TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

R. Kelly has officially filed an appeal in his federal sex crimes case out of New York -- and he's got a laundry list of reasons why he thinks his conviction should be reversed.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the controversial singer -- who was found guilty in 2021 on 9 federal counts that included RICO charges as well as charges pertaining to sex crimes and human trafficking -- says he got a raw deal throughout the lengthy trial.

For starters, R. Kelly's legal team simply argues the government did not meet its burden of proof in court ... despite a jury convicting him on all counts. His lawyers have specific gripes about the jury and some of the evidence prosecutors were allowed to submit during trial.

For the jury, his attorneys say that at least 4 of the jurors selected have since admitted prejudging his guilt before handing down their official verdict -- and he says at least 2 of them had watched the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries, and should never have been seated on the jury.

As for the underage girls he's alleged to have groomed and molested ... Kelly seems to have an explanation for what happened in each case. He says some were, in fact, at least 18 years old when he met and engaged in sexual relationships with them -- despite prosecutors' insistence the alleged grooming started while they were still minors.

In the cases where Kelly is alleged to have met with actual minors ... his team claims he was misled by those girls at the time about their real age.

Now, on the evidence front -- his team claims there was a lot of stuff that was allowed in during the trial that shouldn't have been seen or heard by the jury ... and hurt his ability to get a fair trial.

For instance, he says details about his sex life and/or conduct and behavior with former partners or exes of his -- accounts of which dove into STDs, sexual preferences and behavior in the bedroom -- were not relevant to the crimes being alleged against him, and were simply a way for prosecutors to sway the jury.

He also pushes back on former employees/associates of his that were trotted out on the stand ... saying a lot of them falsely testified to things they had no real knowledge of and weren't privy to in their capacity as staffers.

He's asking the appeals court to reverse his convictions or, at a minimum, order a new trial. Of course, there's a second federal case in which he was also convicted out of Chicago. No appeal for that just yet

Latto seemingly geared up for a rap battle against Nicki Minaj while performing at Coachella, but Akademiks says the "Big Energy" rapper doesn't have the bars to win the war!!!

Ak gave his honest assessment of Latto's potential timeline for engaging Nicki in a rap beef, and thinks Latto would be better suited pushing her career away from this saga.

As the more experienced MC, Ak notes Nicki's bars will come off as more clever and fans will gravitate to everything she says. In other words, disses about ass shots will only fly so far.

He also doubted Latto and Nicki would ever cross paths to exchange words in person ... à la Cardi B and Nicki's near-brawl during 2018 New York Fashion Week.

Ak thinks Latto's only chance to best Nicki is to recruit other female rappers who've had their own personal problems with "The Pinkprint" rapper -- like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat -- and shame her with low blows about aging and being a big ol' hater!!!

Drake has more robot problems on his hands -- after his record label pulled the plug on one viral AI song that was using his voice ... two more, which are also solid, have cropped up.

The tracks are floating all over the internet and live on several platforms -- including YouTube and TikTok ... although it's unclear where exactly they first originated from. One is called 'winters cold' and another is labeled 'Not a Game.' Like we said ... both aren't half bad.

The first sounds like a pretty standard Drizzy track ... with a catchy beat and lyrics that slide without a hiccup, almost as if the human himself was rapping. However, if you actually listen to what the AI is saying ... it doesn't actually make too much sense. Still, it's catchy as hell.

This second AI song is a little more obvious as being a fake ... AI Drake's voice, in this instance, sounds a little off and the flow isn't quite as clean or varied as actual Drake's.

Again, though ... not a terrible reenactment of the real McCoy -- and Twitter's howling about how close machines have come to doing their best rendition of Aubrey. Remember, this all comes on the heels of yet another AI song that went viral this weekend that's been yanked.

Of course, we're talking about 'Heart on My Sleeve' ... which features both fake Drake and fake Weeknd. Universal Music Group apparently issued takedown requests of the song -- which was on Spotify and other streaming services ... and then slammed it to no end.

The label said, in part ... "The training of generative AI using our artists’ music (which represents both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law) as well as the availability of infringing content created with generative AI on DSPs, begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation."

UMG says they appreciate their publishing partners' help in getting these phony songs off the digital air ... but it sounds like they're going to be busy as time goes on.

Yung Miami is confirming her whirlwind and very public relationship with Diddy is no more -- but not without clarifying a few things, including why she got "Pee Diddy" trending!!!

The City Girls rapper sat down with "The Cut" as its newest cover star ... claiming she and Diddy remain friends, even after ending their romantic entanglement.

She also refused to put a formal title on their situation, which pretty much fizzled when it was revealed Diddy welcomed a newborn daughter last October.

The pair were inseparable at one point in time, frequently spotted together at award shows and parties, and Diddy also helped launch Miami's podcast career on his Revolt TV network ... which opened up speculation about their sex life.

On one episode of her award-winning "Caresha Please" series, Miami fawned about her love for golden showers in the bedroom ... but, in the interview, she says that didn't necessarily mean it was the Bad Boy mogul who was raining over her.

And while she and Diddy are over, Miami says she plans on making "Caresha Please" a household name like Rihanna's Fenty.

Sean Garrett is more than a little leery about adopting AI in the studio, because if it comes down to us versus the machines -- as many fear it eventually will -- he's always riding with us.

We caught up with the prolific producer/songwriter Tuesday in NYC, and he admits he's curious about using the artificial software, but not to the point where it overshadows the human contribution.

Sean's been a part of some huge records -- such as Usher's "Yeah," Nelly's "Grillz" and multiple Beyonce jams -- and doesn't think that success could have been duplicated with a ghost in the computer.

Or as he puts it, "If it ain't from the soul, that s**t ain't real."

Drake's latest thirst trap in the wee hours of the night is a hot shot, no doubt -- but it also has many fans questioning the authenticity of his abs, instead of just salivating over them like he probably intended.

Late Tuesday, Drizzy was obviously feeling the mood when he posted a photo to IG wearing nothing but a towel around his waist ... captioning the pic "5 min cold plunge for the soul."

It probably took about 5 minutes for fans to give their opinion on Drake's bod -- and many wondered if he had indeed gotten work done ... as they didn't spot the same muscle definition in his arms.

Drake's got a big tour this summer with 21 Savage, so it shouldn't shock anyway to see him getting in tip-top shape for those all shows, either. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Chrisean Rock has another reason to smile on top of her pregnancy ... the "Baddies" reality TV star recently filled in the famous gap in her grill!!!

Dr. Trevor J. Thomas tells TMZ Hip Hop he consulted with Chrisean for weeks before they collectively made the decision to get a permanent, lasting solution for her smile.

He says the process was quick and painless, and, importantly, he didn't need to take X-rays to get the job done -- a legit concern, because she's expecting.

Chrisean immediately loved her new smile and felt inspired ... so she and Dr. Thomas are going halfsies on a Mother's Day giveaway. The duo's giving one mom a free mouth makeover!!!

All fans have to do is follow the 7 people Dr. Thomas is following on his @teethbytrav IG page, and leave a comment on his post about Chrisean's makeover.

Robert Kraft and Meek Mill are teaming up once again ... the rapper and the Patriots owner attended a march in Poland on Tuesday, honoring victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

Kraft and Mill participated in the 35th annual "March of the Living," a 3-Kilometer event commemorating the lives lost in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

Kraft -- who in 2019 started his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism -- reportedly lit one of six torches commemorating the 6 million people who died during the Holocaust.

The march covered the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex, the largest Nazi concentration camp during World War II, and included students, survivors and educators.

Kraft and Mill have grown closer over the years ... the 81-year-old billionaire advocated for Meek's release from prison in 2018 after the Philly MC felt he was unfairly sentenced.

When Meek teamed up with business mogul and hip-hop icon Jay-Z on criminal justice reform in 2019, Kraft joined the alliance alongside Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.

RK's foundation recently launched a $25 million national campaign, #StandUpToJewishHate, to stop hateful acts directed toward Jewish people.

"I love this country, and we're at a danger point, I'm sorry to say," Kraft told WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben in an interview. "I've never seen the hatred and bigotry that's going on."

Megan Thee Stallion says she's closing the chapter on her Tory Lanez memories once and for all, now that he's been served justice.

For the first and (supposedly) last time, Megan jotted down her thoughts in a new op-ed for Elle on Tuesday ... lamenting the public humiliation she suffered, and her current road to recovery.

Megan says she's no victim, but couldn't ignore the trauma induced when Tory laughed, joked and pushed false narratives in the public ahead of their trial, which concluded last December with Tory's conviction.

She called the shooting "her most traumatic experience" in her 28 years, and lashed out at unnamed players in the music biz who threw sneak disses at her ... or accused her of lying about the shooting.

The "Savage" rapper says she hopes her words touch all past and future victims of traumatic experiences, and doesn't plan on rehashing the shooting timeline any further ... for the sake of her mental health.

Megan also thanked her most dedicated "Hottie" fans who showed up to court for moral support, and says she's just been kicking it with her manager T. Farris and has banging new music fans will love.

Never mind all that talk about artificial intelligence killing the music industry, Tony Rock sees a huge upside to adopting the technology ... especially if you're a fan of late greats like Tupac and Biggie!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the veteran comic Tuesday at LAX and it's clear he has some deep thoughts on the AI topic, because he rattled off some suddenly possible collabs -- between deceased rappers, or even Michael Jackson and Jay-Z sparring on a track.

There's currently a fake Drake and The Weeknd song with millions of views so yeah, there's clearly a demand for dream AI pairings.

Going further, Tony proposed a Coachella-style, 100% AI-generated festival ... and he even nominated Billy McFarland and Ja Rule to organize it!

Pump the brakes, Tone ... we were with ya right up until the Fyre Fest callback.

Coachella is cutting a check because Frank Ocean wasn't the only one performing late into the night ... the music festival is being dinged six figures for going past curfew.

A rep for the City of Indio, where Coachella is held, tells TMZ ... fines for curfew violations over the first weekend totaled $117,000.

We're told curfew is 1 AM on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Sunday, and Coachella missed the cutoff time on all three nights ... going over by 25 minutes Friday, 22 minutes Saturday and 25 minutes Sunday.

City of Indio officials say the fines are part of its agreement with Goldenvoice ... with the contract calling for a daily fine of $20,000 for the first 5 minutes past curfew, with another $1,000 tacked on for every minute after.

As we reported ... Frank Ocean cited the curfew during his Sunday headlining set. He showed up late, starting his show at 11 PM and wrapped his performance with an unenthusiastic one-liner ... "Guys I'm being told it's curfew, so that's the end of the show."

The $117,000 in fines goes into Indio's General Fund, and we're told the city uses the money for operating costs, including public works and the police and fire departments.

Netflix and Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah -- the filmmakers behind the Kanye West touting 'jeen-yuhs' doc -- are defendants in a lawsuit from a Chicago woman who claims they exploited her with its release.

The suit was filed Monday by Cynthia Love, and according to documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, she originally made a cameo in Kanye’s 2003 music video “Through the Wire” ... which Coodie and Chike directed.

The vid served as Kanye’s breakout hit and opens with Cynthia dancing inside a restaurant … and she says she was paid $20 for that appearance.

Cynthia's issue is she claims she was in an "altered state and not capable of providing consent" at the time -- and she's upset an extended version of that moment was then shown in the 'jeen-yuhs' documentary on Netflix.

In the suit, she says it represents a part of her past she'd like to move past. She claims she's now been sober for nearly 18 years, has held down long-term jobs and repaired relationships with friends and family.

She says the doc revealed her dark past to many who were unaware of her background, forcing her to rehash bad memories.

Cynthia also claims Coodie told her son, via text message, he assumed she was dead instead of trying to contact her before the film's debut.

Cynthia alleges the footage has now caused her emotional distress and harmed her reputation.

Doja Cat was in an upbeat, trolling mood Monday when she gave her followers the tiniest music preview imaginable of her upcoming rap album.

A giggling Doja went live on IG and breezed through 25 tracks ... but only played 2-second snippets of each song, barely giving the opening chords time to breathe and never letting a beat fully drop.

It might sound like a torturous exercise, but her audience ate it up anyway ... as did Rich The Kid, who's dying to guest on the album!!!

The song array sounded diverse, indeed, but fans won't be able to know for sure until she pops the lid off the project ... which is tentatively being called "Hellmouth."

Doja also addressed her new tattoo of a half-female, half-mythological creature, and after seeing pics, many fans are labeling it demonic.

The portrait actually comes from Italian physician Fortunio Liceti’s 1616 artwork "De Monstris" a.k.a. "monsters" and Doja explained most of her tats are simply an appreciation of the art and have no real meaning to her.

Frank Ocean suffered a serious ankle injury after being involved in a bike accident on the Coachella grounds just days before he was scheduled to perform ... forcing a change to his production.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the accident occurred when Frank was at Coachella rehearsing his set. He wasn't onstage, though, we're told the mishap involved bikes used to roam around the Empire Polo Club grounds .. and it was serious enough for doctors to advise Frank's production be changed.

One of the major changes involved the use of an ice rink, which was built for Frank's set. Another source with direct knowledge tells us ... a casting director reached out to a bunch of L.A.-based hockey teams in March for an unspecified paid performance. Once the skaters got to the audition, they saw Frank in attendance.

We're told it became clear during the audition that it was for his Coachella set -- and over 100 hockey players were cast. They rehearsed on an elevated ice rink at Paramount Studios, and even got bused out to Coachella for a dress rehearsal the week before Frank's show.

The cast arrived at Coachella on Sunday, but were told the skating routine was scrapped. Instead, they joined Frank on stage as background dancers -- it was more walking than dancing, TBH -- and a source tells us they all got hooked up with custom Prada.

Questions surrounding why Frank arrived at his set late and how production will look for his Weekend 2 set still linger ... but we hope he's a fast healer.

Hip-hop legend E-40 will not be attending Game 2 between the Warriors and the Kings Monday night ... after he was kicked out of Game 1 for what he claims was "racial bias."

Shams Charania just tweeted the news ... saying a rep for the Bay Area rapper said 40 wouldn't be at the Golden 1 Center to see his Warriors play following Game 1's incident. TMZ Sports also confirmed the news.

ICYMI ... E-40 was escorted out of the Kings arena Saturday night after a heated confrontation with Kings fans and security.

40, a big Warriors fan, sitting courtside for Game 1, was accused of standing up and blocking the view of the fans sitting behind him during the game, causing them to complain to arena personnel.

After an alleged back-and-forth, 40 was ultimately booted from the game, missing the end of the Kings' 126-123 win over his Dubs.

The rapper sees the situation differently, releasing a lengthy statement explaining he was "subjected to disrespectful heckling" throughout the game, admitting he "turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner."

40 said the ordeal was another reminder that "racial bias remains prevalent," explaining "security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault."

The Warriors will look to tie up the series against Sacramento ... but they'll have to do it without their number one celebrity fan in the building.

As for 40, he'll be back in the building in San Fran this Thursday for game 3!

Rep. George Santos is apparently trying to cater to the Barbz -- he just introduced a new bill named after Nicki Minaj that's all about vaccines ... so claims one journo.

Semafor's political reporter Kadia Goba tweeted out some news she says she's privy to -- namely, a piece of legislation the New York congressman has supposedly thrown into the House of Representatives for consideration as a would-be law that bears Nicki's name.

She writes, "Ahem. Rep. George Santos just dropped seven bills in the hopper. Among them, The Minaj Act, named for -- yes, you guessed it -- rapper Nicki Minaj establishes a development period for new vaccines in order to generate public confidence."

We've searched Congress's official site and Rep. Santos's official page, which tracks what bills he's sponsored or co-sponsored, and can't find this new bill anywhere. The House is back in session today, so it's possible Goba got a sneak peek before it hits the system.

The bill would be a fascinating play by the embattled Republican, who's been mired in controversy (stemming from his many lies) from day 1.

Still, he seems to be attempting to curry favor with Nicki's fervent fan base already -- just check Twitter and you'll see they're already loving the move ... and, by extension, Santos. Of course, Nicki's history with vaccine skepticism is well-documented from the pandemic.

Remember, she had a whole ballsy story about her cousin and alleged side effects from the vaccine when they were first being rolled out ... a saga for which she caught a lot of flak.