TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Alicia Keys is performing at Takeoff's memorial service this week ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge of the event tell us AK is scheduled to take the stage Friday at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the Migos rapper's sendoff. It's unclear how long Alicia will perform, or what exactly she might be singing ... but we do know she'll be there and mic'd up to sing.

Alicia doesn't have any solo tracks with Takeoff specifically, but she and Migos were all featured on Kanye West's last 'Donda' album -- so there is a connection there.

She also posted a tribute to Takeoff after his shooting death, saying ... "This is too much. It's like every day. RIP Takeoff. Sending light to your family and loved ones. We are losing too many too soon!!"

Tickets for Takeoff's memorial are already sold out ... and as we first told you, Justin Bieber is also set to perform at the service.

Snoop Dogg's calling big 🧢 on a claim his ex-blunt-roller serves him 150 joints daily -- and now even the blunt roller herself is cosigning, telling us her words were taken outta context!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Ranagade PerRana, the professional blunt-roller whose rep is going up in smoke over what she says was some wayward reporting down unda.

During a recent appearance on Australian radio’s “The Kyle And Jackie Show,” Ranagade estimated she had rolled around 450,000 blunts since 2016 when she turned pro.

Ranagade specified she was referring to Snoop as well as her other clientele … but several publications and social media blogs fumbled her statements, applying the massive number only to Snoop.

She told us that's a huge disservice to Snoop and her, and that's plain as day in the interview -- Ranagade never says she rolled that many for Snoop, but the falsehood has snowballed.

She says spilling her clients’ joint count or even their favorite strain of Kush would be unethical, and something she'd never do.

Tha Doggfather himself reacted to the embellished tale on social media in typical Snoop fashion … and, unfortunately, also seemed to buy the fake news.

Ranagade says she doesn’t speak to Snoop directly, but wants him to know she feels terrible about how the misquote spread like wildfire.

Eminem received his flowers from the Rock Hall of Fame and shouted out a ton of hip hop legends ... but the current crop of Detroit rappers, such as Icewear Vezzo, think he could do more for the new wave they're currently experiencing.

Icewear visited The Breakfast Club Wednesday to discuss his recent signing with Quality Control and the loss of Takeoff -- when recent comments made by Detroit hip hop gatekeeper Royce Da 5'9" were brought up.

Royce feels there's a disconnect between himself and Eminem's generation ... a point Icewear agreed with. Detroit rap is having a marquee moment thanks to the likes of Babyface Ray, 42 Dugg, Peezy, Sada Baby and others and Icewear says Eminem's reclusive nature has left a hole in the timeline.

Royce was credited for diverting attention to spotlight the younger class ... but Icewear says he can't name anyone aside from Nickel who's ever met Eminem, let alone seen him in person!!!

Icewear contends Eminem is a GOAT rapper and has done great things for the city of Detroit ... but has left the up-and-comers hanging when it comes down to passing knowledge and spitting game.

Philly rapper Tierra Whack had a rough time at her hometown airport ... the enigmatic lyricist was detained and cited for disorderly conduct after she allegedly brought a loaded gun into the building.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop Tierra's bag was searched by Homeland Security officials at an X-ray checkpoint inside Philadelphia International Airport ... when they discovered the gun loaded with 6 live rounds in the magazine and none in the chamber.

We're told authorities believe it was an honest mistake and Tierra wasn't intentionally trying to bring the weapon onboard ... nor did she intend to hurt someone.

Tierra is actually licensed to carry a firearm in the state of Pennsylvania ... but that doesn’t mean you can bring it on an airplane, which is prohibited under federal law. We’re told the gun was confiscated and, after a short detention, Tierra was issued a disorderly conduct citation and released.

Eli Manning was big drippin' when he hit the studio with Fivio Foreign on Tuesday ... and the 2x Super Bowl-winning QB even took shots with the NYC rapper!!

Fivio tweeted on Tuesday, "I'm goin to the studio w Eli Manning" -- then later posted a video with the former Giants QB and his old teammate and center, Shaun O'Hara, pouring shots.

"We doing shots. Eli. Shaun. Toasting. We in the studio making Big Drip," said Fivio.

It's unclear what sparked the unexpected linkup ... but Eli and the "Big Drip" rapper appeared to be having a great time at the studio while pouring shots for one another.

41-year-old Eli wore a yellow Celine hoodie (they go for like $1,100) and bucket hat ... and had an iced-out chain around his neck in the video.

Eli's studio sesh had a different feel than the popular "Manningcast" show he's accustomed to hosting with his brother, Peyton, during "Monday Night Football."

Nevertheless, it was funny to see the legendary NY football star enjoying himself with Fivio.

Earlier Tuesday, Fivio said new music is on the way, tweeting, "Ov course I'm droppin friday 2 lol.."

Maybe we'll hear Eli on the new project?!? One can hope!

Gillie Da Kid's travel plans were soured a bit Tuesday ... after the Million Dollaz Game podcaster was pressed by a patrolling officer claiming he smelled of marijuana at the airport.

Gille and co-host Wallo had previously been enjoying their downtime at Dallas/Fort Worth with jokes ... but the fun would be short-lived once they began boarding their plane.

The dramatic video begins with the Philly-bred rapper arguing with the officer ... as both of them stand their ground.

With his bag open, Gillie and the officer go back and forth over search protocol ... leaving the officer in disbelief that Gillie would search his own bag -- and Gillie was left stunned he was singled out over everyone on the plane.

The bickering heightens with Gillie telling the officer he was probably "the richest" person on board the aircraft and the Marshal reiterating a cold hard fact ... cannabis is illegal in Texas.

The officer eventually backed off -- after realizing Gillie was backing down, but not before getting in one last angry shout.

21 Savage doesn't appear on the "Her Loss" album nearly much as Drake ... but that doesn't mean the Slaughter Gang rapper's voice wasn't heard.

On the contrary, 21 says he's cosigning all of Drake's spicy commentary on the project and even instigated some of the drama while they were recording the project!!!

In a new convo for DJ Akademiks' "Off The Record" podcast, 21 reveled in Drake's "Her Loss" verses ... which include a line insinuating Megan Thee Stallion lied about her shooting, and a "groupie" jab at Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian.

Internet sleuths have determined Drake contributes roughly 67% of the "Her Loss" vocals but 21 maintains he's a team player on 100% of the project.

Both Megan and Alexis reacted to Drake's shots -- which probably helped grow the album's notoriety. "Her Loss" is set for a No. 1 debut atop the Billboard 200 chart with 335-350K in projected sales.

Drake and 21 were supposed to rock out this Friday at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, but they postponed the show to attend Takeoff's funeral in Atlanta.

Drake and 21 Savage's hot new album, "Her Loss" is gonna be their loss in court ... if Vogue gets its way -- the magazine's suing over fake covers the rappers used to hype their record.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Drake and 21 have been promoting "Her Loss" by posing on what certainly looks like a legit Vogue cover, leading fans to believe the company would drop the special edition soon -- some media outlets even reported on the issue.

Condé Nast, which owns Vogue, says that isn't the case ... despite Drake giving the brand and editor-in-chief Anna Wintour a shout-out online for getting a blessing.

Condé Nast claims Vogue and Anna "have not endorsed ["Her Loss"] in any way" ... and have asked multiple times for all promos using the Vogue name to be taken down, but nothing's been done.

The docs say the rappers falsely promoted the Vogue collab on social media, and put up posters of the "cover" in major cities.

Condé Nast also claims Drake and 21's teams sent out an email blast about "celebrating Drake's Vogue cover" ... saying street teams across the country would even be handing out copies.

People on the streets allegedly got their hands on the false mags, according to the docs ... and many claim it's a direct replica of Vogue -- even including a fake pic of Anna posing with Drake. Wow!!! Can't say they didn't go all out.

Condé Nast wants a judge to shut down the use of the Vogue mark immediately ... and it wants at least $4M in damages.

We've reached out to Drake and 21 Savage for comment ... so far, no word back.

Don't ever, EVER make a bad call in the presence of Meek Mill ... the rapper tripped a referee during the 76ers game and it was all caught on live TV!!

Kidding ... it was clearly an accident -- a funny accident -- and the ref was totally fine.

The Philly rapper was sitting courtside with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and Will Makris at the Suns-Sixers game at the Wells Fargo Center Monday night.

The "Dreams & Nightmares" rapper got in on the action in the 2nd quarter when his stretched-out legs got in the way of the officials running alongside the court near the Sixers' bench.

The ref fell right near Sixers' coach Doc Rivers ... who helped him back to his feet. MM quickly apologized to the ref.

Meek also acknowledged the incident on social media, using lyrics from Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind."

"Hov once said 'I be spiked out I can trip a referee'", Meek said, "Lol I apologized to him that’s brazyyy tho 😂😂😂😂"

Rubin, however, says differently ... saying on his IG story, Meek tried to put the blame on him.

Justin Bieber is performing at Takeoff's memorial service this week ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us JB is set to hit the stage Friday at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Unclear how long his set will be or what exactly he might be performing ... but we do know he'll be there and mic'd up to sing.

Justin doesn't have any solo songs with Takeoff specifically, but he's done a couple collabs with the Migos -- "What You See" and "Looking for You" -- plus another couple with Quavo ... so there's a connection there.

Bieber doesn't appear to have posted any tributes to Takeoff, but this might be the ultimate way to honor the late rapper. Bieber's and any other performance is gonna be a closely guarded secret the day of ... all phones are going to be confiscated from anyone attending.

Worth noting ... Bieber postponed his world tour earlier this year to focus on his mental health, so him coming back to this is significant.

A Vanderbilt University assistant football coach has been temporarily relieved from his duties ... after he wrote out a social media post that appeared to be defending Kanye West in wake of the artist's recent antisemitic remarks.

Dan Jackson, the school's defensive backs coach, initially posted the comment on his Facebook page -- saying in it, "Kanye is two steps ahead of everyone." He added in the post, "He's not crazy."

Jackson later apologized for it all, calling his wording "careless."

"I accept full responsibility for my words and will learn from this experience going forward," Jackson said.

But, the Commodores announced almost immediately after the post was discovered that they were investigating it all ... and on Monday night, athletic director Candice Lee said the coach will be sidelined as the probe pushes forward.

"Coach Jackson and I have agreed that he will step back from his responsibilities with the team," Lee said in a statement ... adding, "To be clear, Vanderbilt rejects antisemitism, racism and discrimination in all its forms."

Jackson is in his first year at Vanderbilt. He previously coached at Northern Illinois and South Dakota State.

A Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos partnership to buy the Washington Commanders seems to be full throttle ... because Monday night the two billionaires grabbed dinner in L.A. -- breaking bread for more than two hours.

The duo hit up Horses near the Sunset Strip at around 7:30 PM -- just a couple days after it was revealed they both had a mutual interest in putting in a bid for Daniel Snyder's Commanders. The restaurant is closed Monday, but the owner opened the doors just for them.

TMZ Sports has learned Bezos stayed tableside until about 9:30 ... while Jay didn't leave until after midnight.

Both men kept things low-key as they entered and exited the restaurant -- Jay was in a beanie and a hoodie, while Bezos was in a casual polo. Lauren Sanchez accompanied JB -- while Corey Gamble appeared to be there alongside HOV -- not sure why.

You'll recall, Snyder revealed last week he had hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of his team ... and almost immediately afterward, Bezos and Jay-Z expressed interest.

The price tag won't be cheap -- Snyder is looking for more than $7 BILLION for the org. -- that's in the pocket change region for the 2 titans.

On Monday, just before dinner, Sanchez dropped a hint to her followers ... posting a photo with the caption, "Are you ready for some..."

Kanye West apparently hasn't done himself any favors in uploading his Andre 3000 collaboration "Life Of The Party" on his Stem Player device … the song is now at the center of a lawsuit filed by the record company that owns a famous track by KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, the company says it owns the copyright to BDP’s iconic diss track "South Bronx" and claims Ye never got permission to sample the song when he released the "Donda" bonus track on the Stem Player.

The company says Ye and his partner Alex Klein sold around 11K Stem Players within the first 24 hours of its release, raking in around $2.2 million dollars ... but claims they never got permission to use the sample even though the company says Ye’s team initially reached out to try to license it.

The suit alleges the sides never came to an agreement and says Ye’s side eventually retracted its offer to license it.

However, the suit claims Ye & Co. still heavily advertised the track that used the “South Bronx” sample to promote sales of “Donda” and the Stem Player.

The song was originally leaked by Drake ahead of their patchwork reunion during J Prince’s “Free Larry Hoover” concert.

Diddy went above and beyond to make sure his guests were safe at his birthday party ... making sure security was on point after a gun issue caused a scene the last time he hosted a shindig.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the legendary rap mogul had super tight security Friday night for his 53rd birthday bash, with everyone in attendance passing through a metal detector before being allowed inside.

The party went down at Diddy's Los Angeles mansion and we're told one of the streets by his estate was shut down. Our sources say guests were shuttled up to the house, and if they weren't on the list, they were turned away ... no exceptions.

It appears Diddy wasn't taking any chances after what happened this past summer, when he hosted a BET after-party at the same property -- as we first reported, a woman trying to make her way into the after-party was arrested outside Diddy's house after allegedly flashing a gun at other partygoers.

The beefed-up security also follows some recent fatal gun violence involving rappers Takeoff and PnB Rock, who were both shot dead.

Diddy's security seemed to work too ... we're told there were no issues surrounding the party.

As we reported ... Diddy's bash was crawling with celebs, including Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, French Montana, Machine Gun Kelly, Teyana Taylor, Tinashe and Jermaine Dupri and Kehlani.

Yung Bleu knows the lane is crowded for upcoming 11/11 music releases, but he's telling TMZ Hip Hop why there’s no sweat dripping off his brow.

We spoke to Bleu ahead of the release of his 2nd album "Tantra" … which he says will show his range as an artist -- and that means as a rapper, an R&B singer and everything in between!!!

Bleu admits he wants to do well right out the gate, but he adds ... the constant convo about 1st-week numbers is tiring -- mainly because of the amount of music that's being released.

He doesn't feel the need to rally around 1st-week sales or placements, noting there are still 51 more weeks in the year. Given the fact there are so many artists, on so many platforms, these days ... Bleu thinks anyone with a spot on the Billboard or Apple Music 200 is winning.

He admits even having trouble streaming all the releases himself, but he's confident fans will gravitate toward his music ... even if they don't get to it right away.

He has a good reason for feeling that way -- Bleu's debut album, "Moon Boy," has carried him since July 2021 -- which led to going on tour with Chris Brown and Lil Baby while also seeing his "Bad" single go gold.

As far as the new music goes, he just dropped his Lil Wayne-featured "Soul Child" single, which completes his trifecta of working with Young Money legends … having previously scored tracks with Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Rick Ross is currently entangled in a great debate with his homies, who insist he has way too much stuff filling closets at his 235-acre Promise Land estate … and based on the visuals, they might be right.

Rozay showcased mounds of clothes, shoes and other Boss trinkets Monday inside his sprawling estate -- in fact, the display and debate occupied several IG stories.

Rick argued against being a hoarder, calling for A&E to take a formal inspection, much to the annoyance of his biz partner Alex Bostic … who demonstrated just what a cushion the floor has become by plunging back into it without fear of cracking his skull.

Ross' humble home in Fayetteville, GA is one of the largest estates in the U.S. -- and it's home to the largest swimming pool in the country. Size matters, in this case ... as Rick says he can't be a hoarder with so much wide open space around him.

Earlier this year, he hosted a grandiose car show which featured hundreds of custom whips sprawled out across the Promise Land property, but now he's tossing around the idea of a yard sale to end all yard sales.