TMZ Hip Hop - Page 35

Usher made a pit stop on his Bali vacation, visiting one of the island's most famous residents ... Russell Simmons.

The singer carved some time out from his own getaway with his wife, Jennifer Goicoechea, to meet up with the hip hop mogul for some yoga, meditation and inner peace ... and it sounds like Usher's visit is lifting Russell's spirits.

The Def Jam co-founder shared video Sunday of him leading a yoga class, with Usher occupying one of the mats on the first row ... and it looks like they got in a great stretch, working up a sweat.

Russell had nothing but good things to say about Usher's presence, saying his old pal exuded an amazing "generosity of spirit" and overall great energy.

Russell also posted a bunch of smiling photos with Usher during their time together, who appears to have been in the area on a getaway of his own ... this following their recent Las Vegas wedding.

In his social media posts, Russell explains how Usher came at the perfect time, saying ... "When i was at the lowest point in my life i woke up and this man was sitting by my bed .. i had known usher since he was a kid but we really bonded because of our mutual love for self discovery and our belief in Yogic science as a direct route to realizing Gods conciousness in ourselves."

Russell adds ... "People remember to remember this ..a friend walks in when others walk out ... i will never forget the generosity of spirit i witnessed in this man God bless you baby bro @usher 🙏🏽 love you !!!!"

As you know, Russell's lived in Bali since 2017 and he's been slammed with multiple sexual misconduct lawsuits and allegations, which he says have caused him great suffering.

Drake doesn't have trust issues when it comes to his pilots landing his jumbo jet in a thick fog ... because he joined them in the cockpit, filming them stick the tricky landing.

The rapper shared a wild first-person POV clip Monday of his two pilots bringing Air Drake in for a textbook landing in low visibility ... and the video is pretty incredible.

Drake's behind the pilots in the cockpit as they descend for landing, with a thick fog blanketing all the windows ... in other words, they were flying blind!!!

There's a robotic voice counting down the altitude, starting at 500 feet, and there's literally nothing visible outside the window until Air Drake is about 50 feet off the ground, when a runway suddenly cuts through the fog like a knife.

Drake's in the video saying "cheers" as his Boeing 767 private jet touches down ... then he hypes up his two pilots once they're on the runway.

Champagne Papi captioned the post ... "There's a couple landings I love on Air Drake but tbh the low visibility is the most exciting it makes your heart drop a bit…lucky I got the best putting this s*** wheels down."

Julia Fox made one hell of an entrance at the Mugler PFW show Sunday ... rocking a look that only she could pull off, and kinda stealing the spotlight again like it's 2022.

The actress rocked a tight sequined nude-colored jumpsuit that hugged every single curve and left little to the imagination -- but she was covered up a tad bit, some strategically placed fringe white feathers added a little classiness to the whole getup ... FWIW.

Julia didn't just stop at the outfit ... she also wore futuristic silver foiled face paint, giving her outfit an otherworldly edge while her blonde locks were rolled into a nice little bun.

JF was absolutely owning it during her posing sesh, too ... using the Parisian streets as her own catwalk show before heading indoors. Never a dull moment with Julia for Fashion Week, especially when it's in Europe, as we've come to learn in recent years.

Of course, Julia's no stranger to pushing the boundaries with her bold style ... but these daring fashion choices might just be a rite of passage for anyone who's dated Kanye West.

You'll recall ... she didn't go so easy on Ye post-romance ... last year she dropped a bombshell in her memoir, "Down the Drain," claiming he used her as a prop during their whirlwind romance that kicked off at the end of 2021.

Julia didn't mince words ... describing her whole experience with him as hollow and meaningless.

While Kanye's been making headlines with his nearly naked outings with Bianca Censori, Julia's been busy carving out her own path by rebranding herself as a feminist icon. She's been using her socials to dish out advice and champion other women.

Mathew Knowles says his daughter Beyoncé knows all about the world of hair care ... 'cause he and her mama Tina ran the best salon in The Bayou City -- according to him.

We caught up with Knowles in NYC Tuesday and asked about Bey's blossoming hair care line Cécred ... which has drawn some criticism online since Queen Bey wears hair extensions, leading some to question what she knows about taking care of natural hair.

Lots of fans are rushing to Bey's defense online, but there are still some out there who say they won't buy the product 'cause they're not sure they know what her real hair looks like.

But, Mathew's saying none of that should matter 'cause she should know all about how to keep hair happy and healthy -- after all, he and Tina Knowles ran the best salon in Houston for nearly two decades

Of course, we had to ask MK about former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland walking off the set of "TODAY" -- and he says it's totally out of character for her.

Kelly bailed on guest hosting "TODAY" because she wasn't satisfied with the dressing room.

Knowles said he views Kelly as a daughter, and he can't imagine her ever having a diva attitude ... so, seems like he's firmly on KR's side.

Nicki Minaj fans are clearly passionate ... both about her music and standing their ground, it seems -- 'cause a group of her supporters got into a fight during her tour's opening performance!

The Barbz brawl went down Friday night in Oakland ... the first night of her much-anticipated "Pink Friday 2 World Tour" -- and it definitely started the whole concert run off with a bang.

Just check out the clip ... a couple fans dressed in black are exchanging punches in one section -- with someone in an all-pink ensemble and dyed pink hair hopping into the scuffle.

The person in pink getting shoved back seems to set one of the angry fans off even more ... and they jump forward to start raining blows down on the other combatants.

Unfortunately for them, their opponents quickly put 'em in a headlock and start hitting them over and over while being held back against the seats.

Eventually, some security guards come over and break up the fight, but members of the crowd can be heard seemingly questioning the person in pink's gender -- overall, a pretty ugly scene.

The whole thing marred what was otherwise a very impressive show ... with Nicki breaking out all her classic hits including "Starships" which she said a few months ago she was done performing.

Rihanna's absolutely glowing and grinning after her killer set at a wedding party thrown by the richest man in Asia -- and she even left the gig with some parting gifts to go along with an astronomical payday.

RiRi strolled through the Jamnagar Airport in Western India Saturday, and was clearly feeling pretty good about her performance. As we reported, she was hired to play the pre-wedding party for the son of Mukesh Ambani, the industrialist worth $112 billion.

By all accounts, he got his money's worth -- Rihanna reportedly played 17 songs on a stage fit for one of her stadium tours with all the lighting and special effects popping off around her as she belted out hits like "We Found Love" and "B**** Better Have My Money."

Hell, it might actually be a set from one of her previous concerts, judging by the massive crates of equipment she arrived with when she touched down in India.

The 1,200 friends and family of Anant Ambani and his bride-to-be Radhika Merchant didn't want to miss a second of the show as they had their phones out, recording the singer's stunning set.

BTW, the guests included scores of VIPs from around the world, including Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan, Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

As Rihanna made her way through the airport Saturday morning, she was carrying a giant box or bag that had "THANK YOU" printed on it.

Not that we've been in that situation, but we're guessing when you attend a party thrown by the 11th richest man in the world, everyone -- even the headliner -- leaves with a badass swag bag.

The real reason for her smile, though, is probably the direct deposit hitting her account -- she was reportedly paid $6 million for the one-night gig ... but, because the show was so long, there's speculation she even got up to 8 figures!

Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori is, for once, leaving a lot to the imagination -- instead of flashing her anatomy in see-through clothing, she's almost fully covered up as they bolt outta Paris.

Bianca and her hubby left the Ritz Paris on Saturday, and it's a completely different, and conservative, look for her ... compared to the eye-popping 'fits she's been rocking all week for Paris Fashion Week.

The pics make it clear, Bianca's dressing more comfortably for their flight out of France -- she was wearing a pair of black tights with a long-sleeved purple sweater, high heels, and her hair pulled back.

No face mask for Kanye this time ... but he did pull his hoodie tight over his head to almost fully cover his face.

Bianca's barely-there fashion choices have been the talk of Paris ... as she's shown off most of her body with a super revealing wardrobe.

Bianca was photographed in a sheer black mini-dress with her boobs in full view as she stepped out of a restaurant ... and sheer tights had her flashing her vagina and her butt more than once.

As we told you, Bianca's father reportedly wants a word with Kanye about how he's the racy wardrobe choices he's presumably making for the missus.

Rihanna is rocking the mic at a lavish pre-wedding bash over in India, where the son of Asia's richest man is getting hitched ... and the performance looks like one of her stadium shows.

Ya gotta see the video -- this ain't no ordinary wedding party -- Rihanna's on a huge stage with a full squad of backup dancers, along with tour-worthy lighting and special effects.

Looks like no expense is being spared, Rihanna's even singing from a rising platform and this whole event is giving her Super Bowl halftime show a run for its money.

The crowd is huge too ... there are about 1,200 people on the guest list.

The guy footing the bill won't go broke, though ... billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani -- worth about $112 billion -- is helping his youngest son, Anant, host celebs and heads of state for the 3-day event celebrating his July nuptials.

Rihanna's giving the people what they want and singing her hits ... like "We Found Love" and "B**** Better Have My Money."

Speaking of which, she's reportedly getting $6 million for the appearance!

As we reported, Rihanna flew into town earlier this week, with crate after crate filled with her luggage and staging -- so, all signs were pointing to the kind of spectacle we're now seeing.

The Ambani family always goes all out when it comes to weddings ... other family members in years past were treated to pre-wedding performances from Beyonce, Coldplay's Chris Martin and The Chainsmokers.

RiRi's more than holding her own here ... and famed magician David Blaine is reportedly booked to perform too.

DJ Akademiks is accusing Meek Mill of being a snitch after cops allegedly showed up to his house -- and if he wants to fight the rapper ... they now have the opportunity to do so!

There's a lucrative 7-figure offer on the table to sweeten the deal between these 2 foes ... and it comes courtesy of Celebrity Boxing czar Damon Feldman.

He tells TMZ Hip Hop ... he's got a cool $1 million purse locked and loaded for Ak and Meek -- in addition to other amenities, if they wanna take him up on this. Damon also says he has a venue in Atlanta booked for May 18, adamant he wants both guys to give it their best.

Meek already has a boxing trainer in his corner, but Damon says he's willing to provide Akademiks with one of his top guys -- if he's inclined to train ahead of the fight.

Ak told Adin Ross this week that he considers Meek a straight-up bully -- while going on to call him cowardly, accusing him of hiding behind his goons ... and he seems eager to take him with his fists.

They've had beef for years, of course, but the latest episode spilled into the e-streets over this wild Diddy lawsuit filed this week by his ex-producer ... who floated salacious claims.

Meek took the bait and went down a wild social media rabbit hole ... responding to Ak but all the posts have since run their course with fans.

Gwyneth Paltrow's kicking off Women's History Month with a teachable moment -- imploring white women to emulate Black women's approach to self-love, but her message is hitting a lot of people as tone-deaf.

The Oscar winner shared her opinion Thursday while appearing alongside Dr. Ella Bell at the Makers Conference in Beverly Hills ... with the Goop founder praising her Black gal pals for having an "incredible intrinsic self-honoring."

She added, "It's like from the deepest part of their souls all the way to the tips of their fingers." Feel the cringe begin. 😬

According to Gwyneth, her "Black women friends know themselves, love themselves, in a way that I think white women are not taught to."

"I think white women are taught to be competitive with one another," she added, "which is something I've tried to work so hard to dispel, because I don't believe in competition between women -- but we're raised to be competitive, to be jealous, to look over each other's shoulders."

GP declared it isn't that way in her "circle of Black women" ... and she continued, "I've learned so much from my Black friends about ruthless self-acceptance and full love of self."

She went on to suggest white women can "learn from our Black sisters and the way in which they respect themselves."

Gwyneth had a direct message for those listening -- "Keeping white women at odds with each other, in competition with one another, keeps the patriarchy strong."

She added ... "You don't have to get less because somebody is going to get more."

While the lifestyle guru likely intended for these words to be uplifting -- on the final day of Black History Month, mind you -- some people think she flat-out missed the mark, especially with the African American community.

Scores of online comments are ripping Gwyneth for being blind to the fact Black women are commonly pitted against each other in pop culture and American society, at large.

Just a few high-profile examples -- Nicki Minaj is currently beefing with Megan Thee Stallion, and has previously feuded with Cardi B. Fellow rising stars Ice Spice and Latto are also taking subtle shots at each other.

Rihanna is set to perform at a lavish pre-wedding event in India this weekend for the son of Asia's richest man ... and she's already in town, with a crap ton of luggage with her.

Check out this footage from earlier in the week that purports to show a conveyor belt full of massive briefcases, storage units and full-blown crates ... all of which are said to have been carrying her belongings. If true, that's pretty crazy ... this is a helluva lot of stuff!

The singer has been booked to perform at a pre-wedding party for Anant Ambani -- the youngest son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani -- and Radhika Merchant, who are set to tie the knot in July ... but who are raging early for 3 days straight starting Friday in Gujarat, India.

Countless celebs and tycoons have been invited -- and a handful have already flown into town to celebrate with the couple. Rihanna has been hired as the main talent -- although her fee has been kept a secret. Ya gotta figure it's quite a bundle ... 'cause she agreed to do it.

The Ambani family is known for hiring the world's biggest stars to perform at their parties -- Beyoncé notably performed at the 2018 pre-wedding ceremony for Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal. A year later ... Coldplay's Chris Martin and The Chainsmokers took the stage at Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta's pre-wedding celebration -- which took place in Switzerland. Now, they got RiRi on the lineup ... so yeah, they go all out for their own.

It's clear that Mukesh is once again sparing no expense to celebrate the expansion of his family. Famed magician David Blaine has reportedly also been booked to perform throughout the star-studded weekend ... and his services probably don't come cheap either.

Meta CEO and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan have already given a glimpse at the festivities -- posting on Instagram a photo of themselves dressed to the nines.

Ivanka Trump, meanwhile, was also spotted among the guests, with other reported attendees including Bill Gates and Google CEO Sundar Pichai -- who are all expected to follow an alleged nine-page dress code.

Now before you scoff at this display of wealth ... the couple has made sure to give back to the community -- kicking off their loved-up weekend with a communal dinner for 51,000 locals. Yes, they literally hosted a massive meal for tens of thousands of people in their area. Wild!

Missy Elliott is putting a stop to any potential rift between Cardi B and BIA after both rap stars sampled one of her classics ... saying they're both free to use it, without issue.

Cardi put her 2024 comeback into first gear on Friday with the release of her "Like What (Freestyle)" vid ... directed by her hubby Offset.

The beat rides Missy's 1999 hit "She's a Bitch" ... which just so happened to be the same template for BIA's 2023 single "I’m That Bitch."

BIA defended her own credibility in a suspicious post on X as Cardi was teasing her track ... "BIA THIS… BIA THAT BIA KNOW HOW TO F***** RAP."

The Rock Hall-bound Missy cosigned a comment that commended both artists for using her with a heart hands emoji ... basically a cease-fire for weirdo fans looking to start beef.

None of this probably would've happened if had they taken the advice from 1500 or Nothin's Larrance Dopson -- remember, the Grammy Award-winner told us last year that low-hanging fruit samples are ruining rap music.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of the confrontation Lil Wayne had with a Lakers security guard on Thursday night ... and you can see he was so upset over the interaction, he bolted from the game immediately.

In the clip, Wayne -- wearing a cream-colored hoodie, black cap and headphones -- can be seen trying to get to his courtside seat with a few friends ... when, suddenly, several Crypto.com Arena officials seem to tell him to stop.

One man in a grey polo with a walkie-talkie clipped to the collar then appears to have words with the "How To Love" crooner ... seemingly gesturing to him that he needs to get to his chair via a different route.

Wayne's clearly pissed over the chat ... check out the vid, he throws up his hands in a "Come on!" motion -- before he then just jets out of the building.

One witness who was just a few yards from the scene, MaxMarketPros' Joseph Stirling, says it all happened in the second quarter of the game ... after Wayne seemed to have some troubles finding his seat. Stirling added that following the incident, he didn't see Wayne the rest of the night.

At first, Wayne wrote on his X page that he was "treated like s***" ... although during a Friday morning appearance on Fox Sports 1's "Undisputed," he seemed to relent that it was all just a big misunderstanding.

"They was just doing their job," the rapper said.

But, he did add that he felt like the encounter was "a little much."

"So," he said, "I was like, let's just leave."

9:10 AM -- Lil Wayne joined FS1's "Undisputed" with Skip Bayless on Friday to address his beef with the team ... chalking it all up to an issue with security.

"They was just doing their job," the rap icon said ... explaining as he was attempting to make his way to his courtside seat, a staffer stopped his crew in their tracks and told them to enter from another part of the arena.

But when they got to the second entrance, Weezy noticed they would have had to ask other spectators to get up from their spots to allow his group through to their seats ... and he didn't want to bother them, so he walked back to the original entry.

When he got back there, Wayne said the same staffer got upset ... saying, "I told you guys to go to the other entrance!" -- which he felt was a bit out of line.

Wayne also said he was told after the fact that the issue was that he'd have to wait for a dead ball to get to his seat -- but that wasn't relayed to him.

Tunechi -- who admitted he was only at the game as part of a brand deal -- said the experience left a bad taste in his mouth ... and he'll only go back to Crypto because his son is a diehard Laker fan.

Lil Wayne says he was "treated like s***" at the Lakers game on Thursday night ... and he's so pissed over what went down, it seems he's ready to cut ties with his beloved squad.

It's not quite clear exactly what happened with Weezy as he made his way to Crypto.Com Arena to watch LA battle with the Washington Wizards ... but just 90-or-so minutes after the game tipped off, he took to X to criticize the Purple and Gold.

"Wow!" he wrote. "Got treated like s*** at the Laker game just now."

Wayne didn't get into specifics ... but he suspected it all had to do with some previous comments he's made about one of the team's superstars, Anthony Davis.

If you're unfamiliar ... Wayne, who's always spotted in courtside seats at Lakers games, makes regular appearances on Fox Sports 1's "Undisputed," and when the topic turns to LA hoops, he's often critical of Davis. In fact, during a November episode, he said the team should straight up trade the nine-time All-Star.

In his post on X, Wayne wrote, "I figured they’d do me that sooner or later" "bc of what i said abt AD," but he added that he's gotten an uneasy feeling from the team for a while now -- which apparently has him questioning his fandom going forward.

"All good I get it," he said. "F*** em. It isn’t what it isn’t. I’m used to it."

Neither he nor the Lakers addressed the matter further as of Friday morning.

It seems a bunch of other celebs, though, had no issues attending the game ... Flea, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Corey Gamble, Jay Mohr and even Chevy Chase were all spotted near courtside with grins on their faces.

Everyone there got to enjoy quite the game too -- as LeBron James and Davis combined to score 71 points in a 134-131 overtime win.

Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori is once again letting it all hang out -- and now, everything's on the table ... from top to bottom, she's showing the world what she's made of.

Bianca and Ye hit up a restaurant over in Paris Wednesday night -- and she wasn't shy about her body, not that she really ever is. She was wearing a VERY see-through top, which showed off her bare breasts. Yes, it's pretty easy to see her nipples here.

Not just that ... but you can also see her vagina, and butt -- depending on the angle.

The couple also shared some tender PDA moments inside the eatery, snuggling up along a wall ... and afterward, Ye followed her out to a waiting van as she put all her assets on display.

No shame in Bianca's game -- that much has been made quite clear.

Once they got in their ride, Kanye and Bianca took a few moments to chill ... sitting in the back seat as photogs snapped away. She didn't shy away from the attention -- neither did he.

The moment of reflection seemingly came right around the time of Kanye's latest public demand of Kim Kardashian ... when he posted a statement on IG calling on his ex-wife to take their kids out of the ritzy private school they all attend in California.

It's interesting ... Bianca was covered up earlier in the day when she went out in long coat ... but by nightfall she was in the mood to go nude. She's been doing this all week, BTW.

Remember, we saw Bianca showing off her bare butt and vagina earlier this week in Paris, where fashion week is in full swing, and now she's adding her nipples to the mix.

Her outfits last week in Italy were just as eye-popping -- although, here in France ... she's upped the ante and gotten even more risque than perhaps any other outfit she's rocked.

She's definitely looking like a typical Kanye muse -- and she appears to be loving every minute of it.

Adam22 is declaring himself and Wack100 as hip hop's de facto d*** pic raters ... and according to his expertise, Drake and his schlong are a gift to the rap game!!!

The "No Jumper" boss recently linked with TMZ Hip Hop and he has the utmost confidence the viral video purported to be Drake is 100% real.

Everyone's seen "the video" and Adam claims he was privy to a peek at Drake's scepter months ago after a mutual friend of theirs showed him pics.

Many speculated it was a sleazy leak to build buzz for Drake's tour ... but Adam says Drake told him personally he wasn't responsible for unleashing the clip, because that's not on brand for OVO!!!

Adam speculates Drake was getting blackmailed for money, and the vid was posted as payback for a failed shakedown ... but Adam says there's no reason for Drizzy to be ashamed.

He's slapping a fat 8/10 on Drake's meat, just south of the perfect score many pornstars get ... and keep in mind they swing theirs for a living!!!

We also discussed his blushing bride Lena The Plug, and despite their very open sex lives, he clarified she's not just a hot prize to be passed around to the next horndog ... something he says NLE Choppa, clearly, doesn't understand.

Adam recently gave the thumbs up to NLE's package deal, but says the Memphis rapper pushed his luck by pushing up on Lena.