TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

YFN Lucci is going to great lengths to look like his usual self when he enters a Georgia courtroom to stand trial for murder -- the incarcerated rapper got the judge's approval for some professional grooming.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Lucci has the greenlight to get a haircut and shave ahead of his trial ... and it seems like he'll be rocking a new suit too. The judge also granted him a contact visit, so a tailor could get his proper measurements.

Lucci's been locked up since the top of 2021 on murder charges, and his road to redemption hasn't been a cakewalk -- just ask his legal counsel.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Lucci claims he was stabbed by a fellow inmate in February 2022, but he has been unsuccessful in attempting to bond out of jail ahead of the trial.

The ship has long sailed on "Starships" for Nicki Minaj ... and she's not letting it fly again for anyone, not even on New Year's Eve!!!

Watch in this TikTok clip ... just seconds after starting the iconic 2012 tune while performing at E11EVEN in Miami, the rapper abruptly signals the backing track to stop -- leaving fans outraged as she refuses to continue, but she couldn't care less.

"Hold on. Psych, psych, psych, psych. I don't perform that song no more, y'all," the rapper tells the crowd. With their cries of frustration heard loud and clear, Nicki explains: "I don't like it ... what y'all want me to do? Stupid song."

Thankfully, it was only a brief moment of disappointment for her fans ... Nicki quickly launched into another party pleaser, "Super Bass."

This isn't the first time Nicki's made her distaste for "Starships" known ... telling Pollstar Live in 2020 she hated it, and questioned why she even came up with that song in the first place.

But don't feel bad for "Starships" -- she also loathes "Your Love" and "Anaconda" -- so, it's in good company.

Angela White, formerly Blac Chyna, is going for a new look ... and she says reducing the size of her breast implants has been a painful process.

Chyna says she recently decided to decrease her breast implants, with multiple plastic surgeries leading to some health complications.

BC says she made the change because she no longer felt large fake boobs fit her body type ... but because she's had so many implants over the years, she needed to gradually reduce the implants to get to her desired size.

Chyna says she's had two recent surgeries to go from 585cc implants to 190cc ... and one procedure resulted in her left breast being encapsulated. In other words, her muscle contracted around the implant.

Thing is ... Chyna says it's the first time she's dealt with side effects from breast implants, calling it the worst possible outcome.

While Chyna says it's been painful, she's on the mend ... and she's loving her new look and happy about her future.

2:51 PM PT -- Cardi B says she and Offset banged on NYE ... but again denies they are back together.

In a social media post, Cardi reveals she had sex with her estranged husband but says they are still working on their issues, going to therapy and aren't officially ending their split.

Cardi B and Offset started off the new year together ... but she says that doesn't necessarily mean they are together again.

The estranged couple rang in 2024 at a strip club in Miami, throwing money around and dancing ... and it's all on video.

But Cardi says the NYE hangout -- which was a group hang -- isn't a sign they've kissed and made up ... far from it.

In fact, Cardi has a message for folks thinking she's back with Offset ... "we not together.. we together when I say so not when you THINK so."

Thing is ... Cardi and Offset were both in Miami for work ... they each had NYE gigs at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach - Offset performed at LIV and Cardi poolside - making this rendezvous pretty easy.

Cardi and Offset spending time together amid their split and then her denying they're back together is quickly becoming a thing ... it happened during Christmas and once again after they were spotted in NYC.

CB also said she's leaving toxic energy in 2023 ... and it's clear Offset doesn't fall in that category.

It will be interesting to see if Cardi and Offset do in fact patch things up again ... stay tuned.

Chrisean Rock's cameo at Tamar Braxton's L.A. concert seemingly started harmlessly -- she joined a pre-show prayer backstage ... and yet, violence allegedly broke out later that evening with Chrisean in the middle of it.

As you know, Tamar's backup singer James Wright ended up hospitalized after eyewitnesses claim Chrisean bloodied his face with a punch ... and a new video obtained by TMZ Hip Hop adds context to why things might have gotten heated.

Eyewitnesses on the tour tell us Chrisean burst into Tamar’s dressing room in the middle of the prayer and judging from everyone's reaction, no one expected her to be there!!!

You can see Chrisean not only breaking up the prayer circle, but also giving Toni Braxton a shove in order to get next to Tamar.

Chrisean's aggressiveness clearly disrupted Toni's concentration -- she refused to hold Rock's hand or even touch her as the prayer continued.

The encounter was Chrisean and Tamar's very first time meeting after Tamar had invited Chrisean to pull up to the show via IG Live.

We're told everyone backstage -- even James -- laughed off the prayer circle fiasco and made Chrisean feel welcome, even allowing her to stay backstage and do a pre-show shot with everyone in the room.

It was post-show where the mayhem went down ... Chrisean was under the impression she was supposed to perform during the show and things were said to turn extremely violent when James politely told her that wasn't the case.

Tamar hopped on Instagram for a teary-eyed live once the dust settled to name Chrisean as James' attacker, and clarify she was never scheduled to perform ... just assist in the twerk-off portion of the show.

James has yet to address the incident, but Chrisean denies it went down.

John Legend got onstage with 50 Cent to do his best version of Nate Dogg -- and while he certainly dished his own twist ... not everybody's feeling it, and they're letting him know too.

The singer celebrated his 45th birthday Thursday in NYC -- where he and Chrissy Teigen hired Fitty to perform, with the rapper doing his classic "21 Questions" live in front of a crowd. At first, it was just 50 Cent handling the hook and verses ... but JL eventually jumped in.

Very impromptu, John grabbed the mic from 50 and started belting out the chorus ... singing, "Girrrrl, you seem to love me now // Would you love me if I was down and out."

Looks like John kept singing while 50 continued to rap -- and in the moment, everyone seemed to receive it pretty well ... cheering on the bday boy and giving him props.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a different reaction on the old bird app (now X) ... 'cause folks saw this clip and roasted the hell outta John -- some kinda meanly, others more lovingly.

You can hop into the trend to see what people had to say ... but essentially, the jokes amounted to John sounding more like a church crooner than an R&B stud with his take on the famous hit. As someone put it, "John legend made it sound like a negro spiritual."

Like we said, it's all in good fun ... but let's just say his version certainly took people aback.

Cardi B seems a little annoyed by her fans ... many of whom don't believe her when she says she's moving on -- presumably from Offset.

Cardi tweeted, "I must be a lil toxic cuz I enjoyed cursing ya out today… but we not taking that into 2024. Now have a good day. No make it a bad day!"

It's actually mild compared to the video she posted on social, telling her legion of fans to "shut the f*** up" about her relationship status.

Fans started questioning her after Cardi and Offset were seen together on Xmas day ... unfair, because they spent it with the kids, and that doesn't mean she's backing down.

Cardi said as much, when she liked a post essentially saying people were making up stories about a reconciliation.

Thing is ... AFTER Xmas, they were spotted in the same store in NYC, which led some fans to double down, suggesting Cardi was fully back with her hubby.

2023 was a year of highs and lows ... and unfortunately, some of the lowest points came from the world's biggest stars tragically losing their lives -- many of whom died way too soon.

Matthew Perry shocked the globe when he was found unresponsive in his hot tub in October ... as did Sinead O'Connor, who was found at her flat in South London at the end of July.

25-year-old "Euphoria" star Angus Cloud was found dead at his family's home in Oakland, CA, also at the end of July ... not long after the actor lost his father. The coroner said he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Tina Turner, known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," died at 83 years old back in May after battling a "long illness" regarding her kidneys ... and the singer opened up about regretting not taking better care of her kidneys in the months before she passed.

79-year-old Jerry Springer died at his Illinois home in April after his battle with pancreatic cancer -- something he kept out of the public eye. A rep for Springer's family told us he was sick for months, and kept the illness close to not worry others.

Paul Reubens, known to so many as Pee-wee Herman, died at the age of 70 in July ... and he also privately battled cancer for years. In an apology to fans written before he died, Paul said, "I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."

Others who are gone but certainly not forgotten include Jacky Oh!, Bob Barker, Jimmy Buffett, Raquel Welch, Heather Armstrong, Alan Arkin, Andrea Evans, Tony Bennett, Clarence Avant, and Diane Feinstein.

RIP

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.