TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

MC Lyte thinks everyone focusing on President Joe Biden's blundering intro of LL Cool J isn't keeping their eyes on the prize ... which is, in her opinion, one of hip hop's biggest moments ever.

Lyte was honored alongside LL last weekend in D.C. for her own monumental strides in rap -- but it wasn't her name the President royally screwed up, nor was she the one who had to stomach being called "boy" ... as LL did.

Biden's political critics think it's just the latest example of him losing it, and his cultural critics -- like Charlamagne Tha God -- had no mercy for him either, but Lyte went to bat for the commander-in-chief and thinks it was an honest mistake he sincerely regrets.

Lyte and LL go way back to the days of Hip Hop's dawn periods and she thanked him for the years of historic collaborations but points out that the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference marked the first time both an active President and Vice President acknowledged the culture they walk and breathe.

V.P. Kamala Harris just opened the White House doors to host a Hip Hop celebration highlighted by performances from Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and Lil Wayne ... which speaks to Lyte's points.

Usher is downplaying all the fallout his viral moment with Keke Palmer caused, at least on his end ... he thinks the whole debacle was sensationalized so he simply used the situation to their advantage!!!

The R&B icon was confronted with the issue Tuesday on "The Breakfast Club" as he explained the differences between his Vegas shows -- like the one that jeopardized Keke's relationship and his newly announced Super Bowl LVIII Halftime gig.

Usher was asked if he felt any guilt about creating a wedge between Keke and her boyfriend Darius Jackson this past 4th of July weekend.

Usher blames the internet for blowing up the spot but has no regrets for their make-good, in the form of the "Boyfriend" music video starring Keke that leaned into the moment.

The world's still heavily invested in Keke and Darius ... the actress recently pled the 5th in the name of Beyonce on morning TV.

As for the Super Bowl, Usher says Jay-Z woke him up early in the morning about a week ago with the good news, but played it coy when asked about any potential guests joining him on the big stage.

Bad Bunny just dropped a new song, and his adoring fans think it's all about Kendall Jenner -- which, considering what he's saying and showing ... might be a valid theory.

The Latin pop star just released his latest track, "Un Preview" -- along with an accompanying music video -- which BB nation staunchly believes is coded with KJ references all throughout. Considering the song's all about a cowgirl he's fallen in love with ... yeah, that's probably right.

Here are some of the lyrics (translated to English) that pretty much give away the fact this thing's all about his girlfriend. Bunny sings ... "Baby, I’m not scared // Of trying you and falling in love again // F*** it, mami, I'll follow your lead, ayy // Really crazy in the club, I'll get close // dancing and kiss your neck, ayy // With you I'm on fire."

The dude goes on to rap/sing about how hot the sex is between him and this new woman ... how they're both head over heels for each other and how he's embracing it.

Of course, there's also the imagery here that spells it out even further. The whole treatment is horse-themed -- with Bad Bunny standing in front of a toy rocking horse ... not to mention these masked cowboys/cowgirls grinding on each other. Kendall's a big cowboy hat fan.

We should also point out ... Kendall is an avid equestrian, and she took BB on a little ride a few months ago for a one-on-one date, which saw them riding a horsey together.

Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony has friends, family and fans fearing the worst with his hospitalization -- and it's an especially big shock to Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul because he was in-studio just last week with Krayzie.

TMZ Hip Hop checked in with Paul, who says he and Krayzie recently put a jolt of urgency into their long-awaited collab album, as their respective fan bases have told them repeatedly that's the only thing they're checking for.

Paul says they were cranking out songs at an abnormal pace last Wednesday and his Cleveland counterpart seemed fine -- he humorously notes how Krayzie's tongue-twisting ways require a bit more writing time to cram the words into the notebook, but says they recorded more than usual.

It was the very next day that Paul says he learned Krayzie checked himself into the hospital. While he's been on pins and needles ever since then, Paul says he anticipates Krayzie will make a full recovery.

Paul credits Krayzie for ending the Bone Thugs vs. Three 6 wax wars by collaborating with Project Pat back in the '90s -- and says the beef was just a clash over similarities in their music. It famously flared up again during their 2021 Verzuz battle.

KXNG Crooked a supporter of West Coast Hip Hop, and doesn't think "I Got It Made" rapper Special Ed's shots at N.W.A necessarily come from a bad place ... but still says the OG may have missed the mark in his message.

We caught up with the Horseshoe Gang rapper following Special Ed's particularly passionate take on the group that pioneered gangsta rap ... he blamed Ice Cube, Dr. Dre. MC Ren DJ Yella, and the late Eazy-E for single-handily bringing "the age of destruction" into the rap game.

Ed also made his fiery comments on "Drink Champs" -- while completely sober at that but Crooked still thinks rap media often pigeonholes talent in order to get a negative headline.

Crooked was previously signed to Dre through Eminem's Shady Records/Aftermath imprint and remembers feeling the ripple effects from N.W.A's debut in real-time ... a project that broke ground for highlighting the issues in impoverished hoods -- not glorifying them.

The group's debut "Straight Outta Compton" was inducted into the Library of Congress and Crooked says their success created a negative narrative still being pushed by Ed to this very day.

Crooked's been famously alcohol-free for 7+ years after his own public battles and while he's not in the business of judging folks' life choices, he knows from experience how booze can cause you to speak more loosely.

As a former Death Row Records artist, he recalls being on hand for Suge Knight's infamous 2003 Jimmy Kimmel interview where the music mogul casually floated claims that Eazy was intentionally given the HIV virus that led to his death from AIDS.

Tory Lanez cleared up much of the speculation behind his recent inmate transfer, and just like we reported, he’s making the most of the situation!!!

Fans and haters alike were surprised Monday when Tory’s official social media accounts posted a pretty upbeat voice memo from jail where he sounded like he's free as a bird ... even though that's clearly not the case.

As we previously reported, Tory’s celebrity status has him holed up solo inside the Administrative Segregation at North Kern State Prison in Delano, CA … and the “Color Violent” rapper says he’s loving the extra legroom.

Tory’s new facility isn’t without its issues -- several people have been killed within the prison this year alone -- but Tory says it’s better than the L.A. county jail where they had him on 24-hour lockdown and in his words, they were “hating” on a G.

Tory thanked his supporters for holding him down and expressed how the situation made him fearless.

He's gonna need that confidence ... Tory's just starting a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

President Joe Biden once told African American voters "You ain't Black" if you don't vote for him, but due to his lack of awareness about LL Cool J ... Biden's alleged Black Card is now being called into question.

The Rock the Bells pioneer was honored at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual Legislative Conference over the weekend, and the Prez pulled one of his worst teleprompter gaffes ... calling him "LL J Cool J."

To make matters worse, as Biden tried to recover from that flub, he referred to LL as "boy" ... making everyone in the crowd cringe ... even though he quickly tried to fix that screw-up, too.

It came out like this, "By the way that boy — that man’s got biceps bigger than my thighs." Good grief, Joe😬.

Republicans are using the verbal blunder as a political strike, but Charlamagne thinks it's a cultural one ... giving the Commander-in-Chief, and his writing staff, the "Donkey of the Day," and that's not a Democratic compliment!!!

As CTG notes, Joe will be 81 years old in a couple of months and his writers should stop attempting to have him come across as hip ... but he's still old enough to remember the days when the term "boy" was a racist term used to belittle Black men.

LL's also been a superstar rapper since the '80s -- one of the genre's first -- and has been spelling out his name in songs just as long -- a slice of American history CTG says the Prez should know.

Blueface is taking all the blame off himself after a photo of his infant son's genitals was posted from the rapper's social media account ... claiming his phone was stolen and his account hacked.

As the outrage against Blue piled on Monday morning, he countered with a tweet claiming his phone was stolen ... forcing his Twitter to be used against his free will.

As you'd expect, there aren't too many people who believe his new claim.

As we reported, the "hacked" account posted a lengthy rant about his newborn son and his medical struggles, including an alleged hernia. The account expressed outrage toward Chrisean Rock, the boy's mother, and said she was avoiding taking the infant to the doctor.

We should also point out, the allegedly "hacked" account only seemed to take Blueface's side in the argument ... which very rarely happens with a hack.

Things have been downhill in Blue and Chrisean's family situation since she was spotted improperly holding their child at Walmart ... and continue to spiral out of control by the day.

Should there be legal consequences to Blueface posting a photo of his child's genitals? Vote below.

11:15 AM -- Chrisean Rock and Keke Palmer have connected behind the scenes on Monday after much internet chatter.

Chrisean had initially taken issue with Keke going public but cooler heads have prevailed and Chrisean appears to have an ally in Keke while a Blueface reconcillation is still TBD.

Keke Palmer believes Chrisean Rock's issues are reflective of the challenges facing so many other Black single mothers ... publicly offering the embattled reality star support.

Keke, who's a new mother herself, couldn't contain her anger as many -- including Blueface's manager Wack 100, called for Chrisean's baby to be removed from her care.

The way Keke sees it, personal opinions against Chrisean are irrelevant -- maternal health care is the #1 priority in situations like these, and she says neglected kids are the ones placed in the system which often leads to a path of crime.

Keke says there's an ongoing epidemic in health care for Black women and Chrisean is simply one of the many victims.

The CDC reported that in 2021, Black women suffered nearly 70 deaths for every 100,000 live births ... almost 3x the number of White women.

The "Nope" actress echoed much of what Cardi B told us when she spoke about Chrisean's early struggles with motherhood ... but the controversy surrounding her newborn baby is becoming more critical by the day!!!

Chrisean and Blueface are both under fire after the "Thotiana" rapper exposed their son's genitals ... accusing Chrisean of failing to schedule the appropriate surgery to fix a hernia, which has grown rather large.

She's also still trying to live down last week's viral Walmart video that showed her carelessly holding her baby.

Chrisean barked back at Blueface for airing out their baby's business ... but also admitted she hadn't yet set a date for him to have surgery, either.

Should there be legal consequences to Blueface posting a photo of his child's genitals? Vote below.

3:18 PM PT -- And just like that ... Drake has earned his 12th #1 hit with "Slime You Out" ... the most-ever amongst rappers.

Charlamagne Tha God's predictions that nobody was checking for the song were off ... way off.

Drake is finally firing back at Charlamagne after years of sneak disses ... with the 'Breakfast Club' host's critique of his new song with SZA being the final straw!!!

On Monday, Drake emptied the clip in his IG stories ... addressing Charlamagne by his gov't name while accusing him of harboring envious emotions.

He also compared Charlamagne to a low-budget Morris Chestnut and posted several snapshots of Charlamagne modeling to prove his point! The fans got a kick outta that.

Drake was triggered by Charlamagne's review of "Slime You Out," which he essentially called boring, claiming people checked out shortly after it dropped.

The song is projected to top the Billboard Hot 100 this week so obviously people are listening to it, but Charlamagne says he hears crickets.

Following Drake's blasts, Charlamagne blew off the shots while reacting on-air Monday ... joking that Drake picks a beef with him every time it's time for an album rollout.

The two had their back-and-forth exchanges over the years but as Charlamagne remembers things, they buried the hatchet at the conclusion of Drake's beef with Meek Mill around 2015.

9:06 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Krayzie Bone is going into a second surgery soon in the hopes of stopping some internal bleeding, which is at the root of his health troubles.

We're told this all started Friday when KB started coughing up blood, after which he checked himself into an L.A.-area hospital. After some tests, our sources tell us docs discovered a bleeding artery in one of his lungs ... and they operated on him.

Afterward, we're told Krayzie was placed in an induced coma -- with the idea being that would help the healing process -- but our sources say the issue wasn't resolved, and that the artery continues to bleed in his lung. Now, they're going back to try and fix it for good.

Our sources tell us his family members have been the only ones allowed to see him, and they're at his side now. Krayzie's team, we're told, is meeting today to get more updates.

Krayzie Bone is reportedly fighting for his life in a hospital -- a scary update that has much of Hollywood sending their thoughts and prayers his way.

The Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapper is said to be on a ventilator as a result of surgery to deal with a respiratory issue he's been battling, which saw him coughing up blood and requiring to go under the knife immediately ... this according to AllHipHop.com.

The outlet reports KB's initial hospitalization stems from a diagnosis of sarcoidosis -- which causes inflammatory cells to form in different parts of the body. After undergoing a procedure to stop internal bleeding doctors detected, sources tell AHH that his condition worsened.

The news appears to have been confirmed by one of Krayzie's own BTNH members, Bizzy Bone -- who posted on social media this weekend ... asking everyone to keep KB in their thoughts. That, of course, spurred a lot of people to react ... including some big names.

Among the celebs who threw up messages of support ... Juicy J, LeBron James, DJ Paul, and others. Of course, tons of hip hop fans at large are pouring out with tributes as well.

Krayzie Bone's family is reported to be seeking privacy and hasn't expanded on where things stand -- but word is ... he's currently sedated and remains in Los Angeles-area ICU.

His contributions to music can't be overstated -- in addition to being a part of one of the biggest hip hop groups to emerge from the '90s, with an incredibly unique style, Krayzie has gone on to launch his own record label, apparel line and podcast network ... to name a few accomplishments. He's also won a couple Grammys in his day as part of Bone Thugs.

The guy isn't even all that old ... he's only 50. Here's hoping he can pull through. 🙏

Blueface may have successfully destroyed any bit of public goodwill he had in his custody fight with Chrisean Rock ... posting a pic of their son's unhealthy genitals in an effort to prove his point -- but he's sticking to his guns.

On Sunday, Blueface shocked and angered onlookers online by uploading the graphic pic on social media with a complaint ... "This what my son d**k look like an she worried about me an lil baby c*** like bih get our son c*** right then do what you want."

We blurred the pic for obvious reasons, but Blue's defense is their still weeks-old son was suffering from a hernia but Chrisean still hadn't scheduled the necessary surgery to correct the condition.

Fans were split over Blueface's lack of family discretion ... one fan noted Chrisean's behavior during pregnancy may have pre-doomed the entire situation while Blueface even challenged another who questioned his parenting skills.

Others still want CPS to intervene ... which pretty much mirrors the thoughts of Blue's manager Wack 100, who demands the child return to the hospital so it can get the proper care.

Blue and Chrisean have been at each other's throats since the baby's birth ... last week Chrisean admitted fault for not cradling his head properly while shopping at Walmart, much to Blue's disappointment.

He doesn't think she's serious about raising the child but until something's done, the lil tyke will be the main one suffering.

Should there be legal consequences to Blueface posting a photo of his child's genitals? Vote below.

Tory Lanez is isolated in his prison cell, and amid a new, volatile environment, the guy's actually gunning to be among the normie inmates ... and he's not afraid at all.

Ceasar McDowell -- a member of Tory's legal team and the CEO of Unite the People -- tells us he's spoken to TL a few times since he was denied bond pending his appeal, and apparently Tory has a preference on where to be housed at the new facility ... gen pop.

Indeed ... we're told Tory's first choice is to be among the other inmates, as opposed to being siloed away in a protective wing ... where high-profile inmates often go. Instead, McDowell tells us Tory's relayed to him ... he wants to be among the common crowd, which is somewhat shocking.

TMZ broke the story -- Tory's currently isolated because of his celebrity status, getting frequent guard checks and escorts for meals -- but he doesn't want the special treatment ... he wants to be out with everybody else.

It goes without saying ... gen pop is where a lot of danger exists, and where an inmate could more easily run into problems. And despite this, we're told Tory has absolutely no apprehension about his safety ... as McDowell explains Tory thinks he can handle himself.

McDowell tells us that Tory's been fully briefed on prison life from several people in his own world -- and, generally speaking, he's a confident guy. In other words, it sounds like TL thinks he'd be able to fit right in without any problems.

More than this ... we're told there are practical reasons Tory's gunning for a gen Pop placement. An inmate in gen pop tends to have access to more programs and resources (like help/support groups) than the special wing prisoners do ... and McDowell says Tory wants the option to take advantage of those.

Unclear which of these Tory might want to join, but what McDowell does tell us is this ... Tory believes being a part of that will help him rehabilitate faster and come home sooner.

Now, while Tory might not fear his own safety in the new prison ... we're told he does have one lingering fear ... the real possibility of losing touch with his loved ones. We're told the communication rules at North Kern State Prison are different than what he had at L.A. County Jail ... where he could call anyone he wanted at any time.

Here, and for the time being, he'll have limited access to the outside world. McDowell says Tory can't make calls himself, but can still receive them from his legal team. This will only be temporary, however, as Tory sits tight in the "reception center" for the next 30 days.

Alicia Keys is dipping her toes in the beverage game, but not booze ... the singer filed a trademark for her own lines of teas, and it seems to be inspired by a gift from Swizz Beatz.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Alicia's company, AK Worldwide, filed to lock up rights to the name, "Alicia Teas" for a line of teas -- an obvious pun on her own name that fits perfectly in the world of drinks.

And, here's the funny part -- it all seems based on a gift from her boo!

Swizz pulled out all the stops for AK's birthday in 2020, gifting Alicia her own personal line of teas ... something folks rarely get to unwrap on their big day.

San Francisco 49ers receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is making plays AND bringing the vibes in the latest edition of "Madden NFL 24" ... and the multi-talented athlete tells TMZ Sports he's stoked to have his music featured in the game -- calling it an absolute honor.

Ray-Ray and fellow NFL stars like Darren Waller, Terron Armstead and Melvin Ingram are the first active pros to ever get a spot on the game's official soundtrack ... with all six songs from their "Crowd Control" EP making the cut.

Ray-Ray tells us it's great to see his work get this kind of exposure ... considering he's been making music his entire life.

"For me, it was surreal just to do something I love on a game I've grew up playing my whole life," McCloud says.

Ray-Ray explains he's always had a passion for making tracks -- as his family has deep roots in music. He says getting this exposure is just the beginning for his career in the industry.

In fact, the former Clemson star said he has his own label and company in the works ... and he hopes to make a name for himself off the field.

Nelly's looks over the years will make you "take off all your clothes!"

Here is a 27-year-old version of the Grammy-winning star backstage -- swagged and styled in diamonds -- during Z100's Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden back in 2002 (left). This was just one year before he took home his first Gramophone trophy.

And, 21 years later the 48-year-old father recently shone bright with a head full of diamonds at the 'Clay Day Celebration for OG Clay Evans' event in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this year (right).

Nelly is set to perform this weekend at the "Life Is Beautiful" music festival in Las Vegas ... "Hot In Herre!"

The question is ...