Hip Hop

Don't anticipate Jack Harlow to force out a remix of his blockbuster jam "Lovin On Me" ... that track is a 1 of 1!!!

ICYMI ... Jack revealed to TMZ Hip Hop earlier this week that his lovable dog would remain nameless -- and he also told us there's a fat chance there will be a sequel to "Lovin On Me" -- his biggest hit to date!!!

You can see Jack pause for a moment and mentally debate on the possibility of remixing a track before shutting down the idea completely.

If it ain't broke, no need to fix it or even reach for the glue ... the song's been killing since releasing in November with nearly 500 million Spotify streams and 75 million plays on YouTube!!!

It also returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 6th time this week -- which you gotta admit, has boosted Jack's skin in the music game.

Not even new songs from Beyoncé and Kanye West could slow down his bop.

Bobbi Althoff's leaked AI deepfake video nearly broke the internet recently ... and even though she called it fake as hell, TMZ knows how the technology fooled thousands.

Paul Dawes, CEO of More.AI, gave TMZ the lowdown ... saying it scours all available 2D footage to find patterns to create original content. In Bobbi's case, there's already a ton of online content for AI to use as a basis for creating the deepfake vid.

The same goes for other celebs, politicians, and any branded entities ... all prime targets for AI manipulation.

AI programs have a harder time deepfaking 3D images ... but judging how quickly things are evolving with the technology, it's only a matter of time before it masters that too.

What's more ... a lot of these AI programs are open-source, so even if a company shuts down, the open-source code is still available for the public to use. Yikes.

Of course, he reminds us social media has a big responsibility in controlling the content being distributed. Unfortunately, online platforms are inundated with all sorts of offending content without much oversight.

For now, he says the best we can do is buy enough time so regulatory tools can prevent people from being subjected to sexually explicit images of their likenesses.

Of course, AI has already violated the privacy of Bobbi and many others ... so the misuse of AI-generated content is definitely a concerning issue in the new age of the internet.

French Montana has returned to his mixtape roots with his new “Mac & Cheese 5” project and it’s catering to every kind of fan out there … there’s a version bursting with 126 tracks!!!

The Diamond-selling rapper connected with TMZ Hip Hop on Friday and eased everyone’s fears that he wasn’t out to spam streaming companies with a massive hack job.

French tells us the tracklist is simple science he adopted from Taylor Swift when she surpassed every artist on the PLANET by recreating her old hits … as we know, made her catalog boom as a result.

The Bronx native also credited City Girl JT and her team for making her “Sideways” banger accessible in multiple formats and figured that was the new wave.

French explains “MC5” has 21 songs on 5 different versions … the standard, acapella, and instrumentals for the DJs and sped-up and slowed installments for TikTok, which add up to its 126-song grand tally!!!

Fans not complaining noticed “MC5” features Kanye West on not one but TWO tracks — perfect timing with his “Vultures 1” currently dominating the Billboard charts.

French says Ye was in his corner when he first got signed so he’s not about to abandon him when his antisemitic rants were making him a liability to many.

Benzino thinks he destroyed Eminem in their most recent battle -- and is dancing on Slim Shady's grave ... at least that's how he sees things, anyway.

In a new interview with "Art Of Dialogue," Benzino maintained he nailed Em's coffin shut with his "Rap Elvis" diss ... all because Marshall is still delinquent on responding.

Em did respond to Benzino's first shot of 2024 with a diss of his own but the former Source magazine owner threatened to release another one if he continued to be met with radio silence.

He also wants the history books to call him "The Eminem Slayer" ... it's been 20 years and Benzino claims he's the only rapper with the cojones to wage war with Marshall Mathers for so long.

Em's loyal Stans also caught a stray for being "soft and cuddly" but they called him much worse after the beef caused him to break down crying during his latest "Drink Champs" interview.

According to Benzino, crying helps him balance out his violent emotions and he says his vulnerability is immune to any of Em's future disses. Basically, he's not going out the way B-Rabbit beat Papa Doc.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are doing the fashion thing in Milan right now -- and if you're wondering what Bianca was wearing ... well, it basically amounted to a skimpy tarp.

The couple posed for cameras Friday for Fashion Week, where they put on their best attire and stood shoulder-to-shoulder as Italy's "it" couple -- and by that ... we mean fabric and clothing material, 'cause these aren't the most stylish getups, at least in our eyes anyway.

Take a look for yourself, specifically as it pertains to Bianca -- who's in a VERY revealing ensemble, which looks more like a bag made of leather than an actual outfit.

Indeed, she appears to be butt-ass naked under there ... and when you see her from the side, you'll see a lot of skin, even more than usual you might say. Ye is just ... well, Ye.

The only thing to really note about this look here is that he's still going strong on his permanent tooth grill thing -- a titanium plate that's cemented at the top of his mouth.

Truth be told, the real star here is Bianca ... who continues to turn heads with her eye-popping costumes -- frankly, that's sorta the best way to describe them at this point.

Ye's definitely into her bod ... and he seems insistent on showing it off to the world, too.

What she's wearing here isn't too different from what she was rocking on Thursday at Kanye's 'Vultures' listening event -- where he seemed to have a packed stadium full of Italians ready to jam out. That 'fit made us blush, this one's making us melt!

Anyway, they did their thing at the show ... and went out to dinner afterward, where you could really see what BC looked like from the front and back. Solid angles here, for sure.

She's also still rocking her new bangs ... but that's the last thing anyone's noticing about her.

It's funny ... so much of Bianca has been revealed at this point -- figuratively and literally -- and just when we think we've seen it all, she somehow tops herself and shows even more.

Then again ... she can be pretty shy at times -- completely covering up, and ducking away from cameras. On Friday, however, she was more than ready for the spotlight with Ye.

Bianca Censori is once again showing off her assets at Kanye West's latest listening party for his new album ... only this time, it's not just her bod on display -- it's her new 'do.

Ye's wife switched up her look big time for Thursday's "Vultures" event over in Italy ... it's the first time we've seen her rocking bangs since she's been with Kanye -- usually, her hair is slicked back, or just short and messy. Here, however, it's very "Amelie"-like.

Bianca's not getting away from her bread and butter despite the new 'do ... namely, she's once again showing off her curves in yet another eye-popping outfit -- which is kinda her M.O. these days.

Check out this video that's circulating online -- her breasts and butt are totally visible in the see-through getup she's got on ... and, per usual, she has no shame in her game.

FWIW, this ain't the first time she's worn something like this ... we've seen her in a similar fit, albeit that one was white.

Anyway, with what she's wearing ... you might've not even noticed what she was actually doing here -- look again, she's recording her hubby as he belts out his new tunes to the Italian crowd, and it seems she's even singing along with the Backstreet Boys-inspired track.

If you're wondering what Ye and co. are even doing over in Europe (again) -- they're out there promoting his new "Vultures" album with a bunch of listening events/concerts, it seems. He tried doing a couple here ... but said he was having trouble booking venues.

The first listening party is going down right now in Milan, and there's another one on tap for Saturday in Bologna ... before Kanye leaves Italy and heads to France for a Sunday event in Paris. It would appear Western Europe has been more receptive to him than the States.

Nonetheless, the place looks pretty rocking tonight ... and Bianca's having a good time supporting her man -- just as she has been for the past year or so they've been an item.

Say what you want about her ... but she's had Kanye's back through thick and thin -- and he certainly seems smitten with her too. They dress pretty funky ... but hey, they're in love.

And despite controversy, Ye continues to carry on ... "Vultures" has actually performed pretty decently for him -- so on its face, you could argue he feels like he's "back."

Whether that's actually true or not ... well, depends on who you ask, we suppose.

Rubi Rose has a promising career as a contortionist if her rap career doesn't pan out ... at least that's what we can gather from her very flexible moves here, including wall splits.

NYC-based celebrity trainer Wade Jones recently invited RR to his studio where he trained her on the proper technique of getting low on the flo' ... promising her stronger shoulders in the process.

Rubi's been an advocate for the modern-day flexible woman for years but even she admitted her workout with Wade pushed her to the limit ... in ways she couldn't imagine.

Wade's given lessons to other female artists such as Cardi B, Lizzo, and DreamDoll in the past and is currently on tour.

"The Joe Budden Podcast" argued Kanye West's rapping on his "Vultures 1" album left a lot to be desired ... but all the guest rappers stole the show in their opinion, especially Freddie Gibbs!!!

On episode 699 "TherapIsh," Joe Budden dinged Ye's performances on the entire project by calling his efforts "bad, bad rapping" ... but he and the 'JBP' crew were unanimously impressed with Freddie's contribution on the track "Back To Me."

They crowned Freddie's verse the best out of the bunch on the album but feel everyone pretty much did their thing lyrically 'cept for Ye ... at least his beats were on point!!!

Despite the mixed reviews, the album still has buzz in the streets. On Thursday, Freddie posted a vid of himself in Italy ahead of tonight's listening sesh inside the Milan Forum ... and the album still is sitting pretty at #1 on the Billboard Albums chart.

Eminem posts to social media on rare occasions and there now appears to be a clear-cut explanation ... Slim Shady still uses his freakin' BlackBerry!!!

On Thursday, DJ Whoo Kid posted a flick of him, Em and D12's Mr. Porter inside an L.A. dressing room, exposing Em's favoritism towards the outdated tech in the process.

The rap G.O.A.T. was also rocking a shirt with Too Short's classic "Short Dog's in the House" album ... ever the avid hip hop head!!!

The 3 amigos were slyly promoting Em's "Mom's Spaghetti" after a viral negative review knocked the restaurant, with the Shade 45 host joking like he swindled Em's last box of pasta.

Earlier this week, a food critic named Mr. Chimetime declared "Mom's Spaghetti" as the worst dish he's ever had because it tasted stale ... which is the exact basis of the restaurant's existence -- to recreate the satisfaction of a leftover, microwaved meal after a Midwestern hard day's work.

Jack Harlow's currently dominating the Billboard Hot 100 -- but says the real celeb is his pet pooch ... and he's got a tight leash on the animal's true identity, which he won't reveal.

We shot the breeze with JH in Bev. Hills this week as the Kentucky-born rapper's hit is killing the charts -- his "Lovin On Me" smash hit returned to #1 for the sixth time this week ... and Jack humbly tells us he's currently the act to beat in the rap game.

He totally has the motion to back it up ... his cameo in Ben Affleck's star-studded Dunkin Donuts ad earned high marks on Super Bowl Sunday -- allowing for all the exclusive merch to sell out in minutes!!!

Jack says Ben's relatability made shooting the spot easy-peasy... apparently, they gelled through their connection as actors -- something JH says he appreciated as they collab'd.

Jack's clearly not running from the limelight but when we asked his dog's name, he refused to give it to us ... out of respect for her privacy!!! Aww ... 🥰

The adorable doggy helped JH sell the single to the masses -- he used the doggo in promoting it -- but we respect the insistence on secrecy all the same. Dogs have rights too, dammit!

Nobody knows her name at this point ... and it sounds like Jack's keeping it that way.

One last thing that was kinda funny about this ... we're not 100% sure, but it looks like Jack's pup here might've left a little mess behind. Hard to tell for certain if the crap came from his dog -- it looks a little big for that small thing if we're being honest -- but there it lay.

Hollywood is collectively saying "howdy" to cowboy hats ... hopping on a trend that's being fueled by Beyoncé's transition to country music.

With Queen B playing some poker on the charts, celebs lately are going full country ... and busting out their Western wear ... particularly above the shoulders. Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams, Diplo and Bella Hadid are among the stars being lassoed in to this latest look.

Of course, the poster child for the cowboy hat resurgence is Beyoncé. She's been rocking these 10-gallon hats a lot in recent months ... and we gotta say, she wears them well.

Bey incorporated the look into her "Renaissance" tour, but it's really catching fire now that she's galloping into country with two new songs ... "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages."

Some celebs are really going all in, like "Selling Sunset" stars Emma Hernan, Chelsea Lazkani and Chrishell Stause ... pairing their cowboy hats with cowboy boots and chaps, plus a riding bull to boot!!! Safe to say, the cowboy/cowgirl look is all the rage.

Kelly Rowland is passing on an opportunity to explain exactly what happened on the "Today" show ... and as she makes clear here, she only wants to discuss her new movie.

The singer was directly asked about her recent "Today" controversy during an interview Wednesday with WGN News in Chicago -- where she was plugging her upcoming movie, "Mea Culpa" ... and based on this alone, you can tell she ain't gonna spill the beans.

The news anchor asks Kelly if she can clear up what happened on "Today" -- because, as he notes, there's all these different reasons out there as to why she bailed on cohosting the show. Remember, some suggested she was actually peeved over Beyoncé questions.

Anyway, Kelly sticks to her guns here ... and kinda dug her heels in on refusing to talk about it -- and we'll be honest, it's kinda awkward. Check it out ... she says straight up, nah.

Kelly explains that she's not going to talk about it because she wants to keep the spotlight on her new Netflix film ... though she does say she loves the "Today" show and Hoda Kotb.

Like we said ... it's bizarre that continues to refuse to just address the elephant in the room. In fact, you could argue that her trying to ignore it is only making the legend grow -- and at this point, it seems to be all anyone wants to talk about ... even though she insists on just promoting. On its face, her strategy seems to be backfiring ... but she's not cluing into this.

While Kelly's not getting into the deets -- we did get to the bottom of this ourselves ... as we first told you, the true reason why she bolted from the "Today" set was, in fact, the dressing room thing. Namely, her not being satisfied with NBC's rinky-dink rooms to get prepped.

Some have accused her of being a diva -- but Hoda and co. appear to be falling on the sword for Kelly ... profusely apologizing and begging her to come back, while also publicly acknowledging their dressing rooms do actually suck. It's been a little cringe to watch, TBH.

Of course, Hoda and them have since invited Kelly back ... and they're hoping for a whole do-over, with refurbished and upgraded dressing rooms ready for the Destiny's Child alum.

Based on what Kelly's saying here ... it sounds like she might, perhaps, take 'em up on it.

A FOX News host is under fire for suggesting Donald Trump's new sneakers will win over Black America -- and one rapper from Detroit seems ready to cosign that message.

Raymond Arroyo was on the air and talking about DT's "gold" kicks -- which cost about $400 -- and he said something controversial ... namely, implying all Black people love sneakers, and because of that -- Trump's new endeavor will bring them over to his side in droves.

Here's what he said ... "This is connecting with Black America because they love sneakers. This is a big deal, certainly in the inner city. So when you have Trump roll out his sneaker line, they're like, 'wait a minute, this is cool.' He's reaching them on a level that defies and is above politics."

Naturally, Arroyo's comments sparked outrage online -- with many calling his sentiment outright racist ... and playing into harmful stereotypes that just aren't true. As many rightly noted ... Black people are NOT a monolith, and neither is any other group for that matter.

And yet ... Peezy -- who's got a pretty big following -- appeared to back Arroyo's argument ... hopping online to explicitly plug Trump's "Never Surrender" shoes, and even saying he's trying to get his hands on a pair. Indeed, he endorses Trump here -- and slams Biden as well.

Peezy put out an APB for a size 13 for the sold-out sneakers ... while making his political affiliations clear ... saying "F*** Joe Biden, I'm rocking with Trump," before adding a "f*** Kamala Harris" for good measure. He also said "Free Trump" ... so yeah, he's a fan.

Of course, Peezy is in no way speaking on behalf of others here -- he only represents himself and his own views -- but it is interesting that he's coming out swinging on behalf of DT and his kicks.

Big picture though ... Arroyo's remarks are being viewed as problematic, but by the same token -- there's clearly some Black people who actually dig Trump and his merch. Again ... not a monolith -- so no surprise there, really.

We'll say this ... if Trump is able to sway more African Americans to vote for him this year -- it probably won't be because of these shoes, specifically -- despite what FOX News thinks.

Drake's 2011 sophomore effort "Take Care" is close to crossing the 10-million sales mark, marking an inevitable Diamond plaque certification ... simply par for the course, says producer Chase N. Cashe.

He believes it's Drake's best album -- and not because he worked on it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the veteran songwriter after reports jumped the gun on Drizzy's big boom ... the 2011 album is actually sitting at 8x platinum according to RIAA ... just a couple of carats short of absolute glory!!!

Chase co-produced the track "Look What You Done For Me," with OVO 40, one of Drake's most emotional records, as touches on relationships with his mother, uncle and late grandmother.

It was a moment of honesty for hip hop as a whole ... the track has generated hundreds of millions of streams without being a promoted single and Chase says it's just one of the many examples of Drake making timeless music with every drop.

Chase also has a record with Beyoncé from the 2013 "Epic" soundtrack in his storied discography ... and thinks she'll do great in the country music space -- after she comes through with a few big records that match the magnitude she brought to R&B.

Kodak Black has been sitting in Florida jail for weeks after his arrest for drug possession back in December triggered a probation violation ... but we've now learned the "Super Gremlin" rapper finally got out on Wednesday and will no longer have to deal with supervised release.

According to court docs, Kodak admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release but the judge sentenced the rapper to time served without any further supervised release ... and it sounds like it's all due to Kodak's lawyer really going to bat for his client in his drug possession case.

Ever since the arrest, Kodak's lawyer Bradford Cohen has argued that lab testing proves the substance Kodak was caught with wasn't cocaine, but rather a prescribed medication ... insisting his client was the victim of a false arrest.

Lab tests determined that to be true and Cohen even sent a fiery letter to the Mayor of Plantation, FL, Nick Sortal over it, saying the officer's conduct exposed the city to a federal civil rights claim.

New reports suggest the real reason Kelly Rowland walked off the set of "Today" was because of being peppered with Beyoncé questions -- but that's BS ... so say well-placed sources.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kelly arrived last Friday just before 8 AM -- already in full glam -- and she and her team began complaining about her dressing room from the jump. We're told "Today" staffers explained their dressing rooms were notoriously "dumpy, glorified closets."

The sources go on to say Kelly and her team were "quite upset," and asked who had the dressing room upstairs. They were told that room was taken by J Lo, but they were then offered a few options. We're told Kelly and her team liked none of them, and 7 minutes before air, they said, "We're gonna leave," and they booked it.

The sources say there's no truth to the notion Kelly's breaking point was Savannah Guthrie repeatedly asked KR about Beyoncé during her sit-down in the second hour of the show.

These reports claim Kelly has a stipulation for interviews that Beyoncé and Destiny's Child questions were off limits. Whether that's true or not ... we've been told squarely that's not why Kelly left.

That jibes with what the main characters have said over the last couple of days ... including Hoda herself, who explicitly mentioned dressing rooms Monday while extending an olive branch to Kelly.

Also ... Sherri Shepherd leaned into the dressing room dust-up while welcoming Kelly on her own show ... and they played it up further with BTS footage, showing the dressing room Kelly got -- and telegraphing it was way better than what "Today" offered.

Now, on the issue of Kelly being peeved about questions regarding Beyoncé/DC -- there may actually be some truth to that ... as she did come across as a bit annoyed with Savannah, and she proved to be annoyed in other interviews this week too.

With that said ... that's not why she left "Today" on Friday. It was, indeed, dressing room problems. Now, that's not to say Kelly isn't welcomed back to "Today" -- 'cause she is.