TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

A new lawsuit accuses Nicki Minaj of straight-up stealing the beat for her song "I Lied" from another artist ... a scenario sources close to Nicki say is impossible considering she didn't handle the song's production.

The rapper, along with mega-producer Mike Will Made It, is being sued by Julius Johnson, who says the music playing under the vocals on Nicki's track from "The Pinkprint" sounds like a carbon copy of a song he created years before she dropped "I Lied."

However, our Nicki sources tell us she wasn't hands-on with the beat, saying, "Clearly Nicki is a lyricist, so the claim in terms of production will obviously have to be addressed by the applicable parties."

As for those applicable parties, it appears Mike Will was the one who brought Nicki the beat.

As for the history, Johnson claims he published his song, called "onmysleeve," on YouTube in September 2011 ... 3 years before "I Lied" came out.

In the docs, Johnson claims he had the beat on a hard drive when he attended the Art Institute of Atlanta ... and he says in 2013 the hard drive was taken from a studio session without his consent.

Johnson claims associates of Nicki and Mike Will Made It were at the Institute around the same time and believes they somehow got their hands on his missing hard drive.

When Nicki released "I Lied" in December 2014 it obviously gained attention ... and Johnson claims when he finally heard her song in 2022, he immediately recognized the similarity to his beat ... insisting that, aside from the lyrics, Nicki's track has basically the same underlying instrumentation and beat as his track.

He's going after Nicki and Mike Will Made It for the profits they earned off his song ... and wants a judge to order them to stop using it or at least give him credit on "I Lied" for his contribution.

Symba is chalking up the XXL Freshman to be a lost cause ... but he could also be feeling some kinda way for being snubbed on this year's issue.

The Bay Area rapper ponied up his honest thoughts about the newest Freshman class in 92.3's BET Awards radio room ... and suggested hip hop culture's future is in shaky hands with XXL's picks.

Symba says rap music's lack of chart-topping music ... a first in 30 years ... is a direct result of XXL's insistence on putting TikTok-quality rappers on its cover.

He was plenty dismissive of the list as a whole. GloRilla, SleazyWorld Go, Luh Tyler and 2Rare are just a handful of the budding talent to make the 2023 cut -- but Symba's saying just trash the whole thing.

It may sound a little drastic for someone like K Camp ... who's been an XXL Freshman in the past. The Rare Sound rapper thinks when your buzz is as big as Ice Spice's, skipping the cover is cool but the look can't hurt at the end of the day.

Symba's wordplay and mixtape with DJ Drama attracted praise from his peers, especially from older rappers, for being a formidable MC ... but apparently, the publication felt differently and didn't select him during this period of eligibility.

Jadakiss is voicing his concerns that Jim Jones' and Pusha T's spiraling rap beef could spiral out of control and turn into a violent situation.

The LOX rapper admitted to Bootleg Kev he didn't have a dog in the fight ... but didn't want things to get ugly.

Over the weekend, Jim fired back at Pusha T's perceived jabs from the song he previewed in Paris ... and fire back he did!!!

The Dipset Capo used the Clipse's hit "What Happened To That Boy" to send slick shots at Push's bro No Malice's weight loss, accusing him of doing the drugs they're always rapping about.

Jada's had his share of rap beefs over the years ... he and the Ruff Ryders' once had Beanie Sigel outnumbered with goons at the height of their tension in the '00s.

Lil Uzi Vert and his City Girls girlfriend JT got into a heated argument during the BET Awards ... with many fans believing Ice Spice is to blame for the fight.

Video circulated of JT from the show Sunday night whacking Uzi Vert with her phone multiple times, accusing him of being a "groupie."

Fans speculated she was pissed about Uzi's performance during the BET Awards where he shouted out Ice Spice, rapping, "I got a nice wife/Wig came off twice/She got a little afro, she looks like Ice Spice."

Sources inside JT's camp tell TMZ Hip Hop her blowup with Uzi had nothing to do with Ice  ... she had become frustrated when she lost her seat after the audience shuffled around. We're told JT loves Ice and there's not even a shred of beef between them whatsoever.

A fan recount of the altercation appears to confirm the musical chair's confusion. Ice can also be seen explaining her side of the situation.

Uzi and JT left the building together without another scene ... seemingly confirming they're good.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott certainly have a history -- with two kids to prove it -- but they're not working on getting back together ... and are happily co-parenting their little ones.

Sources close to the former couple tell us Kylie's primarily the one with 5-year-old Stormi and 1-year-old Aire -- they both live at Kylie's house -- but Travis can see the kiddos as much as he wants.

Travis spent his Father's Day with Stormi in London -- so she's jet-setting with Dad as well.

Fans speculated Travis and Kylie might be working on their relationship when both were at Stormi's pre-k graduation earlier this month ... but our sources say it was solely to support their daughter.

Obviously, Kylie's fam has played a big part in helping with Stormi and Aire -- but Travis' family sees the kids as much as possible ... and also attended Stormi's graduation.

As far as we know, Travis isn't currently dating anyone new -- though he's popped up at a couple of SZA's shows on her European tour. Kylie's been tied to Timothée Chalamet, grabbing food and hanging out at each other's places, but there's no indication things have gotten super serious.

Kylie and Travis have split and gotten back together in the past ... so there's a chance it happens again, but our sources say this time it feels more permanent.

Rap royalty descended on the 2023 BET Awards Sunday night ... and the celebratory event went off pretty much without a hitch and everyone seemed to be having a blast.

The bevy of stars hit up the Microsoft Theater in L.A. to pose for photos in their fancy getups before heading inside to enjoy the show.

Major attendees included Ice Spice, T.I., Quavo, Offset, Busta Rhymes, Yo Gotti, Master P, Latto, Chrisean Rock, Angela Simmons, Moneybagg Yo, YTB Fatt, Sexyy Red and Brooklyn Nikole.

Behind the scenes ... the hip hop greats were yukking it up and partying their butts off, which we're sure lasted long into the night around town.

During the awards ceremony, there were a few surprises -- one of which came when the two surviving members of Migos -- Quavo and Offset -- paid tribute to their slain bandmate, Takeoff.

Another memorable moment was when Busta teared up while giving an acceptance speech after receiving a lifetime achievement award.

Then there was Patti LaBelle, who initially botched her tribute to the late singer Tina Turner, forgetting the words to Tina's smash hit, "The Best." But Patti made a quick recovery and ended her performance on a high note.

All in all ... it was a fabulous night with terrific music.

The Migos reunited at the 2023 BET Awards Sunday night ... but the trio was now a duo, and they honored their late bandmate, Takeoff, with an emotional performance that brought the house down.

Quavo and Offset surprised everyone when they hit the stage an hour into the event at the Microsoft Theater in L.A. to pay tribute to Takeoff, who, as you know, was fatally shot at a bowling alley last November. The alleged killer, Patrick Xavier Clark, was indicted last month for Takeoff's murder.

Decked out in all-black leather, the two Migos kicked things off by diving into "Hotel Lobby," a song produced by Quavo and Takeoff, as the crowd went wild.

Special effects sent the show to the outer limits with a spaceship appearing on a large screen, which eventually took off as flames shot up from the stage. A massive image of Takeoff then morphed onto the screen behind Quavo and Offset while they were singing and dancing.

The pair then cranked out the Migos biggest hit, "Bad and Boujee," which rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard charts and was nominated for best rap performance at the 2018 Grammys.

By any musical standard, it was a memorable moment and the first time Quavo and Offset appeared onstage together since Takeoff's death.

Question is ... will Quavo and Offset carry on the Migos torch as a duo?

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

XXL Freshman alum K Camp fully understands Ice Spice's decision to skip this year's Freshman cover photo shoot -- but still recommends she keep a steady pace in the unforgiving rap game.

We linked with the Rare Sound CEO outside of Dash Radio this week, where he acknowledged Ice's red-hot rookie run. He tells us every rapper must choose their own path, but with Ice checking off all the boxes, she'll be good going forward.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... the "Munch" rapper forfeited her XXL Freshman spot after she started getting booked for shows, left and right -- several festival gigs and a full tour supporting Doja Cat -- and couldn't lock in with all the mags requirements.

That being said, K Camp says blowing up too fast can hurt an artist, as the public can eventually grow tired and move on rather quickly.

Camp was in the 2015 XXL Freshman class, and admits it helped his career -- he signed to a major label and racked up several Platinum plaques.

He also told us no XXL class -- this year or even his -- can top the 2010s with J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, and Freddie Gibbs!!!

Before this adorable baby drooling on his yellow smock was spittin' beats and rapping on stage, he was just clapping his hands, flashing his pearly whites for the camera, and during his teen years ... was entering rap contests while growing up in Detroit, Michigan.

You've probably heard his popular song "I Don't F With You", but if you haven't ... he's worked with some of the music biz's hottest stars including Nicki Minaj and Drake. Through his music, his listeners have learned he's definitely "one man who can change the world."

Need one more hint? He's a proud father of one!

Fivio Foreign was involved in a crazy confrontation Saturday, claiming someone in the club roofied him ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was performing at the Paris nightclub, L'Arc, for Paris Fashion Week. The rapper's reps were not specific as to the nature of the altercation, but it was serious enough that cops had a talk with him.

Fivio's reps tell us while police did speak with their client, he was not arrested or detained. However, it looks like what did go down between Fivio and the other party may have spilled into the streets.

GLC is looking back fondly at his time spent filming Kanye West's attempted HBO series ... despite the fact it never saw the light of day.

The Chicago rapper checked in with TMZ Hip Hop amid this week's puzzling leak of Ye's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-style comedy, which was called, "A Little Inappropriate."

Ya might see that title as foreshadowing, considering Ye's remarks in recent years.

GLC tells us they shot 'Inappropriate' back in 2007, and filming the pilot episode broadened his horizons and gave him a Hollywood crash course -- he found himself doing improv alongside JB Smoove and Kym Whitley and his homie Don C.

Of course, the show didn't make the cut -- HBO pulled it after seeing the pilot episode -- but GLC openly admits some of the acting just wasn't good enough to carry on the HBO legacy.

GLC notes the GOOD Music crew was more in its music bag at the time.

Ye had just delivered his first 2 blockbuster albums "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration" -- GLC exclusively featured on both projects, giving him a claim to fame that still lasts today!!!

Earlier in the year, GLC and Wiz Khalifa linked up for the cross-promotional weed anthem "Kush and P" ... a spotlight for Wiz's "KK" and GLC's "Cronja" cannabis brands.

Beyoncé nearly fell out of her top earlier this week during a live show in Germany -- but one of her backup dancers saw the issue before it became a disaster ... and played the hero.

The singer was putting on a concert Wednesday in Hamburg, and while she was in the middle of performing "Break My Soul," a wardrobe malfunction almost played out live in front of everyone -- namely, her left breast was about to pop out of her skintight outfit.

Bey was up there bouncing around -- giving it her all -- and several people noticed ... something was about to come undone, and soon. It doesn't seem like Beyoncé herself really noticed ... but, fortunately for her, somebody who was onstage with her did see it.

Turns out ... one of the brothers from the French dance group Les Twins -- both of whom were serving as backup dancers for this performance -- rushed over and provided cover.

Not only did the guy block what was inevitably going to be a straight-up nip slip ... but a closer look, shot from someone with front row seats -- shows he actually tugged on her top and put it back in place for her ... all in one fell swoop, going right back to dancing.

It all happened so fast ... and, ever the pro she is, Bey didn't miss a step. If you weren't paying attention, you might've not even noticed some miracle work was goin' down.

As you can imagine, the dude's being praised/patted on the back for springing into action the way he did ... because, frankly, the whole situation could've been very embarrassing.

It doesn't look like Les Twins or Bey have addressed this yet ... but, TBH, there's nothing really to say. Disaster was averted, and ya gotta figure Beyoncé is grateful for the save.

Jim Jones has words for Pusha T after the dude dissed him on Pharrell's high-fashion runway last week -- and it sounds like things are getting personal ... and possibly even ugly.

A new clip of what appears to be JJ's response to PT leaked online this week ... it's a brief snippet of Jim dropping bars, and perhaps even shooting a video. Like we said, it's just a small sample of the overall track -- but on its face, he's getting in the mud to fire back.

Check it out yourself ... Jim references/makes fun of Push's collaboration with McDonald's while going on to slam his last album, "It's Almost Dry," by essentially calling it trash.

He then mentions Clipse -- Pusha's rap group with his brother, No Malice -- and has this to say ... "Trying to bring the Clipse back // Talking ‘bout your brother, what happened to that boy? // It looking like they be selling crack to that boy."

Yeah, on its face ... Jim is accusing Malice of once being a drug user. Him and Push have made a name for themselves by rapping about selling drugs -- but Jim's suggesting at least one of them did more than that. Considering Malice has, by and large, left rap behind ... ya gotta imagine his brother is gonna take this one to heart, and most likely respond with more venom.

Now, as for how all this started ... it dates back to April, when Jim hopped on a podcast and said Pusha T shouldn't be considered a Top 50 rapper of all time -- pooh-poohing his music.

During Pharrell's debut LV men's line in Paris this past week ... Push and Malice dropped a new Clipse track, and many considered his bars aimed at Jim directly -- presumably in response to what Jim had said in the spring.

Boosie Badazz is a free man after posting a $100K bond in his federal gun case Friday night ... and we caught him happy as a clam as he left a California lockup.

The rapper was photographed seated in the backseat of an SUV following his Friday night release from Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego -- and BB was clearly elated, smiling from ear to ear.

Check out the snapshot we obtained ... Boosie's just beaming as he rides away with his chauffer.

And he has every reason to celebrate after winning several court battles against prosecutors, who wanted to keep him behind bars for the duration of his gun case.  Prosecutors filed motions to deny his bond -- but two federal judges ruled in favor of Boosie, paving the way for his release from jail.

TMZ broke the story ... Boosie was arrested by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents and charged in an indictment with being a felon in possession of a gun. Police initially arrested Boosie in early May after a traffic stop revealed he allegedly had two guns inside the SUV he was riding in.

State prosecutors dropped their case the same day ATF busted Boosie at a San Diego courthouse and charged him with essentially the same offense but on a federal level.

Deon Cole won't let fame and notoriety for his less humorous roles kill his comedy drive ... even though he's getting plenty of acclaim for his new dramatic project.

We caught the comedian ahead of the premiere of his new BET+ series "Average Joe" ... which has already been drawing comparisons to "Ozark" for its dark, suburban storyline.

Deon tells us turning over a new leaf in his career doesn't mean he's burning down the forest he built on stand-up comedy -- that's still his bread and butter, and he says don't expect him to bite his tongue in future comedy bits.

He says he learned from Tom Hanks secondhand and credits his cast -- which includes Tammy Townsend, Malcolm Barrett and Michael Trucco -- for elevating his drama chops.

But Deon also tells us the series' directors saw the depth of his acting ability, and gave him the shot of a lifetime!!!

Beyoncé seems to be feelin' the power of the dark side ... cuz she's lookin' really 'Star Wars' villain-ish while traveling through Europe with her family.

Queen Bey -- or Darth Beyder, as she might prefer to be called -- touched down Friday in the south of France with her hubby Jay-Z, and their kiddo Blue Ivy in tow.

Her fam might be feeling Beyonce's force while cruising through the airport, though ... because she was completely bundled up with a pitch-black cloth covering everything but a sliver of her face.

Might remind ya of a certain big bad space villain called Darth Vader ... the younger version, anyway. Think hooded Anakin Skywalker from 'Episode 3' -- or maybe the all-powerful baddie, Emperor Palpatine from the same saga.

FYI, Bey's currently on the European leg of her Renaissance World Tour ... next stop is Saturday in Frankfurt, where she just might declare, "I am your mother."