Travis Scott Back From Paris ... What's in the Bag?!?

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Travis Scott knows when you take a trip to Paris, you gotta bring back some goodies for your GF ... we're guessing that's what he did, but it's not for sure.

Travis landed at the Van Nuys Airport Saturday and deplaned with a boatload of luggage and bags, including some bearing the name "Givenchy." The bags are huge, and what's inside may rival the cost of flying private across continents.

Now Givenchy sells both men's and women's duds, so it's unclear if these are presents for Kylie. As we reported, they've rekindled their romance, so at least SOME must be for her.

Travis was in Paris for the unveiling of his Cactus Jack Dior line at the Dior fashion show.  500 folks watched the men's runway show ... the first in-person event of its kind in a year-and-a-half because of the pandemic.

The 29-year-old beat a hasty retreat from the airport in a Maybach minivan -- yeah, Maybach and minivan don't really belong in the same sentence, but there it is.

Former Skid Row Singer Johnny Solinger Dead at 55

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UPDATE

11:39 AM PT -- Johnny's wife, Paula, released a statement on Facebook, saying, "Johnny passed. I was holding his hand. He went in peace. Thank you all."

Johnny Solinger, the former singer of Skid Row, has died.

Johnny passed on Saturday, a month after he disclosed he was battling liver failure.

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Members of the rock band announced Solinger’s death, saying, “We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.”

Solinger started a GoFundMe account last month to help pay for his treatments. He wrote: “It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what’s going on with me and my health. I have been hospitalised for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And prognosis is not so good. As with most musicians I do not have health insurance and it’s very difficult to get proper care without it.”

Skid Row hit pretty big in the late 80s and 90s with its first two albums – "Skid Row" and "Slave To The Grind." Its biggest hits ... "Youth Gone Wild," and "18 and Life" together sold 20 million albums.

Solinger became a member of Skid Row back in '99, replacing Sebastian Bach. He stayed until 2015 when he was replaced with former TNT singer Tony Harnell.

He's on several Skid Row albums, including the "Thickskin," "Revolutions Per Minute." "United World Rebellion" and "Rise Of The Damnation Army."

Solinger is survived by his wife, Paula Marcenaro Solinger.

He was 55.

RIP

Originally published -- 6:46 AM PT

Yungblud 1st Concert Since COVID ... Jam-Packed & Mostly Maskless

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Yungblud took to the stage this week for a momentous event since the pandemic began -- welcoming back concertgoers (in-person) ... who came flocking in, mostly without masks.

The rocker held his first public show at WeHo's Whisky a Go Go, which was packed to the gills with folks dying to get out and catch some tunes up close and in the flesh. It's all kosher, obviously -- the state of California is open again, and masks are largely optional.

However, it's interesting to see that the majority of people here chose not to wear a face covering ... especially because we've heard it was all basically on an honor system in terms of vaccination. We've heard from people who went that there were no vaxx card checks ... so it's a little dicey. Some may have been vaccinated, others easily might not have been.

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COME RIGHT IN!

That might make you squirm a bit when you see just how huddled and close people got during the performance -- especially when Yungblud got down low to the ground level.

At this point, it appears enough people are getting vaccinated that these people felt comfortable enough to take the chance ... to which we say, rage at your own risk. Word around town is that a lot of these smaller venues aren't checking vaccine status, so ... 🤷🏽‍♂️

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SHOWIN' FANS SOME LOVE

BTW, Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox were in attendance for this shindig -- they're pals with Yungblud -- and of course, they were doing their thing up in the upper deck ... making out and stuff.

Check out the scene after the concert ... it's just as crazy as what was going down indoors. Sure feels (and looks) like the virus is well behind us, don't it???

Britney Spears Rocked Album Sales in 'Diva Pop' ... Even Amid Conservatorship

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Britney Spears was at the top of her game -- and at the top of album sales in her respective category -- before she was in a conservatorship, and even during ... which mucks up the argument of whether the apparatus was hindering her career in any real way.

Somebody posted a video of a graph over time, depicting Britney's album sales compared to her contemporaries between 1999 and 2017 ... and it's clear that she was the queen of "Diva Pop" during that run, a good chunk of which was during her court-ordered conservatorship.

Remember, Britney splashed onto the scene in the late '90s ... and was a tour de force-type artist in the early-to-mid 2000s. But, after 2008 -- around the time Britney's conservatorship was put into place -- she was STILL the reigning queen in album sales (worldwide) when stacked up against fellow singers like Shakira, Christina Aguilera, P!nk, J Lo, Gaga, Beyonce ... and eventually, the one female pop star who came along to overtake 'em all -- Adele.

BTW, we checked the numbers here ... and this video appears to be fairly accurate as far as who was on top and when -- again, relating to worldwide album sales in this respective window. Even as late as 2017, Britney was beating out the competition ... which is wild.

So ... what does this all mean??? Depends on who you ask, we suppose. On the one hand, you could argue the conservatorship hasn't really harmed her professionally -- as she was clearly very successful even after being placed in it. In fact, we've heard her father, Jamie Spears, say he actually helped whip her finances into shape again following her breakdown.

With that said, it's become obvious that Britney wants out -- she said as much this past Wednesday -- and seems to be putting her professional life on hold until she gets her way.

The court still needs to go through a strenuous process to see if she's truly up for that. But, based on these numbers, it would seem people are going to listen to (and more importantly, buy/download) Britney's music no matter what. Perhaps even more so, after this saga.

Britney Spears Flying Solo with Heartfelt IG Posts ... It's All Her, Cassie Claims Are B.S.

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Britney Spears conspiracy theorists are back at it -- suggesting she didn't write one of her recent, emotional IG posts ... but we've learned she definitely did, and meant every word.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Internet claims that Britney's social media manager, Cassie Petrey, is the one who crafted her Thursday IG post -- the one about fairy tales and Britney's life not being one -- are complete nonsense.

If ya missed it ... some of Brit's fans speculated the post was intended as damage control following her explosive court hearing Wednesday, and pointed to her mentioning her family in a somewhat positive light as proof.

Our sources say this is totally false -- just like the previous rumors that Cassie writes her posts -- and insist Britney has always been responsible for all of the messaging on her social media and always will be.

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We're told Britney's social media accounts don't do scheduled posts either, as some fans believe, and she posts whenever she feels like it. We're also told social media has been the one positive outlet for her where she doesn't feel controlled ... so fans should believe what she says there.

Our sources add that Britney's digital team is very proud of her for speaking up in court about her conservatorship, and they note she had no complaints about social media during her testimony.

As we told you ... Britney's taking a break with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, in Hawaii following her dramatic week. So look out for fresh posts.

Prince Handwritten Notes for 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Fetch $151k at Auction!!!

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Some Prince superfan just nabbed an incredible piece of memorabilia ... the handwritten lyrics to "Nothing Compares 2 U," and it wasn't cheap.

The folks over at Boston-based RR Auction sold the awesome rock artifact for a cool $150,986. The notebook paper -- with lyrics written out in cursive (there's a lost art) -- has a back story that goes beyond Prince writing one of his biggest hits.

The fan who forked out the dough also got a detailed letter of provenance from Prince's former assistant, Therese Stoulil, explaining how she came into possession of the lyric sheet.

She says, "There was a knock on my door, and I looked out the bedroom window and saw a black BMW in my driveway and immediately recognized it as Duane's, Prince's half-brother."

Therese adds, "I went downstairs opened the door, and he only said 'this is from Prince' then he got in his car and left. Once I realized what Duane delivered, I was both stunned and humbled."

The sheet still has the white console marking tape Prince use to tape the lyrics to his mic while recording the track!

Although Prince wrote it, "Nothing Compares 2 U" was first recorded by The Family -- a group he formed -- for their 1985 self-titled debut album. Most famously, Sinead O'Connor covered it 5 years later and it became Billboard's "No. 1 World Single" of 1990.

Prince would play the track live in concert, and in 1993 he released his own rendition ... featuring Rosie Gaines.

Gift of Gab Blackalicious Rapper Dead at 50

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Rapper Gift of Gab -- one half of the famed Bay Area duo Blackalicious -- has died.

The rapper -- whose real name was Timothy J. Parker -- died last Friday ... according to the hip-hop collective Quannum Projects, which first told Rolling Stone. "Tim peacefully departed this earth to be with our ancestors on Friday, June 18, 2021."

The statement from the collective added, "He is survived by two brothers, one sister, many nieces and nephews, countless friends, and fans across the globe. We ask that the family's privacy is respected as we mourn the tremendous loss of our dear brother."

Gab had battled kidney failure in 2014 caused by type 1 diabetes ... forcing him to undergo dialysis several times a week. He reportedly got a kidney transplant in January 2020.

Xavier "Chief Xcel" Mosley -- Gab's partner and co-founder of the Bay Area group -- said, "Our brother was an MC's MC who dedicated his life to his craft. One of the greatest to ever do it. He's the most prolific person I've ever known."

He added, "He was all about pushing the boundaries of his art form in the most authentic way possible. He truly believed in the healing power of music. He viewed himself as a vessel used by a higher power whose purpose was to give positive contributions to humanity through Rhyme."

Xcel and Gab teamed up while studying at the University of California Davis. They released several EPs in the mid-90s but it was their 1999 full-length album "Nia" that brought them critical acclaim.

That same album included their iconic hit "Alphabet Aerobics" ... with Gab taking the spotlight thanks to his linguistic mastery of the alphabet with deft speed.

Daniel Radcliffe was a fan of the group ... and proved it with one helluva performance of 'Alphabet' in 2015 as a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

It was so well received ... Gab himself reportedly said Daniel "killed it." He went on to release 3 solo albums. He reportedly has almost 100 tracks for future releases.

Gift of Gab was 50.

RIP

Doja Cat All About 'Her' ... Famous Friends Attend Album Release Party

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Doja Cat brought her world to Hollywood ... with a lavish bash to celebrate her new music.

The rapper threw a star-studded party Thursday night to mark the release of her album, "Planet Her" ... and some of the biggest names in the biz were there, looking just as out of this world as the party itself.

It all went down late Thursday and into Friday morning at Goya Studios, and the celeb guest list was massive -- Saweetie, French Montana, Chloe Bailey, Normani, Ryan Destiny, Ty Dolla Sign, Winnie Harlow, Diplo, Joey Bada$$, Tyga and Swae Lee ... just to name a few.

We're also told The Weeknd made an appearance ... he's featured on one of the album's tracks.

The event looked awesome, with laser ceiling lights, a floating LED screen, a photo booth and all the decor done by Wife of the Party. Doja Cat also got sponsors for her shindig -- Ketel One Botanical, Amazon and Beats ... because it's her planet.

Britney Spears My Life's No Fairy Tale ... But I'm Gonna Read More of 'Em!!!

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Britney Spears is opening up even more on the heels of her shocking testimony -- she's apologizing to fans for pretending her life was perfect when she was actually struggling, but she's gonna do one thing to make it better.

Brit says, "I believe as people we all want the fairy tale life and by the way I’ve posted … my life seems to look and be pretty amazing … I think that’s what we all strive for!!!!"

Her IG post continues, "I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years … I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me … but honestly who doesn’t want to capture their Instagram in a fun light."

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If you've followed Britney over the years, you know she posts videos of herself dancing, painting and even answering questions from fans -- but Wednesday in court she said that was all masking her real pain.

Britney says, "Believe it or not pretending that I’m ok has actually helped" ... and posted this Albert Einstein quote, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

She finishes her post in saying, "Instagram has helped me have a cool outlet to share my presence … existence … and to simply feel like I matter despite what I was going through and hey it worked … so I’ve decided to start reading more fairy tales!!!"

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TIME FOR A BREAK

Speaking of sharing her presence, Brit's boyfriend, Sam Asghari, posted some vids of the couple on a private jet -- presumably taking a trip somewhere -- something the singer says she's been mostly restricted from ... so it's gotta be a good sign for fans.

The social media post comes just one day after Britney delivered stunning testimony in court on Wednesday ... comparing her alleged forced labor to sex trafficking, demanding her conservatorship end and she be allowed to get married and have children.

Spears' legal team has yet to submit an official petition to the court.

Megan Thee Stallion Hot Girl Summer's Officially Here ... In My New Swimwear Line!!!

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Megan Thee Stallion just redefined "WAP" while modeling her new swim collection, 'cause ... WHAT A PERFORMANCE?!?!

The rapper dropped her new line of swimwear Wednesday in collaboration with Fashion Nova ... and it's pretty jaw dropping. The barely-there bikinis come just a few days after summer's official start ... so, get ready for hot girl summer.

MTS flaunted her bod in the photoshoot, and it's hard not to think of her own famous lyric ... "Body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody"

The rapper's designs include a denim "sunsuit," a black latex bikini and a sparkly pink thing ... all of which she proudly rocked during the photoshoot.

Megan told her fans these are "Thee HOTTEST swimsuits for all shapes and sizes for this mf HOTGIRL Summer🔥🔥🔥."

This is her second collab with Fashion Nova ... a sequel to her Fall 2020 collection. Megan is 5-foot-10 and says she designed a lot of the swimwear with taller girls in mind.

She reportedly said, "If you're a tall girl like me, finding clothes that have a savage style has never been easy, until now."

Let it be hot ... 'cause Meg says so!!!

Justin Timberlake What's Happening to Britney 'Just Isn't Right!!!' Urges Judge to Free Her

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Britney Spears' ex-BF, Justin Timberlake, says she's being done wrong -- by her family, her conservators and the courts -- especially when it comes to controlling her own body.

Justin came out strongly in support of freeing Britney Wednesday, hours after her bombshell testimony for the judge in her conservatorship case ... saying, "No one should ever be held against their will ... or ever have to ask permission to access everything they've worked so hard for."

JT's support for Brit's efforts to end her conservatorship is especially interesting because he became a target of the #FreeBritney movement after the 'Framing Britney Spears' documentary came out. The film highlighted a moment when many feel he slut-shamed her by publicly bragging about having sex with Britney when they were dating.

The singer seemed to reference that low point in another tweet, when he said, "Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was ... what's happening to her is just not right."

As we reported, Britney told the judge in no uncertain terms she wants out from under the conservatorship, and without any further mental evaluation. She also said her conservators are forcing her to use an IUD, which she wants to remove because she said she wants to have another baby and get married to Sam Asghari, her BF of nearly 5 years.

That seemed to strike Justin as particularly unjust as he said, "No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body." He added that he and his wife, Jessica Biel, are fully supporting Britney.

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Says He's battling cancer ... 'Trying to Remain Hopeful & Positive'

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Blink-182's Mark Hoppus has quietly been battling cancer for months, and tells us while he's got a long road ahead of him, he's grateful for the support he's received.

Hoppus says, "For the past three months I’ve been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. I have cancer. It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this."

He adds, "I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive. Can’t wait to be cancer free and see you all at a concert in the hopefully near future. Love to you all."

The band's singer/bassist posted (and then quickly deleted) an Instagram photo of himself sitting in what appeared to be a doctor's office Wednesday, with a caption that read, "Hello, yes. One cancer treatment, please."

In the pic, Mark is seen sitting down in a chair, with an IV hooked up to his arm. He seems to be in relatively good spirits -- but his fans definitely weren't upon seeing this ... as it appears to be the first time anyone has gotten a whiff that he may be sick.

Of course, the outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming -- with countless messages of encouragement being sent his way ... and just as many telling him he can beat it. It's still unclear what sort of cancer he has exactly, or at what stage it was diagnosed.

In any case, he's got a whole swath of music lovers in his corner. Get well soon.

Blueface Wild Story Behind His New Restaurant ... Starts with Stolen Car!!!

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Blueface is the proud new owner of a soul food restaurant in SoCal, but it might never have happened if he hadn't had a little misfortune ... with his car.

The rapper joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday on the heels of opening a new eatery called Blue's Fish & Soul in Santa Clarita -- which he says is the only spot to get legit soul food in the area -- and told a serendipitous story of how it went down.

Blueface says it all started when he got back from a trip, and discovered his car had been stolen from the airport valet ... bummer of a welcome home.

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BRINGIN' THE SOUL FOOD

He didn't let it get him down, though, and just went to a Mercedes dealership to buy a new ride ... and on his way home, he stopped at a restaurant called SCV Fish Market. He says the owner was literally minutes from selling the place to someone else.

That's when Blue seized his opportunity, and outbid the other buyer on the spot ... and the rest is history.

For those interested, the menu at Blue's features his mom's Southern recipes for fried fish, shrimp and hushpuppies, chicken platters, mac and cheese, collard greens and a lot more. Plus, his signature Blueface lemonade!

It's not often you'd thank someone for stealing your car, but ... worked out for Blueface!!! For the full interview check out "TMZ Live" Wednesday (check your local listings).

T-Pain Usher Told Me I Ruined Music ... But No Hard Feelings!!!

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UPDATE

10:17 AM PT -- T-Pain just added some much-needed context that softens the blow everyone assumed he took with Usher's comment -- saying it's not as big a deal as he perhaps made it seem.

UPDATE

TP writes, "I still love and respect @Usher telling that story was in no way meant to disrespect that man. Ppl talk s*** about me 24/7 but when it comes from someone you truly respect it hits very different."

UPDATE

He adds, "I never said f*** Ursh it was a drop in the ocean of s*** I was already goin through."

T-Pain says Usher summoned him some years back just to casually let him know he had torpedoed the music biz by popularizing autotune ... which T says sent him into depression.

The 'Buy U a Drank' singer recently told the tale on Netflix's new docuseries 'This Is Pop' -- detailing what he claims was a seriously cold-ass encounter in 2013. Watch how T-Pain describes the alleged put-down ... apparently, they were both flying in the same airplane on the way to an award show, when T says he was called to Mr. Raymond's seat. They exchanged pleasantries, and then T-Pain says Usher laid in.

According to T, Usher believed T-Pain had tainted professional singing for guys (like Usher) who use their natural voice, and he supposedly said it with a straight face.

T-Pain says he was shocked and that, before he knew it, he realized he'd fallen into a depression, which he says lasted 4 years -- something he seems to be attributing to the Usher moment itself. It's a wild story.

Of course, people are jumping to T-Pain's defense in light of this, assuring him he not only did NOT ruin music, but might've actually revolutionized it ... considering every other famous rapper/singer these days uses some form of autotune.

And, for argument's sake ... even if you agree with Usher's sentiment, why break it to someone in that manner, and so randomly??? Seems like a jerk move -- on its face, anyway. We'll see if Usher offers a different version of the story.

Originally Published -- 8:51 AM PT

Billie Eilish Apologizes for, Clarifies Use of Asian Slur ... I'm Not That Person

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Billie Eilish is both apologizing for and clarifying a recent video that surfaced of the singer using an Asian slur and seemingly mocking Asian accents ... saying the clip isn't entirely as it appears.

Eilish came under fire last week after a TikTok showed her mouthing the Asian slur "c***k" as she sang along to Tyler, the Creator's song, "Fish." The song's entire verse is, "Slip it in her drink and in the blink, of an eye, I can make a white girl look c***k."

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The mashed-up video then shows Eilish speaking gibberish, which many believed to be her mocking an Asian accent.

In an apology Monday, Billie said the video was from when she was 13 or 14, "I mouthed a word from a song that at the time I didn't know was a derogatory term used against members of the Asian community. I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word."

She says the song was the only time she had ever heard that word, and it was never used by a member of her family or anyone else around her.

As for the second part of the clip, Billie says she was absolutely in no way mocking Asian accents, and it was simply a language she made up -- using it with pets, friends and family -- she says, "Regardless of how it was interpreted, I did not mean for any of my actions to have caused hurt to others and it absolutely breaks my heart that it is being labeled now in a way that might cause pain to people hearing it."

The Tyler, the Creator song was released in 2011 ... and from what we can see, he never received serious backlash for using the slur.

Wolfgang Puck Mistaken Identity With Ariana Grande ... She's a Student, Right?!?

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Wolfgang Puck loves seeing famous faces sitting down at tables in his restaurants, but he can't always put a face with a name ... Ariana Grande had him thinking she was in school.

The celeb chef joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and we asked him about hosting tons of celebs at his famous restaurants in Los Angeles, usually for special occasions.

Wolfgang usually goes up to the table for a few kind words, but even he admits he doesn't always know who he's talking to off the bat -- as it played out, hilariously, with Ariana recently.

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Ya gotta hear the way Wolfgang broke the ice with Ariana at Hotel Bel-Air, where she was dining with new hubby Dalton Gomez. It's a hilarious bit of mistaken identity, with a happy ending.

Wolfgang's getting a pass with Ariana ... and it sounds like there were no surprises when another famous couple, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, dined out at his spot at the Pendry Hotel in WeHo.

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MAN ON A MISSION

The restaurant mogul is the subject of a new documentary, appropriately called "Wolfgang," coming out Friday on Disney+ ... and he shared some details about his challenging upbringing in Austria, and those circumstances made him determined to make it in America.

It's a fun and fascinating conversation with one of the most important chefs in American culture ... and you can catch the full interview Monday on "TMZ Live" (check local listings).