TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Tekashi 6ix9ine is feeling like Randy Newman ... he says he loves L.A. and didn't disrespect Nipsey Hussle when he visited a mural of the late rapper ... near where he was murdered.

We got Tekashi shopping on Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills Friday, where he was surrounded by his security team and flanked by tons of supporters, as well as haters shouting obscenities. You could sense the tension in the streets.

69 tells us everyone claiming he trolled Nipsey's 'hood by posing in front of the mural has it wrong ... he says he loves Nipsey, which is why he kneeled and paid respects.

Lots of folks are pissed at Tekashi's stop in Crenshaw because Nispey was famously killed by a snitch, but he says his love for Nip is like L.A.'s love for the Notorious B.I.G.

6ix9ine also shoots down rumors he was robbed while seeing the sights around town. It's his first time in L.A. since he ratted on his former gang members back in New York, and he's been met with a mix of anger and adulation everywhere he goes.

He's hoopin' with Kevin Durant, playing football with Odell Beckham -- and getting tackled by Marshawn Lynch!

It's all in Drake's new music video for "Laugh Now Cry Later" ... which he dropped at midnight on Friday.

The video starts off at Nike World Headquarters in Oregon -- featuring Drake pulling up in a sick Mercedes.

After that, it was off to the basketball gym for some 1-on-1 with KD. Then to the field for some route running with OBJ.

They even recreate Odell's famous 1-handed grab.

The funniest part of the whole thing is when Marshawn comes out of nowhere to lay a big hit on Drake -- and then says, "Get the f*ck off the block -- f*ck's wrong with you?!!"

And, then he was out!

There's more ... Drake golfs, swings the baseball bat, hits the treadmill -- and even recreates that famous Muhammad Ali underwater video from back in the day.

The song knocks too -- and will be featured on his upcoming album, "Certified Lover Boy."

Kanye West's team of petitioners working hard to get him on the presidential ballot in Montana got rewarded for their efforts ... with a trip on a private jet.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... as the filing deadline approached earlier this week, the group Kanye hired to get his petitions signed -- Let the Voters Decide -- utilized a private jet to make it happen in the nick of time.

We're told the group already had members on the ground in Montana racking up signatures, but due to the state's vast rural landscape ... they needed backup. Fire up the jet.

Our sources say Kanye simultaneously had petitioners working in Utah for next week's deadline there, but to get over the hump in Montana ... a small group was flown over to Big Sky Country to hit up the more populated areas.

Even better for Ye ... the plan worked. We're told the group ended up submitting about 9,000 signatures across multiple counties -- way more than the 5k required -- before Wednesday's deadline.

He's not across the finish line yet though. Candidates file petitions with county officials, who have 7 days to verify signatures before sending a final count to the Secretary of State's Office.

If Kanye still makes the 5,000-count requirement ... he'll be on the presidential ballot as an independent, and be eligible to receive Montana's 3 electoral votes. That's right -- lotta work for 3 votes.

As we've reported ... Kanye is facing opposition to get on the ballot in Wisconsin, and he's been booted from the ballot in his home state of Illinois. The issues in both states are over the validity of the signatures.

Jared Kushner says he talked with his good buddy Kanye West about lots of things during their infamous pow wow ... and he's not denying they discussed the 2020 Election.

President Trump's son-in-law and trusted aide spoke Thursday morning at the White House about his weekend summit with Kanye -- describing their face-to-face as a great discussion about a lot of things.

Jared was asked directly if they discussed the election at all, and ya gotta watch his response. He did not firmly stamp out the theory many people have expressed -- that Kanye's Presidential campaign is Trump-engineered purely to spoil Joe Biden's chances

Jared points out he's been pals with Kanye for about 10 years, and says Yeezy has great ideas for what he would like to see happen in the country, and admires a lot of President Trump's initiatives.

Remember, Kanye sat down with Trump, Kushner and Vice President Mike Pence back in 2018 inside the Oval Office.

And, don't forget Rudy Giuliani, another Trump crony, told us over the weekend he believes Kanye remains a secret Trump supporter -- implying they're all in on this together.

Kanye West met with President Trump's son-in-law and White House staffer, Jared Kushner, last week -- the strongest indication yet Trump's administration might be involved in his campaign.

Ye had a private face-to-face with Kushner, a Trump cabinet member, over the weekend in Colorado, where Kanye was vacationing with Kim and the kids following their Caribbean trip ... this according to the NYT.

They report Ivanka was traveling with Jared too, and that Ye flew to Telluride to touch base with them ... sans Kim. The details of the meeting are scant, but the Times says when they asked Ye about it ... he didn't deny chatting, only saying their discussion was about Black empowerment.

He also copped to the meeting publicly on Twitter, writing ... "I’m willing to do a live interview with the New York Time about my meeting with Jared where we discussed Dr Claude Anderson’s book Powernomics."

Of course, it's eyebrow-raising, at minimum, that a Trump aide -- his own family member, no less -- is meeting with Ye at a time of heightened scrutiny around his campaign ... which many people believe is simply a Trump-engineered spoiler attempt to ruin Joe Biden's chances.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is in a cast after breaking his wrist in a bizarre accident at home.

Tekashi tells TMZ ... he went downstairs to grab a bite around 3 AM Tuesday when he tripped over his 1-year-old French bulldog, Poppy, and injured himself as he tried to break his fall.

6ix9ine says his hand got caught in the stairway banister and he broke a bone in the back of his wrist. He tells us he felt pain, but didn't know his wrist was broken until later in the morning when he woke up and it was still hurting.

69 says he went to the doctor and X-rays revealed the fracture. Tekashi posted video of his arm and wrist getting wrapped, and he tells us he will spend the next 3 to 5 weeks in a cast.

Kanye West is reminiscing about the good 'ol days -- when he was tight with Jay-Z and Kris Jenner -- and, for now, he's making moves to make nice.

Ye started putting his feelings out there late Monday night when he tweeted a seemingly heartfelt message about Hova -- "Miss my bro ... real talk." Kanye attached a screengrab of rap's former dynamic duo performing "Otis" at the 2011 VMAs.

He was still feeling those bridge-building good vibes Tuesday morning when he said, "My mother in law Kris Jenner ... makes the best music playlist."

As you know from Ye's Twitter rants over the last few weeks, he's taken direct shots at Kris ... such as referring to her as "Kris Jong-Un" and accusing her of peddling Kim's sex tape.

As we reported ... Kanye said last month he wants Jay-Z as his running mate ... even though he'd already picked Wyoming preacher Michelle Tidball as his running mate. No need to worry, if Jay accepts the VP invite -- highly doubtful, though -- Kanye says Tidball told him she'd be down to take another position in his cabinet.

Unclear what's triggered peaceful Ye, but his recent family time with Kim and their 4 kids might be a good indicator. The fam took off from the Dominican Republic over the weekend to go glamping.

The guy accused of shooting at Lil Wayne's bus in 2015 has copped a pretty sweet plea deal ... but we're told he's not getting out of jail just yet.

Jimmy Winfrey has pled guilty to 2 counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act ... this according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ. As part of the deal, prosecutors have dropped a slew of other charges -- 4 counts of violation of the RICO Act, 6 other counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, 12 counts of aggravated assault, 2 counts of criminal damage to property in the first degree and 1 count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

He was sentenced to 7 years in prison ... a much lighter sentence than what he got in 2015, when the judge threw the book at him with a 20-year sentence. The Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 2018 and so the case went back to square 1.

And, get this ... Winfrey got credit for time served and set to be released, but Winfrey's lawyer, Steve Sadow, tells TMZ ... the reason his client hasn't been released involves an unrelated outstanding warrants case. Sadow wants to be clear ... Winfrey entered a special kind of guilty plea where his client maintains his innocence, despite pleading guilty.

As part of the sentence, he's also gotta pay $100k in restitution to Alvin Lewis, the bus driver.

TMZ broke the story ... Alvin accused Birdman and Young Thug of striking secret deals with prosecutors in the case. Alvin had said he found it unusual Cobb County prosecutors described Birdman and YT as co-conspirators in the alleged shooter's indictment but did NOT bring charges against them.

Alvin made no bones about it ... he claimed there was overwhelming evidence of complicity among Winfrey, Birdman and Young Thug ... evidence that includes phone records, recorded confessions, and promises of payment.

Sources close to Birdman had told us the rapper denied any involvement in the case. Young Thug has never commented publicly on the incident.

Kanye West is firing back at the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and now officially beefing with it ... accusing the Dems of spying on his presidential campaign.

Kanye's responding to a complaint in the Badger State asking officials to block Ye from the ballot due to allegedly submitting fake signatures and failing to get signatures in on time -- and make no mistake, he believes the WI Democratic Party is behind it.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kanye claims the Dems hired a private investigator to track his signature-gathering street team ... as part of an "organized effort of harassment and intimidation" against his candidacy.

He also says the Dems spies merely wasted their time because they turned up nothing nefarious.

As we reported ... Kanye filed signatures and paperwork last week to get his name on the ballot for Prez in Wisconsin. He needed 2,000 signatures from registered voters in the state to get on the ballot, and his third-party petitioning group, Let The Voters Decide, helped him obtain the signatures.

Ye claims the complaint filed on Friday seeking to prevent him from getting on the ballot was submitted by a man who is widely reported to be a front for the Democratic Party. The complaint suggests Kanye's campaign submitted bogus signatures and includes affidavits from people who claim they were tricked into signing their names on Yeezy's paperwork.

So, what's next? We're told the state's Elections Commission will review the legal papers and make a recommendation -- about Kanye's slot on the ballot -- to a bipartisan panel of 3 Dems and 3 Republicans.

Rudy Giuliani believes Kanye West secretly wants Donald Trump reelected, and the former NYC Mayor seems to be saying Ye could spoil Joe Biden's chances.

We got the President's personal attorney Sunday in NYC and asked whether he thought Kanye's campaign could shake up the election. Rudy's hesitant to weigh in on Ye's bonafides ... but he does say Mr. West is still a fan of 45.

Rudy goes way further ... insinuating Kanye could be a surrogate for Trump to get the black vote. RG says Kanye is expressing the dissatisfaction African Americans feel about the way they've been treated and ignored for decades, specifically by Democrats.

Kanye has made it clear -- at least publicly -- he's not a spoiler ... that he's in it to win it. Nevertheless, in a close state, Kanye could become a deciding factor if he maintains 2% of the vote or higher.

Remember ... there are multiple reports Republican operatives are working to get Ye on the ballot in various states, including the swing state of Wisconsin.

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their brood have left the Dominican Republic and just touched down in Miami ... and we're told this isn't the end of their make-or-break vacay.

They sure look like they're enjoying their time away ... at least on the surface. They spent a week in a fortress-like estate on a Dominican beach, as Kim and Kanye hashed out problems in their marriage.

We're told they're now heading west ... where the family will go glamping.

As we reported, their marriage is on the rocks, and this is the last hurrah to try and repair it.  Both Kim and Kanye clearly love their kids, so it's hard to look at this pic and figure out how much of it is for the benefit of the kids and how much is this about their relationship.

We told you Saturday there would be a big bash in Bev Hills, and it went down as advertised.

The house was packed with partygoers, including former UFC champ Chuck Liddell, Tyga, Logan Paul and Nyjah Huston.

The person who shot the videos says alcohol was flowing and weed was plentiful as people partied until 4 AM.

The party was indoors and out by the pool. There were even VIP rooms set up.

And, yes ... the masks were few and far between, and forget social distancing.

As we reported, there are efforts underway to skirt L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti's threat to shut off water and power in homes that host these parties. This party was blocks from the L.A. border, but since it was in Bev Hills it was outside the Mayor's domain.

Now entering the game for the (insert NBA team name here) ... J. Cole?!?

NBA player Larry Sanders says HELL YEAH ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believes the rapper has a real chance at making his pro ball dreams come true.

Of course, the idea took off when 35-year-old Cole -- who grew up loving and playing basketball -- starred in a Puma commercial hinting at trying to get a shot at the Association.

Master P told us Cole is dead serious about making it happen ... and even the Detroit Pistons told the "Lion King On Ice" MC to hit 'em up for a tryout.

We spoke with Sanders -- who's played in 6 NBA seasons -- and asked if Cole's got a realistic chance ... and his answer may surprise you.

"I do, for real. I've seen him hoop before in some games and I knew he took the game seriously when he was younger."

"He always raps about it, so that's dope. I'm excited to see that."

Sanders knows exactly what the process will be like, but in reverse -- the 31-year-old has made waves in the music industry off the court ... and even produced a song for PARTYNEXTDOOR.

"It's gonna be just like the music game. Me doing music, everybody laughed at me, everybody went at my head and challenged me ... and I had to go prove myself."

Sanders -- who recently told us he's working on making it back to the league as well -- says he loves the idea of joining forces with Cole on a team next year ... which could end up in some music collabs!!

Cardi B's giving a lot of love to one of the famous female faces that appeared in her new music video -- giving fans a sneak peak at Normani's viral dance moves.

CB posted a video Saturday that showed behind-the-scenes footage of how the video for her new single 'WAP' was shot -- especially the dance solos featured by several different women ... including Fifth Harmony's Normani, who had the internet ablaze with her sexy number.

Turns out, the whole thing was shot on a green screen with the main song playing in the background. It's funny though ... Cardi was singing the lyrics to Normani's own song, "Motivation," over the 'WAP' beat -- giving her a little extra juice/hype for the performance.

Normani also posted incredible photo stills from the shoot -- and naturally, her fans (and her contemporaries) loved it. Her cameo was definitely one of the more notable standouts, according to Twitter anyway. Other appearances weren't as well-received, unfortunately.

As we reported ... the whole idea behind 'WAP' was women empowerment -- that's why Cardi and Meg had cameos from a bunch of different famous ladies across the entertainment industry, in an attempt to show solidarity.

Kanye West wants you to donate to his campaign so he can become the 46th POTUS, and he's making the pitch by laying out his positions on various issues, and one thing's clear ... he's playing to both Democrats and Republicans.

Ye, who calls his platform, "Creating a Culture of Life," is seeking contributions ranging from $20 to a grand. As for his positions, the first is revealing ... "Restore faith and revive our Constitutional commitment to freedom of religion and the free exercise of one's faith, demonstrated by restoring prayer in the classroom including spiritual foundations."

That seems to be a cornerstone of his campaign ... freedom of religion, which for him includes a hard-line, antiabortion stance. This position clearly targets Republican voters.

But, then he pivots to the Dems, promising to reduce household debt and student loan debt. He also wants to restructure the educational system, by opening it up to "at-risk and vulnerable populations."

He takes a stand on policing, promoting policies that "treat all Americans the same, regardless of race, color, or ethnicity." And, he promises to protect the environment by promoting clean air and water as well as renewables.

And, then he pivots back to Republican voters, promising to "place Americans' best interest first and foremost." He also vows to "Maintain a strong national defense."

Kanye says he's not a spoiler ... he's in it to win it. This turn shows he's trying to win votes by traversing party lines.