TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Forget a hot girl summer for R&B star Ari Lennox, 'cause she's all boo'd up.

The First Lady of J. Cole's Dreamville Records hit Instagram Thursday to reveal she's been chilling heavy with Keith Manley II of "Married at First Sight" fame.

Both appear to be in San Diego for a wedding with Ari sharing pics of the pair together and Keith giving it a more subtle touch with a pic of their hands bound in a loving grasp.

Keith appeared on the 9th season of 'MAFS,' and enthused audiences with the ups and downs of his marriage to Iris Caldwell ... but obviously, they're not a thing anymore.

In an interview with Essence last year, Ari revealed how she had trouble landing a man because they were scared of her dog: a large male Akita.

The music industry is a prehistoric artist trap that needs to end … so thinks Russ, arguably one of the most entrepreneurial-minded rappers the game has ever seen.

We caught up with the digital disruptor fresh off the heels of releasing his mini-movie "Handsomer (Remix)," which co-stars Snoop Dogg and Tiffany Haddish.

In March, Russ and his business partner Bugus launched their label DIEMON a.k.a. "Do It Everyday Music or Nothing" — an offshoot from a traditional record deal as their artists won't be held to crazy overheads and will be encouraged to have more authentic relationships with fans.

Russ called out labels for overcharging artists for services and even went as far as to say "digital marketing" — one of the most buzz-worthy terms in music — was all a sham.

According to his experiences, artists only sign to labels for the convenience of not wanting to handle their business affairs but Russ feels the DIY mantra can still be applied even without the giant corporation eating into your record and ticket sales.

Here's what's even more interesting … Russ openly admits his label deal wasn't a bad one, especially compared to some of the other contracts out there.

He owned his masters and didn't fall into the red with his finances.

But, he rather use his own money for a $300,000 video than have a label use his money for a $300,000 video — and then charge interest.

The late great Phife Dawg famously quipped he liked his girls "brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian" ... and while Joe Budden's observation of NYC strip clubs doesn't see it that way, Waka Flocka Flame disagrees with Joe.

JB compared the personal crusade to a declaration of war ... because someone has to do it, right?

The rapper-turned-podcast host went outta his way Thursday to call out shuttered NYC strip club Cheetahs Gentlemen's Club & Restaurant for exclusively employing fair-skinned Hispanic women.

Joe says, "NY strip clubs, not only are you not hiring Black women, but you're purposely hiring the SAME exact girl." Your promoter having a type is gonna lose y'all money this Summer.. this is disgusting (not the girls, the optics)."

Waka Flocka not only disagrees, but calls Joe "soft" for the commentary. WF hails from Atlanta -- the reigning mecca of pole dancers -- so naturally, he wasn't going to sit for disrespect to the industry.

"Hot Boy" rapper Bobby Shmurda was ice-cold to a Tampa Bay Lightning supporter during the New York Rangers game on Wednesday -- trollin' the fan by waving an NYR towel right in his face!

The hilarious moment happened during Shmurda's epic night at Madison Square Garden -- when the Brooklyn rapper was in the stands cheering his face off for the Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Video shows Shmurda was gettin' his dance on ... and then he turned to a TB fan sittin' right behind him, and waved a "No Quit in New York" Rangers' towel in the guy's grill.

To his credit, the fan took the trollin' in stride -- responding with nothing more than a thumbs down.

Bobby had a hell of a night during the game in between going crazy for big plays -- taking a bunch of photos with fans both inside and outside of the venue.

TMZ Sports has learned this was Bobby's first-ever hockey game ... and he attended it after getting invited by Icy Ventures -- a talent management company (founded by Josh Stone and his brother Troy Stone as well as NHL agent John Osei-Tutu) whose focus is to bring hip-hop culture to the sport.

"Bobby’s energy could not be contained," Troy told us of Shmurda's night. "Fans were shocked to see such a high-profile rap artist in the building for a Ranger game."

"Bobby was so excited he started taunting the opposing team’s fans, which lead to a viral moment which the NHL has desperately needed."

Troy added, "The experience for Bobby couldn’t have gone better as he saw the Rangers win and got to witness a real NHL fight.”

Bobby Shmurda's seeing a clear pattern in where America's mass shooters choose to wreak havoc -- and he says it's time the government realizes it too and put the proper, armed, protection in place.

We caught up with Bobby and "Million Dollaz Worth Of Game" podcast co-host Wallo267 in NYC ... and they both called out active shooters for cowardly targeting schools and hospitals.

Bobby breaks it down -- as only he can -- and sees at least one solution being better-armed security, because ... well, we're all paying high enough taxes for it.

A gunman opened fire inside a Tulsa hospital Wednesday, killing 4 people and then himself. That tragedy comes as the nation is still reeling from the Uvalde mass shooter who killed 19 children last week.

In the video, Bobby passionately explains where these mass shooters never seem to go, and adds ... it's because they know it wouldn't end well for them.

Desiigner had a not-so-friendly exchange with cops after getting pulled over ... leading to a shouting match while things got sorted out.

The whole thing went down Wednesday in L.A. after law enforcement sources tell us the "Panda" rapper was pulled over for driving without license plates and tinted windows. We're told Desiigner got out of his car and approached the motor cop who pulled him over.

Video from the encounter is intense -- the officer has his pepper spray pulled, which sets Desiigner off -- letting the cop know he doesn't pose a threat, and there's no reason for force to be used. He also calls the officer a "racist bitch."

The verbal back-and-forth continues -- and it sounds like the officer claims he can take the vehicle -- but Desiigner isn't phased, shouting, "I got money all f**king day."

Desiigner then notices a bystander filming the interaction, asking the guy, "You know who I am right? Desiigner. Panda." Seemingly making a further point to the officers that he's a big deal and shouldn't be messed with.

Baltimore rapper Young Moose is $300,000 richer now that the city of Baltimore's reached a settlement with him over a dirty cop who was caught planting crack on him back in 2012.

Young Moose joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday in hopes his situation would help uncover other potentially corrupt police officers, and their victims, in the Baltimore area. He filed a lawsuit last March against the city and several Baltimore cops ... most notably, Daniel Hersl.

The saga surrounding Hersel, formerly a member of the city's Gun Trace Task Force, is at the center of the HBO series "We Own This City" ... and actor Josh Charles plays the crooked cop.

YM was also featured in the series, playing himself, but says that role almost went to someone else. He says since his acquittal and settlement, his DMs have been flooded with folks looking for legal advice, or even a hook-up with his attorney.

Although he admits harboring anger at Hersl, Young Moose says he's found ways to channel his emotions, such as rapping!

His latest album "My Life Story" chronicles much of his journey up to this point and features Boosie Badazz on several tracks.

Going forward, Moose plans to continue to build awareness for his career as well as other citizens who've been wronged by the justice system.

Celina Powell, the infamous rap fan -- and alleged dater of some rappers -- is going from social media sensation to prison inmate ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the 17th Judicial DA's Office tells TMZ ... the 26-year-old was sentenced to 2 years in a Colorado State Prison for violating probation from a 2015 conviction for driving a getaway car in a theft ring.

Cops say she failed to comply with the terms of her probation in that case by, among other things, missing multiple drug and alcohol tests. Powell was eventually arrested on May 1 after missing a court date.

She'll be eligible for parole in December.

Celina claimed to have links to Snoop Dogg and Offset and appeared on the popular hip hop podcast "No Jumper" several times.

Her last podcast appearance was in April, when she stated Young Thug was her "favorite" alleged hookup.

A$AP Rocky's newfound joys of fatherhood might be hitting a few bumps in the road, courtesy of some stewing beef ... cooked by one of his own A$AP Mob teammates.

On Wednesday, A$AP Bari all but confirmed his string of sneak Instagram disses these past few days weren't inside jokes because he called Rocky's next album trash before it's even finished.

In a new interview with Dazed magazine, Rocky debunked the long-rumored "All Smiles" title but did promise an "industrial, subversive and polished" sound for the album.

A day prior, Bari called Rocky "burnt out" on one of Rocky's IG posts, fueling speculation there's some serious friction between them.

Although no A$AP Mobbers have publicly addressed any conflict, Bari's bone to pick could stem from Rocky's recent "Drink Champs" interview where he casually referred to Bari as a "Lil n****" while reliving a Jay-Z tale back in the day.

Jay-Z apparently wasn't feeling the "Goldie" lyrics comparing his Ace of Spades champagne to "racist" champagne and had a word with the crew.

As a co-founding member, Bari is one of the few members of A$AP Mob who doesn't rap, opting to focus on fashion as CEO of streetwear clothing label VLONE.

Master P's family is grieving the loss of his daughter, Tytyana Miller, and cops are working to determine exactly how she died, with initial evidence suggesting it was an overdose.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... drug paraphernalia was found at the scene of Tytyana's death, indicating it might have killed her ... but there were no substances present on the scene.

We're told the autopsy has been completed, but toxicology results will take several weeks.

As we've reported with other cases, fentanyl has been a silent killer in many OD deaths. Our law enforcement sources tell us there's no evidence right now it's connected to Tytyana's death -- but if it shows up in toxicology, we're told LAPD investigators will go into overdrive to find out who supplied the drugs.

As we reported, Master P made the devastating announcement he'd lost Tytyana over the holiday weekend. While he and his family are mourning, Master P tells TMZ ... "The only way that we are going to heal and grow from this is with the truth. It has been a long and painful journey for our family, my daughter has been battling with this since 2015. Mental illness and substance abuse is a real issue and we hope to turn this tragedy into a testimony."

He adds, "As a father, I have always established parameters to protect my children. Unfortunately, when they become adults, they have the legal right to choose who to have relationships with whether healthy or unhealthy."

Tytyana's brother, Romeo Miller, also posted a heartfelt message about his sister, saying, "We appreciate all of the prayers, love, and support, and although this is sad times, I'm forever grateful for the memories I did have with my amazing sister."

Amazingly, even as he grieves, Master P is thinking about other families in the same situation -- "I put my faith and trust in God, I realize that no person is exempt from pain or death. Every day families are dealing with the loss of their loved ones due to mental illness and substance abuse. I have committed to invest my time, resources and passion to help other families affected by these same issues. Our healing process will not end in grief, we will celebrate my daughter's life. Tytyana was inspiring, uplifting, artistic and a loving person who deeply cared for others."

Lil Xan pulled a fast one Tuesday by pulling out of his own headlining 'Born Dead Tour,' leaving fans, and even his touring partners, in limbo!!!

We caught up with Dropout Kings frontman Adam Ramey, who says he and his band of rap-rockers were totally not feeling Lil Xan's abrupt exit … as they are currently stranded in Florida with no shows to play in the meantime, and they're several thousand dollars in the hole.

The tour was supposed to run through the end of July in the U.S. and Europe, but as of now, American fans are left SOL with the European leg still on and popping.

Adam says he and the group felt good about Xan's inclusion on the tour, speaking with him a couple of weeks ago. However, Xan and Dropout Kings were supposed to kick off things at last weekend's So What? Festival, which Xan also skipped without warning -- and Adam says that's when he knew the storm was coming.

Xan recently appeared on Steve-O's 'Wild Ride!' podcast bragging about the tour essentially selling out … a tidbit Adam says is El Capitan.

The "Betrayed" rapper also claims promoters weren't accommodating his demands but as Adam points out, headlining acts typically don't look to the openers for assistance.

Waka Flocka is ringing in his 36th birthday today in scholarly style ... receiving an honorary professor degree in Humanitarianism and Philanthropy from the Bible Institute of America.

The crunk rap legend was celebrated alongside civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson at Rainbow Push Headquarters in Chicago.

His teacher Apostle Bridget C. Outlaw admitted she loved Waka's mind more than his music, but the multifaceted rap star has dedicated his life and brand to mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

In 2013, his younger brother, rapper Kayo Redd, died by suicide and WF has been on a mission to spread positivity ever since -- donating to various charities and even posing naked for PETA to support vegan lifestyles.

Dr. Flocka is now a well-decorated student of the game. In October 2020, he received an honorary doctorate degree in philanthropy and humanitarianism in New York.

Nicki Minaj is going up ... as a Global Ambassador -- yes, that's the actual title for the superstar rapper's new gig with MaximBet, the sports betting platform of Maxim.

The Queen Barb announced her new duties Tuesday ... saying the position includes investing, advising and overall, making sports betting lit within the culture. Maxim's also renowned for its huge celeb events for the Super Bowl and Halloween -- which Nicki also made sure to point out with much enthusiasm.

Maxim also cites Nicki's "disruption" of the typically male-dominated hip hop industry as a reason for nabbing the gig.

With over 191 million followers on Instagram -- making her the most followed rapper -- another 25 mill on Twitter and more than 100 million records sold, hiring Nicki for her star power + influence feels like a no-brainer!

The MaximBet gig will also help launch Nicki's upcoming fifth album (coded "NM5") and next tour.

Nicki's MaximBet come-up mirrors Cardi B's latest bag as Playboy's Creative Director -- who was named to that role in December.

The superstars are lining up to work with Kanye West -- TMZ Sports has learned Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is the first pro athlete to ever sign with Donda Sports.

As we previously reported, future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald became one of the first big names to go public with his decision to partner with Ye for off-field ventures ... saying it was a "no-brainer" to join forces.

But as it turns out, Brown was way ahead of AD ... becoming the first athlete to ever sign with Donda, we're told.

Sources tell us Ye and Brown have been tight for a while now, but things were made official after West attended the Warriors vs. Celtics game in March.

The signs were there -- the two posed together postgame ... and in fact, Brown was spotted wearing a Donda Sports hoodie while hanging with A$AP Ferg afterwards.

So, why 25-year-old Brown?? We're told Donda eyed the Eastern Conference champ because of his intelligence, social activism and charitable work ... as well as his success on the court.

On top of that, the deal was especially important to Ye because Jaylen is a God-fearing man ... and his mother emphasized the importance of education at a young age, just like Donda.

We're told Ye thinks Brown is underappreciated ... and wants to bring him to "superhero" status during his career and long after his playing days.

Cardi B is living it up during her south-of-the-border vacay with Offset, hitting the streets together and even picking up some accessories along the way!!!

Cardi B and Offset took a stroll in Cabo Saturday ... and on the way to their yacht, some young salespeople showed off their finest merch, and Offset couldn't resist.

We're told the rapper bought a few bracelets from the kids ... the little ones look pretty happy they made a sale, running off with some big smiles. Cardi and Offset left land behind for drinks on their yacht after the big purchase.

Their Mexico vacation kicked off last week, and the mother of 2 got a beachside view of quite the show Saturday -- a yacht sinking faster than the Titanic!

Of course, Cardi chronicled everything on video and posted it ... she gives a hilarious play-by-play -- "What the f***?!? It's sinking!!! Y'all see this?!?"

Lil Uzi Vert's got his buddy Jack Harlow's back ...  saying the people trashing the rapper are out of their minds.

We got Lil Uzi outside of Catch in WeHo Sunday, and he jumped into the TMZ Celebrity Tour bus to snap some pics with his fans! He's clear ... the hate for Jack is ridiculous -- he says Jack's a great rapper, and doesn't understand where the haters are coming from.

Jack's success possibly coming from the color of his skin has been a hot topic for a while, but Lil Uzi doesn't think race has anything to do with it ... reminding everyone, "He's signed to black people!"

Of course, not everyone sees it the way Uzi does ... we got fellow rapper David Banner a few months back, and he told us being white is an advantage in all aspects of life, all around the world and hip hop is no different.