TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu has been booked for murder after a fatal triple shooting in Atlanta ... but he has maintained since the incident it was justified.

Zulu turned himself in earlier this week at the Fulton County Jail. In addition to the murder charge, he was booked for aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Zulu says he used self-defense after being confronted by several guys outside a restaurant back in June. He claims they became aggressive, shoving him to the ground and then pummeling him with their fists and feet.

He says one of the assailants then shot him in the chest and he reacted by pulling out a gun and fatally shooting him. He was critically wounded at the time, but has recovered. At least one other man was shot during the incident.

Vic Mensa's giving the people what they need and what they want -- helping folks in Chicago deal with the high price of gas ... and also get a little high. Just a little.

Ever the savvy businessman, the Chi-town rapper put a lot of smiles on faces when he recently donated $10,000 to pump petrol into 200 cars! The giveaway went down at a BP station in Vic's old Southside neighborhood over Labor Day weekend, and couldn't have been better timed.

Check out how emotional one woman got explaining she'd shown up at the gas station with only $5 to her name ... not knowing if it would be enough to get her granddaughter to work that day.

Heart of gold type stuff there -- but as we said, Vic's no dummy when it comes to handling his biz. He recently launched Chicago's first Black-owned cannabis company -- 93 Boyz -- so, while folks were lined up for the pump, he did some promotion too, passing out pre-roll joints.

Vic tells TMZ Hip Hop he feels good doing service for his community ... especially because gas prices have been a big pain in the ass for many struggling Americans.

As for the high-end of his business -- well, cannabis has been legal in Illinois since January 2020 and Vic says part of the 93 Boyz brand's mission will always be performing acts of charity for inner city minorities.

Vic wants to give those from criminally affected inner cities, such as Chicago, a chance to create wealth from weed ... in an effort to help bridge the wealth gap in the country.

Superstar hip hop producer Honorable C.N.O.T.E. isn't bowing down amid the surging crime wave in the U.S. -- he's literally fighting back when it comes to his own belongings!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the veteran soundman following his viral moment this week ... where he was filmed in Los Angeles catching a carjacker breaking his window, with his luggage still inside the whip.

C.N.O.T.E. says he hopped off the plane, fresh from LAX, and hit up a grocery store ... but noticed a suspicious BMW near his rental car.

Soon after, he heard the car alarm buzzing and spotted the thief -- who had busted a rear door window -- trying to yank stuff outta his ride. C.N.O.T.E. ran up on him and proceeded to lay the smackdown!!!

It might not look like it from the beating -- which someone in the neighborhood recorded -- but C.N.O.T.E. tells us he actually dialed back his 350 lb-frame punches after realizing the thief was just a kid, and showed him mercy.

He says they even exchanged words, which he wants to keep between them. Now, here's the plot twist -- C.N.O.T.E. wants to reconnect with the kid in order to mentor him. He's also thankful the issue didn't result in gunplay.

C.N.O.T.E. slammed social media commenters who said he should've taken fatal action ... explaining how everyone is a victim of the same struggle.

The altercation happened a couple of days before the tragic PnB Rock murder, and the Georgia-based artist says hip-hop culture's been steered down the wrong path for too long.

Moving forward, C.N.O.T.E. is gearing up for his "Signs 3" project ... which he's really excited about, thanks to a mix of old and new school flavor from artists such as current XXL Freshman Cochise and No Limit Records soldier Fiend.

The album drops October 7 and C.N.O.T.E. thinks hip hop is the best way to get through to the youth in today's climate.

PnB Rock's body is ready to be released to his family, but the process behind the scenes has been drama-filled between them and officials ... and actually required police intervention.

Sources tell TMZ ... PnB Rock's mother wanted her son's body right away because of religious reasons, but the medical examiner wouldn't give it up because his death's part of a larger homicide investigation. PnB's brother, PnB Meen, alluded to this online -- saying the family was having issues with the M.E. -- making him question how PnB's Janazah would go.

Janazah is a Muslim funeral ceremony ... and there are certain rules that come with conducting one -- including getting a burial started within 72 hours.

We're told PnB Rock's mom flew from Philadelphia to Los Angeles after being notified her son had been shot and killed Monday, and she went straight to the medical examiner's office to ID the body and try to get it released to the fam.

Our sources say Rock's mom was adamant the body needed to be released ASAP because their customs. We're told things got heated when the family was informed their request for immediate release could not be met and that LAPD was called to the L.A. County Coroner's office to help calm things down.

Our sources say PnB's mom also didn't want an autopsy performed, because it goes against their religion ... but we're told the M.E.'s office told her they had to conduct an autopsy by law.

TMZ broke the story ... PnB Rock was shot and killed Monday while dining at a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles restaurant in South Los Angeles.

The M.E. released the autopsy findings Friday, saying PnB Rock died from a gunshot wound to his back/chest, classifying his death as a homicide.

With PnB Rock's body finally getting the green light to be released into his family's possession -- after tons of back-and-forth between his loved ones, legal team, LAPD and the M.E. -- we're told the plan is for his family to take the body back to his Philly hometown for a funeral.

Blueface attacked his girlfriend's father this week -- but it wasn't out of nowhere ... the guy literally swung at his daughter's boyfriend first, and seems to have connected.

TMZ has obtained the video that everyone's been wanting to see as it relates to this scuffle -- actual surveillance footage from Friday evening in Baltimore, which shows Blueface actually deliver the knockdown blow to her Chrisean Rock's dad ... whose name is unknown.

This is an entirely new angle than what's been floating around on the internet -- terrible shaky shots of the aftermath that don't really capture or show anything clearly whatsoever.

Now, it's unclear what exactly was going on here or what might've precipitated this -- but it seems the rapper was meeting Chrisean's larger family, with a film crew on hand, at the Four Seasons at around 6:30 PM ... this following their lovey-dovey display at NYFW.

In the clip, you can see the couple facing off with a group of people -- presumably Chrisean's brood -- in a tense convo ... and eventually, a man in black approaches Blueface, only to swing on him unexpectedly in what can only be described as a sucker punch.

He appears to graze Blueface, who stumbled back, and a would-be fight breaks out -- with Blueface attempting to swing back on the man but missing. He wasn't done yet though ... in the second half of our video, you see Blueface charge that same man (who's reported to be Chrisean's father) and finally get his licks in ... punching the dude and toppling him over.

Chrisean has since admitted the guy who Blueface retaliated against was, in fact, her pops -- but it sounds like she's on her boo's side with this one ... 'cause she was crapping on her old man in since-deleted tweets, saying he was an absentee dad/claiming he was abusive.

Blueface, meanwhile, took to his IG to say he was Chrisean's daddy now ... and seemed to be laughing off the entire episode. We're told cops were called to the scene, but folks had scattered by the time they arrived -- we've reached out to Baltimore PD for comment.

This isn't the first time Blueface and Chrisean have been involved in violence -- although lately, they've been in mutual combat against each other. Now, it's leaking out elsewhere.

Good luck, you two! 😬

Kanye West has tipped his hand in his divorce case -- how custody is going to work.

Ye jumped on the 'Alo Mind' podcast Friday and said, "Even to this day, I'll still give Kim advice on things that can help, because that's gonna go to the kids. She's still got [them] 80% of the time -- raise those children."

The reason that's significant ... sources connected to the former couple tell TMZ, Kanye hasn't engaged with his lawyer -- whoever that is now, because he's gone through 5 already -- about the remaining issues in the divorce ... custody and property settlement.

There's a trial set for December if Kanye stays radio silent, and so far his side hasn't engaged Kim Kardashian's team about all this. But, saying Kim gets 80% is the first time we've heard any sort of structure, which is the first step in hashing out an agreement.

Kanye West is ready to expand his Donda Sports brand -- now signaling he wants to sell athletic gear ... not to mention an apparent side biz that he's hoping will take flight.

His company, Mascotte Holdings, just filed for a few new trademarks -- including one that'll significantly grow his Donda Academy in the retail space ... and a couple others that seem to suggest he's got another label in mind that's for the birds -- in this case, literally.

According to the paperwork, seen by TMZ, Ye's aiming to lock up the rights to Donda Sports ... specifically for the purpose of slapping it on a ton of products that run the gamut of sportswear and accessories he wants to hawk to potential customers.

Some of the items that could bear the Donda Sports name, if the application is approved, include ... bags of all varieties, fanny packs, luggage, wallets, umbrellas and blankets.

He's also looking to get some ol'-fashioned Donda Sports apparel ... applying for trademarks for shirts, jackets, hats, shoes and other clothes. In other words, if you can wear it ... it looks like Kanye wants to sell it to you with his new signature line plastered on top.

There's more ... in addition to wanting to trademark Donda Sports merch, it looks like Ye's got something else cookin' in the background -- something he calls "Donda Doves" (the team name) and "Dove Sports," which sounds like an offshoot to his larger 'Donda' endeavor.

For "Dove Sports," Kanye wants the exclusive right to use this label for athletic services such as training sessions, competitions, tournaments, camps, seminars, field trips and even traditional educational frameworks ... like classes, workshops and seminars.

"Donda Doves," meanwhile, seems to be more geared toward game-day equipment -- the docs indicate he wants this on baseball bats, basketballs, hockey pucks and more. He also wants to use this brand for things like posters, mugs, sporting goods and online retail stores.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky hit the studio Friday night ... adding more fuel to the rumor mill she's gonna drop another album!

She's been seen at the L.A. studio several times recently, so the seemingly endless wait for more music may be coming to an end.

RiRi was there with BF A$AP, who is mounting an aggressive defense to weapons charges. He's been hit with felony firearms charges for allegedly shooting A$AP Relli. Relli has filed a civil suit against Rocky as well.

Rocky's new lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told TMZ Friday, "Rocky didn't commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false criminal accusations if Rocky didn't pay him."

Tacopina tells us he has 2 eyewitnesses who back Rocky's story ... not only that Relli wasn't hit by bullet fragments, but that no shot was even fired. In other words, Tacopina says Relli has made up the story in a "get rich quick scheme."

Rapper Tee Grizzley's not only mourning his friend, PnB Rock ... he's also got drama at home after burglars made off with $1 million in bills and bling.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... burglars smashed a window at Tee's house about 2 weeks ago in his Porter Ranch neighborhood outside Los Angeles. We're told the jewelry alone they found was worth more than a mil, and they also walked away with a ton of cash.

According to the police report, no one was home at the time of the break-in, and there's an open investigation.

Tee's havin' a rough time these last few weeks -- as you know, PnB was shot and killed Monday while eating lunch at a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. The murderer, who's still on the loose, stole several diamond chains off the rapper.

Tee released the music video for part 4 of his "Robbery" series the day after Rock's death, opening with a "Rest In Heaven" message for PnB.

FYI, the track has nothing to do with Tee or PnB's situations ... it's a fictional story he'd been working on before either incident happened.

Memphis rapper EBG Ejizzle is screwing up a sweet plea deal that kept him outta jail ... according to prosecutors who say he's gone on a mini crime spree while on probation.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, EBG got locked up on September 11, just a few months after he narrowly avoided that very fate. In May, he agreed to plead guilty to aggravated assault -- a downgrade from his original charge of attempted murder -- and he got 3 years of probation instead of prison time.

Like we said ... sweet deal. However, prosecutors say things went south quickly ... as EBG failed a drug test less than 2 weeks after starting probation. They say he tested positive for marijuana, opiates, benzodiazepines and oxycodone.

To make matters worse, the 22-year-old was then accused of posting images on Facebook of a black firearm with an extended magazine, and a semi-automatic rifle.

Several days later, he allegedly shot up a parked car, and brandished the weapon in a threatening manner. According to the docs, EBG also has an active warrant for his arrest on charges of vandalism and reckless endangerment.

Ya get the point ... prosecutors are now asking the court to revoke Ejizzle's original sentence of probation, and he's currently being held without bail.

Sports and rap fans patiently waiting for Antonio Brown to release his "Put That S*** On" music vid can stop waiting -- the former NFL superstar just dropped it with huge cameos from Young Thug and Gunna.

On Friday, AB released his "Get In My Bag" video ... a collab with the now-incarcerated Young Thug, which is on Antonio's "Paradigm" album.

The smoke-filled visual finds AB and Thug posted up rapping inside a bowling alley ... flocked by tons of female partygoers. Gunna also blends into the mix ... a stark reminder the "Drip Too Hard" rapper is far removed from the days of his freedom.

Thug, Gunna and several other YSL members have been jammed up since May on a 56-count RICO indictment in Georgia.

AB has been tight with YSL for some time. Shortly before Gunna was busted, they celebrated good times like Styles P and shared a massive blunt ... which we're sure will be waiting for him whenever he gets free!

A$AP Rocky is clear ... he did NOT shoot A$AP Relli ... pushing back against his accuser, whom Rocky says is simply trying to make a cash grab.

The rapper's acclaimed lawyer, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ ... "Rocky didn't commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false criminal accusations if Rocky didn't pay him."

Remember ... A$AP is accused of firing shots at A$AP Relli during a dispute in Hollywood back in November, with Relli claiming bullet fragments caused a hand injury. Relli is suing Rocky over the alleged incident, and Rocky is also facing felony firearms charges.

Tacopina tells us he has 2 eyewitnesses who back Rocky's story ... not only that Relli wasn't hit by bullet fragments, but that no shot was even fired. In other words, Tacopina says Relli has made up the story in a "get-rich-quick scheme."

Rocky hired Joe because a couple of his friends -- YG and Meek Mill -- were also successfully repped by Tacopina.

Tacopina says both the civil and criminal cases against his client are slam dunks ... "What will become abundantly clear in the upcoming months, based on facts and evidence, is that Rocky is innocent of these charges."

The former marriage of Safaree and Erica Mena is officially dissolved -- they've finalized their divorce terms ... TMZ has learned.

Legal documents obtained by TMZ show the judge signed off on the divorce September 12, after the exes came to their agreement through arbitration. Among those terms ... Safaree will dole out $4,305 a month in child support.

Allow us to jog your memory ... Erica filed for divorce in May 2021 and the two have been living separately since, sharing joint custody of their 2 young children.

The pair already unloaded their sprawling $1.3 million Georgia mansion in June and, with the marriage officially over, the docs say Erica will again go by her maiden name.

The "Love & Hip Hop" power couple were married for less than 2 years when Erica claimed Safaree was cheating while she was pregnant with their second child, and she allegedly trashed his stuff ... effectively flushing the marriage for good.

Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers tour is full of surprises -- just ask TikTok user @cjlove2670 ... who lost her phone during one of the shows, and just realized it now has exclusive Baby Keem content!!!

CJ took to TikTok to reveal Kendrick's Grammy-winning cousin claimed ownership of the device and filmed a couple of hilarious trolling videos before hitting the stage himself.

"N****, why the fuck you throw your phone on the homie's stage?" Keem teased from the side of the stage as the crowd revved up to Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness."

Following his apparent performance, Keem got comfy backstage and again taunted CJ ... noting the sounds of Chief Keef's "Faneto" being enjoyed by everyone in the crowd except the fan without the phone.

For her part, CJ claims she didn't throw her phone on stage but seemed glad to have it back ... however that happened.

Fat Joe's getting increasingly vocal following the murder of PnB Rock ... using the tragedy to make it clear to younger artists that there are all sorts of pitfalls -- sometimes deadly -- attached to their profession.

Joe sat down with Charlamagne Tha God Thursday evening for a special episode of 'Hell of A Week' ... and urgently screamed rappers should now be placed on the endangered species list due to the constant shootings and killings.

The Terror Squad boss also doubled down on the popular notion started by Jim Jones that being a rapper is the most dangerous job.

From his perspective, rappers now face a three-headed enemy: the police, federal agents and the most alarming ... their own kind.

The conversation with Charlamange was carried over from Joe's lengthy Instagram Live earlier in the day ... where he fumed about PnB no longer being able to be with his family.

Joe acknowledged some people in the world were just going to rob and steal by nature, but what he doesn't understand is the murder part ... especially if they've already successfully pulled a theft.

PnB was shot and killed Monday, prompting LAPD officers to put out a city-wide manhunt for his killer.

TMZ broke the story ... the Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles restaurant where the Philly rapper was murdered did a quick 24-hour turnaround to resume business hours and turned over surveillance footage to authorities.

​Some parents whose kids are enrolled in Kanye West's Donda Academy claim they're being forced to sign non-disclosure agreements ... but Ye says that's all just hype, this according to a new report.

Two families sat down with Rolling Stone and spilled the beans about the non-disclosures, which are apparently in place to keep a tight lid on things that go on at the school. In the RS article, the families were unnamed and did not provide details on the hush-hush agreements.

But, one of Kanye's consultants, Tamar Andrews, reportedly fired back, saying only parents put their sigs on the forms and insisted the entire process was informal ... whatever that means.

"Honestly, we don't care if people know about the school," Andrews told RS.

He goes on ... "The people that want to come to the school are looking for a good Christian school in that area and they know that we're there ... there is also a certain notoriety that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So, I don't know that we have to advertise, which is a blessing and a curse."

Ye launched the private Christian school in 2022, catering to pre-K to 12th-grade students. Only about 100 students attend Donda Academy, which is not accredited.

Who are these students? Well, that's still a mystery. And, it's hard to piece together who the teachers are. According to the Donda site ... the mission is to motivate its students to "grow in their faith and community through daily all-school worship and celebration at Sunday Service."

Kanye's had a lot of drama in his life lately. He'd been beefing with Kim Kardashian about her choice of schools for their kids. And, as we reported, Ye's been battling with Gap and Adidas over his sneaker and clothing line partnerships. He recently took to social media to blast the companies, culminating on Thursday with Ye spiking his deal with Gap.