TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Neymar met Kanye West for the first time in Paris on Wednesday -- and the soccer superstar didn't come empty-handed for the occasion, bringing the musician a custom "Ye" jersey.

Neymar also showered Kanye with praise on his social media following their meet-up ... calling the "Hurricane" performer a "legend."

"Nice to meet u legend 👏🏽," Neymar said while sharing two pictures from their get-together.

Kanye is, of course, in town for Fashion Week ... and he was able to see Neymar during a tour of the soccer superstar's Paris Saint-German facilities.

The two were clearly pumped to meet each other ... you can see in one of the pics the guys were smiling ear-to-ear.

It's unclear how big of a soccer fan Ye is ... but we do know he's a huge sports guy -- he's spotted at big games in the U.S. regularly and he even started his own high school basketball team at Donda Academy last year.

There's apparently only one Kim Kardashian and Ray J sex tape in the Universe ... and while Kim's thankful Kanye recently retrieved a laptop with footage from Ray, we're told there's nothing sexual about the unseen content.

Kanye made waves during his Hollywood Unlocked interview Monday when he shared he'd delivered the device to Kim during her recent stint on 'SNL,' causing her to cry happy tears when she saw it.

Many speculated the laptop contained a rumored second sex tape between Ray J and Kim -- but a rep for Kim tells us that's just not the case -- "After review, there was nothing sexual unseen, only footage on the plane on the way to Mexico and footage at a club and restaurant on the same trip. Kim remains firm in her belief that there is no new second tape that exists." Page 6 first had the statement.

Sources close to Kim tell us while the sex tape has been a source of embarrassment, she won't forget Kanye's gesture in retrieving the material from Ray J.

The source notes that both Kim and Kanye are sensitive as co-parents, and how the continued talk of the tape may affect their kids, "Especially when it's continued to be brought up in a way that's thoughtless and intended to cause more pain."

Interestingly -- it's been Ray J's former manager, Wack 100, who teased the existence of a second sex tape since last year -- and Kanye's been hanging with Wack lately. Kanye says he had met with Ray in Florida and was given the laptop.

Snoop Dogg has a huge gig on Super Bowl Sunday -- sharing the stage with Dr. Dre and co. -- but he has a different collab floating around in his head ... doing a song with Sade!!!

Check out this video of Snoop chilling in his Inglewood studio with some friends, and when someone asks if there's anyone left in music he wants to work with ... he only hesitated to take a hit of his joint before wistfully announcing it's Sade.

When the topic came up earlier this month, Snoop's revelation got a huge reaction in the room -- everyone thought it was a great idea, and encouraged him to make it happen. What's really interesting here is ... the Doggfather and Sade have some history.

You gotta see his story about the first, and only, time he's seen the "Smooth Operator" singer in concert -- apparently she had some crazy effects and even disappeared at a point -- but, even better, is what almost happened backstage at the show!

Now, Snoop -- who's about to crush the Super Bowl Halftime Show with Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar -- makes it clear there's no plan for Sade and him to record ... at least not yet. He definitely hoping this video gets him a step closer to his dream duet.

In his words ... let's "put a bat signal in the air."

If you're wondering what kinda track Snoop would wanna do with her? Well, he's a big fan of her smoothed-out loved songs -- one in particular.

Cardi B is feeling super grateful to a lot of people now that her libel trial is wrapped up ... and she's also walking away with a lot of money, thanks to the jury.

Cardi spoke out as she was leaving federal court in Atlanta Tuesday ... after a hearing to determine punitive damages in her case against YouTuber Tasha K. As we reported, Cardi won big in the case yesterday -- the jury found Tasha liable for all 3 claims against her for telling several damaging lies about Cardi.

The rapper was flanked by her attorneys as she thanked the jurors for reaching a "fair" decision, and she even thanked the media for encouraging her through the trial. She said reporters helped keep her strong while dealing with the "emotional distress."

She also shouted out her attorneys for nearly 3 years of work on the case.

As we told you ... Cardi was awarded $1.25 mil yesterday, and today she got an additional $1.5 million in punitive damages, plus $1.3 million for her attorney's fees.

Cardi B claimed a blogger made up harmful lies about her on the internet is ringing true with the jury ... which just sided with her in federal court.

The rapper won her libel case against Tasha K, who she sued for posting videos where she alleged, among other things, CB was a prostitute who dabbled in drugs and had contracted STIs.

After a week-plus long trial, Tasha was found liable on 3 separate claims, and ordered to pay Cardi $1.25 million in general damages and $250k for medical expenses.

Cardi called BS on Tasha, suing her back in 2019 when the blogger refused to take down the damaging posts.

CB even went on the witness stand during the trial and testified she was suicidal during this period as a direct result of Tasha's stories.

Looks like she made an impact with jurors -- she and her attorneys, Lisa Moore, Sarah Matz and William Pequignot scored a big W, and can close the book on this mess, for now.

Kanye West and Julia Fox are two peas in a pod -- but for Paris Fashion Week, that pod’s made of cow.

The couple stepped out together Monday to attend the Schiaparelli Couture show ... wearing matching black outfits, no less.

Ye and Julia were in all-leather getups from head to toe -- quite literally in Kanye’s case, specifically. The guy was wearing a full head mask with small slits for his eyes ... sorta like a Lucha libre wrestler. And, per usual, he had those boots on again.

Julia, meanwhile, was going for more of a "Black Swan" look upstairs, wearing exaggerated eye shadow that streaked across her face. Indeed, they were going with a pretty futuristic look for sure -- reminiscent of "The Matrix," even.

Look, we're just gonna say it ... Morticia and Gomez never looked better! (*snap, snap)

Anyway, they were far from the only American stars on hand -- Pusha T touched down in Paris as well, and so did Tyler, the Creator ... so Ye and JF are in good company.

Kanye and Julia have been on the move nonstop since this weekend, it seems. Before jetting off to France, they were in Miami hanging with DJ Khaled ... rocking out in his studio and sharing gifts.

Kim Kardashian has moved on from Kanye, but she's still very much embracing the sense of style he helped influence.

Kim was out on the town Saturday night, hitting up the David Kordansky Gallery for a show.

She was draped in all black, and that includes the sunglasses that make it next to impossible to navigate in the dark. But navigate she did, all the way to dinner.

Kim showed up in WeHo to dine at Craig's. Again, for the uninitiated, Craig's is one of 5 restaurants in L.A. where celebs know there's a bank of paparazzi always at the ready, so you get the drill.

Kim walked in arm-in-arm with Shelli Azoff, wife of music titan Irving Azoff. The Azoff's have known Kim since birth ... Irving's her godfather.

All in all, an enjoyable Saturday night in the City of Angels.

Kanye West's minivan may not come with little juice box holders -- but it's got swivel seats, custom speakers and TVs big enough for a living room -- all tools to get him in dad mode.

Kanye's been spotted whipping around L.A. lately in a 1-of-1 custom luxury Mercedes-Benz van ... less horsepower than the Lamborghinis we usually see him drive, but it still comes with a hefty price tag of more than $400,000!!!

We're told the vans are sold exclusively by RD Whittington, owner of Wires Only in L.A. and Miami.

Ye's version is called Executive Style, seats 7 and features multiple TV screens, fully reclining and swiveling chairs ... as well as a sound system to rival a recording studio.

We've obtained some photos from inside different versions of the van, Kanye's is almost exactly like the one with red leather seats -- but you can see the insane light and interior options that come with these suped-up minivans.

RD will show off more crazy rides on the Jamie Foxx-produced "Million Dollar Wheels" ... which premieres February 21 on Discovery Plus.

When you think about it, Ye's vehicle makes a lot of sense ... he's got 4 kids to drive around AND a new album on the way. So, the available seating and impressive audio setup are a perfect fit for his needs.

We saw Kanye out to grab some ice cream Thursday in the van -- he had a massive smile on his face when a fan told him he was an "awesome dad."

Kanye West doesn't wanna argue with paparazzi anymore -- he just wants to share the wealth ... especially if they're planning on filming him in public.

Ye had a bit of a tense convo Saturday while leaving Miami after chillin' with DJ Khaled and friends -- coming face to face with a pap at the airport who tried asking him a few simple questions. Right off the bat, KW tells him he's not in the mood to be photographed.

The pap plays it cool and calm, and eventually ... Kanye tells him how he really feels about the fact that they guy's making money off the interview. And that feeling is ... fine, but let me get in on it too!!!

Check out Kanye's rationale here -- he basically says he thinks he should be able to control how his image is used, including MOTS run-ins like this. He notes that's not how the law works -- which is correct -- but insists ... he's gonna work to turn that around for celebs.

In the end, Kanye and the paps following him actually end on good terms -- with Ye meeting up GF Julia Fox ... and them going through a bit of logistical juggling on how the heck they were gonna get out of there (who's got Ye's ticket???).

Pretty interesting insight from Ye -- especially since he alludes to his alleged not-so-nice face-off with an autograph hound in L.A. -- and it's good to see he's found a more constructive way to deal with the media.

Kanye West might be able to swap out the boots he's been wearing for weeks on end for something more comfortable and caj -- and it's all thanks to DJ Khaled hooking him up!

DJK gifted Ye a sweet pair of Jordans Saturday during what appears to have been a hangout/collab session at Khaled's pad down in Miami ... where KW was with his crew, and his new boo too -- Julia Fox.

Anyway, check out the sneakers Khaled had all lined up ... and how Kanye reacts upon receiving 'em. It's a super nice gesture, especially considering how rare they apparently are. As Khaled notes, there's only 100 pairs made ... and lucky enough he had some in Kanye's size.

Khaled says he can use the shoes for an upcoming Fashion Week event that Ye's supposed to be attending ... and Kanye seems appreciative of the present.

Of course, they didn't just talk kicks during their time together ... indeed, it looks like Ye and Khaled got to work on some actual music -- much of which was teased on his social media.

No word on what their collab might sound like just yet, but it sure seems Ye and Khaled were feeling it ... dancing around the studio like two little kids having the time of their lives. This is far from their first time making music with one another -- but it's been a while, no doubt.

Julia Fox is scoffing at folks who think she's a clout chaser for dating Kanye West, saying she's so not in it for the fame.

Julia addressed the doubters on her "Forbidden Fruits" podcast Friday, saying she couldn't care less about the attention she's getting.

The "Uncut Gems" star put it this way ... "People are like 'Oh, you're only in it for the fame, you're in it for the clout, you're in it for the money.' Honey, I've dated billionaires my entire adult life, let's keep it real."

Well, dating a billionaire doesn't automatically raise your profile ... but dating Kanye sure does.  But, she goes in hard, saying fame's not her thing anymore.

And, speaking of fame, Julia talked about partying with Ye, Madonna, Antonio Brown, Floyd Mayweather, etc at a restaurant a few days back. She says ... "I was actually supposed to be at dinner for just Madonna and I. All of these other celebs crashed [the party]."

Kanye West will give you a fist bump if you call him an "amazing father" ... as one fan found out while Yeezy was grabbing some ice cream.

The bizarre interaction went down Thursday in Calabasas, where Ye hit up an ice cream shop after a doctor's visit.

Kanye's licking his ice cream cone and answering a paparazzi's question about the death of fashion icon Andre Leon Talley ... when suddenly someone comes up and praises Kanye's father skills.

Ye perks up and gives the dude a fist bump, telling him he loves the praise and appreciates the recognition.

Kanye then gets behind the wheel of his whip ... which turns out to be a minivan!!!

Seems he's got plenty of room for North, Psalm, Saint and Chicago to ride in the back.

Bobby Shmurda will be stickin' to music because basketball ain't it ... the Brooklyn rapper botched an easy alley-oop dunk -- and it was hilarious!

The epic fail was caught on video ... the 27-year-old went to the famed CoolKicks store in Los Angeles for a sneaker shopping sesh on Wednesday.

There's a basketball hoop in the store ... so when Bobby arrived, store owner Adeel Shams -- aka Champagnepaki -- placed a $1,500 store credit wager on whether Shmurda could beat him one-on-one.

Bobby won that bet ... but Shams wasn't done with him. Next bet ... $1K to BS if he could throw down an alley-oop.

"If he do an alley-oop, I'll give another band on top and I know he not doing that," Shams said.

And, Bobby wasn't playing around. He tucked his chain and took off his hoodie ... for maximum jumping ability. But, midway through his jump, Bobby lost the ball, before crashing to the ground.

"What the f***?!" Shmurda laughed, "I'm going back to the studio! I'm going back to the studio!"

The Super Bowl is still a few weeks away, but you can start losing your minds for the halftime show now ... 'cause the official trailer for the big event just dropped -- and it's awesome!!

Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar are set to share the stage on February 13 ... which, understandably, has a ton of people hyped.

Pepsi just added to the anticipation by releasing a nearly 4-minute Hollywood film-style clip dubbed the "official trailer" ... featuring all the performers getting "the call" and preparing to hit up L.A. for the show.

The vid shows Em, Snoop, MJB, Kendrick and Dre all leaving their daily lives to join forces outside SoFi Stadium ... with Dre moving all the pieces in a big game of chess.

The visuals are nuts ... and if it's any indication as to how the real halftime show will go, we're in for a treat.

Cardi B's announcement she's covering funeral costs for all the victims of the historically deadly Bronx apartment fire has one man -- who lost 5 relatives -- calling Cardi an "angel."

Haji Dukuray's niece was killed in the blaze, along with her husband and 3 children ... and Cardi is making sure he doesn't have to worry about finding the money to bury 5 family members.

Haji, who used to drive 200 miles from his Delaware home to see his niece and her family in the Bronx, tells TMZ ... Cardi is an angel and his family can't thank her enough for what she's done.

He says it's a huge help to his family to not bear the financial burden ... and he's sending Cardi blessings for stepping up to help so many people she's never met.

As we reported, the inferno engulfed a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx earlier this month, killing 9 adults and 8 children -- the city's deadliest fire in more than 3 decades.

Cardi, a Bronx native, vowed to cover funeral expenses and worked with NYC Mayor Eric Adams' office to make it happen.

Haji says he got word of Cardi's gift from Mayor Adams' people -- and had no idea, initially, the rapper was their benefactor.

Remember, Fat Joe is helping rally celebs for relief efforts, and he told us most of the people living in the building were immigrants who lost everything in the blaze.

We got Jim Jones at Impact Zone Gym in New Jersey and asked him about Cardi's gesture ... and he praised her too, saying he would expect nothing less.

Cardi B is stepping up to help those rocked by tragedy in her native New York City, paying for the funeral and burial costs of those killed in a building fire that killed 17.

Cardi tells us, "I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal."

As we reported, the fire ripped through a 120-unit tower in The Bronx on January 9 -- taking the lives of 17 people -- and sending many more to the hospital. Victims ranged in age from just 2 years old to 50.

We're told Cardi will cover both funeral and burial expenses and has teamed up with The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City to make sure everyone is covered, and the wishes of their families are met.

Cardi says, "I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy."

Fire officials believe a broken space heater caused the blaze, but two interior doors that were left open allowed smoke to fill the building. Officials say those doors were supposed to have been closed, and are investigating why regulations weren't followed.