Lil Wayne Back to Work Right After Pardon ... Good Times with Tory Lanez

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WEEZY AT WORK

Lil Wayne wasted no time getting back to stuntin' after he received a pardon from President Trump ... and it looks like he was enjoying the hell out of his free pass.

Tory Lanez says Tunechi was on set to help out with his music video for "Big Tipper" the very next day after Trump pardoned the rapper in his federal gun case.

In the clip Lanez shared, Lil Wayne's in a hot pink getup, flashing serious ice on both wrists, smoking and vibing to the music. Oh, and that's all with a nude model in front of him on a table.

As we reported ... Weezy was facing serious time behind bars after pleading guilty in federal court last month to illegally possessing a loaded weapon on a private jet.

Trump's pardon -- on the heels of Wayne endorsing Trump for President -- let him off the hook for all that, though ... which cleared his schedule for music vid shoots like the one with Lanez.

Tory gushed with all sorts of appreciation for Weezy coming through for him ... after Trump came though for Weezy.

Lots of backs getting washed.

Flaming Lips Space Bubbles For Everyone ... Futuristic Concert in Oklahoma

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BUBBLE MANIA

The Flaming Lips hopped on stage Saturday night for their long-awaited Space Bubble Concert, and gotta say ... it's awesome!!!

It went down in the band's hometown, Oklahoma City, and it did not disappoint. The band AND the crowd were all in their own, individual bubbles in a futuristic display that looked ... well, futuristic.

The Space Bubble Concert was originally scheduled for December, but there was a spike in coronavirus cases in Oklahoma so the band was forced to postpone.

Lead singer Wayne Coyne was very much into the bubble, saying going to a Flaming Lips concert is safer than going to a supermarket. Coyne told us about the precautions back in November ... as a way of keeping music and concerts alive during the pandemic.

Rapper Kota the Friend Biden, Harris Give Career Boost ... Assist From Lupita Nyong'o

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Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' inauguration playlist is taking Brooklyn rapper Kota the Friend's career to new heights ... and he's also giving thanks to Lupita Nyong'o.

Kota the Friend's camp tells TMZ ... the independent rapper was blindsided when his track, "Lupita's Interlude," was the first song in the official inauguration playlist, and now he's reaping the benefits of a presidential shoutout.

Ever since Kota was included on the 46-song playlist alongside the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder, his collab with Lupita has enjoyed a huge spike in listeners on Spotify and Apple Music, with streams increasing over 90% to 2.5 million total.

Not bad for a Kota song that doesn't even feature his vocals ... it's just 1 minute of Lupita reciting a spoken word poem about things that mean everything to her. The track's the interlude to Kota's 2020 album, "Everything."

Kota's reps say he's also getting lots of eyeballs on social media ... over 10,000 new Instagram followers, over 11,000 new likes on his Facebook page and over 13,500 new followers on Spotify.

Hey, it helps to have a ticket with 81 million votes on your side.

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Kota the Friend tells TMZ ... Lupita's moving words must have been the driving force in getting the song on the playlist, and he hopes the healing nature of their work can help the country heal.

Miley Cyrus Cops Investigating New Burglary ... Storage Unit Hit Again!!!

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Miley Cyrus has some bad luck when it comes to burglars ... we're told someone broke into another one of her storage units.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Miley's L.A.-area storage unit was broken into a few weeks ago, and someone made off with clothes, family photos and other mementos.

There's no dollar amount on the missing items, but ya gotta imagine there's some significant sentimental value.

We're told it doesn't appear the thieves were specifically targeting Miley -- other storage units in the same facility were hit as well.

Police are still investigating the heist, but they've had some success already. Our sources say some items -- for Miley and others -- have already been recovered.

Miley's, unfortunately, no stranger to storage unit break-ins ... back in 2018, someone got into her San Fernando Valley storage unit and made off with some valuable guitars.

Spinderella Trashes Salt-N-Pepa Biopic ... You Wrongfully Excluded Me!!!

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DJ Spinderella just went off on Lifetime's Salt-N-Pepa biopic ... a project she's got nothing to do with, and she's pissed about the level of disrespect.

S-N-P's former DJ blew her top Friday, one day before the movie debuts, saying she was disappointed to learn "a decision was made to move forward with a Lifetime biopic that wrongfully excluded me from every aspect of development and production all the while using my image throughout, given that I played an integral role in the group's story and success."

Spinderella said she felt compelled to speak out because "too often, Black women who have made meaningful contributions in their industry are left out of historical narratives." She's especially mad because she says S-N-P was all about empowering women, so she "could not have dreamed that this same group would one day disempower me."

It's not all bad news ... Spinderella changed her tune near the end of her tweets to say she's in the final stages of writing her memoir, which she calls "a personal journey navigating through life, relationships, and the industry that raised me. 30+ years is a lot of content and I'm ready to share."

As we've reported ... Spin fell out with Salt and Pepa years ago, and she sued the group back in July 2019, claiming she was not getting paid royalties owed to her. Five months later ... the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice after a confidential settlement was reached, according to Spinderella's attorney, Paul Stafford.

Amanda Bynes I'm a Rapper Now!!! ... Drops New Track Teaser

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Amanda Bynes is now in the rap game ... or so it seems, after she dropped a snippet of her new track.

The "She's the Man" star posted a new track on Instagram dubbed "Diamonds" ... in which she raps for around 12 seconds --- "Diamonds, Diamonds on my neck, on my wrist" and so on. The track is only the second thing she's posted to her 505k followers on Instagram.

She's also got a rapper by the name of Precise on the track. It's unclear when Amanda recorded the track or how serious she is about getting into the rap game, but back in June she rapped along to A$AP Rocky's "A$AP Forever."

As you know ... Amanda, who has been under conservatorship for the past 7 years, graduated from the prominent L.A. fashion school FIDM back in June 2019.

Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, Tyga Hit Up Maskless 150-Person Miami Bash ... Other Celebs There Too

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MASKLESS IN MIAMI

Gucci Mane and Tyga are among a throng of celebs living it up like the pandemic has long been defeated ... partying at a huge maskless rager in Miami.

Gucci and Tyga were seen partying over the weekend at a 150-person bash in the 305. The shindig was apparently held in the backyard of ex-"Real Housewives of Miami" star Lisa Hochstein and her plastic surgeon husband, Lenny Hochstein.

Some of the other celebs there included Lil Pump, Scott Disick and Lil Baby. You can see from the videos there wasn't a mask in sight for the private party/concert being held for Electric Feel label founder Austin Rosen. Post Malone and 24kGoldn are among Rosen's artists ... Post wasn't at the party, but 24kGoldn was in attendance.

Guests were encouraged to wear their masks while not drinking and eating ... and they were also supposed to practice social distancing but that clearly didn't happen. And, get this ... according to the NY Post, which first reported the story, guests were on a so-called "honor system" to get tested for COVID before attending the party.

Hochstein told the Post, "We offered the backyard of our home to a friend that wanted to plan a last-minute get together. They were required to hire private security and cap the capacity at 150 people." She went on to say guests were also temperature checked and they were only allowed access to the outdoor space surrounding the house.

Remember, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told us his city is thriving with few restrictions ... and these celebs are definitely NOT the first to take advantage. Teyana Taylor, for example, celebrated her 30th birthday party there and insisted they followed COVID guidelines.

President Trump Pardons are Coming ... Lil Wayne Expected to Make the List!!!

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It looks like Lil Wayne could be let off the hook in his federal gun case by none other than President Trump ... who's reportedly expected to pardon the rapper before his term ends.

Trump's believed to have a pretty lengthy list of names for his final round of commutations and pardons -- an estimated 50 to 100 people -- and according to Fox News ... he'll announce them in a big reveal Tuesday or, at the latest, Wednesday morning before Joe Biden's inauguration.

When he does, it sounds like people anticipate Lil Wayne to be a notable beneficiary of a presidential pardon ... which ya can't help but think is perhaps a thank you for endorsing Trump in the days leading up to the 2020 election.

As you'll recall ... Weezy posed for a photo op with 45 and touted his track record with criminal justice reform, along with the Trump administration's proposed "platinum plan" for helping the Black community.

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ME AND WEEZY

Trump also praised Lil Wayne as an activist and a "really nice guy." Weezy got a lot of criticism for their pow wow, but it seems he's on track to reap a big reward for it now.

As we reported ... Wayne pled guilty in federal court last month to illegally possessing a loaded weapon while traveling to Miami on a private jet a year earlier.

The rapper's a convicted felon, so he's facing the possibility of up to 10 years in prison at sentencing ... though he's likely to get far less than that for agreeing to the guilty plea.

Of course, he'll get off scot-free if the presidential pardon comes through ... so the final days of Trump's term will be big for Lil Wayne.

Bow Wow in Houston Mayor Hates Me for Packed Shows!!! I'm Not Only One to Blame

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Bow Wow's the fall guy for all of the events in Houston this weekend that didn't follow proper COVID-19 protocols ... according to the rapper himself, who believes the mayor has it out for him.

As we reported ... BW was criticized for drawing a large, mostly unmasked crowd at a club Friday night, and caught the attention of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner because he had more gigs scheduled the rest of the weekend.

The mayor tweeted Sunday that Bow Wow's scheduled events in Houston were on his radar, adding ... "Other bars/clubs that are operating as restaurants, beyond capacity and social distancing requirements, please expect visits."

Though the mayor cited rising COVID cases and deaths in his city and made it clear "Concerts are not allowed in Houston at this time unless it is virtual," Bow Wow's taking it personally ... griping, "Safe to say the mayor of houston hates my guts."

The rapper says he's skipping town but he can't believe he's getting blamed for the whole weekend, and points out he wasn't the only celeb there over the weekend.

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PACKED TO THE GILLS

That's true -- as we told you ... Meek Mill and J. Prince Jr. were also at the club with Bow Wow Friday night, and neither seemed to be wearing masks, like most of the crowd.

Multiple wrongs don't make any of this right though, and it should be noted ... Bow Wow's not saying he doesn't deserve blame -- just not ALL of it.

Dr. Dre Back in the studio After Hospital Release

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Dr. Dre is back home, and back to doing what he does best in the wake of being released from the hospital ... making music, and looking healthy doing it.

Five-time, Grammy-winning producer Focus posted a photo Saturday of him, Dre and a bunch of other creatives hanging out in what appears to be a recording studio. Dre is front and center, giving a slight smirk, and everyone around him seems to be in high spirits too.

Focus writes, "𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱!!! We Working... I TOOK THE PIC SO IM HERE!!!" That seems to confirm what we've been hearing about Dre's condition -- that he's recovering nicely, and seems to be out of the woods, as far as immediate danger.

Ice-T said as much himself, taking to Twitter on Friday to let his followers know he'd Facetimed with Dre, and that the guy was back home, "safe" and "looking good."

As we reported, Dre was released Friday ... this after nearly a week in the ICU. Doctors had kept him there out of an abundance of caution following his brain aneurysm, in case he suffered another health scare that required immediate medical attention.

Still, we were told Dre's family had been told he didn't appear to be in mortal danger for the time being, and this photo confirms that. He is, however, receiving round-the-clock care from health professionals while he continues to get up to speed at home. And, doctors are still trying to figure out what caused the aneurysm.

Phil Spector Dead at 81 ... Caught COVID-19 in Prison

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Phil Spector, the music producer responsible for some of the biggest hits in music and the architect of The Wall of Sound has died ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

We're told he died from COVID-related complications, after being transferred from his prison cell to a hospital. We're told he was diagnosed 4 weeks ago and went to the hospital but recovered well enough to return to prison, where he was serving a 19-to-life sentence for the murder of Lana Clarkson.

Our sources say he relapsed, had trouble breathing and was rushed back to the hospital, where he died Saturday.

Spector began his career early ... when he was still in high school, he produced his first big hit, "To Know Him is To Love Him," by the Teddy Bears.

And then, the floodgates opened. He produced a flurry of hits ... from The Righteous Brothers "You Lost that Lovin' Feeling," "Unchained Melody," "You're My Soul and Inspiration," The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," The Crystals' "He's a Rebel," and on and on.

Spector had a deep association with The Beatles, and produced their album, "Let It Be." Among the songs, "The Long and Winding Road," "Get Back," and the title track. He also produced John Lennon's solo work, including "Instant Karma," and "Imagine."

Phil's reach was far and wide. He also produced Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High."

When Phil produced The Ronettes, he went on to marry their lead singer, Ronnie in 1968, and had a tumultuous relationship. She accused him of tormenting her during their 4 years together by telling her she was nothing -- personally or professionally -- without him, forbidding her to leave their mansion alone, and pulling guns on her.

She eventually fled barefoot from him in 1972.

Spector's "Wall of Sound" was a technique he discovered in a tunnel near Hollywood Blvd. The sound created a roaring effect, which Spector called the "Wagnerian approach to rock 'n' roll" -- it involved overdubbing scores of musicians in an orchestral style to make a fuller sound.

The technique was mimicked by the Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Spector ended up in prison for the second-degree murder of Clarkson, an actress he'd met in 2003 while she was working at the House of Blues in WeHo. They went back to his mansion, and he shot her ... although he'd claimed it was an accidental suicide.

His first trial, in 2007, was declared a mistrial, due to a hung jury, but he was convicted in a 2009 retrial.

In March 2013, Al Pacino played Spector in the movie "Phil Spector."

Spector was 81.

RIP

Latin Singer Chesca Tests Positive for COVID ... Still Performing at Biden's MLK Celebration

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Latin singer Chesca -- an artist who was supposed to perform at Joe Biden's MLK Day celebration -- just announced she caught the coronavirus ... but the show will still go on, with her in the mix no less.

Chesca took to IG to break the news Saturday, writing in Spanish that she recently attended a recording session at a studio in Miami ... where one of the producers looked sick. She says she asked if it was COVID-related, and he assured it wasn't -- he said he was hungover.

Not the case it turns out ... Chesca says it was COVID all along, because everyone in the studio that day caught the virus. Chesca posted her positive test result, with a caption that reads ... "#F***COVID." Looks like she got a rapid antigen test too.

Chesca tells TMZ ... "Luckily none of us are experiencing bad symptoms and feel ok. We all tested positive as well. I have mild to 0 symptoms and I feel good just a bit of body aches."

She adds, "I feel good and I am doing the performance on my own. They are putting a camera and I’ll be alone." So Chesca's going to perform on Monday, as scheduled.

She is one of more than a dozen speakers and performers set to take center stage Monday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It appears some of the appearances are going to be virtual, while others will be held in person, with CDC guidelines in mind.

Some of the folks who will speak or sing/perform ... Aloe Blacc, Rev. Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King III, Rep. Sharice Davids, Rosario Dawson, Andra Day, Yo-Yo Ma, Reverand Al Sharpton, Sean Patrick Thomas, Diane Warren, Lynn Whitfield, and Bebe Winans.

The show will air Monday on Bideninagural.org, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook starting at 8 PM ET.

A couple days later ... Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are going to headline for the Inauguration.

Dr. Dre Goes Home After Brain Aneurysm ... Still Getting 24/7 Care

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Dr. Dre will finally get to sleep in his own bed tonight -- he's been discharged from the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm, but doctors are still watching him closely.

Sources close to Dre tell TMZ ... he went home Friday and while he's on the road to recovery, he still needs attention. We're told there are medical professionals at his home who will monitor him 24/7 for the next few weeks to make sure he's okay.

Our sources tell us Dre was in ICU at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. until Wednesday, when he was then moved to a private room at the hospital. Although he's been released, we're told doctors still don't know what triggered the brain bleed -- and that's part of the reason for the at-home care.

We broke the story ... Dre suffered an aneurysm at his Pacific Palisades home on Jan. 4 and was rushed by ambulance to Cedars.

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Our sources told us Dre's doctors cautiously informed his family a "bad outcome" did not appear to be on the horizon.

Dre's super lucky with this outcome ... brain aneurysms result in death about half the time, and for those fortunate enough to survive, about 2 out of 3 are left with some sort of permanent neurological deficit.

YFN Lucci Held on No Bond ... Alleged Murder Victim Part of Rapper's Crew

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APPEARING IN ZOOM COURT
UPDATE

3:12 PM PT -- YFN Lucci's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ, "Our review of the initial evidence made available to us indicates there is no basis for any criminal charges against Rayshawn Bennett. We will continue our own independent investigation on his behalf."

UPDATE

12:47 PM PT -- According to the arrest affidavit ... YFN's being held behind bars on no bond. The alleged murder victim is James Adams ... a member of YFN's crew. Cops say Adams was seen on video before the shooting saying, "We're fitting to f*** this city up, man!" and "yeah, we're f***ing this city up!"

UPDATE

Authorities say YFN and the crew had been driving around a part of Atlanta dominated by a rival gang. Cops say on the night of the shooting ... the SUV "entered an oncoming lane of traffic and stopped on the left shoulder, allowing Adams and the front passenger of the vehicle, Ra'von Boyd, to fire multiple gunshots from assault rifle style firearms at people in the rival gang territory."

UPDATE

Cops say another guy, Kevin Wright, sustained at least one gunshot wound in the shooting while Adams was shot in the head by return gunfire. He died but not before cops say "Adams was manually ejected from the vehicle a short distance away -- his body left [on] the street."

UPDATE

6:14 AM PT -- YFN Lucci turned himself in late Wednesday night and is currently in custody at Fulton County Jail.

UPDATE

The 911 call that led to the felony murder warrant for YFN Lucci's arrest is disturbing ... a woman describing a man clinging to a moving SUV before he was left for dead.

TMZ's obtained audio of the 911 call a woman made in Atlanta last month when she saw a white SUV speeding by "with a man hanging out of the car." She says she eventually saw the man get shoved out onto the street.

The witness told the operator the victim appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and she desperately tried to get an ambulance to the location because the man was "still trying to fight for his life."

She remained on the scene while waiting for the ambulance, standing near the victim -- and said he was "taking his last breath" and he died moments later.

As we reported ... Lucci is wanted by Atlanta PD's homicide unit for his alleged role in the man’s death. We're told cops are looking to bring him in on multiple charges ... including felony murder, aggravated assault, participation in criminal street gang activity, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Atlanta PD's offering a $5k award for info leading to his arrest and indictment.

Originally published -- 12:40 AM PT

Post Malone Hooks Up Hospital Workers ... Get These Heroes Some Crocs!!!

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Post Malone is making sure hospital workers working on the pandemic frontlines are comfortable while spending hours on their feet by gifting thousands of pairs of his custom Crocs.

The Post Malone x Crocs Duet Max Clog II are still sold out after hitting the market last month, but Posty is pulling strings to hook up 10,000 hospital workers with the impossible-to-find footwear.

Post and Crocs teamed up with a charity called Musicians on Call -- which brings tunes to hospital bedsides - to donate the shoes to frontline caregivers, housekeeping staff and healthcare workers busting their tails at about 70 facilities across the nation.

Now, the custom Crocs are being worn around various hospital units ... including, COVID, cardiac, ICU, oncology, surgical care and pediatrics.

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CROCS FOR EVERYONE!!!

Post isn't being stingy with his shoe line ... as we told you, he's already given thousands of 'em to students and communities all over the globe.

Dr. Dre Still In ICU Almost a Week After Brain Aneurysm ... Cause Remains a Mystery

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Dr. Dre is still in intensive care, one week after he was rushed to the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm, and doctors are still trying to figure out what happened.

Sources connected to Dre with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dre's where he's been since last Monday -- in ICU at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. Our sources say doctors continue to do a battery of tests to get to the root problem. Doctors also want him in ICU in case, God forbid, he suffers another aneurysm ... if that happens, time would be of the essence.

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We don't know if Dre has gone into surgery, but that's usually the case to stop bleeding.

As for his current state ... the music legend is resting comfortably, and perhaps even more encouraging, our sources say docs have cautiously informed his family that a "bad outcome" doesn't appear to be on the horizon.

TMZ broke the story ... Dre suffered the aneurysm at his Pacific Palisades home Monday and was rushed by ambulance to Cedars.

If things stay that way, Dre is truly lucky -- brain aneurysms result in death around 50% of the time, and for those who survive ... about 2/3 suffer some sort of permanent neurological deficit.