Music

Mariah Carey ended her COVID vaccine excursion on a high note -- literally.

America's diva rolled up her sleeve in NYC Saturday to get her first dose, but it wasn't without some trepidation. The "Emotions" singer had 2 of them -- excitement and nervousness, as the camera rolled for the money shot.

As the doctor sticks the needle in her arm, she belts out her signature, glass-breaking screech ... 2 times, no less!!!

It was all in fun, we think, and Mariah encouraged everyone to follow suit and shoot up.

Mariah is curious about the absence of blood, ending with this proclamation, "See, I've proven my point. I am actually a vampire."

Paul Simon will be a forgotten name in the history books when scholars look back on 20th-century music and see only Bob Dylan and The Beatles standing tall -- that's the polarizing take of one NBC writer, anyway.

Jeff Slate -- a NYC-based songwriter and journalist -- penned a controversial piece for NBC Think ... titled, "Paul Simon sold his catalog to Sony for millions. He'll still end up a historical footnote to Dylan." Indeed ... it is triggering.

His subheading reads, "He was a prolific songwriter with a lucrative catalog any corporation would happily monetize. But there are only a few names our descendants will ever learn."

We know, we know ... you're fuming already. That's exactly what the internet is doing as well as it jumps to PS's defense.

You can read Slate's take in full for the big picture -- which is all about how Dylan recently sold his catalog of music and the rights to it to UMG for a reported $400 million, and how Simon followed in his footsteps by doing the same with Sony for his rights -- but the gist here is ... Paul Simon will be an "also-ran" compared to BD when it's all said and done.

In Slate's view, Dylan will perhaps be alone with John, Paul, George and Ringo and as the standout folk/rock acts of the '60s/'70s -- and that artists like Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and others will fall by the wayside, especially among younger, average-Joe listeners.

That seems to be what Slate's getting at -- and of course, A LOT of people disagree ... with some arguing Simon is just as prolific and culturally impactful as Dylan ever was. We don't have to get into a pissing contest ... both guys have scores of songwriting credits and hits under their belts. Of course, you could argue Dylan is perhaps the better-known of the two.

Lil Wayne's in luck if he ever needs to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbor, because he just dropped a fortune on a mansion right by Kylie Jenner's crib.

The rapper dropped $15.4 mil for the home in Hidden Hills -- the high-profile gated community that's home to much of the Kardashian crew -- according to sources familiar with the deal.

The 12,135 sq. ft. home looks awesome -- it's a brand new custom estate with 7 beds, 7.5 baths, and a bright, open floor plan with panoramic views.

The interior comes with all the luxurious bells and whistles you can imagine -- chef's kitchen, breakfast room, refrigerated wine display, piano area, entertainer's lounge and a home theater.

Outside there's a pool, a basketball court, multiple patios with seating and a 1-bed guest house ... and it all sits on 3.26 acres.

Diddy's trip to Florida prevented him from attending his son's 23rd birthday party in L.A. -- well, in-person anyway ... but when you're Diddy you just show up as a HOLOGRAM!!!

The rap mogul's handling some biz in Miami, but turned to the folks over at PORTL to have them beam him live Thursday night into his son Christian Combs' 23rd birthday soiree in Los Angeles. The visual is stunning ... Diddy appeared life-size as a 4K interactive hologram.

We're told the PORTL device allowed Diddy to see and hear the crowd. You can see he dedicated the hell out of "Happy Birthday" to his son and made a toast. Diddy's 3 daughters -- Jessie, D'Lila and Chance -- also appeared as holograms with him.

PORTL, an LA-based startup, dubs itself as the world's first and only single passenger holoportation machine ... and you know what that means. It doesn't come cheap -- it'll cost the average joe around $60k.

For his part ... Christian had one helluva bday bash -- Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Snoop's son Cordell Broadus, Swae Lee, Winnie Harlow and Young Thug were just some of the celebs who attended. They all showed up in-person, though.

Britney Spears says there are no ghostwriters when it comes to her social media posts, contrary to a growing belief ... now she herself tells TMZ she writes the dang things herself!!!

The pop star is refuting claims made by one of her former makeup artists, Billy Brasfield, who alleged Britney personally told him she had no control over this week's Instagram post criticizing the 'Framing Britney Spears' documentary.

Britney tells TMZ ... "No, I’m not talking to him at all. I write my posts. I’m not sure who he is talking to, but I am not talking to Billy B."

Brasfield, who worked with Brit from 2012-13, said he texted Britney about the IG post and she responded right away, telling him she had no say in the caption.

As we reported ... Britney broke her silence on the 'Framing' doc Tuesday, writing she was "embarrassed by the light they put me in" and adding, "I cried for two weeks." Her post certainly took a lot of air out of the idea she was framed.

Lots of folks, including Brasfield, were quick to claim the post couldn't have been written by Britney ... and fans even went after her social media manager, Cassie Petrey, claiming she was the true author.

But, as we first told you ... the social media manager did NOT craft Britney's post about the Hulu documentary, and Cassie wasn't even aware of Brit's plan to express herself until the IG post went up.

Bhad Bhabie was clearly lying when she told us she'd already "done it all" by her 18th birthday, because just a week later she claims she's done something new -- shattered an OnlyFans record.

The rapper formerly known as Danielle Bregoli revealed she's earned more than $1 million after starting up her adult-themed, subscription-based account Thursday ... and claims it only took her 6 hours to become an 18-year-old millionaire.

Based on an apparent screenshot she shared of her accomplishment ... she made over $750k on subscriptions, $5k on tips and more than a quarter-million on direct message tips.

Bhabie wrote, "not bad for 6 hours ... we broke the f**k out of that onlyfans record." We reached out to a rep for the site, and they confirm those numbers are REAL -- it's not an April Fools' joke. We're told her subscription price is $23.99 per month.

You might recall Bella Thorne previously set the OnlyFans record last year by earning over $1 mil in 24 hours.

Before launching her OnlyFans account Thursday, the rapper shared a couple provocative posts on her Instagram teasing it and boasting ... "from now on im gonna do whatever the f*** I want."

Takeoff will not face charges for allegedly raping a woman at a party last year ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office tells us it's declining to prosecute the Migos rapper for the sexual assault allegations made against him in August 2020 due to insufficient evidence.

Takeoff's lawyer, Drew Findling, says his office spent countless hours investigating the case and concluded the same thing as prosecutors. He tells us, "The allegations were patently and provably false."

We broke the story ... a woman filing as Jane Doe sued Takeoff for sexual battery and assault, claiming he made her extremely uncomfortable at an L.A. party and later raped her in a bedroom. We then learned the LAPD was investigating the incident.

Quavo is speaking out for the first time since TMZ posted video of an elevator altercation between him and Saweetie -- and he wants to make one thing clear -- he's never physically abused his former gf.

Quavo tells us, "We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall."

The unfortunate situation Quavo's referring to is a video TMZ obtained inside an apartment complex elevator. The scene starts with Saweetie appearing to take a swing at Quavo during a struggle for control of a video game console.

At one point, Quavo grabs Saweetie by the arm, swinging her into the elevator, and the two fall to the floor. Saweetie stays on the ground -- apparently injured -- after Quavo gets up. Once the door opens, Quavo gets out and makes sure the door stays open while Saweetie limps out.

Quavo's statement comes just hours after Saweetie told us, "This unfortunate incident happened a year ago, while we have reconciled since then and moved past this particular disagreement, there were simply too many other hurdles to overcome in our relationship and we have both since moved on."

West Coast artist Michelle Phillips was only 22 years old when she shot to fame as the harmonizing hottie and one-fourth of the folksy band The Mamas & The Papas ... who blasted into the ears of millions with their debut album "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" ... which included the classic singles "California Dreamin'," "Go Where You Wanna Go" and "Monday, Monday."

Michelle was joined in the supergroup by her then-husband, John Phillips, Canadian singer Denny Doherty ... and of course the iconic Cass Elliot aka Mama Cass.

Saweetie has broken her silence two days after TMZ posted video showing her and her then-boyfriend, Quavo, in an altercation inside an elevator.

Saweetie tells us, "This unfortunate incident happened a year ago, while we have reconciled since then and moved past this particular disagreement, there were simply too many other hurdles to overcome in our relationship and we have both since moved on."

As for the other hurdles ... when the two split last month, Saweetie accused Quavo, very publicly, of cheating. Quavo replied to the allegations with a tweet that read, "I had love for you and disappointed you did all that. You are not the woman I thought you were. I wish you nothing but the best."

TMZ broke the story ... the surveillance video, from inside an apartment complex elevator shows the former couple in a struggle over a box containing a video game console. Saweetie appears to take a swipe at Quavo first before he grabs her by the arm, knocking her against the back elevator wall and both hitting the floor.

Lil Nas X's "Satan Shoes" likely won't be on the feet of any of his fans soon, because Nike got a judge to shut down the selling of the controversial footwear ... at least temporarily.

The court granted Nike's request Thursday for a temporary restraining order against MSCHF -- the company producing the shoe inspired by the rapper -- which blocks it from fulfilling any orders.

As we reported ... Nike sued MSCHF earlier this week, claiming it has no connection with Lil Nas X's Satan Shoe and did not authorize the production of it.

Nevertheless, the devilish shoe still reportedly sold out of its 666 pairs produced within minutes Monday ... even at the hefty price tag of $1,018.

Due to the restraining order, MSCHF will not be allowed to ship them to customers awaiting the shoe that the creative agency put their blood, sweat and tears in ... literally blood!

FYI ... judges grant temporary restraining orders of this type when there's a high probability they will win when there's a full-blown hearing.

Quavo and Saweetie could soon be answering to the LAPD, because cops have opened an investigation into their elevator altercation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us LAPD detectives have seen the video, obtained by TMZ, showing the now ex-couple fighting over a video game console box, and cops want to meet with both parties, separately, to discuss what went down.

Our sources say the situation could be considered an instance of domestic violence, where both parties are in the wrong. Cops want to determine what happened before and after the elevator surveillance footage was captured.

TMZ broke the story, the video -- recorded last year -- opens with a shot of Saweetie seemingly taking a swipe at Quavo. They continue to struggle over the orange gaming case, and then Quavo grabs Saweetie by the arm and drags her into the elevator, hitting the back wall and both collapse on the ground.

Quavo gets up, but Saweetie remains on the floor through the rest of their elevator ride. When it comes to a stop and she gets up and limps out. It doesn't appear they exchanged any words while on the elevator.

As for the possible criminal case, we're told once cops wrap their investigation, they'll likely turn it over to the City Attorney to review for possible changes.

The show Justin Bieber put on for a group of SoCal inmates was less about song and dance, and more about sitting and listening ... as photos of his recent prison visit reveal.

TMZ's obtained pics showing the Biebs surrounded by a big group of prisoners in the yard at the California State Prison of L.A. County. Justin and his pastor took a field trip to the correctional facility last week, but this is our first look at what went down.

In one shot you see Justin listening intently while seated outside, and in another, he appears to be praying. We're told Bieber specifically visited inmates taking part in the prison's Urban Ministry Institute ... a seminary program run by Prison Fellowship.

And, get this, JB also visited the Paws for Life K9 Rescue program, which is the first dog rehab program in a men's maximum-security prison. Inmates actually train them to become service dogs to military vets. Pretty awesome.

As we first reported ... Justin's RV was seen pulling into the prison last week where he was spreading the good word.

Britney Spears fans are coming for her social media manager's head because they think Brit's reaction to the new doc wasn't authentic ... but they have it all wrong.

Here's the deal ... the pop star broke her silence on 'Framing Britney Spears' Tuesday, criticizing the documentary ... saying she was embarrassed by the portrayal and cried for weeks, but some folks think Britney's social media manager, Cassie Petrey, is the post's real author.

However, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Cassie did NOT craft Britney's statement about the Hulu documentary, and she wasn't even aware of Brit's plan to express herself until the IG post was published.

As you see, Cassie's catching lots of online heat ... with keyboard warriors calling for her to resign from Britney's team.

Our sources are adamant ... Britney wrote the caption herself and it was posted the day she wrote it. We're told Brit does indeed feel deeply embarrassed by the documentary, which she's made clear to those closest to her.

Our sources tell us no one on Britney's team prompted her to break her silence, and it was all her decision.

Dak Prescott's offseason just keeps getting better and better ...

Just weeks after the NFL star inked a MASSIVE 4-year, $160 MIL contract with the Dallas Cowboys ... he bro'd down with 2 country music stars on an epic fishing trip in Louisiana!

The 27-year-old joined up with Jimmie Allen and Chris Young, as well his brother Tad and his Cowboys teammate La'el Collins, for the adventure ... and it looked fun as hell!

Allen -- whose "Best Shot" tune is STILL crushing it on country music radio -- documented the trip on his IG ... showing he and the guys getting after it at a huge crawfish dinner Tuesday night.

They then hit the boat Wednesday morning for some fishing ... and after some jabs over who caught the most -- Jimmie showed off their haul, and it was a TON of fish!

The guys then posed for a pic on the boat ... and it seems like good times were had by all.

By the way, we know what you're thinking ... and yeah, Dak's ankle looked OK to us.

A source close to Ice Cube tells TMZ ... “This is Robinhood exhibiting lack of respect for the law or the people they hurt. Ice Cube did NOT license his image nor his lyrics printed next to his picture, and would never endorse Robinhood. When asked to take it down because he was offended, Robinhood refused. In addition, calling blatant propaganda for Robinhood's trading app and online services merely 'editorial use' shows someone needs to send their lawyer back to school.”

It might be Ice Cube who needs to check HIMSELF -- because Robinhood is setting the record straight on how they came to use that photo of him in their Snacks newsletter ... telling TMZ, "No, we didn't use his image without permission. The image was licensed and used for non-commercial, editorial purposes in connection with a blog article."

Ice Cube is about to melt -- the dude is heated because he says Robinhood used his face to plug their services without his permission ... so now he's taking them to court over it.

The rapper just filed suit against the financial services company -- which a lot of people use to buy and trade stocks -- for allegedly using a photo of him in an ad featured in their news service, Robinhood Snacks, just this past month.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Cube claims Robinhood took an image of him from another project he'd worked on ... and slapped it into a newsletter update talking about stock/market corrections -- and captioned it with a riff on a famous lyric from one of his songs.

The quote ... "Correct yourself, before you wreck yourself" -- which is obviously a play on his famous track "Check Yo Self." Cube says that by the company inserting his image and likeness into their Snacks service, they falsely associated him with their brand ... making it seem like he endorses them, which he makes more than clear here -- he does NOT.

Cube goes so far as to say Robinhood is the "antithesis of everything that Ice Cube stands for" and refers to their products and services as "horrible." He goes on to claim Robinhood has a habit of doing this ... namely, linking celebs and other rappers -- like Jay-Z and Nas -- to endorse its products and services ... but Cube makes it clear he wants no part of that.

IC's also got a theory on why he believes Robinhood roped him in here -- he says his biz partner, Jeff Kwatinetz, has been railing on the company (both in public and in his own lawsuit against them) ... and suggests this is Robinhood's way of sticking it to both of 'em.