Ja Rule I'm Real ...ly Doing Private Parties!!! Fitty Goes to Clown Town

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Ja Rule
LIVIN' IT UP

Ja Rule has made his services widely available to the general public -- the dude's offering up private party bookings now ... something his old foe, 50 Cent, finds awfully hilarious.

The rapper made an appearance this weekend at a private house party in New Jersey, where it looks like he was hired by a bunch of hotties to perform a few hit songs and hang out for a bit. One classic jam of his that he got around to playing ... "I'm Real," featuring J Lo.

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Everyone was having a good ol' time, and Ja certainly had no shame in announcing that, yes, people CAN book him for gigs like this now. He's partnered up with ICONN, and there's an official way you can go about getting Ja to come to your shindig ... for a pretty penny.

Sounds neat, but of course ... there's always haters lurking in the back ready to pounce. In this case, Ja's nemesis, Fitty, came with a bag of jokes ready to fly at JR's expense.

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He took to IG and wrote, "if you don’t want to end up doing private birthday parties for 15 people. 🤷🏽‍♂️stay out of my way, OK." Some folks credit 50 with stunting Ja's career -- at least that's how 50 sees it -- and he rides that narrative to no end ... constantly clowning the guy.

We'll say this -- it ain't 2003 anymore, for either of these fellas. Now, play nice!!!

The Walmart 'Rona Shopper Old Dude Shoves His Way Past Employee ... LET ME IN, DAMMIT!!!

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Florida Man is back with a vengeance -- this time, he's fighting his way into a Walmart, which has a mandatory face mask policy ... but FM NEEDS his discounts, 'rona be damned.

This wild scene went down Saturday in Orlando, and it starts off right in the thick of the action. An elderly man tries storming his way into a Walmart without a face covering -- but gets stopped by an employee at the front door. That wasn't gonna stop gramps here though.

He immediately got physical and started pushing his way through -- even shoving the masked employee out of his way ... to some success, at first. The guy did get by him -- after taking a tumble during the struggle -- and then started heading for some aisles. But, this Walmart employee (of the year?) caught up to him and held his ground ... give him a raise!

On the second go, he had backup with him -- just a regular Joe, it seems -- who chimed in and told the guy to get the hell out. He also noted the dude was getting his germs all over the place by making such a big fuss -- meanwhile, almost everyone else had coverage.

It seems the two-man press was enough for the old-timer to call it quits and scram, empty-handed at that. Guess he'll have to wait to get his weekly batch of $5 DVDs ... too bad.

Anyway, the whole time you can hear the cameraman laughing it up -- and while we'll admit it's pretty funny watching this absurdity unfold ... it's also pretty jarring and surreal.

People just do not wanna play by the rules, even if the public's health is at stake.

George Floyd Cop Charged in Killing Confronted at Grocery Store

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One of the 4 ex-cops charged in the brutal killing of George Floyd was confronted by an angry shopper who bristled when he told her he was sorry she felt the way she did.

J. Alexander Kueng was shopping at Cub Foods in Plymouth, Minnesota Saturday when a woman spotted him. Kueng was captured on video standing by as Derek Chauvin mercilessly put his knee on George Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Kueng acknowledged who he was as the woman recorded him, and when he told her he was sorry she was feeling the way she was ... she was more than eager to display her feelings.

Kueng is out on a $750,000 bond. He's charged with aiding and abetting, second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. He's expected in court, along with the other defendants, at the end of the month.

Tesla's Cybertruck Displayed at L.A. Auto Museum ... The Public Gets a Gander

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Elon Musk's newest sweet ride has gone from the Tesla stage to the public stage -- 'cause his Cybertruck made what appears to be its public debut for the first time this weekend.

The Cybertruck was rolled out (literally) this weekend in L.A. and put on display for public viewing at the Petersen Automotive Museum -- where tons of cool and historic whips are featured for an up-close-and-personal viewing. And for now, the Cybertruck is one of them.

Sounds like this would be one of the few times anyone besides a Tesla employee has gotten to inspect this beast of a vehicle in detail and with their own eyes. Of course, Elon and co. did an up-and-down unveiling in November, but since then ... the car's been mostly MIA.

Welp, the good folks over at Electrek did the hard work of going to check it out for themselves ... and they did a proper write-up on what they found upon seeing it in person.

Long story short, they say it's about as cool as it looked the first time it was shown off -- and it's actually not all that intimating when you get a closer look. Electrek breaks down all the features that Tesla revealed in the fall -- and got some sweet close-up shots of the exterior.

They note it's pretty freaking big, but not all that imposing when you're right up next to this thing. Despite its out-of-this-world design, Electrek notes a lot of the car parts are very much so of our time and are quite practical. The steering wheel and side mirrors are bit different (or non-existent) which leads to questions about how it'll actually drive on the road.

Time will tell, we suppose. In the meantime ... LOOK 👀

Tulsa Trump Rally Newborn Baby Brought Out ... Unmasked, Big Crowd

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An apparent newborn baby got dragged out to the crockpot of potential disease festering in Tulsa -- and like mother, the kid too is unmasked ... and surrounded by hordes of bodies.

This screenshot is from a video that was filmed and posted on social media Saturday outside of the BOK Center in downtown, where Trump is hosting a rally -- the first one he's held in months since the start of the pandemic, and which promises to be packed.

The person who posted this was documenting her day ahead of the actual rally later this evening, and one of the last posts on her IG story shows this woman with what looks like a recently born child. The woman who posted says 3 weeks old -- tagging it #BabiesForTrump.

It looks like she had a convo with the mother -- in her original story, the woman comes over and seems to mouth some words to her.

Needless to say, it's sad that the kid was brought out there ... as he/she has no say in the matter. Of course, newborns are susceptible to falling ill from COVID-19, as their immune systems are not fully formed.

Baton Rouge School Board Member Caught 'Online Shopping' Mercilessly Called Out by Activist

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Gary Chambers
TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE, LADY

A Louisiana city official who resisted taking Robert E. Lee out of a school's name got taken to task by a black activist, who forced her to leave a meeting in utter shame.

This epic take-down of words went down Thursday during a Baton Rouge School Board meeting, where District 8 member Connie Bernard was publicly called out by Gary Chambers Jr., who stepped to the mic and unloaded on what he described as her inherent racism.

A bit of context ... part of the purpose for Thursday's meeting was to circle back to an issue that'd been discussed recently in the community -- namely, taking the "Lee" out of Lee High School, which was already a stripped-down version of Robert E. Lee High School.

Several members of the community have been calling for a full-blown name change of late, and School Board Member Bernard said last week folks offended by REL needed to brush up on their history. Welp, Mr. Chambers Jr. here had some things to say about that.

For starters, he addressed the fact that it appeared Ms. Bernard was captured on camera online shopping from her laptop during the meeting, while members of the public were airing out their grievances on the topic.

Chambers Jr. said her behavior and comments proved she was racist, and he demanded that she resign immediately. Ms. Bernard then got up and walked out of the room. She later apologized for her comments about Lee, and insisted she wasn't online shopping ... but simply came across a pop-up ad, which she wasn't able to close fast enough.

Rayshard Brooks Widow Gifted Car ... Life Insurance, College Tuition for Kids

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Some of the good people of Atlanta are pitching in to help Rayshard Brooks' wife and kids ... with some very generous and useful gifts.

Rayshard's widow, Tomika Miller, was surprised with a new car Friday, plus life insurance for their 3 children and full rides for them to attend Clark Atlanta University.

Some of the good people of Atlanta are pitching in to help Rayshard Brooks' wife and kids ... with some very generous and useful gifts.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Tomika's new ride is a Ford Escape, and it's already paid for ... she got the keys at her lawyer L. Chris Stewart's law firm.

A couple of Atlanta restaurant owners are picking up the tab on the car, life insurance and college tuition ... Slutty Vegan owner Pinky Cole, and Big Dave's Cheesesteaks owner Derrick Hayes.

Rayshard Brooks
NEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

As we reported ... Rayshard was shot in the back and killed by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe last weekend in a Wendy's parking lot.

The Brooks family had an emotional memorial service this week, and Rolfe is now in custody and facing multiple charges including felony murder.

Rayshard left behind his wife and their kids ... 8-year-old Blessing, 2-year-old Memory and 1-year-old Dream. He also had a stepson, 13-year-old Mekai.

Black Lives Matter Sign Triggers Man at NYC Coffee Shop ... 'This is Offensive!!!'

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CAUSING A SCENE

A man in New York City launched into an epic tirade when he spotted a Black Lives Matter sign at a coffee shop, and his meltdown -- captured on video -- pissed off every other customer.

The guy absolutely berated the barista over the Black Lives Matter sign posted in the front window of Burly Coffee in Brooklyn. The dude also had a major problem with being asked to wear a mask in order to get a cup of Joe.

The standoff went down Thursday morning with the irate customer telling the shop to take down the BLM signage, and the barista firing back he needed to take a hike.

At one point, the man points at the sign and says, "This is the most racist thing out there. I'm not a racist ... this is offensive and I want you to take off this sign."

The poor barista even tried taking the guy to school ... explaining #BLM does not mean all lives don't matter. Then other customers started chiming in, begging the guy to stop causing a disturbance.

The guy refused to leave and argued for more than 10 minutes, before starting to chant "All lives matter." He also claims the pandemic is a hoax, and only sheep wear masks -- aka, the conservative greatest hits.

And, this was all BEFORE he got caffeine!!

Bow Wow Social Unrest In ATL Will Be Addressed ... On My Reality Show

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Bow Wow
IT'S ABOUT PERSPECTIVE

Bow Wow says he's going to use his platform to show people what's unfolding on the streets of Atlanta ... he says civil unrest will be a big part of his reality show.

The rapper and television producer joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and said his show, "Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta," will spend a great deal of air time discussing everything that's been going on in the ATL -- riots, protests, COVID-19 and the Rayshard Brooks killing.

Bow Wow says the beauty of reality TV is being able to tackle topics in the here and now, and he says it's only right to train cameras and attention on what's unfolding in a city rocked by social unrest.

One example, Bow Wow tells us, is a trip around town with Angela Simmons, where they come across storefronts boarded up to protect against looters.

Rayshard Brooks
NEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

Bow Wow says the show will also point out where some high-profile incidents went down in Atlanta ... and it sounds like he's talking about the Rayshard shooting in a Wendy's parking lot at the hands of police, and maybe even where 6 other Atlanta cops tased black students in their car during a protest.

The coronavirus pandemic has also changed the way Bow Wow produces the show, but he tells us why the tide may be turning, and how being in Atlanta makes it a little easier to keep the cameras rolling.

Florida Man Threatens Teen Girls in Racially Charged Vid ... You Don't Belong Here!!!

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A white man accosted a trio of 15-year-old girls -- one of them black -- and threatened to call security and have them arrested ... and his tirade was caught on video.

The confrontation went down Sunday in Wellington, Florida, after the man began following the girls in his car as they were riding with 2 boys on a golf cart.

He was allegedly upset about the cart blocking him, but instead of going around he chose to tailgate them ... and continued following the 3 girls as they hopped off to walk to the home of Breonna Nelson-Hicks, the black girl seen in the video.

As you can see ... the man angrily accused the girls of not belonging in the development, then said he's going call the gate and have them all arrested. He added ... "You do not deserve to be in here."

When he started pleading his case to a neighbor, the girls chimed in and said he was going to hit them with his car. Finally, Breonna had enough and went in her house to get her grandfather, Tony Nelson.

BTW -- the angry guy's reasoning for accosting 15-year-olds seemed very strange.

Grandpa Tony eventually confronted the man about threatening the kids ... which he oddly denied, and that's where the video stops.

Tony's convo with the man didn't, though. He tells The Palm Beach Post they continued to talk and the man tried to defend his actions, but at one point talked about apologizing to the teens.

Tony says it was too late for that, though -- because Breonna was "hysterical" after the incident -- and he called the cops to file a report. The man did, as well, and claimed he almost hit the golf cart being driven by the teens.

Law enforcement says after looking into it ... no crimes were committed by any parties.

Elderly Buffalo Protester Getting Death Threats ... Not Safe to Go Home

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The elderly man who was violently shoved to the ground by cops in Buffalo can't go home whenever he's released from the hospital ... because there are threats against his life.

Martin Gugino's attorney, Kelly Zarcone, tells TMZ ... it's not safe for the 75-year-old man to return to his residence when he's healthy enough to leave the hospital ... because he's getting a constant barrage of threats.

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"HE'S BLEEDING OUT OF HIS EARS!!!"

We're told the threats are flooding in from folks who mistakenly believe a false claim going around about Martin -- that he's been arrested 300 times and has a long history of inciting riots.

Martin's attorney says in reality, the senior citizen has only been arrested 4 times for peacefully protesting, and only one arrest resulted in a criminal charge for trespassing, and he was acquitted.

As you know ... Martin is the same peaceful protester President Trump recently suggested -- without a shred of evidence -- might've been a provocateur with ties to Antifa who went to the protest to cause chaos and dissent.

Martin's lawyer has shot Trump's claim down as incredibly offensive and completely false, and she says Martin protests injustices he sees on various issues but is always peaceful.

Death threats aren't only being directed at Martin, who suffered a fractured skull from the push and fall ... his lawyer says unhappy folks are also threatening her with torture.

Rayshard Brooks Family Says He Died For Higher Reason ... Spark Change in Atlanta

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Rayshard Brooks' death at the hands of police won't be in vain, and will lead to lasting changes in Atlanta ... at least that's how his family is viewing his legacy.

One of Rayshard's cousins, Decatur Redd, tells TMZ ... the family thinks the felony murder charge brought against the officer who fired the fatal shots is a start, and makes it feel like Rayshard died for a reason.

Rayshard Brooks Cousin
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Decatur says charging Garrett Rolfe, the fired cop who fatally shot Rayshard in the back, won't bring back his cousin, but it could help Georgia enact its first hate crime bill.

As we reported ... Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced 11 charges against Rolfe Wednesday, including felony murder and multiple acts of aggravated assault.

Decatur tells us family members had trouble sleeping leading up to the announcement, because they feared Rayshard's killer would not be charged, which he says would have reopened lots of wounds in Atlanta.

That all changed, of course, after the D.A.'s announcement, and he shared the emotions of that moment.

The felony murder charge wasn't the only shock to the family. Decatur says it was heartbreaking to hear Rayshard didn't get timely medical aid -- and to see Rolfe kicked him as he lay dying.

Aunt Jemima Canceled!!! Co. Admits She's a Racial Stereotype (No Duh!)

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UPDATE

6:27 AM PT -- 6/18 -- Cream of Wheat is now considering changing its logo as well, a company spokesperson tells TMZ, "B&G Foods, Inc. today announced that we are initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging."

UPDATE
UPDATE

They continue, "We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism. B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind."

Aunt Jemima syrup is no more -- 'cause the parent company is retiring the image and name after more than a century, while publicly copping to the fact she's a giant stereotype.

The Quaker Oats Company made the announcement Tuesday, saying they were doing away with Auntie. The company explains, "As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers' expectations."

Aunt Jemima's been a thing for more than 130 years now, and its origins are deeply racist. The character is based on an 1800s "mammy" -- a black servant in a white household.

Specifically, Aunt Jemima is meant to portray a real-life woman named Nancy Green, who Quaker had previously described as a "storyteller, cook and missionary worker" ... but failing to mention she was born into slavery.

There's even more controversy surrounding the brand that's been swept under the rug over the years -- like the name Jemima coming from a minstrel-era song, "Old Aunt Jemima."

For the longest time, the Aunt Jemima brand featured a black woman with a headscarf -- but in the '80s ... Quaker switched up her look to appear more modern, decking her out in earrings and pearls.

In the wake of the civil unrest overtaking the country right now, tons of people were calling for Aunt Jemima to be shelved or re-branded. NBC News was first to report her demise.

BTW, folks are now calling for a handful of other brands to be changed ASAP because of the same issue -- among them are Uncle Ben's Rice and Cream of Wheat. It appears Uncle Ben's has gotten the message.

A rep for the brand said Wednesday, "As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that one way we can do this is by evolving the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity.”

It's unclear what the evolution of the brand will look like ... but the rep told HuffPost that all possibilities were on the table.

Originally Published -- 6/17 7:04 AM PT

VA White Man Arrested for Pointing AR-15 At Black Bikers Near His House

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Brandishing his semi-automatic rifle at a group of black men who'd simply parked near his home was enough for a white guy in Virginia to get busted by cops.

This wild incident was caught on camera Sunday in Partlow, VA, where Dennis Lee Berry allegedly approached a squad of motorcycle riders who pulled over near his home to catch their breath and re-route.

One of the bike riders says Mr. Berry sprung up on them with an AR-15 cocked and seemingly loaded ... asking if they lived there, and then demanding they leave.

Some of the interaction was captured on video ... the men (4 of whom are black) tried talking him down, and questioning why he seemed so ready to shoot. They also pointed out they didn't appear to be on his property.

Welp, after some back and forth -- without any bullets flying -- the cops showed up and sorted things out. Berry was arrested for brandishing a firearm. He was released on bond, and the rifle was seized as evidence.

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According to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office -- which responded to the call -- the bikers had, in fact, pulled into a private neighborhood ... but acknowledge the men didn't see a "No Trespassing" sign when they did it.

The cops also say Berry approached them from his property, but it's unclear if the men were on Berry's land.

George Floyd 911 Callers Knew They Witnessed 'Murder'

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911 callers from the scene of George Floyd's killing were horrified, but very clear about what they'd just seen -- and it's more evidence the cops should have seen it the way ordinary citizens did.

Minneapolis released transcripts Wednesday of the 911 calls furiously made to report ex-cop Derek Chauvin violently holding his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes.

The calls came in at 8:32 PM and within seconds of each other. One caller said, "I literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man. They f***ing killed him.”

When asked if the caller wants to speak to the supervisor, the caller said, “I’m recording this. I’m, I mean I’m f***ing recording this right now.”

Check out the transcript ... the operator offered to transfer the caller to the supervisor but the call disconnects. Another reported, “Yeah I just watched Officer #987 kill a, ah … a citizen in front of a Chicago [ave.] ah…store.”

The caller went on to say, "He had his knee on the dude’s neck the whole time. I don't even know if he dead for sure but dude was not responsive when the ambulance came and got him, and the officer that was just out here left, the one that actually just murdered the kid in front of everybody."

It should be noted ... Minnesota doesn't release audio like this, but even in the transcript, you can feel the raw emotion from callers.

As we reported ... a 911 dispatcher was concerned enough about the handling of Floyd's arrest, she called a police supervisor. You hear the dispatcher openly question if the officers needed to use the kind of force she'd seen as she watched live body cam footage from the scene.

Chauvin was arrested four days after Floyd's death, and initially charged by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who is now leading the investigation and prosecution, later filed an additional count of second-degree murder against Chauvin. He's facing 40 years behind bars -- the maximum penalty for second-degree murder.

The three other former officers involved in Floyd's death -- J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao -- are each charged with one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and one count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.