TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

While AI is sparking intellectual property debates, funnyman Bill Bellamy's making it clear ... he's not down with the tech using his jokes -- and the fact is, he's still feeling some kinda way about a different financial loss.

We linked with Bill out in NYC and tackled the ongoing discussion about artificial intelligence ... and he's unapologetically Team Human.

Bill not only thinks AI would have a hard time matching his joke-writing wit, he also believes deceased superstars -- like Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. -- would also frown upon their voices being remixed without legal approval.

We also talked to Bill about a golden opportunity he admits missing out on back in the '90s -- namely, not trademarking the "booty call" catchphrase he coined as a young comic on Def Comedy Jam.

The phrase has since been placed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and Hollywood also took advantage ... tapping Jamie Foxx and Vivica A. Fox for the 1997 rom-com.

Speaking of Jamie, Bill tells us his inner circle relayed positive news about the Academy Award winner's condition after he suffered a medical emergency in Atlanta.

JoJo isn't as concerned as the rest of the music industry when it comes to AI-generated tracks, saying folks should learn how to use the technology as an advantage ... cuz it's not going anywhere.

We caught up with the singer in NYC Wednesday where she spilled her thoughts on the uptick of robots in music ... which has taken the internet by storm as of late.

JoJo says the concept is actually pretty interesting, and could have some benefits to be used in the studio for harmonies and backgrounds. As far as JoJo is concerned, there's no stopping AI tunes, so people should figure out how to use 'em.

Of course, not all artists see it like JoJo. Drake's label ripped the idea after multiple AI-generated Drizzy tunes began trending. Before that, Universal Music Group had to remove an AI song featuring Drake and The Weeknd.

Other artists like Khalid agree the technology is inevitable, but unlike JoJo, he's not a fan.

LeBron James knows a good reference when he hears it -- and after booting the Memphis Grizzlies out of the playoffs ... a classic Mystikal line came to mind, and it's perfect.

The King was feeling cocky Saturday after the Lakers crushed Ja Morant's team in decisive fashion Friday in front of the home crowd ... which ends their season and sends LBJ and co. into the next round, where they await either the Warriors or the Sacramento Kings.

Bron took to IG with a huge flex -- posting an epic in-game photo of himself after one of his many buckets, where he's roaring in Crypto.com Arena. His caption was just as badass.

He writes, "If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR."

Of course, the line is a nod to two things -- one, it's the bar that Mystikal dropped back in 2012 during a freestyle on Invasion Radio ... which has gone down in hip hop history. It also, obviously, refers to the Grizzlies as a unit in general ... and their ferocious fluffy mascot.

And yes ... it's also very likely one final shot at SF Dillon Brooks, who was talking mad s*** to LeBron early on in the series -- and who famously said after their Game 2 win that he liked to "poke bears" when asked about his back-and-forth with LeBron on the court.

You'll recall ... Dillon brazenly called Bron "old" and said he doesn't respect anybody who doesn't give him at least 40 points. LBJ never quite did that but he owned the dude in just about every respect of the game ... not to mention the Memphis squad as a whole.

Dillon has mostly avoided talking to the media since then ... and his playoff performance was mediocre, to say the least. Seems like LeBron isn't letting him live it down just yet.

Two-time NFL Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce threw a huge festival in Kansas City on Friday night, and he got some big names in music to entertain the raucous crowd.

The Kansas City Chiefs star tight end hit the stage for the debut of his "Kelce Jam" music and food festival with the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and Rick Ross.

Kelce kicked things off in a big way, strutting out in front of 19,000-plus fans and giving them a warm welcome as he spiked his 2023 Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy.

Then Kelce got into "Beastie Boys" mode and, with the help of MGK, cranked out the band's 1986 hit song, "Fight For Your Right." Kelce and MGK didn't miss a beat together, jumping around on stage while getting the crowd all riled up.

At one point, Kelce gave a massive hug to MGK and lifted his feet off the ground. They also did an encore performance but played the same song, which went on for nine head-banging minutes.

There were some tender moments as well. MGK invited a couple of 7-year-old girls on stage to help him sing his tune, "my ex's best friend." The musician also autographed their T-shirts as Kelce led the crowd in chanting "MGK."

Suge Knight says his upcoming TV series will portray his version of the truth about how some of Death Row's biggest records were made ... allegedly without Dr. Dre's involvement.

Suge tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Daz Dillinger's latest interview -- where he claimed he got $2.5 mil out of Suge -- is just Daz "running his mouth." However, he has his own story to tell about Daz, alleging Dre convinced Tha Dogg Pound producer to sign over rights to Snoop Dogg's classic "Doggystyle" album.

As everyone knows, Dre is credited with producing that iconic project, but Suge claims it was really Daz who ghost-produced it.

Speaking from a CA state penitentiary, Suge told us the record distributor wanted Dre's name on Snoop's debut album for visibility purposes. That record came after Dre's legendary "The Chronic," so having him produce would be a huge boost for "Doggystyle."

Suge claims he advised Daz to reject Dre's proposed buyout ... but Daz went through with it anyway. We reached out to Daz for his side, but haven't heard back.

Suge says his version of the "Doggystyle" backstory is what viewers will see in the upcoming BLK Prime TV series chronicling his life. He also assured Daz his DGPC twin Kurupt will get some shine for being a ferocious MC in the violent Death Row era.

Suge, who's doing 28 years for voluntary manslaughter, takes umbrage with how another blockbuster record in Dre's catalog, "California Love," was depicted in 2015's "Straight Outta Compton."

The Oscar-winning film shows Dre and Tupac Shakur organically creating the 1996 hit collab in-studio, but Suge alleges he actually orchestrated the song's creation ... because Pac and Dre were beefing at the time.

He credits DJ Quik for thinking up the song's iconic chorus when at the infamous 1995 Source Awards in NYC, and he later recruited the late Roger Troutman to sing the phrase on his voicebox.

Suge cosigned on veteran rapper J-Flexx's claims he penned Dre's verses for the classic tracks "Keep Their Heads Ringin'," "Natural Born Killaz" and, of course, "California Love."

Chance the Rapper and his wife Kirsten have had fans fearing they're heading toward a split for the last couple of weeks ... but that couldn't be further from the truth.

A rep for the Grammy winner acknowledges there's been some drama involving videos of Chance and twerking dancers, but summed it up by telling TMZ Hip Hop ... "Everyone has their moments, but they're all good."

If you recall, it was Chance's 30th birthday celebration during Jamaica Carnival on April 16 that got us to this point. He was all smiles in a viral video of a woman grinding on his lap.

Kirsten later posted a cryptic Maya Angelou quote about married people failing to grow up, and Chance fanned the flames by rapping about his love for twerking on Vic Mensa's newest song.

Chance opted not to face his internet critics head-on, and instead, posted a Bill Burr stand-up clip about the complexities of marriage, and how guys are typically a step behind women!

Chance and Kirsten tied the knot back in 2019, and he frequently shouts out his wife, and his love for her, in his songs.

Kanye West is deep in audition mode for his upcoming fashion show -- Yeezy Szn 10 -- but this time around, he's seeking out bald models to show off his latest garb.

Ye held his auditions in DTLA Thursday ... and we're told those trying out were to have shaved heads and dress in all black. We're told hopefuls got in line as early as 7 AM, and some waited until 3 PM for a chance to be chosen.

The rapper rocked a unique shirt after auditions wrapped, too -- one given to him by a disabled person who came in to audition.

Unclear what Kanye's got up his sleeve for his fashion line's 10th season, but the guy's clearly got representation in mind while crafting the new show.

BTW -- we saw Kanye jammin' out to his own track last week at Jerry Lorenzo's Fear of God fashion show at the Hollywood Bowl ... donning his signature full-head mask alongside his wife, Bianca.

Chance the Rapper seemingly angered his wife by grinding for the world to see during his 30th birthday romp, but the Chicago MC feels he's in the right ... if his new lyrics are to be believed.

On Friday, Chance costarred on his Black Line Fest collaborator Vic Mensa's new music video "$WISH" and burst out the gate with the pro-twerking bars, "Make somethin' shake for me, stop playin', bitch/Fair trade, you get a purse, I get a sandwich/But that ain't fair you gеt to twerk, and that's advantageeee."

Last week, Chance went viral in Jamaica for being heavily twerked upon during Carnival '23 ... which caused a big ruckus because he's been rapping for years about being happily married.

Just as fans thought the coals were cooling off, Chance's wife Kirsten Corley-Bennett resparked the controversy this week by posting a passage from Maya Angelou’s "Letter to My Daughter" book ... highlighting the part about people getting married but still not growing up.

Kanye West says he never screwed his ex-business manager out of a payday in a new countersuit ... firing back with claims their arrangement came about when he was stressed out and in the middle of his divorce.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained docs filed by Kanye and his Yeezy brand ... where he claims the deal he struck with Thomas St. John isn't enforceable because he signed it without help from a lawyer when he was "sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress."

According to the lawsuit, Ye says he met St. John around March 2022 -- and they sketched out a deal that would place him on a $300k monthly retainer.

Kanye admits the two met during one of his many social media meltdowns -- and St. John swooped in as a respected biz manager who could steer the ship back on course.

Although Ye admits to signing a document with St. John in May 2022 ... he claims he did so without the presence and counsel of his lawyers, and as his high-profile divorce with Kim Kardashian was taking a serious toll.

Ye also says the increased volume of paparazzi encounters amid the divorce was causing sleep deprivation, stress and anxiousness.

Ye is also complaining about a clause in the "barebones" agreement that prevented St. John from being terminated for at least the first 18 months ... essentially guaranteeing his bank account stayed stacked with Ye's funds.

Latto is coming clean about her experience with plastic surgery ... copping to getting "a little work" done after her recent bars made Coi Leray's body shape a trending topic.

The "Big Energy" rapper was discussing the downside of going under the knife on her '777 Radio' show on Apple Music, but says in her case, her procedures were done correctly as people often think she's au naturel.

However, Latto gave a stern warning to her cohost Brooklyn Nikole and all other young girls looking to fix "little tweaks" to find a healthy appreciation for their bodies because they'll end up obsessing over trips to the surgeon and can never please everyone.

Latto says her surgery still hasn't stopped her from editing pics or having wardrobe malfunctions but says being in the public eye since age 16 forced her hand.

Latto's recent Nicki Minaj diss "Put It On The Floor" angered Coi when she rapped that her blunts were bigger than the "Players" rapper, but the two have since made up ... with Coi apparently capitalizing on the moment.

Jack Harlow dropped his new album "Jackman" on Friday and made a bold statement -- proclaiming himself to be the best white rapper since Eminem burst onto the scene!!!

On the album's 2nd track, "They Don’t Love It," Jack references Em's famous "Lose Yourself" line about his mother's spaghetti with the lyrics ... "The hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters/And hold the comments 'cause I promise you I'm honestly better than whoever came to your head right then" ... and then goes on to rap about how he outworks all his Caucasian competition!!!

Obviously, there have been several white rappers who have cut through since Em -- MGK, Millyz, Marlon Craft and Action Bronson are just a few who've been honing their craft, but doesn't matter ... Jack says he's better!!!

As we previously reported, Jack's 3rd project aimed to put the lyrical spotlight back on him after his sophomore album was labeled too commercial ... and judging from the early reviews, the music is meeting fans' expectations.

Boosie Badazz is backpedaling like Deion Sanders in his heyday after very openly calling T.I. a snitch.

The unfiltered rap star repositioned his stance in a new interview with VladTV Thursday ... admitting he jumped to conclusions without having his facts straight.

Boosie publicly bashed T.I. for claiming he snitched on his cousin after he died ... a podcast moment T.I. later revealed to be a joke — and provided the paperwork to prove it.

The rift derailed the release of their joint album ... but when we spoke to T.I. on the matter, he wrote of Boosie's comments as "misspeaking."

Boosie tells Vlad he and Tip have a long positive history and their sons are also good friends ... and felt bad about how he handled the situation.

Post Malone is tired of people tying his recent weight loss to the result of drug use ... instead, attributing his new svelte look to performing and choosing a healthier lifestyle amid his "dad-life."

The rapper took to Instagram to address the issue Thursday while on tour in Europe, assuring his concerned fans that he's NOT hooked on narcotics.

Post wrote, "I’m having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier. i guess dad life kicked in and i decided to kick soda, and start eating better so i can be around for a long time for this little angel."

He continued, "Next up is smokes and brews, but i like to consider myself a patient man… lol!"

Of course, Post was responding to rumors on social media suggesting he was taking illegal substances. One Twitter user stated that Post "doesn't look well" and thought that drugs might be "taking a toll on him."

Another person tweeted, "Is Post Malone on drugs? How did he lose all that weight? I’m worried."

This isn't the first time Post addressed his noticeable weight loss. You might recall back in February, we reported that Post insisted his slender figure was due to a happy and healthy lifestyle.

In his IG message, Post also said he's been in the studio working on new music that he's excited to release to his fans and thanking them for their support.

There will be plenty of hip hop star power at this year's Tribeca Film Festival ... with everything from documentaries, premieres and even performances.

On Thursday, OKX unveiled its laundry list of events, including Megan Thee Stallion's "Storyteller's Conversation" ... where the "Savage" rapper will be taking part in a panel discussion on June 15

French Montana's self-reflective "For Khadija" doc will premiere the following day and it was announced both Drake and Diddy are now officially on board as executive producers.

The June 16 premiere of "For Khadija" ... a first-person glimpse into French's backstory as a Moroccan-born future superstar, a road paved by his single mother.

As Pras waits to find out his sentence after a guilty verdict in his federal fraud trial ... he's also waiting on his Fugees bandmates to publicly show him any support.

Both Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, rightfully, joined the world in publicly mourning artist/activist Harry Belafonte after his death on Tuesday, but one day later their IG accounts were bare of any reference to Pras' trial and verdict.

The Fugees' last album, 1996's "The Score," sold more than 22 million copies worldwide ... but the group never got on the same page to record a follow-up. A 25th-anniversary tour to celebrate the project was scrapped last year due to Pras' legal drama, so it's possible there's a rift between them after all that drama.

As we reported, Pras was found guilty of spearheading a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy alongside Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

The trial included high-profile testimonies from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- but to date, there's been no reaction from Lauryn or Wyclef.

On the other hand, Chuck D is being extremely vocal ... the Public Enemy frontman launched into a tirade Thursday, ripping apart what he calls a hypocrisy on Pras' accused crimes.

Ironically, Chuck also found time to memorialize Belafonte -- sharing the late icon's many virtues with TMZ Hip Hop when we spotted him at the airport.

Tyler, the Creator is telling fans to enjoy his tunes while he's alive and well, because when he dies ... his music will officially stop.

The Golf Wang curator was explaining this tidbit to the crowd last night during his Estate Sale Show at The El Rey in Los Angeles.

Tyler just dropped a deluxe edition of his Grammy Award-winning album "Call Me If You Get Lost" that featured 8 previously unreleased songs ... and told fans he felt the songs were too good to sit in the vault.

The veteran rapper felt it best he let go of the tracks now because he says his living will prohibits his music from being posthumously released ... especially with "random" artists he wouldn't ever collaborate with while he was alive!!!

Fact is, deceased artists have proven to be cash cows over the years. So, whoever's distributing Tyler's music can't be thrilled with his will ... not that anyone's rushing him to the grave.