Music

Kanye West is again connected to presidential politics because his former publicist has been indicted along with Donald Trump for allegedly engaging in an organized conspiracy to overturn election results in Georgia.

Trevian Kutti, once a publicist for Kanye and R. Kelly, is on video trying to strongarm election worker Ruby Freeman to confess to police she engaged in election fraud by tampering with ballots -- a claim that has proven false.

Kutti allegedly went to Freeman's home and ID'd herself as a crisis manager, and somehow got the election worker to travel with her to the police station, where she is seen on body cam video, threatening Freeman with jail time.

Kutti has been charged with 3 crimes, including violating the RICO statute. A RICO conviction has a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison.

A pair of 20-somethings were on their way to a Lollapalooza concert, but ended up in the hospital instead ... this after they sat down on the third rail in an Illinois train station and got zapped.

What’s even more shocking … the horrifying incident was all caught on video, which was shared online. Check it out for yourself … the two were parked next to each other on the third rail in Chicago’s Ridgeland Station earlier this month.

People were milling about on the platform above … but no one seemed particularly concerned about their well-being. All of a sudden, the young man got electrocuted, his body was shaking and going rigid as he clung to the woman beside him. She, too, was jolted by the voltage -- and, subsequently, both went limp. A friend sitting next to them pulled them off the third rail before emergency service units arrived.

The Game is the anti-Drake ... at least when it comes to collecting bras from well-endowed women at his shows.

The rapper was in the middle of an O.C. performance when a woman in the crowd tossed a very large red bra on stage, and he stopped the show to make it clear ... he's no Drake, so please keep your lingerie to yourself!

Check out the video ... The Game tells fans at the Garden Grove Amphitheatre whoever threw the bra on stage isn't about to have their life changed like the Drake fan who is now getting modeling deals.

As he tosses the bra back into the crowd, The Game jokes ... "I don't be doing no tricking!!!"

Of course, The Game is referencing the recent phenomenon at Drake concerts, where women keep bombarding the stage with their bras, much to Drake's amusement.

Tina Knowles is laughing off a report about Beyoncé bringing personal toilet seats around with her on tour ... she says it's a case of mistaken identity.

We got Beyoncé's mom Monday at LAX and our photog asked her about the viral photo from her "Renaissance" tour ... which shows a container labeled "Beyoncé Toilet Seats."

Tina says the big black box doesn't actually have toilet seats inside ... as some news outlets previously reported ... she says Beyoncé's tour uses the boxes to position fans onstage.

For some reason, these things are called toilet seats ... and Tina says the notion Beyonce is such a diva she lugs around a custom toilet seat is "so ridiculous."

Tina would know ... she's been to more than a few of Beyoncé's shows during the "Renaissance" tour, and she's planning to check out the upcoming concerts at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Rick Ross is officially moving to Miami Beach's secluded Star Island ... closing on a $35 million home smack in the middle of the celebrity hotbed.

The rapper closed the deal Monday on his latest real estate splash ... a 6-bedroom, 9-bathroom mansion with all the bells and whistles.

Rick's new 40,000-square-foot pad is decked out with a heated pool, entertainment room, summer kitchen and plaza deck terraces opening up to the beautiful waterfront, plus a 40-foot dock.

The boss' new neighbors are just as impressive ... we're talking huge stars like Jennifer Lopez, Shaquille O'Neal and Diddy.

As we first reported ... Rick has been eyeing the place since July, and he's planning a major renovation to fit the palace to his liking.

So, the $35 million Rick just plunked down to buy the place is just the start of his investment.

The Star Island mansion adds to Rick's already impressive real estate portfolio ... he's already got one home in Texas, two in Georgia and another in Florida.

Boss moves!!!

Jill Eber, Jill Hertzberg, Felise Eber, and Fabio Lopes of the Jills Zeder Group represented the seller. Kimberly Knausz with ONE Sotheby's International Realty and Tawanda Roberts, a real estate agent with Florida Realty of Miami represented Ross.

Mike Posner says the emotional pain he's dealing with now is all part of life's plan to teach him lessons in order to learn and grow and then pass his knowledge along to others.

The singer joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him how things are going after he recently got brutally honest with one of our photogs ... saying he was embarking on a spiritual warpath to deal with some life challenges.

Mike says he's doing better now and his latest challenge helped him change and grow for the better ... just like a lot of the hurdles he's faced in life and in his career.

He tells us he's grateful for his life in general and all the highs he's experienced -- like Grammy nominations -- and, with that, he's also grateful for all the pain as well.

In Mike's case, there is another silver lining with life's hardships -- they can make for great music, as he points out ... art is a great outlet for sadness, depression, rage, anger and fear.

For Mike, life's teaching him what he needs to learn in order for him to teach others ... and he's got an opportunity coming up to do just that ... with a curated trip to Iceland.

Jimmy Fallon gave Jonas Brothers fans quite the surprise at the band's latest show ... rocking the NYC crowd with a very impromptu karaoke performance.

The "Tonight Show" host jumped on stage at Yankee Stadium Sunday night, clearly a shock to folks in the crowd -- he showed up as the concert's intermission came to an end, showing off his boombox before jamming out to The Killers' "Mr. Brightside."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Nick Jonas asked Jimmy to show up at their NYC show a week ago -- he was told he could do whatever he wanted, and Jimmy tested the limits, asking if karaoke with his boombox would be alright.

Obviously, that was all good with the Jo Bros ... and we're told there was no rehearsal for the surprise appearance, but it looks like it was a moment fans will remember for a long time.

BTW, the Jonas Brothers are currently embarking on their "Five Albums. One Night" world tour, which features hits from 5 of their albums.

It was a big ol' family reunion of sorts at Drake's most recent show in L.A. -- with Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Bad Bunny and Tristan Thompson all spending some QT.

Kim, Kendall and Bunny apparently had unlimited access at the show, bouncing between assigned seats, the floor section and another standing VIP area Sunday night as Drake and 21 Savage entertained for nearly 2 hours at the Kia Forum.

During her convo with Kendall and Bad Bunny on the floor, you can see Kim repeat the phrase, "I didn't come this far, just to come this far" ... a quote she said on "The Kardashians" about her situation with Kanye that Drake also included on his song "Search & Rescue."

Everyone appeared to be having a great time -- and the trio was later linked up in the crowd with Tristan Thompson -- as Kim snapped pics of Kendall and BB.

Tristan and friends also got a ride to the show with Kim, hopping out of a sprinter van and walking right through the venue's VIP entrance.

However, the loved-up couple of Kendall and Bunny got some time to themselves as well ... dancing and taking in the show with some cuddles.

The whole thing is an interesting swing given the drama between Kim, Drake and Kanye from years ago after false reports Kim and Drake were a thing. Kim later blamed Kanye for fueling the rumors ... but Kanye and Drake later made nice at their joint "Free Larry Hoover" show at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

That relationship has since gone down the tubes thanks to Kanye's antisemitic rants.

Rapper Magoo, Timbaland's former collaborator, has died.

Recording artist Digital Black confirmed Magoo's passing in an Instagram post, writing, "Man can’t believe this RIH Magoo damn big bro wasnt ready for this at all." Digital accompanied his message with a cover of Magoo (real name Melvin Barcliff) and Timbaland's 1997 album "Welcome To Our World.”

Magoo's cause of death was not disclosed, nor were details about the circumstances surrounding it. Many of his famous friends took to social media to share their condolences.

Singer Ginuwine lamented 'time was short.' 'I don't even know how to say anything at this point, I have lost 3 friends now within a month to LIFE and it's due date. Ginuwine went on, "This dude, always pushed me …I will mis you maganooo that's what we called him ….. totally one of the best ever in my eyes always pressing forward I know we didn't talk a lot but the love was and will be always there my brotha."

Musician ORyan Omri Browner wrote, "Damn rest in heaven Mag a nu." Rapper Mr. Dalvin added, "He was such a good guy." Timbaland has not yet addressed his ex-partner’s death.

Magoo was 50 years old.

Here's what life is like right now for Tory Lanez inside Los Angeles County Jail ... he's being held away from general population and only gets a few hours a day outside his cell.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Tory is being held in what's called the administrative segregation unit, which is for inmates who cannot be safely housed with the rest of the folks behind bars.

With that, Tory is only allowed out of his cell for 2 hours a day ... and for those 120 minutes, he's by himself.

We're told he is allowed to get some fresh air during recreation time, but that's only for 3 hours each week.

This is the status quo for Tory as he waits to get shipped out of county jail for prison ... remember, the judge just sentenced him to a decade behind bars after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

We're told Tory will be on the move within the next month, when he will be transferred to an intake center ... and that's when California will reveal which prison he'll be calling home for the duration of his sentence.

In the meantime, we're told jail staff is checking on Tory every 30 minutes ... as they do with all the inmates in administrative segregation, and he's able to load up on goodies at the commissary.

We're told whatever Tory buys from the commissary -- snacks, soap, etc. -- goes with him to the big house, as well as any money he has on the books.

Tory's vowed to appeal, and said he won't apologize to Meg ... but this is his life for the time being.

Britney Spears' ex-husband, Jason Alexander, is being ordered to steer clear of the woman he's accused of stalking.

Jason had a hearing this week in his aggravated stalking case in Tennessee ... and the judge ordered him to have no contact with his alleged victim, and to refrain from posting about her on social media.

TMZ broke the story ... Jason's arrest came after he allegedly texted, called, and followed a woman from a gym multiple times. She claims it even escalated to the point where he showed up at her home.

Remember ... the alleged victim also claimed Jason followed her to the parking lot of a Life Time Fitness in Franklin, TN back in June ... and she says she told him to leave her alone -- instead, he blew up her phone with tons of calls and texts.

What's more, the woman claims Jason allegedly drove past her house a few times, and even approached her at the gym's pool when she was there with her kid.

Jason's got to stay away from her for a while ... the next hearing is in August 2024.

Clarence Avant, the music executive known to many as the "Black Godfather," has died ... 19 months after his wife was murdered in their L.A. area home.

The legendary businessman passed away at his home in L.A. on Sunday, according to a statement from his kids, Nicole and Alexander, as well as his son-in-law, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

They said Clarence is leaving behind "a long family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss."

Clarence started as a manager of a lounge in New Jersey in the 1950s, and was mentored in his early years by Joseph G. "Joe" Glaser -- Louis Armstrong's music manager.

He quickly became a pioneer in the world of music ... managing countless singers and performers like Sixto Rodriguez, Bill Withers, and duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

He also founded 2 record labels in his time -- Venture Records in 1967 and Sussex Records in 1969 ... and went on to launch the first African-American-owned FM radio station.

Clarence made moves in the industry for decades ... brokering the sale of Stax Records, becoming chairman of the board of Motown Records, and getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was awarded an Industry Icon Award at the Grammys in 2019 -- the same year his Netflix documentary, "The Black Godfather," debuted.

FYI, he married his wife, Jacqueline, in 1967 -- and TMZ broke the story, she was shot and killed in a burglary attempt at their L.A. home in 2021.

We last saw Clarence leaving Craig's in WeHo in 2022 ... being greeted by some fans while spending a night out with Ted.

Clarence was 92.

Donnie Yen had one helluva 60th birthday party ... a lavish surprise bash in Lake Como, Italy ... and it looks like no expense was spared.

Our sources tell us the "John Wick: Chapter 4" star's wife, Cissy Wang, organized the surprise party ... flying out 150 guests into Villa Pizzo in Lake Como to celebrate the birthday boy.

The evening's special guest ... none other than Paul Anka!!!

Paul performed his timeless hit, "My Way," for Donnie and his guests.

Donnie, who plays Caine alongside Keanu Reeves in the latest 'John Wick' flick, had lots to celebrate during his Italian getaway ... because he also marked 20 years of marriage.

The actor and his wife renewed their vows on the shores of Italy's most famous lake ... the happy couple was dressed to the nines, as were their son and daughter.

Donnie and his son also slipped into tuxedos for a family photo shoot outside an Italian villa ... posing in front of a classic car with his wife and daughter, who were wearing extravagant dresses.

Britney Spears has a new stage to dance on, and a new prop too ... just take a look at her latest IG video, and you'll see what we mean.

The singer threw up a new clip of herself on the 'Gram, and it shows Brit rocking a skimpy bikini and strutting her stuff on a little black platform ... with none other than a stripper pole attached in the middle and shooting upright. Looks like there's a brand too ... "X-Pole."

BS' video has Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" track playing as the main audio -- a pretty good stripper song, no doubt -- and she's up there jerking around from head to toe ... full throttle.

Britney wrote, "Got this pole two days ago and last night was my first time on it." We gotta say, if this is indeed her inaugural pole sesh ... she seems to already have a knack for it.

On its face, this is just more of the same from Britney -- especially these days, where she's dancing around her house and busting out the moves (oftentimes revealing a lot of skin). The difference here, of course, is that she's incorporating some new toys into the routine.

Of course, there's another way to look at this ... and that would be a cringe one.

Remember, Britney's sons -- Jayden and Sean -- hightailed out of Cali recently to move to Hawaii with their dad ... this after publicly bashing their mom and her social media antics.

Travis Scott's riding his own wave after dropping a new album -- and by that, we mean he's riding off into the sunset ... on a jet ski, no less, with at least one hot chick in tow.

The rapper was out in Ibiza this weekend with a bunch of friends tagging along, and it looks like they got themselves a yacht for some sea-time festivities ... including jet skiing, surfing, etc. Travis was definitely happy to play with all the toys ... dude was having a ball!

Like we said, there appears to have been just one female in the crew -- at least from what we can see -- and that would be IG model Tianna Lynnm ... the one in the bikini there.

She, too, was getting wet and wild ... but from the looks of it, she was kinda hanging around one of his buddies (guy with the durag), although it's unclear who he is. Our Travis Scott sources confirmed that she is in fact dating that guy and not Travis.

Tianna's been documenting this trip on her social media all weekend ... and it looks like she's living the high life, and being treated like a queen on the high seas. Again, she's not hooking up with Travis ... which jibes with these SZA rumors, if you buy 'em.

There wasn't any sign of the singer here either, but there's been rumblings about them being a thing these days. What we know for sure ... he's definitely not with Kylie Jenner right now.

Whether Travis is seeing anyone at the moment or not ... Tianna certainly makes for some good eye candy on the vacay. Plus, he's living it up regardless ... as we can clearly see.

Jennifer Lopez might be on vacation, but that doesn't mean she won't pick up a microphone if the mood strikes ... which is exactly what happened on this Italian island Saturday.

The actress/singer hit up a joint in Capri called Anema e Core -- which is a restaurant/live music venue ... where tons of stars have visited over the years, including J Lo. Looks like she wanted to hit up again for the good vibes ... and definitely contributed to them too.

Watch ... Jen was handed a mic, and got to work -- with the background music for Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" starting to swell ... and JLo getting ready to belt.

Soon, the song starts ... and Jennifer launches into the first verse with a lot of gusto. The crowd that was all around her definitely got into it quickly -- as did her entourage, who started wailing on a tambourine and hyping the moment even more. It was pretty cool, TBH.

In addition to 'IWS,' Jen also sang her own song -- "Let's Get Loud" -- and that too got applause. No sign of Ben Affleck anywhere for this trip ... seems Jen's flying solo here.