TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

N.O.R.E. and his "Drink Champs" podcast lost the "Best Hip Hop Platform" BET award to Yung Miami for the 2nd year in a row ... and the "Oye Mi Canto" rapper isn't taking the L too nicely!!!

After the 2023 BET Hip Hop Award winners were announced during Tuesday's airing, N.O.R.E. decided to stir the pot by tweeting ... "So nobody gonna say nothing bout the podcast /media award? Ok me neither!!!"

Miami not only beat out "Drink Champs," but also "The Breakfast Club" and Joe Budden's podcast -- but the accusations of Diddy paying off BET for her didn't fly as far as they did last year, as many of Miami's fans rubbed it in N.O.R.E.'s face!!!

Her "Caresha Please" viewership was proven to best N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN's in the last year and she's even given them one of their recent viral moments ... dubbing herself the "Black Oprah" when she was on "Drink Champs" in August.

Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Ice Spice also took home trophies at the Awards, which were taped last week and hosted by Fat Joe.

DJ Envy finally addressed the Ponzi scheme allegations that have been haunting him for weeks, denying any wrongdoing Wednesday on "The Breakfast Club" ... the same platform he used to promote the side hustle some have called a scam.

Envy told listeners he's going against the advice of his legal counsel in defending his name ... but says he only embarked on the real estate venture with Cesar Piña in order to assist first-time homeowners in his community, so they wouldn't have to struggle as he did.

Envy admits he participated in several seminars disseminating information to potential buyers ... but says he had no knowledge of what Cesar did with the money clients gave him, and even claims he's lost $500,000 of his own money in the deal.

The fallout has made Envy a target in the hip hop world ... Rick Ross and Funk Flex have publicly clowned him over the accusations, and internet personality Tony The Closer has also taken him to task.

Envy isn't taking that lightly, his attorney Massimo D'Angelo tells TMZ Hip Hop they're suing Tony for defamation.

So far, the bulk of the lawsuits have been filed against Cesar and his wife, Jennifer, with Envy being named as a secondary defendant -- which his attorney calls pure sensationalizing of Envy's celebrity.

NBC 4 New York interviewed several of the alleged victims who said they were comfortable doing business with Piña because of Envy's endorsement.

8:54 AM PT -- GaTa's lawyer Shawn Holley tells TMZ, "The entire incident between the parties is on video which I am in the process of providing to law enforcement. The video demonstrates clearly that Mr. Ganter did nothing wrong and, instead, tried to de-escalate the situation."

GaTa -- famous from the TV show 'Dave' -- was busted for domestic violence ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a DV incident in Santa Clarita, CA this past Sunday -- officers were told a physical argument occurred between two parties. The details are unclear ... but we know it ended with GaTa getting arrested.

We're told he was booked for felony domestic violence ... before being released on $100K bond and scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The case is under investigation.

GaTa -- whose real name is Davionte Ganter -- is a rapper/musician ... and lately, he's been an actor on Lil Dicky's FX series that launched in 2020 ... on which he's been featured for three seasons now, playing a fictionalized version of himself.

The guy is known in the music world ... having served as a professional hype man for the likes of Lil Wayne, Gym Class Heroes, Tyga and others.

Drake's adding to his jewelry collection with a new piece of custom bling, paying homage to his hometown and his favorite pro sports teams.

Champagne Papi's latest addition is dubbed the "Crown Jewel of Toronto" by celeb jeweler Alex Moss, the creator behind Drake's new piece.

As you see, Drake ordered a huge diamond chain with an even bigger iced-out pendant ... featuring logos for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA's Toronto Raptors and MLB's Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto's famed CN Tower is also featured prominently ... with the Raptors and Blue Jays mascots surrounding the famous building from the city skyline.

Drake's dangling some pretty big carrots with all these carats ... he says any Toronto team that wins a championship gets to hang on to the bling for the entire offseason ... kind of like hockey's Stanley Cup trophy tradition.

The Blue Jays got bounced from postseason baseball last week without winning a game, but there's hope for the Maple Leafs and Raptors ... the NHL and NBA seasons are just getting started.

YG's baby mama, Catelyn Sparks, was involved in an unfortunate accident, resulting in the death of an 89-year-old woman ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sparks was driving her 2023 Tesla in L.A. Wednesday when the crash occurred. We're told the other woman -- driving a 1985 Cadillac -- made a U-turn in front of Catelyn's vehicle, and Catelyn struck the woman's driver-side door.

The 89-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene ... and Catelyn was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Our law enforcement sources tell us Catelyn did not commit a crime, no drugs or alcohol were involved, and the crash was the result of an accident.

It's not totally clear if YG and Catelyn are currently together, they've got 2 kids, but their relationship has had it's ups and downs. It was back in May when the rapper and Saweetie were spotted on a romantic trip down in Cabo ... locking lips in the pool.

Shortly after the photos went public, Catelyn posted a cryptic message on social media, writing, "Just because we got the same blood don't make us family & just because we got kids don't make us family, cuz with 'family' like mine? I rather not have any."

Julia Fox says her relationship with Kanye West was all for show -- claiming she was used as a prop for Ye ... something she can now talk about 'cause she didn't sign a legal doc.

The actress/influencer spills the alleged beans in her new memoir, "Down the Drain," which just hit the shelves Tuesday ... and according to Page Six, she details her whirlwind romance with Kanye that lasted for just a couple months starting at the tail end of 2021.

Per JF, Ye first entered her life when a friend of hers asked to pass along her number to him ... apparently, he'd inquired about her. Once she connected with Ye, Julia says he called her dozens of times ... and that they talked for a long time, noting it was mostly him yapping.

Eventually, he invited her to join him for NYE down in Miami ... and flew her and her friends out, leading to their now-famous first public date. However, it sounds like their first face-to-face meeting actually happened at a club -- where they got touchy-feely pretty quickly.

During their initial in-club meeting in Miami, Julia says Kanye took her out to a parking lot at one point ... claiming he took a piss right there in public, spurring her to block and cover him from gawkers. Once he finished and zipped up, she says they made out hot and heavy.

The next day, at Carbone, Julia says Ye bluntly asked her to be his girlfriend and if she was cool taking their new union public -- it was at this point JF says she felt like the whole thing was a sham, considering photos of that exact moment were being snapped by a pap.

Shortly thereafter, Julia says she was asked to showcase several outfits arranged by Ye ... saying she felt like a "show monkey." During one of these fittings, she felt like a certain top didn't feel right -- to which Ye allegedly replied, "I'll get you a boob job if you want."

Julia says their pairing continued to feel manufactured ... saying Ye sent a bunch of photos of them to an outlet and asked her to write a blurb. She writes, "I feel like he’s using me in some weird, twisted game. It makes me feel dirty."

Eventually, they went to Paris -- which was memorable fashion-wise -- and she says they argued a lot there ... which even led to them getting chastised as a big shot party.

Once she was back in NYC, toward the end of it all, Julia says Kanye invited her and her friends to a hotel ... where he gifted them Birkin bags, something JF describes as feeling like a farewell present from him. She also says he made them recreate the opening sequence of the Birkin gifting video several times, and claims he made them pose for staged pictures. Again, more fakery.

BTW, in the midst of all this ... Julia says Kanye sent her an NDA to sign, which she never did -- and that finally came back to serve as the final nail in the coffin. She says he said they couldn't continue seeing each other if she didn't sign it -- and she was fine with that.

Drake is framing Joe Budden as a failed rapper, but KNXG Crooked says that's a low blow -- not just for Joe, but for all MCs who go on to use their expertise for hip hop commentary.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Joe's former Slaughterhouse bandmate in the wake of the "For All The Dogs" feud. While they weren't on the best terms when Slaughterhouse broke up, Crooked's surprisingly on Joe's side as he feels Drake's disses cut him just as deep!

Crooked acknowledges JB as a pioneer in hip hop podcasting -- alongside the late Combat Jack and incarcerated Taxstone -- and says Joe was well within his rights to criticize Drake's "For All the Dogs" ... just as much as Drake had the right to respond.

Drake told JB his stock pales in comparison because he owns a private jet compared to JB's "modest" house in New Jersey to shut him up, but Crook doesn't believe the beef is serious.

Crooked says Drake and Joe have a deep admiration for one another -- something he can attest to personally.

He harkened back on the days of Slaughterhouse touring, circa the top of the 2010s, and says Joe was actively listening to Drake on the tour buses. Crooked adds ... there's no need for Joe to dust off his MC mic going forward, as his podcast platform is mighty enough!!!

Gunplay is getting more fallout from his alleged domestic abuse drama -- sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Hip Hop the MMG rapper recently lost custody of his newborn daughter.

The courts made the final decision Monday ... a decision that can only be reversed if his estranged wife Vonshae Taylor-Morales requests the court grant him custody, which seems unlikely, considering the alarming chain of events that dissolved their marriage.

We're told Gunplay is only permitted to see his daughter virtually through an app called TalkingParents ... and visits have to be set and monitored by the court.

Per the source, Vonshae is also requesting child support, and the amount he pays will be determined during a later court date.

The embattled rapper has missed 3 previous hearings regarding the temporary restraining order Vonshae currently has against him. If he misses the next one, the TRO will become permanent, and it will keep him away from their daughter until she's 18.

As we reported in August, Gunplay was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and child abuse following an explosive fight in their home where cops were called.

Drake's new album is projected to basically go Gold in a week, but several people within the music industry still aren't convinced his sound is the right direction for the genre.

On Monday, both Juicy J and Wallo blasted the current state of rap from their respective angles -- the Three 6 Mafia rapper skewered hip hop's plummeting stats while the Million Dollarz Game cohost called for industry power players to simply step up their music game.

According to the latest report he read, Juicy says rap music sales are down 40% ... and it's up to rappers, producers, composers and engineers alike to reroute the course.

Juicy thinks industry power players need a big pow-pow on the subject, because everyone's finances are in jeopardy. Remember, the genre went a full year without a #1 Billboard hit!!!

Wallo thinks fans have grown weary of themes of murder, jewelry and cash always tied to the rapper's lyrics.

He also believes recruiting a superstar for a feature isn't the winning formula it used to be, and stressed the need for rappers to actually be good at... well, rapping!!!

Rap's sinking ship has become a popular narrative ... Xzibit, along with his Midwest counterpart Layzie Bone, recently voiced very similar complaints.

Birdman is hinting Bad Bunny owes his massive success to Drake ... claiming the "Un Verano Sin Ti" star's secretly been signed to October's Very Own since the start!!!

The Cash Money boss has been swatting at all Drake's new album critics and backed his star pupil on a recent podcast with Wack 100 where he claimed BB has been an OVO artist all this time and the public was just unaware ... until now.

BB's been releasing music for over a decade and his 2018 studio debut album did indeed feature Drake on the song "MIA" ... all released on Rimas Entertainment with no OVO credits whatsoever.

What Birdman does NOT address is why in the world Bunny and Drake would keep this alleged affiliation under wraps.

BB recently returned the feature favor on Drake's "For All the Dogs" album -- an album Birdman has been fiercely defending against the negative opinions of Joe Budden and Druski. He's also clapped at Gillie Da Kid for allegedly faking like he got rich off his stint with Cash Money.

Kevin Gates recently told us to expect explosiveness on his tour ... and hocking a loogie down a fan's throat totally falls under that category!!!

KG kicked off his "Only the Generals" tour over the weekend in Portsmouth, VA, where he invited a fan onstage, and she quickly gave verbal permission for him to "do whatever you want."

He then escorted the fan to her folding chair throne, and instructed her to stick out her tongue ... and then proceeded to drop a spit missile down her throat, immediately drawing moans and groans from the crowd!!!

The fan didn't seem to mind ... probably could've used a bib though.

KG said he got into tour shape through the basketball tutelage of Kevin Durant and other hoopers ... but we're not sure KD taught him how to swish with spit.

Drake has a huge sales week on the horizon, but isn't ready to let bygones be bygones over Joe Budden's scathing critique of his new album, "For All the Dogs," and his boyish lifestyle!!!

Drake threw another shot Monday at JB, clowning him for having a bulletproof fedora case and his podcast career ... "I thank god for this life and not having to come to rushed conclusions on Best Buy podcast mics."

HitsDD is projecting Drake to have his biggest opening week since 2021 -- evidence fans weren't digging that dance album that much -- yet, he's still distracted by Budden enough to spend the weekend duking it out with him.

The Canadian rapper went out of his way to discredit Budden's podcast cohost/engineer Parks Vallely, essentially labeling him "cool as Mark Zuckerberg," to which Parks might have trumped Drake with his response -- revealing he actually worked on Drake's 2016 "Scorpion" album.

JB was basking in yet another level-up for his podcast in the wake of his Drake beef ... posting how his anti-"Dogs" episode was competing in the global news market against Israel vs. Hamas and Donald Trump. Hyperbole's also good ratings.

Whether fans hated it or loved it, the new album could be Drake's last offering for a while ... he says stomach issues have been holding him back for some time now.

Drake may say he's over Rihanna -- but she's the one who truly seems to have moved on ... just peep how happy she looks celebrating A$AP Rocky's big birthday weekend!

The songstress and her baby daddy were raging Friday night after hitting the town on the East Coast to ring A$AP's 35th born day ... which was actually on Oct. 3. Nothing like a prolonged party though -- and that's exactly what RiRi and AR had on their hands here.

It appears to have been an adult-only rager ... sans any sign of their 2 little ones. As far as where exactly they were -- apparently, they started in the Big Apple, and made their way to a go-kart joint in Jersey City after -- though, unclear if that's where this shindig went down.

In any case ... they were living it up big time, dancing up on each other and boogeying on down with their close friends nearby. Rihanna, specifically, made sure to bust out the moves.

We must say, post-delivery of her 2nd son in August -- she's looking pretty damn good ... and about as spry as ever. And dare we say ... she's still hot as hell, despite what Drizzy might be claiming now.

Of course, we're referring to the shots he took in his new song 'Fear Of Heights' -- where he lamented the fact people felt he hadn't moved past RiRi ... while also claiming he'd been with way hotter women than her -- and also, he suggested A$AP was "stuck" with Rihanna.

In the wake of his latest dig at his ex ... Drake's been getting dragged across the coals by Rihanna fans -- who were quick to point out how obsessed home boy was back in the day. Remember, he infamously declared his love for her on live TV during the 2016 VMAs.

They actually dated for a bit after that ... but it didn't last, and the relationship fizzled.

A couple years later, Rihanna kinda shaded Drake in a Vogue cover story ... saying this about the status of their relationship, "We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either. It is what it is." The outlet also noted her "eyes glaze[d] over with cool indifference."

She hasn't talked much about him since, but Drizzy's still going on about her ... a mom of 2, who's in a committed relationship ... and who's billionaire fashion mogul.

Mariah The Scientist has nothing but support for Sexyy Red as the dust settles on her sex tape controversy ... which includes defending her from the scope of Akademiks!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the "Spread Thin" singer at Dash Radio, and she advised Sexyy to consider taking legal action, if her XXX leak turns out to be an act of revenge porn.

Akademiks shared his concern for Sexyy in a different way -- advising her to quit dating and banging hood dudes, now that her celebrity stock is on the rise.

Mariah's currently in a long-distance relationship with Young Thug amid his RICO trial, and says Ak needs to shut his mouth and stay out of women's business for good ... something we're sure he's heard before.

She tells us Thug is actually in good spirits in his Fulton County jail lockup, and has become an avid Candy Crush player to pass the time.

Drake's giving a warning to a social media star who's trying to pretend he's the boss of a new rap label, which feels eerily similar to Birdman's ... and which Baby doesn't like at all.

Of course, we're talking about Druski and his "Coulda Been Records" -- a brand he recently launched ... but seemingly just for jokes and content. The dude ran auditions and uploaded a ton of clips showing him denying would-be artists in hilarious fashion.

Thing is ... Birdman himself isn't a fan of what Druski's doing -- and let him know about it in no uncertain terms over an IG Live chat -- warning him he's stepping on Cash Money's toes.

Fast-forward to this weekend ... and Druski's at it again, playing up a sketch/skit where he's brooding over one of Drizzy's new songs ('Daylight') where he raps a bar that Druski apparently wanted to use in one of his own (fake) songs ... "Standin' on business."

Check out Druski's upload ... it's pretty funny. He's fuming over the fact that Drake beat him to the punch -- and captioned his video "Cash Money vs Coulda Been BEEF CONTINUES." Obviously, Dru's kidding here -- the whole thing's a gag -- but Birdman isn't playing.

Baby responded in the comments, "Bro you still playin with a real gangsta SMFH" ... and Drake even chimed in, adding "Stunna bout to have you come up missing on Gladys."

Now, the Internet apparently can't tell if Birdman is being serious or not -- even though Druski obviously isn't -- but based on how Baby's reacting ... something tells us he means it. He posted more photos of Druski on his IG Story after this -- and he sure seems angry.

Remember, this manufactured feud came to a head a few months ago when Birdman confronted Druski about his Coulda Been endeavor -- and Dru tried to calm his down.

Since then, Druski's been leaning into it -- apparently getting a kick over the fact that he's gotten a rise out of Birdman over this whole charade -- and he continues to stir the CMR pot.

21 Savage took Canada by storm Saturday night at Drake's jam-packed performance -- one day after he was barred from entering the country.

The rapper hit the stage with Drake at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto last evening, marking the first time he was legally permitted to travel outside the United States.

TMZ got video of Drake cutting off some guy holding a mic to announce 21's dramatic arrival onstage. 21 gave Drake a huge hug as the crowd went absolutely wild.

As you know, 21 just got his Green Card after years of haggling in the courts following his 2019 arrest in Georgia that led to drug and gun possession charges.

At the time, 21 was a UK citizen living in the U.S. with an expired visa, putting him in the crosshairs of American immigration authorities.

Fast forward to Friday night. 21 was supposed to be at Drake's side during the concert, but he was denied entry into Canada, although it's not clear why.

Yet, 21 was able to iron out his immigration issues and Canadian officials opened the doors so he could make it to the arena Saturday.