TMZ Hip Hop - Page 38

Kanye West is standing by his controversial post about Jay-Z's kids ... asking DJ Akademiks if he really went too far with it -- or, if it was actually one of his best.

The controversial rapper sat down for an interview with the rapper -- released earlier Sunday -- and, during it Kanye addressed his social media presence ... claiming he's popping off on X because he's finally able to vent his raw thoughts without immediately facing a ban.

West then makes a bold statement ... claiming his post about Jay-Z's kids makes the "Nazi-s***" not seem as bad -- a point Akademiks kind of agrees with 'cause he says he feels like Kanye's post about Jay-Z's kids was by far his worst.

The Billboard Women in Music Awards brought out the biggest names in music ... and, we've got pics of all the stars who shined at the star-studded event!

Tina Knowles proved nothing beats a stylish black gown ... rocking a low-cut number and a fierce glare on the red carpet. Becky G looked angelic in a form-fitting white gown -- and, GloRilla brought a nice blend of both colors in her pantsuit-inspired ensemble.

Meghan Trainor made us all look in her black gown with mesh shoulders and a beautiful pearl necklace before accepting the Hitmaker award during the show.

The Diddy trial is going to spend a lot of time on his "Freak Off" parties, and the issue here is consent ... his defense says the encounters were consensual, and the prosecution needs to prove otherwise.

TMZ examines the legal strategy surrounding the Freak Offs in our new documentary, "The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available now on Tubi.

Criminal defense lawyers who have won some of the most high-profile celebrity criminal cases in America break down how consent will play a big role in Diddy's trial.

Cardi B claims she's got dirt on a bunch of people -- including her estranged husband Offset -- that she's about to drop ... all because she says he's using bloggers to come after her.

The rapper hosted a session on X Spaces ... and, she fired off some shots at her soon-to-be ex-husband during the convo -- alleging he's actually consorting with online blogs to spread rumors about her.

Listen to the clip for yourself ... Cardi says she's constantly had trolls hitting her up or messaging people she's close to -- and, it's clearly upsetting her. Now, she says it's her turn, 'cause the "demon is inside" of her and she's gotta let it out.

Young Scooter was fleeing from police when he severely hurt his leg while jumping over fences ... and died of that injury, Atlanta police said late Friday.

The hip hop star was pronounced dead Friday at Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta after being brought to the hospital by Emergency Medical Services from a location on the southeast side of the city, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office.

Lt. Andrew Smith of Atlanta PD told reporters ... an unidentified man -- assumed to be Scooter -- suffered a severe leg injury while fleeing officers on foot. Smith did not give more detail to the exact nature of the injury -- but the femoral artery is in the leg.

The Diddy trial could begin and end with jury deliberation, because the composition of the jury could determine whether Diddy spends the rest of his life in prison or goes free.

TMZ breaks down the factors in selecting a jury of Diddy's peers in our new documentary, "The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available now on Tubi.

Dr. Phil, a former jury consultant who masterminded Oprah's big win in the Texas beef trial, says it's critical to find open-minded jurors, and it's not as simple as asking if they're open-minded. One way to root that out ... asking prospective jurors if they've ever held a strong position and then changed their minds.

Sexyy Red has a new pair of shoes ... and they're an expensive gift from a country singer she recently worked with.

TMZ obtained video of Sexyy Red being gifted a pair of $5,000 Christian Louboutin cowgirl boots ... courtesy of Caldwell.

Sexyy Red pulls up to their music video shoot for their collab, "Beer and Baddies," and Caldwell is waiting with the shoes in a gift box ... and he tells her he can be her "rich country baby daddy."

Sean Kingston and his mother have been convicted in their federal wire fraud case.

The "Beautiful Girls" singer and his mom, Janice Turner, were found guilty Friday on all five charges they were facing.

Sean reportedly cried as the jury returned the guilty verdict ... and he told U.S. Marshalls to "protect my mother" as they remanded her into custody and took her away from the courtroom.

Yella Beezy is back on the streets ... 'cause he made bail in the Texas murder case against him after his bond was reduced.

The rapper was released from custody Friday morning after posting a $750K bond ... about a week after he was arrested for allegedly intentionally and knowingly causing the death of Melvin Noble, AKA Mo3, who was shot to death in broad daylight on a Dallas highway in 2020.

While YB's bail was initially set at $2 million, a Texas judge lowered it Thursday at a bond reduction hearing.

Ice Cube delivered the Commissioner's trophy to the 2024 World Series champion Dodgers before their home opener on Thursday ... and he did it in true California style, like only an L.A. legend could!

Cube had the honor of handing over the coveted hardware ... and he did it in a totally unique way, cruising on the field in what looks like a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.

As you can imagine, the 53K plus fans in the house went nuts when they saw the "Check Yo Self" rapper who was dripped out in an all-Dodgers blue fit.

Bhad Bhabie's used to dealing with trolls, so she rarely lets fan hate get to her ... even when that hate turns into a legit death threat.

The rapper and social media personality shared a screengrab of a text she says she received from a person who tells her they straight up want to "MURDER" her.

You can read the text for yourself ... it gets pretty scary and a little graphic -- with this unidentified individual claiming they know where BB hangs out on Saturdays before adding they will "skin you slow."

The 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards was one heck of a show ... and you can bet JoJo Siwa was front and center, leading the pack of celebs celebrating the past year's biggest achievements in LGBTQ media.

JoJo wasn’t sweating that $900 VIP ticket drama one bit as she hit the Beverly Hills event Thursday night -- rocking a mohawk-inspired 'do with rainbow stripes down the side and bringing her signature high-energy vibes.

JoJo wasn’t the only one delivering the energy -- Lil Nas X showed up rocking a cowboy hat and fully embracing the night’s festivities.

Will Smith is addressing his infamous Oscars slap -- and all the baggage that came with it -- head-on on his new album.

Smith's album "Based on a True Story" dropped on Friday -- his first full-length solo project in 20 years, and it immediately confronts the fallout from slapping Chris Rock.

The album's opening song, "Int. Barbershop - Day" -- featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone -- kicks off with the line, "Will Smith is canceled."

Race will almost inevitably play a part in the prosecution of Diddy, and his defense team is banking on jurors focusing on why prosecutors have invested so much in, as Diddy's lawyers put it, "taking down a successful Black man."

We get into it in the new documentary, "TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available free on Tubi.

Criminal defense lawyers who have won some of the most high-profile celebrity criminal cases weigh in on how race will become an issue in Diddy's trial, set for May.

Kanye West and Andrew Tate didn't just hang out in a recording studio and take photos together ... they also sat down and recorded a podcast.

Andrew's girlfriend and sexual assault accuser Bri Stern mentions the podcast in her lawsuit against Tate, claiming Tate and Kanye filmed the episode earlier this month in Los Angeles ... before Tate allegedly attacked her during rough sex.

We previously obtained photos Kanye and Tate took the night of the alleged incident ... and this was also the same night Kim Kardashian yanked North West out of Kanye's recording studio after Ye invited the Tate brothers to join them.

Adam22 says he was NOT picked up by the feds, contrary to reports, but he tells us Uncle Sam paid him a visit regarding the Big U case and Nipsey Hussle's murder.

We got the "No Jumper" podcast host at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and we asked him about Wack 100 claiming he was arrested by federal agents.

Adam22 says the feds talked to him about the Big U case and they wanted to get their hands on a cease-and-desist letter Big U sent Adam's podcast regarding an episode where Luce Cannon claimed Big U had prior knowledge of Nipsey's death before the fatal March 2019 shooting.