TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Angela Yee says folks need to ease up on labeling Gunna a snitch -- just because he copped a plea deal in the YSL RICO case, she doesn't believe the rapper would ever sing to the feds.

We got the longtime 'Breakfast Club' host at the Allure Store in NYC, and asked her about Gunna's release this week from jail -- a move that's seemingly turned everyone on social media into legal experts, comparing him to Tekashi 6ix9ine ... who infamously ratted to get out of prison.

Angela admits she's no lawyer, but did tell us why she's hesitant to place the snitch label on Gunna.

As we reported, Gunna walked free Wednesday from the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, ending his 7 months of incarceration.

The Grammy-nominated rapper pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge as part of a pre-negotiated plea known as an Alford plea and was sentenced to 5 years behind bars ... with one of those years commuted for time served and the remaining 4 suspended, pending special conditions and community service.

Angela doesn't think Young Thug has any problem with Gunna's plea deal -- she believes Thug didn't want to see Gunna locked up with him in the first place.

Megan Thee Stallion's former bestie, Kelsey Nicole Harris, still has a bad case of courtroom amnesia, and about all she can recall is ... Tory Lanez didn't pay her off.

Kelsey was back on the stand Thursday for her second day of testimony in Tory's trial for allegedly shooting Meg in her feet -- and much like Wednesday, Kelsey's suddenly claiming she doesn't remember any details from the night of the shooting.

Under cross-examination, Tory's attorney asked Kelsey if Tory paid her anything and she said, "No. I want to make it very clear ... Tory didn't pay me anything."

That was pretty much her longest response all day. Earlier, the prosecution asked if she remembered telling them during a September interview "that Tory tried to bribe you?" She said, "I don't remember what I said in September."

She also did not recall telling prosecutors in September that Tory fired the gun, or seeing Megan limping after the gunshots were fired that night in July 2020.

As for why she's apparently changing her story from September, Kelsey said she was "receiving pressure" back then. When asked from what or whom ... she offered the oddly vague, "from everything."

When asked squarely, "Who shot [Megan]?" ... Kelsey said, "I don't know."

On Wednesday, Kelsey swore under oath she wasn't the one who pulled the trigger, which, logically speaking, only leaves Tory and the driver of the SUV as potential suspects ... and no one's ever alleged the driver fired the shots.

She also repeatedly said "no" when asked if she was afraid of Tory, or if she'd spoken to him or Meg or their attorneys.

Kelsey, who prior to yesterday everyone believed would be the key witness, will be back on the stand after a lunch break.

We smell a bunch of one-word responses coming. Stay tuned!

Gucci Mane is demanding justice for his artist Pooh Shiesty ... after claiming he was transferred to a prison where he's being subjected to cruel and unusual conditions.

The 1017 Records label boss fired off his accusations Wednesday, tweeting about Pooh only getting one hour out of his cell each day, and getting food trays ... without any food on them.

Gucci's allegation is echoed by Pooh's attorney Bradford Cohen, who claims his client has been in 23-hour lockdown each day ... for about the last 6 months at FCI Pollock in Louisiana.

He also claims prison officials are screwing with Pooh's mail -- holding back letters from family and fans, and blocking mail he sends out to loved ones.

Cohen says it took him 2 to 3 weeks just to set an appointment with Pooh, and claims his family's having an even harder time visiting him.

We're told when Pooh was convicted for firearm possession -- related to a 2020 shootout in southern Florida -- he asked to do his time at a prison about 200 miles from his Tennessee home. Instead, he was sent to Pollock ... which is about 1500 miles away from his kinfolk.

Distance aside, he can't have visitors while in lockdown, anyway -- so Cohen says it's a virtual impossibility for Pooh to see his fam.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the specific allegations -- but said there are several factors that determine where an inmate is placed ... such as the level of supervision needed and/or medical needs.

Megan Thee Stallion's ex-best friend is the key witness who, all of a sudden, doesn't seem to remember much about the night in question ... which amounted to a wild day in court.

Kelsey Nicole Harris -- who was the other woman in the car with Tory Lanez and MTS during the 2020 shooting -- caused fireworks Wednesday when she was called to the stand by the prosecution ... almost immediately asking for immunity in the case, and receiving it for her testimony.

Despite this, Kelsey proved to be an incredibly difficult witness during direct examination ... attempting to invoke her 5th Amendment rights constantly, and often asking the judge if she had to answer certain questions -- hesitantly doing so when she did actually talk.

What she definitively testified to Wednesday, under oath, was that she did NOT shoot Megan Thee Stallion -- contradicting the defense's theory that she could've pulled the trigger.

Now, as for who she says did the shooting ... unclear. At one point, Kelsey did testify that Tory threatened to shoot her (Kelsey) -- but later on the stand, Kelsey seemed to backtrack ... saying sworn statements she'd given investigators in the lead-up to this trial weren't entirely truthful, despite being played back recordings of her saying just that back in September.

Prosecutors clearly wanted her to point the finger at Tory -- but so far, Kelsey has not done that ... and it could have a disastrous impact on the prosecution’s case.

Of course, another way to look at this ... by process of elimination, if Kelsey is denying doing the shooting -- and with the driver never having been accused whatsoever -- one could surmise there's only one person left who could have fired the shots -- Tory Lanez.

Jay-Z’s 2022 didn’t involve much rapping … but his year-end playlist proves he kept his ear to the street!!!

Hov released his self-picked playlist on Wednesday via TIDAL, which featured many of the notable artists and tracks of the year -- including Lil Uzi Vert’s spaced-out “Just Wanna Rock,” his wife Beyoncé’s “Plastic Off The Sofa” (which got an extra nod in the cover photo) and Drake and 21 Savage’s Billboard-topper “Jimmy Cooks.”

From his own discog, Hov selected his feature off Pusha T’s “Neck & Wrist” ... largely memorable for being a response to Faizon Love’s pesky disses ... as well as his show-stealing verse from DJ Khaled’s “God Did" track.

Hov rapped for 4 minutes straight ... and the song is currently up for three nominations at the 2023 Grammy Awards -- how could he not close the playlist with that banger?!?

Morocco's time in the World Cup might be done ... but French Montana made sure this year's team will never be forgotten -- immortalizing the squad with a new song on Wednesday.

The Casablanca native dropped the new tune just before the national team's epic World Cup run came to an end against France ... and it's awesome.

French Montana rapped in fluent Arabic over a dance beat -- and spliced in highlights of the team in the song's music video.

The 38-year-old also included in the vid clips of his wild celebration with fellow Moroccans in Times Square earlier this month.

French had hoped the song would inspire the team against France in the tournament's semifinal game ... but he said he considered a loss still a win for his home country.

"If they lose, they still win because Morocco has never made it this far," French said. "I'm so proud of this team and to call Morocco my home."

Morocco was blanked in their contest with France ... but they still have a chance to win third place in the tournament -- when they take on Croatia on Saturday.

Gunna has ended his months-long incarceration by pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge in the YSL RICO case.

The Grammy-nominated rapper entered a pre-negotiated plea known as an Alford plea Wednesday and was sentenced to 5 years -- with one year commuted for the time he's already served. The remaining 4 will be suspended, pending community service and other special conditions.

In a statement, Gunna says he didn’t think of YSL as a gang circa 2016 when his rap career began to pop off, and only focused only on the entertainment aspects … even if it meant an exaggeration of the “Black urban” lifestyle.

He also laid emphasis that his guilty plea didn’t mean any cooperation against any other YSL members … and his Alford plea acknowledges his own association with YSL.

Gunna says he’s looking forward to giving back to his community and wants to youth to know that gangs and violence are gateways to their destruction.

Diddy is taking full advantage of all the attention his new baby's getting by releasing his new song, “Sex in the Porsche” ... totally unrelated to the baby news, we're sure!

The sultry track features PARTYNEXTDOOR and is produced by Nyan and Diddy ... with Brother Love rapping and bragging about flying chicks in and out of his stable.

Diddy also reminds fans he's the true OG with the classic Biggie line, "Don't leave your girl 'round me/True player for real, ask Puff Daddy."

Naturally, the song brings attention back to the fact Diddy suddenly announced he had a baby girl named Love Sean Combs back in October -- and all the subsequent drama that news brought.

Diddy defended his relationship with Yung Miami amid the controversy, but he might have to do a bit more damage control on her behalf.

The City Girls rapper is currently going at it with her frequent nemesis Gina Huynh and things are getting ugly!!

“Sex in the Porsche” is Diddy's second Love Records/Motown single following the Bryson Tiller collaboration “Gotta Move On,” a track that helped Diddy make history with his son King Combs.

Diddy's son Christian "King" Combs was all smiles trekking through West Hollywood, and for good reason ... he's got a new baby sister!!!

Christian was spotted leaving LAVO Ristorante Wednesday, and when asked about shouldering the Bad Boy empire he eagerly replied his hard work was going towards supporting his family.

A fitting statement, as you know, as Christian's family just got a little bigger. His dad just revealed he welcomed a baby girl back in October named Love Sean Combs with 28-year-old cyber security specialist Dana Tran. Christian reveals he's met his new baby sister.

While Lil' Love has a few years before she's able to do the Diddy Bop dance, Christian is steadily laying down the foundation for her to get jiggy with it when she gets older.

His Kodak Black collab "Can't Stop Won't Stop" recently went No. 1 on Billboard's U.S. Urban Radio chart, making for one of the hottest rap songs of the year!!!

DJ Akademiks revealed on his Tuesday night Twitch broadcast that Diddy actually DM'ed over his Yung Miami "side chick" comments ... so now he's bowing out gracefully on the topic!!!

Ak took the blame for fanning the flames following Diddy's newest baby announcement ... and vowed not to meddle in Diddy's multi-women affairs.

Diddy's public tweets were also dissected with humor, but Ak took heed to the underlying "threat" and knew it was serious when Miami was tagged in the PSA.

As Ak was making amends on his end ... Miami and Gina Huynh, however, reignited their beef in the wake of baby No. 7.

Gina took a direct shot at Miami ... captioning a TikTok "City Girls down 1000" in reference to Miami's loyalty and fandom to Diddy.

Miami exploded on Twitter ... dousing Gina with put-downs about her race and claiming Diddy just uses her as an oral sex toy.

Things are getting messy ... let's see if Ak is able to sit back and watch the show without commentating!!! 🍿

Offset is finding reasons to smile again ... hanging with his wife Cardi B, her sister Hennessy and other friends and fam during his 31st celebration in Jamaica.

The Migos rapper puffed on a massive J Wednesday as he was serenaded with Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" song ... capping off a feast of giant lobsters and other various seafood at the Lobster Dave Seafood Restaurant and Sports Bar in Ocho Rios.

Cardi hypnotized Offset with sexy looks all night ... and the group took shots and danced the night away in the Jamaican moonlight!!!

Offset's had a rough 2022 due to the untimely death of his Migos brother Takeoff ... with Cardi even admitting she was in a hopeless bind attempting to cheer up her hubby.

Grief doesn't end overnight ... but at least Offset is feeling the love today!!!

R. Kelly's team called police claiming hundreds of his master recordings were stolen ... and now his camp thinks that could be behind the unauthorized release of the new "I Admit It" album.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the Kelly master recordings were reported missing back in February ... swiped from an Illinois storage facility.

Cops say a man named Keith Calbert called to report a theft, telling officers he oversees the Kelly property being stored in the warehouse. Calbert told police several hundred of Kelly's recordings were missing, and he valued them in the millions of dollars.

It's interesting ... cops say Calbert told them 2 roadies removed the masters from the warehouse 9 months prior, and took them to California. Police say Calbert also told them he had advised one of the roadies to bring back the recordings ... but was told he needed to pay $160,000 for their return.

Police say Calbert showed them 10 empty shelves he said used to be completely full, and estimated between 300 to 500 missing recordings.

It's unclear why Kelly's team waited so long to make the report. In any event, cops say they investigated but it didn't go anywhere, so the case was closed with no arrests.

TMZ broke the story ... R. Kelly claims he had nothing to do with the recently released, 13-track "I Admit It" album.

His legal team says they're trying to find out who uploaded the music to Spotify and Apple Music, and those 2 roadies are high on their list of people to contact.

Lil Wayne's signature hit "Lollipop" is now certified DIAMOND by the Recording Industry Association of America ... adding yet another sparkling notch in the Young Money CEO's storied career!!!

After the RIAA announcement Wednesday morning, an appreciative Lil Wayne sent out a video thanking all the 10 million fans who bought the song -- noting it was sales, not streams that got him the Diamond plaque.

"Lollipop" was released as the first single from Wayne's 2008 blockbuster album "Tha Carter 3." The album sold one million records in just a week ... so it's no surprise the party-starter "Lollipop" hit the Diamond mark.

Wayne also sent out a special RIP to the song's collaborator Static Major ... who'd also worked with artists like Aaliyah and Timbaland. Static died from health complications in 2008 shortly before "Lollipop" was released.

"Lollipop" spent a total of 5 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and officially kicked off the digital era of rap singles selling like hotcakes!!!

Jadakiss and Styles P are excited about their upcoming concert series ... especially since it puts their patented bob-and-weave rhyme patterns on display for the NYC crowd!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with both Jada and Styles ahead of their co-headlining “Back to Back” concert series -- which happens this Friday, Dec. 16 at the famed venue Irving Plaza.

The LOX members are especially hyped for this particular show for a couple of reasons -- one being showcasing “in and out” rap styles ... and the other being it's sponsored by about a dozen cannabis brands, including some hailing from the West Coast.

New York legalized 420 for recreational use back in Oct. 2021, and Styles took advantage this past summer ... celebrating the 20th anniversary of his stoner anthem, "Good Times," with a live show similar to their upcoming gig.

Styles tells us after so many years in the industry, they're happy to be in control of the business side. Jada notes additional bells and whistles -- like the cannabis bonus -- are vital to keeping fans engaged, or high, at shows these days!!!

Despite the good times ahead, hip hop has suffered tremendous blows this year ... and as elder statesmen of the culture, Styles and Jada are squarely blaming music execs and radio programmers for allowing "problematic" music to run rampant these days.

Styles uses drill music for his example ... and notes how it's incredibly nearsighted to blame a lowly kid with no ability to get their songs into the machine's rotation.

They admit everyone in the industry needs to step up, but the powers that be need to be held accountable as they're the ones cutting the checks.

Looking ahead to the show, we're told fans can expect to hear "in and out" style performances like "We Gonna Make It" and "Keepin' It Gangsta" and there'll be additional appearances from Neek Bucks, Flawless and more artists too.

Tory Lanez has an answer for all the critics questioning why he’d bring his young son to his shooting trial involving Meg Thee Stallion ... and it’s all about support.

The rapper was in full-on dad mode Tuesday as he left the courthouse where Meg testified he shot her and wished he had killed her ... carrying his son on his back as he jogged out to his ride.

Tory was peppered with questions about the trial, including why he chose to bring his 5-year-old son, Kai'Lon, to court ... with Tory explaining how father and son are a support system for one another.

When Tory and his son arrived at court earlier in the day they raised eyebrows online ... because his kid has literally nothing to do with the case.

As we reported ... Megan's testimony was super emotional, touching on the impact this case is having on her ... including the notion that she wishes she was dead instead of having to deal with the trial.

YNW Melly says he fears for his life inside Broward County jail, and his mother is taking him at his word ... and demanding immediate action before there's a turn for the worse.

Jamie Demons-King says she's tried to get some relief from the judge in Melly's case, but is taking action into her own hands now by bringing the matter straight to the county commissioner.

The "Murder on My Mind" rapper called out specific guards in 2 IG posts this week, accusing them of threatening to beat him up and isolate him from the other inmates.

Melly also says his phone privileges have been revoked and feels like he has a target on his back. Jamie tells us she's feeling helpless over her son's predicament.

She says Christmas Day is her birthday and all she wants for a gift would be to talk to Melly ... but she's not certain it's going to happen.

We reached out to the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office, but haven't heard back yet.