TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kylie Jenner's still a couple days away from her actual birthday, and before the festivities really kick off ... she's getting some QT with Travis Scott in Italy.

The next item checked off the itinerary -- romantic dinner for 2.

A colorfully dressed Kylie and her baby daddy hit up the Ristorante da Paolino in Capri Thursday night as she approaches the ripe old age of 22. The couple held hands as they walked in, and they were smooching on the way out. A little limoncello makes everybody feel romantic.

As we reported, Kylie and Trav took Stormi out shopping Wednesday after arriving in Positano. They're rolling deep too ... with Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, Scott Disick, Sofia Richie and a few girlfriends.

Kylie and the birthday crew boarded a private jet Tuesday to begin the celebration ... which includes spending time on a $250 MILLION yacht.

What do you get a guy for his birthday when his name literally reminds you of moneybags? If you're Kanye West ... you go big, black and Italian.

Ye blew the doors off all birthday surprises when he showed up to his former manager John Monopoly's party at Delilah in WeHo Wednesday night with a brand new luxury ride fresh off the lot -- a customized 2019 Lamborghini SUV.

John told us the gift was from a "very good guy" and brother of his with whom he goes back 30 years. He's coy about it, never dropping a name, but it was pretty easy to figure out. Monopoly discovered West and served as his manager for his first 3 albums.

We also got a pic of Kanye after he made the special delivery to confirm the poorly kept secret.

We're told the customized SUV with the matte-black paint job goes for around $300k ... and John says he didn't even see it coming.

BTW -- Monopoly's bday bash was also a lot of fun on the inside of the club in the private VIP section. Along with Kanye, we're told rapper Cam'ron, fashion designer Don C and Jacob York were there.

Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott and the rest of the brood arrived on Italian soil, but before they traded land for sea, they did what every self-respecting tourist does in Italia ... they shopped.

Kylie and Co. arrived in Positano ... where they joined Scott Disick and Sofia Richie, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble and Kylie's friends just days ahead of her 22nd birthday.

The group beelined it for a couple stores before boarding a tender that chugged its way to their floating palace ... the $250 million mega-yacht, "Tranquility."

TMZ broke the story ... Kylie & Co. boarded a private jet Tuesday filled with family and close friends to begin her big bday celebration. It's gonna be extravagant ... with a little help from the 29-person crew.

TMZ broke the story ... Kylie boarded the private jet with the train of what looks like a wedding dress poking out of the garment bag as it was dragged along the tarmac. It could have been fully covered up, but we're guessing it may have been a gag ... which Kylie often pulls. We're told they're not getting hitched on the trip.

Arriverderci!!!

Drake is bringing some heavy hitters to the stage Monday in Toronto for his annual OVO Fest ... we just got wind of the lineup, and it's INSANE!!!

Our sources tell us this is the star-studded group set to perform ... Meek Mill, Chris Brown, Tyga, YG, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Offset, DaBaby, Lil Baby, Rick Ross and Gucci Mane!!!

OVO Fest 2019 kicked off Sunday night at the Budweiser Stage in the Six ... with special performances by B2K, Mario, Lloyd, Pretty Ricky, Ying Yang Twins and Bobby V.

A solid opening-day lineup, no doubt ... but tonight is shaping up to be EPIC!!!

Safe to say OVO Fest is the place to be for a little Monday fun day ... and for everyone who is not up in Canada tonight, good luck dealing with a serious case of FOMO.

Kylie Jenner's man, Travis Scott, is a petal pusher!!!

Kylie's turning 22 this weekend, and Travis has figured out what to give a billionaire that's super special ... and we're guessing this will be the first of many presents.

Kylie shared video of her walking through her mansion Monday afternoon, feet crunching on rose petals as Stormi plays with the flowers.

Travis' gift also came with a note to Kylie ... it reads, "Happy Birthday!!!! We're just getting started. Love you!!!!"

It's a tall order for Travis, given what Kylie did for him back in April when he turned 28. She slapped a pic of her and Stormi on a billboard in WeHo ... for the world to see.

We're guessing Travis' gifts will be on display for all to see.

BTW ... Kylie and Travis have been together for a little over 2 years. They hooked up at Coachella and haven't really been apart since.

Rich the Kid made sure the viral one-legged Lollapalooza guy didn't have to hop any fences to party his face off at the festival ... by hooking him up with a four-day artist pass!!!

The one-legged dude who went viral after getting busted by cops trying to sneak into Lollapalooza Friday during a massive stampede is Mekailo Woodfork. He tells us Rich gave him the star treatment over the weekend in Chicago after learning of his plight.

Mekailo, an 18-year-old from the Chicago suburbs, tells us he went to the festival with every intention of sneaking in with his buddies. The cops infamously cut his first attempt short, but he says police let him go and he made another attempt to jump a fence -- which he somehow did -- only to have security waiting on the other side.

Enter Rich the Kid ... we're told the rapper saw the viral footage of Mekailo getting busted by a cop, so his manager reached out to the teen over Instagram and hooked him up with backstage access!

Kanye West's plan to build a futuristic, egalitarian community that bridges low, middle and high-income housing has hit a major roadblock ... and it could result in the prototype homes being torn down.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye had 4 dome-like prototype structures built on the 300 acres of land he owns in Calabasas. He hopes to create a whole community of new-age homes -- dome-like structures that break class barriers.

Here's the problem ... we've learned several neighbors have complained to the L.A. County Dept. of Public Works, and after inspectors came out to the property they determined the project violates the building code, and if Ye doesn't get the property permits by Sept. 15, the structures must be torn down.

Here's what we know. On July 18, one of the neighbors contacted the Dept. and said there was construction on the property late at night. An inspector came out and spoke with the site manager, who said the domes were part of a "production" and they were temporary structures. If they're temporary, building permits are not required.

The Dept. got another call from a neighbor a week ago, again complaining of construction noise. The inspector came out again, and saw the domes were sitting atop a concrete foundation. For that and several other reasons, the inspector determined the structures did not appear temporary.  As a result, plans and building permits are required, and Kanye and Co. never applied for them.

So, the Dept. of Public Works is now demanding that Kanye and Co. submit plans and get building permits within 45 days, or else. The "or else" -- tear them down.

A source close to Kanye tells TMZ ... the structures were always intended to be temporary, because they're simply prototypes. The source says they are in touch with the County and intend to comply with the requirements. And, the source adds, the concrete base was necessary to secure the structure for safety and structural reasons but will eventually be removed along with the structures.

Post Malone is absolutely beside himself after getting the heartbreaking news about the mass shootings in his home state of Texas, and also in Ohio.

We got Post Sunday outside of NYC's Greenwich Hotel, where our camera guy broke it to him that a crazed gunman shot up a mall and a Walmart in El Paso this weekend -- which claimed 20 lives and injured numerous others.

Post, who is from the Dallas area, had been traveling internationally and didn't know about it. Check out the rapper's reaction ... it's clear he's having a difficult time processing the tragedy as he tries to come up with answers.

Our photog asks how people in El Paso can bounce back from this, and he says the people of Texas are strong and the folks just need to be there for each other at a time like this.

On how to possibly resolve this national epidemic, Post is a bit at a loss for words on that one -- as it's such a complicated issue.

A$AP Rocky is showing his gratitude to one Kanye West for trying to get him out of Swedish custody ... by showing up on a Sunday and partaking in worship.

The just-released rapper was in attendance Sunday for Ye's weekly Sunday Service, where he was wearing a jacket in the hot sun -- but appeared to be in great spirits. He was filmed talking to his old flame, Kendall Jenner, and they seemed pretty chummy.

Kendall and A$AP have history together, they were dating on and off for a number of years. They haven't been seen in a romantic capacity since early 2017.

A$AP was also photographed chatting up Kanye himself, who was decked out in his usual Sunday Service gear. Some thank-yous were probably exchanged ... and for good reason.

As we reported ... Kanye was part of the initial push to get A$AP's legal predicament on President Trump's radar, before he was eventually freed last week pending a verdict. We're told Ye's got a direct line to the Oval, and that he suggested Trump talk to the Swedish PM.

A panel of judges decided to release A$AP while a decision is made in his assault case, which wrapped up Thursday after a three-day trial. Rocky touched down in L.A. early Saturday morning, and seemed ecstatic to be finally be home after a month in jail.

A$AP testified that he and his crew were acting in self-defense, and that they tried to defuse the situation with the alleged victim before things got violent.

The Swedish prosecutor recommended a 6-month jail sentence -- a decision is expected to be made on his fate on August 14, when he has to come back to Sweden.

Diddy and Lori Harvey are keeping their bond going strong in Italy -- where they're hangin' out with her pops in what can only be described as a family (friend) affair.

The hip-hop mogul and Steve Harvey's youngest daughter were spotted grabbing dinner this weekend in Nerano, where dad and what looks like his wife, Marjorie, were tagging along as well. If you ask us, this might just seal the deal on Diddy and LH's relationship status.

They're sitting incredibly close, and share some intimate moments that just stop short of full-blown kissing. Click through the gallery ... you can make the call yourself.

Of course, Diddy shot down the idea he was dating Steve's 22-year-old kid -- who also happened to formerly date Diddy's own 25-year-old son, Justin. We'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt for now -- but they're looking more and more like a couple.

You'll recall, Diddy and Lori were seen wearing matching outfits in NYC, where they were hanging out like two peas in a pod (again). They've been just about everywhere together now.

A$AP Rocky was downright gleeful after touching down on U.S. soil Saturday just after midnight ... free for the first time in a month.

A$AP's private jet touched down at LAX after a long flight from Sweden ... this after the judges in his criminal case allowed him to leave the country as they noodled over the verdict.

The rapper was ecstatic ... smiling, taking pics with folks, hugging people. He actually stayed in the private terminal parking lot for around 45 minutes, talking and joking most of the time.

As we reported, all signs point to a not guilty verdict. Prosecutors in the assault case asked the judges to keep Rocky behind bars because he remained a flight risk. The judges had a middle-ground option -- to release him from custody but order that he remain in Sweden, pending the verdict which will be announced on August 14, but instead they let him return to the U.S.

Fact is ... a judge thought he was a flight risk a month ago when he threw Rocky in jail, even before charges were filed, so he'd be at least as much of a flight risk today ... and that's why it seems like it doesn't matter anymore and that he'll be found not guilty.

Our Rocky sources say he's never going back to Sweden, and even though his position has been that race was not a factor, privately everyone in his camp thinks it was, and he probably does as well. It was smart of him not to take a stand on the racial issue, for fear of inflaming the judges.

The key to the case seems to be a green bottle. Prosecutors maintained Rocky hit the alleged victim over the head with it, but not a single witness supported the theory, nor did the video. You do see Rocky holding a bottle, but he says he did it to fend off the guy and put it down on the ground.

Rocky does not have to appear in court for the verdict. It will be a written decision.

LL Cool J has a lot of sympathy for A$AP Rocky, but says if he's convicted in Swedish court of assault, he can't go on the lam.

LL was at LAX Friday and made one point clear ... if he were in A$AP's shoes and got a guilty verdict, he would not just go back to Sweden and face the music ... rather, he'd "negotiate." We're reading between the lines, but it seems he's saying he'd do a little horse trading ... I'll come back, but you can't throw the book at me.

As for never going back, LL thinks that's a bad idea. Even if Rocky couldn't be extradited from the U.S., his travel would be severely restricted because other countries might in fact hook him up and send him back to Sweden.

As we reported, it's looking likely that A$AP will be found not guilty, because prosecutors failed to prove A$AP struck the alleged victim with a bottle.

A$AP Rocky's saying good riddance to Sweden FOR GOOD and never looking back ... assuming everything goes according to plan.

Rocky left Sweden hours after the judges in his assault case decided to let him out of jail while they noodle on their decision, which is expected on August 14. A$AP returned to the U.S., and he won't have to return for the reading of the verdict, because it will be a written ruling.

All signs point to Rocky being acquitted. Prosecutors tried to keep him in jail pending the verdict, because they said he was a flight risk. The judges could have ordered him to stay in Sweden but they gave him the all clear to leave the country. That smells like a not guilty verdict.

Our sources say if the verdict comes in as expected, Rocky will never go back to the home of IKEA.

He never said the arrest was racially motivated -- at least not for public consumption -- but a lot of people, including his mom, think that's exactly what's behind his arrest and prosecution. As we reported, Snoop and Quavo say they had similar experiences with Swedish cops, and Snoop also said good riddance to the country.

The rapper said during his testimony he won't seek any money from the Swedish government for wrongful prosecution, because he can easily earn back his profits from canceled concerts. Smart move ... more incentive for the judges to find him not guilty.

Rocky's lawyer says he believes he did enough to show the judges his client acted in self-defense and the attack on the alleged victim was not overboard or premeditated ... as the prosecution alleged.

A$AP Rocky got a HUGE assist Friday from 2 eyewitnesses to the beating that landed him in jail and Swedish criminal court ... because both said they were clear -- they did NOT see Rocky strike the alleged victim with a bottle.

The bottle is the centerpiece of the prosecution's case. They claim Rocky severely injured the alleged victim by hurling a bottle at him ... which they say was excessive force and unjustified. Rocky admitted Thursday he picked up a bottle but denied he ever threw it.

Nicki Minaj is about to change her identity -- adding her beau's last name to her own -- and officially making her Petty.

Nicki and Kenneth Petty marched into a Beverly Hills courthouse earlier this week and got a marriage license. Sources close to the couple tell us Nicki -- whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj -- will be known as Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty.

As for the wedding, it's a mystery ... but there are clues. Several of her close friends flew into L.A. Tuesday, the day after she and Kenneth got their marriage license. The friends stayed in town for less than a day and flew out again. They were all staying at 2 swanky WeHo hotels.

It's possible the wedding went down that day, but we're not sure. It's also possible they could get hitched this weekend. Her mentor, Lil Wayne, has a couple days off from his Blink-182 tour and our sources say he plans to be in L.A. Saturday and Sunday.

Cardi B's worldwide stardom will put her in a precarious position when she sits for a deposition next week -- and that's why she wants the judge to keep the whole matter confidential.

Cardi is in a legal dogfight with her former manger -- he sued her, then she sued him -- and in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, her attorneys say her monumental achievement as a world-renowned rapper makes her vulnerable to a feeding frenzy from both the public and the media.

Her team says if the video of her deposition, as well as the transcripts, get out to the public, it could harm her case ... and expose private details about her life and finances.

Additionally, they've got serious Internet meme concerns. As they put it in docs, if the material gets out "it is highly likely that any such video will be reproduced and edited (and possibly manipulated) into out-of-context video clips and GIFs of her testimony."

As we first reported ... Cardi's ex-manager, Shaft, claims he transformed her from an Instagram wannabe to a global celebrity. Shaft sued Cardi for $10 million in April 2018 ... and then she countersued him for $15 million.

One of Shaft's more significant claims -- he says his contacts and personal team of writers and producers are responsible for her first massive hit, "Bodak Yellow."