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The 11-year-old violinist for who Simon Cowell hit the golden buzzer on "America's Got Talent" is onto the semi-finals, and his next performance could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars ... TMZ has learned.

Tyler Butler-Figueroa is not only Simon's pick to win it all this season, but the young leukemia survivor has impressed the judges and become a fan fave with his visionary violin work and energy ... and he's on the cusp of landing a huge recording deal.

According to Tyler's semi-finalist contract -- obtained by TMZ -- if he wins 'AGT,' he'll score a $100,000 advance on his first album, with the possibility of making another $100k in bonuses based on sales. Plus, he'll get royalties on the music.

If he DOESN'T win ... he only gets a $25k advance. The good news -- win or lose, it's all about sales. If people are buying Tyler's album, he can still make up to $100k in bonuses.

And, there's this -- according to the contract, if Tyler goes on to make a second, third, fourth or fifth album with his label, his earning potential's the same regardless of how he finishes on 'AGT' ... up to a $275k advance if he gets to album #5.

Seems like he's already a big winner.

Tyler advanced to the semis earlier this week after nailing "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia. This, of course, after he wowed Simon with his talent -- and his story -- in the auditions round.

Dem Franchize Boyz lost one of their own this weekend -- Gerald "Buddie" Tiller passed away from what appears to be cancer, according to the group itself.

DFB posted the sad news Sunday, writing on Instagram ... "R.I.P. Buddie you Will be Missed #demfranchizeboyz." Jermaine Dupri -- who signed the group to his So So Def label in 2005 and pretty much put them on with their smash hit, "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" -- also spoke on Buddie's death, and seemed to suggest he'd died from cancer.

On his own IG page, the hip-hop mogul made reference to a line from Buddie's verse on 'LWI,RWI,' writing ... "'They call me Doctor Doc I prescribe what a n**** need' #ripbuddy may your soul rest easy #demfranchiseboyz #f***cancer."

Other rappers offered up their condolences as well -- including Da Brat and fellow DFB member Parlae.

Dem Franchize Boyz are perhaps best known for their two hits, "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" and "I Think They Like Me," both of which appeared on their debut album "On Top of Our Game." They did a mash-up of 'Lean wit It' with Korn called "Coming Undone Wit It."

Ariana Grande is coming back to Manchester to spread love more than 2 years since her benefit concert following the bombings there -- now doing a show for Pride.

The pop star will be in Manchester Sunday, where a live concert is being put on ... this following two days of other festivities, including a parade. Ariana is set to take the stage in Sunday's lineup, which includes other artists like Pixie Lott, Tulisa and Becky Hill. It's unclear what time exactly she'll come on -- she's the headliner for Sunday, so probably late.

This will be the first time AG has stepped foot in the city since June 2017, when she hosted the One Love benefit concert a couple weeks after a bomber detonated a homemade device that sent a bunch of nails flying in the rotunda area of Manchester Arena.

Ariana's concert at the time was winding down, but at least 22 people were killed nonetheless ... with several others being injured. It caused a massive panic inside.

The free benefit concert she put on afterward, which was organized with the help of her manager, Scooter Braun, drew tons of people and raised a lot of cash, upwards of $3 million.

Ariana was joined by other music acts like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas and others -- which made for a really sweet moment in the city.

We'll be on the lookout for her performance. Stay tuned ...

The audience loved it.

Kanye West is in Dayton, Ohio right now, presiding over his Sunday Service to honor those who died and were injured during the mass shooting earlier this month.

The service is going down at the RiverScape MetoPark to a large crowd.

Kim Kardashian and at least 2 of their kids -- Saint and North West -- are on hand for the event. They were all dressed in white as they headed to the service. We don't know if Chicago made the trip. We're told Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are also in attendance.

Chappelle eventually took the stage to tell the large crowd that even after going through a tough time -- including tornadoes, Klan rallies and shootings -- "we're still here and we're still strong. And the only way, but not the only way, but the BEST WAY that we can honor our fallen is by getting up better than we were before." He finishes by thanking Kanye for coming out and reminds him that he and Dayton have his back.

Chappelle is also in Dayton for an event later in the day ... The Gem City Shine, a benefit concert, again honoring the victims of the latest American massacre. We're told around 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Speaking of Dave, Kanye led a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him Saturday night inside what appears to be a hotel lobby. Dave turned 46. BTW, Kanye didn't sing -- he led his choir in a melodic rendition of the Stevie Wonder version. Dave toasted the crowd with a brewski.

Sofia Richie had the 21st birthday just about any 21-year-old would want ... a Vegas blowout.

Sofia and a bunch of her friends partied hard at the XS nightclub on the Strip, and it looked like a blast.

Scott Disick was there, but took a back seat to the action as Sofia danced wildly with friends. She went onstage with The Chainsmokers and just kept dancing.

There was the obligatory cake -- in this case, 6 tiers.

Sofia got some pretty awesome presents earlier in the day. Scott presented her with an Aston Martin and a Range Rover. Yep, 2 whips. When the cars were safely garaged, they jetted off to Vegas. Kylie was waiting at the airport where they all boarded the private jet.

In case you lost track, Scott and Sofia have been dating for about 2 years. They seem super serious ... she even hangs out with his kids, and she and Kourtney clearly get along. They've even all gone on vacay together.

Taylor Swift tripled down in an interview that aired Sunday, saying she's determined to get her OG music back, one way or the other.

Taylor appeared on CBS' "Sunday Morning," and made it clear ... she's going to rerecord the songs that made her famous. As we reported, Taylor surrendered any claim to the masters for her 6 original albums. The masters are owned by Big Machine, and she went ballistic when she found out Scooter Braun bought the company for $300 million.

Taylor made it clear ... she had no idea Scooter -- with whom she has a big problem -- was going to plunk down the cash for BM. She says she learned about the sale when the news broke online.

Kim Kardashian has now joined Kanye West's in Ohio ... and they're doing cheesecake for dinner.

Kim and Kanye were spotted leaving a Cheesecake Factory restaurant Saturday evening in Beavercreek, OH -- a city about 15 minutes outside of Dayton -- where they were ushered into a waiting SUV with security nearby.

We're told their son Saint, and daughter North, were with them for the hour-long dinner, which got started 6 PM. No word on what they chowed down on, but it's Cheesecake ... they got a lot of options (no specials though, apparently).

Anyway, Kim and Kanye definitely weren't trying to stay on the down low -- check out our video. You see them interacting with the crowd outside ... from a safe distance, of course. Kim said hi to some fans, and Ye flashed a peace sign.

Kim's appearance here comes a day after Kanye was seen roaming the streets of Dayton with other family members, including what looked like some of his kids.

Seventies and 80s hitmaker turned reality TV star Eddie Money is in the battle of his life ... TMZ's learned the rocker's been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.

The "Take Me Home Tonight" singer makes the stunning revelation during season 2 of his reality show, "Real Money" ... according to sources connected to the show.

We're told Eddie got the dire news late last year, during a regularly scheduled checkup with his doctor.

The cancer started in Eddie's esophagus but, sadly, it spread to other parts of his body. You can see in this clip, he's determined to keep his loved ones in the loop as he deals with the diagnosis.

We're told Eddie didn't take a break from shooting his family's show after getting the news -- and he's continued touring almost nonstop while getting treatment.

You'll recall he was forced to take a break from the road for other health issues -- a minor heart valve procedure in May, and he caught pneumonia in July. We're told neither issue was related to the cancer.

Our sources say Eddie won't shy away from discussing his treatments while cameras are rolling for "Real Money."

R. Kelly's desperate to retain the attorney who successfully defended Michael Jackson in his child molestation case ... so much so his team's hitting up anyone it can for financial help to pay what will become an enormous legal bill -- and it might be working.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kelly's industry contacts have been in touch with his team and expressed a desire to help with his legal fees.

We're told these people have agreed to anonymously help foot the bill so the singer can land attorney Tom Mesereau ... the guy who got MJ acquitted in 2005, the same year he got Robert Blake acquitted of murdering his wife.

Our sources say there's a big catch -- the money won't come in unless Kelly fires his current lawyer, Steven Greenberg ... so for now, it's all just verbal commitments. Greenberg, as we've told you, has called the whole situation "a complete load of crap."

Truth is ... Kelly will have to pull a Brinks truck up to Mesereau's office to land him. Just like in the New York federal case, the defense will require forensic experts, experts in sex trafficking, P.I.'s and on and on. That case alone will easily cost a million bucks to defend.

Of course, Kelly's also charged with various sex crimes in 3 other jurisdictions -- Illinois State, Illinois Federal and Minnesota State. We're hearing he might also face charges in Detroit and Atlanta.

Yung Miami is making sure her City Girls counterpart JT gets some love when she leaves prison ... because JT's gonna score some custom diamond jewelry!!!

We're told Yung Miami plunked down some serious cash for JT in the form of a pendant and chain to match her own City Girls bling ...  $52,000 to be exact.

We're told Yung Miami hit up Jewelry Unlimited about a month ago, and the bling took two weeks to fully craft. As you see, the pendant and chain sparkle with baguette and VS+ diamonds set in yellow gold.

The only difference from Yung Miami's matching bling ... hers is rose gold.

JT has been locked up at the Miami Federal Detention Center since June 2018, after turning herself in to authorities on fraud charges. We're told she's getting released in the next few weeks.

Gotta hand it to Yung Miami ... she knows how to welcome a girl back from the inside.

Kanye West is in Dayton, Ohio ... and all signs are pointing to him hosting his Sunday Service in the same city where 9 people were killed in a recent mass shooting.

Kanye and his family were spotted Friday afternoon in Dayton ... which is pretty interesting, considering that's where his longtime friend Dave Chappelle is hosting a free show Sunday to honor the lives that were lost in this month's tragedy.

Our sources tell us Kanye appeared to be scouting a location for a Special Sunday Service ... and there are rumblings he will be bringing in his choir as well.

We reached out to Kanye's camp for confirmation ... but we haven't heard back.

As you know ... Kanye's Sunday Service has become super popular this year, with tons of celebs attending. He had a huge service at Coachella and has held the rest mostly around Los Angeles.

Stay tuned ...

The young rapper whose earned praise from Kylie Jenner, Drake and Meek Mill had a very public run-in with the law that ended with his arrest ... and his reps are calling the move racist.

Rapper Ambjaay -- famous for his hugely successful track, "Uno" -- was busted Thursday about an hour east of L.A. in Rancho Cucamonga after directing hundreds of high school kids to show up to a nearby park for a free pop-up concert.

So, why the move? The 19-year-old rapper wanted to reward the students from Rancho Cucamonga HS after a video showed them turning up to "Uno" last week ... hence the free concert. Problem was ... Ambjaay didn't have a permit, this according to law enforcement sources.

We're told police responded to the park and told Ambjaay he had to shut it down, but we're told he instead directed fans to another park. Cops tell us they got wind of this ... and that's when they pulled him over, searched his car and arrested him for disturbing the peace. He was later released.

A rep for Ambjaay tells TMZ ... all the rapper was trying to do was give back to a community that had showed him mad love. The rep straight-up calls this a classic case of racial profiling. The rep adds the disturbance occurred only AFTER police wouldn't let the rapper perform.

Who says a Rolling Stones concert is only rock 'n' roll? Not Robert Downey Jr., who kicked off Thursday night's Rose Bowl concert by announcing the band has its own stone ... on Mars.

Iron Man himself hit the stage before Mick, Keith and the fellas rocked the crowd of 60,000 ... and shared an origin story about the legendary band and the exploration of the red planet.

Long story short, Mars and the band are now cosmically linked forever because NASA has named an iconic rock on the planet's surface ... "Rolling Stones Rock."

As Downey Jr. enthusiastically explained ... NASA's successful landing of the InSight spacecraft last year on Mars sent a golf ball-sized rock rolling a few feet across the surface -- and the rocket scientists came up with a (sorta?) clever name for it.

It might just be one small stone for man, but it's one giant leap for Stones' kind.

BTW ... 76-year-old Jagger looked like he was ready for space exploration himself, showing no signs of slowing after the heart valve procedure earlier this year, which delayed the tour.

After the show, photogs got this shot of the frontman with a device hanging next to his neck -- and while there's a rumor it's there to monitor his heart ... that just ain't so.

Vic Mensa straight-up says that, in Donald Trump's world of extreme capitalism, everything's for sale ... including people's lives.

The rapper made a passionate plea for gun control, telling TMZ ... this country's long overdue, but says it'll never happen under a president that's in bed with the NRA -- a billion-dollar industry. Strong words from a gun owner himself who also has a concealed carry permit.

Vic blasts Trump for feigning interest in doing something about gun control following consecutive mass shootings in Texas and Ohio earlier this month ... only to pull a bait and switch, saying mental health reform -- not background checks -- is the answer.

The Cardi B and Nicki Minaj beef is back in full swing ... and their sidekicks are declaring an all-out war.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Rah Ali is throwing serious shade at Cardi and her bestie, Star Brim ... calling Star nothing more than a cheap bar dancer and wondering why CB is letting her BFF toil away while she rakes in the dough.

The bad blood started flowing again this week after Star said, if she was at New York Fashion Week, there's no way she would've let Rah hit Cardi in the head with a shoe.

Star says she would've SPANKED Rah during the NYFW fight -- which left a knot on Cardi's head -- and if she sees Nicki's friend in the streets, Star vows to follow through with her threat.

Star even says she'll go after Nicki ... but hedges by saying Nicki's got too much security.

Well, Rah Ali heard about Star's bragging ... and now she's firing back, and going low.

Sources close to Rah tell TMZ ... she feels it's just a poor attempt by Star to get her 15 minutes of fame and, instead of worrying about last year's fight, Star should be asking why she's still dancing for dollars while her friend, Cardi, lives lavishly.

SHOTS FIRED!!!

Tommy Lee wanted a bite at Emeril's, but all he got was the boot ... he says he got thrown outta the joint because he dropped an F-BOMB when staff asked him to take off his hat.

The Motley Crue drummer and his new wife, internet personality Brittany Furlan, were at LAX Tuesday when they broke down their dinner fiasco in New Orleans ... they say the people running Emeril's Delmonico lost their lids over some caps and a harmless curse.

Tommy and Brittany say they were both wearing hats when they entered the fancy establishment Tuesday night, but only he was asked to remove his ... and that's when all hell broke loose.

Ya gotta hear Tommy defend his use of the F-word with more "f**k yous" ... and stick around to watch him go digging for gold.

There's no beef with Emeril himself ... but sounds like Tommy and Brittany will be dining elsewhere next time they're in New Orleans. Can't blame 'em, plenty of good eats in that town!!!