TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West is about to perform his Sunday Service at Joel Osteen's megachurch in Houston ... and TMZ is streaming it live.

As we previously mentioned ... Ye brought his choir out for the weekend trip, where they're set to take the stage at 7 PM CT (5 PM PT) at the Lakewood Church -- a place thousands of worshipers come out each week to hear Joel and co. preach from the pulpit.

It's bound to be a packed house again for Sunday's ticketed event, especially after Ye made an appearance in the morning ... standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Joel and talking God.

You'll recall ... it was an eventful chat Kanye and Joel had onstage, with Ye touching on everything from his own upbringing in the church, to how he's an employee of God's now, and even going to bat and defending Joel and his reputation in the Christian community.

Ever since Kanye dropped his new album, 'Jesus is King,' he's been performing pretty consistently with his choir ... playing a bunch of his new songs too, of course. The format thus far has been pretty similar in style to what we've seen in Calabasas and elsewhere.

But with such a big audience tuning in this time around -- and a just-announced opera on the horizon -- it'll be interesting to see what surprises Kanye and his team have in store for the Lakewood congregation.

Diddy had the bubbly overflowing this past weekend ... but it wasn't a Sunday Funday on the heels of his ex's death anniversary.

Diddy and his crew hit up BBCM on Sunset Blvd. in WeHo on Sunday and guzzled mimosas. It looks like he had a variety of flavors ... evidence the near-empty flutes on his table. He looked somber.

The mimosa fest came just 2 days after the 1-year anniversary of the death of his ex, Kim Porter. He paid a touching tribute to her over the weekend, saying, "I MISS YOU SOOOOOO MUCH. Every time I get sad I look at this video and it brings a smile to my face."

Diddy went on to say, "I thank god for the precious time he allowed us to have with you. I wish you were here with us right now and this was all a dream. I will never give up on that wish. Never!!!! Love you forever Kimberly Antwinette Goodwin Porter."

Big Sean and Jhene Aiko's on-again, off-again relationship appears to be very much so back on after they released a super personal song with a little TMI attached.

The rapper and singer -- who've dated and broken up at least a couple different times over the past few years -- were spotted grabbing dinner in Malibu Saturday at a fancy place called Geoffrey's ... where they looked like more than just friends and collaborators.

TMZ obtained photos of Jhene sitting on Sean's lap at one point as they looked out at the ocean on the restaurant's patio deck. He's holding her pretty tenderly too, BTW.

This, of course, is a major development considering the new song they released together Thursday. JA's single, "None of Your Concern," caught fans off guard with a Big Sean feature.

The song is incredibly introspective, and touches on their relationship ... and a big takeaway from Sean's verse was how he pleases his lady in the bedroom. Apparently, he once made Jhene orgasm 9 times in a day -- and he doesn't think any average Joe deserves her.

Well ... it certainly seems the collab might've brought 'em closer than ever -- 'cause the homie-lover-friend wheel they often spin seems to be on the lover corner right about now.

Oh, and if you're wondering who picked up the tab during this intimate meal ... it looks like BS did, as he's seen signing off on the bill here. Good man right there.

Kanye West's highly anticipated chitchat with Pastor Joel Osteen is about to go down at the Lakewood Church in Houston and we're live streaming the whole thing.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye and Joel have been talking on the phone quite a bit since Ye committed himself to God, and it all resulted in Kanye and Kim making the trek to H-town this weekend.

We're told Kanye's gonna talk to Joel about his journey in rediscovering religion at 11 AM Central Time. There's another service Sunday night at 7 PM and that will feature Kanye's now-famous Sunday Service, complete with a choir of around 120 people. We'll also be live streaming that.

As we reported, Ticketmaster is doling out free tickets for the 7 PM service, but there have been problems with scalpers.

Kim's also in Houston and presumably will show up for the service at Lakewood. On Saturday Kim, Saint and North hit up an ice skating rink at The Galleria in Houston.

Jay-Z is unhappy with the way Colin Kaepernick handled his workout on Saturday -- our sources tell us Jay felt Colin "turned a legitimate workout into a publicity stunt."

As we previously reported, Colin bailed on the NFL's workout Saturday and held his own workout instead. Colin claims he wanted transparency -- insisting the NFL would not allow him to have media at the workout.

Sources close to Jay-Z tell us ... Jay is unhappy with the way things went down because he feels the league was genuine in trying to give Colin an opportunity.

Colin went through with his workout at a high school nearby and reviews are mixed. Some scouts are reportedly impressed with Kap's arms strength and talent. And, others are reportedly saying he looked average at best.

Now, the waiting game begins ... and we'll see if an NFL team will pull the trigger and sign the 32-year-old QB.

Tyga's undeniably got game ... and you don't have to go further than this pic for proof.

Kylie Jenner's ex was leaving Delilah restaurant in WeHo Saturday night in a fire engine red Ferrari and a beautiful woman riding shotgun. Is it just us or does she resemble Kylie in a big way?

Several people at Delilah -- including our photog -- tell us Kylie was also there, but we have no evidence of that. The 2 were seen together at Hyde nightclub on the Sunset Strip last month, fueling rumors they were getting back together. They were also in Vegas together at the end of Summer. Hard to know ... but based on the photo it sure looks like Tyga's moved on.

Lil Jon says he got held up by Vietnamese officials at an airport while trying to get outta there ... something he claims happened because of his massive stash of jewelry.

The rapper posted footage and photos of himself allegedly being detained Friday while he and his crew were attempting to fly out of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City after performing in Saigon. Apparently, their version of TSA wasn't feelin' his ice.

On Intagram, LJ wrote ... "Vietnam got me hemmed up over my iceeeee smh." He then posted a photo of what appears to be airport officials going through his many chains and other jewelry he had with him, with most of it laid out on a table being inspected.

It's unclear why they gave Jon such a hard time, but luckily for him ... this story's got a happy ending. Lil Jon says he was able to call the U.S. Embassy in 'Nam and get some personnel down there to vouch for him and get him sprung from detention.

One of his buddies posted an aftermath pic showing Lil Jon posing with a bunch of folks, some of which appear to be uniformed airport honchos ... while also shedding a bit more light on what exactly happened. The guy, SKAM Artist, wrote ... "Jon was detained earlier today in Vietnam...but w the assistance of 2 staffers from the US Embassy, and a few locals...he's free!!" Another one of his friends credited the "Royal Family" too.

We got a call in to LJ's rep to get to the bottom of this one, but the good news is that he's back to work and keeping the show going in what looks to be China. Can we get a YEAH???

Kanye West's appearance at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston Sunday will be the most important appearance Ye has made since devoting himself to God, and there's such a demand for tickets we've learned scalpers have reared their ugly heads.

Kanye will have all eyes on him Sunday morning when he takes the stage with Joel Osteen -- which normally isn't an issue -- except this time, the crowd won't be full of Yeezy fans.

Kanye is set to take part in Joel's 11 AM ceremony at Lakewood Church Sunday and will chat with Joel for 20-30 mins about his religious journey. It'll mark the first time Kanye's talked about his religious transformation in front of a large audience -- 45,000 people!!!

Joel's 11 AM service will mostly be made up of his regular churchgoers, and not droves of Kanye fans like at Ye's Sunday Service ... so for Kanye, this is uncharted territory.

Our sources say he's excited to share his message and journey with a room that not only includes Joel but those who have had their own religious awakenings.

As for the service Sunday night -- when Kanye's choir will perform -- we're told both Kanye and Joel's teams expect a crowd made up of mostly Yeezy faithful. TMZ broke the story ... Lakewood teamed up with Ticketmaster to coordinate ticket distribution.

Our sources say scalpers are already trying to mess things up. The tickets are free, but some have already been scooped up by people who just want to make a buck. We're told the tickets they have identified as being held by scalpers have been invalidated.

Kanye West is breaking ground on his very own amphitheater on his sprawling Wyoming ranch ... TMZ has confirmed.

Kanye and Park County, Wyoming officials are already deep into communications about the project -- and in docs, obtained by TMZ, Ye says he wants to build a 70,684-square-foot amphitheater. Photos from the site show he's already moved large amounts of land, apparently clearing a footprint.

Kanye describes the facility as the "West Meditation Space Large Impact Structure."

In the latest docs, County officials inform Kanye he'll have to construct 175 parking spaces, but the State says he could get an exemption to reduce that number in half. Kanye says in his application he does not intend to bring any utilities on the property -- no electricity or plumbing. Sooo ... strictly a port-a-potty situation?

Kanye says the facility will be open-air, the amphitheater will be a circular, concrete design with the ground sloping downhill towards the center of the circle. Sounds like a theater-in-the-round.

It's interesting ... the Park County Planning and Zoning Department is pushing back on some things, they submitted docs asking for more information on the impact construction would have on local wildlife. Officials are suggesting Ye avoid construction in winter months because it would disrupt local wildlife migration patterns.

Kanye West brought the soulful sounds of his Sunday Service choir to prisoners in Texas just days before his face-to-face with Joel Osteen.

Law enforcement sources tell us Kanye and his choir showed up at the Harris County Jail in Houston Friday morning to put on a show. We're told the whole thing was a surprise to almost everyone, with only a few who helped to put it together.

Our sources say Kanye and the team stayed for a couple of hours and performed for a select group of prisoners and staff members.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye will make an appearance and chat with Joel Osteen Sunday at Osteen's Lakewood Church service. Sunday night, Kanye and his Sunday Service choir will take the stage at Lakewood for a performance of their own.

Osteen's team has been working feverishly behind the scenes, teaming up with Ticketmaster to make sure everyone -- Kanye fans and churchgoers alike -- get a chance to see the performance.

Originally Published -- 12:37 PM PT

Kodak Black was set up and possibly drugged when he got into a fight behind bars ... at least according to the rapper's camp.

Sources close to Kodak tell TMZ ... his team believes last month's prison fight, which left a guard injured, was all a setup because they claim someone slipped something in his drink to set him off.

We're told surveillance video shows Kodak drinking a cup of coffee about 20 minutes before the fight broke out ... and his reps believe Kodak's coffee was spiked with a chemical substance intended to make him lose control.

Our sources say an agent from the FBI testified Wednesday that witnesses said Kodak appeared to be under the influence during the brawl.

As for the fight itself ... we're told Kodak got into it with another inmate, and a corrections officer sprayed KB with mace. Our sources say it took several prison guards to restrain Kodak, who displayed incredible strength after allegedly being drugged.

Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Emery Nelson tells us a staff member was physically assaulted during the fight and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

As we reported ... Kodak was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty in his federal gun case. Prosecutors were gunning for 96 months after KB was involved in the fight.

Kodak's camp thinks it's suspicious the other inmate in the fight was placed in KB's prison pod earlier in the day, and the same inmate was released on bond about 12 hours after the brawl. Kodak's team says the fact the fight went down 2 weeks before his sentencing is also fishy. KB's been behind bars before, and we're told it's the first time he got in trouble.

Black's reps tell us they don't know for sure who allegedly drugged him, but they have their suspicions ... telling us a lot of people want to see him jammed up.

We reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office ... but they have no comment.

Kanye West's appearance at Joel Osteen's megachurch this Sunday is expected to draw overflow crowds ... and the folks at Lakewood Church are scrambling to avoid pandemonium.

We've learned the Church has contacted Ticketmaster and will offer tickets Friday for the first 45,000 takers. It will be strictly first come, first served, and the tickets are free.

Here's the catch. Tickets will only be available for the evening service, where Kanye and his choir will perform their already iconic Sunday Service. As we've first reported, there's an earlier service at 11 AM, where Ye will walk up to the pulpit and have a 20- to 30-minute conversation with Osteen. The 11 AM service will not be ticketed ... the first 45,000 who arrive get seated.

As for what Osteen will talk to Kanye about ... we're told the focus is how Ye found and embraced God.

As for Kanye's Sunday night Sunday Service ... our sources say Osteen's church provides top-of-the-line sound and lighting equipment but might need to find a way to make its stage bigger to accommodate the rapper's 100+ choir members. One source says the choir will be 120 strong.

We're also told the church has an overflow room if the crowd's too big ... and it will almost certainly be utilized.

Kodak Black could spend the next 46 months behind bars in his federal gun case ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... Kodak's been sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison after he pled guilty in his federal gun case back in August. Kodak's also been sentenced to 3 years of supervised release.

It's a bit of a break considering prosecutors wanted 96 months after Kodak was involved in a fight behind bars which resulted in a prison guard getting hurt.

As we reported ... as part of Kodak's plea agreement, prosecutors said they would push for a lighter sentence because Kodak had been cooperative. He initially faced a maximum of 10 years after pleading guilty to 2 counts of knowingly making a false and fictitious written statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm.

Kodak had been in federal custody since his arrest in May. He had wanted to be let out while the case unfolded but a judge denied his request for bail after calling him a danger to the community.

The rapper had been arrested at the Rolling Loud festival on arrest warrants stemming from his indictment.

Rapper Bad Azz -- one of Snoop Dogg's close friends in the game -- has died in jail.

Bad Azz appears to have passed away Monday while being held in custody at a detention center in Riverside, CA on a domestic violence charge. It's unclear how he may have died, but the guy was picked up Friday and had an upcoming court date Tuesday.

His bail was set at just $10,000, and based on jail records ... it doesn't look he'd bailed out.

The west coast MC was an affiliate of Snoop's, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Warren G, Nate Dogg and others associated with Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips based out of Long Beach.

He'd collaborated with all of those guys, plus Tupac (when he was alive) as well as MC Eiht, Mistah F.A.B., Bizzy Bone, The Lady of Rage, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes and others. He put out four solo albums and was featured on at least 2 collaborative albums.

His DPGC buddies posted tons of tributes on social media -- seeming to confirm his death -- including an Instagram post by Snoop who wrote ... "Damn 😥. R. I. P. To my young. D. P. G. L. L. G. L. B. C. Crew original @badazzlbc gone 2 soon."

One of his most famous tracks was "Wrong Idea," which featured SD. He had well over 70 features credited to his name over the years, dating back to the mid-90s.

Bad Azz was 43.

RIP

Kanye West may have his biggest audience yet for a Sunday Service, because we've learned he's agreed to take the stage for Joel Osteen's incredibly popular Sunday ritual.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ye and Joel have been talking fairly regularly recently ... they've become friends, especially since Kanye has doubled down in his devotion to God.

We're told the plan is for Kanye to show up at Joel's 11 AM service in Houston this coming Sunday at the Lakewood Church. Kanye will walk up to the pulpit and have a conversation with Joel that will last between 20 and 30 minutes.

Our sources say Joel wants his congregation -- which stands 45,000 strong -- and his TV audience -- which stands at 10 million in the U.S. alone -- to hear how Kanye has overcome significant adversity in his life.

As one source put it, "Kanye used to be about nothing greater than himself. Now it's all about a higher power." BTW, Kanye has echoed this sentiment before. We're told Joel will ask Kanye to contrast his life then and now.

We're told Kanye will not perform at the 11 AM service, but Joel has other services later in the day so it's possible Kanye would stick around. He doesn't seem to go anywhere on Sundays without his choir, so it would not be at all surprising if they show up in H-Town this weekend!

BTW ... the service will be broadcast live on SiriusXM.

Rough night for Drake, who got booed off stage at his pal Tyler, the Creator's music festival ... due to a crowd that clearly wanted, and expected, to see someone else.

Champagne Papi came out as the surprise guest headliner Sunday night at Camp Flog Gnaw, which was held at Dodger Stadium. It sure seems like folks were jonesin' for Frank Ocean to the hit the stage and sing ... instead, they got Drizzy rapping.

The set didn't seem to be going well from the jump -- barely any energy from the audience, and what's worse ... when Drake offered to stay longer, the crowd didn't want him.

It seems like he heard 'em loud and clear ... Drake thanked the Flog Gnaw festivalgoers for their time and made his way off stage -- seemingly cutting his set short. No love lost between him and the mob either, because they chanted for Frank after Drake left.

As for why this happened to one of the biggest music acts in the world right now ... it might have something to do with the type of music these ticket holders are into, and who else was in the lineup -- tons of alternative hip-hop and R&B artists.

Safe for a handful of guys who can crossover to the mainstream -- DaBaby, 21 Savage, Juice WRLD, YG, etc -- the majority of the acts cater to a bit of a more indie listener. Ditto for Frank Ocean, who's the king of that whole genre right now.

Meanwhile, Drake is as mainstream as it gets. 'Tis what it is. 🤷🏽‍♂️