TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

R. Kelly just dropped the biggest surprise album of 2022 ... a project called "I Admit It" with lyrics that address the years of allegations leveled against the disgraced singer.

The 13-song album features tracks with titles like "I Found Love," "Good Ole Days" and "Freaky Sensation."

But his last 3 tracks might be the most revealing -- it's a 3-part piece called "I Admit it (I Did It)," where he unloads a ton of stuff he's done in the past. He put the full 19-minute track on SoundCloud back in 2018, but this marks the first time it's made it to Apple or Spotify.

In it, R. Kelly talks about helping people that ended up turning against him ... before admitting to a laundry list of things -- including "I done f***ed with a couple of fans" and says he even slept with his girlfriend's friend.

He digs even deeper, "How they gon' say I don't respect these women when all I've done is represent" ... and "You mad I've got some girlfriends."

R. Kelly directly addresses the allegations as the tracks go on ... saying, "They're brainwashed, really? Kidnapped, really? Can't eat, really? Real talk, that s*** sound silly."

While it's unclear exactly who he's talking about, he also seems to blame the parents of one of his female flings for introducing them. Saying, "And if you really, really wanna know. Her father dropped her off at my show. And told this boy to put her on the stage. I admit that she was overage."

As we reported, Spotify made the call back in 2018 to stop promoting his music when allegations about running a sex cult continued to pick up steam ... but it sounds like R. Kelly's made it back to the platform with his telling tracks.

Freddie Gibbs' love for Tupac quickly turned into jokes during a recent visit to the popular basketball podcast "All The Smoke" ... after Matt Barnes outed a crew member whose mother once dated the late rap icon.

The crew member gave himself away off-screen by putting his head down when Matt dropped the bombshell ... derailing the convo with merciless jokes.

Freddie and Matt immediately launched on the guy ... with Freddie quipping the opening lyrics to Pac's classic sex romp "How Do U Want It" which was dedicated to the guy's mother.

Despite being in awe of Tupac and even owning up to emulating his shaved head, Freddie admitted his fandom for Pac would've shrunk if he was a teenager during such a relationship.

Stephen Jackson tried to keep the peace but Matt laid the jokes on even thicker ... claiming the poor guy had to suffer when Mr. "I Get Around" paid his house a visit. 🙈

Russ knows his worth as an artist ... and according to his calculations, record labels are gonna need more than 8-figures to lockdown his catalog!!!

On his new song "Too Much," Russ humbly brags about turning down a $50 million deal to buy out his discography ... further detailing his investment savvy later in the track.

A post on Russ' TikTok account also indicated selling his catalog would've been the equivalent of selling his soul ... and he apparently likes living, so the songs are staying with him for now.

He didn't reveal his failed bidders but his last major label venture was with Columbia Records before he ended things to start his own Diemon musical imprint earlier this year.

The last time we spoke to Russ ... he scolded ALL rappers for still signing to record labels, as he's adamant artists have all the tools at their disposal to DIY ... which is totally the "CHOMP" rapper's mantra these days.

He recently gave fans and artists a tutorial on recording songs -- from out of a suitcase while on the road!!!

Rappers are often dinged for their lack of unity, but some of the industry's biggest OGs, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40 and Too $hort are showing the culture how to get money as the supergroup Mount Westmore ... and they just dropped their debut album together!!!

The four rap legends put their love for Cali rap on display with the 16-track effort ... with production from the likes of Rick Rock, Ant Banks, Big Zeke, Soopafly, Kato On the Track, Fredwreck, Dem Jointz, ProHoeZak, and others.

Cube, E-40 and $hort have been holding down the campaign trail on platforms like RapCaViar for Snoop ... who's currently out in the boonies shooting a movie, but the story goes, it was a simple round of phone calls to make the group an actual thing.

Mount Westmore says they're spitting ageism culture in hip hop in the face, All four superstars are over the age of 50 but feel like they're in their prime as artists. That's what you call "dangerous MCs!!!"

Meek Mill is eager to teach his billionaire pal Michael Rubin the latest hip hop dance craze ... but the problem is, neither of them can actually nail the moves!!!

The Philly rap legend went live on Instagram with the Fanatics founder Thursday night at a party where Lil Uzi Vert's red-hot "Just Wanna Rock" came on, and attempted to play dance instructor ... with hilarious results.

Meek attempted to get low with Mike with a little hip action, but was clearly out of sync and Mike eventually threw in the towel to return to his drink. 😂

The dance simulates riding a dirt bike, which Uzi loves doing, so fans really don't need much rhythm ... even if they do look a little silly!!!

Uzi's official video for "Just Wanna Rock" dropped last month, and already has more than 500 million TikTok impressions -- most of which contain the correct dance moves.

NAV's taking his 2022 success -- his third No. 1 rap album, "Demons Protected By Angels" -- and rolling it into 2023 with a tour packed with special guests.

The XO rapper unveiled dates Thursday for his upcoming "Never Sleep" Tour ... which, of course, takes its name from his smash hit with Lil Baby and Travis Scott.

Current XXL Freshman SoFayGo and RealestK -- whose "Toxic" song was a mega-popular TikTok meme this year -- will also be opening acts.

As a treat for his Toronto hometown, NAV also recruited Bryson Tiller for a special appearance to shut down the tour on April 11 at Scotiabank Arena.

NAV was just spotted this week supporting his friend Metro Boomin's new "HEROES & VILLAINS" album during the release party.

Metro and NAV go back some years -- they collaborated on their 2017 album "Perfect Timing," and since then each has dominated in their own lanes.

Vince Staples is boosting his acting resume with a cameo on the award-winning sitcom, "Abbott Elementary," and fans are demanding an encore!!!

The Long Beach-bred rapper guest starred as Maurice ... a potential love interest for show creator Quinta Brunson's character, Janine.

The Wednesday night episode also featured NBA champ Andre Iguodala, and it had fans doing double takes all night ... with some even getting all googly-eyed over Vince.

'Abbott' is one of the hottest tickets on TV, winning 3 Primetime Emmys after its first season on the air.

Soulja Boy is getting a kick outta being proved wrong, for a change -- after Shaquille O'Neal stepped up to make it clear HE is the first "rapper" to possess a one million dollar bill.

Shaq reacted to SB's Instagram video of himself flexing the fake currency ... and essentially said ... sorry, Soulja, I did that way back in '92 when you were just 2.

That would explain why the "Crank Dat" rapper has no recollection of Shaq's feat, but Soulja's taking it well.

SB conceded to Shaq, but added ... he forgot The Big Aristotle rapped back in the day, as the NBA HOF'er has been moonlighting as a DJ for years now. Shaq actually dropped 4 rap albums, the last one coming in 1998.

He didn't post hard evidence of his $1M bill, but there's no doubt he has experience spending big.

Plies is ecstatic about Brittney Griner's release from a Russian prison ... and says there's no reason for Paul Whelan's plight to overshadow the WNBA star's homecoming.

The Florida rapper went on a rant about people, like his cousin, who are focusing on the sad and disappointing fact Whelan -- a retired Marine -- is still in a Russian prison, as he has been for almost 4 years.

Plies acknowledges Whelan's sentence is BS ... but says no one gave a damn about Whelan before BG got detained and turned into a political pawn. He suspects Paul's newfound supporters are really just Brittney haters.

That particular shoe might fit Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons, who has since apologized for initially reacting to the news with an outcry for Paul. For what it's worth, Whelan himself told CNN Thursday he's disappointed in Biden for not making a deal for his release.

The embattled WNBA star was released Thursday in exchange for "Merchant of Death" arms dealer Viktor Bout ... after nearly 10 months of diplomatic negotiations.

Plies says he has a new nickname for President Joe Biden: "Big State Biden"

Jamaican dancehall legend Sizzla is burning a bridge -- almost literally, because he didn't get a big enough credit for his work on some DJ Khaled albums.

The reggae vet lived up to his name Thursday, as he angrily set fire to the commemorative plaques Khaled and Epic Records sent to him. The burning issue for Sizzla?

The font used to print his name on said plaques was way too small!!! 😂

It's a pretty wild setup ... Sizzla and several of his friends cursed Khaled as the devil, and also called the small print disrespectful towards Jamaica as a whole.

Khaled's sons Asahd and Aalam's photos were spared from the inferno -- Sizzla says babies are "innocent" and he still refers to the boys as his godchildren.

Not sure that will still be the case after this stunt.

Fans in Sizzla's Instagram comment section maintained his reaction was overblown -- he's been a valued Khaled collaborator for years.

Sizzla actually appears on the very first track of both Khaled's "Grateful" and "Father Of Asahd" albums ... and is featured on this year's blockbuster "GOD DID" as well.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has been spending a ton of time in the boxing gym recently ... but those looking to see him settle his many beefs in the ring are SOL -- 'cause TMZ Sports is told the rapper is NOT interested in taking a celebrity fight.

The New York rapper hit up the Black Box Gym in Dubai earlier this week ... getting in a workout with 17-3 Iranian boxer Mohammad Ali Bayat Farid.

You can see the 26-year-old look throwing a couple of right hooks at Farid's mitts and working some defensive moves ... all while wearing Crocs.

Despite Tekashi's effort to improve his skills, it's not for any particular reason aside from staying in shape -- even though one would think he could be gearing up for a bout after his recent brawl with DJ Lucasdirty in Dubai.

Tekashi tells us he has "nothing brewing in the boxing world" ... and he's just doing his best to keep off the pounds.

A few years back, Tekashi felt some type of way about being fat-shamed online and vowed to make a change.

"I've been gaining a lot of weight and a lot of people have been calling me fat," Tekashi said in 2018. "They're drawing pictures of me. Instead of drawing me like the regular Tekashi, they're drawing me like fat Tekashi."

"I've been making a lot of money and haven't been caring about my physical appearance. So I want my fans to, like, join me."

Drake is still winning big with his old music -- in addition to his monster 2022 year -- as two of his biggest hits have just reached Diamond status!!!

The RIAA announced Thursday that 2 of Drake's "Views" album singles ... "Hotline Bling" and "One Dance" had crossed the 10 million sales benchmark.

His already-Diamond hit "God's Plan" was also upgraded to Platinum for hitting the 15 mil mark.

"Hotline Bling" was originally a remix to singer DRAM's breakout song "Cha Cha" -- a clash that still lingers today.

Regardless, the song went on to win a pair of Grammys in 2017 for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Song Performance and the video has almost two billion plays.

Drake actually never got around to shooting a video for the dancehall smash "One Dance" but it obviously didn't hurt the song's reach.

The song effectively introduced Wizkid to American audiences and he's now the first Nigerian artist to go Diamond.

Drake was also the No. 3 artist streamed globally this year ... trailing only behind Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny.

Kanye West has lost friends, business deals and billions of dollars for his hatred, and now he can add losing an honorary college degree to his woes ... cause the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has taken it away.

According to a school letter, obtained by TMZ, honchos decided to rescind Ye's degree, stating, "His anti-Black, antisemitic, and incendiary statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities, are disgusting and condemnable".

The letter, written by President Elissa Tenny, continues, "As a community, we know that there are varying opinions on what our School’s response should be––even as we all agree that his behavior is indefensible."

The disgraced rapper was awarded an honorary doctorate back in 2015 for his accomplishments and contributions to art and culture, but Tenny notes, "his actions do not align with SAIC's mission and values."

As we reported, Kanye was on "Infowars" last week claiming his love for Hitler and Nazis.

Drake is catching a stray from Styles P, who is reflecting on the short-lived Nas vs. 21 Savage "beef" ... and thinking Drizzy shoulda nipped the rift in the bud before it bloomed.

The Lox legend was a guest on Math Hoffa's "My Expert Opinion" where he stated he liked, not loved, 21's music ... and added he's not in the same class of rappers as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole or even Drake -- with whom 21 just dropped the "Her Loss" album.

Nas and 21 recently patched things up with a duet track "One Mic, One Gun."

The song's been celebrated as a peaceful follow-up to 21's comments on Clubhouse that Nas was irrelevant -- a move Styles says he would never do despite how much he agreed.

According to Styles, there are actually some legends who suck as lyricists and should bow in his presence ... but he's not here to knock anybody's hustle.

Young Nudy is looking to do serious bodily harm to whoever's stealing his unreleased tracks and putting them on the Internet ... and, frankly, he has the beating all planned out.

Nudy hopped onto Instagram fuming with rage after learning a whopping 172 of his songs were placed onto a popular illegal music download site.

Previously unreleased songs from other Atlanta-based rap stars -- Future, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Gunna -- also hit the platform, but it's Nudy who's springing into action ... promising to take his sweet time sniffing out the culprit.

Nudy denied being friendly like other rappers, and says when he finds the hack, he won't hesitate to pull up to deliver a royal ass whooping!!! Sounds like he means it, too.

Lil Uzi Vert has his first Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America -- thanks to his infectious 2017 bop "XO TOUR Llif3."

Diamond awards are handed out for 10 million sold, and "XO TOUR Llif3" actually sits comfortably above that line at 11 million units sold to date!!!

Produced by TM88 and JW Lucas, the song spiked massive emo moods upon its release. Uzi detailed his then-fizzling relationship with ex-girlfriend Brittany Byrd and wailed on the track about all his friends being dead ... presidents.

Uzi's Generation Now label boss DJ Drama tells TMZ Hip Hop the song was actually in jeopardy of being leaked after Uzi lost his phone while on tour with The Weeknd at the time.

To get ahead of the blunder, Drama says they put out a preliminary EP on SoundCloud -- "Luv Is Rage 1.5" -- with "XO TOUR Llif3" being a featured track.

Drama says he and the team watched the track blow up in real-time, which leads us to the present day ... 11 million sold, baby!!!

TM88 is also popping his ish on Twitter ... throwing a subtle jab at DJ Khaled's recently resurfaced 2015 comments where he dissed FL Studio -- the program that made "XO TOUR Llif3" possible in the first place!!!