TMZ Hip Hop - Page 5

J Balvin says a language barrier won’t stop Bad Bunny from dominating the Super Bowl halftime show -- pointing to his own love of hip-hop as proof!

The Latin superstar clearly thinks the language concerns are way overblown ... telling TMZ Sports how his own musical upbringing proves great music doesn’t need translation.

“I learned and grew up listening to hip-hop," he said. "I didn’t know what they were saying. I would just vibe with it.”

We caught up with Balvin outside the Fanatics luncheon on Friday in San Francisco ... when we asked for his reaction to all the chatter surrounding his pal Benito's SBLX headlining gig.

Lil Jon's late son, Nathan Smith AKA DJ Young Slade, praised the rapper for being a present and heavily involved father in a heartbreaking resurfaced interview from nearly 1 year before his death.

Check out his March 2025 interview with the nonprofit organization 360 Baseline -- he looked thrilled to confirm Lil Jon was "always showing up" for him, even turning down gigs to be present for his birthday when he was a kid. He added that he never had to worry about his father falling into the stereotype of being an absent black father "because he was always there."

Nathan was pronounced dead Friday afternoon ... just days after he went missing from his home in Georgia. Authorities began the search for him Tuesday, and unfortunately, found him in a pond near his residence.

6:53 PM PT -- The Fulton County Medical Examiner tells TMZ ... Nathan's cause and manner of death are currently undetermined.

DJ Young Slade -- Lil Jon's son -- has died ... his father announced in a statement Friday.

Lil Jon tells TMZ ... "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother, Nicole Smith, and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted -- he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest."

Jon said, "He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and graduate of NYU. We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together we're comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him."

Jon thanked the Milton Police Department for their help searching for his son.

Nathan was reported missing on Tuesday this week ... earlier today, searchers pulled a body from a pond in the area. Police said there was no indication of foul play. Milton, Georgia is about 30 miles north of Atlanta.

Nathan Smith was 27.

12:42 PM PT -- Lil Jon announced his son DJ Young Slade has died.

Lil Jon tells TMZ ... "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother, Nicole Smith, and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted -- he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest."

Police announced a body has been located in the search for DJ Young Slade -- Lil Jon's son who was reported missing in Georgia this week -- and they believe it's him ... TMZ has learned.

Milton Police said Cherokee County Fire Dept. personnel pulled a body from a pond where they'd been searching for Slade -- legal name Nathan Murray Smith -- Friday morning. That person is believed to be Nathan Smith, police said. The Fulton County Medical Examiner is working to confirm identification and cause of death. Police said there was no indication of foul play, but the investigation is ongoing.

Video captured divers searching a pond near the family's estate in Milton, Georgia ... ultimately pulling a body from the water.

As we told you ... the Milton Police Department put out a missing person alert for Nathan Tuesday after the department said he dashed from his home barefoot. Milton is about 30 miles north of Atlanta.

GloRilla's made a point of showing off how she's provided for her family over the years ... but her sister, Scar Face Woods, is calling her out, telling us the rapper's left her loved ones high and dry!

Scar Face joined us on "TMZ Live" and spoke her mind about what she calls GloRilla's unwillingness to help out the family she struggled with before her rise to stardom. The rapper's shown off flashy gifts she's bought for her parents in the past -- like a Jaguar for her retiring dad last year ... which Scar disputes ever happened!

Scar Face told us GloRilla -- born Gloria Woods -- has an obligation to break off a chunk of change for her family every now and then ... but Scar says Glo's focused on paying the way for a few of her close friends, while their mom busts her butt working at FedEx -- even after Glo's claimed she helped her parents retire.

Christopher "Kid" Reid must really have a new lease on life ... because he underwent a heart transplant.

The actor revealed the big news during Thursday's episode of "Good Morning America," and he told Michael Strahan he initially brushed off symptoms of heart failure ... and chalked them up to stress from years of living on the road.

The 61-year-old recalled feeling "a little more fatigued than before," along with some "shortness of breath" and he noticed he was "sleeping a lot more than normal" ... all of which he dismissed at first.

Reid's symptoms got worse last summer, and he checked himself into a hospital -- where he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can't pump enough blood to supply the rest of the body, according to the Cleveland Clinic -- and it's worth noting the condition can be fatal.

Reid was then told he'd have to undergo a heart transplant, and his surgeon, Dr. Laura DiChiacchio, said Reid was dealing with "a life-or-death situation."

Reid's medical team found him a new heart in nine days, and successfully transplanted it in a late-night surgery. It's unclear exactly when the surgery took place ... but he's now recovering.

Fab Morvan, of Milli Vanilli fame, says he spent years being scapegoated by the music industry ... but his new Grammy nomination may have given his career new life in America.

We caught up with Fab in L.A. nearly 36 years after the 1990 lip-syncing scandal, which led to the Recording Academy revoking Milli Vanilli's Best New Artist prize. But on Sunday, Fab made his triumphant return to the award show as a nominee!

He told us, "My wings were clipped. I guess they reattached this weekend. The best is yet to come."

Cardi B might be gearing up to crash the biggest stage in sports -- if you listen to oddsmakers!!!

The superstar rapper is currently the betting favorite to make a surprise cameo during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show … with oddsmakers putting her ahead of every other rumored guest.

If anyone’s grabbing a mic next to Benito on Sunday, bettors think it’s going to be Cardi.

She’s listed at -200 odds (risk $200 to win $100) to make a special guest appearance, according to BetOnline. Other favorites include Rauw Alejandra (+125, risk $100 to win $125), Karol G (+125) and Marc Anthony (+200) … while Travis Scott (+400), Jennifer Lopez (+500) and Rosalia (+600) are seen as longshots.

SZA and Shaboozey are not dating, TMZ has learned ... despite persistent rumors linking the two artists.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the pair have never been romantically involved, and reports suggesting a past or present relationship are flat-out false. While the two are friendly, we're told their relationship has always been platonic, with no dating history whatsoever.

The rumors first gained traction in 2025, beginning in May after fans speculated about a possible interaction at the American Music Awards, then flaring up again in September when Shaboozey posted and deleted an Instagram photo dump that included a video of SZA. Speculation intensified days later after a “Goodbye Horses” post featured a woman from behind fans believed was SZA.

8:59 AM PT -- A rep for Lil Jon tells TMZ ... "The family is asking for privacy at this time. We are also asking for continued prayers for Nathan to come home safe. Thank you"

Lil Jon is dealing with a scary situation right now ... his son, DJ Young Slade, has been reported missing in Georgia.

The Milton Police Department put out a missing persons alert Tuesday, saying 27-year-old Slade -- legal name Nathan Murray Smith -- ran out of his home on foot and hasn’t been seen since ... adding he doesn’t have a phone, he may be disoriented, and he could be in need of help.

Local outlet Rough Draft Atlanta reported there was "an active police matter" unfolding in Mayfield Park in Milton, about 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta.

Snoop Dogg was blazin' up in Gallarate, Italy today ... but not like that! He's an official  torchbearer for the Olympic Winter Games!

Check out the clip ... Snoop is clearly living his best life, dancing to his and Dr. Dre's classic "The Next Episode" as he represented the U.S. abroad Wednesday.

If he seems relaxed carrying out such a huge honor, it might be because he's had some experience. The rapper also did the honors at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The NLE Choppa & Blueface drama just reached an all-time low ... Choppa is now dragging their children into the beef!

In a new video, Choppa turns down Blueface's recent offer to fight him ... Choppa actually challenged Blueface first back in 2024 -- but now Choppa says he doesn't want to help Blueface get paid.

So instead, Choppa goes after Blueface's 2-year-old son, Chrisean Jr., who is rumored to have developmental issues. Blueface has denied those rumors ... but that didn't stop Choppa from going in on the toddler.

Nicki Minaj says she's got no problem with transgender people, as long as they're adults ... but minors are a different story.

TMZ obtained a clip from Nicki's interview with Katie Miller ... and Nicki explains her thoughts on trans folks.

In a nutshell, Nicki says adults can do whatever they want with their bodies -- more power to them -- but she says it's a different ballgame when kids are seeking out gender-affirming surgeries.

Jason Lee is right there with the masses ... furious over Nicki Minaj riling up the LGBTQ+ community, and he says it all boils down to one thing -- d***.

TMZ caught up with the "Hollywood Unlocked" boss in West Hollywood Monday, and he didn’t mince words ... saying Nicki claiming Chrissy Teigen has a d*** just proves she’s weirdly obsessed with penises -- pointing out she recently called Don Lemon a "c***sucker" on a podcast.

Watch the clip, 'cause Jason goes further, arguing Nicki’s fixation is flat-out embarrassing for the culture ... especially when it comes to her disregard for the LGBTQ+ community.

Stefon Diggs was asked straight-up if he plans on proposing to Cardi B ... and he admitted an engagement is "maybe" on the table -- but he's got a different ring on his mind first.

The New England Patriots star took part in Opening Night at the Super Bowl on Monday ... and one reporter (it just so happened to be comedian Funny Marco) applied pressure on whether he intends to marry the "WAP" artist after he handles business on Feb. 8 against the Seattle Seahawks.

"It's on the agenda maybe," Diggs said with a smile. "Right? Right? I gotta get mine first, though."

Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner aren't together anymore, but she still lives rent-free in his music ... at least judging by a new song lyric that mentions Kylie's exact boob size.

In a feature on Don Toliver's new track "Rosary," Travis raps, "She look at me like Scotty, man, that S on my chest / Forty-four five C, the way they sit, I need to test".

Those measurements match exactly what Kylie shared as the boob size she got when she went under the knife.