TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kendrick Lamar may be small, but the man is mighty -- that much we can tell by the way he trains in the ring.

The Grammy-winning rapper has been getting his box on lately at a gym in Northridge, CA -- about 20 minutes north of L.A. -- and TMZ Sports got a hold of what appears to be the only footage of Kendrick in the ring doing his thing. This clip is from earlier this year.

Dude's from Compton, but it seems he's been looking to keep an even lower profile than usual ... 'cause we're told this specific facility is pretty dang discreet.

As for what Kendrick has been getting into inside, welp ... take a looksy for yourself. As it turns out, Kung Fu Kenny's got hands -- you can see him doing a vigorous round of focus mitt drills with a trainer ... and we gotta say, KL could go toe-to-toe with any Joe there.

We're told Kendrick went about four rounds of mitts on this outing -- and he looked sharp all the way through. It's unclear what he's training for -- maybe he's just keeping fit?

Either way, the MC is no stranger to combat in his art. During his "DAMN" tour, he embraced the martial arts aesthetic in a video that accompanied his set, and homeboy could move.

Whether it's boxing or kung fu fighting ... Kendrick has made major strides from the way he used to throw down (jokingly, of course).

Kanye West is in Dayton, Ohio right now, presiding over his Sunday Service to honor those who died and were injured during the mass shooting earlier this month.

The service is going down at the RiverScape MetoPark to a large crowd.

Kim Kardashian and at least 2 of their kids -- Saint and North West -- are on hand for the event. They were all dressed in white as they headed to the service. We don't know if Chicago made the trip. We're told Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are also in attendance.

Chappelle eventually took the stage to tell the large crowd that even after going through a tough time -- including tornadoes, Klan rallies and shootings -- "we're still here and we're still strong. And the only way, but not the only way, but the BEST WAY that we can honor our fallen is by getting up better than we were before." He finishes by thanking Kanye for coming out and reminds him that he and Dayton have his back.

Chappelle is also in Dayton for an event later in the day ... The Gem City Shine, a benefit concert, again honoring the victims of the latest American massacre. We're told around 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Speaking of Dave, Kanye led a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him Saturday night inside what appears to be a hotel lobby. Dave turned 46. BTW, Kanye didn't sing -- he led his choir in a melodic rendition of the Stevie Wonder version. Dave toasted the crowd with a brewski.

NYC radio legend Angie Martinez says she's got all the confidence in the world Jay-Z can change the NFL ... if people just give him time to get the job done.

Criticism of Hova is at an all-time high, with some people accusing him of selling out Colin Kaepernick by getting in bed with the NFL.

Not Angie ... she was IN THE ROOM when Jay and NFL Commish Roger Goodell took questions from the media earlier this month and says she came away believing the partnership will bare major fruit.

"I believe him being in the room and sitting at the table can change things in a big way."

When we asked if she thinks Jay taking a deal with the same league he'd criticized in the past is in any way hypocritical ... she couldn't have been clearer.

"I do not. That's my opinion. I understand why people could feel that way."

Angie - whose brand new TV show "Untold Stories Of Hip Hop" debuts this Fall -- says she's not sure if Jay will push for Kap to get an NFL job, but having a seat at the table with NFL honchos can't hurt.

"I think that would be phenomenal. I don't think one excludes the other, but if both happen we should have a party in the streets!"

Kanye West is in Dayton, Ohio ... and all signs are pointing to him hosting his Sunday Service in the same city where 9 people were killed in a recent mass shooting.

Kanye and his family were spotted Friday afternoon in Dayton ... which is pretty interesting, considering that's where his longtime friend Dave Chappelle is hosting a free show Sunday to honor the lives that were lost in this month's tragedy.

Our sources tell us Kanye appeared to be scouting a location for a Special Sunday Service ... and there are rumblings he will be bringing in his choir as well.

We reached out to Kanye's camp for confirmation ... but we haven't heard back.

As you know ... Kanye's Sunday Service has become super popular this year, with tons of celebs attending. He had a huge service at Coachella and has held the rest mostly around Los Angeles.

Stay tuned ...

Kodak Black just did an about-face and cut a deal in his federal firearms case.

The rapper was in court Thursday for a change of plea hearing where he told the judge he was now pleading guilty ... after initially pleading not guilty to lying on federal gun applications.

Kodak has been in federal detention since his arrest in May -- the judge denied his request to be released on bond, calling him a danger to the community. His sentencing is now set for November 13, and he could get several years in prison.

As we reported ... Kodak was busted at the Rolling Loud festival, when officers had warrants for his arrest after he'd been indicted on the false statement charges.

Kodak's alleged firearm application lie ... is that he was NOT under any indictment for a crime that could land him behind bars for over a year.

Of course, the rapper IS in the middle of a very serious criminal case -- he was indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 2016 at a hotel in South Carolina.

Jay-Z's ex-business-partner-turned-nemesis, Damon Dash, claims the mogul's new NFL partnership has exposed him as a backstabber who "ain't s**t!"

Dame fired that brutal shot while talking to Adam22 on the No Jumper podcast. Dash, who started Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay, was asked about Jermaine Dupri's claim Jay talked him out of making the very same deal with the NFL that Jay just made (which JD's walked back a bit).

Dash said matter of factly, "If you ask anyone in the industry, it's a common knowledge that Jay ain't s**t." He added, "He's about the bag. We all know that. He's self-preserving. Period."

Now, full context ... Dame's beef with Jay goes back to the fall of Roc-A-Fella records. He claims Jay left him out in the cold and caused the label's collapse. So, Dame taking the shot isn't all that surprising.

However, of all the criticism Jay-Z's taken since announcing he's partnering with the NFL -- while Colin Kaepernick's still frozen out of the league -- Dame's is the most scathing.

Future, 21 Savage and fellow Atlanta rapper Big Bank Black gave back to their community in the funnest way possible ... AND helped everyone stay cool in the process.

The rappers rented out the entire water park at Six Flags White Water in the ATL Wednesday, and seemingly invited everyone from their Zone 6 neighborhood to get some relief from the summer heat at an epic "hood day."

We're told the 3 hip-hop stars dropped around $300k on this year's celebration for Zone 6, which included free food and drinks for everyone. Savage and Big Bank joined in on the good times on the lazy river too.

Other celebs who got wet and wild at the park included Tommie Lee from 'L&HH' and reality star Shekinah Anderson. There was also no shortage of chicken fights and surprise dunking ... 21 Savage even fell victim!!!

Drake and Big Freedia have a New Orleans musician in his feelings ... according to a new lawsuit, he says the rappers straight-up jacked his beats and passed them off as their own.

Samuel Nicholas III -- who goes by Sam Skully -- is suing the rappers claiming they used his beat for their hit collab, "In My Feelings." He also claims Drake stole another one of his beats for his wildly successful track, "Nice For What"

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam Skully claims Drake and Big Freedia sampled a portion of his 2000 track, "Roll Call," but they never asked for permission and never forked over any dough.

In the docs, Sam Skully claims he published the beat on a CD he released in New Orleans way back in 2000, but says he didn't know his work had been stolen until years later ... when Drake and Big Freedia released songs that started climbing the charts.

Sam Skully is also going after a ton of huge record companies -- Asylum Records, Cash Money Records and Republic Records -- and he's suing for damages.

Cardi B is FUMING over the NYPD allegedly shutting down her pal's back-to-school event -- and speaking of fumes, she wants New York's finest to choke on hers.

The Bronx-born rapper went on a tear Tuesday night, calling out the NYPD for what she says were bullying tactics that effectively torpedoed her friend Star's school giveaway for kids coming back to school. Safe to say, CB's nuclear.

She claims the NYPD got ahead of this charitable event that was scheduled for later this month after they caught wind of it, called up the school principal and scared them into backing down. Cardi says she finds that "f***** up," seeing how Star paid out of pocket.

Not to mention the fact she was genuinely out to help the kids of this neighborhood.

Then, Cardi goes IN on the NYPD, saying ... "F*** you and motherf***ing suck a fart and suffocate on it. F*** you!!!" ending with a middle finger to the camera for good measure.

If there's one thing we know about Cardi, it's that she loves the kids -- she went out and surprised some from her old neighborhood last year -- and doesn't dig cops. As you know, she's currently in the middle of fighting charges in her strip club beatdown case.

Our law enforcement sources in the area tell TMZ that the department is aware of Cardi's gripe, and they're trying to clear up what's been dubbed internally as a "miscommunication."

In the meantime ... suck it, NYPD!!! Farts, that is ... if that's even possible.

It's just about time for Tekashi 6ix9ine to pay the piper, testifying in open court against his alleged kidnappers ... while knowing full well it could make his family members targets of gang retaliation.

The rapper -- who's currently incarcerated on federal racketeering charges -- is expected to testify next month about the kidnapping and assault he claims he fell victim to in 2018. Cops arrested a suspect in the case, who pled not guilty, and also claims Tekashi made up the whole thing.

FYI, the guy calling BS -- Anthony Ellison -- was formerly part of Tekashi's management team and cops believe he's affiliated with the Nine Trey Bloods, the same gang Tekashi was with prior to his bust. Bottom line ... they know each other well.

That's what makes this situation messy for Tekashi -- he's currently preparing to point the finger at this guy, and the potential ramifications are very serious. Sources connected to the case tell TMZ, 6ix9ine's crapping his pants over testifying -- worried about how his mother and brother could be harmed, and also for his own safety behind bars. We're told he knows this could make him a marked man for life.

Case in point ... look what happened to notorious mobster Whitey Bulger last year in prison.

We already know 6ix9ine has shelled out thousands for security to protect his mom, but even with that ... we're told he feels there's nowhere for his loved ones to hide if the Nine Trey Bloods want to get even with him for snitching.

There's really no way out of this jam for Tekashi ... he's required to cooperate with the feds, so if they want him to testify, he's gotta sing. His last hope would be for Ellison and prosecutors to strike an 11th-hour deal.

Barring that ... we're told Tekashi will look kinda different on the stand -- same face tats, but hardly any rainbow hair these days. Not a ton of salon time in prison ...

Lil Nas X just topped his Billy Ray Cyrus collab by pairing with Jeff Bezos for a huge Amazon office party ... in a freakin' football stadium!! So, yeah ... you could say it was a Prime pairing.

Proving how awesome it is to be the richest man in the world ... Bezos hired Lil Nas AND Katy Perry to perform Tuesday night at Amazon's post-Prime Day concert. No biggie, just a a small get together for more than 45,000 employees at Seattle's CenturyLink Stadium -- and you can tell the boss man was turning up.

Bezos ended up rocking X's graffiti-tagged leather coat, and he posed with Katy and her little dog, Nugget. Lil Nas posted a pic with the caption, "I am now the new owner of amazon and i stole katy perry's dog."

Katy also treated the crowd with her first-ever live performance of "Never Really Over."

Throwing extravagant parties is now Bezos' MO -- just last month he had Taylor Swift headline an Amazon Prime Day concert in NYC. Some critics have bashed him for the lavish events ... saying he should pay employees better instead of staging concerts for them.

Young Thug's got a fascinating obsession with slithery creatures ... especially if they're shiny, 2-headed and cost more than your average house in the heartland.

The 'Slime' rapper is flossin' some new bling worth a whopping $250,000!!! It's a 2-headed snake chain made of 18k rose gold and features over 90cts of diamonds. The whole piece weighs more than 2 pounds!!!

Thugger better hit the weights.

Celebrity jeweler Eliantte is the artist who created the masterpiece and the detail is pretty incredible. It's got lifelike scales and both heads look ready to strike any haters.

We're told YT had the chain delivered to him last week while he celebrated 2 huge milestones ... his 28th birthday and the release of his new album, "So Much Fun."

BTW ... Thug's snake fascination goes back a minute.

In 2017, the rapper used a snake crawling out of a skull for his and Future's "Super Slimey" mixtape cover art. The following year, he sent live snakes in glass tanks to media outlets as a promotion for his "Slime Language" record -- and don't forget he has a snake eating a live mouse in the opening scene of his "Scoliosis" music vid.

Offset got pulled over by a cop who had trouble spelling his name, and it was all downhill from there ... except for a very small bone thrown his way at the end.

The traffic stop went down in late March in Sandy Springs, GA outside Atlanta, and according to the cop's body cam footage -- obtained by TMZ -- the rapper very much sounds like a guy who knows he's about to rack up a few tickets.

Things start off on the wrong foot when Offset asks the cop to turn his flashlight off and gets a stern "no" ... and Offset responds in kind when he's asked for his name.

It gets a bit more contentious when Offset asks why he got pulled over and isn't satisfied with the answer. Both parties then make it known they're recording each other -- pretty standard 2019 stuff.

When the cop finally reveals he's writing Offset THREE citations, Cardi B's hubby accuses him of being mad he's in a nice car ... and suggests the officers kids would be disappointed in him.

Offset also vows to beat the tickets in court, but turns out he wasn't up for the challenge. According to legal docs ... he paid the $470 in fines for speeding and failure to maintain his lane, along with $100 for missing a hearing in the case.

The good news -- Offset's citation for not having a license was dismissed, and of course ... he only got a warning from the cop to avoid a 4th ticket.

Kanye West's dome-like housing prototypes have drawn the ire of his neighbors for a while, and they just called the cops on him.

Some of Ye's Calabasas neighbors tell TMZ ... there's been a crazy amount of construction work going on at the site. They say construction crews were working for more than 12 hours Saturday -- the city allows construction from 8 AM - 5 PM -- and Sunday as well. The city does not allow Sunday construction.

We're told at least one neighbor called the cops Sunday complaining of noise, and L.A. County Sheriff's deputies responded at 7:30 PM and found a construction crew hard at work on one of the domes.

We're told the deputies told the crew to stop ... and they did.

Kanye's neighbors have been complaining for a while about the prototypes, which he constructed as models for his vision of an egalitarian community.

Turns out Kanye's crew didn't get permits and he was cited for violating the building code. He was given the option to either get the proper permits or tear the 4 structures down by Sept. 15. He's chosen the latter ... thus the continued noise.

It's unclear if Kanye's going back to the drawing board or jettisoning the project.

The BIG3 was ON FIRE over the weekend -- with a ton of huge stars hitting the American Airlines Center in Dallas for the BIG3 Ballout ... capped off with a live performance from T.I.

The place was rockin' ... with Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gary Payton and more showing support for the league's intense 6-game showcase just 1 week before the playoffs begin. The championship game is on Sept. 1 at Staples Center.

The basketball action was solid -- with stars like Tri-State's Amar'e Stoudemire and Aliens' Greg Oden battling it out on the court ... where things got pretty chippy between the 2 big men.

And, with so many players in the league looking to make the jump back to the NBA, it's a pretty big deal to have Dallas Mavericks honcho Mark Cuban sitting in the front row.

By the way, Lisa Leslie's Triplets squad is currently in 1st place -- with stars like Jannero Pargo and Joe Johnson, who just set a BIG3 record for points scored in a season (175).

The Triplets are 7-1 through 8 weeks  -- with Stephen Jackson's Killer 3s squad in 2nd place with a 5-3 record.

Kenny Stills -- a Miami Dolphins star who STILL kneels for the national anthem -- is clearly upset with Jay-Z for comments he made after teaming up with the NFL, ripping the guy in the team's locker room Monday.

Stills says Jay came off as "uninformed" when he told members of the media last week that "we've moved past kneeling" and on to "actionable items."

"He's not an NFL player," Stills said. "He's never been on a knee."

Kenny says he's frustrated that Jay-Z made it seem like he was speaking "for the people like he had spoken to the people" ... and says Jay NEVER reached out to him or Colin Kaepernick before signing on to Roger Goodell's team.

"I wonder how many common people that he knows or that he's spoken to," Stills said. "I wonder if he's read my Facebook comments or my Instagram comments. Or some of the things that people say to me."

"To be able to speak on it and say that we're moving past something, it didn't seem very informed."

Stills' comments come on the heels of Kaepernick seemingly taking a jab at Jay-Z over the weekend, when Colin wrote on social media, "My Brothers @e_reid35 @kstills @ithinkisee12 continue to fight for the people, even in the face of death threats."