COVID in Spain 5,000 Attend Concert in Barcelona

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You wouldn't know COVID is out of control in Europe and, in particular, Spain, looking at this concert Saturday night with thousands of folks packed into a concert hall.

To be specific ... 5,000 fans showed up in Barcelona for the biggest commercial event in all of Europe since the pandemic exploded more than a year ago.

The fans came to see Love of Lesbian, and there were some precautions, as in masks. As for social distancing ... not so much. Concertgoers did get tested Saturday AM. The way it worked ... if they tested negative, they got a code on their cellphones which they then presented at the door.

The event had the seal of approval from Spanish Health authorities, along with folks from the Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation.

Spain has had a rough go of COVID ... more than 3 million cases and 75,000 deaths. The country has struggled with the pandemic. The current rules are no more than 4 people in an enclosed space.

Kodak Black Show Some L.O.V.E. to My Clothing Line ... Benefiting Judicial Reform!!!

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Kodak Black's creative juices have been flowing since his prison release, and we're not just talking music -- he's launched a clothing line that'll benefit a cause dear to him.

Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... the rapper's starting a new clothing line dubbed L.O.V.E. ... an acronym for "Loyalty Out Values Everything." The brand's only in its infancy but Bradford says major retailers like DTLR, Hibbett Sports, City Gear and Snipes have pre-ordered the apparel.

So far, biz is boomin' ... we're told L.O.V.E. has nearly sold out its first run of pre-orders. There are also plans to roll out a sneaker line and possibly partner up with national brands down the road.

The best part of this venture is Kodak plans to donate a portion of the profits to local, national and international charities dedicated to empowering minorities and judicial reform ... according to his lawyer.

As you know, former President Trump commuted Kodak's sentence in January.

Since his release, he's been giving back left and right -- like the scholarship he set up in the name of one of the Parkland victims. Now, he wants to give more ... with a little L.O.V.E.

Lil Nas X Teams Up with MSCHF To Release 'Satan Shoes'

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Lil Nas X is fully leaning into his new hellish aesthetic -- teaming up with an idea org to release "Satan Shoes" ... this on the heels of his polarizing music video on the same subject.

The rapper/pop star is putting out a limited release of Nike sneakers that are all about the Prince of Darkness and his kingdom ... right down to the box artwork and even the shoe design itself, which features a pentagram emblem sitting on the laces.

Check out the photos ... they're not leaving much to the imagination here.

The shoe body is a Nike Air Max '97, which MSCHF -- the company behind this campaign -- has reinvented with Nas X's new 'Montero' song and video in mind. It's got a bible scripture emblazoned on the side, Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

There's also a 666 reference toward the back of the shoe ... with another number in front of it, alluding to which limited unit it is. Word is, MSCHF/Nike are only dishing out 666 of these puppies to the public ... so if you have 6/666, that seems to mean you got the 6th model.

Here's the kicker ... apparently, these shoes will contain one drop of human blood somewhere along the soles. And no, not the metaphorical blood, sweat and tears of the factory workers who will presumably put these together ... like, actual plasma-filled red stuff.

Unclear whose blood exactly is being used for this ... but it's provocative, without a doubt.

Of course, the collab follows Nas X dropping a visual project for his track 'Montero (Call Me By Your Name)' ... which got a lot of mixed reactions this past week.

It depicts him descending into hell and cozying up to Lucifer himself ... and giving him an erotic lap dance, no less. Some loved it, saying it's a celebration of Nas X's sexuality. Others, including some parents, felt it was over the top and NSFW ... especially considering Nas X's younger audience, aka children, who came to know/love him through 'Old Town Road.'

Seems LNX is embracing the famed Jordan "f*** them kids" mantra. He's all in on H-E-double hockey sticks. The shoes will retail for over $1,000, and hit the market March 29.

Beyonce Thieves Hit Her Storage Units ... $1 Million in Goods Stolen!!!

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Someone hit the Beyhive ... Beyonce's storage units were broken into and burglars made off with more than $1 million worth of valuables.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 3 L.A. area storage units filled with Beyonce goodies were hit twice by thieves earlier this month, and the culprits swiped her expensive handbags and dresses.

While the storage units are being rented out by her production company, Parkwood Entertainment, we're told the missing items from the first heist all belong to Queen Bey.

Our sources say burglars came back within a week, and took down 3 storage units in the same facility ... making off with handbags, kids toys and photos belonging to one of Beyonce's stylists.

Bey is the latest singer to have storage units burglarized, and we're told these kinds of crimes are on the rise. As we first reported, thieves recently stole clothes, family photos and mementos from Miley Cyrus' storage space.

We're told LAPD continues to investigate the Beyonce heist, but no arrests yet. If cops can't solve it, maybe the Beyhive can.

Demi Lovato Primal Cries and Screams ... In 'Dancing with the Devil' Video

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Demi Lovato had a gut-wrenching, emotionally-charged reaction as she filmed her music video for "Dancing with the Devil," and TMZ has obtained the dramatic video.

Demi co-directed the music video with Michael D. Ratner, which they shot in the last week. The scene is a hospital setting, with Demi in a bed hooked up to all sorts of monitors -- mimicking the fight of her life after almost dying from an OD.

Production sources tell TMZ, Demi surprised everyone by saying she wanted to go off script and freestyle. Once the cameras were rolling, she began lip-syncing the song and began to sob uncontrollably.

As the song -- which was released Thursday night -- chronicled her journey as she lied about her addiction, her emotions got more and more intense.  At one point you hear Ratner say "Into camera" ...  Demi gazed into the lens and the sobbing became primal ... you can feel it even though you don't hear it.

Our sources say people on the set were really nervous when Demi said she wanted to freestyle .... worrying the emotion might be too much for her. Turns out it was the opposite ... after the take she told everyone she loved it because it was "cathartic."

Nipsey Hussle Estate Settles 'Marathon' Beef with Crips

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The marathon continues, but the marathon feud Nipsey Hussle's estate had with the Crips is over ... thanks to a settlement of a lawsuit.

Nipsey's brother, Samiel Asghedom, just informed the court in writing that the estate's reached the settlement with Crips LLC. The notice was filed Thursday in L.A. County court.

As we first reported ... Nipsey's estate sued the gang's corporate arm back in October over the rights to Nip's "The Marathon Continues" slogan.

In the suit, Hussle's estate claimed the Crips org filed a trademark for the phrase less than 2 months after he was murdered outside his Marathon Clothing Store, despite Nipsey's family already owning several 'Marathon' trademarks themselves ... all related to his famous store.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the sides are still hammering out some of the terms -- but they expect to submit the formal terms of the agreement shortly.

In the suit, Nipsey's estate was seeking monetary damages and a judgment directing the Crips company to destroy any merch it had made with the trademarks.

Ja Rule Sells Fyre Festival Painting for $122k ... Thanks to NFT Craze!!!

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UPDATE

7:29 AM PT -- Ja Rule tells TMZ ... he's a "vibes kind of guy" and felt he needed to get it out of his house "so the fresh energy could grow." He tells us, "When I first had it made -- I was energized -- I had embarked on a new business -- but then it became a symbol of what could have been. For me, it's done and over with."

UPDATE

In the end, Ja says he didn't care how much the painting sold for because "it was NOT about the money."

Ja Rule is unloading some bad juju from the infamous disaster known as the Fyre Festival ... which is why he sold this painting for way less than his asking price.

The rapper who was tied to the dumpster fire of a festival sold the oil-paint portrait of the Fyre Festival logo for a cool $122k as a non-fungible token (NFT) -- meaning the buyer just gets a one-of-a-kind digital code linked to the image.

Ja originally wanted at least $600k for the physical painting, but a note Ja wrote -- and included in the sale -- shows his true feelings about the piece ... "F*** this painting."

Yeah, he wanted it gone, stat.

The image is 48" x 60" and was commissioned by Ja himself and created by Tripp Derrick Barnes. It once hung in the company's HQs in NYC before it was later moved to Ja's man cave at his NJ home.

But, when the Fyre Festival went to hell -- culminating with organizer Billy McFarland being sentenced to 6 years in prison -- Ja told Forbes last week he decided it was finally time to sell the painting because, "I just wanted that energy out."

Btw ... Ja sold the painting via his NFT exchange venture, FlipKick ... which will focus on selling NFTs that feature digital and physical objects.

The buyer is remaining anonymous, for now, but can also get Ja Rule's signature with the purchase. Pitiful cheese sandwich NOT included!

Originally published -- 7:02 AM PT

Village People Screw the Grammys ... Don't Induct Us in Your HOF!!!

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Village People founder Victor Willis is teeing off on the Grammys, saying it disrespects recording artists and has a Hall of Fame so lame ... the group's rejecting the recent induction of its biggest hit.

Willis tells TMZ ... his legendary disco group told Grammy Interim President Harvey Mason that it's declining induction into the 2021 Grammy Hall of Fame because the Hall is "lacking" and "not taken seriously by the recording academy."

Willis -- the cop in the Village People -- takes serious issue with the lack of attention Grammy Hall inductees get, saying there's no mention of them during the actual Grammy Awards ... and there's no induction ceremony.

For the record, the group's iconic track "Y.M.C.A." specifically was inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame in December, because it's only for singles or albums, not the artists -- but Victor's not even down with them honoring the song.

He calls the whole thing an insult the Village People want no part of until the Grammys "get their act together." He adds that when the group releases an album later this year, it likely won't even submit it for Grammy consideration.

He goes on to say the Grammys should "show respect for classic artists who built the recording business."

Still, you can count Victor in among the musical acts who are very anti-Grammys these days ... with The Weeknd leading the charge.

Xscape's LaTocha Us 'Verzuz' SWV!!!

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WE GOT THIS!!!

There's a new "Verzuz" matchup on the horizon ... and it's pitting Xscape against SWV for a battle of female R&B groups.

We got Xscape's LaTocha Scott in New York City Wednesday and she told us the rumors and speculation are true ... she's heading into battle May 8 alongside Kandi Burruss, Tameka 'Tiny' Harris and her sister, Tamika Scott.

Mark your calendars!!!

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz have managed to keep the epic matchup under wraps until now ... with recent flyers for upcoming "Verzuz" battles blurring out the opponents.

The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire are next up on Easter Sunday, followed by Redman and Method Man for a "How High" April 20 special, and then it's on to Xscape and SWV!!!

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Kandi first teased a "Verzuz" with SWV way back in December, and fans have been clamoring for the matchup ever since ... and LaTocha tells us how it all came together.

Sounds like Xscape is already deep into their preparation ... LaTocha says the group's had tons of meetings to hammer out their battle playlist, so SWV better come correct!

There's still at least 5 "Verzuz" battles yet to be revealed ... and LaTocha tells us she's hoping for a showdown between Missy Elliott and Timbaland.

Stay tuned.

Prince Paisley Park to Display His Ashes Marking 5th Anniversary of Death

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Prince fans will soon have a chance to pay their respects to him, in person, when Paisley Park opens its doors to the public and displays his ashes in the museum's atrium.

Paisley Park officials announced it'll allow 1,400 people -- through reservations at paisleypark.com -- inside the Minnesota compound for a 30-minute visit to the atrium on April 21 ... which will be the 5th anniversary of Prince's sudden death.

The museum will offer 70 time slots ... and 20 people per slot will be allowed inside. But, the visit to the museum will be limited to the atrium because no regular tours will be offered on that day.

The best part about this to those lucky enough to get a reservation ... admission is free. There will also be an online memorial for those who can't get a reservation.

Paying their respects is long overdue for some fans -- a custom-made ceramic urn shaped like Paisley Park with Prince's symbol on it had been displayed a few months after his death, but it was ultimately removed from public view.

TMZ broke the story ... Prince died in 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.

NBA YoungBoy Busted in L.A. on Federal Warrant ... Tracked Down by K-9 Unit

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NBA YoungBoy is in FBI custody after LAPD cops pulled him over and tracked him down when he allegedly attempted to flee the scene.

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We're told the bust went down Monday ... LAPD and the feds attempted to pull over a vehicle NBA YoungBoy was in because he has an outstanding federal warrant. That set off a short pursuit -- but once the car stopped, cops say the rapper bolted on foot.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the cops set up a perimeter and brought in a K-9 to help find YoungBoy. BTW, we're told the police dog didn't bite him -- but did sniff him out.

We're told the cops found a firearm in the vehicle -- unclear if that belongs to YoungBoy, but we know the feds have him now.

We've reached out to his camp, but no word back yet.

Story developing ...

Bobby Brown Jr. Cause of Death Revealed ... Booze, Coke and Fentanyl

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Bobby Brown's son, Bobby Jr., died after ingesting a deadly cocktail of drugs ... this according to his autopsy report.

The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office just released its findings -- and according to the document, obtained by TMZ, the autopsy and toxicology found a deadly combo of alcohol, cocaine and fentanyl.

The report also says a witness told police Bobby Jr. had downed tequila and snorted half a Percocet and the cocaine. The manner of death is listed as accidental.

We broke the story ... Bobby Jr. was found dead at just 28 years old in his L.A. area home in November. Cops reported there was no foul play involved, and our law enforcement sources told us no drugs were found at the scene either.

Bobby's family said he was not feeling well in the days leading up to his death and was experiencing flu-like symptoms. However, a family source told us he did not have COVID-19.

The death was another horrific tragedy in the family, as Bobby Jr. was the half-brother of Bobbi Kristina -- Bobby Brown's daughter with Whitney Houston who passed away in July 2015 after several months on life support. Bobbi Kristina had been in a coma following a bathtub drowning. She also had toxic levels of cocaine and alcohol in her system.

Demi Lovato 'I Didn't Control Any of My Life' During My Addiction

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WORKS FOR ME

Demi Lovato says her life was so out of control during addiction she couldn't make big decisions -- about her finances -- or even little things, like what she ate.

Demi made that revelation on CBS "Sunday Morning News" while talking about her documentary film, "Dancing with the Devil" ... and she admitted, "I didn't control any of my life at that period of time. But yes, I also needed to grow up and take control."

The singer says it's really only in the last 2 years that she's changed that, and much more. Demi adds, "I'm now in control of my finances, I'm now in control of the food that I eat, how often I work out."

Demi said things got so bad with her food intake ... every time she was in a hotel room her phone was taken away from her so she wouldn't order room service.

She also opened up a little bit about her recovery, and interestingly she says she's what they call "California sober." Demi didn't dig into what that means for her -- and explained why she didn't want to say -- but that's a phrase that commonly means someone who uses a little marijuana.

As we reported ... Demi told Smith she was about 5 to 10 minutes from death after her 2018 overdose.

"Dancing with the Devil" premieres Tuesday on YouTube TV.

Fleetwood Mac Skateboarder Stevie Nicks Crushed My 'Dreams' ... Blocked Song from NFT!!!

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Nathan Apodaca has some dreams he'd like to sell, but Stevie Nicks just won't let it happen ... so says the skateboarder who went viral for vibing to her hit song.

A rep for Nathan, AKA Doggface, tells TMZ ... Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" is part of the Warner Music Group catalog, so they reached out to see if they could include the track on the famous 23-second TikTok clip of Nathan skateboarding to it while sipping on cranberry juice ... which he wants to sell as a non-fungible token (NFT).

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We're told Doggface's team offered Stevie -- who wrote the song -- 50 percent from the sale ... but she shot it down.

Nathan's rep says he feels slighted because Stevie never acknowledged him after his "Dreams" video went viral -- unlike some other members of Fleetwood Mac did -- even though it helped give her song a major boost.

We're told Doggface thinks her rejection of his NFT offer shows she wants nothing to do with him or his video.

We broke the story ... Nathan's still going ahead with selling the NFT of his original video, but it will be without the music since they couldn't secure the rights.

The NFT will now go up for sale March 27 with opening bids set at a whopping $500,000, so Stevie might regret her decision ... IF someone buys it for that much.

We reached out to Stevie's team ... no word back.

Justin Bieber Ripped for MLK Clips on New Album ... But MLK's Fam Loves it

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UPDATE

9:24 AM PT -- Justin went to the MLK Estate to get clearance for the audio clips, and his daughter, Bernice King, loves how they were used on the album. She tweeted, thanking Justin for his support. Sooo ... take that?

UPDATE

Justin Bieber's crossed a line with his new album, "Justice," and he's getting called out for it -- turns out mixing pop love songs with snippets of Martin Luther King Jr. speeches was not a great idea.

JB dropped the album Thursday night, and the first voice you hear on it isn't his ... it's MLK saying, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Powerful and true words ... no one's questioning that, but it's the fact the speech is used to introduce the love song, "2 Much" that's pissing off a lot of people.

Twitter's teeing off on Justin for the "tone deaf" use of MLK, because, despite its title, the album isn't about social justice. It's filled with Bieber's signature pop ballads and dance tunes -- and they're pretty good -- but MLK Jr. has NO connection to them.

There's even a nearly 2 minute "MLK Interlude" track in the middle of the record, which leads into a song called "Die For You." If you're thinking there's a tie-in because of MLK's assassination ... nope! It's just an upbeat diddy about a hot chick.

While no one's gonna question Justin's chops in pop music, he's way off the mark here as a historian.

Originally Published -- 8:41 AM PT

Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion 'Disgusting Strip Club' Complaints Hit FCC for Grammys 'WAP'

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Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are being compared to the likes of Pepe Le Pew and Dr. Seuss after their Grammy night performance of "WAP" prompted dozens of heated -- and sometimes amusing -- complaints to the FCC.

Based on the 80 or so reviews (yeah, that's what we'll call 'em) ... you'd have to say the rappers' were every bit as eye-popping and titillating as intended -- especially since one Colorado viewer groused it was "as if they were dancing in a strip club."

Bingo!!! Remember, the stage included a stripper pole and women drowning in dollar bills.

In many of the FCC complaints, uncovered by WFAA in Dallas, wardrobe was a big issue ... particularly for an Idaho viewer who called their outfits "absolutely disgusting" -- while a Texas critic said Megan was "barely dressed in a thong" with "naked look-alike legs."

Sorry, sir or ma'am, those were Meg's actual legs.

One person in NJ complained, "Why was that performance okay but Pepe Le Pew is offensive?" -- a reference to the Looney Tunes character getting canceled for allegedly perpetuating rape culture.

Likewise, another viewer wondered how Dr. Seuss's books were being yanked while Cardi is allowed to "sing about her [WAP] on national television."

Truth is, this was a light night for the FCC compared to something like Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl -- which drew 540,000 complaints!!

Soooo ... Cardi & MTS still have some work to do.