TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

A pair of diamond-encrusted Death Row pendants Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg once dangled around their necks are going up on the auction block ... along with other hip hop treasures tied to Suge Knight's old empire.

GottaHaveRockAndRoll.com tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the consigner got their hands on the latest round of rap memorabilia from Reggie Wright Jr. -- the former head of Death Row security -- who's been sharing his recollection of the label's heyday for years.

We're told Suge commissioned separate sets of Death Row chains that he would loan to his artists -- the 14kt "Fully Iced" pendant was reserved for the big dogs like Pac and Snoop, and is expected to go for somewhere between $500K and $1 million. Some partial diamond pendants are estimated to go for $200K - $500K.

Tupac's 1996 SNL performance envelope and personalized ticket are also up on the auction block with an estimated value between $8K and $12K.

The online bidding starts today and will end November 10 in conjunction with Gotta Have Rock and Roll's celebration of hip hop's 50-year history.

Death Row Records' revival has been all the rage this year.

Gianni Paolo shares the same thoughts as a whole lot of men reading a viral list of places to avoid on a first date ... by saying, HUH?!?

TMZ Hip Hop got the 'Power Book: II' star's take on the list of venue no-no's a group of women allegedly compiled, ranking places they won't be caught dead on a first meeting.

The list includes places like Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's, bowling, the movies ... basically all the comfort spots for couples who have been together for a while.

Gianni admits a non-speaking engagement like the movies may not be the best first-date environment, but he doesn't want to live in a world where you can't strike it up with a girl while bowling ... c'mon now!!!

Gianni isn't alone ... one of NYC's most eligible bachelors, Stephen A. Smith, also questioned the motives behind list even though he's not tight on money.

50 Cent's 'PB2' is set to enter its 3rd and 4th seasons and Gianni says he's seen his stock rise -- in addition to the amount of gold-digging groupies who entered the chat.

DJ Envy's former FlippingNJ business partner Cesar Pina is breaking his silence after getting hit with wire fraud charges ... and he's denying "The Breakfast Club" cohost was responsible for any wrongdoing.

Cesar maintained his own innocence too, while on IG Live Tuesday night ... and he also clapped back at the likes of Rick Ross, Funk Flex and social media personality Tony the Closer for allegedly spreading disinformation about the case.

Cesar made it clear he's not beyond settling his debts but said he's been bombarded with fake claims ... even from people he thought he could trust.

He named Tony the biggest instigator of fake news, and called him out for using Envy and Cesar's controversy to promote his own real estate hustle -- something Akademiks also bombed on Tony for doing.

Envy's already suing Tony for defamation.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... federal law enforcement sources denied the widespread reports Envy's space at the iHeartMedia's offices was raided.

Cesar says the feds didn't even raid his house, and he's the prime target of their investigation!!!

Kirk Franklin is 100% in for a collaboration with Plies -- the internet's been telling him for YEARS he resembles the "Bust It Baby" rapper ... so what the heck, right???

The gospel music legend was pranked by "The Morning Hustle" radio crew on Wednesday when he walked into the station for his interview and was met with a billboard with his name ... but Plies' mug on it.

Lesser eyes can't tell the difference!!! 🤷🏾‍♂️

Kirk says he's been in contact with Plies about collaborating for the good of the Miami community and praised the rapper for his insightful social media commentary. He can tell Plies genuinely cares to help.

The collab will put the 2 platinum-selling artists in the same place at the same time ... fans, and apparently Lore'l still aren't convinced they're not the same person.

Wiz Khalifa says he's been dry for 8 months and is a better man for it ... but he's got no plans to abandon weed and shrooms.

The "Black & Yellow" rapper is back with a new album "Khali Sober," which he explained on the "Cuhmunity" podcast as his custom spin on sobriety living in the Golden State.

Wiz says his key to quitting drinking was he stopped taking sips in between takes while recording in the booth and ultimately decided to stop after the occasional lapse during performance time or family functions.

He tested out being booze-free on the road for the first time ever this past summer when he and Snoop Dogg embarked on their High School Reunion Tour ... and had everyone getting in shape without worrying about hangovers.

Rappers have been cleaning up their act left and right this year ... the last time we spoke to Lil Uzi Vert, they praised the act of sobriety, having recorded "The Pink Tape" drug-free before it became the first hip hop album to go No. 1 in 2023.

French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Method Man and several other rap legends recently banded together for a healthcare initiative ... it's a growing trend.

Russell Wilson continues to remind everyone he's madly in love with Ciara ... sharing a mushy post on his Instagram page on Wednesday in honor of her 38th birthday.

The Denver Broncos quarterback threw up several photos of his singer/dancer wife ... all while using her latest hit song with Chris Brown, "How We Roll," as background music.

The pics showed the former Super Bowl champ with Ciara at football practices, on vacations, date nights and more.

"Happy Birthday to my Queen, @ciara ❤️," the 34-year-old signal caller wrote. "You truly are Heaven sent, the perfect mother to our children, and God's blessing to me as we get to do life together as Husband & Wife."

"We are all truly BLESSED!! I'm so grateful that God put you into my life and we've been able to create an amazing (growing) family."

Wilson married Cici in 2016 and the family of five moved to Denver when the Seahawks traded the 9-time Pro Bowler to the Broncos last year. The two announced in August they're expecting a third baby together ... something Wilson begged her for on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last year.

He's also a proud stepfather to Ciara's first son, Future Zahir.

"God has so much in store for you this year of life and I can’t wait to see how much good will come from your presence and joy!!!" Wilson said.

"I Thank Jesus for you every day! I Love You Mrs. Wilson."

Nicki Minaj has moved the release date for her "Pink Friday 2" album once again to a day she's certain will keep her safe from Barbz backlash ... her birthday!!!

The "Barbie World" rapper made the announcement Tuesday night on IG Live with the help of Funny Marco and Kai Cenat.

Nicki recently told fans November 17 was set in stone for her "PF2" release -- the same date Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz just announced their "Collegrove 2" collab to arrive.

She assured fans Wayne wasn't intentionally knocking her out of the box and later told Kai that her label was unable to receive the vinyl copies in time for November 17 and December 8 was the perfect alternative.

The long rollout for "PF2" continues. "Super Freaky Girl," the album's first single, went No. 1 on the charts after debuting back in August 2022!!!

LeBron James pulled out all the stops for his first fashion statement of the 2023-24 season ... rocking over $28,000 worth of Louis Vuitton for opening night!!

King James -- who is entering his 21st season -- clearly wanted to come up with a special look for the Los Angeles Lakers opening game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena ... and he certainly didn't disappoint.

The 19-time All-Star forward is covered in Louis V ... from the $5k damoflage tweed chic collarless jacket and $1,250 pants to the $1,220 LV checker derby kicks.

He didn't stop there -- the Speedy Bandouliere 40 he's holding comes with an $11k price tag, and the briefcase will set the Average Joe back another $9,500.

So yeah, Bron's whole look is fit for a king.

BTW, some of those pieces LBJ is wearing are from Pharrell's men's Spring-Summer 2024 collection. The famous producer/rapper became the high-end brand's new men's creative director in February ... and debuted his items in Paris this summer.

James wasn't the only player showing up in style on Tuesday -- Michael Porter Jr. wore a signed Peyton Manning Broncos jersey ... and Peyton Watson was reppin' Deion Sanders with his own autographed "Coach Prime" gear.

High flyer Aaron Gordon also put his interesting taste on display ... going with a sleeveless burgundy blazer and shorts.

As for James' look ... anyone who wants to get their hands on the same items will have to wait just a bit -- pre-order sales start the first week of December.

6:11 AM PT -- We're told Jaidyn Alexis is signed to BuVision for a single through a joint venture with Columbia Records ... in other words, expect her biggest record yet.

Blueface's fiancée Jaidyn Alexis is now in a position to make her own splash in the music biz ... inking a record deal.

The newly engaged couple popped champagne Tuesday and toasted the immediate future -- Jaidyn signed a deal with Columbia Records.

The rookie rapper signed several pages of contracts with Blue by her side. A rep for the label also confirmed with TMZ Hip Hop the move was no publicity stunt.

Jaidyn just started hitting the booth this year but has remained dedicated to the craft.

Following BF's Vegas arrest last year, Jaidyn bailed him out and was ordered straight to the studio to get her skills up.

Her last string of music videos have amassed several million views each ... just the type of motion a record label like Columbia is looking for in this social media era.

BF's other baby mom, Chrisean Rock has been making waves herself on the indie circuit, most notably with her viral "Mr. Take Ya B*tch" collab with Lil Mabu.

Congrats to Jaidyn.

Suge Knight's "Collect Call" podcast cohost Dave Mays thinks the incarcerated mogul's gotten a bad rap -- so he's helping him set the record straight once and for all!!!

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with the Breakbeat CEO this week and he assured us Suge's podcast commentary would be just as spicy as we'd expect it to be, but it won't be all sauce and no substance either.

They dropped the first episode on audio today, and as you can hear Suge's doing his fair share of reflection and deflecting -- in this case -- at his ex-Death Row Records henchman Mob James.

As the trailer revealed, Dave says Suge will be responding back to the commentaries from the likes of Master P, Wack 100, Warren G, Akon, and many more -- with dramatic flair.

Dave tells us they used a bit of AI to make the visuals pop. Remember, Suge's serving a 25-year sentence for manslaughter, so they did what they could to spruce up his current digs!!!

The Source Magazine founder doesn't feel Suge got a fair shake in his criminal trial due to his reputation at the time. He says their friendship dates back to the early '90s when Dr. Dre was set to take the world by storm with his classic debut album, "The Chronic."

Dave convinced Suge to let Dre do the iconic gun-to-the-head cover photo, which led on to more explosive moments with The Source ... like the infamous "come to Death Row" line at the '95 Source Awards.

Suge shared Death Row stories with TMZ Hip Hop earlier this year ... admitting the label had its fair share of rough patches too.

Just Blaze isn't letting his fellow producer Mark '45' King die in vain -- he's emptying out his hard drive of Mark's songs that never saw the light of day ... clearances be damned!!!

The veteran producer let off a pair of unreleased tracks Monday from the shelved Slaughterhouse "Glass House" album ... promising to leak even more music down the line to honor the recently deceased M45K.

The songs were originally slated to drop in the mid-2010s on Eminem's Shady Records, but various disputes caused the supergroup consisting of Joe Budden, KXNG Crooked, Joell Ortiz, and Royce Da 5'9 to break up shortly thereafter.

M45K passed away last week at the age of 62 ... boasting a catalog that blessed Jay-Z, Eminem, and Queen Latifah, among others with classic hits.

JB wants the world to know his friend left behind a legacy more impactful than any liner notes. As fans, we can't wait to hear what else he's kept stashed in the vault.

"Love and Hip Hop: Miami" star Prince Michael is apologizing for his explicit, and public, deep dive into his past relationship with Lori Harvey -- but he sounds very "sorry not sorry."

The outspoken reality star went into graphic detail on the "We in Miami" podcast earlier this week, sharing details like how he and Lori would Uber to each other's places for sex, and he claims they never used a condom.

Prince claims these trysts went down years ago when, as he puts it, Lori was thick and he clearly misses that 'ol thang.

On the creepier side ... he admitted trying to secretly record one of their hookup sessions but says there was no fooling Lori, who always suspected something. She was right!!!

Prince also took joy in allegedly dismantling Saweetie's family -- he claims he banged her mother and then got a DM from her husband accusing him of breaking up a happy home.

Lori's currently dating Damson Idris and was linked to Quavo, Future, Michael B. Jordan and Diddy in the past. Some fans aren't amused by his bedroom tea ... instead, they're destroying Prince for making his past with Lori public knowledge.

In his apology, he says he attempted to be funny with his responses ... but admits to failing at that, and blames his own insecurities for ruining things with Lori.

Lil Wayne is the latest celeb to dive head first into Major League Pickleball ... officially joining the Texas Ranchers' ownership group on Tuesday.

The Ranchers -- one of eight Major League Pickleball teams in the country -- announced the move minutes ago ... revealing Weezy will be teaming up with celebs and athletes like Micah Parsons, Zach Bryan, Myles Garrett, C.J. Stroud and more to help turn the squad into an MLP powerhouse.

According to the Texas franchise, Wayne will be coming on as a strategic advisor who will be tasked with drawing fans to the team ... as well as developing apparel collaborations. Wayne will also be helping to build pickleball courts in underprivileged areas.

"We're so excited to have Lil Wayne on board," Texas Ranchers CEO Evan Floersch said in a statement.

"From the get-go, we set out to build a team that, at its core, was centered in pop culture to support our mission of becoming one of the most recognized brands in American sports."

Floersch added, "Having Wayne's guidance, along with the rest of this incredible ownership group, emphasizes our stance on redefining sports ownership and being a positive force for good in our local pickleball community and beyond."

Lil Wayne was ecstatic to be jumping on board ... saying in a statement of his own, "Pickleball is the moment."

"I've enjoyed watching and couldn't pass up the opportunity to join this team of owners," the 41-year-old said.

Drake's 37th birthday party was one for the chemistry books, featuring "Breaking Bad" stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as bartenders to mix up some special cocktails at Casadonna in Miami.

The two stars showed up floral shirts and all to Drake's Miami bash Monday ... which likely served as an easy promotion for Bryan and Aaron's Dos Hombres mezcal brand.

Of course, these guys have racked up Emmys, Golden Globes and AFI awards playing meth lab whizzes Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on the show … and their bartending skills look to also be on point.

As for the location, Drake held his bash at David Grutman and Noah Tepperberg's Casadonna, an Italian-inspired restaurant along the coastline. Drake was decked out in all-black, and his friends and fam teased him for having an abundance of mango juice -- instead of his usual go-to passionfruit.

The NBA's squarely in the sights of the United States Department of Justice over accusations The Association worked to torpedo Ice Cube's Big3 basketball league ... allegations the NBA denies.

TMZ Sports has learned the DOJ launched the inquiry months ago, examining alleged anticompetitive behavior on the part of the NBA, aimed at squashing the Big3's growth.

Those allegations, we're told, range from the NBA purportedly throwing its weight around to prevent sponsors and others potential partners from doing business with the rap legend's league ... to discouraging television networks from carrying Big3 games.

Cube and business partner Jeff Kwatinetz launched the 3-on-3 league, made up almost entirely of retired NBA players, in 2017.

Some current players have expressed a desire to play in Cube's league in the offseason, but we're told, as the Big3 sees it, the NBA has prevented guys from doing so, putting arbitrary rules in place to stop players from hooping in Ice's league.

FYI, the NBA and Big3 seasons do not overlap.

Of course, it's a regular occurrence for NBA players, including some of the biggest stars in the world like LeBron James, to hoop in non-NBA games after the season ends ... such as L.A.'s famed Drew League.

Big3 officials, according to sources familiar with the investigation, believe they've been unfairly targeted by the NBA.

We've also been told NBA owners have been discouraged from investing in the Big3 while simultaneously owning a franchise.

Referees haven't been immune, either, according to a source ... who says they've been told they cannot officiate for the Big3, despite some working for other organizations outside of the NBA.

A source familiar with the Dept. of Justice investigation tells us Cube and Kwatinetz met with DOJ lawyers during the first half of the year. We're also told investigators have begun reaching out to NBA owners as part of their investigation.

If the government ultimately finds the league committed antitrust violations, the NBA could face a significant fine.

We reached out to the league for comment ... and NBA spokesman Mike Bass, addressing the allegations of sponsorship and TV network interference, pressuring potential Big3 partners, and others, told us, "Those claims are not true."

Bass also added ... "We have been supportive of the Big3 since its inception, but we declined to invest."

Lil Wayne agrees with the masses ... a wax figure with his likeness did a TERRIBLE job capturing his details.

An image of a Weezy F. Baby statue from the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN began to explode across social media Monday ... with many recognizing the figure intended to resemble Wayne, it was close but no cigar.

The figurine nailed the details of Wayne's tattoos but couldn't really nail his face. Many thought it looked more like Toosii with dreads than the Young Money boss.

"Sorry wax museum but dat shit ain’t me! You tried tho and I appreciate the effort," Wayne wrote to the curators on Twitter.

Social media users were far less forgiving than Wayne -- equally merciless as the dragging they gave the weird-looking statue of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson earlier this week.

The Hollywood/WWE legend even offered to the museum, this particular one being located in Paris, personal hands-on help to fix the correction.