TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Tekashi 6ix9ine deserves a much lighter prison sentence due to his cooperation -- AKA snitching -- according to federal prosecutors who are officially asking the judge for leniency.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York lays out the reasons for a reduced sentence for the rapper. They say his assistance was "incredibly significant and extremely useful" in prosecuting and convicting 2 members of the Nine Trey Bloods.

Even the feds acknowledge Tekashi's testimony in open court put a target on his back and endangered his family. In the docs, prosecutors say, "There's no question that the defendant's life will never be the same because of his cooperation in this case." They add he and his family will need "extra safety precautions" at all times to avoid a revenge attack.

The feds say 6ix9ine walked them through his social media posts to provide context for the criminal actions of the gang -- which they say the defendants, Anthony "Harv" Ellison and Aljermiah Mack, claimed was all a hoax to promote Tekashi's music. They say his testimony convinced the jury otherwise.

As we reported ... Tekashi copped a plea deal after pleading guilty to racketeering, firearms offenses, conspiracy, narcotics trafficking and other crimes. 6ix9ine agreed to be a cooperating witness, and without that would be facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 47 years in prison.

Waka Flocka Flame believes there were clear racial motives behind Gabrielle Union's 'AGT' firing, and says it's now on the black community to stop supporting companies that have problems with the culture.

Gabrielle's feud with 'AGT' is striking a chord with Waka, and he unloaded when we got him in Atlanta -- telling us he's proud of Gabrielle for speaking out about what was allegedly going down at 'AGT.'

As you know ... Gabrielle feels she was given the boot because she complained to NBC and 'AGT' producers about racially insensitive situations on set -- including producers giving her excessive notes about her hair, wardrobe and physical appearance.

Waka says Gabby's a role model -- because black people in similar situations need to push back and stand up for themselves when someone asks them to change who they are.

Gabrielle also had issues with Jay Leno joking about Koreans eating dogs while he was guest judging. Jay won't say if the joke is racist, and has been mostly mum on the whole controversy.

We ask Waka if we're living in a society that treats racism as a joke, and he says anyone over 40 who is still acting racist is "f***ed up," and needs to stop teaching racism to younger generations.

A$AP Rocky will NOT be performing at the Swedish prison where he was detained for several weeks earlier this year -- but hey, at least he can say he tried in good faith.

The rapper is heading back to Sweden in about a week for a concert on Dec. 11 -- and while he's expressed interest in possibly playing a gig for the inmates at Kronoberg prison ... it ain't gonna happen.

The reason ... a honcho with Sweden's Prison and Probation Service tells TMZ there were logistical and security concerns that prevented them from getting something together.

You'll recall, Rocky himself was a prisoner for a good while this summer as his assault case stalled.

As you know, Rocky told us he was very interested in heading back to the Euro country and giving back for the inmates with whom he was once jailed. And, of course, the same Prison and Probation Service that's denying him now said they were open to the idea as well.

So, what's with the cold shoulder then? Well, specifically, the Service cited a high occupancy as the main reason for saying no. There might be other issues, though, based on Rocky's written request ... which TMZ has obtained. In a letter written sent to prison officials Tuesday -- in Swedish, no less -- AR's team formally made the ask.

According to the doc, Rocky says he wanted to swing by Kronoberg while he was in town and bring a DJ and what sounds like 11 accompanying performers and tech crew members. He also requested to have 4 to 5 different camera guys there to document it.

Travis Scott is getting an inside look at the upcoming Dior x Air Jordan 1s due out next year ... and yeah, they look expensive as hell.

La Flame -- who's got his own Nike deal and custom line of AJs and AF1s -- posted the luxurious kicks on his IG on Tuesday ... proving his folks at the Swoosh really care.

The Dior Js are slated to come out in April 2020 and have a HEFTY rumored price tag of $2,000, making them some of the highest-priced Js EVER.

The sneaks will be made entirely in Italy with white and pearl grey Dior leather and the Swoosh will have the classic pattern used in the Dior B23 shoes. Fancy stuff.

Of course, Scott's collabs with Nike have been a massive hit -- his $175 AJ1 collabs have sold out within minutes and have gone for thousands on the resale market ... and he's also got his take on a number of other iconic Nike kicks.

Travis also announced earlier Tuesday he's working with Nike to bring a "Cactus Jack Court" to Houston ... so yeah, both sides gotta be happy about that.

Cardi B says whoever was messaging Tekashi 6ix9ine's girlfriend certainly wasn't her hubby, Offset, and she's out to prove the whole thing is just some bulls**t.

Here's the deal ... Jade -- who's dating Tekashi and who Cardi allegedly ordered an attack on in August 2018 for sleeping with Offset -- put Offset on blast for apparently sending her a DM on Instagram saying "Miss you fr."

Jade shared video of her checking her phone to show it definitely came from Offset's account, and poured gasoline on the fiery situation by adding ... "Your wife @iamcardib has a OPEN CRIMINAL CASE , why are you writing me you don’t respect her ???????"

The thing is ... Cardi and Offset say it's not real -- they claim he was hacked. To prove it, Cardi's shared a couple of vids with Offset, saying they were up sick with their kid all night ... and insisting her husband didn't do what Jade claims.

She also revealed a couple of screenshots from Twitter and Instagram, seemingly proving he was hacked and is unable to log in to his accounts.

There's also this -- earlier on Tuesday, around the same time Jade made claims Offset was messaging her ... his Twitter account was tweeting some strange tweets, including one that just said "I lick ass cheeks."

So, it seems like something suspicious is afoot ... it's just unclear who's to blame for starting it.

One thing to note ... Jade suggested she has more dirt on Offset, saying, "Theirs a lot of s**t I haven't exposed yet."

Stay tuned!

Tekashi 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd were only at each other's throats for publicity -- faking beef to help their careers -- according to a Nine Trey Bloods member.

Anthony "Harv" Ellison is asking a judge for a new trial after being found guilty of kidnapping Tekashi. In new docs -- obtained by TMZ -- he spills the beans on the alleged reason Trippie and Tekashi69 feuded.

Specifically ... Ellison says he was brought on as Tekashi's security after defending 6ix9ine during a "staged publicity beef" with Trippie Redd.

You'll recall ... during Ellison's kidnapping trial, Tekashi claimed Ellison punched Trippie Redd in the mouth during a November 2017 confrontation between the rappers in an NYC hotel lobby.

Now, Ellison says Trippie's manager told Tekashi where to find Redd in order to set up a "staged confrontation."

Drake and Joel Embiid may act like they hate each other's guts ... but it turns out the dudes are actually BROS behind closed doors, so says Sixers partner Michael Rubin!!

It always gets ugly between the 6 God and Embiid when Philly plays the Toronto Raptors ... with Drizzy and the All-Star trading jabs at any opportunity.

Most recently, Drake mocked Embiid for going scoreless last week -- clapping in Embiid's face and thanking him for racking up a goose egg on the score sheet.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rubin outside Madison Square Garden on Friday about the beef ... and he says while it looks legit on paper, it's all love when the cameras are off.

"It's all fun, they're good friends off the court," the billionaire businessman tells us.

Drake's gotten a lot of heat for his antics -- remember when he gave Raps coach Nick Nurse a mid-game back rub??

More fallout from T.I. saying he used to take his daughter in for virginity checks. Now, New York state could make the practice illegal ... if one congresswoman gets her way.

New York assemblywoman Michaelle Solages -- who reps parts of Long Island -- recently introduced a new bill that would outlaw what she describes as "virginity tests" in doctors' offices across the state. Her move appears to be in direct response to Tip's story.

After news of the bill being intro'd broke, Solages told the NY Post, "I was horrified to see this was happening. If a celebrity can impose his power to ensure his 18-year-old daughter gets checked, imagine what can be done in households across New York state?"

For clarification, Solages and other members of the New York State Assembly want to amend the current public health law ... specifically focused on hymen check-ups T.I. first described.

The language of the bill reads, "Section 1 of the bill adds two new sections ... to the public health law to forbid the performance of a hymen exam on women as a means to ascertain whether a woman is a virgin." A second section would address education law.

It goes on to say, "[T]he bill stipulates that if someone disregards these rules, it will be considered an act of professional misconduct." Solages wants to make this a class D felony, for which medical professionals could be charged with sexual abuse.

It should be noted that T.I. tried clarifying his comments with Jada Pinkett Smith, saying he was mostly speaking in jest ...  and adding the so-called virginity check-ups happened only twice, when his now 18-year-old daughter, Deyjah, was 15 and 16 years old.

He also said her mother was with them for these visits ... and that he himself was not in the room during the examinations. Still, he didn't deny being privy to the results.

French Montana says he's getting better every day following a medical scare that put him in a hospital bed ... and he's finally out of the intensive care unit.

The "Unforgettable" rapper just shared an update on his health ... announcing he's out of ICU and on the road to recovery.

As you can see ... French is still being monitored, but now he's standing under his own power.

It's good news for French ... as we first told you, earlier this week he was still suffering from the effects of severe exhaustion and dehydration following a travel schedule that took place in several countries in only a few days.

French has been hospitalized in Los Angeles since last week. Police were first called to his Calabasas crib for a burglary, but it turned out to be a false alarm. When cops arrived, they made contact with French and determined he was seriously ill and got him an ambulance.

No word when French is getting out of the hospital ... but it's nice to see him making progress.

Kanye West just released his second video from "Jesus Is King" ... and it's a sight to behold.

Ye opens the music vid alongside Kim Kardashian and their kids North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm, sitting in the cleft of a rock on his sprawling Wyoming ranch.

It's a total family affair -- just in time for the holidays -- Kourtney and Kris are also featured in the somewhat bizarre video.

Kanye even busts out his Sunday Service Choir, which surrounds him in song as he stands on higher ground in the middle of the crowd.

There's some very dramatic and beautiful visuals of the rugged Wyoming landscape ... mountains, rocky terrain, grass-covered plains ... and what appear to be some armored vehicles barreling through his ranch.

You'll recall ... Kanye and Kim were issued a slight scolding from Wyoming authorities earlier this year after Kim posted a video that appeared to show Kanye taking the couple on an ATV ride across the range, chasing some pronghorns.

The ATVs in the music video are bigger and badder, but no one's scaring wildlife this time around.

Jay-Z has a problem with an Australian company using his name and lyrics to sell books ... and now he's taking the Aussies to court.

According to a new lawsuit obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald, Jay claims Australian online retailer Little Homie is engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct to hawk a children's book titled "AB to Jay-Z."

In the suit, Hov reportedly claims Little Homie is infringing on his copyright for lyrics from his hit single, "99 Problems."

The book's back cover reads, "If you're having alphabet problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but my ABCs ain't one."

The phrasing is obviously a play on Jay's famous hook, "If you having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one."

Jay's legal team reportedly fired off a cease and desist to Little Homie back in March 2018, but his lawyers claim the retailer kept deliberately using his likeness and lyrics in a flagrant and glaring way.

Hollywood seems eager to give back this year ahead of another Thanksgiving where their own bellies are sure to be full -- with some even heading back home to help others.

Celebs like T.I., Big Sean and the Kardashians were out in force this week as well as last, handing out grub to those less fortunate in anticipation of Turkey Day -- and they seemed to make a point to head to their stomping grounds to give back to their communities.

Sean, for example, was in River Rouge, MI Tuesday -- just outside his native Detroit -- where he was handing out frozen poultry at a high school. It's his 7th year doing it with his non-profit ... an event he's dubbed the Annual All-Star Giveback: Thanksgiving Edition.

Tip did something similar, arriving in Atlanta Tuesday for his own annual giveaway, except his gifts seemed to have a bit more green in them than maybe your standard food basket.

Then, we have the Kardashians -- Kim, Kourtney, Kris and Corey Gamble, specifically -- who came out together over the weekend to a food bank in L.A. to do pretty much the same.

As you know ... 21 Savage got in on the giving as well -- but he busted out the hot meals right on the spot for about 300 families at a YMCA down in DeKalb County, GA.

OMG Ronny is hard at work producing Kanye West's collab with Dr. Dre ... and he's dropping tons of hints about the highly-anticipated sequel to "Jesus is King."

We got the hip-hop producer out shopping Tuesday on Rodeo Drive ... and he's hyping up the new project coming from Ye and Dre, telling us new music is, for sure, coming down the pike.

As you know, Kanye teased his collab with Dre earlier this month, but details on "Jesus is King Part II" have been scarce ... but OMG Ronny is leaving some clues as to what fans can expect.

OR, who produced "Everything We Need" on Kanye's most recent album, says Yeezy and Dre's newest venture is going to have a similar gospel feel, and Dre's working on some additional parts of "Jesus is King."

21 Savage is putting smiles on faces and food in the stomachs of people not nearly as fortunate as him.

The rapper helped serve an early Thanksgiving dinner to 300 families in need Tuesday night at the DeKalb County YMCA center in Stone Mountain, Georgia ... throwing on a red apron and making sure everyone got a hot meal.

21 Savage calls DeKalb County home ... and his mother, Heather Joseph, joined him as they helped serve plates full of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, mac and cheese and, of course, gravy.

Savage is a fixture in the community -- organizing school supply drives and teaching youth the basics of money -- and his Leading By Example Foundation put on Tuesday's event.

French Montana is suffering from the effects of severe exhaustion and dehydration thanks to a travel schedule that saw him hit several countries in only a few days.

Sources close to the "Unforgettable" rapper tell TMZ it's currently unclear if French will be released from the hospital in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. We're told doctors continue to hold him to run tests and monitor his vitals.

Our sources say French hit 4 countries in just 6 days during a recent work trip -- and when he got back he fell seriously ill -- he still has an elevated heart rate and stomach pains.

He updated fans on Monday with a quick video inside his ICU room ... and a sign on the wall, written by nurses, mentioned a goal was to "manage pain" for French.

French has been hospitalized in L.A. since Thursday. Cops were first called to his Calabasas home for a burglary, but that turned out to be a false alarm. When officers arrived, they made contact with French, determined he was seriously ill and called an ambulance.

Here's Drake RUNNING HIS MOUTH LAST NIGHT -- talking smack to 76ers star Joel Embiid at the Raptors game ... while rocking his giant custom championship ring!

Of course, Drake is basically the official Raptors spokesperson and talked A LOT of trash to players during the '18-'19 championship run ... it was fun to watch.

But, with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both on other teams, we were wondering if Drake would keep that same energy this season. Answer -- YES.

Check out Drake chanting, "MVP," at Joel Embiid as he had his worst night of his career -- scoring ZERO points on 11 shots as the Raptors went on to win 101 to 96.

As for Drake's ring, the rapper went to famous jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills to get him a one-of-a-kind piece to commemorate his team's title run.

The piece is incredible -- it's got 30 carats of diamonds, which is more than any other championship ring in NBA history.

Jason told TMZ Sports ... "Drake had me fly to Turks and Caicos for an emergency design meeting."

"It's a championship that's dear to his heart and he wanted to create an over the top ring that not only paid homage to his city but made a statement above and beyond anything else in history."