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"The Boss" just proved why he's carried the nickname for so many years, negotiating one of the biggest deals in music history ... $500 million for his masters and publishing rights.

Bruce Springsteen and Sony just reached an agreement on the Springsteen catalog -- over 300 songs, 20 studio albums and other items for the half-a-billion price tag ... including albums like the 15-times platinum "Born in the U.S.A." and 5x platinum "The River."

For his entire career, the NJ singer released his music through Sony, but in the late 80s and 90s, he was given ownership of his records as an incentive to re-sign with the label.

According to Billboard, Springsteen had been in negotiations with Sony last month to make the album catalog purchase ... the deal comes a year after Universal Music Publishing brought Bob Dylan's publishing catalog for more than $300 mil.

Travis Scott is getting to work to ensure an event like the Astroworld tragedy never happens again, joining leaders from government and music in a first of its kind initiative ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Travis has spent the last few weeks meeting with leaders from The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) -- a group that represents the interests of more than 1,400 cities across the country.

We're told the goal is to form a committee made up of members of government, public safety, emergency response, health care event management, music and technology -- and create a safety report for future shows to follow and ensure safety and security.

We've obtained an outline of the group's goals, which also states it will "aggressively focus on new technologies and innovations that offer ways to address these challenges."

Outside of Travis, the report will be led by the Chair of the Conference's Tourism, Art, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.

You'll remember, it was during Travis' first interview since Astroworld last week when he told Charlamagne Tha God he felt it was his responsibility to fix things moving forward and to be sure something like the Houston tragedy never happened again.

Of course, the interview was not met well by some of the families of the 10 victims who lost their lives at the festival. Valerie Cortinas Fisher, the attorney for the family of 23-year-old Rudy Peña said despite what Travis thought, the interview didn't heal anyone -- telling us anyone can act sorry on camera -- but it's the action after that counts.

Young Dolph was just honored in Memphis with a street naming, a ceremony that featured some touching words from his longtime partner, who hopes violence in the community slows.

Mia Jaye was on hand Wednesday for the unveiling of Adolph "Young Dolph" Thornton Jr. Avenue -- the new road in town that'll now honor his memory. With her two children by her side, MJ eulogized the late rapper ... singing his praises and the impact he left on her kids.

Mia said Dolph served as a good role model and father figure for the couple's son, while also treating his little girl like a queen ... and she says she hopes that's the legacy that he's remembered for, one of family and community.

Another point Mia made was Dolph behind the scenes of his rap career was a kind and gentle person.

Mia wants Dolph's death to serve as a reminder that Black men deserve to live, grow old and care for their families. Mia says the street sign should serve as a symbol for that message.

Councilwoman Martavius Jones and Councilman JB Smiley Jr., were among the group of local politicians at the ceremony.

Dolph was shot and killed last month in broad daylight. His murder investigation is currently underway ... but no suspects have been apprehended yet. He was 36.

Billie Eilish says she consumed so much porn as a kid, it gave her nightmares ... and the mental effects of the addiction have now hurt her in her adult love life.

The 19-year-old singer spilled the beans Monday on SiriusXM’s "The Howard Stern Show," sharing her experience with violent porn and its impact on her life, "I think it really destroyed my brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn.”

Billie clearly hates it now, "I think porn is a disgrace. I used to watch a lot of porn, to be honest. I started watching porn when I was like 11.”

She says that watching the "abusive" porn not only caused her to have trouble in the bedroom once she began having sex ... but she also believes watching it caused her to have sleep paralysis and nightmares.

She now says she is angry that porn is loved and mad at herself for thinking it was okay ... "The first few times I, you know, had sex, I was not saying no to things that were not good. It was because I thought that’s what I was supposed to be attracted to.”

As far as her love life, she says it has been hard, being a celeb and finding love. Saying that people are either "terrified of you or think that you’re out of their league.”

While she admits to thinking last year she'd be single for the rest of her life, she says she got over that thought pretty fast.

Though the 19-year-old may have had trouble with her love life, her music career has had a pretty good year.

Jo Koy might have kicked off a new singing career, well kinda... during his comedy show, he surprised the audience with Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris and he even busted out his own vocals.

It happened Sunday night during Jo's sold-out comedy show at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA ... Jo brought out his longtime friend and the Boyz II Men singer and they both sang the 1994 hit song, "I'll Make Love To You."

Jo didn't bring out the other two B2M members Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman, but he had no problem stepping up to the mic to sing in their place.

Folks who were there tell TMZ ... Jo cracked jokes, talking about which songs are panty-droppers ... and that's when he brought out Wanya. The night wasn't all jokey. Jo sang Nathan Morris' baritone part and impressed the audience with his vocals.

The song is a classic throwback jam. It spent 14 weeks topping Billboard Hot 100, making it the 3rd best performing song in the 1990s. It also ranked on Billboard's Greatest of All-Time chart.

Olivia Rodrigo is the rare breed who doesn't mind sticking around the Department of Motor Vehicles ... she hung out at the DMV after it closed to film her NPR "Tiny Desk Concert."

And, while Olivia's hit song "drivers license" promotes young drivers to get their card, that doesn't exactly mean she got free use of the DMV as her NPR concert backdrop.

Olivia's "Tiny Desk (Home) Concert" dropped last week, featuring a few songs from her debut album performed inside a California DMV ... we're told she made use of the office in Glendale.

Folks at the DMV tell TMZ ... the filming went down after normal business hours and the production company shelled out $2,383 to use the office, with some of that money covering overtime pay for a few DMV workers who had to stay late to make sure everything was kosher.

We're told the DMV opened its doors to Olivia because the department supports the state's all-important film and entertainment industry, as long as permits are for special projects that won't interfere with the DMV's day-to-day operation.

Kanye West is on a crowd-pleasing streak ... just a few days after wowing a sold-out L.A. Coliseum, he was a surprise performer at Rolling Loud California.

Ye popped on stage during Future's set at the festival, singing “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” and as you can tell from the video ... the fans loved it. He performed a 5-song set that included DONDA‘s “Praise God,” and “Father Stretch My Hands".

But, that wasn't it from Ye... the rapper stayed on stage Sunday night through the rest of Future’s set and they both performed songs, with Kanye even freestyling a verse.

The duo had the San Bernardino, CA crowd super hyped, and they clearly wanted to keep it there... they kept going to DJ Esco between songs to decide what they’d do next.

Kanye's had an eventful week... the surprise performance with Future came 3 days after his beef-squashing concert with Drake Thursday night. The reunion with Drake was a benefit concert to free Larry Hoover, the cofounder of the Gangster Disciples, who is serving 6 life sentences in federal prison.

Vicente Fernández, the wildly-popular Mexican entertainer known as "King of Rancheras" has died.

Noticias Telemundo broke the news ... "We regret to inform you of his death on Sunday, December 12 at 6:15 a.m."

Fernández was known internationally ... selling north of 65 million albums and starring in more than 35 movies. He was named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy back in 2002. He snagged 3 Grammys and 8 Latin Grammys.

He made his way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 1998.

Fernández battled numerous health issues over the last decade. In 2012, he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his liver. The following year he suffered from pulmonary thrombosis.

Earlier this year, Fernández was hospitalized after falling at his ranch.

Young Dolph -- who was murdered last month -- was honored Saturday night at Rolling Loud 2021.

Dolph's artists Paper Route Woo and Snupe Bandz performed a tribute to the fallen rapper and O.T. Genasis joined them on stage to share the moment.

Dolph was a staple at Rolling Loud, performing 4 times over the last few years. Woo and Snupe are also the PRE artists who worked during the Thanksgiving holiday to keep Dolph's name alive through a turkey giveaway that was planned prior to Dolph's tragic death.

Immediately after Dolph died, Rolling Loud posted a tribute ... "LONG LIVE YOUNG DOLPH 🙏"

As we reported, Dolph was gunned down November 17 in Memphis, outside a local cookie store. He had been targeted in the past ... back in 2017, Dolph was shot multiple times outside a shoe store in Hollywood. That same year his SUV was sprayed with more than 100 bullets.

Dolph's murder was clearly a targeted attack. No one has been arrested for his murder.

Jingle Ball 2021 did not disappoint ... lots of big stars showed up, but COVID reared its ugly head after the show.

Nick, Joe and Kevin -- aka the Jonas Bros -- performed, along with Dixie D'Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Saweetie, Bazzi, Tate McRae and Kane Brown. It was super glitzy and as far as what happened on stage ... it seems flawless. But, the virus took its toll, sidelining one of the big stars of the night.

Jimmy Fallon hosted the shindig at Madison Square Garden.

Lil Nas X performed some of his biggest hits including "Industry Baby," "Old Town Road," and "(MONTERO) Call Me By Your Name." Shortly after the concert wrapped, Capital's Jingle Bell Ball shared the upsetting news that Nas and Coldplay will no longer be performing at their scheduled shows. Someone on both of their crews tested positive for COVID. Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran will be playing extended sets on their respective nights.

ArrDee and Tom Grennan will also perform in place of Nas and Coldplay this weekend at the London event.

This news comes after Doja Cat announced that she will no longer perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stops in NYC and Boston this weekend after members from her production team tested positive for COVID.

"We recently learned that a few members on my production team have tested positive for Covid 19 and are now on quarantine," reads the message posted on her socials.

Travis Scott's Cacti hard seltzer will have to find a new home if it hopes to continue, because Anheuser-Busch has made the decision to discontinue the beverage.

In an announcement Friday, AB said, "After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.”

According to a report from AdAge, the company would not specify if the decision came because of what happened at Astroworld.

A source close to Travis, however, tells us the two sides had an agreement that was to end November 30, saying, "this is not a cancelation or creasing of an ongoing agreement." We're told the Nov. 30 decision was a mutual one.

Cacti seemed to be a marketing hit, selling out in stores and even causing a frenzy when TS hit a local grocer in Los Angeles to promote the product.

It's currently unclear if Travis will attempt to repurpose the brand elsewhere.

Michael Nesmith, singer/guitarist for the famously famous 60s group The Monkees, has died.

His family said, "With infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully of natural causes."

Nesmith was part of the quartet that was manufactured for a TV show about a rock 'n roll group ... and the group exploded with hit after hit ... at one point even rivaling The Beatles.

Among the hits ... "Last Train to Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "I'm a Believer," "Valerie," and many more.

Mike fought for artistic control of the group ... he wanted them to be a real group, not just one that's made for TV. Point of fact ... initially on the show, they didn't actually play the instruments. He once got into such a heated discussion over this he put his fist through a wall.

Mike once said, "We were kids with our own taste in music and were happier performing songs we liked -- and/or wrote -- than songs that were handed to us."

One of his biggest impacts after the group disbanded ... he helped launch MTV by pitching a show called "PopClips," which evolved into the 24-hour video channel.

His mom famously invented Liquid Paper -- AKA white-out -- which became a cash register for the family.

Now 3 of the 4 Monkees have died. Mike and sole survivor Micky Dolenz performed their final show together last month at the Greek Theatre.

Nesmith was 78.

RIP

Cops in and around L.A. are beefing up patrol and bracing themselves for possible gang retaliation killings in the wake of Slim 400's murder and a growing gang war in the city.

Law enforcement sources tell us that while they don't believe Slim was a targeted hit, they still think the killing was gang-related ... which almost always means revenge. Our sources say they believe Slim happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and his alleged ties to the Bloods didn't help.

We're told lately things have really ramped up between the Bloods and the Crips, so tensions are already high, and Slim's murder likely won't help that.

We're told the Inglewood Police Dept. will have a heavy and visible presence around the place of Slim's killing in hopes to discourage it from happening again to someone else.

As we reported, footage of the killing surfaced online Thursday showing the brazen attack. Slim's murderer walked up a driveway, pulled his gun and opened fire several times ... killing the rapper.

Kanye West and Drake made the once seemingly impossible a reality ... hitting the stage together, playing their hits (both old and new) and even performing the other's songs.

70,000 people piled into the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Thursday to see the "Free Larry Hoover" benefit show. Kanye and Drake danced, rapped and hugged it out on top of a giant mound in the middle of what is usually a football field.

The show started out with Kanye's Sunday Service choir performing from the stands, and both Drake and Kanye walking down the stairs and to the middle of the floor.

From there, it was a myriad of the superstar's hits -- both old and new -- for close to 2 hours. The guest list felt like an award show, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Lizzo, Devin Booker, Megan Fox, MGK, Offset and Drake's dad, Dennis Graham.

Most surprisingly, Kanye played his older, much less religion-based songs like "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Gold Digger" and "Touch The Sky."

Drake, of course, played some of his biggest songs as well as a good mix from his "Certified Lover Boy" album including "Knife Talk" and "No Friends in the Industry." He also shared some nice words about Ye, saying, “When we were walking through the archway it felt surreal, to be on stage with one of my idols as he runs through his catalog.”

The show, first scheduled to start at 8, didn't go on until about 9:30 ... but traffic and logistics issues seemed to be the cause of that, with cars backed up for more than an hour just trying to get into the venue.

Gene Simmons is selling his Las Vegas home overlooking the strip for $13.5 mil -- turning a massive profit if he sells -- but he doesn't want just any knucklehead to live in it.

The "Kiss" Frontman joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked why he decided to sell his beautiful estate and why the price has been reduced -- originally listed as $14.95 mil.

The 11,000-sq-ft home has 6 bedrooms and has many unique features -- including a courtyard, private oasis and 11-seat theater. The singer says he bought a half-acre lot next door and planted 137 trees, so it's really like no other property seen in Vegas nowadays.

Simmons stressed that Vegas is the perfect place to live with no income, state or local tax. So, why in the world is he selling it?! He says his family doesn't want to deal with the Vegas heat or any strippers -- for that matter.

His family might share an unpopular opinion, because in recent years out-of-state buyers have flocked to Vegas, and as far as the prices of homes? Soaring!!

In fact, Simmons says he could really sell the home for nearly double its price, but insists that he doesn't just want any random knucklehead living there. Instead, he wants to meet the next tenant and for them to enjoy living there.

Travis Scott is doing his level best to push all responsibility for Astroworld casualties onto anyone other than himself -- that's how an attorney for one of the victims views the rapper's first interview about the tragedy.

Tony Buzbee is representing the family of Axel Acosta ... a 21-year-old who died from injuries suffered at the concert. He says he watched the 50-minute sit down with Charlamagne tha God and was offended by what he sees as Travis attempting to paint himself as a victim.

"Axel Acosta and the many others killed or injured are the victims. Travis Scott, his entourage, handlers, promoters, managers, hangers on and everyone else who enable him are the problem. Everything that Travis Scott has done or said since ten people died and hundreds of others were injured at his concert has been lawyer driven and calculated to shift blame from him to someone else."

Buzbee -- who's already filed a $750 million suit against Travis and others -- also isn't buying the artist's claim he had no idea of the mayhem fans were going through in the crowd ... even if he wasn't told in his ears. Buzbee says, "He now says he had an earpiece in, and was not told what was going on in the crowd. That raises the question: Did he have an earpiece in his eye? Why did he purposely ignore the death and mayhem occurring literally feet from him?”

Travis has acknowledged seeing at least one emergency vehicle in the audience ... and video shows him pointing it out and seeming very puzzled as to why it was there.

Buzbee believes Travis' interview was just an attempt to dodge responsibility and accountability -- and, in doing so, he says Travis "further exacerbates the pain of those that lost loved ones. Axel Acosta’s family doesn’t want to hear Travis Scott’s excuses; excuses do not assuage their grief and pain."