TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Drake recently dubbed Atlanta "the most important city in rap" and the culture got the opportunity to prove him right last night during the taping of the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards.

The festivities made their way to the black-and-green carpet for the ultimate gathering of rap talent ... Boosie Badazz was especially turnt up before the show -- and during, when Fat Joe gave him a shout-out from the stage.

Joe hosted the awards and he greeted the press and media alongside his wife and daughter, Lorena and Azariah Cartagena.

Speaking of family, Da Brat flaunted her bounce-back game after giving birth to her first child a few months ago alongside her wife Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart.

DC Young Fly linked up with Chingy while continuing to push forward in the wake of his partner Jacky Oh's death -- just like he told us he would and Cash Money Millionaires Juvenile and Mannie Fresh teased a new collab and Swizz Beatz was in the mix as well.

DJ Quik fans (and his haters) can no longer engage him on Twitter-turned-X -- the West Coast pioneer had to choose between the social media platform, and finishing his 10th album.

A source close to Quik’s camp tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the time away from X has been beneficial, and while he’s still on IG, he's also been nose-deep in his studio bag o' tricks and fans can expect layered instrumentation, like most Quik albums.

Quik announced the still-untitled project back in March, and kicked off the rollout with a new track … but soon began to make headlines for waging war on his timeline with rap and the lifestyle.

We’re told the album is around 80% done, and its vibe will become clear in November when Quik performs with a live band while transforming his “Quik’s Grooves” series to real life.

If you remember, Quik’s been vocal about getting the same respect as his Compton counterpart Dr. Dre when it comes to their hip hop legacies.

Krayzie Bone says he spent 9 days fighting for his life in a hospital ... literally.

The Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapper just posted a picture from his hospital bed on social media, and he's thanking God for being alive.

Krayzie says ... "Just fought for life Literally for 9 days straight. And I only won the battle this time because I know Jehovah God was with every step of the way fighting for me."

As we reported ... Krayzie needed at least two surgeries to address internal bleeding, which he now says was threatening his life.

KB was hospitalized last month after he started coughing up blood ... so doctors ran some tests and discovered a bleeding artery in one of his lungs ... and he twice went under the knife.

When Krayzie was in the hospital, tons of celebs and sports figures wished him the best ... and he says he's thankful for all the prayers.

YNW Melly's co-defendant YNW Bortlen is facing a new charge after prosecutors claim he engaged in witness tampering behind the scenes of the double murder case.

Miami Dade Police tell TMZ Hip Hop ... they arrested Bortlen Monday afternoon at a residence in Broward County on a felony warrant for witness tampering.

According to court docs we obtained, officials say Bortlen tampered with at least one potential witness in his and YNW Melly's double murder trial, which ended in a mistrial.

Jury selection for their new trial begins on October 9, and it seemed like Bortlen had been using his free time after the mistrial to resume his rap career -- but this new charge could derail those efforts if he's found guilty.

Ed Sheeran's lightweight lungs were no match for Snoop Dogg when they smoked together ... in fact, the singer says he got so high the sesh made him temporarily go blind!!!

Ed says it was earlier this month when he found himself backstage with Snoop, his wife and Russell Crowe in Melbourne, Australia.

Ed admitted to Conan O'Brien on his "Needs a Friend" podcast that he isn't much of a smoker, but still lit up at the chance to say he "smoked with Snoop" when The Doggfather hit him with the puff, puff, pass.

The conversation got so good Ed says he continued to take pulls of the blunt until he looked up at Snoop and realized his vision had become blurred.

Of course, it's a well-known fact Snoop can smoke like a chimney at any given time ... so you can't really blame Ed for trying to keep up.

Tupac Shakur's former artist and Outlawz rapper Napoleon agrees with the narrative Duane Keith "Keefe D" Davis is only behind bars, and charged with Pac's murder, because he wouldn't stop running his mouth.

On Tuesday, Napoleon spoke to The Art Of Dialogue -- one of the platforms, coincidentally, where Keefe blabbed about his role in the Tupac case -- and he has little sympathy for Keefe's situation.

Napoleon says he never mustered enough interest to watch a full Keefe interview, but thinks clout-chasing got the best of the man, as he was openly bragging about riding in the car involved in Tupac's murder.

Keefe turned 60 in June, and Napoleon says not only is he too old to be cyber-banging, but reliving the events around Tupac's murder nearly 30 years after the fact is also a bum move.

Despite Keefe's self-incrimination, Napoleon says if Tupac had survived the shooting, he wouldn't want Keefe to rot in prison -- a sentiment echoed by Suge Knight, who was driving the BMW when he and Pac were shot.

Suge called TMZ from prison this week, and triple-downed on his refusal to rat out Keefe in any instance, in addition to denying Keefe's relative, the late Orlando Anderson, pulled the trigger.

Orlando was Keefe's nephew, and has long been believed to be the shooter, but he was killed in a 1998 shooting. Suge and Keefe are the last men standing among the 6 people involved in the 1996 shooting.

Tupac's own father is also discrediting Orlando as the shooter with a dash of conspiracy theory ... he's claiming the gov't killed his son and Keefe's just a pawn.

Most artists have been scoffing at the use of artificial intelligence, but not Donald Glover -- he thinks there's plenty of upside to the technology ... with some fine-tuning of course.

DG revealed Tuesday he's on the brink of returning to the music scene in a new interview with Complex, which could reintroduce his Childish Gambino alter-ego.

When the topic of AI came up, DG says he shares the same general concern about computers interfering with human society, but thinks if the current AI movers and shakers refocus as a team and use their tools to actually fix common problems ... the outcome could be positive.

Grammy-nominated artists such as Khalid have told TMZ Hip Hop they predict AI will replace vocal talents -- but DG thinks it won't be AI that takes jobs, it'll be a human who's good at using AI getting promotions.

Speaking of the Grammys, the viral AI Drake and The Weeknd track recently had its chances shot down for being nominated next year, slowing the movement a bit.

DG also called for government fail-safes -- he doesn't think AI should progress without proper legislation, but then again ... you never know with lawmakers these days!!!

Neil deGrasse Tyson also gave us an astrophysicist's take on AI, saying it won't be the death blow to humanity many fear.

Tupac Shakur looked like a man on a mission after he got into a fight with the person suspected to have shot and killed him -- this according to new surveillance footage.

KLAS 8 News in Las Vegas obtained the 27-year-old security video recorded inside the MGM Grand shortly after Pac, Suge Knight and a bunch of other Death Row associates jumped Orlando Anderson in a casino lobby.

It mirrors the famous security footage that's already out there, showing Tupac and co. charging toward Anderson after catching wind of him being in the building.

The new footage, though, shows Tupac still looking pretty heated as he leads a massive group of people as they head for an exit of the MGM Grand. It's also very clear that casino security was tracking their every move, because the security cam zooms in on Tupac a few times.

KLAS also got new photos taken later that night -- after the shooting -- showing the famous BMW he and Suge were riding in riddled with bullets. The new frames show the interior and more close-up shots of the exterior, which display the full extent of the damage.

You can see the passenger seat where Tupac was seated when a white Cadillac pulled up alongside of them on the strip -- after the MGM brawl -- and the aftermath looks brutal.

As we reported ... Duane "Keefe D" Davis was arrested last week and charged with murder. He's often said, publicly, he wasn't the actual triggerman ... but instead handed the gun to others in the car.

Clark County officials have explained even someone who aids and abets in a murder -- as they're alleging Keefe D did here -- can be charged with the murder itself. There's also no statute of limitation in Nevada for murder.

There is only one other living witness who could possibly speak on this case ... and that would be Suge himself -- who told us just yesterday that he ain't saying s*** about it.

In other words, this prosecution and the one defendant will have to do in terms of answers ... even all these decades later.

Angela White, formerly Blac Chyna, says she's resorted to selling her personal belongings to keep her head above water, asking Tyga to chip in for their looming custody battle.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Angela says she's selling off her clothes, purses and shoes through an online consignment store and to friends and family just to make ends meet.

Angela claims she's brought in over $178k this year from selling her personal items, which she says has supplemented her plummeting business sales ... but there's a problem.

Angela says it's really just a stopgap measure ... because she's going to eventually run out of clothes, purses and shoes to sell.

With Angela fighting Tyga in court over legal and physical custody of their son, King, she says the legal bills are piling up on her end ... and she won't be able to keep up the fight for her kid without some money from her rapper ex.

In the docs, Angela also claims Tyga's been interfering with the limited time she does have with her son, which is only 24 hours a week.

Angela says Tyga refuses to directly communicate with her, share his contact information, or give her an address for where King lives. Anglea claims he's also holding back important information on the kid's health, safety and welfare, such as the location of the kid's school and his prescriptions.

However, sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ Angela knows where Tyga lives, and he's been paying for King's private school tuition, medical bills and most everyday living expenses. We're told King has his own line of communication with Angela that she has easily accessible access to.

DC Young Fly's partner Jacky Oh! died from cosmetic surgery complications, but the doctor who operated on her won't be charged with any crimes ... TMZ has learned.

The Miami Police Department tells TMZ ... the medical examiner ruled Jacky's death accidental, and homicide detectives will not launch a criminal investigation.

As we reported ... Jacky flew to Miami back in May for cosmetic procedures, and she was prescribed medications after the procedure. Jacky then got a headache, went back to the surgeon for a post-operative appointment, decided to get a massage to alleviate her pain and was advised to swap some of the pills she was taking.

According to the ME report, Jacky then began to feel her head "burning" and she had difficulty speaking. A family member called 911 but Jacky was unresponsive before first responders arrived, and she was ultimately pronounced dead at a hospital.

The autopsy report noted Jacky had swelling in her brain and extensive bleeding of the skin around her torso.

In a since-deleted social media post before her death, Jacky said she was in Miami for a "mommy makeover" with Dr. Zachary Okhah.

Dr. Okhah released a statement shortly after Jacky's death, though he didn't directly address the situation ... instead saying his office "remains devoted to the highest quality medical care."

The doc added ... "All aesthetic procedures are performed in a hygienically safe environment to universally recognized medical standards."

Lil Baby's done playing a supporting role in the ongoing Blueface and Chrisean Rock reality series drama, and he's telling people ... don't @ him or dap him with any of their updates!!!

An incensed Baby let off some steam Monday through several posts on X ... admitting he indeed did "talk" to Chrisean at a party, but not in a sexual way and says that has never been his intention.

Baby and Chrisean first connected at the Super Bowl back in February, and there's been nonstop speculation ever since then -- Blueface even took a small jab at him on his latest single.

The 4PF rapper doesn't use social media that often, but he is now ... simply to let fans, and Chrisean, know the trolling has got to stop today!!!

Both Blueface and Chrisean were busy earlier fanning the flames before Baby lashed out ... Blueface shouted out Rock's sister, to which Chrisean replied by shouting out Baby and posting a pic of them ... just to fuel the rumors.

After Baby's rebuttal, it appears Blueface is ending his back and forth with Chrisean with the last laugh, for now.

Suge Knight is surprised there's finally an arrest in the murder of Tupac Shakur, and even though he was an eyewitness in the case ... he says he'll refuse if called to testify against the suspect, Duane "Keefe D" Davis.

TMZ spoke exclusively with the Death Row Records founder on Monday ... and he insists cops and prosecutors are barking up the wrong tree with their arrest of Davis. Even further, he refutes the long-held belief Davis' late nephew, Orlando Anderson, was the shooter.

Of course, Suge was in the BMW that 1996 night in Las Vegas when both he and Tupac were shot. During the phone call from a CA state prison, he told us regardless of what Davis has confessed to in interviews, or to police ... Suge himself won't ever say a bad word about the man.

He also said prosecutors can forget about getting him on the stand during Davis' murder trial. In a nutshell, Suge says he's not ratting out anyone. Keep in mind, of the 6 people involved in the shooting -- 4 were in the shooter's car -- Suge and Davis are the only 2 still alive.

As you know ... Davis was arrested last week in Las Vegas after a grand jury indicted him -- but the whole bust was a huge surprise to Suge.

Cops say Keefe D was in on Tupac's murder and supplied the gun used in the fatal shooting ... which went down shortly after Tupac's crew beat the crap out of Orlando inside the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson fight.

While Suge made it clear he'll never say who did open fire on Pac and him ... he says he knows it wasn't Anderson, and he insinuated Keefe D doesn't belong behind bars either.

Keefe's been outspoken for years about his alleged involvement in Tupac's murder, giving interviews and even writing a book about it -- and cops say that played a big part in reinvigorating the investigation.

Suge, who is currently serving out a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, won't say whether Keefe D was involved at all in the shooting -- but he was sure of one thing, telling us he'd never wish prison time on anyone.

Tupac Shakur murder suspect Duane Keith "Keefe D" Davis only has himself to blame for cops re-opening the nearly 3 decades-old investigation -- he knew he was close to self-incrimination during at least one interview.

Keefe spoke openly, several times, with platforms VladTV and The Art of Dialogue leading up to Las Vegas Police raiding his home in July, and arresting him last week. 'Dialogue' reminded folks of that Monday by reposting one of its clips where Keefe was sweating bullets.

In the interview, conducted a couple months ago, he admits riding in the car that contained Tupac's shooter, but wouldn't elaborate whether it was his nephew Orlando Anderson or another man, "Big Dre," who pulled the trigger.

In the tense conversation, Keefe says he wasn't trying to go back to jail for speaking his peace ... which is exactly what happened anyway.

Vegas PD swooped in on Keefe on September 29 and charged him with murder, 27 years after Pac was gunned down on the strip.

Tupac's brother Mopreme Shakur tells TMZ the entire series of events has been a traumatic experience for him and the family, and he says various changeups in LVPD staffing haven't helped matters.

Keefe's dozens of hours speaking with VladTV were also of interest to police, but the veteran DJ says he's no snitch.

Blueface better stay outta trouble for the next few years, or he could find himself doing some serious jail time ... getting up to 3 years probation for a Vegas shooting.

Blueface learned his fate Monday, getting sentenced to up to 3 years probation. There's also an underlying sentence of 2-5 years behind bars, so if he screws up the probation, he's certain to get locked up for several years.

The shooting happened back in October 2022, and Vegas cops busted BF a month later, he was later charged with attempted murder  … but eventually pled guilty in July to lesser charges of battery and discharging a firearm at or into an occupied structure.

Kentavious Traylor, the man who was apparently grazed by one of the bullets, expressed utmost frustration with the judicial process ... saying he's seen candy thieves get stiffer punishments and thinks Blueface benefitted from celebrity treatment.

Traylor claims the incident has ruined his life and prevented him from obtaining work ... and is letting the world know he'll never be a fan of Blue or Jaidyn Alexis anytime soon.

Kanye West didn't bite his tongue while lashing into Cardi B during her monster 2018 come-up … as seen in leaked footage from an unreleased documentary that’s currently burning up the internet!!!

In the clips, Ye was also adamant Kris Jenner's longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble is a CIA agent who tied Cardi into an alleged new world that conflicted with his existing allegiances. Yeah, this is out there, so buckle up.

Ye ranted, "Cardi B is a plant by the Illuminati. She don't write her raps. She just there to sound as ignorant as possible and then make songs like, 'f*** them and get some money.' She has literally replaced Nicki Minaj, purposely that they put her there, and now she doesn't know what to do, and she has no idea what the fuck is going on. She thinks it's just a blessing from the universe. It ain't no blessing from the universe!!!”

In 2018, Cardi dropped her one and only solo album ... the historic "Invasion of Privacy" which spawned 2 Diamond singles and also saw her feud with Nicki nearly come to blows ...  but seasons change just like people's feelings sometimes and Cardi appears to be letting bygones be just that.

As the clip spread on social media, Cardi opted to NOT bark back ... she posted a heart emoji with a clip from Ye's 2022 interview with Jason Lee on "Hollywood Unlocked" where Ye praised her outspokenness and gushed over having the privilege of recording a song with her -- the 2022 track "Hot Sh*t" with Lil Durk.

Kountry Wayne not only sees no issue with shelling out six figures a month in child support for his 10 kids, he thinks anyone who partakes in the trickle-down business model are the real suckers in this country!!!

The comedian/rapper hopped on IG Sunday after his recent interview with Sherri Shepherd about paying $200,000 each month -- for his 10 kids with 5 different women -- had so many people dumbfounded.

KW explained he actually enjoyed splurging on his children as opposed to spending it on partying and having Uncle Sam collect the bulk of the earnings.

KW is coming off a successful Netflix special and says his business contracts are set up for him to recoup all the money and the child support system isn't pimping him as people assume.

On the other hand, KW says people who allow themselves to get taken advantage of have no reason to even come for his throat!!!