TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

We now know how the Donald Trump/Kanye West phone call went down Friday ... Ye called the Prez.

Sources with first-hand knowledge of the convo tell TMZ, Kanye called Trump to express his frustration over the Swedish judge's decision to hold A$AP Rocky for another week while the prosecutor decides whether to charge him ... even though we know that decision has already been made.

Kanye told Trump he wanted to get personally involved in the fight to free A$AP, and the first step was calling the President. Kanye discussed the fact Trump could call the Prime Minister ... and we're told Trump was agreeable.

The call was quick. We're told Kanye has a direct line into the Oval Office.

Trump said earlier, he's gotten a lot of calls from people in the African-American community over the A$AP situation ... but then said African-Americans and everyone else are one.

Trump said Melania also brought the A$AP matter to him, although we know Kim Kardashian called Jared Kushner about A$AP, who then went to Trump and Trump then contacted Pompeo.

President Trump says many people have reached out to him regarding the A$AP Rocky situation in Sweden ... and even the First Lady's concerned about getting him home.

POTUS addressed the media Friday and says he knows there's tremendous support for the rapper, and the U.S. government is working on helping him.

He says Melania also brought A$AP's plight to his attention and told him something needed to be done about it.

Melania says the ball's in motion with the State Department already, adding ... "we hope to get him home soon."

As we reported ... the judge has ordered A$AP to stay in jail, where he has already been for a couple weeks, while prosecutors continue their investigation. However, it seems they are set to indict him soon ... and they have argued he's a flight risk if he's allowed to leave jail.

A$AP's lawyer's calling this treatment unjust based on all the circumstances.

Also, we broke the story ... the treatment of the rapper is WAY different that what another white rapper, G-Eazy, went through last year despite a very similar set of circumstances.

A$AP Rocky is going to be indicted ... that's what prosecutors just said in a press release -- so what makes this bizarre case even more bizarre and abusive, they say they want him to stay in jail because they still need to investigate to figure out what happened on the streets of Sweden. So, why the hell have they already decided to charge him if they haven't figured out the case?

It's the latest twist in an outrageous case. The judge will hear the matter in a couple of hours.

Prosecutors say A$AP and 2 others in his crew may face crimes of abuse, assault and attempted assault ... remember, the assault is against the Swedish guy who first assaulted A$AP and others.

Prosecutors say they need until next Thursday to figure out, which raises the question ... if they haven't figured it out, how have they already figured out they are going to indict him?

The statement comes on the heels of the Trump administration getting involved in helping free the rapper. TMZ broke the story ... Kim Kardashian and Kanye West lobbied the White House to get involved in the drama across the pond. It was actually Kanye who urged Kim to get on the horn and talk to President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner -- with whom Kim is very familiar with from her previous White House work.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus also got involved ... calling out Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for not doing more and claiming the State Dept. wasn't moving fast enough.

As you know by now ... Rocky had been held behind bars for more than 2 weeks now as prosecutors determined if the rapper should be charged with aggravated assault.

We broke the story ... Rocky's troubles began almost immediately after video surfaced showing the rapper and his crew pummeling a guy in Sweden ... leaving him battered and bloodied. Police then began investigating after a report was filed.

But, a second video then surfaced showing the alleged victim harassing A$AP and hitting his bodyguard with a set of headphones. The rapper actually tried to be a peacemaker .. telling the guy, "We don't wanna fight y'all. We don't wanna go to jail."

As we first reported ... Rocky was held in a Swedish jail with shockingly inhumane conditions. Our sources had said an official from the U.S. Embassy in Sweden told A$AP Rocky's team that the person from the U.S. Consulate who visited Rocky in the jail reported back, "Walking into that place was like walking into a toilet."

Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Future and Steve Aoki took the stage Thursday night in Saudi Arabia ... and it's interesting, no one knew the final lineup until the day before.

They were all last-minute additions to the Jeddah World Fest. They weren't announced until Wednesday. It's unclear why the lineup was secret until then. BTW, Liam Payne also performed.

Some performers -- notably Nicki Minaj -- have backed out of performing in the country, after the murder of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. The country is also in the stone age when it comes to women and the LGBTQ community.

Jordyn Woods isn't typically in the business of making music videos, so everyone's wondering why she's starring in Rick Ross' ... well we know, and it's meant to be an homage to her late father.

Sources close to Jordyn tell TMZ ... she recently met the 'Miami' rapper while the two were doing an episode of VH1's "Hip Hop Squares." They got to talking and Jordyn's mom, Elizabeth Woods, brought up the fact her late husband loved -- LOVED -- RR's music.

Everyone exchanged numbers on the game show set, and they kept in touch. Soon after, Rick expressed to Jordyn he had a great opportunity for her ... and wanted her to be the leading lady in his newest music vid.

We're told Jordyn jumped at the offer ... feeling it was a great way to honor her father's memory. John Woods died in January 2017 -- when Jordyn was just 19 -- after a battle with cancer.

As we reported ... the music video shoot went down Wednesday in Miami, where Jordyn was showing off her figure in some lingerie and a cute dress, with Ross on her hip.

The Ambassador to Sweden says her country does not have it in for black people, and as for A$AP Rocky, he's being treated fairly.

Karin Olofsdotter appeared on 'TMZ Live' Thursday and maintained A$AP Rocky has not been unfairly singled out after his detainment, more than 2 weeks ago, for allegedly assaulting a man on the street.

We challenged the Ambassador, because the man the rapper allegedly assaulted him first, and it's all on video. The Ambassador suggested A$AP's crime may be more serious, although she wouldn't elaborate.

She also scoffed at the notion black people might now be afraid to travel to Sweden, given what happened to A$AP and what Quavo told us about what happened to him. She said Sweden proudly is in the top 5 countries that enforce the "rule of law."

The L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. is raiding a Hollywood Hills home in connection to a shooting involving an SUV registered to YG, which left one deputy shot and an innocent bystander dead.

Sheriff's sources say the house is leased by YG ... but he was not detained or arrested and was not present on the property during the raid. Deputies got a judge to sign a search warrant in connection with the incident involving a wild police chase earlier this month.

As TMZ reported, someone inside an SUV registered to YG fired shots from inside the vehicle, striking a deputy. A pedestrian was killed during the crossfire between deputies and the shooter. The incident occurred on July 3 in Compton.

Four men have been handcuffed at the scene and have been placed in patrol cars while deputies continue their search inside the house.

YG denied he was there at the time of the shooting, saying, "I was nowhere near the scene of this incident and had been in a recording studio all day in Hollywood. I was there until after midnight on the 4th of July and didn't learn of these events until after they happened."

Jordyn Woods is making some boss moves after being kicked to the curb by the Kardashians ... linking up with Rick Ross and becoming a music video vixen!!!

Kylie Jenner's former BFF was on the set of the rapper's new music vid Wednesday in Miami, showing off her endless curves in some sexy lingerie and a super revealing dress. No wonder Rick recruited her.

RR is looking pretty fly himself ... throwing on a black and white animal print button down and dripping hard with some gold chains. Rozay is peak South Beach.

But, this is all about Jordyn and how well she's doing for herself without the Kardashians.

President Trump is very much aware of A$AP Rocky's legal sitch in Sweden -- and he's got his team working to get him freed ... thanks in part to Kim K and Kanye West.

That's right ... we've learned Kim and Kanye lobbied The White House to jump in and get involved in the drama across the pond -- where A$AP's been behind bars for more than two weeks now as prosecutors determine if the rapper should be charged with aggravated assault.

Here's how it went down. We're told as soon as Kim and Kanye heard about A$AP's predicament earlier this month ... Kanye urged Kim to get on the horn and talk to Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner -- with whom Kim is very familiar from her previous White House work.

Our sources say Kim filled Jared in on what was happening, and Jared then took the info to Trump himself ... whom, we're told, acknowledged something seemed amiss.

In addition to Kim and Kanye, Kareem Lanier and Pastor Darrell Scott of the White House’s Urban Revitalization Coalition, also played a big role … helping to connect ASAP’s management directly with Kushner through a phone call.

We're told Trump told Kushner he believed A$AP was being held unfairly, and wanted to help. As we reported, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got involved and unleashed a few deputies in an attempt to get some action. A State Dept. member was supposed to arrive in Sweden Thursday.  We're told the State Dept. is now actively working to get A$AP out of jail, thanks in large part to Kim's efforts.

However, some feel the State Dept. isn't moving fast enough. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus called Pompeo out for not doing more, though our sources say he's been working tirelessly. Fact is ... Swedish authorities have been unmoved so far ... and our sources say there's now real fear prosecutors might delay their decision beyond the 3 week mark and keep A$AP in custody.

Cardi B has compassion for A$AP Rocky and wants him freed ASAP, but she's not about to boycott a country that has shown her unbridled love ... i.e., Sweden.

Cardi literally (well, almost) stopped Bev Hills in its tracks when she perused the shelves at Prada, with throngs of fans craning their necks to sneak a peak.

Our photog asked if she's down with pulling the plug on appearances in Sweden in protest of Sweden's decision to keep A$AP Rocky in jail while prosecutors noodle over whether to charge him with aggravated assault.

Cardi is clearly empathetic to the plight of A$AP, who's been stuck in a Swedish jail for more than 2 weeks. The State Dept. is actively trying to get him out and, with a little help from Kim and Kanye, President Trump is on board as well.

Cardi hadn't seen our video with Quavo, who said he too was abused by cops in Sweden.

A$AP Rocky should be immediately released from a Swedish jail -- that's what the Congressional Black Caucus is demanding with its protest on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Members of the Caucus going to bat for A$AP include Congressmen Andre Carson and Hakeem Jeffries. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who reps for A$AP's Harlem neighborhood, will also be there.

Rep. Jeffries has been vocal about A$AP's detention for a while now, saying the saga proves the hip-hop police are even at work outside the United States. 

As we've reported ... A$AP has been rotting in a Swedish jail for weeks, being treated like a convicted criminal even though prosecutors have not charged him with a crime. The rapper is under investigation for aggravated assault, and the alleged victim is a man who was physically attacking and harassing A$AP and his crew before the street brawl that landed him in jail.

Rep. Espaillat tells TMZ ... the State Dept. is monitoring the situation and has reached out to the Swedish ministry, but A$AP and 2 members of his entourage remain in jail, where they spend 23 hours a day in their cells. 

Espaillat says A$AP's manager flew to Sweden days after the arrest, and his hotel room was raided by Swedish authorities and his cell phone was confiscated. 

The Congressman adds, Sweden is putting out a false image, projecting a country based on democracy and decency ... but he sees the complete opposite.

Quavo will think twice and maybe three times before ever stepping foot on Swedish soil again, because he says he -- just like A$AP Rocky -- was abused by Swedish cops.

We got Quavo early Wednesday in WeHo leaving Bootsy Bellows, and the Migos star shared something he's never talked publicly about before ... he and his cameraman were cornered by Swedish cops, put on the ground and almost arrested.

Quavo makes it seem like it happened very shortly after arriving in the country.  

As we reported, A$AP is being treated like a convicted criminal, sitting in a Swedish jail for weeks and authorities haven't even charged him with a crime. He's under investigation for aggravated assault where the alleged victim is a man who was harassing and physically attacking A$AP and his crew before the incident that landed the rapper in jail.

The State Dept. is now involved, trying to get A$AP out of custody while he awaits the decision of Swedish prosecutors.

A$AP Rocky's human rights are being violated by Swedish officials who have been holding the rapper in jail for nearly 2 weeks ... so say members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Members of the Caucus, including Hakeem Jeffries and Andre Carson, along with Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who is part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, will stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday and demand A$AP's release from a Swedish jail.

As TMZ reported, A$AP is being held while prosecutors decide whether to charge him for aggravated assault. A$AP and his crew did indeed attack a man on the streets July 1, but only after the man harassed and physically attacked A$AP and a bodyguard and allegedly grabbed a woman's butt. In fact, A$AP tried to diffuse the situation, to no avail.

TMZ broke the story ... A$AP was being held in horrid conditions. A U.S. Embassy official said the jail smelled like a toilet. It's unclear if A$AP has been moved since our report.  

Rep Jeffries says the detention is proof the hip-hop police is not just a U.S. phenomenon.

Cardi B and Offset's daughter, Kulture, reached a milestone last week, turning 1, and her party did not disappoint.

Cardi and Offset rented out a huge venue Saturday in NYC, and theme was "Onederful Birthday" for the modest price of $400,000!!!

Tons of people showed ... lots of friends and fam. The party was briefly interrupted by the City's power outage -- the lights went off and the AC stopped -- but with the help of a generator an hour later they were all able to party on.

The dessert table was lit ... unbelievable sweets. Check them out.

The characters on Kulture's birthday cake were from the Netflix show, "Word Party" ... they're the same characters on the chain Offset and Cardi got for Kulture after dropping a cool $100k.

There was all sorts of stuff for kids, including a Build-A-Bear Workshop.

T.I. has officially taken his Trap Museum from Atlanta to Los Angeles -- with a pop-up that will honor artists like Cardi B, Migos, Rick Ross and Nipsey Hussle -- and we've got your first look inside. 

The Lil Trap House pop-up is an ode to Trap culture and kicks off this weekend with a special event hosted by Karen Civil on Friday night.

Inside, the exhibit will honor some of the music's biggest artists ... with pieces to honor T.I., YG, Pusha-T, Nipsey Hussle, Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Future, Rick Ross, Migos, 21 Savage, Cardi B and plenty more. 

Given the success of T.I.'s Trap Museum in Atlanta -- which takes in about 6,000 guests each weekend -- this one is surely to be another home run.

Kim and Kanye West walked in hand in hand to celebrate a friend's birthday but ya gotta hand it to her ... her outfit stole the show.

Kimye had a date night Wednesday night in WeHo at Craig's ... where it was pandemonium when they hopped outta their matte black Lamborghini. The flashing lights might explain Kanye's shades.

But, ya can't blame the paps for wanting the money shot on Kim's skintight leather garb. They also brought some presents -- and by that we mean their muscle carried the gifts inside -- to celebrate Kristen Noel Crawley's 33rd birthday. She's a friend ... and founder of the beauty line KNC Beauty.