TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

50 Cent is tapping into even more local homegrown talent to authenticate the Atlanta scenes for his upcoming "BMF" Season 3 ... adding Lil Baby and "RHOA" vet Cynthia Bailey to the cast.

Saweetie was also announced as a new cast member Thursday, and 50 says he's giving fans a chance to see their favorite artists intertwined in the story of Big Meech and his brother Southwest T.

Snoop Dogg, Kash Doll, Yung Miami and Sereyah have all appeared on "BMF" ... and Ne-Yo and 2 Chainz have signed on for other Season 3 guest roles.

With that kinda talent on set, 50 might wanna roll out a soundtrack!!!

Baby won't have to dig into his Shakespearean bag for his first role -- he'll portray a street cat from Atlanta named "Payne" according to Deadline.

Saweetie will portray a similar character, a college athlete who turns to the streets named Keeya, and Cynthia will co-star as the ex-wife of Wood Harris' character Detective Bryant.

50 won over Shreveport, Louisiana City Council members this week, and they authorized the lease of Millennium Studios for his G-Unit Film & Television imprint.

The chances he'll use it to develop his Diddy docuseries are high ... TMZ Hip Hop got confirmation last week that proceeds from 50's planned expose on the embattled Bad Boy Records boss will go toward sexual assault victims.

It sounds like Naomi Osaka and Cordae have the whole parenthood thing figured out ... 'cause the tennis star says the two have made it easy by building "a really good foundation" for their baby girl.

Osaka and the "Gifted" rapper welcomed their daughter, Shai, in July ... and have been so private about raising their daughter, they don't even share photos of her on social media.

The 4-time Grand Slam singles champ briefly gave some inside info on her new role as a mother five months after giving birth ... and revealed Cordae -- who she started dating in 2019 -- is making parenting easy.

"We built a really good foundation," Osaka told InStyle this week. "I don't know if it's because he's just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other's opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out."

"At the end of the day, we both want what's best for Shai."

Osaka also said her pregnancy wasn't the smoothest journey -- the 26-year-old tested positive for a bacterial infection Group B streptococcus, which affects millions of expecting mothers every year.

The infection can lead to sepsis, meningitis, or stillbirth for babies ... and it made Osaka very anxious.

The death of Olympic track and field champ Tori Bowie, who was found dead as a result of childbirth complications about two months before Osaka's delivery date, had her scared as well.

"I was kind of starting to freak out a little bit," Osaka admitted. "There were so many things I wasn't aware of."

But, everything is going well now ... as Shai is a healthy baby girl, Cordae is being a great father, and Osaka -- who started back training in October -- is looking forward to the next Wimbledon and French Open.

Flau'jae Johnson's doing way more than hooping in arenas now ... 'cause the LSU star and rapper performed in front of a huge crowd at Rod Wave's concert in Atlanta -- and the fans loved it!

The Tigers guard -- who's got some downtime before LSU's next game on Dec. 17 -- was front and center at Rod's "Nostalgia" tour alongside Ari Lennox, Toosi, G Herbo and Eelmatic.

Several fans immediately recognized the 2023 NCAA champ when she took the stage ... and captured footage of her performance of her hit song, "Big 4."

Flau'jae's no stranger to the stage -- as we previously reported, she performed for LeBron James and his guests at his UNINTERRUPTED party this summer ... and also put on a show for LSU fans after the Tigers' NCAA title win in April.

Remember, Flau'jae -- who was named the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year -- is serious about her rap career just as much as basketball ... and has dropped several tracks and music videos that have gotten hundreds of thousands of views.

Johnson -- who's averaging 11.3 points and 7 rebounds per game this season -- is even signed to Roc Nation ... and hopes to do a collab with J. Cole and Lil' Wayne.

Drake and Camila Cabello were spotted getting nice and cozy together in Turks & Caicos ... naturally sparking dating rumors but the island could very well just be the perfect getaway for vacationing music stars!!!

The two musicians were seen letting down their guards and blitzing through the ocean on jet skis together Wednesday afternoon ... a fun yet intimate way to catch a vibe.

Another video captured Camila getting a chuckle out of Drake as they soaked up sun rays on the back of a boat at Drake's fav hotspot Noah's Ark Beach Club.

Drake and Team OVO have been cold-chilling in T&C for weeks now. If his friend Flacka can bring heavy business to Noah's Ark, Camila outta have the place packed out throughout 2024!!!

DeRay Davis is still reveling in the experience that was Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures" album listening party, and believes a real Ye comeback is imminent ... especially because his daughter's now on the mic!!!

We caught up with DeRay at LAX as he was just getting back from Miami, and he told us his experience wasn't like the rest of the internet's -- the comedian had an up-close look at Ye's controversial black KKK garb, which he thought was more of an "executioner's" outfit.

He also downplayed Ye's "I just f***ed a Jewish bitch" lyrics from the lead single "Vultures." Deray says critics shouldn't linger on that one line, because the rest of the tracks -- and the guest artist performances -- are banging.

He pits the album somewhere between "the old Kanye" with a bit of "808s and Heartbreak" sprinkled in between and praised the Kodak Black and Ty Dolla $ign's contributions ... but predicts North West will eventually be 10x the artist her dad is!!!

North is also an album guest alongside Lil Durk, Freddie Gibbs and Bump J and DeRay says her debut is only the beginning ... and advises fans to invest in her stock before she becomes the headlining act!!!

Martin Lawrence made Christmas wishes come true for a group of underprivileged kids in Los Angeles ... bringing presents and taking them for a fun day at the go-kart track.

The actor/comedian played Santa Claus for 125 kids Wednesday, taking them to K1 Speed indoor go-karts in Burbank ... where they were joined by some celebrity guests.

Martin's annual charity event, benefitting underprivileged youth and kids in the foster system, also drew Jo Koy, Kid Cudi, Polo G, rapper Chip Tha Ripper, MC Lyte, King Bach, Affion Crockett, former NFL stud Willie McGinest and comic Benji Brown.

In addition to go-kart racing and getting presents from their Christmas lists, the kids got to play arcade games and they chowed down on Raising Cane's chicken fingers and Randy's Donuts.

TMZ obtained video and photos from the event, and it looks like everyone was in the Christmas spirit.

KRS-One is the latest hip hop legend to emerge as a HipHop50 celebration defector, and his reasons are crystal clear -- the Grammys aren't worthy of his presence!!!

The T'Cha was noticeably absent from the latest 50-year celebration that highlighted old and new stars such as Will Smith, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross and Nelly ... and tells Harold St.Louis it was all because he turned down the invitation from LL Cool J.

KRS has no ill will toward LL ... he says his beef is with the Grammys over "ignoring" the hip hop scene for 49 years and attempting to change its tune during the final hour.

At 58 years old, KRS admits he's a "hip hop extremist" but says without emceeing, deejaying, graffiti or breaking, the Grammys are just cosplaying the culture and wasting his time!!!

LL might be bummed over KRS' comments -- which is exactly how Questlove felt when MC Hammer rejected his invite for the same event.

Megan Thee Stallion is riled up after seeing her ex-boyfriend Pardison Fontaine spill his version of their toxic breakup ... which she says is all a fabricated fairy tale!!!

Meg set it off Wednesday morning on IG Live, where she doubled down on her "Cobra" claims that Pardi cheated on her. She claims he caught him getting oral sex in their home, and says he only attempted to switch the narrative to fit his own diss song.

The "Savage" rapper then directed her anger at her ex-friend Kelsey Harris and Tory Lanez in light of social media spreading a purported statement from Tory's bodyguard on the night Meg was shot in June 2020.

Megan reiterated that Kelsey didn't shoot her and laid into her former BFF for going mum ... figuring she was either paid off or in fear for her life.

Megan went on to remind everyone who she says DID do it ... namely, Tory Lanez, who's sitting in prison. In his purported statement, the bodyguard stated he didn't see who shot Megan, which doesn't change the verdict upheld in court.

She also ripped social media "lawyers" for getting their facts wrong ... she says the case was won in court, but uneducated fans care about online opinions more.

Pardi's repeatedly said he's trying to move past the situation, and Megan says she's been doing the same ... going hard in the gym but now loathes coming onto social media because it sucks out her joy.

Krayzie Bone's no longer on the mend -- the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapper's put his September hospitalization behind him, and says he's looking forward to hopping back onstage with his group!!!

In a new interview with Spin, Krayzie says he's lucky to be alive and admits he really didn't know the severity of his condition, until he woke up 10 days later in the hospital surrounded by friends, fam and his BTNH brothers.

Apparently, he's thuggish ruggish inside and out ... he'll be reuniting with Bone this Saturday in Los Angeles, marking his first performance since falling ill.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... KB underwent a 2nd round of surgery to fix a bleeding lung after his pulmonary sarcoidosis -- which causes severe lung inflammation -- spiraled out of control.

Pardison Fontaine is hinting that a domino effect is the reason for his breakup with Megan Thee Stallion ... one issue led to another before the relationship crashed and burned.

The singer/songwriter appeared on "The Breakfast Club" Wednesday, and was bombarded with questions about why the relationship ended ... which has been in he says/she says limbo following the release of their vicious diss songs aimed at each other!!!

Pardi says he and Meg have nothing to talk about anymore and defended his "Thee Stallion" diss track, which he says has the answers to their breakup -- he felt Megan was showing signs of disloyalty, and he got his lick back instead of being a sucker.

Megan's supporters have been accusing Pardi of using her name to stay relevant ... something for which he actually accepts blame.

Pardi claims to have made "a lot of f***ing money" during his relationship with Meg by sitting in the background writing songs and admits he got comfortable and let his own career fall to the back.

He just dropped his new album "Sext8pe" to put himself back on track, and just gave us an update on his own playlist -- all the girls are good $$$ in his book!!!

Pardison Fountaine is officially putting the Hottie era behind him after his split with Megan Thee Stallion -- he's got a new girl, new music and even new listening habits!!!

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with the versatile artist/songwriter Tuesday, and he got a kick out of being labeled in a "public relationship" with his new boo, dancehall star Jada Kingdom.

Pardi says he's very much claiming JK, but says all he did was step out for a date night -- and it was the public who blew up their spot. Whoops!

The fan interest shouldn't come as a surprise to Pardi -- he was in a very high-profile relationship with Meg and felt some blowback last month when she dropped her "Cobra" diss track toward him.

Pardi operates in the lover's lane, not a fighter's ring, and gave props to all the female rappers on his radar -- Sexxy Redd, Doja Cat, Latto and GloRilla all rank at the top for him.

He admits he even gave Nicki Minaj's new "Pink Friday 2" album a listen ... a decision that would've put him in the crosshairs had he still been with Meg.

Kodak Black's attorney says the rapper's arrest for cocaine possession is a case of mistaken identity ... at least when it comes to the drugs cops allegedly found on him.

Bradford Cohen, Kodak's lawyer, just reacted to his client's most recent arrest in Florida, saying ... "In this latest case, my belief is that the 'rock' this officer found when tested will be a Percocet, not cocaine."

As we reported ... Kodak was arrested last week after cops said he was found asleep at the wheel of an SUV with a mouth full of white powder and several white rock-like objects on the ground ... which Kodak alleged was Percocet.

The arresting officer tested the powder on the scene and says it came back positive for cocaine ... but Kodak's attorney says, "The test they do is a presumptive test for illegal substances. It just turns blue."

Kodak was ultimately arrested for possession, tampering with evidence, and violation of his existing probation ... with a traffic violation tacked on.

Cohen tells TMZ ... the rapper has a dependency on prescription pain pills, including Percocet, and his team is working on a treatment program for him.

Cohen tells us ... "There will be a couple of different phases of this treatment in order for him to get better. You have to treat the root problem of the dependency and that's what is going to happen. We are going to alleviate dependency."

RZA and The Wu-Tang Clan are entering the chambers of a Las Vegas residency in 2024 and The Abbott is promising to showcase the talent of his group and hip hop as a whole!!!

In a new interview with Torae for SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation, RZA gave an update on current Wu-Tang music ... which he says has stalled a bit due to schedule conflicts.

However, he says the Clan is sitting on beats supplied by Swizz Beatz, DJ Scratch and their in-house production wiz Mathematics, so the opportunity to create is always there.

RZA also points out he didn't design the early Wu-Tang music for dancing, and you won't see their fans twerking ... instead, he's crafted beats for the crowd to bring the ruckus!!!

RZA's had this thought process for years but says he used to be stingy with the beats because producers were making beats geared toward radio success instead of joints that allow MCs to do what they do best -- make quality raps.

On Tuesday, the legendary 10-man clique announced “Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues … The Las Vegas Residency” will kick off Super Bowl LVIII weekend in February, and will spin the block later in March.

1:52 PM PT -- We should note ... the version Kanye West appears to have played in the Miami club featured other voices singing the chorus, so it's possible he can get away with it through a loophole.

Kanye West's new take on the Backstreet Boys' hit "Everybody" has been getting a ton of buzz, but there's one massive problem ... Ye never cleared it with the boy band.

Sources connected to BSB tell TMZ Kanye failed to get the collective OK from Nick, Kevin, Howie, Brian, A.J. and their team to use the 1997 classic.

In Kanye's version, you can hear the original song and chorus before Ty Dolla Sign takes over, singing the original lyrics from "Everybody."

Of course, not clearing the song creates an interesting challenge for Kanye considering he's supposed to release his album this week and the song is a listed track. Not to mention, he's played it out in public in Miami, promoted it on social media and pumped it through the speakers at his album listening event in Miami Monday night.

So by all counts ... it seemed like Kanye was planning to have it on his "Vultures" album.

We don't know if Kanye reached out and was denied usage of the track or whether he just never asked at all ... but either way, it ain't good for Ye.

Kanye's been the center of controversy for months, with his antisemitic remarks -- expressing his love for Hitler -- and dangerous social media rants. As we reported, Ye wore a black KKK-style hood Monday night at his public event.

Obviously, a lot of artists have distanced themselves from Kanye ... and it'll be interesting to see his chances of locking down clearance for additional tracks in the future.

Cassie's ex-boyfriend and former collaborator Ryan Leslie says they're about to resume their relationship on the music front, as she prepares to hit the road.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with RLes Tuesday in NYC, and we asked if he'd seen anything in the past that would corroborate the allegations in Cassie's lawsuit against Diddy, which they recently settled.

Ryan and Cassie dated in the mid-2000s, and worked on music together at the time, but he tells us her interactions with Diddy came later, when he wasn't around.

Ryan says he and Cassie reconnected at the end of 2017 when their ex-manager Ed Woods died and it's clear they've stayed in touch since then. He gave us a big update, revealing she's planning on making a music comeback in the form of a tour, which could also mean there's new music on the horizon.

RLes is a multifaceted producer who's been known to dabble in technology over the years, and while he's paying close attention to the AI movement, he says he's really focused on helping artists secure their financial futures.

MC Hammer has clear reasoning as to why he didn't participate in any of the events to celebrate Hip Hop's 50th anniversary -- the culture's gotten childish and he's a grown-ass man!!!

The 60-year-old rap legend outlined his stance during Tupac Shakur's Oakland street naming last month, and the clip is beginning to blaze the internet.

During the ceremony, Hammer celebrated not using his legendary career for interview clicks, but also laid into veteran rappers who have been rapping about murder all these years ... without the body count or rap sheet to back up their bars.

The "U Can't Touch This" rapper became friends with Pac during his time living in the Bay, and credited his late homie for being the only one to get him to play along with the charade of the music biz.

The Grammys aired its star-studded celebration this week and the event's producer, Questlove, openly expressed his disappointment Hammer told him no, despite repeated requests.

Hammer wasn't alone in deflecting from HipHop50 celebrations -- André 3000 didn't see much merit in them at this point in time.