TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Lil Jon's finally answering his own age-old question ... turn down for what? Try meditation, because -- strange as it sounds -- he's got a new album on the way that's way more relaxing than his crunk sound.

Music industry sources tell TMZ ... Lil Jon's recorded a guided meditation album, and while that doesn't seem in line with his trademark yelling of words like, "Yeah!" or "Whaaat?" -- it's in line with his personal life.

We're told Jon's been making fitness and wellness a big priority in his life for a while now, focusing especially on his health ... and his decision to record a meditation album is a direct byproduct.

While this will catch a lot of folks off guard -- especially those who still vibe to crunk classics like "Turn Down For What" and "Get Low" -- our sources say the album is "truthful" to who Jon's become these days, and it makes sense for him.

Basically, it sounds like he's combining his 2 passions ... wellness and music.

We're told Lil Jon's 10-track project is scheduled to drop Feb. 16, and that date doesn't sound coincidental.

As you know, Usher's performing the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Feb. 11 -- and Jon's widely rumored, if not flat out expected, to join him onstage for their smash hit, "Yeah!"

While no one's confirming his halftime cameo ... the fact Lil Jon's releasing his meditation album that same week, seems like a big clue.

Jay-Z says the Recording Academy is at fault for Beyoncé never winning the top prize at the Grammys ... but Bey's pops says her own record label is also contributing to the snub.

Mathew Knowles joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked him about Jay's spicy speech at the Grammys, and what's holding Beyoncé back from winning Album of the Year.

While HOV pointed the finger at the voters, Mathew claims Beyonce's record label, Columbia Records, isn't doing its part behind the scenes ... suggesting it's not going to bat for her when it comes to the voting process or the lobbying involved for award shows.

As Mathew explains, record labels can only support one artist per category, which becomes an issue when artists from the same label are nominated for the same award ... as has been the case with Beyoncé at least twice.

Mathew says this exact scenario played out back in 2017 ... when Beyoncé and Adele, who is also signed to Columbia, were both nominated for AOTY. Bey's dad claims Columbia Records threw its support behind Adele, and she ended up trumping Bey for the Grammy.

Harry Styles is also on Columbia, BTW ... and last year, he beat out Beyoncé for AOTY.

Mathew says there are all sorts of reasons a record label would support one artist over another -- he broke down a few for us, while also pointing out it's not always about the music itself.

Jay-Z admitted in his speech this whole process is subjective, and Mathew's not denying that ... but he says money is a big motivator here too.

Beyoncé may very well win AOTY somewhere down the line ... but at the moment, her father seems to be implying the powers that be just aren't in her corner for the top prize.

Of course, Jay's solution was to "keep showing up," to the point where she can no longer be denied ... but Mathew's saying Beyonce's label has to show up for her.

Steve Harwell and C-Knight's omissions from the Grammys' "In Memoriam" segment Sunday was rude and disrespectful ... according to their nearest and dearest.

Robert Hayes, a rep for Smash Mouth's late lead singer, is hurt over the snub ... though he tells TMZ it didn't surprise him because the Recording Academy never acknowledged Steve when he was alive ... so why would they honor him when he passed?

Smash Mouth was nominated for a Grammy once, in 2000, but didn't win.

His remarks were cutting ... asking who even bothered to watch the Grammys anymore -- and expressing his belief the award ceremony hadn't been good in more than 20 years.

Steve left a lasting influence in the music industry before he passed away in Sept 2023 ... and only 2 months later, fellow artist C-Knight also died, having been taken off life support following complications from diabetes.

C-Knight's brother George Lee Blount echoed similar feelings of hurt and outrage over the "In Memoriam" exclusion.

George tells TMZ ... while C-Knight and his band The Dove Shack never scooped a Grammy, their impact on G-funk and hip hop is undeniable -- adding he was a hip hop legend, and the least they could've done was give him a mention.

George is hoping the same mistake doesn't happen again, urging the Grammys to do more research into artists to understand the hard work and sacrifice they put into their music careers.

Usher is hopping aboard Kim Kardashian's undergarment train -- he's just the most recent star to partner up with her and promote her SKIMS line ... and yeah, he's shirtless for it.

Kim and co. were able to get Usher to agree to be the newest face for their SKIMS Men's campaign -- and they got him to rock their underwear line for fellas ... including their SKIMS Stretch collection as well as their SKIMS Cotton collection.

As part of this new drop featuring Usher ... they're also releasing 4 new colorways.

It goes without saying -- the fact KK signed Usher to SKIMS is a huge deal ... especially since he's a well-known sex symbol, even these days. That's sorta alluded to in this photo shoot here -- where Mr. Raymond is baring his torso, with his chiseled abs on display.

BTW, there was a video filmed for this team-up as well ... and in it, Usher talks about why he signed on, but more importantly -- how it relates to this new album of his, "Coming Home."

Based on what he says here, you could argue this is a full circle moment for him -- Usher seems to be leaning into his R&B roots ... including what made him uber popular to begin with, like his killer looks. There's a limited edition digital version of his album that's dropping as part of the partnership ... it's releasing on Feb. 8 at 9 PM PT/Feb. 9 at midnight ET.

As for these new SKIMS products themselves ... the undies are gonna be up for grabs starting Feb. 12 at 9 AM PT -- you can obviously get 'em on the SKIMS Men Shop website.

Usher's addition to the lineup comes on the heels of Kim snagging other hunks in the industry to advertise her company -- remember, she already got Neymar Jr., Nick Bosa and other hot dudes to rock the gear ... and now, Usher is in the mix as well.

SKIMS is low-key taking over the fashion world -- everyone seems willing to strip down and pimp the product ... making ya wonder, how the hell do these things feel in person.

Killer Mike's officially putting his arrest at the Grammys on the back burner, because after a long wait, his oldest son is finally getting a kidney transplant ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Sources connected to the Grammy-winning rapper tell us Mike is with his son Mikael "Pony Boy" Render Monday as he undergoes the transplant surgery. The 21-year-old has been waiting for a kidney match for 3 years.

Back in November, Mikael got bumped up on the transplant waitlist, and his proud dad talked about it during an interview with Graham Bensinger.

Mike has said Mikael -- who's a musician and rapper, just like Dad -- never had a chance to fully experience his teenage years, because of his battle with kidney disease.

The fact Pony Boy's number got called for the transplant today, of all days, seems like a strange twist of fate ... considering his dad's weekend of some major ups and downs.

TMZ broke the story ... Killer Mike was awarded 3 Grammys Sunday at L.A.'s Crytpo.com Arena -- but he also got arrested.

He was booked for misdemeanor battery after allegedly knocking over a security guard at the venue, but was quickly released on his own recognizance. After getting released ... Mike was in relatively good spirits, even though he'd gone through a fairly dramatic situation.

Paps tried talking to him about it in the aftermath -- but he wasn't really trying to talk much about it ... keeping his attention on the music. In light of this news about his son ... his mind was clearly elsewhere, as he had more important matters to attend to.

Mike won Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance -- but today his focus is purely on Mikael's surgery.

Ludacris is recalling a wild moment from his win at the Grammys back in the day ... and it's all about Justin Timberlake's explicit reaction to Luda's big night -- which sounds jarring.

The story, as Ludacris explained on "Drink Champs," goes like this ... Ludacris was backstage at the 2007 Grammys after winning the award for Best Rap Album and he was dropping f-bombs and letting out his emotions.

Back then, Ludacris says artists went into little holding areas only separated by thin curtains ... which didn't offer much privacy.

Once Ludacris ended his celebration, he says he heard a voice from the other side of the curtain ... "Shut the f*** up, some of us didn't win any g****** Grammys!!!"

Luda says he pulled back the curtain ... only to find Justin Timberlake standing there, and in his mind -- it was clearly him who yelled it.

Hard to tell if Luda is all that bent out of shape about it -- if anything, he seems to find it more amusing than anything all these years later. Based on his demeanor here, he clearly loves to tell the tale and still gets a kick out of it in 2024.

Ludacris says he was extra amped after winning the award because he had come up short for years and set out to win a Grammy when he recorded "Release Therapy."

Justin's funny outburst was a bit premature ... he lost Best Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year for "FutureSex/LoveSounds" but won two Grammys ... Best Rap/Song Collaboration for "My Love" and Best Dance Recording for "Sexy Back."

FWIW, Luda says it's all love with Justin ... calling JT "gangsta" -- so he's good in his book.

Travis Scott got snubbed yet again at the Grammys -- and he seemed to let out his rage in the aftermath ... at least that's what some are perceiving from his WWE-style performance.

The rapper was fresh off another loss at Sunday's show -- with Killer Mike beating him out for Best Rap album, even though many thought 'Utopia' was a shoo-in -- and when TS hit the stage later for a live-music moment ... he appeared to address his anger about it.

Trav and Playboi Carti tag-teamed their song 'FE!N' ... and at one point, Travis started freaking out in the middle of the stage -- throwing around foldable chairs that were there, and even hitting some of the stage props around him.

Some assumed it was just part of his thing -- y'know, typical raging, etc. -- but it became clear to others that something else was going on ... namely, because of TS's own words.

Trav switched up some of the lyrics in the song and said "They slept on me 10 times!" -- obviously in reference to him being nominated 10 times at the Grammys but never winning.

Clearly, he felt some type of way about it -- and seems to have let it out in his art.

The Grammys have come and gone -- but all the stars who were at the show were still down to boogie once the final awards had been given out ... and that's exactly what they did.

Celebs hit the town in L.A. Sunday night -- and yes, they braved the crappy weather ... seemingly determined to party regardless of the rain and wind that was plaguing the city well into the evening. No matter ... 'cause these folks showed up and showed out in force!

One of the big get-togethers came courtesy of SZA's label -- TDE -- which hosted a slew of A-listers who rolled through to celebrate the singer's big night ... she won 3 statuettes herself.

She was in good company to ring in her wins -- stars like French Montana, Chris Brown, Keke Palmer, Big Boy, Andra Day, Storm Reid, AJ McLean, Alabama Barker and more were in attendance.

Elsewhere in L.A., the Universal Music Group party was going down -- and while there was a smattering of well-known faces who rolled through ... it was mostly smaller artists, which is ironic considering this whole TikTok feud that's unfolding.

As far as the recognizable stars -- Paris Jackson, G Flip, Adrien Brody ... and that's about it. There were a ton of other more low-key musicians/acts that popped in -- ones that are no doubt being affected by UMG yanking their music from the popular social media app.

In any case ... they looked stoked to be there and to celebrate the Grammy vibes -- whether anyone knew who they were or not!

Anyhoo ... the bashes here capped off what was most certainly a memorable night in music. There were lots of standout moments, not to mention incredible performances all around.

There were the usual artists who did their thing -- but a handful of musicians who rarely hit the stage stepped into the spotlight for historic showings ... like Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel and Tracy Chapman.

While the broadcast was full of memorable happenings, there were a few strange ones.

8:20 PM PT -- TMZ has obtained new video and info that sheds more light onto the Killer Mike situation -- including the fact that he's now being booked for battery on a citizen's arrest ... this after he allegedly got physical with a security guard at the venue, while out in the rain.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Mike was booked for misdemeanor battery Sunday evening, this after a private person's arrest took place at Crypto.com Arena. We're told KM is accused of knocking down a security officer after they did not get out of his way quick enough -- the apparent aftermath of which looks to have been caught on tape, seen here.

We got a hold of video that seems to show Mike being chased down outside in the windy rain, where security personnel can be seen attempting to stop him ... with Mike looking determined to get by them. You can't see any "knock-down" as has been described to us by law enforcement -- but it does look like he faces off with security guards in tense fashion.

Eventually, Mike was cuffed and led away in the rain as well. It's still unclear what exactly led up to this -- remember, just moments earlier, he was inside soaking in the Grammy win.

Killer Mike's Grammys night came to an early end ... because he was just led out of the event in handcuffs -- after an alleged physical altercation.

A journalist for The Hollywood Reporter posted video to X showing the Run The Jewels rapper leaving the venue with a police escort ... hands bound behind his back.

The 48-year-old doesn't look particularly concerned as he's being led away ... chatting amicably with a man who is walking alongside him and police before saying hello to someone else in a tuxedo.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Killer Mike was detained after allegedly getting into some kind of physical altercation with a security guard at the event.

We're told he's not under arrest, and officers are still trying to sort out exactly what happened.

It must feel like an emotional roller coaster for KM and his fans after an afternoon full of highs.

Mike's already got his Grammys ... he took wins in all three categories he was nominated for including Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song -- though his win in the last contributed to some controversy and conspiracies.

We've reached out to Killer Mike's team ... so far no word back.

Bill Maher says Kanye West's antisemitism and appeal to young people is a dangerous mix ... which is why Kanye's appearance on Bill's podcast won't ever see the light of day.

We talked to Bill for a new "TMZ Investigates" airing Monday at 9 PM ET/8 Central on FOX -- examining how Kanye's legacy as one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time is impacted by his public outbursts and hateful remarks -- and Bill says Kanye's views are way too problematic for him.

Bill tells us the biggest problem with Kanye is how he uses his massive platform to spread antisemitic propaganda ... as BM puts it, Ye's spreading the fertilizer for antisemitism to grow.

While Bill tried to have a meaningful dialogue with Kanye, bringing him in for a two-hour conversation on the "Club Random With Bill Maher" podcast, Bill says he ultimately decided against airing the episode because he didn't want to amplify Kanye's nasty rhetoric.

Bill sums up his experience with Kanye this way ... Ye's a "charming antisemite."

Rae Sremmurd's Slim Jxmmi told cops the mother of his child socked him in the face during a heated argument ... and she ended up getting popped for domestic violence.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops were called to the "Black Beatles" rapper's Doral, FL home on January 22 for a domestic disturbance ... and that's when Slim told them Kiara Danielson hit him.

Officers say Slim told them the dispute started with an argument over social media, with Slim trying to get Kiara to leave his place ... but things allegedly spiraled from there.

Slim told cops he threw Kiara's belongings into the yard, and that's when she got aggressive ... punching him in the face 3 times.

Kiara's telling a different story, though -- police say she claimed she whipped out her phone to record Slim during the dispute and he reached for it ... they struggled and she scratched his eye.

Cops also say she told them Slim grabbed her at one point during the fight.

The officers say Slim had a scratch on his eye, and Kiara had no visible injuries ... so they deemed her the primary aggressor, and arrested her for domestic violence.

She was hauled off to jail and booked for misdemeanor battery.

The incident went down the day after the couple had another explosive fight ... this one while at her Miami apartment.

We obtained video of that argument, showing Slim taking his belongings from her place -- so, maybe not all that shocking things boiled over 24 hours later.

It's interesting, the domestic violence arrest comes about 2 years after Slim was arrested for battery ... when he allegedly attacked Kiara during a fight that started over ... once again, social media.

It might be the 49ers' and the Chiefs' year this season ... but in 2025, you can bet it'll be the Rams'!!!

... at least, that's according to YG, who tells TMZ Sports he's sure L.A. will be in the Super Bowl next season.

In fact, when we got the Compton rapper out at LAX this week -- he downright guaranteed it!!

"We'll be back in the Super Bowl next year, you know what I'm saying?" he said. "That's all I'm going to say!"

Of course, YG is biased ... he's been a huge Rams fan for years -- even joining in on in-game celebrations with Robert Woods and others in the past.

But, it might very well be possible ... after all, with a depleted roster this year, LA still nearly won a road playoff game against Detroit.

There's more ... YG also gave us his prediction for the outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl -- and he even doled out some advice to Travis Kelce for how the tight end should handle his love life heading into the matchup in Las Vegas.

Kanye West’s doubling down on his new mask style ... and we mean that literally ‘cause he tossed on two iconic horror movie masks for a music video shoot.

Here's the deal ... Ye stepped out Saturday alongside his wife Bianca to shoot a vid with Playboi Carti and Luka Sabbat -- and he really didn't let photogs get a shot of his face, covering it with both a Michael Myers mask and a Jason Voorhees hockey mask.

It’s a pretty bizarre style choice -- you’d think one mask would be more than sufficient for the controversial rapper -- but it seems he thought he’d benefit from a second accessory ... or maybe he just really can’t wait for Halloween.

Bianca -- clad in a clear raincoat and white bodysuit -- drove a truck with Playboi Carti and Luka Sabbat hanging out in the back. PBC's in a pretty wild outfit too ... black face paint and a white hooded outfit on.

Ye's look is real eccentric ... which some fans may chalk up to shooting a vid -- as we previously reported ... Kanye performed with Travis Scott in Orlando Wednesday in the Jason mask, so it may seem to be all a stage persona.

But, Ye also decided to accessorize with the mask when he hit up his son Saint's basketball game Friday night ... and, unless he sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game, it seems he's just enjoying the look.

We've seen Kanye going with the masked-up look all over the world recently even if he usually just sticks to one -- just last week we talked to him on the street when he was in one -- but those are mostly black cloth masks.

This is more of a throwback to the masks he was donning a few years ago ... a little bulkier and more attention-grabbing.

You know what they say ... one is the loneliest number -- so why not toss on a second?!?

Blueface's mom, like most moms, knows exactly what her son needs in a mate ... and she's set her sights on Megan Thee Stallion!!!

We got Karlissa Saffold outside Men's Central Jail in L.A., where her son is in custody, and she told our photog she's manifesting a new woman in Blue's life ... for when he's released, of course.

Blueface has a couple baby mamas and a bunch of baddies in his life, but Karlissa wants him to trade up ... explaining why the women he's been with are weighing him down, and clearly referring to Chrisean Rock.

Karlissa says Megan's more on Blueface's level, and she's envisioning them gallivanting across Europe together.

As we've reported, Blueface is stuck behind bars until the summer at least -- the result of violating his probation for a 2021 assault -- so, Karlissa's getting a little ahead of herself, but a mother can dream!

Summer is the perfect time to visit, Europe. Just sayin' ...

Anyways, Karlissa is sending the vibes out into the universe, and she thinks Blueface and Megan's astrological signs are a good match, too.

Unclear if Megan feels the same way -- it's not like she has a great track record with rappers.

Kanye West is free to spew antisemitic hate because at this point it's safe to say he will never be canceled ... at least that's the feeling among some people in entertainment.

As part of our new documentary on Kanye -- premiering Monday at 9/8c on FOX -- we asked Bill Maher, The Game and Angela Yee if cancel culture will ever come for Ye ... and the answer is a resounding "NO" -- for several reasons.

Bill says the Angel of Death seems to simply pass over Kanye's house ... pun intended .. because others in Hollywood have had their careers derailed for much less egregious behavior.

The Game says it's all about Kanye's mentality ... telling us Ye doesn't fear cancel culture and thus can't fall victim ... no matter what he says, about Jewish people or otherwise.

For Angela, Kanye's already blown way past the line in the sand and at this point he would have to do something truly horrific, like committing a crime for example, to truly be canceled.

Kanye West's outbursts have led some people to question his fitness as a parent ... even wondering if Kim Kardashian should put guardrails on her ex-husband's interactions with their 4 kids, while others say it would be outrageous to curtail Ye's interactions with his children.

As you know ... Ye's spouted off numerous antisemitic comments -- saying he identifies with Adolf Hitler, fears Jewish "indoctrination" of his children, and is opposed to the kids going to a "Jewish school."

Now, in a new TMZ Investigates on FOX Monday night at 9/8 central ... experts in psychology, Kanye's friends, and others share their thoughts on how the couple is raising their kids.

One such expert is Dr. Kevin Cokley -- a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan -- who thinks Kim needs to sit their kids down and try to get them to understand they can love their father without approving of everything he says.

Others, including The Game, say it's absurd to worry about Kanye and his kids ... Game says Kanye loves them more than he loves himself.

Though some may want Kim to stop Kanye from seeing their two sons and two daughters -- especially as he struggles with bipolar disorder ... psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Smith says a person can't shield their kids from everything.

Smith says as long as Ye's not endangering the children ... Kanye is no different than other parents who have prejudices ... and that's a big group.