling us the rapper is "a true cannabis connoisseur."

Rozay's strain drops June 1st and he now joins the storied rapper ranks of Jadakiss, Jim Jones, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Dave East, Juelz Santana, 'BMF' star Lil Meech, Ghostface Killah, Beanie Sigel, Millyz and the late Draco the Ruler as HT ambassadors!!!

The news comes on the hooves of Rozay making headlines after his livestock escaped from his 235-acre estate ... but he's going the distance to prove his animals are harmless!

Rozay reported live from his Promise Land estate Tuesday and introduced his followers to his pet bison "Timbuktu" while feeding it a couple of apples.