TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

The Weeknd is adding yet another career achievement to his resume -- his FOURTH diamond certification!!!

The Toronto-bred megastar's 2015 party starter "Can’t Feel My Face" received its flowers from the Recording Industry Association of America on Tuesday -- an award for selling 10 million records sold overall.

The "Can’t Feel My Face" video also has over a billion views on YouTube ... so yeah, the song's been a monster jam for years.

His hits "The Hills," "Starboy" and "Blinding Lights" were also previously certified diamond ... making him the third solo artist and fourth artist overall to obtain the 4 milestone plaques.

A$AP Rocky's set to break his 5-year album hiatus soon ... but he's not exactly thrilled about the comeback.

The A$AP Mob rapper thinks today's hip hop space is marred, on account of the constant deaths and brewing competition from other genres. Rocky was speaking on his desire to have his art at the forefront, but acknowledged the string of rapper deaths is affecting him.

Migos' star Takeoff, PnB Rock, JayDaYoungan and Trouble all died violently this year ... seriously sucking the joy out of the culture.

Rocky told Complex, "It’s such a really weird time for hip hop ... we’re losing so many legends."

Rap has consistently dominated charts for the past few years, but 2022 saw Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift amongst the top streamers, with Drake being the only frequent representative for hip hop on the lists.

Rocky continued, "Pop is fighting for the number one spot, as far the most predominant genre. It’s a really weird time right now. I don’t really care for the politics of it. I just want to give motherfuckers some dope shit."

Diddy and Yung Miami are all over each other at Art Basel ... effectively letting the world know their polyamorous relationship is still on and popping!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video from inside Diddy's Club Love pop-up party at his Miami estate ... where the pair engaged in a few steamy dances, and their body language spoke volumes.

Miami didn't break a stride in her stilettos, even as Diddy grabbed a handful of cheeks!!!

Diddy and Miami have been openly dating for much of this year ... providing both entertainment and drama for fans.

They were first linked in the summer of 2021, and finally went public in June 2022. Yung Miami has clarified they're both single ... even though they're dating each other.

The Bad Boy Records mogul copped Miami a brand new Mercedes Maybach to firm up their union -- and he even played mediator between one of his other GFs and Miami.

They're linked in the workplace too -- Miami hosts "Caresha Please" on Diddy's Revolt TV ... where she recently put her "man" in the hot seat, and pressured him into marriage down the line.

Bobby Shmurda and Rowdy Rebel are typically on the same page, but now they're publicly disagreeing about what Bobby calls a "miscommunication" with NBA YoungBoy's camp.

Bobby recently visited Math Hoffa's "My Expert Opinion" show where he was attempting to clear up his pal Rowdy's previous comments, on that same show, about King Von's murder.

Rowdy had suggested Lul Tim had "no morals" when he allegedly opened fire on the late Chicago rapper in November 2020. As we reported, Tim's been arrested for the killing.

Tim is affiliated with YoungBoy's homie, Quando Rondo ... so, the commentary angered YB, and prompted an exchange of words between Bobby and him that ultimately went nowhere.

But, according to Bobby, Rowdy misspoke and had no biz sticking his nose in that particular situation ... and therein lies the disagreement, because Rowdy's standing by his comments. He posted on IG, "I said what I said."

The "Computers" rapper did clarify there's no rift with Bobby as far as he's concerned. Remember, Shmurda famously added time to his prison sentence to shave numbers from Rowdy's stint.

Order has finally been restored in 50 Cent's 'Power' universe ... now that Joseph Sikora and Gianni Paolo have officially squashed their beef!!!

The two actors, along with Michael Rainey Jr., are set to appear on The Crew Has It Podcast where they'll clear the air on their long-brewing war. In a teaser for the interview, Michael shared of pic of Joe and Gianni hugging and smiling -- promising everything would be explained on Tuesday when the podcast airs.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Joe and Gianni had been feuding behind the scenes on set, with tension being felt by fellow cast members whenever they were around one another.

DJ Akademiks says Ashanti needs to come clean and say the name of the producer who attempted to blackmail her songs in exchange for sex in the shower.

Ashanti was on "The Breakfast Club" last week and shared an alleged encounter between her and the mystery producer who she claims withheld a couple tracks they worked on in hopes they'd hop in the tub together.

When Ashanti refused, she says the price of the songs went from $0 to $40,000 ... prompting her to call up her goon squad to handle business.

Ak says Ashanti is doing her fellow females in the music industry a potentially harmful disservice -- as they could also fall into the producer's traps if she doesn't disclose a name.

Ak also points out the fact Ashanti's a veteran in the biz now, so she should just give up the name.

Xzibit is going out of his way to pay his achievements forward, and while he's at it ... he has some valuable advice for the rappers in the younger generation.

TMZ Hip Hop checked in with Xzibit over the weekend outside the Hollywood Palladium ... where he was assisting the nonprofit org Humanity Heroes in its quest to dole out 10K "Humanity Packs" containing essential first aid and safety items to the homeless citizens of skid row.

The West Coast rap vet says the little contributions add up along the way and the charitable works have been keeping him busy as he finalizes his last solo album.

The last time we spoke to X, he was perfectly fine hanging up his studio mic in exchange for more time with his family, and he hasn't wavered one bit on that sentiment.

He's also continuing to push his Napalm cannabis brand ... noting how they were able to survive the unpredictable economy during the 2020 pandemic.

We also gauged his wisdom for the current crop of rappers ... especially with so many of them dying or getting incarcerated at the height of their careers. X suggests the community should band together in order to set up the next generation for a better experience.

City Girls' JT apparently had a lovers quarrel with Lil Uzi Vert going into Thanksgiving weekend when she told her 2.6 million followers she was a single woman -- but the two have since patched things up.

The City Girl threw a huge 30th birthday party over the weekend where Uzi blessed her with a brand new set of luxury wheels!!!

The "Just Wanna Rock" rapper capped off her Miami bash by surprising his boo with a black x black Rolls-Royce Cullinan ... instantly inducing waterworks all over her face. We're told he bought the whip from RD Whittington, owner of Wires Only.

Following the double R reveal, JT trumped her previous tweet with more affectionate ones ... proclaiming Uzi to be the "g.o.a.t." boyfriend and revealed that her heart was full.

The inside of JT's party was just as lit as her lifestyle -- Yung Miami and Saucy Santana were a living rich flex and the venue was decked out with large billboards containing some of JT's most memorable lyrics.

The two are amongst hip hop's most generous power couple. JT actually blessed Uzi with a Mercedes-Benz V-Class and a BMW G 310 R Sport motorcycle for his birthday last August.

NBA YoungBoy spent 8 minutes unloading the weight of the world in his new track "This Not a Song 'This For My Supporters'" ... and offered up some advice to Kanye West after yet another tumultuous week.

Midway through the track, YB laments over Kanye cracking under the pressure and urged him to stay strong rapping, "It hurt my heart that Kanye let them people break his soul/How the f**k that go? N**ga, stand your own n**ga, hold your ground, you strong!"

The Louisiana rapper even suggested he'd give Kanye a couple of pointers on how to kill all his demons ... in the name of good, of course.

Ye will need at least two years of good karma if he's going to secure the Presidential bid he's currently campaigning for but it sounds like YB is gunning for his spot in the White House!!!

YB also dedicated some lyrical space to plenty of other eye-popping topics. He threatened to sue The Shade Room for alleged misquotes ... and says he'll kick out any woman who plays GloRilla's 'F.N.F.' hit song around him because it's the opposite of his character.

Despite the aggressive tone of the track, YB repeatedly demands people "stop the violence" and even defended his hometown Baton Rogue's quality of life.

LL Cool J is all for Nas and 21 Savage settling their differences in the studio ... even in the competitive arena known as hip hop!!!

We linked with Mr. Rock the Bells outside the Kennedy Center Honors Sunday night, and he had nothing but praise for "One Mic, One Gun" ... the end result of the fever started by 21 when he referred to Nas as "irrelevant" in terms of the current rap scene.

LL tells TMZ Hip Hop all generations of rappers should rock together for the sake of the culture ... but he's still fine with lyrical clashes on wax.

LL has had a full cow's share of beefs in the rap game -- infamously dissing Kool Moe Dee, Ice-T and MC Hammer on his 1990 song "To da Break of Dawn," and also partaking in one of the most memorable battles in history when he squared off against Canibus later that decade.

Sacha Baron Cohen did his classic 'Borat' bit to go after Kanye West during the Kennedy Center Honors, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband was among those applauding ... as he made his first public appearance since he was attacked.

The actor/comedian reprised his iconic role for a speech Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., where George Clooney, Gladys Knight, U2 and a few other artists were honored.

During the ceremony, SBC came out dressed as the misunderstood Kazak journalist and went right after Ye's antisemitic remarks, saying ... "Before I proceed, I will say I am very upset about the antisemitism in US and A. It not fair. Kazakhstan is number 1 Jew-crushing nation. Stop stealing our hobby. Stop the steal! Stop the steal!”

He added, "Your Kanye, he tried to move to Kazakhstan and even changed his name to Kazakhstanye West. But, we said: No, he too antisemitic, even for us."

If you're unfamiliar, the 'Borat' character is known for making antisemitic jabs -- but everyone knows it's ironic humor, because Sacha is Jewish.

He even sang a parody of U2's "With or Without You," changing the lyrics to "With or Without Jews."

Later in the evening, Borat got lost and Sacha reappeared as his normal self.

Now, while his standup was certainly a highlight from the night, seeing Paul Pelosi in the building, alongside Rep. Pelosi was just as eye-opening.

It marked his first public outing since an attacker struck him with a hammer, back in October, inside the Pelosis' San Fran home.

Paul's skull was damaged, and required surgery ... but at the Kennedy Center, he seemed to have recovered well. He was wearing a hat, possibly to conceal his injuries.

Metro Boomin has poignantly tied the theme of his new album to the recent loss of his mother -- inviting dozens of single moms to an NFL game ... with on-field access!!!

The record producer organized an awesome initiative Sunday for the Steelers' game against the Atlanta Falcons, who were hosting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. MB -- who's originally from the area -- had some guests attend on his behalf ... a lot of them, in fact.

You see ... Metro bought tickets for 26 mothers from around the country as well as their children -- which made for a mini family parade through the tunnel and onto the main stage pre-kickoff.

Not just that, but the group here also got to stand next to the Falcons players for the national anthem ... so, better than a front-row seat. They were the main attraction! Metro himself did not attend -- our sources tell us he wanted the mama bears to have the spotlight.

It was a pretty awesome moment, to say the least ... and the reason Metro did it, we're told, was two-pronged -- one, he wanted to honor his own late mother, who tragically died.

At the same time, Metro wanted to recognize single moms for the heroes they are ... which ties into his latest project, "HEROES & VILLAINS," which is out now.

We're told this effort -- which Metro calls "Single Moms Are Superheroes," in partnership with the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation -- is a way to help these ladies amid struggles they might face as solo parents. With this nonprofit he's established, they can now get more assistance than they might otherwise receive.

Back in 2004, Snoop Dogg was stylin’ and profilin’ in his Snoop DeVille for 50 Cent’s "P.I.M.P. Remix" video, and now you can roll just like him ... 'cause the classic whip's up for grabs!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Christian Bonilla, the current owner of the car ... and he has a pretty interesting tale about how it came into his possession.

Snoop’s DeVille -- a customized 1966 Cadillac lowrider -- was virtually a family heirloom at one point and even took home the "top interior" prize at the 2006 General Motors car competition.

Christian tells us Snoop’s late roll dogg, Uncle Junebug, was especially fond of the car and loved taking it for a spin. Unfortunately, we're told Snoop blew the engine, so it was just taking up space in his car lot.

Eventually, a friend of Christian’s made Snoop an offer and shipped the car to Christian.

The car is mostly intact aside from the engine that was replaced and an audio upgrade … and we bet "Still D.R.E." sounds amazing in the speakers!!!

Christian says he’s currently fielding offers for the pimpmobile, so he doesn’t have an asking price set just yet.

Before this cute guy in his Batman tee turned into a global performer, he was just throwing on his hockey skates, heading to practice and working on becoming an actor while growing up in The Great White North.

After starring in a drama series on the CTV network for 7 seasons, he propelled himself big time into the music scene and "Nothing Was The Same." When he's not selling out concert venues around the world, you can catch him partying with icon Martha Stewart.

Need one more hint? He goes by numerous nicknames.

Kanye West has reportedly shed at least one alt-right figure from his inner circle -- but it's not necessarily the guy you might want to see go first from the outside looking in.

Per Daily Beast journo Will Sommer, Milo Yiannopoulos has been fired from Ye's campaign team -- this following his crash-and-burn interview with Alex Jones earlier this week, not to mention a bunch of others that have gone up in flames and made KW look bad.

Sommer says Milo was booted after "a series of disastrous media appearances that saw the candidate praising Hitler." He adds that in an email, Milo wrote that there was a mutual conclusion reached that he oughta step away ... and it sounds like he has.

So, the question ... what about Nick Fuentes, the self-proclaimed white nationalist who's had Ye's ear for several weeks or so? Sommer reports his status in the Ye camp isn't quite as clear, but suspects the dude's probably safe ... for now.

Fuentes was alongside Kanye during the InfoWars interview, whereas Milo wasn't ... which seems to suggest this change happened over the past few days. Then again, we got video of NF at an In-N-Out just 2 days ago, without Kanye in sight, so who knows what's going on.

As for Milo ... well, it's probably for the best. Despite his efforts to get Kanye on different conservative-leaning podcasts of late -- a lot of them crumbled, like when he walked off the set of Tim Pool's podcast earlier in the week after some pushback on his antisemitism.

No word if Ye was holding that against Milo -- as opposed to, you know, himself -- but in any case ... it sounds like Kanye wants to pursue the presidency without him (and yes, that does in fact seem to be a thing again, YE24).

Travis Scott was the show to watch Saturday night during Art Basel weekend.

Travis hit the state at E11EVEN nightclub in Miami. Celebs were out in force watching ... including Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan ... so they're still a thing.

Lots of celebs in town, including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Serena Williams, who went club hopping Friday. night. Unclear if they hit up the Travis concert, but it's a good bet they did.

Leonardo DiCaprio was in town, cavorting with lots of beautiful women on a superyacht. Miami mogul David Grutman was in the middle of it all ... he owns just about every hot spot in the city.