TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Trae Tha Truth's decision to launch his first feature film on Tubi is paying off -- he's already plotting a sequel after earning the praise of some high-level peers!!!

TMZ Hip Hop sat down with the Houston rapper fresh off the movie, "Sole" dropping on the free streaming service -- it's a modern hood comedy set in his hometown he says is getting compared to Ice Cube's cult classic chuckler, "Friday."

Trae's real-life friends and fam fill out the cast, and he stars as "Eddie" ... a local sneaker boutique owner who gets involved with neighborhood thugs over some money they assume he stole -- and, as they say, hilarity ensues!

Trae tells us he knew Tubi's known to make low-budget films, but says it's also home to legit cinematic art ... and he wanted to contribute to that quality.

He says the streamer's execs were floored by the reception "Sole" is already getting -- and Martin Lawrence even gave him a ringing endorsement after seeing the film!!!

Such a glowing cosign would make anyone dive headfirst into acting and Trae's already 2 steps ahead -- next up is a full-length film of his animated ABN series, and a flick called "Space Trap" ... both are heading straight to Tubi.

Bad Bunny's sexual energy is bubbling over ... as in, he's sharing nude thirst traps from his bubble bath ... with a (soapy) crotch shot!!!

The Latin rapper/pop star just posted a series of tasteful nudes on his Instagram ... and he's kinda showing off the goods, although there's bubbles blocking what's between his legs.

Bad Bunny snuck a crotch shot into his IG post ... it's a few slides into the carousel, but you can see his bare and tattooed legs sticking out of the water, with bubbles the only thing between his penis and the camera.

The "MONACO" singer's not being the least bit shy here ... so take a gander. It's not all about his junk ... he's also sharing shirtless snaps from the tub.

Bad Bunny's no stranger to nude thirst traps ... back in August, he kinda did the same thing with some vacation photos ... including one where he showed off his extremely bushy pubic hair. No shame to his game, it seems ... dude just lets it all hang out.

Looks like Bad Bunny's still letting the hedges run wild ... his pubes are peeking out from the edge of the bubbles, BTW ... but that's about all we're seeing in terms of his manhood.

Folks in the comments are thirsty for more ... daring him to whip it out.

It's interesting that he's posting this in light of his recent apparent rekindling with Kendall Jenner. Bad Bunny was dating her the last time he posted nudes ... but they've since broken up, and this certainly feels more like an "I'm single" post.

CeeLo Green wants to see TikTok and Universal Music Group work things out after a nasty split earlier this week ... but thinks if artists are getting screwed over, then the divorce should stay in place!!!

We got the Goodie Mob rapper's thoughts on the explosive TikTok/UMG divorce at LAX on Friday ... CeeLo's been partnered with UMG for years and tells us he's totally a team player, but wants to see artists on ALL labels get their just due.

UMG's roster spirals across multi-subsidiaries ... music from Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, Ice Spice, Olivia Rodrigo, and of course, CeeLo have been pulled from the social media tycoon ... and fans are having a field day poking fun at the void it's left on the app.

CG didn't have much advice for the signed artists whose music is still on TikTok ... sounds like that territory is up for the taking.

He's advocating for a fair deal for all parties ... a wish still un-granted going into 2024 Grammy weekend.

Universal accused TikTok of skating around the current market share for royalties -- which TikTok claimed was elaborate language for being greedy.

Nicki Minaj's "Big Foot" song left a bad taste in many fans' mouths, but not Trinidad James ... Nicki and Megan Thee Stallion's acidic disses represent the spirit of hip hop competition in his book.

TMZ Hip Hop got Trinidad at LAX and got his take on rap's biggest beef at the moment ... fans of Nicki told her the track left much to desired, but TJ isn't validating those reactions.

Trinidad says Nicki's the Queen of Rap and wearing the crown opens her up to more scrutiny than any other rapper ... it just comes with the territory.

Fans think Nicki crossed the line by teasing Megan about her deceased mother -- a direct response to Megan ribbing Nicki on her "Hiss" single about her husband Kenneth Petty being a convicted sex offender.

Trinidad is a student of the art form and says all is fair in war and hip hop -- even if family members catch stray shots. He notes Jay-Z and Nas' historic battle had its share of mud-slinging and fans never gave them half the crap Nicki's getting for her sharp tongue.

He says Nicki can't afford to have her creativity stifled to appease a few hurt feelings.

Affion Crockett is taking his impression game to a new level as he gears up to roll out his feature film "A Hip Hop Story" ... where he's spoofing your fave rappers, and their faves too!!!

TMZ Hip Hop quizzed the veteran comedian about the number of impersonations he tackled in the movie, and he admits he's lost count ... suffice to say there's a lot.

The film is based on hip hop's 50-year timeline, and the official trailer finds Affion hilariously assuming the identity of everyone from DJ Kool Herc to Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z.

Affion's been honing his craft by imitating the best rappers for years -- dating back to his days on "Wild 'n Out" and "Def Comedy Jam" -- and tells us he's a hip hop head at heart and all his jokes come from a place of love and fandom.

Cedric The Entertainer also joins in the fun as a faux Biggie Smalls as do Eminem and Salt-N-Pepa, but there's a good chance that the "Kanway West" character will steal the show.

We know better than most how unpredictable Kanye can be ... his 'HHS' character goes off the rails much like he did when he snatched our photog's phone earlier this week.

Affion isn't worried about Ye's reaction to his film -- he's in the business of managing laughter, not sensitive artists -- but says, quite frankly, he doesn't know how the megastar will react. Who could, really???

Taylor Swift's "Swag Surfin" is Grade-A work ... so say the song's original creators, who tell us they created the banger for everyone to ride the wave!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently spoke with McFly, Vee, Mook, and Ea$ton, collectively known as Fast Life Yungstaz a.k.a. F.L.Y., best known for their 2009 hit.

The song's stood the test of time from outta rap's ringtone and snap music eras ... which the world saw in full force when TS put the dance in a global spotlight last month during a Chiefs playoff game.

The "Anti-Hero" was seen rocking out with friends in her luxury suite at Arrowhead Stadium while celebrating her boyfriend Travis Kelce's wild card victory over the Dolphins.

Fans who have been on Hypnotic and Exotic all these years called Taylor's dancing a cringe moment for the culture, but the boys of F.L.Y. couldn't disagree more.

They say Tay Tay's surfing boosted their streams a ridiculous 700% ... and they wouldn't be mad if she just so happened to create her own 'Taylor's Version,' as long she raps on it.

Taylor Swift is predicted to clean up at the Grammys Sunday night, but Mike WiLL Made-It is holding out hope Miley Cyrus can shake things up and snag a couple for him!!!

His buddy and longtime co-producer Pluss isn't as confident about Mike and Miley's prospects -- and says Taylor's planet-wide popularity will be tough to beat.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with both soundmen Wednesday at LAX, where Mike was holding out hope for Miley's latest album, "Endless Summer Vacation" -- he produced several of the tracks -- and it's nominated for 6 Grammys, including 2 for Album and Song of the Year.

Mike Will's been collaborating with Miley for a decade and thinks she has a real shot of doing some dominating of her own ... while Pluss thinks it's probably a long shot.

Pluss tells us the Swifty train has been running full steam ahead and he doesn't expect it to slow down on Grammy night, even if top-notch artists like Miley and SZA are snubbed.

Neither one of these guys seems heavily invested in putting Grammys on a pedestal, anyway.

A$AP Rocky's fashion sense is encoded in his DNA, which is why he's not sweating Rihanna's upcoming birthday, and has supreme confidence in shopping for her.

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with Rocky in Bev. Hills on Wednesday and we asked about the degree of difficulty when it comes to shopping for such an intuitive artist as Rihanna. More importantly, what the heck do you get for her when she's your woman?!?

The megastar singer's birthday is fast approaching in a couple of weeks -- on February 20, specifically -- but Rocky says finding the right gift for his lady is a piece of cake ... 'cause he knows what to look for. The reason? He's got good taste, and that's all you need.

Hey, they don't call him Pretty Flacko for nothing ... dude does, indeed, have swag to spare.

That good taste came in handy this past holiday season when he launched his 2024 collab with Bottega ... partially influenced by one of our recent encounters with the "Praise The Lord" rapper -- where he took our photog on a mini-marathon around the block!!!

Rocky clearly didn't want to spill the beans and spoil his birthday plans for RiRi but it's safe to say it'll involve them looking fly and fashionable.

Usher's doubling down on his claim he was Beyoncé's babysitter for a second in the early '90s ... though he's not comfortable calling himself a "manny."

The singer-songwriter, and upcoming Super Bowl Halftime performer, stopped by Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast, released Wednesday, when the question of babysitting Queen Bey herself came up again.

ICYMI ... Usher revealed back in August that he'd watched over Beyoncé when she was just 11 or 12-years-old -- though he didn't say if anyone paid him for his services!

So, Sharpe asked him about being "Beyoncé''s nanny" and, after joking he'd actually be a "manny" ... Usher said it's probably a step too far to give him that title.

The 45-year-old explained Bey came to Atlanta with Destiny's Child -- before they "became Destiny's Child," as Usher describes it -- when he was in his teens, and he was tasked with watching the kids while they hung out at musician Daryl Simmons' house.

The way Usher explained it, his responsibilities were simple ... make sure none of the girls broke anything! So, more like a chaperone on a school field trip than a full-time caretaker, it sounds like.

And, if you're wondering if Usher's always had an eye for talent ... he says he did, claiming he saw a "brilliance and brightness" to Bey and the rest of DC that he was sure would take them all far.

On Beyoncé, he added, "[It’s] really great for my sister, to see that she’s done so amazing and continue to thrive and just get bigger and better."

Obviously, both Usher and Beyoncé have taken off since then with each winning multiple Grammys and selling millions of records worldwide ... and soon, Usher will tie Beyoncé in two Super Bowl Halftime Show performances a piece.

Megan Thee Stallion can count on Latto as an ally amid her nasty entanglement with Nicki Minaj ... and it appears there may even be more people rooting for her behind the scenes.

The Atlanta rapper hopped into the comments of Meg's latest IG post ... a promo of her "Hiss" single ... and cheered her on.

"U making us proud Meg 🤩" Latto wrote ... us, as in plural. Could there possibly be a secret group chat of rap girls pining for Meg to win this beef???

Meg sent Latto big love back with several 💙💙💙 solidifying their friendship ... the two rappers collaborated on Meg's 2022 album "Traumazine."

No telling who's included in that "us" but Latto's issues with Nicki have notably spilled out into the public, so it's not surprising she's Team Meg all the way.

Back in October 2022, Latto accused Nicki of trying to bully her into boycotting the Grammys after she got nominated and Nicki was snubbed.

Latto went on to create the diss song "Put It On Da Floor Again" ... a track where Coi Leray caught a stray shot and was later remixed by Cardi B.

Megan's "Hiss" is also predicted to have a big debut on Billboard. All this beef is apparently good for business.

Nicki Minaj isn't done sniping at Megan Thee Stallion -- now she's accusing her of desperately seeking sympathy when she sat down with Gayle King to discuss the Tory Lanez shooting.

The rapper, who's been on the warpath since MTS released "Hiss" last week, hopped on an X Spaces hosted by Joe Budden ... and compared Meg's 2022 CBS interview to a Rihanna interview in 2009, after Chris Brown assaulted her.

Remember, Megan couldn't hold back tears as she talked about the terrifying shooting -- and while it tugged at most viewers' heartstrings, Nicki wasn't one of those people.

NM accused Megan of making artists like Tory and DaBaby out to be attention-seeking bad guys ... before hamming it up to get a "Rihanna moment."

Minaj elaborated ... saying RiRi received a ton of support once her interview came out because she's all about being herself, and would never "milk anything." She pointed out Rihanna tried to move past Brown's assault quickly in her interview, chalking it up to youth.

But, Nicki said it's not the same with Meg ... claiming she needs "constant f***ing sympathy."

It's the latest in a long string of attacks Nicki's shot off ... including a joke she made about Meg's dead mom and releasing "Big Foot" -- a diss track aimed at MTS.

Meg's stayed silent since dropping "Hiss" with its controversial "Megan's Law" line last week ... perhaps this will finally convince her to hit back. That's clearly what Nicki wants.

Or, maybe she will take it all in stride ... it's always nice to be compared to freakin' Rihanna!!!

8:45 AM PT -- Turns out, Kanye made it to the show ... and he was wearing that Jason mask too.

The question ... was he slicing and dicing on the mic??? 😅

Kanye West and Travis Scott appear poised to take the stage together tonight at Travis' Orlando concert ... and Kanye's got a wild look that would make Jason Voorhees blush.

Travis is due to perform Wednesday night at the Kia Center in Orlando as part of his Circus Maximus tour -- and videos from the venue appear to show Kanye rehearsing some songs on stage ... which has a lot of people buzzing about a potential performance tonight.

There are different reports of sightings of Ye flying in and touching down in FL from Los Angeles earlier today ... and he even posted a photo on his Instagram story showing him wearing an old-school hockey mask.

Check it out ... looks like Kanye is channeling some serious Camp Crystal Lake vibes.

Not only did Ye post shots of himself at the airport -- with some fans swarming him for autographs as he walked through -- but he also threw up a clean shot of the mask itself.

Considering his affinity for face coverings in recent years ... maybe this is his new fave.

Anyway, it's unclear if Yeezy is going to rock this particular mask on stage with Travis -- assuming he gets up there at all, 'cause you just never know with KW -- but he's definitely got the internet going wild, and drumming up a bunch of interest.

Travis has mostly been performing his latest studio album, "Utopia," on tour as of late -- and previously brought out Drake at a tour stop in Canada ... performing one of their collabs from the album.

FWIW, Kanye is not featured on ''Utopia" but he's recorded several songs with Travis over the years ... and when Travis performed in Rome back in August on the heels of the album release, Yeezy joined him on stage. In other words, a surprise pop-in ain't outta the question.

We should also note ... TS himself is leaning into the possibility of hitting the stage with him at some point tonight -- so all signs point to this happening fairly soon.

If it does come to pass, it'll be interesting to see what they're cooking up for the Orlando crowd. By the same token, you gotta wonder how Travis's fans might receive Ye.

G Herbo is feeling on top of his game -- he's got a new set of pearly whites in his mouth, which he plans to use to stunt on his rap peers with a ballsy new album title that's bound to get challenged!!!

The Chicago-born rapper was all smiles when we caught up with him Wednesday at LAX ... thanks, in part, to recently fitted veneers, which prompted a shoutout to "Da Smile Boss" -- his dentist back in Chi-town.

Herbo says the dental work's given him newfound confidence and mental toughness -- and advises anyone feeling self-conscious about their mouth to invest in themselves and get the work done.

Herbo had another big, non-dental, revelation for TMZ Hip Hop ... he's standing on business, and naming his upcoming project "Best Rapper Alive."

A bold proclamation, for sure, and one that could build anticipation for the project -- and maybe that's the point.

Ne-Yo's one of the many music giants gracing the Lovers & Friends stage this year, and says the lineup deserves all the headlines it's making ... just as Mary J. Blige deserves her place on the marquee.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the R&B magnate in L.A., and he was surprised to hear Mary staged a short-lived holdout for better Lovers & Friends' billing -- but also has zero issue with her strategy.

After all, as Ne-Yo reminded us, she is the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Bow down, bishes.

Ne-Yo predicts this year's show has massive potential to be the best one yet ... featuring MJB, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne, Timbaland, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and himself! How can they possibly lose?!?

That's a question folks operating Coachella have been asking with ticket sale woes -- so, we asked Ne-Yo why he thought the once-premier festival had fallen off.

Although he doesn't have much experience performing at the event, he told us he's heard through the grapevine Coachella's lost its grassroots feel, and gone more corporate.

By contrast ... the L&F fest is collecting names to potentially launch a 2nd show.

Ne-Yo suggests Coachella can turn things around if it turns around its next lineup.

He and MJB might be happy campers going into this year's L&F, but the powers that be should check on Juvenile -- fast!!!

Juvenile is taking a page out of the Mary J. Blige playbook with Lovers & Friends ... and putting the super star-studded festival on notice over his lack of payment!!!

The New Orleans rap legend's gripe stems from L&F slapping his name on the flyer to help entice ticket sales but not forking over the dough for the promo!!!

Juve accused L&F of straight-up doing bad business ... claiming the organizers are stalling on paying him his deposit.

The "Back Dat Azz Up" rapper simply deems this type of treatment is unacceptable for an artist of his stature ... pretty much the sentiment that MJB gave off when she stonewalled the fest for a higher placement value.

Mary publicly canceled her appearance -- only to turn around a day later and posted a moneybag emoji with a newfound energy for the fest.

Charlamagne Tha God is giving Megan Thee Stallion the 'W' over Nicki Minaj in their rap war by TKO, telling us the aftermath of Nicki's "Big Foot" was enough to sway his decision!!!

Charlamagne and DJ Envy mulled over the latest developments Wednesday morning in Meg and Nicki's face-off -- after a select group of Barbz posted the location of Megan's mother's burial site.

TMZ broke the story ... the Texas cemetery where Holly Thomas is laid to rest beefed up security measures after the address went viral, and local authorities in the area were put on high alert at the same time.

Charlamagne noted how Megan's "Hiss" track caused Nicki to spiral on X all weekend ... and wrote off her "Big Foot" response as a weak one.

Do remember, Nicki's own fans bombarded her with thousands of messages telling her the track was trash, so CTG is in the majority with his opinion.

Charlamagne also scolded "groupie ass" young fans for foolishly riding behind celebs, and, in this case, thinking it was a good decision to threaten someone's grave.

He predicts curses will soon come their way!

Fans have been going for broke over this battle ... a TikToker claiming to be from Queens recently posted a vid giving the impression he was cocking a gun as he threatened Meg if the beef kept going.