TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kodak Black is pissed at Walmart -- claiming the megastore is letting someone sell a knockoff version of one of his famous chains, and he's threatening a lawsuit if it doesn't stop -- but the retail giant is putting the blame on third-party sellers.

Here's the deal ... Walmart is getting dragged online because its website features a cheap chain that looks nearly identical to the Sniper Gang bling Kodak usually rocks.

Kodak’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "We have been aware of the situation and have prepared a cease and desist letter to Walmart and the seller on the Walmart website."

The rapper's legal team adds ... "If Walmart refuses to recognize that the seller is not a licensed authorized dealer of Sniper Gang products, we will be proceeding with a lawsuit against both Walmart and the unauthorized seller."

Kodak is currently serving a 46-month prison sentence for gun possession.

Kodak's protege, Jackboy, has also called out Walmart for selling the Sniper Gang chains ... and he too is threatening legal action.

It appears the company has gotten wind of Kodak's anger, they tell us they're taking steps to remove the knockoffs and the chains are strictly from a third-party seller.

Mega-producer Mustard just came up with one helluva remix ... not only delivering free meals to those in need, but making sure they're healthy meals.

The hitmaker hopped on "TMZ Live" Monday to talk about his latest venture ... teaming up with his pal, YG, to buy up 7 L.A.-based Fishbone Seafood restaurants. But, the partnership doesn't end there. The L.A.-native ballers also partnered with Postmates to give back to their community ... delivering $100k worth of free food to L.A. residents and community organizations.

Check out the video and the pics ... Mustard said he wanted to lead by example and give back to his community, never forgetting his roots. The producer says he's not doing this for the praise. Far from it. It's about showing kids that those who make it out have a responsibility to give back.

Mustard -- who BTW, earned the stage name because his first name is Dijon (as in Dijon mustard, get it?) -- is also looking much different these days. Dude tells us being locked up in quarantine is what triggered the transformation ... with an assist from one of his camera guys.

Tory Lanez made a huge difference this Father's Day, helping 100 black men recently out of incarceration celebrate with their families for the first time on the outside.

The rapper and his Dream City Fund launched 100 Black Fathers with Van Jones and Cut50. The initiative is a partnership with Amazon Music, Door Dash and criminal justice reform organization Dream Corps to provide free dinners and gifts for the former inmates and their loved ones.

The 100 fathers were released from incarceration during the pandemic, so the food deliveries were of course "contactless." Their children got their hands on some Amazon gift cards codes, and gave them to their dads, no doubt leading to some hugs and huge smiles.

Tory is pretty passionate about the project ... he wrote an open letter to each of the fathers offering his support and empathy, because it's not every day you're released from prison straight into a pandemic and period of social and civil unrest.

TL wrote, in part ... "You're with your family. You deserve to enjoy today! I’m grateful to be a very small part of it. I know as a Black father raising Black children in this world, things aren’t easy."

Offset got showered with love on Father's Day by the 2 very important ladies in his life -- his wife, Cardi B, and their almost-2-year-old daughter.

The family trio hit up Tao restaurant in Hollywood Sunday night to celebrate dear old dad's special day, and the parents looked super flashy while Kulture went with downright adorable ... in a plaid dress with matching shoes.

The kid was also holding some sort of toy she seemed real happy about.

Though Offset was the man of the hour, it was Cardi who walked out at the end of the dinner with a huge bouquet of flowers ... but it looks like Kulture snagged one of those for herself too.

Ja Rule has made his services widely available to the general public -- the dude's offering up private party bookings now ... something his old foe, 50 Cent, finds awfully hilarious.

The rapper made an appearance this weekend at a private house party in New Jersey, where it looks like he was hired by a bunch of hotties to perform a few hit songs and hang out for a bit. One classic jam of his that he got around to playing ... "I'm Real," featuring J Lo.

Everyone was having a good ol' time, and Ja certainly had no shame in announcing that, yes, people CAN book him for gigs like this now. He's partnered up with ICONN, and there's an official way you can go about getting Ja to come to your shindig ... for a pretty penny.

Sounds neat, but of course ... there's always haters lurking in the back ready to pounce. In this case, Ja's nemesis, Fitty, came with a bag of jokes ready to fly at JR's expense.

He took to IG and wrote, "if you don’t want to end up doing private birthday parties for 15 people. 🤷🏽‍♂️stay out of my way, OK." Some folks credit 50 with stunting Ja's career -- at least that's how 50 sees it -- and he rides that narrative to no end ... constantly clowning the guy.

Jay-Z, Beyonce and the kids hopped aboard a private jet Friday for the Hamptons, but not before Bey released a new song -- "Black Parade" -- on Juneteenth.

Bey and Jay were decked out in face masks and super comfy sweatsuits. She's carrying Rumi Carter, and Jay's with Sir Carter. Blue Ivy was also front and center.

Beyonce's new song is an anthem to support black-owned businesses, and proceeds will benefit these small shops and companies. It was inspired by the brutal murder of George Floyd and is all about resilience and empowerment.

Bey said, "Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strentgh and power," adding, "BLACK PARADE celebrates you, your voice and your joy and will benefit Black-owned small businesses."

Post Malone is adding digital bartender and sommelier to his ever-growing resume ... because his new line of French wine is already a huge hit!!!

The "Better Now" rapper officially released his own French rosé, Maison No. 9, and it's already in high demand ... we're told Posty sold 50,000 bottles in 2 days during its pre-sale, wiping out the first round of inventory in a flash.

Post's fans sure are thirsty ... we're told Vivino, the sales platform hawking the booze, crashed on the first morning of the pre-sale because it couldn't handle the flood of orders.

The rosé is flying off the shelves at $21.99 a bottle ... it's named after Post's favorite tarot card (yes, he has one), the Nine of Swords. This is no cheapo novelty wine, either ... the drunk good folks at Wine.com rated it a 90 overall.

If you missed the pre-sale rush, chill. Post's rosé will be available online Monday in almost all states.

As if Post needs another reason to pop bottles. Cheers!!!

Travis Scott's new home looks more like a vacation destination, and one he paid all cash to get ... because that's just how the "Astronomical" rapper rolls.

Travis is the newest resident in Brentwood -- one of L.A.'s ritzier neighborhoods -- after dropping $23.5 million on the epic, 16,700-square-foot mansion ... which could double as the Getty Center museum, if needed.

Seriously, this pad is almost out of this world, with 7 bedrooms, 11 baths, 3 full floors of ultra-modern living space ... and it sits atop a hill with panoramic views over the city.

And, get this ... he got it for a bargain! The mansion was first offered last summer at nearly double the price -- $42 mil -- before undergoing 2 big price chops. That's when Scott swooped in and covered the entire purchase price in cash ... which is still one of the biggest in L.A.'s luxury real estate market.

Along with what you see, the property also boasts a 20-car "auto gallery" of a garage. Other highlights include a gym, bar, sauna, 15-seat theater, wine closet, massive pool and a lot more. Check out the gallery and you'll see ... this house is more like a resort.

Trav's new home's not far from LeBron James' either.

Of course, the rapper still has a $13.5 million mansion in L.A. -- which he co-owns with Kylie Jenner -- so that might be on the market soon. Or, who knows ... maybe he'll keep both.

Seems like he can afford it.

Drake should get more than 3 points for this shot, but it looks like he's playing solo ... so he wins no matter what. Also, he's playing from his 35,000 sq. ft mansion, so he'd already won.

The rapper was practicing cornhole trick shots Thursday night from long-distance -- about 50 feet away from the second-story window of his Toronto palace, and put one right in the hole after a few tries.

He was pretty pumped about it ... as was his lone spectator -- the guy recording the toss for the 'Gram.

Drake captioned his epic next-level shot, "Highlight of summer 2020 so far."

XXXTentacion's been gone for 2 years, but there's still fresh family drama brewing -- his half brother's suing XXX's mom, and accusing her of stealing.

Jodi Kavney, the mother of XXX's half brother, Corey Pack, claims XXX's mom, Cleopatra Bernard, concocted a plan to siphon off millions of dollars from her own son's trust -- money the late rapper set aside for Corey ... according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Jodi, who's suing on behalf of Corey, says in docs, XXX left behind assets in excess of $50 million ... including a trust that lists Corey as 1 of 3 beneficiaries. She claims the breakdown is supposed to be 50% to Cleopatra, 25% to XXX's brother, Aiden Kerr ... with Corey getting the remaining 25%.

But, in the lawsuit, Jodi claims Cleopatra cut a deal with XXX's baby mama which helped her cut Corey out of his portion of the estate. Jodi's now seeking to recover assets she claims were "improperly and surreptitiously transferred" by Cleopatra to herself.

Jodi's suing for $11 million in damages and may try to triple that amount ... if she can prove this was intentionally done. She also claims Corey's entitled to ownership rights to XXX's record label, Bad Vibe Entities.

Jodi's attorney, Natasha Shaikh, tells TMZ ... they originally sent a demand letter to Cleopatra seeking the $11M but says that fell on deaf ears ... so they filed the lawsuit to let the court decide. We reached out to Cleopatra for comment ... so far, no word back.

TMZ broke the story ... XXX was gunned down back in June 2018 while shopping for motorcycles at a South Florida dealer. Four suspects were arrested and indicted for the rapper's murder.

2 Chainz's got more drama over his ATL joint, and this time it's beef with the keepers of Pablo Escobar's name ... who are suing the rapper over the restaurant's name.

Pablo Escobar's family company, Escobar Inc., is suing 2 Chainz for at least $10 million ... claiming his Escobar Restaurant and Tapas -- there are 2 of 'em in Atlanta -- violates federal law with its unauthorized commercial use of the Escobar name and likeness.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the company's pissed 2 Chainz slapped the family name across his famous ATL restaurants, their websites and social media -- not to mention the clothing sold with the restaurant name.

The company says it owns the trademark to Escobar's likeness and 2 Chainz is using the name to generate traffic and sales. The company says, for example, 2 Chainz has Escobar's likeness painted inside one of his joints. They also point to the menu featuring "Escobar Crab Cakes."

Escobar Inc. wants the 8-figure damages, minimum, plus an injunction blocking use of the name and likeness at the restaurants.

As we've reported, 2 Chainz's ATL joints have had plenty of unrelated drama recently, stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Kids -- do NOT try this at home!!!

Lil Jon just took CRUNK to a whole 'nother level ... with the rap legend joining a pro Trophy Truck driver for the most INSANE joyride you'll ever see!!!

But, don't worry, everyone was wearing a helmet.

The "Turn Down For What" hype man joined 2020 Baja 1000 winner Alan Ampudia for a drive through the streets of Ensenada in Mexico ... and it's equally awesome and terrifying.

The duo -- with Jon in the passenger seat, obvi -- zoomed through the streets of the city, twisting and turning at every curve ... and even coming within inches of the edge of cliffs.

Ampudia even makes his own path and does some WILD jumps ... all while Lil Jon is trying to keep his cool (spoiler alert: he doesn't).

FYI -- Ampudia is one of the best drivers in the extremely dangerous industry ... he's a 2-time world champ, so Jon was in great company.

Once the boys made it to their destination safely, Lil Jon gave his Uber review -- saying, "That s**t was crazy. I got a different respect for y'all motherf***ers being in the car now. Y'all do this for a whole day!?"

One of Jay-Z and Beyonce's songs, "Black Effect," leans heavily on a Jamaican artist, who claims she was never given proper credit or compensation ... despite being the leading voice on the track.

Dr. L'Antoinette Stines says she's renowned in Jamaica for "her artistry and wisdom" -- and to that point, she says the Carters sought her ought in March 2018 to provide dancers for a video promoting their upcoming tour.

According to a lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, Dr. Stines claims she hooked 'em up with dancers, and then Jay and Bey wanted to record her views on love. She claims she was told the interview would be used in the video ... "for promotional purposes" only.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she says she was shocked when she heard "Black Effect" -- from The Carters' "Everything Is Love" album -- because the whole first minute of the track is just her voice.

Hearing herself on the song -- uncredited, mind you -- left Dr. Stines feeling "artistically raped" ... according to her lawsuit.

The doc claims a contract for her services was only thrust in front of her on the day of the shoot, and she alleges the Carters' reps told her not to worry ... after all, her interview would only be used for promotion.

So, she signed, but she's pissed she never got a chance to have it reviewed by her own lawyer -- and worst of all, claims she hasn't been paid a dime for her vocal work.

Dr. Stines is suing Jay and Bey for copyright infringement and violation of her right to publicity ... PLUS damages, of course. She also wants a writing credit, and everything that comes with that ... meaning, cash money.

Snoop Dogg led the way over the weekend -- back in the music biz after months of being sidelined -- shooting a music video at a famed, Sunset Strip burger joint.

Snoop took over Mel's Diner for the shoot, grabbing some food and drink in between takes. Classic cars lined the parking lot as shooting began.

Xzibit and Wiz Khalifa were also part of the shoot ... something we haven't seen here in Hollywood since mid-March.

John Legend was just down the road -- well, maybe 5 miles down the road -- shooing his own music vid in the Los Feliz part of L.A.

TV and film production is back in business, but there are precautions. Among them -- health check for all vendors and others who arrive on set, social distancing restrictions, and requirements for wearing masks.

When actors are shooting scenes, they won't have to wear masks, but otherwise, the mask requirements are pretty much unbending.

Kanye West is putting on his Yeezys and getting to work -- it looks like he's trying to expand his brand into the world of cosmetics and fragrances ... just like the women in his family.

According to new legal docs, Kanye's company recently filed for a "Yeezy" trademark to cover a plethora of beauty and skincare products. We're talking makeup, false eyelashes, facial masks, nail polish, moisturizers, bath gels, body oils, shaving cream, hair care products and perfumes, along with some hygienic products like toothpaste and deodorant ... and even scented pine cones and aromatherapy pillows.

If Kanye's successful, he'll be following in the footsteps of his wife Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty line and sister-in-law Kylie Jenner's massively popular Kylie Cosmetics ... which includes Khloe's Koko Kollection.

It should be noted ... Kanye's tried to go this route before. Back in 2017, he filed similar docs to lock up the rights to DONDA brand cosmetics -- named after his mother -- but it never really got going.

Jay-Z and his social justice team are going after the Charleston PD, claiming officers violated the constitutional rights of a peaceful protester by hauling him off in handcuffs.

Jay's Team, ROC, is outraged over the arrest of Givionne "Gee" Jordan Jr., who told police he loves and respects them during a May 31 peaceful protest. Givionne wasn't even in the faces of the cops while speaking to them ... he was a good 20-feet away.

Still, they arrested him for disobeying a lawful order, and although he was released on $465 bond ... Team ROC says Gee is still facing charges, and has an upcoming court date. That doesn't sit well with Jay-Z and co.

Right after the arrest, attorney Jordan Siev sent a letter to the Charleston PD calling it “unconstitutional,” and demanded discipline for the officers responsible and a dismissal of the charges ... but to no avail.

Instead, an attorney for the PD wrote back ... "The City is continuing to navigate through the unprecedented and violent attack by rioters on the City and its citizens on Saturday May 30, 2020, and continues to hold the safety and security of citizens and visitors as a top priority."

Team ROC calls that response "lackluster," and say it deflects from Jordan Jr.'s case and the request to dismiss it.

Dania Diaz, Director of Philanthropy, says ... "We are outraged by the Charleston police department’s reprehensible arrest of Givionne Jordan Jr. -- not to mention their dismissive response to our concerns about their conduct. Giovionne’s arrest was unlawful and the Charleston police clearly violated his Constitutional right to peacefully protest. We applaud Givionne and demand that his charges are immediately dismissed."