Music

Mike Posner let fear drive him to train for months to climb Mount Everest, but his fear had nothing to do with actually scaling Earth's tallest mountain -- instead, he was more afraid of NOT doing it.

The EDM star told us all about his epic adventure when he joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... explaining that the idea to tackle Everest first came to him 2 weeks after finishing his epic 2019 trek across the United States.

Instead of kicking back after that accomplishment, Mike says he found himself terrified he'd wake up one day a "fat, old, white guy" who'd only done one cool thing -- that 6-month walk from NJ to Cali. Getting to the 28,000-foot Himalayan summit would definitely take care of that concern!!!

And, he says the climb was actually harder than he thought it would be ... especially mentally. Fact is, many mountain climbers -- some way more skilled than Posner -- die trying to conquer Everest ... so he was quick to give props to the people who helped him get it done.

Mike told us he's ecstatic to be back much closer to sea level, and grateful his Everest trip helped raise about $230k, and counting, for the Detroit Justice Center.

Mariah Carey's looking to downsize and try something new -- that's the real reason she's parted ways with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, not any personal feud ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... Mariah prefers to work with a smaller team where she has more personal time with managers, and Jay's powerhouse agency has a more wide-ranging business model.

We're told at Roc, artists like Mariah could have 20 or more people working on her team in various departments -- marketing, social media, music, merchandise, etc. -- and she simply felt it was time to pare down to a more intimate team.

Our sources say there was no "explosive argument" between the 2 music legends as reported by some outlets -- something Mariah shot down on Twitter. We're told they actually decided a couple months ago to amicably end the business relationship that started in 2017.

Carey's joining Range Media Partners, a move we're told also coincides with her manager Melissa Ruderman doing the same thing. Ruderman left Roc in early 2021 to become a partner in the music division at Range, and we're told she's still going to be working with Mariah.

Range is no small agency, but our sources say it uses smaller teams of skilled managers for clients ... which is exactly what Mariah wants these days.

Polo G's set to have a big June -- his new album drops this week, and he just dropped nearly $5 mil on a huge mansion near L.A.

The rapper's the new owner of a massive 7-bed, 8-bath home in the San Fernando Valley, which is described as a car collector's dream estate. It's unclear how many rides Polo's working with, but the nearly 1-acre lot features a whopping 36 parking spaces, including a 14-car garage!!!

So, parking ✅

As for the Mediterranean-style house itself ... it's almost 11,000 sq. ft. with a rotunda entry that leads to a vintage-looking staircase. There's a custom wine closet and bar, formal dining room and a billiard room all on the main level.

The kitchen and bedrooms are enormous and boast all the expected luxuries, and of course ... the outside's incredible too. The pool, spa, BBQ area and lighted tennis court are all surrounded by stone terraces and patios.

We're told Polo G bought the place for $4.885 million. Emil Hartoonian, Bryan Castaneda and Andrew Mortaza of The Agency held the listing ... and Daniel Dill of WEA repped the "Pop Out" rapper.

G's new album, "Hall of Fame," comes out Friday and includes his highly-anticipated collab with Nicki Minaj on "For the Love of New York."

Liam Payne says he was going through an addiction hell while he was a member of One Direction, and he's also opening up about suicidal thoughts.

The singer was on Steven Bartlett's "Diary of a CEO" podcast when he said there was a time while the band was on tour that he was heavy into alcohol and prescription drugs.

He points to pictures of himself on a boat where he looks bloated ... calling it his "pills and booze phase." Liam added, "My face was 10 times bigger than it is now. The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in a room, and what is in the room? A minibar."

Liam said that environment quickly lent itself to throwing a huge party for 1 "that seemed to carry on for years." When asked if the drinking and drugging led to suicidal ideation, Liam admitted ... "Yeah. There is definitely some stuff I have never spoken about to do with it. It was really, really severe."

Liam was 16 when he joined One Direction ... which became the biggest boyband in the world after their 2010 launch on "The X Factor." They split up in 2015.

Kid Rock dropped a homophobic slur like it was nothing while rocking the mic at a bar in Tennessee, and ranting about people recording him with their phones.

Seems the singer wasn't feeling the fact audience members had whipped out their iPhone cameras Saturday night when he took the stage at FishLipz Bar & Grill in Smithville, TN. He looked directly into one phone and barked, "F**k your iPhone, yeah!"

Kid then hurled the slur as he screamed, "You f**king f*****s with your iPhones out!!!" He also mocked fans recording him by pointing directly at his crotch, and telling them to post his junk.

We're told security at the joint was going around telling people to put down their phones ... but Kid Rock decided to take matters into his own hands.

Apparently, he hasn't been paying attention to concert crowds for the last 10 years or so -- 'cause it ain't like smartphones just came out. Of course, Kid's got a habit of blurting out whatever he's feeling while onstage.

Safaree's down to let Erica Mena have exclusive use of the home they share but he does NOT want her to have primary custody of their children.

The "Love & Hip Hop" star just threw down the gauntlet in his response to Erica's custody request in their divorce. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Safaree says he wants joint legal custody, meaning he wants a say in parenting decisions for their infant daughter, Safire, and their second baby due next month.

What's more ... Safaree says he wants consistent and uninterrupted parenting and visitation with his kids. He says this is in the best interest of the kids.

As far as Erica's request to have exclusive use to the home they currently share ... Safaree seems open to it if he can be removed from any liability involving the property through a refinancing of the mortgage ... and assuming he gets his cut of any equity in the property.

Safaree also wants to maintain exclusive possession of their individual vehicles, and be allowed to maintain all personal property acquired during the marriage individually. As far as alimony goes ... he wants the court to deny her any, and he wants the court to determine any child support obligations for them.

Liam Payne is back on the market after calling off his engagement, and he's got no one to blame but himself ... in his own words.

The former One Direction singer made the revelation on Steven Bartlett's "The Diary of a CEO" podcast ... saying he's ended his 10-month engagement to model, Maya Henry.

Liam dropped the ol' "it's me, not you" in explaining what went wrong. He says he's just not that good at relationships and added ... "I feel like more than anything at this point, I'm more disappointed in myself that I keep on hurting people."

The singer also revealed he's 1-month sober from booze and said he's going to work on himself before putting himself on to somebody else. BTW, we haven't heard Maya's side of the breakup yet ... she hasn't publicly addressed it.

Liam and the 21-year-old Texas beauty announced their engagement back in August 2020 after 2 years of dating, and he popped the question with a ring reportedly worth more than $4 million.

The Miami shooting allegedly involving DaBaby's entourage left a grisly scene ... and one of the victims says he still has a bullet lodged in his leg.

Check out these photos of the injuries Emerson Delgado says he suffered when shots rang out late Monday night in Miami Beach.

As you can see, Delgado's right leg is a bloody mess, and the guy's missing a huge chunk of flesh now. He's been treated and released from a hospital, but he says he'll be wearing a walking boot-styled cast for some time.

According to the police report, cops say Delgado was shot once in his right calf ... but his lawyer, Josiah Graham, tells us there was a second bullet that grazed Delgado’s right hamstring.

Graham, who's with Kelley Uustal law firm, claims the melee began when a member of DaBaby's entourage punched Delgado, knocking him to the ground. He says Delgado started to run away, when someone behind him opened fire and struck him in the leg.

As we reported ... a rapper named Wisdom, who police say is a part of DaBaby's entourage, was arrested for attempted murder and aggravated assault with a firearm. Cops say Wisdom fired at least one shot that hit someone in the leg.

T.I. and Tiny are expanding their real estate portfolio by snapping up a massive home in the ATL -- a move they actually made before they faced multiple sexual assault accusations.

According to our sources ... T.I. purchased the 7-bed, 10-bath, 14,000-square-foot Atlanta home at the end of 2020, and it's an absolute palace.

The mansion, which sits on a private gated estate on the Chattahoochee River, features a massive pool, a spa and an outdoor fireplace ... so, it's built for entertaining.

The expansive interior is built for luxury too, with a massage room, sauna, gym and home theater -- plus there's a wine cellar (nothing but vintage, baby) and a guest house.

According to property records ... the home was sold for $3,265,000. The listing was held by Bonneau Ansley III, agent and owner of Ansley Real Estate.

As you know ... not long after T.I. and Tiny's home purchase, they came under scrutiny as several women across the country accused the couple of sexual abuse.

Eric Prydz's ex-wife won't be calling on him for any monthly spousal support in the future -- but he is forking over 6 figures in one lump sum to wrap up his divorce.

The famed Swedish DJ has reached a settlement with his now ex, Sofie, after they called it quits a year ago. The long and short of what they've agreed to is ... she gets a decent amount of cash, and he gets the house and an SUV.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Eric and Sofie's prenup was enforced in deciding how much spousal support she's entitled to, which came out to about $920k -- $200k for each year they were married. They were together for 4.6 years.

The paperwork says he's already paid her that amount ... and he's keeping their Mulholland Drive home, along with all of their household furniture, artwork and jewelry that wasn't already set aside for Sofie.

Eric also gets a 2016 Land Rover, and gets to keep his business, Leja Corporation, all for himself. Likewise, Sofie gets all rights to her own LLC, Little Friends Friend.

As for their 2 young children, the exes have agreed to joint legal and physical custody -- however, the kids will primarily live in California with mom ... while Eric will apparently relocate to Sweden.

He'll get them for up to 8 weeks each summer, plus rotating holidays. He'll also be paying $4,000 a month in child support.

Anyway, we're sure Eric will be just fine, financially -- he's got hit after hit under his belt, including his famed 2004 smash, "Call on Me." He's also bought into multiple record labels over the years.

Lil Durk's older brother, OTF DThang, died this weekend ... TMZ has confirmed.

Cook County officials tell us Dontay Banks Jr. -- DThang's government name -- was found deceased on the 7900 block of S. Loomis Blvd. in Chicago, and has been assigned a case number. An autopsy still has to be done to figure out the cause and manner of death.

Reports say DThang was shot in the head outside of a nightclub and died on the spot ... citing alleged witnesses who say they saw the shooting go down.

DThang was a rapper himself ... but wasn't nearly as big as Durk is, who's blowing up right now. Still, he's got a string of songs out -- although it doesn't look like they ever collab'd.

This is just the latest tragedy to strike Durk's inner circle -- he's lost a handful of friends and loved ones over the years ... including, famously, the death of his labelmate King Von ... who was shot and killed last year. A producer he worked closely with named Turn Me Up Josh also died just last week ... something Durk himself commemorated with a post.

Durk hasn't commented on his brother's passing yet, but condolences have been pouring in all over social media. DThang was 32.

French Montana is pulling a LeBron James, of sorts, with his latest gig -- getting in front of the camera for an acting role ... in which he's set to play a fictionalized version of himself.

The NY rapper was spotted on set Friday at the Hyatt hotel in NOLA, filming a new flick in the works right now called "National Champions" -- a college sports drama that has an all-star cast and is presumably due out sometime next year, as they're currently in production.

Check out these photos of French that we obtained ... the dude is behind a piano next to media personality, Andrew Bachelor (AKA King Bach), who's giving him a high five as French plays. Bachelor is also cast in the movie -- one of several famous faces who'll be in the movie, alongside folks like J.K. Simmons, Stephan James, Timothy Olyphant and others.

As you can see, there's a ton of crew members standing around as well, all wearing masks. Production sources tell TMZ that hotel guests who happened to be nearby while cameras were rolling were pretty surprised to see French there ... and in acting mode, no less.

Ya might think it's easy to act as yourself for a movie -- but just look at LBJ (who famously did it for 2015's "Trainwreck") ... and you'll see there's a lot of room to flex one's chops.

Anyway, if French is any good here ... you gotta wonder if this might be a whole new lane he wants to explore. If so, he certainly wouldn't be the first rapper to give acting a go ... there's a long list of those who've come before him, some of whom have had major success.

Lil Reese is in more than a little trouble just 2 weeks after getting shot in the eye -- he's been arrested for allegedly beating the crap out of his girlfriend.

The Chicago MC was arrested on May 29 around 10:30 PM, after cops were called to his home. According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, his GF told cops the couple got into a heated argument that allegedly turned physical.

Cops say she claims Reese pulled her hair and struck her in the face with a closed fist ... causing abrasion to her lower lip, which was visible to the responding officers. Reese was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.

He was later released after posting a $10,000 bond.

The arrest comes on the heels of Reese getting shot in his hometown just a couple of weeks ago. As we reported ... the scene was a bloody mess after someone opened fire into a Dodge Durango that was reportedly stolen.

Reese was accused of being involved with the alleged carjacking, but he's reportedly denied that to cops. Nevertheless ... he was caught in the crossfire that injured 2 other people as well.

Cops say they've nabbed the guys who made off with $3 million in cash and jewelry from one of 50 Cent's businesses -- and the key to cracking the case was a stolen car.

According to prosecutors in Bergen County, New Jersey ... a resident of the apartment building where the theft went down reported the heist back in January, shortly after the Cliffside Park PD recovered a stolen vehicle in that area.

Law enforcement sources say cops reviewed surveillance footage and tied the stolen ride to the burglary, and after a 5-month investigation ... were able to track down the guys who allegedly did it.

The 3 men have each been charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief.

Fiddy's attorney tells us this burglary has incorrectly been reported as a break-in at the rapper's home, when it was actually a leased corporate apartment for one of his businesses.

The lawyer adds ... "At the time the suspects were in the unit, police drove by but did not realize the individuals were still inside. The entire matter was caught on surveillance cameras."

Zayn Malik got into a heated confrontation with a man outside a Manhattan bar in which a homophobic slur got thrown around ... and Zayn ended up shirtless.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Zayn was smoking a cig outside Amsterdam Billiards Club in the East Village after 2 AM when a group of guys came out of Little Sister Lounge next door and an altercation ensued.

We're told the guy in the video going after Zayn tried to pick a fight ... and tempers were definitely flaring, as you can see.

In any event, the guy lunged at the former One Direction star, and allegedly called Zayn the homophobic f-word ... and Zayn hurled back some insults.

Though the argument came very close to a physical confrontation, we're told no punches were ever thrown and police were not involved.

Here's Travis Scott driving like a bat out of hell ... running a red light and blowing through a stop sign in Beverly Hills to get to his daughter ... and it's all on video.

The rapper was behind the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz G Wagon Cabriolet Thursday when he drove right through a stop sign and then went around a car stopped at a red light, cruising through the intersection before he got a green.

Travis was apparently in a big rush because of Stormi ... he ended up at Coldwater Canyon Park, where his daughter was with his security team.

As you can see, Travis double-parked outside the playground ... and we're told he spoke to the security guards and then bounced in his luxury SUV.

The photog who shot the video says Travis drove away erratically, so it's unclear if his driving had anything to do with Stormi.

We reached out to Travis' rep, who had no comment.