Music

Travis Scott's first night of his Astroworld concert in Houston turned into a horrific tragedy Friday night ... leaving 8 people dead and more than 300 injured, and there were signs of trouble even before the concert began.

50,000 people filled the sold-out venue, when, at around 9 PM people began surging toward the stage. People started getting crushed and panic ensued. According to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, "People began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic."

At least 8 people died in the stampede. 11 people went into cardiac arrest and were rushed to the hospital. More than 300 fans went to the field hospital near the venue.

Someone working the festival tells TMZ ... people were hopping on camera platforms, begging concert staff to end the show after the stampede erupted. They said, "Anything climbable was climbed." They also say there were several thousand pairs of shoes left behind as people fled. When the concert shut down, they said a stage manager said the venue was now "a crime scene."

The scene was chaotic ... medical personnel could not handle all the injured. There is video showing some of them performing CPR.

One concertgoer named Madeline, a nurse, tells TMZ, she was there with her boyfriend when Travis took the stage. During the first song, people started pushing toward the stage and she says she began to feel light-headed, telling us, "I passed out from the constant pressure on my chest and was one of the first people to be carried," adding, "They threw me on top of other people and crowd surfed me to other people, who lifted me over a fence where security was waiting." She says "security guards were bringing bodies from that area to the VIP area," as Travis kept performing, adding, "I see security carrying people who are not moving." She says once she regained her senses, she began administering first aid to others.

A slew of ambulances rushed to the scene ... which became direr every minute.

Before chaos erupted, Travis stopped the show several times during his 75-minute set ... after noticing some of the fans in the front seemed in distress. He told security to make sure they weren't hurt. At one point Travis asked for security to help a specific individual.

Shortly before the surge, Drake had performed with Travis ... and there was no indication the crowd would try to rush the stage.

However, there were some signs of trouble even before the show. A slew of fans knocked over barricades and rushed into the venue.

Kylie Jenner was on hand for the festival as the chaos erupted. She was there with her and Travis's daughter Stormi. As far as we know, they're fine. They were not sitting near the crush.

A reunification center was set up at a nearby hotel, so family members of concert-goers could reunite.

The Medical Examiner is in the process of determining the cause of death of the 8 fatalities.

This was the first night of what was supposed to be a 3-day festival. The second night has already been canceled.

Jay-Z was trying to walk a fine line while talking about Dave Chappelle's new comedy special -- but it's clear which side of the debate he lands on ... and that would be in DC's camp.

The rapper spoke on the controversy surrounding "The Closer" Friday on a Twitter Space audio conversation -- one that was being hosted by Netflix's Strong Black Lead account, no less. Somebody asked him point-blank about what he thought, and Jay shared.

Check it out ... Jay-Z says Dave is "super brave," going on to say if you spend time with him, you'll see he's "brilliant." Now, Jay does admit Dave pushed a lot of buttons -- ones that apparently made HOV squirm, as he describes -- but in the end, he considers it "true art."

He goes on to say we're in a time now where people can't have discussions with others who disagree with them -- emblematic in the reaction to Dave's stand-up -- and Jay thinks ... that kinda sucks.

Eventually, the person seemingly moderating the convo asks Jay if he thinks the special was divisive -- and Jay tries to dissociate Dave's special with what he considers great art, which he describes as oftentimes being divisive. While he tried to separate the two, it's clear he thinks Dave's show might fall into that "great art" category.

It's also obvious Jay has no real problem with Dave, evidenced in the fact that he invited him to be one of the keynote speakers at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction a week ago ... and was more than happy to pose and smile with the guy.

Soulja Boy was almost, ALMOST, at a loss for words when he heard Kanye West trash a verse he recorded for "Donda" ... telling us Ye previously said he liked it.

The former Mr. West made headlines Thursday during his interview on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs," where he talked marriage, money, fashion and music. One of the more notable moments came when Ye opened up about his recent beef with Soulja Boy.

If you hadn't heard, Soulja was pissed after Kanye released "Donda" without a verse Soulja recorded for the project. When asked why he left Soulja off, Ye not so shyly said it was crap ... and that's why it didn't make the cut.

Well, Soulja tells us Ye's words on 'Champs' stunned him, because in person, Ye had praised his verse ... so to hear the opposite now really surprised him.

It wasn't, however, all bad -- Kanye did give SB some props during the interview, calling him one of the top 5 most influential rappers of all time for modern artists.

Talib Kweli is going all Jack Nicholson on Kanye West ... he says Yeezy doesn't like him because Ye can't handle the truth!!!

The rapper and activist is firing back at Kanye after Ye ripped him a new one, telling TMZ ... the beef is all over Talib's disapproval of Ye's support of Donald Trump and right-wing rhetoric.

Talib tells us Kanye doesn't like hearing from Kweli about how his support for Trump puts a target on the backs of minorities, at least in Talib's mind, but TK says he still loves Mr. West.

Kanye ignited this new back and forth when he went OFF on Talib this week on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs" ... saying Common's a better artist, declaring himself way more popular and clowning Talib for wearing baseball caps.

Talib says he has no bones to pick with Kanye on two of those subjects ... telling us he's honored just to be compared to Common, and explaining why he's not trying to beat Kanye in a popularity contest.

Sounds like the baseball hat diss might have struck a nerve ... Talib says his headwear is more diverse than Kanye wants folks to believe, and he takes a few shots at Kanye's taste in anything above the shoulders.

Fetty Wap is about to get out of jail as he awaits trial in his federal drug case ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the rapper's bail has been set at $500,000.

When Fetty is officially sprung from jail, he'll have a few conditions for his release. The docs say he must wear a GPS monitoring device, submit to drug testing, surrender his passport and get prior approval from authorities to travel for any professional tours.

As we reported ... the feds grabbed Fetty last month before he was set to hit the stage at Rolling Loud in New York, arresting him on drug charges.

Prosecutors allege Fetty and others distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine across New Jersey and Long Island ... and claim the drugs were first obtained on the West Coast and smuggled East using secret compartments in USPS vehicles.

During their investigation, the feds say they obtained $1.5 million in cash, firearms, 16 kilos of cocaine, 2 kilos of heroin, plus fentanyl pills.

Britney Spears' former business managers have some deep, dark secrets they don't want the public to know about ... at least that's how her attorney interprets their radio silence.

Mathew Rosengart fired off a letter to Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group earlier this week ... repeating his demand for them to turn over a bunch of documents. Specifically, he's investigating exactly how Lou Taylor's company ran Britney's life ... financially and otherwise.

In the letter TMZ obtained in a court filing, Rosengart says one thing he's demanded -- but not received -- for more than 6 weeks is the total amount of fees Tri Star's taken from Britney since 2008. He says, "Tri Star's ongoing failure to answer this question speaks volumes and leads to the unfortunate and inexorable conclusion that Tri Star has much to hide."

Some sources intimately familiar with her finances tell TMZ ... they believe Britney's net worth -- estimated at $60 million -- should be 2 to 3 times more than that, and they attribute that shortfall to misappropriation by people associated with the conservatorship.

Rosengart's concern goes beyond money, though. He's also keyed in on the allegation Tri Star had a hand in spying on Britney by placing listening devices in her bedroom ... as reported in the most recent NY Times documentary about Brit and the conservatorship.

He claims that reporting is more than enough to warrant Britney's desire to comb through any and all Tri Star docs related to the alleged electronic surveillance.

A fight is brewing -- and maybe even a war -- between Britney Spears and her former business manager, who now says she had nothing to do with allegations of bugging Brit's bedroom or controlling her medical treatment.

Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group -- run by Lou Taylor -- has just filed legal docs asking the judge in the conservatorship case to put the brakes on Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, who wants a full accounting over the last 13 years of Taylor's involvement. Rosengart has already said he believes money has been mishandled.

Taylor and co. say Rosengart should not be allowed to go back that far. They say Tri Star submitted regular accountings without any objection from Spears over the 11 years Taylor was involved in the conservatorship. Rosengart has said the whole deck was stacked against Britney and even her own lawyer at the time didn't protect her or her money.

Beyond that, Taylor's partner, Robin Greenhill, submitted a declaration saying "No one at Tri Star is aware of any hidden electronic surveillance device placed in Ms. Spears' bedroom."  She goes on to say, "No one at Tri Star has ever had any control over Ms. Spears' medical treatment."

What Greenhill did not address ... reports that she controlled Britney's ability to live the way she wants ... allegedly telling Spears on occasion she couldn't go on vacation or buy certain things because she reached her spending limit.

Britney has broken from Tri Star and is angry over the way Lou Taylor and co. handled her affairs.

Britney Spears could make more money than she ever did before if she decides to get back in front of crowds, but it's a double-edged sword ... so says Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and painted a picture of Britney's potential earnings if she reverses course on her feelings about performing.

Remember ... folks close to Britney have told us she might never take the stage again, no matter what shakes out with her conservatorship.

Daymond says Britney would be turning down a fortune in Las Vegas, or on the road, if she holds firm -- but he knows there are potentially serious drawbacks to her being back under the bright lights.

Daymond's making some good points -- there are a lot of things off the stage that come along with a Vegas residency, and they definitely take a toll on mental health ... obviously, an important factor for her.

Yella Beezy is in police custody in Texas, where he's been arrested on weapon and sexual assault charges ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was busted Friday in Collin County, where he's currently in jail.

A law enforcement source tells TMZ … Beezy is behind bars after being booked on 3 different charges -- felony sexual assault, felony abandoned endangered child and misdemeanor unlawful carrying a weapon.

Yella Beezy is no stranger to getting in trouble in Texas ... this marks his third arrest in the Lone Star State this year alone.

TMZ broke the story ... YB was arrested back in August on weapons and drug charges, and the police say he was in possession of over 40 grams of a controlled substance plus a rifle and 4 handguns.

Nick Jonas says he's learning lots of new things from wife Priyanka Chopra ... and he's getting cultured on Indian holidays and traditions.

Nick and Priyanka celebrated Diwali -- India's festival of light -- at their Los Angeles home Thursday ... capping things off with a mini fireworks show by the pool.

NJ says he's sending love and light to all, and adds ... "my beautiful wife has introduced me to so many wonderful Indian holidays and traditions. My heart is so full to be able to share this with our friends and family."

Earlier in the day, Nick and Priyanka rang in Diwali morning with the ceremonial puja ... a ritual offering flowers to an image of a god.

As you can see, Nick and Priyanka were dressed in traditional Indian garb, and they look great.

Priyanka says of the ritual ... "With the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi we invite Her grace and abundance into our home."

Madonna was the surprise guest at the amfAR event Thursday night in West Hollywood, and as she paid homage to her friend who was being honored, she underscored the fact AIDS is not a thing of the past.

Around 500 people jammed into the Pacific Design Center in WeHo, including Ashley Benson, Addison Rae, Bella Thorne, Diplo, Bebe Rexha and OneRepublic.

Toward the end of the night, an auctioneer announced a photo of Madge would be auctioned off ... even signed by Madonna herself. Then, suddenly, Madonna walked on stage and gave a 15-minute speech honoring her friend, artist Jeremy Scott, but also talking about AIDS and how it lingers as a pandemic decades after it surfaced.

She also went back in time when AIDS ravaged the gay community back in the '80s and she became a voice in the pandemic ... she said people thought she had AIDS. She made it clear to folks she didn't, but simply wanted to help.

R. Kelly's enablers need to step aside so Joycelyn Savage can get a very important message from her family ... so say the parents of Kelly's girlfriend.

Joycelyn's parents, Timothy and Jonjelyn Savage, tell TMZ ... although Kelly's locked up awaiting sentencing, they're still being shut out from talking to their daughter, and the only way to reach her is through Kelly's camp.

Her parents say they've tried to tell her about a couple of deaths in the family -- a grandfather and most recently a grandmother who died this week from cancer, but they're getting radio silence.

As we've reported, the Savages have been trying to reunite with Joycelyn ever since September when Kelly was found guilty in his federal sex crimes trial, but they say there's still no improvement in their communication.

Remember, Joycelyn has decided to stick by Kelly through thick and thin, even fighting with his now ex-GF, Azriel Clary, once Azriel decided to leave Kelly and cooperate with the feds.

TMZ broke the story ... Joycelyn's mom approached her while she was leaving a court hearing for the alleged attack on Azriel, with Jonjelyn begging to talk to her daughter.

Macy Gray put together an impromptu private party with a bunch of Chippendales hunks ... and she had the guys act as her backup dancers as she belted out some tunes!!!

Sources tell TMZ ... Macy was having dinner with some friends Wednesday night in Vegas when they had the idea to celebrate the world opening back up, so she enlisted the male revue.

We're told Macy rented out the Star Piano Cocktail Lounge, with a few requests ... 5 Chippendales dancers and enough musical equipment set up for a gig.

Macy and her crew rolled up to the piano bar at 10:30 PM and stayed until about 1 AM ... singing some Fugees and even some of her own hits like "I Try."

With Macy showing off her pipes and playing the piano, the Chippendales did what they do best ... dance.

We're told the booze was flowing ... Macy bought a bottle of Casamigos tequila and a bottle of Champagne ... and she cracked jokes in between songs.

As far as Kanye West is concerned, Kim Kardashian is still his wife ... and while that might still be true legally, it doesn't seem like a long-term possibility.

Ye sat down with the guys on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs" Thursday in an interview that, based on Kanye's haircut, was recorded several weeks ago. Ye talked music, money, fashion and family ... but the part about his relationship with Kim seemed to cause the most buzz.

The former Mr. West says Kim is still his wife because there "ain't no paperwork" to say otherwise. Of course, the two have been going through a divorce -- which has remained very amicable -- for several months now ... it hasn't yet been finalized, so technically Kim and Kanye still are married.

We've seen both support each other in recent career endeavors -- Kim at Ye's "Donda" listening events and Kanye joining Kim in NYC when she hosted 'SNL.'

However, through all of those things -- the divorce was still moving forward -- and most recently, Kim bought the couple's Hidden Hills estate from Kanye for $23 million ... a sure sign the divorce won't be called off.

Of course, Kim has also been hanging with Pete Davidson in the last week ... first hitting Knott's Berry Farm in CA before joining him twice in NYC for dinner.

Lance Bass wants to see more of Britney Spears enjoying her life out in the public ... something he hopes will happen when, and if, her conservatorship is dissolved.

We got Lance and his husband, Michael Turchin, Thursday afternoon at Wally's in Bev Hills ... and asked about Britney venturing back into Hollywood for the Immersive Van Gogh Los Angeles exhibit. She went with her sons Wednesday night, and Lance is thinking it's a sign of things to come.

The *NSYNC singer says he misses seeing Britney going out to do fun things ... and he wants to see more of her in public. Of course, she has a huge court hearing next week, when the judge could rule on whether to end the conservatorship.

Perhaps in anticipation of that, Lance reveals that he's already reached out to Brit.

As you know, Lance and Britney go way back to the late '90s when their careers were launching, and they were labelmates at Jive Records.

Remember, sources close to Britney have told us she might never hit the stage again and performing is one of the last things on her mind ... but Lance says he's not giving up hope.

Even NBA MVPs can't get enough of Harry Styles ... 'cause Giannis Antetokounmpo was among thousands of super fans hitting up the singer's concert in Milwaukee on Wednesday -- and he was loving every second of it!!

"I just went to @Harry_Styles concert and it was 99% women and me 😂," Giannis tweeted after the show. "I’m a big fan, what a great performer."

The concert took place at the Fiserv Forum, where Giannis routinely dunks on his opponents night in and night out ... but this time, #34 was there to catch some sounds and enjoy the vibe from the superstar musician.

In the video, you can see the Greek Freak in what appears to be a suite ... nodding his head and smiling as the packed crowd below had all eyes on Styles belting out "Watermelon Sugar."

BTW, Giannis is as big of a fan as they come ... he's previously been on Instagram Live jamming to some One Direction … singing his out heart out to "Best Song Ever."