TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Travis Scott seems to be moving solo now ... seen for the first time since word got out that he might be on the outs again with Kylie Jenner, and he's not looking too happy.

The rapper had his head down as he stepped off his private jet Sunday afternoon in L.A. ... shortly after reports came out he and Kylie might've broken things off. He clearly had a somber look on his face ... possibly breakup-related, possibly just regular fatigue.

If the split is real, it sure looks like Trav engaged in some retail therapy -- he had a ton of expensive bags as he got off the PJ ... including a Birkin bag worth about $50K and an extremely rare vintage Takashi Murakami Louis Vuitton trunk, which is said to resell for nearly $100K.

You'll recall, Kylie and Travis were first linked together during Coachella in April of 2017, and they welcomed baby Stormi the following February.

They briefly called things off in 2019, but rekindled their romance ... and their baby boy (the one with the mystery name) was born in February 2022.

Young Thug's RICO trial is about to get started -- during which prosecutors will present evidence backing their case, and, controversially, that will include some of his lyrics.

Opening arguments are scheduled to kick off Monday in Fulton County, where YT is facing serious charges ... including conspiracy, participating in criminal street gang activity, possession of a firearm and controlled substances charges, among others.

He's pleaded not guilty -- with his defense attorney insisting his name will be cleared through the proceedings.

Thug is just one of several individuals who've been charged in the sweeping case -- but he's a key defendant, as the feds allege he's one of the head honchos of YSL (Young Slime Life) ... which they claim is not only a music label/brand, but a violent criminal enterprise too.

The allegations against Thug and the other 27 co-defendants date back to 2015, and some defendants -- not Thug -- are facing murder, attempted murder and armed robbery charges. Even more alarming is the fact prosecutors are expected to cite specific lyrics YSL members have rapped to help build the case against them.

It's caused a lot of outrage, with some arguing rap lyrics shouldn't be allowed as evidence in the case ... claiming they often blur the lines between artistic expression and reality.

It's unclear which lyrics, exactly, are going to be mentioned ... but some of the songs prosecutors are looking at have been revealed. They include Young Thug's 2018 hit, "Anybody," plus tracks from YSL's 2020 compilation album like ... "Take it to Trial," "Ski" and "Slatty."

Prosecutors allege YSL members, including Thug, explicitly refer to criminal activity in those tracks -- and that they furthered the objective of the group ... namely, "Preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise."

While Thug is about to have his day in court ... one of his cohorts and fellow labelmates, Gunna, already accepted a plea deal that saw him released from custody. He was sentenced to 5 years with one year credit for time served. The remaining 4 years were suspended, so no more time behind bars if he stays out of trouble.

French Montana and members of his team were desperate to find safety in the seconds following the chaos of gunfire in Miami Gardens ... ducking into a fast food joint.

We've obtained video from inside a KFC restaurant where French and others gathered to find safe shelter. French isn't saying much in the clip, but you see him peering outside toward the scene.

A witness inside the restaurant tells us French remained there for 30 to 40 minutes, while cops arrived and victims were taken to the hospital.

As we reported, as many as 10 people were hit by bullets Thursday night when shots rang out into a crowd of people who had gathered at The Licking restaurant to celebrate the release of French's new mixtape, "Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition."

It's unclear what led to the shooting, but one witness on the scene tells us they believe it was the result of an attempted robbery during the celebration.

A rep for French confirmed to us he was not injured in the melee, and everyone is expected to survive ... including a bodyguard who was listed in critical condition.

In a statement Friday, French said, "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

French Montana is coming under fire from the Miami Gardens Police for not securing permits for his video production that turned into a bullet festival with 10 people shot.

Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt just blamed the rapper and his crew for all the violence and chaos.

Noel-Pratt said investigators have learned event organizers (i.e. French and Co.) failed to fill out an application to obtain the necessary permits for the video shoot, which is a violation of city policy.

"As a result of this disregard of the procedures, the unauthorized music video production led to an unfortunate situation," the police chief said.

He added, "If the necessary agencies were notified ahead of time and protocol followed, police officers would have been in place to safeguard the community and assist with deterring and responding, if needed, to any situation that may arise."

French has a completely different take. He tells us he was NOT shooting a video in Miami, but rather "celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant." He says they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when the shooting occurred.

French Montana is thankful to be alive and that those injured in the shooting in Miami Gardens are all expected to make it ... breaking his silence on the scary incident.

French just addressed Thursday night's terrifying ordeal, writing, "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

Initial reports stated French was filming a music video at The Licking in Miami Gardens, but a spokesperson for the rapper tells us all photos and video taken were to celebrate CB6.

We're also told French was not injured, and those who were hit by gunfire are all expected to pull through.

As we reported, shots rang out Thursday night -- and as many as 10 people were struck by gunfire -- many were injured.

A French Montana music video turned into a terrifying ordeal when gunshots rang out ... and multiple people have reportedly been hit.

French and his team were in Miami Gardens Thursday filming a video outside The Licking restaurant. At some point, at least one person opened fire, injuring up to 10 people ... according to Miami WSVN 7News.

At this point, it's unclear if French was hit ... but a witness on the scene tells us his security got him out of the area safely and without incident.

We've obtained video of French on the scene before the shooting, and everything seemed to going smoothly. However, in additional video -- from after the shots rang out -- you can see the chaos.

We do not know who fired the gun or if it was more than one person.

Miami 7 says at this point, there have been no fatalities reported.

We spoke with French earlier in the day Thursday about the loss of his friend Takeoff, and advice he gave Quavo on dealing with the death.

La La Anthony is walking back her past comments about only getting 22-year-old suitors -- but she's still on the lookout for a relationship with someone who's her match!!!

We got the highly eligible bachelorette out at LAX, and maybe it was the rain but she wasn't feeling too optimistic about her dating options in the new year.

You might recall, La La was on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast a few months ago, and dropped a bombshell about only seeing barely legals sliding into her DMs.

She cracked a smile while quoting the late, great Aaliyah in revealing "age ain't nothing but a number" ... but does admit 22 is a bit young for her taste.

Lala has been on the market since filing for divorce from Carmelo Anthony in June 2021 -- ending 10+ years of marriage -- and for what it's worth, her career has been firing on all cylinders since then. Something for her potential dates to consider.

She recently joined 50 Cent's "BMF," has a recurring role in Hulu's "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" and is also slated to star in a couple of movies that are on the horizon.

Translation: She's popping!!! 💅🏽

Aries Spears sounds kinda like an angry old dude on his porch -- demanding Black men ditch the "sagging jeans" trend, and he thinks Soulja Boy should spearhead the change!!!

The controversial comedian was venting to VladTV about Black men's and women's fashion, and recalled a time he saw Soulja standing at a bank teller window ... flaunting the underwear covering his butt. 😅

Aries says he made eye contact with a White woman disapproving of SB's swag sag, and all he could do was shrug because he felt just like she did.

At 47 years old, Aries says he's comfortable speaking his mind and wishes he could grab every Black person's pants that are sagging and pull them up ... although, he's not naive to the number of fights that would start.

Aries called the Soulja moment embarrassing for the culture as a whole, and also has harsh criticism for Black women: No more bonnets and hair wraps in public! He claims he might start snatching them off heads.

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.