Music

Babyface Ray has been an integral part of Detroit's hip hop stock rise in the past few years and he isn't being humble about his contributions ... he's carving his own name on the 313 Mt. Rushmore!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Babyface Ray outside LAX this week and he tells us he fits all the criteria to be immortalized in his city -- along with Eminem, Big Sean and the late Blade Icewood for his Mt. Rushmore picks.

And just like Sean, Ray's also delusional hopeful that the Lions and Pistons will win championships next year!!! Gotta root for the home team.

While Babyface did acknowledge Detroit would need a few hundred Mount Rushmores to properly honor its music history, he reveals he's excited to hear from a most valuable transplant ... Pistons star player Cade Cunningham!!!

Ray says he and Cade have a mutual studio engineer and he's been told the stuff in the vault has been fire ... so it's only a matter of time before they cross-over styles.

Diddy defense attorney Anna Estevao seems like she's trying to imply that Cassie believed his alleged 2018 rape may have been related to bipolar disorder.

The issue was brought up in court Friday when Estevao was asking Cassie about what she told investigators about Diddy allegedly raping her in 2018 after they had a conversation at dinner about breaking up.

Estevao asked Cassie what she told investigators ... and Cassie said Diddy was acting "nice but strangely" at dinner and "wasn't in his right mind" because when she asked him to stop raping her he did not respond.

Donald Trump doesn't care that Bruce Springsteen was "Born in the U.S.A." ... 'cause he's telling the rocker to keep his mouth shut about America while on the road after Springsteen popped off at his England show.

Here's the deal ... on Thursday night, Springsteen took the stage in Manchester, England where he bemoaned the state of the American nation -- claiming the country's in the hands of a "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration."

Springsteen pushed artists at the show to use their craft and fight back against the injustice they encounter ... while also taking aim at billionaires who he says are taking advantage of working-class people.

Cassie Ventura says she doesn't have any hate in her heart for Diddy ... and she actually has love for their past.

The singer is being cross-examined in court Friday, and Diddy defense attorney Anna Estevao straight-up asked Cassie if she hated Diddy now.

Cassie testified, "I don't hate him."

12:39 PM PT -- Soulja Boy and Ray J have officially teamed up and promised to deliver an anti-DDG stream ... to embarrass their newfound common rival.

DDG has been relatively mum about his ongoing issues with ex-Halle Bailey ... but he held a stream to thrash both Soulja Boy and Ray J for inserting themselves into his business!!!

The embattled DDG called the industry fake, but called Soulja Boy and Ray J even faker for trying to be streamers and clout-chasing off his domestic situation to build their viewership.

Cassie Ventura is testifying about a now-imprisoned sex worker who claimed, way back in 2018, he was Diddy's sex slave ... and while everyone thought he was crazy back then, he seems vindicated now.

Diddy's attorney Anna Estevao grilled Cassie about male escort Jonathan Oddi, and a 2013 incident where she suspected Oddi had recorded one of their freak-off encounters. In court, Estevao played an audio recording of Cassie threatening a DJ she believed had possession of that video.

She's heard berating him to prove he really had the video -- "If you have it pull it up or I will kill you, and he will kill you again." The "he" appears to be referring to Diddy.

8:57 AM PT -- The jury was shown more text exchanges between Diddy and Cassie, this time from April 2010 regarding freak offs.

A text from Cassie reads ... "I want to talk to you about something tomorrow. Going to sleep. Love you."

Diddy responded ... "Is it going to stress me out? What is it about."

Cassie: "Freak-off. It can wait. It's not a big deal."

Diddy: "Now you don't want to do it anymore. Oh, I already know. You are so predictable."

Cassie: "Really? OK. Since that's definitely what it was, we'll leave it at that then, since I'm so predictable. Have a good night."

Diddy: "Whatever, Baby. I'm not going to play no games with you and you ain't gonna keep shutting me down."

Cassie: "I'm not shutting you down. I never do. If anything, it's always the other way around. I wasn't going to say I didn't want to do it anymore."

7:30 AM PT -- After the "rag doll" text, the jury was then shown a text exchange between Diddy and Cassie referencing the weekend of the InterContinental Hotel beating.

A text from Diddy reads ... "I felt that way from Friday. What are you doing."

Ventura responded ... "Not a good vibe. We need a different vibe than Friday."

Diddy: “F*** Friday lol. I don’t even want to do that again."

Cassie: "Lol true." Following more texts, the exchange ends with Ventura writing "Love you."

The assault caught on camera in the hotel hallway is time- and date-stamped March 5, 2016 -- a Saturday. Testimony has confirmed some of the former couple's alleged "freak-offs" lasted for 12 hours or longer. It is unclear exactly what the text exchange is directly referring to.

Cassie is back for her fourth day of testimony Friday in Diddy's federal sex trafficking trial in NYC -- today is her second day being cross-examined by the defense -- and the rap mogul's former girlfriend is once again answering questions about text exchanges from the relationship.

Jurors were shown a text message Cassie sent to Diddy on March 10, 2016 ... 5 days after the infamous incident at the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. captured on security video, showing Diddy beating Cassie in a hallway.

"When you get f***ed up the wrong way you always want to show me that you have the power and you knock me around. I’m not a rag doll, I’m someone’s child," the message reads.

Donald Trump's the commander-in-chief and the ultimate authority on smokin' hotness, apparently  ... 'cause he claims after he said he hated Taylor Swift she suddenly got a lot less attractive!

The President of the United States took to Truth Social to share his unfiltered thoughts on the biggest pop star in the world -- sharing a short post that read, "Has anyone noticed that, since I said "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT," she's no longer "HOT?""

The president didn't elaborate ... but, the message is clear -- Taylor Swift didn't support President Trump, and now he thinks she's U-G-L-Y ugly.

Justin Bieber is shrinking his circle and some people who have been cut out say he's being isolated from longtime friends because he's in a cult and his church pastor is wielding a ton of influence over his life ... but the pastor says that's bogus.

TMZ has a new documentary, "TMZ Investigates: What Happened to Justin Bieber," now available on Hulu, and part of our investigation digs into Justin's involvement in his church, Churchome, in Beverly Hills.

Justin is no longer friends with Ryan Good, the best man at Bieber's wedding and the creative director at JB's fashion brand Drew House, and our sources say it has to do with Ryan leaving Churchome because he thought it was a cult.

5:23 AM PT -- Chris Brown will remain in police custody following his UK arrest and grievous bodily harm charge, Judge Joanne Hirst ruled Friday, TMZ can confirm. His next appearance will be on June 13 at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Chris Brown has been charged with one count of grievous bodily harm in response to him allegedly smashing a tequila bottle over a music producer's head in 2023.

He was expected to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court at 10 AM on Friday, the Metropolitan Police Service confirmed.

Adele Kelly, the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, also confirmed his charge and reminded anyone interested in the case proceedings "are active and that he has the right to a fair trial."

Travis Kelce missed out on the chance to snag an autographed Taylor Swift guitar on Thursday ... but he's "Mr. Perfectly Fine" about it -- 'cause he already owns one!!

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end hit Las Vegas to support his bestie/quarterback Patrick Mahomes' charity event auction ... and at one point in the evening, an instrument signed by his pop superstar girlfriend was up for grabs.

35-year-old Kelce -- who went stag to the festivities -- initially stood up to express his interest in bidding on the item ... but it quickly hit him that there was no need.

As the first week of testimony in the Diddy trial draws to a close, TMZ has obtained more never-before-seen footage of Diddy and his A-list pals chillin' and chowin' down on some bird at Thanksgiving dinner in 2017.

Check out the footage... Diddy is hosting Thanksgiving dinner at his L.A. mansion, and the guest list is just insane! Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa can be seen on a couch chatting with some folks -- and both seem to be havin' a good ol' time.

Usher is also in the house ... at one point, the R&B singer is seen shaking hands with Diddy, who is smiling brightly as the two shoot the s**t. .

Tory Lanez is on the mend and feeling much better after getting stabbed 14 times in a California state prison, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the rapper was transferred back to the prison hospital within the last few days after getting treatment at a medical facility in the Bakersfield, CA area.

We're told Tory's condition has "stabilized," and he's now breathing on his own and able to talk. Prison officials say Tory is currently in fair condition.

There has been a social media swirl over Justin Bieber's relationship with Diddy when Justin was 15, but multiple sources in Justin's life say nothing untoward happened between them.

Our sources -- some of whom were and some who are right at the center of Justin's life -- tell TMZ, Diddy never sexually or otherwise abused Bieber.

As you know, when Justin and Diddy both appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" back in 2011, they stirred the pot when Diddy said Justin "knows better than to be talking about things that he does with Big Brother Puff on national television."

Another whirlwind day in the Diddy trial is in the books ... and Cassie Ventura had a lot of important testimony while getting grilled by Diddy's defense team.

The singer was back on the stand Thursday for a third straight day, though this was the first instance where she was cross-examined ... with Diddy defense attorney Anna Estevao leading the line of questioning.

Jurors heard and read a bunch of communications between Diddy and Cassie from their decades-long relationship ... including messages where Cassie seemed to be showing excitement for freak-offs.

Snoop Dogg is fed up with Suge Knight's prison podcasts throwing him under the bus -- and dedicated a full diss song to his former boss on his new album!!!

On the track, "ShutYoBitchAssUp," Snoop pegs Suge as a jealous bastard who's upset that his once beloved Death Row Records has a new owner ... the student has become the master!!!

Suge has been on the rampage for years disputing Snoop's and Harry-O's acquisition of the infamous record label and isn't a fan of any of the music Snoop's put out since the changeover.