TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Fat Joe says when it comes to his rap lyrics, keeping it real is just a catchphrase ... he's been spinning tall tales in 95% of his music!!!

The Bronx rap star made the shocking confession while defending Young Thug to Gayle King during a CNN special report on Thursday.

According to Joe, he's been able to carve out a career by using his imagination, and not actually committing crimes his "Don Cartegena" persona has historically bragged about.

“I’ve been rapping professionally for 30 years — I’ve lied in almost 95 percent of my songs,” Joe told the panel. “I’m being honest. I write like I feel that day. I’m just being creative. You couldn’t build a jail high enough for the lyrics I’ve said on songs which are all untrue."

The "All The Way Up" rapper went on to criticize the prosecutors overseeing Young Thug's RICO case for enforcing lyrics they know aren't real all the same.

Thug's lawyer Brian Steel recently argued in court that Thug's name was an acronym for "Truly Humble Under God" and denied his lyrics had any coded gang meanings.

Joe's been combatting rappers being prosecuted over the lyrics for several years ... having played a significant role in pushing New York's "Rap Music On Trial" bill as the push for legislation continues.

Rappers like Bobby Shmurda want similar bills passed in Georgia -- which would work greatly to Thug's benefit.

Beyoncé fans turned her 'Renaissance' movie premiere into a concert ... singing and dancing in the theater aisles, making for one crazy fun scene.

Ya gotta see the videos from inside the London theater where fans got the first look at "Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé" ... it looks like one of her tour stops.

The 'Mute Challenge' was also a staple of Beyoncé's recent "Renaissance" world tour ... so naturally, her fans brought it back while watching a movie about the tour.

Beyonce was in the house too ... though she wasn't wearing silver, as has been a theme and the source of some controversy ... pairing a black dress with her platinum blonde hair.

As we reported ... Taylor Swift flew across the pond to give Beyoncé her full support ... seemingly returning the favor after Beyoncé went to Taylor's "Eras" movie premiere.

Beyoncé also dropped a new song, "My House," coinciding with the movie release ... with fans noticing the track playing during the credits.

Jeannie Mai has responded to Jeezy's divorce petition, and she is more than insinuating he cheated on her and claims that will have a HUGE effect on their prenup and division of assets.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jeannie more than insinuates her estranged husband is guilty of infidelity. Her lawyer writes, "Wife reserves the right to amend this counterclaim to add other grounds for divorce, but which Wife does not wish to specify herein at this time in the hope this matter can be resolved without having to disclose such conduct publicly."

But, it gets even more pointed ... "Wife further shows that the Court should enforce Paragraph 8 of the Prenuptial Agreement regarding infidelity which provides, in pertinent part, that in the event that either party engages in sexual relations, an emotional relationship, or is emotionally or sexually suggestive in communication with a third party via all forms of electronic communications, including but not limited to texting, sexting, Facetiming, social media and/or Direct Messages, shall result in a significant financial penalty upon the adulterous party ..."

In other words, she's accusing Jeezy of being unfaithful and claiming he's gotta cough up a bunch of dough as a result. The docs do not say who exactly Jeezy was allegedly banging, talking to, or seeing.

Jeannie coming out with cheating allegations is super interesting ... as we first told you, Jeannie was being accused of cheating on Jeezy with "Access Hollywood" host Mario Lopez, but a source close to her told us it was BS.

Jeezy, who filed for divorce in August down in Georgia, also released a 29-track double album, "I Might Forgive ... But I Don't Forget," in the wake of the split ... and it's highlighted by the song "Don't Cheat."

Cheating was also a theme Jeezy kept referencing during his recent interview with Nia Long.

The Weeknd has made a big move to help the humanitarian efforts in Gaza, donating $2.5M ... an amount that will help to provide 4 million meals.

The singer, who is also a United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador, made the donation through his XO Humanitarian Fund ... benefiting WFP's humanitarian response efforts in Gaza.

The donation equates to four million emergency meals ... funding 820 metric tons of food parcels that can feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.

Since being appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021, The Weeknd -- real name Abel Tesfaye -- has personally donated $1.8M to WFP's global hunger-relief mission through his XO Humanitarian Fund established in partnership with World Food Program USA.

The Weeknd's contribution comes during a critical time during the WFP's response efforts to feed more than one million Gazans.

WFP's Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer, thanks Abel for his contribution ... saying, "We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine. We hope others will follow Abel's example and support our efforts."

Michael Blackson knows exactly what's really behind Beyoncé's recent lightened appearance, and apologies to Tina Knowles, but he says it's really about a bedroom "Renaissance" for Jay-Z!!!

Mike dropped his juicy theory on us when we got him at LAX, and asked what he makes of all the fan remarks about Bey's appearance during the L.A. premiere of her 'Renaissance' film.

Unlike Mama Knowles, who said the silvery/platinum look was simply about sticking to the theme of Bey's tour -- Michael thinks it's really about the Carters mixing things up in the bedroom. As he sees it, Beyoncé's just giving her man "another woman."

Jokes aside, MB did totally dismiss the haters who claimed B was bleaching her skin ... and he explained why he's filing that under utterly ridiculous.

As we reported, Tina also went to bat for her daughter ... lashing out at anyone spreading the notion Beyonce is anything other than a proud Black woman.

We're not sure Tina would be any more down with Michael's "theory," though.😂

BTW, Beyoncé was still rocking the blonde locks Thursday night for the London premiere of "Renaissance" -- with daughter/backup dancer Blue Ivy by her side -- so, she's clearly not changing a damn thing for the haters.

Or maybe Michael's right, and the new look is intended for Jay's eyes ... and the rest of us are incidental.

Flavor Flav is all for Harvard University's Taylor Swift course, noting he's 100% open to enrolling ... and acknowledging he's reached super-fandom.

The Public Enemy rapper spoke to TMZ Hip Hop in NYC outside of ABC Studios Thursday where he listed off the many reasons why the English Department at Harvard will win big with the course, "Taylor Swift and Her World."

Professor Stephanie Burt is prepping the TS coursework to be taught for the upcoming spring semester and Flav tells us it's the perfect course for him and other artists.

Flav says he's actively studied Taylor's lyrics which ultimately birthed his fan club membership card -- which got the platinum stamp during the "Eras" tour in earlier this year.

Flav thinks Taylor's music is completely relatable -- just as much as Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige's -- but he isn't just sizing TS up against other singers.

Jake Paul wanted to make his Tyron Woodley fight in 2021 extra "Cleveland" by having Kid Cudi perform at the big event in his hometown ... but he says there was just one issue that kept it from happening -- the rapper's "astronomical" asking price.

The Problem Child revealed his failed plans during his "BS With Jake Paul" podcast this week ... when his conversation with guest Rich Paul led to the fellow Northeast Ohio native.

Jake brought up how he personally thinks Cudder doesn't have much Cleveland pride ... which is pretty uncommon for anyone from the area.

The boxer used one of his own experiences to back his stance ... saying, "I tried to get him to perform at the Tyron Woodley fight just before I came out [to the ring], and he asked for like, an astronomical fee that was like, 'F*** you.'"

Jake explained while he understands people have their price, he thought the moment would have meant much more to the city than any check he could write out to Cudi.

"I get it, but it's like, this was like some s*** to tap in back with the city. Like, first event back from Covid."

Jake's cohost, Jasper, defended Cudi ... saying if the roles were reversed, the YouTube superstar would charge his usual appearance fee, too.

But, Jake says that's simply not true ... claiming he always gives a hometown discount to anyone from the area -- even doing some things pro bono.

T.I. stood on business with all ten toes after a club attempted to capitalize off his viral spat with his son, King ... letting the owners of the establishment know he came to shut the party down!!!

Tip and King had been previously scheduled to appear at Atlanta's Elleven45 Lounge for its "R&B Wednesdays" but just one day before the event, the rapper learned a flyer to promote the event included a photoshopped image of Tip holding King in a headlock.

The image was meant to poke fun at King flipping out on his parents during Sunday's Atlanta Falcons game inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium suites over claims he grew up more rugged than he actually did.

T.I. confronted everyone at Elleven45 Lounge, letting them know it wasn't cool, and threatened the whole appearance would be cut unless things changed.

In his outrage, Tip stated the city of Atlanta was still his -- and regardless if the club honchos were homegrown or outsiders, they'd abide by his rules!!!

Turns out, Tips' fury worked ... because the club promoter changed the flyer and the event went on as planned Wednesday.

T.I., King and Domani all pulled up to the event, and all looked to be well with the fam bam.

Teairra Marí says she's done with Keri Hilson's passive-aggressive attitude and wants to get fully aggressive -- as in serving Keri with a first-class butt kickin' for years of talking behind her back!!!

The R&Beef sizzled on Thursday when Teairra got wind of Keri's chat on Tank's podcast last month.

Keri recalled a time the Teairra was sitting in the front row at one of her concerts and was feeding her toxic "I-don't-wanna-be-here" energy while she was onstage.

The "Pretty Girl Rock" singer says it's important for artists to give one another love during performances, and Teairra was doing the complete opposite.

Teairra didn't take kindly to Keri's recollection of events, and then wrote a fiery threat in the "The Neighborhood Talk" comment section ... "Y'all, people gotta leave me alone. I don't bother anybody, just leave me the f*** alone.! so now, Keri! what's up you wanna fight or do you not want to fight because I'm gonna whoop your ass when I see you I'm sick of you people bothering me! You had a whole different story when I was in your face you're a liar bitch!!"

This battle probably won't be settled with the standard Verzuz setup. Teairra sounds like she wants to inflict pain on Keri by any means necessary!!!

Lil Nas X says he's entering the "Christian era" of his career, and wants fans to take him seriously with his latest move, though the whole thing reeks of another troll job by the rapper.

On Thursday, LNX released a somber new song snippet and visual on his social media to highlight his foray into Christianity, complete with lyrics like "Father stretch my hands" and references to feeling isolated.

His shirt also captioned the quote, "If God Doesn't Exist Then Who's Laughing At Us?"

Fans weren't convinced it wasn't a classic Lil Nas X troll job ... remember, LNX has claimed to be pregnant to promote his new album, and transitioning into a woman -- for which he later issued an apology to the trans community.

Holy rollers wouldn't let Mr. Old Town Road forget he once promoted faux Nike Satan shoes to sell his album!!!

LNX barked back with fire and brimstone and defended his artistic expression ... as well as his right to be gay on his knees, a cowboy or satanic ... only God can judge him!!!

21 Savage has been soaking up everything London has to offer during his homecoming -- for instance, he was the guest of honor at last night's Arsenal game!!!

The superstar rapper was honored in front of thousands at Emirates Stadium ahead of the match, where he was presented with his own ‘21’ Savage Arsenal jersey.

Arsenal throttled Lens 6-0 and to make 21's homecoming that much sweeter, the rapper's team tells us the stadium followed up by blasting his "Circo Loco" track with Drake ... and cued it to 21's lyrics, “Still gotta see the Gunners win Premier League!”

21 also met with Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe after the game ... a helluva buildup for his sold-out show tonight at the famed O2 Arena!!!

The show will mark 21's first-ever London headlining performance ... having gotten his immigration issues cleared up and his U.S. citizenship this past October after several years in limbo.

We're told 21 will be back stateside in time for plenty of holiday giveaways in the Atlanta area.

12/1 7:33 AM PT -- It doesn't look like Ari Lennox's assailant got too far.

TikTok user TwistDCreole captured security confronting a woman and claims she was later thrown out of the venue -- with the bottle she allegedly threw.

Somehow this all feels like it could've been prevented.

Ari Lennox don't play ... that much is crystal clear, because she stopped her show and threatened to knock out a fan in L.A. after she got belted with a water bottle while performing!!!

The D.C.-born singer, who's been signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records since 2015, was onstage opening up for Rod Wave’s "Nostalgia" tour when the water bottle whizzed in her direction and struck her in the arm.

An enraged Ari immediately addressed the Kia Forum crowd in hopes of seeking out the bottle-throwing bozo and told them don’t be fooled by the glitz and glamour … she’s a “real ass bitch” and she’ll “f*** them up!!!”

Ari appeared to have scoped the fan out and was MORE than willing to rearrange their face ... but her bodyguard wisely escorted her from the stage before the violence could erupt.

No word if the fan got removed from the venue but troublemakers have been out of pocket all year -- just ask Drake. He actually caught the book thrown at him during his "It's All a Blur" tour, but other artists such as Bebe Rexha haven't been as lucky.

The fan is probably lucky security held Ari back ... she was going to do much more damage than a water bottle!!!

Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori, showed up at a recent event in Dubai ... but it was the couple's furry companion that stole the spotlight.

KW and BC breezed into a pop-up store to honor Jordanian-Romanian fashion designer Amina Muaddi --- and Bianca was carrying another noteworthy guest: her large, cuddly stuffed animal.

Bianca wore an oversized Russian-style shapka on her head while decked out in a tight-fitting mini dress. Kanye was dressed in an understated all-black ensemble topped off by a matching hood.

The two were in great spirits as they shook hands and talked with other people at the Tuesday night soiree. Check out this video showing Kanye working the room with Bianca, who is clutching her plush toy to her chest.

The duo appear to be going stronger than ever after reports surfaced last week that they were no longer together. Rumors circulated that Bianca's friends and family convinced her Kanye had brainwashed her into becoming a wife robot.

But Bianca seems happy with her current sitch with Kanye. They're definitely diggin' one another.

Jay-Z and the Brooklyn Public Library are auctioning off a one-of-a-kind trophy case to highlight each of his albums ... but the piece has now caused many to speculate Hov has another project on the way.

Roc Nation and Christie's introduced the limited edition Jay-Z treasure from his "Book of HOV" Wednesday ... a black leather case made by Pinel et Pinel, and personally autographed by the Grammy-winning rapper himself.

Proceeds for the auction will directly benefit the Brooklyn Public Library and any Hov stan.

The case features 13 metal library cards sporting all of Jay's solo studio albums but has 14 slots, the empty space can be seen next to Jay's last released album "4:44" ... which arrived 6 years ago.

Gayle King recently quizzed Jay on the possibility of his releasing new music ... which he says he intends to -- the rollout just has to have a bigger meaning.

There's a chance Jay's next release could coincide with his biblically-themed film "The Book of Clarence" which drops in January 2024 -- much like he did with his album inspired by the 2007 film "American Gangster."

The "Book of HOV" has a nice album title ring to it all the same. 🤔 We reached out to Roc Nation for comment on the missing puzzle piece ... no word back yet!!!

As Albania celebrates its independence, Drake's coming in hot ... metaphorically waving the flag, and showing all sorts of Albanian appreciation in the latest music video from his "For All The Dogs" album.

On Wednesday, the day after Albanian Independence Day, Drake dropped the visual for "Polar Opposites" ... where he and the guys in the video are decked out in Albanian bomber jackets, depicting the nation's colors.

He spends much of the video playing poker with his Albania crew on what appears to be a ship sitting on the Adriatic Sea.

Drake also showed off his geopolitical knowledge by mentioning Albania's ongoing North Kosovo crisis with Serbia in the song's lyrics -- "Don’t know how they do things in Pristina/I just know the tension is increasing."

The new single is perfect for stat padding ... Spotify announced its annual "Wrapped" today and Drake ranked #4 amongst global artists behind The Weeknd, Bad Bunny and Queen of Pop Taylor Swift.

Police investigating the Nardo Wick fan beatdown say they are honing in on 2 suspects ... releasing photos of the men they believe carried out the brutal attack captured on video.

The Tampa Police Department tells TMZ ... the men in the photos are suspects in their ongoing investigation, and they are accused of having direct involvement in a felony battery.

Cops tell us tips from community members helped lead them to the suspects, and they've ruled out one previous suspect.

Police say they want to talk to any witnesses, and are, once again, asking the public for help investigating the case.

TMZ broke the story ... video shows Nardo Wick fan George Obregon Jr. walking up to the rapper after his Sunday night show, and getting sucker punched by 2 members of NW's entourage.

George's mom says her 20-year-old son was just asking Nardo for a photo when he was ambushed.

Nardo's apologized for the attack ... saying he didn't know that's how his entourage would react, and he's upset about the whole incident.