TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are back in Los Angeles after an eventful weekend in Vegas -- and since the temps have dropped here lately ... she's finally dressed appropriately.

The couple was out and about Wednesday in West Hollywood, where they were seen hitting up a Maxfield boutique for what seems to have been a little retail therapy. As they were cruising around the area, folks couldn't help but notice they were bundled up in warm clothes.

Specifically, Bianca here looks like she's walking around NYC ... that, or maybe Moscow.

Hubby was also rocking a heavy jacket too -- doesn't look like he was in the mood to show off his mug, though ... 'cause he had his entire hood over his head, and partially his face.

BC, of course, is the one who stands out ... fact is, this look here -- somewhat conservative, albeit fashionably so -- is the exact opposite of what we've seen her in lately ... namely, very revealing outfits.

You'll recall ... Ye and Bianca were zooming around Vegas last week to ring in her 29th birthday -- and throughout the whole weekend, she was wearing these teeny, tiny bikini tops that were barely containing her huge boobs ... which were very much spilling out all over.

We know Bianca isn't afraid to bare it all at a moment's notice -- but on the flip side ... she also seems ready to cover up/hide away. Depends on how chilly it is outside, we suppose.

Anyhoo ... still no word on that new album -- but at least Ye's got Bianca in his corner.

Young Thug's YSL RICO trial continues to provide unintentional entertainment ... today's edition introduced an unlikely name into the mix -- LeBron James!!!

On Thursday, YSL co-founder Trontavious "Tick" Stephens took the stand yet again when he was quizzed about LBJ's potential ties to the YSL -- due to the fact the NBA's scoring leader occasionally doing the "wipe your nose" hand sign with teammates and calling them "slime" as a term of endearment.

Prosecutors argue the WYN gesture is code for offing a rival in the streets and "slime" is also a gang-related term and pressured Tick to cough up what he knew about LBJ and YSL ... which wasn't much.

Tick admitted he's seen LBJ pull off different handshakes with his team -- but his mind seemed to slip into the Twilight Zone on the other questions .. namely, he couldn't remember.

The case has been bridged on potentially having YT potentially having crimes in his rap lyrics and the court played his and Rich Homie Quan's 2014 hit "Lifestyle" for everyone to analyze.

We're not sure what streaming the party track accomplished ... Thug, Yak Gotti and others remained emotionless as the platinum smash blared in the courtroom but it looked like the attorneys were trying hard not to catch a vibe.

Fat Joe, Wyclef Jean and Jelly Roll used their combined musical talents to spread more awareness for their Power to the Patients healthcare advocacy ... by bringing the message right to Congress' doorstep.

The artists performed last night at Hamilton Live in D.C. for about 500 Congressional and government officials, and TMZ Hip Hop got video from inside the show.

The trio's message was clear -- they're all calling for President Joe Biden to act immediately!!!

Wyclef corralled members of Congress onto the stage and passed them the mic while having them chant to Biden, "Power to the Patients" much to the amusement of Joe in the back ... pretty funny stuff.

Jelly Roll is coming off his Best New Artist win at the CMTs, but flexed his hip hop roots performing Eminem's "Lose Yourself" ... a motto he's applied to his career given his recent success.

Sources at the event tell us Joe, Clef and Jelly all met backstage and shared their fondness for each other's careers -- we hear Joe in particular is a huge fan of JR's "Need A Favor" hit from last year.

Fridayy is one of the hottest new artists around -- having rubbed shoulders with DJ Khaled, Jay-Z, and Rick Ross at last year's Grammy's, and let him tell it, he'll gladly pay to be in their company!!!

We linked up with the "God Did" crooner outside "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and quizzed him on one of those fancy dinners the internet is obsessed with -- which Fridayy's experienced IRL.

When it comes time to pay the check, Fridayy tells us he has no problem footing the bill .. an interesting tidbit considering Jay's an entire billionaire!!!

Jay advised fans to take the hypothetical "$500k" over a dinner convo with him but we're sure money ain't a thang for Fridayy these days.

Gunna had a huge comeback in 2023 and many rap fans may say he won the year outright with his "Gift and a Curse" album -- but he plans to keep that ball rolling in 2024.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Gunna Wednesday in Bev Hills -- still rolling deep with armed security -- and he happily told us fans can expect him to include more "substance" in his music this year.

The "fukumean" rapper also tells us he plans on collaborating with artists ... although it doesn't seem like he has the guest list finalized just yet.

Gunna didn't address much of the drama surrounding him and Young Thug's YSL trial on the 'Gift' album ... leaving many unanswered questions for fans, but the project still topped many "Best Of" lists.

Ozzy Osbourne is giving props where they’re due, because he's deemed T-Pain's cover of his classic rock anthem “War Pigs” ... the best ever.

T-Pain recently rocked out to the 1970 Black Sabbath song during a live performance ... and when it ended up on Ozzy’s radar, he says it blew him away!!!

The rock icon was puzzled as to why he wasn’t brought in for the fun with his anti-war hit, to which T-Pain told him he’s always invited ... opening the door for a monster collaboration down the line 👀.

Lil Nas X's claim of being accepted to a Christian college was a fib of biblical proportions -- at least according to the higher ed institution itself ... who says they've never heard of him.

A spokesperson for Liberty University tells TMZ Hip Hop, "We can confirm that Liberty University did not issue the Montero Hill 'acceptance letter' posted yesterday to social media, and we have no record of Montero Hill applying to the University. Liberty University exists to glorify God by equipping men and women in higher education in fidelity to the Christian faith expressed through the Holy Scriptures."

"We continue to pray for America and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be proclaimed across this land. We welcome all to apply and join us at Liberty University."

LNX posted the phony placard as part of his new song rollout that's hellbent on convincing fans he's not the devil-worshipping dandy that Dave Chappelle made him out to be in his newest Netflix special.

Many people noted the letter he posted was edited/old ... 'cause the ex-Prez whose John Hancock is on there died a long time ago -- so it was easy to spot the fake. Still, now we got LU officially shutting it down ... and sending prayers Nas X's way too to boot.

Of course, this stunt is just the latest LNX has pulled over the past few weeks to plug this new single of his -- 'J Christ' -- which is very much the opposite of his devil song from a few years ago ... "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)." Now, he's trying to seem holier than thou.

Speaking of this new track ... Lil Nas X dropped a teaser of the music video for it on Wednesday -- and there's a bunch of celebrity lookalikes heading up to the pearly gates.

Funny enough, we saw photos of these same actors a couple months ago doing a shoot -- and while we didn't know what this was for at the time ... we certainly do now. You can take a peek and check out the photos yourself to see what was happening behind the scenes.

Montero may not be a holy roller on campus next semester but he's still pumped to take his fans on a divine journey ... judging from his upcoming "J Christ" music video that spoofs several celebrities walking up the stairways to heaven.

We got a hold of some pics from the shoot ... doppelgängers of everyone from Taylor Swift to Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, Kanye West -- even Queen Elizabeth can be seen Nasing it up!!!

Life's coming fast for Danielle Bregoli AKA Bhad Bhabie -- she's about ready to pop with her first child and also unveiled her very first movie role to kick off 2024!!!

The upcoming film "Drugstore June" rolled out its official trailer on Wednesday, which billed BB under her real name and joined an ensemble cast.

The film reunites BB with her longtime director Nicholaus Goossen, who primed her for the bigtime shooting a bunch of her star-studded videos in the past ... including "Gucci Flip Flops" with David Spade and "Trust Me" with Bella Thorne, Theo Von and Ty Dolla $ign.

Danielle plays a girl who works at a smoke shop and the cast is rounded out by Bill Burr, Beverly D’Angelo, Esther Povitsky, Miranda Cosgrove, Haley Joel Osment and many more.

Jada Kingdom and Stefflon Don are ready to spill each other's blood across dance hall floors, but Sean Paul is calling for an end to their feud ... because he doesn't feel femme fatales should be fighting!!!

Stefflon recently released her fiery track "Dat A Dat" with snubs aimed at Jada, who came back even harder with her diss chune, "London Bed" -- highlighted by obituary artwork to symbolize Steflon's career death. 💀

Fans were eating up the back-and-forth like jerk chicken when SP swooped in Wednesday with an IG post telling them to simma down because, as he sees it, they're both masquerading as ragamuffins.

Sean says women can't get upset because they need to stay level-headed for when the men get heated! His words, not ours.

The "Gimmie the Light" legend got mixed reactions to his commentary -- many deemed his comments sexist and said his peer mediation skills could probably use some work.

Jada and Asian Doll also have a dutty beef brewing ... and we do mean dutty!!!

NBA YoungBoy has 11 children, but admits he's "not big on fatherhood" -- a complete oxymoron if you ask Charlamagne Tha God.

CTG slapped YB with the latest "Donkey of the Day" Wednesday morning for the rapper's eye-popping comments to Bootleg Kev ... and firmly believes the Louisiana rapper is perpetuating the stereotype that Black men don't care for their children.

YoungBoy revealed he was only appearing to be a "family man" because of the sit-down, and doubled down that he wouldn't sugarcoat his words for the sake of sensationalism.

Charlamagne compared the flippant comments to Nikola Jokic's sentiments on being an international superstar ... but you can't be lukewarm when it comes to raising humans!!!

He suggested the 24-year-old needed a dose of Jay-Z wisdom, and criticized him using lyrics from Hov's Beyonce apology letter track "Family Feud" -- "A man that don't take care of his family can't be rich.”

50 Cent is adamant he and his TV show franchise are the answers to Taraji P. Henson's low-ball woes in Hollywood ... and thinks she should take cues from her pal Mary J. Blige.

On Wednesday, 50 campaigned on IG for TPH to once again join "Power," writing ... "Someone called me today thinking I was bulls****ing about working with @tarajiphenson till I told them what I made STARZ pay @therealmaryjblige to be on GHOST, I ain’t out here f***ing around..."

MJB joined "Power Book II: Ghost" back in 2019 to an immediate hefty payday ... a reported $400k an episode that's clearly paid off ... the series has been picked up for a 4th season.

Taraji recently shed big crocodile tears lamenting over her lack of pay in Hollywood circles ... but not everyone feels as charitable as 50.

We recently asked Vivica A. Fox about the scenario and she basically told us experiences vary and she couldn't relate to Taraji's tales of puny paychecks!!!

Kanye West is gettin' sued for assault and battery ... this after allegedly striking an autograph seeker back in 2022.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Ye is being taken to court by an autograph dealer who says it all went down in DTLA almost 2 years ago -- as you'll recall, video from just after the alleged attack showed the man on the ground.

He claims Ye went ballistic on him, allegedly shouting ... "I'm going to make a f***ing example of you," while referencing his divorce from Kim Kardashian -- before hitting him.

He says he asked Ye for an apology, only for the rapper to reply, "Apology for what?" ... before allegedly striking him again multiple times and "severely injuring him."

He claims one of the people with Kanye told him to stop the attack, but Ye started shouting at them, and demanded they "go to the f***ing house and get my f***ing kids."

The man is suing for damages, claiming he's a victim of assault and battery and has suffered emotional distress.

His wife is also suing for a loss of consortium -- essentially saying she lost the companionship of her husband as a result of the incident with Ye.

As we reported, a separate vid from that night showed Kanye enraged leaving a recording studio in Hollywood, shouting about 2 women who may have been with him during the downtown incident.

Skepta got accused of using antisemitic imagery as the cover art for his latest single -- and considering the title of the track ... an apology was more than warranted, which he gave.

The British rapper announced this new song he's set to release soon called 'Gas Me Up' ... and for the promo image, he featured a guy with a shaved head -- and the words "GAS ME UP." The man is surrounded by a bunch of other dudes who also have shaved heads.

Of course, this type of picture -- especially during this polarizing time in the world -- almost immediately got people thinking... is this some kind of statement on the Holocaust???

Certainly a fair thought, because frankly -- the wording and images combined aren't great.

Welp, Skepta has heard all the criticism ... and he completely owned the screwup, apologizing for offending anybody -- while in the same breath, explaining what he was going for here.

Skepta wrote, "I’ve been waiting to drop ‘Gas Me Up (Diligent)’ since teasing it April last year, worked hard getting the artwork right for my album rollout which is about my parents coming to the U.K. in the 80’s, Skinhead, Football culture and it has been taken offensively by many. I can promise you that was definitely not our plan so I have removed it and I vow to be more mindful going forward."

He posted more images he was considering as a "mood board" for this project, and it features other shaved-head men/boys ... which he says serves as inspiration -- noting it has nothing to do with the Holocaust, but more so British trends from the 20th century.

He finishes with this ... "I can honestly see how my single artwork without context can be deemed offensive, especially in a time like this but again that was not my intention,” Skepta said. “But after some thought I don’t feel like I could continue being the artist you all know and love if my art is policed, I have to quit if I can’t express my art as I see it. So to help with context here are some pictures from our mood board."

Skepta is known for political messaging in his music -- but this time around, he says the intention was misconstrued ... noting it has nothing to do with the war in the Middle East.

Teyana Taylor says Iman Shumpert ignores the safety of their children when they're in his care ... accusing him of smoking weed and being under the influence when he's with them.

The singer takes some shots at the former NBA player's parenting skills in new legal docs from their nasty divorce ... and Teyana's not pulling any punches.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Teyana claims Iman consistently fails to properly care for their two kiddos ... accusing him of failing to feed them despite being in the family home.

What's more, Teyana says Iman smokes marijuana around the kids and is sometimes under the influence when caring for them.

In one instance, Teyana claims Iman put the kids in a rideshare in Chicago and had them dropped off at the United Center alone while he had a private driver take him to the arena.

Add it all up and Teyana claims Iman "consistently demonstrates a clear disregard for the safety of the minor children."

The man cops say is responsible for Tupac Shakur's death can walk out of jail today as he waits for his criminal trial to get going -- but only if he can come up with a helluva lot of cash.

Duane Davis -- AKA, Keefe D -- was in court out in Vegas Tuesday for a hearing on his potential release on bail pending his criminal trial ... where his legal team was arguing before a judge that their client wasn't a danger to society, nor was he a flight risk if they'd agree to cut him loose from lockup until the trial.

Mind you, Keefe's been in the Clark County jail since late September -- when he was first indicted for the murder of Tupac and taken into custody by cops ... the first big break in the cold case for a long, long time.

Remember ... Keefe's been out there publicly claiming to have been in the car that night way back in 1996, when Tupac was shot and killed while riding passenger with Suge Knight.

Keefe has suggested he wasn't the trigger man himself, but he's also the only one left alive to prosecute over the long-unsolved crime -- and Vegas officials finally brought him in.

Keefe's legal team pointed out that the proof was in the pudding in terms of Keefe not being a risk -- openly asking the court, if he was so dangerous, why did it take so long for cops to haul him in, even though his affiliation with the Tupac murder was well-known for a while.

They also doubled down on his not guilty plea -- saying he only said all that stuff about Pac's murder for entertainment/monetary gain ... but prosecutors pushed back, arguing this guy was a cold-blooded killer and absolutely should not be out on the streets.

In the end, the judge agreed to let him out pending trial ... but set his bail pretty high at $750,000. He also said even if Keefe could cough up the dough, he'll be confined to house arrest with electronic monitoring while he waits for his trial.

Young Thug made an unexpected fashion statement in court on Monday ... rocking a white dress shirt with some hot and heavy language emblazoned on the front. Take a guess ...

The rapper -- who's in the middle of a criminal trial right now -- randomly told his followers to call him by the s-word years ago and the shirt's full message read, "SEX Records: Truly Humble Under God." Indeed, he was wearing this right there in front of the judge and jury.

His lawyer Brian Steele argued back in November that his rap name was an acronym for "Truly Humble Under God" ... and the "Young" was an ode to Tupac Shakur.

A calm and collected YT's bold wardrobe choice didn't seem to alarm his legal counsel ... the retired police sergeant reporting on the trial had a difference in opinion, though.