It's Tricky Podcast

Erica Campbell is praising Chris Rock for showing restraint in the face of a Will Smith slap to the face ... and his ability to keep calm has only helped draw attention to his comedy tour.

The Gospel singer sat down with Raq on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast ... and shared her take on The Oscars moment, applauding Chris for not fighting fire with fire.

Erica says emotions can cloud judgment and she's proud of Chris for keeping a cool head at the moment ... lifting him up as an example for lots of folks to follow.

It's just one part of the silver lining Erica sees from an otherwise disappointing moment between two celebs she views as important Black figures.

Chris is doing a comedy tour and his shows have been packed -- with a surge in prices on the resale market. Erica believes Chris helped his own case by showing restraint in the moment Will slapped him, and now audiences are drawn to his tour to hear what he has to say about the incident.

Waka Flocka says Kanye West doesn't care about performing at the Grammys in the slightest ... so Ye's ban shouldn't mean much to an artist Waka considers a genius.

The "No Hands" rapper sat down with Raq on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast ... and offered a strong defense of Kanye, and a scathing review of the music awards show.

Waka says musicians shouldn't put much weight into the Grammys, because they're being judged by a few dozen people ... whereas concerts see crowds with 100,000 fans.

As we reported ... Kanye was yanked from the upcoming Grammys lineup because of his online antics.

Waka's read is along the same lines as Damon Dash's ... who told us hip-hop doesn't need the Recording Academy.

Waka says Kanye is "an unapologetic genius" who is being judged too harshly by most folks ... though he admits Ye should be a little wiser with his choice of words given his celebrity.

Waka Flocka says his estranged wife Tammy Rivera can do no wrong in his eyes, and it's all love between them ... despite calling it quits, after 8 years of marriage.

The "No Hands" rapper sat down with Raq on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast ... and opened up, for the first time publicly, about the split from Tammy.

Waka says the former "Love & Hip Hop" star is still his best friend, and while he knows folks always suspect there's some kinda beef or nasty incident behind a breakup -- he insists it just ain't so in their case.

As for why they are going their separate ways ... Waka says they've simply grown apart.

Raq asked if there's any chance they work things out, and he didn't want to get into that -- read that anyway ya want -- however, he did say there's nothing Tammy could ever do to make him hate her.

He added, his biggest blessing is their daughter Charlie -- who Tammy had in a previous relationship. Waka says Charlie helped him appreciate life and made him feel like a role model.

Based on Charlie alone, he will always have love for Tammy.

ICYMI, Tammy recently opened up on social media about their split, posting ... "I've been filming for the new show ... it's been pretty good this season ... even though me and Waka not together, we still have this show."

Soulja Boy says a possible collab with Tekashi 6ix9ine won't happen ... or, in his words -- "get the f*** out of here!"

Soulja was the latest guest on "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper," and he thinks the time has passed for the two of them to work together ... saying Tekashi knows that ship has sailed following his legal battle -- notoriously being labeled a "snitch" in the rap community.

Tekashi was kidnapped by his own security team in the summer of 2018 ... taken for a ride around the block, where he was threatened at gunpoint, and ordered to fork over cash and jewels he had at his NYC pad. The exchange was orchestrated by his then-GF.

Tekashi went on to be the star witness in his RICO case by testifying against his fellow gang members ...  resulting in Anthony "Harv" Ellison getting 24 years behind bars.

While Tekashi thought he was doing the right thing, artists in his circle aren't as receptive, possibly trying to avoid the rapper as long as they can.

Forget whoever comes up in Google, Soulja Boy is the original creator of TikTok ... at least, according to the rapper himself.

The "Crank That" rapper sat down with Raq on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast and talked about all things TikTok ... and the impact he feels he's made on the app.

Big Draco (partially) joked around saying, he created TikTok and the folks making money behind the app need to pay up. As you know, TikTok has had huge success, reaching 1 billion users.

Many songs go viral with choreographed dances on the app ... a trend Soulja says he started back in 2007 with his hit single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)." And, while he didn't quite create the app ... he raises a fair point.

All in all, though, Soulja says he's a fan of the app. He added, his song "She Make It Clap" was only able to reach new heights because of TikTok ... like climbing to no. 1 on Billboard, getting him a record deal and prompting some of Hollywood's biggest names to listen and whip out their dance moves.

Of course, it hasn't been all easy breezy for Soulja. You'll recall, he got the boot from Kanye's "Donda" album ... and Ye even trashed his verse in an interview. Eventually, they ironed out their beef and SB joked it all off.

Though he may have had some trouble getting a hit with Ye, it seems TikTok surely has welcomed him with opened arms ... and he's had huge success.

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Kandi Burruss has no problem walking away from the series, if rumors about a Phaedra Parks comeback turn out to be true ... because some things ya just can't fix.

Kandi's the latest guest on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" podcast ... and in this clip you can tell she's totally content, having just wrapped season 14 of the show, her 13th. She says it just works for her, because it allows her time for lots of other projects.

But, she also made it clear that could all change quickly. When Raq asked if 'RHOA' is big enough for her and Phaedra, she answered with zero hesitation ... "No."

As you'll recall, their friendship was broken during season 8, after Phaedra accused Kandi of not supporting her through her split with Apollo Nida.

Their feud exploded, ending Phaedra's time on the show the following season. She was fired after admitting she told Porsha Williams about Kandi and her husband Todd Tucker‘s alleged plan to drug Porsha and have sex with her ... something Kandi denied.

Five years later, Kandi says their rift is irreparable and you could feel the bad blood flowing as she said, "I don't think she and I need to interact."

NeNe Leakes once called Kandi Burruss the racial "c" slur ... so claims Kandi, who says she doesn't understand where the animosity comes from, but she has a hunch.

The former 'RHOA' star -- who now has her own new show, "Kandi & the Gang," on Bravo -- dished some tea to Raquel Harper on the 'It's Tricky' podcast, insisting her old castmate hurled the term at the peak of their feud.

Unclear when this happened, or what exactly triggered it ... but according to Kandi, NeNe said it.

Their beef has long been documented on reality TV ... but when Raq tries to drill down and get to the heart of the matter to understand where all this bad blood comes from, it leaves more questions than answers.

Kandi herself doesn't seem to know why NeNe's had it out for her, but she does have a theory -- it has to do with their respective success on the network, or a lack thereof (for NeNe, anyway).

As for the whole "c" slur thing ... Kandi thinks it's laughable -- and we'll let her explain why.

Omeretta The Great may be done with "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta," but she's not giving up on love ... in fact, she's looking forward to happily ever after with her boo, who is currently serving a 27-year sentence in prison.

The Atlanta-bred rapper sat down on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" podcast and opened up about her future plans with Tabyron Rashad Smith ... her fiancé.

Omeretta says the two are actually engaged and will probably get married while he's in jail and they'll have another ceremony when he's released. She has his name tattooed on her but says they have bigger plans when he's free -- like having kids and starting a family.

ICYMI ... Smith was convicted of robbing nine Asian-owned businesses throughout Georgia in October and November, 2017. He's serving 27 years behind bars ... so if he serves the full sentence he'll be 51 and she'll be 50.

According to the DOJ ... Smith and his co-conspirator, Dravion Sanchez Ware terrorized, threatened and injured victims during their spree.

Omeretta The Great claims she was misled by "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta" producers, who focus more on "love" and less on hip-hop ... and she says that's why she's quitting the show.

Omeretta revealed exactly how things went south with 'LHHA' -- from her view, at least -- on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast. The rapper says the version of the VH1 show she was pitched would focus on her "rise to the top" -- a concept she agreed to right away.

Don't forget, Cardi B was one of many artists featured in the series before becoming an international superstar -- so, Omeretta hoped it could give her career a boost too.

But, she says what ended up airing was far from expected, highlighting drama over her grind in the music biz ... something Omeretta openly admits rubbed her the wrong way.

Now, it wasn't a total loss ... in fact, OTG told Raq she did get one big thing out of her time in front of 'LHHA' cameras.

It sounds like the show didn't fight hard to get her to stay, once she told them she was peacin' out. Watch this clip and you can feel the chill in the air ❄ -- Omeretta feels played, and she's not looking back.

DMX's Fiancée Desiree Lindstrom says their son, Exodus, is the apple that doesn't fall far from the tree -- he could follow in his dad's footsteps -- but for now, he's staying strong after X's passing.

Desiree was on "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper," when she opened up about whether her 5-year-old might become a rapper ... and turns out he's flashing some skills. She told Raq, "He loves to sing. I was like, 'Is my son gonna be an R&B singer?'"

She says Exodus can beatbox pretty well too, sooo ... place your bets.

As for the traumatic loss of his father -- Desiree says Exodus has been very strong, even comforting her when she gets down. If she starts tearing up, her little boy reassures her DMX is always watching over from Heaven.

She tells Raq he's eager to learn, too -- choosing to write over playing with toys! She couldn't be prouder of who he's becoming, and knows X would feel the same way.

DMX's fiancée Desiree Lindstrom opened up on "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" about how she's been after her beau's passing ... and how things are going with their son, Exodus.

"My life changed so fast," Desiree told Raq. "Holidays get lonely ... because Earl was my family, but I do have Exodus and I try to make the best of it, because I know that's what he would've wanted me to do."

The emotional discussion is tough for her ... but she thanks everyone that's checked on her and their son. She thinks X's fans played a big part in keeping her going in the months following his death.

TMZ broke the story ... the legendary rapper was rushed to the hospital following an overdose. After a week of being on life support last April, he passed away ... survived by his 15 children.

At his celebration of life, tons of artists came to say goodbye -- Ye, Swizz Beatz, and Nas were just a few. Desiree gave a tear-jerking speech about how much he meant to her ... ending it with "Forever X."

NLE Choppa thinks people are naive if they believe rap wars can just end ... like the longstanding beef between Young Dolph & Yo Gotti.

The Memphis rapper was on the latest episode of "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper," talking feuds between artists ... Yo Gotti and the late Young Dolph came up, and Choppa tells it exactly as he sees it.

With an easy answer being to stop the beef, he says it's more tricky than that. "Certain stuff ya just gotta understand, like some s*** just ain't meant to end."

TMZ reported ... Back in 2017, Blac Youngsta -- one of Gotti's rappers -- turned himself in to cops investigating a Dolph shooting in Charlotte ... and he was also named a person of interest when Dolph was shot in L.A. later that year.

After Young Dolph was murdered in Memphis at the end of 2021, BY released a music video ... standing in front of a tomb with Dolph's name on it.

The feud runs strong in Memphis -- not even giving the dead a break. Choppa still doesn't think it's an easy thing to drop ... saying at the end of the day, everyone's gonna be themselves and nothing will change that.

NLE Choppa isn't down to mess with women his age -- he's looking for older women who won't blink at signing a prenup!

The rapper's the latest guest on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast ... and he's getting pretty deep about relationships, saying he knows exactly what he's looking for ... even at the age of 19.

He's convinced women his age just don't have the right priorities. He told Raq, "If you at that age, you still learning ... I know like, what I want for myself."

When the topic of marriage came up, he didn't shy away from it ... but quickly made it clear his bride-to-be will have to sign on the dotted line -- as in, an ironclad prenup. Choppa's message for any interested women is you get what you deserve, not what you want ... when it comes to finances.

One woman who's definitely caught his eye is fellow artist Saweetie -- he called her a "beautiful lady." Now, he does have a GF already and when Raq followed up, asking what would happen if he had to choose between a night with Saweetie or his current boo, he says ... "Me and my girl gon' see what's up..."

Translation: The more the merrier!!!

Hazel-E is getting some tough love, and through her tears, the 'Love & Hip Hop' star is vowing she's done with cosmetic surgery ... after 2 other procedures nearly turned deadly.

Hazel opened up about feeling pressure to "snapback" to pre-pregnancy fitness when she went on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" podcast. She even named names, saying her goal was to recover like Teyana Taylor famously did after she had kids.

Now, she's admitting the surgeries -- including liposuction and BBLs -- got out of hand. Here's the thing ... Raquel and Hazel are friends, but Raq didn't hold back in strongly suggesting she lay off the procedures.

Actually, the wording was pretty blunt -- telling Hazel to quit "f**king herself up."

The clip is raw, and Hazel's reaction to the friendly advice gets pretty emotional. In the end, though, she swears off going under the knife again ... with just a couple of exceptions.

The language here definitely isn't for kiddos, but it's real AF.

Some might say Hazel-E's crossed a line in her viral feud -- but she has no regrets about clapping back at Winnie Harlow the way she has, and insists there's more to come.

Hazel-E went on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" podcast to break down her war of words with the model which went nuclear when the insults got super-personal and lasered in on both women's appearances.

The "Love & Hip Hop" star told Raq that if people are gonna roast her appearance, she feels it's only fitting for her to respond with the same intensity. As Hazel put it ... if she's being pulled apart for the way she looks, "then nothing is off-limits".

The rift with Winnie ratcheted up when LightSkinKeisha posted pictures back in 2019 saying Hazel-E looked like Ernest P. Worrell from the 'Ernest' movies. It was strictly their beef until Winnie commented on one of Keisha's posts with ... "Keisha nooooooo."

Didn't seem like much, but it caught Hazel-E's eye real quick.

That's when she replied to Winnie ... "Look here 101 Dalmatians."

As you probably know Winnie -- a former 'Top Model' star -- has vitiligo, but Hazel-E still piled on with, "In real life if Tyra Banks didn't feel sorry for your malnourished a**, no one would know you! Pipe down salt n pepa."

Harsh, for sure, but check out the clip with Raq ... Hazel feels justified.

LisaRaye McCoy is laying down some surprising facts about Da Brat's pregnancy ... saying she didn't even get a call her sister's expecting!

The actress was on the new podcast "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" when she opened up about her rough relationship with her sister. It all spilled out when Raq asked how she felt about Brat having a baby.

You gotta see this ... LR took a moment, and then dropped a one-word response, "Wonderful." The tension was obvious as she explained she found out about the baby news on social media.

LisaRaye was visibly upset, and said the whole ordeal "takes me back" ... a clear reference to the last time the sisters got together publicly -- on LisaRaye's Fox Soul show, "Cocktails with Queens."

McCoy was celebrating her 53rd birthday, and Da Brat made a surprise appearance. What started as a sweet tribute to the Chicago natives' childhood ended with LR getting irate with Brat.

LisaRaye was crying and speaking directly to her sister about not talking for months ... when co-host Vivica A. Fox attempted to get LisaRaye to enjoy her birthday wishes, but she angrily said to her co-hosts, “I don’t give a **** what y’all saying at all.”

It was far from a warm fuzzy ending, and probably explains why she learned about Brat's pregnancy online.