TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West knows a business opportunity when he sees one -- which is why it looks like he's jumping into the face mask game ... and slapping his new name on it, front and center.

The rapper/producer/designer's company filed legal docs to trademark the "Ye" for use on "sanitary masks for protection against viral infection." However, it sounds like these might be slightly more stylish than the blue medical masks ya find at CVS.

In the docs, there's also a reference to branding "fashion masks" with the same moniker -- and knowing Kanye ... they'll likely be elaborate, and chock-full of the Yeezy aesthetic.

We've seen a lot of Kanye lately in varying types of masks, but more recently, they've looked like they were part of a Halloween costume.

The news comes on the heels of the guy legally changing his name to Ye ... sans any last name or anything else. A judge recently signed off on his request -- which means Kanye Omari West is now a thing of the past ... even though folks will probably continue to call him that.

Goodbye, Kanye Omari West ... hello, Ye.

Kanye's name change is official, a judge just signed off on the mogul's petition to officially change his legal name to "Ye" ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ. Ye won't have a middle or last name either, just straight to the point.

The judge's approval comes just under two months after we first reported on Kanye filing legal docs in Los Angeles asking a court to give him a new moniker.

He's gone by "Ye" as a nickname for years and years now ... but now the shortened version of the name that's on his birth certificate is what Uncle Sam, and apparently everyone else, will be calling him going forward.

Kim still has "West" in her own surname ... even using it on her recent "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig ... so it will be interesting to see if she keeps it around as their divorce proceeds. However, our sources had previously told us she'll hang onto the name just like the couple's kids.

Drake might wanna reconsider the hatred he reportedly had for his 'Degrassi' character being in a wheelchair -- because lots of kids in wheelchairs actually felt validated thanks to his portrayal.

Madeline Robinson, executive director of Wheelchair 4 Kids, tells TMZ ... she hopes the rapper knows his role as Jimmy Brooks on 'Degrassi' really helped a lot of young people.

She says he actually made them kind of cool and, though he might not have known it, he instilled confidence and made their lives a little better. Robinson says Drake's character brought much-needed representation.

She explains ... kids in wheelchairs are often left out of things like getting invited to birthday parties or movies. She asked, "When was the last time you went to a mall and saw a kid in a wheelchair hanging out with other kids?" Sadly, she says it's rare.

ICYMI ... a writer of the Canadian teen drama show recently claimed Drake threatened to quit and took legal action against the show to get a rewrite, removing Jimmy's character from the wheelchair.

The writer claimed Drake made the demand because he worried it made him look soft. Jimmy was left paralyzed after a shooting, but ultimately underwent stem cell surgery ... allowing his character to stand with crutches in the season 7 finale.

It should be noted ... the show's writer also added that Drake relented and agreed that his character being in a wheelchair was a powerful moment on TV.

Kanye West showed up for a super-fancy wedding Saturday night and performed, although it's hard to know for sure because his face isn't visible!

Kanye was a guest at the wedding of D'Estree founder Geraldine Guiotte and Tiffany & Co EVP Alexander Arnault. The soiree went down in Venice, Italy. BTW ... he wasn't the only celeb on hand. Beyonce and Jay-Z were also there.

Ye performed "Runaway," wearing all Balenciaga ... with a mask that completely covered his face.

It appears from the vid Kanye was having a little trouble performing ... but hey, looking good is half the battle, right?

He also performed his hit, "Flashing Lights" at the party. You can see in video posted to Twitter how big of a crowd Ye was performing for. Looks like fun!

The reception was actually the couple's second. Their first was in July, so they clearly kept the party going. They've been together since 2019. FACT ... a couple that can stay together during a pandemic can make it through anything.

Jay-Z and Beyonce are saying au revoir to New Orleans with a fire sale, of sorts -- just months after their mansion there ignited, they're selling it.

The power couple is listing the 1925 pad, asking for $4,450,000. The 13,292 square foot pad has 7-bedrooms, 8-bathrooms and was originally a Presbyterian church. It's since been retrofitted to not only house the rich and famous, but also hold special events.

Nestled in NOLA's Historic Garden District -- and just steps from the main Mardi Gras parade route -- the home's hosted weddings, salons and major recording stars and corporate execs.

It's easy to see why the rapper and singer loved this place ... the mansion's acoustics are unparalleled. According to the listing ... a Grammy winner once said, "I did my best writing ever, while watching the sunset from the rooftop garden!" The listing doesn't reveal who said that, but it easily could have been Jay or Bey.

In any event, the 3-story building with 26-foot ceilings features Spanish baroque architecture. The building itself is divided into one main residence with 3 apartments that are each approximately 1,000-square-feet.

One big bonus ... the house will be painted to the new owner's liking prior to the deal closing.

The listing comes nearly 3 months after the mansion caught on fire. The blaze lasted a little over 2 hours, and it was classified as simple arson.

Cardi B has a surprising ally in her corner ... it's the GOP, which is encouraging her NOT to be intimidated by cancel culture and continue talking politics.

Paris Dennard, a National GOP spokesman, tells TMZ ... the "I Like It" rapper should continue talking politics because if she stops, young people will see this and also become scared to express themselves for fear of backlash from democrats and republicans alike.

It's surprising ... Dennard says Cardi shouldn't be fazed by sharing opinions about politics/social issues that line up with democrats ... or the people she's standing up for.

ICYMI ... Cardi tweeted Thursday she'd refrain from sharing her political views because she was "tired of getting bullied by the republicans and also getting bashed by the same people I was standing up for."

Dennard makes it crystal clear ... with Cardi having a massive platform, any political statement could trigger backlash from both sides. He insists ... any of that shouldn't silence her because having an influencer like herself sets an example for others, particularly with young people.

He says it's important for Cardi -- who interviewed President Joe Biden and trash-talked former prez Donald Trump with Sen. Bernie Sanders -- to be a free thinker. What's more ... Dennard says having polarizing views doesn't necessarily mean getting canceled.

He points out some prime examples like Kanye West and Lil Wayne ... just some of the rappers who supported Trump. Dennard also points to Nicki Minaj ... whose COVID-19 vaccine claims riled up social media, but she came away mostly unscathed.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Drake get your head out of the game! Take a real close look at these back-to-back photos and see if you can score any of the sneaky switches!

The rapper was cheering on the Toronto Raptors during their preseason game against the Houston Rockets in Canada last week ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Take this one straight to the hoop and see if you have what it takes to slam dunk the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Adele's new single's already getting some of the best possible pub -- and so is she -- thanks to one of her besties ... this dude Drake.

As you may know ... this is the singer's first new music after a 6-year absence, and after dropping her single "Easy on Me" Thursday, Drake gave it a shout-out ... along with some surprising insight about their relationship.

Champagne Papi posted a photo of Adele on his IG story and wrote, "One of my best friends in the world just dropped a single" ... while adding a smile emoji, hearts and "WOIIIIIII" to show his awe for it.

Now, we've known Adele and Drake are friends for awhile now -- you'll recall she attended his birthday party in 2019 after her divorce -- but it's a bit of a surprise they are in the BFF zone.

But, perhaps we should have known, because back then Drake also shared a photo of himself with Adele along with a caption about "unbreakable bonds I have in my life from incredible people."

Anyway, Adele's new song is the first release from her upcoming fourth studio album, "30." As we reported ... she gave her fans a sneak peek of the song last weekend during her first-ever Instagram Live, and yes -- she's still got it.

Tyga's dodging cancel culture -- at least to this point, because TMZ's learned he has NOT been yanked off the Rolling Loud CA lineup on the heels of his domestic violence arrest.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Rolling Loud is not pulling the "Rack City" rapper from his scheduled performance in December. The festival's position is noteworthy when you consider several music festivals were quick to remove DaBaby earlier this year, following his homophobic rant at Rolling Loud Miami.

In fact, Tyga was on a stage Thursday night at a club in Orange County ... just 2 days after LAPD booked him for felony domestic violence.

Our sources say Tyga felt he had an obligation to perform the club gig, and had a bunch of friends and family members on hand to support him. We're also told Tyga will continue to show up where he's slated to perform and hold his head high despite the allegations.

As we reported ... he voluntarily turned himself in to the LAPD following allegations his ex-GF, Camaryn Swanson, made against the rapper. Swanson claimed he roughed her up during a dispute at his house earlier this week.

Sources close to Tyga say Camaryn showed up at his house around 3 AM Monday and acted belligerent at the door -- but after Tyga let her inside, things allegedly turned physical.

Camaryn filed a police report, claiming Tyga struck her, and she later posted video showing her alleged injuries. A rep for Tyga tells us, "The allegations you have been reading about our client the past few days are false and will be disproven."

Jay-Z must have been feeling it after showing off his new movie, because he hopped on the mic and threw down ... on a classic track he did with Kanye.

The hip-hop mogul put on an apparently impromptu show Wednesday night at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium following a screening of "The Harder They Fall" ... a Western with a mostly Black cast that he produced.

Jay held a celebration event after the film, and gave a rare live performance with the band ... spitting some lyrics from "Gotta Have It," from his 2011 collab album "Watch the Throne" with Ye.

It's just another sign things are cool again between the legendary rappers ... on the heels of Jay surprisingly featuring on "Jail" from West's "Donda" album.

"The Harder They Fall" party only kept elevating, as Seal also joined the band and showed off his pipes ... and everyone appeared to be loving it.

Some of the other celebs in attendance included Regina King -- who stars in the movie -- Tiffany Haddish and Swizz Beatz.

Cardi B's birthday gift from Offset really shows how $1.5 million goes a lot further in the Caribbean than it does in Hollywood ... check out this pad!!!

As we told you ... Cardi's hubby unveiled his present to her at her 29th birthday bash earlier this week -- a sweet chunk of real estate in the Dominican Republic -- but now we're getting a first look inside, and it has awesome ocean views.

The newly constructed, luxurious villa has 7 beds, 7 baths and 8,000-sq.-ft of living space ... sitting on a 4-acre hillside lot right near the beach.

As you can see ... the 4-story mansion features not one, but 2 main entrances, an Italian kitchen, wine fridge, rooftop pool and a separate studio with a kitchen and living room.

The property's also inside a guarded and gated private community that boasts 3 tennis courts, private beach access, 2 more pools and, of course, a helipad!!! Gotta beat that tourist traffic.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are way further along in their divorce proceedings than we thought, because their most valuable asset is already signed, sealed and delivered to Kim at a price of $20 million.

According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Kim is now the sole owner of the Hidden Hills estate ... Kanye signed over his rights to the property and the transfer was recorded with the County of L.A. on Sept. 28.

This is really significant, because there have been rumblings Kim and Kanye have been trying to salvage their marriage. If that were the case, it's doubtful huge assets like the family home would be formally transferred. What would normally happen is that they'd make an agreement to transfer various properties, but they wouldn't pull the trigger until they knew the divorce would go through.

This is a screaming signal there will be no reconciliation. The divorce is full steam ahead. In return for becoming sole owner of the Hidden Hills estate, Kim paid Kanye $20 million -- that's the so-called "buy out." Fact is ... Kim did well for herself, because that's the price they paid in 2014, before Kanye literally razed the house to the ground and rebuilt it, and it's now worth around $60 mil.

The home is a masterpiece, Kanye worked with architects and designers from around the world to finish it ... complete with a basketball court, detached gym, massive swimming pool ... and 2 kitchens!

Kim and the kids have remained in the home since February when she filed for divorce, and our sources say the home is the most important part of the property settlement for Kim.

So, the question ... what was the deal with Kim and Kanye hanging out, Kim attending the various "Donda" listening party events, Kanye showing up for 'SNL,' and on and on? Well, whether they tried to work it out, it seems that's in the rearview because the divorce is barreling down the tracks.

Tyga is voluntarily turning himself in to LAPD to face allegation he got physical with his ex-girlfriend -- who's posted images of her alleged injuries ... and we're told it's possible he could be hit with a felony.

TMZ broke story ... the rapper was planning to have a sit down with cops Tuesday morning to explain his side of the story after Camaryn Swanson accused him of roughing her up during an early Monday morning dispute at his house.

We're told Tyga's decided to turn himself in, and a charge of felony domestic violence is on the table.

We got Tyga, who wasn't willing to chat, on his way inside the station ... he refused to answer any questions about what happened.

As we first reported, sources close to Tyga say Camaryn showed up at his house around 3 AM and started acting belligerent at the door. We're told Tyga let her inside and the yelling continued.

As for what happened next? Camaryn claims he hit her and says she has bruises to prove it, while also saying she's prepared to stand up for herself.

The cops also saw what she's showing off -- apparent visible marks on her face -- and they took a report over it. Officers tried to talk to Tyga at his house on Monday, but he refused.

Now, though, he's facing the music ... and might end up having to answer for this in court.

Too Short is circling back to apologize for a convo he had with Saweetie that made a lot of people accuse him of being a colorist, and in addition ... he's adding context to his remarks.

The Bay Area hip-hop icon tells TMZ ... he's sorry if he offended anyone with his words from 2020 during an IG Live chat between Saweetie and himself -- noting it wasn't his intention to come off favoring lighter-skinned Black people over darker-skinned folks.

You'll recall ... Short Dog told Saweetie he loved interracial relationships, and had actually only fallen in love with mixed women. He didn't say he wasn't into non-mixed Black women, per se, but many made that leap ... and claimed his remark was anti-Black.

Well, TS is here to set the record straight ... further explaining what he was touching on in his OG comments -- namely, that the Bay Area is very diverse and that race simply isn't at the forefront of many folks' minds there ... be it for hate, division or anything else.

There's another point from his Saweetie talk that he clears up with us as well ... saying beauty -- and ugliness, for that matter -- is found in ALL walks of life, regardless of skin tone or shade.

Important to say, because initially ... it sounded like he was implying only mixed babies come out looking gorgeous -- as opposed to, perhaps, Black infants or any other race of babies. That's not the case, though, as Too Short says here in clear terms.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye appeared to have possibly reconciled in recent weeks, to the point where lots of folks thought the divorce would be called off, but new docs clearly show that's not the case ... Kim is going to walk away with the massive Hidden Hills Estate she and Kanye shared together.

According to court docs filed Tuesday, Kim will get the $60 million home -- where she and her kids have stayed ever since she filed divorce docs in February. We're told the former couple negotiated a buyout price for the home that was essentially rebuilt from the ground up.

Kim getting the home is significant, as most of the construction and design was spearheaded by Kanye. He worked with famed architects like Axel Vervoordt over several years ... at one point even purchasing the property next door to expand their domain.

We're told negotiations on the home were extremely cordial between Kim and Kanye, she's essentially paying cash to even things out between them

BTW ... they bought the property in 2014 for $20 million, so Kanye's handiwork in rebuilding the home paid off bigtime.

Cardi B was bumpin' and grindin' all over her man at her 29th birthday party, and then he paid her back ... with a new home!!!

Offset revealed Cardi's bday present in the middle of her star-studded party Monday night at L.A. River Studios -- he bought her a house ... with a damn pool on the roof.

The Migos rapper got on the mic and unveiled his gift with a video presentation, saying he wanted to get her something extra special after the big year they just had ... including the birth of their son last month.

It sounds like Cardi's new crib is in the Dominican Republic -- her family's homeland -- and it looks like Offset found a nice, secluded spot surrounded by palm trees.

Cardi's party was rocking all night, with a Caribbean "dancehall" theme that had everyone in attendance movin'. Just some of the big names celebrating with them included Tiffany Haddish, Teyana Taylor, 2 Chainz, Lizzo, Snoop Dogg, Taraji P. Henson, Chance the Rapper, Winnie Harlow, Karrueche Tran, PnB Rock, Anitta, Larsa Pippen and Trey Songz.

The dinner menu was also straight outta the islands -- jerk chicken, oxtail, rice and plantains to go with all the tequila and vodka cocktails.