TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos, two of the most successful men in America, are interested in buying the Washington Commanders, in light of owner Dan Snyder's interest in selling the NFL team, sources tell TMZ Sports.

And, we're told a partnership between the men is on the table.

On Wednesday, the team issued a statement announcing Snyder hired a major bank to investigate a possible opportunity to sell the team ... but made it clear he hadn't yet made a final decision.

Still, the move provided hope to droves of Washington football fans ... who after controversy after controversy and endless losing have long wished Snyder would sell.

We're told Jay, worth an estimated $1.3 billion by Forbes, has expressed serious interest in acquiring the team ... valued at $5.6 billion this summer.

Despite the rap legend and businessman's incredible fortune, we're told he'd look for a strategic partner.

Bezos, one of the world's richest people ($114 billion net worth), is also interested in the team.

Bezos has ties to the area ... he owns the Washington Post newspaper.

Amazon also owns Prime Video ... which recently inked a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal to broadcast Thursday Night Football.

Jay-Z is in business with the NFL ... signing a partnership deal in 2019 which gave Hov power over the halftime show, as well as social justice initiatives.

He also previously owned an NBA team, the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets ... before being forced to sell when he opened his sports and marketing agency, Roc Nation Sports, over a potential conflict of interest.

Byron Allen and Robert Griffin III, amongst many more, have also expressed interest in the team.

There's no shortage of suitors, but topping Bezos and Jay-Z would be a monumental task.

Lil Uzi Vert had New York City in a tizzy last night, shooting the music video for his new jam "Just Wanna Rock" ... and bringing out so many fans it looked like a rowdy flash mob.

Uzi -- joined by top Twitch streamer Kai Cenant and fellow Philly rapper 2Rare -- hit the streets and fans did too, toppling cars and whipping out their cell phones as Uzi put his electric dance moves on display.

The viral trio was destined to cause pure pandemonium ... turning up in the trailer and car ride ahead of the shoot.

Kai recently took the Twitch 👑 on October 15 and 2Rare inked a joint venture deal with Warner Records and music exec Mel Carter's Second Estate Records ... so the vibes were on 10 the entire night.

A hilarious moment came when 2Rare caught Kai lacking in 4K on sleep-cam before he awoke to spit bars from his NLE Choppa collaboration "Bustdown Rollie Avalanche."

The song could lead hip hop's next dance craze. It was released last month and racked up more than 500 million TikTok impressions from the previews alone.

There were two other people shot in the gunfire that killed Takeoff -- and one of those people is Quavo's assistant -- TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Joshua "Wash" Washington is the 23-year-old male who was shot and rushed to a local hospital by someone at the scene in the minutes following the melee ... cops described his injuries as non-life threatening.

Wash has been close with Quavo for years, and describes himself as Quavo's assistant and part of operations management at Huncho Records on his social media profile.

As we reported, there was also a 24-year-old female who was shot ... she was also taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

While the shooter (or shooters) have yet to be publicly named, the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office says Takeoff was shot in both the head and torso early Monday morning.

In video obtained by TMZ from the scene, you can see Quavo in an argument and then start to walk away as shots ring out. There's also video showing one man holding a gun to his side ... police have named that man as a person of interest in Takeoff's death.

Rob Dillingham, a 17-year-old consensus five-star basketball recruit and Kentucky commit, is leaving Kanye West's Donda Academy school ... and signing with Overtime Elite league.

Of course, Donda Academy has been engulfed in turmoil after West's repeated use of antisemitic remarks ... putting the future of the school/sports teams in flux.

Dillingham's exit from Donda Academy comes on the heels of Celtics star Jaylen Brown and Rams star Aaron Donald both parting ways from Ye's Donda Sports marketing agency.

The fallout unfortunately swallowed up the kids on the basketball team. Donda was recently pulled from a big tournament -- the Scholastic Play-by-Play tourney in December -- and, most recently, Morehouse College pulled the plug on a showcase in ATL.

Dillingham, a 6'2" point guard out of NC, is considered one of the top point guards in the 2023 class ... and was Donda's highest-rated player, so losing him is a huge blow.

Dillingham -- named Charlotte Observer Player of the Year -- is joining OTE at the perfect time ... the 6-team basketball league just inked a streaming deal with Amazon Prime.

Games start streaming Friday night ... meaning RD went from being on a team that was banned in places to potentially playing in front of millions.

Johnny Depp is a wanted man in just about every lane Hollywood has to offer these days, and he's about to make a guest appearance in a huge show -- orchestrated by Rihanna!

No, Depp won't be shredding his guitar with RiRi at the Super Bowl ... but production sources tell us he'll be a featured surprise guest in her Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 fashion show.

We're told JD won't be walking the runway, instead, he's going to be a focus of one of the show's "star" moments -- which has included the likes of Cindy Crawford and Erykah Badu in the past. Depp -- who will wear items from the men's collection -- will be the first male in Savage X Fenty show history to take the role.

Our sources say Rihanna and her team invited Johnny to be a part of it, and both sides were super excited to make it happen. We're told Johnny has already filmed his part, and it'll be included in the show's premiere on Amazon Prime Video November 9.

As for how Depp will look, we're told the vibe is "cool and chic" and works for all aspects of Johnny's artistry -- music, modeling and acting.

TMZ broke the story -- it was just a couple months ago when JD made his big return to TV after the Amber Heard trial, when he appeared as the Moon Person at the VMAs. One thing's for sure ... he's been welcomed back to A-list status with open arms.

Kanye West is doubling down on his support for Kyrie Irving ... sharing a pic of the NBA star as they both find themselves embroiled in controversy over pushing antisemitic rhetoric.

The Brooklyn Nets guard released a statement denouncing "all forms of hate and oppression" and vowed to make a $500k donation to fight for the cause on Wednesday ... after facing a ton of backlash for posting a link to a movie that is filled with hurtful beliefs toward the Jewish community.

While KI took responsibility for his actions ... but did not flat-out say "I'm sorry" or "I apologize."

Just six hours later, Ye went to his Twitter account and posted a black and white image of Kyrie to his 31.7 million followers ... seemingly backing the athlete for the second time in three days.

Ye previously backed Irving on Sunday ... posting a different black-and-white image of him and saying, "There's some real ones still here."

LeBron James is paying tribute to Takeoff in a big way ... changing his Instagram avatar to a photo of the late rapper -- something the Lakers superstar rarely does.

James' IG update happened Wednesday night just before the Lakers took on the New Orleans Pelicans in Los Angeles ... when he swapped out a pic of his family for a photo of Takeoff, who was tragically killed in front of a Houston bowling alley on Tuesday.

The pic shows a stoic Takeoff in a suit and tie ... wearing a pair of dark sunglasses.

The move is a very meaningful one for James -- whose IG profile photos almost always consists of pics of him or his family. Most recently, his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, held the honor.

37-year-old James previously used the gesture to honor Kobe Bryant following his tragic death in 2020.

Of course, the Migos and King James are fans of each other ... remember, the rap trio turned LBJ's famous "Taco Tuuuuuuesday" lingo into an actual song two years ago -- and Bron was hyped over it.

LeBron has yet to publicly comment on Takeoff's passing, though he did share a photo of the Migos rapper in one of his IG stories shortly after his death.

Takeoff was just 28 years old.

It looks like Cher has a new man in her life ... she and Amber Rose's ex, Alexander Edwards, seemed to head home together after a fun night out with his buddy, Tyga.

Cher pulled up to Craig's in WeHo Wednesday night, where AE and Tyga were waiting for her inside -- Alexander came out to escort her in, and they grabbed hands as they strolled inside.

They all bounced from Craig's a little after midnight, heading to The Nice Guy for some more fun just a mile away. Tyga got in his own ride, while AE and Cher shared one ... with him kissing her hand in the back seat.

Tyga headed into the restaurant solo ... and while photogs were all on him, he points out the obvious -- "You're gonna miss the real photo!"

Once again, AE and Cher -- and their 40-year age diff -- walk hand-in-hand to the spot ... and when the shindig was over, they left together, presumably heading to her Malibu home. What a night. 😉

The 3 amigos reportedly spent some time together at her place last week, too ... but it's unclear if these meetings are more about business or pleasure.

She was also spotted with Tyga at Paris Fashion Week at the end of September.

Kanye West could dig himself an even bigger hole if he tries to sell his "White Lives Matter" shirts in America ... because that phrase has already been trademarked -- and guess what? It's owned by 2 black men.

Ramses Ja and Quinton Ward, hosts of the radio show Civic Cipher, legally got rights to the phrase last month ... telling CNN it's all about making sure it doesn't end up in the wrong hands.

The trademark covers the right to sell clothing with those words displayed.

The trademark was acquired by an anonymous listener of Ramses and Quinton's racial justice show ... filing it the same day Ye wore his controversial outfit at Paris fashion week.

The listener transferred ownership over to their show a few weeks back.

Ramses and Quinton said it was a tough call to take the trademark ... but added, “Once it was clear that someone stood to gain significant profit from it, because as you’ve seen, even though (Kanye) says some really hurtful, divisive and sometimes crazy things, he has a bit of a zealot following and every time he releases something, it sells out.”

Chief Keef is in legal hot water ... a California judge issued a bench warrant after the rapper failed to show for a court date.

Chief Keef was MIA from a Wednesday court hearing relating to his DUI case, so the judge issued a $10K bench warrant.

Things seem to have been unraveling for Keef, legally speaking, since his arrest for DUI back in June 2021.

According to our sources, there was an outstanding warrant in that case from missing a court hearing. Law enforcement sources tell us cops were running plates during a routine traffic stop last month and pulled Keef over for driving on a suspended or revoked license. That's when officers saw an active warrant in the system from the DUI case, and Keef was booked and released without bail.

Our law enforcement sources tell us Keef was ordered to appear Wednesday in court but never showed, which led to the new warrant being issued.

The future is bright for Future when it comes to his real estate portfolio ... because he just dropped 10 figures on an island paradise.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the "Mask Off" rapper just bought a $16.3 million home on Allison Island in Miami Beach.

The place is absolutely palatial ... it's 8,897 square feet of pure luxury, as the 7-bedroom home features picturesque water views from the super exclusive island.

The master bedroom has a full wet bar and wine fridge, plus two huge walk-in closets and a private balcony spanning the entire length of the home.

Future's new crib has a backyard that sounds straight out of a tropical resort ... there's a pool and a spa, plus multiple dining areas and even a place to park a yacht. Miami living at its finest.

Jordan Karp represented Future in the sale, while Dina Goldentayer of Douglas Elliman repped the sellers.

Jemele Hill says she's had enough with rappers dying from gun violence ... and wants to see folks come together to talk about how to stop it once and for all.

We got Jemele at LAX Wednesday and asked her for solutions following Takeoff's death in Houston ... she's calling on artists, record labels and politicians to start tough conversations on gun violence.

While Jemele senses some of these talks may be going on behind closed doors ... she highlights why it's important to discuss issues and solutions surrounding gun violence in a public forum.

As we reported ... Takeoff was shot and killed this week while visiting Houston, the coroner's reports says bullets struck the Migos rapper in the head and torso.

Jemele also has strong thoughts on the practice of rappers "checking in" with certain people wherever they are traveling -- comparing it to "some slave s***." She says Black people should never have to feel unsafe going into another area.

For Jemele, she wants industry leaders to say enough is enough after the shooting deaths of Takeoff and PnB Rock -- lamenting the fact nothing's really changed since Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were gunned down back in the day.

Jay-Z wants to sell his D'Ussé cake and eat it too ... at least according to Bacardi, his partners in the top-shelf liquor, who now claim he's trying to double the brand's value and make a bundle.

Bacardi's subsidiary, Empire Investments, responded to Jay's lawsuit, and in the docs it says both parties actually had a "handshake deal" last December ... in which Empire agreed to buy  Jay's 50 percent stake in the cognac line.

But the company alleges Jay "abruptly reneged on its agreement and doubled its demanded valuation."

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Jay's company, SC Liquor, exercised an option last year for Bacardi to buy him out. They had been 50/50 partners in D'Ussé since its inception in 2012. Bacardi doesn't disagree with that, but takes issue with Mr. Carter's attempt to "outrageously inflate" the price ... in their words.

In the new docs, Empire/Bacardi doesn't say what, if any, price they'd agreed upon when they made the handshake deal -- much of the document is redacted as we're guessing neither side wants any valuation of D'Ussé to be made public at this point.

As we reported, Jay thinks Bacardi is trying to lowball him on the price, and that's why he filed the lawsuit.

As for his demand for his partners to open up the books ... the company says it already handed him more than 800 pages of financial records, and says any further documents he wants are not for his eyes, because they involve Bacardi data ... which they see as entirely separate from the D'ussé venture.

DJ Akademiks is calling out anyone defending today's hip hop culture -- on the heels of Takeoff's slaying -- because he says the culture's adopted too many street ethos.

Ak went live on Twitch for over 3 hours Wednesday morning ... going over key facts in the Houston case, identifying people on the scene and venting his overall frustration with the culture.

He grew particularly emotional when folks in his chat floated the idea the streets might retaliate against him for his "research" into the killing. That set him OFF ... Ak screamed at the top of his lungs against what he feels hip hop culture has become.

Ak cited controversial blogger Charleston White ... agreeing that criminality in hip hop culture needed to be flushed and most rappers are doing dumb things with their spare time.

A particularly chilling moment on the broadcast came when Ak was connecting dots to the armed man police call a "person of interest' -- matching his clothing to an entourage member who had been hanging with Quavo and Jas Prince hours before they arrived at the bowling alley that night.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... new video we obtained shows a man with his hand on a gun in his pocket mere seconds before the shooting started.

The hypocrites continued to grow under Ak's skin as he continued to call them out for "cosplaying as street n*****."

He used incarcerated rappers YNW Melly, Kay Flock and Tay-K as examples ... citing fans' who wish for their freedom in spite of their looming murder charges and further railed against the fusion of Black culture and criminality.

Gucci Mane and his newly signed artist Baby Racks have parted ways ... which wouldn't be all that shocking -- if the rookie rapper wasn't under contract for only 24 hours.

La Flare laid down the stern A&R hand Wednesday, making the grand announcement to his 9.4 million Twitter followers he had dropped Baby Racks from his 1017 Records imprint.

Unlike what Baby Racks' IG account suggests, Atlantic Records also tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the rapper isn't signed to their label either.

Gucci previously introduced Baby Racks in October and the 2 went straight to work ... releasing their collab "Look Ma I Did It,” which is produced by HonchoDenaro7.

The song got Baby Racks hot on Spotify with over 1 million monthly listeners, and he wasted no time turning his IG into a Gucci Mane shrine ... even adding 1017 to his handle, which will probably need adjusting now.

Young Thug and Gunna's label head Kevin Liles is campaigning for their freedom, and he's also dismissing the notion hip hop culture played a part in Takeoff's death.

Kevin helped foster Migos' career with Coach K and Pee Thomas and Wednesday morning on "The Breakfast Club," he lamented Takeoff's slaying -- blaming it more on Black-on-Black conditioning and the "oppressive" U.S.A. for disillusioning Black people's values.

He cited several issues ... lack of education, poverty, racism and guns themselves as the culture's true killers, and chalked up rappers' explicit lyrics to simple education.

When pressed by Charlamagne about the content of rappers' lyrics and their potential psychological influence, Kevin deflected and cited Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury and even Bob Marley's song "I Shot the Sheriff" as comparable cases.

Later in the interview, Kevin called Young Thug and Gunna "pillars" of the community amid their massive RICO case, and called out the justice system for having them sit behind bars for nearly a year ahead of the trial.

Kevin thinks their case will jeopardize the development of future Spike Lees or Steven Spielbergs -- as prosecuting rappers for select song lyrics could ultimately stifle creativity in all art forms.