TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

The TikTok community was dealt a devasting blow this week, with Randy Gonzalez of popular father-son duo Enkyboys dying after a battle with stage-4 colon cancer.

Trae Tha Truth is feeling the loss as well ... having befriended both Randy and Brice over the years and collaborated on several skits.

We caught Trae out in NYC as he attempted to find silver linings in losing his friend.

The Houston rapper said Randy was a "fighter" to the end and also praised him for being brave enough to share his cancer diagnosis with the world back in April 2022.

TMZ broke the story ... Randy passed away on Wednesday morning in hospice, leaving behind his wife Kimberly, 3 children and nearly 16 million followers on social media.

Trae tells us he spoke to Randy's wife following the sad news, and he's in early talks to continue on his legacy.

If there's any silver lining, Trae predicts Randy's children -- especially Brice -- will go on to accomplish big things to make their father proud.

N.O.R.E. made a splash guest-hosting on "The Breakfast Club" this week when he fueled rumors Future was upset with Drake for collaborating with 21 Savage -- but Freebandz rapper Young Scooter says that's nothing but cap!!!

Scooter swatted down the rumors on IG with a below-the-belt homophobic dig at N.O.R.E. ... claiming the "Drink Champs" host was turning shock jock on the radio simply for views.

Without naming any sources but the "streets," N.O.R.E. claimed Future felt his and Drake's 2015 album "What a Time to Be Alive" lost its importance in the wake of the success of Drake and 21's "Her Loss" release.

An interesting take ... seeing this sentiment wasn't brought up when Future and Lil Uzi Vert dropped their "Pluto x Baby Pluto" joint album in 2020.

Plus, Scooter is Future's right-hand man -- and since Hendrix rarely responds to anything himself -- there's good reason to take his word on this.

Drake's Los Angeles mansion came under attack after a man allegedly broke in, alerting the rapper's security, who in turn called the cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, officers responded Thursday night to Drake's home after his security reported seeing an unknown man leaving the house -- carrying something in the process.

We're told the suspect had disappeared by the time cops arrived, and a search around the neighborhood started. Our sources say just a few hours later, a man matching the suspect's description was spotted walking down a street.

Cops stopped and arrested the man -- who we're told was carrying an item from the home -- which is believed to have been taken from Drake's place.

Our sources say Drake was not home at the time of the break-in.

This isn't the first time Drake's had to deal with an intruder -- TMZ broke the story, a man was arrested at the same place back in July for misdemeanor trespassing ... with the 23-year-old suspect claiming the 36-year-old rapper was his pops.

Drake's not the only rapper taking over the Apollo Theater these days ... Lil Kim headlined the Harlem Festival of Culture there, and shared the shine with her Brooklyn rap descendant Lola Brooke!!!

Kim brought out Lola Thursday night to perform her breakout hit "Don't Play With It" ... rousing the crowd as the rappers shared a quick embrace before Lola started ripping the mic.

Lola's head was still spinning after her cameo, and she gushed over the moment on Twitter -- where she also got Missy Elliott's stamp of approval.

Lola and her independent label, Team 80 Productions, just inked a deal with Arista Records earlier this month, as "Don't Play With It" makes a push on various Billboard charts.

Yung Gravy is getting a legal Rick-rolling from the man himself ... Rick Astley is suing the up-and-coming rapper for allegedly ripping off the singer's voice from his most popular hit.

Astley filed legal docs Thursday in L.A. claiming Gravy's hugely popular "Betty (Get Money)" uses an impersonated version of his own voice from 1987's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Astley says Gravy and his producers -- including Dillon Francis -- "conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley's voice throughout the song." He's also suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator.

Astley says he never gave Gravy, or anyone involved in "Betty (Get Money)," permission to use or impersonate his voice -- and because Gravy did so, he's spoiled any future chance for Rick to collaborate with another artist in the future.

We should say, however, Gravy did license the instrumental from Astley's '80s hit ... just not his voice.

What's more ... Astley's lawsuit points to some examples where Gravy allegedly claimed he knew he was in murky territory for impersonating Rick, including an interview with Billboard where he said he "basically remade" Rick's voice, "because it makes it easier legally."

"Never Gonna Give You Up" was a huge hit for Astley, shooting to the #1 spot. "Betty" has been Gravy's most successful song thus far -- reaching Gold in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Chrisean Rock says she's got a very big day coming up, she's getting married -- and she's already locked down a wedding dress for the special occasion -- though there may be some serious concern if she's exchanging vows with Blueface.

Witnesses tell TMZ Chrisean stopped by Anita’s Bridal Boutique in DTLA Wednesday afternoon and told staffers she needed the perfect gown for Friday. Yep, Chrisean said she was getting married and was dress shopping only two days before the big day.

Our sources say she walked around and spotted a dress on a mannequin she instantly loved. We're told she only tried it on one time, didn't ask for any alterations and paid a down payment.

We should say, dresses at Anita's ain't cheap -- ranging from $3.5K-$7K -- so it's pretty clear she's serious about the whole thing.

One big mystery ... she never specified who she was getting married to. Of course, she and Blueface have been together for quite some time -- but they're also always performing for cameras -- so maybe she'll pull something out of left field for the special occasion.

Chrisean recently announced she was pregnant, but it's worth noting she and Blueface are also known for their blow-up fights, so it's always possible things go completely sideways before exchanging any vows.

TMZ broke the story, shortly after her pregnancy announcement, Chrisean was filmed getting into a massive brawl with other women -- an obvious concern for someone carrying.

Kanye West just can't quit Balenciaga -- even though the brand ditched him over his antisemitism, he took his new wife for some retail therapy there ... but their trip also included a subtle callback to Nazi Germany.

Ye and Bianca Censori hit up the upscale Bev Hills clothing store Wednesday night on Rodeo Drive, loading up with several bags filled with merch. He's not a billionaire anymore, but the spree is a reminder he's still VERY rich.

We're told the couple also spent some time in a nearby Neiman Marcus ... but it's unclear if KW and BC left that store with any sweet threads.

BTW, Ye appeared to be wearing a t-shirt with a coat of arms of the German Reich ... used before the Nazis adopted the swastika. It's also got the word "Bundeswehr" written above -- the name for the federal defense forces in Germany. This coat of arms is a current logo of the German Army.

That aside, it's still a little odd Ye's shelling out big money at the same place that cut ties with him in October ... while the brand didn't go into detail, you'll recall companies were dropping him left and right at the time after he went on several antisemitic rants.

Ya gotta figure they're making him pay retail now.

As you know, Kanye and Balenciaga have quite the history -- even opening for the company's Paris Fashion Week show weeks before he was canned.

FYI -- Balenciaga went through its own post-Ye scandal ... coming under fire in November for a photo shoot where kids held BDSM-themed teddy bears, and another with what appeared to be legal docs related to a child pornography case buried on a table.

Juice WRLD’S ex-girlfriend, Ally Lotti won't be spending any time behind bars if she stays out of trouble for 6 months ... thanks to the plea deal she struck in her cocaine possession and shoplifting case.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Ally was accused of felony possession of methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin ... but that charge was dropped along with misdemeanor theft of property.

Ally ended up pleading guilty to misdemeanor possession of instruments of crime, and got a 1 year suspended sentence and 6 months probation. If she keeps her nose clean during that period, the case will be dismissed.

Her boyfriend, Carter Jamison, who was also arrested for property theft, pled no contest to that charge and got the same sentence as Ally. Each paid $1,160 in fines.

As we reported, a security guard spotted Ally and Jamison attempting to steal a bunch of items earlier this month from a Walmart in Arkansas.

Cops say the store's security cams caught Ally and Jamison at a self-checkout station, where they failed to scan several items ... including wall mirrors, a bed frame, a bath towel and a digital scale.

According to the docs, the arresting officer found capsules of cocaine in Ally’s pocket and purse.

Their high-profile attorney, Bradford Cohen, told TMZ a different story … Cohen says Ally and Jamison thought they had scanned and paid for all the items. He also said a Walmart employee confirmed the purchase by checking their receipt. He added that his “clients would never take something intentionally and this seems like a misunderstanding.”

Still, Ally did plead guilty to a crime.

21 Savage is basking in the limelight of a pretty tremendous accomplishment -- Complex says the Savage Gang leader is the "Best Rapper Alive" ... and even he admits the title's misplaced.

The "Her Loss" costar called the honor "an overstatement," but says he operates with tunnel vision while focused on making the best possible product.

Fans on social media simply called BS on the announcement ... mainly because 21 was heavily featured on Metro Boomin's album in addition to "Her Loss," but didn't release a solo project of his own in 2022 to fully earn the crown.

21 follows the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Lil Baby and DaBaby on the annually updated list, but he told the publication his benchmark is still the one set by Jay-Z.

21 says Hov conducted his hip hop career "the right way," and he strives to follow that blueprint as his own career progresses.

In 2022, he linked with Drake for the chart-topping single "Jimmy Cooks" ahead of their "Her Loss" album collab ... which also hit No. 1 on its respective Billboard chart with nearly Gold numbers in its first week -- 404,000 album-equivalent units streamed.

The "Best Rapper Alive" look wasn't just marred by skeptics ... 21 admits he's not loving his Atlanta hometown's raging crime wave, revealing he no longer enjoys going to clubs and functions after Takeoff's fatal shooting in November.

While that tragedy happened in Houston, 21 maintains ATL has a dark cloud of energy hovering over it, and doesn't feel anything can be done to restore the positive vibes. 😢

Ashley Trowers, the daughter of “Love & Hip Hop New York” star Rich Dollaz, was arrested in Memphis after cops say she shot at her ex-boyfriend ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

According to the arrest docs we obtained, Ashley told officers she was on her first day at the job as security at a Kroger gas station around midnight on January 24, when her child's father Demiah Tatum, and another man named Mykel Yates approached her in a Cadillac ATS.

Ashley says she tried to flee, but when they caught up to her ... she fired two shots that struck the Caddy. She then called police, and informed them she has a restraining order out against Tatum and got scared when she saw him.

She was surprised he knew where she was because it was her first day on the job, and Ashley claims she thought she saw someone in the car reaching for a gun. Yates returned to the scene an hour later without Tatum, and told cops they were just trying to give her some money.

Ashley was arrested for aggravated assault and transported to Shelby County Jail before being released later on her own recognizance.

Interestingly, Ashley's mother, Miracle Kay Hall -- who's also been on 'L&HH' -- was arrested in 2018 for allegedly shooting her husband. She claimed self-defense and the aggravated assault case was eventually dismissed.

Rich the Kid has a permanent stamp to rep his friendship with Takeoff -- a new tattoo of the late Migos rapper's signature.

The "New Freezer" rapper was down in Tampa and got inked up by Tattoo MF Red ... splashing an assortment of purple and black hues to complete the piece on the back of his right hand.

Red, a go-to for celebs and athletes in the area, tells TMZ Hip Hop he got Rich's hand tat drawn up in a flashy 30 minutes ... in between his recording session at STB Entertainment studio and a radio interview he conducted.

Unlike some rappers paying tribute on social media, Rich's ink and love for Takeoff can't be misconstrued for clout chasing, as they got pretty tight over the years.

Takeoff was the one who actually taught Rich how to make it rain in the club, and they had numerous collaborations together ... never hesitating to go outta their way to celebrate each other's birthdays.

The last time we spoke to Rich, he fondly remembered those moments with Takeoff ... and he was also looking forward to the music he'd be making courtesy of his new multi million dollar deal with RCA.

Rich was recently in the studio with Takeoff's brother YRN Lingo ... who approved of the finished product and promises to drop a banger this Friday.

Chris Brown was just hit with a whopping tax bill that totals $4,044,596.76 --  but never fear, the R&B artist might be able to cut into his debt if he ever decides to sell off his huge collection of designer and custom clothes

Breezy posted a video that laid out his massive clothing collection on racks ... with the scene looking very much like a department store aisle!!!

He also called out all rappers and artists who think they have more drip than him to post their own closets for comparison -- a challenge that Rick Ross, who's been known to be a hoarder in his own right, just may take on.

The timing is interesting ...  TMZ Hip Hop confirmed Breezy was recently hit with a federal tax lien for $2,245,561.50 and $1,059,967.78 for money apparently owed to Uncle Sam in 2022.

Additionally, we've learned the state of California filed a state tax lien for $739,067.48 ... so he's looking at around $4M in total!!!

Breezy's been down this road before ... having hosted a massive yard sale back in 2019 but even if Breezy doesn't sell off items this time around to pay the tax bills, he still has steady tour revenue to look forward to.

The upcoming European leg for his Under The Influence Tour recently added new dates in big cities like London, Amsterdam, and Paris after tickets sold out following the first announcement.

Kanye West could be barred from entering Australia to meet his new wife's family because of his praise for Hitler and his antisemitic diatribes, government officials said Wednesday.

The rapper is reportedly planning to fly with Bianca Censori to her hometown of Melbourne next week for the get-together with her clan.

As we first reported, the couple tied the knot during a private ceremony earlier this month without filing a marriage certificate. It's not clear if Kanye has gotten a visa for the rumored trip or even applied for one.

In any case, Australia's Education Minister, Jason Clare, says if Kanye does apply for a visa it might get rejected. The Land Down Under has a history of turning away people with antisemitic beliefs.

Clare told Nine Network TV ... "I expect that if he does apply, he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions," as anyone who has expressed such views.

As you know ... Kanye recently went on a bizarre anti-Jewish campaign, praising Hitler and Nazis. He was seen hanging out with notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Ye was suspended from Twitter after posting an image of a Swastika merged with the Star of David. Kanye also went live on-air with alt-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for his show, "Infowars." Among other things, Kanye said, "I like Hitler."

Given his rhetoric, it appears Kanye has an uphill battle with Australian Jewish groups, who have already called for him to be refused entry in anticipation of any visa request.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Peter Wertheim told Sky News ..."We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail."

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will make the final decision on whether to let Kanye into the country, if it comes to that.

Stay tuned.

Polo G is looking to set the trend of "smart jewelry" -- the Chicago rap star's cashing out for a diamond-encrusted bulldog that's plenty flashy, but also functional ... as an iPhone case!!!

Skylar Langfeldt of Icebox Diamonds & Watches tells TMZ Hip Hop the pendant took a couple of months of engineering to perfect all the features. For instance, Polo's phone can actually be charged without being removed from the sparkling accessory.

We're told the pendant includes more than 500 grams of 14kt white gold with 90+ carats of diamonds -- and there's another 55 carats of bling on the accompanying chain!

Fans might confuse Polo for a Boston Red Sox fan after seeing the chain and pendant's red letter "B" enamel accents -- but we're told it's actually a tribute to BMoney 1300 ... Polo's friend who was murdered in August 2021.

Rick Ross has a ton of cars in his collection, but one he won't add is a Tesla … as he believes the electric whips are nothing but entrapment on wheels!!!

Rozay explained his anti-Tesla stance Tuesday while speaking to fans on Instagram … the rapper believes the U.S. government can tap into the cars at any given time and in his case, haul him off to jail for questioning!!! 😂

He then hilariously paints the picture of being at one of his Wingstop franchises when his Tesla is overpowered ... and redirected toward the precinct where an agent awaits.

Lawmaking officials may not have a habit of jailbreaking everyday citizens’ Teslas, but Rozay doesn’t have to settle for the trend.

Babyface will be belting out "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LVII next month … and the R&B legend tells us he never expected in a million years he'd be tapped for the honor.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Babyface shortly after the NFL and Roc Nation's Tuesday morning announcement, and he was already predicting he'll be a frazzled mess leading up to game day -- but he still plans on giving the millions of viewers an honest performance that showcases his talents!!!

Face knows he's got big shoes to fill ... the late Ray Charles’ rendition of 'ATB' -- performed at the World Series in 2001 -- is immortalized in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and is a radio staple every 4th of July.

He says the song speaks to his soul melodically, so he plans on putting together one of his classic Babyface arrangements -- and adds he'll even have some divine inspiration.

What's making the once in a lifetime performance even more special, is the fact he's teaming up with the clothing company Shine the Light On -- a special collaboration to pay tribute to his mother, who passed away in 2012.

Fair to say Babyface will have some angels on his shoulder on Super Bowl Sunday because he's also thinking about late brother ... After 7 singer, Melvin Edmonds, who died in 2019, and was an avid football fan.

He isn't the only performer who's admitted to pregame jitters -- when we spoke to Rihanna last year, she copped to being a little nervous for her halftime show performance. Yes, even superstars get butterflies!!!

But, Babyface has zero doubts RiRi will kill it, and he floated his wishes to record with her down the line.

BTW, Roc Nation also tapped Sheryl Lee Ralph to sing "Lift Every Voice" and Chris Stapleton for the national anthem.