TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Nicki Minaj is declaring victory after falling victim to a swatting prank ... cops have an arrest warrant out for the suspect allegedly behind the calls

The rapper went on social media Wednesday and called out a woman named Stephanie Bell, who Nicki is accusing of making swatting calls to her San Fernando Valley home.

Nicki says ... "Stephanie Bell. A warrant is in the system. Great detective work. So grateful. The DA filed one count for the swatting call and one for the false report to DCFS. To God be the glory."

Law enforcement sources confirm to us Bell's facing two charges of deliberately reporting a false emergency ... and there's a warrant out for her arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... cops say Nicki was the victim of a swatting prank back in June when a caller falsely claimed Nicki's child was being abused and her house was up in flames, resulting in a police response.

A$AP Rocky is ready to reveal the much-anticipated name of his new baby boy with Rihanna, but not at this very moment.

The father of 2 was in great spirits Wednesday night in West Hollywood -- showing off his kicks and his glistening pants while hopping into the back of his ride.

While all smiles, he's asked the million-dollar question: What's your new baby's name?? Check out his response ... sounds like the due date -- for the name -- is right around the corner.

As we reported, A$AP and Rihanna had their second kid on August 3 in L.A. -- while his name is under lock and key, we do know it starts with an "R." Remember, they named their first son RZA, so they've got a theme going.

You'll recall, Rihanna broke the pregnancy news to the world on one of the biggest stages in the world -- showing off her baby bump during her Super Bowl halftime performance, which dropped the jaws of millions of fans.

Blueface was stabbed during his boxing workout yesterday -- but we're told cops now have the man who they think is responsible for the attack in custody.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop, 36-year-old Brandon Henry Snell was arrested and booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon Wednesday afternoon after turning himself in ... and is currently sitting in jail.

You can see in the video, Blueface and a man get into a physical fight ... with the man's Rottweiler jumping in the background along with the action.

The animal never got involved in the fight. For what it's worth, we're told the dog was with Snell when he surrendered ... and it hung out at the police station until a family member came to retrieve it.

As we previously reported, Blueface was inside the Kaminsky Boxing Gym in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley when he was accosted ... with the "Thotiana" rapper describing the incident as similar to being attacked by a "boogieman."

Blueface got on IG Thursday to update fans on his recovery process, where his 5-year-old son offered up some valuable life advice ... suggesting his dad hang up his gloves, at least in that particular gym.

The kid may have a point ... someone bringing a knife to a fistfight is totally cause for concern.

Asian Doll is diversifying her portfolio through OnlyFans, saying she's got no interest in continuing to rap at 30 years old!!!

AD made the statements Thursday ... a sharp retort to the backlash she received after making her OF announcement earlier this week.

The 26-year-old Dallas rapper revved up her promotion by posting several videos of her in a bikini while twerking in the kitchen ... claiming she was paid a hefty $500k to join the platform while going on to brag about raking in another $100k every 24 hours!!!

Fans were skeptical of AD's earning claims and accused her of falling off as a rapper ... she's released nearly a dozen full-length projects throughout her career since 2015, but has never even placed on the Billboard Chart. She knows how to call an audible, at least.

Polo G and his brother Trench Baby's problems didn't end after a police raid at their home -- in fact, they only got worse -- TMZ Hip Hop has learned the two were arrested for several felonies AFTER they were released from the raid.

Burbank Police tell us Polo and TB had outstanding warrants for kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery, stemming from a report filed last April.

Officers waited for the pair to be released from LAPD custody, and then nabbed them for the warrant around 10:30 PM on Wednesday.

We're told Polo was released from Burbank Jail around 4:30 AM on Thursday after posting a $100K bond.

As for the raid, our sources tell us the "Pop Out" rapper was released on his own recognizance in that case. Trench Baby posted $100k for the Burbank case and another $100k for bail in the LAPD case.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story, LAPD officers swarmed in heavily and removed everyone from the home.

Michael Blackson says Nick Cannon's provided him with a lifetime of material -- and he's never gonna stop ribbing him for having 12 children ... and counting!!!

We linked up with Mike Wednesday in West Hollywood, and asked about 50 Cent going viral for ribbing Nick's personal population boom during a recent Forbes interview.

Mike's not offering any sympathy, and, in fact, tells us he's eager to see the day his old "Wild 'N Out" pal's struggling to take care of a few thousand grandchildren!!! 😂

He jokes Nick has to stagger visitations on FaceTime, and if it sounds like he's going in a little hard ... it ain't gonna stop. Mike says he's sticking to the comedian's code, so Nick (and his fam) will have to catch these jokes forever!!!

Nick's also sticking to that code -- he was publicly poking fun at 50's weight just a few months ago, so expect more back-and-forth in due time.

Mike will be here for a good time and long time, thanks to his new series "The Michael Blackson Show."

R. Kelly is still on the hook for more than half a million bucks in restitution to his victims -- but they’ll be getting a big check soon thanks to his old hits.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, a judge signed an order garnishing the embattled singer's royalties ... as it was discovered Universal Music Group is holding a bunch of his royalties.

So, the company will now cut a check to cover Kelly’s restitution bill.

The order says Kelly's outstanding restitution balance is $506,950.26, and UMG just so happens to be sitting on 567,444.19 of his royalties -- more than enough to settle the debt.

As we previously reported, the singer is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for various sex crimes.

Although his back catalog apparently still generates plenty of money, Kelly hasn’t had as much success with music recently.

Blueface is nursing fresh wounds suffered in the boxing gym when a guy whipped out a knife and stabbed him during an altercation that started on video.

The rapper, and pretty successful amateur boxer, was training Wednesday morning at a gym in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley when the attacker came into the gym. Security footage posted on Blue's IG shows the trainer, David Kaminsky, trying to get in between the man and Blueface.

It appears there was an argument about something, and Blueface decided he was through talking and hit the guy with several punches -- but then he appears to take something out of his pocket and charge back at Blueface ... the video cuts off before the stabbing.

Kaminsky tells TMZ Hip Hop ... things got heated quickly because the unknown attacker immediately started barking, "I'm gonna kill you" to Blueface as soon as he charged into the gym.

He tells us the guy stabbed Blueface in the leg, and then fled. Witnesses say the guy was in a black Tesla Model S and had a Rottweiler with him.

Blueface's injuries don't seem life-threatening -- paramedics did show up on scene -- but he says he won't be able to compete in a boxing match he had scheduled for October 14.

Jacquees says Ella Mai still hasn't forgiven him for covering her 2018 R&B smash "Trip" ... with all the evidence on his social media -- he's been blocked!!!

The notorious song remixer shared his truth with "The Baller Alert Show" podcast Wednesday ... revealing Ella spoke to him for the first time in years at this year's Roc Nation Brunch, yet still doesn't want any parts of him on IG and Twitter.

Jacquees infamously earned a cease-and-desist from Ella's label when he released his unsanctioned "Trip" remix to enormous popularity ... with many fans claiming it was better than the original version.

Jacquees recalls Ella being a bright-eyed young fan back then ... remembering her even camping out backstage while he was on tour with Chris Brown just to meet him.

He blamed her negative reaction on her newness to the industry at the time ... but also owned up that his self-appointed "King of R&B" title may have caused some backlash on himself all the same!!!

Polo G's house is currently swarmed by law enforcement, and the rapper's in handcuffs.

Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department hit Polo's L.A.-area home early Wednesday with a search warrant. In video from the scene -- obtained by TMZ Hip Hop -- you can see a ton of law enforcement vehicles lined up on Polo's street.

Cops ordered people -- including Polo G -- out of the house one by one, placing them in handcuffs while they conducted their search of the property.

Law enforcement sources tell us the search warrant was executed in relation to a robbery and 4 suspects have been taken into custody. They've not yet been booked.

A rep from Polo G's team tells TMZ the rapper's been detained as part of an active investigation ... however, they say he's not the focus of said investigation.

The rep says, "We are hopeful the LAPD will handle this matter with tact and transparency." We're told Polo will update his fans and supporters when the time is right.

As for the home being raided, TMZ broke the story when Polo bought it for just under $5 million in 2021 ... it comes complete with vaulted ceilings, a massive pool and tennis court.

Peso Pluma and Eslabon Armado’s "Ella Baila Sola" is officially crowned the global Song of the Summer by Spotify -- a massive hit, reportedly collecting 367 million streams throughout the season!!!

"Ella Baila Sola" has made history since being released in March ... it was the first regional Mexican song to grace late-night television when Peso performed on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" in May, and the first of its kind to top the Billboard Global 200!!!

Variety first reported the news, along with the complete list of Spotify's Top 20 Songs of the Summer which includes heavyweights Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Olivia Rodrigo, but there's a glaring lack of hip hop representation -- mirroring the complaints several artists have had over the lack of quality this year.

UK rappers Dave and Central Cee's blockbuster duet "Sprinter" is the only actual rap song to make the list, and Latto is the only American rapper -- having gone No. 1 with BTS Jung Kook a few weeks ago with their "Seven" collab.

Hot 97 DJ and Apple Music exec Ebro Darden recently claimed record labels are now prioritizing African and Latin music over hip hop -- indicative of Spotify's summer results and this week also marked a full year since rap reigned supreme on the Hot 100.

Lizzo's got plans to sue the same backup dancers who are taking her to court ... and new photos appear to show her accusers having a great time backstage following some nude entertainment in Paris, about a month after the infamous banana incident in Amsterdam.

Lizzo's attorney, Marty Singer, tells TMZ ... newly surfaced photos show Lizzo's accusers "happily carousing" and "gleefully reveling" backstage with the performers from a topless cabaret show in Paris during Lizzo's tour.

Singer says the photos are from March 5, which is about a month after the infamous February visit to Bananenbar in Amsterdam. Remember, in their suit, Lizzo's accusers claim she pressured them to eat bananas from performers' vaginas.

Lizzo's accusers -- Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez -- also claim they were essentially forced to go to the Paris topless show, but her attorney says that contradicts the photos ... he says they're "happily cavorting backstage" with the topless dancers, who are the ones in the colorful wigs.

Singer says Lizzo's accusers chose to re-up with Lizzo a few weeks after the Paris show and return for the third leg of her tour.

What's more, one month after the Paris backstage visit, Lizzo accuser Arianna Davis gushed over Lizzo in an audition tape ... saying, "It's been so amazing and such a beautiful journey. I look up to her so much. I just want to follow in her footsteps, and I just want to share that with the Queen Lizzo herself."

Singer says after we first reported on Davis' audition tape "she tried to explain away her glowing comments about Lizzo by claiming the 'bulk' of her accusations were based on things that happened later" ... but he says, "That excuse is completely contradicted by the facts, including by these images."

The attorney for the accusers, Neama Rahmani, tells us of the smiling pic, "Of course, they wanted to keep their jobs. They had bills to pay just like everyone else but they finally had enough of the abuse. We stand by every claim in the lawsuit and look forward to trial."

Rahmani continues, "We’ve been hearing from other former employees sharing similar stories, and as seen in the Los Angeles Times article today about how Lizzo used intimate footage of her dancers without their approval in the 2022 HBO Max ‘Love Lizzo’ documentary, we’re seeing even more of a pattern of just how much Lizzo thinks of those who work for her. Clearly, not very much.”

Lizzo was spotted in public Monday for the first time since being sued, and she said she was doing just fine and working on new music.

Her attorney says he has other "substantial evidence" in addition to the photos and videos that "prove the glaring contradictions between what the plaintiffs claim in their bogus lawsuit and what is actually proven by the facts."

Public Enemy and Ice-T are set to take over the nation's capital to cement hip hop's 50th anniversary ... a booming told-you-so moment for Ice, who's been vouching for the rap vets, lately.

The free blowout concert is set for October 6-7 and will feature a ton of rap legends ... Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel and Scorpio, The Sugarhill Gang, Kid 'n Play, Roxanne Shante, Positive K and many more will be performing at West Potomac Park on the National Mall in Washington D.C.!!!

DJ Hurricane will also be spinning a special Beastie Boys tribute set and the event is produced in collaboration with Ice-T, Nathan Parienti and Lauren Bissell for Chasing Live and Mickey Bentson’s The Art of Rap ... a full-circle moment for the "Colors" rapper, who's been watching the culture from an OG's perspective.

Ice recently saluted the accomplishments of his peers ... Snoop Dogg, Nas and LL Cool J, just to name a few ... noting how the old school has been leading the charge.

LL echoed those exact same sentiments a couple weeks ago when we spoke to him about the anniversary!!!

Cardi B is threatening to take legal action against a Twitter user who's been spreading claims that Offset cheated behind his wife's back!!!

On Monday evening, Cardi reacted viciously to a video posted Sunday by Twitter user @ayywalker -- who, by all accounts appears to be dedicated to Nicki Minaj.

Cardi scolded the fan for posting clearly fake images and AI audio of Offset, but also claimed to have the fan's father's personal information ... and planned on following through with legal action in order to make an example out of them!!!

The @ayywalker's post featured a purported photo of Offset, along with a fake voice memo attempting to set up a sneaky link with a woman behind Cardi’s back.

They included the caption, "Offset has allegedly cheated on Cardi B once again. How embarrassing” … effectively getting Cardi’s attention, who only found humor in the potential lawsuit she was filing.

There's precedent for Cardi filing this kind of lawsuit, especially because @ayywalker's defense for making the claim is "the streets" are saying it's true. Someone should tell them that's exactly how Tasha K got slapped with a $4 million judgment.

Jets receiver Jerome Kapp transformed into Eminem for New York's rookie talent show this month ... and the guy crushed the role so hard -- even Aaron Rodgers had to give him a standing ovation.

The performance all went down last week inside a Jets team meeting ... when after the veterans made some of the squad's newcomers grab a mic for them, Kapp decided to re-enact Em's famous freestyle from "8 Mile."

And, thanks to "Hard Knocks" cameras -- we got to see the epic concert in its entirety.

Kapp threw on a beanie and a hood, put the movie's famous track on the speakers ... and then he got busy.

"Everybody from the 3-1-3 put your motherf***ing hands up and follow me!" he yelled ... before rapping the legendary Eminem verses word-for-word.

Kapp even hit the a cappella portion of the song ... and when he wrapped up, his teammates -- including Rodgers -- exploded.

Drake paid homage to LeBron James on Monday night, but on Tuesday, he tipped his cap to another Laker legend -- Kobe Bryant -- and the impromptu tribute to the Mamba was pretty cool.

Drizzy was performing yet another show at Crypto.com Arena as part of his "It's All A Blur" tour -- his sixth stop in the City of Angels this month -- and when someone threw a black, Bryant Lakers jersey on stage ... he paused his show to remember the Hall of Famer.

The 36-year-old rapper picked up the No. 24 uni and told the sold-out crowd at the venue where Bryant played almost all of his home games for his entire NBA career, "I'mma hold this up 'cause we got to show love to Kobe one time."

"Ya'll make some noise for Kobe at this time," he added.

The fans in attendance roared for several moments ... before Drake continued on with his performance.

It's the second time in as many days that Drake has urged his crowd to support the Lakers -- at Monday's show in Crypto, he featured James and the L.A. star's son, Bronny, a couple times during the concert.

Tuesday's tribute, though, was perhaps the most fitting ... considering this week is a special one for Bryant and his family.