TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West is getting sued over a heated encounter he had with a photographer -- the one where he pulled over to snatch her phone and throw it into the street.

TMZ broke the story back in January ... as he was driving away from one of North West's basketball games with his wife, Bianca Censori, Ye stopped because he noticed several paparazzi on his tail.

According to one of the photogs, Nichol Lechmanik, Ye was angrily confronting a different paparazzo, going through the man's pockets ... and she claims she feared the rapper might have had a weapon on him.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lechmanik says she was terrified he would come after her next ... and he did. Video shows Ye approaching her as she sat in the driver's seat of her car, recording him with her phone and yelling, "You all ain't gonna run up on me like that!"

Ye told her, "If I say stop, stop with your cameras." Then he ripped her phone out of her hands and tossed it -- she says it landed in oncoming traffic.

All of this was captured on video by Lechmanik's business partner who was recording from her passenger seat ... and she says Ye walked over to that side of the car and flashed a "death stare" at them. That same day she went to the Sheriff's Department to file a report about the incident.

As we first reported, law enforcement named Ye a suspect in their battery investigation, but ultimately he was not charged.

That being said, Lechmanik says she was traumatized and humiliated ... and lost earnings because she wasn't able to go back to her J-O-B ... snapping photos of celebs.

In the weeks after their encounter, Ye started going straight to law enforcement -- as he did on Valentine's Day -- whenever photogs approached him.

Lechmanik is suing Ye for assault, battery and negligence.

Lil Durk is expected to pull in big numbers with his new "Already Healed" album, and he's taking time out to assist a fan who helped spread awareness of the music ... despite not having a proper roof to blast the tunes!!!

On Thursday, a video surfaced of Durk linking up with L.A. resident Pedro Ramirez, a homeless man who went viral on TikTok for playing Durk and J. Cole's "All My Life" video from inside his tent on a big-screen projector.

Durk thanked Pedro for pumping the music and blessed him with a hotel room for 30 days, a phone, a gift card, and some spending money for being an OTF loyalist.

Earlier in May, Pedro talked to FOX 11 news, and explained how he uses a personal generator to power his projector, and recharges at a nearby Metro station.

Pedro says he's been living on the streets for 2 years and chooses his tent setup over L.A.'s assisted living programs, which he claims treat people like prisoners.

Kanye West has returned to the rap arena for the first time in 2023 ... as the lone feature for Fivio Foreign's surprise EP, "Without Warning."

On Wednesday, Fivio released his new 8-track collection, led by "Concussion," where he and Ye blurt out lyrical randomness — much like an actual concussion.

Ye opens the track channeling Snoop Dogg's infamous Death Row Records-defending rant from the 1995 Source Awards ... "Y'all ain't got no love for Snoop Dogg?/Y'all ain't got no love for Dr. Dre?/Y'all ain't got no love for Ye???"

Fivio released his new offering strictly for the hip hop internet ... with the tracks only appearing on YouTube and SoundCloud and not the traditional DSPs.

In the accompanying documentary, Fivio explained his decision to keep the rollout from the commercial scene, recognizing he's no longer the flashy new artist in the culture, and this is the time to build a legacy.

First, an NCAA championship ... up next -- a collab with J. Cole?!?

LSU hoops star Flau'jae Johnson says she's hoping that's exactly the way her life will play out ... telling TMZ Sports that after helping the Lady Tigers win a title, she's now got her sights set on making music with the "All My Life" rapper.

"J. Cole," she told us this week out at Sirius XM in Los Angeles, "that's my dream!"

If you're unfamiliar -- in addition to being one of the best women's basketball players in the country ... Johnson is also a rapper -- and a very talented one at that.

In fact, the 19-year-old is so good on the mic ... she's already signed with Roc Nation -- and Lil Wayne even said during her NCAA tournament run in April that he wanted to work with her in the near future.

While Johnson was for sure fired up about that -- she said this week she'd be all-in on a duet with Cole too ... and she's confident that it will happen!!

"He ain't reach out yet," she said with a smile, "but it should be coming soon."

For now, Johnson says she's got music on the way with rapper 2Rare.

As for how she's planning on balancing basketball and rap going forward -- the SEC Freshman of the Year says it'll take a lot of a discipline ... but she's sure LSU head coach Kim Mulkey will ensure that all happens.

"Coach don't play," Johnson said. "So I gotta stay tight."

Rap icon Tupac Shakur will be the next big name to be immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, getting a posthumous honor on the famous street.

An announcement from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Wednesday revealed West Coast radio vet and REAL 92.3 host Big Boy will MC the event on June 7 and Tupac’s sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur will be on hand to accept the star on her brother's behalf.

Director Allen Hughes and executive producer Jamal Joseph of F/X's new Pac documentary “Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur,” will also serve as the guest speakers.

Pac was shot and killed back in 1996 but his legacy grew tenfold in his death ... selling over 75 million records, with 2 of his projects, "All Eyez on Me" and his "Greatest Hits" compilation, earning Diamond certifications from the RIAA, and much of his life has been dissected for educational purposes in classrooms and colleges nationwide.

Swae Lee's last journey through the Spider-Verse resulted in several diamond plaques -- a feat not lost on Metro Boomin, who just recruited the Rae Sremmurd rapper to lead the first soundtrack single of the new film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse!!!"

On Wednesday, Metro lifted the veil off the animated visual for "Calling," a star-studded collab that also features Nav and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.

Swae's melodic crooning kicks off the track as lead character Miles Morales doodles in his notebook ... and the vid later previews the latest version of popular character Gwen Stacy.

The film and soundtrack drop simultaneously on Friday ... and Metro has been slowly revealing the features on Instagram, just like he did with his chart-topping "Heroes & Villians" album last year.

So far, Metro has confirmed heavy hitters such as Lil Wayne, Future, Nas, 21 Savage, Coi Leray ... and the list goes on.

Post Malone thanked Swae for being the secret sauce behind their "Sunflower" collab from the last 'Spider-Verse' soundtrack when we last spoke to him.

Moneybagg Yo and Ari Fletcher are currently celebrating their 4th year as a high-profile couple -- a milestone the Memphis rapper says he almost ruined with his philandering ways!!!

In a clip obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Angie Martinez got Moneybagg to open up about his relationship, a life experience he hadn't had before linking with Ari.

Moneybagg has dodged dozens of cheating accusations, but did admit to slipping up in the past, and hints he went through hell to make things right again.

He told Angie, on her 'IRL Podcast,' Ari not only didn't take the news well -- but the other woman was attempting to give her a play-by-play of the encounter!!!

Angie grilled Moneybagg on whether he was just guilty of being caught, but the "Time Today" rapper says his heart and intentions were pure at the end of the day ... and he was man enough to apologize. He also says Ari has been supportive throughout the entire ordeal.

Joseline Hernandez is claiming self-defense in her scuffle with Amber Rose on the upcoming celebrity edition of BET's "College Hill" ... but also insists she won the fight.

The veteran reality star was a recent guest on "Drink Champs" ... and lamented being kicked off the series for "dog walking" Amber, who Joseline claims started the fight.

BET has yet to air the episode, but Joseline says she clocked Amber so hard into a piece of glass, her head left an imprint in it.

Joseline claims Amber was jeering her in the back of the classroom as she was delivering her speech in a college literature class. She says Amber should've shut up and taken some notes if she doesn't want to be known as a "slut" the rest of her life. 😬

According to Joseline, this beef isn't fully cooked either ... she plans on applying pressure to Amber every time she sees her in person going forward.

Diddy's booze company claims a British alcoholic beverage company he's partnered with left him and his tequila for dead ... a move he alleges is steeped in racism.

The music and business mogul's alcohol LLC, Combs Wine and Spirits, just filed a lawsuit against Diageo ... the UK-based booze behemoth behind brands like Ciroc, which Diddy has backed for quite a long time -- and very successfully, too.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Diddy's team claims he's been in a partnership with Diageo to lead all marketing and innovation. Diddy says, after he sparked booming sales for Ciroc, the companies decided to go in together on DeLeon Tequila.

Unfortunately, per Diddy, Diageo has allegedly turned its back on both him and DeLeon ... to the point that Diddy says it's stifled growth and, more importantly, his bottom line.

Diddy claims, over the years, Diageo has refused to properly market/invest in DeLeon -- while going on to give most of its attention and resources to its other tequila lines like Don Julio or Casamigos. He believes this is racist.

For starters, Diddy alleges Diageo's neglect has risen to startling levels -- he claims his tequila has repeatedly been out of stock at retailers across the country, including huge markets in states like California and New York.

Diddy and co. say they suspect the reason for this is due to the color of his skin ... claiming "Diageo has typecasted Ciroc and DeLeon, apparently deciding they are 'Black brands' that should be targeted only to 'urban' consumers."

Not just that, but he even alleges he's been told by a Diageo exec that he might be getting the support he's wanted if he was Martha Stewart -- again, suggesting they didn't view him as anything more than a megaphone for one specific community.

Bottom line ... Diddy says he's been on his own trying to get DeLeon Tequila off the ground, and now Diageo should have to pay up for failing to live up to its contractual obligations to support his brands, and is asking the Court to order his company gets the same treatment as Diageo's other brands.

Offset is back on dad duty for a big movie premiere -- which is starting to become a cool family tradition -- only this time, he was inspired by MJ's style.

The rapper brought his 3 sons to the 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' premiere Tuesday night in L.A. -- and from 20-month-old, Wave, whom he had with Cardi B, to 13-year-old Jordan Cephus and 8-year-old Kody Cephus, from previous relationships .. the whole fam was decked out in red and black.

Offset set the tone with a Michael Jackson-inspired outfit -- a red and black leather getup straight out of the King of Pop's "Bad" era -- and the kids were also on theme, and everyone had their shades on too. Quite the family portrait!

Remember, Offset did exactly this earlier this month, when he brought his 2 young daughters to the premiere of the live-action 'Little Mermaid' -- the girls were dressed like princesses and he was a prince.

It's funny, Offset's jacket that night was also giving MJ vibes.

Polo G is openly embracing Charlamagne Tha God recently giving him "Donkey of the Day" ... after his "no security" comments rubbed "The Breakfast Club" host the wrong way.

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with Polo Tuesday on Rodeo Drive ... and he didn't appear to be heavily guarded, but assured us his viral comments about being the only rapper without security were just cap for TikTok, and he's not really lacking when it comes to backup!!!

Charlamagne didn't find the clip too amusing and proceeded to rip the Chicago rapper for being so naive at a time when many hip-hop artists are losing their lives.

Polo says he actually was cool with getting the 'DOTD' because of the general concern in Charlamagne's tone, but assures us Rodeo is a lot safer than the neighborhoods where he grew up!!!

On the music front, Polo says his upcoming 4th studio album won't disappoint the streets.

Fans have been held over with his Future collab, "No Time Wasted," which scored on the Billboard Hot 100, and Polo tells us the album will be ready for a summer release.

The Island Boys are setting the record straight on a rumor swirling around the internet ... they say they are NOT the kids who took a photo with Jeffrey Epstein back in the day.

Here's the deal ... an old photo showing Epstein posing on a tropical beach with four young kids recently resurfaced online, with lots of folks claiming the kids flanking JE were the Island Boys.

Flyysoulja tells TMZ … he and his twin brother Kodiyakredd have seen the viral photo but the kids in the image are NOT them.

There's speculation the photo was snapped on one of Epstein's private islands in the Caribbean, and Flyysoulja says he and his brother never left Florida until they were 18, and the photo doesn't look like it's from their home state.

What's more, Flyysoulja says he looked exactly like his fraternal twin when they were growing up ... meaning they didn't have different colored hair like the boys in the Epstein photo.

Flyysoulja also points out that the boys in the photo appear to be Caucasian, while the Island Boys are Cuban.

YG and Saweetie are officially an item ... and they jetted down to Mexico to let the whole world know they're dating.

The rappers are packing on the PDA down in Cabo -- and there's clearly nothing platonic about their hang.

YG and Saweetie couldn't keep their hands off each other Sunday as they took a romantic dip at their resort ... embracing and making out at the edge of the pool.

Saweetie showed off her assets with a bright pink bikini ... and YG looks pretty happy with his new boo, as he should be.

The holiday weekend trip confirms dating rumors that have swirled around YG and Saweetie for months ... in case you missed it, the speculation began last month when they were seen together at Coachella.

Megan Thee Stallion may or may not have a new boo thang, but what she definitely does not have is new music on the horizon.

The H-Town hottie is admitting the last few months have mentally drained her, and, in a new interview with InStyle, she says she's withdrawing from the rap rat race ... for now.

She adds, "Fans can expect new music when I’m in a better place. Right now, I’m focused on healing."

Megan's last project, "Traumazine," was released in August 2022 with the gold-selling Dua Lipa collab, "Sweetest Pie," but the album was also a struggle to be released ... due to her ongoing legal drama with her label 1501 Entertainment.

With her time freed up, Megan says she's focused on her latest deal as Revlon's brand ambassador -- but her actions show she's also focused on getting to know Belgian soccer star Romelu Lukaku a little better.

Ashanti was certainly serving body onstage, and she made sure she didn't do it without her rumored boo ... bringing out Nelly as a surprise guest during her show!!

Ashanti hit the stage with Ja Rule in Sin City for their show at the Palms Casino Resort on Sunday. However, fans were in for a treat once the singer brought out her very special guest.

Nelly and Ashanti performed their throwback jam, "Body On Me" ... and she definitely put her body on Nelly, while showing off her dance moves. And, fans ate up the whole thing ... cheering as they serenaded each other on stage.

As we reported, fans began to speculate they might have recently rekindled their romance ... since they've been hitting up events together, like the Garcia/Davis boxing match last month. And, it's especially hard to argue now!

Of course, these 2 go way back -- they dated in the 2000s, so fans seemed super hyped to see them spending more time together as of late.

Gunna is back in the public eye after taking a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO case ... but Boosie Badazz doesn't want to see him prosper any further.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Boosie's upcoming appearance on "The Big Homies House" podcast with Kodaq and Jojo ... and the Louisiana rapper didn't hold back from revealing his ill will for Gunna, even wishing he never sells another record again!

Boosie says the "pushin P" rapper would be better suited to continue his rap career in another country outside the U.S., and used the recent backlash from in-house YSL producer Wheezy to justify his point.

Wheezy, who produced several songs on Gunna's last album, including the trendsetting record "pushin P," recently distanced himself from Gunna over respect for Young Thug ... who's been dealing with loads of courtroom drama.

Boosie also dismissed the notion that Thug is fine with Gunna resuming his daily life ... and painted him as a turncoat from day one who was waiting on his chance to squirm free when things got tough.

Gunna was spotted at the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Game 6 on Saturday, clearly immune to the criticism that Boosie and others have been hurling his way since he was released from jail last December.