TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Steve Lacy's considered one of the world's most influential people ... an honor the multi-layered musician is humbled by, but he isn't letting it go to his head either.

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the "Bad Habit" singer Tuesday at LAX as he was headed to shoot a big TV special ... "TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People."

Steve was among the handful of musicians who made the 2023 cut, and was inducted last week by his good friend Chloe Bailey.

He tells us there isn't much science behind his cool factor -- he's literally being himself, and if anyone's inspired by his swag ... cool!

We also asked Steve about his latest body tattoo ... a work of art he says took him 4 hours to complete, and pierced his soul with pain!!! 😫

G Perico recently shook off his own run-ins with the law ... and hopes Desiigner does the same after landing himself in hot water last week.

We caught Perico promoting his new DJ Drama-led album, "Hot Shot" outside the "Dub C and Cj Mac Show" in Hollywood ... and picked his brain about Desiigner's current dilemma.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... the "Panda" rapper was recently arrested and charged with indecent exposure for allegedly masturbating in front of flight attendants.

Perico tells us he doesn't know Desiigner personally but says he's witnessed people with mental health issues as a result of his background ... and hopes he gets the necessary treatment.

Desiigner told the FBI agent who interviewed him after the transpacific flight to Minneapolis, he was masturbating because he "didn't really get much cootie" while in Japan.

Don Lemon has a new job option if he wants it -- and it would entail him dipping poultry into boiling hot cooking oil ... under the supervision of one of Rick Ross's managers, no less.

The rapper hopped on the 'Gram Monday to air his thoughts on the news of DL's unceremonious firing from CNN ... and he was more than ready to dance on the guy's grave a bit, 'cause he offered him a new gig at one of his many Wing Stop franchises.

Rozay says he can personally make sure Don gets an interview in front of his top chicken team members. The only thing he's asking the ex-anchor to do ... send a resume. Sounds like Rick's sold on Don's potential ability to hawk a certain flavor of pollo -- take a guess.

He's obviously trolling here ... but that's not the end of his ribbing. Rick goes on to suggest Don can be the face (or name, more like) of a new flavor of his energy drink line -- Rap Star.

Again, he leans into Don's surname a lot to make this joke work ... and yeah, it lands.

While Rick is kidding in his pitch to Don ... we know there's a very real news network he could work for if he's inclined. As we reported, NewsNation execs are interested in bringing him onto the team -- not to mention the recently discarded Tucker Carlson from FOX News.

Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee's gotta be feeling pretty lucky ... an all-out royal rumble went down with security ahead of his Coachella performance, but he and his baby managed to dodge the blows.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Swae and his entourage attempting to enter the festival grounds at a security checkpoint behind the stage ... but their path was slowed by several security workers, and that's when things got physical.

You can see Swae actually get knocked back against some fencing as all hell breaks loose ... security guards swarm in like piranhas, pummeling another man in Swae's camp. All the while, one of Swae's guards makes sure his baby -- in a big car seat -- is safe.

Management for Swae tells us ... “As Swae Lee attempted to enter the festival with his newborn son and working crew, overzealous security guards confronted them. As 1/2 of Rae Sremmurd, he was due to perform on Coachella’s Outdoor Theatre stage at 5:55 PM. Security claimed not to recognize the talent and then aggressively initiated contact as they attempted to make their way to the stage."

They continue, "The security guards, which we presume are independent contractors, are seen clearly being the aggressors and then throwing gang signs at end of the video in a celebration."

Swae's team says his own security did a bang-up job protecting him, and more importantly, his baby boy. When the dust settled, Swae and his bro Slim Jxmmi got onstage as scheduled to rock the crowd.

Rick Ross is rocking a few shiny tokens of appreciation for recently headlining the High Tolerance 4/20 Carnival in NYC -- no biggie, just a ring, chain and pendant worth more than $100k!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of High Tolerance CEO Manny bestowing the "Rich Forever" rapper with his icy new pieces of hardware, crafted exclusively by Mazza New York.

We're told the chain retails at $40k with more than 19 diamond carats ... and the pendant consists of 14k rose gold and costs over $30k.

The ring stands as Rozay's most detailed HT piece ... it boasts more than 22 carats of VS1 and f-colored diamonds and 14k gold with a retail of over $60k!!!

High Tolerance and Rozay are in business cahoots together and plan on blessing the world with his own brand of THC this summer.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story, Rozay signed on board in March to flood the market with their "High Collins" cannabis strain, named after his old hood in Miami.

A$AP Rocky might have thrived as an Olympic runner if his hip hop career didn't pan out.

The A$AP Mob rapper was in Paris Monday to shoot a music video for his upcoming album, "Don't Be Dumb" ... and this scene had him surrounded by a rowdy bunch as they infiltrate the French hoods.

One scene shows Rocky running at full speed down the street ... in a pair of wheat-colored Timberland boots, and he effectively dusts the video extras in a foot race!!!

Athletic activity and Timbs mix as well as oil and water, but as light as the Harlem native was on his feet ... we'd guess he's had experience getting agile in the 6" boots!!!

He also pops a wheelie much to the urging of the video's cast but didn't exactly nail it.

Rocky might be doing double duty in Paris -- he and Rihanna are reportedly house hunting as they anticipate the birth of their second child together.

This year could bring about a comeback season for Rocky. He's slated to headline Rolling Loud Miami this year, in addition to the release of his first album in more than 5 years.

Kanye West and his wife don't seem to be missing a beat with each other, and their latest QT came in the form of a Sunday date in a not-so-fancy spot.

Ye and and Bianca Censori hit up a Cheesecake Factory Sunday inside L.A.'s Topanga Westfield Mall. When it came time for dessert, they passed on the obvious choice -- cheesecake -- and, instead, opted for one bowl, 2 spoons.

The couple shared a big ol' ice cream sundae as they sat in a booth at the popular eatery -- sitting side-by-side like a couple a high school kids.

Despite the delicious dessert choice, it's not clear just how much fun they packed into Sunday funday.

They weren't exactly grinning from ear-to-ear, but, then again, they rarely do ... in public, anyway.

Ice Spice's relationship with Kim Kardashian is leading her into a modeling career, as she's been handpicked to show off a new "Skims" line ... along with a few other artists on the rise!!!

The "Princess Diana" rapper joined her "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" collaborator PinkPantheress and singers Nessa Barrett and Raye on Monday to model Kim's company's latest offerings ... which drop on April 27.

Ice and PP's song is one of the hottest of the year -- the track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a clear favorite of North West, who invited Ice to her home earlier this year to make a TikTok when the song was burning up the charts.

50 Cent is stomping all over Irv Gotti's broken heart in light of the fact Ashanti and Nelly appear to be an item once again!!!

On Monday, 50 reposted Ashanti and Nelly's weekend touchy-feely performance in Vegas but fixed his commentary and jeers on Irv ... with whom the G-Unit rapper has a long-running feud.

Irv told the world last year he had been secretly dating Ashanti way back in the day, but lost his former artist to Nelly years ago ... and embarrassingly found out while watching TV.

Aside from the Sin City performance, Nelly and Ashanti were spotted ringside at the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight over the weekend, holding hands at that.

Coi Leray got hit with a stray shot thanks to Latto's new "Put It On Da Floor" track, but it's not gonna lead to all out beef ... as both rappers have reached common ground.

Latto closed her Coachella weekend 2 performance on Sunday with her Nicki Minaj diss "Put It On Da Floor" once again and offered an explanation behind the lyrics that Coi took offense over ... publicly telling the crowd, "Aye, Coi. By the way, I love your body, baby."

Coi was triggered by Latto's bars, "Smokin' on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray" ... and, in response, insinuated Latto was in no position to give anyone body critiques.

However, after letting things settle, she's accepted Latto's clarification -- which means this crisis is averted!!!

Desiigner is officially facing legal trouble for exposing himself on an airplane ... the feds say he masturbated in front of flight attendants mid-flight, and seemed pretty nonchalant about it.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the rapper's being charged with indecent exposure ... and the paperwork sheds more light on last week's bizarre incident, saying he had his penis out while sitting in first class of the Delta flight and was masturbating while in his seat.

Flight attendants allegedly told him multiple times to stop and he eventually was taken to the back of the plane, where he was monitored by 2 of his friends. The FBI affidavit says a jar of Vaseline dropped into the aisle as he was getting up to switch seats.

After landing in Minneapolis, authorities say they spoke with Desiigner who told them it all happened because he "didn't really get much ... cootie" while in Japan, and was "brick hard" when he got on the plane.

According to the docs, Desiigner said he was aroused by the flight attendant and "kind of showed her, showed her, un, 'the magic stick.' ... thinking it would give her "encouragement."

BTW -- Desiigner claimed he wasn't under the influence, saying he was prescribed meds in Thailand but hadn't been taking them. According to the docs, he didn't appear to be impaired during the interview with the FBI.

TMZ broke the story, we were originally told Desiigner got ill during his international trip and was given meds -- and he believed that's what caused a sort of chemical imbalance.

The rapper also told us he's been struggling mentally for the past few months and was ashamed of what he did in the air ... and said he would be admitting himself to a facility to get some help.

Fat Joe's power circle is coming to aid his fight against shady hospital bills -- Busta Rhymes, French Montana, and Rick Ross are all set to perform with the Don this week ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

The function's going down Thursday in Washington, D.C., and will be hosted by Power to the Patients ... the org Joe's been supporting loudly in an effort to force transparency in hospital billing.

He and Power to the Patients have been demanding new legislation to back their cause, and, to that end, we're told Joe's scheduled a meet-up with lawmakers on Capitol Hill ... and a news conference with members of Congress.

The legendary rapper's not messing around ... bringing in A-list pals in rap for support. Thursday's concert will be part of a busy week of events in the nation's capital as the White House Correspondents Dinner goes down Saturday night.

Suge Knight says he has no hard feelings about his ex-protégé, Snoop Dogg, swooping in to buy Death Row Records -- the label he co-founded -- but he's skeptical about the legality of that transaction.

The incarcerated ex-music mogul tells TMZ Hip Hop ... personally, he doesn't feel like it's really Death Row without his name attached. That being said, Suge's also floating a theory --  that his ex-business partner Michael "Harry-O" Harris committed bankruptcy fraud to get the company out from under Suge.

Speaking to us from the CA State Penitentiary -- where he's doing 28 years for voluntary manslaughter -- Suge claims the label was only forfeited after a lawyer failed to attend court. So, he lost it in a 2013 default judgment to MNRK Music Group.

He considers the whole bankruptcy proceeding -- which screwed almost all of Death Row's artists -- a sham and, in his eyes, a direct violation of the law.

One problem with his theory is Snoop had nothing to do with the bankruptcy case, and only purchased Death Row from MNRK in 2022 ... and Harry-O had no involvement, at least publicly, in that transaction.

Per his upcoming TV series on BLK Prime, Suge says all truths will be revealed from his lens ... and also shared his favorite releases from the label, with the "Murder Was the Case" soundtrack ranking exceptionally high in his book.

After seeing the 1994 film "Natural Born Killers," Suge says he was approached by the studio to contribute a song but had to relinquish creative control.

Khalid is not a fan of AI infiltrating the music world ... and while he thinks the tech could be a helpful tool, he draws the line when it comes to mimicking artists.

The R&B hitmaker gave us his 2 cents on AI and the future of his industry, especially now that new AI-generated songs are popping up on the Internet almost daily.

Khalid says AI programming, in general, seems to be inevitable, but he made it clear he's not necessarily hopping on that train. On one hand, he understands how AI software can be a beneficial tool, but he's more concerned it could eliminate the need for human performers, like himself!

As you know, Drake has been experiencing this firsthand. You'll recall, some AI-generated Drizzy tunes -- meaning computer-produced vocals -- went viral and sounded just like Champagne Papi IRL.

And, this happened shortly after an AI song featuring Drake and The Weeknd became an internet sensation ... until Universal Music Group got it removed from music streamers.

Of course, Drake's label and other big artists have made it clear they aren't here for the humanless music, and Khalid agrees. He says he appreciates music as it is, and AI takes away the authenticity of artists.

Nelly and Ashanti were an item once upon a time -- and now, fans think they're going through déjà vu all over again ... based on videos of them together last night.

The two music stars -- who have history dating back to the 2000s, figuratively and literally -- showed up shoulder to shoulder Saturday night to watch the Garcia/Davis boxing match ... where they had ringside seats right next to each other.

People noticed them almost instantly, and the cameras started to roll ... as seeing the two of them out in public like this is a pretty rare sighting -- and certainly could have implications.

It's not like Ashanti or Nelly were trying to hide, but they did seem to be laying low a little bit. Of course, Twitter lost its s*** when another video of them leaving the main floor surfaced ... which shows them holding hands. Nelly, specifically, grabs a hold of Ashanti.

Later, they were spotted in the tunnel with their entourage and were pretty close to one another in this instance as well ... and even got asked some questions on camera.

After they both answer, the two of them appear to head off in the same direction ... again looking to be holding hands. It could just be friendly, with Nelly playing the gentleman and leading Ashanti out of a crowd by taking the lead. But, that's not how a lot of people see it.

Considering they used to be together back in the day -- something that just came to light not too long ago via stories shared by Irv Gotti, etc. -- folks are thinking they're a couple again.

They well may be ... time will tell, we suppose. If we see 'em out in public again, it could be the final nail in the coffin to confirm they're back on all these years later. Their last public reunion appeared to be nothing but a stunt/troll, but now ... this could be the real deal.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West live very separate lives these days, but that doesn't mean they can't come together to support their kids ... doing just that this weekend.

Kanye and his wife Bianca Censori showed face at Kim and Kanye's daughter North's basketball game -- though it was only for a brief moment -- before the two took off in Kanye's SUV.

Kim was also at the game, walking into a bunch of photogs before taking in the action inside. On her way out, Kim was joined by North and some of her friends, Kim stayed quiet, but North joked about the photo flashes before they piled into a waiting car.

We haven't seen a whole lot of Kim and Kanye together as of late ... and it appears they showed to the game at separate times as well. However, they've maintained for a long time that they'd co-parent their 4 kids, and it appears they've been able to keep that promise.