TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

DJ Akademiks and Yung Miami are having an intense war of words over Diddy's surprise baby -- but that's led to Ak threatening a physical showdown with Luka Sabbat ... after the "grown-ish" actor inserted himself into the beef!!!

On Tuesday, Luka tweeted a question, wondering why Ak never went at males with the same energy as his ongoing war with Miami.

Ak had been roasting Miami for being an oblivious "side chick" in Diddy's world. He's also been serving Lil Baby with that "energy" for months following Baby's pair of album disses.

Ak got wind of Luka's tweet in real-time while live streaming on Twitch and erupted like a volcano ... daring Luka to ever confront him in person.

Ak ripped Luka's "model fashion sense" -- although he used more homophobic phrasing -- and then offered to fly Luka to New Jersey for an ass-whooping.

Luka responded to the challenge, saying he was shocked Ak would want to fight him, seeing as how he's just a thespian who spends most of his time overseas. He admits he's not looking for any smoke. So, we're guessing this whole mess dies here.

Drake isn't afraid to fall in love, and now he's got an insanely flashy piece of jewelry to prove it -- a necklace with 42 engagement ring diamonds -- for all the times he's wanted to propose.

Celebrity Jeweler Alex Moss tells TMZ ... Champagne Papi's new piece is called "Previous Engagements," a tribute to all the women Drizzy contemplated asking to marry him, but never went through.

In total, we're told the piece's 42 stones count for 351.38 carats in diamonds. On top of all the ice, it's made using 18K white gold and was set using the eagle claw technique.

Alex tells us the entire thing took 14 months to complete and was built by hand in NYC ... though he won't reveal how much it cost.

Drake debuted it at Lil Baby’s birthday concert in Atlanta last Saturday at State Farm Arena.

Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory Jr. -- the lead star in 50 Cent's hit 'BMF' series -- learned the hard way it's a bad idea to stash a gun in your carry-on luggage.

Lil Meech landed in a bit of hot water at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday ... after we're told authorities found him with a gun.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop Lil Meech was at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Tuesday when security discovered a firearm in his luggage. We're told deputies from the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office were called to the scene and arrested the actor.

As for the weapon, our sources say it was a Glock 19 9mm ... it wasn't loaded, but cops also found a 15-round magazine. Lil Meech did not have a carry permit.

Meech was transported and booked for introducing a firearm into the sterile area of the airport ... a felony. Apparently, the actor isn't alone in his mistake ... as we're told this was the 130th gun found at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood this year.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's getting 86'd from a boujee apartment complex ... and we're told it's because one of his armed guards allegedly got careless with a high-powered firearm.

Sources familiar tell TMZ ... when 6ix9ine heads to Miami, he usually crashes with Nelk Boys member SteveWillDoIt. We're told Steve's place -- part of SLS Lux Property -- put the hammer down on the rapper, banning him from their spaces.

According to a letter sent to Steve from attorneys for the condo association, obtained by TMZ, Tekashi's bodyguards showed up at the end of October, openly carrying assault weapons.

The letter says one of Tekashi's guards also "casually left his assault weapon unattended on his bag" and walked away from it briefly to talk with others.

The docs say the property association is "aware of the bounty placed on 6ix9ine's life" ... after getting out of prison "in exchange for information regarding others and the provocative antics of 6ix9ine," which the condo association thinks creates a dangerous situation for its residents, guests, employees and staff members.

It's unclear if there have been potentially dangerous incidents going down during his stays, but this clip obtained by TMZ shows someone with a gun waiting for him outside.

Sources tell us he's now on a banned list that includes a photo of Tekashi for apartment security to see. The attached message says, "If seen on property, do not check-in, do not approach and contact security immediately. "

San Fran's boo-fest for Elon Musk at Dave Chappelle's show is not the takeaway from that night ... not for Symba, who says the Twitter CEO was all fun and games when they linked backstage!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the budding Bay Area rapper after he snapped a flick with Elon ... and he says the billionaire mogul wasn't rattled by the crowd's response, even if his defensive tweet following the viral moment made it seem like it.

Symba is very familiar with the Chase Center hallways -- he performed during the Golden State Warriors' December 10 victory against the Boston Celtics, and tells us he's gotten cool with Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson ... and he's in awe of their basketball IQ.

Likewise, Symba's been flashing his talents ... making waves early this year opposite DJ Drama with their joint mixtape "Results Take Time" -- and he told us they're already working together on a follow-up.

Ben Simmons has found himself in the middle of Tory Lanez's high-profile assault case -- and now, the Nets superstar is defending himself after he was accused of messing around with Megan Thee Stallion.

On Monday, the defense gave their opening statement in Lanez's trial -- where he's accused of shooting Meg in L.A. in 2020 following an argument. While addressing the jurors, Tory's attorney suggested it could've been Meg's friend, Kelsey Harris, who fired the shots, after the women were feuding.

Enter Simmons.

The defense claims Meg had a history of hooking up with men Kelsey's been with ... and accused her of doing just that with the NBA star, which they say caused a huge argument between the women.

But 26-year-old Simmons was quick to shut it down ... posting a viral video on his Instagram story of Rick Ross yelling, "Accusations. These are false accusations," during a segment with Swerve in Our Glory when the Florida rapper visited AEW Dynamite.

Ben didn't name Meg, Tory, or Kelsey in the post, but, c'mon.

It's only day 1 of the trial, but it's evident the defense's strategy is to convince the jurors that it was Kelsey who fired the gun, not Tory.

Even though the trial just started, it's a critical piece of information. If the defense can create reasonable doubt that Kelsey, and not Tory, fired the shots ... he'll be found not guilty.

Too Short is giving props to his home city of Oakland, a place that just named a street after him and dedicated a day as a holiday to the rapper.

TMZ Hip Hop linked with $hort Dawg Monday after his big weekend in Oakland, and he humbly tells us the honor couldn't have happened without immense support from the community.

In spite of racking up several platinum and gold plaques, Short says he didn't get into music for accolades and says his inner circle of people kept him grounded as his celebrity grew.

Over the weekend, Short was flanked by Ice Cube, Mistah F.A.B. and Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf at his old high school for his proclamation ceremony and then again for the street signing.

The "Blow the Whistle" rapper downplayed the abundance of flowers he received from the public -- but was eager to discuss the plans his Mount Westmore supergroup has on the horizon -- that could include Dr. Dre down the line!!!

On Friday, Short and Cube, along with Snoop Dogg and E-40, released their debut album as a unit and Short tells us Dr. Dre actually recorded a full verse for the album -- in addition to Dre's intro that appears on the song "Too Big."

Short says Snoop was adamant The Good Doctor appeared on the project in any capacity they all anticipate him appearing on at least one of their future projects.

Takeoff's alleged murderer, Patrick Xavier Clark, wants a taste of freedom at a discount ... asking a judge to reduce his bail so he can afford to get out from behind bars.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ, Clark filed a motion in Texas Monday to reduce his $2 million bail ... his attorney, Carl Moore, says it's too much for his client to afford.

The alleged gunman wants a reduction to $100K, which he thinks he can pull together with the help of a professional bondsman. If granted, Clark says he'll stay with his parents, where he says he's always lived.

His legal team also says he'll wear a GPS monitor and abide by any curfew that may be imposed by the judge. Clark is also willing to surrender his passport and says he'll willingly follow any "no-contact" order with respect to certain people.

Takeoff was shot and killed outside a Houston bowling alley in November. Clark was arrested and charged with the murder of the Migos rapper.

The court is finally hearing opening arguments in the Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion case  ... and both sides are laying out what happened the night Meg was allegedly shot in the foot by Tory.

Prosecutors kicked things off on Monday -- claiming that Tory fired 5 shots on the evening of July 12, 2020, striking Megan in both feet -- claiming Tory was set off after Megan insulted his skills by sarcastically calling him a "beautiful artist."

According to the prosecution, Tory's text messages after the fact admitting to being too drunk and apologizing profusely are pretty damning evidence.

You'll recall ... after leaving Kylie Jenner's pool party, Megan, Tory and Kelsey were said to have gotten into a black SUV with a man named Jauquan Smith, who prosecutors say drove Tory to the party and brought a 9mm handgun.

According to prosecutors, following Megan's alleged diss, Jauquan pulled the truck over and Megan and Kelsey got out of the car ... when Tory is said to have fired the gun at Megan, instructing her to "dance bitch."

As for Tory's side ... they claim the pair was at Kylie's home for a pool party when things went south and Meg was asked to leave. It appears the defense is trying to make the jury believe Tory was not the trigger man.

Tory's attorney, George Mgdesyan, also argued Tory's DNA wasn't on the gun and that he was wearing a swimsuit during the alleged incident, asking the jury, "Where did he pull the gun from?"

E-40's Goon with the Spoon ice cream brand just got a bit more flavorful ... thanks to the debut of the Bay Area legend's new chicken and waffles flavor!!!

The Mount Westmore member unveiled the interesting new dessert Monday ... marking the inaugural rollout for his soul food division.

The concoction is actually more scientific than you think ... we're told 40 didn't use chicken but Flock Chicken Chips to recreate the fowl flavor and mixed with waffles, maple syrup and brown butter ice cream to enhance the experience.

40 tells TMZ Hip Hop he always wanted to create a food brand that reflects diversity and culture -- "Culinary arts is my passion and, as a Black entrepreneur with a prominent platform, I’m committed to doing my part to bring the worlds of food, culture and entertainment together like never before.”

The chicken and waffles treat follows Cookie Dough, Bourbon Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, Strawberry, Mint Chocolate and Salted Caramel flavors in 40's GWTS brand but we're told the next flavor on the menu will be "Black Wall Street."

Curren$y's hometown New Orleans Pelicans are on a hot streak, winning their last 7 games -- so, now he's getting in on the celebration ... in a very personal way.

The NOLA rapper was on hand for the Pels' overtime victory against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, and afterward MVP candidate Zion Williamson -- who scored a season-high 35 points -- gifted the veteran lyricist his worn jersey!!!

Curren$y's other homie, Chris Paul, sent the game into overtime with a tying bucket, but the Western Conference-leading Pels prevailed, and Spitta thinks their last 2 wins -- both against the Suns -- have done wonders for the city.

An appreciative Curren$y said the postgame gift meant "the world" to him -- and he's been a proponent of the Pels' uplifting the community for some time.

We last spoke to Curren$y during the Pels' playoff run last season when it was cut short -- ironically by Chris Paul and the Suns -- where he predicted the experience would not only help the team but boost ticket sales, which in turn, boots camaraderie throughout the city.

Diddy shocked the world when he revealed he had recently welcomed a new baby girl into the world ... and now we've learned more about the baby's mother.

According to the baby's birth certificate, Love Sean Combs was born October 15 in Newport Beach, CA. Diddy is listed as the father and 28-year-old Dana Tran is the mother. Dana goes by Dana Tee on most of her socials ... though it appears her Instagram was recently deleted.

Dana works in the cyber security industry and appears to be a SoCal native.

It's unclear exactly when Diddy and Dana met, or the extent of their relationship ... but obviously Diddy isn't hiding the fact he's a new dad.

He wrote Saturday, "I'm so blessed to welcome my baby girl Love Sean Combs to the world. Mama Combs, Quincy, Justin, Christian, Chance, D'Lila, Jessie and myself all love you so much! God is the Greatest!"

21 Savage couldn't fully enjoy the moment he and Drake had performing during Lil Baby's friends and fam concert inside State Farm Arena over the weekend.

The "Her Loss" co-star surprised his hometown audience during Drake's performance of their song "Rich Flex" -- and nailed his cameo but after the show, he admitted he was lamenting the absence of several ATL superstars.

Despite Future, Chris Brown, Lil Yachty and several other high-profile rappers turning out for Lil Baby's extended birthday bash ...  21 said the event didn't feel the same without the incarcerated YSL members Young Thug and Gunna and added an extra heartbreak for Lil Keed and Takeoff ... who both died this year.

Takeoff's Migos brother Offset has also been coping with the pain ... recently dedicating The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye" to the slain star while performing at the SteppinOut Music Festival in Bengaluru, India on Sunday.

Desiigner appears to have reconsidered his decision to quit rap following Takeoff's murder ... and is using his new song to once again distance himself from the Future comparisons that have plagued him since his career began.

Over the weekend, Desiigner released the song "Bigger and Bigger" ... an Auto-Tuned blowout that finds the New York-born rapper bragging about his wealth increasing and detailing his past crimes.

Desiigner was obviously peeved by the criticism the song reminded fans of a Future track and used the opportunity to take aim at his critics on TikTok ... captioning the video "When they say I sound like Future" with his new song playing as his nose grew like Pinocchio.

Ironically, Desiigner earned a Billboard No. 1 single before Future when his debut single "Panda" went topped the charts in 2016, but to Desiigner's point ... confusing the two artists at this point doesn't make a ton of sense.

Future recently won Song of the Year with triple-platinum Drake and Tems collaboration "Wait For U," is up for 6 Grammys next year -- and just dumped his song catalog for several million dollars!!!

Desiigner threatened to retire over hip hop's violence ... but is back to rapping about his gang of hitters on the new track.

Too Short is officially getting his flowers from his hometown of Oakland -- he now has a street sign in his honor for his years of community service!!!

The ceremony was a full circle moment … the Bay Area rap legend was honored inside his '84 alma mater Fremont High School, where he was a standout drum player.

As a result, Mayor Libby Schaaf proclaimed December 10 as "Too Short Day" and renamed the stretch of Foothill Boulevard after the legendary rap star.

Oakland OGs Sway Calloway and Mistah F.A.B., who himself just received the key to city, were also on hand to show love -- which Short passionately lobbed back to the people of the Bay, touching on many key points that shaped his globally successful career.

Short's Mount Westmore bandmate Ice Cube also shared some emotional words … crediting the "Blow the Whistle" rapper for creating his own rap lane and bringing hope to the state of California as a whole.

It was Mayor Schaaf's last proclamation in office as her term is ending at the end of the year, but she left Short with some bars of her stating, "You have told the stories of Oakland’s streets, so it’s only right that Oakland gives you a street!!!"

DaBaby's famous song "Rockstar" is a total ripoff, according to a new lawsuit ... because a music producer claims the rapper straight-up jacked his rhythm.

DaBaby is being sued by a music producer with the stage name JuJu Beatz, who claims DaBaby stole the entire beat for his No. 1 song.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, JuJu claims he sent DaBaby's camp a musical composition back in 2019, which was then sampled for "Rockstar" without his permission.

In the suit, JuJu claims he sent the beat in a digital file to DaBaby's team ... and he says DaBaby's camp accessed the file more than 40 times between late 2019 and early 2020. "Rockstar" came out in April 2020.

JuJu claims "Rockstar" has earned millions of dollars since it dropped ... but he says he hasn't been compensated for his beat, which he says was sampled illegally.

The music producer says he's tried to resolve the matter without going to court, but DaBaby has been unwilling to "cooperate or accept responsibility for blatant and willful copyright infringement" ... so now he's suing for damages.