TMZ Hip Hop - Page 17

12:39 PM PT -- Soulja Boy and Ray J have officially teamed up and promised to deliver an anti-DDG stream ... to embarrass their newfound common rival.

DDG has been relatively mum about his ongoing issues with ex-Halle Bailey ... but he held a stream to thrash both Soulja Boy and Ray J for inserting themselves into his business!!!

The embattled DDG called the industry fake, but called Soulja Boy and Ray J even faker for trying to be streamers and clout-chasing off his domestic situation to build their viewership.

Cassie Ventura is testifying about a now-imprisoned sex worker who claimed, way back in 2018, he was Diddy's sex slave ... and while everyone thought he was crazy back then, he seems vindicated now.

Diddy's attorney Anna Estevao grilled Cassie about male escort Jonathan Oddi, and a 2013 incident where she suspected Oddi had recorded one of their freak-off encounters. In court, Estevao played an audio recording of Cassie threatening a DJ she believed had possession of that video.

She's heard berating him to prove he really had the video -- "If you have it pull it up or I will kill you, and he will kill you again." The "he" appears to be referring to Diddy.

Cassie Ventura just testified on the stand at the Diddy trial that she once stepped out on the rap mogul with an NFL player.

The 38-year-old made the revelation as a Diddy attorney was questioning her about one of the many toxic encounters she had with her former boyfriend during their tumultuous relationship.

Anna Estevao stated to Cassie that back in 2016, Combs took her phone after he suspected she had been unfaithful to him with an NFL athlete. Cassie testified that she recalled the incident -- but did not reveal the man's identity.

8:57 AM PT -- The jury was shown more text exchanges between Diddy and Cassie, this time from April 2010 regarding freak offs.

A text from Cassie reads ... "I want to talk to you about something tomorrow. Going to sleep. Love you."

Diddy responded ... "Is it going to stress me out? What is it about."

Cassie: "Freak-off. It can wait. It's not a big deal."

Diddy: "Now you don't want to do it anymore. Oh, I already know. You are so predictable."

Cassie: "Really? OK. Since that's definitely what it was, we'll leave it at that then, since I'm so predictable. Have a good night."

Diddy: "Whatever, Baby. I'm not going to play no games with you and you ain't gonna keep shutting me down."

Cassie: "I'm not shutting you down. I never do. If anything, it's always the other way around. I wasn't going to say I didn't want to do it anymore."

7:30 AM PT -- After the "rag doll" text, the jury was then shown a text exchange between Diddy and Cassie referencing the weekend of the InterContinental Hotel beating.

A text from Diddy reads ... "I felt that way from Friday. What are you doing."

Ventura responded ... "Not a good vibe. We need a different vibe than Friday."

Diddy: “F*** Friday lol. I don’t even want to do that again."

Cassie: "Lol true." Following more texts, the exchange ends with Ventura writing "Love you."

The assault caught on camera in the hotel hallway is time- and date-stamped March 5, 2016 -- a Saturday. Testimony has confirmed some of the former couple's alleged "freak-offs" lasted for 12 hours or longer. It is unclear exactly what the text exchange is directly referring to.

Cassie is back for her fourth day of testimony Friday in Diddy's federal sex trafficking trial in NYC -- today is her second day being cross-examined by the defense -- and the rap mogul's former girlfriend is once again answering questions about text exchanges from the relationship.

Jurors were shown a text message Cassie sent to Diddy on March 10, 2016 ... 5 days after the infamous incident at the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. captured on security video, showing Diddy beating Cassie in a hallway.

"When you get f***ed up the wrong way you always want to show me that you have the power and you knock me around. I’m not a rag doll, I’m someone’s child," the message reads.

Diddy prosecutors are pulling the baby card to limit the defense counsel's cross-examination of Cassie to the end of today.

Here's the deal ... federal prosecutors filed a letter with the court Friday in an attempt to prevent the defense's questioning of Cassie on the witness stand from spilling into next week.

Prosecutors say the reason is simple ... they don't want to risk that the judge might be forced to declare a mistrial if the very pregnant Cassie suddenly goes into labor and can't continue her testimony.

5:23 AM PT -- Chris Brown will remain in police custody following his UK arrest and grievous bodily harm charge, Judge Joanne Hirst ruled Friday, TMZ can confirm. His next appearance will be on June 13 at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Chris Brown has been charged with one count of grievous bodily harm in response to him allegedly smashing a tequila bottle over a music producer's head in 2023.

He was expected to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court at 10 AM on Friday, the Metropolitan Police Service confirmed.

Adele Kelly, the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, also confirmed his charge and reminded anyone interested in the case proceedings "are active and that he has the right to a fair trial."

As the first week of testimony in the Diddy trial draws to a close, TMZ has obtained more never-before-seen footage of Diddy and his A-list pals chillin' and chowin' down on some bird at Thanksgiving dinner in 2017.

Check out the footage... Diddy is hosting Thanksgiving dinner at his L.A. mansion, and the guest list is just insane! Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa can be seen on a couch chatting with some folks -- and both seem to be havin' a good ol' time.

Usher is also in the house ... at one point, the R&B singer is seen shaking hands with Diddy, who is smiling brightly as the two shoot the s**t. .

Tory Lanez is on the mend and feeling much better after getting stabbed 14 times in a California state prison, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the rapper was transferred back to the prison hospital within the last few days after getting treatment at a medical facility in the Bakersfield, CA area.

We're told Tory's condition has "stabilized," and he's now breathing on his own and able to talk. Prison officials say Tory is currently in fair condition.

There has been a social media swirl over Justin Bieber's relationship with Diddy when Justin was 15, but multiple sources in Justin's life say nothing untoward happened between them.

Our sources -- some of whom were and some who are right at the center of Justin's life -- tell TMZ, Diddy never sexually or otherwise abused Bieber.

As you know, when Justin and Diddy both appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" back in 2011, they stirred the pot when Diddy said Justin "knows better than to be talking about things that he does with Big Brother Puff on national television."

Another whirlwind day in the Diddy trial is in the books ... and Cassie Ventura had a lot of important testimony while getting grilled by Diddy's defense team.

The singer was back on the stand Thursday for a third straight day, though this was the first instance where she was cross-examined ... with Diddy defense attorney Anna Estevao leading the line of questioning.

Jurors heard and read a bunch of communications between Diddy and Cassie from their decades-long relationship ... including messages where Cassie seemed to be showing excitement for freak-offs.

Snoop Dogg is fed up with Suge Knight's prison podcasts throwing him under the bus -- and dedicated a full diss song to his former boss on his new album!!!

On the track, "ShutYoBitchAssUp," Snoop pegs Suge as a jealous bastard who's upset that his once beloved Death Row Records has a new owner ... the student has become the master!!!

Suge has been on the rampage for years disputing Snoop's and Harry-O's acquisition of the infamous record label and isn't a fan of any of the music Snoop's put out since the changeover.

Diddy overdosed on painkillers after a string of activity that included a freak-off, a visit to a sex club and a party at the Playboy Mansion ... Cassie testified.

She told the jury Diddy was dependent on opiates for a time and that he overdosed in February 2012 after taking a very strong opiate.

Cassie testified that on the day Diddy OD'd, they had a freak-off and went to a sex club in San Bernardino ... and that Diddy went without her to a party at the Playboy Mansion.

Diddy supporters and court pundits might think the prosecution hasn't proved any of the criminal counts he's facing, but Touré disagrees ... arguing the government is making a lot of progress on the racketeering front.

We caught up with the music journalist Thursday on "TMZ Live," and his take, after nearly 4 days of graphic testimony, is Diddy was allegedly committing "an ongoing rape of Cassie."

And, Touré sees prosecutors building a strong case for a criminal conspiracy -- aka racketeering -- carried out by Diddy's employees.

Cassie says she was still participating in freak-offs with Diddy despite being on a break from him and dating Kid Cudi.

The singer testified Thursday in court during cross-examination... she was seeing Kid Cudi in 2011 while on a break from Diddy, but was still going back to Diddy for freak-offs.

Cassie's reasoning ... the freak offs were her "job."

Michael B. Jordan's name is now in the middle of the Diddy trial ... Diddy's defense brought him into the convo Thursday while cross-examining Cassie Ventura.

Cassie testified Diddy suspected she was having an affair with Michael in 2015, after she broke up with Diddy while she was in South Africa filming a movie.

The singer told the jury she cut off contact with Diddy after finding out he was seeing another woman ... and that Diddy grew suspicious she was starting to date Michael.

Jimmy Fallon and The Weeknd gave a group of Fordham University seniors a surprise they'll never forget -- they crashed their graduation bash at the Lincoln Center campus in New York City!

Check out the video ... the graduating seniors were absolutely gobsmacked when they saw the Grammy-winner walk through the doors and start performing his hit song "Blinding Lights" Thursday -- inspiring an impromptu sing-along.

TMZ is told he even did an encore, singing "Can’t Feel My Face" with fans as well.