Comedy

T.I. has long been credited as a creator of trap music (his 2003 album is named after it), but now he says he's disavowing the thoughts and ideologies of his past occupations.

While speaking with Bill Bellamy for the opening of his "Top Billin’" podcast, T.I. revealed how his approach to making music had matured over the years and admits his music was written when he was 20, sounds like it was written by a 20-year-old!

Tip even joked -- he's a comedian after all -- about rising up in the ranks in street hustling … but no longer being able to brag about it on the résumé.

He said, "I get it … I respect it! Now, for me to go out here and continue to force those skills on the marketplace when I know I have no real stage to present these skills on, it's counterproductive."

The Atlanta rap legend first burst onto the scene at the top of 2000 with pure trap classic records such as “24” and “Be Easy,” but says adjustments had to be made.

His son Domani Harris, who is also a rapper, also pushes him in the direction of non-trap-raps.

T.I.'s last album, 2020’s "The L.I.B.R.A.," saw him playing with the balance of moving away from the trap, but the comedic stage -- where he's gotten cheers and boos -- has been his go-to outlet lately.

When we last spoke to the Trouble Man in April, he said he was taking his lumps on the laugh circuit in stride and learning to be a better performer.

Chris Rock's new relationship with actress Lake Bell is heading for new waters, quite literally ... the two are on a romantic trip overseas.

Chris and Lake were living it up in the town of Trogir in Croatia Tuesday ... holding hands as they walk along the boardwalk -- as massive yachts dock nearby. Unclear if the trip was for work, pleasure, or a combo of both ... but we're told the two were definitely enjoying each other's company.

We've seen the couple get pretty close as of late ... hitting up baseball games, getting dinner and even taking a nice romantic stroll on the beach.

We spoke with Chris' brother, Tony, at LAX this week, who jokingly told us he's happy his bro's love life is finally the talk of the town.

Pete Davidson has a new endorsement deal under his belt, one which actually centers on said area.

The comedian's starring in a new promo for Manscaped -- a male grooming company that specializes in rather sensitive spots. The ad is pretty funny ... it's a bunch of outtakes showing PD giving his freestyled pitch, which definitely doesn't seem to be scripted.

Among some of the lines -- "Surprise your girlfriend!" ... "Let's show them how hairless we could be, boys" ... "Presentation matters. Don't make me get specific, because I will."

And of course, a very direct one ... "Shave your d***. Shave it, baby." He ends by saying he's got a hot date, and that he's been using Manscaped long enough that he figured it's time to start going into business together.

On top of the money he's getting as the new face -- among other parts, as he puts it -- for the next four years, Pete's also struck a deal with Manscaped to become an actual shareholder ... so he clearly sees value in the brand.

This is PD's 6th sponsorship, at least ... he has others with Smartwater, H&M, Hellmann's, Calvin Klein and Moose Knuckles, if not more.

Chris Rock dating Lake Bell and grabbing headlines is a welcome sight for Tony Rock, who says this means his brother's finally made it ... on Hollywood's handsome list.

We got the comedian at LAX and asked him about Chris and Lake's new relationship, which appears to be growing more serious.

Tony says he's happy Chris' love life is finally the talk of the town -- joking, we think, that it means Chris is no longer being lumped in with the "ugly celebs."

It's pretty funny ... Tony says Chris dating a white actress means his bro must be extra handsome, because white girls usually don't dig them.

Hey, he's a comedian AND it's his brother ... he gets to make that joke.

As we've reported, Chris and Lake keep popping out in public together and look to be getting serious ... in the last few weeks, they hit up a baseball game, grabbed dinner together and took a romantic stroll along the beach.

Tony says things between Chris and Lake aren't to the point where they are introducing one another to relatives, but he's looking forward to meeting her.

Add father of the bride to Eddie Murphy's long list of accomplishments ... the actor took center stage on the dancefloor to share a dance with his daughter.

Bria Murphy and actor Michael Xavier tied the knot over the weekend in Beverly Hills, and Eddie not only proudly walked his kiddo down the aisle, but danced to "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder as their father and daughter song.

Things in the dance started off slow, but in true Eddie form, he got the crowd -- and Bria -- cracking up when the two separated and he pulled off some moves of his own.

Eddie attended the wedding with his fiancee Paige Butcher.

Jon Stewart would make a perfect Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 -- so says a publication knee-deep in political coverage ... but not everyone is so sure it's a good idea.

The one-time 'Daily Show' host was floated as someone who should seriously consider running for the highest office in the land, and as someone we should all consider as a viable contender -- this according to a Politico op-ed that's getting a lot of attention this weekend.

The piece is titled, "If Tucker Runs in 2024, Here's Who the Democrats Need." The article is supplemented by this Twitter caption ... "Joe Biden should run for president in 2024. But if he decides against it for whatever reason, Jon Stewart should run on the Democratic ticket instead. He's exactly the person they need."

The op-ed starts out with exactly that premise -- that JB oughta run, but a moment later ... they float the possibility he doesn't, and then deflect to Stewart as a good replacement.

The whole argument boils down to Jon being well-versed in politics -- even in a comedic setting -- and a great communicator, as we've seen on Capitol Hill and beyond. But, the centerpiece of this hypothetical is Fox News's Tucker Carlson ... who some think might run.

Neither one has gone on record as saying they're interested ... it's all just speculation and innuendo. But, if any of that materializes for one or the other, Politico seems to think these two would be a perfect matchup -- especially since they've faced off before ... a la "Crossfire."

As interesting as it might be to see Stewart throw his hat in the ring, many online are saying ... enough with celebs jumping in, and enough with trying to prop them up as options.

Many say that charisma alone isn't a good enough qualification for politics ... and that applies to both sides, with many pointing out what we just went through with 4 years of Donald Trump -- who, of course, was in showbiz for a long time before crossing over (and winning).

Interestingly enough, we asked Jon about the prospect of another celeb running for office ... and he didn't write it off, but didn't totally endorse it either. Time will tell if he dives in, or if this is yet another example of wishful thinking.

Comedian Andrew Schulz refused to bow down and censor his comedy special for Amazon, deciding to release it on his own, and the decision is already paying off to the tune of more than $1 million.

Schulz recently revealed honchos at a streaming service "freaked out" when they watched the material he wanted to include in his upcoming comedy special. We're told jokes in the project ranged from topics like Ted Bundy, abortion and Michael Jackson. Schulz claimed the honchos told him to remove the sensitive stuff, or they couldn't release it to users.

We've spoken to sources close to Schulz who tell us he was shopping the special to Amazon and Netflix -- Amazon bid the highest -- but then backed out after Schulz refused to remove the triggering content.

Now, Schulz has decided to self-release the special for fans through his website at $15 a ticket. We're told in the first day alone, he made $500,000 in sales and has made over $1 million in less than a week.

Our sources say the way tickets are selling, he'll make more than his deal with Amazon was in the first place.

We should note, he's partnered with Moment House to sell his tickets -- the same company behind Justin Bieber and Kygo shows -- and we're told he's already broken sales records.

Chris Rock isn't hiding his relationship with Lake Bell any longer -- the duo is out and about in L.A. for all to see ... and we gotta say, they look pretty good together!

The comedian and actress were hitting the town this weekend, popping up at Giorgio Baldi together in Santa Monica where they chowed down. And on Sunday, the couple grabbed a bite at Coast Restaurant in the same neighborhood ... dining with just the two of them.

We're told there was no obvious PDA here -- ditto for the Baldi outing, BTW -- but they certainly seemed to be flirty and in good spirits.

The fact we're seeing Chris and Lake all over the country together now suggests they're dating, and apparently serious. You'll recall ... they were recently spotted at a Cardinals game in St. Louis, where they were sitting in the same box trying to lay low.

As we noted then, both stars are currently single and fresh off long-term relationships. Even in the baseball game instance, though, they didn't appear to be truly hiding anything ... and now, the cat's outta the bag.

Russell Westbrook had the best Tuesday EVER -- because after he scored a $47 MILLION payday from the Lakers ... he celebrated with Kevin Hart at an L.A. hotspot!!

Russ opted into the final year of his Lakers contract early Tuesday morning -- making him richer than ever -- and hours later, he, Hart and some other buddies grabbed dinner at LAVO Ristorante, a swanky West Hollywood joint.

The two were in great spirits -- laughing and dappin' each other up outside of the eatery ... and while Russ didn't say too much, it's pretty clear he's fired up to be staying in L.A. for at least another year.

Of course, the 33-year-old's first year in Lakers purple and gold didn't go smoothly -- he was heckled daily over his play -- but he made it obvious with an impromptu Beyonce car karaoke sesh Tuesday morning that he's shaking all of that off in 2022-23.

BTW, no official word on who picked up the tab at Tuesday night's dinner ... but if we had to guess, something tells us it was probably Russ.

Westbrook and Hart have been tight for years -- remember, the duo were spotted out together right after the guard was traded to L.A. last year.

Bill Bellamy says he's being forced to make an impossible choice after the deaths of his father and father-in-law -- due to an "unauthorized" memorial service planned by his sister.

The comedian and actor's going through an incredibly painful period ... with his father-in-law dying May 17, and then his own dad passing on June 8.

That would be gut-wrenching enough, but TMZ has learned things got even worse. While Bill was out of the country ... we're told his sister, Karen, made plans to lay their father, William, to rest today, June 24 -- the same weekend Bill and his wife had already planned his father-in-law's service in a different state.

According to documents filed in New Jersey, Bill actually attempted to get a restraining order which would force Karen to change the date, but he was denied -- there really is no legal standing for a judge to get involved in this sort of family dispute.

The obvious rift with his sister has left Bill in an unenviable position. He tells TMZ ... "In the span of less than a month I lost both my father William Bellamy Senior and my father-in-law Bernard Baker Junior. These two wonderful men that have impacted my life and my family's lives in ways that are beyond words."

He continues, "My effort to stop an unauthorized memorial service for my father, which was planned without my knowledge, was not successful. I am devastated my family has to choose to miss one service for another, no one should ever have to be in this position. My father-in-law's memorial service was confirmed back in May when he passed.

There are no words to express how disappointed I am to not be a part of laying my father to rest but I look forward to celebrating my father's life and legacy with my wife, his grandchildren and our close friends in our own time.

David Spade seems moved by the Burger King employee who got a mediocre goodie bag in recognition of 27 years without missing work ... giving him money and making him laugh.

Kevin Ford, who went viral this week after showing off his company gifts, tells TMZ ... his daughter let him know someone named David Spade donated $5,000 to his GoFundMe, but he wasn't sure it was the comedian himself, until he checked his Instagram inbox.

David slid in Kevin's direct messages ... telling him to keep it up after 27 years on the job without a break, and even cracking a joke about waiting a few more years before finally taking a day off.

Kevin tells us he's a huge fan of David's, so to get a donation plus some fun back and forth with Spade is surreal.

With David's $5k donation, Kevin's GoFundMe has now raised over $30,000 ... with the money going to help him visit his daughters and grandkids in Texas. He also says he wants to use the dough to buy a new Ford hybrid.

Amy Schumer had to call it quits with Penn Badgley's wife, who was working as her doula while recovering from her C-section ... and looks had EVERYTHING to do with it.

Amy told the "You" star about firing his wife Domino Kirke on his podcast "Podcrushed" Tuesday ... she says qualifications weren't an issue here -- but she was like a goddess roaming her house, while Amy was feeling less than perfect.

A doula acts as a labor assistant for someone that's going through or just finished their pregnancy, providing emotional and physical support ... while it sounds like Domino did her job well, Amy just couldn't get over that perfect look.

She says the "floating siren" made her feel vulnerable after having her 1st kid ... and she couldn't stand melting to her touch for one second more. She admits she feels pretty bad about giving her the boot.

Amy and her husband Chris Fischer welcomed baby Gene in 2019 -- their first kid together. The comedian decided to document her entire experience through the docuseries, "Expecting Amy."

Chelsea Handler is suing a lingerie company ...  claiming she was completely blindsided after spending countless hours and tons of her own cash while agreeing on a deal to promote the brand.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Chelsea cut a deal with a company called ThirdLove to promote its clothing. She claims the company loved Handler's unique body-positive image and brand and thought it was a fit for its customers.

Chelsea says she went through a specialized exercise routine to stay in shape and get ready for the photo shoots ... and claims she passed on other potential deals to honor her exclusive commitment to the company.

She claims she had to fly out to Canada from L.A. for a photo shoot as part of the deal -- and did so on her dime. But, Handler claims ThirdLove ended up pulling the plug on the entire thing at the eleventh hour.

The comedian and late-night host is seeking no less than $1.5M from ThirdLove.

Dave Chappelle is the new owner of a hefty piece of property ... a purchase he's made to block a land developer from moving into the quiet Ohio village that's been his home.

Dave's reps confirm he recently bought up several acres of Yellow Springs, OH land previously owned by Oberer Land Developers, Ltd. -- a company that had announced plans for a huge subdivision that would have chewed up 52 acres of the village.

As you know, Dave came in guns blazing back in February when the Yellow Springs town council held a public meeting.

Chappelle made it very clear he was opposed to Oberer moving forward with the project, and threatened to pull his own business venture for the area -- a planned restaurant/comedy club called the Firehouse Eatery.

The council ended up approving the development, but it now appears Dave has blocked -- or at least curtailed -- the subdivision plan by snapping up some of Oberer's property.

Pete Davidson is famous for a lot -- for appearing on 'SNL,' for dating Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, among others ... and his BDE status is legendary, at least according to Ariana, so an otherwise innocuous wardrobe gaffe suddenly becomes a big deal!

Pete was in Cairns, Australia when he stepped out but forgot to zip up. He could be clowning, but more likely -- he just didn't realize his fly was open.

Pete gave the paps a peace sign as he posed for pics with fans outside his hotel.

Pete's in the land down under to shoot a flick, "Wizards!," with Orlando Bloom, Naomi Scott, Franz Rogowski and Sean Harris. The production company is Brad Pitt's -- Plan B.

In case you're wondering, the movie's about 2 potheads who run a beach bar and get into hot water after finding a pile of money that they should have left be.

Anthony Anderson is backing Dave Chappelle's decision to turn down an honor from his high school alma mater, which was all set to name a building after him.

We got AA at LAX Tuesday, and he thinks Dave's spot on by turning thumbs down on plastering the building -- the Duke Ellington School of the Arts -- with his moniker. After some controversy, the school was ready to put Dave's name right in the front, but Monday night he opted for a different name ... the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.

Anthony believes Dave's a pioneer in the world of free speech, especially for comedians. Anthony acknowledges ... everyone's got their own opinion and some disagree with what Dave says, and that's ok.

While addressing the crowd Monday, Dave referenced the backlash from students over his special 'The Closer' ... and said it really hurt him.