TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Hit-Boy's facing steep competition, but likes his chances to snag "Producer of the Year" at the upcoming Grammy Awards, because he says he's put in enough work to bring it home, baby!!!

We caught up with the newly nominated HB out in West Hollywood to chat about his potentially big moment, and his competition. Jack Antonoff, Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, Daniel Nigro and Metro Boomin -- who Hit called out early this year -- are his fellow nominees.

HB tells us he thinks his recent spree of accolades should secure him the win, but also won't be totally crushed if he doesn't win. This isn't his first rodeo; he's earned more than a dozen noms with just 3 wins, so he knows how the game is played.

If it is his name in the envelope this year, Hit-Boy says his entire speech will be freestyled, and he's advising anyone he forgets to just catch him on IG!!!

The Surf Club captain did have quite the productive year -- he and Nas banged out 3 albums (their "King's Disease III," which technically came out in 2022, is up for Best Rap Album) and he even helped his dad release his debut project right after he was sprung from a lengthy prison bid.

The guy who used to head up Diddy's security operation seems to be addressing at least one of Cassie's allegations of abuse -- this after being directly named in her bombshell suit.

Roger Bonds -- who worked for Diddy for years, and who's been pictured with both Diddy and Cassie at different events dating back at least a decade -- took to Instagram this weekend to speak out on Cassie's claims ... but he did so somewhat cryptically.

He writes, "This is not meant to be threats or snitching or anything like that against Cassie or Diddy or anyone else. this is me telling my truth as I truly remember it for 2 reasons only."

RB adds, "1st because I have 4 daughters so on all dudes my truth as I seen it, saw it and was involved with it for yrs." His accompanying caption to this since-deleted post -- which includes lots of shots with him and Cassie in public -- reads, "IM WILLING TO TELL MY TEUTH BECAUSE FOR SO MANY YRS I WAS QUIET , Nothing matters now but FAMILY."

Now, as far as what Bonds is actually referring to here ... well, it would appear to be a certain section of Cassie's lawsuit -- which, again, was settled and officially dismissed.

In her court docs, Cassie name-dropped Bonds as a witness to an alleged assault she says she suffered at the hands of Diddy in 2009 -- when she claims he beat her after learning she was talking to another music manager at a club in L.A. Cassie claimed Diddy was stomping on her in the car afterward, and alleges Bonds even tried to intervene to stop his boss.

Unclear if Bonds plans to say more beyond what he did in these IG posts of his ... on its face, it's a bit unclear what exactly he's even revealing (if anything) -- but it does seem like he's, perhaps, lending credence to this alleged anecdote Cassie detailed.

We've been trying to figure out when Bonds left Diddy's orbit and under what circumstances -- but at first glance, this isn't a great look for Puff ... who's already been sued for alleged sexual abuse twice more after Cassie's lawsuit. Basically, the fallout for him continues.

No Biggie, but you can snatch up a piece of hip hop history with signed fingerprint cards from the arrests of rap's greatest icons ... which are now up for sale.

Momentsintime.com -- one of the nation’s leading autograph dealers -- has listed two unique pieces of music memorabilia from rappers Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. ... earning its new owners some major street cred in exchange for a colossal $225,000 per item.

Check it out ... Tupac's fingerprint docs -- which list him under his real name, Lesane Parish Crooks -- stem from his 1995 arrest ... for which he served 9 months of his 1.5-year sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a female fan named Ayanna Jackson.

Meanwhile, Biggie also makes history with his arrest fingerprint docs ... the first-ever piece you can snag of him signing off by his real name, Christopher Wallace.

With the '95 arrest season in full swing, Biggie was also booked then for a robbery and aggravated assault charge in Pennsylvania ... but the robbery charges were later dismissed.

Quavo's giving back and making sure it has a deep impact -- he's launched his Huncho Farms initiative this Thanksgiving to give families access to a whole garden and orchard!

The good people of Atlanta got a crash course in good taste this week when the Migos rapper's Quavo Cares org teamed up with Urban Recipe ... a nonprofit food bank based in the city.

Together with Chef Brown Catering, Quavo, his mom and Urban Recipe served more than 300 families from all corners of the ATL, and also created a cookbook derived from recipes used by the Atlanta Food Bank.

The recipes range from full-blown entrees such as brined turkey and chicken to nimble bites like homemade apple crisp. All the ingredients were sourced from Huncho Farms, which aims to boost the nutritional value of the everyday family's diet.

HandsOn Atlanta and Team Huncho Basketball also played a significant role in the Thanksgiving drive ... former NBA Slam Dunk champ and GA native Josh Smith was there loading up fresh food in gift bags.

Quavo's been focused on making a dent in societal issues ... he and the fam ventured to Washington D.C. and politicked with lawmakers about potential gun reform in memory of the late Takeoff.

Hip hop pioneer Rob Base is switching up the lyrics to his classic jam, "It Takes Two," for an undeniably great cause ... raising awareness for diabetes.

The proud NYC native recently partnered with 2 pharmaceutical giants, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company, to update his 1988 hit with lyrics like, "People with no symptoms to show, could have kidney disease -- and not know!!!"

According to research, more than 35 million American adults are suffering from chronic kidney disease, and up to 90% of them are totally unaware they're even affected. 😬

Rob famously earned his hip hop stripes operating as a duo alongside his trusted DJ E-Z Rock, who passed away from diabetic complications in 2014, when he was just 46.

Rob, now 56, and having lived through the loss of his friend and musical partner, is urging everyone not to wait for signs and get their kidneys tested immediately.

E-40 thinks everyone hating on Jaidyn Alexis' unconventional meals for Blueface should learn to eat with their tastebuds, not their eyes ... and be open to mixing and matching random foods.

TMZ Hip Hop picked up on a few kitchen tips in NYC from Mr. Fonzarelli outside Sei Less restaurant ... as he took us inside his cookbook, which he co-authored with Snoop Dogg.

Blueface's fiancee was dragged across internet coals for her goopy pasta and cheese dinner, but 40 says his book contains plenty of creative recipes -- how does a ground turkey and sausage stuffed mozzarella BBQ meatloaf dish sound for your holiday gathering???

40 describes the dishes as "ghetto elegant" ... a term he developed while cooking at an early age when there were much fewer ingredients available in his pantry.

He's combining his 2 loves -- food and music -- on his recently released 27th album, "Rule Of Thumb: Rule 1," which includes raps about his food situation as a kid ... "My household wasn't like the Cosbys/Grew up on spam, noodles, fried bologna."

Jack Harlow was responsible for Thanksgiving dinners going cold across the nation ... with the only thing drier than the turkey being his NFL halftime performance during the Lions-Packers game Thursday.

The rapper's six-minute-long set was blasted as "low-budget" after he failed to elicit any enthusiasm while performing tunes such as "First Class," "Tyler Herro" and "WHATS POPPIN" ... and many even took offense to his amateurish igloo-design backdrop.

"They said Jack Harlow's halftime performance set looked like it was from Frozen and I'm CRYING!!!" one viewer mocked ... while another joked the budget for his show was $49.99.

Others already nursing wounds over Detroit trailing 23-6 at the break went as far as to dub it "the worst performance ever" ... urging the 25-year-old to rethink accepting a similar halftime show offer in the future.

The ridicule didn't end there ... with country icon Dolly Parton heralded as a better performer at age 77 -- and others claiming Jack's show was the sole reason their Thanksgiving was ruined.

Hold on to your turkey leg ... because Chrisean Rock and Blueface are dishing each other a hefty serving of gratitude -- for now.

After months of trading disses, the notoriously tumultuous pair carved out their differences to spend Thanksgiving together ... munchin' away on all the festive favorites.

Her sister documented the reunion on IG ... showing Chrisean at Blueface's crib past 10 PM ... kicking back on his sofa gamin' as she FaceTimed her sis.

Chrisean -- who welcomed a son with BF in Sept. -- added that they called it a truce in honor of Thanksgiving ... writing on X: "I'm a nice Bm."

In tandem over on his X, BF claimed the "nice guy" title ... cueing collective eye-rolls and "here we go again" comments.

But they're just playing friendly exes for now ... with the rapper taking a break from his new fiancée Jaidyn Alexis' questionable culinary efforts to -- hopefully -- savor some real home cookin' with his baby mama.

As we've heavily reported ... the exes have been at war ... with Chrisean's parenting skills recently blasted by BF after their son's birth in Sep -- even accusing her of neglecting Jr.'s need for hernia surgery.

9:40 AM PT -- A spokesperson for Diddy tells TMZ ... "These are civil suits with fabricated claims of misconduct from over 30 years ago, which are nothing but a blatant money grab. Mr. Combs is being unfairly targeted by anonymous accusers who lie for financial gain. The New York Legislature never intended the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited."

Diddy has been sued a third time for alleged sexual assault and this time a third person is allegedly involved.

The new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, was filed anonymously -- by a Jane Doe -- who claims Diddy and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall took turns raping her and one of her friends, either in 1990 or 1991.

The lawsuit alleges the woman and her friend met Diddy at a record event, and Diddy and Hall began flirting with them, buying them drinks during the evening.

The woman claims Diddy and Hall took the woman to Hall's apartment, where she was offered more alcohol and then coerced into having sex with Diddy. She says she was traumatized, and then as she lay in the bed, Hall allegedly came in, pinned her down and raped her.

She says her friend was also raped by both men.

She says a few days later, Combs went to the woman's home and became enraged ... “He was irate and began assaulting and choking Jane Doe to the point that she passed out. Combs was searching for Jane Doe’s friend because he was worried that she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them.”

The New York lawsuit, first reported by Rolling Stone, claims she went to doctors and told her family and friends about what happened.

As you know, Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy last week, alleging, among other things, rape and human trafficking. The case settled the day after it was filed for an undisclosed amount.

As for the second lawsuit, a rep told us ... "This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson's 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more."

Kanye West does not appear estranged from wife Bianca Censori because they were partying in Dubai.

Check out the video of the two enjoying the shindig at Atlantis. Bianca is right there with Ye, seemingly having a good time.

There have been reports, Bianca's friends and family have convinced her Kanye had brainwashed her into becoming a wife robot, but she seems sanguine with the sitch.

Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign and other rappers were also at the party.

The Atlantis is the same hotel where Kanye's trainer, Harley Pasternak, had a run-in with him earlier this week. Kanye had said Harley was stalking him in Dubai, but our sources say that's BS.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Harley was staying at the hotel and Kanye noticed him and tried to give him a hug. Harley rebuffed the gesture, and Kanye got pissed and began recording him. A hotel manager asked Harley if he wanted security.

Diddy is being accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman on camera more than three decades ago in NYC ... but he says the claims are bogus.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal says she was a college student at Syracuse University in 1991 when she met Diddy. She says he took her on a date that quickly turned into a nightmare.

In her suit, the woman claims Diddy took her out for chicken and waffles in January 1991 at the Harlem restaurant where she worked, then drove her over to a recording studio.

The woman claims her legs felt rubbery and she couldn't stand when she tried getting out of Diddy's car ... leading her to believe Diddy drugged her at some point during their meal.

In the suit, the woman claims after leaving the music studio that same evening Diddy drove her to a house, where she says he sexually assaulted her and secretly recorded it.

She's suing Diddy under New York's Adult Survivors Act, a law providing alleged victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file a civil lawsuit, even if the statute of limitations is up. Thursday marks the deadline to file such lawsuits, and that's when this suit was filed.

A spokesperson for Diddy tells TMZ ... "This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson's 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more."

The woman also accuses Diddy of showing the secretly recorded tape to scores of people ... claiming a musician once told her Diddy had shown the tape to "everyone."

The woman claims she fell into a "tailspin" after the alleged assault ... dropping out of Syracuse and being diagnosed with clinical depression.

11/24 8:54 AM PT -- Teyana's lawyer Tanya Mitchell Graham released a statement regarding the divorce saying, "Ms. Taylor has tried to resolve this matter amicably and privately in order to protect all parties involved, particularly the parties’ minor children.

"Ms. Taylor requests that the parties’ privacy be respected such that the parties and their minor children are not negatively impacted, and the parties’ divorce can be finalized."

11/23 10:34 AM PT -- Iman's lawyer, Stephen C. Steele tells TMZ, "Mr. Shumpert hopes parties and counsel can work toward a fair resolution, keeping the best interests of the children of paramount concern."

Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert are getting divorced ... she secretly moved to end their marriage nearly a year ago and claims he's been a jealous narcissist during their 7-year marriage.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Teyana filed to divorce the former NBA star way back in January ... more than 8 months before they announced a separation.

In the docs, Teyana details the demise of their marriage ... accusing Iman of being jealous about her fame and feeling insecure about being good enough for her, despite the fact he was earning way more playing basketball than she could ever dream of making in music.

Teyana claims Iman would grow annoyed when they would attend public events together, and photogs would ask for him to step out of frame.

She says when Iman signed a $40 million contract with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015, the same year he was also paid $8 million by the New York Knicks, he remained aggravated by her notoriety, jealous of her acting career and insecure about being her man.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Teyana wanted to keep this private as long as possible, initially choosing to file with their initials. However, Iman's recent filing in the divorce proceedings included full names, thus thrusting everything into the spotlight.

Teyana claims that's when Iman started sending her negative text messages with condescending and manipulative language in response to her being in the spotlight. She claims he would pick fights with her for no reason, even on her birthday, and then apologize.

In the docs, which Teyana filed in Georgia, she says she now feels Iman was "treating her cruelly and displaying extreme narcissistic behavior throughout the majority of their marriage."

She says she "began to intentionally dim her light for her husband to try to have a harmonious and peaceful marriage" as Iman "became more and more angry" about her stardom.

What's more, Teyana says she turned down recording opportunities and acting gigs because Iman "did not want her to work." But she says when she stopped working after giving birth to one of their kids, Iman complained about her not making money.

Teyana says she fought to keep their family together despite Iman "being extremely emotionally and mentally abusive towards her." She says she used her connections to get Iman gigs in Hollywood as his NBA career wound down, but says he "unfortunately insisted on bickering" to the point where in 2021 she began the divorce process.

She says they reconciled but it was short-lived because Iman "remained in an insecure state as his NBA career continued to wind down."

In the docs, Teyana says in 2022 she found herself being manipulated and controlled by Iman and filed for divorce ... only to ask her legal team to withdraw the filing one day later.

Teyana says she finally pulled the trigger in January because she was "unable to handle the emotional rollercoaster."

She claims Iman has been involved in multiple cheating scandals during their marriage and cites his DUI arrest and recalls the time in 2022 when he was arrested for weed possession in an airport. Teyana also alleges Iman once crashed her Rolls Royce and fled the scene to avoid a second DUI arrest.

Teyana says she tried to stay with Iman through thick and thin but says he "reacted with further cruel treatment and selfishness." After she secretly filed for divorce, she says Iman insisted on them getting back together only to be lackadaisical and inconsistent and become involved in another cheating scandal, which she says was embarrassing and humiliating.

As we reported ... Teyana announced their separation in September and said, "To be 1000% clear, 'infidelity' ain’t one of the reasons for our departure." Now, she says was just being graceful towards him.

Teyana says Iman left their family home in October and hasn't spent significant time with their 2 children since then. She's asking for temporary and permanent primary physical custody, plus joint legal custody and child support.

TMZ broke the story ... Teyana and Iman got hitched back in 2016, tying the knot while wearing biker jackets.

Now, she says their marriage is "irretrievably broken" ... which seems painfully obvious based on the litany of issues between them -- at least in her eyes.

We reached out to Iman's camp and a rep for Teyana ... so far no word back.

America's most famous prisoners are chowing down on turkey and gravy this Thanksgiving ... but Tory Lanez, Todd and Julie Chrisley are about to find out what R. Kelly already knows ... the bird is better at home.

TMZ obtained prison menus from across the country, where celebrity convicts are being treated to your typical Thanksgiving staples ... turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Here's a breakdown of their Turkey Day feasts:

Todd at Florida's FPC Pensacola:

-- Roast turkey, glazed ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, assorted pies

Julie at Kentucky's FMC Lexington:

-- Roast turkey or baked turkey ham, baked candied yams, cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, pie

Tory at California Correctional Institution Tehachapi:

-- Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread dressing, diced carrots, dinner roll, green salad, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie

Suge Knight at San Diego's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility:

-- Same menu as Tory

Harvey Weinstein at New York's Mohawk Correctional Facility

-- Roast turkey, gravy, dressing, whipped potatoes, sliced steamed carrots, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, ice cream sundae

R. Kelly at North Carolina's FCI Butner Medium I

-- Roast turkey, baked candied sweet potatoes, cornbread dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie

Josh Duggar at Texas' FCI Seagoville:

-- Roast turkey, glazed ham, cornbread dressing with turkey gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, assorted pies

Joe Exotic at Texas' FMC Forth Worth:

-- Smoked turkey legs, cornbread stuffing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, green beans, turkey gravy, dinner roll, pecan or sweet potato pie

In addition to all the traditional food, prisons are offering several activities on Thanksgiving Day.

Chaka Zulu won't be charged for the fatal shooting in June 2022 that left one man dead outside an Atlanta restaurant -- prosecutors are dropping the case after Chaka insisted he fired in self-defense.

On Wednesday, Fulton County prosecutors released a statement to WSB-TV outlining their decision not to indict Chaka, who is Ludacris' manager, over the incident.

"The Atlanta Police Department made an arrest on charges determined at a standard of probable cause, which is their duty in this and all cases The District Attorney’s office investigates cases to determine what can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial ... Our investigation of the facts and analysis of applicable law indicates that this is an appropriate resolution of this case based on the standard of proof required. Because the defendant is now involved in a pre-indictment diversion program, we will not comment further about the matter at this time.”

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... surveillance video we obtained showed Chaka and a group of several men, including the slain Artez Benton get into a skirmish outside Chaka's Apt4B restaurant and not too long after, fists were thrown and shots were fired.

Chaka's lawyer Gabe Banks also sent a statement to the local pub ... thanking D.A. Fani Will and her team for their thorough investigation and saying the music industry vet would be focusing on the "nurturing of his family" while also expressing sadness for the loss of life.

Lil Eazy-E thinks his father, Eazy-E's street sign in Compton probably should've come a little bit sooner ... but the day is finally here and everybody's celebratin'!!!

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Lil Eazy on Wednesday as "Eazy Street" became the newest official order in Hub City. LE revealed he's got big plans for the estate in the future ... including some collab with AI.

The AI idea is just one of the visions Eazy says he's floating to honor his famous father's legacy ... AI tools could prove useful in completing some of the unreleased tracks.

Big Eazy died in 1995 but many of his friends and family were still around to support the street sign ... Alonzo Williams the DJ/club owner who helped launch everyone's career, several of his children -- even his mother pulled up to see her son's tribute.

Also present was original N.W.A. member DJ Yella but the other surviving members Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and MC Ren were noticeably absent but Lil Eazy says he's not surprised.

Lil Eazy says Yella was the only one who showed up to the "Boyz-N-The-Hood" rapper's funeral back in the day so he doesn't expect much change-up ... but does say they need to pay a visit to Momma Eazy for holding them down during the early days.

Ne-Yo is no stranger to giving back and this holiday season he's undeniably in his element ... helping out some of the community's most vulnerable citizens.

Ne-Yo was serving food to roughly 150 to 200 people Wednesday at City of Refuge Atlanta ... helping those who came for a Thanksgiving meal and a glimpse of the superstar singer in the flesh.

City of Refuge Atlanta provides shelter to the homeless, victims of sex trafficking, even single mothers with kids getting back on their feet, and provides gym amenities in addition to other wellness programs and employment services.

We're told Ne-Yo also donated a bunch of desserts to sweeten the pot for Thanksgiving -- and 4 of his children helped pass them out.