A$AP Rocky 'Don't Be Dumb' Album Is Shaping Up Nicely!!! 👍🏿

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SOMETHIN' IN THE WORKS
TMZ.com

A$AP Rocky's upcoming "Don't Be Dumb" album has him really excited -- the kind of excitement that makes him flash all his pearly whites with the mere mention of the topic!!!

That was the Harlem-bred rap star's vibe when TMZ Hip Hop briefly caught up with him out in West Hollywood on Tuesday.

Rocky was hopping in his PMF yellow Hummer but had enough time to give us the thumbs-up confirmation that his recent music video shoot out in Barbados will make his album's final cut ... whenever it happens to drop.

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REPPIN' MY ROOTS
BACKGRID

He tapped into his Barbadian roots during an island getaway with Rihanna last month when he found time to film content for the album. There's no telling if RiRi will add vocals to the project as of now ... but the suspense helps balance out the anticipation!!!

Fans have been waiting on Rocky's comeback for years now .. his last album "Testing" dropped all the way back in 2018 and the new album countdown seems imminent.

Let's go, Rocky!!!

DDG GF Halle Bailey Respects My Geekin'!!!

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DETAILING THE LYRICS
TMZ.com

DDG says there's a clear separation of church and state when it comes to his playboy raps and girlfriend Halle Bailey ... as relationship balance has been a hot-button topic as of late.

We caught DDG walking into Dash Radio Tuesday and got the scoop on the new lingo of his track "I'm Geekin'" -- which he describes as the latest term for being lit. Ditto for "having motion." 🔥

The song's attracted millions of plays across social media since dropping in April and also picked up guest features from BIA, NLE Choppa and 2023 XXL Freshman Luh Tyler.

All 3 'Geekin'' videos showcase DDG getting grabby with several women who are not his girlfriend but he assures us Halle understands it's just for work and show and not for real!!!

The two stars have been schmoozing strong since the top of 2022, and DDG tells us their relationship isn't affected by what they do for their careers. As he put it, "It's just work."

When we asked him about Keke Palmer and her boyfriend's recent fiasco, he virtually booked a plane ticket to Switzerland!!!

Funny Marco Sued For $6M Over Alleged Breach of Contract, Ruined Potential Deals With Jess Hilarious, Sukihana

Popular social media podcaster Funny Marco is now facing a $6 million lawsuit from the company that helped launch his podcast ... with the company claiming he went on a campaign to destroy their reputation in an effort to get paid more.

The suit was filed on Tuesday by Breakbeat Media and veteran publisher Dave Mays, creator of "The Source" magazine.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Marco and Breakbeat struck a deal in August 2021 to host his content on their YouTube channel.

But following the runaway success of the channel beginning with a Boosie Badazz interview they paid $15k for, the company claims Marco breached his contract on numerous occasions in an attempt to get more money out of the company.

Breakbeat says it caved to many of Marco's demands to incorporate his Cornbread TV brand into the mix ... and even gave him 35% of the revenue and rights to the production, but the suit claims Marco wasn't satisfied and continued to post to his own YouTube channels in violation of the deal -- siphoning hundreds of thousands in revenue from the Breakbeat channel — despite repeated requests to stop.

Marco's also accused of fumbling the bag for Breakbeat multiple times ... claiming he refused to read on-air ads and allegedly entered into side deals with advertisers.

Mays also says Marco would bad-mouth the company ... hurting its ability to sign other celebrities and influencers like Jess Hilarious, Sukihana and Bubba Dub to join Breakbeat.

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Breakbeat Media is now seeking at least $5 million for Marco alleging screwing with the business and harming its reputation, and Mays is seeking $1 million for damage to his character.

They also want to stop Marco from disparaging them on social media and elsewhere and block Marco from creating any new podcasts until he fulfills his obligations under the deal.

Naomi Osaka, Cordae Welcome Baby Girl ... We're Officially Parents!!!

Naomi Osaka and Cordae's little bundle of joy is here -- the "Gifted" rapper announced at a recent show the tennis superstar gave birth to their first child!!

The talented MC shared the big news at his gig in Calgary ... telling the crowd he's officially a proud papa.

Remember, Osaka announced she was expecting a kid with Cordae by sharing a sonogram on Instagram in January ... and the two hosted a lavish pink-themed baby shower just last month.

The couple has yet to address the birth on their social media accounts .... but according to People, the baby girl arrived in Los Angeles, and "they are doing well."

Of course, Osaka has been away from the tennis court since her announcement ...  but continued to train during her pregnancy as she vowed to make it to the 2024 Australian Open.

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SAND SESH
Instagram / @naomiosaka

"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future," Osaka said at the time. "One thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

It will happen soon enough! Congratulations!!!

Gunna 'Fukumean' My Career Is Over??? Earns Biggest Solo Hit

Gunna appears to be having the last laugh at critics who thought his plea deal in the YSL trial killed his career.

The newest Billboard Hot 100 update showed Gunna's latest album single "Fukumean" planted at #8 -- his first Top 10 as a solo artist!!!

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Gunna's been mostly mum on social media, but he did plenty of celebrating while shooting the "Fukumean" music video.

The visual features him doing it big on a yacht with friends, girls, and plenty of party favors ... y'know, all the finer things freedom has to offer.

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TMZ.com

Folks like Boosie Badazz might hate to see it, as some artists have been vocal about feeling like Gunna sold out Young Thug to save his own skin in the YSL RICO case.

For now, those doubters get to drown in their own misery -- Gunna's clearly winning!

YK Osiris Dropped By Def Jam After Relationship Runs It's Course

YK Osiris and Def Jam are no longer in biz together, TMZ Hip Hop has learned ... after the label dropped the "Worth It" singer from his contract back in December.

Sources with direct knowledge say the split left no bad blood between either camps, both teams just acknowledged the relationship ran its course. Obviously, his recent controversy with Sukihana played no role in the separation, either ... as the decision was made well before.

YK signed to the label back in April 2018 and released 1 album the following year ... the gold-selling "The Golden Child" which produced the 3x platinum single "Worth It."

The whirlwind success perhaps stunted his career growth. YK's openly admitted to blowing through the millions he earned at Def Jam.

On Tuesday, YK made his debut as an indie artist with the emotional track "Dear Fans."

Def Jam also bulked up today ... adding Issa Rae's Raedio label into its fold.

Sometimes growing apart makes you grow bigger. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Le'Veon Bell Moneybagg & Stunna 4 Vegas Gave Me Half-Ass Verses!!! Never Dropping That Crap!!!

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SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Le'Veon Bell is having painful flashbacks about being swindled by Moneybagg Yo and DaBaby's artist Stunna 4 Vegas ... after he claims he paid them cold hard cash for some BS bars.

The NFL free agent made the unsolicited revelations on social media while recalling several high-profile rapper collabs ... and singled out Moneybagg and Stunna for not giving their all on the tracks and just maybe not respecting his talent!!!

LB says platinum-selling producer Tay Keith held up his end of the bargain on the Moneybagg track, but Mr. Wockesha didn't deliver and Bell thinks he and Stunna used him as a cash grab.

Drake, SZA, and Rihanna are the only artists LB says he'll let get away with sending over a lame feature without any rebuttal ... but he did go out of his way to salute both Lil Durk, Snoop Dogg, and the late Lil Keed for being stand-up guys in the studio with him.

LB says he's been holding on to the Snoop track since his early years playing with Pittsburgh after he had to choose a career, but hopes to bring it to life one day.

Not quite the fate for Moneybagg and Stunna's songs though ... LB says those joints are staying in hard drive hell.

Joseline Hernandez Shoves Cops, Shouts Slurs During Arrest ... After Big Lex Brawl

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KICKING AND SCREAMING

Joseline Hernandez still hadn't cooled down when cops arrived after her epic beatdown of Big Lex ... and body cameras captured her violent, profanity-laced rage from start to finish.

The "Love & Hip Hop" alum was met by several Sunrise PD officers last month in South Florida -- and this new footage, obtained by TMZ, shows her immediately launching, physically and verbally, at law enforcement.

Right off the bat, she shouts she doesn't want any white men touching her, and things quickly ramp up from there.

Joseline chucks her phone at a guy trying to calm her down -- who seems to be the same person heard calling Lex a "dumb ass bitch" during the initial confrontation. Cops step in, but she shoves one of them ... resulting in multiple officers taking her to the ground.

Throughout the struggle to take her into custody, you can hear Joseline shouting homophobic and racial slurs at the cops after getting cuffed. She even appears to resist while they walk her out, which is when officers pick up her legs to carry her out.

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BACKSTAGE BRAWL

Joseline's intense arrest followed her violent altercation with Lex.

As we reported, the 2 women went at it after Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III's exhibition fight -- Joseline drew a massive crowd backstage as she put Lex in a headlock.

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911 AUDIO

Big Lex ended up calling the cops, hoping to get Joseline arrested ... which is what eventually happened -- but not before another huge blowup.

We covered the drama in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

DJ Envy Jamie Foxx Was Healing, People!!! Not Everything Is for Social Media

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DOING HIS OWN THING
TMZ.com

Jamie Foxx is back in the public eye nearly 3 months after his hospitalization, and DJ Envy thinks the Oscar winner played it smart by not feeding social media daily updates while he recovered.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with "The Breakfast Club" cohost Tuesday in NYC, and he applauded Jamie for not bending to public pressure to respond to fans ... who've been rabid for any and every detail of his illness and his healing process.

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RETURN OF THE FOXX
TMZ.com

That impatience for health updates even included some of Jamie's famous friends and costars, like John Boyega -- only a very tight circle of family and friends has been in the know -- but Envy says Jamie's new wave of public appearances speaks louder than words!!!

As we reported back in April, Jamie suffered a medical emergency that forced him to halt all his projects. He's been at a rehab facility in Chicago since late April, but appeared to be in good spirits when he resurfaced this past weekend ... waving to fans from a boat, and even whooping his friends in a game of Top Golf!!!

Envy thinks social media can blur reality for fans sometimes and Jamie needed the time away to properly heal, and he'll speak about it when he's ready.

Of course, y'know where Envy wants Jamie to do that!

Adam Sandler Earthgang's 'Waterboy' Vid Warms My Medulla Oblongata!!!

Adam Sandler is publicly supporting Earthgang's new track, which doubles as a tribute to the lead character in one of the actor's most beloved comedies ... "Waterboy."

On Monday, Adam tweeted out his stamp of approval for the song, "Bobby Boucher," writing ... "Yo EARTHGANG! Singing along with you! Love, Bobby B."

Quite the sign of respect and one EG didn't take lightly ... reposting the honor on all their socials.

Adam's a longtime hip hop fan, and has done several movies with legendary rappers over the years -- RZA, Queen Latifah and Nelly to name a few -- so, impressing him definitely amounts to bragging rights for the J. Cole signees.

The Caleb Seales-directed music video reimagines many of the 1998 football flick's most memorable moments -- the neurotic mother, the college crowd energy, and even the famous bright-orange jerseys (which have since gotten a Dreamville upgrade) are all featured.

The bouncy record will appear on EG's upcoming "R.I.P. Human Art" project. Looks like they're tackling the competition hard this go around.

Ski Mask The Slump God Fan Takes Nosedive Off Stage ... Mosh Pit Lets Him Fall!!! 😲

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FALLING WITH STYLE

Ski Mask The Slump God's set during a music festival in Switzerland was the energy boost one fan needed to attempt a dangerous stage dive -- one that totally failed in spectacular, and painful, fashion!

Sometimes a safety net comes in handy, as the Florida rapper observed while performing at Openair Frauenfeld Fest this weekend. He totally fired up the crowd with his classic Juice WRLD collab "Nuketown."

The energy inspired a fan to jump onto the stage in preparation for an ill-advised, head-first stage dive.

Folks in the crowd tried to wave him off from pulling the stunt ... as he tried to time the leap on a countdown for the beat drop.

Problem is, no one in the audience lifted a finger to catch him and the poor concert rager slammed to the ground like a spiked football ... but with far less bounce.

A concerned Ski Mask tried to ask folks in the mosh pit about the stage jumper's condition ... but they were all too busy recording the guy with their phones.

The video is just crazy, and it's a minor miracle the guy reportedly only suffered minor injuries. Maybe if Ski was performing "Catch Me Outside" the outcome would be different?!?

Jack Harlow Wax Figure Looks Just Like Me!!! Madame Tussauds Nailed It

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first-class work
Madame Tussauds

Jack Harlow can't spot any issues with his new wax figure at Madame Tussauds ... the Kentucky rapper's conceding the thing does his mug justice!!!

Jack formally met the still-life version of himself over the weekend in Las Vegas and appeared pleasantly surprised by the finished product.

The statue is modeled after his look when he rocked the cream-colored Musika New York suit last year in his “Churchill Downs" music video featuring Drake.

Madame Tussauds also gave Jack's figure a rapper accessory ... a crystallized necklace pendant that's shaped like his native Bluegrass state. Rapper replicas gotta shine too when they're on display, y'know!!!

Harlow's figure was created in London and took about 6 months and 20 studio artists to recreate his handsomeness.

First-class work!

Nicki Minaj Slaying With Her Barbz ... Margot, Karol, Skai At 'Barbie' Premiere!!!

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Getty

Nicki Minaj was front and center during the "Barbie" movie premiere ... which makes a lot of sense considering her huge involvement in the movie's soundtrack.

The megastar rapper and real-life 'Barbie' Margot Robbie glammed it up on the pink carpet, a full-circle moment considering Margot convinced director Greta Gerwig to squeeze Nicki and Ice Spice's "Barbie World" hit into the film!!!

Inside the "Barbie" screening — which went down on Sunday at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in DTLA — Nicki reunited with Karol G where they referenced their 2019 smash hit "Tusa" for TikTok ... and eventually hopped seats to play kissy face with actress Skai Jackson.

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NICKI, SKAI & KAROL G

Nicki was holding down the "Barbie World" promo solo, as Ice Spice was busy in Europe, coming off an electrifying Wireless Fest set and couldn't make the premiere.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Ice's travel schedule skyrocketed to the point she had to decline the XXL Freshman cover ... but the "Munch" rapper still supported the looks Nicki was serving, as did a few other high-profile Barbz!!!

"Barbie World" hit the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the film is projected to do numbers through the Dream House roof as well.

Red Ruby Da Sleeze is on a roll!!!

G Herbo Busted For Gun Poss. in Chicago!!!

G Herbo has a new heaping of legal trouble after Chicago cops arrested him Sunday evening in connection with a gun bust ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Herbo was busted around 5:45 PM near North Wabash Avenue and East Ontario Street, where cops say they found a gun. Herbo's Chi town fans will recognize those streets as he frequently mentions them in his songs.

According to cops, Herbo was arrested and booked for misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon in a public place.

We're told Herbo has since bonded out and will have to appear in court at a later date, which could cause another setback in his rap career.

Herbo's latest arrest could potentially impact him deeply ... the drill rapper is still dealing with fraud charges he caught following a December 2020 arrest.

We reached out to Herbo's team for their side of the saga. No word back yet.

'Barbie' Movie Pink Invasion in L.A. Margot, Ryan & More!!!

The release of the highly-anticipated "Barbie" Movie is only weeks away, and the stars of the movie all turned up in Downtown L.A. for the film's biggest premiere to date.

Margot Robbie -- who plays the Mattel beauty herself -- was front and center (though she opted for a black dress over pink) for the event Sunday held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in DTLA.

Robbie's black dress was a tribute to a 1960s 'Solo in the Spotlight' Barbie doll.

Of course, Barbie's main squeeze, Ken -- played by Ryan Gosling -- hit the premiere as well ... but the rest of the guest list was almost as impressive as the stars themselves.

Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Nicki Minaj -- who all have songs on the movie's soundtrack -- showed face on the pink carpet.

America Ferrera, Trixie Mattel, Issa Rae, Michael Cera and Simu Liu also were in attendance ... posing for pics as they entered the venue.

Unclear where the after-party was held ... but as we reported, there's a pretty sweet Barbie Dream House up in Malibu if the cast needs somewhere to kick it before the movie's July 21 release date.

Peso Pluma Security Flattens Stage-Crasher with Vicious Tackle!!!

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CHECKED BY SECURITY

One Peso Pluma fan is learning the hard way the singer's security team doesn't mess around -- 'cause the fan got crushed while pulling an onstage prank!!!

The linebacker-worthy leveling went down this weekend at the Mexican singer/rapper's Palm Desert, CA concert ... and you can see the fan sneak onto the stage behind Peso's back as he and the band prepared to take their final bow.

Peso didn't see the guy creeping up, but one of his security guards did, and reacted accordingly ... knocking the guy on his back with a vicious shoulder charge!

What's even crazier, the bruised fan might be thinking it was all worth it ... because Peso actually helped the fan to his feet, hugged him and even kissed him on the forehead.

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Peso is on top of his game … his new album "Génesis" just topped the Latin Billboard chart, which might explain the fan’s excitement.

Definitely safer to enjoy these things from your seat, bub.