Symba Does XXL Freshman Still Matter??? All I See Is TikTok Rappers!!!
Symba is chalking up the XXL Freshman to be a lost cause ... but he could also be feeling some kinda way for being snubbed on this year's issue.
The Bay Area rapper ponied up his honest thoughts about the newest Freshman class in 92.3's BET Awards radio room ... and suggested hip hop culture's future is in shaky hands with XXL's picks.
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Symba says rap music's lack of chart-topping music ... a first in 30 years ... is a direct result of XXL's insistence on putting TikTok-quality rappers on its cover.
🏆 2023 XXL Freshman Class 🏆
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) June 21, 2023 @XXL
Who’s your favorite Freshman this year? ⬇️https://t.co/GcluReC6Yd pic.twitter.com/CVHHDezLGD
He was plenty dismissive of the list as a whole. GloRilla, SleazyWorld Go, Luh Tyler and 2Rare are just a handful of the budding talent to make the 2023 cut -- but Symba's saying just trash the whole thing.
It may sound a little drastic for someone like K Camp ... who's been an XXL Freshman in the past. The Rare Sound rapper thinks when your buzz is as big as Ice Spice's, skipping the cover is cool but the look can't hurt at the end of the day.
Symba's wordplay and mixtape with DJ Drama attracted praise from his peers, especially from older rappers, for being a formidable MC ... but apparently, the publication felt differently and didn't select him during this period of eligibility.
The 2023 class is getting its lumps in gold. Everyone's a critic.
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Andrew Tate Indicted for Human Trafficking
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Andrew Tate is officially facing charges of human trafficking, rape and more in Romania ... this coming 6 months after the kickboxer-turned-social media influencer's arrest overseas.
According to Romanian prosecutors, Tate, his brother Tristan, and 2 local women were all indicted Tuesday. The Tate brothers, in particular, are also facing charges for allegedly setting up a criminal gang.
The brothers' legal team sounded optimistic in the wake of the indictment, telling local outlet Antena 3 ... they'll "embrace the opportunity to fight in court."
As we reported, Andrew and Tristan were arrested back in December -- they tried, but failed, to appeal a couple of 30-day extensions that kept them locked up until they finally got released from a Romanian jail in March.
They both were placed under house arrest after their release ... and Andrew's been busy on social media retweeting support from followers since Tuesday's indictment.
We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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TRANS INFLUENCER ROSE MONTOYA Sorry I Went Topless At White House Pride Event
Trans influencer Rose Montoya is apologizing for taking her top off at a Pride event at the White House ... admitting her actions were unbecoming of an invited guest.
Rose broke her silence Friday, saying she regretted flashing her boobs on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ... and uploading a video of the act to social media.
The apology comes on the heels the White House banning Rose from future events for her stunt. She previously defended her conduct, but that was before the ban.
As we reported ... Rose was among the hundreds of guests invited by President Biden to a Pride event at the White House, causing outrage when she pulled down her dress to expose her boobs on the South lawn, with the Truman Balcony and a Pride flag in the background.
In announcing her ban, the White House ripped Rose's actions as "inappropriate and disrespectful for any event."
Rose seems to agree with that assessment, and she's promising to do better moving forward.
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Carl Eiswerth TikTok Star Dead at 35
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Carl Eiswerth -- who amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok -- died in a car accident ... TMZ has learned.
Carl's mom, Janet, tells us the social media star was killed Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Janet says Carl was driving with a close friend -- he was in the passenger's seat -- when they were struck by another vehicle in the middle of an intersection.
Carl grew his TikTok following to nearly 500,000 before his death. We're told his family is planning two memorial services, and may live stream the events so his fans can participate.
As for what will happen with his TikTok account, that's still up in the air ... Janet says they don't yet know if his family will take it over, or if there's any material to still be posted.
Carl's page was full of videos, mostly of himself, where he'd combine humor and wit to show his fans a day in the life as he navigated the world.
Carl was only 35.
RIP
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YOUTUBER MIRANDA SINGS Losing Podcast Sponsors ... Teen Fart Stunt Backlash
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YouTube star Colleen Ballinger, best known for her Internet character Miranda Sings, is not just catching flak over a resurfaced clip from one of her shows ... she's also losing deals.
TMZ has learned at least two companies who pay for ads on Colleen's podcast have pulled their sponsorships, and it may just be the tip of the iceberg.
Here's the deal ... Colleen is under fire for a viral clip from one of her old comedy shows, which features her calling a young fan up to the stage for an embarrassing fart stunt.
In the resurfaced footage, Colleen spreads the young fan's legs as she lies on her back on stage ... and then a fart noise blares over the speakers.
A woman who says she is the girl in the video is now speaking out ... she says she was only a teenager at the time and rips Colleen for embarrassing and traumatizing her.
She's also taken heat for asking a young fan to pretend to give birth, and for other crude comments at her shows toward minors.
Some of Colleen's podcast sponsors have taken notice and taken action ... skincare company OneSkin tells us they severed ties with Colleen, saying ... "We were made aware of this previously and have decided to cease the relationship completely. This behavior is appalling and we do not condone or support it in any form."
Another advertiser, healthcare marketplace Zocdoc, says they will no longer run ads on her podcast.
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MrBeast Several Contestants Suffer Injuries In Latest Competition Stunt
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MrBeast is known for his celeb collabs, giving away a ton of cash and even hosting wild competitions ... but one of those competitions took a turn for the worse, resulting in several contestants getting injured.
The social media megastar recently purchased a plot of land in North Carolina complete with a studio and housing, serving as the perfect spot to create content.
Sources with direct knowledge tell us on Monday, Beast hosted an Olympic-style challenge -- with reps from countries all around the world. We're told the competition included some sort of running event with hurdles and obstacles.
At some point, the competition became too intense, and possibly dangerous, resulting in what we're told was several of the athletes sustaining injuries.
A rep for MrBeast tells TMZ, "MrBeast was working on an upcoming video with athletic challenges, and there were three minor medical issues out of almost 200 participants. Medical personnel attended to the people immediately and released them shortly after.”
While we don't yet know the exact details of the injuries, our sources tell us the team has resumed filming ... so if there was any potential for more danger, that's clearly no longer an issue.
With 160 million subscribers, MrBeast is the most subscribed-to person on YouTube so whenever the video does drop ... it's guaranteed to get a ton of eyes.
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Celebs Vacaying In Italy ... Ciao Bella!
Celebs have put a jump start to their summer travels and by the looks of it, they're fleeing Hollywood and hightailing it to Italy. Whether sippin' on Tuscany's tastiest wine or hitting a private yacht along the coast, the stars are livin' the lavish life and bringing you along for the ride!
Makeup artist Jeffree Star took a glam shot along the Amalfi Coast, Ruby Rose threw on a pair of specs and hit the historic Colosseum in Rome, and "Bachelor" stars Amanda Stanton, Hannah Sluss and Tayshia Adams kept it classy in Capri and enjoyed some gelato.
Check out our gallery of all the celebs who are vacaying in Italy ... buon viaggio!
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Yung Gravy Shows Fans Love, Falls Hard!!! Big Spill at Hangout Fest
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Yung Gravy's recovering from taking a huge tumble while doing something sweet for his fans -- and the accident likely had the crowd singing his song, "Oops!!!"
Gravy was in Gulf Shores, Alabama performing Sunday at the packed Hangout Music Festival, and this video shows just how brutal the fall was while he was doing a little crowd work.
As you can see, the "Betty" rapper was walking a path, with fans on either side and handing out roses on his way back to the stage. The dude never saw the slightly raised plywood in his way, and let's just say ... Gravy was tripping, hard.
Keep in mind, he's like 6'6", so it's a long way down!
Gravy powered through, and after 2 security guards helped him up, he finished the show ... and we've learned he was playing hurt.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Gravy suffered a broken left elbow and a broken right wrist. He initially thought a couple Advil would be enough, but when he went to the ER on Monday, doctors discovered the fractures.
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You'll recall ... earlier this year, Gravy told us he was excited about some projects he's cooking up in 2023, especially a supposed collab with rapper Quavo.
Surely, he was stoked about this festival gig too ... before hitting that big bump in the road.
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Dixie D'Amelio Hospitalized After Nearly Fainting
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Dixie D'Amelio got a ride to a hospital on a gurney in the back of an ambulance after nearly losing consciousness ... TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the TikTok star was working Thursday around 3 PM in West Hollywood when she felt faint -- and, out of caution, an ambulance was called to take her to a hospital.
We're told Dixie turned out to be dehydrated and she received an IV with fluids.
It's clear folks around her were extremely concerned -- the fire department was dispatched to Sunset Plaza for a possible seizure.
Thankfully, it turned out to not be that serious.
We're told she's now feeling much better and still plans to attend the D'Amelio family's shoe launch tonight.
Dixie posted on Snapchat from what appears to be a hospital ... she's got different monitors hooked up to her chest.
In true Hollywood fashion, she still managed to work in a plug ... claiming in her caption she just got too excited about the shoe event.
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Logan Paul Celebrates One Year W/ Nina Agdal ... 'My Danish Queen'
Logan Paul and Nina Agdal just hit a special milestone in their relationship -- the couple is celebrating their one-year anniversary together ... and the WWE Superstar penned his model girlfriend a special tribute in honor of the big day.
"One very special year with my Danish queen @ninaagdal," Logan said on Instagram on Wednesday ... sharing several romantic shots of them embracing over the past 12 months.
As we previously reported, Logan and Nina were first spotted in public at Novikov in London last June ... showing PDA as they grabbed dinner with their friends.
Speaking of friends, Logan's podcast cohost Mike Majlak took credit in the comments for setting them up ... saying, "i literally made this happen i want equity in this relationship too."
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Logan and Nina have been attached at the hip ever since ... with Nina being his biggest supporter at all his WWE matches and other business events.
Agdal also recently showed serious love for Logan ... saying, "Obsessed with this boy 💘."
It looks like their special day will be filled with boating, bubbly and caviar ... and, of course, tons of bottles of Logan's Prime drink.
Congrats!!
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JoJo Siwa Home Ransacked Suspects on the Loose
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JoJo Siwa's swanky home was the subject of a terrifying break-in ... and those allegedly responsible are still on the loose as cops work to track them down.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... officers responded to a call around 2:40 AM Monday from an alarm company about the break-in at JoJo's San Fernando Valley home -- but by the time they arrived, the suspects had already taken off.
We're told cops found an open door at the property, which is believed to be what they used to get into JoJo's house.
The total value amount of what was taken is still unclear, as sources say no one was home at the time -- we're told investigators are still waiting to hear from JoJo on what's missing.
The dancer shared the scary incident with her fans Tuesday, claiming the alleged suspects were armed when they got in. Police didn't confirm with us if the suspects had weapons.
She also showed some footage of the suspects, saying it "makes me sick to watch." Luckily, she adds no one was hurt, including her dogs.
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Jake Paul I Want Conor After Nate Diaz Match ... 'Biggest Fight In Combat Sports!!!'
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Jake Paul doesn't step in the boxing ring for another three months, but he's already got his sights set on his next opponent after Nate Diaz ... and it's none other than Conor McGregor!!
The Problem Child -- who's fighting Diaz on Aug. 5 in Dallas -- laid out his plans to Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 ... saying he fully intends to knock Diaz out (something Conor never did), and then lock in a fight with Notorious.
Of course, Nate and Conor have one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history ... and with their series tied up at one win a piece, Diaz wants to take care of business against Jake and then revisit his old nemesis one last time.
But, Jake says he's going to spoil Nate's plans of a trilogy fight by jumping him in line for a shot at Conor ... and he thinks McGregor will have "no choice but to make the biggest fight in combat sports."
Paul -- 6-1 as a pro boxer -- understands Conor would need permission from UFC honcho Dana White to make the fight happen ... but he seems optimistic that the money would do enough talking to get him to agree.
Remember, Jake has gone after a fight with McGregor a few times in the past ... trolling the UFC superstar nearly every chance he's gotten over the years. McGregor has fired back from time to time too -- but they haven't been able to mix it up in a ring.
If a fight does eventually go down, Jake says he's hopeful it'd be a boxing match ... but he told us he ain't opposed to MMA either.
"We can do a two-part series," the 24-year-old said. "One boxing, one MMA in PFL. Make it happen, no problem."
What do you say, Conor???
For more, tune into the TMZ Sports Podcast available on all podcast platforms!
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Licking Ice Cream Couple Dragged For In-Store Shenanigans ... Keep That Trend Dead!!!
Two ice-cold lovebirds are currently getting dragged through the mud after bringing back an infamous and dangerous social media trend that left a bad taste in people's mouths.
Here's the deal -- content creator Tequan Hines recently uploaded a clip of himself and his boo, Asia, sticking their tongues deep in a carton of ice cream in a grocery store before putting it back and fleeing.
They've since taken the video down, but you know how the Internet works ... it's been recirculating online, including on Reddit, where folks are laying into the couple.
Angry commenters are all singing the same tune, more or less -- "A**holes like this should go to jail," and "Looks like they are also pretty proud of their act. F***ing idiots" ... were just a few expressing outrage.
One even wrote, "I'm so glad these people had the intelligence to film and upload themselves to the internet for the benefit of law enforcement."
If it rings a bell, that's because the same thing was going down in the summer of 2019 -- when people were seeking social media clout by licking ice cream out of containers and putting them back on the shelves.
Those looking for quick fame didn't get a happy ending at the time, BTW -- some got arrested and charged, like D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson ... who pled guilty in 2020 to criminal mischief for licking some Blue Bell ice cream and was forced to do 30 days behind bars.
He also had to cough up more than $2,500 with more than half going to Blue Bell for restitutions. Needless to say, in the wake of the covid pandemic, this is one trend that should've stayed frozen.
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Nate Diaz Jokes About Choke-Out Incident ... Laughs With Jake Paul
Nate Diaz clearly ain't sweatin' his criminal case down in Louisiana ... the former UFC star actually had a laugh about it all with Jake Paul on Tuesday.
Paul was the one who brought up the choke-out incident to Diaz during a news conference to hype up their August boxing match ... wondering if the MMA fighter thought he was scrapping with his brother, Logan Paul, when he choked out a guy on Bourbon St. during an April 22 melee.
Diaz smiled and then pretended to truly believe it was Logan who he put to sleep on the popular New Orleans roadway.
"You're going to act like that wasn't Logan?" Nate said with a grin. "Come on, man!"
"You thought it was Logan?" Jake asked again ... before Diaz responded with a giggle, "It is Logan, what are you talking about?"
Of course, the case shouldn't be much of a laughing matter for Diaz ... officials have charged him with second-degree battery after they allege he caused the man to suffer a head wound during the incident. Diaz is now facing time behind bars if ultimately convicted.
Nate Diaz Posts Bond After Surrendering In New Orleans Choke Out Case
Diaz, though, did get serious about it all for at least a few seconds during the presser ... appearing to say he took it easy on the guy by choking him instead of throwing hands.
"You don't want to just hit people out there," Nate said. "That's f****** dangerous. You know what I'm saying? Give him a little nap."
Diaz didn't elaborate on it all further ... but he's been adamant since the incident went down that he did nothing wrong -- and was simply acting in self-defense.
A court hearing on the case in Louisiana, meanwhile, has been set for late June.
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Island Boys’ Franky Venegas Arrested For Domestic Battery After Poolside Spat with GF
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Franky Venegas, known to many as one of the viral Island Boys twins, has been arrested ... after his girlfriend told cops he slapped her and pushed her in the pool.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Venegas' girlfriend told police they got into an argument Saturday at the pool area of their Airbnb in Pompano Beach -- after she threatened to break up with him due to his "physical abusive behavior."
She told PD Venegas got upset and slapped her across the face and pushed her into the shallow part of the pool, causing her to hit her chin on the concrete floor below. Cops say they noted bruises on her chin, as well as on her legs and arms when they spoke to her at a nearby hospital.
Police say they then went to the Airbnb and arrested Venegas for domestic battery ... he let his fans know he's since gotten out -- posting a pretty enthusiastic vid outside the jail.
For those unaware, Venegas -- AKA Kodiyakredd -- took the internet by storm in 2021, dropping his song "I'm An Island Boy" with his twin brother Flyysoulja. The track brought a ton of attention their way, and they even had some beef with Jake Paul during their quick rise.
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Trans TikTok Star Jesse Sullivan We Don't Transition For Fun ... KISS' Paul Stanley's Wrong
Trans TikTok star Jesse Sullivan says KISS singer Paul Stanley's criticism of kids transitioning is misplaced ... Jesse says those who are transitioning aren't just doing it as a fad.
We got Jesse and Francesca Farago Monday at LAX and asked him about Paul's controversial comments, where the rocker claimed kids are being encouraged to transition at a young age.
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Jesse says anyone who is considering transitioning is doing it because they know deep down who they truly are ... and he says the process is anything but fun. During his transition, Jesse says he lost family and he explains why the process is hard on the body and mind, not to mention the social changes.
Jesse acknowledges it's a hot-button issue right now ... but he thinks trans kids need real support because there's a lot for them to fear in this climate.
We also asked Jesse and Francesca about Dwyane Wade's decision to move his family out of Florida because of the state's LGBTQ policies ... and they tell us they actually skipped an event in Florida for the same reasons.
It's an interesting conversation ... and Jesse's got high praise for Dwyane's 15-year-old daughter Zaya, who in 2020 came out as transgender.