TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

50 Cent's infamous Instagram trolling is a fully calculated strategy ... so says 'Power Book 2: Ghost' star Gianni Paolo, who broke down the boss man's online tactics on the latest episode of TMZ's 'Verified' Podcast.

Gianni has the ultimate follow-your-dreams story ... which includes ditching a potential professional hockey career to take his shot at making it as an actor.

Smart move that landed him into 50's expansive 'Power' universe (which may or may not live on Starz in the near future).

When asked about 50's IG trolling (which tends to toe every line imaginable), Gianni says he can usually see the promotional storm coming as soon as Fiddy's social media antics begin.

Call it "convenient trolling," if you will, but between 4 'Power' series and the critically acclaimed 'B.M.F.' (which will now feature Mo'Nique) -- 50 knows how to generate an audience.

Gianni admits working on 'Ghost' dominates most of his day and also spilled on earning Mary J. Blige's respect ... and a mortifying first and second meeting with Method Man.

Jack Harlow just discovered the connection between Ray J and Brandy, getting schooled on their family history live on air ... and it's all on video and hilarious!!!

The "First Class" rapper was doing a live interview Wednesday on "Ebro in the Morning" on Hot97 radio in New York when the hosts got him to play a music guessing game.

While a Brandy song plays in his headphone, Jack struggles to name the voice singing the lyrics ... with his first guess Aaliyah. Nope!!!

The hosts playfully rib Jack and start feeding him clues ... telling him the singer starred in her own TV show.

Jack asks for more and then it gets funny ... the hosts think he will figure it out once they steer him in the direction of Ray J, so they hint at the singer's brother having an amazing sex tape.

The lightbulb doesn't quite turn on for Jack right away ... and then he asks who is Ray J's sister.

Um, it's Brandy ... but apparently, not everyone knows.

Jack's a good sport about it in the end ... explaining no one ever told him that fun fact and saying he had no idea.

Kendrick Lamar is unveiling 2 big surprises at once -- his highly anticipated new album cover, which happens to include the first public image of ... his new baby!!! Say what???

The typically ultra-private K. Dot revealed the cover artwork Wednesday for "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" -- which would've been plenty to get fans buzzing, but he also threw in the family bonus.

The cover shows Kendrick holding his daughter, who's now almost 3, while longtime GF Whitney Alford is sitting on a bed, cradling a newborn.

The baby's not just a prop either -- TMZ Hip Hop is hearing the couple did indeed have a baby on the low low.

In his new video "The Heart Pt. 5" -- which debuted earlier this week -- Kendrick referred to his "kids," plural, and his "wife" ... a strong hint his parenting and marital status had changed.

The 'Mr. Morale' cover confirms, at least, the children part. As for whether he and Whitney have tied the knot? We're working on it.

Gunna's an innocent and charitable man, and the cops who busted him are wrong to use his music and lyrics against him ... so says the rapper's legal team.

We've just obtained a statement from Gunna's attorneys, who tell us, "Mr. Sergio Kitchens, known as Gunna, is innocent. The indictment falsely portrays his music as part of a criminal conspiracy."

They also point out some contributions Gunna has made for his community, including the first-ever local free in-school grocery and clothing store feeding over 400 children weekly, and nationally sponsored giveaways for victims of disasters and food shortages.

The legal team, comprised of Donald F. Samuel, John A. Garland and Kristen W. Novay tells us, "Mr. Kitchens has been an advocate for his community, and it is our privilege to advocate for him."

As we reported, Gunna turned himself in Wednesday, two days after Young Thug's home was raided and the rapper was arrested. Both have been arrested on RICO charges from a 56-count, 28-person indictment out of Fulton County, GA.

Among lyrics listed in the indictment, "I killed his man in front of his momma, like f*** lil bruh, sister and his cousin,” and “my trigger start itching" from Young Thug.

Both Gunna and Young Thug have been accused of gang activity, possession with intent to sell an array of drugs, and receiving stolen property.

Gunna was in court Wednesday, and will be held without bond.

A$AP Rocky apparently won't be staying in the house police raided during his arrest ... there's a moving truck parked outside and his stuff's getting loaded up.

The rapper's Los Angeles home was buzzing with activity Tuesday ... but this time it wasn't cops using a battering ram to break through the front gate, instead, there were movers loading up a U-Haul truck.

There's got to be some bad juju for A$AP at the home now ... police executed their search warrant the same day cops arrested Rocky at LAX upon his return from a trip to Barbados with Rihanna. Some bad vibes, and memories, all around.

The raid, which cops say turned up several guns that did NOT match the gun used in the shooting, went down April 20.

As you know ... cops believe A$AP shot a man in Hollywood last November during an argument, with a bullet grazing the guy's hand, and Rocky was arrested last month for assault with a deadly weapon.

Gunna is facing the music in a sweeping racketeering case reverberating throughout Atlanta – the guy's now in custody ... and his mug shot is one for the ages.

The rapper was arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail early Wednesday morning on RICO charges -- -- stemming, of course, from the 56-count indictment levied against him and dozens of alleged YSL gang members this week.

According to jail records, Gunna surrendered and turned himself in to the authorities -- whereas his alleged co-conspirator, Young Thug, was hauled to jail by cops who raided his property on Monday.

Both MCs have been accused of possession and intent to sell a variety of narcotics, receiving stolen property, and for general street gang activity. They were also charged with being part of a larger criminal enterprise comprised of YSL associates who are alleged to have been involved in a bunch of crimes, including the attempted murder of rapper YFN Lucci.

Gunna is scheduled to make a court appearance Wednesday.

DJ Khaled pulled a Drake during the Miami Heat playoff game on Tuesday ... jumping up from his courtside seat to assist his beloved team -- including giving Erik Spoelstra a shoulder massage!!

The hilarious moment went down in the third quarter of the Heat's second-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers ... when the mogul hopped up to snag a ball that went out of bounds.

But, while Khaled was up, he decided to pump up the crowd by clapping and cheering ... and when he made his way back to his seat, he gave Coach Spo's shoulders a squeeze.

Of course, it's reminiscent of what Drizzy did to Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse back in the 2019 playoffs ... when he tried to calm him down after a Fred VanVleet three-pointer.

Khaled should be careful, though -- the NBA had to talk to the Raps regarding Drake's sideline antics ... but ultimately, nothing serious happened.

Spo seemed to love Khaled's gesture ... saying, "That was funny. I didn't even notice him until the end, what he was doing to get the crowd fired up."

"But, I loved it," he added. "That's awesome. I was humbled to be part of that moment. He's such a great fan there. Over the years, I've said hello a few times. But, that was the best interaction and that was genuine."

Jack Harlow always has time for his fans ... even the youngest ones on the outskirts.

The rapper cleared a path this weekend for a 10-year-old who was seeking a photo with him at the Kentucky Derby, but was blocked off by a gaggle of security guards flanking him on all sides.

The kid's mother, Katy Mackin, tells TMZ ... her daughter, Veronica, saw Jack down on the race track where he was scheduled to do the "riders up" call -- signaling the jockeys to take their starting positions on the horses. This family had a horse running, BTW ... Smile Happy.

Anyway, we're told Veronica saw Jack -- whom she loves -- and was eager for a pic ... something that was gonna be hard to achieve with all the muscle around him.

Lucky for her, Jack's got eagle eyes ... Mackin tells us he spotted her and figured she was itching for a quick meet and greet -- which he obliged by opening up the sea of men, so to speak. Before long, she was hugging the guy and got her snap!

DaniLeigh has broken her silence over her fractured relationship with DaBaby ... through a new interview with Hop radio legend Angie Martinez.

The Def Jam singer sat through her first major interview since the infamous November 2021 Instagram Live where DaBaby kicked her out of the house and called the cops.

The incident left DaniLeigh with two misdemeanor assault charges but according to her latest testimony, she's a better and stronger woman for it. She does regret, however, the likely chance the 8-month-old daughter the two share together will eventually stumble on the debacle online.

Following the People-premiered interview, DaniLeigh reverted to her artistic bag and released her new single "Dead To Me" ... which has plenty of DaBaby shooting targets tied to the lyrics.

In the chorus, the 27-year-old singer croons "Momma never liked your ass / Brother wanna fight your ass / Daddy hate your trifllin' ass."

While we can't speak for her parents, it's definitely true the brother — Brandon Bills — wanted to fight DaBaby at one point ... and did. Unsuccessfully.

DaniLeigh says the two "broke up a lot" during their whirlwind relationship and aren't on the best of terms (he hasn't apologized for the IG thunderstorm) but are indeed focused on co-parenting for the sake of their daughter.

DaniLeigh concluded the interview by announcing a new EP titled "My Side" and feeling optimistic about her resuming her career.

The number of people injured at Astroworld last year was astronomically higher than what was first estimated -- at least if you believe the attorneys representing the alleged victims.

Sean Roberts, Jason Atkin and Richard Mithoff -- whose firms are repping scores of people suing over the tragedy in a class action-esque suit -- filed a new doc that lays out the number of death and injury claims from the Astroworld tragedy.

According to the paperwork, obtained by TMZ, the attorneys say their findings thus far show that in addition to the 10 people who died ... they've discovered an additional 732 claim they were seriously injured -- classifying this bunch as requiring "extensive medical treatment."

Another 1,649 claim they suffered injuries requiring "less extensive medical treatment" -- and another 2,540 people said they sustained injuries that are still being reviewed.

In all, the attorneys claim 4,900 people were either injured or died during the stampede.

A source close to Travis Scott tells TMZ, "It's very clear that the tide is turning as the authorities and public conversation has been focused on concert operators and security contractors rather than performers."

Here's the thing ... the document doesn't specify what exactly the criteria is that distinguish each injury category -- it just offers the raw statistics. The specifics will presumably be dissected at a later date.

In any case, the fact they're claiming thousands of people were harmed as a result of what happened at Astroworld is shocking -- especially since the initial approximations were closer to 300 or 400, tops.

The case is still working its way through the system. As we've reported, Travis Scott and others have denied responsibility for the tragedy in some capacity thus far.

Young Thug and Gunna have found themselves in the middle of a massive bust, involving charges of racketeering and gang activity ... with YT already taken into custody.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Young Thug is currently locked up in Fulton County on charges of conspiracy to violate the racketeer influence and corrupt organizations act, a felony -- as well as participation in criminal street gang activity, a felony.

Sources close to YT tell us his home was raided earlier Monday, with agents tearing his Atlanta home apart -- taking down walls and even digging up his backyard.

At this time, it's unclear what charges he's facing, but there's been paperwork submitted on the Fulton County Court website for Gunna. It does not yet appear he's been taken into custody.

Gillie Da Kid says he's not holding a grudge against Wiz Khalifa ... despite the fact he thinks Wiz got him kicked off Instagram over a misinterpreted diss.

Here's the deal ... Gillie claims Wiz got him banned from IG because the "Black and Yellow" rapper didn't like a joke he made about Wiz's affinity for posting workout videos in biker shorts.

Gillie said on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" podcast ... he was only kidding and is surprised Wiz can't take a joke because the dude's known for laughing and smoking weed all day.

While Gillie's had to start all over on the gram -- he had millions of followers before last month's ban -- he explains why there's no lingering beef with Wiz, at least on his end.

For his part, Wiz has denied any involvement ... despite Gillie claiming the ban stems from Wiz allegedly complaining to IG honchos about being bullied.

Jadakiss isn't down in the dumps over the cancelation of his first major acting gig ... because he says it's opened the door to more roles in the near future.

We caught the 'King of Verzuz' outside the MLB store in NYC, just a few days after ABC pulled the plug on "Queens" -- a hip hop series starring Eve, Brandy and Naturi Naughton -- after just one season.

Jada appeared in several episodes, but as he tells TMZ Hip Hop, get ready to see him in several other projects, and hear him doing voiceover work too.

While Hollywood's calling, he's still keeping up on the latest and greatest in rap ... and took time to praise Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free's new visual masterpiece, "The Heart Part 5"

Although K. Dot hasn't released a solo project in over 5 years, Jada says it doesn't matter because music is a feeling and should be expressed when the timing feels right.

That expression comes for Kendrick this Friday the 13th when his album "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" is unleashed unto the world.

iLoveMemphis, the rapper responsible for the "Hit The Quan" dance craze, allegedly had a little too much fun at a raging block party ... because he left in handcuffs.

Memphis was arrested Saturday after cops say they responded to a home hosting a bash with at least 50 people, where someone reported bottles being thrown at passing cars.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, when cops arrived at the scene a shirtless Memphis approached officers with slurred speech and reeked of booze.

Police say they asked Memphis several times to identify himself with his first and last name and date of birth ... but when he failed to do after repeated requests, officers tried taking him into custody.

Cops say when they started placing Memphis into restraints, he tensed his arms ... preventing the cuffs from being slapped on. They say he also tensed his upper body and screamed as police tried putting him in the cop car.

When officers finally got him inside their vehicle, Memphis allegedly called one cop a "p**** a**" and an "immigrant."

Memphis was arrested and booked for multiple charges, including resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication.

Rude awakening for Roddy Ricch Monday morning -- he's now the butt of Internet jokes after seemingly forgetting the words to his MASSIVE hit "The Box," but it was really a huge technical error to blame ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Roddy was hired as a secret performer for the Stoned Ape Crew NFT group's showcase Saturday night in L.A., and the crowd thought he flamed out during the first verse of his Diamond-certified hit.

You can see him sheepishly pointing to his earpiece while signaling to the DJ booth before jumping back on the beat later in the verse.

Roddy's label reps tell us the Compton-bred rapper powered through "major" audio issues during his set -- his earpiece wasn't connecting with the track, leaving him to take his cues from the sound blaring from the speakers.

When you know that, it's actually impressive how quickly he snapped back into action.

Released in December 2019 just as the COVID-19 pandemic was setting in, it would be kinda crazy to forget the lyrics to such a well-traveled song as "The Box."

After spending 11 straight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, it was eventually given Diamond honors by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for going 10x Platinum.

Roddy has plenty of festival appearances coming up this year -- Governors Ball, Hot 97, UK's Wireless to name a few -- so, it's definitely time to sharpen that stage setup.

Travis Scott is officially firing from all cylinders on his journey back to being one of music's biggest performers ... he's scheduled to hit the 'BBMA' stage next week.

Sources connected to the "Billboard Music Awards" tell us TS will perform at the upcoming show. It'll be his first televised performance in 6 months, and will be watched by millions of people around the world.

As we reported, Travis hit the stage in Miami over the weekend, as part of Miami Grand Prix weekend ... so it's safe to say he's getting back into the swing of things. Travis certainly didn't hold anything back, and the crowd loved his performance.

As we've reported, Travis has performed at a few private parties in the last couple months ... like the Pre-Oscars event and a Coachella after-party, but an award show is a different level.

He's also gearing up to headline his first musical festival since Astroworld at the Primera Sound festival -- where he is expected to perform in front of more than 100,000 people.

As you know ... Travis, Astroworld promoter Live Nation, and others have been hit with several lawsuits after 10 people tragically died at the Astrowold festival, last November.

The investigation continues into who was responsible for those that died ... and Travis maintains he was unaware of the severity of things at the time.

Speaking of comebacks ... we've told you, Country music singer, Morgan Wallen, will also be performing his first gig since 2020 at this year's Billboard Awards ...  after he came under fire for saying the 'n-word'.