TMZ.com

Kanye West's new album didn't drop today, like he said it would, but he's still busy shooting music videos for it instead.

The rapper's directing a small cast on crew Friday on his massive Wyoming ranch in what looks like production for a short vid. The cameras were mostly focused on someone in a yellow coat of some sort -- and it's hard to make out if any of his famous friends are involved in the shoot.

As we reported ... both Dave Chappelle and Damon Dash have visited Kanye this week, as close friends have grown concerned about his mental health.

He seemed at ease during the shoot, and from the looks of it ... you wouldn't even know Ye's wrapping up an erratic week, which started with that surprise campaign rally Sunday in South Carolina where he made controversial comments about how Harriet Tubman didn't free any slaves.

He also got deeply personal at the SC event about abortion, and brought up the topic of getting divorced from Kim Kardashian.

He'd raised that subject again in 2 separate Twitter rants, in which he slammed Kris Jenner, claimed she and Kim were trying to have him involuntarily committed ... and suggested his wife tried to cheat on him with Meek Mill.

All of that appears to be out of sight, out of mind for Kanye and co. ... same goes for the COVID-19 pandemic, since almost everyone on the video set is without a mask.

We broke the story ... Kanye and Kim have not been communicating much since his bizarre behavior began, and he's rejected her offers to come be with him in Wyoming.

Kim also acknowledged her husband is dealing with a bipolar episode, and it's been difficult for everyone involved.

Tekashi 6ix9ine just lined up a serious payday to perform his upcoming album online ... the rapper tells us he just inked a massive deal for a single live stream concert.

The rapper, who's about to regain his freedom, tells TMZ ... he just put pen to paper on a $5 million live-streaming deal with GlobalStreamNow for a virtual performance of his soon-to-be-released record.

Tekashi tells us he'll hit the stage Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8 PM ET for the live-streamed show, which he says will run for about an hour and feature 12 songs from his album. He'll also interact online with fans.

6ix9ine is almost done with home confinement, but is keeping the physical location of his live stream under wraps. Remember, there's still concern about revenge for snitching, so Tekashi says security will be on hand to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

He already has some big ideas for the performance ... and based on what he's telling us, prepare for lots of eye candy, dancers, a live band and colorful displays.

6ix9ine's keeping details about the record under wraps -- he won't divulge song titles or the album name yet -- but he tells us the record is dropping in the near future.

No need to risk your health attending a live concert ... according to Tekashi, who says the only thing his fans need to do to watch his performance is download the GlobalStreamNow app.

We reached out to GlobalStreamNow, but haven't heard back.

Taylor Swift's taken out 2 birds with one surprise stone -- her album, "Folklore," beat her nemesis, Kanye West, to market, and revealed the top secret name of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' third child ... or so it seems.

So, the thing Swifties are really latching on to with her 8th studio album, which dropped at midnight, is the song "Betty" ... because they think it solves the mystery of Ryan and Blake's daughter. They had the kid late last year, but have never said what her name is.

Taylor's fans theorize it's Betty, because the song also mentions their 2 other daughters ... 5-year-old James and 3-year-old Inez.

Some of the lyrics include, "You heard the rumors from Inez. You can't believe a word she says. Most times, but this time it was true. The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you." She also sang, "She said, 'James, get in, let's drive.' Those days turned into nights. Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long."

Keep in mind, Taylor, Blake and Ryan are BFFs ... so Swifties might've nailed this one.

As for "Folklore" as a whole ... Taylor's never dropped one of these surprise albums before, and it just coincidentally (if ya believe in that) came on the day Kanye was supposed to drop "Donda."

Not shockingly, Ye didn't deliver his album today ... so, score one for T-Swift?

Alright, one more "Folklore" theory ... some guy named William Bowery has 2 writing credits on the record ... but he's never written on any of Taylor's previous albums. Fans seem to think it's a new pseudonym she's using.

This theory, of course, will remind hardcore Swifties about the "This Is What You Came For" drama ... after it was revealed she secretly wrote that song under the pseudonym, Nils Sjoberg.

Snoop Dogg and DMX brought some much-needed 1990s nostalgia to the horror show that is 2020 with a couple hours worth of sick rap battles that became an instant classic.

The rappers went head-to-head Wednesday night in the latest Verzuz battle that drew a whopping 500,000 viewers on Instagram Live. If ya forgot what Verzuz is here's a refresher ... Swizz Beatz and Timbaland created the music battle show, originally on IG Live, that's drawn millions upon millions of fans and strong interest from Hollywood execs.

Back to Snoop and X ... the rappers complemented each other as they spit some of their most iconic tracks, like when DMX hopped on and joined Snoop for "Ain't No Fun." Snoop also got down with "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Gin and Juice" while DMX spit "Where My Dogs At" and "X Gon' Give It To Ya," which brought Snoop out of his seat.

They also, quite literally, complimented each other. Snoop -- donning some kid PJs -- told DMX, "New York has always been the Mecca of rap to us in the West Coast." This prompted DMX to respond, "Something I love about you, Snoop, is we can always count on you to kick some gangsta s**t."

Kanye West has a steady stream of close friends showing up in Wyoming -- the latest being Damon Dash, who he took for an essential items shopping trip.

It appears Dame arrived at Ranch West sometime Wednesday, and the duo hit up the Walmart in nearby Cody ... wearing face masks to enter, as required.

The hip-hop superstars weren't exactly trying to stay incognito -- once outside they removed their masks and sat on a bench for a bit talking.

Of course, these 2 go way back to their Roc-A-Fella Records days, and it seems Dame flew in to check on Ye ... on the heels of his Monday and Tuesday night Twitter attacks against his wife and mother-in-law.

Dash posted a pic of Kanye, himself and a few others touring the ranch grounds with the caption, "We good."

Remember, on Tuesday morning it was Dave Chappelle who dropped in at the ranch and certainly seemed to lift Yeezy's spirits ... at least for a while.

Kanye is reportedly working on new music while he's in Wyoming, so it's possible Dame came by for that too -- but we know family and friends have been concerned about his mental health since the Sunday rally in South Carolina.

Kim Kardashian's made it clear her husband is in the grips of a bipolar episode and adds, "Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions."

One of Elvis Presley's most famous guitars is hitting the auction block ... and acquiring it may require a king's ransom.

Elvis' historic 1942 Martin D-18 guitar -- which The King owned between 1954 and 1956 -- will be up for auction over at Gotta Have Rock and Roll, and no doubt it'll go to a serious collector with huuuuge pockets. The minimum bid starts at a whopping $1.2 million. It's expected to fetch up to THREE MILLION BUCKS.

The investment's totally worth it ... because the instrument oozes musical history. For starters, the guitar is often referred to as Elvis' "Sun Sessions" guitar. Elvis recorded at the iconic Sun Studios in Memphis, TN and also performed with the guitar onstage.

The King of Rock 'n' Roll bought the guitar at O.K. Houck's Piano Store in Memphis, trading in his Martin 000-18 model. He then went on to decorate the body of the guitar with adhesive metal letters spelling out "ELVIS." Today, the guitar's missing the "S." The extensive wear visible on the guitar, no doubt, is due to Elvis' hard strumming and the guitar's frequent use.

And, get this ... during the time Elvis owned the guitar, he also recorded the classics "That's Alright (Mama)," "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Good Rockin' Tonight," to name a few.

The new owner of this guitar will get TONS of paperwork proving the authenticity ... from a photocopy of the receipt from O.K. Houck Piano and photocopies of correspondence from the curator of the Country Music Hall of Fame to a historical note about the guitar ... which has been reported to be Elvis' first guitar. The auction opens on July 22. Good luck!!!

The #FreeBritney movement has re-emerged in a big way, with lots of people spinning conspiracy theories that she's being held against her will ... but they got the story wrong.

Folks on social media have been alarmed by Britney Spears posting a gaggle of dance and fashion show videos. They're odd, to say the least ... she's dancing, pacing back and forth and looking not quite put together.

So then, fans started sending Britney secret messages -- "wear black if you need help," and "wear pink if you are in trouble." Well, she wore pink shorts with black polka dots in a dance video, and that's all she wrote.

She also crossed her arms in an "X" fashion and folks interpreted that as saying, "I'm not okay." Well, people went nuts online, again suggesting her conservatorship -- led by Britney's dad, Jamie -- was holding her against her will.

Here's the reality. We've reported for the last 2 years ... Britney is struggling. Her meds stopped working and doctors were having trouble finding the right combination. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she's not been easy to deal with ... she sometimes complains she wants more freedom. Short story -- she hasn't been especially stable managing her mental illness.

There's collateral damage in all of this ... Kevin Federline has had their 2 kids considerably more than Britney -- and it all relates back to her mental state.

The conservatorship has been around for 12 years -- an incredibly unusual amount of time for a conservatorship to last, but this one's different. Our sources have said for years ... Britney's mental illness requires this conservatorship -- probably for life.

Lots of people think this is all Jamie lording over his daughter, but it's not the case. There is a slew of people involved in the conservatorship -- doctors, lawyers, therapists and a judge. There is no way Jamie could go rogue without one of the others taking it to the judge.

Carole Baskin ... what the fudge is this??

The 'Tiger King' star's been cashing in doing Cameo vids for a bit now, but her latest submission -- a birthday shout-out to a fan named Charlotte -- is ... well, priceless.

Carole -- joined by her husband Howard -- kicks off the video message with her tagline, "Hey all you cool cats and kittens," before saying they're "here with the crip mates" to wish Charlotte a happy bday.

And, then it gets REALLY interesting.

Watch for yourself ... pretty sure 50 Cent's "In Da Club" has never been done like this. And it probably shouldn't be ever again.

For Lil Xan, quarantine is a blessing in disguise ... he tells us he's using the downtime to channel his efforts into staying sober and being extra creative in the studio.

The rapper tells TMZ things are looking up after his pandemic-induced panic attack sent him to a hospital ... he says coronavirus quarantine helped him get clean, clearing his head so he can make his best music yet.

Lil Xan tells us it's a lot easier to sober up in quarantine because there are fewer temptations -- nowhere to go, no shows to perform and no excuses to be around situations that could lead to another relapse.

Xan says he's gone cold turkey on prescription pills and feels alive for the first time in a while ... adding he's determined to make the most of what he calls a second chance.

Lil Xan tells us he's used quarantine to rework his music and his life ... he says he wants to be a role model for young people struggling with sobriety, and is even down to be a mentor.

The way Xan sees it ... he tried to spread positive messages to kids in the past, but it didn't really work because he wasn't living a sober life himself.

Lil Xan, who says he was his own worst enemy and was slipping into a really dark area before quarantine, tells us he was being told to go back to rehab during quarantine, but ultimately decided against it and went cold turkey, staying in bed for weeks on end.

Bottom line for Xan ... the past few months have been extremely hard, but he's over the hump and he's turning things around.

Drake's been ballin' -- and now beachin' -- down in the Caribbean ... and the shirtless rapper's giving everyone a look at how he was doing in quarantine ... and it's pretty good.

As we told you ... Drizzy zipped to Barbados in his private jumbo jet this week with his entourage, and after hitting up the basketball court and snapping pics with local fans, it looks like he's enjoying more low-key vibes on the sand.

Drake was spotted dipping his toes in the water with some pals, and it looks like a cameraman was also on hand ... but it's unclear what he's filming.

The rapper's ever-increasing collection of tattoos is on full display, which includes several portraits of family members, Lil Wayne, Aaliyah, Denzel Washington, his father's old mug shot ... and so many more.

Drake's not quite as chiseled as he's looked in past, but he still looks damn good.

Steve Aoki isn't letting a little thing like social distancing stop him from being a great human who helps out kids in need -- 'cause he's still doing exactly that ... just ask Juliana.

The world-famous DJ and producer once again teamed up with the Kids Wish Network to make a sick child's dream come true -- this time, it was 12-year-old Juliana Goode ... who's an aspiring DJ herself.

Juliana suffers from Cushing Syndrome -- an adrenal gland disease that produces an abnormal level of cortisol in the body -- and when KWN heard she saw Steve as an inspiration for her own career goals, they got in touch with him and, of course, he was on board to meet her.

More importantly, he helped secure a sweet DJ setup for Juliana with the help of some of the top players in the game -- Denon DJ (which sells digital audio equipment) donated a DJ Prime Go portable console to Juliana, and Ion Audio provided her with some new speakers.

Check out how the kid reacted when Steve revealed what he and the team had in store for her to help her go from computer DJ to a real-life one with her own mixer and soundboard ... pure joy.

Tekashi 6ix9ine will be absent from social media in the last couple weeks before he regains his freedom -- but he says he's coming back with a vengeance.

6ix9ine tells TMZ ... he just temporarily deactivated his Instagram account ahead of his home confinement ending around August 1. The reason? He says his lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, recommended it for the rapper's safety, so he's following through.

Tekashi says as freedom nears, his legal team thinks he might mistakenly leak some crucial info about his whereabouts, meaning where he is now or where he'll be next ... once he's cut loose. We're told Tekashi's team hasn't quite decided on that yet, but out of an abundance of caution they're advising he go dark for a while as they figure out that next move.

Not shockingly, Tekashi says he'll be back to trolling his haters soon enough, and insists he will NOT leaving his hometown of NYC. We're told one of his lawyers feels he should reconsider ... so the matter is still up in the air.

At any rate, 6ix9ine tells us he plans to keep roaming the streets of the Big Apple -- but adds he'll be rolling "like Trump" in that he'll have a ton of armed guards around. Specifically, he says he plans to hire 22 of them, all former law enforcement officers.

Tekashi also says he's gonna have 5 bulletproof SUV-like whips to escort him around town. Despite all those heavy duty precautions ... he insists he has "no fear" and is actually excited to get out and about again.

As for how these final days of home confinement will go ... Lazzaro says the feds will continue to drug test him, advise him and monitor his activity.

50 Cent flew into a rage, throwing a table and chair, after getting into it with a guy he's beefed with in the past.

The incident went down Wednesday night in the patio area at the Edgewater Commons Mall in Edgewater, NJ ... where the rapper was enjoying drinks with a woman sitting on the other end of the table.

We're told at some point a man outside walked up to 50's area and exchanged words before the incident turned violent. You can see in the video Fiddy grabbed a table and launched it in the man's direction. It ended up hitting a Lexus. Fiddy then picked up a chair and tossed it at the man, who at that point had ripped off his shirt looking for a fight. The man ultimately fled, and 50 and his companion also left ... hopping into his white Rolls-Royce.

Law enforcement tells us no arrests were made and they will NOT pursue charges.

Charlie Daniels -- a country and Southern rock legend known for his hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" -- has died after suffering a stroke ... according to his website.

The Country Music Hall of Famer died Monday morning at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. Doctors determined the cause of death was a hemorrhagic stroke.

Daniels' career began in the late 1950s, as a skilled player of the guitar, fiddle and banjo ... he formed a rock band and hit the road.

In the '60s, he co-wrote an Elvis Presley song -- "It Hurts Me" -- and played instruments for the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

Daniels put out his first solo album in 1971 and had his first big hit -- "Uneasy Rider" -- in 1973. He'd go on to play the fiddle for acts like the Marshall Tucker Band and Hank Williams Jr. in the '70s, before his Charlie Daniels Band put out its most famous song in 1979.

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" reached #3 on the Billboard charts and landed Daniels his only Grammy win of his storied career for Best Country Vocal Performance.

Daniels would be nominated for 5 more Grammys, including Best Country Instrumental Performance for "I'll Fly Away" in 2005.

Charlie was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008.

He's survived by his wife, Hazel, and their son, Charlie Daniels Jr.

Daniels was 83.

Pop Smoke's closest friends are getting iced out before his debut album drops ... with some custom jewelry honoring the slain rapper.

Pop's inner circle reached out to New York City's Benny The Jeweler for some special commemorative bling ... according to our sources, and it was just in time for Friday's posthumous release. Ya gotta see what @bennydajeweler cooked up in Pop's honor.

Check out the 5 "Woo Star" pendants for the guys over at Forever Smoke Entertainment ... the record label founded by Pop's brother, Mike Dee, along with Ace Makaveli, Eazy, Stacks and Hunter.

There's a rose gold pendant and 4 yellow gold pendants ... and they're covered with 20 karats of VS diamonds, retailing at a cool $18,000 each. We're told the bling represents rising above adversity, as well as shooting for the stars, and aiming for the moon -- the title of the album.

Pop's girlfriend, Alyssa Danielle, is also getting some special jewelry from Benny ... an insane custom piece featuring Smoke's face surrounded by diamonds. We're told it's still in the works, and the finished product will be super colorful.

The sad news is Benny was working on a couple pieces for Pop himself before the rapper was fatally shot in February in a home invasion.

Remember, fans demanded a do-over of the cover art Virgil Abloh designed for "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon," and they're getting their wish.