Music

G Herbo's letting out an "aht aht" for haters who think his world is crashing down following his recent string of legal drama.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Chiraq's finest Thursday outside LAX, and he assures us he ain't worried 'bout nothing ... just like French Montana used to sing.

When we asked about his mounting cases, he said his workload still dominates his time and he's simply focused on doing the right thing.

Chicago Police would beg to differ, after busting Herbo for illegal gun possession a couple of weeks ago. We'll say this, if he's sweating the case ... he's doing a great job of hiding it!!!

Herbo also took a plea deal Thursday in his 2020 wire fraud case -- confident in his decision, and the belief his team would never rat on him.

Switching gears, several videos of the late King Von -- from his time behind bars -- have inexplicably leaked on the internet, showing prison fights and other eyebrow-raising scenarios.

Herbo and KV were friends and Von's estate recently nabbed Herbo to kick off Von's posthumous album "Grandson" with the song, "Real Oppy."

Damon Dash is throwing major shade on his time running Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z ... declaring Nas the winner of the historic rap battle against his camp, although his reasoning is mainly because he wasn't doing the coaching.

The veteran music mogul spilled his thoughts on the "That's F***ed Up" podcast and proclaimed Jay lost the battle when he dropped "Supa Ugly," the follow-up track to his classic diss "Takeover" and released after Nas released his blistering rebuttal "Ether."

Dame says he was away making millions for Roc-A-Fella when he heard "Supa Ugly" on the radio and couldn't believe his ears because he thought it was extremely wack.

The curse-filled counter opened up its own can of worms ... it inserted Nas' child's mother Carmen Bryant into the melee and forced Jay to apologize at the behest of his mother.

Dame blamed Irv Gotti for orchestrating the diss dud and didn't bite his tongue and pooh-poohed every collab the Murda Inc. founder did with Roc-A-Fella.

Irv helped produced several songs for the Roc ... including Jay and Ja Rule's 1998 breakout hit "Can I Get A..." but Dame maintains all his contributions were trash!!!

Swizz Beatz felt it best to channel Al Pacino's Scarface out in Miami for DJ Khaled's We The Best golf tournament ... judging from the new "Tony Montana" track he spun to get his fellow rap stars grooving!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video from Timbaland giving Swizz a grand intro Wednesday as he deejayed Khaled's pre-party.

Swizz let the beat drop on the Scarface-inspired track ... and began rapping about waking up and putting on a suit like the infamous fictional gangsta.

Khaled and son Asahd, Diddy, and Jeezy all approved of the track, and sources at the party tell us the room was quite the royal hip-hop royal ballroom, mixed with pro-athlete elites.

We're told Quavo, Fat Joe, Bun B, Angie Martinez, Cedric The Entertainer, all convened under the tent with the likes of Matt Barnes, Bubba Wallace, Terrell Owens, Gary Sheffield ... and many more!!!

Diddy also got a sneak peek grab at the winner's trophy and hoisted it like it was throughout the function.

Forget the PGA, Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan were all about the PDA at a golf tournament Thursday ... touchin' and smoochin' each other all over the course.

The couple attended DJ Khaled's inaugural "We the Best Foundation Golf Classic" in Miami ... and the two -- as they've been for most of the past few months -- were inseparable.

They shared a golf cart for most of the day -- planting kisses on each other while riding from hole to hole. They could hardly keep their hands off each other on the greens as well ... getting in embraces in between putts.

Jordan, though, was able to separate himself from Larsa for at least a few minutes to get his ball up and down the fairways -- and his swing didn't look too bad!

His attire wasn't shabby either ... check out the sweet, pink Jordan 4 cleats he sported for the occasion!!

As we've previously reported ... Jordan and Pippen began their romance in late 2022 -- and despite Michael Jordan's apparent disapproval of it all, they've been going as strong as ever.

In fact, Pippen said on her and Marcus' "Separation Anxiety" podcast earlier this month she's "never been this happy with anyone."

G Herbo just cut a plea deal in his federal fraud case ... and could end up spending a good chunk of time behind bars.

According to his plea agreement, Herbo will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining counts.

He faces up to 20 years on the wire fraud count and up to 5 years for the false statements.

As we told you at the time of the arrest, Herbo, music promoter Antonio Strong and several others were accused of running an identity fraud ring to obtain stolen payment card information in order to buy private jet flights, exotic car rentals, a luxury villa during a Jamaican vacation and high-priced "designer puppies."

Feds claim they intercepted several messages showing the men participating in the scheme.

Under the plea deal, Herbo will also have to pay around $140k in restitution to Planemasters, Epic Jet, Woof Woof Puppies and other companies.

TMZ Hip Hop just broke the story of Herbo being arrested in Chicago for gun possession, and he also had a hearing for that case.

Finesse2Tymes is being accused of living out his rap name ... as Houston cops say he stole a rental car, and he's been brazenly driving it around the city for months!!!

According to the court docs we obtained, a man named Ronald Bell rented an Infiniti QX80 SUV on Feb. 28, 2023 from a Houston-area Enterprise location ... marked with a return date of March 10, 2023.

Authorities say the return date came and went so Enterprise sent Bell a notice to bring it back.

Cops say when they finally got in touch with Bell, he fessed up to Finesse being the one actually driving the vehicle.

The report states Bell set up a three-way call with Enterprise and the Rap-A-Lot Records rapper on April 20, where Finesse told the rental car employee his money was tied up in a Zelle twist-up but would have the vehicle returned in a few days.

The docs say when Finesse failed to return the Infiniti by April 24, Enterprise reported the vehicle, valued at $72k, as stolen and HPD issued a warrant for his arrest.

To make matters worse, cops say the stolen rental car continued to be spotted floating around the Houston area ... including a well-known recording studio in the area.

On April 25, HPD questioned a woman outside the studio, who told them she had recently been hired by Finesse days prior to run errands.

Popular rapper Superstar Pride has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, after police say he's the triggerman in a shooting death.

The Panola County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says deputies were called to a residence Wednesday afternoon, where they found a 40-year-old man dead from gunshot wounds ... cops say the ensuing investigation led them to believe Superstar Pride was the suspect.

The "Painting Pictures" rapper surrendered to authorities a few hours later, and deputies say he was booked at the Panola County Detention Center. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder.

Ariana Grande is dating one of her "Wicked' costars ... TMZ has learned, following her split with hubby Dalton Gomez.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us she and Ethan Slater -- who plays Boq in the film adaption of the Broadway musical -- started dating several months ago during production of the flick.

It was back in March when a photo circulated, showing Ariana and Ethan next to each other as the cast of "Wicked" celebrated Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win in London.

TMZ broke the story, Ariana and Dalton have yet to file divorce docs -- though our sources say those are coming -- but their relationship has been over since January. We're told Ariana and Dalton remain friendly, and he's been dating as well.

As for Ethan, he's been married to singer Lilly Jay since 2018, and they welcomed a son last year. Our sources say Ariana and Ethan did not start dating until after he separated from Lilly.

Ethan's a talented dude, working as an actor, singer, composer and writer. He got his big break recently as SpongeBob Squarepants in the Broadway musical -- for which he earned a Tony Award nomination.

The home Las Vegas cops raided in connection with the Tupac Shakur murder case was lit up with police lights in the dead of night, creating a chaotic scene ... seen in this new video.

TMZ obtained dramatic footage from Monday night's SWAT operation when Vegas Metro PD descended on the quiet Henderson, NV neighborhood around 10 PM ... honing in on one house and shouting for the people inside to come out with their hands up.

Watch for yourself ... you hear an officer talking through a megaphone, telling a woman to drop her cigarettes and comply with his demands.

Eventually, he starts to bark orders at a man as well ... telling him to turn around, put his hands in the air, and walk backward. It's unclear if these 2 people were the only ones inside, or if they were detained or arrested.

As we reported ... cops were executing a search warrant, but we still don't know what their probable cause was to obtain that warrant. Once inside, though, they seized hard drives and photos of possible suspects in Tupac's murder ... according to an ABC News report.

TMZ broke the story ... the house is owned by Paula Clemons, who's married to a former Crip named Keefe D. For years, he's claimed his nephew, Orlando Anderson, fired the fatal shots at Pac just off the Vegas Strip in 1996, and that he was in the car with him at the time.

We don't know for certain Paula or Keefe are currently living at Henderson home. Neighbors in the area tell TMZ the couple they've seen in the house moved there in 2016.

We're told they've always been nice, saying hi to folks ... with no suspicious behavior.

TMZ also knows cops were here at this address for about 2 hours conducting the search. The big unanswered question is whether they found anything that could close the Tupac murder case.

Jeanine Pirro says Jason Aldean intentionally filmed his "Try That in a Small Town" video in the same place where a Black teen was lynched ... because Black Lives Matter protestors are still breaking the law 100 years later.

Yeah, read that again, or even better ... watch the video, because it's pretty stunning. During Wednesday's panel discussion on "The Five" about Aldean's lightning rod of a hit song ... the Fox News host took up for Aldean's music video being shot in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Tennessee.

One of the reasons the music video's become so controversial is the fact an 18-year-old Black man was lynched at that location in 1927 -- but Pirro says it's the perfect place for Aldean to send a message about BLM.

"I think he's trying to show that there hasn't been that much progress. That Black Lives Matter is violating the law themselves at this point ... rioting and burning. That's what happened 100 years later."

Translation: Black people are still committing crimes, just as that 18-year-old did, Pirro's eyes, 96 years ago??? It certainly comes off as pro-vigilante justice, which is one of the reasons critics and the NAACP have been ripping Aldean's song.

Jennifer Lopez got locked out of a workout session and then later took out some frustration on the paparazzi with an f-bomb ... and it's all on video.

J Lo was trying to get inside Tracy Anderson Method Studio in Studio City for a Wednesday afternoon workout, but her key card wasn't working ... and she ended up waiting outside the locked door before someone let her inside.

Following the workout, Jennifer was not in a good mood despite the endorphin release ... swearing at paparazzi as she climbed into a waiting SUV.

J Lo told the photogs ... "Go away. F*** you. Bye." While we can't tell for certain if she was truly mad, it certainly seemed like a not-so-friendly delivery. She and her team then sped off.

Jennifer's been on the defensive lately it seems ... earlier this month, she caught some heat for her new alcohol brand and shot back with a video response.

Jason Aldean's hit song, and its accompanying music video, about small towns in America is sparking huge debate across the country ... and, now the NAACP is joining the convo.

The Tennessee chapter of the civil rights org is strongly condemning the country singer -- President Gloria Sweet-Love tells us Jason's tone, his message and the imagery he's using are all deeply offensive to people of color, especially Black people.

Sweet-Love says the Tennessee State Conference NAACP, as an organization, finds the song/music vid for "Try That in a Small Town" awful and racist.

She adds, in their eyes, the lyrics are bad enough, but Aldean's adding insult to injury by filming the video in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, TN ... where a Black man was lynched in 1927.

Making matters worse -- GSL says the KKK has recently been hanging flyers in that town as well, and Aldean's project is only adding unneeded fuel to a fire.

Sweet-Love goes on to say she believes Aldean's track is clearly promoting racism and violence, adding Tennessee doesn't need that -- instead, she says the focus of artists should be uniting people, and protecting their children and communities.

While Aldean seems to be inviting rancor ... Sweet-Love says he should, instead, apologize now -- echoing what a lot of others have said about this, including Sheryl Crow.

As we've reported ... JA himself has vehemently denied promoting any racism or violence in the song -- and says it only reflects the community he's familiar with ... not to mention sentiments he says people he knows share. In other words, he ain't walking back anything.

CMT has already yanked the song/vid from rotation ... and Sweet-Love says TN's NAACP chapter appreciates that gesture, telling us it was the right move all things considered.

Oscar De La Hoya is weighing in on one of the best fights in years -- Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford -- a fight The Golden Boy agrees is as close to evenly matched as a fight could be ... but that doesn't mean the boxing legend doesn't have a prediction!

"I think it is a 50/50 fight," De La Hoya told us in NYC on Wednesday ... before giving us his pick.

"I like Crawford, I've always liked Crawford. I mean, I love Spence, but Crawford has more of the elusive style, more combinations. It's gonna be a good fight. If Spence wins, he's gonna knock out Crawford. If Crawford wins, it'll go to decision."

Vegas seems to agree with the boxing legend ... Crawford is a small favorite in the bout, heading into fight week around -160 (wager $160 to win $100).

Of course, it's the fight boxing fans have been talking about -- clamoring for -- for years ... and it's just a week and a half away, going down July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Spence, 33, is undefeated with a record of 28-0 with 22 knockouts. He's the unified welterweight (147 lbs.) champion, holding the IBF, WBC, and WBA belts.

As for Crawford, he too has never lost ... and comes into the fight with a 39-0 record with 30 knockouts. "Bud" is also a champ, holding the WBO welterweight belt. He's been champion in three different weight classes.

There's more with ODLH. We also talked to the boxing Hall of Famer about the Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou "money grab" boxing match, scheduled for October.

ABC will not edit out Jason Aldean's controversial hit, "Try That in a Small Town," on Wednesday's "CMA Fest," but viewers will not see a frame of the music video ... sources tell TMZ.

"CMA Fest" was filmed between June 8th and 11th at various venues in Nashville. Aldean was one of the headliners, who sang the song that was rising on the charts.

The song has become a lightning rod because of the lyrics combined with the newly-released music video, with images of Black Lives Matter protests, flag burning, and aggression toward police. The music video was also shot outside the same courthouse where there was a brutal lynching years ago. Folks on social media have ripped Aldean, claiming his song is a right-wing dog whistle.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, ABC will air Aldean's performance but none of the music video will appear in the show. For the record, the music video was released after the festival. ABC could have used the music video in the show open or promos, but our sources say the network has taken a hard pass on that.

Aldean has defended the song, saying it has nothing to do with BLM but rather it's an anthem honoring neighbors helping each other in small towns.

Clearly, not everyone's buying it, but enough people are to propel the song to #1 on iTunes.

Rolling Loud Miami kicks off this weekend with plenty of side projects to accompany the main adventure, just like the youth basketball clinic the organizers slam-dunked Wednesday.

Festival founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler, teamed up with the Miami Heat players Udonis Haslem & Haywood Highsmith and 50 kids from the Miami Gardens Life Skills & Summer Thrill camp ... as the official tip-off for the Rolling Loud Miami Week.

Udonis, being a Miami native and a 20-year vet of the Heat says the Rolling Loud clinic was especially personal for him, as he sees his former self in so many youth today.

Tariq assisted with both the DJing duty and skills training and we're told all the kids at the event had a blast.

Rolling Loud Miami Week will be booming with local community initiatives with familiar sponsors designed to inspire and inform the kids ... great time-fillers for their current school-free days.

On Thursday, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America will team with DGK Skateboards for a skate park clinic, that'll provide the 50 youth participants with skateboards and safety equipment to instill the basics.

Then on Friday, the Black Music Action Coalition will host a rally with NY Congressman Jamall Bowman and Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson to discuss the ongoing controversy of targeting rapper's lyrics.

Of course, the 3-day music fest will bring things home ... with Playboi Carti, Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky serving as the headliners this go around.

Eminem famously went from performing in hole-in-the-wall clubs to emerging as the best-selling rapper EVER -- but he's admitting a couple of icons who came before him almost made him trash his old rhymes!!!

Slim Shady revisited his humble hip hop beginnings for The New York Times' 50-year celebration of the genre ... which also features testimonies from marquee rap stars like 50 Cent, Krayzie Bone, Bun B and Trina.

Em credited his Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Edna for fostering his rap stan-dom and remembered being enamored by LL Cool J, Run-DMC and Kool G Rap ... all of whom eventually inspired him to rap.

But, when Nas and Naughty By Nature hit the scene in the early '90s, Em says he became unsure of himself ... and almost quit the dream that made him a legend.

Em says he bumped NBN's self-titled debut album all summer, so much so, Treach's rhyme skills gave him a serious case of writer's block.

When Nas' debut, "Illmatic," dropped a year later, Em memorized it front to back -- but, again, he says the Source's "5-mic" rating gave him anxiety ... he worried he'd never measure up.

Em recalls being jaded about rapping for several years before he started crushing local open mic nights in Detroit ... and obviously went on to sell a bazillion records.

There's no shame in "Illmatic" giving any young MC nerves -- it's widely considered one of the greatest albums ever, and is even being preserved in the Library of Congress!!!

We actually just spoke to Treach, and he basically alluded to NBN powering through a bit of infighting, but says he's still rapping with the same intensity Em loved back in the day.