TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Boosie Badazz is backpedaling like Deion Sanders in his heyday after very openly calling T.I. a snitch.

The unfiltered rap star repositioned his stance in a new interview with VladTV Thursday ... admitting he jumped to conclusions without having his facts straight.

Boosie publicly bashed T.I. for claiming he snitched on his cousin after he died ... a podcast moment T.I. later revealed to be a joke — and provided the paperwork to prove it.

The rift derailed the release of their joint album ... but when we spoke to T.I. on the matter, he wrote of Boosie's comments as "misspeaking."

Boosie tells Vlad he and Tip have a long positive history and their sons are also good friends ... and felt bad about how he handled the situation.

Post Malone is tired of people tying his recent weight loss to the result of drug use ... instead, attributing his new svelte look to performing and choosing a healthier lifestyle amid his "dad-life."

The rapper took to Instagram to address the issue Thursday while on tour in Europe, assuring his concerned fans that he's NOT hooked on narcotics.

Post wrote, "I’m having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier. i guess dad life kicked in and i decided to kick soda, and start eating better so i can be around for a long time for this little angel."

He continued, "Next up is smokes and brews, but i like to consider myself a patient man… lol!"

Of course, Post was responding to rumors on social media suggesting he was taking illegal substances. One Twitter user stated that Post "doesn't look well" and thought that drugs might be "taking a toll on him."

Another person tweeted, "Is Post Malone on drugs? How did he lose all that weight? I’m worried."

This isn't the first time Post addressed his noticeable weight loss. You might recall back in February, we reported that Post insisted his slender figure was due to a happy and healthy lifestyle.

In his IG message, Post also said he's been in the studio working on new music that he's excited to release to his fans and thanking them for their support.

There will be plenty of hip hop star power at this year's Tribeca Film Festival ... with everything from documentaries, premieres and even performances.

On Thursday, OKX unveiled its laundry list of events, including Megan Thee Stallion's "Storyteller's Conversation" ... where the "Savage" rapper will be taking part in a panel discussion on June 15

French Montana's self-reflective "For Khadija" doc will premiere the following day and it was announced both Drake and Diddy are now officially on board as executive producers.

The June 16 premiere of "For Khadija" ... a first-person glimpse into French's backstory as a Moroccan-born future superstar, a road paved by his single mother.

As Pras waits to find out his sentence after a guilty verdict in his federal fraud trial ... he's also waiting on his Fugees bandmates to publicly show him any support.

Both Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, rightfully, joined the world in publicly mourning artist/activist Harry Belafonte after his death on Tuesday, but one day later their IG accounts were bare of any reference to Pras' trial and verdict.

The Fugees' last album, 1996's "The Score," sold more than 22 million copies worldwide ... but the group never got on the same page to record a follow-up. A 25th-anniversary tour to celebrate the project was scrapped last year due to Pras' legal drama, so it's possible there's a rift between them after all that drama.

As we reported, Pras was found guilty of spearheading a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy alongside Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

The trial included high-profile testimonies from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- but to date, there's been no reaction from Lauryn or Wyclef.

On the other hand, Chuck D is being extremely vocal ... the Public Enemy frontman launched into a tirade Thursday, ripping apart what he calls a hypocrisy on Pras' accused crimes.

Ironically, Chuck also found time to memorialize Belafonte -- sharing the late icon's many virtues with TMZ Hip Hop when we spotted him at the airport.

Tyler, the Creator is telling fans to enjoy his tunes while he's alive and well, because when he dies ... his music will officially stop.

The Golf Wang curator was explaining this tidbit to the crowd last night during his Estate Sale Show at The El Rey in Los Angeles.

Tyler just dropped a deluxe edition of his Grammy Award-winning album "Call Me If You Get Lost" that featured 8 previously unreleased songs ... and told fans he felt the songs were too good to sit in the vault.

The veteran rapper felt it best he let go of the tracks now because he says his living will prohibits his music from being posthumously released ... especially with "random" artists he wouldn't ever collaborate with while he was alive!!!

Fact is, deceased artists have proven to be cash cows over the years. So, whoever's distributing Tyler's music can't be thrilled with his will ... not that anyone's rushing him to the grave.

Thundercat is back in his musical bag for the first time in 3 years with the track, "No More Lies"... his new jazzy, snazzy collab with Tame Impala!!!

The track, co-produced by both prestigious musicians, dropped along with a visualizer showing a gazelle and leopard running in the wild -- perhaps to showcase their adjacent styles on the song ... in a NatGeo kinda way.

Thundercat will be able to test the song out in real time this weekend.

The Grammy Award-winner was tapped to close the 2023 NFL Draft in an effort to "curate a special performance which will pay tribute to the rich music history and the legacy of jazz in Kansas City" ... according to the league.

Ne-Yo says he's in a happy place these days, and it's all about the single life and flying free as a bird!!!

We linked with the Grammy-winner Wednesday at LAX, and he had plenty of dating advice to spread, now that his divorce is finally in his rearview ... as we first reported.

According to Ne-Yo, the single life has been enjoyable so far and he has plenty of dating options ... as he's not exclusive to one particular person.

He says his DMs are flooded with plenty of potential girlfriends ... and, maybe surprisingly, he reveals he's down to date fans!

Ne-Yo admits most celebs, himself included, are kinda weirdos ... so having someone "normal" by your side can be a plus. However, he also says there are benefits to dating someone famous, because they get the pressure that comes with the spotlight.

Basically, it sounds like he's open to anyone, regardless of status, who floats his boat!!!

Ne-Yo's dating life has indeed left a trail of fascination as of late.

The "Miss Independent" singer recently made a birthday splurge on Sade, the mother of 2 of his children -- but fans were confused as to whether they were officially an item again.

Well, you heard the man ... his DMs are open!!!

Toni Braxton wants to share her survivor's story after recently undergoing lifesaving surgery to unblock a main heart artery ... because she learned important lessons about taking care of your body.

TMZ Hip Hop caught the R&B legend Wednesday in NYC ... and she was simply grateful to be out and about after her procedure last September. She recently revealed doctors found an 80% blockage in her main coronary artery, which could've led to a fatal heart attack.

Toni tells us she can't tour or sing like she wants to at the moment, but she's slowly getting reacquainted with the studio and promises she'll be back at full strength for her next live shows.

It's been a little over a year since Toni's sister, Traci, passed away from cancer ... and Toni tells us she took the loss so hard, she let her own medical checkups slip.

She's urging fans to pay attention when your body's talking to you and stay up-to-date with doctor visits.

Up-and-coming Los Angeles rapper MoneySign Suede was stabbed to death in a California prison ... cutting his life short as his career was catching steam.

Prison officials for the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, CA tell TMZ Hip Hop ... they're currently investigating MoneySign's death as a homicide after discovering he was absent from a headcount check Tuesday around 9:55 p.m.

According to our sources, the "Back to the Bag" rapper was found unresponsive in another area of the prison. Prison personnel attempted to administer emergency aid ... but were unsuccessful as he was pronounced dead around 10:00 p.m.

We're told the death has prompted officials to restrict prisoner movement while they conduct their investigation ... with assistance from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office and the Monterey County Coroner, the latter of whom will determine MoneySign's cause of death.

Nicholas Rosenberg, MoneySign's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times the rapper was stabbed in the neck in the shower and that those who knew him were shocked.

As news of MoneySign's death circulated, his rapper friends Fenix Flexin and Baby Stone Gorillas took to IG to pay emotional tributes.

Fat Joe is fed up with the medical industry duping its patients into paying unfair prices ... personally flying himself from NYC to Washington D.C. to do something about it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the Don Cartagena as he visited Capitol Hill to rep "Power to the Patients" ... the nonprofit that targets and tackles hidden healthcare fees.

As we told you earlier this week, Joe will be in town through the weekend alongside Busta Rhymes, French Montana and Rick Ross for a special PTTP-helmed concert to bring awareness to the millionaire CEOs of nonprofit orgs. and other associated horseradish ... but today, he was all bars without the beat!!!

We also caught Joe's speech as he addressed the crowd as a proud Bronx native but lashed out at the economic forces that hold Black and Brown people back ... comparing their cries for help as effective as a "dog barking at the moon."

Pras is guilty of committing fraud according to the jury in the federal trial where the Fugees rapper was accused of trading political influence in exchange for millions from Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

During the trial Pras admitted accepting $20 million from Low for a photo-op with then-President Barack Obama as he ran for reelection -- and also helped set up a scheme to illegally funnel money to the Obama campaign through straw donors. Prosecutors were not going after the Obama campaign.

High-profile witnesses Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions took the stand during the case.

Pras reportedly blamed his decision to participate in the schemes on the bad advice of an attorney, but that clearly didn't sway the jury as he's now looking at up to 20 years in prison.

We spoke to Pras outside court during the heat of the trial and he didn't have much to say. The jury clearly felt he said more than enough in court.

Nicki Minaj is on a musical tear like grraah at the moment ... even without a new album out on the market!!!

On Tuesday, her recent single, the Lumidee-sampling "Red Ruby Da Sleeze," crossed the 500k sales mark ... which makes it eligible for a shiny Gold-plated plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America!!!

The track has been lighting up the charts and actively competing with her Ice Spice collaboration ... the "Princess Diana (Remix)" — which shot to No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, making it the first song by the duo to reach that milestone!!!

Matter of fact, the new "Princess Diana" is so popular, it's been outselling the next 13 top-selling songs COMBINED ... according to a new Forbes report.

Morgan Wallen's "Last Night," Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" and Post Malone's greatest hits track "Chemical" are just a few of the heaters Nicki and Ice have been topping as of late.

Machine Gun Kelly is back in his rap bag ... courtesy of a new freestyle over Central Cee's "Doja" where he invited Cordae to his backyard to tag along!!!

A focused MGK grabbed the mic first in freshly painted fingernails while flipping bars about "Game of Thrones," and even bigged up his life with fiancée Megan Fox after not scoring a date to his prom.

Cordae managed to match Kellz's energy with ease ... even while dropping lines about the size of his junk!!! 😁

The two MCs provided one another's ad-libs and flexed their premier lyrical chops ... even adopting English accents to reflect Cee's styling on the track!!!

Jack Harlow's set to deliver a new set of tunes (and apparently a new alter-ego) this Friday with the announcement of his third studio album titled "Jackman."

The Kentucky-born rapper hopped on IG on Wednesday to reveal the project's album cover art ... which depicts a shirtless JH flexing his guns in a back alley behind a rundown basketball hoop.

Sources close to the project tell TMZ Hip Hop that the upcoming album will lean into Jack's more lyrical side ... after having padded the Billboard Charts with his No. 1 crossover hit "First Class" last go-around.

JT had the party brought to her on 4 wheels ... courtesy of a rideshare driver who surprised her with his knowledge of hip hop music!!!

The City Girls rapper uploaded a video late Tuesday night of a driver named "Ern" going stupid while rapping along to Young Dolph's fiery classic track "Preach."

The street sermon had Ern hyped as he rapped, "I f**ked your bitch, then told her, "I'll see you around/Dolph just skipped town with two hundred thou," while JT egged him on ... and the multi-color in-car ambiance also helped amp up the mood.

Yung Miami recently assured City Girls fans that the duo would be dropping their long-awaited third album in the summer.

The world is down one more musician, philanthropist, and humanitarian with the death of Harry Belafonte, and Chuck D perfectly outlined the tremendous loss.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Public Enemy front man Tuesday at LAX, and he refused to accept the notion today's youth don't know Harry's contributions to the Civil Rights movement, or even his 1956 album, "Calypso."

Chuck explained it perfectly ... saying they've got smartphones and should Google the man!

As we reported, Harry died Tuesday at age 96 of congestive heart failure, and Chuck says the "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" singer used each day of that long and fruitful life to uplift people.

And, while the man is celebrated for his art -- as a singer and actor -- Chuck says he should be considered an activist-turned-artist, and not the other way around.

Chuck says "Mr. B.," as he affectionally knew him, will go down as a father figure to the Black community, and he called it an honor to have had the opportunity to soak up some of Harry's laughs, wisdom and intelligence.

Rev. Al Sharpton, who worked alongside Harry for several decades, agrees 100 percent with Chuck. We spoke to him in NYC, and he shed some light on the lighter, more humorous side of Harry's personality.