TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Nicki Minaj has no time for any 2022 World Cup controversies ... the Barbz rapper has been enlisted for "Tukoh Taka" the official FIFA Fan Festival anthem!!!

The song is a collaboration between Nicki, Colombian singer Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and delivers lyrics in 3 different languages -- English, Spanish and Arabic to cater to the global soccer audience.

"Tukoh Taka" translates to "click clack" in Yankee talk and the 3 megastars all display their presence in the video.

Edgar Esteves and Juan Felipe Zuleta direct the high-octane visual ... which splices between cut scenes of fútbol highlights, Nicki gyrating on a school bus and Maluma and Myriam Fares performing in a green-screened desert.

World Cup action kicks off starting Sunday from Qatar ... but this year's event has many pundits raising eyebrows as festivities are underway.

Unlike Nicki, artists such as Dua Lipa and Shakira have refused to participate in Cup performances ... citing various alleged human rights infractions in the country.

FIFA also announced it's banning all alcohol sales in World Cup stadiums ahead of the opening games ... leaving many fans pissed.

NBA YoungBoy is targeting his former artist NoCap over a money dispute, and neither one is showing signs of backing down.

YoungBoy recently resurfaced on Instagram ... to throw subliminals at Kodak Black and, apparently, to very openly shade NoCap.

In an IG story, Youngboy accuses him of throwing undercover disses behind closed doors, and said they no longer collaborate because the respect is gone!!! Well, that's the cleaned-up version ... but you get the idea.

NBA also claims NoCap owes him money ... which was further explained through NoCap's fiery response.

According to him, NBA tried to charge him for their last collaboration, "Flags to the Sky," which appeared on the Alabama rapper's "Mr. Crawford" album.

"Mr. Crawford" was released through Atlantic Records and NBA's Never Broke Again imprint ... and NoCap can't believe his own label boss would try to tax his pockets.

NoCap alluded to the Kodak cheap shots while claiming he never badmouthed NBA, but also says he's never been supported in his 3 years signed to the label.

DDG is living his best life these days ... and wants his good friend Blueface to do the same thing in light of his recent legal troubles.

We got DDG out in Bev Hills Thursday, and he told us there's only a handful of rappers he considers a "real friend" ... and Blueface is one of 'em.

The 2 hit platinum gold with their "Moonwalking in Calabasas" collab ... and were working on a joint album before drama got in the way.

DDG says he wants Blueface to emerge victorious in his still-developing attempted murder case ... and he also sent positive vibes to Blueface's GF Chrisean Rock.

DDG and his GF, 'Little Mermaid' star Halle Bailey, double-dated with Blueface and Chrisean in the past, and says he's looking forward to better times once again.

TMZ broke the story ... Blueface allegedly shot at a man in a pickup truck outside a Las Vegas strip club, where they'd had an altercation.

Undercover cops arrested him this week for attempted murder.

On a lighter note, sorta, DDG introduced us to rising social media star Woo Wop ... the kid famous (or maybe infamous) for those "I Wanna Kill My Mom" viral videos blowing up TikTok!!!

Woo Wop -- who's DDG's nephew -- gave us a demo of his skills, but he doesn't seem the least bit impressed with his own fame.

Kanye West may have gotten the boot from Adidas, but he's clearly not done with the company ... still rockin' the brand as if nothing happened.

Ye was spotted Thursday night, leaving the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills with a glass of bubbly. He was with super right-winger Milo Yiannopoulos and a woman. Ye was decked out in his Balenciaga x Adidas collection -- a black sweatshirt and white crossover bag, all emblazoned with the Adidas logo.

Unclear how Adidas feels about Kanye's clothing choices after it cut ties with Ye in the wake of his antiemetic rants.

The company said they would continue to sell Ye-inspired shoes, but without a trace of the Yeezy name.

Blueface's allegedly opening fire on a vehicle -- and subsequently getting arrested for attempted murder -- was the end result of a joke falling flat and sparking a strip club fight.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Blueface and his crew were at Euphoric Gentlemen's Club in Vegas on October 8 ... and the alleged victim supposedly made a joke about the rapper talking with "some females in a cheap vehicle."

Cops say the joke set off members of Blueface's crew, who allegedly hit the man "multiple times."

The docs say the man then attempted to leave in his truck, and told cops Blueface's crew might have thought he was "going for a gun" ... leading to Blueface allegedly firing shots at the man's truck as he fled.

Cops say there were multiple bullet marks on the truck, and its owner suffered what appeared to be a "bullet graze wound" on his left hand.

As we reported, video obtained by TMZ showed the truck suddenly pulling up to the rapper and his crew in the club's parking lot -- and it appears to show Blueface pulling out a weapon and firing it in the direction of the truck.

Akon believes Chris Brown has all the talent to cement a legacy as big as Michael Jackson's ... that is, if he surrounds himself with someone other than Bloods.

The artist/producer/mogul was a guest on Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast, and while discussing the never-ending CB vs. MJ debate ... he made the bold proclamation about Chris.

Akon says if CB had MJ's caliber of management and handlers, the "Go Crazy" singer would've soared to iconic heights, but he didn't get that kinda guidance. Instead, Akon says Chris had gangbangers in his inner circle.

For what it's worth, Shannon does not share Akon's optimism about Chris assuming MJ's throne simply by detaching himself from the hood.

Michael debate aside, CB's doing just fine -- he had a huge tour with Lil Baby this year, and just got a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album for his "Breezy (Deluxe)."

R&B singer B. Smyth is dead ... at a very young age, and after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

The singer's brother, Denzil, broke the news to fans ... saying Smyth died Thursday from respiratory failure and had been hospitalized for a while, struggling with his lung disease.

Denzil says his little brother was in the ICU when he dropped his latest single, "Twerkaholic Part 2," just a few weeks ago, but the excitement around the release brought "a big smile to his face."

He says B. asked him to make the video for him before passing, so his fans would know he always appreciated them.

B. Smyth -- whose real name was Brandon Smith -- first jumped on the scene after covering hits like "Quickie" by Miguel or "Stay" by Rihanna in the early 2010s on YouTube ... before signing with Motown Records in 2012.

He dropped his first single soon after -- "Leggo" featuring 2 Chainz, and then released his first EP "The Florida Files" in 2013.

His big break came in 2014, when his song "Twerkoholic" blew up, gaining millions of views ... B. would go on to drop a studio album, "Thr3" in 2017, as well as a slew of singles over the years.

He was just 30.

Flavor Flav has a few reasons to give Spirit Airlines another shot after flipping out on the air carrier over a missed flight -- he's not only getting his money back, he's getting big-time perks.

A rep for Flavor Flav tells TMZ ... Spirit finished the investigation into FF's angry incident in Las Vegas, and decided to give the rap icon a full refund.

We're also told Spirit is upgrading his frequent flier status to "Gold" ... which is the airline's highest frequent flier tier. That status means Flav will never have to pay for any of the budget airline's add-on charges, like the ones for baggage and seat selection.

TMZ broke the story ... Flav narrowly missed a flight earlier this month in Sin City, and we got video of him flipping out on the gate agent who shut the door in his face.

Flav's camp said he typically waits to board flights after all the other passengers because folks like to take pictures with him and he doesn't want to hold up the boarding process. So, he waited, but the gate agent closed the door, shutting out Flav and 2 others.

FF eventually apologized to all the folks who witnessed his airport rant.

Young Dolph's Paper Route Empire is keeping his movement strong -- on the first anniversary of his death his estate is releasing new music, including tracks with Key Glock, and he's getting a day in his honor.

November 17 will now be recognized as Adolph "Young Dolph" Thornton Jr. Day of Service in Tennessee and Georgia. More on that in a moment, but the other big news is the release of "Get Away" ... the Dolph estate and EMPIRE Distribution unveiled the song to start the rollout for his upcoming "Paper Route Frank" LP.

The track finds Dolph longing to be with his deceased grandmother among other heapings of rich rapper flexing ... and Mia Jaye, his partner and mother of their two kids, wants the new tunes to inspire all his fans in spite of her sadness.

She says, “It is truly therapy and healing in helping others while you hurt," and adds ... "In your season of suffering, take on the spirit of Dolph, pay it forward, and watch a blessing or two come your way.”

Dolph's top lyrical gunner, Key Glock, is blessing fans, and boosting the PRE inventory, with the release of his "PRE5L" EP -- and its accompanying horrorcore video for the single "Jigsaw."

We're told Dolph’s special 11/17 Day will offer plenty of meritorious service examples throughout the country.

Makeda's Cookies -- the site of Dolph's murder -- is also marking the anniversary, telling TMZ Hip Hop it's preparing for a big crowd in remembrance of the Memphis rapper.

Young Dolph is being honored by the place where he died on the 1-year anniversary of his tragic murder.

Pamela Hill, owner of Makeda's Homemade Cookies tells TMZ ... they're paying homage to the late rapper Thursday, who was also one of their favorite customers, by pumping out a bunch of dolphin-shaped cookies -- and the kitchen's been cooking like crazy to get the job done.

The shop's got pics of Dolph hanging on the walls, alongside photos of the boarded-up shop following the fatal shooting. Pamela tells us they'll also have a DJ playing some of the rapper's tunes for customers.

Staffers are wearing shirts with Dolph's face on it, too -- with some reading "black men deserve to grow old."

As we reported, Dolph was gunned down a year ago at Pamela's shop in Memphis, the men who killed him were caught on a surveillance camera and were eventually arrested.

Pamela tells us her place had to shut down for 10 months after the shooting, and reopened this past September. The shop spent thousands of dollars fixing windows, framing doors, repairing the floor and more.

The late Tupac Shakur called many places home in his lifetime -- including Baltimore, and the residence where he began to hone his legendary penmanship is currently up for grabs.

The Greenmount Ave block where the 2-unit building resides has already been dubbed "Tupac Shakur Way," and now the home is listed for $179K.

Pac and his family moved into the first-floor apartment in 1984 when he was 13 and he eventually attended Baltimore School for the Arts ... where he met and befriended Jada Pinkett Smith.

The "Hail Mary" rapper's time in Baltimore famously developed his appreciation of the arts and theater and he began writing poetry ... with Jada sometimes being the subject of his prose.

Last year, the "Red Table Talk" host unearthed one of his writings for the world to see in celebration of his would-be 50th birthday, and an extensive collection of his poems was compiled for the 1999 book, "The Rose That Grew from Concrete."

The Grammys are doing what they do ... pissing off several notable artists about nomination snubs, but H.E.R. is telling them to focus on the big picture -- like their actual art!!!

We got the R&B superstar in Bev Hills this week -- just as the nomination backlash was simmering for artists like Summer Walker ... whose "Still Over It" album didn't got get a nom, despite breaking several sales records.

Summer reacted with disappointment -- as did Kid Cudi and Denzel Curry on the rap side -- and H.E.R. feels their pain, especially when it comes to the women.

She acknowledges while it's always dope to get recognition from the Grammys, making music should be more about fun and love at the end of the day ... so folks shouldn't take the snubs to heart so much.

H.E.R. has plenty of experience with the Grammys -- she performed at the 2020 ceremony --  but knows you simply can't win them all.

She's been nominated 21 times, and has won 5 -- so, H.E.R.'s advice to fellow performers is to go with the flow.

Drake was toting a camcorder for weeks leading up to his and 21 Savage's No. 1 album "Her Loss," and now that footage's coming out in their "Rich Flex" music vid -- a party romp featuring various celebs and pro athletes.

The visual lives up to his exorbitant billing -- Drake captured A-1 activities ranging from courtside at a Toronto Raptors game with head coach Nick Nurse and DeMar DeRozan to soaking up Jack Harlow's “Come Home The Kids Miss You Tour" ... where the "First Class" rapper stopped the show to give him a special shout out.

Brooklyn Nets hostage Kevin Durant, comedian Druski, 2 Chainz and plenty of strip club singles help round out the star power for the Drake-shot clip.

Drake also got exclusive footage of Lil Wayne's grill during his surprise set at this year's Weezyana Fest, and Lil Yachty is also spotted in the clip ... having brought the Wock back from Poland.

Drake and 21 might have royally pissed off Megan The Stallion, Serena Williams, Nas and Kodak Black with their album rollout, but their antics paid off in Billboard and streaming numbers.

Their "Her Loss" debut was the biggest for an R&B/hip-hop album in 2022 with 404,000 equivalent album units -- making it Drake's 12th No. 1 album and 21's third.

Kanye West released his eleventh studio album "Donda 2" back in February ... sort of, but at least one of the contributors claims he's yet to get a dime for his efforts.

The project never hit digital service providers, and was instead released exclusively on Ye's Stem Player device -- which is currently entangled in a lawsuit with KRS-One's Boogie Down Productions.

Producer ATL Jacob could potentially have a case to sue as well, if the songs actually hit the public radar but not his bank account.

While speaking to VladTV, Jacob revealed he worked on previously touted tracks "Pablo" featuring Future and Travis Scott, "Keep It Burning" with Future again and "Louie Bags" ... which costars Jack Harlow.

Jacob says he gained a lot of production experience throughout his "Donda 2" stint but is still confused to this day about how he's getting paid!!!

According to Jacob, the "Donda 2" album on the Stem Player is full of unfinished demos ... so those who paid $200 didn't really get their money's worth. He also noted how Kanye doesn't actually own the Stem Player ... a point that came up in the court docs for the BDP illegal sample lawsuit.

Jacob produced Future, Drake and Tems' Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit "Wait For U" earlier this year, so he's not lacking accolades or money.

He says he learned a lot in terms of the album creation process and the business side, but still ... an actual paycheck would be nice.

The elusive NBA YoungBoy isn't exactly outside -- due to his legal issues -- but he's peeking his head out into public to pop s**t at his rivals!!!

The Lousiana rapper has been on house arrest since October 2021 and dedicates more focus to the studio than social media these days. He's making an exception, though, to shade a select few artists who sold their music catalogs just to keep up with his bankroll!!! That's how he sees it, anyway.

Making good on his nickname "Never Broke Again," YoungBoy dove into a mini rant while parking his whip ... bragging about owning more cars than one person could ever drive.

Future and Public Enemy's Chuck D are some of the latest rappers to cash in their catalogs ... but one particular rapper YB tends to pick bones with is Kodak Black.

The "Super Gremlin" rapper recently switched to Capitol Records from Atlantic ... and made it clear to his fans he wasn't about to be eating YoungBoy's dust.

Kodak addressed the need to level up on YB in an Instagram Live ahead of the release of his latest album "Kutthroat Bill Vol. 1" -- but will need to kick his studio time into overdrive to truly catch up.

YB has had an extremely prolific year ... releasing 4 solo mixtapes "Colors," "Realer 2," "3800 Degrees," "Ma' I Got a Family" as well as "Better Than You," his collaborative project with DaBaby.

He has another tape scheduled with his artist Quando Rondo, but fans may have to wait until 2023 for that one.

Blueface's attempted murder arrest Monday is based on an incident on October 8, where he's accused of pulling a gun and shooting at the driver of a truck ... and TMZ has obtained video of the incident.

The clip shows the rapper outside a Las Vegas club last month ... when a truck suddenly pulls up at Blueface and his crew before flooring it away. Blueface allegedly pulls out a weapon in the vid, and fires it multiple times at the driver as they sped off.

According to sources at the venue, we're told the unknown driver walked into the club earlier and the rapper's crew, who had allegedly been drinking, attacked him. It’s not clear what started the alleged altercation, but we're told Blueface wasn't directly involved in the fight.

After the beatdown, we're told the man retreated to his truck and pulled up on Blueface and his crew as they were leaving. Our sources say the man asked "Who hit me?!" and that's when the shots rang out. From there, you see the truck speed off.

TMZ broke the story ... Blueface was arrested for attempted murder Tuesday in LV ... cops on scene said they were executing an open warrant for his arrest.

Blueface's girlfriend, Chrisean Rock, was also there ... she later went off on social media, flippin' the bird to anyone who says she should dump him after his arrest.