TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Paul Wall says he wasn't always a fan of his gray hair during his days of youth, but now he's embracing the silver fox lifestyle.

TMZ Hip Hop checked in with the H-Town Grillmaster himself after he went viral thanks to a simple TikTok showing off his frosty beard.

Paul tells us it's hereditary -- his grandfather was fully gray as a teen and Paul even recalls Nelly and Ali pointing out strains of salt and pepper on the set of their 2005 video shoot for "Grillz" when he was in his early 20s. Now, he's 42 and proud of his appearance.

Paul's mature look hasn't hurt his rep with the younger generation ... he's featured on one of the hottest songs of the year in That Mexican OT's "Johnny Dang" and Drake just gave him a shoutout in front of thousands during his "It's All a Blur" tour date in Houston!!!

Paul actually credits OT for resurrecting his rap name and introducing him to a 2023 audience. He says he feels like he has a brand-new battery in his back as a result.

Drake claimed he's moving to Houston at the concert and will surely benefit from Paul's good energy ... he and his partner Johnny Dang are now offering Drake a lifetime supply of custom grills!!!

Lil Kim is one of several hip hop legends picked to grace Ebony magazine's new cover to celebrate the culture's 50th anniversary, but one of the people involved in the job isn't taking credit for the photo-op!!!

Fans took serious issue with Kim's front page spread on Tuesday, for its cutout-like appearance and NFT glow as the publication rolled out others with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz.

Renowned photographer Keith Major, who served as Director of Photography for the project, clearly couldn't stomach seeing his work slandered in such fashion and hopped into The Shade Room to let a complainer know Kim had the final say on the cover writing, "Man, she wanted to be in control of the retouching so this is what we got."

It's up for debate if Kim even likes the cover ... she hasn't shared it on her IG yet but still has her commemorative XXL cover from May posted on her IG which says a lot.

Ray J and Bobby Brackins made good on their $25,000 promise to boost the bank account of the best mechanical bull rider in their contest, a hefty payday for just a few minutes of fun.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of the Ray-hosted event that went down on September 16 inside San Fran's Westwood bar, which we're told was so jampacked the owners made an exception and played hip hop all night when the airtime is generally reserved for country music.

A woman named "JC" took home the grand prize and it's not hard to see why it was an easy choice ... we're told not only was she the only one of the 7 contestants to stay on the bull-bot but she did it with flair by taking off her shirt and spinning it like a helicopter, which helped her seal the deal.

Even Ray couldn't hold on very long but the crowd wasn't there to see him be a matador -- he put on a full show and apparently, the crowd was loving each track he performed!!!

Ray and Bobby are using the fanfare to saddle up their latest linkup, "On Top," into the Billboard stratosphere.

Tamar Braxton told cops her car was "completely trashed" by thieves ... getting emotional just looking at it, as seen in the body cam footage.

The footage, obtained by TMZ, shows the singer chatting with officers Monday morning about what she says happened -- explaining it's gonna be tough to figure out everything they took.

At one point, Tamar takes a peek in the car before having to look away, saying she might cry just based on the condition of the vehicle. The cop eventually opens the door, showing some clutter on the passenger side -- but the rest of her vehicle's interior isn't visible.

Tamar says she usually locks her car, but admits she came down the night before to get something out of it, and isn't totally positive if she locked it back up.

BTW, Tamar says the culprits oddly enough left a computer behind when they took off.

With the Tory Lanez shooting trial in the rearview and a new collab with Cardi B in the books, Megan Thee Stallion's comeback is imminent.

In a new interview with Billboard published Tuesday, Meg confirmed she was closing all "old chapters" and looking forward to the future ... which includes a new album and partnership with Hot Cheetos.

Meg promised to deliver nothing but tea -- in the form of her music and revealed she is now co-producing songs with her longtime collaborator LilJuMadeDaBeat.

"Expect a lot of rawness, a lot of realness, a lot of s*** talking. Just know I’m coming and I hope everybody ready," she warned.

Meg expressed constant mental breakdowns during the Tory trial but told BB that physical fitness was the key to her sanity, something she recently shared on IG in a viral workout video.

Blueface's bringing all the drama in his life back to his music ... returning shots at Lil Baby, and pissing off one baby mama by cozying up to another -- basically, all the markers of a potential hit!!!

On the Cali rapper's new joint, the appropriately titled "Baby Momma Drama," Blueface rips Lil Baby with disrespectful bars for always being so chummy with Michael Rubin ...  "Lil Baby thought he knew me/How you let another grown man feel up on your booty?/Couldn’t be me, boy, I am not a hoochie/You n****s really industry/I am really in the streets."

Blue also addressed the recent attack on his life after refusing to talk to cops ... "Socked a n**** last week and he stabbed me" -- proving rappers save the gory details to boost the credibility of their lyrics!!!

Back to Lil Baby, he and Blue exchanged unpleasantries earlier in the year after Baby seemingly tried to swoop Chrisean Rock on the low, and apparently, their beef isn't cooked yet.

Chrisean and their newborn son Chrisean Jr. are featured throughout the Moti & Midas-directed clip ... putting a lid on their pre-birth blowout from a few weeks ago.

The family bonding was the perfect recipe to piss off Blue's other baby mama Jaidyn Alexis, who claims she ripped up her "Milf Music" recording contract after seeing Chrisean sign hers ... a moment captured in the music video.

Fans think Jaidyn's capping -- she's been a rapping homemaker all summer.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are doting new parents once again -- proudly showing off their latest bundle of joy to the world ... with one of the cutest photo shoots ever.

The musical power couple -- who just welcomed their latest son, Riot Rose, in August -- posed for some incredible shots at home ... with both the new 1-month-old baby, and their other kiddo, RZA.

We gotta say, the Mayers look super happy and gotta be one of the best-looking crews in all of Hollywood.

Mama and Papa Bear definitely took a similar fashion theme. RiRi is sporting a royal-blue look -- with the denim button-down -- and dad's got a pair of jeans on ... with a splashy green flannel to bring it all together.

Young RZA was also wearing jeans, BTW ... his whole getup is honestly freaking adorable.

As for Riot ... let's just say he's giving his big bro a run for his money in the cuteness department. The proud parents had him swaddled up in a blanket -- but underneath, the baby was decked out in a salmon-colored onesie.

Also worth noting, this is the first time we're seeing Rihanna since she popped. It probably goes without saying -- but she's looking damn good.

Five years later, Johnny Manziel's still the man ... 'cause the Heisman Trophy winner reunited with his old bestie, Drake, at Champagne Papi's concert in Houston!

The award-winning artist and former superstar QB linked up at Toyota Center in H-Town where Drake did his infamous walk ... where he walks through a crowd of his fans during his show during his "It's All a Blur" tour.

Manziel shared a clip on Instagram, saying he was "honored" to walk with his old friend.

"You and your music have changed my life for the better," the 30-year-old said. "Thank you for letting the kid from Texas share that moment with you #SZN."

Remember, Aubrey and Manziel became friends back in the day when Johnny was the signal-caller for the Texas A&M Aggies football team ... during the time Drake was droppin' hits like "Take Care" and "Started From the Bottom".

In fact, Drizzy made a track called "Draft Day" and mentioned Manziel ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft ... where Johnny was selected with the 22nd overall pick.

Johnny also got an "OVO" tattoo on his wrist.

It seems like Blueface's street code is preventing law enforcement from putting together a case against his alleged assailant.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the case has been rejected, for now, due to Blueface's lack of cooperation with the investigation. The video doesn't clearly show everything necessary to bring a criminal case, so, we're told investigators needed cooperation from witnesses to move forward.

According to docs, Blueface refused to answer any of the responding officer's questions, refused to provide his ID and even rejected medical aid ... though he quickly posted his bloody injury on social media, assuring fans he was good.

As we previously told you, Brandon Henrysnell had turned himself in on August 24, and was booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon.

But, the case won't go any further ... as authorities reviewed the footage, and while it clearly shows an altercation, it's missing the key moment Brandon allegedly stabbed Blueface.

Akademiks and Vic Mensa going tit for tat over Chicago's rap scene is one of hip hop's most viral beefs to date -- but they've both decided to bury the hatchet now, thanks to each's personal growth.

Vic and Ak dapped it up Monday for the latest installment of the "Off The Record" podcast ... and both expressed how they've developed admiration for one another.

Vic famously went at Ak's throat in 2017 over his coverage of Chicago drill rappers and the two continued to trade shots even up until several months ago.

Vic says his remarks over the years stemmed from a place of hurt ... after seeing his slain homie Tray 57 on Ak's "The War in Chiraq" YouTube channel.

For his part, Ak says he would've reported on the culture differently in hindsight, and also admitted ego prevented him from righting his wrongs.

Their conversation spiraled for more than 2 hours, and seems to spell the beginning of a fruitful partnership down the line!!!

Polo G's generosity is shining through on the set of his latest music video, where he's hooking up cast members with a stack of cash after getting inspired by their individual journeys.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Polo handed off $10,000 to each of the individuals who helped make his "Barely Holdin' On" music video last month a reality.

The gripping video showcases Diana, an organ transplant survivor, Bobbi, a single mother, Deon, a substance abuse survivor and Willie, a 12-year-old gunshot victim-turned-paraplegic hooper -- all overcoming their individual obstacles, and Polo's donation will undoubtedly provide an added boost!!!

"Barely Holdin' On" director SixTwentySix's Arrad tells us the moment was no publicity stunt, and more about Polo just feeling it in the moment -- "It was an emotional roller coaster for many. Nobody was expecting to get the cash at the end. It was a huge surprise and everyone was in complete denial! Polo was very generous and wanted to make sure he could thank each and every person - he expressed his gratitude multiple times and gave them all the cash at the end. It was extremely nice and heartwarming of him."

The track was supposed to be on Polo's 4th studio album, "Hood Poet," but the album has since been delayed due to his pending legal troubles.

As we previously reported, Polo is facing felony gun possession charges after the LAPD conducted an August raid on his home.

LeBron James is giving his personal review of Diddy's new project ... and it's safe to say the rap mogul got the King's approval -- 'cause Bron actually took the time to learn the lyrics!!

Well ... some of them.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is infamous for his backseat jam sessions whenever new music drops ... and it was only a matter of time before he gave his two cents on the Bad Boy founder's latest effort -- "The Love Album: Off the Grid," which dropped last week.

Bron went through three of his favorite tracks -- "Pick Up," "It Belongs To You," and "Brought My Love" ... vibin' out as each tune blasted in his Maybach.

James even tried his best Jacquees-esque falsetto at one point ... singing along until a fast-cadenced part of the song seemed to catch him off-guard.

The four-time champ rolled with the punches, though ... pretending to crush each word. In reality, it was more like the time he tried to do karaoke to a 6lack song.

"Man O Man!!!!!!!," James captioned his vid ... calling the project "an ABSOLUTE FKN STONE COLD VIBE!!!!!"

Tamar Braxton says her car was broken into and ransacked -- and she's lamenting the fact she doesn't feel safe, even at home ... which is understandable considering the video.

The singer posted 4 clips on IG Monday, which show a handful of men going through a vehicle in a covered, seemingly subterranean garage ... rummaging around and removing various items as they appear to be staging a getaway in another car.

Tamar writes, "I got robbed. At home. I’m not safe anywhere. I don’t know why I keep getting violated. I had a lot in my car cause I don’t live anywhere cause I’m not safe anywhere or with anyone."

It's unclear when exactly this took place, but if it was on Sunday ... that's shocking, because she was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to sing the National Anthem ahead of the Packers-Falcons game. Tamar is known to have property in the ATL area, too.

The other notable thing about this is the fact that Tamar says she doesn't "live" anywhere anymore because of situations like this ... which has sparked concern online.

112, the peaches-and-cream blending R&B group from Diddy's Bad Boy era, has been operating as a duo for years -- but recent events have one of the ex-members calling for a reunion, stat!!!

OG member Quinnes "Q" Parker left the group in 2018 but says he had a change of heart on Sunday.

According to Q, he was shaken to the core over the weekend by the sudden passing of 702 singer Irish Grinstead, who died on Saturday after a "long battle" with illness her family says ... and once again when his homie Brandon Casey of Jagged Edge posted the aftermath of a car accident he recently survived.

Q says he now realizes life is precious and publicly asked remaining members Marvin "Slim" Scandrick and Mike Keith to return his calls so they get back to biz.

112 were a key part of Diddy's musical empire back in the day ... the Atlanta-bred quartet released several platinum albums with Bad Boy and even won a Grammy in 1997.

Q's timing could possibly net some traction too. Slim recently appeared on "TMZ Live" to confirm Diddy had indeed returned their publishing rights after all these years.

Slim and Mike have momentum as a duo so it'll be interesting if they let Q back into the mix.

Kim Kardashian knows how to carry herself in front of paps who are snapping away, but it seems one of her sons is still learning the ropes ... or, maybe, he just thinks he's #1.

7-year-old Saint was walking into an Islands burger joint in L.A. Friday after his basketball game, accompanied by a couple of pals, plus his mom ... not to mention a bunch of bodyguards. Naturally, paparazzi were all over the place too.

As the whole group was heading toward the front entrance, Saint let the photogs on hand know how he felt about their presence ... throwing up a middle finger.

The sight of a little kid throwing up the F-U signal is pretty funny in and of itself, but the way KK reacts to Saint's gesture is even more hilarious, TBH.

Let's just say she's very much in mom mode ... softly trying to muzzle her kid and get him to behave -- but she's not going very hard. Perhaps he's telegraphing how she really feels!

Now, in terms of who exactly he's channeling between his 2 parents ... Saint's leaning into his Kanye genes here. We've seen Ye flip his lid at paps over the years. It's definitely funnier when the kid does it, though.

Do you think Kim Kardashian was actually angry about Saint West flipping off paparazzi, or was it just for the cameras? Vote below.

People might've thought they were seeing Tina Turner's ghost last week in London, but it was just Kanye West's wife doing her best imitation ... with her own unique spin.

Bianca Censori turned heads for London Fashion Week Friday as she and hubby showed up at the Mowalola SS24 catwalk show. Ye himself was dressed down, going for a subdued all-black look with his head completely covered. But BC ... well, she was baring it all.

Take a look ... she's wearing some kind of burlap body suit that shows off a lot of leg and a lot of her ass, too.

It's not quite as risqué as some of the outfits she's been wearing in Italy lately -- where her boobs were on full display in very sheer tops -- so we suppose it's a step forward in that regard.

The big takeaway from Friday's getups, however, wasn't even on her body ... it was perched on top of her head. She was wearing some sort of mane-like headdress that ran down her back and completely covered her eyes. Indeed, SIA would blush over this one.

It's certainly a fashion statement, no doubt, and you can bet KW had a hand in dressing her.