Music

Kid Cudi is mourning the loss of his beloved dog ... and it'll make you cry to hear about it.

The rapper wrote a heartbreaking tribute to Freshie ... a dog he got in 2010 after the producers of "How to Make it in America" told him he'd be a weed-selling, dog-walking character on season 2. He got the dog to prepare for the role.

Cudi and Freshie formed a tight bond ... "I had no previous interactions [with] dogs prior, other than giving one a pet if my friends had one at their place. I was truly nervous around dogs and I wanted to be comfortable onset [with] them so it felt legit."

He added, "I had no idea I would have such a best friend in my life. He's been here for 11 years, and my life has been one hell of a rollercoaster this whole time."

The rapper said Freshie would come up to him and lick his face if he was crying. Kid Cudi called Freshie his guardian angel because there were nights where he held a knife to his stomach but, "I'd see Freshie and I couldn't do it. He would stare at me when I would have a knife to my stomach, eyes glaring at me tellin' me to put the knife down."

Kid Cudi checked into rehab in 2016 for depression and suicidal urges.

Tory Lanez has to fork over more bail money after prosecutors say he violated a court order to stay away from Megan Thee Stallion with his surprise appearance at Rolling Loud ... but at least he won't be behind bars.

Lanez was in an L.A. court Monday to learn his fate and he's gonna have to post a higher bail amount to stay out of jail while his criminal case is pending. The reason -- he violated a protective order requiring him to stay clear of Megan.

The judge also modified his bail conditions to specifically prohibit Tory from attending events where his alleged victim, Megan, will be present. The judge also said if this issue comes up again ... he will be remanded into custody. So, this was clearly his last warning.

Tory's bail was increased from $190k to $250k -- so he'll have to throw down a bit more dough to stay free.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors filed a motion earlier this month to hold TL in contempt for violating the restraining order. He made a guest appearance during DaBaby's Rolling Loud set, and he got within 100 yards of Megan, who also performed at the event

Kanye West is doing some home cooking for his next "Donda" event ... because it looks like he's recreating his Chicago childhood home on a big stage.

Check out this image from inside Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, where Kanye is getting set to host his 3rd listening party for his upcoming album.

As you can see, construction is in full swing on a structure that looks a lot like the home where Ye grew up on the South Side of Chicago ... and it seems the house is smack in the middle of the football field.

Remember ... the album name is "Donda," an homage to his late mother, so it seems fitting Kanye would represent their old home for his listening party in the city where he was born and raised.

Kanye's also been all about this era of life ... he recently scrubbed his entire Instagram page except for a lone image of the old Chicago crib, which he bought last year for a cool $225,000.

Aerosmith's not going to miss a thing -- at least when it comes to their masters -- because the legendary rock band's new deal with Universal Music Group means they'll soon have ownership of all their master recordings.

If you haven't heard ... UMG just announced it will be the home of Aerosmith's entire recorded catalog ahead of their 50th anniversary, and will house the band's future music projects and help develop other ventures to celebrate their history.

Since the group was founded in the early '70s, it's gone back and forth between the hands of Sony and Universal ... and it's slated to get all of its masters from Sony in 2022.

However, despite the huge news with UMG, there was no deal in place for the band to get their masters back from Universal, for songs recorded during their time with that record label ... tracks such as "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Crazy," "Amazing," "Crying," "Janie’s Got a Gun" and "Livin’ On The Edge."

That's where Aerosmith's manager, Larry Rudolph, stepped up and made some expert negotiations with UMG to make it happen.

We're told he met with some execs there and worked out a deal where UMG would get the right to distribute the ENTIRE Aerosmith catalog -- including its Sony songs -- and in return ... Aerosmith will gain the rights to their masters from their time with Universal Music.

The upshot -- Aerosmith will make 3 times what they're currently getting for their catalog of hits.

Kanye West appeared to dox Drake as their long-standing feud reignites, but Drake doesn't seem to give an f.

Ye took to Instagram to share the location of Drake's Toronto, Ontario property, but later deleted it. This came shortly after Kanye wiped his IG clean, leaving a lone photo of his childhood home ... but he's now posted a few more pics.

Drake's response was telling ... he laughed it off on his own IG Story ... with a video of him on a joyride.

Of course, all of this weekend drama is the result of Drake's diss at Kanye on a song he just dropped with Trippie Redd ... in which he acknowledges their beef and calls Ye "burned out."

Kanye fired back by posting a group chat -- in which he added another old nemesis, Pusha T, to the mix -- which included an ominous 'Joker' text, along with the message ... "I live for this. I've been f***ed with by nerd ass jock n***** like you my whole life. You will never recover. I promise you."

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani took their "Just Married" love fest to the wild -- well, wild enough, we suppose ... 'cause they were among exotic animals you don't really see in Cali.

The newlyweds hit up the San Diego Zoo this weekend -- taking in the sights together and what look likes family/friends in tow this Sunday ... where they were all masked up as they checked out some furry friends from behind a barricade in one of the best facilities around.

Looks like they were at the Asian Passage section ... where they keep the Red Pandas, 'cause they were getting an eyeful of this little bastard getting a little R&R in his "habitat."

It doesn't look like they were interacting much with the creature at this point in their journey -- but eyewitnesses tell us Gwen/Blake and co. were seen feeding some other live animals at different junctures ... courtesy of the private tour they seemed to be on with their crew.

And, despite it being super sunny and in the high 70s yesterday down there, the married couple opted for matching wardrobes -- both rocking jeans, while others in their party mostly were wearing shorts.

Hate it or love it, The Game says people gotta respect Anderson .Paak's strong conviction to put the kibosh on any posthumous albums ... so much so he got his dying wish tattooed on his arm. And, Game's game as far as the sentiment goes ... sort of.

We got the "Wouldn't Get Far" rapper leaving Maxfield L.A. on Thursday and wondered if he'd seen .Paak's tat. Not only has Game seen it ... he LOVED it, adding he 100% agrees with .Paak's stance. More on that in a bit.

But, ICYMI ... .Paak posted on his Instagram Story a new tattoo on his forearm that read, "When I'm gone please don't release any posthumous albums or songs with my name attached. Those were just demos and never intended to be heard by the public."

Anderson's rep confirmed the tat's real ... though it's unclear if the text is included in .Paak's will. Either way ... .Paak's crystal clear about how he wants his music treated after he's gone.

The Game says you gotta respect the decision because you have to respect the artistry. Game says he gets it because he too doesn't want his stuff out there when he's gone because, as he put it, "people always f*** the vision up."

It seems Game's wishes are crystal clear ... that is until the rapper caves and spits a list of producers he says he'd be okay with if they wanted to work on one of his posthumous albums.

Jackboy has always insisted he's innocent in his gun possession case, and now prosecutors at least agree he shouldn't be charged ... because they don't have the goods to prove he's guilty.

Jonathan L. Adams, the Monroe County D.A., tells TMZ ... his office decided not to move forward with charges against the rapper "due to our concern regarding being able to prove [Jackboy] had actual knowledge of the location of the firearms."

Adams pointed to the same issue cops identified in their initial report ... that a passenger in the backseat claimed to be responsible for the 2 guns found in the glove box.

Jackboy's attorney, Drew Findling, says, "We told you early this year that Pierre Delince (Jackboy) was innocent of these charges." He added, "We are very much appreciative of them making that important decision."

TMZ broke the story ... Jackboy was busted in March after cops pulled over a vehicle in which he was a passenger, because the driver had trouble staying in his lane.

When cops searched the Lambo SUV they said they found 2 unregistered handguns in the glove box next to Jackboy's seat.

Cops say the rapper told cops he didn't know there were guns in the whip. He was ultimately arrested and booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. But, prosecutors now say they don't have evidence Jackboy knew the guns were there.

Webbie had to be carried out of a club this weekend after he stumbled off stage following what appears to be a medical emergency ... and the scary moment is on video.

The Louisiana rapper was performing Friday night at 213 Lux Lounge in Roanoke, VA -- and at some point during his concert (or perhaps shortly thereafter) he was caught on camera looking ill and being led out of the building by his team ... staggering along the way.

Right before that, he seemed fine ... playing to a packed crowd and having level footing with seemingly no issues.

That makes this clip all the more alarming ... you see Webbie struggling to stay on his feet as he starts to exit the stage and reaching out for assistance -- but before he can clear the doorway, the guy collapses on the floor.

His guys surround him and they appear to start calling for help and for someone to dial 911. Before long, though, they hoist Webbie up themselves and carry him out of the building ... this as people looked on in fear, and while someone else was on stage rapping.

It's unclear what exactly happened to him here -- some are speculating it may have been a seizure of some sort, but we haven't confirmed that. It's unclear where he was taken after this ... presumably, his team rushed him to the hospital -- because this looked serious.

We got calls in to his camp for more details ... so far, no word back.

Don Everly, the last remaining member of The Everly Brothers -- the duo that had a profound influence on numerous groups including The Beatles -- has died.

Don passed away Saturday at his home in Nashville. The cause of death is not yet known.

The Everly Brothers had a string of huge hits, beginning with "Bye Bye Love" in 1957, and then "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "When Will I Be Loved," "Wake Up Little Susie," "Cathy's Clown," and more.

Don and Phil had flawless harmony, and it not only resonated with consumers, it became a template for numerous bands and groups, including The Beatles, The Mamas and the Papas,  Simon and Garfunkel, the Hollies, and more.

Phil died in 2014 of pulmonary disease.

The Everly Bros. toured with the likes of Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and many other early rockers who cemented the genre.

The duo was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 1986 ... well deserved.

His family said, "Don lived by what he felt in his heart. Don expressed his appreciation for the ability to live his dreams … with his soulmate and wife, Adela, and sharing the music that made him an Everly Brother."

Don is survived by his wife, his mother and his 4 children.

He was 84.

The Game is already callin' a Soulja Boy knockout if a fight with Aaron Carter actually goes down ... telling TMZ Sports, the boxing match would be a "sloppy slugfest!!!"

If you missed it ... Soulja and AC have been going back and forth after the singer called him out for a celeb boxing match ... with Draco saying he'd "beat the candy out his pockets!"

We learned there's an actual offer on the table for this to pop off ... and when we told The Game about the possibility, he straight-up said, 'that's f**kin' hilarious!"

"I think it’s gonna be a sloppy slugfest, you know what I’m saying, most definitely," the 41-year-old rapper told us Thursday.

"But, I think Draco could put him down, man, in about the second round, because I’ve seen Lamar [Odom] and I’ve seen Aaron Carter, and it looked bad for Aaron in there."

Game is really hyped for this potential rapper vs. singer showdown -- unlike critics who cringe at the idea of celebrity boxing.

"You know, with this new wave of fighting ... I like it," Game tells us.

"I like that regular people, rappers, like entertainers, YouTubers are getting a chance to like, you know, dive into other sports."

Game added, "A lot of people say, 'oh, we don’t want these people in our sport, like we professional boxers.' But, didn’t Roy Jones try to rap?"

That he did -- Jones, a former heavyweight champ, put out his first rap album back in 2002 -- and Game also points out NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, who released four rap albums in the '90s.

"Let people do and be who they want to be, man, and let’s just enjoy it. It’s all entertainment at the end of the day, man, you know what I’m saying."

Drake is stirring the pot again on his rap beef with Kanye West -- taking a new shot at the guy in a song he just dropped with Trippie Redd ... and it might be the ultimate insult.

The rapper is featured on TR's new track, "Betrayal," and at one point in Drizzy's verse, he brings up Mr. West by name ... acknowledging that they are, indeed, still apparently beefing -- while also going so far as to call Kanye "burnt out" ... and noting it's irrelevant to him.

Here's how the Kanye bar goes ... "All these fools I'm beefin' that I barely know // Forty-five, forty-four (Burned out), let it go // Ye ain't changin' s*** for me, it's set in stone." He adds ... "Rollin' stones, heavy stones (PinkGrillz) // Precious stone, let me make my presence known."

The "Ye" reference could possibly be interpreted as "they" or "you" -- but based on Drake touching Kanye's exact age (44) ... it seems clear he meant the former with some clever word play. The folks over at Genius heard it too ... they wrote out the lyric as "Ye."

Now, for some analysis -- as to why Drake is randomly bringing up Kanye again after years have passed since they beefed, with Pusha T in the mix, is anyone's guess at this point.

However, some people have a theory on these old foes -- there's been speculation of late that Kanye is, perhaps, trying to set up his "Donda" release so that it lines up with Drake's "Certified Lover Boy" album ... which he's on record as saying would be out by the end of summer at the latest. That's just a few weeks away ... and neither project has dropped.

There's no evidence to prove it one way or another ... but the fact that Kanye continues to delay the release date -- with seemingly no end in sight -- is curious in this context. That, coupled with the fact that Drake's going after him anew, is even more eyebrow-raising.

In any case, we're always here for some new beef. And, if it means more music from these two in the process ... we'll take it and then some. Ball's in your court, Ye (we think).

Amerie was jokingly compared to a Kardashian sister -- and despite the obvious playful intent ... the internet is NOT playing when it comes to this side-by-side.

A tweet went viral Saturday, with a user posting Amerie's 2005 music video for her hit single "1 Thing," which was featured on the "Hitch" soundtrack back in the day. His caption is what set all the outrage off, writing ... "Kourtney Kardashian had the block hot with this hit."

Pretty innocent, right??? Eh, apparently not ... folks were jumping down this dude's throat in fierce defense of Amerie, with a lot of people echoing the same sentiment ... namely, don't do her like that. And, by that, they seem to mean ... don't compare her to a Kardashian.

Of course, you can see what the guy was going for -- because, yes, in this specific video (and perhaps more generally) mid-2000s Amerie does, in fact, bear a passing resemblance to Kourt, especially in some of these shots. You might even call them doppelgangers. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Unclear what all the online hostility is toward the juxtaposition ... but a lot of Twitter users seem to have found this "disrespectful." There may be a race element at play -- Amerie is Black/Korean, while Kourtney is white/Armenian. Plus, the Kardashians have a history of being accused of cultural appropriation -- Black culture, specifically -- so that might be a factor.

And yet, in spite of all the people who took this a little too seriously ... some are taking it in stride and running with the joke -- noting the two ladies have some striking similarities (especially when compared to young Kourtney). So, a mixed bag of reactions, it seems.

At any rate, the one thing people appear to agree on is this ... Amerie was a major trendsetter in her day, and apparently hasn't gotten the attention/notoriety many believe she's due.

She's got four studio albums out, and despite reports in the early 2010s that she was working on a 5th, it never seems to have come to fruition -- and Amerie kinda fell off the music scene after that.

That's not to say she's not doing anything productive these days. Amerie has quite a popular book club that she's started -- this after publishing a NYT bestseller herself -- and she's plugging along with that pretty nicely ... plus, dealing with family life and her kids.

Ben Affleck and J Lo took yet another step forward Friday night, as they took their brood to learn about the Constitution and the Founding Fathers ... AKA "Hamilton."

Ben and Jen were out in Hollywood, along with Affleck's daughters, Violet and Seraphina, and J Lo's kids, Max and Emme. Ben's 9-year-old son, Samuel, didn't come along for the ride.

They took a trek to the Pantages Theatre ... giving other theatre-goers a choice ... watch the play or do some rubbernecking in their seats to catch a glimpse of Ben and Jen.

Also along for the ride ... Ben's mom. We know Ben has spent time with J Lo's mom, Guadalupe, when they were in Vegas, so now the circle is complete.

It seems only a matter of time until they seal the deal. They're already looking for houses -- who are we kidding, massive estates -- as they house-hunt all over L.A.

Ben took his 3 kids to the Century City Mall earlier in the day ... so Friday was mingle-with-the-crowds day in L.A.

J Lo is clearly making L.A. home base. She already has a house in Bel Air, and she's been looking at schools for her kids ... including the school that Seraphina attends.

J Lo and Ben have been inseparable since hooking back up a few months back. They sailed the seas of Europe last month to celebrate J Lo's 52nd birthday. This week they reunited after Ben's 49th.

This is undeniably on the fast track.

Britney Spears' dogs fell seriously ill with one close to death, and her housekeeper believed the only way to save the animals was an emergency trip to the vet, which turned into the dogs being kept away from Britney entirely ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... one of Britney's two dogs has serious digestive issues and both dogs were supposed to be fed a special type of food. We're told the housekeeper became alarmed when she saw the dogs regularly being fed table scraps ... causing the pets to become very sick, especially the one with digestive issues.

The housekeeper also said both dogs were dehydrated from a lack of water ... which ultimately caused her to take them to the vet.

Our sources say after examining the dogs, the vet was alarmed, and Britney's dog sitter decided it would be best if she cared for the dogs instead of Britney.

As we reported ... Britney's dogs never came home after the vet visit, and she suspected her dad, Jamie Spears, had something to do with their disappearance. She called the cops August 10 and was prepared to file a theft report over the pooches, but changed her mind.

TMZ broke the story, the dogs' whereabouts triggered a heated argument Monday between Britney and the housekeeper ... during which we're told the housekeeper showed Britney cell phone photos she'd taken of the sick dogs.

Our sources said Britney became enraged, believing the housekeeper was sending the pics to Jamie Spears. She allegedly grabbed for the phone and, according to the housekeeper, struck her arm in the process. The housekeeper filed a police report for battery. We're told Britney denies touching the housekeeper ... and that all she did was grab the phone.

As of Friday afternoon, the dogs were still not back at Britney's home and the police investigation had not wrapped. The police findings will eventually be sent to the district attorney's office to review the matter for possible misdemeanor battery charges.

Kanye West is sending smoke signals that he's zeroing in on his album release, by posting a pic of the house he grew up in.

Ye displayed a photo of his childhood home on the South Side of Chicago. You'll recall, it's the house he bought last year for $225,000.

As for the clue -- well, the album is titled "Donda," an homage to his late mother, so it would seem he's telegraphing the album is, at the very least, top of mind.

The album was supposed to be released last month, but that date was moved to early August but still, no album. Fact is ... that's SOP for Kanye.

For whatever reason, Kanye scrubbed his entire Instagram page ... so all you get is the house photo. It's unclear why he did this ... maybe to really profile the pic and send some sort of message that the album is near.

He's been tinkering with the album ever since the first unveiling at the listening party in Atlanta for friends and fam back in July.

The first listening party broke the Apple Music Global Livestream record with 3.3 million viewers.

Kim has been really supportive ... showing up at both listening parties and wearing the same color outfit as her estranged husband.

They also had lunch together this week, so it seems the divorce is super amicable.