TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Eminem is not a fan of Vivek Ramaswamy rapping one of his biggest hits on the campaign trail -- he wants the Republican presidential candidate to lose his music.

The "Lose Yourself" rapper made his feelings known to music licenser BMI after Vivek went viral for rapping some of Em's Oscar-winning track on stage at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.

In the letter, Marshall Mathers asks BMI to yank his songs from their agreement to stop Vivek from using his tracks.

As a result, BMI fired off a cease and desist letter to Vivek's campaign lawyer last week ... telling them Eminem's objecting to the use of his songs.

Translation: Go ahead and lose yourself, just not in MY music!!!

In the letter, first obtained by Daily Mail, BMI threatens legal consequences should Vivek's campaign keep Eminem's songs in its rotation.

Vivek's fresh off a well-received performance at the first GOP presidential debate and is currently in the middle of a media blitz, including a stop on "TMZ Live," but Eminem's not feeling his vibe.

Nicki Minaj's upcoming "Pink Friday 2" album won't just feature her raps ... she's also flexing her singing skills on at least one new song, "Last Time I Saw You."

On Monday, Nicki fired off a one-minute taste test of the song on TikTok along with a montage of photos of herself, as well as scenes from the upcoming music video.

The bubbly crooning is a swift departure from Nicki's 'PF2' kickoff single "Super Freaky Girl," which she released a year ago ... and still holds the distinction of being the last rap song to top the Billboard Hot 100!!!

Longtime Barbz note how 'Last Time' reminds them of her 2014 single "Pills N Potions," where she carried the track by singing and the music video appears to contain similar vibes ... Nicki's standing on a watery platform backed by a green screen which will surely color in the pink effects.

A guy suing Future for copyright infringement just had his lawsuit kicked to the curb by a judge -- who apparently knows her hip hop ... 'cause her opinion is full of classic references.

Judge Martha Pacold dismissed a suit filed by a man named DaQuan Robinson -- who sued Future 2 years ago for what he claimed was a lot of lifted elements from the guy's song "When I Think About It" ... which he says mirrored his own track, "When U Think About It."

Robinson alleged he'd emailed a draft of the song to Future's team before the official version came out -- and claims Future's track ended up being eerily similar to his original tune.

Specifically, Robinson claimed Future's song touched on a lot of the same content his track did -- namely, guns, money and jewelry -- but Judge Pacold cut him off there ... saying those general themes are not protected by copyright -- and are omnipresent throughout rap.

To make her point, she cites countless examples where these topics are addressed ... such as Biggie's 'Machine Gun Funk,' 'Wu-Tang Clan's 'C.R.E.A.M.' and even Kanye's 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone.' In all of those, she says, these references exist ... and therefore, they're part of the larger hip hop well of content that no one person can claim copyright to in a given song.

The judge didn't even get to the point about Robinson claiming he sent his tune to Future beforehand because the court found the two songs weren't substantially similar enough for it to matter anyway.

There's more musical shout-outs beyond this, too -- including a nod to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Neil Young, that is). Specifically, the judge mentions their song "Our House" to dispute Robinson's claim about Future's alleged misuse of a "core lyric" that he thought was the same as his.

Basically, she says core lyrics are yet another basic element of songwriting ... and not subject to copyright protection in and of itself.

Bottom line ... there isn't enough there to claim copyright infringement -- and the judge ruled in Future's favor -- tossing Robinson's claim with prejudice. He can appeal if he wants to.

NBA players aren't the only ones dragging Noah Lyles for smearing the NBA's "World Champion" title ... Drake took time out from his 'Blur' Tour to rub the track star's nose in his commentary!!!

Drake reps Toronto first and foremost, but even he had to cringe at Lyles' comments and hopped on DJ Akademiks' page to react  ... "He thought this speech was gonna be so hard in the mirror the night before...now the whole league doesn't rate u 😂😂😂"

Lyles' NBA slander also proved to be easy fodder Monday for Charlamagne tha God's "Donkey of the Day" -- countless previous 'DoD' culprits have hailed from the state of Florida and Noah, being born and raised in Gainesville, found himself to be no exception.

Lyles, dominated over the weekend at the World Athletic Games in Budapest, Hungary ... winning 3 Gold medals and many think he got too big-headed to formulate a serious thought.

As Charlamagne -- and several NBA stars noted -- the league attracts the best players from all over the WORLD, and the last 3 MVPs have all been non-American ... and 2 of them won back-to-back!!!

Dutch singer Natalie La Rose was 27 years old when her name held a peak position on the music charts -- hitting the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 -- with her hit song "Somebody" featuring Jeremih back in 2015.

In 2013, Natalie signed with American Rapper Flo Rida and Republic Records. She's collab'd with some of the music industry's hottest stars including Fifth Harmony, Bea Miller and Fetty Wapp.

"I wanna rock with somebody, I wanna take shots with somebody, shot, shot, shot, shot!"

Diddy opened up his wallet this weekend to bolster Black entrepreneurs and creatives while in the Atlanta area -- and he did it with a 7-figure amount that's sure to have a huge impact.

The media mogul was in town this weekend, first stopping off at an event called Invest Fest -- hosted by the Earn Your Leisure network, which offers a platform to up-and-coming Black creators and venture capitalists -- where Diddy was front and center fielding questions.

While there, he made a big announcement ... Diddy's launching an investment fund with EYL brass -- founders Rashad Bilal/Troy Millings -- to kick-start financial strategies immediately ... which will undoubtedly help their growing user base and sprawling roster of talent.

Diddy says, "I'm thrilled to join forces with Earn Your Leisure. We're going beyond discussing finances and taking action to demystify the world of investing for our community." He also said any profits from this will go toward his 3 charter schools on the East Coast.

Like we said, the fund is going to pay for educational tools and resources that teach young Black investors how to properly diversify their portfolios, and how to get their businesses off the ground ... so, a great cause. Diddy didn't stop there, though ... he donated another mil.

He also stopped off at the Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge Kickoff in the ATL, and followed through on a pledge he made last year ... donating a million bucks to Jackson State University Football, which will be doled out over the years in regular installments.

Megan Thee Stallion hasn't gallivanted much in public since Tory Lanez got sent to the slammer for 10 years -- but she's out there now ... and, boy, is this a look or what?

The rapper hit the town Saturday in Beverly Hills with some pals in tow -- and she was wearing quite the eye-popping outfit ... and that's because her greatest assets were on display in a very sheer dress that you could see right through, right down to the skin.

Don't worry, her top half is actually covered by some nipple pasties -- so, technically, no harm, no foul there ... but she was definitely pushing the envelope and getting risqué.

Even from the side and behind ... she was quite the sight for sore eyes, and her friend seemed to recognize that too, offering a little handsy support as they boarded a waiting SUV.

Indeed, MTS was flaunting her stuff and then some ... which we suppose telegraphs how she might be feeling in the wake of this ugly saga that just ended with her one-time friend/lover being sentenced to a decade behind bars. Remember, Meg wasn't there for the hearing.

While she skipped the in-person appearance, Megan did speak out in a victim's statement -- saying she still suffers trauma from the shooting incident and urged the judge to hand down a stiff punishment ... which ultimately happened. Tory, meanwhile, has said he refuses to apologize or show remorse, insisting he was convicted for something he didn't do.

Meg performed at Outside Lands in SF shortly after the sentencing, and she said "F*** all my haters" during her show, which is really the only direct messaging from her post-sentencing.

With this latest showing though -- the first time she's been out like this since Tory's fate was decided -- it's safe to say Meg's unfazed. No love lost here, and certainly no regrets either.

Some of 'Love & Hip Hop's stars got busted in Atlanta last night -- and based on this video of the brawl ... they should consider a name change, 'cause there was no love here at all.

Erica Mena and Bambi Richardson -- of 'L&HH: Atlanta' fame -- were taken to jail alongside 'L&HH: Hollywood's' Zellswag ... where they all posed for mug shots and got booked on a slew of charges, ranging from obstruction of law enforcement to battery on a police officer.

Mena is the only one being charged with attacking a cop, BTW ... Zellswag is facing a simple battery and obstruction charge, while Bambi was just charged with obstruction.

As for what the hell happened here, Atlanta PD says they got a call to respond to the Lucca Lounge Friday over a dispute between some patrons and the security guards ... and when they arrived, the officers claim all hell broke loose as they tried deescalating the situation.

APD claims the patrons -- who ended up being Mena, Bambi and Zell, plus a male pal of theirs -- became combative ... and that much seems to be clear in the clip TMZ obtained.

You can see officers trying to rip people off each other ... as others in the lounge rush over to get involved. It looks like some black-shirted security guards were in the mix as well -- all this while Usher's "Nice & Slow" plays loudly. Nothing nice or slow about this, though.

Nicki Minaj fans are on the hunt for "Stephanie Bell," who has a warrant for arrest after allegedly swatting the rapper, but lots of folks with the same name are getting caught in the crossfire.

Here's the deal, Stephanie Bell just isn't the most unique name, and ever since Nicki name-dropped her alleged harasser ... everyone with that name is taking it on the chin, at least on social media.

Some of the Stephanies are coming forward to air their grievances.

One wrote, "I've never been so angry at another Stephanie Bell. You're f***ing it up for all of us.." and another said, "Why y'all still in my inbox."

For what it's worth, some Stephanie Bells online know all about Nicki, but not about her swatting issue ... so, they're pretty confused about why the Barbz are swarming.

BTW, it doesn't sound like anyone getting dragged is the real Stephanie in question ... at least, not yet.

As we reported, law enforcement sources told us Bell, who Nicki put on blast Wednesday, is facing 2 charges of deliberately reporting a false emergency.

We also confirmed there is, indeed, a warrant out for her arrest, as Nicki claimed.

TMZ broke the story, cops told us the attempted swatting occurred in June, with an anonymous caller claiming child abuse was going down at Nicki's L.A.-area home.

Trevian Kutti, a former publicist for Kanye West and R. Kelly, is charged as one of Donald Trump's co-conspirators in the Georgia election interference case, which is a surprise to Consequence ... who's vouching for her character.

Cons tell us Trevian worked with Ye alongside Chance The Rapper during crucial periods of his political ambitions circa 2018, but isn't certain if she actually performed publicist duties ... or if the media is pinning that label on her to leverage her association with Ye.

Trevian surrendered Friday at Fulton County Jail, and was all smiles in her mug shot ... which doesn't shock Cons, because he says she was always pleasant to be around.

He says he never got any inklings of malintent from Trevian, and suspects her political affiliation as a Black Republican might have put a target on her back.

Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis doesn't see it that way ... Trevian stands accused of pressuring Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman into a false admission of rigging the election -- and the alleged coercion was captured on police body cam.

As for Ye's potential political passions ... Cons admits it's too early to tell if he'll go full-scale with a presidential run in 2024, but promises their reputation as disruptors will be upheld!!!

Gorilla Nems isn't feeling appreciated by the New York Knicks after lending them his trusty catchphrase ... and he's flipping them the bird as a staff, organization, and entire crew!!!

Bootleg Kev struck an apparent nerve with Nems when he asked if he gets free Knicks tickets since flipping his "Bing Bong" track into a remix for the team, and the Coney Island rapper went off.

Nems claims the NYK have "disgusting" business tactics, and are snakes in the grass ... and he says they make him jump through hoops to catch any hoops action at MSG.

He claims the team tried to offer him crappy seats after he participated in a celebrity b-ball game, but Nems says he wants courtside or nothing.

We gotta say, that's a pretty tall order -- everyone knows those Garden seats are always filled with A-listers -- and yet, Nems feels the team owes him a Spike Lee-adjacent seat.

Knicks fans know the "Bing Bong" soundbite well ... it plays in MSG every time the team makes a 3-pointer. You'd think that would make Nems a life-long Knicks fan, but that relationship's clearly soured.

It seems Bianca Censori isn't just inspired by Kim Kardashian's taste in men, she's a big fan of Kim's style too ... channeling a classic Kim K look for her latest public appearance.

Censori was out and about in Italy Thursday in a very SKIMS-esque outfit complete with a nude bra, leggings and pair of heels.

While we can't say for sure whether or not the brand Bianca's wearing is actually Kim's SKIMS company ... it looks super similar.

Of course, the style has only grown in popularity over the years, so it's possible she scooped it from somewhere else.

However, it's hard not to draw a comparison between a look Kim's shown off in the past and what Bianca chose to wear in Italy.

Kim posed for a few mirror pics in an identical style and color during a personal photo shoot at home, so maybe Bianca had the look archived to try and pull off on her own.

Plies is having a field day on Donald Trump in the wake of the ex-president's 4th indictment ... gunning for 45's Black supporters wearing their allegiance on their chest.

The "Ritz Carlton" rapper poked fun at Trump's mug shot and the seemingly inaccurate stats -- 6'3", 215 lbs -- on his booking sheet. Plies is also taking it to the Georgia man who went viral earlier this week for conducting an interview while wearing a shirt that says "N**** 4 Trump."

Plies didn't hold his tongue and accused the man (and everyone like him) of being cornballs back in high school ... while smelling funky and never getting haircuts.

There's been a lot of contention for African Americans affiliated with the Republican party as of late ... Charlamagne and GOP presidential candidate Larry Elder went blow-for-blow this week, splitting opinions down the middle.

T.I.'s legacy as trap music's architect has made him confident in his opinions that he, Jeezy and Gucci Mane are the greatest to ever do it ... adding Future to that list without much deliberation!!!

The Atlanta-born hip hop legend recently shared his thoughts on the AllHipHop podcast ... affirming he felt he, Jeezy and Gucci were undisputed picks and Future came through in the later generation to cement his legacy.

T.I. says he and his cohorts took a poll and Future's name shot straight to the top of the pile ... and praised him for his authenticity and consistency as an artist.

To date, Future has released 9 albums and 2 dozen mixtapes ... his trap sound is as prolific as it gets!!!

T.I. recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of his groundbreaking sophomore album "Trap Muzik" ... relaying to TMZ Hip Hop how he got the blessing to use the "King of the South" title from the likes of Outkast and 8Ball & MJG.

J. Cole fans are rejoicing ... the Dreamville rapper's unexpectedly delivering a pair of new verses for Gucci Mane and Burna Boy, and it's a truly holy moment for some!!!

The Dreamville rapper showed his versatility with the features that dropped Friday -- Gucci's track, "There I Go" sports a bouncy beat produced by Mike WiLL Made-It designed for clubs and radio, and Cole flexes on a bed of money to drive home the point!!!

Burna opted to recruit Cole for a more reflective verse on his, "I Told Them..." album.

Cole compares himself and Burna to "Shaq and Kobe winnin' a ring" on the song, "Thanks" ... and also takes credit for fathering a few other rappers' styles along the way!!!

It may sound like bragging but Top Dawg Entertainment's Reason flat-out referred to Cole and Kendrick Lamar as "gods" in terms of their musical greatness while speaking Friday on "The Breakfast Club."

Reason recently predicted Cole's next album, "The Fall Off," would make him a bigger artist than Kendrick ... creating more controversy for himself in the wake of his public spat with his label over claims they didn't create enough hoopla around his new album.

Dave Chappelle's 50th birthday party looked more like the Oscars or Grammys, as his A-list celebrity pals continued to pour into the bash.

Dave and company were at The Comedy Cellar in NYC Thursday to celebrate. Among the guests -- Chris Rock, Justin Timberlake, T.I., Chance the Rapper, Jon Hamm, Aziz Ansari, Jaleel White, Tisha Campbell and more.

Witnesses tell us Dave was among the last to leave the party around 2 AM, and was extremely grateful to everyone who came ... even thanking the cops outside.

Unclear if he did any sort of stand-up, but you gotta imagine Dave grabbed the mic at least once in the night. Dave's also in the middle of a 4-night stint at Madison Square Garden ... with shows the 22, 23, 25 and 26.