TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Lil Uzi Vert's decision to add his Young Thug and Gunna collab "Strawberry Peels" to the deluxe version of his last album could prove to be a costly one ... the Generation Now rhymer is being sued over the song.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Uzi, Thug, Gunna, the song's producer Wheezy, as well as the record labels Atlantic and Generation Now are being sued by Sun City Publishing for allegedly stealing samples from Blackout's 1995 song called "Dim Da Lights."

Sun City claims it never gave Uzi permission to sample the track and says "Strawberry Peels" has been a huge success since its release ... amassing over 39 million Spotify streams and more than 4 million plays on YouTube.

Sun City believes the song has raked in well over $1 million dollars and now it wants at least that much in damages.

The suit obviously spells more bad news for Thug and Gunna ... remember, both were tied into the RICO criminal cases in Georgia.

Ludacris' former Disturbing The Peace artist Shawnna had her birthday celebration disrupted this week ... thanks to a rather salacious Keith Murray interview where he claimed to have performed oral sex on her.

The veteran Chicago rapper broke from swimming in paradise on Thursday to fend off the newfound attention her Instagram account had been receiving ... referring to Keith as a "leaf head" while advising his followers to leave her the hell alone!!!

Keith was a recent guest on "The Art of Dialogue," a platform where rappers are known to crash out with their stories ... and the Def Squad OG didn't disappoint those lurkers looking for drama.

He said he ignored alleged advice from Ludacris to avoid Shawnna ... before Keith claims to have had a pretty heavy oral sex rendezvous with her in a Mercedes, and is still clamoring for more.

Akademiks is sticking up for himself against Young Thug's family support group, but says he wants the same thing they do -- a fair and impartial trial for the embattled YSL Records leader.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Thug's sister Dolly White and Lil Gotit this week, and they accused Ak of false reporting in the case -- an accusation he's denying, while making it clear he understands the delicate nature of the case.

According to Ak's sources, Thug isn't vibing with the onslaught of plea deals his YSL cohorts have taken in the RICO case -- but Gotit and Dolly insinuated that's not true, telling us only they know Thug's true feelings.

Ak says he understands Thug's words could be classified as witness intimidation in the courtroom, so he has to choose his words carefully.

YSL's top signee Gunna, label co-founder Walter "DK" Murphy and even Thug's own brother Unfoonk are among the individuals who have taken plea deals so far -- Ak says he doesn't want to hear about Thug slamming those decisions after the fact.

Bobby Shmurda is firmly and loudly promoting a "no snitch" policy with a new song, and the lyrics have some fans believing he's sniping Gunna, lyrically at least!!!

On Wednesday night, Bobby dropped a couple of teasers for “Rat N*****" ... and in both clips, he passionately recited the lyrics while in the studio.

As for why people think he's mocking Gunna for his highly publicized plea deal, consider these lyrics -- "Took a plea deal … left your dog in that pen … why they playback in that courtroom, keeps playing back in his head."

Bobby's loyalty is famously documented. In 2016, he took a plea deal that added 2 years to his prison sentence in order to get 5 years shaved off his labelmate Rowdy Rebel's criminal case.

Quavo broke weeks of silence today via his Takeoff tribute song, "Without You" ... an act of therapy French Montana says he got to witness leading up to the track's release!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with French Thursday in Queens, where he revealed he was privy to Quavo's new track before it dropped, and shared a recap from the star-studded NYE blowout in St. Barts.

French says he did his best in cheering up Quavo and even gave him advice from the heart ... which he says was, basically, don't wallow in depression for the rest of your life.

Drake, Diddy, Yung Miami, Lil Baby and Meek Mill were among the celebs partying last weekend on the Caribbean island, and French pretty much confirmed what fans' speculated based on pics of Quavo down there -- that he's still reeling from Takeoff's death.

French thinks Takeoff would want Quavo to keep grinding, and he's happy to see him making music again ... but he isn't naive about the pain he's feeling.

FM actually dealt with the death of his best friend and Coke Boys artist Chinx during a pivotal time in his career.

Chinx was gunned down in May 2015 and his widow, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, recently compiled an album to keep his musical legacy alive, much like French says Diddy did for Biggie after his 1997 murder.

Quavo has honored his late nephew and Migos co-captain Takeoff on his new track … and it’s incredibly moving material.

For the new single "Without You," Quavo created a lyric visualizer featuring him sitting solemnly in the studio … as a giant blunt burned in his hand.

The lyrics are just as somber … Quavo laments over the good times he and Takeoff shared while also shedding light on the fact that the family took the loss hard this past Christmas.

The video concludes with Quavo’s lyrics being folded into a paper rocket ship and blasting off into space, a clear tribute to Takeoff’s rocket mantra.

The timing of the track's release doesn't appear to be a coincidence, either.

Theophilus London is safe and sound ... according to his family members, who've been trying to track him down for months.

His cousin Mikhail Noel, who was leading the charge to find him, took to IG on Wednesday to announce that the family found Theo and he is safe and well.

He wrote, "Truly appreciate everyone’s support in finding my cousin. It’s refreshing and rewarding to have such a strong support system of family and friends!!! God bless each and everyone of you all. ❤️❤️🙏🏾".

His father told NBC, friends spotted him walking down the streets of West L.A. He says Theo will be catching a flight soon to New York to "recuperate and to regenerate and get himself together" ... and be with his family.

There's no further detail yet about where he's been or why he lost contact with family and friends for nearly 6 months.

The suspect charged with murdering Migos rapper Takeoff is no longer behind bars.

Patrick Xavier Clark posted $1 million bond and walked out of Harris County Jail in Texas Wednesday night.

His initial bond was set at $2 million, but the court dropped the amount after his lawyers, Carl Moore and Letitia Quinones, argued it was excessive and, therefore, unconstitutional. Texas law requires that bond not be used to hold defendants (i.e. financially speaking) ... but rather to ensure their return to court. Clark surrendered his passport to the judge.

Now that Clark is out ... he must abide by the conditions of his release. According to court documents, he will submit to house arrest and have no contact with certain people connected to the case -- including Takeoff's family and music exec J Prince and his relatives. Clark is also barred from possessing deadly weapons and must wear a GPS monitor so law enforcement can track his movements.

As we reported ... Clark was arrested in December and charged with the murder of Takeoff. Police tied Clark to the crime mainly by using surveillance and cell phone footage to identify him.

TMZ broke the story ... Takeoff and his Migos collaborator, Quavo, were partying with about 30 people at a bowling alley in Houston on Nov. 1. Video shows some of the attendees getting into an altercation, which quickly escalated into violence.

Clark allegedly pulled a gun and squeezed off several shots ... Takeoff was fatally struck in the head and torso. What's worse ... the hip hop star was an unarmed innocent bystander, who had NO involvement in the initial argument.

Young Thug's name has been floating all over social media in wake of the YSL plea deals but 2 of his biggest supporters -- his sister Dolly White and his protégé Lil Gotit -- say just about everything people see is cap!!!

We caught Gotit and Dolly out in LAX earlier this week and they doubled down on the notion that no one has spoken to Young Thug ... especially about how Thug feels about Gunna's Alford plea deal.

Gunna has been catching a lot of flak in the hip hop community and judging from Gotit and Dolly's reactions when we brought the "Drip Too Hard" rapper's name up ... there's definitely some lingering tension in the camp!!! 👀

On Tuesday, a man who claimed to talk to Thug through rapper YNW BSlime said Thug disapproved of the onslaught of pretrial pleas, but Gotit and Dolly say they're the only credible source.

They both recently spoke to their big brother Jeff and say he's in good spirits. Dolly also called out Akademiks for posting information she says is big 🧢!!!

To date, rappers Slimelife Shawty, Lil Duke, Thug's brother Unfoonk and YSL co-founder Walter "DK" Murphy have all taken plea deals leading up to the case.

YSL rapper Lil Keed's died of natural causes stemming from a battle with eosinophilia ... according to officials.

As we reported, the 24-year-old died in May 2022, and on Tuesday, The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed his death was linked to eosinophilia, a condition defined to be caused by "a parasitic infection, an allergic reaction or cancer," according to the Mayo Clinic.

Sources close to the "Trapped On Cleveland" rapper told TMZ Hip Hop at the time he had been complaining of excruciating stomach pain days before his death -- and was recently sober from drugs and alcohol. People first reported the ME's findings.

Keed's passing happened just as Young Thug, Gunna and several other YSL members were arrested on various RICO charges.

Since his death, Keed's brother Lil Gotit has been going the distance in keeping his sibling's name alive ... and free from disrespect.

SZA is riding high with her new album "SOS" -- which has topped the Billboard 200 for 3 weeks in a row now -- so it's only right she's taking a lavish vacation with the guy who helped her make it.

The "Kill Bill" priestess was spotted out in Hawaii, grinning ear-to-ear with producer ThankGod4Cody, who's credited on 7 songs on the history-making R&B album.

SZA and Cody have been collaborators for years, but appear to be closer than ever ... judging from the video he posted of SZA taking a scantily clad dip in the Pacific Ocean, fueling the situation for fans even further.

SZA also took to Instagram to put her body-ody-ody-ody on display ... after shocking fans with her plastic surgery revelation the moment they pushed play on the album!!!

On the titular track, SZA crooned "So classic, that ass so fat, it look natural, it's not" and successfully put audiences into a frenzy with her honesty.

"SOS" was certified Gold just days after it was released and owned the biggest streaming week ever for an R&B album!!!

While 50 Cent's steadily building a TV empire, he's still pulling in big numbers on the music front ... and his "Power Book IV: Force" lead, Joseph Sikora, is happily attesting to that!!!

We got Joseph out at LAX this week and he totally wasn't surprised 50 was one of the biggest performing rappers of 2023 ... despite not releasing much music -- just one single to promote "Power."

50 ranked in the top 10 YouTube views for rappers last year -- a feat that prompted the G-Unit rapper to tease the younger, more active generation ... but Joseph says 50 has earned his legend status in the game and his music is timeless.

Fif's monster debut album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" just hit a Billboard milestone with 150 weeks on the chart and turns 20 next month.

Anniversary concerts will surely follow for this RIAA Diamond certified artist, but Joseph tells us his favorite executive producer is still cooking in the studio!!!

Joseph says the "Power" honcho will randomly round up anyone who's hanging in the G-Unit offices to hear snippets of the music, which 50 says he's releasing sometime this year.

Vic Mensa is making the most of his co-headlining festival in Ghana this week -- he's also leading the charge on a project to bring clean water to 3 villages there!!!

Vic tells TMZ Hip Hop he was moved after seeing the desolate living conditions, including contaminated water, firsthand … and partnered with his father, a Ghana native, to launch their initiative.

The Chicago-born rapper says, "We're building 3 boreholes in different communities in Ghana to provide clean drinking water; the first being the Asokore Zongo in Koforidua where my family lives, which is already built."

Vic adds, "The other locations are a nearby community called Effiduase and then our ancestral village in the Volta Region, Amedzofe. Most people in communities like this in Ghana experience constant waterborne diseases."

We’re told Koforidua is home to around 200k people, Effiduase is estimated at 20k people and Amedzofe has a population of around 6k -- so, the project will make a significant contribution to the health and welfare of the region.

Barring any hiccups, drilling for the boreholes is said to take 3-4 weeks and includes 10-15 days of on-site drilling, followed by pipework and cable installations.

All the operations appear to be first class … water will actually be tested in a lab prior to human consumption, and we’re told the boreholes cost $45k to complete.

Vic will have his hands full pulling double duty, too. He’s slated to perform with Chance The Rapper, Erykah Badu and more on Saturday for the Black Star Line Festival ... which sounds like fun.

Dave Chappelle’s already having a ball in Ghana … and that was just at the airport!

Dave Chappelle got into the b-boy spirit for his arrival in Ghana on Tuesday ... letting off a few pop-lock moves as African dancers sent by the Diaspora Affairs at the office of the President greeted him personally!!!

The comedic genius looked genuinely happy from the warm cultural welcome ... puffing on a cig as he took the moment in.

Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa are spearheading their Black Star Line Festival in Ghana this week, and Dave's joining in for the upcoming conversation with Chance ahead of the round of performances.

Chance, Vic, Erykah Badu, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, and several others will perform on Saturday, January 6, inside Accra’s historic Black Star Square.

Black Star rapper Talib Kweli also landed in the Motherland with Dave and thanked Chance and Vic ... which could be telling.

While there aren't any Mos Def sightings reported just yet ... it would almost be criminal for Black Star not to perform at the inaugural Black Star Line fest!!!

Pretty Ricky vocalist Pleasure P isn't letting Rolling Stone's hot button 200 Best Singers list screw with his emotions -- mainly because it's missing one of his favs ... Anita Baker!!!

We caught Pleasure P out at LAX Tuesday ... and he tells us the worst snub in his eyes was the incomparable AB ... the Grammy-winning singing legend who has famously boasted a three octave range.

Pleasure P also made the case for Celine Dion's inclusion, who by the sheer number count, was brutally shunned from the list and angered thousands of fans on social media.

CD has 7 Diamond albums and over 250 million records sold to date -- and Pleasure, hailing from Miami himself, gave the legendary Canadian's sound an ambassador role ... as she lived in his sunny hometown much of last decade.

Pleasure P also scoffed at the notion that any particular race births superior singers, especially because the list's top 10 consisted of all African-American singers. 👀

Gucci Mane's latest 1017 Records rapper Mac Critter will now need a criminal lawyer as opposed to an entertainment one -- the Memphis rapper is facing a first-degree murder case.

According to law enforcement docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Mac (real name Daniel Bates) was booked late last month in connection with a December 21 shooting in Memphis that left one person dead.

He was officially charged on December 29 and currently sits in Shelby County Jail ... but is still assuring fans he'll be home soon, at least according to a message on his Instagram account.

The 25-year-old rapper signed to Gucci's 1017 back in October and the 2 collaborated on the song "Dawg" a month later ... but the label has been with a severely depleted roster as of late.