Gucci Mane Mocks His Killing of Jeezy's Pal Ahead of Verzuz Battle

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Gucci Mane is poking the bear before he meets said bear in a music battle -- openly touting the fact he killed one of Jeezy's friends ahead of their Verzuz showdown.

Gucci posted a meme Tuesday night mocking his shooting of Jeezy's former labelmate, Pookie Loc, in the 2000s. That was after Pookie allegedly attempted to break into Gucci's home, and Gucci fired in self-defense.

The meme depicts a guy jumping at someone in a courtroom, with a caption that jokingly tries to guess what Gucci might tell Jeezy in their Verzuz match later this week ... and how Jeezy might respond.

The line reads, "go dig ya partna up n**** I bet he can't say s***." Gucci reposted that, and added his own laughing face emojis.

GM's joked about the fatal shooting before, but what makes this latest jab even more relevant is ... he and Jeezy will be on camera together Thursday as they play their hits on Verzuz.

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Jeezy hasn't directly responded to Gucci's barbs, but he seems eager to face the man himself ... as he's called him out since it was confirmed Gucci would be replacing T.I. in the Verzuz battle -- which is what everyone wanted in the first place.

We should note, Gucci and Jeezy are NOT friendly by any stretch of the imagination -- aside from Gucci killing Pookie Loc, they have other industry issues that have fueled their beef for years.

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One last thing about the shooting -- Gucci was initially charged with murder over Pookie's death, but the charges were dropped ... as the state said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

Gucci, for his part, maintains he did what he had to do.

Lil Wayne Charged by Feds ... Poss. of Firearm, Ammo

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Lil Wayne's just been hit with a federal weapons charge and could face serious prison time if convicted.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida has charged the rapper with 1 count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Weezy -- who was convicted of a felony gun charge in NY back in 2009 -- faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The charge is for a December 2019 incident where federal agents searched Wayne's plane at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. He was a passenger on that plane, which made a stop in Florida on its way to California.

At the time ... Wayne's attorney, Howard Srebnick, had said his client was "cleared" to leave even though guns and drugs were reportedly found on the plane. It appears now the feds believe Wayne was wrongfully in possession of a weapon and ammunition.

Srebnick tells TMZ ... Carter was charged for possessing a gold-plated handgun in his luggage back in December. The lawyer says, "There is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it. There is no allegation that he is a dangerous person."

He added, "The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm."

Wayne's scheduled to appear in court next month.

UFC's Khaos Williams To Meek Mill & Jay-Z ... 'Your Music Got Me Through Dark Times'

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Khaos Williams is BLOWING UP right now after that 30-second-knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan over the weekend -- and he's giving some of the credit to his hip-hop idols.

Meek Mill. Jay-Z. Drake.

"Those guys inspired me," 26-year-old Khaos tells TMZ Sports ... "Every morning I wake up before my fights, I start my day off listening to Jay-Z."

"Y'all just inspired me. Y'all music, it got me through some dark times, it gave me some inspiration when I didn't have the inspiration."

Khaos, who's based in Michigan, is making quite a name for himself right now -- his last 2 fights were insanely violent and lasted a TOTAL of 57 seconds!

He's currently 11-1 and hasn't lost since 2018.

In fact, Dana White described Khaos' knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan as "one of the most vicious KOs I’ve ever seen in my f**king life."

Khaos says he hasn't met any of his musical idols yet -- but feels like if he keeps winning, there's a chance it can happen.

Yeah, he's probably right!

Megan Thee Stallion Tory Lanez Denies Trying to Pay Her To Be Quiet After Alleged Shooting

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UPDATE

7:59 AM PT -- Tory's attorney tells TMZ ... he "has never offered money to any witness for their silence or for any other reason. Any reports to the contrary are false."

Tory Lanez offered Megan Thee Stallion money in return for her silence after allegedly shooting her twice in the foot ... so she claims in a new interview.

The rapper says Tory begged her to stay quiet and tried to pay both her and her friend off shortly after the July incident ... for which Lanez has been charged with felony assault.

Megan tells GQ she was really scared because what happened with Tory went down during the middle of the national unrest and protests over police brutality and systemic racism. She says her response to Tory's offer was ... "I can't believe you even think I want to take some money. Like, you just shot me."

MTS goes on to call the incident and the weeks that followed the worst experience of her life, which as we reported ... included her first coming out publicly to address rumors and speculation, and then flat out accusing Tory of pulling the trigger.

Though Lanez has been charged with felony assault for allegedly inflicting great bodily injury on Megan -- and ordered to stay away from her -- he's defended himself by saying a charge is not a conviction ... and went even further on his new album.

Several of the tracks on the album seemingly profess his innocence ... and suggest Megan is a liar.

Originally published -- 6:30 AM PT

Tyga Responds to Landlord Suit Where's The Damage?!?

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2:05 PM PT -- Tyga's attorney, Mike Trauben, tells TMZ ... the landlord's claims are categorically frivolous and nothing more than a charade to get the rapper to give up on getting his security deposit back. Trauben also attached a letter purportedly from the property manager that says Tyga paid his rent on time, left the compound in great condition and that the rapper "would be more than welcome to rent from us again."

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The "Rack City" rapper made his argument on Instagram with a series of stories asking, "Where's the damage?" The rapper's calling BS on a landlord's claims he trashed the place ... posting videos that show portions of a house in pristine condition. It's unclear when the videos were taken or if it's the house in question.

UPDATE

Tyga's no stranger to lawsuits -- particularly over unpaid bills -- but he added a new wrinkle this time, according to his landlord who says he failed to pay rent AND trashed the pad.

The landlord is suing the rapper, claiming he stiffed them on $32K in rent when he left the place back in April, after renting it for about a year. But, that's not even the worst part.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, the landlord claims Tyga left gouges in the kitchen's white oak flooring ($27,650), damaged marble flooring and counters ($15,575) and damaged walls with murals and wallpaper ($103,160.25).

What's more ... the landlord claims Tyga installed a basketball hoop that damaged the driveway, and new locks that destroyed the entry door. The landlord says Tyga never had permission to install any of that stuff.

The landlord says he tried to settle this mess through mediation in May, but claims Tyga refused to play ball. He's now suing for breach of contract and wants more than $200K in damages.

Remember, Tyga was also sued in 2018 for failure to pay rent at a Bev Hills pad. So, ya gotta wonder, who keeps renting to this guy?

We've reached out to Tyga for comment, so far no word back.

Originally Published -- 12:30 AM PT

Kodak Black Thanksgiving Dinner's on Me ... Gifts 1,000 Turkeys in FL

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Kodak Black's not letting imprisonment stop him from putting food on the table for thousands of folks in Florida this Thanksgiving.

The rapper dropped $15k to provide more than 1,000 frozen turkeys for families in Pompano Beach ... according to his attorney, Bradford Cohen.

We're told Kodak arranged for the birds to be sent to the E. Pat Larkins Community Center on Wednesday, where hundreds of people waited in a long line of cars to get their free food -- including a bag of chips and sodas -- courtesy of the incarcerated rapper.

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SHOWIN' THANKS FROM BEHIND BARS

As you can see ... Kodak's team members were at the community center to safely place the frozen turkeys in recipients' trunks before they drove off. We're told KB's giveaway lasted from 11 AM to 1 PM, and his people were responsible for the huge turnout by putting up flyers in local neighborhoods.

Cohen tells us another community leader who focuses on feeding the needy also helped spread the word for Kodak. We're told the rapper's working with the man on future outreach projects.

Kodak himself will be spending Thanksgiving in his new prison cell at USP Thomson, a high-security prison in Illinois. As we first told you ... he got transferred there last month from the Kentucky prison where he claimed he was being tortured.

Despite serving his time on a weapons charge until August 2022, he's remained very busy. Along with his turkey giveaway, he just dropped a new album titled "Bill Israel" ... featuring artists like Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty and Tory Lanez.

Travis Scott McDonald's Action Figure $55K Resale ... He Gifts One to Fan Battling Cancer

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UPDATE

7:08 PM PT -- A rep for Travis tells us he also gifted one of the super-rare action figures to a fan who is battling cancer and recently got out of the hospital. However, the young fan tells us he didn't list his action figure for sale.

UPDATE

There's a limited edition Travis Scott McDonald's action figure on the resale market ... and it's gonna cost you a lot more than his $6 signature meal.

Here's the deal ... someone who scored the super-rare figurine from Travis' collab with Mickey D's is looking to sell the action figure on reseller marketplace StockX for a cool $55,000 ... and that's not a typo.

The action figure depicts the rapper holding a McDonald's tray with his Travis Scott Meal -- a $6 deal that comes with a Quarter Pounder with cheese and bacon, medium fries with BBQ sauce and a Sprite.

The rare figurine was given out to a handful of lucky folks via sweepstakes ... and McDonald's says the figurines are handcrafted and numbered.

Fans have already shown an appetite for all things Travis and McDonald's ... his meal has been super popular at McD's locations across the nation, with some stores running low on ingredients after its launch, and Travis also released an extremely popular merch line with everything from chicken nugget-shaped pillows to t-shirts.

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McMOBBED

The craze started with a bang too ... with Travis getting mobbed by a huge crowd when he showed up to celebrate the launch at a McDonald's in Downey, CA.

Travis and Mickey D's got fined $200 each for the mass gathering, which, like his $6 meal, pales in comparison to the action figure's $55,000 asking price.

Rapper King Von Killed In Atlanta Shooting ... Video Surfaces

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UPDATE

4:36 PM PT -- We've confirmed a video that's surfaced online is in fact from the shooting. You see a scuffle before shots ring out and several people go down. Von is helped into a vehicle that speeds off to the hospital.

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11:12 AM PT -- Authorities say King Von was NOT shot by Atlanta Police Department officers, contrary to rumors, and cops say investigators believe the rapper was shot during the initial shoot-out between the 2 groups, which happened before police responded and attempted to stop the shooting.

UPDATE

Police also say King Von fled the scene of the shooting and arrived at the hospital shortly afterward, getting dropped off in someone's car.

Rapper King Von is dead after a violent confrontation outside an Atlanta nightclub that ended in gunfire ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a deadly shootout broke out early Friday morning outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in downtown Atlanta, with gunfire being exchanged between 2 groups of men who were arguing with each other.

Our sources say there were off-duty Atlanta police officers working at the club and an on-duty cop patrolling nearby ... and police also opened fire while confronting the gunmen.

In total, our sources say 6 people were shot, including 3 who remained at the scene and were transported to the hospital by EMS. We're told 3 other people fled, but also ended up in the hospital.

3 people died from their wounds, including King Von ... according to one of his close friends.

We're told no cops were injured in the shooting, which is now being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Atlanta Police Homicide.

It's unclear who shot King Von, sources say investigators are trying to sort out who shot who.

King Von was an up and coming rapper from Chicago, dropping his first single, "Crazy Story" in 2018 and was affiliated with Lil Durk.

RIP

Originally published -- 10:09 AM PT

LeBron James Mourns King Von Death My Family Loved His Music

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1:53 PM PT -- LeBron James is speaking out on the death of King Von -- saying his whole family respected him as an artist.

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"Damn Rest Easy Von," Bron said on Twitter.

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"Bronny, Bryce and I rocked with his music and story telling! The kid had a damn good future ahead of him. My prayers and blessings to his family."

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LeBron also added the hashtag #Levon James -- a nod to Von's 2020 album titled, "Levon James."

King Von's death is hitting the sports world hard -- with NBA stars like Montrezl Harrell, Stephen Jackson, Evan Turner and more mourning the loss of a rising star gone too soon.

The rapper was shot and killed after a violent altercation outside a nightclub in Atlanta on Friday. He was only 26 years old.

Harrell shared his condolences to Von's family shortly after the news broke ... saying, "Damn it’s sad we lost another young brother to soon ... What is going on in the world."

"This the true sad part, three young blessings won’t see their dad come home again."

Jackson posted a video on Instagram ... calling for an end to senseless violence.

"Your brothers are not the enemy," Jackson said. "The ones got u thinking that are the real enemy. Wake up. Love for all who have love for all."

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IN THIS TOGETHER

Turner also reacted on social media, saying, "This killing each other s**t gotta stop... Rest In Peace, King Von"

Other tributes came from athletes like Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenjon Barner, who said, "Damn I really just started listening to King Von and became a fan and he gone smh wow 2020 you got it we understand! RIPKingVon."

2016 NCAA champ Kris Jenkins spoke out in shock ... tweeting, "That king Von s**t wild smh RIP."

Ex-NFL first-round pick George Foster also recently came across Von's music, adding, "Man, I just really heard the King Von fella for the first time like last week, and thought 'jit ain’t bad.'"

"Now lil buddy gone smh."

The New England Patriots also honored the late rapper at practice on Friday ... playing his breakout hit, "Crazy Story," over the speakers.

RIP

Originally Published -- 11:46 AM PT

Dr. Dre Divorce Nicole Wants to Know If He Had Kids Outside the Marriage

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Dr. Dre's estranged wife is looking into whether the mogul was unfaithful during their marriage ... and she's demanding to know if he fathered children with other women.

Nicole Young just filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, asking Dre to hand over any paperwork relating to any paternity actions he may have been involved in during their 24-year union.

It's not clear there are actually any paternity suits involving Dre ... Nicole's simply requesting he hand over any paperwork if there's anything on this front.

As we've told you, Dre's divorce is extra nasty ... Dre and Nicole have been waging legal war over money and prenups, and there's been allegations of embezzlement and domestic violence.

Unclear why exactly Nicole is asking about possible secret children -- but an educated guess is that it's about money would be going to support them.

PETA to USDA Y'all See Lil Pump's Dangerous Stunt?! Pushes for Doc Antle Probe

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PETA's making a strong effort to get Doc Antle in the USDA's crosshairs ... filing a complaint and asking the department to investigate him over Lil Pump's recent visit.

The animal rights org fired off a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture formally requesting it investigate the 'Tiger King' star for apparent violations of the Animal Welfare Act at his Myrtle Beach Safari.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ ... Debbie Metzler, associate director of captive animal law enforcement, cited Lil Pump's trip there this week, and a video that shows him make "direct physical contact with a juvenile tiger."

She claims it violates the law requiring that “dangerous animals such as… tigers… or elephants must be under the direct control and supervision of a knowledgeable and experienced animal handler."

Then there's the Lil Pump encounter with the elephant, Bubbles. Metzler calls the stunt exceptionally dangerous because it could have spooked the elephant and triggered the elephant to bolt and potentially injure people. PETA wants the USDA to hold Antle accountable for any and all violations it discovers during its investigation.

As we reported ... Pump and his boys took a trip to South Carolina and had one helluva close encounter with Bubbles. Video shows Pump getting picked up by the elephant's trunk. The rapper damn near fell off before safely landing on his feet.

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LIL PUMP ON THE TRUNK

As you know by now ... federal prosecutors recently indicted Antle for wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty. He's denied the allegations and said he looks forward to clearing his name.

Lil Pump Takes Tiger Break at Doc Antle's Zoo After Trump Stumping

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Love him or hate him, politically ... Lil Pump is having a blast right now, and hung out with some exotic animals to top it off -- which might add to his hate column.

The Trump-loving rapper was fresh off the Trump campaign trail Wednesday when he decided to make a pit stop at the Myrtle Beach Safari run by 'Tiger King' star Doc Antle.

Antle tells TMZ ... Pump and some friends left D.C. and headed to South Carolina after the rapper got in touch with Doc through Tiger Kingdom executive producer Steven Dorn.

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LIL PUMP ON THE TRUNK

Doc says Pump spent the afternoon chilling with tigers and tiger cubs, riding Bubbles the elephant and visiting with Angada the chimpanzee, and as you can see ... he was loving it.

We're told Lil Pump and his pals then had dinner at the park, and all of the fun was filmed for the new docuseries, "Tiger Kingdom: More Than a King."

Gotta say, the pairing of the rapper and the zoo owner's an interesting one ... as both fellas aren't necessarily on the nation's most-popular list. Pump's been getting major flak for endorsing Trump -- but he doesn't really care -- and Antle was recently indicted for wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty.

Doc denied the allegations and said he's looking forward to being able to "clear my good name."

Seems his name is all good with Lil Pump.

Tekashi 6ix9ine Nine Trey Kidnapper Gets 24 Years in Prison

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The guy who helped kidnap Tekashi 6ix9ine -- one of his then-fellow gang members in the Nine Trey Bloods -- just got the book thrown at him for that crime.

Anthony "Harv" Ellison was sentenced Wednesday in a federal court in NYC, where the judge gave him 24 years in prison for the racketeering, kidnapping, and assault charges for which he was convicted last October.

In addition to his time behind bars, Ellison was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. His sentence comes more than a full year after his trial -- where Tekashi infamously snitched ... taking the stand and identifying Ellison as his kidnapper.

The kidnapping was just the tip of the iceberg though -- federal prosecutors successfully nailed Ellison, with Tekashi's help, for various other crimes connected to the Nine Treys.

You'll recall ... Tekashi was initially tight with Ellison, until their relationship soured -- after which, Ellison planned out the kidnapping scheme to get revenge ... according to T69's testimony anyway. Tekashi was abducted, taken for a ride around town, pistol-whipped and extorted for money -- some of which was captured on camera and played for the jury at trial.

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TEKASHI ABDUCTED

Tekashi's then-GF was actually seen on camera handing over a bag of goods in exchange for Tekashi's safe return. That, coupled with Tekashi's snitching, helped seal Ellison's fate.

It's one of the last pieces of fallout from Tekashi's infamous turn on his old pals. As you might recall -- Tekashi himself was released from prison somewhat early and allowed to finish out his time at home, with an ankle monitor.

Offset Feeding ATL Voters Waiting at Polls ... Crunch (& Munch) Time!!!

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Offset's got an appetite to help people exercising their Constitutional right ... by hooking them up with free grub.

The Migos rapper hit up 3 polling locations Tuesday in Gwinnett and Fulton counties with some major back-up -- food trucks from The Slutty Vegan and Big Dave's ... a couple of ATL staples famous for their cheesesteaks.

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HAPPY TO HELP

Offset partnered with The Lincoln Project and AXSD Media to feed folks in line waiting to cast their vote ... helping to ensure turnout is maximized for what could be the most consequential election ever.

Offset got on the back of a truck, grabbed a bullhorn and talked about his excitement in voting for the first time ever.

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Offset dove headfirst into the election following an informative roundtable discussion last weekend with T.I. and activists Lee Merritt and Bakari Sellers. They discussed, among other things, the importance of Black male voters encouraging each other to turn out the vote.

If ya can feed people who show up to vote ... major bonus!

Lil Pump I'm All About Trump Miss Me With MAGA Hate!!!

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LIL TRUMP

Lil Pump is blocking out haters who don't like his political views ... he's focusing on what 4 more years of President Trump means for him, and he's loving it!!!

We got the rapper pulling up to Trump's Washington D.C. hotel on Election Day in a red Ferrari, and he's feeling super confident about the Prez winning re-election.

Lil Pump's been catching tons of flak since endorsing Trump, seemingly because of not wanting to pay more in taxes under Joe Biden, but he told us he's ignoring the noise, and couldn't care less what critics have to say.

As you know ... Trump brought Lil Pump up on stage Monday night at his final campaign stop in Grand Rapids, MI, where 45 called the rapper "Little Pimp." Faux pas aside, Pump says he had an "amazing" time on the campaign trail, and even envisions a future in politics.

Check out the clip ... Lil Pump makes his own argument why other rappers should hop on board the Trump train.

DaBaby Older Brother Dies by Suicide

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6:48 PM PT -- DaBaby just broke his silence on the passing of his brother, posting lyrics from his song "Intro" which gave fans a peek into his brother's struggles, "My brother be thinkin' that we don't love him and let him struggle like we ain't family. Like I won't give up all I got to see you, n****."

DaBaby's brother has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... according to sources with direct knowledge of the tragedy.

TMZ's learned the rapper's older brother, Glenn Johnson, took his own life Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Glenn had posted a video of himself earlier in the day in a car with a gun, and he was visibly upset and crying.

In the video, DaBaby's brother claimed he had been wronged a lot in the past. Not long afterward, our sources say he shot himself in the head and died.

We're told Johnson is survived by 3 daughters and a son.

Story developing ...

Originally published -- 3:41 PM PT