Roddy Ricch Granted Joint Custody of Son After Bitter Court Battle

Roddy Ricch and his ex-girlfriend Alexandra Kiser have reached a custody agreement for their 3-year-old son ... finally putting an end to their parental tug-o-war.

"The Box" rapper will have joint legal custody and is getting physical custody of the kid for a couple days each week from Tuesdays to Thursdays.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

He also has to pay Alexandra $8K a month in child support ... on top of their son's private school tuition, medical bills, any special-needs therapy, and additional extracurricular activities.

Ex-Federal Prosecutor Diddy Tape Gives Cassie Credibility Hurts Him in Investigation

An ex-federal prosecutor is weighing in on Diddy's assault video -- and she says while this isn't necessarily a smoking gun in the investigation he's facing, it certainly doesn't help him.

We talked to Katie Cherkasky -- who's had years of experience with these sorts of legal matters -- on "TMZ Live" Friday ... where she declared that the now-viral video, in which Diddy can be seen beating Cassie -- should make him and his camp worried.

051724_katie_cherkasky_kal_v2
LOOKING MORE AND MORE CREDIBLE
TMZ.com

Katie says the tape gives credibility to Cassie on multiple fronts -- both in the public eye, but also with the feds who are drilling down into major allegations against Diddy right now.

Lil Yachty Drake Was Underdog vs. Kendrick ... He's Still Rap King!!! 👑

051724_lil_yachty_beef_kal
NO WINNERS OR LOSERS
A Safe Space Podcast

Lil Yachty doesn't think Drake is permanently scarred by his battle with Kendrick Lamar -- although, almost everyone agrees he lost ... Champagne Papi's still king in Yachty's book!!!

The Boatster broke his silence about the Drake-Kendrick beef on his "A Safe Space" podcast after lyrically getting looped into the mix.

Kendrick poked at Yachty's friendship with Drake on "Euphoria" when he growled, "Yachty can't give you no swag neither, I don't give a f**k who ya hang with" -- an incredible strategy Yachty says, but not enough to ruin the OVO legacy.

Diddy Seen Assaulting Cassie In 2016 ... Brutal Surveillance Video

update

1:13 PM PT -- A rep for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts tells TMZ ... "This hotel is no longer under IHG management, and we do not have any access to prior incident records or footage."

10:56 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there is no record cops can track down as it pertains to this 2016 incident at the InterContinental, so it doesn't appear to have been mentioned to cops in a police report, or otherwise reported to the authorities.

In terms of cops opening a case on this now, LAPD tells TMZ ... For cases before January 2020, it's a 3 year statute of limitations -- and after January 2020, it's 5 years. In other words, there's no chance cops will dive into this specific incident for potential criminal charges at this point, at least as far as the LAPD is concerned.

Diddy brutally beat up his ex-girlfriend Cassie at a hotel in L.A. 8 years ago -- something she detailed in her lawsuit ... and which we're now seeing for the first time on camera.

Cardi B Doesn't Wanna Rely on Parents ... To Help Raise Her Kids

Cardi B isn't shying away from her parenting duties even as a multi-millionaire --- in fact, it sounds like she wants little to no help ... including from her own parents.

In her recent Rolling Stone interview, Cardi revealed she isn't too keen on relying on her folks for assistance in helping bring up her 2-year-old and 5-year-old, Wave and Kulture ... whom she shares with her husband Offset.

Cardi says, "I had them kids. They came out of my p***y, not my mom's. They mine."

Lil Baby Music Video Shots Fired Between Rivaling Crews ... 4PF Rapper Not Involved

051624-Lil-baby-audio-3--getty-
THE CHAOTIC SCENE

Lil Baby and his music video crew got caught in the crossfire -- that's the early word from cops investigating the gunfire that erupted in the middle of his Atlanta music video shoot.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained audio of the chaotic 911 call during the shooting ... and you can hear dozens of rounds exploding through the air.

One caller sounded so frantic, he couldn't provide the dispatcher with any usable details.

Latto Courtside For Angel Reese's WNBA Debut ... Girl Power Taking Over!!!

051624_latto-kal
YEAR OF THE GIRL
WNBA

Angel Reese made her own WNBA debut following Caitlin Clark's historic opening night -- and although the rookie sensation from LSU also took a loss, she still had Latto front and center to support her!!!

Latto snuck in a quick interview at the Chicago Sky's season opener against the Dallas Wings Wednesday night -- she only flew into Texas to see Angel play.

Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.

The "Big Energy" rapper told viewers she believes 2024 is the year of the woman and backing the WNBA falls under that umbrella.

Cardi B Not Voting For Biden or Trump ... Americans Got Betrayed!!!

Cardi B won’t be casting her ballot for Joe Biden or Donald Trump this November … 'cause she’s calling them both failures as Commanders In Chief.

Cardi wasn't going out of her way to discuss the upcoming election, but in her extensive Rolling Stone profile that dropped Thursday, the topic came up ... and she emptied the clip on both candidates' presidential performance during their respective times in office.

She says ... "I don’t f*** with both of y’all n****s" -- adding that Biden's current domestic and foreign policies have been the source of "layers and layers of disappointment" for her.

50 Cent Claims Jay-Z Iced Grammy Brunch ... Until Diddy Stuff Blows Over!!!

50 Cent seems bored with the lack of Diddy headlines since the federal raids, so he's switching up his daily quota of petty for another of his favorite targets ... Jay-Z.

Perhaps, attempting to reignite their rivalry, 50 slapped an unflattering super close-up pic of Jay on IG Wednesday, and jabbed at him with an unsubstantiated wild theory -- that Diddy's legal trouble is the real reason Jay shuttered the annual Roc Nation brunch on Grammy weekend.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

He laid it out in his caption ... "Jay in hibernation he ain’t coming outside till this shit with puff blow over, no brunch, no lunch, No dinner. LOL 😆 IM ALL YOU GOT IM OUTSIDE!"

Soulja Boy Metro, Sorry I Slandered Your Mom... I'm Going to Therapy

Soulja Boy is having a change of heart about warring with Metro Boomin -- and apologized to the "Like That" producer for his unsavory comments about his deceased mom.

On Wednesday, Soulja shot Metro an apology just as random as the recent bombs in his direction ... "I apologize to @MetroBoomin for overreacting over an old tweet. Condolences to his mom. I’m going to seek therapy and anger management. I’m done responding to hate, new or old. 💯🙏🏾"

Soulja's beef with Metro was an old one indeed.

Lauryn Hill 2nd Album Coming Soon, But When?!? Performing with YG for Now

051424-lauryn-hill-yg-marley-kal 5/15/24
NEW MUSIC CONFIRMED
TMZ.com

Lauryn Hill closed last year celebrating the legacy of her iconic, and to-date, only album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" with a string of sold-out concerts for its 25th anniversary ... so what's next???

That was the million-dollar question when TMZ Hip Hop spoke with Ms. Hill and her son YG Marley in NYC as they were leaving the 'Tonight Show.'

L-Boogie fans blossomed into adulthood with 'Miseducation,' and renewed buzz about a possible sophomore album feels mighty timely!!!

Gunna '24 Rap Wars Didn't Impact My Album ... I'm in My Own World!!!

051524-gunna-kal
FOCUSED ON ME
TMZ.com

Gunna just released his fifth album "One of Wun" at a time when hip hop is highly volatile -- rappers are feuding left and right, but he just wants to drop vibes!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got Gunna at LAX, while on a quick break from his 'Bittersweet' tour, and got a gauge on the reception from his latest project.

Gunna's new album is projected to do around 65,000 sales in its debut week. Not a bad showing at a time when Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' has topped Billboard's album chart 4 weeks straight ... and Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" single became one of the biggest rap songs ever -- at least on Spotify, where it has a record-setting 100 million streams in 9 days.

Lil Baby Music Video Dozens of Gunshots in ATL ... 3 People Hospitalized

Lil Baby's planned music video in Atlanta sounded like a war zone after flurries of shots were fired in the area -- and TMZ Hip Hop's obtained video of the ear-shattering scene!!!

051524_lil_baby-kal 5/15/24
SHOTS FIRED
TMZ.com

The video unfolds with dozens of staffers and people setting up filming equipment Tuesday afternoon when the shooting began from what sounds like a semi-automatic weapon firing relentlessly for about 6 seconds.

Naturally, the cameraman ducks for cover and the video gets shaky as he points the lens toward the ground, but the background conversation fills in a bit of the story's blanks.

DJ Akademiks Sued For Sexual Assault, Defamation He-Say, She-Say Playing Out On Social Media!!!

UPDATE

2:38 PM PT -- After the story broke, DJ Akademiks hopped on his Rumble stream to elaborate further and summarized things as a shakedown retaliation orchestrated by lawyer Tyrone Blackburn.

Ak says police and prosecutors have all seen the footage and declined to pursue charges ... in the words of Young Thug, he's ready to take it to trial!!!

DJ Akademiks may want to put that legal money he's always bragging about to good use ... a woman he publicly clashed with last year has now sued him for sexual assault.

Drake & Kendrick Lamar Journalist Caught in Internet Hoax Says Cut the Crap!!!

Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s battle may be over, but conspiracy theories are still flying -- including one about a journalist, who says one particular narrative about him is 100% false.

Christopher Alvarez -- a 26-year-old freelance reporter -- had his likeness intertwined with a cryptic countdown hinting at exposing Drake this past weekend, in attempts to validate Kendrick's salacious raps ... and the items used in the cover art from "Meet the Grahams."

051424_drake-kal
SHOWING THE FOOTAGE
X/@EbonyPrince2k24

The countdown came from the X user EbonyPrince2k24 -- who posted a laptop playing surveillance video of Alvarez sitting in his wheelchair inside a hotel lobby. It was a cryptic post, because no one understood what connection Alvarez has to the Kendrick-Drake beef.

But, Alvarez told the Brooklyn Eagle the entire firestorm is nothing but a smokescreen.

'Love Is Blind' Star Clay Gravesande Hookin' Up With Celina Powell ... Ditched Bride for Streets?!?

051424_celina_powell-kal
GOING PUBLIC

Celina Powell's storied dating history just added another layer and another body ... 'cause she's hooking up with a recent "Love Is Blind" alum ... and  they're looking real couple-y.

The OnlyFans model posted a video this week that shows her in bed with none other than Clay Gravesande -- who was just featured on the most recent season of the hit Netflix show ... and who was polarizing in his own right for a variety of reasons.

Now it looks like he's dating/banging Celina ... who, of course, is also controversial and has made quite a name for herself in the hip-hop space -- mostly in a not-so-flattering way.