TMZ Hip Hop - Page 49

Diddy got blasted by dozens of ex-associates and colleagues in a bombshell report -- but he's still got at least one person in his camp ... one of the singers from his old musical trio.

"Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta" alum and Diddy-Dirty Money member Kalenna Harper was interviewed for Rolling Stone amid their 6-month investigation ... and she was one of the few who defended him, this while also crapping on all the Bad Boy artists who were piling on.

Kalenna not only praised her time working with Diddy, but she scoffed at the Bad Boy alums who blamed him for flatlining their careers ... which was a recurring theme in the RS piece.

Diddy has apparently been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde character over the years -- either a super nice guy, or allegedly violent and vicious ... this according to a new bombshell report.

Rolling Stone just published a sprawling article about the embattled rap mogul -- detailing his life story and rise to fame starting in the '90s ... now coinciding with his current federal criminal investigation, which could land Diddy behind bars for a long time.

During their 6-month investigation, RS reporters reached out to 300-plus people in Diddy's world and interviewed over 50 former friends, acquaintances, employees, artists and industry insiders. Many of them refused to talk ... but those who did had quite a bit to say.

Diddy's legal troubles are getting even worse as a grand jury has reportedly been empaneled to hear evidence in his federal probe, indicating he could face a possible criminal indictment.

CNN published a story Wednesday morning, saying the Justice Department is moving forward in its investigation of the music mogul by notifying witnesses they could testify before the grand jury in the Southern District of New York, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

Some of the potential witnesses would likely be Diddy's accusers who have filed lawsuits against him for sexual assault, human trafficking and other serious offenses. So far, Diddy has been named in 8 lawsuits, including the most notable one brought by his former girlfriend, Cassie, which they settled quickly.

Snoop Dogg's wife Shante Broadus is injecting new energy into the L.A. nightlife scene ... with the grand opening of a new strip club geared toward all the big ballers!!!

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Shante's company, Boss Lady Entertainment, is rolling out the blue carpet this week at The Player's Club in downtown L.A. for a private party filled with their celebrity pals.

Players will be coming from far and wide -- we're told Tiffany Haddish, Too $hort, Big Boy and Cedric the Entertainer will be in the building as DJ Drama and DJ Sky High Baby spin the beats.

Ice Cube is reminding hip hop fans that his iconic "No Vaseline" packed more bang for its buck than any other rap diss track around ... he didn't just kill soloists, he annihilated an entire squad!!!

The Don Mega was Sunday night's co-headliner for California Roots Festival '24, where W.C. joined him and they gave the crowd a piece of his mind about today's beef culture ... a hot-button topic in the Drake-Kendrick Lamar aftermath of 2024 Rap Wars.

Cube showed love to Tupac Shakur's "Hit 'Em Up," Nas' "Ether" and K. Dot's "Not Like Us" --  all brutalizing tracks in their own right, but because his "No Vaseline" knocked out the entire N.W.A and their manager Jerry Heller ... he says he deserves the crown!!!

Cardi B doesn't want any WAP censored on her timeline -- 'cause she's sticking up for XXX content ... this after Candace Owens proposed it should be completely illegal.

Candace recently called for a pornography ban on her X account, arguing its true intentions were to psychologically control and weaken men -- and amid all the pushback, Cardi herself chimed in with her opinion ... and as it turns out, she's very pro-porn.

Cardi's thoughts on the subject came courtesy of an IG comment she left on a blog that published Candace's recent tweet about this ... and it's clear CB wants to keep porn around.

When Sean Kingston gets back to Florida he'll be facing a mountain of charges in his fraud case, and cops claim he and his mother racked up around a million bucks worth of merch ... without paying.

According to the arrest warrant issued in Broward County the singer is facing a total of 10 charges related to the raid Sheriff's deputies conducted last week ... with the biggest one being an alleged organized scheme to defraud several companies.

In the docs, authorities say Sean and his mother, Janice Turner ripped off a jeweler, an exotic car dealer and several other businesses for well into the 6-figures. For instance, the car dealer allegation is over a Cadillac Escalade worth $159,701.49 ... and the jewelry was worth a whopping $480K!

Nicki Minaj doesn't seem too happy with the DJ on her tour ... tweeting out he might end up on the chopping block -- all 'cause he signed a fan's breasts.

The rapper tweeted out a response to a pic floating around the internet of DJ Boof -- the DJ on her "Pink Friday 2" tour -- putting a sharpie to a fan's boobs ... scribbling his name with a big ole grin on his face.

Boof says the fan asked him to sign her chest ... adding text to the post claiming he'd finally hit famous status -- 'cause people wanted his John Hancock on their boobs!

Chris Brown's little girl ain't so little anymore -- his daughter Royalty's celebrating her 10th birthday today, and it looks like she's a big Beyoncé fan!

Chris and Royalty were super close and in the pics her mom, Nia Guzman, posted from the bday celebration ... where everyone where everyone was rocking some western flair.

As mom announced on social media, "THIS WAS A TEXAS RODEO" ... an apparent shout-out to Bey's "Texas Hold 'Em" lyrics. The party featured line dancing, a ferris wheel and more western-themed decorations than you could shake a stick at!

Sean Kingston's mother is breathing fresh Florida air again -- after spending 4 days behind bars, she's bailed out following her arrest in the raid at Sean's house.

Janice Turner got busted a few hours before Sean during the Broward County Sheriff's raid Thursday on the singer's Florida home. As we reported ... Janice was taken into custody on a warrant for fraud and theft.

According to court records, the 61-year-old is facing 8 charges, including conducting an organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and identity theft. After her bail hearing Friday, she posted a $160,000 bond to secure her release. The Broward County jail tells us she was released Sunday around 5:54 PM.

Diddy's wallet's about to take a hit ... 'cause his famed Sean John frames are out at a huge eyewear retailer while his legal troubles mount.

America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses has halted sales of Diddy's company's frames, TMZ has learned ... with a rep for the company confirming the move as well.

Stores received a message Tuesday to remove all Sean Johns from the frame boards and replace them with frames at an appropriate price point from understock. They put a hold on selling the frames and told the stores to wait for further instructions. Unclear what the company plans to do with the merchandise.

A die-hard Kanye West fan is turning his beef with Adidas into serious bucks ... with his album signed "F*** ADIDAS" hitting the auction block.

Moments in Time is putting Kanye's expletively-signed 2010 album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" on the market -- but it's gonna cost ya big time 'cause they're only entertaining offers north of $500,000 for this one-of-a-kind rap gem.

What adds to the album's value is the moment Ye put pen to vinyl -- caught on camera.

DJ Paul says it's crazy to write off Drake after his heavy Kendrick Lamar battle -- insane, actually, because Drake ... is Drake!!!

The Three 6 Mafia star chopped it up with TMZ Hip Hop at LAX, where he told us the Kendrick-Drake beef was great entertainment ... but the subsequent convos about Drake's career being over are totally overblown.

Paul says Drake and Kendrick's feud diverted his attention from the action of the NBA Playoffs -- it was that good -- and, in his book, he doesn't see either rapper as a loser!

1:46 PM PT -- Despite fans' high hopes, it appears the concert in Manchester's been canceled ... with some sharing a notice they say they received at the venue on X.

1:03 PM PT -- It appears Nicki Minaj's been released from custody ... the police department put out a statement saying it had released a 41-year-old American from custody with just a €350 fine. While again they don't name Nicki, it appears they're referring to her.

Nicki Minaj's flight out of Amsterdam didn't proceed as planned ... 'cause cops detained her on her way to the UK -- and, now, she's seemingly been arrested.

Calls to remove Diddy's Hollywood Walk of Fame star are gaining traction amid his downfall -- but the team behind the honor has made no such move.

A Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spokesperson tells TMZ ... they have not discussed it and the org is powerless to make the star disappear.

The Chamber says, while it has the authority to nominate star recipients, manufacture and install stars upon city approval and conduct the Walk of Fame installation ceremony, it lacks the authority to remove them.

First day of a long weekend ... and, TMZ's got the best stories on TV to kick off three days of fun in the sun. Check out the best from our past week.

On "TMZ Live," Charles and Harvey discuss another new lawsuit against Diddy from a woman who claims he raped her multiple times.