Drugs & Alcohol

Snoop Dogg and Buju Banton are 2 of music's biggest chieftains when it comes to cannabis, so it's only proper they connect to celebrate the "High Life" -- the name of their new single together.

On Thursday, Snoop and Buju hopped on IG Live to premiere their track to their followers ahead of its release tomorrow, and sparked on humongous blunts at the same time!!!

Snoop told Buju the collab was a dream and admitted he regretted not getting Buju on his 2013 "Snoop Lion" reggae project, which still found time for authentic collabs from the likes of Collie Buddz, Mr. Vegas and Mavado.

Buju's not the only music wiz getting lifted with Snoop this 4/20 -- Bebe Rexha just dropped her new joint, "Satellite," with Tha Doggfather ... and she claims his Death Row prerolls had her seeing stars at the video shoot!!!

Freddie Gibbs isn't feeling the holiday spirit as far as 4/20's concerned ... mainly because the "Alfredo" rapper says he smokes every day!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Gangsta Gibbs Thursday at LAX, and he admitted he doesn't see what the big deal is about "Cannabis Christmas," if you will. That being said, he does have a vote for rap's best weed anthem.

According to Fred, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's 1995 burner, "Buddah Lovaz" from the album "E. 1999 Eternal" takes the highest honors in his book.

The Cleveland-bred rap legends specialized in rapping about weed on plenty of tracks for decades, and have helped keep fans' ashtrays filled over the years.

It's anyone's guess when Freddie will make more marijuana music himself. He tells us his acting has picked up to the point where he doesn't feel like hitting the studio!!!

Jim Jones is stoked for New York City's first legal 4/20 holiday ... especially since the Dipset rapper stopped caring about the marijuana laws eons ago!!!

Capo linked with TMZ Hip Hop Thursday, which marks a big day for smokers in the Big Apple.

The state's first-ever cannabis dispensary opened today, but Jim recalls what daily life was like before the hoopla and admits he's gotten arrested for marijuana so many times, he lost count!!!

Jim tells us he and his crew used to sneak around to smoke anywhere they could — but still managed to get shaken down by cops, even when hiding in stairwells.

After a while, Jim says he stop giving a f-- until the city changed the laws. A stall tactic that clearly worked out for him and his fellow tokers.

The Dipset rapper and his High Tolerance connects have a big 4/20 event co-hosted by Gillie Da Kid planned later today.

Killer Mike is celebrating his 48th birthday today -- fittingly on 4/20 -- but instead of receiving gifts, the Run the Jewels rapper is actually giving one to fans ... his new album single, "Don't Let the Devil!!!"

The song officially marks the upcoming release of "Michael," KM's first solo album in more than 10 years, which is set to drop on June 16.

Mike lyrically tackles multiple issues he feels are plaguing his community and carries on the current RTJ tradition with an EL-P feature, who also produced the track alongside No I.D. and Little Shalimar.

He's also shouting out the sticky icky, since his born day falls on the official THC holiday.

This time last year, he educated TMZ Hip Hop on the benefits of cannabis, and his wife, Shay Bigga, even had a funny cameo!!!

Aaron Carter's cause of death -- drowning as a result of being under the influence -- doesn't add up for his fiancée, which is why she wants a second opinion as to how he died.

Melanie Martin -- who shares a child with Aaron -- tells TMZ ... she's not satisfied with the findings of the L.A. County Coroner's Office -- which ruled Aaron's death an accident based on an autopsy following his sudden death last year.

The reason ... she says there are still elements surrounding the circumstances of his passing that don't quite make sense to her -- like the fact he was partially clothed in the bathtub when his body was found ... suggesting to her he was lucid before he died ... which could point to someone else being involved.

Another thing ... there was mention in Aaron's autopsy of a small abrasion on his left eyebrow and another one at the base of his septum. MM tells us that's a red flag to her and a sign of a possible struggle.

Because of these lingering doubts -- which Melanie says she and her son are entitled to have addressed -- she's mulling over the possibility of having Aaron's case examined a second time by a private investigator and medical professional ... only this time, private ones hired by the family.

Melanie also says she wants the additional investigation to give her peace of mind and closure ... as she believes Aaron himself would want no stone unturned.

Here's the reality ... Melanie tells us she simply isn't sure if she'll be able to pull the resources together to do it all. As you might imagine, it's very expensive, and she says she's not equipped at the moment to get it done. Still ... she's considering her options.

Fact is, Melanie is on the same train as Aaron's mother, Jane Carter -- who recently told us the death scene photos that surfaced screamed foul play ... a theory she doesn't think investigators looked into seriously enough.

Melanie says she's even tried doing a little investigating on her own -- going door-to-door for surveillance footage ... but coming up empty. She tells us she wants the homeless housekeeper who was staying with him to get a second look by cops ... not to mention drug dealers she claims had it out for Aaron, and who might've been supplying him.

The car wreck that left NFL draft prospect Michael Jefferson with significant injuries earlier this month appeared to be caused by an under the influence driver ... this according to the crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, authorities say Charles Dunn, the 55-year-old man who died after slamming head-on into Jefferson's Chevrolet Impala on April 9 in Mobile County, AL, was suspected of having both alcohol and drugs in his system at the time of the accident.

It's unclear why officials believe that ... they said in the docs blood was taken from Dunn, but the results have not come back yet.

Jefferson, meanwhile, was not suspected of being under the influence at the time of the crash, authorities said in the docs.

According to the report, the Louisiana wide receiver -- who was projected to be taken in next week's NFL draft prior to the accident -- was going 75 MPH in the 65 MPH zone before the collision. Dunn's speed was listed as "unknown."

Officials included a diagram of the crash in the docs -- which showed Dunn's Dodge Charger (labeled Unit 1) had been traveling southbound but moved into Jefferson's northbound lane before they hit head-on. Jefferson's car (labeled Unit 2) was then hit by a third vehicle after spinning out from the initial impact, the diagram shows.

Jefferson's agent, Jon Perzley of Sportstars, said after the accident the 23-year-old sustained injuries that "required multiple surgeries." It's not yet clear how they'll impact his football future.

Jefferson was a star at Louisiana last year, and some pundits had considered him one of the 30 best available receivers in the 2023 NFL draft class.

Aaron Carter took prescription pills and huffed before his death, according to the autopsy results ... TMZ has learned.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner says its findings show Aaron drowned in the bathtub of his Lancaster home, but he took alprazolam -- generic Xanax -- and inhaled compressed difluoroethane ... which is the propellant used in cans of compressed air.

The report says he became "incapacitated while in the bathtub due to the effects" of the drugs and the huffing ... and, ultimately, he slipped under the water and drowned. Aaron's death is officially ruled accidental.

TMZ broke the story -- Aaron was found dead last November. Aaron's family claimed the coroner had told them there was no water found in his lungs, and they believed he had died of a drug overdose.

According to the autopsy report, there were multiple cans of Surf Onn compressed air found in A bathroom and bedroom. Additionally, authorities found several prescription bottles in the home.

Several clothing items were found near the bathtub -- including a beanie, sweatshirt and pants. A nozzle tip to one of the compressed air cans was found in a front pocket of that sweatshirt.

Aaron's fiancée, Melanie Martin, told us she thought drugs were what killed him -- you'll recall, he had a serious substance abuse problem in the years leading up to his death. As we previously reported, cops found cans of compressed air and prescription pills in Aaron's bedroom and bathroom.

Melanie told us there was a text exchange on Aaron's phone, saying he owed someone $800 for an unknown substance ... submitting the exchange to authorities for further investigation.

His mom, Jane, revealed a series of photos in early March from Aaron's bathroom the day he was found, believing it wasn't an overdose -- instead, calling it a crime scene and speculating that her son may have been a victim of foul play.

Jane said she had support from Aaron's family and friends to put the pics out there, wanting to bring the spotlight back to the case.

We covered it all in the recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

"The Mighty Ducks" star Shaun Weiss is taking his past addiction problems and arrests, and turning it all into comedic gold -- using it as brand new material for his stand-up career ... and it's pretty freakin' hysterical.

Shaun got candid about his addiction at the Mic Drop Comedy Club in San Diego this month, taking incredibly serious source material and turning it into stand-up ammo.

He got the crowd laughing pretty hard by poking fun at his own mugshot from his 2020 arrest. He dives deep into his struggles with substance abuse -- with some wit of course -- and gets a roar of applause when he announces he's now 3 years sober.

Check out his last bit about what his "triggers" are for wanting to use drugs. Again, he's probably not joking ... yet he finds a way to crack up the crowd.

Shaun, who played Goldberg in 'Ducks,' has been working on his stand-up act for a little over a year. He's currently on the road and says, "100% of the proceeds go toward helping a child actor stay off drugs."

As we reported, the former child star opened for fellow comedian Russell Peters at a show last year ... following his time living on the streets and having several run-ins with the law.

BTW, Shaun tells us he was recently hired by the treatment center where he used to be a patient to be a sober coach and interventionalist.

He's looking to jump-start a program that helps people turn their personal trauma into comedic material, just like he's doing.

Netflix and Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah -- the filmmakers behind the Kanye West touting 'jeen-yuhs' doc -- are defendants in a lawsuit from a Chicago woman who claims they exploited her with its release.

The suit was filed Monday by Cynthia Love, and according to documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, she originally made a cameo in Kanye’s 2003 music video “Through the Wire” ... which Coodie and Chike directed.

The vid served as Kanye’s breakout hit and opens with Cynthia dancing inside a restaurant … and she says she was paid $20 for that appearance.

Cynthia's issue is she claims she was in an "altered state and not capable of providing consent" at the time -- and she's upset an extended version of that moment was then shown in the 'jeen-yuhs' documentary on Netflix.

In the suit, she says it represents a part of her past she'd like to move past. She claims she's now been sober for nearly 18 years, has held down long-term jobs and repaired relationships with friends and family.

She says the doc revealed her dark past to many who were unaware of her background, forcing her to rehash bad memories.

Cynthia also claims Coodie told her son, via text message, he assumed she was dead instead of trying to contact her before the film's debut.

Cynthia alleges the footage has now caused her emotional distress and harmed her reputation.

Justin Hill, an attorney for Young Thug's YSL camp, has some serious cojones -- not only did he disagree with the judge in their RICO case, but he blatantly called "cap" on him in open court!!!

Hill was in court Monday when he was accused by Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville of not making a formal assertion before court started.

Although it was deemed a moot point, Hill stood his ground and basically told the judge he's an honorable fibber as the case proceeded.

Outside the courtroom, Hill, who represents YSL member Damone Blalock aka Bali, doubled down on his choice of words. He told reporter George Chidi he felt misrepresented during the proceedings, and using the word "cap" perfectly defined the moment.

Thugger's RICO case has been filled with unpredictable hijinks -- back in January, one of his codefendants attempted to pass him drugs as court was ongoing and several others, including Gunna, have since taken plea deals.

Brian Hartline, OSU OC and former NFL player, was allegedly drinking prior to riding an all-terrain vehicle with a buddy early Sunday morning that crashed and flipped, injuring the Buckeyes coach, according to BH's sister, who frantically called 911 trying to get help.

"My friend's husband called us and said 'call 911 right now.' So my brother is out with them and his wife just took a 4-wheeler out to them and I heard a really loud scream," Brian's 33-year-old sister Jamie told the 911 operator in a call obtained by TMZ Sports.

The operator then asked ... "Have they been drinking?"

Jaimie responded ... "Yes, they have!"

We also obtained a short clip from a police-worn body camera ... and it shows what appears to be an injured Brian on the ground while he receives help.

In the background is the flipped ATV.

As we previously reported, 36-year-old Hartline was on his estate in Liberty Township, OH around 1 AM Sunday, riding on the ATV with his friend, when something went wrong.

It's unclear who was driving at the time of the accident.

Hartline was named the Buckeyes WR coach in 2018 ... and worked his way up to OC.

Before he was a coach, Hartline played for the Buckeyes from 2005 to 2008. He was a 4th-round pick who suited up for the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns during his 7-year NFL career.

Chris Cornell's estate -- which is run by his widow, Vicky -- appears to finally be on the same page, legally, with his old band, and it seems like there's even new music on the way.

A statement was issued through Chris's official IG page, and it reads ... "Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out of court resolution."

It goes on ... "The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on. The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden's incredible legacy as well as Chris's indelible mark on music history."

The update comes after years of acrimonious legal battles between Vicky and the band since Cornell's death.

From what we know ... she'd actually sued Soundgarden twice -- once in 2019 over royalties and 7 unreleased tracks and again in 2021 regarding the value of his stake in the band ... and there were even complaints to a judge about COVID protocols amid all this drama. It's been a lot.

Now, it seems like they've all buried the hatchet -- which presumably means both lawsuits have been settled. And that's gotta be great news for Chris' fans around the world.

Manila Luzon's two-year-old campaign for Jack Daniel's -- which features drag queens -- is drumming up outrage anew ... and she says those who are boycotting can cry in their corner.

The former 'Drag Race' star responded to the latest wave of indignation over an LGBT-friendly ad that the whiskey brand ran a full two years ago ... back in 2021. Apparently, some are just catching wind of it now -- and dramatically pouring their JD down the drain.

In one viral instance, a guy actually poured his Jack into a firepit ... and torched the sauce.

Luzon tells TMZ ... the fact these iconic American brands have been teaming up with the LGBTQ+ crowd to reach a new demographic is nothing new -- and she's eye-rolling over the fact that certain folks are just now figuring it out and screaming at the sky about it.

She makes a couple good points here. For one, ML says these companies have entire departments dedicated to market research ... and since they're pivoting toward inclusivity, ya gotta figure they know it's good for their bottom line to reach out to a new customer base.

In Jack Daniel's case ... that actually bares out in the numbers. Their parent company, Brown-Forman, reported huge boosts in sales of the famed liquor last year. Hard to say if that's due to their drag queen ad, specifically, but something's working for them dollarwise.

The other takeaway here is this ... there's options in America. If you're not happy with a brand, for whatever reason, you don't have to buy it anymore. Plain and simple.

Luzon notes, though, that if these people wanna boycott every company that runs an LGBT-leaning ad or campaign -- they might be out of products in the near future. She says this is the way the world is going ... and they can either get onboard, or be left behind.

Donald Trump Jr. is trying to put the fire out on the Bud Light outrage after they teamed up with a transgender person -- and his rationale is ... they actually support the GOP.

The ex-Prez's oldest son made his pitch on his podcast, "Triggered with Donald Trump Jr.," where he opened Thursday's episode with a plea aimed at the MAGA crowd ... and, presumably, anyone else who's vowed to cut Bud Light out of their beer-drinking regimen.

He says he gets the indignation ... noting that, in his mind, Anheuser-Busch did indeed screw up by polarizing their key demographic with a stunt like this -- but he also says they deserve forgiveness considering some new intel he says he and his team have stumbled upon.

DTJ says Anheuser-Busch has actually donated a ton of money to Republican-led campaigns over the years -- including Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid for Nancy Pelosi's job last year.

He also claims that -- according to some reporting he says he saw -- the whole Dylan Mulvaney move was actually the result of a rogue marketing employee at the company ... and that the higher-ups had no idea about it. In fact, Don says Anheuser-Busch is usually not as "woke" as its corporate counterparts -- and that they shouldn't be punished for this.

It's interesting that he's going to bat for the beer company, because they've actually taken a somewhat significant hit in the wake of all this -- reports suggest their market cap has fallen by as much as $5 billion in recent weeks ... although it's hard to say why exactly.

Some think it's a no-brainer -- the Bud Light ban appears to be working, and it's hurting their bottom line. Because of that, it seems, Don Jr.'s telling folks to stand down and buy again.

The man charged with fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee has a history of brushes with the law, and was once arrested for illegal possession of a knife, according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

Nima Momeni was busted Thursday for the April 4 murder of Lee, which cops say happened after they got into a heated argument while driving in Momeni’s car in San Francisco. Cops say the men knew each other, although no motive's been disclosed yet.

Momeni, the owner of a Tech start-up company called ExpandIT, was previously arrested in 2011 for allegedly carrying a switchblade, again while driving in his car.

Momeni ended up pleading no contest to driving on a suspended license in exchange for a dismissal of the knife charge.

In a separate incident from 2004, Momeni was arrested for DUI.

In the less violent/criminal department ... Momeni's also, apparently, a liar.

On his LinkedIn page, he claims he attended UC Berkeley, but a University spokesperson denies that, asserting the alleged killer never attended the prestigious school.

Momeni is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon for Lee's murder.

Police are on the hunt for a man who tackled the Colorado Rockies' mascot during a game on Monday ... believing he committed an assault with his surprising actions.

The incident happened at some point during the Rockies' game against the Cardinals at Coors Field ... when Dinger, Colorado's purple dinosaur cheerleader, hopped up on a dugout to fire up the crowd.

Suddenly, though, as Dinger was dancing around ... video shot by a fan in the stands shows a man jumped up and took the costumed character to the ground.

The moment initially seemed staged ... but, quickly, it was revealed it was anything but that.

The fan who shot the video suspected the man was inebriated ... writing in a caption on the video, "Boooo, drunk guy. [Love] you, Dinger!"

The Denver Police Dept. became aware of the incident shortly after it happened ... and confirmed to TMZ Sports it's now investigating it all as part of an assault case.

"We are working with our partners at the Colorado Rockies to identify the suspect," a DPD spokesperson told us on Thursday morning.

No arrests have been made yet ... but cops are urging anyone with information to reach out to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.