TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

5:45 PM PT -- "CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source. CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested."

5:40 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "Our written and oral communications with CNN’s counsel were clear - they destroyed the original video file they received from their source."

Bombshell in the Diddy prosecution ... CNN destroyed the only known copy of the 2016 video in which Diddy is seen beating Cassie in the hallway of an L.A. hotel ... this according to new court documents.

Diddy's defense team and prosecutors filed a joint letter about evidence in the case. According to the defense ... CNN purchased the video showing Diddy attacking Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. The letter claims "CNN purchased the only known copy of the Hotel's surveillance footage, uploaded that footage into a free editing software, altered the video and then destroyed the original footage, even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation."

The defense claims CNN altered and edited the footage by "covering the time stamp and then changing the video sequence. It also includes speeding up the video to make it falsely appear that the actions in the video are taking place faster than they are. As a result, the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question."

5:40 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "Our written and oral communications with CNN’s counsel were clear - they destroyed the original video file they received from their source."

CNN is vehemently denying claims by Diddy's legal team that the cable news network altered footage of him beating Cassie in a hotel hallway and then destroyed the only known copy of the video.

A spokesperson for CNN tells TMZ ... "CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source. CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested."

We broke the story ... Diddy's defense team claimed Thursday in new court docs that CNN purchased the video showing Diddy attacking Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in L.A.

Diddy and federal prosecutors are at odds over the jury selection process for his upcoming criminal trial ... and his defense team wants to cast a wide net.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Diddy's legal squad wants to begin jury selection on May 5 ... and they want to pick from a massive pool of 600 jurors.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, want to get started with jury selection next month ... proposing an April 21 start date, which Diddy's camp is balking at because they want more time to prepare his defense.

Flavor Flav says it was a thrill to be on "The Masked Singer" ... but, he thinks the show's producers gave him up too early -- and, he had at least one song he really wanted to do.

We caught up with the rapper in Los Angeles Wednesday ... and, we had to ask him about his run on the hit competition singing show after he was unmasked as "Space Ranger" in this week's episode.

In case you haven't seen it ... Flav took his mask off after singing "Cleanin' Up the Town" on "Ghostbusters" night -- his second song of the season after he belted out "Bad Blood" the previous week.

5:40 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "Our written and oral communications with CNN’s counsel were clear - they destroyed the original video file they received from their source."

Cassie Ventura's lawyer is calling BS on Diddy's claim that the video of him beating her up in a hotel hallway is edited ... and, her attorney says he's sure the footage will be admitted into evidence.

Douglas Wigdor tells TMZ ... it's not surprising Diddy "would make a disingenuous argument to exclude the disturbing video from being shown to the jury in the upcoming trial."

Cassie's attorney adds ... "I am confident that the video fairly and accurately represents what happened, will be admitted into evidence" ... and Diddy "will be held accountable for his depravity."

Playboi Carti's long-delayed "I Am Music" album is set to drop on Friday and DJ Akademiks is hinting that Kendrick Lamar used his feature to go after Drake!!!

Ak was locked into his chat last night after Carti called him and played him his "I Am Music" album in its entirety!!!

He couldn't contain his excitement, and he let out a few spoilers ... Lil Uzi Vert, Justin Bieber, XXXTentacion and a double dose of Kendrick Lamar are all featured on Carti's album!!!

Former En Vogue and Lucy Pearl singer Dawn Robinson says she's been homeless for 3 years -- and her ex-husband is offering her an olive branch ... in the form of a job in the hospitality industry!!!

Andre Allen was married to Dawn from 2003 to 2010, and while their union ended in disaster, he tells TMZ Hip Hop he doesn't want to see her crash out ... and thinks she'd be a perfect inclusion into the Hilton Brands.

Andre says he orchestrated Dawn's short-lived reunion with En Vogue before things shuttered for good, but he tells us leaving the music industry actually saved his life, and finances.

Jay-Z's Jane Doe accuser says don't believe that recording Jay's private investigators made of her allegedly retracting her rape allegation, because she's claiming the 2 P.I.s flat-out lied in their declarations to the court.

One day after Jay's attorneys released portions of the recorded convo they had with the accuser, she's filed new declarations ... telling the judge Charlotte Henderson and James Butler shocked her when they showed up, uninvited, at the door of her Alabama home.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Doe says she was not in any way "calm, natural, or at ease" and "trembled the entire time we spoke" -- totally contrary to how Henderson and Butler described Doe's behavior during the interaction.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's Florida mansion was crawling with law enforcement Wednesday ... federal officers and local police raided his home -- and the rapper claims they seized firearms and drugs, though he says he's done nothing wrong.

Tekashi tells TMZ ... the feds and local cops rushed the house Wednesday morning and kept him in handcuffs from 9 AM to 3 PM while they searched the place.

6ix9ine says law enforcement took DNA samples from him and turned his house upside down in search of something. He says they confiscated guns and drugs and want to see if his DNA is on the items recovered.

Tank is the newest bright-eyed star on Broadway with his new role in Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen" and he's learning and respecting everything about the process ... including the ticket prices!!!

We spoke to Tank ahead of his big debut in 'HK' about the growing outrage in the NYC area ... Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal's "Othello" going rate of nearly $1K per ticket!!!

It's no different than their box office draw as movie titans ... Tank says both Denzel and Jake have earned the right to charge what they want, but audiences should still budget reasonably to partake in the theater arts!!!

Dawn Robinson, the leading voice for R&B powerhouses En Vogue, Lucy Pearl, and even Dr. Dre's Firm supergroup at one point, is cleaning out her closet ... revealing she's been homeless, sleeping in her car for nearly 3 years.

The brave and shocking revelation came on Dawn's YouTube channel in a vid titled, "YOUR NEW LIFE IS IN THE SCARY 🫣" ... her channel sat dormant for a year and 6 months before Tuesday.

Dawn explains she fell on hard times during the pandemic and had been staying with her parents in Vegas before that situation fizzled.

The WNBA could be adding a bit of mom's spaghetti flavor to it in the near future ... TMZ Sports has learned Eminem is currently in talks to join a bid for an expansion team.

A spokesperson for the legendary rapper tells us ... Marshall has had some preliminary discussions about securing a spot in an ownership group that's trying to bring the W back to Detroit.

So far, we're told he hasn't officially signed on just yet ... although, he does apparently have some big interest.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s mother, Voletta Wallace, was laid to rest Wednesday in the same funeral home as her rap phenomenon son was over 28 years ago.

Dozens of mourners flocked into the Frank Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan ... Biggie's widow, Faith Evans, was there, and Lil Kim, Mase, Diddy's son Christian Combs, and Ms. Wallace's grandchildren T'yanna and CJ were among the famous faces in attendance.

Jay-Z's mother, Gloria Carter, was also spotted paying her respects to Ms. Wallace, as was Voletta's great-granddaughter.

50 Cent isn't calling Rick Ross' inclusion on Bow Wow's "Millennium" tour a win like everyone else ... he suspects "The Boss" simply can't sell tickets to his own shows now!!!

The G-Unit rap star didn't waste the opportunity to throw digs at Ross and Big Meech in a since-deleted Instagram post roast.

The tour began last week on March 7 and 50 called out Ross for slipping through the cracks ... "HE not a surprise guest he can't sell a ticket. LOL," 50 wrote, causing Uncle Murda and Nate Dogg's son NHale to burst out laughing in the post.

The judge in Wendy Williams' guardianship case is fed up with Wendy's "behavior" ... and wants her moved to another facility ... presumably with even tighter restrictions.

TMZ is privy to an email Judge Lisa Sokoloff fired off to Wendy's lawyer ... and the judge is having trouble hiding her contempt for the former talk show host. The judge references a prior hearing in which she ordered that Wendy be moved to a new facility.

Apparently Wendy's lawyer fired back saying it would be wrong to move her to an even more restrictive facility than where she is right now -- a residential facility called Coterie. The judge wrote in the email ... "I have always contended that [Wendy] will be given the independence she can handle. I question how well she has handled the independence she has been given."

SZA's "S.O.S." album legacy is being aligned with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" -- and the award-winning singer/songwriter cannot find the words, for once!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with SZA outside "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday, fresh on the heels of her and the late King of Pop sharing the record for the longest-running Top 10 album by a Black artist on the Billboard 200 chart.

MJ's music didn't get boosted from the streaming era, but "S.O.S." is barely 2 years old and has accomplished such a feat ... classic albums win differently as the generations change!!!