TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West is reportedly pissing off the people of Italy again ... and this time it's local war veterans angry over his past remarks celebrating Hitler and the Nazis.

Here's the rub ... the rapper is supposedly in secret talks to hold a concert to build a huge event stage at the RCF Arena in the city of Reggio Emilia, according to the Daily Mail.

While no plans have been set in stone, word got around town that 80,000 fans are planning to show up at Kanye's possible gig, infuriating some of the Italian war veterans who fought against Nazis during World War 2, sources told The Mail.

The vets are bitter about Kanye's comments last year, lavishing praise on Hitler and the Nazis. You might recall ... Kanye sat for an interview with conspiracy nut Alex Jones on his show, "Infowars," and made some jaw-dropping remarks.

Kanye said, "I see good things about Hitler ... Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler."

When Jones argued the other way, Kanye replied, "They did good things too, we are gonna stop dissing the Nazis." At another point, Kanye stated, "I like Hitler.

In a separate interview with Piers Morgan, Kanye doubled down on his antisemitism, blaming Jews in the music industry for his ugly feelings toward them.

Taylor Swift's world premiere of her "Eras" tour film wouldn't be complete without friendship bracelets galore ... and the singer's parents joined in on the fun with her biggest fans -- which included Flavor Flav!

Scott and Andrea Swift were all smiles at the big premiere of their daughter's epic concert movie Wednesday night at The Grove in L.A. -- Andrea was spotted trading and having fun with a fan throughout the night.

Andrea couldn't help but give the Swiftie a hug after getting the accessory from them, which said, "I love you mama thank you so much" ... and she made sure to return the favor by finding a bracelet to give right back.

One of the many celebs who showed up was big-time Swiftie, Flavor Flav -- after snapping a pic with Taylor's pops, they got into the bracelet trading biz, too ... with Scott giving Flav a "Papa Swift" one that apparently is NOT for trading.

Flav gave Scott one to keep all for himself, too ... even double-checking that it'll stay on his wrist!

This isn't the first time Flav has met Taylor's 'rents -- as we reported, the rapper gave them big hugs at her SoFi Stadium concert back in August, and he was decked out in friendship bracelets there, too.

Scott even gave him some sweet guitar picks to pass out to the crowd.

Taylor Swift certainly knows how to draw a crowd -- proving it once again at her movie premiere -- by bringing out a ton of her fans and celebrity friends as well.

Taylor shut down the famous The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles Wednesday for 2,200 fans, but it felt more like a red carpet premiere once celebs started to show face.

As for the guest list -- Beyoncé, Flavor Flav, Simu Liu, Adam Sandler and his kids, Julia Garner, Mariska Hargitay, Maren Morris, Loren Gray and more.

Unsurprisingly, Taylor's fans were eating it all up ... going nuts outside the venue as their favorite singer posed for pics, shared quick stories, signed autographs and did plenty of smiling and waving.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor had 14 theaters rented out at the AMC location at The Grove and each was packed. Once inside, fans were obviously treated to the movie, popcorn in 'Eras Tour' buckets, drinks, candy and even some face time with Taylor herself.

Tory Lanez is no longer getting isolated in prison, due to his celebrity status ... instead, we're told he's been rubbing elbows in the yard with his fellow inmates.

A rep for the California Correctional Institution tells TMZ Hip Hop ... a typical day for Tory consists of waking up around 6 or 6:30 AM, before grabbing breakfast in the chow hall and then work release -- a schedule that applies to roughly 96 percent of the prison population.

We're told work jobs range from various hands-on tasks such as plumbing, carpentry and fixing air conditioners ... but taking classes will also earn inmates work credits,

Non-workers at North Kern State Prison apparently have the privilege of hanging out in the dayroom and rec area where they're provided a tablet to connect with family.

As for their second square of the day -- lunches are provided in box form, and inmates are allowed to eat them whenever.

If all goes well, Tory will have the opportunity to participate in education programs that offer certifications and even Master's degrees. There's also a slew of additional courses, such as anti-drug programs, alternatives to violence and parenting classes.

When Tory goes out in the yard, we're told he's able to mingle with all groups within the general population ... something his legal team stressed was important for his prison experience.

And, the official says there's no extra security shadowing him ... he's a common inmate just like everyone else.

Closing out the day ... dinner is typically served after a 5 PM headcount, and then the dayroom and yard are reopened for inmates to socialize until 9 PM when they return to their cells for lights out.

City Girls are coming in hot with their new album title, proudly labeling themselves "Real/Raw Ass Whores" to sum up their 3rd studio effort.

Yung Miami and JT both made the shocking reveal following their BET Hip Hop Awards performance ... a moment that left the interviewer momentarily speechless.

Just like the abbreviation suggests, the title was so raw, Miami took the liberty upon herself to blurt out the acronym ... leaving JT to shed light on the fact they were referring to themselves as "whores" this time around.

The "Act Up" rappers didn't explain if being "whores" was a term of empowerment or endearment like say when Missy Elliott did back in 1999 when she proclaimed herself "a bitch" ... they just had a hearty laugh at their new nicknames!!!

Fans were on the fence about City Girls' album title for some reason but expressed even more confusion about the project's release date of October 20 in general ... many felt the duo hadn't had a proper lead-up time to see success.

Or maybe the impact just hasn't been there??? City Girls actually dropped 4 singles this year ... with none of the tracks even nicking the Billboard Hot 100 ... a string of rare misses for the platinum-selling hitmakers.

Weeks before Keefe D's arrest for the murder of Tupac Shakur, he was ready to talk about the July raid on his home -- but according to DJ Vlad, Keefe got cold feet and made off with stacks of Vlad's cash!!!

We reported at the time how investigators collected several electronic items such as a hard drive, laptops and USBs during the raid ... and police say that ultimately led to last month's stunning arrest of Keefe.

Now, Vlad tells Faizon Love ... Keefe actually reached out to him to do another sit-down, and Vlad agreed. He said he even paid Keefe an initial deposit to secure the interview.

As it turns out, Vlad says he learned Keefe was fielding offers -- and collecting deposits -- from other outlets too, but was unable to make the interview happen before he got busted.

Vlad says he's yet to see any sort of refund of his money and doesn't sound like he's holding his breath for one.

Doug E. Fresh is much more open-minded than most of his peers when it comes to artificial intelligence affecting the art ... he's straight up calling it "an enhancement" to human abilities!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with the beatboxing pioneer Wednesday in NYC, where he urged fans and artists not to fear the AI revolution taking jobs ... something Krayzie Bone told us last year he fears when we raised the topic.

"The World's Best Entertainer" was lending his support to Pencils of Promise ... an education organization geared toward spreading modern education to children in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos.

Speaking of younger generations, Doug believes they'll adopt AI tools much easier in the years to come.

Doug compared AI's origins to when the drum machine entered the world of hip hop ... effectively replacing live instrumentation, and he's confident humans will still be in control.

Ja Rule thinks Drake and DJ Khaled deserve a pass, or at least time before they make any public comments about the war between Israel and Hamas ... and that's IF they want to say anything at all.

This is only an issue because DJ Vlad, who is Jewish, called out Drake for being the world's most famous Jewish person, and Khaled for being the most recognizable Palestinian. Both men have been silent on the conflict in which Hamas terrorists have reportedly beheaded babies and raped women, massacred more than 1,000 people and taken more than 200 hostages.

Ja tells TMZ Hip Hop he feels the criticism of Khaled and Drake is a bit unfair ... as some artists make the decision to stay away from anything that even hints at politics.

He also notes people -- celebs and entertainers alike -- need time to digest breaking news in order to react with real knowledge, and they deserve the time to do so without facing the public's wrath.

The "Always On Time" rapper was back home in NYC for the Pencils of Promise Gala Tuesday evening and offered up some words about the human condition and the need for peace.

Remember, Ja put his own neck on the line on the day of the September 11 terrorist attacks calling into MTV with words of encouragement ... only to become a meme thanks to Dave Chappelle years down the line.

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.