TMZ Hip Hop - Page 19

Brandy and Monica took full advantage of the Hollywood access lanes during their 2nd L.A. stop for their "Boy Is Mine" tour ... rolling out the red carpet for O.T. Genasis, Mario, Blxst, and the one and only LL Cool J!!!

The festivities went down inside the KIA Forum, and TMZ Hip Hop obtained plenty of video ... O.T. popped out to perform his hit record "Cut It" while LL had the crowd "Doin It" wild.

Mario showed the crowd in real time why he's confident in critiquing his fellow singers with a slam-dunk rendition of his billion-streamer "Let Me Love You" ... and Blxst repped hard his and Brandy's World Series-winning hometown, ripping through his double-platinum classic "Chosen."

Salt-N-Pepa were officially enshrined in the Rock Hall of Fame on Saturday -- and celebrated like queens in Hollywood with a few of their famous friends!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained a video of Salt-N-Pepa -- and Spinderella, of course -- kicking it at the W Hollywood following the let-out of the ceremony for the official after-party, presented by Amazon Music and produced by Joey Harris Inc.

Missy Elliott, Mona Scott, and Maxwell all came through to show love -- and those were just the M's!!!

Cardi B was losing it watching her man Stefon Diggs hit the end zone for a pivotal touchdown ... and her reaction says it all.

Cardi posted a video from bed Sunday, filming her reaction as her boyfriend hauled in a clutch 4th-down pass in the New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers game ... giving the Pats a 14-10 lead.

Check out the video ... Cardi is quite literally lost for words, then starts chanting "bring it home!" as she celebrates the score.

Things are heating up for Blueface and Hazel-E ... the two have been getting quite close since Blueface's release from prison last week.

Sources tell TMZ ... that while they're still getting to know each other, they are "officially casually dating."

We're told they actually started getting cozy before the rapper went to jail and reconnected a few days ago.

The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony delivered a night of pure nostalgia, powerhouse performances, and emotional tributes with Salt-N-Pepa, OutKast, and The White Stripes leading the charge.

Salt-N-Pepa kicked things off in full "Push It" mode ... rocking their iconic multicolored leather jackets and igniting the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Saturday with a medley of "Shoop," "Let's Talk About Sex," and "What a Man."

"This is for every woman who picked up a mic when they told her she couldn't," Salt said as DJ Spinderella made history as the first female DJ ever inducted.

Harlem rapper Max B is officially a free man ... walking out of prison after more than a decade behind bars.

The "Wavy Crockett" rapper was originally sentenced to 75 years in 2009 for his alleged role in a botched New Jersey robbery that turned deadly. But Max's conviction was later overturned, and in 2016, he struck a plea deal for aggravated manslaughter, drastically reducing his time.

Max teased his release earlier this year, calling into The Joe Budden Podcast to say, "We got a date! I've got November 9, 2025, baby!"

11/8 2:35 PM PT -- Diddy's family -- which runs his official X account -- has released the following statement unequivocally denying our story.

3:38 PM PT -- Diddy’s family spokesperson Juda Engelmayer tells TMZ ... "Mr. Combs is in his first week at FCI Fort Dix and is focused on adjusting, working on himself, and doing better each day. As with any high-profile individual in a new environment, there will be many rumors and exaggerated stories throughout his time there—most of them untrue. We ask that people give him the benefit of the doubt, the privacy to focus on his personal growth with grace and purpose."

Diddy's sobriety journey took a detour in lockup this week ... TMZ has learned he was drinking behind bars and got in some trouble with prison officials.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... Diddy had some homemade alcohol in Fort Dix, the low-security prison where he's doing time. We're told the alcohol is made of Fanta, sugar and apples, which inmates give two weeks to ferment into an alcoholic substance.

We're told Diddy got caught by jail officials and prison officials planned to move him from his old unit into a new one. Two sources tell TMZ prison officials have now reversed their decision and Diddy will stay put.

Travis Scott gave a crowd in Tokyo "goosebumps" last night ... bringing out Kanye West and Stormi Webster to rock the stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.

The rapper took over Tokorozawa’s Belluna Dome -- a massive stadium in the Saitama prefecture -- Saturday night in the country ... when Kanye pulled off his mask, revealing his face to the crowd.

A fair few cheers course through the crowd before Travis and Kanye start bouncing around the stage in the video ... bringing the energy to the packed audience.

There's always reason to celebrate with SZA, but this weekend's a big one for her ... because she's turning 36!

As you know, the singer's been showing off her curvy physique on Instagram quite a bit the past few years ... so let's celebrate her special day with her hottest shots!

1:14 PM PT -- Rod Wave's attorneys Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Zack Findling tell TMZ ... Rod was "was unjustly profiled and unlawfully arrested in Atlanta. The arresting officer belongs to the Atlanta Police Department’s controversial Crime Suppression Unit -- a group known for its aggressive tactics and emphasis on high arrest numbers rather than genuine public safety."

They add Wave was targeted because of the unit's "quota-driven approach" ... a practice they say completely undermines true justice as well as trust in the community. The lawyers say they looked forward to defending Rod and pointing out the "clear violations of [his] rights in court."

Rapper Rod Wave was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia Friday on weapon and drug charges.

TMZ has learned he was arrested by the Atlanta Police Department for possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, reckless driving, possession of a Schedule V controlled substance and possession of Schedule II controlled substance.

He is still in custody as of Saturday morning, but won't be for long. Rod's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ ... he already had his first appearance in court, where they agreed to an $8,000 bond.

YFN Lucci is doing what he humanly couldn't do just a few years ago -- pound the pavement and promote his new album!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Lucci this week during his latest run in NYC for his "Already Legend." album ... dripping in designer, and the Atlanta-born star says he feels like he's living the dream with a 2nd chance.

Lucci was released from prison back in January after serving nearly four years for violating Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.

Rapper Maxo Kream can get back to rolling in peace ... he cut a deal with prosecutors and got the criminal case against him stemming from a traffic stop in Texas last July dropped!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained docs signed by a judge on Friday, Nov. 7, showing the case has been dismissed ... thanks to a deal with prosecutors arranged by his legal team.

Maxo had been charged with unlawful carrying of guns by a registered gang member after police say they found 2 in the vehicle on July 7 ... but now the case has been dropped in exchange for the rapper forfeiting the guns and agreeing to some community service and a gun safety class.

Hit-Boy and The Alchemist have been taking their "Goldfish" album show on the road -- to dynamite effects ... with sold-out theaters streaming their film!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Hit and Al at their recent L.A. streaming, and they tell us they wanted to give fans a more engaging experience with the project ... so they shot a bunch of videos and pieced them together in movie format!!!

There's plenty of heavy talent -- Danny Trejo, Rory Culkin, Blake Anderson, UFC star Shara Magomedov, and more -- to match the featured artist appearances ... Big Hit, Conway, The Machine, Slink Johnson, Lefty Gunplay, and others.

The nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards are officially in ... and it's nothing short of a powerhouse lineup, featuring artists like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar -- and Bad Bunny leading the charge!

The Recording Academy revealed the nominations Friday morning ... with a group of past Grammy-winners helping make the big announcement -- including Lizzo, Sam Smith, Brandi Carlile, Doechii, KAROL G and more.

In the major categories ... Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyler, the Creator, Lady Gaga, and Leon Thomas are just a few of the stars who scored nominations for Album of the Year -- while Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Doechii, and Bruno Mars got the nod for Record of the Year.

The 2026 Grammy Awards noms are in, and the Best Rap Album category has proven to be an interesting scenario ... the hip hop stars are intertwined on each other's projects!!!

Kendrick Lamar's rookie-rapper promoting "GNX" album got spotlighted ... and the anti-Drake artist is also featured on Clipse's "Let God Sort Em Out" alongside Tyler, The Creator ... whose own "CHROMAKOPIA" album is nominated with a GloRilla feature!!!

Clipse are also featured on JID's "God Does Like Ugly" album, and GloRilla's breakout "Glorious" album stands as the only female-helmed project in the lineup.

Clipse and Kendrick's "Chain & Whips" collab is especially special ... it's also nominated for a Best Rap Performance. Kendrick and SZA are also up for both Song & Record of the Year with their supreme chart-topper, "Luther."

2025 is being touted as one of the best years for hip hop in recent memory -- just ask James Gunn -- but fans are piping hot mad with the omission of Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist's "Alfredo 2" project -- especially considering the first one was nominated at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Clipse, Kendrick and Tyler's projects are up for Album of the Year as well ... Gunn isn't capping!!!