Hip Hop

Megan Thee Stallion's snake-driven campaign slithered away with a whimper when she met face-to-face with the real deal ... a bottle of alcohol with a dead snake stuffed inside!!!

The rapper is currently turning heads during a trip out in Japan that tested her "Fear Factor" meter -- this after she sampled Habushu, a traditionally super strong liquor native to Okinawa.

Apparently, it's powered by poison ... the local Habu snake is said to ferment inside the container to age as long as possible -- which makes for one hell of a boozy drink.

Welp, Meg dove in without hesitation and asked if the potion would send her to the morgue -- but she didn't chicken out ... taking a sip of the concoction, but not really liking it much.

Meg took a little slurp of the Habushu -- but this time around, she didn't drive the boat too far ... docking and anchoring her experience, saying the drink was too strong for her liking. Can't blame her ... drinking dead snake, even for a buzz, doesn't sound pleasant at all.

It's pretty funny ... Meg topped the Billboard Hot 100 a few weeks back with her single "Hiss" -- which was the follow-up to another reptilian record "Cobra." But, when it comes to the real McCoy ... she isn't into it, it seems.

Mike Epps is still feeling some sorta way about the Richard Pryor biopic that didn't happen -- and 10 years after he got the dream role, he's blaming Richard's widow for shutting it down.

Mike did his best to crack jokes about it as revealed the backstory to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on their "All the Smoke" podcast -- claiming things went south with Jennifer Lee Pryor because he refused to render certain services for her.

Call it the ultimate d**k move -- or lack thereof -- but Mike claims Jennifer wanted a little quid pro quo ... and when he refused to sleep with her, she yanked the role from him.

Mike claims he and Jennifer clashed harder at Richard's funeral in 2005, which he says doubled as a comedic event ... albeit not intentionally!!!

He threw the late Paul Mooney and Richard's other friends in attendance under the bus for not speaking at the funeral -- instead leaving Mo'Nique and George Lopez to pay their respects even though they didn't actually know the comedic legend.

You gotta see Mike paint the picture of how the funeral went down ... especially his Diana Ross impression.

But the jokes stopped when he talked about walking up to Jennifer to insist he was the man for the biopic role, because his legacy has outlived Richard's -- and all the kids know it!!!

Lee Daniels was originally on board to direct the RP film in 2014 but jumped ship 2 years later, leaving Mike to portray Pryor in minor capacities as he did in HBO's short-lived "Winning Time" series ... potentially the last time he'll get to impersonate his idol.

Saweetie was all the way tapped in at Billboard's Women in Music last night with zero signs of stage fright ... a triumph after she went viral for struggling on the podium at another event.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of Saweetie inside the YouTube Theater booming with confidence in a sultry black split dress as she presented an artist with an Impact Award.

Saweetie wasn't the only one dazzling in a slinky wardrobe -- just ask Katy Perry, who tantalized the Billboard blue carpet in a g-string thong ... but the night was all about female empowerment.

Saweetie showed love to all the women in the room ... Ice Spice, Victoria Monet and Coco Jones, were definitely doing it for her.

She also put her USC degree to use and wooed the audience with a little Spanish speaking ... her shout-outs for Miko, Karol G and Bad Bunny even earned her brownie points with the crowd!!!

Chuck D has joined the fight initiated by Fat Joe and many others to tackle the U.S. medical industry's hazy pricing methods ... which he says is public enemy #1 to the average American citizen.

We kid of course, but Chuck was deadly serious while talking to TMZ Hip Hop about this issue -- which he thinks is going to bite Americans in the ass the longer it goes ignored.

The legendary rapper joined Joe, The Foo Fighters, French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Valerie June and several other music stars this week for the Power to the Patients' concert in Washington D.C. to further pressure lawmakers to pass legislation to combat the healthcare price transparency issue.

FF frontman Dave Grohl called Chuck his "hero" during their performance, noting how Chuck and Public Enemy set the tone long ago for using their platform to raise social awareness among fans.

We ask if celebrities can still sway the vote at this point in time but Chuck points out that hip hop is now 50 years old -- with rock being even older -- and both communities are well-traveled enough to speak facts. Remember, artists are voters too!!!

Chuck rallying in Washington is one of the many precursors to the 2024 election -- with all signs pointing to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump -- two unappealing candidates from Chuck's POV.

He laughed off Trump's recent string of promos ... slangin' sneakers and shirts with his mugshot photo have caused a stir but Chuck says Americans shouldn't believe the hype, 'cause it's the same 'ol scenario.

Rick Ross says he had no ill intent when he documented Tyreek Hill's house fire earlier this year ... claiming he was actually a good guy in the situation.

Cheetah unloaded on the rapper this week ... saying it was pretty messed up of him to post footage of the emergency for his 19.4 million followers to see.

Rozay got wind of Hill's gripe ... and he thinks it's all a misunderstanding.

"Tyreek Hill, I wasn't picking on you homie," Ross said on Instagram. "I wasn't picking on you at all."

RR pointed out he did not share any footage of Hill's loved ones at the scene ... and news coverage of the incident was already underway by the time he started recording -- so what's it matter if he makes his own content??

"And, let's not act like I'm the one that premiered the fire to the world," he said. "It was five helicopters circling over your crib and my crib. We stay across the street from each other."

"I didn't post you and your girl outside, I didn't post mom, none of that. But the s*** was everywhere, homie."

On a side note, Rozay also knocked the fire department ... saying he thought they did a bad job at attacking the flames on Jan. 3.

As for his conversation with a fireman that Hill mentioned, RR also had a defense for that ... claiming he was only interacting with the responder to see if he could help Hill's mom take a seat.

Kodak Black helped deliver his newborn son last week -- and made sure the little guy was freshly dressed for his world debut!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the first photo of Kodak's newborn son, who he and his girlfriend Maranda Johnson named Prince Kapri.

Kodak tells us … "I'm happy to be home with my family and my new son. It was very special to help deliver a new soul into the world. I know he's going to be a special person."

Prince was born on February 27 and the newly minted father/son duo captured a stylish photo-op for the birthday -- Kodak was decked out in a baby blue t-shirt and jeans, and Prince was wrapped in a baby blanket and cap with matching colors.

Prince's arrival makes him Kodak's 4th kid -- his 2nd with Maranda, and the "Super Gremlin" rapper is approaching parenthood with flair.

Just take a look at the blinged-out pacifier he had dangling around his neck ... that's gotta be worth a lifetime supply of diapers!!!

Camila Cabello is spilling all about her brief reconciliation with Shawn Mendes -- including what caused their final split ... and the gist of it is, they just weren't right for each other.

The singer went on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" -- where she revealed that her reunion with Shawn ended as quickly as it began. Apparently ... she and SM realized that -- despite their hot make-out sesh at 2023's Coachella -- they weren't as good a fit as they thought.

Camila said she jumped into things again with him on an impulse -- but soon, she says they both realized it wasn't working and that they didn't need to force the relationship. CC recalled deciding just to be friends with Shawn ... saying she and SM ended on good terms.

The two pop stars previously dated between 2019 and 2021 -- before giving it another go ... which included a date night to Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour in May.

Doesn't sound like Camila regrets the rekindled romance ... calling it a "fun moment."

The fun didn't stop there for Camila, BTW ... who was spotted on vacation with Drake in Turks and Caicos this past December. However, Camila clarified that it wasn't all good times and games -- it was a work trip, too ... labeling it a "friends vacation."

Unfortunately, the singer stayed tight-lipped on whether she and Drizzy did more than make music. But, she did notably share ... "I will say I love him."

Shawn, for his part, has also moved on from Camila -- having been linked to British presenter Charlie Travers last fall. Remember, Shawn and Charlie were spotted enjoying a beach day in their underwear after linking up in West Hollywood in November.

Shannon Sharpe made himself a meme this week by simply walking into a business -- but Donnell Rawlings thinks we should cut him some slack, even though he's here to roast too.

We caught up with the funnyman in NYC on Wednesday -- and he had his own 2 cents to add to the viral conversation ... including a staunch defense that's layered in comedy. Check it out ... Donnell explains why Shannon strutted the way he did, and it's all about athletics.

Of course, he couldn't help but do his own impersonation of the ex-NFL'er, and it's great.

ICYMI ... Shannon was promoting his cognac in New Jersey last weekend and sluggishly stepped out of an SUV in a snug-fitting all-green ensemble, coupled with an orange bag slung around his chest ... and as you can imagine, it instantly got tackled with jokes online.

Like we said, Donnell did his best Shannon Sharpe -- both speaking and walking -- and we gotta say ... it's pretty freaking good. He has his voice and cadence down to a tee here.

He even joked about Mike Epps not wanting the 'Shay Shay' problems after their short-lived spat ... but it's all in good fun, we swear! You can tell Donnell's got love for Shannon -- even though he's been hosting some guests lately who are going after his comedy buddies.

Even though Shannon's blowing up these days over his wildly successful "Club Shay Shay" podcast, Donnell reminds everyone Shannon is also a HOF football stud and his banged-up body might be why his walk is getting made fun of ... something DR thinks is kinda unfair.

Damon Dash recently took a break from bashing Jay-Z to focus on his post-Roc-A-Fella Records days when he wanted to lead the next generation of rap stars into independence ... but claims they abandoned him for the major label machine.

Those stars grew up to become Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y and Stalley --  who all got a scolding from DD in a recent podcast with Math Hoffa ... where he came off like a disappointed dad in the aftermath of all three of them signing to Atlantic Records, which Dame claims happened behind his back.

TMZ Hip Hop actually caught up with Stalley, who tells us Dame's recollection of events is without merit ... saying they never signed any legally binding paperwork. He even had to pay his own way to be part of the music video shoots.

Stalley appeared on several tracks for Dame's DD172 label -- including his self-titled "S.T.A.L.L.E.Y." track -- and tells us he can't understand why Dame can't pronounce his name correctly. Dame does kinda butcher it a bit in the vid.

Dame framed Stalley as "grumpy" -- and cited a run-in at the airport years ago where he says Stalley expressed regret for taking the Atlantic deal.

Stalley denies telling Dame he regretted anything at the airport ... and says there was frustration more than anything, but is certain that he and Dame had the least interactions of everyone present.

Kanye West had a bit of opposition in clearing samples for the "Vultures 1" album -- but none of the pushback came from Juvenile's end ... in fact, he was happy to sign off.

The Cash Money Records legend tells TMZ Hip Hop that he was honored to be a part of the same project Ozzy Osbourne openly boycotted ... if you didn't know, Ye sampled his classic tune "Back Dat Azz Up" for the song "Do It" -- and the rest is Billboard history!!!

Of course, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne both ripped Ye to smithereens over him trying to use Black Sabbath music ... but Juve tells us unlike Ozzy -- who blocked Kanye from using his group's "War Pigs" track -- he feels Kanye is a good dude and fondly remembers Ye supporting his indie efforts with his "Nolia Clap" guys Wacko and Skip.

As a result ... giving the green light on "BDAU" was a no-brainer, from his POV.

The booty-shakin' anthem was the marquee single on Juve's breakout album, "400 Degreez" -- and it's still a fan favorite 25 years later, with Juve celebrating the anniversary with a digital deluxe rollout featuring 2 new tracks he and producer Mannie Fresh collaborated on and colored double LP vinyl set.

The surprises don't stop there either ... Juve says he'll be shooting a music video for the "400 Degreez" title track, which he says is his absolute fave song on the album!!!

The music has aged nicely -- and fans can NOW expect to see Juve on the super-star-studded Lovers & Friends Festival stage after the NOLA rapper did a bit of ripping of his own in the promoter's direction.

Juve tells us he caught them denying that his name was on the flyer in an alleged effort to prevent them from paying him ... but all the contract wrinkles have since been ironed out.

Chrisean Rock has no plans to turn herself in over a warrant out for her arrest in Oklahoma -- saying she's got no time for jail ... as she has a son to raise.

In a new IG Live session with her fans, Chrisean addressed the open bench warrant from the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections ... which says she's wanted in connection to an incident from 2022 there, including drug and traffic charges.

It's been known for a while that Chrisean has this little situation outstanding there halfway across the country -- remember, she's living in L.A. right now while Blueface is in jail -- and now ... she's addressing it on camera ... saying she's working on getting it resolved.

In terms of why she says she doesn't wanna just surrender and do her time ... well, Chrisean says she's got a baby now -- and she simply doesn't wanna be away from him/behind bars.

Sounds like she's not really sweating it either ... Chrisean says it's worked out for her so far.

BTW ... this isn't the only legal woe of Chrisean's -- remember, she's being sued for allegedly assaulting a dancer for Tamar Braxton here in L.A. ... who claim she battered him backstage.

Tyreek Hill has a bone to pick with Rick Ross ... claiming the rap superstar should've given him a call instead of posting his burning house all over social media.

Rozay -- who lives right across the street from the Miami Dolphins receiver -- documented the smoky scene from his yard on Jan. 3 ... providing his millions of followers with commentary and speculating the blaze was sparked by an electrical problem.

Hill was less than thrilled by Ross' reaction ... 'cause when speaking about the accident on "The Pivot," he admitted he felt the musician should've blown up his phone.

"First off, I just wanna say, Rick Ross, bro -- I can't vibe with you now, bro," Hill said. "I can't f*** with you no more, bro."

"Rick Ross, man. You had the audacity to talk to a fireman instead of come protect -- you got my number, bro," Hill continued. "You get on Twitter, posting me all over Twitter, like, after what me and my family went through. You're supposed to be the neighbor -- the neighborhood hero!!"

Former Jaguars star and Pivot cohost Fred Taylor -- who also lives near Hill and Ross -- shared his side of the emergency ... saying he saw Ross recording the whole thing on his celly.

He explained there were a ton of firetrucks outside by the time he knew what was going on ... but Cheetah didn't seem to be bothered at all, especially because Taylor didn't throw video up on the internet for everyone to see.

Hill also took issue with how Ross name-dropped Wing Stop during the whole fiery fiasco ... adding, "Don't try to use me for promotion, bro!!"

Believe it or not, Paul George turned down Nicki Minaj ... when the Queen of Rap wanted the NBA star to make a cameo in her music video!

The Los Angeles Clippers star made the surprising revelation on his "Podcast P" show this week, telling co-host Jackie Long he had the opportunity to make his cameo with the "Super Freaky Girl" rapper.

"You know what’s funny, this was maybe like a year or two ago, Nicki Minaj reached out for me to be in her music video," George said.

The 9x All-Star was unsure if he would've had the role of being Nicki's lover ... but joked his wife Daniela wasn't havin' it.

"I looked at Daniela, Daniela looked at me ... 'ay, I ain’t going to be able to do it'," PG13 said.

"I’m playing! She was excited about the opportunity too, but I declined."

George -- who married Daniela in 2022 -- says his wife would've been right there on set if it happened ... but his schedule had them both miss out.

"It was just a scheduling conflict that I couldn't [get out of]," George said.

"It would've been dope. It's Nicki Minaj, one of the biggest female artists -- not even just female, biggest artists of our lifetime!"

If PG's hoping for another shot, it doesn't sound like it's going to happen anytime soon ... Nicki's currently on her "Pink Friday 2" world tour while George, who is averaging 22 points a game, is smack in the heart of the NBA season ... with the playoffs approaching.

Had he accepted, George would've joined other NBA stars who appeared in music videos, including Michael Jordan, who was in Michael Jackson's "Jam" video, and Kobe Bryant, who made his cameo in "Bug-A-Boo" by Destiny's Child.

Bianca Censori has plenty of family drama now -- thanks to risque outfits and her husband -- but she and her kin were all smiles not so long ago during a family trip to Japan.

In the new photos, obtained by TMZ, Bianca beams as she poses for a series of selfies with her family -- including parents Leo and Alexandra, as well as sister Angelina ... a first for Kanye West's wife since catapulting to A-list fame.

The family came together for this June 2023 outing at teamLab Planets, an immersive art museum in Tokyo. The trip abroad was reportedly the first time Kanye met his new in-laws -- more than 6 months after his nuptials to Bianca.

Clearly, these were happier times for Censori family members, who've since clashed with Ye over Bianca's racy outfits abroad. Just last week, it was reported that Bianca's dad wants to confront the "Gold Digger" rapper for parading Bianca around the world in barely-there clothing.

It all came to a head last week in Paris, where Bianca made the nearly-naked look her signature style, rocking her most revealing 'fits since marrying Kanye in December 2022.

Of course, she's now routinely donning tights as pants, forgoing traditional tops for sheer shirts and wearing countless nude-colored bodysuits.

As you can see in the family pics, the Censori clan was already getting a taste of Bianca's new style last summer. During the group trip. a platinum blonde Mrs. West wore body-hugging capri pants and a backless tan top that was struggling to fully cover her boobs.

Even back then, the contrast with her family's more traditional tourist attire was blatant.

The Censori clan were certainly fans of Ye last year -- Angelina even once called Bianca's marriage to the Grammy winner "very exciting."

Usher made a pit stop on his Bali vacation, visiting one of the island's most famous residents ... Russell Simmons.

The singer carved some time out from his own getaway with his wife, Jennifer Goicoechea, to meet up with the hip hop mogul for some yoga, meditation and inner peace ... and it sounds like Usher's visit is lifting Russell's spirits.

The Def Jam co-founder shared video Sunday of him leading a yoga class, with Usher occupying one of the mats on the first row ... and it looks like they got in a great stretch, working up a sweat.

Russell had nothing but good things to say about Usher's presence, saying his old pal exuded an amazing "generosity of spirit" and overall great energy.

Russell also posted a bunch of smiling photos with Usher during their time together, who appears to have been in the area on a getaway of his own ... this following their recent Las Vegas wedding.

In his social media posts, Russell explains how Usher came at the perfect time, saying ... "When i was at the lowest point in my life i woke up and this man was sitting by my bed .. i had known usher since he was a kid but we really bonded because of our mutual love for self discovery and our belief in Yogic science as a direct route to realizing Gods conciousness in ourselves."

Russell adds ... "People remember to remember this ..a friend walks in when others walk out ... i will never forget the generosity of spirit i witnessed in this man God bless you baby bro @usher 🙏🏽 love you !!!!"

As you know, Russell's lived in Bali since 2017 and he's been slammed with multiple sexual misconduct lawsuits and allegations, which he says have caused him great suffering.

Drake doesn't have trust issues when it comes to his pilots landing his jumbo jet in a thick fog ... because he joined them in the cockpit, filming them stick the tricky landing.

The rapper shared a wild first-person POV clip Monday of his two pilots bringing Air Drake in for a textbook landing in low visibility ... and the video is pretty incredible.

Drake's behind the pilots in the cockpit as they descend for landing, with a thick fog blanketing all the windows ... in other words, they were flying blind!!!

There's a robotic voice counting down the altitude, starting at 500 feet, and there's literally nothing visible outside the window until Air Drake is about 50 feet off the ground, when a runway suddenly cuts through the fog like a knife.

Drake's in the video saying "cheers" as his Boeing 767 private jet touches down ... then he hypes up his two pilots once they're on the runway.

Champagne Papi captioned the post ... "There's a couple landings I love on Air Drake but tbh the low visibility is the most exciting it makes your heart drop a bit…lucky I got the best putting this s*** wheels down."