Hip Hop

Willis Reed, Walt Clyde Frazier, and Patrick Ewing are generally considered the greatest Knicks ever, but the trio of Hall of Famers may have to slide over ... 'cause diehard NYK fan, Fat Joe, says Jalen Brunson's on the verge of being the G.O.A.T.!

"[Jalen's] so close to being the greatest Knick ever," Crack told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1), adding ... "So close, and in such short time."

Of course, the hip-hop superstar grew up in The Bronx, New York, and has been a loyal Knicks fan through the good, and unfortunately for New Yorkers, many bad times in his 5 decades as an NYK supporter.

Kendrick Lamar's knack for deeper lyrical meanings has fans dissecting his new Drake diss under a microscope, and they're unearthing some interesting Easter eggs ... or so they think.

Fans quickly latched on to the fact K. Dot was flexing on Drake with the "6:16 in LA" title, as the Toronto rapper has several songs in his catalog named after the timestamp in a city.

Social media chatter soon revolved around religious connotations and even anniversaries like Tupac Shakur's birthday -- fans think Kendrick is avenging after Drake's A.I. trick.

Drake's awakened the demon in Kendrick Lamar, and apparently, Akademiks has too -- K. Dot just unleashed another diss bomb before they could recover from "Euphoria!!!"

On Friday morning -- 6:16 AM, to be exact -- Kendrick dropped his new track over a bangin’ Al Green sample aimed at Drake’s OVO camp allegedly leaking him info Drake was planning to use against him.

Kendrick clowns Drake for having disloyal hounds around him, dragging his manager Anthony Saleh into the mix … and also targets Ak for instigating on the sidelines and getting his facts screwed up.

Gillie Da Kid went viral for labeling Kendrick Lamar's booming Drake diss "corny" -- but it's a classic pot-calling-kettle black moment according to Jess Hilarious, who's got receipts!!!

"The Breakfast Club" crew was dissecting Kendrick's "Euphoria" Thursday morning, and Jess couldn't believe Gillie had such a slanted take on the song.

Jess remembered the time Gillie clucked his wings to turn into the "Chicken Man" for a song/video back in 2012 -- which she felt effortlessly defined the word "corny."

Kendrick Lamar's Drake diss track, "Euphoria," is popping up everywhere ... even in the middle of the NBA Playoffs, but it's making some NBA legends uncomfortable.

The song opened up TNT's "Inside the NBA" halftime broadcast of the Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 5 showdown, and Kenny Smith and Shaq couldn't believe their ears!!!

Ernie Johnson attempted to unfold the first 2 quarters of play, but the pair of NBA champs were too distracted by Kendrick's onslaught blasting in the studio.

Mariah The Scientist was arrested and booked in Atlanta Wednesday night ... after a woman told cops Mariah laid down a savage beating for no apparent reason.

According to a Fulton County police report, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, a woman named Cleopatra Dues arrived at the Zone 2 precinct on March 29 and told cops she was attacked by Mariah the night before inside the Cavo Kitchen and Cocktail Lounge.

Dues claims Mariah grabbed her, ripped a wig off her scalp ... and then proceeded to drag her on the table and floor, leaving injuries to her legs and feet.

Beyoncé is making French history -- as her name is set to be added to the Larousse dictionary ... and you gotta peep their definition for Queen Bey.

According to UK's The Times, the singer is 1 of 40 notable names -- both French and foreign -- being added to the famed dictionary, Petit Larousse Illustré ... which updates its contents annually.

Bey, who is listed as a proper noun in the new edition, is described as "American singer of R&B and pop" -- seemingly leaving out the superstar's recent foray into country.

Fat Joe's heart hurts for Haiti -- so he's upping the philanthropy in a major way with a partnership that will supply the embattled nation with much-needed food and utilities.

On Thursday, Fat Joe and his rapper pal Zoey Dollaz ushered in the “Fat Joe & Friends Relief For Haiti” initiative to combat the gang-fueled wave of violence on the island nation over the past few months.

Joe tells us he has many close friends, like Zoey, who are Haitian and every contribution donated will go directly to the Food For The Poor organization.

Nicki Minaj pulled out all the stops with surprise guests at her New York homecoming 'Pink Friday 2' tour stop but no one expected her grand reveal -- the one and only Cyndi Lauper!!!

The iconic singer shocked the Barclays Center, full of Barbs on Wednesday night, as Nicki brought the house down performing “Pink Friday Girls.”

Cyndi’s style is still as eclectic as ever … she hit the stage with a multi-colored graffiti jacket and her signature spiky hairdo.

Coi Leray is publicly distancing herself from her dad Benzino for the umpteenth time -- her latest mutiny coming after a rally to free R. Kelly from prison.

Benzino recently pledged his allegiance to Kelly while he was on the "We In Miami" podcast, calling for the incarcerated singer to get a 2nd chance ... because, in his words, one of Kelly's victims was only a couple of years below the legal limit, and he had consent from the young woman's parents.

The ex-Pied Piper of R&B recently had his 20-year sex crime conviction and sentence upheld in court ... so Benzino's not getting his wish, but his controversial commentary had Coi feeling guilty by association.

Big Boy says he's heard through the grapevine that Drake is geared up to respond to Kendrick Lamar (again) after the latter's latest harsh diss ... and the DJ loves it!

The legendary Real 92.3 radio host hopped on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to give his two cents on the recent chain of events -- namely, K. Dot and Drizzy trading barbs over verses ... which are growing increasingly personal, especially with Kendrick's latest, "Euphoria."

Funny enough, Drake already kinda had a reaction to the song ... with a whimsical reference to "10 Things I Hate About You" -- which seems to suggest he doesn't take Kendrick seriously.

Unlike Drake and Kendrick Lamar's spiraling battle, Chris Brown and Quavo's feud appears to be winding down ... a finale Eric Bellinger can stand behind, on a certain someone's side.

EB tells TMZ Hip Hop it was an easy call for him to side with his longtime co-writer, Chris ... saying Breezy's "Weakest Link" diss won over public opinion in a landslide against Quavo's tracks and EB thinks both guys blew off enough steam to move past it all.

The "Rebirth" singer says he wasn't surprised how aggressive Chris got -- they've been working together for years, including on Chris' latest album -- but one thing EB's not buying is the rumors surrounding Quavo's latest concert.

Lil Kim's signature pop lock from her iconic "Quiet Storm" feature is being hailed as a heroic dance ... after a woman says the moves helped her duck and dodge a drive-by shooting!!!

A woman named Shariah Taylor was recently interviewed outside her apartment complex in Alabama.

She vividly described her recollection of events after she heard about 7 shots on April 26 and had to make the snap decision to save her child.

Former Super Bowl champion Jay Ajayi has traded in his cleats for a mic -- officially entering the music game with a debut rap single this week -- and he's hoping the response to the tunes is so good, it'll lead to a future collab with Travis Scott.

The ex-Philadelphia Eagles star first got into the booth full-time following his retirement from the NFL in 2022 -- rapping under the pseudonym "Finesse" -- and on Tuesday, he released his first single, "PEAK."

The former running back tells TMZ Sports he's taking the new career very seriously ... with the goal of featuring "some trap, south side beats, heavy 808s, and just a lot of vibes" on his tracks.

Bay Swag is helping NYC Hip Hop spearhead a long-overdue new wave -- "Fisherrr" is the name and sexy drill is the game!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Jamaica, Queens-bred rapper as his and Cash Cobain's "Fisherrr (Remix)" with Ice Spice is turning the space topsy-turvy.

The song hasn't even been out a week, and the video already has 2 million views and it also holds court on RapCaviar's coveted Spotify playlist.

YNW Melly was propped up as a punch line on Kendrick Lamar's now-viral "Euphoria" Drake diss track, which the incarcerated rap star considers quite the backhanded compliment.

Midway through the track, Kendrick references the "Murder on My Mind" rapper, and his ongoing double homicide case ... where he stands accused of killing his two friends Chris "YNW Juvy" Thomas and Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams.

Kendrick raps, "Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m selfish/ The crown is heavy I pray they my real friends/ But if not, I’m YNW Melly."