TMZ Hip Hop - Page 5

Sexyy Red flexed her star power in London over the weekend by headlining the inaugural residency of one of the city's hottest nightclubs -- all while Wireless festivities were going down!!!

The "SkeeYee" rapper was the star of the show at Tape for its 3-night introduction of their new artist residency series.

We're told Sexyy was the chief architect, curating every single detail ... and wasn't shy about sharing the spotlight with Latto, Yeat, Zack Bia, and Ben Da Don, new XXL Freshman Loe Shimmy, and old flames DDG and Rubi Rose, albeit on different days.

Akon is assuring TMZ Hip Hop that reports of his beloved "Akon City" project being canceled are grossly overblown -- but he says there are a few haters who want to see it that way!!!

We caught up with Akon this week in NYC and got updated on his new-age city -- in addition to the country album he told us he was working on back in April.

Akon says his country classic is 60% done ... he doesn't want to rush the process and disrespect the community, and has been spending time in Nashville with Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts to soak up that honky-tonk energy!!!

7/16 -- 2:08 PM PT -- TMZ's learned the whole shootout video ended up being nothing but a fake ... with sources in direct contact with the guy telling us no live rounds were fired, and law enforcement confirming there were no reports of a shooting or attempted robbery.

Rapper Troy Ave is his brother's keeper ... and he proved it, big time, by opening fire on a gunman who ran up on his pal, celeb chef Geoff Cole.

The shootout went down in the San Diego area -- home security footage shows Geoff pull up at home in his Bentley, Troy gets out on the passenger side ... and as both men are walking toward the garage, a would-be robber sneaks down the alley and charges at Geoff.

The Brooklyn MC immediately reacted, reaching for his own handgun as the gunman fumbled an apparent weapon -- and Troy seized the opportunity to start shooting and chasing the guy back into the alley.

7/16 -- 7:42 AM PT -- SZA's manager, Terrence "Punch" Henderson, told The Breakfast Club on Thursday that Nicki Minaj and SZA failed to connect on a song in 2020 ... but doesn't know how things went so nuclear yesterday.

Nicki Minaj was conducting her daily Roc Nation roast -- and somehow SZA got looped up in the social media posts, and 🆘 ... a new beef has been born!!!

SZA rattled off her first post of the day on X Tuesday, posting, "Mercury retrograde .. don’t take the bait lol silly goose" -- which Nicki interpreted as a direct shot at her amid her blasting Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez.

The thing is ... SZA's in a COMPLETELY different time zone, currently on her joint "GNX" tour with Kendrick Lamar, and had just finished her show at Paris La Défense Arena shortly before midnight European time.

Skepta thinks UK rappers can outmatch U.S. rappers -- and Joyner Lucas is making him rethink that decision because, in his opinion, NOBODY CARES!!!

That's the name of Joyner's blistering diss track aimed at Skepta's bloody noggin, released on Tuesday, where JL went full Yankee Doodle Doo on his UK op.

Skepta had let his musket go bang a few days earlier with his "Friendly Fire" diss track ... a formidable effort, but fans are decisively handing Joyner the dub online.

Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson are going full send after taking their romance public ... hitting up an NYC hot spot for a date night -- and PDA was on the menu!!

The new power couple was spotted leaving the celeb-favorite Carbone in the Big Apple on Monday ... and it's safe to assume they knew the cameras would be waiting for them as they made their exit hand-in-hand.

Klay, 35, sported a white polo and some navy track pants for their public debut as an item ... while 30-year-old Meg elected to go with a multi-colored dress, but the two were matching in the smile department.

Kendrick Lamar pushed his "Not Like Us" Drake diss to the forefront during his Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in February -- and he's being honored for the performance with a pair of Emmy nominations!!!

On Tuesday, Kendrick earned 2025 Emmy Award noms for Outstanding Music Direction and Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

His performance in Apple Music's big set spliced together cultural innuendos, a PlayStation controller, women's jeans, and Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams ... 133.5 million viewers said it was one for the history books!!!

Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist were rumored to have an album cover leak a few weeks ago ... and now, a new trail of breadcrumbs is connecting scenes from an Italian restaurant and a Tokyo fry joint!!!

TMZ Hip Hop received several tips overnight containing flyers circulating Los Angeles advertising a “grand reopening” for a restaurant that offers prime “alfredo” with “twice the sauce.”

We called the number ... a woman speaking Japanese is asking for the type of top chef who doesn't fold under pressure.

Diddy is already attempting to rehabilitate himself -- he's enrolling in self-improvement programs while in federal lockup to address his drug use and violence against women.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Diddy is in the STOP Program, a course the feds offer inmates focused on preventing sexual assault, domestic and dating violence.

We're also told he is undergoing therapy, and is in the Dr. Harry K. Wexler drug abuse program.

Conor McGregor doesn't seem to have a care in the world as he celebrates his 37th trip around the sun -- his birthday festivities are going strong ... despite trending worldwide for his alleged private pics getting plastered all over social media.

The UFC superstar had a helluva Monday -- rapper Azealia Banks accused him of sending "unsolicited" nude photos and instructing her not to "be a rat" about it ... and provided alleged proof of his actions to go with it.

Banks later claimed it's been a mutual interaction between the two for nearly a decade ... saying, "Me and Conor McGregor have been sending each other unsolicited nudes since 2016. LOL."

Beyoncé may just get her unreleased music back -- and soon -- 'cause a tracking device was placed inside the stolen items!

Here's the scoop ... TMZ obtained 911 audio from the Atlanta PD in which you can hear one of Beyoncé's crew members explaining to the dispatcher that someone had broken into his rented Jeep parked in a garage while he was eating in a nearby restaurant on July 8.

The caller says his computers were stolen with a locating device inside ... and he can pinpoint where the electronics are going on his iPhone.

Forget Travis and Jason Kelce singing Bob Seger ... now there's new video of Ray Romano singing karaoke at the same celebrity golf tournament ... and he's covering some Eminem!!!

The comedian grabbed the mic and took the stage at the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe ... rapping Em's hit "Lose Yourself" as only Ray could.

Ya gotta see the video, which is now making the rounds on social media ... Ray's rapping every single lyric ... but he's going super slow.

Beyoncé's unreleased music was stolen from a Jeep in Atlanta, and now police are investigating.

The Atlanta Police Department says on July 8, officers were dispatched to Krog Street Market after a caller reported a theft from a motor vehicle.

Police say when they arrived, two men -- Beyoncé's choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue -- told them they parked their black Jeep Wagoneer rental in the parking deck and went to the market for an hour ... and when they returned, the trunk window had been damaged and two suitcases were missing.

Cardi B went above and beyond to give her eldest child, Kulture, a deliciously magical birthday experience at Disney World and a party cake that exploded all 5 senses!!!

Chef and celebrity cake designer Kristina Lavallee, founder of The Cake Girl, tells TMZ Hip Hop that Cardi sought her company out personally based on a referral from another celebrity.

Team Cake Girl turned the order around in 24 hours last Friday in Orlando, Florida -- just in the nick of time for all those kiddie sweet teeth!!!

Drake made sure his 3-day Wireless Fest gig had him living up to his alleged "Iceman" album title -- with a jaw-dropping diamond-encrusted chain ... which happens to be inspired by Cogsworth Clock from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"!!!

The dazzling piece is no fairy tale ... illustrious jeweler Alex Moss carved Drake's latest bit of bling, packing on 18 karats of rose, yellow and white gold and combining black diamonds and Burmese rubies to make up Cogsworth's mouth!!!

Alex says the piece is a direct complement to Virgil Abloh's own "Beauty and the Beast" Lumière pendant.

Kid Cudi recently got married and dedicated a chunk of his wedding decor to the late designer ... Abloh's presence is still very much felt in hip hop culture.

The white diamonds -- all 154.39 carats of them -- are pavé set across the face, and there's also a 1-carat heart-shaped diamond placed in the hand of the clock.

Alex's signature logo clasp connects the Hermes chain, which is an additional 18 karats of rose gold, and 88.26 carats more of pavé set, VVS, Color D-F white diamonds.

Drake basked in the ultimate crew love from the Wireless crowd ... after they led a "F*** Kendrick Lamar" chant, much to the delight of his drinking buddies.

Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson recently hard-launched their romance, and the love language is already speaking in gifts ... in the form of several Labubu dolls!!!

The superstar rapper posted a 6-minute TikTok video (which she's since strangely deleted) of her unboxing the coveted toys of the moment ... gushing with each new discovery, and admitting "blue" was their fav color as a couple!!!

Klay never shows his face -- and he even gets shushed by Meg when he starts to mumble in the background -- but she ends the TikTok thanking her boo for the Labubus, and refers to him as "baby" a lot.