TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Ever since Jeezy filed to divorce Jeannie Mai, one particular unfounded rumor's gathered steam online -- that she cheated on him with Mario Lopez -- but we're told all that rank speculation is a load of BS.

Sources close to Jeannie tell TMZ ... there's absolutely no truth to any rumblings of infidelity between her and the "Access Hollywood" host, or with anyone else, for that matter.

It seems the false buzz stems from the fact Jeannie was a guest cohost with Mario last month on his show, but we're told any perceived chemistry between them is simply professional. Translation: It's showbiz, folks.

As for her divorce, our sources say Jeannie's devastated, and heartbroken and is focusing on doing whatever's best for their daughter, 1-year-old Monaco.

For those unaware, Jeannie shared some clips last month from her week cohosting the entertainment news show with Mario, which no one saw as significant at the time.

But, as we reported, Jeezy filed for divorce in Georgia earlier this month, and in his docs said there's "no hope for reconciliation."

Nick Cannon agrees with Charlamagne Tha God's recent hot takes about Nicki Minaj's husband Kenneth Petty being bad for business ... meaning, her business as an artist.

Nick and his 'Daily Cannon' cohorts emptied the clip on their recent broadcast ... with one cohost even declaring Kenneth should officially be referred to as "Nicki Minaj's Husband" from this point forward.

Petty is currently serving 120 days house arrest for threatening Offset on social media amid Nicki and Cardi B's cold war -- a violation of his existing probation as a registered sex offender.

CTG recently tagged Petty with "Donkey Of The Day" dishonors over his street life act, and Nick said much the same ... even joking Petty should have his television privileges revoked while he serves his house arrest.

That might make for a testy household, and while Nicki hasn't come to her spouse's defense yet ... she's been defending her own name as she takes on her home's swatter.

One of Tory Lanez's biggest adjustments to prison is gonna be in his gut ... 'cause instead of eating like a celebrity, he's gonna feel more like a grade school kid digging into his lunchbox.

TMZ obtained the menu from Tory's first week at North Kern State Prison in Delano, CA ... and he's been waking up in the morning to grab some beef hash, hard-boiled eggs, hot cereal, milk, and coffee for breakfast.

Tory's lunches have consisted of peanut butter crackers, sugar-free drinks, and some pretty plain sandwiches -- we're talking bologna and mustard on whole wheat bread.

BTW, it looks like the lunches alternate between bologna sandwiches or cheese sandwiches ... aka American cheese on bread. Yeah, it's giving real Fyre Fest vibes.

Dinner might be his best meal of the day ... as he's been getting things like hot link sausages, veggies, coleslaw, red beans, rolls, and canned fruit.

TMZ broke the story, Tory checked in to the state prison on Tuesday a month after being sentenced to 10 years for negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.

He wasn't all smiles in his mug shot, either ... as the hugely successful artist will now be making about 30 cents/hour for skilled labor while he's on the inside.

DJ Tyler Young hails from rap royalty -- being Dr. Dre's son and all -- but he's out to make his own legacy ... not in hip hop, but in EDM!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Tyler, and his collaborator RMN, live and direct from Scotland ahead of his first-ever gig in Europe.

Tyler tells us he 1000% grew up with his famous father blasting rap and G-funk all day and night, and while he developed an ear for EDM in his teens ... he says his apple didn't fall that far from the tree. He notes his dad started out deejaying electro music with World Class Wreckin' Cru.

Tyler says he embarked on his producing career several years ago and began dabbling in DJing when he met RMN, a 30-year vet on the scene and began sending him tracks, birthing their partnership.

This weekend, those partners are taking their act to Scotland for shows in Aberdeen and newly renovated Aura nightclub in Dundee.

Tyler says he's got the support of his family but knows he's gonna be the trailblazer in this particular musical adventure.

Cam'ron is rewinding it back to 2002 when he starred in the Roc-A-Fella-produced film "Paid In Full" ... a cult classic still getting its props today thanks to Damian Lillard.

The (probably) soon-to-be ex-Blazer released his "Paid In Full" video Thursday from his new album "Don D.O.L.L.A." album featuring Cam reprising his old role.

Cam'ron played "Rico" in the popular gangsta flick ... which was a loose exposé on the life and times of Harlem drug dealers Rich Porter, Alpo Martinez and Azie "AZ" Faison.

Song costar Tobe Nwigwe also pops up in the clip, which he helped direct with Keoni Mars.

Jermaine Dupri is proclaiming himself the inventor of making it rain -- that time-honored tradition of tossing money around a club without caring where it lands -- but admits it wasn't always as cool as it looks!!!

The veteran producer shared his story Thursday on "The Estelle Show" on Apple Hits ... pinpointing his 1998 collab with Jay-Z, "Money Ain't a Thang," as the jump-off point for the trend ... but, then he decided to test out the rich flex IRL.

JD says the first time he hit Magic City and threw money in the air, the stripper gave him a puzzled reaction ... "You want me to get down on the floor and get my money???"

He says the 💡 went off when he attempted his cash splashes elsewhere, but got the same confused reactions ... he took it as a clear sign he was pioneering something big.

After the wave eventually caught on, JD says he also taught dancers how to split the money once it hit the ground ... proper strip club etiquette does go a long way in keeping the party going.

JD tells Estelle he gave icons like Quincy Jones and Janet Jackson their first Magic City experience -- so, he's a pro in ATL's strip club culture, if ever there was one!!!

New mother Chrisean Rock is under attack again, this time for not properly holding her newborn son -- and, unsurprisingly, Blueface seems to be on the side of her critics.

The outrage came after a video surfaced Thursday of Chrisean shopping inside a Walmart while letting their son's head fall back as he slept in a forward baby carrier.

Many fans cited the dangers of having the infant's neck unsupported and also accused her of being too distracted to properly tend to the baby as she also walked her dog on its leash inside the store.

Blueface reacted to the wild moment as it trended on the app formerly known as Twitter ... assuring the people he was just as surprised as they were.

The two co-parents recently resolved their pre-birth issues and Chrisean has agreed to change the child's name from "Chrisean Jr." to "Jonathan Jr." -- Blueface's government name ... creating tension with his relationship with Jaidyn Alexis as a result.

Kenneth Petty is set to serve around 120 days house arrest for threatening Offset ... a pure act of immaturity, says Charlamagne Tha God who slapped Nicki Minaj's husband with his trademarked "Donkey of the Day."

CTG ripped into Petty Thursday morning for being 45 years old but still having the audacity to record and post himself making death threats ... which only served to incriminate him.

We obtained the court docs that made it official ... Petty was found to be in violation of his federal probation as a registered sex offender and could be indoors for up to 4 months.

Offset laughed off Petty's response (and is probably still laughing), and CTG says Petty has a privilege like none other he's not taking advantage of ... he's freakin' married to Nicki Minaj!!!

CTG declared the streets to be corny and says the evidence of them leading to jail or death backs him ten times over.

Nicki has yet to address the situation, but is teasing a new episode of her Queen Radio for later today where she'll have the opportunity to do so, but likely won't.

Quavo's taking his gun violence plight straight to the White House ... where he met with Vice President Kamala Harris for a sit-down on the hot-button, and very personal, issue.

The megastar rapper was joined by his mother and sister Titania Davenport, mother to the late Takeoff, for the meeting at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

We're told Quavo expressed his desire for Congress to pass the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which will enable gun violence to be treated as a public health risk ... akin to substance abuse and depression.

He also shared his personal stories, urging the Veep to support their mission to the fullest extent of her power.

The Vice Prez thanked the family publicly on her IG for using their platform to not only honor Takeoff, but also to spread gun violence prevention awareness.

His recently launched Rocket Foundation was created to impact gun laws on both the state and federal levels, and Quavo specifically came to D.C. to secure stronger political backing ... especially in underserved areas.

Earlier in the day, Quavo met with various Representatives from the Congressional Black Caucus to push the policy and concluded the day with community leader Greg Jackson ... as they cohosted a reception for lawmakers and gun violence prevention advocates to discuss better solutions.

Quavo firmly thinks gun violence is preventable, and says he came to D.C. aiming to build safer communities.

Drake's tensions with Megan Thee Stallion are back in the spotlight after some fans took his seemingly harmless shoutout -- during his Houston concert -- and flipped it into another diss.

During Drake's September 18 show, he took time out to shout photographer MegYup by name, quipping, "Real H-Town love, shout out to Meg one time for real … not that Meg, this Meg.”

Given his past mentioning of the Houston rap star -- he effectively dissed her on the "Her Loss" track "Circo Loco" -- fans went wild with speculation once the clip began to circulate on social media.

MegYup took to her own social media to set the record straight, accusing unintelligible trolls of ruining her big moment of glory -- but eventually she called it a day, and simply plugged his upcoming album.

Alex Spiro, who represented Thee Stallion during her trial against Tory Lanez, told TMZ Hip Hop that Drake and other doubters would have egg on their faces ahead of the verdict ... which history shows went in their favor.

Lizzo is back under fire for allegations tied to inappropriate working conditions on her tour ... getting sued by a woman who says she was forced to hear racist and fatphobic comments from members of Lizzo's team while working unthinkable hours.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Asha Daniels says she was hired by Amanda Nomura -- a member of Lizzo's team -- to join Lizzo's tour in 2023 to work in wardrobe. Daniels claims the work was grueling, sometimes going from 6 AM-2 AM and getting refused breaks.

Daniels, a Black woman, says Nomura was brutal, often making racist and fatphobic comments -- allegedly calling Black women on the tour "dumb" "useless" and "fat."

Daniels also claims Nomura told her she wasn't allowed to dress sexy around Lizzo because Lizzo would get jealous when her boyfriend was around other beautiful women.

During one instance, Daniels says she injured her ankle when Nomura rolled a clothing rack over it. She says her ankle became swollen, and when she wore a pair of Crocs to work she was reprimanded and told she needed to put on a pair of tennis shoes.

In the docs, Daniels says she alerted Lizzo's management team to the behavior, and claims Lizzo's tour manager, Carlina Gugliotta, even advised her to privately film Nomura's conduct, but Daniels felt that would be unethical.

Daniels says she eventually brought all of her concerns to Gugliotta, and believes those concerns were relayed to Lizzo ... but was eventually fired before her contract was set to end.

Daniels claims her experience on the tour has left her with ongoing anxiety and PTSD as well as migraines, ocular distortions, brain fog and fatigue.

Remember, Lizzo was sued last month for claims that included sexual harassment by 3 former employees who claimed they were forced to attend sex shows and were subjected to uncomfortable behavior and situations while working for Lizzo.

We should note -- Daniels is represented by Neama Rahmani -- the same lawyer who sued Lizzo on behalf of the 3 women from the lawsuit last month.

Lizzo has denied those claims, saying in part, "My character has been criticized. Usually, I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed."

Daniels is suing for sexual harassment, racial harassment, disability discrimination and more. She's asking for damages including unpaid wages, loss of earnings and others.

Fat Joe is bringing back-to-school cheer to his Bronx hometown by donating over $100,000 worth of brand-new clothes to more than 600 students!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got this video of Joe surprising high school students Thursday morning at The Eagle Academy for Young Men ... giving them a pep talk straight from the heart of his life experience!!!

Joe told the kids he could relate to their lives, having grown up right around the corner and told them he knew their journey wasn't easy.

We're told Joe and his team from UpNYC personally handed out bags of new clothing ... including sweatsuits, tracksuits, t-shirts, shorts and sneakers.

The BX-bred rapper had a busy morning.

In addition to Eagle Academy, the team also visited middle schoolers at I.S. 219 New Venture School and elementary students at P.S. 146 Edward Collins ... Joe's childhood alma mater.

The future leaders from the BX weren't the only ones benefitting from Santa Joe this week. Former President Bill Clinton was blessed with a rare pair of the Terror Squad Air Force 1s ... and his facial expression says he loved them.

Nicki Minaj's husband is back in prison ... sort of.

Kenneth Petty was put on home detention for up to 120 days -- and all because he threatened Offset on social media.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Petty violated his federal probation by "making threatening remarks while in the company of someone with a criminal record."

A judge ordered Petty to be placed on house arrest for as long as 4 months to keep a close eye on his activities. As part of being monitored, Petty might have to be fitted with an electronic GPS ankle bracelet, although that hasn't been determined yet.

Petty's new troubles began last week when he posted an Instagram video, featuring himself and two buddies sounding off on Cardi B's husband. The trio was standing across the street from an NYC hotel where Offset was supposedly staying -- and they were all acting pretty menacing.

In response, Offset later posted his own video on social media, showing himself chuckling on the tarmac outside his private jet -- which was nowhere near the hotel.

Clearly, the feds didn't find it funny ... because they wasted no time putting a stop to it -- and Petty!!

Over the years, Petty has been convicted of attempted rape and attempted murder and has served two stints in prison. In 2022, he was sentenced to 3 years probation after he failed to register as a sex offender in California.

Chris Brown gave Tinashe the dragging of a lifetime this week but the "BB/Ang3l" singer's not tripping -- she's calling the incident water under a bridge she's already driving across!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Tinashe Wednesday in Hollywood, and she didn't seem too pressed about Chris -- her former collaborator -- openly bashing her discography in response to one of her latest interviews.

ICYMI, Tinashe didn't recall having positive memories working with either Chris or R. Kelly -- but said the issue with Chris was the track the label chose for them to record.

Tinashe tells us she doesn't think Chris watched the full clip, and merely got sucked into social media clickbait. He fired back by asking the public to name 5 Tinashe songs to save their life ... and already had the graveyard mapped out.

Tinashe said she'd be open to having a conversation with Chris in an effort to clear things up, but also suggested it's low on her priority list.

On the other hand, she is excited about her upcoming shows where she promises to incorporate new dance routines for fans.

Diddy's not just gonna stop with an R&B album, he's got a hip hop project on the way ... so says his son, Christian "King" Combs, who says he's gonna be featured on the thing!!!

TMZ Hip Hop connected with Christian and Raven Tracy in NYC Wednesday where he explained his absence from his dad's new LP "The Love Album: Off The Grid."

The album features a ton of big names --  MJB, The Weeknd, Ty Dolla $ign and a handful of notable rap stars -- but King says his lyrical talents are better suited for the next go 'round.

Christian and Raven were actually en route to a back-to-school drive when we caught them -- complete with his newly minted Key to the City.

Tory Lanez is officially on the inside ... ensconced at the prison where he'll likely spend the next 10 years, and the facility is no cakewalk, as multiple murders have happened there just this year.

North Kern State Prison in Delano, California houses around 4,000 inmates, and recently became the focus of local news media after a vicious crime within its walls.

Reports say convicted serial killer Ramon Escobar was recently charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing his cellmate, 53-year-old Juan Villanueva back in February.

Villanueva was locked up for aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Additionally, on July 4, 25-year-old Ricardo Saldivar was found dead in his cell, and officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are now investigating his death as a homicide.

There's also violence with inmates and correctional officers ... just this month a former inmate and convicted sex offender was found guilty in connection to a 2020 incident where he was accused of attacking a pair of staffers.

The facility is fitted with an electric fence around the perimeter ... but several inmates have reportedly been able to escape over the years.