TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

YG's giving away a new sneaker he says caters to the streets ... hooking up a group of former inmates who just got back to the streets.

The rapper hit up Amity Foundation House Friday in downtown L.A. to give away pairs of his Block Runner sneakers to men who have just been released on parole after serving their sentences. They're staying at the foundation while getting back on their feet.

YG tells TMZ ... it's important for these men to have the things they need to become contributing members of society again, and it starts with something folks use every day ... shoes.

It's a pretty grand gesture from YG ... his 4Hunnids footwear brand, The Flame, is selling the kicks for a cool $200 and he gave away hundreds of pairs ... worth more than $20,000 total.

Lil Nas X has felt the wrath of Nicki Minaj's diehard fans -- AKA The Barbz -- and he's backing down ... but insists his love for her is real.

Here's what's up -- LNX just dropped a brand new single, "Sun Goes Down," and on the track, he sings about how he found comfort in following Nicki when he was growing up.

The lyrics go -- "I'd be by the phone / Stanning Nicki mornin' into dawn / Only place I felt like I belonged / Strangers make you feel so loved, you know?"

Seems pretty harmless ... but the Barbz came after Lil Nas on Twitter, accusing him of looking for sympathy or dropping her name as a ploy for a future collab.

It didn't take long for him to respond, and though he doesn't apologize, and claims his lyrics and love for Minaj are sincere ... he acknowledges "how it looks" and says he will no longer mention her.

Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner are indeed back together ... but it's not exclusive ... and they're both totally fine with that.

Sources with direct knowledge and connection to both Kylie and Travis tell TMZ ... they have rekindled the old flame and are dating again, but they're also free to date other people. To be blunt ... they are in an open relationship.

We're told ever since the 2 broke up in late 2019, Travis has been enjoying the bachelor lifestyle and all that comes with it ... but he also wanted to get back with Kylie and be a strong family unit.

So, we're told they've agreed to get back together but with a non-exclusive couple arrangement ... and both are cool with that.

We broke the story ... the couple took their daughter, Stormi, to Disneyland Tuesday, adding to all the recent signs they're together again.

Before that, they did a triple date night with the Biebers and Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker, which was not long after the big news that Kylie flew to Miami to celebrate Scott's bday with him.

T.I. seems to be letting out his frustrations over sexual assault allegations in his music ... and it sounds like he's going after his accusers.

The Atlanta rapper's dropping a new track in the middle of a criminal investigation by the LAPD ... and it's got some explicit lyrics seemingly aimed at the Jane Doe who told cops he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her.

T.I. raps ... "Go put yo face and reputation on it // These kind of claims deserve more than anonymous provocative conversation, don't it?"

T.I.'s calling the song "What It's Come To" and towards the end of his verse he raps ... "Willing to face whatever consequences for his vision ... while I'm up against some lyin' a** bitches."

The lyrics are even included on the single's album artwork ... which drops tonight at midnight. The song was produced by Villa Nova & Keepitphilthy.

A$AP Rocky is down for the count -- he's madly in love with Rihanna, and he's got no problem publicly declaring he wants to be with her ... for life.

Rocky opened up for the first time about his relationship with Rihanna and gushed about her like this -- "[It's] so much better when you got the One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones." Deep stuff.

He didn't shy away either when GQ asked him about monogamy, saying ... "I think when you know, you know. She's the One."

Now, he also talked about his arrest in Sweden, a friend's overdose and doing 2 weeks on Rikers Island as a teenager -- but, for sure the headline was him calling RiRi ... "The love of my life. My lady."

When the subject of fatherhood came up ... Rocky laughed and said, "I think I'd be an incredible, remarkably, overall amazing dad. I would have a very fly child. Very."

Yeah, he's all in.

Rocky wouldn't divulge deets on the exact timeline of their relationship -- but, as we reported, Rihanna surfaced with him in January 2020 following her split with Saudi billionaire Hassan Jameel. They've been inseparable ever since.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are with their daughter at "The Happiest Place On Earth" ... and it's the latest sign they might be a happy couple again.

Stormi's Mom and Dad treated her to a Disneyland trip Tuesday, and appeared to be having good family times ... especially when they took her on the Alice in Wonderland ride.

Kylie, Travis and Stormi were apparently at the amusement park with a few of Stormi's friends -- perhaps some of her cousins -- as well, and though their security guard didn't sound like he appreciated fans recording them ... Kylie seemed cool with it.

Even though a Disney outing is nothing new for Kylie and Travis -- even when they were definitely broken up -- this visit feels different, and only fuels recent speculation they're back together.

As we reported, they did a triple date night earlier this month with the Biebers and Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker, and before that ... Kylie flew to Miami to celebrate Scott's bday with him.

T.I. and Tiny allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a woman in 2005 and the LAPD is looking into her claims ... while authorities in Las Vegas tell us they have closed a case involving similar allegations against the couple.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ ... the L.A. accuser, identified as a Jane Doe, claims sometime in early 2005 she met the rapper and his wife at a club, and says she accepted a drink from Tiny after already having a couple others.

The woman told LAPD detectives she was then invited back to their hotel room along with 2 other women, but soon it was just her alone with T.I. and Tiny.

She claims T.I. and Tiny persuaded her to go to the bathroom and take a shower with them. After the shower, she alleges T.I. led her to the bed, turned on a porn flick and asked her to rub oil on him. She says Tiny soon joined in and then she claims T.I. came from behind and stuck his toes in her vagina.

According to the report ... the woman claims T.I. told her he was going to get a condom but she said she felt sick and went to the bathroom to throw up. She claims she blacked out soon after, but when she woke up the next morning ... her vagina was sore and had a burning sensation.

Though the LAPD is reportedly investigating the couple for alleged sexual assault, their attorney says they have not been contacted by the LAPD.

As for the allegations in Las Vegas ... another woman claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted after meeting Tiny at the airport and being invited to hang out with the couple.

However, officials tell us since the alleged incident went down in 2010, and was just reported to the Las Vegas Metropolitan PD earlier this month ... it falls outside the statute of limitations -- so the case has been closed.

The guy who led cops on a wild chase that landed on Rick Ross' front door has died while in custody.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tells TMZ ... 40-year-old Chaka Stewart was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday at the Clayton County Jail in Georgia. We're told a guard and a medic who were making the evening rounds noticed Stewart lying there, and they attempted life-saving measures when they realized something was seriously wrong.

We're told he was pronounced dead at the jail. Our law enforcement sources say Stewart was alone in his cell, and no foul play is suspected. An autopsy is underway to figure out what happened.

Stewart's mother, Jacqueline Gordon, confirmed her son is the man who was arrested outside Rick's Georgia estate last week -- where cops say he crashed his truck and was carrying a firearm ... only to finally be apprehended at gunpoint following what was described as a crazy pursuit through the streets.

She says she last spoke to her son Friday, and claims he told her he was being mistreated behind bars. Gordon alleges Stewart said he was being beaten -- unclear if he was blaming officials or other folks behind bars -- wasn't allowed to shower and was confined to his cell for 23 hours a day.

Gordon also claims one of the deputies told Stewart he'd never be getting out of there ... while also asserting Georgia authorities have been ducking her and her inquiries.

Saweetie says the rash of violence against Asian Americans that's stirring fear across the country has affected her family as well ... but she's aiming to put a stop to the hate she believes is at the root of it.

The "Fast (Motion)" rapper joined "TMZ Live" Monday to discuss Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ... which is perhaps more important than ever as hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saweetie -- who's of Filipino and Chinese descent -- explains how the widespread violence has hit close to home ... especially the video of the elderly Asian woman getting randomly attacked in NYC.

She tells us that could have very well been her own grandmother, and says incidents like that have caused concern among families just like hers.

The bright side, according to Saweetie, is she believes the age of social media is opening people's eyes to how rampant this problem is ... and she's doing her part to raise awareness too.

She'll be performing with Jhene Aiko on Friday for the AAPI Heritage Month special, "See Us Unite for Change" ... hosted by Ken Jeong and featuring appearances by Daniel Dae Kim, Lisa Ling and more.

J. Cole's own sideline story is finally coming full circle on the court -- the guy just made his professional debut as a basketball player ... and he did it in none other than Africa!

The rapper -- who's fresh off a fire sixth studio album -- put on his hooping shoes this weekend not too long after signing a brief three-to-six game contract with the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club, which is part of the Basketball Africa League.

On Sunday, the club was set to face off against Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers -- a game that was broadcast on national television here in the States. Sure enough, it looks like Cole was part of the starting five at tip-off -- and the dude showed off his famed athleticism early and often.

Different clips captured from the game show Jermaine grabbing rebounds, playing D and hustling up and down the court. He even got his first bucket with a put-back after one of his teammates attempted a layup. It's clear -- the dude can still ball, even at the ripe age of 36.

We say "still" because -- whether you're aware or not -- J. Cole is a noted hooper ... having played competitively in high school and even earning himself a walk-on spot with the St. John's Red Storm team for a while. He ended up leaving basketball behind to pursue his career in music -- but like many among the rich and famous, Cole can hold his own.

He played for the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game back in 2012, and proved himself there ... and now, it looks like he's getting back to his on-court roots in a whole other country.

Unclear what the end game for Cole is here -- but by the looks of it ... he's taking this contract pretty seriously, and based on how big a draw he is -- they may even extend him.

It's official ... Tessica Brown is now forever etched, or glued, into pop culture, now that Nicki Minaj is shouting her out on a new track, and Tessica's flattered!!!

The Harajuku Barbie just dropped her song, "Fractions" and it includes lyrics referencing the moniker Tessica will have forever... Gorilla Glue Girl. Nicki raps, "... head game slicker than little miss gorilla glue."

Pretty dope, and Tessica tells TMZ ... she thought the line was cute. She says normally she's offended if someone calls her Gorilla Glue Girl, instead of her name, but Nicki gets a pass.

She says even though Nicki didn't reach out in advance to brief her about the shout-out, she hopes to meet her in person one day.

Nicki's still working on her next album -- which Tessica says she'll cop, for sure -- and the new track is part of the "Beam Me Up Scotty" mixtape she just dropped on streaming platforms.

Jerry Jones played beer pong with Post Malone, rocked an icy Dallas Cowboys chain, AND made it rain on his team's best players -- and the amazingness was all captured on video!

It was all part of the Cowboys' surprise schedule reveal film on Wednesday evening ... and the cameo Posty made with the Dallas owner for the flick was pretty damn incredible.

The video starts with the singer playing the role of a postman delivering Dallas' 2021 schedule to Jerry ... and then things get wild.

78-year-old Jerry tells Post, "You know, I love this day. Let's go celebrate" ... and then the two hit the BP table!!!

There were shots made, shots blocked, and even some custom "Jerry" Crocs involved!!!

Post then slapped his famous Cowboys drip on the owner ... before the two grabbed some pocket schedules and made them rain all over Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.

It's hilarious. Seriously.

Of course, it's all fun and games right now ... but the reality is Dallas has to now open its season against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion Bucs in less than 4 months.

Jack Harlow is finally speaking out about the fatal Louisville nightclub shooting for which his DJ's been indicted for murder -- and his first words are ones of sorrow and regret for the victim.

The rapper shared his thoughts Wednesday about the chaos he was smack in the middle of 2 weeks ago on the eve of the Kentucky Derby ... violence that led to a grand jury indicting his DJ, Ronnie Luciano.

Jack says, "My heart is broken by the events that occurred over Derby weekend. My heart breaks for Kasmira, her children, and everyone else touched by this tragic death."

He goes on to explain that he's been in touch with Kasmira's family, who've apparently been pretty receptive to talking. Jack adds, "Nothing can reverse what happened. Too many lives have been changed forever. My life will remain committed to making Louisville a better place."

As we reported, Ronnie turned himself in Tuesday after the grand jury indictment for his alleged role in the shooting.

It appears that Kasmira -- the 37-year-old woman who was killed -- was the one shown in our video ... which captured the moment a gunshot went off and sent everyone scrambling, including Jack, who was close to the action.

Rick Ross' Georgia estate is crawling with sheriff's deputies after a man allegedly armed with a gun led cops on a wild chase ... and now there's a hunt for the weapon.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Clayton County Sheriffs started a vehicle pursuit with a driver Tuesday after they got a call for a male with a gun. We're told the pursuit ended when the driver crashed near Ross' property and took off.

Our sources say law enforcement apprehended the driver, but sheriffs have not found the alleged gun and deputies are searching for the firearm on and around RR's property.

It's unclear if Rick was home at the time of the crash, but as you can see, his estate is the scene of a heavy police presence ... there's a boatload of sheriffs vehicles and tons of police.

Lil Pump is fuming after his luxury whips were broken into on Mother's Day, but the only good news is ... we've learned the 4 suspects were caught on camera committing the crime.

According to a Miami Beach PD report, obtained by TMZ, 4 unknown suspects hopped the wall of a house around 6 AM and found the 3 pricey whips -- a Range Rover, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Rolls-Royce Wraith -- parked there.

Cops say surveillance video shows the suspects looking inside the cars before one of them smashed the left rear panel of the Range Rover and swiped a cosmetic nail kit worth $600.

Cops say another suspect is seen getting into the Wraith through an unlocked passenger door, though that person apparently didn’t take anything. Cops say another suspect smashed the rear windshield of the Cullinan ... triggering an alarm that prompted the headlights and taillights to flash.

According to the report ... the alarm startled the suspects who then hopped back over the fence and fled the scene.

Lil Pump is NOT named in the police report but his mother is listed as a victim of the alleged crimes. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... this is the incident the "Gucci Gang" rapper described while going off on Instagram Live.

Pump was visibly outraged saying, "That’s how y’all wanna play? I’mma be up for the next 3, 4 days. Come back to my f***ing house. I’mma blow your fucking head off."

Jack Harlow's DJ has just been indicted on a murder charge for his alleged role in a nightclub shooting in Louisville.

Prosecutors in Kentucky charged Ronnie Tyshon O'Bannon -- who goes by Ronnie Luciano -- with murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the fatal shooting ... and there's reportedly a warrant out for his arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... video shows the moment shots were fired inside Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge, where Jack was partying with his DJ.

The footage appears to show an altercation between a woman and at least one man, who lean into each other before falling over in a scuffle. At that moment, you hear what sounds like a gunshot, and everyone in the club makes a run for it, including Jack.

Cops say a 37-year-old woman was found dead from the shooting, and a man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.