TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

50 Cent is forecasting a grim future for Los Angeles over its no-bail policy ... going so far as to say the City is "finished."

The New York rapper posted the biting message on Instagram, writing, “LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH [shaking my head].” He accompanied his one-liner with a Fox 11 Los Angeles post detailing the reinstatement of the policy two months ago.

Per the reg, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department will no longer detain people accused of battery, vandalism, theft, narcotics use and other non-violent offenses. Plus, anyone arrested for these crimes will automatically be released without paying bail and before arraignment.

You may recall ... during the COVID pandemic, L.A. imposed a no-bail rule to prevent overcrowding in jails for fear of spreading the virus. In July 2022, the policy expired ... but now it's back.

Clearly, Fitty is no fan ... and he certainly isn't mincing words.

Momma Dee just wanted to do some shopping, but ended up in an ambulance ... after someone allegedly slammed into her parked car, and then drove off.

The "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star tells TMZ ... she was going to a Sephora store in Atlanta Wednesday when she was injured in a hit-and-run.

Momma Dee says she parked on a busy street and her car was struck by another driver right as she was going to get out of her vehicle. She says the car that hit her was a black Ford sedan, and it kept on going after the collision.

TMZ obtained video of Momma Dee being treated in an ambulance ... as well as photos of the car damage and her injuries. Momma says the bumps, bruises, and scratches are minor.

Michael Rubin followed up his famous July 4 fireworks bash in The Hamptons this year with another celeb-studded soiree in Las Vegas ... and we got all the excitement on video!!

TMZ obtained this footage showing a bevy of stars partying it up at the NBA's Summer Players Party at TAO nightclub, with rapper Lil Baby performing on stage Saturday night.

The list includes ... James Harden, Joel Embiid, Meek Mill, Jalen Rose, Flava Flav, Jason Tatum, Carmelo Anthony, Spencer Dwindiddie, Chet Holgram, JaVale McGee and Grant Williams.

Lil Baby was pumpin' out lyrics as the crowd grooved to his hip hop songs. Meek Mill was just chillin' and chattin' with a friend. James Harden was watchin' it all from afar.

There was also a pretty cool moment where smoke and confetti sprayed down from the ceiling engulfing the audience.

As you know, Rubin -- the sports apparel mogul -- is well known for his lavish summer get-togethers and last weekend was one of his best ever.

Hollywood's elite popped up at Rubin's July 4 white party bash, which is always a tradition in The Hamptons and the hottest ticket in town.

Jay-Z, Beyoncé, J-Lo, Ben Affleck, and Justin and Hailey Bieber were just some of the A-listers who came out to enjoy the festivities.

Master P thinks Google confusing him for Luther Vandross is either a case of AI running amok or a grander scheme to bury his Snoop Cereal company!!!

Ok, he's joking about that second part, but the Colonel knows a great marketing opportunity when he sees it. TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Master P in Burbank, CA, outside Walmart -- the soon-to-be retailer of his and Snoop Dogg's breakfast venture -- and he said he'd better understand Google mistaking him for the cereal's mascot, instead of Luther. 😂

The No Limit rapper tells us he understands social media's fascination with the Google gaffe, but thinks the tech giant might be letting their AI bots run too much of the show behind the scenes -- something Questlove of The Roots seems to believe as well.

Google finally corrected its mistake but P says it needs to do more ... like using its algorithm to shine a light on his brand. He notes Google's vaunted search engine did get at least one thing right related to him -- crediting his and Snoop's Broadus Foods as the first Black-owned cereal company.

Usher is back to his smooth, serenading ways -- only this time, it's Saweetie who was in his sights ... and fortunately for everyone, her significant other doesn't seem to be trippin'.

The singer was doing yet another show at his Vegas residency Friday -- where none other than Saweetie showed up to see the man in action. Welp, like he's done with other stars in the recent past ... Usher honed in on her and started belting out slow jams right to her face.

Not the song, mind you -- he was actually crooning his hit, "There Goes My Baby," and was seeking a little assist from Saweetie ... who did help him, albeit somewhat off-key. 😅

It proved to be a sweet and funny moment, no doubt ... and Saweetie certainly seemed to be in on the fun. Of course, what everyone almost immediately thought of when seeing this was the whole Keke Palmer debacle -- where her man lost his s*** over her doing the same.

You'll recall ... Darius Jackson -- with whom Keke shares a child -- publicly aired out his grievances about Keke getting special a little treatment from Usher this past week.

His main gripe, it seems, was more so about her outfit ... which he apparently thought was a little too revealing, and which he made known by reminding her that she was a mother now.

The dude got dragged by the Internet at large, and he has since deleted his social accounts. Keke, meanwhile, also seems to have been down to stick it to her baby daddy -- doubling down in her wardrobe and posting even more sexy shots of herself in the sheer dress.

And with all that in mind, everyone was looking for a reaction from YG in this new Saweetie instance ... perhaps expecting him to be bent out of shape, but not finding a damn thing.

YG -- who Saweetie has recently been romantically connected to, and who was with the guy as recently as last week -- hasn't said anything about Usher singing to his girl ... and rightly so. There's nothing to complain about, really, and it would appear YG recognizes that.

Cardi B can entertain and rap for days, but even when she's not onstage ... this gal always slays! Take a mental picture of this side-by-side pic, and try your best to find the changes in the two shots.

The hot momma of two was recently in Paris for Paris Fashion Week and put her curves on full display in a skintight catsuit. Put your "Money" where your mouth is, and see if you've got what it takes to find the minor switch-ups. You may need all hands on deck!

Naughty By Nature isn't exactly gelling as a group these days ... but, ironically, their dysfunction allows them to cover more ground!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Treach and his posse on Broadway out in NYC last week ... and we grilled him about the group's glaring absence during the massive rounds of hip hop tributes during the '23 BET Awards.

The culture rallied around the genre's 50th anniversary and Busta Rhymes' legacy but there wasn't any "Hip Hop Hooray" felt on Naughty's end!!!

Treach tells us the group was invited but Vin Rock and Kay Gee had scheduling conflicts that interfered with the show ... and suggested the guys were perfectly good staying put wherever they were at!!!

He's looking forward to DJ Cassidy's upcoming "Pass The Mic" extravaganza — where he'll be performing as a soloist.

And the group will likely be overshadowed even more when Treach's solo documentary hits the market ... a project that made him perk up at the mere mention.

Cardi B is shutting down the notion she's always using a ghostwriter, saying she actually pens her raps ... including her latest, greatest collaboration!!!

Spotify's Head of Urban Music Carl Chery reacted to Cardi's new "Point Me 2" feature with positive praise ... "I don’t care who writes it. Cardi B is hard AF!" ... but the "Bodak Yellow" rapper got wind of his comments and dared him to pull up to the studio to see the magic pen for himself!!!

She also posted the track's credits to prove there weren't any extra names clouding her greatness!!!

On Friday, the "Point Me 2" video made Cardi a music trending topic once again and her presence shined the spotlight on Fendi Da Rappa, a rising Chicago spitter who just signed with Irving Azoff's Giant Music.

The song is already doing well on iTunes and is nearing one million YouTube views in just 24 hours.

Jay-Z just made a massive splash in the soccer world ... his Roc Nation Sports International agency opened shop in Brazil, and now represents one of the biggest international soccer stars alive, Vinicius Jr.!

Hov and Roc Nation landed Vini Jr. after acquiring famed Brazilian soccer agency, TFM ... which reps over 100 soccer players, including the international soccer star.

Of course, if you're a soccer fan, you know 22-year-old Vinicius Jr. ... winger for Real Madrid (and the Brazilian National Team), is widely considered one of the most talented players in the world. Period.

For as great as he is on the pitch, he's equally as popular off it ... counting nearly 40 million followers on Instagram alone. Speaking of social media, Vini posted a photo hanging with Hov in late May... and we're told the stars spoke about the potential partnership.

With the move, Roc Nation believes they're positioned to become an even bigger player in the soccer world.

“In terms of football, Brazil is the center of it all. I strongly identify with a culture that has such an incredible passion for sport and music. Our influence in this game is growing and this move shows our intentions to the world,” RNS president and founder Juan Perez said in a statement.

TFM Agency founder Frederico Pena will now act as lead for the new RNS wing.

"Roc Nation embodies the pinnacle of culture, sports, and entertainment. It made perfect sense to join Roc Nation, elevate our operations, and provide our athletes with comprehensive, global representation," Pena said.

It's celebration time for Da Brat, who just had a baby boy ... the end result of her first, and very eventful pregnancy!!!

The record-breaking rapper gave birth Thursday evening in Atlanta to a 7-lb, 20-inch healthy son, and she and her wife Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart named their new arrival, True Legend Harris-Dupart.

Brat tells People she can't believe her son came from her while Judy says they pondered changing the child's name to "PERFECT" upon first impression!!!

Brat added, "Very appreciative for such a blessing of our bundle of joy. This journey has been more amazing than we could've ever imagined."

The couple just copped a new Tesla to assist with their expanding family -- should come in handy for some "legendary" road trips.

Lil Baby recently participated in a Fanatics Global Volunteer Day with his buddy Michael Rubin, resulting in $20 million worth of merchandise being distributed across the country!!!

On Friday, Baby joined forces with VaynerMedia for his newest single and video combo "Merch Madness" ... which celebrates the charity blowout that took place on June 27.

The visual begins with Baby surprising students inside Harlem's Frederick Douglass Academy on the last day of the school year.

Baby eventually details his involvement by rapping, "Real trench baby, business with Fanatics/This like twenty million on a giveaway/Twenty buses, twenty cities, stadium to stadium/See they idols givin' back to them, makin' people go crazy/I get paid when I appear/To do this, I volunteer."

Similar to Rubin's "White Party," the celebs were in full support of the GVD movement ... top pro athletes Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., Russell Willson and Chris Paul were spotted among the fold ... as were superstar rappers Lil Durk, Meek Mill, Quavo, and A$AP Ferg.

Drake found a unique way to show love to Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" re-release -- taking a pic with a look-alike of the pop star he met in Chicago.

The "For All The Dogs" rapper posted the random photo-op on Thursday ahead of his 2nd Windy City show that kicked off his "It's All a Blur" Tour effectively putting the woman, Jaime Kitt Carson, into the internet spotlight ... causing bad blood amongst Taylor's "Swiftie" fan base. 😅

Jaime goes by the name "Trailer Swift" on IG as she's told she favors the "Midnights" singer ... which was her talking point with Drake when he showed up at her job.

She says her encounter with Drake was pleasant but she quickly learned the consequences of newfound fame ... as the Swiftie fanbase is currently accusing her of clout chasing.

It doesn't appear she seems to mind ... the coveted Drake IG pic is better than revenge in this situation.

If it wasn't already apparent, here's some more evidence as to why rapper Blueface won't win "Father of The Year" anytime soon -- bringing strippers into his home with his 6-year-old son present -- and then questioning his child's sexuality.

Blueface posted a series of videos Thursday showcasing multiple mostly-naked dancers twerking in his living room … with his son, Javaughn's mother Jaidyn Alexis, also dancing in the background.

Blueface then leaves the living room for the kitchen to show Javaughn digging through the pantry, teasing, “It's booty cheeks out here, you over here looking for chips and Slim Jim's and s***" … he then proceeded to grill his son, asking if he was gay.

After convincing Javaughn the correct answer was "no," Blueface gave the boy multiple high-fives.

Of course, many who witnessed the encounter online were pissed -- some saying Child Protective Services needed to get involved.

Hit-Boy and his dad Big Hit are on a mission to make the most impactful hip hop possible ... even if it means exercising their freedom of speech to a point some will call controversial or even offensive.

We caught the Hollis family out at Dash Radio while they were promoting their critically acclaimed joint album, "Surf or Drown 2."

The project has birthed multiple videos directed by ThirdEyeRaz ... but none more controversial than the visual for "Police," which depicts a role reversal of America's color lines.

Team Hit and their crew portray police officers who arrest white citizens who mouth off the song's lyrics for the camera, n-words included -- which they tell us was a very intentional creative choice.

Big Hit even says a few actors declined to star in the video -- because it required using that word -- but they coached their assembled crew through the scenes ... as they felt the video was important to reflect the current social climate.

It's a topic that Big Hit can relate to ... having been released from prison a few months ago after serving 9 years for an L.A. hit-and-run.

He tells us he's already landed a collab with Snoop Dogg and recorded multiple albums worth of music with his Diamond-certified son.

Drake took a shot at Childish Gambino during the opening night of his "It's All a Blur" tour, which, for all intents and purposes could be considered a long-delayed clap back!!!

CG previously admitted his Grammy Award-winning track "This Is America" was originally framed as a Drake diss before he turned it into a protest anthem, and Drizzy didn't let that slide.

Fans combing through Wednesday night's concert footage from inside Chicago's United Center discovered Drake emblazoned the side of the stage with the message ... "The overrated and over-awarded hit song ‘This Is America’ was originally a Drake diss record."

Drake's sub was definitely intentional, the CG-targeting caption went up as he performed his 2011 hit "Headlines" ... a track that outlines how he's always the center of news.

Night one was definitely one Drake Stans will remember for ages. 21 Savage also took the stage and the Canadian rapper debuted holograms of himself and the late Virgil Abloh ... and also got pelted by a cell phone.

50 Cent's 'Power Book II' and "BMF" cast members have been enjoying a healthy rivalry, but to hear Gianni Paolo tell it ... Lil Meech needs the back-and-forth way more than he does.

TMZ Hip Hop recently linked up with the real-life Brayden Weston rocking his G-G-G-Unit gear out in West Hollywood ... and he assures us he enjoys the constant mudslinging between sets but says it really only benefits 'BMF's juice.

Last week, Meech and the "BMF" crew stunted on Gianni and the rest of the 'Power' cast by posting in a private jet they say 50 got exclusively for their travels.

As you know, "BMF" is the autobiographical tale of ex-drug kingpins Demetrius and Terry Flenory ... and Gianni thinks the show is staring its expiration date in the face, despite 50's wish for both shows to go for at least 6 seasons each!!!

Gianni tells us he's proud Meech was able to escape the nepo-baby tag but thinks 'Power II' will go the distance on-air.

Switching gears to his love life, Gianni says he'll only enter a relationship if it's with one Coi Leray ... which might be a one-sided dream for now.

Gianni says he slid into Coi's DMs -- instantly jumping to the topic of marriage, and was left on read for his troubles.