TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Chrisean Rock's facing a legal battle on the civil front ... she's on the receiving end of a lawsuit for an alleged assault, one that allegedly took place during a Tamar Braxton show.

According to legal documents, obtained by TMZ ... TV personality James Wright is suing Chrisean, claiming she attacked him at a club show back in November -- an incident he says led to multiple face lacerations and two broken teeth.

ICYMI ... James Wright was reportedly hospitalized following Tamar's show in Downtown Los Angeles around this same time. Tamar talked about the alleged incident during an IG Live where she said Chrisean thought she was supposed to have a bigger role in the show ... and apparently became agitated when she was told that wasn't the case.

We obtained video showing Chrisean breaking up a prayer circle before the show ... but eyewitnesses on the tour told us that had nothing to do with the alleged incident.

Anyway ... in the suit, James, who sang backup for TB, says he told Rock she was supposed to only come onstage for the twerk portion at the end of the night. He says he told her she was not in the properly designated area and that’s when she allegedly hit him.

Wright claims Rock stuck him several times using a hand with "large champion style rings" that caused the lacerations and broken teeth. He also claims she called him a homophobic slur in the aftermath of the alleged assault.

Wright says he was sent to the hospital and also had to consult with a dentist and plastic surgeon in the aftermath of the alleged incident.

Now, James is taking Chrisean for assault, battery, and emotional distress … and he’s seeking compensation for his medical bills, among other damages.

North West's rap career has officially launched ... -- 'cause her verse on one of Kanye's tracks just got released ... along with a music video that features the kid too.

On Wednesday, Ye dropped his and Ty Dolla Sign’s "Talking/Once Again" music video from their forthcoming "Vultures" album -- releasing the music/visuals on social media, and having North front and center on camera ... not to mention on the mic.

The video -- directed by The D'Innocenzo Brothers -- not only highlights NW's "your bestie" bars ... but it also gives an up-close look at her hair styling routine -- as you can see, she's getting her hair braided in this clip.

She's not the only famous daughter in the mix here -- TD$ also introduces his daughter Jailynn Crystal in the video as he sings about protecting her from the crazy world.

BTW -- this is the same song North performed in Miami during Art Basel, where she surprised the crowd and rapped these same lyrics ... which she's definitely proud of. Her appearance on the song also tracks with recent enthusiasm she's shown as a creative -- remember, she hopped on TikTok and laid out her ideas for a music video of her own.

On its face, it appears she might be following in her dad's footsteps ... guess we'll see!

Anyway, the first installment of Ye and Ty$'s "Vultures" is finally expected to drop Friday -- although, it remains to be seen whether it'll actually hit mainstream streaming services. Ye's had a hard time finding distribution lately -- so it's unclear who people are gonna listen to this. We're also not sure if the project will release at all ... he's pushed it back a ton already.

Kanye recently complained he's being barred from booking venues in his hometown of Chicago ... and didn't rule out it might be because of his past antisemitic remarks. Clearly, that's all still top of mind for many -- which makes getting this project out sorta difficult.

In any case, Ye's got his little girl right by his side ... North obviously loves her father.

Kristin Cavallari says she was courted in a major way by Diddy when she was younger, but she blew him off because he wasn't her type and ultimately dodged "a f***ing bullet."

The former reality star sat down with her sidekick, Justin Anderson, on her "Let's Be Honest" podcast Tuesday and revealed that Diddy aggressively pursued her when she was in her early 20s, showering her with gifts on Valentine's Day one year.

Kristin said Diddy sent her the "biggest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen," as well as a large box of chocolates, a massive teddy bear and boatloads of tequila from his then-co-owned brand, Cîroc vodka or DeLeón tequila.

She said a slew of deliverymen marched into her house to drop off all the presents and "it was like s*** you see in a movie.”

According to Kristin, Diddy told her that he had a "TV crush" on her and "wanted to take me out," but the "Laguna Beach" star poo-pooed the idea and finally told him "no" after he kept hitting on her.

Justin asked Kristin if she had any interest at all in Diddy, and she admitted that part of her was wooed by him spoiling the "s*** out of me," but she just wasn't attracted to him.

She added, “And I’ve got a lot of stories like that, you guys, where I could never just go on a date with someone because it was so-and-so. Like, I literally always have had to be attracted to you … I don’t want to be the arm candy.”

Now, looking back, Kristin says she "dodged a f***ing bullet" and Diddy's a "red f***ing flag," alluding to his multitude of recent legal issues stemming from allegations of sexual assault stretching back decades.

Since late 2023, Diddy has been fighting lawsuits filed by multiple women, claiming the music mogul raped them and was involved in sex trafficking.

Diddy's former longtime girlfriend and R&B singer Cassie was first to bring a suit against him, but the two quickly settled, yet other lawsuits followed.

Kanye West says he can't book arena shows to perform his new music ... and he's seemingly saying his antisemitic rants are to blame.

Ye just posted a video on his Instagram story complaining about being told by multiple venues there's no availability for him.

Kanye's reasoning ... "And you know why that is."

Reading between the lines here, it seems Kanye says people who run the arenas and stadiums have a problem with him ... likely because of his hateful rants.

There's one arena Kanye says is open to his schtick ... the United Center in Chicago.

Kanye says his hometown arena is the only one he's had access to in the past year ... and it's where he's hosting a listening party Thursday night with Ty Dolla $ign for their new album, "Vultures."

Ye claims he sold out the United Center in seven minutes ... so he's saying he's in high demand but is being blacklisted.

At least, that's the takeaway from this video where he speaks with a lisp due to his new titanium dentures.

Doubling down on his point, Kanye also posted an all-caps note on his IG saying ... "I HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO PERFORM IN A YEAR FEELS LIKE THE ELVIS PRESLEY MOVIE."

Don Toliver will be a proud papa soon and thinks his baby should carry on the family's name ... but which name that'll be is still being figured out.

The Cactus Jack Records crooner tells TMZ Hip Hop he's greatly anticipating the new life he and longtime girlfriend, and fellow artist, Kali Uchis are bringing into the world ... which, judging by his use of pronouns, will be a baby boy. 💙

He and Kali lifted the pregnancy veil a few weeks ago with a video announcement that intertwined both of their childhoods, equally split 50/50.

Don told us that same collaborative effort is going into picking a name -- as they say, teamwork makes the dream work!

They both hit it big in R&B with stage names -- so the possibilities between their legal names and aliases could yield unique results.

No need to rush, they can always adjust the baby's birth certificate if they have second thoughts.

In the meantime, Don's riding high ... just as he did over Grammy weekend, pulling up to Hyde nightclub in WeHo.

He clearly does his own stunts ... making a memorable entrance on the same personalized chopper and "Hard Stone Psycho" from his new “Bandit” music video.

Issa Rae's jump into independent filmmaking is something more Black creators might have to explore ... according to Mona Scott-Young, who says it's all about maximizing your value!!!

We spoke to the "Love & Hip Hop" architect as she was shimmering outside of Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party, and she was confident Issa would continue to be a powerhouse in Hollywood, one way or another.

Issa recently predicted a doomsday for future Black programming on major TV networks after her HBO series "Rap Sh!t" got canceled ... publicly accusing studios for making Black shows less of a priority.

Several shows geared towards Black audiences -- "Southside," "A Black Lady Sketch Show," "The Game" reboot, and Issa's other HBO series, "Sweet Life: Los Angeles" all recently got the axe ... so, it feels like a shift is real.

Mona has operated several variations of 'L&HH' with VH1 for over a decade, so her experience with big wig execs isn't necessarily the same -- but she says if Issa needs to go indie to get the job done, then so be it!!!

When we asked Vivica A. Fox about this very subject, the actress could only speak positively of her travels through Tinseltown, so there are plenty of different perspectives hovering around the testy topic.

Killer Mike's epic sweep of 3 categories is the Grammy headline that matters -- not his arrest -- at least, that's how one of the producers who helped him win those trophies will remember the weekend.

TMZ Hip Hop first obtained the video Sunday showing Mike surrounded by several security guards outside Crypto.com Arena -- and they ended up holding him until LAPD showed up to arrest Mike for battery.

Honorable C.N.O.T.E. tells us he spoke to KM moments after the run-in with a security guard, and he says Mike called it "the third best thing" that happened to him on Sunday -- in other words, the whole drama was already rain down the drain for Mike.

His self-titled album dominated this year's hip hop categories -- including Best Rap Album award, for which C.N.O.T.E. produced the track "Spaceship Views."

Danielle Bregoli -- AKA Bhad Bhabie -- got a jump on Valentine's Day for good reason … she and her boyfriend threw a baby shower for their little girl, who'll be here in due time.

On Monday, the rapper and her man, Le Vaughn, shared photos and videos from the lavish party -- which they dubbed "A Kali Love Story," named after their first child together ... and Bhabie's first kid period.

As you can see ... Danielle is just about ready to pop. She's definitely at least in the second trimester now, and based on how big she is -- ya gotta figure she'll give birth very soon.

The platinum-selling MC -- who got her start on Dr. Phil's show way back when -- showed off her baby bump in a silky gown laced with red rose petals and the event space, curated by The Bella Xperience, decorated the scenery with pink and white colors for V-Day.

Several of their friends and family members were also seen indulging in the fun ... and everyone seemed to be having a ball.

BB and Le Vaugh made their reveal last year in similar grandiose fashion, a trend that’s likely to continue after the baby arrives. The couple -- who've been together since 2021 -- first announced they were expecting back in December.

If it feels like time has flown by watching this young lady grow up -- well, join the club ... we've covered her since pretty much the beginning, and now -- she's a Mama Bear to be.

Jay-Z served the Grammys a bowl of backhanded soup while accepting his award -- but the Recording Academy deserved it, according to a couple Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently linked with Layzie and Flesh-n-Bone, the brotherly faction of the legendary Ohio rap group, and they told us Jay spoke facts when he scolded Grammy voters for Beyoncé’s lack of Album of the Year awards … while also being the record-holder for most trophies.

Few would disagree BTNH deserved their 1997 Grammy for their classic “Tha Crossroads,” but Layzie and Flesh sadly think the Grammys will never hit the bull-eyes when it comes to honoring Black and hip hop artists ... because the culture is just too vast to cover in a single night!!!

Flesh suspects the industry has been permanently infiltrated by rich culture vultures who can sway the people with dollars … and have a negative influence.

It’s the exact sentiment KXNG Crooked shared with us when railing against the industry last year.

So, if a billionaire like Jay is complaining, higher powers must be at work.

While you can’t make everyone happy, Lay and Flesh did have some grace for the Grammys for honoring their late mentor Eazy-E’s trailblazing group N.W.A with a 2024 Lifetime Achievement award -- which, they say, will go a long way in educating Gen Z on rap history.

They blame the internet for scrambling kids’ brains … as seen with the knee-jerk reactions after Killer Mike swept the Rap Grammy categories on Sunday and many younger fans — like Kai Cenat -- claimed they'd never heard of him until now.

3:40 PM PT -- A rep for Post tells TMZ ... "Post Consumer Brands was excited to partner with Broadus Foods and we made substantial investments in the business. We were equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations."

12:50 PM PT -- Following Snoop Dogg and Master P's filing today, Walmart tells TMZ Hip Hop, "Walmart values our relationships with our suppliers, and we have a strong history of supporting entrepreneurs. Many factors affect the sales of any given product, including consumer demand, seasonality, and price to name a few. We will respond as appropriate with the Court once we are served with the complaint."

Snoop Dogg and Master P are accusing Walmart of shelving their Snoop Cereal but not on the main floor … a new lawsuit accuses the grocery giant and Post Foods of intentionally hiding their product!!!

The rap legends' attorney Benjamin Crump officially filed docs which TMZ Hip Hop obtained on Tuesday … which allege Walmart and Post conspired together to bury their Broadus Foods company after agreeing to partner with them.

According to the suit, Post first attempted to buy out Snoop and P, and later pretended to share their vision by agreeing to adopt their cereal as one of their own and distribute the product in big-name retailers such as Walmart.

Broadus Foods argues Post should have stacked the Snoop Cereal next to their other top sellers but Post only agreed to the deal to shut them out of the market altogether.

Snoop Cereal launched in Walmart in July 2023 but the suit claims customers complained they could no longer find it a few months later.

Walmart stores online allegedly showed the Snoop Cereal to be sold out across the board … before store employees discovered the product was being stowed away in back stockrooms far away from potential buyers and uncoded to sell in the first place.

The lack of sales cut into P and Snoop’s contract with Post, which they feel was the intent all along -- and they're suing for damages they say fall under the "deceptive trade practices."

We reached out to P for comment … so far, no word back!!!

Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime performance on Sunday is so highly anticipated, it's bringing out the inner fan in several of his industry peers ... including Gayle King.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Gayle and OG human beatbox Doug E. Fresh as they were both leaving a Grammy shindig -- and both highlighted just how loaded Usher’s catalog is with hits.

In fact, they have 2 different tracks at the top of their wish lists.

Gayle didn’t have much of an opinion on the response to Nicki Minaj’s “Big Foot,” but tells us her top pick for Usher’s SB is "Confessions" ... and even gave us a little of her vocal seasoning to let you know she’s serious!!!

Doug, on the other hand, is confident his pick -- “Yeah!” with Lil Jon and Ludacris -- is what the people want to see the most.

All signs point to Jon joining Usher on stage Sunday in Vegas, because he’s releasing a mediation album a few days later ...  most likely to capitalize on the Super Bowl buzz.

Luda’s been making his interview rounds as well, so seems highly like Doug's music request dreams will come true!!!

Doug and Gayle are also pining for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, to snag the victory.

Katt Williams’ viral interview is pushing Steve Harvey and Mark Curry’s longstanding feud into the public eye -- and while Mark says it's water under the bridge, he still hasn’t forgotten!!!

We got the veteran comic Monday at LAX, where he told us Steve hasn’t said a word to his face about stealing his jokes back in the day, but Mark made it clear he's not sweatin' it.

He says Steve can have his old material, because his pen stays producing new material all the time!

Katt roasted Steve on Shannon Sharpe's “Club Shay Shay” for not only swiping Mark’s stand-up bits but also repurposing the premise of his “Hangin With Mr. Cooper” sitcom for his own “Steve Harvey Show” years later.

Mark’s currently delivering new routines on Katt’s “Dark Matter Tour” and tells us it’s perfectly fine if Steve wants to keep the old jokes he stole … he’s confident they’re still being used.

MC credits Katt for being more than an outstanding tour partner — he says Katt got in between him when he went to confront Steve in person.

We recently spoke to Torrei Hart, who’s also on the tour with Katt ... and she sang similar praises about him always taking care of his people.

As fate would have it, Gary Owen also spoke out about his experience dealing with Steve and his producers, saying it didn't go well -- professionally or financially -- when he appeared on Steve's self-titled talk show.

L.A.'s forecast lately is a 100% chance of rain, and a 0% chance Bianca Censori will cover up her body during outings with her husband Kanye West.

Just check out these pics ... even in a heavy downpour Monday evening, the Aussie model opted to be naked ... wearing only a sheer rain poncho to protect herself from getting wet as she and Kanye arrived at a music studio.

The branding on her lightweight outerwear just about managed to cover her breasts, but she had to skillfully position her hand to avoid flashing anything down below -- although, it does appear she was wearing a skimpy nude-colored thong.

Knee-high stiletto boots were the only notable wardrobe item the 29-year-old architect wore as she strutted along with the rapper -- who, for his part, pulled out all the stops to remain dry head-to-toe.

In stark contrast to Bianca, he was in full waterproof attire in his signature black ski mask and a khaki poncho. Sure, it was oversized enough to cover Bianca too, but sharing was not caring in this instance. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Of course, Bianca's nakedness is nothing new -- she's known for her barely-there ensembles -- but this is the first time we've seen it while a historic storm batters the West Coast.

Luckily, BC didn't have to suffer in the wet weather for too long ... she and KW soon made it indoors to the music studio, where they allegedly met up with Playboi Carti.

Later, Ye shared his only IG post ... a cryptic "1", which presumably refers to his delayed album "Vultures: Volume 1" which should be dropping later this week.

Killer Mike is clarifying what happened at the Grammys that landed him in cuffs -- and he says it can all be chalked up to confusion ... and someone trying too hard to play police officer.

The rapper tells TMZ ... "As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard but my team and I have the utmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing. Until that time, keep listening to ‘Michael,’ and keep going after your dreams."

A source close to KM tells us he and his team ran into a little mishap while trying to enter the venue -- although it's unclear if they were re-entering, or coming in for the first time.

In any case, we're told there was considerable confusion about where to go and how to get in -- and as Mike and co. were trying to figure this out, they encountered a security guard who apparently started giving them a hard time ... with Mike choosing to keep it pushin'.

Namely, he blew past the guard ... and that seems to have resulted in them chasing him down after the fact -- something TMZ got video of in the immediate aftermath of this alleged incident. In the end, we know what happened ... Mike was detained and ultimately arrested.

Our sources tell us the whole situation was completely overblown and Mike's team is confident -- as is he -- that his name will be cleared when the facts are laid bare.

As we reported ... Mike is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after a citizen's arrest was conducted -- and whole thing kinda put a damper on his big Grammy wins. He's still happy about the accolades, for 'MICHAEL,' not to mention a successful surgery for his son.

Jay-Z was right to use his Grammys moment to advocate for his wife Beyoncé ... so says another music couple who was at the award show.

We got The War and Treaty at LAX and our photog asked the Best New Artist nominees about Jay using his acceptance speech to talk about Beyoncé's 4 losses in the Album of the Year category.

The husband and wife duo say Jay was being a good hubby by standing up for his woman ... also telling us Hov isn't wrong in his views on Beyoncé albums being worthy of the top prize.

The War and Treaty say Bey is more than worthy, and they feel she's right up there with Michael Jackson in terms of music and philanthropy.

MJ, by the way, won AOTY for "Thriller" way back in the day.

Jay told Beyoncé, and any other disappointed nominees, to keep showing up and pushing for accolades they feel they deserve.

Interestingly, The War and Treaty offered Beyoncé some advice, too -- they think a country record might be the way to go ... though, they're a little bit biased.

Killer Mike and his family are breathing a collective sigh of relief ... the surgery to give his son a new kidney went successfully.

Mike tells us his 21-year-old son Mikael "Pony Boy" Render came through the transplant, and "did really well." He says Pony will be in recovery for a few hours before he's moved back to his hospital room, but they're already seeing some positive signs -- Mike says it "looks like the kidney is already working."

TMZ broke the story ... Pony went into surgery Monday morning, after waiting 3 years for a matching organ. It's been an ongoing health issue that Mike has been very open about.

His son's lifesaving surgery comes on the heels of one of Mike's most memorable days, professionally, for good and bad reasons.

As we reported, Killer Mike cleaned up at the Grammys on Sunday ... winning 3 awards for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance -- however, moments later he was in handcuffs for allegedly getting physical with a security guard at the Grammys venue, Crypto.com Arena.

Mike was booked for misdemeanor battery, and released on his own recognizance -- in fact, he was still able to step out Sunday night and celebrate his Grammy wins.

All of that was firmly in his rearview, though, when the family got word Pony was cleared for surgery.