TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Hit-Boy recently nabbed his second Diamond plaque for producing Jay-Z and Kanye West's "N****s is Paris" -- and he's using that momentum to fuel his father's rap career!!!

HB's pops Big Hit was released from prison after a 9-year bid a little over a month ago, and wasted no time recording "Surf Or Drown 2" ... the father-son duo's joint album, released just in time for Father's Day '23.

The 10-track project (20 if you count the bonus instrumentals) also sports features from Big Sean and Dom Kennedy, and they've dropped a video for virtually every song on the project so far.

TMZ Hip Hop recently spoke to HB about his latest Diamond achievement -- his goal is always to make as much music as possible to spread his sound, and his recent work is going the distance to keep his dad gainfully employed!!!

Sukihana says she forgives YK Osiris for forcibly kissing her -- creating a frenzy of pissed off fans on social media -- and hopes the whole thing will serve as a lesson moving forward.

Suki's remained mostly silent since the incident at The Crew League in Atlanta over the weekend when the singer rubbed her bare shoulders, grabbed her face and forced a kiss as she was very clearly trying to fight him off.

YK apologized for the whole thing Wednesday on Instagram, and in a statement Friday, Suki says she's chosen to accept his apology, adding, "God always forgives me and I can always forgive others. My accepting his apology is not my excusing or lessening the severity of his actions. This is Destiny choosing to give grace to Osiris."

She also hopes the incident teaches YK a valuable lesson moving forward -- "to be more mindful and respect the personal boundaries of others."

Shortly after the incident, some people seemingly put the blame on Sukihana for YK's actions, as she makes music with sexual and sometimes suggestive lyrics.

Clearly, she saw that criticism as well, because she includes, "I am human, a woman, a mother and daughter before I am an entertainer. No matter what my lyrics express, I still have boundaries and a right to have them."

Finally, Sukihana says she's working toward getting "back to my life." The attention from the incident has been understandably tough ... she concludes, "I am giving YK the grace and forgiveness that I wanted to be given to me as I was discovering and defining myself on this very public and sometimes unforgiving entertainment platform."

French Montana is geeked about the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new documentary, "For Khadija," and he's crediting his dream team for the assist.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with French out in NYC ahead of the premiere and he says his film -- which documents his life as an immigrant from Morocco to the first Diamond-selling rapper from rap's mecca of the Bronx -- got a huge boost from Drake and Diddy, its co-executive producers.

According to French, TFF handpicked his doc out of 11,000 entries ... a remarkable feat, even if it did pack on the star power.

He also thanks Robert De Niro, who's personally presenting the film to the festival he co-founded.

French says he's been so focused on his film's rollout that he totally missed his betting buddy YK Osiris breaking the internet after he broke Sukihana's personal space, to say the least, by forcing kisses on her mouth.

As we reported, Sukihana's now accepted YK's apology in an effort to nip all the controversy in the bud.

UK rap star Central Cee recently screened French's doc, and claimed it nearly moved him to tears.

Michael Jordan's run as owner of the Charlotte Hornets is coming to an end -- the basketball legend has agreed to sell the team to a group that includes several A-list stars.

The Hall of Famer will hand the reins over to businessmen Gabe Plotkin (who already owns part of the Hornets) and Rick Schnall.

The buyer group also includes rapper J. Cole and country singer Eric Church, the team announced Friday.

MJ initially bought a minority stake of the franchise back in 2006 ... and took the position of Managing Member of Basketball Operations.

He became a majority owner in 2010 ... buying the rest of the team from BET founder Robert L. Johnson for $275 million.

The two sides will put pen to paper in the next few days, according to reports.

Plotkin bought part of the Hornets back in 2019 ... a move that, in hindsight, is now considered the first step in phasing Jordan out of ownership.

Plotkin is the founder of Tallwoods Capital ... and Schnall is co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private equity firm.

Jamie Foxx's "They Cloned Tyrone" costar John Boyega says he's desperately attempting to contact the ailing megastar -- and has been since Jamie fell ill 2 months ago -- all to no avail, but John's not a quitter!!!

John and several other cast members were feeling Jamie's absence at the 'TCT' premiere event Thursday in Miami.

John says he was hoping Jamie would be well enough to attend the Netflix film's premiere, but says he still expects a least one pick up of the phone one of these days.

'TCT' is the first of several Jaime-led films slated to drop this year, and the Academy Award-winner was actually in the middle of filming another in April when he suffered a medical emergency in Atlanta.

His family has been in his corner while he got treatment at a renowned Chicago physical rehab facility.

Gunna says he's still riding for Young Thug, and he's done being hip hop's punching bag -- 2 ideas he repeatedly drives home on "A Gift & a Curse," his comeback effort after springing himself from prison.

The 15-track album dropped Friday ... containing themes of "smashing broads" and being back on his feet, but Gunna gets defensive against the snitch label that's haunted him -- on socials and in the industry -- since taking a plea deal in December in the YSL RICO case.

On the track "Cash S***," Gunna spews at his haters and shouts out Thug by his gov't name ... "You n***** broke, energy low I don't really care though/Out the barrel, man, free my bro Jeffro/Back to business, it's way more dinero."

Gunna was arrested in May 2022 along with several members of the YSL label and he reminds internet trolls it was no laughing matter and even cried in his cell.

On "I Was Thinking," he raps, or pleads to Young Thug ... "Only I done criеd, ’cause this feeling for my bro King Slime/And you know my mind, you done watched that n**** grow/I know you hear the lies."

Like he said on the earlier track, he's out to bring the team more money with the album released on Thug's YSL Records and 300 Entertainment.

Interestingly enough, Thug appears to prepping a response titled, "Business is Business."

His IG page dropped a link to a QR code that leads to a website with a countdown for 5 days from now ... just enough time for Gunna's numbers to make an impact on Billboard and keep the momentum going.

Ne-Yo is NOT back with his ex-wife Crystal Renay despite their recent public outing together ... we're told things are strictly professional, and the two are cordial.

Here's the deal ... Ne-Yo and Crystal raised eyebrows this week when they were both on hand for a public appearance at the opening of their restaurant chain's newest location, prompting speculation they had reconciled after an affair that wrecked their marriage.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Ne-Yo and Crystal are definitely not back together and they were both at the restaurant opening because they are co-owners and it's in their contracts.

We're told Ne-Yo and Crystal are both dating and seeing other people ... as well as co-parenting their three children.

TMZ broke the story ... Crystal divorced Ne-Yo last year after he had a child with another woman.

Our sources say Ne-Yo has a certain amount of appearances he has to make for the restaurant chain they share, Johnny's Chicken and Waffles, and Crystal is heavily involved in the business' day-to-day operations ... which is why they were both at the grand opening in midtown Atlanta.

Flavor Flav isn't shy about his Taylor Swift fandom. After going super viral for attending her concert in Detroit, the Public Enemy legend says he can't wait to see Taylor live again.

TMZ Hip Hop checked in with Flav Thursday on the heels of his grand appearance at Taylor's 'Eras' show. The 64-year-old couldn't understand why people were so surprised to see him enjoying the sounds of TS in person.

As far as Flav is concerned, Taylor's a mega-popstar who's sold over 100 million records ... so of course he's gonna appreciate her greatness!

Flav and Taylor first linked up at the iHeartRadio Awards in March, and he tells us he was bumping her music wayyy before that ... as he's a fan of all genres.

Flav says iHeart's invited him and Chuck D to perform as Public Enemy at their upcoming iHeartRadio Music Festival in September ... and Flav says the group's got a new album on the way.

The project will mark album #16 from the legendary act, and Flav says they've enlisted the services of their OG production team The Bomb Squad for the beats.

Outside the studio, Flavor says his recent trip to Harvard inspired his life for the better and he owes his newfound energy to 3 years (and counting) of sobriety.

Flav and Chuck will also be at the Rock Hall on June 29 to kick off the HipHop50 Exhibit.

Travis Scott is giving a not-so-subtle nod to The Beatles as he moves closer to releasing his first album in four years ... recreating an iconic album cover from the band.

Travis was spotted outside the famous Abbey Road studios -- where we're told he also recorded -- in London Thursday, using the same crosswalk The Beatles included in their "Abbey Road" album back in the day ... as he prepares to release his "Utopia" album.

As you can see, Travis crossed the street with his security ... one of which was carrying the patented "Utopia" briefcase ... with the four members of Travis' crew resembling the famous album cover shot of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison.

Travis' version puts him in the same spot as Paul ... only he's not barefoot like the Beatles star who came before him.

A trip to Abbey Road is a signal Travis is getting close to releasing "Utopia" ... he teased the album this week with a new Nike ad with tennis legend John McEnroe ... where the briefcase with the master recording also made an appearance.

The mania around "Utopia" is definitely similar to Beatlemania ... so Travis is getting super creative here.

There's still no official release date for "Utopia" ... though the Houston Astros already got a preview and Travis is going to be headlining the upcoming Rolling Loud Miami.

Kodak Black thinks he can be a good President for the people of Haiti and seems to be using his Donald Trump friendship as inspiration!!!

Big Black was recently a guest on DJ Whoo Kid's "Whoolywood Shuffle" while rocking his $10K Donald Trump gold chain ... where his political expertise was challenged on the spot.

The "Super Gremlin" rapper has Haitian in his blood and explained he would end the country's history of political corruption, on account he'd already come into office with a stacked bank account!!!

Kodak also reminded fans his heart and intent are pure with every move he makes ... something his frequent acts of charity can vouch for.

As for the chain, Kodak's been rocking it since last June as a token of his appreciation for DT giving him a presidential pardon worth a get outta jail card.

Busta Rhymes' 30-year career in the rap biz will be honored in full at an upcoming event, presented by Netflix.

The veteran rapper will be receiving the Icon Award at the 7th annual Culture Creators Innovators and Leaders Awards Brunch ... which won't have a shortage of star power in the spotlight this year.

Chloe x Halle will be granted the Innovators of the Year Award ... while LSU b-ball champ Flau'jae Johnson, Stephen Hill, Troy Carter, Karl Kani, Laurieann Gibson, Chris Robinson and Candace Rodney will all be recognized for their areas of expertise.

The event goes down on Saturday, June 24 inside the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom and is also sponsored by Lexus.

French Montana doesn't want American immigrants to fall prey to mistreatment ... and the "Unforgettable" rapper is dedicating his time to that exact cause.

Thursday saw the premiere of French's partnership and promo for "Informed Immigrant" an organization that provides information, education, and support to undocumented families living in the United States.

French has repped the Bronx his entire rap career but didn't get his U.S. citizenship until 2018 — a full year after his Diamond-selling hit "Unforgettable" dropped ... and the process was more of a headache than he could have imagined.

This Friday, French is set for another debut ... his "For Khadija" doc as part of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, which chronicles his own journey as an immigrant from Morocco.

Meek Mill thinks YK Osiris deserves a second chance after the singer forcibly attempted to kiss Sukihana (twice) against her will ... and doesn't want to see him fry on the internet.

The Dreamchasers rapper offered his two cents on the matter just as YK's apology to Suki was making its rounds.

According to the mind of Meek, YK is an honest victim of the culture's ultra-sexual nature ... and made the simple mistake of letting his lil' head do the thinking!!!

Meek, in all his wisdom, also thinks YK could benefit from a slap or two and a day at church.

YK came under fire at a Crew League basketball game in the presence of comedians Lil Duval and Funny Marco ... but one person who was not laughing is Amber Rose, who scolded YK and claimed the moment brought her to real tears.

Suki, for her part, has chosen to take a break from social media for the time being and hasn't responded to YK's apology or Meek's unsolicited advice!!!

We covered it all in a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Rap pioneer Gangsta Boo died after consuming a cocktail of hard drugs and alcohol ... this according to a new report.

According to FOX13 in Memphis, the autopsy report for the hip hop artist states she died from an accidental overdose brought on by fentanyl, cocaine, and booze.

As we previously reported, Boo -- whose real name was Lola Mitchell -- was found unconscious on New Year’s Day inside a Memphis residence ... and despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead on the scene. She was 43.

Gunna is ready to fire up his rap career once again after much public backlash ... dropping his first album since springing from prison in December.

The YSL rapper made the surprise announcement Wednesday, which also served as his 30th birthday, saying his fourth album "A Gift & a Curse" is dropping Friday.

Gunna also previewed a new summer vibe presumably from the new album to match his vacation surroundings.

Gunna was on top of the rap world when he was arrested in May 2022 as part of the ongoing YSL RICO case. His last album "DS4Ever" beat out The Weeknd for the top spot on the Billboard 200 and he had the entire world "Pushin P."

Fans are already anticipating the project to see if Gunna will address the massive deflection he's received from his rap peers such as Lil Baby, Lil Durk, even Young Thug's sister Dolly, and protégé Lil Gotit.

YK Osiris wants to make one thing very clear -- he never meant to harm Sukihana in forcibly kissing her at a public event -- and is apologizing for his actions.

Osiris took to instagram to offer an apology Wednesday, writing, "I want to publicly offer my sincerest apology to Sukihana. In an attempt to be playful, I misread the moment and viloated Sukihana's boundaries."

He continues, "I understand the importance of consent and I am embarrassed by my behavior. I take full responsibility and have made multiple attempts to apologize. I have the utmost admiration for Sukihana and it was never my intention to disrespect her."

The apology comes after Osiris was slammed online for a video that showed him and Suki at Crew League in ATL over the weekend where he grabbed her face and kissed her twice as she shrieked in awkwardness.

People online accused Osiris of sexual assault, and hours after the event, Suki tweeted, "I drink to hide that I'm very sensitive. I feel things more then the average person. I stopped drinking yesterday but today I've been crying all day. I asked God to strengthen me and use me to help others and to order my steps in his word. I just want to go away for awhile."

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation told us prior to Saturday, the two didn't have any sort of relationship, and the whole thing took Suki totally off guard ... she was both embarrassed and hurt by YK's actions.

Sukihana has not yet responded to the apology.