TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Big album launches are nothing new, but Migos is redefining big by hitting 4 major cities -- all at the same time -- to promote its new record.

Quavo, Offset and Takeoff are slated to have a simultaneous hologram appearance Friday at 3 PM PT to talk about "Culture III" ... the highly-anticipated album they just dropped. They'll appear in life-size fashion as a 4K interactive hologram.

The group will physically be live from a studio in Atlanta, and they'll be beamed to holoportation machines at Underground Atlanta, crypto-art community BitBasel in Miami, Drai's Beachclub in Las Vegas and the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

If the hologram technology sounds familiar it's because it's similar to the one Diddy used back in April to show up from Miami at his son Christian Combs' 23rd birthday bash in L.A.

PORTL, an L.A.-based startup, is pulling this off for Migos ... and considers it the world's first and only single-passenger holoportation machine. It ain't cheap either -- costs around $60k. No biggie for Migos, but slightly over budget for the average bar mitzvah.

Dr. Dre is officially a very eligible bachelor ... because a judge just restored his single status, legally speaking.

The judge just signed off on the music mogul's request to become officially divorced from Nicole Young. That's not the end of the story. Both Dre and Nicole will now battle it out over the validity of the prenup, which will determine their property settlement.

Nicole wants the prenup declared invalid, and also claims Dre agreed he would not enforce it. Dre says that never happened and the prenup is ironclad.

We broke the story ... Dre asked the court for single status back in March, saying his split from Nicole had reached the point of no return.

As we've told you ... the contentious split has dragged on through abuse claims, diss tracks and allegations of mistresses and love children.

Kanye West and Irina Shayk were an item long before their romantic getaway to France ... and the DMX memorial service was an early sign Ye was on the rebound.

Sources connected to the new couple tell TMZ ... Ye and Irina have been together for months, seeing each other as early as March. In fact, one of the new couple's prior hangout sessions happened in New York City in late April, when Kanye was there for DMX's celebration of life.

There were signs then that Yeezy and Irina were an item ... she was spotted wearing a custom DMX memorial shirt before it was even in the hands of the general public.

Remember ... the custom X shirts were designed by Balenciaga and commissioned by the Yeezy brand, and Kanye helped raise over $1 million for DMX's family with the profits.

As we first told you ... Ye and the supermodel were hanging in France on his 44th birthday Tuesday before hopping on a private jet Wednesday and flying back to the States together.

This is the first public dating we've seen Kanye or Kim Kardashian do since she filed for divorce back in February, but he and Irina have a bit of history ... professionally speaking.

Kanye West and Irina Shayk's French rendezvous wasn't a one-day hookup -- 'cause they took to the skies together for a trip back to the States ... and we got pics of their return.

Check out the shots of Ye and Irina touching down Wednesday at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey ... where they exited the same private plane, seemingly trying to stagger their departures to make it seem like they weren't with each other. Sorry kids, that cat's out of the bag.

The shared return flight is more evidence of what TMZ broke earlier Wednesday ... that Kanye and Irina are definitely an item right now.

As we first reported, the new couple was spotted hanging out in France on Tuesday -- Kanye's 44th birthday, no less -- with friends and also alone at a boutique resort in Provence.

The big question now that they're back in the U.S. is ... are they gonna hit the streets in public now that everyone knows the deal??? So far, they seem a bit camera shy.

Kanye West is moving on from estranged wife Kim Kardashian, and he's doing it with ... Irina freakin' Shayk!!!

Ye and the supermodel were spotted out and about in the French region of Provence on Tuesday, his 44th birthday, BTW. They were seen smiling and strolling around on the grounds of a luxury boutique hotel with some friends, but also by themselves ... looking very much like a couple.

TMZ has confirmed they are 100% romantically together, but our sources say it's unclear how serious they are at this point. In other words, yeah ... they're banging. Definitely FWB status, at the very least.

The big news comes on the heels of Kim, and others in the fam, publicly wishing Kanye a happy birthday with social media posts.

It's a pretty wild development -- seeing how it's been less than 4 months since KK filed for divorce ... and it appears Kanye's already got himself a new squeeze. Remember, Kim's the one who submitted the legal paperwork first -- this after quite some time of her and Kanye seemingly drifting apart -- but she doesn't appear to have taken the next step just yet on getting out there and dating someone new. At least ... not publicly, anyway.

While Kim's been somewhat vocal about the split via her family's TV show -- saying she feels like a failure over the crumbling of her marriage -- Ye's been the opposite ... mostly silent on the matter. This move, however, definitely speaks volumes.

Ye and Irina, who has a daughter with Bradley Cooper, have some professional history together -- she's modeled for Yeezy in the past, walking the runway in Ye's signature gear at a Paris fashion show, and he's even name-dropped her in songs before too.

Megan Thee Stallion's about to be known as MTE -- Megan Thee Educator -- 'cause she's footing the bill for a full-ride scholarship, and will even serve as a lecturer at Long Island University.

Not that Megan's looking to get tenured, but she's definitely all in for Roc Nation's School of Music, Sports and Entertainment. Jay-Z's management firm -- where Megan is a client -- had already announced its partnership with L.I.U. would begin in Fall 2021, but now Megan is stepping up to cover 4 years of tuition for one lucky student to enroll in the Roc program.

Megan is still taking classes at Texas Southern University. Even after achieving superstardom, the Grammy winner's remained committed to graduating with a degree in healthcare administration and wants others to get a shot at higher education.

Meg says, "If I can use my resources to open doors and create opportunities for at least one student, then it's a victory. It's important that we encourage our students to pursue their passions and put them in positions to become the next game changer in whichever fields they choose."

In addition to hooking up a student, we're told MTS will actually participate as a guest lecturer for L.I.U.'s "Industry Expert Speaker Series." As for what she'll be discussing -- we're told that's TBD, but the success of hits like "Hot Girl Summer," and "W.A.P." has to be a potential topic.

We're sure she'll be wearing more on campus than the wardrobe she recently teased for her soon-to-drop "Thot S**t" music vid. Pretty sure, anyway.

Waka Flocka Flame is getting the next generation ready for their next step by delivering the commencement address at a Chicago high school graduation ceremony.

The "No Hands" rapper will appear virtually at Chicago's Soldier Field when graduates from Innovations High School get their diplomas after a challenging school year that required them to learn virtually while overcoming a pandemic.

Waka Flocka Flame tells TMZ ... he's honored to be speaking to the kids, and plans to let them know how proud folks are of them for graduating despite a rough and very abnormal year.

The charter school's executive director, LaShaun Jackson, tells TMZ ... Waka's the right speaker for this graduating class because he's a success story from the streets, and his life has been all about overcoming adversity.

Remember, Waka got a lifetime achievement award for his charitable efforts before former president Donald Trump left office ... and in October he got his honorary doctorate degree in philanthropy and humanitarianism from the Bible Institutes of America.

Rapper Pooh Shiesty has just been arrested over a shooting that went down at a Miami club ... where cops say a security guard ended up getting shot in a dispute over money.

According to Miami-Dade County Corrections records ... the rapper was taken into custody Tuesday around 2 PM on a warrant for his arrest for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon ... a felony.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Miami-Dade PD was called out to the King of Diamonds nightclub back on May 30 around 4 AM for a reported shooting.

Cops say witnesses told them security staff was escorting Pooh out of the building when, out of nowhere, there was an altercation between Pooh and security staff. Cops say the security manager told them the beef was over money that had apparently fallen out of Pooh's pants.

It's unclear how much, if any, money fell ... but apparently, it was enough to set off Pooh 'cause cops say they were told the Memphis MC took out his gun and fired off a round toward the ground.

Cops say one of the security guards ended up getting hit in the right ankle and was taken to a hospital. By the time cops showed up at the scene, they say Pooh had already bounced.

There were rumors going around social media that someone jacked $40k from Pooh, but the rapper put those rumors to bed, saying on IG ... "false allegations nothing never been took from me."

But, according to cops ... money is at the center of this particular incident, which resulted in one person getting shot.

Pooh Shiesty's best known for his hit track "Back In Blood" ... which has more than 154M views on YouTube. He's signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. We reached out to Pooh and a rep had no comment.

The first offering Kanye West and Gap are putting out to the public is a jacket -- one you can't really bundle up in ... but it'll still cost you a couple Benjamins, plus tax.

The YEEZY Gap Round jacket has officially arrived ... the inaugural article of clothing from Ye's fashion company and the iconic American retailer that's now available for pre-order. Its debut comes on a notable date ... Mr. West's 44th birthday.

As for the structure of it, it's pretty simple. Like we said ... it's a coat -- a puffer with some billowy heft to it, made of recycled nylon material ... and, as you noticed, screams bright blue. Unclear if it'll come in any other colors, or if this is it.

The other feature folks are pointing out ... you can't zip or button the damn thing up, like at all. So, this thing's clearly just for fashion, and is clearly a shift for Gap. Oh, and it retails for $200.

Regardless of what you *thought* YEEZY/Gap gear would cost when they first announced this partnership ... here's an early indication of what may come, so ya better start saving up if you were expecting traditional Gap prices. YEEZY comes at a bit of a premium, folks.

BTW, Ye himself has been rocking this puppy lately ... he was seen wearing the puffy jacket earlier this week, no doubt teasing its forthcoming release. So we gotta ask ... you coppin'???

Mariah Carey's looking to downsize and try something new -- that's the real reason she's parted ways with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, not any personal feud ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... Mariah prefers to work with a smaller team where she has more personal time with managers, and Jay's powerhouse agency has a more wide-ranging business model.

We're told at Roc, artists like Mariah could have 20 or more people working on her team in various departments -- marketing, social media, music, merchandise, etc. -- and she simply felt it was time to pare down to a more intimate team.

Our sources say there was no "explosive argument" between the 2 music legends as reported by some outlets -- something Mariah shot down on Twitter. We're told they actually decided a couple months ago to amicably end the business relationship that started in 2017.

Carey's joining Range Media Partners, a move we're told also coincides with her manager Melissa Ruderman doing the same thing. Ruderman left Roc in early 2021 to become a partner in the music division at Range, and we're told she's still going to be working with Mariah.

Range is no small agency, but our sources say it uses smaller teams of skilled managers for clients ... which is exactly what Mariah wants these days.

Polo G's set to have a big June -- his new album drops this week, and he just dropped nearly $5 mil on a huge mansion near L.A.

The rapper's the new owner of a massive 7-bed, 8-bath home in the San Fernando Valley, which is described as a car collector's dream estate. It's unclear how many rides Polo's working with, but the nearly 1-acre lot features a whopping 36 parking spaces, including a 14-car garage!!!

So, parking ✅

As for the Mediterranean-style house itself ... it's almost 11,000 sq. ft. with a rotunda entry that leads to a vintage-looking staircase. There's a custom wine closet and bar, formal dining room and a billiard room all on the main level.

The kitchen and bedrooms are enormous and boast all the expected luxuries, and of course ... the outside's incredible too. The pool, spa, BBQ area and lighted tennis court are all surrounded by stone terraces and patios.

We're told Polo G bought the place for $4.885 million. Emil Hartoonian, Bryan Castaneda and Andrew Mortaza of The Agency held the listing ... and Daniel Dill of WEA repped the "Pop Out" rapper.

G's new album, "Hall of Fame," comes out Friday and includes his highly-anticipated collab with Nicki Minaj on "For the Love of New York."

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft just turned 80, but now he can cruise around in a drop-top like he's a billionaire half his age.

Meek Mill shared a video Monday of Bob's birthday surprise, in which Sixers partner Michael Rubin walked Kraft out of his house -- decked out in Pats gear -- to present him with his brand new blue Bentley ... something he apparently really desired.

Kraft seemed elated and mystified, asking, "How the fudge did you get it?" ... to which Rubin replied, "We have resources."

Rubin let Kraft know a handful of other rich dudes went in on his new whip -- including Meek and Jay-Z -- and it rode on a flatbed from Florida to arrive in pristine shape.

The Miami shooting allegedly involving DaBaby's entourage left a grisly scene ... and one of the victims says he still has a bullet lodged in his leg.

Check out these photos of the injuries Emerson Delgado says he suffered when shots rang out late Monday night in Miami Beach.

As you can see, Delgado's right leg is a bloody mess, and the guy's missing a huge chunk of flesh now. He's been treated and released from a hospital, but he says he'll be wearing a walking boot-styled cast for some time.

According to the police report, cops say Delgado was shot once in his right calf ... but his lawyer, Josiah Graham, tells us there was a second bullet that grazed Delgado’s right hamstring.

Graham, who's with Kelley Uustal law firm, claims the melee began when a member of DaBaby's entourage punched Delgado, knocking him to the ground. He says Delgado started to run away, when someone behind him opened fire and struck him in the leg.

As we reported ... a rapper named Wisdom, who police say is a part of DaBaby's entourage, was arrested for attempted murder and aggravated assault with a firearm. Cops say Wisdom fired at least one shot that hit someone in the leg.

T.I. and Tiny are expanding their real estate portfolio by snapping up a massive home in the ATL -- a move they actually made before they faced multiple sexual assault accusations.

According to our sources ... T.I. purchased the 7-bed, 10-bath, 14,000-square-foot Atlanta home at the end of 2020, and it's an absolute palace.

The mansion, which sits on a private gated estate on the Chattahoochee River, features a massive pool, a spa and an outdoor fireplace ... so, it's built for entertaining.

The expansive interior is built for luxury too, with a massage room, sauna, gym and home theater -- plus there's a wine cellar (nothing but vintage, baby) and a guest house.

According to property records ... the home was sold for $3,265,000. The listing was held by Bonneau Ansley III, agent and owner of Ansley Real Estate.

As you know ... not long after T.I. and Tiny's home purchase, they came under scrutiny as several women across the country accused the couple of sexual abuse.

Lil Durk's older brother, OTF DThang, died this weekend ... TMZ has confirmed.

Cook County officials tell us Dontay Banks Jr. -- DThang's government name -- was found deceased on the 7900 block of S. Loomis Blvd. in Chicago, and has been assigned a case number. An autopsy still has to be done to figure out the cause and manner of death.

Reports say DThang was shot in the head outside of a nightclub and died on the spot ... citing alleged witnesses who say they saw the shooting go down.

DThang was a rapper himself ... but wasn't nearly as big as Durk is, who's blowing up right now. Still, he's got a string of songs out -- although it doesn't look like they ever collab'd.

This is just the latest tragedy to strike Durk's inner circle -- he's lost a handful of friends and loved ones over the years ... including, famously, the death of his labelmate King Von ... who was shot and killed last year. A producer he worked closely with named Turn Me Up Josh also died just last week ... something Durk himself commemorated with a post.

Durk hasn't commented on his brother's passing yet, but condolences have been pouring in all over social media. DThang was 32.

French Montana is pulling a LeBron James, of sorts, with his latest gig -- getting in front of the camera for an acting role ... in which he's set to play a fictionalized version of himself.

The NY rapper was spotted on set Friday at the Hyatt hotel in NOLA, filming a new flick in the works right now called "National Champions" -- a college sports drama that has an all-star cast and is presumably due out sometime next year, as they're currently in production.

Check out these photos of French that we obtained ... the dude is behind a piano next to media personality, Andrew Bachelor (AKA King Bach), who's giving him a high five as French plays. Bachelor is also cast in the movie -- one of several famous faces who'll be in the movie, alongside folks like J.K. Simmons, Stephan James, Timothy Olyphant and others.

As you can see, there's a ton of crew members standing around as well, all wearing masks. Production sources tell TMZ that hotel guests who happened to be nearby while cameras were rolling were pretty surprised to see French there ... and in acting mode, no less.

Ya might think it's easy to act as yourself for a movie -- but just look at LBJ (who famously did it for 2015's "Trainwreck") ... and you'll see there's a lot of room to flex one's chops.

Anyway, if French is any good here ... you gotta wonder if this might be a whole new lane he wants to explore. If so, he certainly wouldn't be the first rapper to give acting a go ... there's a long list of those who've come before him, some of whom have had major success.