TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West might've been somewhat absent from his first opera in L.A. -- but he seems ready to make up for that tenfold with a silver bullet solution ... oh, mother of God.

We mean that literally!!! Ye's down at Art Basel in Miami right now, ready to premiere his new opera, dubbed "Mary." You might've heard of her -- she was Jesus's virgin mom ... a big deal in Christianity and elsewhere. Looks like Kanye dedicated a whole production to her.

It also appears he and others involved in the opera are actually going to be on stage and involved in the goings-on of the story ... completely covered in silver, head to toe.

Based on a quote Ye included in his description of the opera, it's a safe bet this is basically gonna portray the Nativity story ... in which Mary miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, welcoming royal visitors from distant lands for the occasion.

As for what the silver outfits might mean ... it's anyone's guess. Kanye and co. may be playing angels of some sort, or maybe Christmas stars guiding the way? Time will tell ...

You'll recall ... Kanye's 1st opera, Nebuchadnezzar, got mixed reviews when it debuted at the Hollywood Bowl last month. It took forever for the show to actually start, and it ended pretty quickly too. Ye didn't perform either -- he just narrated from behind the curtain.

Megan Thee Stallion is keeping her "Hot Girl Summer" going strong into the winter -- 'cause she says she's unattached ... and ready for a certain type of guy to step up to the plate.

We ran into the MC Saturday in Bev Hills, where she was ready to splurge at Louis Vuitton with a small entourage in tow. Before she went in though, our camera guy asked point-blank ... is it true? Are ya single, Meg??? She doesn't play coy ... confirming with a firm yes.

She'd previously been linked to rapper Moneybagg Yo, but clearly ... they're dunzo.

Then comes a natural follow-up ... what kind of guy can get her under a mistletoe this year. Check it out -- Megan's not too picky, it seems ... she'll take a good heart and a good laugh.

Another pap on the scene tried shooting his shot right then and there, but it doesn't seem like she was too receptive. Hey, at least he tried ... that's all ya can do sometimes.

Anyway, we got Meg on her way out as well and it looks like she went to town on new gear. She got into a waiting sprinter van, and someone of note hopped in right behind her.

New couple alert??? Maybe ... or he might just be another member on the team 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Cardi B's gonna mess around and bring floods to Africa ... if she keeps making it rain the way she did in a Nigerian strip club ahead of what's going to be a historic gig for her.

Actually, Cardi's already making history if you ask the dancers inside the club she took over Friday night in the city of Lagos. Not only did seemingly EVERY stripper jump in a giant selfie with the rapper, but they went home covered in naira.

Here's your international travel tip for the day: Nigeria's currency is the naira, and Cardi came with stacks on stacks on stacks of 'em when she hit the VIP. The video is pretty insane.

While the DJ pumped Cardi's music, every stripper got a chance to entertain the queen.

Mind you, this is a business trip. Cardi's performing at the Livespot X Festival Saturday in Lagos, and then in neighboring Ghana on Sunday. This is Cardi's first time on the African continent, and she said on IG she wants to experience the "real" Nigeria ... not just a hotel.

She's off to a great start!!!

Saweetie is all about silver linings after she and Quavo were grounded by some serious issues with their private jet, and she got a painful reminder ... someone's always got it worse.

The rapper was leaving Nice Guy Friday night when we asked her about the fuel leak from her private jet that had the fire department rushing to the tarmac Thursday night -- and also prevented her from getting to a scheduled Bay Area gig.

Saweetie told us she was disappointed, especially for fans expecting to see her and Trey Songz perform -- but she was happy she and her Migos BF avoided tragedy.

Our photog helped cheer her up, though. Watch the clip, 'cause you gotta see the look on Saweetie's face when he told her about ... SCORPIONS ON A PLANE!!!

TMZ broke the story ... a United passenger claims a scorpion somehow got into her pants during a flight from San Fran to ATL and stung her multiple times.

French Montana is finally out of the hospital after a nearly 2-week stay, and while he still has a long road to recovery ... he also has a new album to help motivate him.

Sources close to French say he was released from West Hills Hospital in the San Fernando Valley earlier this week. It's a big step forward, but doctors have ordered at least 30 more days of bed rest at home.

That means no working, traveling, exercising, performing or partying for the next month, which is a bit of a bummer considering his new album, "Montana" dropped Friday.

We're told docs believe French's various symptoms were the result of seriously overworking himself. Those symptoms included intense stomach pains, dehydration and exhaustion. He also had an elevated heart rate which we're told is back under control after the extended hospital stay.

On a positive note, "Montana" contains features from Drake, Cardi B, Chris Brown, Swae Lee, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Travis Scott, Post Malone and A$AP Rocky. We got a few snippets from some of the new tracks.

Our sources say French is anxious to get back to feeling 100%, so he can get back on the road for appearances and performances -- but that's on the back burner, for now.

Post Malone and Swae Lee kept the party going for GQ after its annual Men of the Year awards week ... and the "Wow." rapper let everyone know how happy he was to do it.

Both stars got on the mic at the official GQ After Party Thursday night at The West Hollywood EDITION and performed their hit song, "Sunflower" ... and Posty took some time afterward to get poetic with the crowd.

He expressed how important it was for everyone to have a good time and love each other ... and made it abundantly clear how thankful he is to be who he is.

Post was certainly in supportive company ... the party was loaded with stars who were also there to have a "good ass f***in' time."

Just some of the names on the guest list included Lil Nas X, Nick Kroll, Billy Eichner, Jesse Williams, Darren Criss, Dwight Yoakam, 6lack and even Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) from "Succession."

Quavo is living the dream -- turning Instagram mockery into cold, hard cash, baby ... courtesy of the Popeyes chicken sandwich craze.

We got the Migos rapper and his GF, Saweetie, in WeHo Thursday night as they left the GQ Men of the Year Awards After Party ... and we had to ask him about his group jumping into the fast-food game.

Quavo explained how Migos' partnership with Uber Eats came about, telling us it all started with a video he posted back in August ... when everyone was losing their minds during the first round of Popeyes mania.

Quavo says someone -- besides his fans -- must have taken notice of his joke about selling the chicken sandwich out of his trunk ... because a few months later Migos was on the menu!

If ya missed the news ... you can now order 4 different combo meals off the Migos Menu from Popeyes, but only through Uber Eats.

Post Malone can rest easy knowing his diamond chains and pendants are the real deal ... he just got his bling tested for authenticity, and passed with flying colors!!!

We ran into Post Malone outside The Nice Guy Wednesday night as he was getting his diamonds certified on the street by Youtuber, Simbaoranks, with a high-tech device.

Post says he's always wanted to get his ice tested, and seems pretty confident he ain't rocking fakes. The tester makes his way up Post's neck from piece to piece, and ya gotta see the rapper's reaction when he gets the results!

It's kinda funny ... the guy asks Post how much his Dallas Cowboys bling costs, and PM has no clue!

For those scoring at home ... the Boys' bling is worth a cool $250,000. When ya got Post Malone money, you don't worry about how much you're spending.

We also asked Post about French Montana dropping an album Friday, one week removed from getting out of the ICU ... and Post says the dude's a "f***ing legend."

Kanye West is going from the big stage at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church to a truly massive one -- this time they'll be teaming up to fill Yankee Stadium to the brim ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Kanye tell us ... Ye and Joel will take center stage at baseball's cathedral on May 2, 2020 for a mega event that certainly plays like a tour stop. The NYC event is part of Joel's "America's Night of Hope" ... which he takes to several cities across the country.

We're told Joel will do his sermon at Yankee Stadium, and then let Kanye and his choir do their thing with the music. Call it a double play, considering the setting, similar to what they did a few weeks ago in Houston.

If Joel's past appearances at Yankee Stadium are any indication, this one's sure to sell out quickly ... especially now that Kanye's involved. The stadium has a max capacity of 54,251 ... almost 10,000 more than Lakewood.

This will be Joel's third time doing 'Night of Hope' at the Stadium, but his first with Ye.

Our sources tell us the Lakewood get-together went so well, Joel recently asked Kanye about when they will do a sequel ... and they agreed Yankee Stadium would be the perfect backdrop. They're coordinating details now.

Tekashi 6ix9ine deserves a much lighter prison sentence due to his cooperation -- AKA snitching -- according to federal prosecutors who are officially asking the judge for leniency.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York lays out the reasons for a reduced sentence for the rapper. They say his assistance was "incredibly significant and extremely useful" in prosecuting and convicting 2 members of the Nine Trey Bloods.

Even the feds acknowledge Tekashi's testimony in open court put a target on his back and endangered his family. In the docs, prosecutors say, "There's no question that the defendant's life will never be the same because of his cooperation in this case." They add he and his family will need "extra safety precautions" at all times to avoid a revenge attack.

The feds say 6ix9ine walked them through his social media posts to provide context for the criminal actions of the gang -- which they say the defendants, Anthony "Harv" Ellison and Aljermiah Mack, claimed was all a hoax to promote Tekashi's music. They say his testimony convinced the jury otherwise.

As we reported ... Tekashi copped a plea deal after pleading guilty to racketeering, firearms offenses, conspiracy, narcotics trafficking and other crimes. 6ix9ine agreed to be a cooperating witness, and without that would be facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 47 years in prison.

Waka Flocka Flame believes there were clear racial motives behind Gabrielle Union's 'AGT' firing, and says it's now on the black community to stop supporting companies that have problems with the culture.

Gabrielle's feud with 'AGT' is striking a chord with Waka, and he unloaded when we got him in Atlanta -- telling us he's proud of Gabrielle for speaking out about what was allegedly going down at 'AGT.'

As you know ... Gabrielle feels she was given the boot because she complained to NBC and 'AGT' producers about racially insensitive situations on set -- including producers giving her excessive notes about her hair, wardrobe and physical appearance.

Waka says Gabby's a role model -- because black people in similar situations need to push back and stand up for themselves when someone asks them to change who they are.

Gabrielle also had issues with Jay Leno joking about Koreans eating dogs while he was guest judging. Jay won't say if the joke is racist, and has been mostly mum on the whole controversy.

We ask Waka if we're living in a society that treats racism as a joke, and he says anyone over 40 who is still acting racist is "f***ed up," and needs to stop teaching racism to younger generations.

A$AP Rocky will NOT be performing at the Swedish prison where he was detained for several weeks earlier this year -- but hey, at least he can say he tried in good faith.

The rapper is heading back to Sweden in about a week for a concert on Dec. 11 -- and while he's expressed interest in possibly playing a gig for the inmates at Kronoberg prison ... it ain't gonna happen.

The reason ... a honcho with Sweden's Prison and Probation Service tells TMZ there were logistical and security concerns that prevented them from getting something together.

You'll recall, Rocky himself was a prisoner for a good while this summer as his assault case stalled.

As you know, Rocky told us he was very interested in heading back to the Euro country and giving back for the inmates with whom he was once jailed. And, of course, the same Prison and Probation Service that's denying him now said they were open to the idea as well.

So, what's with the cold shoulder then? Well, specifically, the Service cited a high occupancy as the main reason for saying no. There might be other issues, though, based on Rocky's written request ... which TMZ has obtained. In a letter written sent to prison officials Tuesday -- in Swedish, no less -- AR's team formally made the ask.

According to the doc, Rocky says he wanted to swing by Kronoberg while he was in town and bring a DJ and what sounds like 11 accompanying performers and tech crew members. He also requested to have 4 to 5 different camera guys there to document it.

Travis Scott is getting an inside look at the upcoming Dior x Air Jordan 1s due out next year ... and yeah, they look expensive as hell.

La Flame -- who's got his own Nike deal and custom line of AJs and AF1s -- posted the luxurious kicks on his IG on Tuesday ... proving his folks at the Swoosh really care.

The Dior Js are slated to come out in April 2020 and have a HEFTY rumored price tag of $2,000, making them some of the highest-priced Js EVER.

The sneaks will be made entirely in Italy with white and pearl grey Dior leather and the Swoosh will have the classic pattern used in the Dior B23 shoes. Fancy stuff.

Of course, Scott's collabs with Nike have been a massive hit -- his $175 AJ1 collabs have sold out within minutes and have gone for thousands on the resale market ... and he's also got his take on a number of other iconic Nike kicks.

Travis also announced earlier Tuesday he's working with Nike to bring a "Cactus Jack Court" to Houston ... so yeah, both sides gotta be happy about that.

Cardi B says whoever was messaging Tekashi 6ix9ine's girlfriend certainly wasn't her hubby, Offset, and she's out to prove the whole thing is just some bulls**t.

Here's the deal ... Jade -- who's dating Tekashi and who Cardi allegedly ordered an attack on in August 2018 for sleeping with Offset -- put Offset on blast for apparently sending her a DM on Instagram saying "Miss you fr."

Jade shared video of her checking her phone to show it definitely came from Offset's account, and poured gasoline on the fiery situation by adding ... "Your wife @iamcardib has a OPEN CRIMINAL CASE , why are you writing me you don’t respect her ???????"

The thing is ... Cardi and Offset say it's not real -- they claim he was hacked. To prove it, Cardi's shared a couple of vids with Offset, saying they were up sick with their kid all night ... and insisting her husband didn't do what Jade claims.

She also revealed a couple of screenshots from Twitter and Instagram, seemingly proving he was hacked and is unable to log in to his accounts.

There's also this -- earlier on Tuesday, around the same time Jade made claims Offset was messaging her ... his Twitter account was tweeting some strange tweets, including one that just said "I lick ass cheeks."

So, it seems like something suspicious is afoot ... it's just unclear who's to blame for starting it.

One thing to note ... Jade suggested she has more dirt on Offset, saying, "Theirs a lot of s**t I haven't exposed yet."

Stay tuned!

Tekashi 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd were only at each other's throats for publicity -- faking beef to help their careers -- according to a Nine Trey Bloods member.

Anthony "Harv" Ellison is asking a judge for a new trial after being found guilty of kidnapping Tekashi. In new docs -- obtained by TMZ -- he spills the beans on the alleged reason Trippie and Tekashi69 feuded.

Specifically ... Ellison says he was brought on as Tekashi's security after defending 6ix9ine during a "staged publicity beef" with Trippie Redd.

You'll recall ... during Ellison's kidnapping trial, Tekashi claimed Ellison punched Trippie Redd in the mouth during a November 2017 confrontation between the rappers in an NYC hotel lobby.

Now, Ellison says Trippie's manager told Tekashi where to find Redd in order to set up a "staged confrontation."

Drake and Joel Embiid may act like they hate each other's guts ... but it turns out the dudes are actually BROS behind closed doors, so says Sixers partner Michael Rubin!!

It always gets ugly between the 6 God and Embiid when Philly plays the Toronto Raptors ... with Drizzy and the All-Star trading jabs at any opportunity.

Most recently, Drake mocked Embiid for going scoreless last week -- clapping in Embiid's face and thanking him for racking up a goose egg on the score sheet.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rubin outside Madison Square Garden on Friday about the beef ... and he says while it looks legit on paper, it's all love when the cameras are off.

"It's all fun, they're good friends off the court," the billionaire businessman tells us.

Drake's gotten a lot of heat for his antics -- remember when he gave Raps coach Nick Nurse a mid-game back rub??