Music

AEW star Max Caster ain't a one-hit wonder ... 'cause the pro wrestler just dropped another insane TMZ Sports-inspired rap verse -- and it's pretty damn good!!

In case you missed the biggest stories of the week, Platinum Max has got you covered -- from the "Suns In 4" guy to Chris Paul getting COVID-19 to the sticky situation going on in the MLB.

Caster -- half of AEW's "The Acclaimed" tag team -- goes on for a minute straight ... even throwing in a line about the Carmelo Anthony and La La divorce.

Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker do not seem to be afraid of heights -- because they went waaay up for an impromptu performance ... and then, MGK went a little bit higher.

The two rockers strutted their stuff Saturday afternoon for a rooftop concert at Venice Beach ... which they told their fans about last minute, in what turned into a flash mob type event that tons of people came out for, or simply caught live if they happened to be in the area.

Kelly was on lead vocals and guitar, while Trav handled the drums (obvs). The duo -- who are also dating some of the hottest female stars in Hollywood, Megan Fox and Kourtney Kardashian -- appeared to be promoting a new song of theirs, "A Girl Like You," which is on the season 1 soundtrack for Amazon's "Paradise City."

Their show seemed to go off without a hitch -- with MGK shouting out Travis and also giving a nod to what appears to be the tail end of the pandemic here in the States ... something the crowd certainly agreed with, as mostly everyone is dealing with COVID fatigue.

However, there were moments during the concert where Kelly got up onto the speakers near him -- balancing while also rocking out. It was cool and all, but also ... high-key freaky. One misstep, and the dude could've taken a nasty tumble and hurt himself -- maybe worse.

All's well that ends well, though -- MGK ended up fine ... and not just, he was met with a crush of people waiting to greet him on his way out -- which we caught on video as well.

There's no question -- he's a rock star ... and got the appropriate treatment upon his exit.

VP Kamala Harris was once AG Kamala Harris -- and it was during that time that she ripped Nina Simone's family from her estate ... so claims the late singer's own flesh and blood.

The Veep is under fire by Nina's daughter and granddaughter -- Lisa Simone Kelly and RéAnna Simone Kelly, respectively -- for what they say was Kamala's role in deciding how Nina's estate is now managed, and more importantly ... who's managing it (or not, rather).

The Daily Beast outlined the drama quite well -- noting it all started with RéAnna praising Chloe Bailey's rendition of Nina's song "Feeling Good," which she put out to celebrate Juneteenth. However, it caught some flak ... supposedly for being over-sexualized.

RéAnna defended Chloe, though, by saying ... "Everyone’s coming at @ChloeBailey for her performance of my grandmother Nina Simone’s song “Feeling Good." She added, "But what y’all don’t understand is that grandma was a free spirited woman herself!! She would’ve loved that performance  as much as I do! Relax. Chloe killed it. #NinaSimone"

Chloe seemed to appreciate the shout-out. But, things took a hard left turn, as someone asked RéAnna in her comments why her family would create a Twitter account for her grandmother, who passed away in 2003. That set off a looong stream of bashing.

RéAnna wrote this in response ... "Nina’s granddaughter here. My family doesn’t run her estate anymore. It was taken away from us & given to white people. Our family name was DRAGGED in the media. We get NO royalties, nothing. Wanna hold someone accountable?Ask Kamala Harris why she came for my family #NinaSimone."

You can check out the rest of the thread yourself to get into the nitty-gritty -- but essentially, RéAnna blames Kamala for barring her fam from access to Nina's estate ... not to mention rights to her image/likeness, royalties, creative decisions with the IP and everything else.

RéAnna says Kamala and co. gave all those powers to "white people" ... and she feels like her heritage and ties to her grandmother have virtually disappeared, all because of what Kamala's office decided when they were overseeing this estate/charity case back in 2013.

A bit of backstory -- RéAnna's mother, Lisa, was made administrator of Nina's estate upon death ... but some time later, she was accused of misappropriating funds that were tied to both the estate and a charity set up in Nina's name. That's how Kamala's office got involved -- and in the end, they reached a settlement ... the terms of which RéAnna is shedding light on now ... not to mention Lisa herself, who praised her daughter for "speaking her truth."

As part of the settlement, Lisa was prohibited from associating herself with Nina in what seems to be any capacity -- be it familial or otherwise ... in addition to a de facto gag order forbidding her from talking about Nina. That's why RéAnna is speaking up on the issue.

Saweetie seems to be responding to Quavo's suggestion that he did, indeed, repo a Bentley he'd gifted her during their relationship ... by one-upping him with a new Rolls-Royce.

The rapper was photographed with RR's Client Experience rep Cassidy von Seggern -- with the two ladies posing in front of a Rolls that Saweetie appears to have just purchased, and which was being delivered to her in the Hollywood Hills, with champagne glasses in tow.

Cassidy captioned the pic ... "She a real bad bish, drive her own RR ✨#icy" -- which is a double-entendre ... referencing both Saweetie's song with Doja Cat, "Best Friend," while also alluding to a pickup line Quavo used to holler at Saweetie way back when. Well played!

Saweetie responded to Cassidy's post, writing ... "My girl ! 🤩❄️." Now, it's unclear if Cassidy posted this at Saweetie's behest, or if she did it of her own volition -- but in any case, Saweetie definitely seems to appreciate the gesture ... and the subliminal clap-back.

Now, for a bit of context ... because this Bentley chapter is long and winding. We're sure you remember the drama in the fallout of Saweetie and Quavo's messy breakup -- when it was reported that, in apparent retaliation for how things went down, Quavo repossessed the whip he gave her on her birthday last year. We were told by people in his camp there was NO truth to it -- but the man himself seems to have contradicted that ... with a new song.

In the Migos track "Having Our Way," Quavo raps a bar that goes, "Load up the bases, now I feel like Cal Ripken (Ayy) // She had it her way, now she out of a Bentley (Skrrt)."

While he didn't name-drop her specifically, he didn't really need to -- he's obviously referencing Saweetie's Bentley ... and appears to be hinting that, yeah, he took it back.

Macy Gray thinks America's ready to walk away from its national flag, and even though we may stumble ... she thinks it's for the best, and that the time has come for a new design.

The "I Try" singer penned an op-ed this week for, of all outlets, MarketWatch ... in which she made the case for giving Old Glory a facelift -- because, as she puts it, the current version is "tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect" ... just like the Confederate flag, apparently!

Macy's justification basically lies in a couple of points -- one, she says the American flag's rep was dragged through the mud (permanently, and beyond repair) due to the events of Jan. 6 ... when a bunch of MAGA truthers carried it high, alongside Trump flags, into the Capitol.

She also says that numerically ... the stars are off, and should be adjusted to 52, to take D.C. and Puerto Rico into account -- which have been lobbying for statehood for a good long while now. Lastly, she suggests some color changes ... to reflect modern-day America.

Here's what she has in mind -- in addition to adding a couple of stars -- for her vision of Old New Glory. For starters, she thinks the stark white stripes should be off-white ... and that the stars themselves should be changed to reflect every skin tone of melanin in our fine nation.

She says the blue square and red stripes -- which stand for vigilance/perseverance and valor, respectively -- can stay ... because she believes the U.S.A. is still very much that.

Roc-A-Fella is knocking Damon Dash's hustle ... the record company is suing one of its own founders in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, claiming Dash is trying to auction off one of Jay-Z's debut albums as an NFT.

The record company is going after Damon for allegedly trying to mint "Reasonable Doubt" as a non-fungible token (known as an NFT) and auction it off to the highest bidder ... a piece of hip-hop history RAF says is not Dame's to sell, because the company owns it.

According to the docs -- filed by powerhouse attorney Alex Spiro -- Damon planned to sell the album as an NFT at a since-canceled auction, but the company is worried DD will just try to find another platform to hold the auction.

In the suit, RAF claims Damon is "frantically scouting for another venue to make the sale" and believes DD is still looking to cash in ASAP on the recent NFT craze.

RAF's asking a court to step in and stop Damon from going through with the auction and it wants Dash to turn over any NFTs of "Reasonable Doubt" he may have already minted.

Steve Lawrence -- one half of iconic '50s duo, Steve and Eydie -- has fallen victim to his son's scheme to take control of his fortune, all while the singer is suffering from dementia ... so claims Steve's longtime companion.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Judy Tannen says she's worked with Steve for 64 years -- since his early Steve and Eydie days along with his then-wife, Eydie Gorme.

Judy claims she was not only a manager for the couple, but became like a family member, and after Eydie's death in 2013 ... she and Steve "leaned heavily on each other for emotional support and companionship," and have lived together as companions since 2014.

According to the docs, Judy claims Steve's estate plan allows her to live in his home for 5 years after he dies, and she's set to inherit 50 percent of the Steve and Eydie music biz. The other half, according to the docs, will go to Steve's son, David.

Here's where things get interesting. Judy says Steve's suffering from dementia -- he announced he was battling Alzheimer's in 2019 -- and she claims he's unaware David is "malevolently keeping Judy from fulfilling her promise to take care of Steve through thick and thin."

Judy claims it all started when she was hospitalized in February with COVID-19. She alleges David used that as an opportunity to have her stripped of all her rights to care for Steve.

According to the docs, Judy claims David's also refusing to allow her to return to the home she's shared with Steve for years ... essentially isolating them from each other, aside from a few visits.

She also claims in the docs that David is selling off Steve's major assets -- like a home in Las Vegas and an apartment in L.A. -- and has spent $74,000 of his dad's money to make a record.

Judy -- along with attorney Adam Streisand, who's representing her pro bono -- is asking the court to grant her power of attorney and strip David of his powers in order to protect Steve.

Even in swim trunks, Harry Styles looks fly ... it's written all over him.

The former "One Direction" singer couldn't look more relaxed Friday while enjoying a shower right next to the beach in the Tuscany town of Porto Ercole. That name, btw, means Port Hercules -- appropriate for Harry's physique.

He was flaunting his heavily inked bod, too! He's got about 60 tattoos ... which he had to cover for his first starring role in the film "Don't Worry Darling."

He definitely earned some R&R after wrapping his movie "My Policeman" in Venice earlier this week. The Amazon project had him filming all over England ... including in London, where he donned an old school London police uniform.

He's the lead in a film that's an adaption of the 2012 novel by Bethan Roberts.

Harry plays a policeman named Tom, who is involved in a love triangle between school teacher Marion (played by "The Crown" star Emma Corrin) and a museum curator Patrick (played by English actor David Dawson).

The novel's set in the 1950s when homophobia was rampant ... forcing Tom to marry Marion, who then secretly shares him with Patrick. The plan eventually falls apart.

A Foo Fighters concert was swarming with more than just fans, with a protest against the show's vaccine rules raging on outside the venue while the band raged on inside.

Anti-vaxxers showed up Tuesday night to the Canyon Club in the San Fernando Valley where they protested the Foo Fighters requiring vaccine proof in order to attend their show.

Several dozen protesters showed up, carrying signs that read "Foo Fighters fight to bring segregation back" as well as "event for vaccinated only, unvaccinated not allowed." Ricky Schroder -- who helped the Kenosha shooter post bail -- was also there, he's been very public in his stance against vaccines.

One protester reportedly said, "And what they’re doing is saying only vax people, separating humans is not OK. Those of us who have healthy immune systems should be able to enjoy these freedoms just like everybody else."

Concertgoers were not thrilled to see the protesters. One person took to Twitter and said, "Some real low-quality humans at the @foofighters show in agoura hills CA tonight." Someone else wrote, "This is what happens when you just want to attend a @foofighters concert at a small local concert hall and the next thing out know you’re a ‘Vaccine Segregationist.'"

The concert -- considered to be California's first full-capacity show since the lockdown -- went on without a hitch ... FF played some of their biggest hits in the 20+ song set.

Jessie J's condition with Ménière’s disease has been compounded exponentially ... now she's also suffering from major acid reflux that's causing nodules in her throat.

The singer revealed the new medical drama while explaining why she posted video of herself quietly singing her new single, "I Want Love." Jessie, who choked back tears during the  video, said her speech therapist asked her to record herself singing quietly so they could hear her voice and mark any progress.

Problem is ... Jessie said back in February she started feeling a constant burn in her throat. She said she ignored it and presumed it was fatigue from the studio -- but a doctor eventually told her she has major acid reflux and nodules in her throat.

She said the acid reflux was presumably caused, at least partially, by steroids she had taken to treat her Ménière’s disease, but the root cause is still not clear.

Jessie immediately went on anti-acids and a 2-week run of no talking -- but she says it didn't stop the nodules from forming. It's been an incredible ordeal ... she says 6 different doctors have had 8 cameras down her nose, had to adjust her diet to eat the same 6 foods for 3 months, plus blood work, acupuncture and massages.

All of that seemed to work because the nodules went away ... but she says doctors have told her if she continues singing, they'll come right back.

Jessie's trying to fight through it, though, saying, “I am doing all I can to mend whatever it is that is broken to be able to sing these songs live. I will not mime. I refuse."

Ever since the Los Angeles Lakers got eliminated from the playoffs, the hottest ticket in town has been to see the Clippers Sierra Canyon Trailblazers play ball.

Drake and Michael B. Jordan showed up Thursday night to watch Bronny James -- LeBron's 16-year-old son -- take on the Etiwanda Eagles in their regional semi-final basketball game.

They might as well have been watching the Lakers in the Finals though, as they were really getting into the action from their courtside seats ... cheering on Bronny and Sierra Canyon's other star -- UCLA commit, Amari Bailey.

At one point in the first half, Drake was seen giving Bailey a pep talk, and it must have worked, because he did his best to keep the Trailblazers in it, leading the team with 37 points.

Bronny didn't score much other than a late three, but it wasn't enough in the end -- Sierra Canyon got beat 82-76 and lost out on a place in the regional final to end their season.

Of course, this wasn't the first Bronny game to draw a star-studded crowd. Just last week ... his famous father attended and brought along some past teammates -- J.R. Smith and Jared Dudley. Drake was there for that one too.

That game was Bronny's first of the season after missing most of it because of a torn meniscus he suffered in February. It was also a loss, so it's worth noting ... Sierra Canyon was 0-2 this season when Drake was in attendance. Hmm ... maybe the curse is back.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker want everyone to know they are still very much into each other ... and seem to have a preferred PDA pose.

The reality TV star and the rock star found a new spot to hold each other and make out -- Travis' at-home music studio -- and Kourtney documented the occasion ... adding heart and fire emojis for extra measure.

The pics are reminiscent of the steamy shots of the couple kissing in the desert a couple months ago ... the main difference being that Kourtney's ass is much less visible.

There is one other difference too -- for this round of Kourtney & Travis PDA ... it seems Machine Gun Kelly was an innocent bystander.

In the second pic Kourtney posted, fans noticed the singer's in the background in a recording booth ... possibly laying down some new music. Now, he and Barker are buddies, but ya gotta wonder if MGK consented to bearing witness to their hookup.

BTW -- Travis replied to Kourtney's post with "My baby" ... along with his own heart and fire emojis.

Cody Simpson is staying positive after finishing last at the Australian Olympic swimming trials on Thursday ... saying he's proud of his progress and looking forward to training for the 2024 games!!

The 24-year-old pop singer -- who was a standout swimmer as a kid before focusing on his music career -- has been working out like crazy in hopes of making it to the trials finals in 2021 ... and he did just that!!

Simpson competed in the 100-meter butterfly final on Thursday ... and while he came in last, he's considering it his big win on the year.

"What an experience racing at my first Australian Olympic Trials," Simpson said Thursday. "To make a final was our goal this year and with less than a year of training we did just that."

"I’ve come so much further than I expected to this year and to be racing the best in the country already is a privilege."

FYI -- Simpson finished with a time of 52.94 ... while Matthew Temple came in first at 50.45, an Australian record.

Simpson knew making it to Tokyo was going to be a long shot this year .. but it's clear he wants to go to Paris in 2024.

A notorious piece of ATL real estate is changing hands ... the home where R. Kelly allegedly held women against their will has a new owner.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the mansion the singer used to rent in Metro Atlanta sold June 3. Folks who work for Fulton County, where the home is located, tell us the sale closed at a cool $1,785,000.

The property is infamously known as the place where Kelly allegedly kept women as part of his reputed sex cult. As the docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly" detailed ... some of the women claim they were forced to call him "Daddy," and had to ask permission for everything from bathroom breaks to meals.

Kelly, who is in custody in Chicago awaiting a federal trial, has denied the allegations.

The new owner clearly looked beyond the home's bad rep, and saw the value of its 11,455 sq. ft., 7-bedrooms, 12-foot ceilings and 2 kitchens.

Big Boi is opening the doors to "The Dungeon" ... he's hosting a few lucky folks for sleepovers in the iconic home where he recorded some of his biggest hits with Andre 3000!!!

TMZ has learned Big Boi's hosting 3 overnight stays at the Atlanta home in June and July for only $25 a night via Airbnb, but ya gotta be quick on the trigger ... once the listing goes live next week, it's first come first serve.

For those lucky few who snag a spot, it'll be like a hip hop fantasy come true -- including guided access to the home's legendary basement where Outkast and Goodie Mob recorded some of their breakout hits, and where signatures from the artists still remain on the walls.

Guests are also invited to kick back and play records in rooms styled to pay homage to important Atlanta locations that inspired The Dungeon Family's music ... oh and feel free to check out a new state-of-the-art studio decked out with Yamaha audio equipment.

Yes, they've made some upgrades over their 2 decades of mega-success.

Anyone in the U.S. can cross their fingers and hope to score a booking when the application goes live on June 25 at 1 PM ET. Winners who live within 30 miles of Atlanta will get a bonus -- transport to and from the house in an Escalade. Otherwise, the travel part's on your tab.

Big Boi, who purchased the home 2 years ago, is partnering with Airbnb for the overnight stays ... and Airbnb's making a donation to the Atlanta Public Schools Music Department to expand resources and increase access to music education for K-12 students.

The $25 price tag sounds too good to be true, but it's legit ... we're told it's in honor of the 25th anniversary of Outkast's 1996 album "ATLiens."

The whole experience sounds cool as hell -- Big Boi remembers spending hours back in the day hanging out in the basement, writing rhymes and making beats at all hours of the night with Andre and other ATL hip hop pioneers.