TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Cardi B looked ecstatic as she roamed the grounds of Disneyland with baby Kulture.

The duo hit up a bunch of rides Saturday night under the watchful eye of bodyguards. They took in Fantasyland, took selfies on Dumbo and then went for a carousel ride. They also made it over to Pirates of the Caribbean.

There were delectables as well ... cotton candy in particular.

The duo also took in the fireworks and had such a good time they stayed afterward, as most people left the park.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' good looks have not changed as much as his own name over the years!

Here is a 27-year-old version of the multitalented bad-boy rapper, flashing a smooth smile after winning Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City back in 1997 (left).

And, 22 years later ... the now 49-year-old father of six -- who is going to celebrate his 50th birthday Monday -- was spotted earlier this week with the same facial fuzz at an event in Los Angeles, California (right).

Bad boy for life!

The question is ...

Drake is showering himself with expensive gifts for his 33rd birthday ... dropping more than half a million dollars for a custom diamond ring in the shape of a heart.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... the "Hotline Bling" rapper purchased a 22-carat, heart-shaped diamond ring from Gemma Fine Jewelry as a bday present to himself, and the piece is valued between $600,000 and $800,000.

As you can see, the diamonds are mounted in a platinum setting ... and we're told it's extremely difficult to make a heart-shaped ring of this size -- making this a very rare find.

As we reported ... Drake hosted a star-studded birthday bash at Goya Studios in Hollywood, partying with big celebs like Adele, Snoop Dogg, Kylie Jenner and French Montana.

Drake debuted his shiny new bling at the party -- what better occasion, right -- and on another finger he was rocking his customized $150K Toronto Raptors NBA championship ring.

Our sources say Drake was heavily involved in designing his newest ring, working alongside Gemma Fine founder Ori Vechler … and he's adding it to a growing collection of heart-shaped jewelry.

Yes, Drake loves him some Drake.

Mariah Carey's blown away by what Kanye West is doing at his Sunday Services, and she plans to take a page out of his book ... to make Christmas even better!!!

The legendary singer was leaving Heidi Klum's Halloween party in NYC -- dressed up as the front woman for an '80s hair band -- when we asked about her song "My All" which Ye featured at a recent Service.

She tells us it's incredible and she loves what he's doing with the choir and church service aspect at the events ... and she's going to incorporate it into her upcoming Christmas shows.

Carey had previously tweeted that Kanye's choir was "killing this arrangement and song!" and added ... "I neeeed to speak to whoever put the arrangement together and rewrote the lyrics.. Beautiful. Thank you." Sounds like she got what she wanted.

If ya don't know, Mariah's been hyping up the rerelease of her iconic Xmas album, "Merry Christmas," which came out 25 years ago ... along with her All I Want For Christmas Is You Tour.

She's been playing with her fans on social media by telling them they gotta wait, but now that Friday, November 1 has arrived ... she says it's officially time to get in the spirit.

BTW -- according to Mariah's IG, her Halloween costume is part of a fictitious hair metal band called Spit ... and she's their lead singer, Mimi.

YG says he did NOT step out on Kehlani while partying in L.A. -- and despite a photo seeming to show that -- he insists they remain a strong couple.

We spoke to someone who was partying with the rapper Wednesday night and they tell us a woman did approach YG outside Poppy Nightclub. We're told she got right up in YG's grill and requested a pic while he was sitting in the passenger seat of his car -- but there was no kiss.

Our source says YG told the woman -- who wasn't partying with him or his friends -- he wasn't in the mood to take a photo but she persisted. Video and photos have surfaced showing that exchange, leading to the report claiming YG cheated.

We're told YG -- who was at Poppy for Todd Gurley's Halloween bash -- was pretty intoxicated, and he regrets putting himself in a situation that's now being misconstrued.

As for Kehlani, we're told she's all Gucci with her man -- so, YG's dodged the ultimate bullet.

Travis Scott's pulling out of a big music festival in Las Vegas this weekend ... seemingly because he needs more time to heal his injured knee.

The rapper just announced he won't be able to make it for his headlining gig at Day N Vegas -- which is going down at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds Friday through Sunday.

Scott apologized on Twitter to all the ragers planning on attending, saying he's unable to "pull up" but promises to be back soon.

Trav was set to take the main stage on Saturday, but now that honor goes to Future x Metro Boomin. J Cole's headlining Friday and Kendrick Lamar on Sunday.

We broke the story ... Travis suffered a dislocated knee while performing earlier this month at NYC's Rolling Loud Fest. He landed on his leg awkwardly as he was jumping up and down during a song, but popped up and finished the show nonetheless.

All signs pointed to him having surgery to fix the injury, but it's unclear if he ever did or just needs more time to recoup naturally.

Nicki Minaj's husband went to great lengths to put a ring on her finger ... overseeing the making of her wedding band every step of the way and throwing down a massive wad of cash to secure it.

Nicki is finally showing everyone the diamond goods ... and the jeweler who made it tells us Kenneth Petty handled the design, delivery and paid for it on his own. We're told the band is valued at $1.1 million.

Rafaello and Co tells us Kenneth commissioned them to make their wedding rings, working together on a design for several months. Nicki's custom bling features a 17-carat center with VVS2-clarity diamonds.

The jeweler tells us Kenneth wanted a traditional wedding ring for Nicki -- nice diamonds and nothing too gaudy -- because he knows that's her style.

As for Kenneth's band ... we're told it's customized with the words "Ken & Barbie" on the inside of the ring. Nicki's doesn't have an inscription, but we're told there was simply no room for one.

We're told the jeweler flew from New York City to Los Angeles a few days before Nicki's wedding to deliver the rings ... they came in a customized jewelry box that plays a photo slideshow of the couple to the tune of Nicki's song, "Come See About Me."

TMZ broke the story ... Nicki and Kenneth got hitched last week in L.A. in a super low-key ceremony, rushing to the altar with her pastor because their marriage license was about to expire.

Sounds like things are going great for the newlyweds ... their jeweler tells us Nicki and Kenneth are "definitely in love and happy."

Kanye West has his facts messed up when it comes to Plan B and abortion -- two things he mistakenly thinks go hand in hand.

A rep for Foundation Consumer Healthcare -- the pharma company that makes the Plan B One-Step contraceptive -- tells TMZ that their pill is in no way connected to the process of abortion ... even though Ye appeared to conflate the topics.

You'll recall ... Kanye mentioned Plan B and abortion in a rant he went on about the Democratic party, which he thinks has brainwashed African-Americans into killing babies.

That is simply NOT the case though, when it comes to Plan B ... so says FCH. The company tells us plainly, "Plan B emergency contraception is a safe and effective backup option when used as directed after unprotected sex or birth control failure." Hmmm ... go on.

They add, "Plan B helps prevent pregnancy before it starts by delaying ovulation. Plan B is not an abortion pill – it will not harm an existing pregnancy and it will not be effective if a woman is already pregnant." In short, it ain't an abortion pill, despite misconceptions.

A rep for Planned Parenthood sounded off as well, saying black women have actually had a leading role in the fight for abortion access, sex education and reproductive health rights.

The spokesperson adds, "As Black women, we make our own decisions about our bodies and pregnancies, and want and deserve to have access to the best medical care available. Misinformation like this is meant to shame us and keep us from making our own health care decisions. Black women want and deserve support and access to the full range of reproductive health care, but this persistent lie is threatening our ability to obtain it."

Drake didn't just cop insane NBA championship swag for himself ... the 6 God also hooked the players up BIG TIME ... buying the Toronto Raptors custom Finals jackets!!

Of course, Drizzy copped a $150k custom championship ring to commemorate the Dinos' first-ever title ... and now he's decided to gift the dope jackets to all the guys who teamed up to beat the Warriors last season.

NBA Finals hero Fred VanVleet showed off the new merch on Tuesday ... and they come with the whole roster listed on one side, the iconic OVO owl on the other.

On the back, there's a raptor clinging on to the Larry O'Brien trophy ... and the phrase "The Best in the World" on top.

If the jacket looks familiar ... it's the same one the Raptors ambassador wore at the championship parade back in June.

Kanye West says Jesus has freed him from the clutches of the Democratic Party, which he claims has brainwashed the black community into aborting children.

The rapper made the controversial remark during an interview with radio personality Big Boy about politics, his new album and black culture. While Kanye's already been widely accused of abandoning the culture -- due to his support for President Trump -- he doubled down by telling Big Boy ... African-Americans don't really have their own culture.

He said it's adopted from a mishmash of consumerism, pushed by Dems to keep black folks trapped -- as opposed to encouraging entrepreneurship and self-ownership ... a traditionally GOP philosophy.

Then came the really inflammatory comment about Dems. Ye said on Friday ... the political party has brainwashed his people to do unholy things, like Plan B birth control and encouraging the abortion of babies. He followed up by saying, "Thou shall not kill."

He also says Democrats have backed policies for decades that have hurt the black community, and he simply isn't falling in line anymore ... backlash be damned.

Kanye West has an interesting situation ... he's planning on a concert tour of sorts -- taking his wildly popular Sunday Service on the road -- but can he get an insurance company to cover the tour if disaster strikes like it did 3 years ago? Well, we found out he can, but there's a catch.

We've contacted Kanye sources as well as sources in the insurance industry, and here's what we know. Kanye can get his tour insured, but the insurance company will not cover cancellations due to mental health issues.

TMZ broke the story ... Ye pulled the plug on his Saint Pablo Tour back in November 2016, hours before he was supposed to take the stage in L.A. He was hospitalized at UCLA for 9 days to treat some pretty serious issues.

Kanye, who has said in the past he's bipolar, told us he was off his meds because they made him feel bad.

So, given that backdrop, we're told the major companies that insure concert tours would not cover hospitalization due to mental health issues ... and it doesn't matter if Kanye is taking meds or not. There will be no coverage.

That said, we're told insurance companies will still underwrite a policy for his tour with that exclusion.

Kanye has already said he's ready to get started with the JIK tour "right away," and it seems folks got a taste of what it'll look like this weekend at The Forum. Point being, he'll probably have to decide on an insurer pretty soon here if he wants to keep his word.

Kanye West didn't hastily throw together "Jesus Is King" -- Kenny G says they recorded their collab for the album way back in February ... in a totally spontaneous and kinda romantic moment.

The legendary saxophonist came on "TMZ Live" Monday after his stirring performance at Kanye's Sunday Service in Los Angeles, and he told us their "Use This Gospel" track traces its roots back to Valentine's Day.

As you know, Kenny G joined Kanye to play "Use This Gospel" Sunday inside The Forum ... and Kenny says there was almost no rehearsal beforehand -- kinda like when he and Kanye recorded the song in the first place.

Kenny says their collab went down shortly after Valentine's Day, when Kanye invited him to the studio to listen to some of Yeezy's new music. Kenny says he told Kanye his sax would sound great on one particular track, so Ye whipped out a mic and started recording Kenny on the spot!

Remember ... Kanye hired Kenny to serenade Kim Kardashian West inside their living room on Valentine's Day ... and Kenny says the gig was the springboard for his "Jesus Is King" feature.

As for Sunday Service, Kenny gushes about the experience ... and he tells us why he went back onstage after his solo to whisper in Kanye's ear.

Future is firing back at the woman alleging he fathered his SEVENTH child with her ... claiming she's nothing but a fraud.

The rapper's filed legal docs asking a judge in Broward County, Florida to toss a paternity case against him because he says the alleged baby mama, Eliza Seraphin, is purely coming after his money.

In docs, Future says Eliza has said in docs she needs child support from Future because she has no bank account, no income and no car. But, Future's calling BS ... because for starters, he says, a simple glance at Eliza's Instagram reveals she has several jobs -- including as a brand ambassador.

Future also says Eliza's shown on IG she has multiple cars and alleges to know she currently has a lease for a 2018 Range Rover. What's more ... Future claims Eliza in the past filed a financial affidavit admitting to having multiple checking accounts.

In short ... Future's calling her a fraud because "the petitioner is lying about financial matters at the onset of case which is solely based on her attempt to extort money from" Future.

He doesn't specifically address whether he's the child's father. Eliza claims he refuses to take a paternity test.

As we first reported ... Eliza filed docs claiming Future knocked her up and then ghosted her after she gave birth to a baby girl back in April. She claimed to have sold her car just to meet ends meet.

Gospel legend Fred Hammond says Kanye West's support of Donald Trump is not an issue for him as a Christian ... and they never discussed politics when working on Ye's new album.

Fred, who is featured on Kanye's new album, "Jesus Is King," tells TMZ ... it's way better for business to leave politics outside the studio. He says Trump never came up once in his dealings with Kanye, and if he cut off everyone who supports the President, he'd have a lot fewer friends.

Hammond's true to his word ... he's brushing off the flak he's getting for working with Kanye, just like he did when he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, an ardent Trump critic.

Fred tells us he made the decision to work with Kanye right off the bat when Ye approached him at Chance The Rapper's wedding. Their track together is called "Hands On."

Kanye West is going right back to work after dropping his much-anticipated album, "Jesus Is King," this weekend ... following it up with a good old-fashioned Sunday Service.

Ye held his weekly spiritual concert Sunday the Forum in L.A., where he, his choir and even Kenny G were in the building ... performing tracks from the new record -- which just dropped on Friday. From the looks of it, Kanye got things started with his Chick-fil-A song, "Closed on Sunday" ... ironic, considering the Forum's doors were very much open.

Folks had to pay $10 to get in for this Service, but we're told the proceeds are being donated to charity. Not bad for a front-row seat to see Kanye and co. in action.

Speaking of that, Kenny himself took to the stage to help play out "Use This Gospel," on which he had an epic sax solo after Clipse gets through their two verses with Ye on the hook.

BTW, the Forum looks pretty much the same in style and set design from when Kanye held his listening party there last week ... the tall grass meant to resemble a field, etc.

The big question now ... is this the official start of his global 'Jesus' tour, or just a victory lap to celebrate the new album? We know Ye's gonna follow the Sunday Service format for his upcoming tour, and he did say he'd get started on it "right away."

It's unclear ... all we can recommend for folks in L.A. is that ya come and catch him while you can, however you can. Kanye's definitely bound to be on the move soon.

Kanye West is going to push boundaries, travel the world and redefine everything audiences expect to experience when showing up to a concert.

Sources close to Kanye tell us his upcoming tour for "Jesus is King" will be unlike anything anyone has seen. We're told the Sunday Service format will serve as a pillar to the production, but it's only a part of the larger picture.

Our sources say the tour is meant for all types of venues -- whether inside or out -- and will be versatile to fit the space.

While Kanye hasn't announced a start to the tour, or any official dates, we're told it'll be a global event ... for fans all around the world to enjoy.

We got a happy Kanye out in NYC Friday who announced the tour would start "right away." Interestingly enough, when we asked about stage design, Kanye was quiet ... but only said it will be different than the floating stage design featured during his Saint Pablo Tour.

Kanye started his Sunday Service in a field in Calabasas ... but has since taken it across the country -- making stops in Utah, Chicago and at Howard University -- even spotlighting at Coachella this year.