TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Sometimes it pays to be buds with Travis Scott -- like when you're getting married, and he shows up with a sick new ride at the foot of your driveway ... which he just did for his good pal.

Check out this video of La Flame surprising his friend and creative director, Corey Damon Black, with a brand new Maybach SUV as a wedding gift this past week. There were a ton of cameras on Corey to film his reaction -- and by all accounts, he was stunned and stoked.

Corey strikes some poses in front of the sweet whip, and then goes over to kiss his bride. He also hugged and thanked Trav from the outset ... rightly so, it's an awesome present.

The Maybach here appears to be a GLS 600 SUV -- which retails for around $160k to upwards of $200k ... depending on the specifications you get. Considering this is TS -- who was picking one out for the guy who handles the look of his concerts, album art and a lot of other stuff that helps Trav sell out -- something tells us he got this puppy fully loaded.

Looks like Corey took the new car out for a spin too -- he posted a video of himself from the inside, showing off the leather interior and the Maybach logo on the back of the front seat.

The wife of Nicki Minaj's dad has filed a $150 million lawsuit over his death.

The lawsuit, filed by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, alleges Charles Polevich drove recklessly back in February and was inattentive when he fatally struck Robert Maraj, who was walking on a street in Long Island.  Police say after striking the 64-year-old, Polevich walked over to him, asked if he was okay and then fled the scene ... later concealing his Volvo in a garage at his residence.

Crump tweeted this after filing the lawsuit ... "Charles Polevich was not only irresponsible & negligent in hitting Maraj, but was more concerned about running away and hiding than seeking help." He went on ... "Polevich's behavior was criminal, cowardly, and immoral. We will hold him responsible for his reckless actions that led to Rober Maraj's death!"

Polevich was charged with 2 felonies -- leaving the scene of an accident that led to death and tampering with or suppressing physical evidence.

Polevich pled not guilty and is free on a $250,000 bond.

Saweetie wants the world to know she and Quavo are no longer a couple ... and she's strongly suggesting it's because he was unfaithful.

Fans had recently started to speculate the pair were donezo after Saweetie unfollowed Quavo on Instagram, and he did the same. She put the speculation to an end Friday, saying, "I’m single. I’ve endured too much betrayal and hurt behind the scenes for a false narrative to be circulating that degrades my character."

It's not entirely clear what narrative Saweetie is referring to, but she does drop some more hints, saying ... "Presents don’t band aid scars and the love isn’t real when the intimacy is given to other women."

What's more, Saweetie was recently on the "Respectfully Justin" podcast repeatedly saying she doesn't like liars in relationships ... but didn't specify if that meant Quavo.

The two first got together in 2018 after Quavo says he slid into Saweetie's DM's on Instagram. It's a good bet there will be others doing the same now that she's declared herself single.

We reached out to Quavos' rep for comment ... so far, no word back.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are being compared to the likes of Pepe Le Pew and Dr. Seuss after their Grammy night performance of "WAP" prompted dozens of heated -- and sometimes amusing -- complaints to the FCC.

Based on the 80 or so reviews (yeah, that's what we'll call 'em) ... you'd have to say the rappers' were every bit as eye-popping and titillating as intended -- especially since one Colorado viewer groused it was "as if they were dancing in a strip club."

Bingo!!! Remember, the stage included a stripper pole and women drowning in dollar bills.

In many of the FCC complaints, uncovered by WFAA in Dallas, wardrobe was a big issue ... particularly for an Idaho viewer who called their outfits "absolutely disgusting" -- while a Texas critic said Megan was "barely dressed in a thong" with "naked look-alike legs."

Sorry, sir or ma'am, those were Meg's actual legs.

One person in NJ complained, "Why was that performance okay but Pepe Le Pew is offensive?" -- a reference to the Looney Tunes character getting canceled for allegedly perpetuating rape culture.

Likewise, another viewer wondered how Dr. Seuss's books were being yanked while Cardi is allowed to "sing about her [WAP] on national television."

Truth is, this was a light night for the FCC compared to something like Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl -- which drew 540,000 complaints!!

Dr. Dre's divorce is getting so nasty, he wants to move on with his life and be single ... so he's asking for an assist from the judge in his divorce case.

The mogul's attorney, disso queen Laura Wasser, filed legal docs requesting a bifurcation of Dre's divorce ... legal jargon for both parties getting single status STAT, and hammering out the pesky problem of dividing assets later.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Dre says his divorce from his estranged wife, Nicole Young, has gotten to the point of no return.

In the docs, Dre says Nicole's "false allegations of domestic violence" made it clear there's no turning back. He says he's been trying to settle the divorce with her since she filed in June 2020, and claims she's dragging her feet on purpose.

As we've told you ... Dre and Nicole's legal war has raged on with no end in sight -- most recently she was denied a restraining order after he called her a "greedy bitch" in a song.

Nicole's also filed a motion asking for access to their home amid suspicions of a mistress, and Dre's accused her of siphoning money from one of their business accounts. Oh, and they're also at odds over the validity of their prenup.

Life on the outside is proving to be GOOOOOD for Bobby Shmurda -- the formerly incarcerated rapper got the VIP treatment at the Brooklyn Nets game on Monday ... and a signed jersey from superstar James Harden!

The 26-year-old had been in custody since December 2014 after he was charged with conspiracy to murder and other gun charges.

In 2016, Shmurda copped a plea deal to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon -- and was sentenced to 7 years in prison followed by 5 years probation.

He was released in February 2021 and immediately embraced by rap stars like Quavo. He also had a big presence during NBA All-Star Weekend.

And, the celebration continued Monday night at Barclay's Center where Shmurda enjoyed a VIP suite to watch the Nets take on the NY Knicks.

After Brooklyn secured the W, James Harden took off his game-worn jersey and presented it to Shmurda -- along with a personal message and signature on the threads.

Shmurda was so fired up about the gift, he went right to the media and showed it off while sporting that sick new gold chain he recently scooped up.

Travis Scott went to work, literally, to make sure his new spiked seltzer hit local shelves ... but in the process, he caused a chaotic, and potentially dangerous, scene.

Scott hit up several grocery stores around Los Angeles Monday to promote his CACTI spiked seltzer. The rapper went inside a Pavillions in West Hollywood to check on his product and grab a pack of gum ... only to be swarmed by fans.

You can see the cashier and another customer get engulfed by the crowd as Travis signs autographs and tries to pay for his gum.

What's most upsetting about the video ... some fans aren't wearing masks, and every time he speaks, or yells, Travis pulls his own mask down ... defeating the whole point of wearing one.

Grocery stores have gone to great lengths to make sure customers can shop safely, and to see the safe practices like mask-wearing and social distancing completely ignored -- essentially over a pack of gum -- is sure to enrage store management.

Rich the Kid's been arrested for possession of a concealed weapon at LAX ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We're told the rapper was going through security at the airport Monday afternoon when a loaded firearm was discovered in his carry-on luggage. He was busted shortly after 1 PM PT, but it's unclear if cops have processed him yet.

The LAX arrest comes on the heels of a pretty rough 2020 that saw Rich get sued a few times -- by a management company, a jewelry store, and Fashion Nova.

The year before wasn't much better ... when he was the apparent target of a shooting attack at a West Hollywood studio -- and in 2018, he was badly injured in a home invasion.

The calendar change isn't helping Rich much ... not yet, anyway.

Tiffany Haddish and Nicki Minaj got beef ... it sure seems like it anyway, after the comedian threw some major shade at the rapper.

Tiffany was partaking in a Clubhouse chat recently when a guy compared her to Nicki -- calling her the "Nicki Minaj of comedy right now." Haddish wasn't having it.

After another voice in the discussion suggested Tiffany's better than Nicki because she "shows up on time," Tiff chimed in herself with ... "And unlike Nicki, I treat everybody with respect and dignity."

If it seems like this is coming out of left field -- that's not entirely true. The 2 ladies have a little bit of history dating back to the 2018 VMAs, when Tiffany, a presenter, made a joke about the group Fifth Harmony.

Nicki took exception to the diss, and later defended her friend in the group, telling Tiff ... "Don't be coming for Fifth Harmony because Normani is that bitch!"

Here's a true sign things are returning to normal -- Beyonce and Jay-Z getting swarmed by paparazzi leaving a celebratory dinner after an awards show.

The couple hit up a Grammys after-party at Giorgio Baldi restaurant Sunday night in Santa Monica, and everyone wanted a shot of Bey and Jay, but especially the Queen B ... who just set a record by winning her 28th Grammy Award.

Fittingly ... Beyonce's outfit looks like it's made of gold.

As we reported ... Beyonce set the Grammys' record with her win for Best R&B Performance, and during her speech, she shouted out her daughter, Blue Ivy. Blue -- who's only 9 years old -- won her first Grammy earlier in the night.

Megan Thee Stallion is squarely contradicting The Weeknd's claim that the Grammys are corrupt ... but still lending him her support.

We caught Meg Sunday leaving the Highlight Room in Hollywood after a big night that saw her walking away with 3 Grammy wins, including one for Best New Artist. MTS was clearly on a high, pointing out the united front women put on with a record amount of awards.

Not only did Meg win a handful ... but her collaborator, Beyonce, tacked on a historic 28th Grammy -- making her the leading female artist with the most accolades ever. So yeah, huge night for the ladies.

Oh, and speaking of that, Meg's got a great take on Lizzo's viral moment too. Sounds like Megan aspires to be as candid as she was ... which she fulfilled later in this interview.

At one point while she's still signing autographs from inside her car, someone asks flat out if the Grammy Awards are rigged -- and Meg doesn't make any bones about it ... saying "hell no."

Then comes the natural follow-up question -- well, if that's the case, what about Weeknd's beef/accusations? There's no doubt, she's definitely still got love for the dude -- but she ends up putting the matter in terms of winners and losers.

Lil Baby used his platform at The Grammys to deliver a powerful message and highlight the problem of police brutality ... even including a message to President Biden.

The rapper's performance of his song "The Bigger Picture" looked more like a Hollywood production ... opening with a scene of a black man getting gunned down by a police officer.

Social justice advocate Tamika Mallory and activist Killer Mike also made appearances during Lil Baby's performance. Mallory delivered a personal message to President Biden, saying, "President Biden, we demand justice, equity, policy and everything else that freedom encompasses. We don't need allies, we need accomplices."

The song's lyrics are based around the death and aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, including, "t's too many mothers that's grieving. They killing us for no reason. Been going on for too long to get even. Throw us in cages like dogs and hyenas."

At one point, Lil Baby stood face-to-face with a police officer before getting on the hood of a car as fireworks lit up the sky behind him.

LeBron James undeniably has moves, but guess what ... so does his daughter!!!

6-year-old Zhuri is amazing, dancing to Cardi B's, "Up." It's flawlessly executed, with the help of her dance instructor ... but it doesn't really seem Zhuri needs much instruction. Talk about projecting greatness ... this kid's gonna be a true performer.

LeBron said the dance lesson had just ended when Zhuri got to pick any song to freestyle to, and she picked Cardi's latest single. The dance is big on TikTok, but God help anyone who tries to best Zhuri, 'cause she's awesome!

LeBron wrote, "yeah it’s officially over for me guys!! I feel bad for whomever my Baby Z decides to bring home first!"

Cardi B appears to be downplaying The Weeknd's fury about being snubbed at the Grammys with a spotlight on other Black artists who are getting recognized ... which is interesting.

The rapper posted a lengthy statement Saturday about her thoughts on all the Grammys drama, and while she acknowledged she did think some albums and songs probably should've gotten nominated, she doesn't seem nearly as miffed as others are.

All she has to say on the matter of snubs is ... "[M]aybe by next year they will get it right."

What she did want to talk about at length, however, was the fact that a number of lesser-known, independent Black artists WERE nominated this year ... and that they should be allowed to revel in that honor, because too often they're overlooked despite being amazing.

Cardi writes, "Don’t forget to congratulate the small black artist that got nominated that got overshadowed again cause of the drama. It’s their moment finally!" She goes on to cite artists who are up for an award, like Freddie Gibbs, Giveon, Brittany Howard, Ant Clemons, Ledisi, Luke James, Thundercat, Chika, Jean and Marcus Baylor and more ... several of whom Cardi notes that don't get the pub, like marquee names in the music biz do on the regular.

She ends by saying, "Soo besides all the bulls*** let's not forget to congratulate these artists," going on to say this is their moment too and that folks shouldn't overshadow it "cause your favorite might not be on the list." Her choice of words here certainly raises an eyebrow.

Of course, The Weeknd just recently vowed to boycott the Grammys going forward -- this after accusing them of being corrupt and running secret committees that supposedly require a lot of ass-kissing behind closed doors. The Grammys has denied that characterization.

Still, it sounds like Abel's other contemporaries mostly agree with him that the Grammys get it wrong time and again. Drake chimed in not too long ago with that exact sentiment ... and even Beyonce's gonna be a no-show on Sunday, despite being the most nominated artist.

If Dana White seriously wants MILLION DOLLAR action on the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren boxing match ... Snoop Dogg says he'll take it!!

The rap legend clearly saw the footage of Dana on Mike Tyson's podcast ... where the UFC boss said he's willing to bet $1 MILLION that Ben will destroy Jake when the clash in the boxing ring in April.

Now, Snoop -- who was the announcer during Jake's last boxing match against Nate Robinson -- wants to RAISE the stakes.

"Hey Dana White, I see you got faith in your boy right?! Going up against my guy Jake."

"You say you got a million?! You’re the CEO of UFC. You got more than a million. Put up TWO. Put up $2 million and we’ll match it."

Remember, Jake Paul made a similar offer to Dana -- but so far, the UFC honcho hasn't responded.

Gotta wonder if Snoop's call-out is more interesting to Dana?!

"C’mon Dana, whatchu waiting on?! Your money is good," Snoop added.

"Yeah, I got Jake. Fight night. That's my guy. That's my dog in the fight. $2 million. Holla at me, Dana White."

Jake is 2-0 as a boxer -- with a violent KO of Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight back in 2020.

Ben, on the other hand, is a decorated MMA fighter who's gone toe-to-toe with some of the baddest men in combat sports.

Dr. Dre's wife just got shut down by the judge in her divorce case ... after claiming she fears for her safety because he refers to her in his new track as a "greedy bitch."

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... Nicole Young requested an emergency domestic violence restraining order ... citing the song released last month, in which Dre calls her a "bitch and a perjurer."

Nicole says this is nothing new, but claims with the new track "he has upped the ante and is now outright threatening me to keep my mouth shut or else."

According to the docs filed by attorney Samantha Spector ... Nicole feels this latest alleged threat -- along with her past allegations of spousal abuse -- justify an emergency restraining order, but the judge begged to differ and denied her request because of "insufficient evidence."

As for Dre's response to her allegations, filed by Laura Wasser, he says he's only seen or spoken to Nicole one time since she filed for divorce in June 2020 .... and that was when she visited him at the hospital in January, following his brain aneurysm.

Dre says he's had no contact with her otherwise, and categorically denies all of her abuse claims.

He adds since she made her allegations in August, he "realized he had no idea who the woman he was married to was and he wanted nothing to do with her."