Music

Bobby Brown has lost another child ... his son, Bobby Brown Jr., has died.

A source close to the family tells TMZ Bobby Jr. was found dead Wednesday in his home in the L.A. area. Police are still at the house, and our sources tell us, at this point, they do not believe there was foul play involved.

It's another horrific tragedy for the singer and his family to endure. Bobby Jr.'s half-sister, Bobbi Kristina, died when she was just 22 years old after she was found lifeless in the bathtub of her Georgia home.

She was on life support for several months before she passed in July 2015. The coroner determined Bobbi Kristina's cause of death was drowning in the tub while she had toxic levels of cocaine and alcohol in her system.

It was an eerily similar death to her mother, Whitney Houston, who had died 3 years earlier from an accidental overdose while in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Jr. is one of Bobby's seven children. He was 13 when he, along with Bobbi Kristina, appeared on the family's short-lived Bravo reality show, "Being Bobby Brown."

His mother is Kim Ward, who Bobby dated off and on for 11 years before he got engaged to Whitney.

Bobby Jr. was only 28.

RIP

Jay-Z is getting into the fitness equipment game just like his wife ... he's investing in a startup that aims to rival Beyonce's partner, Peloton.

The entertainment mogul is pumping some of his billion-dollar fortune into CLMBR, which is about to launch its 2 flagship products ... a pair of vertical climbing machines.

Jay-Z's not the only celeb who sees an opportunity to make a buck with CLMBR ... Novak Djokovic, the top men's tennis player in the world, is also investing. Jay and Bey's longtime fitness consultant, Marco Borges, is on board too, plus YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley.

CLMBR sounds a lot like Peloton, only instead of riding a bike it simulates vertical climbing. It's supposed to be good for the back, and CLMBR's machines are the first featuring touch displays and on-demand classes with instructors.

At-home fitness equipment is all the rage with most gyms and fitness centers across the globe shuttered due to the pandemic. Bey recently teamed up with Peloton ... which boosted its stock.

Missy Elliott's helping dreams come true for a bride-to-be on a tight budget ... by covering the cost of the wedding dress she'd been eyeing.

Ireanna Bradshaw's getting married in March, but she and her fiance, Roderick Purdie, are also trying to move into their own place while planning the wedding, and long story short ... the costs were pilling up.

Ireanna shared that she found her dream dress -- a beautiful floral plus-size style from David's Bridal for $1,300 -- but didn't think she'd be able to afford it ... and that's when Missy stepped in.

The rapper congratulated Ireanna, but also followed up with a message saying "Your Dress is paid for now." Sure enough, Ireanna tells us she was in a restaurant with her mom when she saw Missy sent the money in full ... and broke down in tears.

Ireanna says Missy's been an inspiration for a long time -- one who helped her love herself and be open to love ... which brought her to Roderick.

She says without the financial gift she would have had to settle for a simple white dress or something much cheaper. Ireanna tells us Missy "literally made it possible for me to have my dream dress and be confident on the most precious day in my life."

More celebrity firepower is being added for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. fight -- with Ne-Yo being tapped to perform the National Anthem before the main event, TMZ Sports has learned.

We told you at the beginning ... the people behind the event were laser-focused on bringing in top-level talent to up the entertainment value surrounding the fight, and they're delivering -- with Lil Wayne, French Montana, DaBaby, YG, Wiz Khalifa and more set to perform during the November 28 fight at Staples Center in L.A. (available on PPV via cable and satellite, and PPV streaming at Triller).

Now, Ne-Yo has signed on to perform the Anthem -- a lifelong dream for the performer who's been a hardcore Mike Tyson fan since he was a kid.

“Opening for a fight of this magnitude is an honor and I can’t wait to witness one of the most noteworthy nights of the decade," Ne-Yo says.

"I may be performing, but I am a fan at the end of the day and I look forward to witnessing this once in a lifetime lineup.”

In fact, Ne-Yo told ESPN back in 2012 Tyson was his favorite athlete growing up.

"The guy was unstoppable when he was on top of his game," Ne-Yo said in 2012 ... "Nobody could touch him."

Ne-Yo has also said he's a massive boxing fan ... and had long hoped to be apart of a major boxing super fight -- so, mission accomplished!!

There's more ... we're told legendary ring announcer, Michael Buffer -- the "Let's Get Ready To Rumble" guy -- has signed on to work the event, as well.

As for 54-year-old Mike and 51-year-old Roy ... they're both in incredible shape -- and have vowed to try and knock each other out when the bell rings.

Travis Scott wants to make sure he not only gives back to his community, but helps to put kids on a track for future success -- and he plans to do both through his own nonprofit.

Trav just launched The Cactus Jack Foundation ... and its first order of business is rolling out the Waymon Webster Scholarship, named after his grandad -- who's an HBCU alum.

In light of that, this scholarship is going to be exclusively available to students currently enrolled in a handful of HBCUs -- namely, Morehouse College, Howard University, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University (where his mom went) and Prairie View A&M University ... that's his grandfather's old stomping grounds.

The scholarship will cover tuition costs for students who are facing financial hardship and who are affected by the pandemic -- Travis will handpick the recipients.

Travis tells TMZ ... "My grandfather wanted me to take it all the way through college, I feel there is a power in education so to be able to give someone the opportunity to fulfill that dream as my papa thought for me is amazing."

He's also partnered with The Parson's School of Design to bring a Cactus Jack program to the city of Houston and will offer an online certification program to students around the county through scholarships.

The rapper dropped out of the University of Texas at San Antonio as a sophomore to pursue his music career, but he clearly still sees the value in higher education.

Dr. Dre hasn't been acting like he's concerned about the coronavirus pandemic, so he shouldn't get special treatment in his divorce proceedings ... that's what his estranged wife thinks, anyway.

Nicole Young wants her ex to sit for a deposition, in-person, despite COVID-19 restrictions -- and according to new docs, obtained by TMZ, she's not buying his claim it has to be done remotely due to the virus.

Dre's stated he wants his depo done via Zoom to keep himself and others safe ... but in the docs, Nicole claims Dre has "freely entertained" multiple people at home and elsewhere ... and participated in several social functions "without implementing even the slightest amount of social distancing protocol."

Nicole claims Dre's been seen with musicians and techs without social distancing and "entering and exiting the homes of multiple women around the Los Angeles area."

As for why she's pushing the matter ... Dre's estranged wife believes an in-person depo is necessary to deter him from possibly being coached, and her legal team says they need to be able to see how he reacts to questioning.

Tory Lanez's legal team is back in court after he was charged for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and just entered his plea ... not guilty.

Tory's attorney, Shawn Holley, appeared on his behalf Wednesday in L.A. County court to enter the plea in the case. Tory's yet to go to court himself -- his last appearance was over the phone.

As we've reported ... the L.A. County D.A.'s Office hit him with 1 count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and 1 count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The D.A. also alleges TL inflicted great bodily injury on MTS.

Tory's already posted $190,000 bond and been ordered to stay away from Megan ... and he's defended himself on social media by saying the charges are not a conviction.

The rapper/singer faces up to 22 years and 8 months in prison, if convicted.

There's already been tons of drama surrounding the case ... with Megan claiming in a recent interview that Tory offered her money in exchange for her silence after he allegedly shot her in the foot. Tory's attorney has denied the accusation.

Megan also flat-out accused Tory of shooting her and then Tory dropped a new album seemingly professing his innocence, denying he shot her and suggesting she's a liar.

During Wednesday's hearing, the state said it's trying to decide whether they should go after Tory for possibly violating the protective order with his social media posts and song lyrics.

Gucci Mane is poking the bear before he meets said bear in a music battle -- openly touting the fact he killed one of Jeezy's friends ahead of their Verzuz showdown.

Gucci posted a meme Tuesday night mocking his shooting of Jeezy's former labelmate, Pookie Loc, in the 2000s. That was after Pookie allegedly attempted to break into Gucci's home, and Gucci fired in self-defense.

The meme depicts a guy jumping at someone in a courtroom, with a caption that jokingly tries to guess what Gucci might tell Jeezy in their Verzuz match later this week ... and how Jeezy might respond.

The line reads, "go dig ya partna up n**** I bet he can't say s***." Gucci reposted that, and added his own laughing face emojis.

GM's joked about the fatal shooting before, but what makes this latest jab even more relevant is ... he and Jeezy will be on camera together Thursday as they play their hits on Verzuz.

Jeezy hasn't directly responded to Gucci's barbs, but he seems eager to face the man himself ... as he's called him out since it was confirmed Gucci would be replacing T.I. in the Verzuz battle -- which is what everyone wanted in the first place.

We should note, Gucci and Jeezy are NOT friendly by any stretch of the imagination -- aside from Gucci killing Pookie Loc, they have other industry issues that have fueled their beef for years.

One last thing about the shooting -- Gucci was initially charged with murder over Pookie's death, but the charges were dropped ... as the state said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

AEW + Director X = 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

TMZ Sports has obtained AEW's explosive new trailer -- featuring Nyla Rose using a sledgehammer to smash the living hell out of a Jaguar ... and it's AWESOME!

The trailer was put together by legendary music video and movie director, Director X -- who's worked with every major artist you've ever heard of from Jay-Z to Rihanna to Kanye, Bieber to Drake ... even Ariana Grande, One Direction and Korn!

Director X tells TMZ Sports the goal is to show how AEW is "smashing the status quo" -- and what better way to than to give Nyla Rose a sledgehammer and let her tee off!

FYI, Rose is the first transgender wrestler signed to a major wrestling promotion -- and Director X tells us he was so moved by her story, it became an obvious decision to open the video with Nyla's glass-shattering scene.

"I mean it just felt right," Director X tells us ... "It's by far the most dramatic scene. She has one of the most dramatic stories you know what I'm saying? Like it's a big, big deal."

Director X says empowering women like Nyla says a lot about AEW and how they're taking pro wrestling to the next level.

The trailer also features Cody and Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and more ... explaining how they launched a brand new successful wrestling promotion against all odds. The ultimate underdog story.

The video also celebrates the 1 year anniversary of "AEW Dynamite" -- the #1 wrestling show on Wednesday nights on TNT.

"We're boundless in our ability to grow," Cody says ... "We're boundless in our talent."

Lil Wayne's just been hit with a federal weapons charge and could face serious prison time if convicted.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida has charged the rapper with 1 count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Weezy -- who was convicted of a felony gun charge in NY back in 2009 -- faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The charge is for a December 2019 incident where federal agents searched Wayne's plane at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. He was a passenger on that plane, which made a stop in Florida on its way to California.

At the time ... Wayne's attorney, Howard Srebnick, had said his client was "cleared" to leave even though guns and drugs were reportedly found on the plane. It appears now the feds believe Wayne was wrongfully in possession of a weapon and ammunition.

Srebnick tells TMZ ... Carter was charged for possessing a gold-plated handgun in his luggage back in December. The lawyer says, "There is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it. There is no allegation that he is a dangerous person."

He added, "The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm."

Barack Obama was feeling nostalgic talking to Oprah about his new book -- reminiscing on what he missed most about being President ... and his answers might surprise you.

44 sat down for a chat with O on her Apple TV+ show, "The Oprah Conversation," in which they discussed his latest written project -- "A Promised Land" -- and also took a trip down memory lane about the perks that a Commander in Chief gets to enjoy.

He admitted flying on Air Force 1 and Marine 1 is an unmatched experience -- and one he sincerely misses -- because of the exceptional staff, and not having to wait around to get somewhere.

Barack also said he always took joy walking into the Oval Office -- where he says he could feel the ghosts of Presidents past all around him -- and he revealed his favorite view from the White House.

And, of course, BO says he got a kick out of the intimate White House performances they'd put on every now and then for free -- with some marquee acts swinging by, like Paul McCartney ... who famously sang The Beatles' "Michelle" to the First Lady in 2010.

Khaos Williams is BLOWING UP right now after that 30-second-knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan over the weekend -- and he's giving some of the credit to his hip-hop idols.

Meek Mill. Jay-Z. Drake.

"Those guys inspired me," 26-year-old Khaos tells TMZ Sports ... "Every morning I wake up before my fights, I start my day off listening to Jay-Z."

"Y'all just inspired me. Y'all music, it got me through some dark times, it gave me some inspiration when I didn't have the inspiration."

Khaos, who's based in Michigan, is making quite a name for himself right now -- his last 2 fights were insanely violent and lasted a TOTAL of 57 seconds!

He's currently 11-1 and hasn't lost since 2018.

In fact, Dana White described Khaos' knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan as "one of the most vicious KOs I’ve ever seen in my f**king life."

Khaos says he hasn't met any of his musical idols yet -- but feels like if he keeps winning, there's a chance it can happen.

Dolly Parton's dream of being a 75-year-old woman gracing the cover of Playboy might soon become reality ... we've learned the ball's in her court.

Here's the deal ... Dolly's had her eye on posing for Playboy's January issue -- when she turns 75 -- and now the feelings are mutual.

A Playboy honcho tells TMZ ... the magazine would love to shoot Dolly again, and she knows all she has to do is say the word, and it's on!

Dolly first appeared on the cover of Playboy way back in October 1978, when she was 32, slipping into a Playboy bunny costume and showing off the big boobs that were part of the rich and famous package.

The country music legend told "60 Minutes Australia" back in March ... she hoped to grace the cover again when she turned 75, and even joked about wearing the same costume as before because her boobs are the same, but she didn't know if the mag would go for it.

Now we know Playboy's totally on board ... so it sounds like it's just up to Dolly.

Trippie Redd's so deep in the lap of luxury right now ... he could be chilling at this very moment in a robe that costs more than some engagement rings.

TR got his hands on a Chef Henny designed robe that cost a very singular price tag ... $11,111.11. Why all the 1s? Pretty simple ... we're told Henny -- who earned his name by always cooking with Hennessy on YouTube -- believes in number continuity and synchronicity. Hey, to each their own!

The better question is WHY Trippie -- or anyone, really -- would drop 5 figures on a robe??? Well, this one is custom designed specifically for Redd. Henny recently introduced his Daddy Robes luxury line, which are handmade in Beverly Hills and strictly pimped to influencers. The brand boasts that some of its robes can keep ya warm in temps as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Logan Paul and "Love & Hip Hop" star Moniece Slaughter have also slipped into Henny's robes ... but no word on how much they spent. His fall and winter collection does include robes for as low as $555.55 ... in case you're more cost-conscious. LOL

Seriously, there is a version of Trippie Redd's robe coming soon for a mere $1,111.11.

After nearly a year and a half of beefing, Scooter Braun has said goodbye to Taylor Swift's master recordings ... unloading it for a pretty penny.

Scooter's company -- Ithaca Holdings LLC -- has reportedly sold the master rights to Taylor's first 6 albums to an unknown investment fund. The buyer reportedly dropped north of $300 million for the deal, which closed a couple of weeks ago.

The deal, first reported by Variety, includes Big Machine's client roster ... which includes Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts and the trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum. The label will remain under Scooter and Scott's control.

It's unclear if the bad blood between Scooter and Taylor will dissipate ... there sure is a lot of bad blood. Remember, Scott's company bought Taylor's old label, Big Machine, back in June 2019. This, of course, pissed off Taylor, who ranted against Scooter for snapping up her early catalog ... claiming the move blindsided her and stripped her of her life's work.

Taylor, whose deal with BM expired in 2018, also accused Scooter of being an industry punk. And, when she tried to sing her songs at last year's American Music Awards ... Taylor claimed Scooter and Scott were blocking her.

But, it's not all bad news for Taylor, who as of this month is free to re-record songs from her first 5 Big Machine-issued albums. The goal here's for fans to stream her re-recorded version instead of the ones owned by the new owner. Same goes for commercial business ... like when TV shows/commercials, for example, decide which versions they want to license.

Bhad Bhabie -- just dropped a new music video for her first single since finishing rehab ... and she's got some big names helping her out.

Here's the deal ... the 17-year-old rapper, previously known as Danielle Bregoli, made a quarantine version of her "Do It Like Me" music vid, featuring special appearances from her celeb support system, including Demi Lovato, Blac Chyna, Pia Mia, Chief Keef, Charlie XCX and Lexy P.

As you can see ... her famous friends are singing and dancing from home for the new track -- her first since a 30-day rehab stint in June.

Sources close to Bhad Bhabie tell TMZ ... she's had an amazing support system sticking with her through her dark time, and all the celebs in the video believed in her and stood by her during rehab, which helped her get sober.

As we first told you ... Bhad Bhabie was focused on music and business after getting out of rehab, and quickly went to work on her new single.

Our sources say her friends wanted to show support for her sobriety ... so they recorded the clips used in the music vid.