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Louis Tomlinson is ready and willing to pump the brakes on his live shows if one of his fans goes down, and after a Minneapolis show ... it's evident his security is also ready to react quickly.

The former One Direction member put on a sold-out show Thursday night, and as he neared the end of the show -- singing his hit, "Walls" -- he looked into the standing-room-only audience, stopped the song abruptly and then called out on the mic for help.

As security guards rushed over to a female fan in distress, Louis urged the crowd to let them get through. He and the guards yelled, "Make a hole" ... and then LT waited calmly onstage to let the responders do their job.

When security began taking her out of the theater, Louis decided to bring the lights up and take 5. Fans around the incident quickly cooperated and made a clear path to the doors.

This latest incident seals it ... artists are definitely more attentive to audience members who are sick or injured. Of course, Billie Eilish did it weeks ago at a show in Atlanta, giving the whole crowd a chance to relax, sit down and take a step back from the stage.

Billie even passed her inhaler to a fan in need a few weeks ago ... saying she likes to guarantee her fans are safe at her shows. John Mayer also slowed things down for a fan during an L.A. gig.

As we reported ... some people, most notably Kanye West, took Billie's comments as a dig at Travis Scott, whose Astroworld event ended with the death of 10 people, including children.

NLE Choppa thinks people are naive if they believe rap wars can just end ... like the longstanding beef between Young Dolph & Yo Gotti.

The Memphis rapper was on the latest episode of "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper," talking feuds between artists ... Yo Gotti and the late Young Dolph came up, and Choppa tells it exactly as he sees it.

With an easy answer being to stop the beef, he says it's more tricky than that. "Certain stuff ya just gotta understand, like some s*** just ain't meant to end."

TMZ reported ... Back in 2017, Blac Youngsta -- one of Gotti's rappers -- turned himself in to cops investigating a Dolph shooting in Charlotte ... and he was also named a person of interest when Dolph was shot in L.A. later that year.

After Young Dolph was murdered in Memphis at the end of 2021, BY released a music video ... standing in front of a tomb with Dolph's name on it.

The feud runs strong in Memphis -- not even giving the dead a break. Choppa still doesn't think it's an easy thing to drop ... saying at the end of the day, everyone's gonna be themselves and nothing will change that.

2/25 -- A rep for Once Upon a Time in LA Festival tells TMZ, "Once Upon a Time in LA joins Drakeo's family, friends, and fans in grieving his loss. The festival is continuing to support local authorities in their investigation as they pursue the facts."

Drakeo the Ruler's brother is suing the folks behind the music festival where he was stabbed to death ... he says concert promoters failed to keep the L.A. rapper safe.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Drakeo's bro claims the rapper's life was in jeopardy the moment he arrived at December's Once Upon a Time festival concert ... and he's blaming a lack of security.

In the docs, Drakeo's bro says Drakeo was attacked within minutes of arriving ... describing it as a "violent mob attack" that broke out backstage and lasted up to 15 minutes. His brother claims the all-access area should have been a safe place, and he's ripping the promoters for what he claims were "lackadaisical to totally absent" security measures.

Drakeo's bro claims promoters should have braced for the worse because the concert, held at L.A.'s Exposition Park, is in the middle of a gang-infested neighborhood and Drakeo was already the target of gang threats.

In the docs, the brother claims Drakeo entered the festival grounds through two "checkpoints" ... but he says they were hardly secure. The brother claims the first was just a booth with 2 unarmed staffers who let anyone in as long as they flashed an all-access pass.

Drakeo's bro claims the second "checkpoint" had a metal detector, drug sniffing dog and a small group of security guards ... but he says not every car was searched, and he claims he heard gang chants from some cars that went through without being searched.

In the suit, Drakeo's brother claims Drakeo was attacked by a mob of 50 to 100 people, including some armed with knives ... leaving Drakeo's group to fight for their lives without sufficient security.

The brother says Drakeo was stabbed in the chaos and claims it took up to 30 minutes for emergency personnel to get to Drakeo, who eventually died in the hospital.

Drakeo's brother and others are suing Live Nation, Snoop Dogg's LLC and the Los Angeles Football Club ... the festival was held at the MLS team's stadium ... and they're going after them for millions in damages.

Gene Simmons is one huge step closer to leaving Las Vegas, now that he's found someone to snatch up what he thought was his dream home ... until his family strongly disagreed.

The KISS rocker is selling his beautiful glass palace for $13.5 million and it's got a lot to offer. The 6-bed, 8-bath house features a koi pond, an 11-car garage and many of those glass walls are retractable!

No shocker here, but Gene built the 11,000 sq. ft. home in the perfect location -- the crib has sparkling views of the Vegas strip and the surrounding desert.

And, you can take in all of that from the spacious pool.

Back in December, Gene was on TMZ Live, and told us how much he loved the house, and also why he'd put it on the market.

He told us after all of the perks that came with living in Vegas, the one issue that made him sell -- his family members aren't huge fans of desert life. Something about the heat and having strippers down the street wasn't a great sales point for them.

Gene says he bought the property next door as well ... planting 137 trees on the land -- something hard to come by in that Nevada weather.

The Vegas home is currently under contract ... meaning an offer has been accepted, but we're told it won't close until next month. Simmons was accepting crypto as payment for the house, but it's unclear if the buyer went that route.

Kanye West had at least one guest of honor by his side behind the scenes at his "Donda 2" listening event ... and she looks an awful lot like his estranged wife.

We got photos of Kanye backstage at LoanDepot Park in Miami Tuesday night joined by Chaney Jones aka the Kim Kardashian look-alike. Chaney was decked out in a white bodysuit, heels and sunglasses as she accompanied Ye through the arena.

Chaney sported a serious expression, but there was at least one pic where Kanye was seen with a big smile on his face while the two walked together.

And get this ... Chaney's sunglasses are identical to the Rick Owens pair Kim wore to Kanye's very first "Donda" listening event in Atlanta back in August ... safe to say she's taking the lookalike thing to new heights.

At least two of Kanye's kids -- North and Saint -- were at the event ... but unlike his recent shows in L.A. and Chicago, Kim Kardashian was not in attendance -- she was in Milan.

Of course, Kanye was recently dating Julia Fox, but that ended a couple weeks ago. He's now been spotted with Chaney in various cities since the split with Fox ... so it would appear things are heating up between the two.

The listening event marked the first time fans were able to hear "Donda 2" however, the event had some serious audio hiccups. During his performance of "Jail 2" Kanye tossed his mic out of frustration, and did not perform a single verse after the incident.

Donny Davis -- a longtime Vegas impersonator who performed with Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Chelsea Handler -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ  ... Donny passed away Tuesday in Las Vegas, where he was found in his hotel room bed.

The cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy is performed. We're told Donny was partying at one of the nearby hotel casinos hours before his body was discovered.

It's tragic news, as Donny was incredibly well-known and beloved in and around Hollywood ... not just serving as a regular guest on "Chelsea Lately" -- sometimes filling in for her go-to little person sidekick, Chuy Bravo -- but also performing on stage with Britney herself.

DD was hired as a dancer for Brit's Vegas residency show when it kicked off in 2013 ... and was a favorite pal of Britney's for years, often posing with her for photos and getting shout-outs from her too.

He also performed with Mariah Carey, Seth McFarland, Miley Cyrus, Joe Jonas, Kelly Osbourne and Hayden Panettiere.

He was a staple at Beacher's Madhouse for 2 decades, where he starred in a vaudeville-style variety show that featured tons of celebs. Jeff Beacher tells us they discovered Donny online and after he performed for a few years he was so talented Jeff let him produce the show.

He was also hired to perform private gigs for the likes of Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham, Charlize Theron and other big stars.

Donny has a couple of movie credits under his belt, with appearances in 2017's 'It's Gawd!' opposite Tommy Chong, as well as a role in "Pain & Gain." Donny also stood out as a fierce advocate for little people, not just in showbiz ... but beyond.

Beacher tells TMZ, "Donny broke barriers in the little people community and was an inspiration to his peers. He will be missed terribly but his legacy and the impact he had on those who loved him will live on forever."

Donny was 43.

Kanye West might finally have someone else to aim his anger at other than Pete Davidson -- his "Donda 2" event's sound engineer -- who seemingly blew it in Miami ... causing West to throw his mic in frustration.

Ye premiered new tracks from his album Tuesday night at a live listening event for fans at LoanDepot Park in Miami. While the whole thing started smoothly, with Kanye playing tracks from the new album, by the end, the event -- streamed on stemplayer.com -- had totally unraveled and Kanye looked visibly pissed off.

Things really seemed to take a turn during the song "Jail 2" when Marilyn Manson and DaBaby joined Kanye on stage. It appeared Kanye was supposed to perform the song live -- but was having some serious issues with his in-ear ... eventually throwing his microphone in frustration, Kanye never picked the mic up again.

The final song of the night, "Off The Grid" -- a song from the first "Donda" album -- was a total mess, Fivio Foreign and Playboi Carti joined Kanye to perform it, and Fivio's mic was totally out of sync totally off with the music playing ... sounding like he was trying to catch up to the song the entire time.

We spoke with a couple people who were in the audience, who said the audio issues weren't as noticeable as they were to those streaming from home.

While most of "Donda 2" sounded like it was incomplete, the fans in Miami certainly got their fair share of guest appearances during the show -- Jack Harlow, Migos, Pusha T, Alicia Keys and The Game, to name a few. Elon Musk was among the celebs in the crowd.

Gary Brooker, the singer who put '60s British rock group Procol Harum on the map with an iconic hit of the 'Summer of Love,' is skipping the light fandango in heaven now.

Gary died Saturday after battling cancer according to a statement released by the band. They say their lead singer and pianist died peacefully at his home.

Procol Harum is best remembered for their 1967 hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" -- it was co-written by Gary, and became an anthem of the famous 'Summer of Love' in San Francisco.

The Hammond organ-heavy track is one of those '60s hits everyone kinda knows when ya hear it -- and the lyrics and their meaning have long been debated in rock history.

Just a sample:
"One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might have just as well've been closed"

Most critics and fans agree the haunting song is about a psychedelic or drunken sexual encounter. Let's face it ... there were lots of those back in '67 when Procol Harum formed!

The song's been covered by other artists countless times, and the OG single sold more than 10 million copies. The band broke up in 1977, but reunited in the '90s and continued to perform here and there until 2018.

Brooker's bandmates said, "The single defining constant of the band's 50-year career, Gary's voice and piano playing was legendary and he leaves behind a legacy that will last for generations. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him."

The Weeknd had himself quite a weekend -- not only hooking up with a new flame in Simi Khadra ... but linking with an old pal in Drake, who was there for the good time.

Drizzy just posted some photos that showed him having a ball with Abel in Vegas during the latter's 32nd birthday celebration at Delilah. The shots feature Drake and Weeknd embracing in the DJ booth ... and generally enjoying themselves in the lounge and surrounding casinos.

The caption he included ... "We’ve done everything like it’s nothing…isn’t that something." If you aren't familiar, Drake and Weeknd are close buds and longtime collaborators.

Like we told you, Champagne Papi was far from the only celeb in attendance -- Swedish House Mafia was also on hand, as was Kaytranada.

More importantly ... Simi Khadra from twin duo Simi Haze was nearby ... and locking lips with the birthday boy, as seen in exclusive video we obtained.

There have been rumors they're seeing each other, and the clip seems to confirm they're more than just friends.

'America's Got Talent' breakout star Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski has died after a battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

A source with direct knowledge tells us the phenom singer passed away Saturday after months of receiving treatment for the disease ... which had spread to her lungs, spine and liver.

Nightbirde withdrew from 'AGT' mid-season -- when she announced she'd be focusing on her health full-time. She had previously survived breast cancer after being diagnosed in 2017 ... but it eventually returned, coming back in a metastatic state.

She'd said doctors gave her a slim chance at survival -- just 2% -- and the remainder of her life had been given a small window in 2019 ... just 3-6 months. Incredibly, she beat those odds and was declared cancer-free the following year ... only to have it return in 2021.

All things considered, she lived much longer than health professionals ever thought -- fighting hard for survival, and ultimately ... winning over audiences on 'Got Talent' and beyond.

'AGT' judge Howie Mandel posted a touching note about Nightbirde, saying, "(she) was such a bright inspirational light in all our lives.we must continue to live and learn from her words and lyrics. As much as I feel horribly about her passing I feel lucky to to have met, heard and known her."

Her story captivated America -- during her initial outing, she sang an original song, "It's Okay," which absolutely blew the judges away ... making Cowell emotional and getting a standing ovation from the others, not to mention a rare golden buzzer from SC himself. Obviously, she got a green light to move on -- and made it to the quarterfinals. She may well have even won the whole competition ... if not for having to pull out.

Unfortunately, her 'AGT' run was cut short due to the cancer ... and she's been mostly out of the spotlight since -- doing a few interviews here and there, while also staying positive on social media and sharing her journey.

Sadly, Nightbirde was never officially signed to a label and doesn't have an album out -- but she does have some EP releases and singles under her belt from her early years in the music biz, when she was trying to break out into the mainstream out in Virginia.

She was just 31.

RIP

Britney Spears has landed a book deal that's worth millions -- and she's expected to pour the tea for the massive payout.

The pop star has signed a contract with publishing giant Simon & Schuster ... to recount her life story ... for at least $15 million, according to Page Six.

The outlet reports S&S won a bidding war among other publishers who wanted BS's book for themselves ... and, apparently, it's one of the biggest checks cut for a memoir, behind the Obamas -- who signed on to hawk books through Penguin Random House for over $60M.

No word on when Brit might release this tell-all -- other details, including a potential title, have yet to surface -- but one thing is clear ... Britney wants to speak her truth.

She's been teasing that she wants to dish about everything she's gone through -- be it in interviews, or otherwise -- with tons of Instagram posts lately ... including one in January where she threw up a photo of a typewriter, with a caption that read, "Shall I start from THE BEGINNING???"

Britney has said she's still recovering from the trauma she says she endured in the conservatorship ... but it sounds like she's now ready.

Sam Hunt's wife has filed to end their 5-year marriage, citing infidelity as the reason.

Hannah Lee Fowler claims in her legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam is "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct," and she goes on ... "guilty of adultery."

The boilerplate code section Hannah cites reads, "The husband is guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct toward the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe or improper."

Sam and Hannah had not announced she was pregnant, but in the docs, she says she's due in May.

The docs were filed in Tennessee, which isn't a no-fault divorce state. She's asking for alimony. She also wants primary custody of their soon-to-be-born child. And, she wants child support as well.

It's unclear if they have a prenup, but indications are that they do because she asks "the parties be awarded their respective separate property."

As for alimony, Hannah wants, "transitional alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and alimony in future."

What's interesting ... the docs say they separated at the time she filed with the court, which was last Friday.

Billie Eilish isn't letting a threat from Kanye West change her playbook at concerts -- she's still making sure her fans are safe and sound, and didn't hesitate to stop her show again ... this time in NYC.

The singer was performing at Madison Square Garden, when at one point she took a breather, and then asked the crowd to do the same -- bringing down the energy in the room.

Not just that ... but BE also asked folks who were near the front row to step back and give each other room, again keeping their well-being at the front of her mind prior to proceeding with whatever song she had next.

Doesn't sound like too many people minded ... in fact, based on the reactions we can hear on camera -- it seems they might've actually appreciated it and sounded more than happy to oblige.

Billie finally asked if everyone was all good ... and after that, she started to strike some chords on her guitar, getting the crowd pumped once more.

You'll recall, she did something very similar a few weeks ago in Atlanta -- when she brought her concert to a full stop over a fan who appeared to be in distress ... even going so far as to offer her an inhaler she had on hand.

Billie also said she likes to guarantee her fans are safe at her shows ... which was widely perceived as a shot at Travis Scott, even though she never explicitly said his name. Ye, for sure thought it was a jab, and threatened to pull out of Coachella -- where Billie's also headlining -- if she didn't apologize to Travis.

Soulja Boy and Kanye West might seem like they’re constantly at each other’s throats -- but they’re actually buds ... so says SB himself.

Big Draco set the record straight Sunday by announcing that, yes, he and Ye are actually cool ... despite him apparently taking shots at the guy, including recently -- when he mentioned Kim K and Pete Davidson.

ICYMI ... Soulja took to IG a few days ago and said PD (or Skeet, as he’s now known) “got your bitch,” among other derogatory things ... obviously referencing Kanye.

Sounds like KW got the memo, because he seems to have texted Soulja directly after the fact ... asking that he not talk about his estranged wife. Soulja shared a screenshot of that convo, and at first glance ... it looks like it’s gonna get nasty, because he responded with animus.

Fortunately, Kanye diffused the situation almost immediately ... telling Soulja he was gonna send him one of his new Stem Players while also inviting him to hop on ‘Donda 2,’ which brought Soulja’s guard down. Kanye had previously cut Soulja's verse from Donda and then trashed it in an interview.

In an IG story post, SV cleared the air that it’s all love between them, even if they act “crazy” at times and suggest otherwise. He also said they’re just two smart, strong-willed dudes with big dreams.

Speaking of that entrepreneurial spirit they both share, Kanye seems to have found himself some major success off of that nifty music player of his ... to the tune of millions he says he might’ve otherwise missed out on.

If you didn’t hear, he’s not releasing ‘D2’ on traditional streaming platforms ... instead, he’s exclusively putting it out via this new device of his -- which is pretty cool looking.

He’s asking for $200 a pop for one of these, and while it might sound like an absurd idea ... it apparently is paying off in dividends.

After an electric opening night, Justin Bieber's tour has hit a speed bump ... we've learned the singer has tested positive for COVID-19, and at least one concert date has been postponed.

A rep for the singer tells TMZ Justin found out Saturday he had COVID, but thankfully is feeling OK. Justin was supposed to perform at T-Mobile Arena Sunday in Vegas, but now that show has been moved to the summer.

Justin is then supposed to stop in Glendale, AZ for a show Tuesday before hitting The Forum in Los Angeles Thursday. We don't know when he contracted the virus, so it's unclear if those concerts will also be put on ice.

Bieber's had a busy last week ... performing at The h.wood Group and REVOLVE's Super Bowl Party last Friday before hitting the road.

Justin opened The Justice World Tour Friday night in San Diego. His wife Hailey Bieber was in the audience for what looked like an amazing show.

As we reported, Justin plans on rewarding fans throughout tour stops who step up and help with initiatives like climate change, voter registration and criminal justice reform.

Kodak Black is doing a little show and tell ... displaying the impact of his injuries after being shot during Super Bowl Weekend.

TMZ broke the story ... Kodak was hit in the leg outside Justin Bieber's after-party at The Nice Guy in Hollywood. Three others were hit, but none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Kodak posted photos and a video documenting himself traveling back to Florida and showing off the cast covering his leg injury. He's talking to his mom and says he bought her a new house and a $30,000 Birkin bag.

When he was released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Monday, he was clearly struggling to walk ... with an assist from a walker.

BTW ... he had bodyguards flanking him as he climbed into the SUV, and for good reason.