Music

Antes de que este pequeño jugador de béisbol se convirtiera en rapero y cantante, jugaba al Guitar Hero con su hermano pequeño en Louisville, Kentucky, y mostraba su mejor cara  preparándose para jugar al béisbol con los Pirates.

Este talentoso músico, que ha agotado todas las entradas para sus conciertos en el instituto, fue telonero de Vince Staples en 2016 y también ha colaborado con otros grandes nombres como Lil Wayne. Puede que hayas visto sus rizos y su barba en la cancha o jugando contra Machine Gun Kelly en el NBA All-Star Celebrity Game de 2022.

¿Necesitas una pista más? ¿"WHATS POPPIN ft. Justin Bieber"?

KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are being dragged to court over the COVID death of one of their longtime guitar techs ... and his family say it all started with Paul.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the family of late KISS guitar tech Francis Stueber says he died a couple days after contracting COVID while on tour with the band back in October 2021.

The family says COVID started spreading amongst tour personnel in August 2021 when Paul contracted the virus ... and they say COVID kept spreading due to lax safety policies on the tour.

In the suit, Francis' family says anyone on tour who came down with COVID was instructed to quarantine in a hotel room in whichever city the band was in ... but they say the protocols offered little else.

Francis, the suit says, got COVID while in Detroit and was told to hole up in a Sheraton hotel ... and the family says KISS longtime manager Doc McGhee failed to arrange for medical personnel to visit and examine Francis at the hotel, despite Doc promising to do so.

It's pretty sad ... the docs say Doc asked another tour member to check on Francis at the hotel but Francis was dead when the person arrived, dying only 2 days after testing positive for the virus.

Francis' family is going after Gene, Paul, Doc, Marriott hotels and Live Nation for damages.

6:14 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is giving the fans what they want ... photos!!!

Taylor's taking time to snap a ton of pictures with the thousands of fans lucky enough to get a ticket to her special movie premiere ... and as you can see, Taylor's in huge demand.

One of the lucky ones to get a selfie with Taylor ... Gianna Caruso, the daughter of The Grove's owner Rick Caruso.

Taylor's not just taking selfies though ... she also posing for more traditional shots right in front of the movie theater where the film is about to begin!!!

6:04 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is at The Grove for the premiere of her 'Eras Tour' movie and fans are going wild ... and she's wearing the blue dress from her earlier social media post.

Taylor just made her big appearance, emerging for a few seconds in a blue dress ... waving and interacting with fans and telling them she would be right back.

Taylor Swift is giving Swifties more opportunities to see her highly-anticipated flick ... she's moving the release date up a day, and she's on her way to the big 'Eras Tour' premiere.

Taylor says fan demand is so overwhelming, she's moving the concert film release date from Friday to Thursday in the United States in Canada ... as well as adding additional showtimes Friday and throughout the weekend at theaters across the globe.

Meanwhile, Taylor says she's getting into the car that's going to whisk her away to The Grove in Los Angeles ... the outdoor mall that's being shut down just for her movie premiere.

As we first told you, the world-famous outdoor mall is hosting 2,000 lucky fans for the first-ever showing of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" ... and the hoopla is bringing tons of security to The Grove.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor's planning a surprise at the film debut -- there were questions about whether the guest of honor would be there in person -- and as long as chaos doesn't break out at The Grove she's going to show ... and it appears she's on her way.

It's already a wild scene at the outdoor mall ... where security is tight and helicopters are buzzing overhead.

Guests will start arriving at 6 PM PT and the movie is set to begin at 7 PM ... so it's likely Taylor will be there within that timeframe.

Taylor posted the movie announcement alongside a photo of her in a blue dress and pearl necklace ... but it's unclear if that's tonight's actual outfit or just an old shot.

The 'Eras Tour' movie's already a box office hit ... with presale tickets across the world eclipsing 9 figures!!!

City Girls are coming in hot with their new album title, proudly labeling themselves "Real/Raw Ass Whores" to sum up their 3rd studio effort.

Yung Miami and JT both made the shocking reveal following their BET Hip Hop Awards performance ... a moment that left the interviewer momentarily speechless.

Just like the abbreviation suggests, the title was so raw, Miami took the liberty upon herself to blurt out the acronym ... leaving JT to shed light on the fact they were referring to themselves as "whores" this time around.

The "Act Up" rappers didn't explain if being "whores" was a term of empowerment or endearment like say when Missy Elliott did back in 1999 when she proclaimed herself "a bitch" ... they just had a hearty laugh at their new nicknames!!!

Fans were on the fence about City Girls' album title for some reason but expressed even more confusion about the project's release date of October 20 in general ... many felt the duo hadn't had a proper lead-up time to see success.

Or maybe the impact just hasn't been there??? City Girls actually dropped 4 singles this year ... with none of the tracks even nicking the Billboard Hot 100 ... a string of rare misses for the platinum-selling hitmakers.

If Taylor Swift makes a return trip to Arrowhead Stadium this week, she might not be able to watch Travis Kelce play ... 'cause the Chiefs just revealed the pop star's new flame is questionable for the big game.

Kansas City is playing on Thursday night instead of the usual Sunday in a prime time contest against the Denver Broncos ... but with Kelce still nursing an ankle injury that he suffered last weekend, he might have to sit it out.

The Chiefs listed him as a limited participant in practice on both Tuesday and Wednesday -- suggesting there's still a chance he could play -- but taking the game off would allow him nearly two full weeks to rest up before the Chiefs take on the Chargers next on Oct. 22.

The star tight end has already missed one game this season due to injury -- sitting out the season-opener against the Lions with a knee issue -- but he's played in every other game since ... including two that Swift saw in person.

Of course, it was unclear if Swift had any intentions of heading to K.C. for the "Thursday Night Football" showdown ... but with Kelce's status up in the air, it seems watching the game from home might just have to be the play.

Doug E. Fresh is much more open-minded than most of his peers when it comes to artificial intelligence affecting the art ... he's straight up calling it "an enhancement" to human abilities!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with the beatboxing pioneer Wednesday in NYC, where he urged fans and artists not to fear the AI revolution taking jobs ... something Krayzie Bone told us last year he fears when we raised the topic.

"The World's Best Entertainer" was lending his support to Pencils of Promise ... an education organization geared toward spreading modern education to children in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos.

Speaking of younger generations, Doug believes they'll adopt AI tools much easier in the years to come.

Doug compared AI's origins to when the drum machine entered the world of hip hop ... effectively replacing live instrumentation, and he's confident humans will still be in control.

Ja Rule thinks Drake and DJ Khaled deserve a pass, or at least time before they make any public comments about the war between Israel and Hamas ... and that's IF they want to say anything at all.

This is only an issue because DJ Vlad, who is Jewish, called out Drake for being the world's most famous Jewish person, and Khaled for being the most recognizable Palestinian. Both men have been silent on the conflict in which Hamas terrorists have reportedly beheaded babies and raped women, massacred more than 1,000 people and taken more than 200 hostages.

Ja tells TMZ Hip Hop he feels the criticism of Khaled and Drake is a bit unfair ... as some artists make the decision to stay away from anything that even hints at politics.

He also notes people -- celebs and entertainers alike -- need time to digest breaking news in order to react with real knowledge, and they deserve the time to do so without facing the public's wrath.

The "Always On Time" rapper was back home in NYC for the Pencils of Promise Gala Tuesday evening and offered up some words about the human condition and the need for peace.

Remember, Ja put his own neck on the line on the day of the September 11 terrorist attacks calling into MTV with words of encouragement ... only to become a meme thanks to Dave Chappelle years down the line.

Taylor Swift is planning to attend the world premiere of her "Eras Tour" flick at The Grove ... a huge and exciting piece of info for the fans lucky enough to get an invite.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Taylor's plan is to show up for tonight's event at the world-famous outdoor mall to surprise the 2,200 lucky fans for movie screenings in The Grove's 14 AMC theaters.

We're told Taylor's planned appearance comes with one caveat though, she may get pulled if any security issues arise, or if The Grove becomes overwhelmed by Taylor-mania.

Our sources say there are hundreds of security guards in place to prevent chaos from erupting ... and it's the reason The Grove decided to shutter for the first time in 20 years.

Security is already super tight at the mall, with barricades and guards all over the sprawling property ... making it next to impossible to get inside the shopping center.

As we first told you ... Taylor's team invited the lucky fans for the premiere and guests will start arriving at 6 PM before the movie starts at 7 PM ... so Taylor's presumably scheduled to make her appearance within that window.

Taylor's movie is already a box office success, surpassing $100 million in presale tickets across the globe, so tonight's premiere will be a night to remember, especially if she shows.

Taylor Swift está planeando asistir al estreno mundial de su película "Eras Tour" en The Grove. Esto es una emocionante noticia para los fans que tengan la suerte de conseguir una invitación.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo le dicen a TMZ que el plan de Taylor es aparecer en el evento para sorperender a los 2.200 afortunados que estarán ahí para la proyección. El filme se va a proyectar 14 cines AMC ubicados en el exclusivo The Grove.

Sin embargo, nos dicen que la aparición de Taylor viene con una advertencia. Ella podría abandonar el lugar si surge algún problema de seguridad o si The Grove se ve abrumado por la Taylor-manía.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que hay cientos de guardias de seguridad en el lugar para evitar que estalle el caos y es la razón por la que The Grove decidió cerrar por primera vez en 20 años.

La seguridad ya es muy estricta en el centro comercial, con barricadas y guardias en toda la propiedad en expansión, por lo que es casi imposible entrar al centro comercial.

Como informamos previamente, el equipo de Taylor invitó a los afortunados directamente. Los fans comenzarán a llegar a las 6 PM y la película comienza a las 7 PM, por lo que Taylor probablemente haga su aparición en ese lapso.

La película de Taylor ya es un éxito de taquilla, superando los 100 millones de dólares en entradas de preventa en todo el mundo por lo que el estreno de esta noche será una noche para recordar, sobre todo si ella muestra.

N.O.R.E. and his "Drink Champs" podcast lost the "Best Hip Hop Platform" BET award to Yung Miami for the 2nd year in a row ... and the "Oye Mi Canto" rapper isn't taking the L too nicely!!!

After the 2023 BET Hip Hop Award winners were announced during Tuesday's airing, N.O.R.E. decided to stir the pot by tweeting ... "So nobody gonna say nothing bout the podcast /media award? Ok me neither!!!"

Miami not only beat out "Drink Champs," but also "The Breakfast Club" and Joe Budden's podcast -- but the accusations of Diddy paying off BET for her didn't fly as far as they did last year, as many of Miami's fans rubbed it in N.O.R.E.'s face!!!

Her "Caresha Please" viewership was proven to best N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN's in the last year and she's even given them one of their recent viral moments ... dubbing herself the "Black Oprah" when she was on "Drink Champs" in August.

Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Ice Spice also took home trophies at the Awards, which were taped last week and hosted by Fat Joe.

8:54 AM PT -- El abogado de GaTa, Shawn Holley, le informó a TMZ: "Todo el incidente entre las partes está capturado en video que estoy en el proceso de proporcionar a las fuerzas del orden. El video demuestra claramente que el Sr. Ganter no hizo nada malo y, en cambio, trató de calmar la situación".

GaTa  —famoso por la serie de televisión "Dave"— fue arrestado por violencia doméstica, TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que ayudantes del sheriff respondieron a un informe de un incidente en Santa Clarita, California, el pasado domingo. Se le informó a los oficiales que la pareja tuvo una discusión que terminó en violencia física. Los detalles no están claros, pero sabemos que terminó con GaTa siendo arrestado.

Nos dicen que fue fichado por delito grave de violencia doméstica antes de ser puesto en libertad bajo fianza de $100K y programado para comparecer ante el tribunal en una fecha posterior. El caso está bajo investigación.

GaTa es rapero/músico y últimamente actor en la serie de FX de Lil Dicky que se estrenó en 2020 en la que lleva tres temporadas interpretando una versión ficticia de sí mismo.

8:54 AM PT -- GaTa's lawyer Shawn Holley tells TMZ, "The entire incident between the parties is on video which I am in the process of providing to law enforcement. The video demonstrates clearly that Mr. Ganter did nothing wrong and, instead, tried to de-escalate the situation."

GaTa -- famous from the TV show 'Dave' -- was busted for domestic violence ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a DV incident in Santa Clarita, CA this past Sunday -- officers were told a physical argument occurred between two parties. The details are unclear ... but we know it ended with GaTa getting arrested.

We're told he was booked for felony domestic violence ... before being released on $100K bond and scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The case is under investigation.

GaTa -- whose real name is Davionte Ganter -- is a rapper/musician ... and lately, he's been an actor on Lil Dicky's FX series that launched in 2020 ... on which he's been featured for three seasons now, playing a fictionalized version of himself.

The guy is known in the music world ... having served as a professional hype man for the likes of Lil Wayne, Gym Class Heroes, Tyga and others.

10/11 8:33 AM PT -- La seguridad ya es muy fuerte fuera de The Grove miércoles por la mañana. Hay barricadas y guardias de seguridad por todo el lugar.

Nos dicen que es casi imposible entrar al centro comercial y que la presencia de la seguridad no hará sino aumentar.

El poder de Taylor Swift no tiene límites. Un famoso centro comercial al aire libre cerrará el miércoles durante todo el día para el estreno mundial de la película de Taylor Swift "Eras Tour".

The Grove, que se ha convertido en una institución en Los Ángeles, acogerá la presentación de la esperada película para 2.200 afortunados fans en sus 14 salas de AMC.

Nos dicen que el equipo de Taylor ha invitado a los fans y que recibirán detalles sobre dónde y cuándo presentarse alrededor de las 2 PM del miércoles.

Los invitados llegarán a las 6 PM y la película comienza a las 7 PM.

La seguridad incluye a la policía de Los Ángeles y el Departamento de Bomberos de Los Ángeles para asegurarse de que nadie más que los invitados pueda entrar. El martes por la noche ya se habían colocado barricadas.

En cuanto a la presunta invitada de honor, no sabemos si Taylor aparecerá, pero si tuviéramos que adivinar —y dada la planificación y el misterio— nuestras apuestas están con ella apareciendo.

Nos han dicho que el propietario de The Grove  —Rick Caruso— y su compañía compensarán a todos los pequeños negocios que están perdiendo beneficios por el cierre.

10/11 8:33 AM PT -- Security is already super heavy outside The Grove Wednesday morning ... with barricades and security guards all over the place.

We're told it's next to impossible to get inside the shopping center, and the security presence is only going to grow.

Taylor Swift's power knows no bounds ... a world-famous outdoor mall is shutting down for the entire day Wednesday for the world premiere of Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" flick!

The Grove -- which has become a Los Angeles institution -- will host the unveiling of the highly-anticipated film for 2,200 lucky fans in its 14 AMC theaters.

We're told Taylor's team has invited the fans and they will receive details on where and when to show up at around 2 PM Wednesday.

Guests will arrive at 6 PM and the movie starts at 7 PM.

Security will be out in full force -- that includes the LAPD and L.A. Fire Dept. -- to make sure no one other than invited guests gets in. Barricades were set up late Tuesday night.

As for the presumed guest of honor -- we don't know if Taylor will show, but if we had to guess ... given the planning and secrecy, our money is on her showing up.

We're told The Grove's owner, Rick Caruso, and his company will be compensating all the small businesses that are losing profits from the shutdown.

Taylor's movie is already a monster hit, surpassing $100 million in presale tickets across the globe ... so Wednesday's premiere will be a night to remember.

Machine Gun Kelly got more than he bargained for at the Forbes Under 30 Summit ... after an aggressive fan dashed onstage and nearly came face-to-face with him!!

The musician was being interviewed Tuesday by Forbes Editor Kristin Stoller in front of a packed crowd at the Cleveland Public Auditorium in Ohio.

Suddenly, the crazed man darted up to MGK onstage and started saying something to him. MGK jumped to his feet and confronted the dude, giving him a tongue-lashing.

Check out this video ... which shows MGK making his hands into fists while telling the guy, "My man, get the f**k away from me."

It didn't stop there as MGK continued ... "Yo, what are you doing? What are you doing? This is a bad look. Don’t make me do this."

A security guard then came out and grabbed the guy, hauling him away.

MGK then sat back down and apologized to everyone for his "primal reaction." But no one seemed bothered by his response, including Stoller, who gave MGK props for how he handled the situation.

After getting kicked out of the venue, the troublemaker was surrounded by security personnel on the sidewalk. TMZ obtained video of him sitting on the ground with his back against a wall as the guards stood over him waiting for police to arrive.

Machine Gun Kelly tuvo más de lo que esperaba en la Cumbre Forbes Under 30 ¡cuando un fan agresivo se subió al escenario para encontrarse cara a cara con él!

El músico estaba siendo entrevistado el martes por la editora de Forbes, Kristin Stoller, ante una multitud en el Auditorio Público de Cleveland, Ohio.

De repente, el hombre enloquecido se abalanzó sobre MGK en el escenario y empezó a decirle algo. MGK se puso en pie de un salto y enfrentó al tipo.

Échale un vistazo a este video que muestra a MGK empuñando las manos mientras le dice al tipo: "Hombre, alejate o te va a ir muy mal".

No se detuvo allí: "Hey, ¿qué estás haciendo? ¡¿Qué estás haciendo?! Esto no se ve bien. No me hagas hacer esto".

Un guardia de seguridad salió y agarró al tipo, llevándoselo.

MGK volvió a sentarse y pidió disculpas a todo el mundo por su "reacción primaria". Pero nadie parecía molesto por su respuesta, incluyendo Stoller, quien felicitó a MGK por la forma en que manejó la situación.

Tras ser expulsado del local, el alborotador fue rodeado por el personal de seguridad en la acera. TMZ obtuvo un video en el que se le ve sentado en el suelo con la espalda apoyada contra una pared mientras los guardias se colocan a su lado a la espera de que llegue la policía.