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Saweetie says the rash of violence against Asian Americans that's stirring fear across the country has affected her family as well ... but she's aiming to put a stop to the hate she believes is at the root of it.

The "Fast (Motion)" rapper joined "TMZ Live" Monday to discuss Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ... which is perhaps more important than ever as hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saweetie -- who's of Filipino and Chinese descent -- explains how the widespread violence has hit close to home ... especially the video of the elderly Asian woman getting randomly attacked in NYC.

She tells us that could have very well been her own grandmother, and says incidents like that have caused concern among families just like hers.

The bright side, according to Saweetie, is she believes the age of social media is opening people's eyes to how rampant this problem is ... and she's doing her part to raise awareness too.

She'll be performing with Jhene Aiko on Friday for the AAPI Heritage Month special, "See Us Unite for Change" ... hosted by Ken Jeong and featuring appearances by Daniel Dae Kim, Lisa Ling and more.

Janet Jackson screams cash ... $125,000 in cold, hard cash!!!

The outfit Janet wore in the "Scream" music video just fetched $125k at auction.

It was part of Julien's Auctions event, titled, "Iconic Treasures From the legendary Career and Life of Janet Jackson."  Janet turned over 1,000 items from her life to Julien's, and it coincided with her 55th birthday.

As for the getup ... we'll use the auction's description -- "A black circular "bubble" textured fabric long-sleeve shirt by Dexter Wong, a pair of black patent leather pants, and a pair of black patent leather over-the-ankle chunky low-heel boots."

The outfit was featured in the 1995 music vid which was a huge hit.

Compassion International, an org that fights child poverty, will get a cut of the action.

Other treasures brought in big bucks, like her floor-length metallic silver coat with lambskin shearling lining, cuffs and collar ... which sold for $50,000.  And there was her silver strink bikini and matching pants which commanded $25,600.

And there's more ... Her jacket from the 1990 Rhythm Nation Tour and 1814 cap and black satin gloves fetched $81,250. And get this ... a pair of earrings Oprah Winfrey presented to Janet Jackson at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball in May 2005 were up for auction. The earrings are in a sterling silver case engraved "A Bridge to Now" on the top and "JJ" on the front and housed in a red leather presentation box.

A piece of Janet's life sure ain't cheap, but clearly worth it.

Fat Joe seems to think DJ Khaled is the "Quincy Jones of hip-hop" -- but a lot more people seem to think he's dead wrong ... and outright disrespecting the legendary record producer.

Joe made the inflammatory comment this week while chopping it up with N.O.R.E. on his 'Drink Champs' podcast ... talking about the new Jay-Z/Nas song "Sorry Not Sorry" that appears on Khaled's latest album, "Khaled Khaled."

They were gassing up the song -- rightfully so, it's solid -- but then FJ turned the focus back onto DJK ... saying the guy really doesn't get enough credit for what he does.

Joe said people believe all Khaled does is get the biggest names in hip-hop/pop and throw them together on catchy songs -- but he insists there's a lot more to it than that, as several other DJs/producers attempt to do the same time and again and don't get the same results.

Then came Joe's hot take ... saying Khaled's the Quincy of the rap game, and A LOT of people were NOT having it. Joe caught wind of the backlash, however, and tried clarifying a bit.

He writes, "All these back seat drivers Monday morning quarterbacks always got an opinion but can’t do it themselves shit crazy." Joe adds, "To me the term Quincy jones of this time was used in reference to the work khaled has put in years and years of hit obviously there’s only one Quincy but f*ck it tune in tonight EXPLOSIVE lol."

The reason folks are pissed for the comparison is because, well, DJ Khaled doesn't make his own beats ... which isn't a secret either, BTW. He mostly curates, collecting tracks he likes ... and ad-libbing his famous lines over them while getting his music industry pals to feature.

It's official ... Tessica Brown is now forever etched, or glued, into pop culture, now that Nicki Minaj is shouting her out on a new track, and Tessica's flattered!!!

The Harajuku Barbie just dropped her song, "Fractions" and it includes lyrics referencing the moniker Tessica will have forever... Gorilla Glue Girl. Nicki raps, "... head game slicker than little miss gorilla glue."

Pretty dope, and Tessica tells TMZ ... she thought the line was cute. She says normally she's offended if someone calls her Gorilla Glue Girl, instead of her name, but Nicki gets a pass.

She says even though Nicki didn't reach out in advance to brief her about the shout-out, she hopes to meet her in person one day.

Nicki's still working on her next album -- which Tessica says she'll cop, for sure -- and the new track is part of the "Beam Me Up Scotty" mixtape she just dropped on streaming platforms.

DJ Khaled is getting dragged online for posting videos of women in bikinis twerking on a yacht ... and it's all because it coincided with the most holy month for Muslims.

Khaled, who was raised Muslim, posted some behind-the-scenes footage of what looks like a music video shoot for his song, "Body in Motion," featuring Lil Baby -- and yes, it features lots of scantily-clad hotties shaking their assets. The issue is he posted it Wednesday, the last day of Ramadan.

During Ramadan -- a holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims -- both men and women are recommended to dress conservatively ... nothing tight or revealing, like the bikinis the women are wearing around Khaled in the video.

As you can see, Khaled is getting ripped for his post ... with some saying he's being disrespectful, especially in light of the situation in Palestine.

DMX fans going to his tribute show in Texas later this month are in for an even more special treat than expected because his family will be there ... and one of his daughters is going to take the mic.

We broke the story ... the late rapper was scheduled to perform at the Wildcatter Saloon in Katy, TX in late May, but after his death, the bar decided to throw a tribute concert.

Justin, owner of the Wildcatter, tells us he's been working hard to add acts to the event  -- and now, DMX's fiancee, Desiree, and their son, Exodus, will make an appearance.

We're told Desiree plans to take the stage at some point and deliver a short speech as part of the tribute.

Justin says X's 8-year-old daughter, Sonovah Hillman Jr., and her mother will be attending ... with Sonovah set to perform in honor of her daddy.

Sonovah wowed the crowd at DMX's memorial service in Brooklyn last month, and we're told she plans to do something similar -- a rendition of "Slippin'" -- at the Texas show.

Justin says Sonovah will likely be the second to the last act, with OG Ruff Ryder Drag-On closing the show.

The bar owner tells us it was really important to get family and close friends of X's participating in the tribute concert.

Saweetie did what a lot of street performers do in L.A. ... take centerstage on a makeshift platform, and ask for donations -- but it looks like this was just a way to plug her new song.

The rapper -- who's fresh off a very public breakup with Quavo -- was out at the Santa Monica Pier Friday ... where she put on an impromptu performance for anyone who was nearby. She did at least a couple songs ... "My Type" and her new single, "Fast (Motion)."

Saweetie didn't shy away from this either, BTW ... she posted a video of her performing herself, and her caption is very cheeky -- "rent was dueee 🤷🏽‍♀️ streetie in the streets catch me next time luhhh y’all 🤣🤣🤣 #fastmotion." On its face, it seems this was all intentional.

You can tell she was joking around ... because she had a little donation basket at the base of her feet, which read "Pretty Bitch Summer Donations." So yeah, a bit of viral marketing.

Of course, some people saw this and didn't get the gag ... taking jabs at Saweetie while also hyping up Quavo as the clear "winner" in their split. Folks are also playing on the false rumor that Quavo had repo'd a Bentley he gifted her ... saying things had gone downhill for her ever since they went separate ways. But, as we told you, that Bentley news was BS.

Keep in mind, Saweetie is a professional, signed artist ... and doesn't seem hard-pressed for cash at all. Her music is blowing up, she's been appearing in commercials of late, just dropped a new line of sunglasses ... and she's starting to break into TV roles too.

Mariah Carey didn't seem too amused by a small-time artist sampling her smash hit for his own remix -- telling him to get ready for a legal battle ... but it looks like she's just joshin'.

The singer responded to an A&R consultant who posted a music video from rapper/singer YTK doing his own version of "Shake It Off' -- only his take is a lot more ominous and street-friendly, 'cause he calls it "Let It Off" ... as in, let off rounds of gunfire. Still, it's catchy.

The video had started to catch fire online ... people appeared to be pretty down with it, and there was a mini viral campaign of sorts to help make it into a legally-cleared song.

So, the A&R guy wrote ... "Mariah Carey has 24 hours to respond." Welp, she responded alright ... but wasn't very receptive (on the surface, anyway). MC replied, "How about y'all have 24 hours to respond to my lawyers." She also posted a GIF of her saying, "GTFO."

Daaaaaammmmnn ... pretty feisty, huh??? Eh, not exactly -- apparently, Mariah was joking with her aggressive clap-back ... at least, according to the A&R exec who started this whole thing.

He elaborated on what was happening behind the scenes, saying he'd actually hit up none other than Questlove to help him get the song cleared for YTK ... and, apparently, Quest was on board to help make it happen. Also ... it sounds like Mariah's cool with them using the song, but the hold-up at this point might be Sony ... which appears to hold the rights.

Bobby Shmurda's fresh ink is meant to honor 3 heroes of his -- one historical, and 2 with whom he has a much more personal connection.

The rapper's tattoo artist, Daz Leone, tells TMZ ... he met up with Bobby at his studio in the wee hours of the morning Wednesday, where he was in a mixing session with his engineer for some new music.

Daz says Bobby wanted to get a Harriet Tubman tat on his arm because she's an idol of his, and so are his single mother and grandmother who raised him.

We're told Shmurda's body art is meant to honor strong Black women, and for Tubman specifically ... Daz says Bobby told him her story has always resonated with him as he first learned about her in school, and even more in recent years.

According to Daz, Bobby's planning to get more tattoos acknowledging Black history after this one. Daz also tells us he's known Bobby since they were kids and he's one of the first people he ever tattooed ... so his ink is always on the house.

The ladies from SWV aren't backing down from playing their famous Michael Jackson sample in an upcoming "Verzuz" matchup ... telling us they wouldn't be there without him.

Tamara "Taj" Johnson and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked if SWV is going to play their hit, "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)," when the R&B group battles Xscape Saturday on "Verzuz."

Some folks have issues with MJ's legacy and using his sample might cause some controversy ... after all, it's happened recently on "Verzuz," when The Isley Brothers sampled R. Kelly.

But, SWV says they will NOT cancel the MJ sample ... telling us why the King of Pop's done wonders for their career.

It's pretty interesting ... Taj and Lelee say Michael didn't even make them pay to sample his 1983 hit, "Human Nature," and they tell us how the freebie fell in their lap.

The way they see it ... Michael's paid the price for his transgressions, and it's not their job to judge him by canceling his music.

If Quavo and Saweetie weren't broken up, they might be celebrating together -- neither of them will face criminal charges for their elevator altercation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the case was referred to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, which declined to file charges. We're told, based on the evidence -- surveillance video of the then-couple in a physical confrontation -- there was no likelihood of a conviction for either party.

Remember, we'd been told the cops wanted to talk to both Saweetie and Quavo to get more info on what went down before and after the video, but we now know that never happened.

The exes were clearly looking to put the situation behind them, and, at least publicly, it didn't seem like either was holding a grudge over the fight. Quavo said, "We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall."

Saweetie said something to the same effect ... while also indicating this was far from the last straw in their relationship, noting there were other "hurdles" before they split.

Tommy Lee's got a new place to call home sweet home ... and it sure is a beaut.

The Mötley Crüe drummer dropped a cool $4.15 million for a new pad in Brentwood. The Japanese-inspired modern estate has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and it features Zen-like indoor-outdoor living space.

The 4,266-square-foot house offers picturesque canyon views and, talk about rock star livin' ... the swimming pool comes with waterfalls. There's also a koi pond, dining deck, fire pit, BBQ island and garden room

Tommy's kitchen features antique Japanese tansu custom cabinetry and Brazilian mahogany countertops. It's one helluva place where Tommy can relax and unwind, for sure.

Though, it's safe to say that fresh off buying a new property, THIS is still on his mind. Yes, his Calabasas crib is still on the market.

Madonna's just like any regular soccer mom ... attending a game to cheer on her son, accompanied by her boyfriend, who's a lot closer in age to the players on the field than he is to Madge.

The Material Girl and her family hit up the pitch Sunday in Hidden Hills, CA to support her 15-year-old son, David Banda ... and her 27-year-old beau, Ahlamalik Williams, appeared to revel in the role of soccer "parent."

It was a pretty rare public outing for Madonna, but she arrived in style with a black-and-white getup complete with a cowboy hat with a whale on it ... and it looks like they all had a whale of a good time.

At one point David came over to the sideline and shared a hug with Ahlamalik, so it's pretty clear they're cool too.

If ya didn't know ... Madonna began dating the professional dancer -- 35 years her junior -- about 2 years ago, and hasn't been shy about expressing her affection for him.

Just a week ago for his 27th bday, Madonna wrote ... "Happy Birthday My Love...... Thank you for opening my eyes. How can I explain how I feel? Let's get Unconscious........" referring to lyrics in her 1994 hit "Bedtime Story."

Nothing says things are getting back to normal in the U.S. like a packed concert in Los Angeles ... where Prince Harry helped drive home the point of the night: ending the worldwide pandemic.

The visual is a little jarring at first -- thousands of people, all fully vaccinated, gathered Sunday night at SoFi Stadium for Global Citizen’s "Vax LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World" charity show. The Duke of Sussex got a huge ovation as he delivered an impassioned speech about everyone working together in this "defining moment" to end wipe out COVID-19.

Harry and Meghan Markle are serving as campaign chairs for Vax Live, and teamed up with some huge musical acts to put on the free charity concert for 47,000. Some of the performers included Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, J Balvin, H.E.R. and Jennifer Lopez ... who was joined on stage by her fully-vaxxed mom for a loving embrace.

Harry, making his first appearance back in America since Prince Philip's funeral in England -- told the crowd, "Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience and the millions of frontline heroes around the world."

President Biden also addressed the audience -- via recorded message -- and other special guest speakers included Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman.

Travis Scott touched down in Miami in a brand-spanking-new private jet ... and it's ridiculously big!!!

Travis came back from Nassau, Bahamas where he was celebrating his 29th birthday on a yacht. He goes big by sea and by air!

He apparently got the jet last Xmas, but just looking at it now ... well it's so big it looks like he's flying commercial.

Travis got some goodies for his birthday ... including this humungous Hermes bag!! You can't say he doesn't travel in style.

Now, it's not like it's a competition ... BUT, it looks like Travis' jet might be bigger than Kylie Jenner's, and that's saying something. She reportedly plunked down $72.8 million for her flying machine.

Jack Harlow was feet away from what turned out to be a fatal shooting in Kentucky this weekend -- and TMZ's got video of the moment shots were fired ... and Jack scrambling.

The rapper -- who hails from the Louisville area -- was partying at a place in town called Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge ... which was throwing a shindig in honor of the Kentucky Derby, something Jack himself had attended earlier in the day Friday.

Later that night, he stopped in at Ultra Lounge ... where he was filmed vibing out near the stage. Check out the video though -- it looks like an altercation unfolds with a woman and at least one man ... who then start leaning into each other before falling over in a scuffle.

Right at that moment, you hear what sounds to be a gunshot go off ... and everyone starts making a run for it, including Jack. It doesn't appear he was injured -- but we got calls in to his rep to make sure.

While it's unclear what exactly led up to the violence or who shot ... it sadly ended with someone losing their life. Police have said a woman was found dead from the shooting and a man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.