Money

Ras Kass has made peace with his drunken ball drop with Jay-Z from years ago, but now that he knows what he knows ... he'd opt for the $500K in the Jay dinner debate.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the West Coast MC Wednesday night at Projector L.A.'s Halloween bash, where he told us his wounds from ruining his chance to spearhead Jay's label have long healed.

But, he's learned a valuable lesson: All up-and-coming rappers better be ready to lose themselves at ANY given moment.

And, steer clear of all wack hip hop!!!

RK met up with Jay in NYC in the early 2000s in hopes of being the flagship artist for the developing Roc-A-Fella West label division.

When they arrived at their club destination, RK says paranoia crept in as he got the hunch he and Jay could end up fighting -- so he began downing some liquid courage.

No club brawls took place, but when Jay introduced RK on the mic, he was too slizzard to nail his rhymes ... and Jay lost his number!!!

In hindsight, RK tells us he forgot the real reason he was there that night, and fumbled the bag -- but there's no hard feelings.

While he praises Jay for his shrewd business sense, Ras Kass has no shame in his game ... he says he'd definitely take the imaginary $500K over a second chance meeting with the mogul.

Hey, that's exactly what Jay's advising everyone to do!!!

Drake can now claim he's a King too -- à la Michael Jackson or Elvis -- because he's hit a milestone ... the Recording Industry Association of America says he's sold more single units than anyone. Ever. In history.

Mr. Morgan, Drake's OVO Sound President, made the surprise reveal amid Drizzy's 37th birthday celebrations ... the Canadian rapper is the first artist in RIAA history to surpass 200 million units, and he did it convincingly -- his tally now stands at 220 mil!!!

Some of the biggest wins on his leger include the 2011 album "Take Care," and 2013 smash hit "Started From the Bottom" ... as both inch toward diamond plaques at 8x platinum.

BTW ... RIAA single units include purchases of records, permanent downloads and streams -- all categories Drake regularly crushes with every new release. OIder acts like Elvis, The Beatles and even MJ sold millions upon millions of records ... but Drake tends to beat them by a country mile on digital downloads and streams.

Translation: It's good to be the King.

Another cool stat ... his alt-left dance album, "Honestly, Nevermind" officially cements that all his studio releases have sold at least one million units.

Two tracks from his new album, the J. Cole-featured, "First Person Shooter" and Yeat-featured, "IDGAF" currently sit in the Billboard Hot 100's Top 10 also.

With a catalog this prosperous, it's no wonder Drake is comfortable entering a hiatus from music soon ... to deal with the stomach issues he says are causing him grief.

Kim Zolciak y Kroy Biermann saben que están en serios problemas y le están pidiendo a la corte que detenga la subasta de su casa y que, en lugar de eso, la puedan vender ellos y así tratar de salvar el pellejo.

De acuerdo con documentos legales obtenidos por TMZ, Kim y Kroy dicen que si la subasta prevista por el banco se lleva a cabo, van a sufrir "un daño irreparable del patrimonio conyugal agotándolo en su totalidad".

La mansión de Kim y Kroy ubicada en Georgia está a la venta por 6 millones de dólares a través de un agente de bienes raíces, mientras que su separación sigue su curso.

La venta de la casa es la primera cosa en la que hemos visto a Kim y Kroy de acuerdo en un tiempo. Ambos viven juntos en la residencia, pero el tribunal le ordenó a Kim a vivir en el sótano y la suite de la niñera, mientras que Kroy tiene acceso exclusivo a la habitación principal.

Como hemos informado, su divorcio ha estado lleno de drama y acusaciones desagradables. Kroy ha acusado a Kim de ser una adicta al juego y la culpa de sus problemas de dinero y Kim ha dicho que no le gustaba que Kroy estuviera alrededor de sus hijos bajo la influencia de la marihuana. 

The NHL just handed down its first sports betting-related punishment in league history -- suspending Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto 41 games for "activities relating to sports wagering."

It's unclear what exactly Pinto did to draw the ban, but the league stated an investigation determined there was "no evidence" he bet on any NHL games.

Shane addressed the punishment on Thursday ... saying, "I want to apologize to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, my teammates, the fans and city of Ottawa and most importantly my family."

"I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team."

According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, players are prohibited from betting on any NHL games, but are free to throw money on other sports.

22-year-old Pinto -- the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft -- had 35 points in 82 games for the Senators last season ... but has not suited up for the squad yet this year.

The Sens also addressed the league's decision ... adding, "Shane is a valued member of our hockey club; an engaging, intelligent young man who made poor decisions that have resulted in a suspension by the National Hockey League. We know he is remorseful for his mistakes."

"The Ottawa Senators fully support the NHL’s rules on gambling. While saddened to learn of this issue, the entire organization remains committed to Shane and will work together to do what is necessary to help provide the support to allow him to address his issues and become a strong contributor to our community."

The NFL has also handed down betting bans recently ... suspending players like Jameson Williams, Calvin Ridley and Isaiah Rodgers.

Ex-NFL linebacker Blake Martinez -- who retired from the sport at 28 to pursue a career in Pokémon card collecting -- is looking to get back on the gridiron ... this after getting caught up in a major scandal.

Martinez made headlines last year for hitting big and selling a rare Illustrator Pikachu card for $672,000 ... and walking away from football just days later to pursue collecting and trading full-time.

The decision worked out for the linebacker -- he claimed to have made $11.5 million in less than a year in the industry ... but then s*** hit the fan.

Martinez was banned from the popular WhatNot card-selling marketplace for "misconduct" in August ... after an investigation into consumers' claims he wasn't acting in good faith.

Now, the former Giants and Packers star is looking to pick back up where he left off in his first career ... working out for the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday.

Martinez  -- who raked in nearly $29 million over seven seasons -- was solid in his initial stint in the league ... earning over 700 tackles and 13 sacks.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann know they're in a serious hole, and they're asking the court to prevent that hole from getting any deeper ... by stopping the bank's foreclosure auction on their home, to allow them to sell it on their own.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim and Kroy say if the bank's planned auction on November 7 is allowed to happen they will suffer "irreparable injury to the marital estate depleting it in its entirety."

Kim and Kroy listed their Georgia mansion for $6 million through a realtor while they hammer out the rest of their divorce ... but the foreclosure auction was scheduled before the estranged couple listed it.

The sale of the home is the first thing we've seen Kim and Kroy agree on in a while. They're both currently still living inside the residence, but the court has ordered Kim to live in the basement and nanny suite, while Kroy has exclusive access to the primary bedroom.

As we've reported, their divorce has been full of drama and nasty accusations ... Kroy's accused Kim of being a gambling addict to blame for their money problems and Kim's said she didn't trust Kroy around their kids when he smokes weed.

¡¡¡¡Cardi B podría estar suavizando su postura cuando se trata de su archienemiga, la bloguera Tasha K y los 3,4 millones de dólares que le debe!!!!

La rapera de "Bodak Yellow" dio a sus fans un testimonio emocional en las primeras horas de la mañana del jueves, advirtiéndoles que nunca confundan su bondad con debilidad, al mismo tiempo que admitía que está pensando si seguir persiguiendo la sentencia que el tribunal dictaminó que Tasha debe desembolsar.

La revelación de Cardi se produjo unas horas después de que Tasha apareciera en directo la noche del miércoles, llorando y hablando de sus propios traumas pasados, mientras se disculpaba con Cardi y se refería a su propia relación patas arriba con Nicki Minaj.

Los aficionados advirtieron a Cardi que no cayera en lo que muchos ven como un engaño de Tasha. La bloguera de chismes se declaró en quiebra en mayo, cuando la sentencia de $3,4 millones aún se avecinaba. Su disputa hirvió en Twitter poco después.

Recuerden que todo esto comenzó después de que Tasha falsamente acusara a Cardi de abuso de drogas y prostitución, lo que llevó a la cantante a presentar una demanda por difamación. Cardi ahora dice que solo su madre y sus abogados pueden darle el consejo que necesita para tomar la decisión final.

Dice que su familia y amigos, incluyendo Offset, inmediatamente la convencerían de presionar para que se haga justicia, lo que incluye exigir esos 3,4 millones de dólares de las manos de Tasha. Pero Cardi dice que ver a alguien sufrir, no la hace feliz.

Cardi B just might be softening her stance when it comes to her archenemy, blogger Tasha K, and the $3.4 million she owes Cardi!!!

The "Bodak Yellow" rapper gave her fans an emotional testimonial in the wee hours of Thursday morning ... warning them never to mistake her kindness for weakness, but also admitted she's debating if she should continue to pursue the fat judgment the court ruled Tasha needs to fork over.

Cardi's revelation came a few hours after Tasha went live Wednesday night ... tearfully speaking of her own past trauma, while apologizing to Cardi and speaking on her own topsy-turvy relationship with Nicki Minaj.

Fans warned Cardi not to fall for what many see as crocodile tears from Tasha -- the gossip blogger filed for bankruptcy in May as the $3.4 million judgment still loomed. Their beef boiled over into the Twitter streets shortly after.

Remember, this all started after Tasha falsely accused Cardi of drug abuse and prostitution ... prompting Cardi to file a defamation lawsuit. Cardi now says only her mother and lawyers can give her the advice she needs to make the final decision.

She says her family and friends, including Offset, would immediately talk her into pushing for justice -- including clawing that $3.4 mil out of Tasha's hands. But, Cardi said seeing someone else in pain doesn't make her happy.

Dana White just put his haters in a rear naked choke -- the UFC honcho is adamantly denying he's a sellout for getting back in bed with Bud Light following the Dylan Mulvaney controversy ... saying the deal had nothing to do with money.

UFC announced earlier this week that Anheuser-Busch was back as the promotion's official beer sponsor for the first time since 2019 ... which certainly ruffled some feathers with people who boycotted the brewing company over its partnership with the transgender influencer back in April.

Dana was asked about the backlash following "Power Slap 5" on Wednesday ... and he wants to make one thing clear -- he couldn't care less about what people think of the business deal.

Dana started off by slamming the "dummies" who said it was only about money ... pointing out all sponsorships are about stackin' cash.

Dana labeled it "f***ing stupid" to think Bud Light was a last resort ... claiming there were multiple offers on the table, but he chose AB due to its values as a company.

"Everybody on every side of this deal that were involved -- other beer companies and everything else -- absolutely, positively knows that this was not about money for me," Dana told the media. "We were going to end up with money no matter who we ended up with."

In fact, he points out specifically what attracted him to the deal ... saying the company has initiatives to support the military, law enforcement and local farmers -- which separated them from the rest of the pack.

As for those who think Dana is just a puppet reciting lines to look good in the media -- he's got words for you, too.

J Balvin is praising Britney Spears for her tell-all memoir and the book's instant popularity ... telling us she deserves every bit of success coming her way.

We got the "La Canción" singer Wednesday in Tarzana and our photog asked him about Britney's new book, "The Woman In Me."

J Balvin says he's super proud of her and she's someone who deserves love and respect for inspiring so many folks across the world ... and he's glad to see her back on top.

Remember ... Britney celebrated earlier this month with J Balvin and Maluma, with the trio going out in New York during her promotional tour. J Balvin tells us Britney was in a really good place then, and he says that's going to set her up well for any hate she may get for her book.

But, so far, the reception has been mostly positive ... Britney's book is flying off the shelves and, as we told you, her music is getting a streaming bump too.

A pair of diamond-encrusted Death Row pendants Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg once dangled around their necks are going up on the auction block ... along with other hip hop treasures tied to Suge Knight's old empire.

GottaHaveRockAndRoll.com tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the consigner got their hands on the latest round of rap memorabilia from Reggie Wright Jr. -- the former head of Death Row security -- who's been sharing his recollection of the label's heyday for years.

We're told Suge commissioned separate sets of Death Row chains that he would loan to his artists -- the 14kt "Fully Iced" pendant was reserved for the big dogs like Pac and Snoop, and is expected to go for somewhere between $500K and $1 million. Some partial diamond pendants are estimated to go for $200K - $500K.

Tupac's 1996 SNL performance envelope and personalized ticket are also up on the auction block with an estimated value between $8K and $12K.

The online bidding starts today and will end November 10 in conjunction with Gotta Have Rock and Roll's celebration of hip hop's 50-year history.

Death Row Records' revival has been all the rage this year.

Un par de colgantes de Death Row con diamantes incrustados que alguna vez usó Tupac Shakur y Snoop Dogg están ahora en subasta, además de otros tesoros de el imperio creado por Suge Knight.

GottaHaveRockAndRoll.com le dice a TMZ Hip Hop que el consignador tiene en sus manos la última ronda de recuerdos de rap de Reggie White Jr, el ex jefe de seguridad de Death Row que ha estado intercambiando sus recuerdos desde hace años.

Nos dicen que Suge encargó conjuntos separados de cadenas de Death Row que prestaría a los artistas. El colgante 14kt "Fully Iced" estaba reservado para los grandes como Pac y Snoop y se espera que se venda entre los $500K y $1M mientras que los colgantes de diamantes parciales entre $200K y $500K.

El sobre de la actuación de Tupac en el SNL de 1996 y la entrada personalizada también salen a subasta con un valor estimado de entre 8.000 y 12.000 dólares.

La subasta comienza hoy y finalizará el 10 de noviembre, coincidiendo con la celebración de los 50 años de historia del hip hop por parte de GHRock.

J Balvin elogia a Britney Spears por su libro de memorias y la popularidad instantánea del libro, diciéndonos que se merece todo el éxito que ha tenido.

Encontramos al cantante de "La Canción" el miércoles en Tarzana y nuestro fotógrafo le preguntó sobre el nuevo libro de Britney, "The Woman In Me".

J Balvin dice que está muy orgulloso de ella y es alguien que merece amor y respeto por inspirar a tanta gente en todo el mundo y se alegra de verla de vuelta en la cima.

Recordemos que Britney celebró a principios de este mes con J Balvin y Maluma. El trío salió en Nueva York durante su gira promocional. J Balvin nos dice que Britney estuvo de muy buen humor y que va a apoyarla en caso de recibir hate por su libro.

Hasta ahora, la recepción ha sido en su mayoría positiva. El libro de Britney está volando de los estantes y, como te dijimos, su música está escuchándose mucho más los últimos días.

"The Walking Dead" actor Erik Jensen has been diagnosed with stage four cancer ... this according to his wife, who has started a GoFundMe to help cover the rising costs.

Erik's wife, Jessica Blank, said on the fundraiser her husband has stage four colorectal cancer ... and his diagnosis is coming a year and a half after he survived a brain aneurysm.

She says Erik's cancer "has metastasized to his liver," but his doctors "have a shot at shrinking the tumors enough to do two very major surgeries and get them all out" ... adding how strong and resilient her husband is.

Jessica points out that Erik, like countless other actors like him, has been financially affected by the "lack of streaming residuals" over the years ... not to mention the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which has shut down most of Hollywood.

She says they have mountains of medical costs, and now Erik's facing "serious risk" of losing SAG insurance ... which is why she's asking for his fans to help in any way they can.

It seems like folks have already been supporting Erik during his health crisis -- he's received over $97k in a week, with a goal of $300k.

Britney Spears' book isn't the only thing with a lot of eyes and ears right now ... cuz her music has racked up MILLIONS of streams just one day after her tell-all hit shelves.

According to data from Spotify and YouTube, Britney's library received over 7.1 million streams Wednesday -- the day after "The Woman in Me" became available -- with Spotify accounting for 4.7M of those listens.

As for how the listening streams break down -- Britney's album, "In The Zone," grabbed around 1 mil ... "Circus" got 790k, "...Baby One More Time" got roughly 750k, and "Oops!...I Did It Again" had around 650k streams.

In terms of individual songs on Spotify, "Toxic" came out on top with around 680,000 streams -- while her other megahits like "Gimme More" "Oops! ... I Did it Again" and "... Baby One More Time" landed bewteen the 400,000 - 500,000 mark.

YouTube data shows "... Baby One More Time" -- her debut single -- grabbed over 400k clicks alone. Safe to say, there's some great cross-promotion going on here.

As we reported, Britney is reeling in 25% of net profits from her new book. Sources told us it should cover the advance she got, which was $12.5 MILLION. More than 400,000 copies have already been sold ... but our sources say the trajectory could go over 1M.

DJ Envy's former FlippingNJ business partner Cesar Pina is breaking his silence after getting hit with wire fraud charges ... and he's denying "The Breakfast Club" cohost was responsible for any wrongdoing.

Cesar maintained his own innocence too, while on IG Live Tuesday night ... and he also clapped back at the likes of Rick Ross, Funk Flex and social media personality Tony the Closer for allegedly spreading disinformation about the case.

Cesar made it clear he's not beyond settling his debts but said he's been bombarded with fake claims ... even from people he thought he could trust.

He named Tony the biggest instigator of fake news, and called him out for using Envy and Cesar's controversy to promote his own real estate hustle -- something Akademiks also bombed on Tony for doing.

Envy's already suing Tony for defamation.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... federal law enforcement sources denied the widespread reports Envy's space at the iHeartMedia's offices was raided.

Cesar says the feds didn't even raid his house, and he's the prime target of their investigation!!!