TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Billy Ray Cyrus' marriage fell apart, but his career is still giving him opportunities ... like flying in to Dallas for a surprise concert appearance with Snoop Dogg!!!

Snoop was performing at the Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas on Saturday night when the crowd got a special treat ... Billy and the Avila Brothers were on hand to perform their new collab with Snoop.

We got video of Billy being introduced to the audience ... and folks got absolutely bonkers before he plugs in his guitar for the first live performance of "A Hard Working Man."

The track just dropped last month ... and it comes at a great time for Billy, who is dealing with a marital headache.

TMZ broke the story ... Tish Cyrus filed for divorce last week in Tennessee after more than 28 years of marriage, listing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split. It's the third time Miley Cyrus' parents have filed for divorce.

Tory Lanez is flirting with legal disaster by dropping a new song with lyrics someone -- like a judge -- might think refer to Megan Thee Stallion, which is exactly what got him 'cuffed in court recently.

The "TMZ Hip Hop" crew broke down Tory's newly-released single, "Mucky James," and it sounds like the rapper is taking his words right up to the line, at the very least. In one line from the song he raps "I can't lie, temporarily that bitch came and ruined s**t."

Some fans assume he was referring to Megan with the "that bitch" line -- something that could be a second violation of the protective order banning him from communicating with or to MTS.

As we reported, Tory was handcuffed in court last week due to a February tweet the judge saw as direct communication with Meg ... even though he never called her out by name.

His bail was increased to $350K ... which makes ya wonder why he'd even flirt with that kinda violation again.

"TMZ Hip Hop" is digging into the Tory-Megan case -- along with lots of other stories, and it's all on Monday through Friday on these stations:

New York: 11 PM MY9 (WWOR)
Los Angeles: 2:30 PM FOX11 (KTTV)
Chicago: 12 AM FOX32 (WFLD)
Philly: 12 AM FOX29 (WTXF)
Dallas: 12:30 PM FOX4 (KDFW)
Houston: 12:30 PM FOX26 (KRIV), 10 PM MY20 (KTXH)
Washington, DC: 12 AM FOX5 (WTTG), 6:30 PM FOX5 PLUS (WDCA)
Seattle: 11:30 PM FOX13 (KCPQ)
Phoenix: 11:30 PM FOX10 (KSAZ)
Minneapolis: 11:30 PM FOX9 (KMSP)

The strippers weren't the only ones takin' it off at a popular Miami strip club this weekend -- Antonio Brown went topless too while he raged with Jamie Foxx!

It all happened at Booby Trap On The River (greatest name) ... where the 54-year-old actor/singer was hosting a party with Bitcoin Rodney on Saturday.

The NFL free agent made an appearance with Foxx on stage and while everything was cool, calm and collected, Foxx turned it up with a special request for AB.

And, that's when the party REALLY started.

"Turn up ni***!" Foxx said on the mic, "Take ya shirt off ni***! Run through this mothaf**ka! Get naked!"

You know AB ain't afraid of takin' his shirt off, anytime, anyplace (shoutout to the Bucs) --  and he did just that, showin' the strippers he's got dance moves, too.

And, AB also spit a few bars on the mic.

Brown has been enjoyin' life partying since parting ways with Tampa Bay on January 2, doing everything from hittin' up NBA games with Floyd Mayweather to partying with Madonna and Kanye.

The Super Bowl champ recently told us he wants to play again and will get his ankle fixed ... only if he gets signed.

Desiigner thinks Goonew's nightclub funeral was a perfect way to go out ... and if his family says it's what he wanted, then critics should mind their own business.

We got Desiigner at LAX ... and he's sending peace and love to the family of the 24-year-old rapper that was shot and killed a few weeks back.

He tells us the family's wishes are everything -- they know him better than everyone else, so if they're saying the evening went down as he would've wanted, then it should be respected.

Desiigner also calls the traditional open-casket funeral "old-fashioned" ... saying their unique approach to a funeral added "new flavor to the game." While he isn't sure what his funeral would look like, he knows he'd be taking inspiration from Goonew.

We recently talked to Goonew's mother and sister, Patrice and Ariana Morrow, and they told us he wasn't the type of guy to go to church ... being the life of the party, a nightclub seemed a more fitting send-off.

As for propping his body up, they say there were other services doing something similar and it felt right to do the same with him -- Patrice made it clear she didn't want anyone looking down on her son.

There's a brand new TMZ show arriving this week ... and this one's putting the spotlight on more than just pop culture, it's THE culture of hip hop!

"TMZ Hip Hop" debuts Monday, and we're gonna bring you some fresh new takes on the hottest stories about the biggest celebs in the genre. From Bey to Ye, and everyone in between, we'll be covering all the hook-ups, parties, drama, collabs, beefs and much more.

We've got a whole new crew pouring the tea -- Amber Diamond, DJ Hed, Cynthia LuCiette, Rodney Rikai and Tonio Skits will break it all down daily.

Nothing and no one is off-limits when we premiere Monday, April 11 on these stations:

New York: 11 PM MY9 (WWOR)
Los Angeles: 2:30 PM FOX11 (KTTV)
Chicago: 12 AM FOX32 (WFLD)
Philly: 12 AM FOX29 (WTXF)
Dallas: 12:30 PM FOX4 (KDFW)
Houston: 12:30 PM FOX26 (KRIV), 10 PM MY20 (KTXH)
Washington, DC: 12 AM FOX5 (WTTG), 6:30 PM FOX5 PLUS (WDCA)
Seattle: 11:30 PM FOX13 (KCPQ)
Phoenix: 11:30 PM FOX10 (KSAZ)
Minneapolis: 11:30 PM FOX9 (KMSP)

If you're not in those cities, we still got you -- the show will also be streaming on FOX Soul, and it all starts this Monday.

Lauren Knight, the comedian who had a heated exchange with T.I., says she's smoothed things over with the rapper ... but he still hasn't paid her the million bucks!

Here's the deal ... Lauren made a joke about T.I. at an open mic at an Atlanta club after he began heckling her from the crowd. T.I then grabbed the mic and confronted her after she seemingly referenced the sexual assault allegations against him and his wife ... something they strongly deny.

While Lauren feels T.I. overreacted and her joke didn't go too far ... she says they hashed things out and squashed their beef.

It took T.I. a while to let things go ... because he also went on Instagram Live this week responding to Lauren's account of what went down and said he would give Lauren $1 million if she produced a video of him calling her a "bitch."

Lauren produced the clip and posted it on her Instagram, but T.I. hasn't paid up.

It sounds like the money dispute didn't get in the way of Lauren and T.I. putting the bad blood behind them ... and she's hoping the truce means an end to the death threats coming her way online.

Rapper Polo G's final 2 charges in his cop attack case have been dropped after he completed anger management classes ... putting an end to this whole saga.

The artist recently completed a 6-hour anger management course, resulting in his final 2 counts of misdemeanor Resisting an Officer Without Violence being tossed.

As for why he got cut a break, this was part of the Pre-Trial Intervention program -- PTI -- which allows offenders with non-violent offenses to have charges dropped when they complete such programs.

Polo never pled guilty, so he won't be on probation. It's case closed.

Polo's celeb attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells us the rapper is happy to put this behind him and get back into the studio ... thanking the State Attorney for Miami-Dade County for her professionalism in resolving the matter.

As we reported, Polo G was arrested for allegedly attacking a cop during a traffic stop back in June. According to an affidavit, obtained by TMZ, the cop suffered abrasions to the face and a swollen right cheek ... the officer took multiple punches and elbow strikes to his head while trying to cuff the rapper.

Jussie Smollett might’ve gone straight from his jail cell to the studio ... because he just dropped a new song where he directly addresses his court case.

The former “Empire” star released a single Friday dubbed, “Thank You God,” and some of the lyrics are very interesting, considering his recent circumstances.

Jussie sings ... “Some people chasing that clout / Just remember this ... this ain’t that situation / You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?”

The song comes on the heels of Jussie’s jail release pending his appeal. He’s been out for about 3 weeks, and seemingly put the song together in that time.

Jussie also sings ... “It’s like they’re hell-bent on not solving the crime / Taking out the elements of race and trans and homophobia that’s straight taking lives / But turn around and act like I’m the one that killed the strides.”

He dedicates the song to “the people who kept it real, who kept it true” ... and he says he’s donating all profits from the track to the Rainbow Push Coalition, Secure the Bag Safety and the Illinois Innocence Project.

As you know ... a jury found Jussie guilty of 5 of the 6 felony counts against him for lying to Chicago police about being the victim of a racist, homophobic attack ... and a judge sentenced him to 5 months behind bars.

But, Jussie was released from jail March 16 while he tries to get his sentence for the hoax attack overturned.

Trey Songz has officially been cleared in a sexual assault investigation out of Vegas.

A rep for the Las Vegas Metro. PD tells us, "The LVMPD has concluded the investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Tremaine Neverson and determined that no criminal charges will be filed. If any new evidence comes to light, the case will be reopened for further investigation."

TMZ broke the story, Songz was accused of misconduct while in town to celebrate his 37th birthday back in November. Trey allegedly brought a group of women back to his room at The Cosmopolitan, and that's when the accuser had claimed things went South.

Trey's attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, tell us, "We are pleased that Trey Songz' has been cleared of wrongdoing and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigation has officially been closed."

They continue, "We are grateful to the LVMPD for the professional police work done and their thorough investigation, which included findings of inconsistency in witness testimony and insufficient evidence. We are pleased that Trey can now return to what he does best, entertaining."

Fat Joe says Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has serious consequences for all POCs when it comes to demanding respect ... especially because it was Will who got violent in public.

We got Joey Crack Thursday in New York City, and asked for his take on the fallout from Will's actions, and the impact on minorities.

You can tell it pains him to say it, but Joe says Will being the culprit makes it much worse for the culture than, for instance, Fat Joe and 50 Cent beefing.

Watch the clip, he really did take that shot at himself -- but his point is people expect more from Will, because as he put it ... the Oscar winner is "the best we got."

What's more, Joe says the slap looks bad from the outside because it comes at a time when Black and brown people are demanding more respect in society.

21 Savage's battle over his immigration status isn't moving forward, and it all has to do with his criminal case ... this according to the artist's lawyer.

21's immigration attorney Charles Kuck tells TMZ ... the pending criminal charges basically paused the rapper's now 3-year-long immigration case -- and nothing will happen on that front until the criminal case in DeKalb County wraps up.

As we reported, 21 was detained by ICE officials way back in 2019 ... agents say he had been illegally living in the U.S. for years after his visa expired.

Authorities later claimed the rapper threw out a bottle of codeine during that ICE arrest ... and they say a handgun was also found in his vehicle.

Here's the crazy part -- the Dekalb D.A. didn't even formally charge 21 with possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm until January of this year. Think about it, a whole worldwide pandemic came and went before that much happened, and as a result ... he's still in limbo as to where he'll end up living.

BTW, we're told there are currently no pending court dates for the criminal case, so this ain't ending anytime soon.

Savage's lawyer says his client is still allowed to travel domestically, but can't leave the U.S. because he has no visa to reenter the country.

Drakeo the Ruler was overlooked in the Grammys' In Memoriam segment -- and his brother is fuming ... with some choice words for the Academy.

Ralfy the Plug -- DTR's sibling -- tells TMZ ... "On behalf of Drakeo The Ruler, Ketchy The Great and The Stinc Team, it comes off as a spit in the face disregarding the facts that we’ve created an entire movement that generated the momentum for underground emerging L.A. artists to have a platform."

Ketchy, another rapper who was affiliated with Drakeo, also died in 2021 -- and he too wasn't mentioned in the In Memoriam slideshow. Granted, he wasn't nearly as famous.

In any case, Ralfy continues with this barb about cops and free speech ... "Let alone the reality that we lost my Brother, Drakeo The Ruler, the poster child for systematic prejudices against rappers by law enforcement using lyrics against our culture and violating what they call our constitutional rights of freedom of speech- The First Amendment."

Ralfy also notes Drakeo was slain while doing what he loved most ... performing his music. He was stabbed in the neck when he was backstage at an L.A. music festival. The attacker is still on the loose.

He ends by saying, "Leaving Drakeo out of their tribute and by not giving him any acknowledgment of his existence sums up exactly what we feel the industry has been trying to do. Erase us."

Ralfy also says he and the fam appreciate all the love and support they've gotten from the rest of the community ... and promises to keep the truth alive. As you know, Ralfy actually sued the concert promoters for whom Drakeo was working the night he was stabbed.

The Kidd Creole -- a rap pioneer from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- has been convicted in the stabbing death of a homeless man.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced Wednesday a New York supreme court jury found the rap legend guilty of first-degree manslaughter.

As we reported ... The Kidd Creole was arrested and charged back in August 2017 in connection with a homeless man's fatal stabbing in NYC.

The D.A. says prosecutors proved at trial The Kid Creole was walking past the homeless man on the street when the two exchanged words, with TKC walking past the man before eventually turning around, confronting him and stabbing him twice in the torso with a steak knife.

Prosecutors say a group of tourists discovered the man's body in the street minutes after the stabbing, and he was transported to a hospital where he died of his stab wounds.

The D.A. says The Kidd Creole left the scene and fled 2 blocks away to his office, where he changed clothes and cleaned the knife in a sink. Prosecutors say TKC left the office after about 15 minutes, boarded the subway and tossed the knife in a sewer near a Bronx subway station, which was recovered the next day by NYPD officers, leading to his arrest.

Kanye West is already a very wealthy man, but his bailing on Coachella left an enormous amount of money on the table ... millions and millions of dollars.

Sources with direct knowledge of the deal tell us ... Ye's deal was $8 million for his 2-weekend-long Sunday headlining gig. We're told in addition to that, Coachella was dishing out $500,000 in production costs.

However, while Kanye and his team only alerted Coachella festival that he was backing out at the last minute, it appears he hadn't been serious about taking the Coachella stage for quite some time, if ever.

Our Kanye sources say Ye really hadn't seriously rehearsed for a performance that some artists take months to prepare for. We're told he did have a team in place that was actively talking to Coachella producers, but there was still a ton of work to be done.

We're told the Coachella producers were caught completely off guard, with no plan B.

TMZ broke the story -- Kanye's spot has been filled by The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia. Our sources say The Weeknd will earn the same amount as Kanye.

Page Six was first to report the money.

Tory Lanez is sticking up for his hair, telling the world his alopecia is to blame for the bald spot on the back of his head ... something that's been the focus of recent jokes online.

Tory wrote on Twitter Wednesday after loads of people piled on after noticing the rapper's hair was thin in a video of him leaving an L.A. County courthouse, saying, "i rap about it all the time …it’s alopecia…. What’s the big deal."

Of course, the hair-loss condition is front of mind for a lot of people after Chris Rock's joke at Jada Pinkett's expense which targeted her short hair. Jada has alopecia, and her hubby Will Smith obviously thought the joke was in poor taste ... leading to the slap.

Unclear if 29-year-old Tory really has the hair condition or if he's joking at Jada's expense.

As we reported, the artist was handcuffed in court Tuesday in L.A., during a hearing about a violation of Meg Thee Stallion's protective order. Tory tweeted about her in February, addressing Meg as "U" -- the order states he isn't allowed to mention her at all.

Drake might be the most successful music act on the planet, but the dude can't buy a bucket against NBA star Kyle Lowry ... 'cause the Heat guard says he whopped his ass in one-on-one!!

Remember, the 2019 world champ accepted Drizzy's challenge to face off against each other in Miami back in January ... with footage showing the "Way 2 Sexy" rapper bricking a 3-pointer.

Lowry revealed more details about the pickup game in an interview with Complex this week ... saying the 6 God simply can't hang with his skills.

"Yeah, I beat his ass," Lowry said. "Yeah, no chance. Drake, don’t try me again, boy."

Lowry says Drake begs him to play ones every time they're in the same city ... despite the same outcome every time.

"As a competitor, you got to appreciate it," he added. "But yeah, he don’t want that smoke."

Lowry admits he thinks Drizzy has been working hard on his game ... and applauds his dedication to the craft.

"He’s gotten better, though. He's gotten better, man. I think he's working on his jump shot a lot, working on his handle a lot. I think really from the time I’ve first seen him to the time now, he’s gotten a lot better."