TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Boosie Badazz is scolding his oldest child for constantly wearing a ski mask, or a "Pooh Shiesty" as it's known in the streets ... and it's based on concerns for his son's safety.

The Louisiana rapper's fatherly instincts kicked in during an IG livestream session after peeping his son Tootie Raw wearing the mask, for what Boosie claims, was "two days straight."

Boosie says he's from the old school and anyone wearing those masks back in the day was 100% guaranteed to be up to no good.

Pooh Shiesty, who's currently serving a 5-year prison sentence for gun conspiracy charges, popularized the masked-up look when he blew up back in 2020 ... but Boosie doesn't consider it a fashion statement.

He warned Tootie that the right kinda guys might get the wrong impression of him and his friends and they could potentially attack first ... because that's exactly what he would do.

Boosie echoed maturity like this when we spoke to him earlier this year alongside Freeway Rick Ross.

Rihanna's fangirling just scored her a new BFF ... and it's Kyle Richards!!!

The singer -- who's been open about loving 'Real Housewives' -- finally got to meet Kyle during a shopping trip Thursday in Aspen ... which turned into a stroke of good luck for both of 'em.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Rihanna was shopping at Kemo Sabe -- after hours in a private room, because that's how she rolls -- and that's when Kyle strolled in to do her VIP shopping.

When a store employee mentioned RiRi was there, Kyle asked if they could meet ... and we're told Rihanna excitedly responded, "F*** yes!!!"

After all, our source says the whole reason Rihanna was shopping at Kemo Sabe in the first place was because she'd seen Kyle go there on 'RHOBH.'

We're told Rihanna and Kyle hugged it out and had a fun conversation ... then Mauricio Umansky and their daughters came up and met RiRi and A$AP Rocky.

Both families ended up hanging out inside the store for close to an hour ... and Kyle gifted Rihanna an $895 turquoise beaver hat.

Rihanna and A$AP had their kids in tow too as they did some big-time shopping -- we're told they bought a ton of items, including hats, boots, belts, and buckles ... plus the brown cowboy hat she wore out of the store.

Aspen's full of celebs this time of year, but it's pretty incredible when they run into each other, and they're both such big fans of each other -- like Kyle and Rihanna -- and they're not afraid to show it.

Cardi B's at her breaking point with her Barti fanbase spewing opinions about her and Offset -- and didn't spare her vocal cords when she lashed out at them!!!

The latest Cardi meltdown happened Friday ... just days after Cardi and Offset appeared to have patched things up as they were spotted during a NYC outing without their children -- in addition to taking the kids on holiday extravaganzas all week.

Cardi insisted she and Offset had not gotten back together when she hosted an X chatroom ... mostly a one-sided shouting match.

The "Bongos" rapper vowed to unfollow all of her top fans while including her most classic threat ... to delete her social media accounts!!!

Cardi recently liked a post that highlighted how she and Offset were still broken up, but apparently, it fell on deaf ears.

The state of Nevada is pushing back on Duane "Keefe D" Davis' request to be let out of jail ahead of the trial ... because they insist Tupac Shakur's alleged killer is just too dangerous.

For those unaware, Keefe D's lawyers asked a judge last week to release him from custody on his own recognizance before his trial, which is currently set to start in June ... and if the court wouldn't allow it, asking instead to set his bail no higher than $100k.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say Keefe D's request is absurd, and they provide several reasons why he shouldn't get to walk free until his trial. For instance, they claim he's a former high-ranking member of the South Side Compton Crips, and has confessed multiple times to involvement in the Tupac murder over the years.

Prosecutors also claim Keefe's made credible threats to witnesses while being locked up.

They also continue to claim they have mountains of evidence -- including Keefe D's own words -- pointing to Keefe orchestrating Tupac's murder back in 1996 ... despite Keefe now distancing himself from those previous statements.

The state's asking the court to keep him behind bars until his trial date ... and believes there are more than enough reasons to do so.

Barack Obama just dropped his annual year-end playlist and many think he is addressing the state of the union with his pick of Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar's latest collab!!!

The former prez touted Bey and Kendrick's song, "America Has a Problem (Remix)" among his fav tracks of 2023 ... a politically charged romp where the two megastars make subtle references to the violence and drugs in the U.S.

Kendrick hopped on the remix back in May after the OG appeared on Beyoncé's mega album "Renaissance" last year ... and they performed together in September on her Renaissance Tour.

It's interesting that BO would even shed light on the track, given the fact President Biden -- Obama's Veep -- is currently running the country. The former running mates remain pals, and Obama's emphatically endorsed Biden.

Remy Ma and Papoose's marriage is a done deal ... if new audio from Remy's alleged new lover/battle rap protege is to be believed!!!

A YouTube blog posted explosive 16-minute audio of Eazy The Block Captain -- the guy suspected of intercepting Pap and Remy's union -- spilling the beans to a "friend" regarding his friction with Pap.

Throughout the convo, Eazy says it was Remy who told him to keep their affair tight-lipped ... Pap apparently confronted him -- with a fist to the face!!!

Eazy goes on to vent about wanting to get a rematch with Pap because his punches don't hurt and how Remy has been a frequent visitor at his house for months -- after the rumors first went public during a battle rap event.

Rapper Geechi Gotti cleverly put Remy's affair with Eazy on blast with his lyrics -- while battling him.

Eazy goes on to suggest he's prepared to step aside if Pap and Remy should work out and went on to complain about how the situation has shed a negative light on the battle rap culture.

Fans still haven't been happy with Remy and bombarded her on social media with things she might say to female rap rivals on tracks. 🙈

Pap and Remy got hitched back in 2008 while she was incarcerated and went on to spend years on VH1 as a reality star couple.

Chaka Khan isn't mad at Kanye West for sampling her voice on his debut single ... and admits she was just clueless about how the Hip, Hop, the hippity hop operated at the time!!!

The R&B songstress harked back Friday on her tense treatment of Kanye in a new interview with Rolling Stone ... and even called her past reactions "salty" when it came to the song "Through the Wire" ... which sped up her vocals to complete the track.

Despite the song being heralded as an instant classic and launching Kanye's legendary career, Chaka's ripped him for YEARS over how he chopped up her original song "Through the Fire."

"Sped-up" versions of songs are all the rage on TikTok these days, and Chaka says she would have embraced Kanye had she known how it was impacting the culture at the time. Hindsight is 20/20 ... and still undefeated!

Cardi B's made it crystal clear she's not back together with Offset following their nasty split ... though they're still spending an awful lot of time together.

They were out and about in NYC Thursday -- and it looks like they were enjoying each other's company all day long ... despite going to strategic lengths not to be pictured together -- though it looks like a fan gave their game away.

As you can see ... the same woman poses in a snap with Cardi and then one with Offset -- pinpointing their location at the same store.

You can see, Cardi's sporting a pink hoodie and long red pointed nails ... and the same look makes an appearance on her IG Stories later, as she butters bread at the city's famous Torrisi restaurant.

To add fuel to the fire ... Offset's in the same emoji hoodie from the fan selfie earlier ... posing for another fan snap on the Big Apple streets.

Despite attempts to keep their hang-out session low-key, Cardi's already let us know there's nothing to see here, folks ....

Earlier this week, she liked a "Real Housewives of Atlanta" meme on her X feed ... that shamed people making up fake stories about her and Offset romantically reconciling.

The speculation began after they spent Christmas together for the sake of their kids ... and took them to see Travis Scott in NJ the next day.

Childish Gambino fans might not have to wait much longer for new tracks, despite no album in over 3 years ... 'cause Donald Glover tells us new music is on the horizon.

We got Donald -- or, as he's known in the music world, Childish Gambino -- leaving the Greenwich Hotel in New York, and we asked him about his different methods for laying out genre styles in his albums ... but that's not the kicker here.

On his way into his ride, we asked what's next for him ... and with a bit of a smirk, he tells us he's been working pretty hard in the studio -- and the album is coming "soon."

Fans obviously have reason to rejoice here ... especially because Childish Gambino's last album, "3.15.20," dropped in March 2020 ... still, the guy hasn't been totally radio silent since then, to be fair.

He and KIRBY cranked out an EP earlier this year for his show, "Swarm," which he created along with Janine Nabers ... and last year his other show, "Atlanta," wrapped its final season.

Kanye West's day one advisor Consequence is demanding an apology ... but not for reasons you'd suspect.

On Thursday, Kanye released his $200 Yeezy Pods footwear and Cons showed his solidarity by posting the slipper sneakers but had to give his longtime friend a piece of his mind ... Cons is accusing Ye of throwing him and the team under the bus!!!

According to Cons, Kanye put him and the rest of the Ye's backers ... guys like Don C, John Monopoly, GLC ... in an awkward position when Ye claimed he was alone in his fight against the supposed Jewish powers that be.

Remember, Kanye flipped out during a Vegas listening session for his "Vultures" album a couple weeks back ... Hitler, Jesus Christ and Donald Trump were all swirled into a lengthy word vomit rant.

Cons' face must be stinging, because he's calling his omission a slap in the face!!!

What's more, Cons notes he's been riding with Kanye through thick and thin since 2002 and thinks if Ye can apologize to the Jewish people he offended, then he can muster up an apology to him ... in English!!!

The last time we spoke to Cons, he was doing damage control for Ye's ex-publicist who got herself indicted in Trump's election scandal.

Big Hit is downplaying the notion he's actively gangbanging after his viral freestyle said quite the opposite ... but he still wants fans to tackle life with the same tough-nosed approach!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Hit-Boy's father outside L.A. Fitness in Hollywood on Wednesday where he elaborated on his recent bangfest on wax.

Remember ... BH recently went nutty over Mobb Deep's "Get Away" instrumental, rhyming "bang" with every other word -- and he tells us the term is simply a macho expression that no longer motivates beef between Crips or Bloods ... at least in his eyes.

Bang on your job, bang on the schoolbooks, bang bang like Pops from "Boomerang" ... whatever you choose, do it to standard is Big Hit's motto here.

BH wasted no time dropping his debut "The Truth Is In My Eyes" -- where he managed to snag a Snoop Dogg feature -- and some friendly advice on how to stay jail-free.

The OG was released from prison this summer after serving a 9-year bid for gun possession, but he's scoffing at the folks who are telling him he's too old for this behavior.

Kanye West may just have launched the latest revolution in women's fashion ... his newly released Yeezy pods are piquing the interest of women who don't want to stand up in high heels all night!!!

On Thursday, Kanye officially dropped his sock-shoe hybrid on his official Yeezy.com website ... where they're going for $200 and appear to fold up for packing similar to a beach chair.

Ye has been Eurostepping in the pods for months alongside his wife Bianca Censori and the nifty kicks mark his first crack at footwear since parting ways with Adidas earlier this year ... leaving them with billions in unsold products.

Although the Yeezy Pods haven't attracted the same attention with sneakerheads as his classic Yeezy Boosts, they're currently spiking the interest of women hoping to not have to crab walk leaving the club after standing in high heels for hours!!!

Ye's ready to resume his career after delivering his Hebrew-written apology to Jewish people for his infamous antisemitic outbursts.

1:00 PM PT -- Just in case you didn't catch it first time, Trina is doubling down for all the "dusty crusty" types ... Beyoncé is her rap GOAT and there isn't a woman walking the earth who's gonna force her to change her opinion!!!

Trina is crowning Beyoncé as the best female rapper in Hip Hop's 50th year ... while acknowledging the "Renaissance" singer only raps in her spare time.

The bold pick came at this year's OneMusicFest in Atlanta when Trina credited Beyoncé for "opening the landscape" for female rapper's success in recent years.

Trina says Beyonce's rap alter-ego birthed inspiration for future female rappers around the globe and she gushed over Mrs. Carter's bars and rhymes.

Beyoncé has been known to bust a flow over the years ... she and her hubs Jay-Z released a joint album in 2018 and snagged a Grammy nomination for their single "Apeshit."

Trina's praise of Beyoncé didn't end with her mic skills ... the Miami rapper mourned the end of the Renaissance Tour and stated everything from the rap girlies has been basic ever since.

Let's hope Beyoncé has a big 2024 planned so Trina doesn't feel the void in the female rap scene much longer!!!

Kodak Black is supporting Israel as only he can ... with some new jewelry and a rambling video message.

TMZ obtained a video Kodak filmed before his most recent trip behind bars, and he's calling for Hamas to release Israeli hostages in Gaza and pledging his support for his "Hebrew homies" as war rages in the Middle East.

Our sources say Kodak shot the video at his home in Florida, sitting down in front of the camera sometime between his December drug bust and subsequent return to federal lockup.

Kodak's showing off some new bling in the video ... a custom ring with the symbol of the Jewish people ... the Star of David.

We're told KB's new bling features 7.8 carats of VVS1 clarity diamonds and 14-karat white gold ... it was purchased from NYC Luxury and it comes with a $20,000 price tag.

Kodak's basically the anti-Kanye West here ... supporting Israel and the Jewish people in the war against Hamas terrorists.

Cardi B may have assumed the Mrs. Claus role for Christmas but that doesn't mean she and Offset reconciled after their nasty split ... at least that's what her social media strongly suggests.

The "Bongos" rapper and Offset spent December 25 together and took the kids to see Travis Scott in NJ the next day ... which inevitably sparked reconciliation rumors.

Cardi shot that down, by liking a "Real Housewives of Atlanta" meme on her X feed Wednesday ... that shames people making up fake stories about her and Offset hopping back in the saddle.

It's been two weeks since Cardi set the internet ablaze with an emotional outburst about Offset "doing her dirty" for many years. She was clear ... her hubby's in her rear view.

Kanye West's apology for his tirade of antisemitic comments lacked the animated flair the megastar rapper typically uses in his online posts ... and it reads straight out of an artificial intelligence chatbot.

After Kanye posted the apology on social media, fans started accusing him of using AI to get his point across ... so we did some digging, and made a shocking discovery.

We plugged Kanye's apology into an AI content detector, which highlighted some strong buzzwords typically associated with chatbot phrases ... including "sincerely apologize," "It was not my intention to hurt" and "promoting unity" ... among others.

The AI content detector says there's an 85% chance Kanye's apology was written by a computer.

Remember ... the day after Christmas, Kanye shocked the world by delivering his "I'm Sorry" speech in Hebrew, which translates to a fairly streamlined message.

The apology reads ... "I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions, it was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity."

Doesn't sound like typical Kanye, right?

More evidence Kanye turned to AI to write his apology ... we engaged ChatGPT to write an apology and after several prompts and some trial and error the computer spat out a statement eerily similar to Kanye's.

Here's what we got back from ChatGPT, with the words Kanye used in bold  ... "I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for my recent unintentional outburst. It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain caused. I'm committed to learning from this experience, promoting unity, and making amends. Your forgiveness means a lot to me."

Of course, Ye's got a star-studded "Vultures" album with Ty Dolla $ign dropping to close out the year on December 31, and getting in the good graces of all the streaming giants is the best play for his music comeback.

We'll know for sure if the fans buy into the mea culpa after his first-week numbers post.