TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West just got schooled on what a 5:00 PM deadline means in Wisconsin -- in one judge's view ... which, for now, is keeping Ye off the ballot there, and it's all over 14 seconds.

A circuit court magistrate ruled this week that Kanye was, in fact, too late by submitting his nomination docs last month to get his name on the ballot come November ... even though his team got it in 14 seconds after 5 o'clock, which they felt was still inside the window.

Not the case, so says Judge John Zakowski. Hizzoner writes, "The court believes at the time a grandfather clock rings out five times is the moment it is 5 p.m. Any time after that is precisely that: after 5 p.m." Oof, tough crowd. But wait, there's more to his rationale.

Judge Zakowski goes on to explain ... "The court used the analogy of midnight. There is significant difference between 11:59:59 p.m. and one second after midnight. The passage of a second after midnight confers an entirely new day." Hmmm, we suppose he has a point.

In other words, a late registration from Kanye ... quite literally. And thus, he isn't eligible to rock the vote on November 3rd. That said, Ye could take one last shot in this legal fight.

There's the option of appealing to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and if Kanye and co. do that ... they might actually have a more favorable ruling. Fact is, a majority of those justices lean conservative -- and they could interpret the deadline rules a little differently.

Considering Wisconsin is a big swing state in this election ... he might wanna consider it. Not only that, but Dems there are already trying to rally the base with some cool celeb appearances -- namely, a 'Parks & Rec' Q&A session this month with a bulk of the cast. The goal is getting Wisconsin folks to vote.

50 Cent's show "For Life," he's an executive producer, is shutting down production after issues with coronavirus testing on set ... TMZ has learned.

Reps for Sony Pictures, the studio behind the show, tell TMZ ... production paused Friday as a result of "some inconsistent test results, and out of an abundance of caution."

It's unclear if there are a number of positive results or false positives among the cast and crew, but the inconsistency was enough for execs to pull the plug for now.

"For Life" was shooting in Queens, NY. Our sources say 50 Cent has not been on set, though.

As you know ... productions across the country are slowly returning -- for movies, TV shows and advertisements -- with precautions and COVID-19 testing in place.

Obviously, there are still risks and potential hiccups in the systems.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka had a Grammy-nominated cheerleader pulling for her at the US Open on Thursday -- her rapper boyfriend, Cordae!!

As we previously reported, the young power couple has been dating since early 2019 ... and are still still going strong during the pandemic.

While regular folks aren't allowed to be in attendance for the Open, 23-year-old Cordae was given the green light as Naomi's guest ... so he was able to be a supportive BF for her semifinal match against Jennifer Brady.

Cordae wasn't just a wallflower, either ... the "Gifted" MC was seen pumping his fist and getting as passionate as you can for a tennis match.

Not like 22-year-old Naomi needed any luck -- she's the 9th-ranked player in the world -- but Cordae's presence didn't hurt ... as she beat Brady 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 to reach Saturday's final against Victoria Azarenka.

Osaka's been on a tear recently ... and sending a powerful message in the process by honoring victims of violence and police brutality like Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor on her masks.

As for Cordae ... you'll recall the dude used to have 3 letters before his name. But, for those late to the game, the YBN collective is no more.

Tory Lanez allegedly opened fire on Megan Thee Stallion because he was wasted -- that's what he claimed in a text sent to her shortly after the bloody incident ... as she was still in a hospital bed.

TMZ has seen the text Megan got on the evening of July 12 ... roughly 15 hours after she claims Tory shot her in her feet, and in it, he's begging for forgiveness. He wrote, "I know u prolly never gone talk to me again, but I genuinely want u to know I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart."

His only explanation for the violence ... "I was just too drunk."

In the text, Tory never references "shooting" or a gun, but it is clear he did something he regrets. In his words, "None the less s**t should have never happened and I can't change what did. I just feel horrible."

And, he repeats ... "Cuz I genuinely just got too drunk."

TMZ broke the story ... Tory, Megan and another friend had been party hopping in the Hollywood Hills early on July 12. Police responded to reports of shots fired from or around an SUV.

When they pulled over Tory's chauffeur-driven ride ... they directed everyone inside to slowly exit the vehicle -- and it was obvious Megan was bleeding from her feet as she gingerly walked backward from the vehicle.

Tory was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon ... a handgun cops say they found under the front passenger seat where he'd been sitting.

Since then Megan has publicly called out Tory ... alleging he is the one who pulled the trigger and shot her in her feet, and she even posted some gruesome pics of her injuries.

Tory has not been arrested or charged for the shooting, but as we first reported, the L.A. County D.A. is considering charging him with felony assault with a firearm.

Drake just hit another milestone of parenthood by sending his son to his first day of school, and it looks like papa made sure his own flesh and blood was fresh and ready for it.

Drizzy posted a photo Wednesday of 2-year-old Adonis about to hop into a waiting SUV, which was going to take him to class. You can tell his pops was pretty proud of the moment, as he captioned the pic ... "First Day Of School...The World Is Yours kid 🌍"

As for Adonis, he's laced up from head to toe ... rocking freshly braided cornrows, a black hoodie, matching pants and what might be some black Air Force 1s (don't quote us on that). Point is ... AG is ready to take preschool by the reins decked out in a sweet fit.

Here's another interesting aspect -- it looks like Adonis might be with dad over here in North America, possibly in Toronto.

In any case, Drake's son got mad love on the Gram ... most notably from 21 Savage, who said Adonis was on his way to being a great. He commented, "Already got a chauffeur 🐐."

Travis Scott's latest food delivery can be summed up with one simple phrase -- he's lovin' it.

The rapper's still riding a McDonald's high after the launch of his very own meal at the fast-food chain, making him the first celeb to have one of those since a guy named Michael Jordan back in 1992.

Travis had bags of the grub and sodas delivered to his West Hollywood office Tuesday, and ya gotta think there's more than one Travis Scott Meal in there ... a $6 deal that comes with a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon, lettuce, pickles, ketchup and mustard, medium fries with BBQ sauce and a Sprite.

Scott was also sporting his own Cactus Jack-themed Mickey D's shirt as he hopped in his red, $3 million LaFerrari sports car and took off.

As we reported ... the rapper got mobbed by fans at a McDonald's in Downey, CA Tuesday when he showed up to show them some love for waiting in line to try his new meal.

Beyonce and Jay-Z are sailing the high seas of Europe right now -- aboard one of those baller mega yachts, and this one might be more gorgeous on the inside than out.

Paps recently snapped shots of B&J stepping off their luxury vacay vessel with a couple of their kids in tow in Croatia. Aside from the spectacle of seeing the Carters anywhere in the world, their floating home away from home is also turning heads.

Their ride is called LANA, which is exclusively for charter with Imperial Yachts. This one's brand, spanking new in their line of mega ships, and it's top of the line as far as luxury is concerned. Take a look for yourself.

LANA is longer than a football field, and it's jam-packed with amenities, accessories and plenty of room to spread out and relax. It fits up to 12 guests -- not counting the 34 crew members it also accommodates -- in 8 en-suite staterooms, 7 VIP rooms and a master suite.

There's more ... the superyacht comes with its own pool on the deck, a theater, a spa with professional masseuses, foldable terraces ... plus, a crap ton of "toys," including a jet ski, wakeboards, SEABOBs, water skies, inflatable paddleboards, fishing equipment, etc.

We could go on, but honestly ... we're already blushing, and we haven't even mentioned the price -- about $2 mil a week. Even for Beyonce and Jay-Z ... damn.

Dr. Dre's estranged wife is pulling no punches when it comes to their divorce case ... essentially calling him a spoiled brat who needs to stop acting like he's above the law.

Nicole Young filed new legal docs in their divorce, and is asking the court to make the mogul sit for a deposition -- she wants her lawyers to grill Dre for 8 hours about the validity of their prenup and another 13 hours to dig into financial issues ... this according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

In docs, Nicole says Dre's already skipped a couple of previously scheduled depositions. She claims the explanation's simple -- "his entire career and public persona are based on defiance of authority, violence and refusal to comply with the law." Nicole claims Dre thinks the rules don't apply to him because with an estimated net worth of $1 billion ... Dre "has grown accustom to doing whatever he likes, whenever he so chooses."

Nicole also claims Dre's credibility is a crucial part of the case ... and because they're beefing over the validity of the prenup, it's incredibly important to have him sit for an in-person deposition instead of holding one over Zoom. Nicole doesn't think Dre's particularly at-risk for COVID-19 and insists he's more than capable of doing it in person with appropriate safeguards in place.

Nicole also wants the court to fine him $50k for not playing by the rules in their divorce case.

Travis Scott made a McDonald's look like one of his concerts ... he got mobbed by a huge throng of fans waiting in line to get his new fast food combo meal.

The rapper stopped by a Mickey D's in Downey, CA Tuesday to celebrate the release of the Travis Scott Meal, and ya gotta see the video -- people went absolutely bonkers.

Travis left his red sports car and grabbed a McDonald's employee's shirt on his way over to the huge line of people, but folks broke past the barricades and swarmed ... sending TS running for cover.

In a split second, social distancing and mask-wearing went out the window ... and all Travis did was show up and show love.

Maybe Cactus Jack's combo meal can calm these folks down ... it comes with a Quarter Pounder with cheese topped with bacon and lettuce, plus medium fries with barbecue dipping sauce and a Sprite.

BTW ... Travis is the first celeb to get his name on a McDonald's meal since Michael Jordan and the McJordan burger way back in 1992 ... no wonder fans are making such a big fuss.

Kanye West is trying to meet with his political rivals ... Ye says he was denied a meeting with Bernie Sanders, and wants the opportunity to chat with Joe Biden.

Yeezy recently sat down with Nick Cannon for a segment on Nick's podcast, "Cannon's Class," and they started talking politics, and how Ye caught a ton of flak for meeting with Jared Kushner.

Kanye says the sit down with President Trump's son-in-law and trusted aid "ain't no secret meeting" ... and says he wanted a similar meeting with Bernie, but the former presidential candidate wouldn't grant one.

Now that Biden is the democratic nominee for prez, Kanye says he wants a power meeting with Joe and is willing to meet with any politician, regardless of their party.

Looks like the ball is in Biden's court here.

Labor Day has a certain sadness to it this year for those still feeling the sting of the tragic loss of Mac Miller ... who died 2 years ago today.

Miller's receiving an outpouring of love as friends, fans and peers in the music biz remember the late rapper with tributes on social media, including Mustard, Wale, Juicy J, Souly Had and many more.

Mac died at just 26 on September 7, 2018 at his home in Studio City, CA. The rising hip hop star's death was ruled an accidental overdose due to mixed drug toxicity.

The news of Miller's passing hit hard for his fans and loved ones, including his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Grande ... whose relationship with the rapper was highly publicized.

The months following Mac's death were loaded with tributes from celebs in the entertainment industry and culminated with his 'Celebration of Life' concert in October 2018.

He'd also go on to be nominated for Grammy posthumously for his "Swimming" album, and later release "Circles" in 2020.

As Souly Had said -- Mac left the world with a catalog full of inspiration ... and people all over the world are feeling it today. RIP.

Cardi B and Candace Owens are in an epic feud, with Candace calling Cardi an "illiterate rapper" who isn't worthy of interviewing Joe Biden ... thing is, Owens just doesn't get it.

Owens blasted Cardi for her recent sit down with Biden ... specifically, Cardi's question about what Biden would do about Black men dying in America. Owens thinks Biden should have fired back that, according to her, most Black men don't die at the hands of cops but rather other Black men.

Apparently, Owens doesn't think there's an issue with systemic racism in police departments, nor does she address the long list of Black men and women who have died at the hands and knees of cops ... sometimes over minor offenses and sometimes over no offenses at all.

Owens just can't wrap her head around Cardi interviewing a Presidential candidate ... she just can't understand why Biden didn't, as she put it, sit down with "intellectual" black people.

Here's what she's missing. Cardi has a huge following and can do more to get out the vote that the people Owens mentions, including herself. On top of that, she may not care for Cardi's interview, but lots of others did. Maybe she thinks Cardi was just too effective.

At one point during the back and forth, Cardi posted a vid from the Hamptons of her sister, Hennessy, getting harassed because she and her friend are an Afro-Hispanic gay couple.

Owens says Cardi is "uneducated when it came to politics." For her part, Cardi says Trump supporters have gone after her, encouraging people to set her house on fire.

2020 politics ... it ain't pretty.

Kanye West held what could be his most ambitious Sunday Service yet, when the whole gang walked on water during the event.

As for notable guests ... Kim Kardashian showed up. Hard to read the tea leaves, but it seems relevant, because of his self-described marital issues. But, there she was ... flying to Atlanta for the service.

Pastor Joel Osteen delivered the sermon and spoke about Jesus walking on water and how he gave Peter permission to follow suit. They all took it to heart, because after the sermon Ye, Joel and the choir all walked on H20, although not exactly.

The service was held on a lake near Pinewood Studios in ATL.

Someone wants the home where Pop Smoke was gunned down ... because we found out it's about to be sold, just six months after the rapper was killed on the property.

The Hollywood Hills home was listed for $2,950,000 in July, and the house is now in escrow ... meaning the seller has accepted an offer from a prospective buyer.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed by 4 masked gunmen back in February, in what looked like a home invasion robbery at the rental pad.

Bloody history aside, the 4-bedroom home is pretty awesome ... it's 2,918 square feet with views of Laurel Canyon, the L.A. skyline and the Pacific. The place is outfitted with an infinity pool, spa, fire pit lounge, koi pond and zen garden, plus some cool sundecks.

The master bedroom has a soaking tub and its own private terrace ... and the home comes with smart tech, surround sound and a 3-car garage.

Teddi Mellencamp and her husband, Edwin Arroyave used to own the home and rent it out ... and now it's on the verge of changing hands despite being the scene of Pop's grisly death.

Wiz Khalifa says don't be fooled by the marijuana-inspired menu for his upcoming delivery-only restaurant chain ... because you don't have to light up to bite down on this food.

We got the rapper leaving Mr. Chow in Bev Hills and our camera guy asked him the hard-hitting question about his new restaurant venture, "HotBox by Wiz" -- namely, is it a stoners only establishment??

'HotBox' is definitely catering to the cannabis crowd ... with a "top-shelf munchie menu" featuring burnt ends rebranded as "blazed ends" and a "mile-high dark chocolate brownie."

However, Wiz told us you don't have to smoke weed to place an order -- it's for everyone, whether you're stone-cold sober or blazed outta your mind. There is one requirement though ... ya just gotta be hungry.

The virtual restaurant venture is scheduled to start delivering Oct. 1 in Chicago, Houston, L.A. and New York City ... and Wiz tells us what he's looking forward to ordering.

Safe bet he'll blaze up beforehand ... but no peer pressure for the rest of you!

Kanye West's campaign has spent millions trying to get his name on ballots from a bunch of states -- and most of the loot has gone to companies specializing in just that ... but which also have tangential ties to President Trump.

Ye's campaign filed its first financial report Friday with the FEC, and if you tally up his disbursements (what he/his campaign have spent personally) ... it comes to just under $6 million. If you go into the raw data, you can see exactly what he's spent and on what.

Between July and August, Ye and co. spent a little over $4 million on ballot access services -- sending hundreds of thousands to a handful of orgs that ... well, help someone get on a ballot (and quickly). There are three main LLCs he's gone to repeatedly, and some are headed up by guys that either used to work for Trump's campaign ... or were trying to.

One of the ballot companies Kanye hired is Fortified Consulting -- which, according to the Washington Post, has the same address of a consulting firm called the Lincoln Strategy Group ... run by a dude named Nathan Sproul, who worked on DT's 2016 campaign.

Here's another ... Ye dished out about a mil to a company called Atlas Strategy Group -- which is led by another guy named Gregg Keller ... who interviewed to be Trump's campaign manager in 2016. Interestingly, one other BAS company he used was one recently used by Pete Buttigieg ... Millennial Strategies based out of NYC. So ... not total bad optics, right???

Fact is, the money trail appears to lend at least some credence to the theory Kanye has allowed his campaign to be infiltrated by GOP operatives ... Trump ones, at that.