Music

Former Patriots QB Scott Zolak says his former team should turn off the rap music at practice ... explaining he believes the tunes are hurting Cam Newton's game.

Seriously.

Zolak -- who played for New England from 1992 through 1998 -- was reporting from Pats practice Thursday ... when he made the wild claim, saying he believes Cam is straight-up "distracted" by rap songs that blare over the team's speakers during workouts.

"I'd turn off the rap music first of all," Zolak said on 98.5 "The Sports Hub." "Because I think it's distracting for Cam here. Because in between every throw he's dancing."

Zolak continued, "He can't help himself."

The 53-year-old former signal-caller then said it's a stark difference when compared to Patriots backup QB Mac Jones, who he said "looks like he came to work again."

"Like, he's here to work. And everything is attention to detail."

"But, again," Zolak added, "that's Cam's style."

Newton has been known to bust a move during Patriots practice ... cameras catch him often bouncing around to hip-hop while on the field.

But, Cam has noted Jones has a similar love for the music ... explaining last month he was "surprised" by Mac's knowledge of rap.

"You catch him in the locker room every time quoting some Future, some Baby," Cam said.

Hard to fathom the tunes are playing any role whatsoever in the Pats' QB competition ... but Zolak clearly believes that's the case.

Kanye West has a lot of people scratching their heads ... his "Donda" listening event has started in Chicago with appearances from DaBaby and Marilyn Manson.

West packed fans into Chicago's Soldier Field Thursday night, the event was supposed to start at 9 PM local, but kicked off closer to 11. He opened the event with one of the album's most popular songs, "Jail" -- which previously featured a verse from Jay-Z -- but the verse was replaced by one from DaBaby ... a puzzling move.

Not only was DaBaby -- who recently made disgustingly homophobic comments at Rolling Loud -- on the song, he also joined Kanye on "stage." Marilyn Manson -- who has been sued by multiple women in the last few months for sexual assault -- was also on stage.

Much like the other listening parties, Kanye has only danced to the album, not performing it live.

As for the stage ... it's a replica of Kanye's childhood home that he grew up in in Chicago.

While controversial, DaBaby's appearance at the event makes sense if he's on the album. As for why Manson -- who looked very out of place -- was included ... that remains to be seen. He's apparently not featured on any of the songs.

Kanye West fans are probably hoping there's a "Beetlejuice" situation with his "Donda" album -- after the third listening party it'll magically appear -- but regardless ... Kim Kardashian and their kids are in attendance once again.

As you probably know, Ye's holding another big event in anticipation of the release of his 10th studio album, but this one's the most special of the 3 ... because it's in his hometown of Chicago at Soldier Field.

Sources close to Kim and Kanye tell TMZ ... she and their 4 kids flew from L.A. to Chi-town Thursday, attending the show for support, just like they did for his Atlanta shows.

We're told he requested their presence because this listening event -- which will showcase a replica of his childhood home -- is very important to him.

As far as Kim and Kanye's relationship's concerned ... our source says it's still very much the same -- amicable and supportive. We got a glimpse of that as the 2 went out for lunch last week, and Kim's also keeping Kanye's last name ... despite what he does with it.

Paul Stanley has tested positive for COVID-19, and now KISS won't be taking the stage for a scheduled concert in Pennsylvania ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Paul tell TMZ ... the KISS lead singer is fully vaccinated and feeling fine despite testing positive. But, nonetheless, the band still had to call it quits on their show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA.

There were rumblings on Twitter Paul was having heart issues -- and that's why the show was canceled -- but we're told that's NOT the case. In fact, Paul got on Twitter to let fans know the heart attack rumors were BS, and he's healthy as an ox. His tweet did not mention his positive test.

KISS is currently on tour and their next scheduled concert is Saturday in North Carolina.

A rep for the group tells us, "More information about show dates will be made available ASAP. Everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated."

The rep continues, "The band and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows. The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines."

Demi Lovato -- who recently revealed they're "California sober" -- certainly isn't scared to flaunt the lifestyle ... sharing vids of a visit to a pot farm and enjoying the product.

Demi posted pics and vids from their visit to the growing site for Ball Family Farms, a premium cannabis company in L.A. ... capped off with a video where they're smoking a joint in a car.

The singer captioned the vid, "Left w some goodies aka MIYAGI DO."

Demi -- who also came out as non-binary in May -- has been very open about their 2018 near-death experience and the recovery process ... which interestingly includes what has been dubbed, "California sober."

Now, there's no exact definition for that term, but it commonly means that the person uses a little marijuana and may drink in moderation.

It's certainly a gray area -- especially for addicts -- and has been met with criticism by many folks ... like 'Intervention' host Ken Seeley. The critics say sober is not a negotiation term ... you either are or you aren't.

Kim Kardashian West is saying nay to Ye ... she's not following Kanye West's lead in the name change department.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ … Kim will not eliminate West from her name. TMZ broke the story, Kanye's applied for a name change and he'll 86 Kanye West for Ye ... simply Ye.

We're told Kim feels it's important for her to keep the same last name as her 4 children ... and there are no plans to change North, Psalm, Chicago and Saint's last names, either.

While Kim's not following Kanye's lead, we're told she fully supports his desire to go by "Ye" ... he's been known as Ye for years, and we're told Kim thinks people will still recognize him as Kanye West, even though he’s changing his legal moniker.

As we told you ... Kim's been supporting Kanye, despite their divorce, and they're keeping the family unit strong.

We learned 2 things about 2 Chainz as he made his way into a club last night -- he doesn't carry cash ... and he doesn't f*** with candy.

The rapper was heading into The Highlight Room at the Dream Hollywood hotel late Wednesday night when he was approached by some kids selling candy ... and he politely declined.

2 Chainz explained to the youngins he doesn't have a bankroll on him or he'd just give them some cash, but after they offered him the candy anyway ... he still turned it down.

If ya don't know ... 2 Chainz began gardening and growing his own healthy food in recent years, and candy clearly doesn't fit into his diet.

He was cool with the kids selling the sweets though, telling them to keep doing what they're doing ... because it's better than doing anything illegal.

Kanye West isn't requiring folks to be vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19 to enjoy his "Donda" event in Chicago ... but the good news ... fans can get inoculated on site.

A spokesperson for Soldier Field, the football stadium where Kanye is hosting his next listening party for his upcoming album, tells TMZ ... there will be more than 1,500 doses on hand for Kanye fans who want to roll up their sleeves.

We're told the doses are split between the two-shot Pfizer and one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines. For anyone getting their first shot of Pfizer, which just got full FDA approval, we're told officials from the Chicago Department of Health will be on-site to help set up appointments for the second dose.

Kanye's not the one pushing the vax ... we're told the folks who run Soldier Field, ASM Global Management, worked with the City of Chicago to make this happen.

It'll be interesting to see how many folks roll up their sleeves before listening to Kanye's upcoming album ... vaccines were available at Ye's last listening party in Atlanta, but only a measly 4 out of 40,000 got the shot.

There won't be quite as many folks allowed into Soldier Field ... the home of the NFL's Chicago bears is operating under reduced capacity ... with only 38,000 allowed inside instead of the usual 63,000.

Terry Crews hasn't lost a move since "White Chicks" — or a lyric either, for that matter.

The actor took 'AGT' fans on a trip down memory lane this week with an impromptu performance of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" ... which he, of course, famously did in the movie.

As good as that cover was on camera all those years ago, this one might be right up there as far as commitment ... 'cause the dude was all in on the lip-synching, not to mention the moves he added for extra gusto.

Check it out — Terry goes all out here, mouthing the lyrics to a T and adding accompanying steps ... ones he might not have had a chance to perform in the flick. You'll recall, his character did the whole 'Thousand Miles' in the confines of a car. So now, we’re getting the full-body number!

The 'Got Talent' crowd ate it up ... they seemed to be singing along, and gave him his props at the end — and how could they not??? This is top-notch entertainment.

The baby from Nirvana's famous "Nevermind" album art is all grown up ... and now he's suing the band for child sexual exploitation.

A man named Spencer Elden claims he's the naked baby famously pictured in a swimming pool on Nirvana's groundbreaking 1991 album cover ... and he's suing the band, its surviving members and Kurt Cobain's estate, 30 years after the album dropped.

According to a new federal lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Elden claims he could not consent to his image being used on the album art way back in the day, because he was only a 4-month-old baby ... and says his legal guardians didn’t consent to it either.

Elden's going even further ... in his suit, he claims the image is actually child pornography. He also claims the band made a promise to cover his genitals with a sticker but it was never incorporated on the album cover.

According to the docs, Elden claims Kurt, Dave Grohl and the rest of the band failed to protect and prevent him from being sexually exploited ... and he says having his naked baby body plastered on a famous album caused him to suffer lifelong damages.

Elden's going after the band, Kurt's estate and others for damages ... and he wants them to each cough up at least $150,000.

We reached out to reps for Nirvana and Kurt's estate ... so far, no word back.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are all in on being a couple ... because now they're wearing matching clothes ... yes, the dreaded matching clothes!!!

Check out these pics of Ben and J Lo hitting up Westfield Mall in L.A. for a Tuesday afternoon shopping spree ... they're dressed up super nice for a midday adventure, and it looks like they're coordinating outfits.

To be specific ... Ben and Jen are both rocking dark sunglasses, black tops, grey bottoms, ice on their wrists and black shoes. Even J Lo's black bag is matching her boo's look.

Bennifer 2.0 is also walking in lockstep, holding hands ... almost like they've done this whole couple thing before.

Kanye West is no more -- that is, if he gets his way, and a judge grants him an official name change ... to something much more to the point.

KW just filed legal docs in L.A. ... asking a court to give him a new moniker in the books -- going from Kanye Omari West to simply, "Ye." Yes, the nickname he's gone by for years and years now ... dude wants that to be what Uncle Sam knows him by going forward.

Unclear what might go into the review process for this ... but it seems pretty clear. If a judge signs off, then Kanye as you know him is a goner. It'll be all Ye ... all day.  Fact is, in California, unless there's evidence a name change is designed to commit fraud or other shenanigans ... the judge will approve it.  So, this will get a sign off by the judge.

It's interesting -- Kanye also wants to drop the "West" from his persona altogether too ... which is kinda odd, considering he's shown pride in his family heritage -- and has often even called himself (both in person and in song) Mr. West. That too will be nixed if he gets the green light.

Funny enough ... Kim still has "West" in her own surname -- this after the couple filed for divorce.

One of the two women interviewed by Gayle King back in 2019 is now on the witness stand in R. Kelly's criminal case ... and she's claiming he was controlling them right then and there during the interview.

The witness -- who's only being ID'd as Jane Doe right now -- testified Tuesday in a federal court in Brooklyn as his case gets underway ... telling the jury that Kelly was pulling the strings as Gayle asked both her and another live-in GF questions.

She says Kelly would cough on set that day to keep them on script as the taping went on -- all in an effort, she alleges, to make sure they backed his denials.

The woman also claims Kelly made sure they weren't allowed to watch the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries. She says they had to immediately change the channel anytime it came on TV.

Not just that, but the witness went on to testify Kelly promised to promote her music career when they first got together but offered nothing in the end. She claims he once punished her by making her have sex with a guy nicknamed "Nephew" as Kelly watched in the room. The woman says Kelly told her "Nephew" had been "groomed" from a young age too.

Megan Thee Stallion claims her own record label is trying like hell to block the release of her newest song ... and she's running to a court for help.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Meg claims her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and its honcho, former MLB star Carl Crawford, are doing everything they can to stop her from putting out a new song with BTS.

In the docs, MTS says she's the featured artist on a remix to the K-pop group's popular "Butter" track ... saying it's supposed to drop Friday, unless her label is able to block it.

Meg believes if released, "Butter" will help to expand her international fanbase, thanks to BTS' massive brand. She claims 1501 told her they don't believe the song would be good for her recording career -- but she says that excuse is just a cover -- and deep down the label is trying to shake her down for 6-figures and force her to pay them to sign off on the song's release.

Megan's been down this road before ... she's pissed about the contract she signed with the label back when she was only 20, and just last year she accused the label of blocking her from releasing new music because she wanted to renegotiate the deal.

She ended up getting an order from the court to prohibit 1501 and Crawford from blocking the release of her new music ... and she says they're violating that order.

In the docs, Megan claims her label is putting up roadblocks to stifle her artistry and hurt her career ... and she wants a judge to step in so she can release the track on time.

Chopmaster J -- co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop group Digital Underground -- was told to stay the hell away from an event honoring the group and its late co-founder Shock G ... and he certainly isn't happy about it.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Chopmaster J was ecstatic when he found out the city of Oakland would be honoring the group and Shock G at a city-wide event last weekend. The day included a Digital Underground Day of Proclamation.

Problem is ... we're told a former band manager reached out to CJ and told him he was NOT welcomed at the event. Making matters worse ... we're told the city of Oakland's Digital Underground Day of Proclamation is only to highlight Shock G, and not CJ.

Digital Underground broke up in 2008 after a fallout between Chopmaster J and Shock G ... but we're told while they didn't speak for years following the breakup, they still considered each other brothers outside the group. Shock G died in April.

Chopmaster J -- along with his son, who goes by SOTU -- formed a new group ... D.U. Next Generation.

We're told Chopmaster J is bummed his contributions to the group's legacy are not even mentioned in the proclamation. The language's exclusive to Shock G's contributions ... even though August 25, 2021, is slated to be Digital Underground Day in Oakland.

Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones' only drummer for nearly 6 decades, died Tuesday in London ... TMZ has learned.

Charlie was in London's Royal Marsden Hospital when he passed away, and we're told Shirley -- his wife of nearly 57 years -- was by his side. The Stones announced earlier this month that Charlie, their eldest band member, would not be able to play during their upcoming tour because he needed time to recover from a procedure.

A rep for the group tells TMZ, "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts ... Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation."

The band did not reveal what the procedure was. Watts had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2004, but after treatment it went into remission, and he and The Stones immediately launched into a 2-year-long world tour.

In fact, in the band's 58 years, Charlie's never missed a tour ... so it was already a big deal he wouldn't be with his mates -- Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood -- in September when they kick off their latest U.S. tour. As Charlie joked in a statement, "For once my timing has been a little off."

Charlie -- along with Keith, Mick and Brian Jones -- is a founding member of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band. They all met in 1962, while playing London's blues clubs, and first came together as a band in 1963.

He occasionally toured with his own band too, the Charlie Watts Quintet ... which was more of a jazz act. Charlie's first love was jazz, and he learned to play drums while listening to Charlie Parker records.

Over the years, he's also become famous for being the stylish Stone -- he would commonly wear sharp suits onstage and off. Vanity Fair named Charlie to its International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 2006.

Of course, he's also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones ... who now have the unenviable task of carrying on without the guy who's been called the soul of the band. Steve Jordan was already sitting in for Charlie, but it's unclear how Watts' death will impact the band's schedule. Their first show is set for Sept. 26 in St. Louis.

Charlie met Shirley before the Stones formed, and they got married the year after that. They have one daughter, Seraphina, and a couple of grandkids.

His passing is the first death for The Stones since Jones drowned in 1969.

Charlie was 80.