TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Rick Ross is set to expand his kingdom soon with the pending purchase of a luxury crib smack dab in the celeb hotbed of Miami Beach's secluded Star Island.

Sources with direct knowledge of the sale tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Rozay is under contract to buy a 6-bedroom, 9-bathroom mansion for a cool $37 million!!!

We're told the sale is expected to close in the next few weeks, and Ross plans on shelling out even more big dough to renovate the palace to his liking.

The house has been on the market since May and sports 40,000 sq. ft., along with royal amenities such as a heated pool, a summer kitchen, an entertainment room, and plaza deck terraces throughout.

Star Island will be even more lit with Rick on the block ... joining neighbors like his party pal Diddy, J Lo and Shaq.

Rozay's real estate empire has grown considerably this year.

Back in April, he scooped up Meek Mill's Atlanta mansion for $4.2 million -- but, now the Boss is coming home, Miami!!!

Nicki Minaj's bite just might be as big as her bark on rap tracks -- judging from the hands she's throwing with her sparring partner/husband Kenneth Petty!

"The Pinkprint" rapper shared video evidence of her skills Wednesday, showing off her jab-cross combos and footwork, which all looked pretty convincing.

Nicki never flinched and maintained solid boxing form throughout ... and even finished with a roundhouse kick for good measure.

Y'know what they say about a family that fights together ... don't mess with them!!!

Nicki's workout music was an unreleased collab with JT, and you can hear both dissing rival females who don't stack up to their flyness.

The City Girls rapper was also in the building with Nicki, but didn't break a sweat outside the studio.

Nicki's cooldown wasn't anything to scoff at either ... she backed that thang up on Kenneth and called him Big Daddy!!!

Bun B is the latest rap star to join the Taylor Swift fan club after a chance encounter left him starstruck!!!

The Underground King was out in NYC Tuesday night when he ended up at a Questlove party full of good vibes and food … as it was a cannabis-infused cuisine from Chef Nikki Seward.

Filmmaker Joseph Patel convinced Bun to take a photo with someone named "Taylor" as he headed out, which turned out to be the Taylor.

Bun says his TS intro measures up to the times he met ex-Prezzie Barack Obama and Beyoncé … and thinks it might be time for him to apply for Swiftie membership!!!

Flavor Flav also recently caught that same spirit after both meeting Taylor, and attending one of her "Eras" Tour shows this spring.

The Public Enemy rapper told us he experienced similar to what Bun shared … a warm presence that left him floored.

Akademiks is putting hip hop artists on notice that their live shows pale in comparison to the Afrobeats movement after he witnessed the magic for himself!!!

Burna Boy made history as the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium when he headlined New York's 41,800-capacity Citi Field on July 8.

Ak was in the building for last weekend's show, and marveled at Burna's attention to detail and instrumentation and warned rappers they have to step up their game.

Afrobeats' popularity has grown immensely ... jumping 11.5 billion streams since 2017 and Ak projects rap will continue to be buried due to low-vibrational performances.

Ak argued that wild and crazy fans at a show doesn't mean it's good ... and scolded artists for letting their entourages clog up the stage as well as rapping over their pre-recorded vocals.

On the rapper side, Ak gave Kendrick Lamar his props but that's where it stopped and the podcaster compared much of today's rap concerts to bad karaoke!!!

Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and many more will have the opp to prove Ak wrong when Rolling Loud Miami rolls around this weekend.

Meek Mill isn't trying to explain away his call to "Free Tory Lanez" from prison ... instead, he's standing on that statement, even if it's rubbing some fans the wrong way.

The Dreamchasers rapper made the rallying cry during his headlining performance at Rolling Loud Portugal on July 7 ... right before performing "Litty Again," his 2016 collab with Tory.

Meek and Tory have recorded several tracks together over the years and naturally built up a friendship.

But, that bond isn't making fans forget Tory was convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion several months ago -- so, Meek's now fending off angry supporters of the "Savage" rapper ... and there are a lot of them!!!

Meek told the mob his wishes to see Tory's freedom extend to other incarcerated rappers too -- like Young Thug, YNW Melly and YFN Lucci -- and he suggested fans shouldn't engage with artists, if they're just going to "smear" them later.

The Philly superstar also distanced himself from any role model responsibilities  ... maintaining he doesn't have a "controlled voice."

A$AP Rocky's upcoming "Don't Be Dumb" album has him really excited -- the kind of excitement that makes him flash all his pearly whites with the mere mention of the topic!!!

That was the Harlem-bred rap star's vibe when TMZ Hip Hop briefly caught up with him out in West Hollywood on Tuesday.

Rocky was hopping in his PMF yellow Hummer but had enough time to give us the thumbs-up confirmation that his recent music video shoot out in Barbados will make his album's final cut ... whenever it happens to drop.

He tapped into his Barbadian roots during an island getaway with Rihanna last month when he found time to film content for the album. There's no telling if RiRi will add vocals to the project as of now ... but the suspense helps balance out the anticipation!!!

Fans have been waiting on Rocky's comeback for years now .. his last album "Testing" dropped all the way back in 2018 and the new album countdown seems imminent.

DDG says there's a clear separation of church and state when it comes to his playboy raps and girlfriend Halle Bailey ... as relationship balance has been a hot-button topic as of late.

We caught DDG walking into Dash Radio Tuesday and got the scoop on the new lingo of his track "I'm Geekin'" -- which he describes as the latest term for being lit. Ditto for "having motion." 🔥

The song's attracted millions of plays across social media since dropping in April and also picked up guest features from BIA, NLE Choppa and 2023 XXL Freshman Luh Tyler.

All 3 'Geekin'' videos showcase DDG getting grabby with several women who are not his girlfriend but he assures us Halle understands it's just for work and show and not for real!!!

The two stars have been schmoozing strong since the top of 2022, and DDG tells us their relationship isn't affected by what they do for their careers. As he put it, "It's just work."

Popular social media podcaster Funny Marco is now facing a $6 million lawsuit from the company that helped launch his podcast ... with the company claiming he went on a campaign to destroy their reputation in an effort to get paid more.

The suit was filed on Tuesday by Breakbeat Media and veteran publisher Dave Mays, creator of "The Source" magazine.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Marco and Breakbeat struck a deal in August 2021 to host his content on their YouTube channel.

But following the runaway success of the channel beginning with a Boosie Badazz interview they paid $15k for, the company claims Marco breached his contract on numerous occasions in an attempt to get more money out of the company.

Breakbeat says it caved to many of Marco's demands to incorporate his Cornbread TV brand into the mix ... and even gave him 35% of the revenue and rights to the production, but the suit claims Marco wasn't satisfied and continued to post to his own YouTube channels in violation of the deal -- siphoning hundreds of thousands in revenue from the Breakbeat channel — despite repeated requests to stop.

Marco's also accused of fumbling the bag for Breakbeat multiple times ... claiming he refused to read on-air ads and allegedly entered into side deals with advertisers.

Mays also says Marco would bad-mouth the company ... hurting its ability to sign other celebrities and influencers like Jess Hilarious, Sukihana and Bubba Dub to join Breakbeat.

Breakbeat Media is now seeking at least $5 million for Marco alleging screwing with the business and harming its reputation, and Mays is seeking $1 million for damage to his character.

Naomi Osaka and Cordae's little bundle of joy is here -- the "Gifted" rapper announced at a recent show the tennis superstar gave birth to their first child!!

The talented MC shared the big news at his gig in Calgary ... telling the crowd he's officially a proud papa.

Remember, Osaka announced she was expecting a kid with Cordae by sharing a sonogram on Instagram in January ... and the two hosted a lavish pink-themed baby shower just last month.

The couple has yet to address the birth on their social media accounts .... but according to People, the baby girl arrived in Los Angeles, and "they are doing well."

Of course, Osaka has been away from the tennis court since her announcement ...  but continued to train during her pregnancy as she vowed to make it to the 2024 Australian Open.

"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future," Osaka said at the time. "One thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

Gunna appears to be having the last laugh at critics who thought his plea deal in the YSL trial killed his career.

The newest Billboard Hot 100 update showed Gunna's latest album single "Fukumean" planted at #8 -- his first Top 10 as a solo artist!!!

Gunna's been mostly mum on social media, but he did plenty of celebrating while shooting the "Fukumean" music video.

The visual features him doing it big on a yacht with friends, girls, and plenty of party favors ... y'know, all the finer things freedom has to offer.

Folks like Boosie Badazz might hate to see it, as some artists have been vocal about feeling like Gunna sold out Young Thug to save his own skin in the YSL RICO case.

YK Osiris and Def Jam are no longer in biz together, TMZ Hip Hop has learned ... after the label dropped the "Worth It" singer from his contract back in December.

Sources with direct knowledge say the split left no bad blood between either camps, both teams just acknowledged the relationship ran its course. Obviously, his recent controversy with Sukihana played no role in the separation, either ... as the decision was made well before.

YK signed to the label back in April 2018 and released 1 album the following year ... the gold-selling "The Golden Child" which produced the 3x platinum single "Worth It."

The whirlwind success perhaps stunted his career growth. YK's openly admitted to blowing through the millions he earned at Def Jam.

On Tuesday, YK made his debut as an indie artist with the emotional track "Dear Fans."

Def Jam also bulked up today ... adding Issa Rae's Raedio label into its fold.

Le'Veon Bell is having painful flashbacks about being swindled by Moneybagg Yo and DaBaby's artist Stunna 4 Vegas ... after he claims he paid them cold hard cash for some BS bars.

The NFL free agent made the unsolicited revelations on social media while recalling several high-profile rapper collabs ... and singled out Moneybagg and Stunna for not giving their all on the tracks and just maybe not respecting his talent!!!

LB says platinum-selling producer Tay Keith held up his end of the bargain on the Moneybagg track, but Mr. Wockesha didn't deliver and Bell thinks he and Stunna used him as a cash grab.

Drake, SZA, and Rihanna are the only artists LB says he'll let get away with sending over a lame feature without any rebuttal ... but he did go out of his way to salute both Lil Durk, Snoop Dogg, and the late Lil Keed for being stand-up guys in the studio with him.

LB says he's been holding on to the Snoop track since his early years playing with Pittsburgh after he had to choose a career, but hopes to bring it to life one day.

Joseline Hernandez still hadn't cooled down when cops arrived after her epic beatdown of Big Lex ... and body cameras captured her violent, profanity-laced rage from start to finish.

The "Love & Hip Hop" alum was met by several Sunrise PD officers last month in South Florida -- and this new footage, obtained by TMZ, shows her immediately launching, physically and verbally, at law enforcement.

Right off the bat, she shouts she doesn't want any white men touching her, and things quickly ramp up from there.

Joseline chucks her phone at a guy trying to calm her down -- who seems to be the same person heard calling Lex a "dumb ass bitch" during the initial confrontation. Cops step in, but she shoves one of them ... resulting in multiple officers taking her to the ground.

Throughout the struggle to take her into custody, you can hear Joseline shouting homophobic and racial slurs at the cops after getting cuffed. She even appears to resist while they walk her out, which is when officers pick up her legs to carry her out.

Joseline's intense arrest followed her violent altercation with Lex.

As we reported, the 2 women went at it after Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III's exhibition fight -- Joseline drew a massive crowd backstage as she put Lex in a headlock.

Big Lex ended up calling the cops, hoping to get Joseline arrested ... which is what eventually happened -- but not before another huge blowup.

Jamie Foxx is back in the public eye nearly 3 months after his hospitalization, and DJ Envy thinks the Oscar winner played it smart by not feeding social media daily updates while he recovered.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with "The Breakfast Club" cohost Tuesday in NYC, and he applauded Jamie for not bending to public pressure to respond to fans ... who've been rabid for any and every detail of his illness and his healing process.

That impatience for health updates even included some of Jamie's famous friends and costars, like John Boyega -- only a very tight circle of family and friends has been in the know -- but Envy says Jamie's new wave of public appearances speaks louder than words!!!

As we reported back in April, Jamie suffered a medical emergency that forced him to halt all his projects. He's been at a rehab facility in Chicago since late April, but appeared to be in good spirits when he resurfaced this past weekend ... waving to fans from a boat, and even whooping his friends in a game of Top Golf!!!

Envy thinks social media can blur reality for fans sometimes and Jamie needed the time away to properly heal, and he'll speak about it when he's ready.

Adam Sandler is publicly supporting Earthgang's new track, which doubles as a tribute to the lead character in one of the actor's most beloved comedies ... "Waterboy."

On Monday, Adam tweeted out his stamp of approval for the song, "Bobby Boucher," writing ... "Yo EARTHGANG! Singing along with you! Love, Bobby B."

Quite the sign of respect and one EG didn't take lightly ... reposting the honor on all their socials.

Adam's a longtime hip hop fan, and has done several movies with legendary rappers over the years -- RZA, Queen Latifah and Nelly to name a few -- so, impressing him definitely amounts to bragging rights for the J. Cole signees.

The Caleb Seales-directed music video reimagines many of the 1998 football flick's most memorable moments -- the neurotic mother, the college crowd energy, and even the famous bright-orange jerseys (which have since gotten a Dreamville upgrade) are all featured.

Ski Mask The Slump God's set during a music festival in Switzerland was the energy boost one fan needed to attempt a dangerous stage dive -- one that totally failed in spectacular, and painful, fashion!

Sometimes a safety net comes in handy, as the Florida rapper observed while performing at Openair Frauenfeld Fest this weekend. He totally fired up the crowd with his classic Juice WRLD collab "Nuketown."

The energy inspired a fan to jump onto the stage in preparation for an ill-advised, head-first stage dive.

Folks in the crowd tried to wave him off from pulling the stunt ... as he tried to time the leap on a countdown for the beat drop.

Problem is, no one in the audience lifted a finger to catch him and the poor concert rager slammed to the ground like a spiked football ... but with far less bounce.

A concerned Ski Mask tried to ask folks in the mosh pit about the stage jumper's condition ... but they were all too busy recording the guy with their phones.