TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Polo G and the cops certainly didn't exchange any pleasantries during his arrest back in 2021, we've obtained additional body cam footage from the encounter, video his attorneys were pissed hadn't been released sooner.

The footage shows the aftermath of Polo G's "Hall Of Fame" album release party in Miami, where the Chicago rapper is in handcuffs and stuffed into a police cruiser. Polo was allegedly first pulled over for window tints and got combative when he was asked to roll down his window.

In the body cam footage, Polo G demands to be seen by paramedics and complains of both police brutality and having issues breathing inside the police cruiser.

Polo was eventually taken to a hospital, but his transporting officer first has issues finding the clasp on his $15,000 chain and later admits he's never even heard of him, spawning a debate with the younger cops, who were familiar with Polo G and his new album.

As for how the case ended ... Polo completed anger management classes, and charges for going after the officer were eventually dropped.

DJ Khaled and Quality Control CEO Pierre “Pee” Thomas are some of the most respected, and highly paid, moguls in hip hop -- but even they have no shame in their game hopping on the Mega Millions craze.

Tonight's drawing is up to $1.28 billion and if anyone's got a winning ticket it'll easily change their lives in an instant.

Perhaps wisely, Khaled's viewing the drawing as a great opportunity to promote his next album, "God Did." He posted a vid yelling ... "They didn’t believe in us -- God Did” as he flashes stacks of Mega Millions tickets.

Previously, he'd been relying on Drake, Lil Baby and Jay-Z to hype his album. We're thinking the lotto tickets gotta be at least as effective as them.

Khaled's post certainly gets approval from Pee -- the QC shot caller was busy Friday defending his own purchase of a bunch o' $2 MM tickets.

Khaled is a regular on Forbes’ “Hip Hop Cash Kings” list and Pee is making open bids for 300 Entertainment … so neither guy needs the extra revenue.

Mozzy's having a big week -- on the heels of releasing a new album, he's now officially on the inside ... turning himself in to begin a one-year prison sentence for a federal gun charge.

Court documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop include Mozzy’s self-written letter to the judge where he calls the case a “wake-up call,” and says he's cleaned up his drug use. More relevant to the case, though, he highlights the fact a lot of Black rappers make headlines for being murdered.

Mozzy, who just inked a deal with Yo Gotti, says ... "My lawyers also told me there is a recent study that proves the number one cause of death among black rappers is murder (specifically by gunfire).” He says he's afraid his kids will end up fatherless, and that's his primary reason for carrying a gun without a permit.

He adds, “It is a fear that all black rappers carry with them, all the time. I know that does not legally justify me possessing a firearm. But I took some comfort in the fact that I knew with certainty I was not going to use that gun for illegal purposes. I wanted it solely for self-defense in case of an attack against me or my family.”

That concern echoes many of the fears French Montana warned everyone about when we talked to him shortly after Lil Tjay was shot in NJ.

Mozzy was pulled over in January 2021 in L.A., and cops found a Glock 26 plus 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Beyoncé’s fashion icon status is officially in “Renaissance” mode with the release of the new album!

On Friday, Beyoncé dropped her seventh studio collection … ushering in a new wave of glam shots, which she’s done since her debut solo album back in 2003.

Fans have watched her style evolve from the sexy girl next door to the unapologetic Sasha Fierce to the commanding star ... who sometimes allows Jay-Z to share her spotlight. 😉

For this new album, she’s taking a more bold and elegant approach to her look … sporting long leather gloves, gaudy diamonds and shimmery gowns -- much like a renaissance.

Tyga's ticked off many fans, especially in the Latin community, with his new “Ay Caramba” video, which is filled with unsavory stereotypes ... and now, he's apologizing in a new interview.

L.A.’s Power 106 radio station organized an interview with Tyga and American Cholo ... a podcaster who specializes in untangling various stereotypes and misconceptions in the Latino community.

Tyga's vid has plenty of that -- for example, a sombrero-wearing game show host and couch potato with no shortage of tortilla chips.

AC says the stereotypes were the main cause of concern, simply pointing out how reversing the “chips and low-rider” images with “fried chicken and watermelon” would be easy red flags for African-Americans.

Tyga says he was confused by the original backlash, because he and YG had a huge hit with “Go Loko” a few years ago -- it went double-platinum and amassed over 200 million YouTube views.

T-Raww did apologize during his American Cholo chat -- but the interview ended in a bit of a stalemate. When Tyga was asked if he would take the video down, he hesitated because he said he paid $250,000 of his own money to make the video ... but says he will consider.

So far, it has 4 million views in a little under a month ... and that's probably from a lot of shock-and-awe sharing. "Ay Caramba" indeed.

Migos are still looking like they're at a musical fork in the road … because their latest moves are not as a “group” of 3.

On Friday, Quavo and Takeoff continued their rollout as “Unc & Phew” … opting to team with Gucci Mane as their third -- instead of Offset -- for the track “Us vs. Them.”

As Quavo and Takeoff prepped their release, Offset took time to field questions from fans -- mainly about his solo album, where it seemed like he was already moving on ... setting songs with Metro Boomin and Soundside.

And, while Offset is finishing his album, it looks like Quavo and Takeoff will be using the Migos brand name to perform at the Battle of the Bands in Houston next month.

It's the greatest day ever for Beyoncé's fiercely loyal fans -- not only did she drop her new album, "Renaissance," but it arrived with a big fat, personalized thank you to the Beyhive!!!

Feel the buzz, baby.

As expected, Bey dropped "Renaissance" Thursday night ... it's her first album in 6 years, and despite the fact it leaked earlier in the week, her fans rallied in a huge way for the 16-track project.

As we reported, the Queen's carefully planned rollout for "Renaissance" was interrupted when a fan in France put a few of the songs -- "Alien Superstar," "Church Girl" and "Cuff It" -- on social media.

The hive tried its best to shut that down ... threatening any fans who listened or, even worse, posted early reviews of the album. That stern defense didn't go unnoticed by Beyonce.

She wrote, “So, the album leaked, and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together,” she wrote to her dedicated fans. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” she added, thanking her followers “for your love and protection.”

While Beyonce typically drops her albums in total secrecy ... this one was different. She announced "Renaissance" more than a month before it dropped, did an interview with British Vogue and even made a rare TikTok appearance.

Well now "Renaissance" is here, and it's come with some heavy hitters behind the music -- her husband Jay-Z, Drake, Pharrell ... and many more participating in the dance-heavy collection.

Beyoncé’s already dealing with leaks ahead of her "Renaissance" album release, and now she's facing accusations of theft from Kelis ... who says she had no part in clearing a sample for Bey's record.

The track "Energy" samples Kelis’ "Get Along with You," which The Neptunes produced for her 1999 debut album -- so, the song's understandably close to her heart.

A Kelis fan page was celebrating the Beyoncé pairing on IG, but then Kelis -- using her celebrity chef account @bountyandfull -- hopped in the comments fuming mad!

Kelis calls "Energy" downright robbery … insinuating everyone involved with creating and clearing the track was engaged in shady practices. Yikes!

The eclectic singer also claims she wasn’t notified prior to the album announcement, having to learn about her inclusion as if she were a normie.

Reports of Beyoncé’s seventh album leaking yesterday spread like wildfire, but an unbothered Bey didn’t address the bootlegging (or Kelis for that matter) on Thursday.

Instead, she offered a rare glimpse into her family life, and also revealed there would be 2 more albums to follow this one.

Joey Bada$$ is juggling a new album, a tour and acting ... while also defending some of his creative decisions ... such as working with Chris Brown.

The Pro Era rap star hopped on "TMZ Live" on Thursday to explain why he felt the need to ward off fans who were angry he nabbed Breezy to help sing the hook on his "Welcome Back" track on the new album "2000."

As Joey put it to us ... no man is mistake-free, and while he doesn't condone what happened with Rihanna, he considers it an honor to work with CB, who he's been a fan of since childhood.

The New York-bred lyricist also says he gets it, though ... his fans are just protective and want him to be controversy-free at all times.

Controversy arrived in Joey's first-class seat last week, however, when he accused Delta Airlines of damaging some of his irreplaceable stage equipment while traveling for his 1999-2000 Summer Tour.

Although the damage had been done, Joey says Delta reps reached out and helped cover rental costs so he could finish out his tour ... which ends Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Gucci Mane is using his veteran status in rap to help end the trend of rappers disrespecting dead people in their lyrics.

On Thursday, Gucci dropped his new song “Dissin The Dead” … which attempts to steer the culture in a more positive direction.

Gucci takes full responsibility for today’s current culture of putting slain victims in rap songs, rapping on the chorus: “I know I should be more careful with the sh*t that I said/I feel like I started a trend, they never gon' stop/They gon' keep dissin' the dead."

Earlier this year, he used the man he killed in self-defense -- late Jeezy affiliate Henry “Pookie Loc” Lee Clark III -- as a lyrical punchline, and got a rise outta 50 Cent in the process.

Gucci's song echoes sentiments shared by Wiz Khalifa last December, urging entertainers to focus on music instead of mocking death.

Popular Louisiana rapper JayDaYoungan is currently hospitalized, battling injuries sustained when he was shot outside a home in his home state ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Bogalusa PD tells us they received a call just before 6 Wednesday night for a shooting at a home on Superior Ave. Cops say one victim had been transported to a local hospital by someone on scene, and another victim -- who was critically wounded -- was treated by paramedics and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

A law enforcement source tells us JayDaYoungan is in critical condition, and a source close to the rapper tells us he's lost a lot of blood and is currently in surgery. Online reports say the second victim is a relative of the rapper, potentially his father.

We've obtained video taken from outside the home where the shooting happened ... you can see the rapper's blue sports car parked outside.

Cops tell us about an hour after the shooting JDY was involved in, another shooting occurred in which a vehicle was struck ... officers believe it's possible the two shootings are related. We're told no one was injured in that shooting.

The rapper first found success when he signed to Atlantic Records in 2017 ... and has gained a steady following thanks to his mixtapes.

The 24-year-old has collabed with artists like Latto, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Durk and Boosie Badazz.

Story developing ...

Young Dolph would've turned 37 on Wednesday, and his good friend Deion Sanders didn't forget -- wishing the late rapper a happy birthday by sharing a clip of him and the Jackson St. football team.

Sanders posted the video on his Instagram page ... and featured a bunch of memories the Dallas Cowboys legend had with Dolph, who was tragically killed last November.

"God bless, Young Dolph," Sanders said in the video. "God bless my brother. I miss my brother."

The video features the moment when the Memphis rapper partied with the Tigers' squad in the locker room after their homecoming game in October 2021 -- while playing his song, "100 Shots."

"Happy Birthday My Brother @youngdolph," Sanders said in the IG post. "Your name will live FOREVER."

Dolph's girlfriend and the mother of his two kids, Mia Jaye, also celebrated Dolph's first birthday since his untimely death with two bday tributes.

"So yesterday, tomorrow and especially today my family and I will celebrate the man affectionately known as Daddy in our home and Dolph to the world," Mia said.

"Happy Birthday Daddy, we forever love you."

As we previously reported, Dolph was shot and killed outside of a cookie store in his hometown last Nov.

Beyoncé’s upcoming album has sprung a leak two days before it's supposed to drop around the world ... and her most loyal fans are pissed.

A French fan posted a pic of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album -- in CD format (yep, they still make those) on Wednesday -- alerting fans worldwide that the album wasn’t being confined to Friday anymore.

Songs titled "Alien Superstar," "Church Girl" and "Cuff It" began to make their rounds on social media, disrupting the natural order of the music world.

Of course, it is 2022 … meaning for the album to leak, the “fan” would have to first find a CD player, rip the tracks into MP3s and then spread them across the web.

As a method to fight the leaks, Bey's trusty Beyhive fan club sent out alerts threatening to swat down any possible leak links they see appear.

"Renaissance" marks Beyonce's first solo album in 6 years and is set to feature Jay-Z, Drake, Pharrell, Tems and more dream teamers behind the making of the music.

Young Dolph would have turned 37 today, a day still worth celebrating for the Memphis rapper's family, friends and fans.

Mia Jaye, Dolph's girlfriend and the mother of his two children posted a never-before-seen tribute video of Dolph to celebrate his "heavenly birthday."

There was also some music dropped to celebrate Dolph ... his team at Paper Route Empire released a new track called "Hall Of Fame" Wednesday to honor the rapper. On the track -- produced by his longtime collaborator Bandplay -- Dolph flexes his hood status.

Dolph became an incredibly prolific rapper -- especially in Memphis -- over the last few years, having racked up dozens of full-length releases and collaborations with the likes of Gucci Mane, Megan Thee Stallion, Juicy J, and his PRE stable of artists.

Kanye West is proving he's a good friend — just ask A$AP Bari, who’s currently riding around in a new Mercedes Maybach SUV … just days after he says he crashed his old one.

The A$AP Mob co-founder was Christmas-morning-level excited when showing off his new wheels on Instagram -- revealing he recently totaled his own car.

Kanye apparently heard about the wreck and sprung into action, surprising Bari on the spot.

If there's anyone who knows how to bounce back after a car wreck, it's Ye … his infamous 2002 crash helped to spawn the “jeen-yuhs."

Bari’s new whip is decked out ... which shouldn't come as a shock, considering Ye's Mercedes connects. If you remember, he doled out over $400,000 earlier this year for his custom Mercedes minivan that’s essentially a mansion on wheels.

Bari didn’t disclose what caused the accident but judging from the rain in the video, weather might've played a factor.

Jamie Foxx really knows how to bring down the house, even when he's on a break from show biz ... because he got an Italian restaurant to join him in a rowdy singalong.

The Oscar and Grammy (that's key here) winner was enjoying a night out with friends in Capri when it quickly turned into a full-blown show ... and, he definitely had the crowd going!

Jamie was in great spirits, and he was sipping some too when he got on a microphone to remind the joint who he is ... in song, of course.

In his best R&B/operatic voice he sang, "I'm Jamie Motherf***ing Foxx!!!" -- and the band quickly joined in and pretty soon the whole place was belting out the simple, and hilarious, tune.

Of course, Jamie mixed in one of his radio hits too -- singing a little bit of his "Gold Digger" chorus -- but trust us, everyone left that restaurant singing one name. You will too after watching this.

This outing, combined with his South of France yachting with a mystery lady, makes it clear ... NO ONE is enjoying summer more than Jamie!!!