TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

A$AP Rocky tried his best to calm things down moments before he and his crew got into a crazy brawl with a guy who ended up getting battered and bloodied.

New video shows the rapper wanted no trouble with a guy who kept following him over the weekend in Stockholm, Sweden. The video starts with A$AP's massive bodyguard telling the guy to take a hike, but the guy didn't listen. He kept harassing A$AP's group, and eventually used his headphones to swing on the bodyguard. You can hear them shatter on the bodyguard's head. 

Check out the vid ... you can see Rocky put his left hand over the guy's shoulder and tell him, "Listen, listen. We don't wanna fight y'all. We don't wanna go to jail." At one point, Rocky also looks into the camera and says "We don't want no problems with these boys. They keep following us. Look at them." 

As you know by now ... A$AP's patience ran out. TMZ posted the video of Rocky and co. pummeling the guy. When the dust settled, Rocky and his crew were long gone and the guy was knocked out on the ground.

Law enforcement sources told us they're looking into the incident and reviewing video. 

Lil Nas X is not going to be ostracized by the rap community simply for coming out ... at least according to record executive and producer Irv Gotti, who says times are a changin'.

We got the Murder Inc. Records honcho in New York City and ask him about the industry's reaction to the rapper announcing he's gay. Irv tells us it ain't that big of a deal ... not these days, anyway. 

As we first reported ... the 20-year-old "Old Town Road" sensation felt inspired to tell the world his truth Sunday night after performing in front of a MASSIVE crowd in England, going on social media on the last day of Pride month to announce he's gay. 

Irv, who's produced tons of hits for hip-hop titans over the past 25 years, says it would've been much harder for Lil Nas X to come out back in the day ... but now, it's not too shocking.

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner says it's "AWESOME" that Lil Nas X has come out as gay -- telling TMZ Sports, "I think it's real big!"

28-year-old Griner is openly gay -- she's engaged to longtime girlfriend Cherelle Watson -- and knows first hand how tough it can be to come out when you're a big star under the microscope. 

But, the 5-time WNBA All-Star says she's especially impressed with the "Old Town Road" artist for not letting homophobes and negative gay stereotypes (especially in the hip-hop world) stop him from going public about his sexuality. 

"I just think it's awesome he did that," Griner says ... "takes a lot of bravery."

Griner says it's 2019 and people should be able to love who they want to love and be who they want to be without fear of a backlash ... and she thinks Lil Nas X is helping to achieve that goal. 

"I think it's real big ... kudos to him."

Lil Nas X coming out is going to have a ripple effect that will save the lives of LGBT youth across the country ... so says Milan Christopher.

We got the ex-"Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star in Los Angeles and ask his thoughts on the rapper revealing he's gay. Milan says it's going to be an inspiration for kids and teens who are being bullied because of their sexuality. 

TMZ broke the story ... the 20-year-old "Old Town Road" rapper became inspired to share his truth with the world on Sunday after performing with Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus in front of a HUGE crowd in England, hopping on Twitter on the final day of Pride Month to say he's gay. 

Milan -- who is gay -- tells us Nas' surprise announcement is going to be a life saver, because he says the suicide rates for LGBT teens are through the roof, and a successful celeb coming out as gay will send a strong message to kids. 

Slim 400 wasn't meant to die after being shot multiple times this weekend -- so says his good pal, YG. 

The Compton rapper -- and good friend of Slim -- was leaving LAX Monday, where he gave us an update on how his friend was doing after being gunned down Friday night. 

He says he hasn't had a chance to see him yet, but lets us know straight-up -- guys from '400' crew don't go down easily. He also explains what he and his boys are gonna do now going forward as far protecting themselves ... check it out, sounds like a warning shot.

As far as how serious this shooting was, we've learned Slim 400 took 9 bullets to his body -- and based on where they hit, it's a miracle he's expected to be on his own two feet again. 

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Slim is still in critical but stable condition as he recovers in a hospital after being gunned down Friday night in Compton. We're told doctors found he'd actually been shot 9 times, as opposed to 8 ... as we'd previously been told.

This is where he was struck, per our sources -- his upper and lower back (multiple areas), his face (jaw area, specifically) and the top of his head, which caused some internal bleeding that was dealt with in surgery. Again ... absolutely stunning the guy survived.

There's also this ... we're being told Slim's jaw has been wired shut as a result of the facial gunshot wound. Our sources say he's still heavily sedated at this point, but is expected to make a full recovery in the coming weeks. 

A$AP Rocky and his crew pummeled a guy in Sweden, leaving him battered and bloodied in the street ... according to witnesses on the scene.

TMZ obtained video that starts with the rapper having an intense convo with a couple of guys at Max restaurant in Stockholm Sunday night ... allegedly over Rocky breaking a pair of their headphones earlier.

Our sources say the 2 young men kept following AR and threatened to call the cops over the headphones. We're told someone stepped in to translate the argument between the 2 parties, and Rocky delivered this message -- stop following us ... or else.

Apparently, that's when another woman interrupted the convo, and accused one of the 2 men of grabbing her ass earlier. Witnesses say that's when A$AP and his crew decided to throw down.

The video shows Rocky -- in a white hoodie and green shorts -- absolutely toss one of the guys like a ragdoll. You can also hear someone smash a bottle during the fight. Three other men, apparently on Rocky's side -- jumped in and joined the beatdown, punching and kicking the guy.

Our sources say Rocky and his crew then took off, leaving the guy knocked out on the ground. An ambulance and cops showed up shortly after and took statements from witnesses.

Law enforcement sources tell us officers are looking into various fights that went down Sunday night in the center of Stockholm, but they had no info about A$AP Rocky being involved.

Sources close to A$AP Rocky's team tell us he and his friends were only responding to "an assault."

Lil Nas X was overwhelmed with the love he felt from his UK concert Sunday night, and that inspired him to tell the world his truth.

The 20-year-old "Old Town Road" star had just performed with Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in front of 180,000 people in Glastonbury, England ... he's never seen the likes of a crowd like that and was stunned by the reception.

Sources directly connected to the rapper tell TMZ, after leaving the stage he tweeted a series of declarations ... all but saying he's gay. The post was oblique, with Nas saying things like, "some of y'all already know, some of y'all don't care, some of y'all not gone fwm no more."

However, our sources say he absolutely intended this as his way of coming out. We're told he was "tired of being closeted." He did not tell anyone -- Miley, Billy Ray or anyone else in advance -- that he was about to tell the world he's gay.

Our sources say ... Nas realizes there's a chance he might alienate part of his fan base, but he says his music crosses many genres, so it's not like he's beholden to country, hip-hop, etc.

We're told he wanted to tell everyone he's gay, but his hesitation is that he doesn't want to become "the poster child for the LGBTQ community" ... at least not yet. He's 20 years old and has only been famous for a few months, and as one source put it, "Everything's happening so fast his head is spinning. He may become a leader in gay rights, but not quite yet."

Our sources also say Lil Nas X feels he can be a role model for other young people who are scared to come out. He believes this will not hurt his career and will give others inspiration.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are keeping things balanced in their lives -- hanging with their kids for lunch Sunday, but then partying with Brad Pitt later.

Kimye and half their brood -- North and Saint -- hit up the fancy joint Crustacean Beverly Hills ... rolling up in style with not 1, not 2 but THREE black matte Lamborghinis. The couple actually owns 5 of the whips in total. Check out the vid ... when the late lunch ended, the kiddos jumped into their own Lambo.

After mama buckled 'em up ... Kim and Kanye jumped into the lead Lambo and drove off. They headed to a fancy crib in the Hollywood Hills where they rubbed elbows with Andrew Garfield and, of course, Brad.

It's unclear what the occasion was that brought them all together, but it was just the latest celebration for Kim, who's been partying like a rock star almost nonstop since Thursday's 35th birthday bash for Khloe. 

Lil Nas X -- who has skyrocketed to fame this year -- just surprised a ton of fans by seemingly coming out as gay.

Nas made the not-so-subtle announcement Sunday ... saying, "some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more. but before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure."

The rapper then spent the next few hours replying to and retweeting fans who responded to his post. At one point, he shared a photo of the cover of his EP, "7," which shows Nas on a horse and looking at a city skyline in the distance.

Nas posted the pic with the caption, "deadass thought I made it obvious" with a zoom-in on one of the buildings that features a rainbow pattern.

We know how Travis Scott is gonna be getting his goosebumps now -- aside from Kylie Jenner --  it's a baller vending machine built to satisfy all his cravings! Well, most of 'em.

The Astroworld commemorative machine will be installed in Travis' office, and besides kicking out some very cool snacks, it also projects a 3D spinning hologram image of Trav's "Astroworld" album cover. 

It was designed by Houston-based beverage company Exotic Pop, and owner Charleston Wilson says they were happy to deliver when the rapper reached out for a customized vending machine.

The 49-inch multi-function touchscreen makes it easy to navigate the machine's vast offerings. For instance, it serves up soda from all over the world and, if you find yourself looking for a literal breakfast of champions, there's a Wheaties box! Shout out to Kylie's dad.  

And, if Travis or his crew doesn't see something they like, they can use the display to place a custom order, and have it delivered.

The unique vending machine has 14 patented parts, and getting one built would run ya around $50k. Charleston tells us they'll hand over Travis' machine in mid-July when he wraps up his European tour.

Lil Durk is desperate to get out of Atlanta for a slew of performances ... he says he's gonna get sued by festival owners if his court-ordered restrictions keep him from taking the stage.

The rapper is out on bond in his attempted murder case, but he's not allowed to be in public from 11 PM to 7 AM ... and he says that's a huge problem for his scheduled summer gigs, arguing his curfew makes traveling outside ATL nearly impossible.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Lil Durk is asking the judge to allow him to fly to Philadelphia next weekend so he can headline the Dope Shows Festival, claiming he's risking a lawsuit against him if he doesn't show up.

Durk wants the judge to change the terms of his release to allow him to travel to performances and scrap his curfew when he's on the road.

As we first reported ... Durk says his court-ordered bedtime is killing his wallet, because he's already been forced to cancel 6 shows, costing him a huge chunk of cash and making it difficult to provide for his 6 kids and other family members.

Durk's legal issues stem from a February shooting in Atlanta. Prosecutors say he was directly involved, a claim Durk vehemently denies.

NBA YoungBoy and his baby mama got into a heated confrontation with cops when they were busted outside a hotel room ... and at one point, a cop pointed a taser at the rapper.

In police body cam footage obtained by TMZ ... you see NBA YoungBoy and his baby mama, Starr Thigpen, arguing with cops in a hotel hallway. The rapper and his girl are clearly agitated, and the intense exchange boils over when the cops pull out their tasers!

With NBA YoungBoy pinned against a wall by one cop, the other policewoman draws her taser and points it directly at NBA's genitals ... but she never pulls the trigger. 

The footage is from the YoungBoy's and Thigpen's initial interaction with police inside an Atlanta hotel back in February, an incident that ended with NBA getting arrested for 3 misdemeanors --  possession of weed (less than an ounce), use of fighting words and physical obstruction with another. 

According to cops ... YB and Thigpen were hanging out in a hotel room that was supposed to be empty, when housekeeping entered the room. YB allegedly told Thigpen to get the housekeepers out, and that's when Thigpen allegedly attacked the maids, striking one in the face. 

Cops were called ... and when they confronted NBA YoungBoy and Thigpen, chaos ensued. 

While YB and Thigpen were getting busted, you hear her asking to see her baby, which was inside the hotel room during the entire episode.

DaBaby got some good news, bad news to start his weekend -- he will NOT serve any jail time in his North Carolina gun case ... but there are strings attached.

According to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office ... the rapper was convicted Thursday of carrying a concealed gun, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation and 30 days in jail -- however, the jail sentence is suspended.

If DaBaby stays outta datrouble during probation, he'll dodge jail altogether.

The case dates back to November ... when the rapper got into a fight with a man inside a Walmart, and the altercation resulted in the other guy getting shot and killed. DaBaby initially claimed he was threatened and was protecting himself and his kids. He never copped to pulling the trigger.

DaBaby was ultimately arrested in connection with the fatal shooting but he was NOT charged with killing the man -- instead, he was charged with misdemeanor carrying a concealed gun.

Question remains ... who shot the man in Walmart? The DA's office tells TMZ ... investigators are still investigating that aspect of the case. There have been no other arrests or charges in connection with the shooting.

DaBaby should be held responsible for allowing his crew to unleash a violent attack ... so claims a fellow rapper who was allegedly beaten into a coma by the group.

Donald Saladin -- whose stage name is Don Trag -- is suing DaBaby just over a month after DaBaby's crew was caught on video beating the crap outta him outside a Massachusetts club.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Don Trag claims DaBaby failed to adequately train his team of bodyguards and set them loose knowing they had violent tendencies. TMZ broke the story ... Trag was supposed to perform at Centro Nightclub in Lawrence, MA on the same night DaBaby was playing there.

As we told you ... Trag claims he asked to take a pic with DaBaby, got turned down and then he insisted ... DB's crew unleashed a can of whoop ass as DaBaby looked on.

In his lawsuit, Trag says he sustained serious injuries to his head, eyes, neck and spine. Trag's brother told us he suffered significant brain and neck swelling and slipped into a coma. According to docs ... Trag's racked up $30k in hospital bills and anticipates $75k in more bills.

Curfews suck when you're 26 years old ... just ask Lil Durk who's having HUGE problems cashing checks for high-paying, late-night gigs thanks to a court-ordered bedtime in his attempted murder case.

Durk was released from jail Thursday night after posting $250k bail -- but under the terms of his release, he's not allowed to be out in public from 11 PM to 7 AM.

The issue for Durk ... the late-night hours are MASSIVE for rap stars -- who get paid a ton of money for late-night shows, after-parties, club appearances and more.

Durk -- who's had hits with guys like Snoop, Fetty Wap and more -- is getting calls and offers to collect some big paychecks over the next few weeks ... but he's had to turn most of them down.

He's also had other shows that were booked before the attempted murder drama -- but those shows have had to be rescheduled too.

We're told Durk usually charges about $30k per late-night show -- so calling off multiple gigs (we're told 6 have been canceled, so far) ... is costing Durk a serious coin.

Oh, and Durk is rocking a GPS-tracking ankle bracelet ... so it's not like he can sneak out and do the shows on the sneak tip.

In the meantime, we're told Durk is trying to book earlier shows at daytime festivals -- but those are harder to come by ... and he's still losing out on the after-party money.

Durk ain't exactly poor (far from it) but his legal bills are mounting up -- and it's not like this case is about to wrap up any time soon.

Lil Durk -- the rapper accused of attempted murder -- wants to stay on the straight and narrow path after bonding out of jail ... and his childhood pastor's taking up the cause.

We've learned Durk's going back to his roots by placing himself back under the wings of his pastor who presided over the church he attended as a kid in Chicago. The pastor -- who's like a second father to Durk -- he flew from Chicago to Atlanta to vouch for the rapper at a recent hearing -- plans to use his ATL connections to get Durk involved in the community.

Durk apparently plans to spend time at shelters and soup kitchens. We're told he wants to get his hands dirty ... just like he used to in Chicago with the guidance of his pastor. He'd mentor kids there but, for obvious reasons, Durk's work in Chi-Town's been put on hold given the serious charges.

As we reported ... Durk posted $250k bond Friday after a judge agreed he's not a flight risk. Dude was so ecstatic getting outta jail ... he literally skipped all the way to his waiting SUV. Durk will have a curfew and have to wear an ankle monitor.

He turned himself in nearly a month ago after an arrest warrant was issued in connection to a February shooting outside a restaurant called The Varsity. A detective said in court, cops have surveillance video showing Durk firing a weapon from a car. The victim, shot in the thigh, survived.