TMZ Hip Hop - Page 17

Shocking new claim from Diddy and his legal team ... they believe the federal government "orchestrated" the leak of the Cassie beating video to the media.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Diddy's attorneys accuse the feds of misconduct in his criminal case ... namely, by allegedly orchestrating the leak of the Cassie tape to CNN.

The video in question is from 2016 and it shows Diddy brutally beating Cassie in the hallway of a swanky Los Angeles hotel during their relationship.

Dr. Dre keeps threatening his renowned psychiatrist, to the point where the guy feels he needs to wear a bulletproof vest ... at least according to a new lawsuit the doctor filed.

Dre is being sued by Dr. Charles Sophy, a psychiatrist who says he provided Dre and his ex-wife Nicole therapy and marriage counseling sessions during their union, before staying on to act as a mediator during their divorce.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Sophy claims Dre started bombarding him with abusive and threatening text messages 14 months after the divorce was finalized.

Lil Baby will NOT be prosecuted after being arrested in Sin City and charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a permit ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the felony charge the rapper was facing as a result of his August arrest has been dropped.

The docs make it look like the Clark County District Attorney is declining to press charges.

Lil Durk, his Only The Family record label, and his slain protégé King Von's estate are facing a new lawsuit filed by the mother of FBG Duck, who's blaming them all for her son's August 2020 death.

On Wednesday, Duck’s mother Lasheena Weekly filed the lawsuit on behalf of her late son's estate in Chicago.

The suit claims Durk’s OTF struck gold with violence and reality rap through the actual violence committed against "FBG Duck and the public at large” -- and even chides the music industry for profiting off Duck's death.

Texas rhyme-slinger BigXthaPlug didn't lose a wink of sleep over being snubbed from Complex magazine's "20 Best Rappers In Their 20s Right Now" -- the figures in his bank account give him all the pleasant dreams in the world!!!

BigX and his 6ixers rap group had some fun with TMZ Hip Hop in NYC ahead of his upcoming "Take Care" album release.

The platinum-seller tells us flat-out he was aware of the list's existence ... much love to all those other guys, but BigX says he's pocketing more money than them with his independent grind.

Diddy's mother and his twin daughters visited him behind bars in Brooklyn, and the visit was so compelling for his mom ... she broke her silence on her son's legal troubles.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Diddy's mom, Janice Combs, and his teenage twin daughters, D'Lila and Jessie, spent time with him last week at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

We're told the four family members went to a visiting area, where they were able to hug and converse ... under supervision by jail staff.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé are livid at Piers Morgan for airing an interview with some vague, but serious allegations against them ... and their attorney is questioning Piers' ethics.

The Carters' attorney, Alex Spiro, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and we asked him about Jay and Bey's response to Piers' show 'Uncensored' broadcasting an interview with Jaguar Wright, who claimed the couple had more "victims" than Diddy.

Alex says Piers was exploiting the rumor mill by allowing these false allegations to hit the airwaves ... and he says he gave Piers an ultimatum ... remove the claims and apologize, or face a court order to take the interview down.

Snoop Dogg made the necessary steps earlier this year to ensure his rocky legal past becomes ancient history -- The Doggfather's 1993 murder charge was officially sealed earlier this year!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained legal docs showing Snoop asked a judge to seal the records way back in January 2024 ... the court signed off in late February, granting the petition to have his arrest sealed.

The trial was huge news at the time ... Snoop was still budding as a superstar and infamously got arrested following his passionate MTV Awards performance of his hit "Murder Was The Case," a track created around the frenzy over the allegations. Snoop and a bodyguard were accused of shooting a man in an L.A. Park in 1993.

Tyler, The Creator had a change of heart -- and change of transmission -- toward Elon Musk during a recent performance, dissing the Tesla CEO in front of thousands of fans!!!

The Grammy winner shut down ACL Festival 2024 last weekend, and folks captured his new rendition of the 2017 "Flower Boy" track "911/Mr. Lonely" ... Tyler flipped the lyrics from "Sucks you can't gas me up / Shout out to Elon" to simply say "F*** Elon!!!"

He didn't miss a beat or slip up the delivery ... the lyric switch could have been pre-planned -- or Tyler meant it with every fiber of his soul in the moment!!!

Diddy is taking another bite at the apple ... trying to get himself released on bond, 3 weeks after he was arrested and thrown behind bars.

The rap mogul's attorneys just filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, appealing the most recent order denying him bond.

In the docs, Diddy's legal team argues he poses no conceivable flight risk ... contrary to what federal prosecutors have been claiming.

Cassie was pushing through with Diddy during their tough years together ... making it seem like all was well in their relationship while onstage with him in Dubai -- before finally calling it quits.

TMZ obtained this clip of Cassie playing along with Diddy during his first-ever Dubai performance in April 2018, and you can see she was doing her best as the rapper performed "I Need a Girl (Part 2)" at the opening night of the now-closed Gotha Nightclub.

On the surface, the pair looked happy, with Cassie glowing as she busted out some moves. She got up close to share a hug with him before making her move way to the edge of the stage.

Anderson .Paak has found the perfect pad to house his musical genius -- Prince's "Purple Rain" house-turned-Airbnb in Minneapolis!!!

The Grammy Award winner and a few pals got the grand tour exploring the Purple Rain House on Monday, where he did everything short of purifying himself in the waters of the bathroom spa.

AP couldn't resist banging on the drums and keys -- and you gotta think how ill it would be if he and The Purple One were able to engage in a jam session.

Diddy's latest accuser -- who's suing him for allegedly raping her and recording it -- tried to get her now-ex-boyfriend to corroborate her claim by paying him 7-figures, according to the ex ... TMZ has learned.

Thalia Graves is suing Diddy and his head of security, Joseph Sherman, for allegedly raping her back in 2001 -- and in the suit, she says she was dating one of Diddy's employees who was shown a video of the alleged incident.

However, TMZ has seen a November 2023 text exchange between Thalia and the man who was her BF, and in it, she reveals she's planning to sue Diddy "because he's the one that has the money."

Rihanna's turning up the heat in her new clothing drop ... looking absolutely savage in a red hot set of underwear from her latest Savage X Diesel collab.

RiRi's clothing line worked with Diesel on new lingerie, and she's showing off the goods ... with a heavy emphasis on fishnets.

Rihanna's modeling a few of her new offerings ... with a foiled fishnet bustier up top, and a foiled fishnet string bikini panty down below.

Tekashi 6ix9ine isn't sweatin' the fine print in his new record deal ... which requires the rapper to stay out of trouble to keep his payday.

We caught up with the musical artist on "TMZ Live" Tuesday, where he explained why the special clause in his new contract doesn't have him worried. As he put it ...  he views himself as a "squeaky clean" individual -- and trouble just happens to find him "all the time."

At the end of September, Tekashi 6ix9ine found himself in a heated exchange outside a nightclub in Miami, and was sued for revenge porn by an ex-girlfriend. So, here's hoping all this drama was settled before 69 signed on the dotted line!!!

Benzino remembers his relationship with Tupac Shakur as being a positive one but says the events that unfolded after they recorded their song permanently damaged rap as we know it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Benzino amid his recent appearance on TV One's "Celebrity Crime Files" outlining the 1994 Quad Studios Shooting that left Pac with 5 gunshot wounds and a burning vendetta, against all odds.

Benzino actually recorded his "Killa" collab with Tupac and Freddie The Foxx aka Bumpy Knuckles (more on that later) at Quad Studios shortly before the shooting, and recalls Tupac surrounded himself with guys heavier in the street afterward.