TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Birdman says he's willing to invest $100 million of his own money to seal the deal on the Hot Boys reunion, now that B.G. is free, but right now it sounds like Turk will be odd man out.

The Cash Money Records boss dropped an update Wednesday on the HB reunion talks -- but only after being confronted with the stark differences in his behavior regarding both B.G. and Turk's releases from prison!!!

B.G. got the red carpet treatment from Birdman following his release this month, after 11 years on the inside -- but Turk served 9 years without any of the post-prison fanfare.

Birdman explained he didn't have a relationship with Turk when the "It's In Me" rapper went into the bing ... and didn't seem like it was a priority to include him in the reunion.

The news might blindside Turk -- he recently told TMZ Hip Hop a Hot Boys reunion is imminent, and seemed pretty excited to be on board. Birdman's calling for the "main players" for the tour, though, and Turk's been on the outside for some time now.

Birdman is still likely harboring a grudge over Turk's legal battle from 2015 when he sued Cash Money for $1.3 million and eventually settled out of court.

The original Cash Money regime had infamously crumbled at that point, with ALL the Hot Boys inciting mutiny at one point or another.

Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar both helped make Top Dawg Entertainment into the powerhouse rap label it is today, and Jay says that bond can never be broken!!!

We caught up with him Wednesday at Dash Radio outside the "Dub C & CJ Mack Show" ... and he deaded any fan notions he and Kendrick fell out following his defection from the label last year.

Jay, Kendrick, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul once touted a TDE in-house supergroup named Black Hippy, and were supposed to drop a super album -- but Jay tells us everyone got too engulfed in their own solo missions to complete the group project.

He's right about that solo work ... Jay-Z praised Ab for his album back in December while Q is currently working on his next album.

Like Kendrick, Jay Rock took an extended hiatus after releasing his last studio album back in 2018, where he and Kendrick won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance along with Future and James Blake.

He tied the Grammy win with Anderson .Paak, who stars on Rock's new "Pull Over" single with Latto.

Ciara and Future share a child, legally and biologically speaking, but, if you ask her about his style of co-parenting ... be ready for side-splitting, nonstop laughter!!!

That's exactly what happened when Thembi of The Shade Room closed their interview by asking Ciara about how she and Future co-parent their 9-year-old son Future Zahir.

The question was an instant humor injection for Ciara -- but, for a moment, it seemed as if she was actually going to answer the question ... until she just erupted in more laughter, and then the giggles got the best of her and Thembi.

Of course, Future's been taking shots at Ciara's husband Russell Wilson in his music for years ... most recently in July when he lyrically tackled the QB on Quavo’s “Turn Yo Clic Up” with the bars, “I got it out the field/F*** Russell.”

So, Ciara's laughter could be seen as a tame, but hilarious, response to Future's lyrical jabs

Ciara and Russell are currently expecting their 3rd child together, sure to be a joyous occasion for the couple.

Beyoncé is still in the middle of her hugely successful "Renaissance" tour, but that didn't stop her from taking a little break to get some serious privacy to celebrate her birthday.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ the singer rented out a spot called Mermaid Bay -- a string of 11 villas located within The Brando, a private island resort for the ultra-rich in French Polynesia.

Our sources say Beyoncé and crew arrived at the property September 5, and stayed at least through Friday the 8th ... with adults and kids all in tow.

As for her accommodations, we're told Beyoncé and Jay-Z stayed in the Bay's main residence -- a 4-bedroom villa that goes for around $20K per night -- and the rest of their group stayed among the 10 other villas ... which have 1, 2 and 3 bedroom options.

Of course, Beyoncé's actual birthday was September 4, and she celebrated it with Diana Ross and about 70,000 fans -- so the private island retreat looks like the perfect destination to unwind before taking on her 42nd year.

Kanye West had the project manager overseeing the remodel of his Malibu home sleeping on the floor, and fired the guy over a disagreement about removing all the home's windows and electricity ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Ye is being sued by a man named Tony Saxon, who claims Yeezy hired him back in September 2021 as project manager, caretaker and 24/7 security for the mogul's Malibu property.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Saxon claims he was working 16-hour days and sleeping on the floor while coordinating Kanye's remodel ... and he says Ye couldn't care less that he was literally using a coat as makeshift bedding.

In the docs, Saxon says Kanye ignored all of his concerns and only paid him for one week of work until things reached a head in November 2021 when Saxon claims Ye demanded Saxon remove all the home's windows and electricity.

Saxon says he "expressed concerns about the extreme danger of such actions" ... but he claims Kanye raised his voice and then insisted on moving large generators inside the house, which Saxon worried would potentially lead to a fire hazard.

In the suit, Saxon claims Kanye threatened him and said he would be considered "an enemy" if he didn't comply with the demands. Saxon says he wouldn't budge and Kanye told him to "get the hell out."

Saxon also says Ye told him, "If you don't do what I say, you're not going to work for me, I'm not gonna be your friend anymore and you'll just see me on TV." He says he told Ye he didn't watch TV and was fired on the spot.

Cardi B and Offset couldn't keep their hands off of each other at the MTV VMAs, and decided to make a sex tape -- a fake one, anyway -- during a bathroom break at the venue.

The couple got their bump n' grind on in a restroom at Tuesday night's event -- they were fully clothed, but pretending to have sex with Cardi bent over and making some pretty wild sounds ... as she recorded the moment for posterity.

Sounds like a friend outside the bathroom was looking for a phone charger, and through her moans ... Cardi tells the woman to come in and get hers! Offset was all smiles during the funny moment, while their pal reluctantly walked into the room, making Cardi laugh.

If you're wondering what got them in the mood -- they don't exactly need one, but it's worth noting Cardi was in the outfit she wore for her performance of "Bongos" with Megan Thee Stallion. Safe to assume ... Offset was feeling her 'fit!

Of course, we've seen the couple get nasty before -- she was twerking on him in Vegas at the end of July while enjoying their pool, and she posted that clip the same day she was named a suspect in the now-dropped microphone-throwing case.

BTW, Cardi was up for Best Hip Hop at the VMAs for "Tomorrow 2," her collab with GloRilla, but they didn't win.

We're sure she was feelin' like a winner in the bathroom, though!

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

The real fun at the MTV VMAs started when the show was over ... as celebs like Cardi B, Taylor Swift, and many more hit up after-parties to keep the big night going.

It was poppin' at several post-VMA bashes Tuesday night -- a couple big ones in NYC, while the main ceremony went down in New Jersey.

Looks like the stars were divided in the Big Apple -- folks like Taylor, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Diddy and Ice Spice hit up the MTV party at The Ned NoMad Hotel, while other big names like Lil Nas X, Tiffany Haddish, and French Montana went to Cardi B's party at Somewhere Nowhere.

Of course, Cardi and Offset showed up together to their shindig -- the couple walked inside hand in hand looking like the king and queen of the prom.

Both spots were swarming with celebs ... other artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Saweetie, GloRilla, and Swae Lee were spotted having a blast, too.

The artists had plenty to celebrate after some big VMA wins -- Ice Spice took home the award for Best New Artist, the show's emcee, Nicki Minaj, won Best Hip-Hop for "Super Freaky Girl," Stray Kids secured a W for Best K-Pop, and SZA got a Moonperson statuette for Best R&B.

Taylor Swift certainly came out of the event victorious ... collecting 9 wins overall, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Show of the Summer.

In other words, a great year for Swifties.

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

Selena Gomez is getting the internet meme treatment after her disapproving reaction to Chris Brown at the VMAs, but she quickly clapped back once the award show was over.

In case ya missed it, Selena was on camera Tuesday night while the nominees for Best R&B were read out, and the now-viral moment went down as Chris' name was announced.

Check it out ... she scrunches her face and stops clapping as his collab with Chloe Bailey, "How Does It Feel," was announced. Her smile returned and her clapping continued after they moved on to the next nom, however.

The singer jumped on Instagram after the festivities -- and more importantly, after the clip made the rounds ... vowing to "never be a meme again," adding she'd rather have no reaction at all than show off her genuine feelings.

As you know, Chris infamously assaulted his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna, back in 2009, and has been accused repeatedly of assaulting women over the years ... so that's more than likely why she made that face in the audience.

What's interesting is ... Selena's not denying her reaction, but it's more about her being pissed about the whole meme thing -- which btw, also included shots of her just looking bored during the award show.

Selena also made the rounds last night for covering her ears during Olivia Rodrigo's performance at the VMAs, but that seemed to be a reaction to the staged act gone wrong ... as onstage explosions drowned out Olivia's vocals.

Don't forget, Selena and Rema took home the Best Afrobeats award at the ceremony for "Calm Down" ... and she thanked her collaborator for believing in her and letting her be a part of the track.

Fittingly, that song title is basically Selena's reaction to all the memes.

Do you think Selena Gomez's viral reaction was actually shade? Vote below.

Justin Timberlake and Megan Thee Stallion appeared to get into a verbal sparring match backstage at MTV's VMAs Tuesday night ... but they didn't, according to witnesses and the 2 people at the center.

In video surfaced from backstage, the rapper, who performed her new song "Bongos" with Cardi B at the event, was super animated with the "Mirrors" hitmaker, pointing at him as she said something. Lots of folks on social jumped to the conclusion they were beefing.

Megan put that to rest with a video, captioned, "I just talk with my hands lol 💁🏽‍♀️see ya next time @Justin Timberlake" The video is scored with kumbaya music.

An eyewitness told Variety, Justin greeted Megan, telling her it was nice to meet her, and Meg gave a "very cute" response, saying, "No, no this don’t count, this don’t count. We gotta meet proper."

Another witness reportedly said Megan "loves Justin" and was excited to meet him for the first time.

Justin's *NSYNC bandmate, Joey Fatone, smiles during the whole exchange, so yeah, no beef.

*NSYNC's reunion was the big story of the night, with a reunion where they awarded Taylor Swift the Best Pop Video award. Taylor was overcome with emotion when she joined the group on stage.

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

Gunna's return to Los Angeles will be just as smooth sailing as his NYC one ... at least according to AD, who feels the saga of Gunna's alleged snitching is officially in his rearview!!!

We got Mr. Cuhmunity himself Tuesday at LAX where he noted one tidbit about Gunna's upcoming L.A. sold-out show -- the people obsessed with street gossip about snitching aren't the ones buying tickets to Gunna's concerts.

Gunna filled Barclays Center with fans last weekend ... a good indicator he can successfully tour again as a solo artist.

The embattled YSL rapper was harassed in public this summer -- and AD says that's just the side-effect of Gunna getting sprung from jail early, as the public was still weighing in on why he got out.

Now, AD didn't exactly cop to pushing play on Gunna's music himself, but admitted he hears it out at all the poppin' spots around town.

He did, however, make it clear it's still "Free Young Thug" all day, every day on his end.

Some of the biggest names in music have started to trickle in for this year's MTV VMAs, and we've got all the arrivals from the pink carpet.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ looks more like Hollywood -- with massive stars pulling up like Megan Thee Stallion, who's set to take the stage with Cardi B later in the night to perform their brand-new hit, "Bongos."

Saweetie was lookin' pretty in pink while stepping into the stadium, and MTV's iconic Moon-person mascot even pulled up to the shindig with a snazzy bowtie! Demi Lovato also hit the carpet looking sleek in black.

As you know, artists like Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Sam Smith are all dukin' it out tonight for a coveted Moonperson statue ... with many of them covering multiple categories.

It's been a female-dominated year for the VMAs -- Artist of the Year nominations went to ladies only, like Beyoncé and Shakira, while Ed Sheeran is the only guy gunning for Best Pop ... going up against singers like Pink and Dua Lipa.

BTW, there are 16 tracks up for the Song of Summer category this year, with 3 of them being from the "Barbie" movie -- go figure.

As we reported, *NSYNC is gettin' the boy band back together for a reunion at tonight's award show -- 3 members have been spotted in NYC over the last couple of days, and JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet.

A source connected to the group told us they'll be presenting only, and not singing one of their hits ... but it's gonna be an epic reunion nonetheless.

Speaking of performances, the ceiling will likely be blown off tonight with folks like Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj -- also the emcee for this year's event -- and Måneskin ... not to mention loads more musical acts as the night goes on.

There's also slated to be a big medley honoring 50 years of hip-hop -- similar to the huge performance at The Grammys -- featuring D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J, and more.

Gillie Da Kid says the moment he washed his late son's body -- in tradition with Islamic faith -- was his lowest moment in life, but he also says enduring the tragedy officially took him to adulthood.

The "Million Dollarz Worth of Game" co-host made the emotional confession Tuesday while appearing on The Pivot podcast.

His son, 25-year-old rapper YNG Cheese, was shot and killed in Philly back in July. Before his death, Gillie says he thought he understood the concept of being a man ... taking the reigns, providing for his immediate family and even supporting several non-relatives.

But, he says going through the body-washing process opened his eyes, "and that day, I became a man."

Gillie also tearfully thanked fellow Philly rapper Freeway for standing by his side, and helping him through what he calls the hardest thing he's ever had to do. Despite the unimaginable grief, he's confident he sent his son off the right way.

Erica Mena recently told TMZ she was remorseful for calling her "Love & Hip Hop" rival Spice a "monkey" ... a nasty comment that got her booted off the show, but she's doubtful her former castmate will extend the same courtesy.

After reposting her apology on her own IG account on Tuesday, Erica got an outpouring of fan support, and she even addressed one question in particular -- if Spice ever said she was sorry for bringing up Erica's son, the catalyst behind their explosive argument.

Erica not only told the fan the answer's no, she was confident Spice would never have "the guts" to own up to her own mistake.

Erica was adamant in assuring us her comments weren't meant to be taken as racially charged, but producers are still blocking her return to 'LHHATL' next season.

Spice, for her part, has taken an unbothered stance in the public as she promotes her next project.

Dionne Warwick's voice was the secret sauce behind Doja Cat's new chart-topper "Paint the Town Red" -- a "Hip Hop" honor she's not taking lightly!!!

The R&B legend relayed her excitement with TMZ Hip Hop telling us, “It’s really wonderful to be able to say, "I am now a viable entity in the hip hop genre and am now a rapper!!! Who knew I would be saying that at this time in my life???"

"I am thrilled that these youngsters who are recording today have decided to listen to some really good stuff of the old folks and discover us and are keeping us alive!!!

"PTTR" also marks Dionne's first return atop the Billboard Hot 100 since 1986's "That's What's Friends Are For" made the world feel good, proving not all generation clashes spell the doom of humanity.

She concluded by wishing her successor good fortune ... "I certainly hope Doja Cat’s recording of 'Paint the Town Red' is as lucky and good to her as 'Walk on By' has been to me!!!”

Kanye West and Bianca Censori have been blasted for letting it all hang out in Europe -- and yet, they refuse to cover up ... opting for the commando look evermore, it seems.

The couple continues to gallivant in Italy, and yes ... they're still showing off the goods, especially Bianca -- who doesn't seem to believe in bras or regular tops. On Monday, she was photographed with her hubby in Florence ... and again put her boobs on display.

Remember, she's been catching heat over there for what many people apparently view as inappropriate attire -- and you can see why. The fact we're blurring her nipples says it all.

As for Ye ... well, he's also very comfortable in his own skin these days -- especially below the belt. During their little shopping spree here, his pants were sagging down below his booty a bit ... and some crack-age got flashed for the paps.

Not nearly as much booty as his boat ride the other day -- which was a cheek-full and then some, and enough to get him banned from a certain boat taxi service -- but it sure doesn't look like KW has any underpants on whatsoever. No support needed on either end!

As for the general fashion vibe from these two ... more of the same, really. It's a blend of futuristic homeless couture -- with a couple of models who look to be on a never-ending pilgrimage to Fantastica.

Nas and Hit-Boy just released their "Magic 2" album back in July, but they've decided to complete the trifecta for Virgo Season.

On Tuesday, Nas revealed Part 3 would be released this Thursday, which coincides with his 50th birthday.

The upcoming album will mark #17 for Nas and his 6th overall produced by Hit-Boy ... a working relationship jump-started after they won the 2021 Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Nas is dubbing the release "The Finale" which waves the flag on their prolific run ... but HB's already begun work on his next ring of projects.

We recently caught up with him and he revealed he's working on his father Big Hit's solo album and he just got tapped to produce on Jennifer Lopez's comeback as well.