TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert are no longer living under the same roof as their bitter divorce now plays out publicly ... something she blames squarely on her estranged husband.

Sources close to the exes tell TMZ, Teyana is incredibly disappointed and frustrated with Iman -- her husband of 7 years -- for deciding to make their identities public in a recent court filing in their divorce case.

Teyana had sought to not only protect their kids from this mess, but Iman as well ... which is why she initially filed divorce docs, back in January, using just their initials. The divorce was proceeding in private, but after his latest legal move, that privacy's completely out the window.

Teyana's attorney, Tanya Mitchell, echoed this sentiment, writing in a legal doc, "We were able to keep this divorce matter private as Ms. Taylor requested for eleven (11) months in this case prior to Mr. Shumpert's MOTION revealing the parties' legal names and making the private matter public."

She continued, "This matter would very likely still be private if Mr. Shumpert's MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE TRUE LEGAL NAMES AS REAL PARTIES IN INTEREST was not filed ..."

Our sources say Teyana and Iman are NOT living under the same roof -- though Teyana made it seem like they were on good terms in September, when she announced their separation.

In fact, we're told communication between Teyana and Iman is minimal ... and they only chat if it has to do with their 2 children. Basically, things ain't so rosy at the moment.

TMZ broke the story ... Teyana accused Iman of being a jealous spouse, with him allegedly being annoyed and aggravated with her burgeoning career, including on the acting front -- among lots of other messy allegations.

Alonzo Williams witnessed the meteoric rise of N.W.A, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube with his own two eyes, but thinks hip hop's jumped the tracks since then ... as artists don't just rap about violence, they now promote it!!!

The famed West Coast promoter was front and center at Eazy's recent street sign unveiling in Compton, and said while he's proud of everything Eazy accomplished ... he predicts he'd be disappointed with many of today's hit records.

He thinks, much like Cube did, Eazy would have moved on to acting and producing films ... because his lyrics were too rough and cancel culture would've eventually taken down the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap."

Lonzo knew Eazy well ... his portrayal in 2015's "Straight Outta Compton" painted him as a rap-hating promoter who didn't see the big picture, but Lonzo tells us that wasn't the case at all.

He got his start DJing on the post-disco, electro-funk scene that predated hip hop music, and says the culture thing was all about making people dance.

When rappers started lyrically killing one another on wax, Lonzo says he couldn't get jiggy with it and fell back, but still thinks N.W.A is lightyears ahead of any drill rappers!!!

Special Ed also targeted drill music in his latest discussion with VladTV ... and doubled down on what he sees as N.W.A.'s role in hip hop ending up where it is today.

If you remember, the "I Got It Made" rapper blamed the West Coast pioneers for making the lifestyle look cool, which, of course, prompted heated reactions from Cube and KXNG Crooked.

D.L. Hughley's advising T.I. and Tiny's son, King, to listen to a voice of reason, and understand why his meltdown during an Atlanta Falcons game is "embarrassing" to his parents.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with D.L. Monday at LAX, where he called King's outburst -- insisting he grew up half-poor -- absolutely "insulting" to Tip and Tiny's lifetime accomplishments.

ICYMI, King ended up in his father's headlock inside their luxury suite at Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- the end result of King claiming he knew about the trap life from growing up at his grandmother's house, and even experienced roaches crawling on his face.

D.L. says King grew up a reality star via VH1's "The Family Hustle," and says any roaches he encountered were actually paid actors!!!

As a father himself, D.L. thinks King's words cut even deeper than they seemed in the video. He says all decent parents take pride in their kids being fed and clean, and D.L. says King's childhood passes that test with flying colors.

D.L. tells us his own kids wouldn't dream of spewing any such disrespect -- he says they're older and know better.

King was still fuming on social media -- a day after squaring off with his parents -- but D.L. is certain he'll eventually come around and see how silly this all is.

According to 50 Cent, his popular 2003 "Magic Stick" hit with Lil Kim was an amazing backup plan ... he says he originally wrote the record with Trina in mind, but she screwed it up big time!!!

Apple Music’s Rebecca Judd recently interviewed 50 during his "Final Lap" tour in London while discussing the making of his debut album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" as it swiftly moves toward Diamond status.

50 says the "GRODT" tracklist got too long, resulting in "Magic Stick" getting cut, but he had another issue.

50 says he had originally sent Trina the record, but she sent some garbage back to him with "f***ed up" lyrics.

Former Atlantic vice president Gee Roberson swooped in to save the day and asked 50 for permission to give the track to Kim for her "La Bella Mafia" album, which he obliged.

50 says Kim's first single "The Jump Off" with Mr. Cheeks was solid but was lacking the sexual formula the late Notorious B.I.G. had designed for her.

His vision proved correct, "The Jump Off" was a modest success at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 but "Magic Stick" peaked at No. 2, with no video promo or anything, which was huge at the time.

DJ Yella says he'd love to hear AI technology resurrect Eazy-E's vocals and his beloved N.W.A for a new generation ... but he says there's nothing left in the music vault to recycle!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Yella outside Eazy's street sign unveiling in Compton last week where he revealed all the "World's Most Dangerous Group" master recordings fell into his lap after Eazy's death in 1995.

The Beatles just proved to the world that deceased musicians can still make an impact with the release of their final song, which used AI to boost John Lennon's vocals from a 1978 demo tape.

Yella and Eazy remained tight until the end, and he admits he's sitting on a bunch of unreleased instrumentals, likely produced by him and Dr. Dre, but says everything with rapping has already been used.

Chris Brown is taking some heat, with some labeling him antisemitic, after he was spotted in Dubai with Kanye West, listening to Ye's new song about screwing a "Jewish b****."

On Sunday, Chris Brown took to Instagram to set the critics straight about exactly who he was in a fiery message reaffirming his gang affiliations. "Let me make this perfectly clear before y'all try to use me as a pawn ... Ima a Piru, I aint Muslim or Jewish so don't start no s*** wont be no s***!!!" Breezy wrote.

"Im trying to be peaceful but please do not wake up the demon in me! ... Go on about your f****** day."

In another message, the R&B megastar turned down the aggression but still highlighted his point that he wasn't a hateful person.

"I'm pro life and I [make] music for the entire world!!!!!! So please do not get tricked into thinking I spread hate or am kool with it! This is for the million of young kids that look up to me and may be confused"

If you remember, Akon recently told Shannon Sharpe he feels Chris could've succeeded Michael Jackson's musical legacy but let his ties to the street hold him back ... and don't forget the attack on Rihanna.

Kanye West and Lil Durk may be working together a lot more in the future if all goes according to Ye's plan ... which is to free Durk of his current label situation.

Sources close to Kanye's camp tell TMZ Hip Hop that Ye is currently in talks to buy Durk out of his contract with Alamo Records in the aftermath of their new "Vultures" collaboration. That's the one where Ye claims he can't be antisemitic because, "I just f***** a Jewish bitch."

Our sources tell us 300 Records co-founder and current Alamo Records CEO Todd Moscowitz refused to clear Durk for another song he worked on for Kanye's upcoming album ... and now the paperwork battle is upon us.

Kanye was joined by Durk and the song's other featured artists, Ty Dolla $ign and Chicago rap legend Bump J at Blu Dubai nightclub over the weekend where they performed "Vultures" live for the first time ever.

The "Dark Twisted Fantasy" rapper's Dubai trip has been an eventful one so far ... he and his former personal trainer had a tense interaction inside a hotel lobby last week.

T.I. kicked off the Atlanta Falcons' 50th anniversary of Hip Hop celebration Sunday, and almost wound up kicking his son King's ass when a family dispute in the stands got physical.

Following the performance, T.I. and King engaged in what started as a playful back-and-forth but quickly spiraled into a physical altercation inside their suite at Mercedes-Benz stadium.

King began live streaming on IG where he pleaded his case that he knew about hardships like living with roaches while growing up ... to which his famous parents scoffed at his story and claimed he'd run to his grandmother's house to suck the pacifier, because he wasn't allowed to in their mansion!!!

King reached his breaking point and began to scream he's known for standing on business, to which T.I. stepped in and told him he was not only "embarrassing" the family but himself as well!!!

King can then be heard pleading for T.I. to "get off him" and you can see T.I. come into frame in an attempt to subdue his son.

He apparently succeeded ... T.I. secured King in a headlock and told him, "Boy you can't do nothing with me ... ain't shit you can do with me" as multiple people in the background can be heard pleading for King to stop before the camera cuts off.

Afterward, King blew off some steam on his IG stories although many of his followers informed him he was royally tripping and his parents were right.

King was born in 2004 -- T.I. had already released his platinum-selling "Trap Muzik" album and formed his Grand Hustle Records.

Ludacris performed at the Atlanta Falcons game this weekend -- and it looks like he took a page out of Lady Gaga's playbook to make an entrance ... descending from the heavens.

The rapper was the hired talent Sunday at Mecedes-Benz Stadium ... but weirdly enough, he didn't put on a halftime performance -- but rather, did a quick set after the third quarter ... which definitely took everyone by surprise.

The reason ... the dude literally rappelled down onto the stage below from way up toward the top of the facility -- and he did it kinda slowly, partially rapping a song in the air.

Looks like he was doing 'Move Bitch' on his way down ... and he was hyping up the crowd too, who ate it up. Unclear if he did a whole set once he touched down or not (there was a game going on, after all), but he got a little shine regardless.

The whole point of this was to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop in the ATL ... of which Luda has been a huge contributor over the years -- not to mention countless other acts from the area.

Hit-Boy's facing steep competition, but likes his chances to snag "Producer of the Year" at the upcoming Grammy Awards, because he says he's put in enough work to bring it home, baby!!!

We caught up with the newly nominated HB out in West Hollywood to chat about his potentially big moment, and his competition. Jack Antonoff, Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, Daniel Nigro and Metro Boomin -- who Hit called out early this year -- are his fellow nominees.

HB tells us he thinks his recent spree of accolades should secure him the win, but also won't be totally crushed if he doesn't win. This isn't his first rodeo; he's earned more than a dozen noms with just 3 wins, so he knows how the game is played.

If it is his name in the envelope this year, Hit-Boy says his entire speech will be freestyled, and he's advising anyone he forgets to just catch him on IG!!!

The Surf Club captain did have quite the productive year -- he and Nas banged out 3 albums (their "King's Disease III," which technically came out in 2022, is up for Best Rap Album) and he even helped his dad release his debut project right after he was sprung from a lengthy prison bid.

The guy who used to head up Diddy's security operation seems to be addressing at least one of Cassie's allegations of abuse -- this after being directly named in her bombshell suit.

Roger Bonds -- who worked for Diddy for years, and who's been pictured with both Diddy and Cassie at different events dating back at least a decade -- took to Instagram this weekend to speak out on Cassie's claims ... but he did so somewhat cryptically.

He writes, "This is not meant to be threats or snitching or anything like that against Cassie or Diddy or anyone else. this is me telling my truth as I truly remember it for 2 reasons only."

RB adds, "1st because I have 4 daughters so on all dudes my truth as I seen it, saw it and was involved with it for yrs." His accompanying caption to this since-deleted post -- which includes lots of shots with him and Cassie in public -- reads, "IM WILLING TO TELL MY TEUTH BECAUSE FOR SO MANY YRS I WAS QUIET , Nothing matters now but FAMILY."

Now, as far as what Bonds is actually referring to here ... well, it would appear to be a certain section of Cassie's lawsuit -- which, again, was settled and officially dismissed.

In her court docs, Cassie name-dropped Bonds as a witness to an alleged assault she says she suffered at the hands of Diddy in 2009 -- when she claims he beat her after learning she was talking to another music manager at a club in L.A. Cassie claimed Diddy was stomping on her in the car afterward, and alleges Bonds even tried to intervene to stop his boss.

Unclear if Bonds plans to say more beyond what he did in these IG posts of his ... on its face, it's a bit unclear what exactly he's even revealing (if anything) -- but it does seem like he's, perhaps, lending credence to this alleged anecdote Cassie detailed.

We've been trying to figure out when Bonds left Diddy's orbit and under what circumstances -- but at first glance, this isn't a great look for Puff ... who's already been sued for alleged sexual abuse twice more after Cassie's lawsuit. Basically, the fallout for him continues.

No Biggie, but you can snatch up a piece of hip hop history with signed fingerprint cards from the arrests of rap's greatest icons ... which are now up for sale.

Momentsintime.com -- one of the nation’s leading autograph dealers -- has listed two unique pieces of music memorabilia from rappers Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. ... earning its new owners some major street cred in exchange for a colossal $225,000 per item.

Check it out ... Tupac's fingerprint docs -- which list him under his real name, Lesane Parish Crooks -- stem from his 1995 arrest ... for which he served 9 months of his 1.5-year sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a female fan named Ayanna Jackson.

Meanwhile, Biggie also makes history with his arrest fingerprint docs ... the first-ever piece you can snag of him signing off by his real name, Christopher Wallace.

With the '95 arrest season in full swing, Biggie was also booked then for a robbery and aggravated assault charge in Pennsylvania ... but the robbery charges were later dismissed.

Quavo's giving back and making sure it has a deep impact -- he's launched his Huncho Farms initiative this Thanksgiving to give families access to a whole garden and orchard!

The good people of Atlanta got a crash course in good taste this week when the Migos rapper's Quavo Cares org teamed up with Urban Recipe ... a nonprofit food bank based in the city.

Together with Chef Brown Catering, Quavo, his mom and Urban Recipe served more than 300 families from all corners of the ATL, and also created a cookbook derived from recipes used by the Atlanta Food Bank.

The recipes range from full-blown entrees such as brined turkey and chicken to nimble bites like homemade apple crisp. All the ingredients were sourced from Huncho Farms, which aims to boost the nutritional value of the everyday family's diet.

HandsOn Atlanta and Team Huncho Basketball also played a significant role in the Thanksgiving drive ... former NBA Slam Dunk champ and GA native Josh Smith was there loading up fresh food in gift bags.

Quavo's been focused on making a dent in societal issues ... he and the fam ventured to Washington D.C. and politicked with lawmakers about potential gun reform in memory of the late Takeoff.

Hip hop pioneer Rob Base is switching up the lyrics to his classic jam, "It Takes Two," for an undeniably great cause ... raising awareness for diabetes.

The proud NYC native recently partnered with 2 pharmaceutical giants, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company, to update his 1988 hit with lyrics like, "People with no symptoms to show, could have kidney disease -- and not know!!!"

According to research, more than 35 million American adults are suffering from chronic kidney disease, and up to 90% of them are totally unaware they're even affected. 😬

Rob famously earned his hip hop stripes operating as a duo alongside his trusted DJ E-Z Rock, who passed away from diabetic complications in 2014, when he was just 46.

Rob, now 56, and having lived through the loss of his friend and musical partner, is urging everyone not to wait for signs and get their kidneys tested immediately.

E-40 thinks everyone hating on Jaidyn Alexis' unconventional meals for Blueface should learn to eat with their tastebuds, not their eyes ... and be open to mixing and matching random foods.

TMZ Hip Hop picked up on a few kitchen tips in NYC from Mr. Fonzarelli outside Sei Less restaurant ... as he took us inside his cookbook, which he co-authored with Snoop Dogg.

Blueface's fiancee was dragged across internet coals for her goopy pasta and cheese dinner, but 40 says his book contains plenty of creative recipes -- how does a ground turkey and sausage stuffed mozzarella BBQ meatloaf dish sound for your holiday gathering???

40 describes the dishes as "ghetto elegant" ... a term he developed while cooking at an early age when there were much fewer ingredients available in his pantry.

He's combining his 2 loves -- food and music -- on his recently released 27th album, "Rule Of Thumb: Rule 1," which includes raps about his food situation as a kid ... "My household wasn't like the Cosbys/Grew up on spam, noodles, fried bologna."

Jack Harlow was responsible for Thanksgiving dinners going cold across the nation ... with the only thing drier than the turkey being his NFL halftime performance during the Lions-Packers game Thursday.

The rapper's six-minute-long set was blasted as "low-budget" after he failed to elicit any enthusiasm while performing tunes such as "First Class," "Tyler Herro" and "WHATS POPPIN" ... and many even took offense to his amateurish igloo-design backdrop.

"They said Jack Harlow's halftime performance set looked like it was from Frozen and I'm CRYING!!!" one viewer mocked ... while another joked the budget for his show was $49.99.

Others already nursing wounds over Detroit trailing 23-6 at the break went as far as to dub it "the worst performance ever" ... urging the 25-year-old to rethink accepting a similar halftime show offer in the future.

The ridicule didn't end there ... with country icon Dolly Parton heralded as a better performer at age 77 -- and others claiming Jack's show was the sole reason their Thanksgiving was ruined.