Music

YG's giving away a new sneaker he says caters to the streets ... hooking up a group of former inmates who just got back to the streets.

The rapper hit up Amity Foundation House Friday in downtown L.A. to give away pairs of his Block Runner sneakers to men who have just been released on parole after serving their sentences. They're staying at the foundation while getting back on their feet.

YG tells TMZ ... it's important for these men to have the things they need to become contributing members of society again, and it starts with something folks use every day ... shoes.

It's a pretty grand gesture from YG ... his 4Hunnids footwear brand, The Flame, is selling the kicks for a cool $200 and he gave away hundreds of pairs ... worth more than $20,000 total.

Lil Nas X has felt the wrath of Nicki Minaj's diehard fans -- AKA The Barbz -- and he's backing down ... but insists his love for her is real.

Here's what's up -- LNX just dropped a brand new single, "Sun Goes Down," and on the track, he sings about how he found comfort in following Nicki when he was growing up.

The lyrics go -- "I'd be by the phone / Stanning Nicki mornin' into dawn / Only place I felt like I belonged / Strangers make you feel so loved, you know?"

Seems pretty harmless ... but the Barbz came after Lil Nas on Twitter, accusing him of looking for sympathy or dropping her name as a ploy for a future collab.

It didn't take long for him to respond, and though he doesn't apologize, and claims his lyrics and love for Minaj are sincere ... he acknowledges "how it looks" and says he will no longer mention her.

Ozzy Osbourne took a shot in the dark, and it's paying off -- some of the music gear looted from a school with ties to his late pal, Randy Rhoads, has been recovered.

Sources connected to the case tell TMZ ... Randy's first electric guitar and the original Peavey amp used for his "Quiet Riot" album were recovered earlier this week after someone turned them in to police. We're told the items have now been handed over to Randy's family.

Our sources say cops are still investigating how the items were stolen in the first place, and at this point, there have been no arrests.

As for the $25k reward Ozzy offered up to track down the thieves ... our sources say it's unclaimed. We're told the person who turned in the stuff did NOT request the reward.

While at least 2 of the items were returned ... we’re told, sadly, Randy's mother's Great Depression-era trumpet is still MIA along with some of the other items Ozzy mentioned in his post back in December 2019.

As we reported ... the Black Sabbath frontman said the Musonia School of Music in North Hollywood had been broken into and thieves made off with at least 6 items that hold a special place in the heart of Randy's family and his fans.

Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner are indeed back together ... but it's not exclusive ... and they're both totally fine with that.

Sources with direct knowledge and connection to both Kylie and Travis tell TMZ ... they have rekindled the old flame and are dating again, but they're also free to date other people. To be blunt ... they are in an open relationship.

We're told ever since the 2 broke up in late 2019, Travis has been enjoying the bachelor lifestyle and all that comes with it ... but he also wanted to get back with Kylie and be a strong family unit.

So, we're told they've agreed to get back together but with a non-exclusive couple arrangement ... and both are cool with that.

We broke the story ... the couple took their daughter, Stormi, to Disneyland Tuesday, adding to all the recent signs they're together again.

Before that, they did a triple date night with the Biebers and Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker, which was not long after the big news that Kylie flew to Miami to celebrate Scott's bday with him.

Lady Gaga says she was never the same after she was raped as a teenager ... explaining the way she underwent a "total psychotic break."

The singer explains the trauma that followed being raped and impregnated at 19 years old in a new series with Oprah and Prince Harry, "The Me You Can't See," saying her body went numb as a result of burying the pain.

Lady Gaga says she was sick for weeks after a producer allegedly threatened to torch her tunes if she didn't take off her clothes, and she says during the incident she froze and basically blacked out.

Gaga says she was vomiting and sick after the rape, which caused her to get pregnant and had lasting effects. She says the trauma caused her to have a "total psychotic break and for a couple years I was not the same girl."

Lady Gaga, who first revealed she was raped back in 2014, did not name her assailant ... but she says she's dealt with self-harm, including throwing herself against a wall and cutting herself.

She says it's been a slow process to regain her mental health and fears she could be easily triggered and slip back into dark thoughts of wanting to cut herself and thinking about dying.

T.I. seems to be letting out his frustrations over sexual assault allegations in his music ... and it sounds like he's going after his accusers.

The Atlanta rapper's dropping a new track in the middle of a criminal investigation by the LAPD ... and it's got some explicit lyrics seemingly aimed at the Jane Doe who told cops he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her.

T.I. raps ... "Go put yo face and reputation on it // These kind of claims deserve more than anonymous provocative conversation, don't it?"

T.I.'s calling the song "What It's Come To" and towards the end of his verse he raps ... "Willing to face whatever consequences for his vision ... while I'm up against some lyin' a** bitches."

The lyrics are even included on the single's album artwork ... which drops tonight at midnight. The song was produced by Villa Nova & Keepitphilthy.

Morgan Wallen's clawing his way back from the racial slur controversy ... and he's got Kid Rock to thank for getting him back on a stage to perform live.

Morgan was at Kid's Big Ass Honky Tonk bar Wednesday night in Nashville and got on the mic in front of what looked like a packed house. This was his first time singing since he was seen in January casually dropping the n-word at the end of a drunken night with friends, and you can tell he had some nerves.

Of course, the crowd went nuts when Morgan was introduced ... folks were screaming his name as he walked on stage, and almost immediately acknowledged he might be a little rusty.

He seemed to work it all out though ... as he performed a couple of his hits, "Wasted On You" and "Whiskey Glasses."

TMZ broke the story ... Morgan was recorded by a neighbor after a wild night out in Nashville back in January casually calling a buddy the n-word.

The fallout from the video was swift -- award shows, merchandise websites and radio stations banned Wallen. However, his album sales actually skyrocketed and he continued dominating the charts.

Morgan's had folks in his corner in the wake of the controversy ... with billboards popping up last month in Nashville pushing for him to win Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards, even though the Academy banned him from the competition.

Courtney Stodden says the non-binary community got a huge ally in their corner when Demi Lovato came out as a member ... and Courtney has zero doubt DL's announcement will save lives going forward.

Courtney tells TMZ ... a celebrity of Demi's caliber coming out as non-binary will help the community feel validated, and make those still struggling to come out feel strong and confident enough to do it -- and that decision, ultimately, could help to prevent suicide.

Courtney -- who also recently came out as non-binary -- says they haven't yet reached out to Demi, because they want to give them space and time during what can be a scary experience ... but Courtney plans to try chatting with Demi about it in the near future.

Courtney knows the importance of young people being able to relate to celebs, especially in a community at risk for suicide.

The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention org for LGBTQ youth, just released a new national study that found LGBTQ youth of color and transgender, along with non-binary youth, have a much higher risk of suicide than their peers.

ABC News recently reported that 42% of LGBT youth surveyed said they considered attempting suicide in the last year alone, and more than HALF that tally was for transgender and non-binary youth.

As we reported ... Demi came out Wednesday saying they are now identifying as non-binary and changed pronouns to they/them.

Demi said the switch best represented the fluidity they feel in gender expression.

New York City native Terence Trent D'Arby (real name Terence Trent Howard) was in his 20s when he shot to fame after he released his breakout album "Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby" in 1987 ... which included the singles "Sign Your Name," "If You Let Me Stay" and the classic chart-topping pop song "Wishing Well."

Since his success in the '80s, D'Arby changed his name to Sananda Francesco Maitreya and continues to make music including his latest single "One Horse Town" from earlier this month.

Mel B's ex-husband is giving her recent video made to raise domestic violence awareness a big thumbs down, because he says it's been very traumatic for their daughter.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Stephen Belafonte says their 9-year-old daughter, Madison, wants a hiatus from Mel because she's so turned off by the video.

In the docs, Stephen says Madison found the video online and was distraught, upset and started crying -- and he claims she told him she doesn't want to see her mom at all or travel to be with her this summer.

As we reported ... the Spice Girls singer co-stars in a short film, "Love Should Not Hurt," by classical composer Fabio D’Andrea, with Mel playing a character who appears beaten, broken and trapped by a relationship.

Remember ... Mel and Stephen have been embroiled in a custody war, and they're still bickering over several issues in court filings. For instance, Mel had filed docs requesting Madison be allowed to travel by herself through a Lufthansa program.

Part of Stephen's response to that filing included Mel's role in the short film, and how he says it's impacted Madison. For what it's worth, the court approved Mel's request for Madison to travel alone.

Now, the question is whether she even wants to fly to see her mother. Stephen says that's a no, but we'll see if he raises that in his own request to the court.

Demi Lovato has an announcement about their personal life -- as they launch something new professionally -- and it's that Demi now identifies as non-binary, and therefore they're changing pronouns.

The singer revealed Wednesday they are happy to share the very personal moment on their "4D with Demi Lovato" podcast. Demi said, "Over the past year and a half I've been doing some healing and some self-reflective work. And through this work I've had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I’ll officially be changing my pronouns to they/them."

Demi went on to say changing their identification best represents the fluidity they feel in their gender expression ... while allowing them to feel most authentic and true.

The singer's first episode will explore how excited they are and what this change means. They will also explore what it may look like for other people going through the same journey.

As we've reported ... the "Sorry Not Sorry" hitmaker recently shared their personal struggles with mental health and addiction in the stunning YouTube documentary "Dancing with the Devil," which followed their journey prior to and following a near-fatal overdose in 2018.

A$AP Rocky is down for the count -- he's madly in love with Rihanna, and he's got no problem publicly declaring he wants to be with her ... for life.

Rocky opened up for the first time about his relationship with Rihanna and gushed about her like this -- "[It's] so much better when you got the One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones." Deep stuff.

He didn't shy away either when GQ asked him about monogamy, saying ... "I think when you know, you know. She's the One."

Now, he also talked about his arrest in Sweden, a friend's overdose and doing 2 weeks on Rikers Island as a teenager -- but, for sure the headline was him calling RiRi ... "The love of my life. My lady."

When the subject of fatherhood came up ... Rocky laughed and said, "I think I'd be an incredible, remarkably, overall amazing dad. I would have a very fly child. Very."

Yeah, he's all in.

Rocky wouldn't divulge deets on the exact timeline of their relationship -- but, as we reported, Rihanna surfaced with him in January 2020 following her split with Saudi billionaire Hassan Jameel. They've been inseparable ever since.

T.I. and Tiny allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a woman in 2005 and the LAPD is looking into her claims ... while authorities in Las Vegas tell us they have closed a case involving similar allegations against the couple.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ ... the L.A. accuser, identified as a Jane Doe, claims sometime in early 2005 she met the rapper and his wife at a club, and says she accepted a drink from Tiny after already having a couple others.

The woman told LAPD detectives she was then invited back to their hotel room along with 2 other women, but soon it was just her alone with T.I. and Tiny.

She claims T.I. and Tiny persuaded her to go to the bathroom and take a shower with them. After the shower, she alleges T.I. led her to the bed, turned on a porn flick and asked her to rub oil on him. She says Tiny soon joined in and then she claims T.I. came from behind and stuck his toes in her vagina.

According to the report ... the woman claims T.I. told her he was going to get a condom but she said she felt sick and went to the bathroom to throw up. She claims she blacked out soon after, but when she woke up the next morning ... her vagina was sore and had a burning sensation.

Though the LAPD is reportedly investigating the couple for alleged sexual assault, their attorney says they have not been contacted by the LAPD.

As for the allegations in Las Vegas ... another woman claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted after meeting Tiny at the airport and being invited to hang out with the couple.

However, officials tell us since the alleged incident went down in 2010, and was just reported to the Las Vegas Metropolitan PD earlier this month ... it falls outside the statute of limitations -- so the case has been closed.

Marilyn Manson treated his former assistant like crap and bragged to her about getting away with raping women -- that's her claim in a new lawsuit, anyway.

The shock rocker is being sued by Ashley Walters for sexual assault, battery and harassment and she's making some disturbing allegations. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Walters claims Manson once told her during a video shoot he "loved when girls looked like they had just been raped."

In the suit, Walters also claims Manson would regularly direct drug-fueled fits of rage towards her, and she says he even boasted about getting away with rape. She also claims he told her he wanted to kill women he was seeing.

Manson's former assistant claims the alleged harassment started the moment she first met Manson in person in May 2010, saying he invited her to his West Hollywood home, requested she take off her top and pinned her on a bed ... trying to kiss her before biting her ear and forcing her hand down his pants.

In docs, Walters claims when Manson ended his relationship with "Game of Thrones" star Esme Bianco in June 2011, Esme told her to get out of his house because Esme thought Manson "would be dangerous." As we reported, Esme has filed her own lawsuit against Manson for sexual assault.

In the suit, Walters claims Manson became enraged and fired after finding out she'd been hanging out Esme. She alleges he rehired one week later, and eventually began berating her and made her work for 48 hours straight ... including standing for 12 hours on a chair without moving while snapping pictures of him.

She says Manson eventually fired her for good in October 2011 but continued to physically and verbally threaten her.

We reached out to Manson's camp ... so far, no word back.

The guy who led cops on a wild chase that landed on Rick Ross' front door has died while in custody.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tells TMZ ... 40-year-old Chaka Stewart was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday at the Clayton County Jail in Georgia. We're told a guard and a medic who were making the evening rounds noticed Stewart lying there, and they attempted life-saving measures when they realized something was seriously wrong.

We're told he was pronounced dead at the jail. Our law enforcement sources say Stewart was alone in his cell, and no foul play is suspected. An autopsy is underway to figure out what happened.

Stewart's mother, Jacqueline Gordon, confirmed her son is the man who was arrested outside Rick's Georgia estate last week -- where cops say he crashed his truck and was carrying a firearm ... only to finally be apprehended at gunpoint following what was described as a crazy pursuit through the streets.

She says she last spoke to her son Friday, and claims he told her he was being mistreated behind bars. Gordon alleges Stewart said he was being beaten -- unclear if he was blaming officials or other folks behind bars -- wasn't allowed to shower and was confined to his cell for 23 hours a day.

Gordon also claims one of the deputies told Stewart he'd never be getting out of there ... while also asserting Georgia authorities have been ducking her and her inquiries.

Soulja Boy wants credit for being the "first" rapper to plug Icebox bling -- but the shop couldn't care less ... especially since they say there's dough he still owes.

A rep for the famed jewelry and diamond store tells TMZ ... Soulja's viral tweet from the weekend doesn't mean diddly squat to them -- in light of the (alleged) fact that there's an unresolved lawsuit they have out against the guy, which they claim he's been ducking.

Icebox sued Soulja back in 2013 for an open tab of over $60k they say he never paid -- and now tell us they haven't been able to collect ... even all these years later. At this point, Icebox says the debt has ballooned to around $200k, and of course ... they want the money they believe is long overdue.

In other words ... Soulja getting Twitter love for seemingly being ahead of the curve doesn't do anything for their bottom line -- despite him getting his flowers by using their name.

BTW, Icebox tells us they even dispute the notion that Soulja was the first rapper they'd worked with in Atlanta ... clarifying that while he was one of the initial big artists to get them on YouTube way back when, he was far from the first MC to cop some ice there.

Icebox's message to Soulja is quite simple ... screw the street cred -- just crank that credit card, and pay us through the phone -- or however else you want, bro.