TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

For Jay-Z, the best defense is a good offense -- he's wasting no time putting his controversial NFL partnership to work by launching a new apparel line to fund social change ... and enlisting his pal, Meek Mill.

The NFL and Jay's Roc Nation just announced a new Inspire Change apparel line and a music showcase called Songs of the Season. The music part of that deal will begin with Meek, Meghan Trainor and Rapsody performing at the NFL Kickoff Event in Chicago on Sept. 5.

Meek and Rapsody are Roc Nation clients, but Meghan is not ... which shows that despite facing a wave of criticism, Jay still has plenty of entertainers willing to support his NFL venture. All 3 artists are the first Inspire Change advocates.

The bigger part of the deal, though, is the apparel line -- because it seems to have Jay's fingerprint all over it. After successfully launching his Rocawear and Paper Planes (that Roc Nation logo you see everywhere) ... he knows there's big money in clothing and caps.

Roc Nation and the league say the revenue from Inspire Change apparel will fund Inspire Change programs across the U.S. -- with a focus on  "economic empowerment, police and community relations, and criminal justice reform."

As you know, Jay-Z took a ton of heat after a meeting with Roger Goodell to announce their partnership. Many critics, including athletes and entertainers, felt like Jay was turning his back on Colin Kaepernick and the kneeling protest he started for social justice.

Coming just 2 weeks after that firestorm, the Inspire Change initiative plays like Jay's clap back to the haters.

Cassie and her fiance, Alex Fine, won't be having one of those long-drawn-out engagements ... TMZ's learned the clock's already ticking fast on their big day.

Sources close to the couple tell us ... Diddy's ex-girlfriend and her beau obtained their marriage license last week, and word is they're speeding toward a wedding celebration.

At the very latest, Cassie and Alex have 90 days to tie the knot ... that's the expiration date for Cali marriage licenses.

We're told she'll be taking his last name and go by Cassie Fine ... which has a nice ring to it.

The pregnant "Me & U" singer just revealed she and her personal trainer BF got engaged over the weekend, via a video of the proposal. Cassie captioned it, "My favorite day ever!" and added the date, "8.24" and "#MrsFine."

Considering the marriage license was obtained before that date and the highly-produced vid, it seems it wasn't much of a surprise ... still beautiful, though.

As we've reported ... Cassie and Alex announced they were expecting their first child together in June, about 8 months after she and Diddy broke up.

Our sources say Diddy felt betrayed -- he hired Fine to be Cassie's personal trainer after all.  Nevertheless, he took the high road and congratulated the couple on the pregnancy and wished them love and happiness.

Looks like his wish came true.

Travis Scott is soaring to new heights, and Kylie Jenner is right by his side for support -- 2 handfuls worth, by the look of things.

The rapper's new Netflix documentary, 'Look Mom I Can Fly,' has arrived, and the couple arrived to the premiere in style Tuesday night at a Santa Monica Airport hangar.

The venue was the perfect spot to showcase their love, and the baller Netflix private jet they rode to the event. Oh yeah, and the documentary too.

Tuesday night's PDA, combined with their sick yacht vacay for her birthday -- proves any relationship troubles they had are a thing of the past.

The proud parents also brought their 18-month-old daughter, Stormi, along for the big event to up the cuteness factor. Mission accomplished.

Along with his family, several of Trav's famous hip-hop friends showed up for his film ... including Offset, Quavo and Swae Lee.

French Montana wanted heads to roll after some guy allegedly threw a sucker punch ... and TMZ's got video of him going off on his security team for apparently letting it happen.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... French was in NYC early Tuesday morning -- after leaving the Amish Market in Tribeca -- when a guy in a red shirt attacked French's crew from behind. We're told the guy didn't hit French, but did hit someone and that set off a brawl.

In the video, you can see French chewing out some bodyguards, and just as things seem to calm down ... there's another flare-up.

NYPD showed up eventually, responding to a call of a physical fight at the Amish Market. We're told the store was a mess when officers arrived, but everyone involved in the fight was gone.

No report was filed for assault and no injuries were reported.

As far as French is concerned ... no blood, no foul but we're told he was pissed his security let someone get close enough to pop him.

Bronny James is 14 years old and already cooler than you'll ever be ... 'cause the basketball royalty got an epic shout-out in Drake's newest music video!!!

The 6 God somehow got his hands on LeBron James Jr.'s Strive For Greatness AAU team jersey ... and decided to wear it in his new "Money In The Grave" video with Rick Ross, which dropped on Monday.

Of course, Aubrey is no stranger to rockin' rare threads -- he had a Zion Williamson Spartanburg Day School jersey when the baller was still a 16-year-old H.S. phenom.

Drake also trolled Steph Curry during Game 1 of the NBA Finals by wearing his dad Dell's Raptors jersey, so the guy is clearly looking to make a case for toughest jersey collection out there.

Wearing the jersey for a music video is a MUCH bigger deal, though ... and King James took notice, commenting "So Tough!!!" with a bunch of fire emojis.

Bronny's gotta run for class office with all this clout.

By the way, Bronny's only a FRESHMAN at Sierra Canyon High School in L.A. -- where he's teammates with Dwyane's Wade's son, Zaire, and a bunch of other high school phenoms.

Future's got more baby mama drama on his hands ... a woman in Florida just slapped the rapper with a paternity case alleging she gave birth to his SEVENTH CHILD!!!

Eliza Seraphin filed legal docs in Broward County, alleging Future is the father of her 4-month-old girl. According to docs obtained by TMZ, Seraphin -- known to her 320k Instagram followers as Eliza Reign -- claims Future ghosted her ever since she gave birth on April 19.

She wants a judge to declare Future the baby daddy and make him ante up child support. Eliza wants the child support retroactively and she wants Hizzoner to tack on hospital expenses she incurred during pregnancy.

Baby mama drama's nothing new for Future, who back in January told radio legend Big Boy he became a father for the sixth time when his son, Hendrix, was born in December.

Future told Big Boy he wants to have more kids ... never mind the legal drama that's followed with in the wake of several births. You'll recall Ciara's had beef with Future over their 5-year-old son.

We've reached out to Future for comment ... so far, no word back.

Post Malone was practically speechless after witnessing a scary version of Russian Roulette, involving a fish hook, 4 strings and a trick that grabbed PM ... hook, line and sinker.

The impromptu magic show went down Saturday night at the Reading Festival in the UK, where Post was performing. While hanging backstage with Tyla Yaweh, local illusionist Ryan Tricks gave the "Beerbongs & Bentleys" rapper a chance to inflict some serious pain.

Here's how the trick works -- Ryan puts a fishing hook into his mouth, which has four strings looped through it ... but only one of them is actually tied and firmly attached.

Now the queasy part ... Post was tasked with yanking on three strings (his manager, Dre London, ended up helping in the end) to see if he could pick the string that wasn't knotted.

You gotta watch this -- it's totally reminiscent of Christopher Walken and Robert DeNiro in 'Deer Hunter' -- except this is REAL LIFE. Honestly, we can't tell if this was a trick or just Ryan getting super lucky.

Post didn't seem too sure either, but he was more than happy to celebrate with the guy. Beers, of course ... what else???

File Under: Moguls Stick Together!!!

Diddy is throwing his support behind his friend, Jay-Z -- and clapping back at the haters who have been blasting Jay for getting into bed with the NFL.

As we previously reported, Jay and NFL commish Roger Goodell announced a partnership earlier this month -- where Roc Nation will head up music, entertainment and social justice efforts for the NFL.

Some went after Jay saying he turned his back on Colin Kaepernick after publicly supporting the QB in the past. Jay explained that he's trying to turn Colin's kneeling protest into a tangible change for people affected by police brutality.

Now, Diddy is going to bat for Jay too -- while continuing to show support for Colin as well.

"Hov is one of the greatest to ever do it, he has been there more than anybody from the hip hop culture, including me," Diddy said on social media.

"He always has been so selfless and fights for other people. We as a people can not be divided and conquered at this time!!"

As for Kap, Diddy said he's proud of the QB -- adding, "I’ll continue to support him in every way possible."

Diddy says he believes Jay will do some incredible things in his partnership with the NFL -- explaining, "It’s time to play chess not checkers."

Diddy also spelled out why he cares so much about Jay-Z's success.

"I was just watching everything last week but it hurt me to my heart because I know this man personally. He’s one of the most genuine and intelligent black leaders we’ve ever had. We cannot go against each other, there’s not enough of us. I applaud Jay Z and I applaud the NFL for bringing him in."

"This isn’t just about the NFL, it’s about how black and brown people are treated daily across this country. We have to come together and make the hard decisions, nobody is going to do it for us."

"I believe in taking action, taking steps towards the right direction and I support all my brothers that are out here taking ACTION."

A$AP Rocky has returned to the Big Apple, and his happy-go-lucky vibes are palpable ... this after his turbulent experience in Sweden.

We got the Harlem-based MC Sunday night going in and coming out of The Bowery Hotel in NoHo, Manhattan, where our camera guy asked how he was feeling being stateside again after being held in Swedish custody for about a month. "Happy AF" is an understatement.

Rocky was even more ecstatic as he was leaving, telling us what his takeaway is after going through what he did -- an arrest, a long holding period, a trial, and an eventual guilty verdict (but no further jail time), just to recap. Watch ... life's simple when you're free.

As we've reported ... A$AP's been on the West Coast quite a bit since touching back down in America -- going to Kanye's Sunday Service, and even headlining a show in Anaheim.

Based on how he's been acting since he's been back ... you can tell the dude's got a new outlook on life. As he says here, he's no troublemaker ... just a "pretty motherf***er."

Kendrick Lamar may be small, but the man is mighty -- that much we can tell by the way he trains in the ring.

The Grammy-winning rapper has been getting his box on lately at a gym in Northridge, CA -- about 20 minutes north of L.A. -- and TMZ Sports got a hold of what appears to be the only footage of Kendrick in the ring doing his thing. This clip is from earlier this year.

Dude's from Compton, but it seems he's been looking to keep an even lower profile than usual ... 'cause we're told this specific facility is pretty dang discreet.

As for what Kendrick has been getting into inside, welp ... take a looksy for yourself. As it turns out, Kung Fu Kenny's got hands -- you can see him doing a vigorous round of focus mitt drills with a trainer ... and we gotta say, KL could go toe-to-toe with any Joe there.

We're told Kendrick went about four rounds of mitts on this outing -- and he looked sharp all the way through. It's unclear what he's training for -- maybe he's just keeping fit?

Either way, the MC is no stranger to combat in his art. During his "DAMN" tour, he embraced the martial arts aesthetic in a video that accompanied his set, and homeboy could move.

Whether it's boxing or kung fu fighting ... Kendrick has made major strides from the way he used to throw down (jokingly, of course).

Kanye West is in Dayton, Ohio right now, presiding over his Sunday Service to honor those who died and were injured during the mass shooting earlier this month.

The service is going down at the RiverScape MetoPark to a large crowd.

Kim Kardashian and at least 2 of their kids -- Saint and North West -- are on hand for the event. They were all dressed in white as they headed to the service. We don't know if Chicago made the trip. We're told Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are also in attendance.

Chappelle eventually took the stage to tell the large crowd that even after going through a tough time -- including tornadoes, Klan rallies and shootings -- "we're still here and we're still strong. And the only way, but not the only way, but the BEST WAY that we can honor our fallen is by getting up better than we were before." He finishes by thanking Kanye for coming out and reminds him that he and Dayton have his back.

Chappelle is also in Dayton for an event later in the day ... The Gem City Shine, a benefit concert, again honoring the victims of the latest American massacre. We're told around 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Speaking of Dave, Kanye led a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him Saturday night inside what appears to be a hotel lobby. Dave turned 46. BTW, Kanye didn't sing -- he led his choir in a melodic rendition of the Stevie Wonder version. Dave toasted the crowd with a brewski.

NYC radio legend Angie Martinez says she's got all the confidence in the world Jay-Z can change the NFL ... if people just give him time to get the job done.

Criticism of Hova is at an all-time high, with some people accusing him of selling out Colin Kaepernick by getting in bed with the NFL.

Not Angie ... she was IN THE ROOM when Jay and NFL Commish Roger Goodell took questions from the media earlier this month and says she came away believing the partnership will bare major fruit.

"I believe him being in the room and sitting at the table can change things in a big way."

When we asked if she thinks Jay taking a deal with the same league he'd criticized in the past is in any way hypocritical ... she couldn't have been clearer.

"I do not. That's my opinion. I understand why people could feel that way."

Angie - whose brand new TV show "Untold Stories Of Hip Hop" debuts this Fall -- says she's not sure if Jay will push for Kap to get an NFL job, but having a seat at the table with NFL honchos can't hurt.

"I think that would be phenomenal. I don't think one excludes the other, but if both happen we should have a party in the streets!"

Kanye West is in Dayton, Ohio ... and all signs are pointing to him hosting his Sunday Service in the same city where 9 people were killed in a recent mass shooting.

Kanye and his family were spotted Friday afternoon in Dayton ... which is pretty interesting, considering that's where his longtime friend Dave Chappelle is hosting a free show Sunday to honor the lives that were lost in this month's tragedy.

Our sources tell us Kanye appeared to be scouting a location for a Special Sunday Service ... and there are rumblings he will be bringing in his choir as well.

We reached out to Kanye's camp for confirmation ... but we haven't heard back.

As you know ... Kanye's Sunday Service has become super popular this year, with tons of celebs attending. He had a huge service at Coachella and has held the rest mostly around Los Angeles.

Stay tuned ...

Kodak Black just did an about-face and cut a deal in his federal firearms case.

The rapper was in court Thursday for a change of plea hearing where he told the judge he was now pleading guilty ... after initially pleading not guilty to lying on federal gun applications.

Kodak has been in federal detention since his arrest in May -- the judge denied his request to be released on bond, calling him a danger to the community. His sentencing is now set for November 13, and he could get several years in prison.

As we reported ... Kodak was busted at the Rolling Loud festival, when officers had warrants for his arrest after he'd been indicted on the false statement charges.

Kodak's alleged firearm application lie ... is that he was NOT under any indictment for a crime that could land him behind bars for over a year.

Of course, the rapper IS in the middle of a very serious criminal case -- he was indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 2016 at a hotel in South Carolina.

Jay-Z's ex-business-partner-turned-nemesis, Damon Dash, claims the mogul's new NFL partnership has exposed him as a backstabber who "ain't s**t!"

Dame fired that brutal shot while talking to Adam22 on the No Jumper podcast. Dash, who started Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay, was asked about Jermaine Dupri's claim Jay talked him out of making the very same deal with the NFL that Jay just made (which JD's walked back a bit).

Dash said matter of factly, "If you ask anyone in the industry, it's a common knowledge that Jay ain't s**t." He added, "He's about the bag. We all know that. He's self-preserving. Period."

Now, full context ... Dame's beef with Jay goes back to the fall of Roc-A-Fella records. He claims Jay left him out in the cold and caused the label's collapse. So, Dame taking the shot isn't all that surprising.

However, of all the criticism Jay-Z's taken since announcing he's partnering with the NFL -- while Colin Kaepernick's still frozen out of the league -- Dame's is the most scathing.

Future, 21 Savage and fellow Atlanta rapper Big Bank Black gave back to their community in the funnest way possible ... AND helped everyone stay cool in the process.

The rappers rented out the entire water park at Six Flags White Water in the ATL Wednesday, and seemingly invited everyone from their Zone 6 neighborhood to get some relief from the summer heat at an epic "hood day."

We're told the 3 hip-hop stars dropped around $300k on this year's celebration for Zone 6, which included free food and drinks for everyone. Savage and Big Bank joined in on the good times on the lazy river too.

Other celebs who got wet and wild at the park included Tommie Lee from 'L&HH' and reality star Shekinah Anderson. There was also no shortage of chicken fights and surprise dunking ... 21 Savage even fell victim!!!