TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

KRS-One is the latest hip hop legend to emerge as a HipHop50 celebration defector, and his reasons are crystal clear -- the Grammys aren't worthy of his presence!!!

The T'Cha was noticeably absent from the latest 50-year celebration that highlighted old and new stars such as Will Smith, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross and Nelly ... and tells Harold St.Louis it was all because he turned down the invitation from LL Cool J.

KRS has no ill will toward LL ... he says his beef is with the Grammys over "ignoring" the hip hop scene for 49 years and attempting to change its tune during the final hour.

At 58 years old, KRS admits he's a "hip hop extremist" but says without emceeing, deejaying, graffiti or breaking, the Grammys are just cosplaying the culture and wasting his time!!!

LL might be bummed over KRS' comments -- which is exactly how Questlove felt when MC Hammer rejected his invite for the same event.

Megan Thee Stallion is riled up after seeing her ex-boyfriend Pardison Fontaine spill his version of their toxic breakup ... which she says is all a fabricated fairy tale!!!

Meg set it off Wednesday morning on IG Live, where she doubled down on her "Cobra" claims that Pardi cheated on her. She claims he caught him getting oral sex in their home, and says he only attempted to switch the narrative to fit his own diss song.

The "Savage" rapper then directed her anger at her ex-friend Kelsey Harris and Tory Lanez in light of social media spreading a purported statement from Tory's bodyguard on the night Meg was shot in June 2020.

Megan reiterated that Kelsey didn't shoot her and laid into her former BFF for going mum ... figuring she was either paid off or in fear for her life.

Megan went on to remind everyone who she says DID do it ... namely, Tory Lanez, who's sitting in prison. In his purported statement, the bodyguard stated he didn't see who shot Megan, which doesn't change the verdict upheld in court.

She also ripped social media "lawyers" for getting their facts wrong ... she says the case was won in court, but uneducated fans care about online opinions more.

Pardi's repeatedly said he's trying to move past the situation, and Megan says she's been doing the same ... going hard in the gym but now loathes coming onto social media because it sucks out her joy.

Krayzie Bone's no longer on the mend -- the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapper's put his September hospitalization behind him, and says he's looking forward to hopping back onstage with his group!!!

In a new interview with Spin, Krayzie says he's lucky to be alive and admits he really didn't know the severity of his condition, until he woke up 10 days later in the hospital surrounded by friends, fam and his BTNH brothers.

Apparently, he's thuggish ruggish inside and out ... he'll be reuniting with Bone this Saturday in Los Angeles, marking his first performance since falling ill.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... KB underwent a 2nd round of surgery to fix a bleeding lung after his pulmonary sarcoidosis -- which causes severe lung inflammation -- spiraled out of control.

Pardison Fontaine is hinting that a domino effect is the reason for his breakup with Megan Thee Stallion ... one issue led to another before the relationship crashed and burned.

The singer/songwriter appeared on "The Breakfast Club" Wednesday, and was bombarded with questions about why the relationship ended ... which has been in he says/she says limbo following the release of their vicious diss songs aimed at each other!!!

Pardi says he and Meg have nothing to talk about anymore and defended his "Thee Stallion" diss track, which he says has the answers to their breakup -- he felt Megan was showing signs of disloyalty, and he got his lick back instead of being a sucker.

Megan's supporters have been accusing Pardi of using her name to stay relevant ... something for which he actually accepts blame.

Pardi claims to have made "a lot of f***ing money" during his relationship with Meg by sitting in the background writing songs and admits he got comfortable and let his own career fall to the back.

He just dropped his new album "Sext8pe" to put himself back on track, and just gave us an update on his own playlist -- all the girls are good $$$ in his book!!!

Pardison Fountaine is officially putting the Hottie era behind him after his split with Megan Thee Stallion -- he's got a new girl, new music and even new listening habits!!!

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with the versatile artist/songwriter Tuesday, and he got a kick out of being labeled in a "public relationship" with his new boo, dancehall star Jada Kingdom.

Pardi says he's very much claiming JK, but says all he did was step out for a date night -- and it was the public who blew up their spot. Whoops!

The fan interest shouldn't come as a surprise to Pardi -- he was in a very high-profile relationship with Meg and felt some blowback last month when she dropped her "Cobra" diss track toward him.

Pardi operates in the lover's lane, not a fighter's ring, and gave props to all the female rappers on his radar -- Sexxy Redd, Doja Cat, Latto and GloRilla all rank at the top for him.

He admits he even gave Nicki Minaj's new "Pink Friday 2" album a listen ... a decision that would've put him in the crosshairs had he still been with Meg.

Kodak Black's attorney says the rapper's arrest for cocaine possession is a case of mistaken identity ... at least when it comes to the drugs cops allegedly found on him.

Bradford Cohen, Kodak's lawyer, just reacted to his client's most recent arrest in Florida, saying ... "In this latest case, my belief is that the 'rock' this officer found when tested will be a Percocet, not cocaine."

As we reported ... Kodak was arrested last week after cops said he was found asleep at the wheel of an SUV with a mouth full of white powder and several white rock-like objects on the ground ... which Kodak alleged was Percocet.

The arresting officer tested the powder on the scene and says it came back positive for cocaine ... but Kodak's attorney says, "The test they do is a presumptive test for illegal substances. It just turns blue."

Kodak was ultimately arrested for possession, tampering with evidence, and violation of his existing probation ... with a traffic violation tacked on.

Cohen tells TMZ ... the rapper has a dependency on prescription pain pills, including Percocet, and his team is working on a treatment program for him.

Cohen tells us ... "There will be a couple of different phases of this treatment in order for him to get better. You have to treat the root problem of the dependency and that's what is going to happen. We are going to alleviate dependency."

RZA and The Wu-Tang Clan are entering the chambers of a Las Vegas residency in 2024 and The Abbott is promising to showcase the talent of his group and hip hop as a whole!!!

In a new interview with Torae for SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation, RZA gave an update on current Wu-Tang music ... which he says has stalled a bit due to schedule conflicts.

However, he says the Clan is sitting on beats supplied by Swizz Beatz, DJ Scratch and their in-house production wiz Mathematics, so the opportunity to create is always there.

RZA also points out he didn't design the early Wu-Tang music for dancing, and you won't see their fans twerking ... instead, he's crafted beats for the crowd to bring the ruckus!!!

RZA's had this thought process for years but says he used to be stingy with the beats because producers were making beats geared toward radio success instead of joints that allow MCs to do what they do best -- make quality raps.

On Tuesday, the legendary 10-man clique announced “Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues … The Las Vegas Residency” will kick off Super Bowl LVIII weekend in February, and will spin the block later in March.

1:52 PM PT -- We should note ... the version Kanye West appears to have played in the Miami club featured other voices singing the chorus, so it's possible he can get away with it through a loophole.

Kanye West's new take on the Backstreet Boys' hit "Everybody" has been getting a ton of buzz, but there's one massive problem ... Ye never cleared it with the boy band.

Sources connected to BSB tell TMZ Kanye failed to get the collective OK from Nick, Kevin, Howie, Brian, A.J. and their team to use the 1997 classic.

In Kanye's version, you can hear the original song and chorus before Ty Dolla Sign takes over, singing the original lyrics from "Everybody."

Of course, not clearing the song creates an interesting challenge for Kanye considering he's supposed to release his album this week and the song is a listed track. Not to mention, he's played it out in public in Miami, promoted it on social media and pumped it through the speakers at his album listening event in Miami Monday night.

So by all counts ... it seemed like Kanye was planning to have it on his "Vultures" album.

We don't know if Kanye reached out and was denied usage of the track or whether he just never asked at all ... but either way, it ain't good for Ye.

Kanye's been the center of controversy for months, with his antisemitic remarks -- expressing his love for Hitler -- and dangerous social media rants. As we reported, Ye wore a black KKK-style hood Monday night at his public event.

Obviously, a lot of artists have distanced themselves from Kanye ... and it'll be interesting to see his chances of locking down clearance for additional tracks in the future.

Cassie's ex-boyfriend and former collaborator Ryan Leslie says they're about to resume their relationship on the music front, as she prepares to hit the road.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with RLes Tuesday in NYC, and we asked if he'd seen anything in the past that would corroborate the allegations in Cassie's lawsuit against Diddy, which they recently settled.

Ryan and Cassie dated in the mid-2000s, and worked on music together at the time, but he tells us her interactions with Diddy came later, when he wasn't around.

Ryan says he and Cassie reconnected at the end of 2017 when their ex-manager Ed Woods died and it's clear they've stayed in touch since then. He gave us a big update, revealing she's planning on making a music comeback in the form of a tour, which could also mean there's new music on the horizon.

RLes is a multifaceted producer who's been known to dabble in technology over the years, and while he's paying close attention to the AI movement, he says he's really focused on helping artists secure their financial futures.

MC Hammer has clear reasoning as to why he didn't participate in any of the events to celebrate Hip Hop's 50th anniversary -- the culture's gotten childish and he's a grown-ass man!!!

The 60-year-old rap legend outlined his stance during Tupac Shakur's Oakland street naming last month, and the clip is beginning to blaze the internet.

During the ceremony, Hammer celebrated not using his legendary career for interview clicks, but also laid into veteran rappers who have been rapping about murder all these years ... without the body count or rap sheet to back up their bars.

The "U Can't Touch This" rapper became friends with Pac during his time living in the Bay, and credited his late homie for being the only one to get him to play along with the charade of the music biz.

The Grammys aired its star-studded celebration this week and the event's producer, Questlove, openly expressed his disappointment Hammer told him no, despite repeated requests.

Hammer wasn't alone in deflecting from HipHop50 celebrations -- André 3000 didn't see much merit in them at this point in time.

Jodeci, the R&B group that racked up hits and crazy headlines equally over the years, is reuniting in a major way next year ... with a Las Vegas residency!!!

All 4 original members -- K-Ci, Jojo, Devante Swing and Mr. Dalvin -- will be at House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 2024 throughout March and July.

The Show, The After Party, The Vegas Residency is modeled after the group's classic third album ... so, expect a lot of "Freek'n" in Sin City!!!

As a quartet, Jodeci sold millions of records and brothers K-Ci and Jojo sold millions more as a duet ... which means the show could be like a one-band "Verzuz" on stage.

They've also been keeping their chops sharp performing with fellow R&B royalty SWV, Dru Hill, Charlie Wilson and New Edition in the past year.

Kanye West continues to piss people off, this time over fashion ...  rocking a hood that bares a shocking resemblance to standard issue for the KKK.

Ye showed up with the headpiece at one point during his "Vultures" album listening event Monday night in Miami ... previewing his music at the late-night event during Art Basel.

Kanye's has displayed this imagery before ... back in 2013 for the music video of "Black Skinhead" -- which was seen as artsy/edgy back then, but is viewed in a different context now, obviously.

Anyway, as for the music ... people online seem to be loving it. Plus, he had huge stars show up in person to support -- including some folks with whom he collaborated on the new album -- namely, Ty Dolla $ign, Offset, Lil Durk, Chris Brown, Kodak Black, Freddie Gibbs and others.

The even bigger news -- his 10-year-old daughter, North, not only showed up for the party and performed ... she's on the album!

In addition to North, Ye's wife Bianca Censori, and kids Chicago and Saint were also there. It's unclear if Kim showed up ... but Bianca was seen carrying Chicago in her arms during one intimate moment.

As we reported, Ye did a surprise performance in Miami over the weekend during DJ Khaled's set at a nightclub ... and he also hosted an impromptu listening party at a Jamaican restaurant in the area for "Vultures."

It's interesting ... Kanye was blasted for his antisemitic remarks last year, but these days he's just part of a growing, angry crowd -- from Harvard on down.

Mercy 👏 Miller👏 Went👏 Off👏

Master P's son, one of the best high school basketball players in the entire country, had an absolutely gaudy stat line Monday night, dropping 68 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists on 28 for 38 shooting (74%)!!

Thanks to the ridiculous performance, Mercy Miller's Notre Dame Knights squad beat Oakwood, 104-44.

Mercy's 68 points were good enough for the ND school record (Sherman Oaks, CA) ... and one of the greatest scoring performances in California history.

Miller, a 6'4" guard who committed to the University of Houston last month, is averaging 36 points and 11 rebounds a game this season.

It shouldn't come as a shock that Mercy can hoop his ass off. His brother Hercy Miller hoops at the Univ. of Louisville ... and dad, aside from being a hip hop mogul, played in the NBA.

The undefeated, 6-0 Notre Dame team is regarded as one of the best teams in their division, the CIF Southern Section.

Mercy will have a few days to rest his arms after putting up all those shots ... his Knights team doesn't return to the court until December 19, when they'll play a 2-4 Marshall H.S. squad.

Notre Dame will also be in action on January 6th ... under the bright lights at Crypto.com Arena when they play in the Coastal Catholic Classic Game, with proceeds going to the You Are Not Alone Foundation, which helps kids struggling with mental health issues.

Bianca Censori's looking like a whole new woman -- it just takes a lap dance to finally see her grinning, relaxing and thoroughly enjoying an afternoon outing with Kanye West in Miami.

Of course, Bianca's been her husband's muse ... serving as a blank and expressionless canvas for his artistic creativity -- no matter how bizarre -- which is why this video of her cutting loose Sunday is so interesting.

With Ye distracted by others, the Aussie model focused her attention on DJ Sky High Baby ... who got to work twerking in Bianca's lap -- and as you can see, she was totally diggin' it.

The stone-cold Bianca we're used to seeing was long gone, as she encouraged her friend's erotic moves. Good thing Mrs. West was dressed for the occasion, in an eye-popping sheer get-up.

She's also vibed along to the music blasting at Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen -- the same spot where Kanye played some of his new music from his upcoming album with Ty Dolla $ign.

It's a rare light-hearted, carefree sighting of Bianca ... who's trekked around the world with Kanye this year -- although, his critics think he's treated her more like an accessory during their travels.

Case in point, the couple drew the gaze of onlookers while hitting up Art Basel the same day ... with Bianca in her skintight, sheer outfit and teddy-in-hand.

North West stole the show at Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures" listening party by making her rapping debut, and the moment was serious bonding time for Ye's family!!!

Monday night in Miami, Kanye and his Rap Avengers assembled to preview the album and North had the crowd going crazy with her bars ... "It's your bestie, Ms. Miss Westy!!!"

Outside the event, Bianca carried Chicago as Saint trailed close by -- Ye and Bianca have been married about a year now, and the kids have clearly warmed up to her!

Kanye kept on his hooded garb while his 10-year-old had the audience inside Wynwood Marketplace in the palm of her hands.

The listening event was also a sanctuary for a couple of other embattled rap stars -- Offset, fresh from his split with Cardi B and Kodak Black, who was just released from jail, were also there soaking up vibes.

Beyoncé might have fresh beef stewing with a famous artist, who's strongly insinuating she -- or someone on her team -- ripped off his work for her "Renaissance" tour.

Here's the deal ... artist Hajime Sorayama just took aim at Beyoncé on social media, posting a few of her tour visuals alongside some of his artwork and insinuating she didn't ask permission to copy him.

In his post, Hajime says ... "Yo @beyonce You should have asked me 'officially' so that I could make much better work for you as like my man @theweeknd."

Thing is ... during Beyonce's wildly popular "Renaissance" tour, many people were under the belief her visuals were inspired by Hajime, with tons of folks assuming Hajime had given Queen B his permission to channel his art.

Hajime's post seems to indicate that's not the case -- however, it's unclear if he's angry and considering legal action ... or simply calling out the similarities between his art and her tour.

BTW, Hajime mentions The Weeknd because they collaborated in the past for some concert artwork, and, obviously, he feels he could've done the same for Beyoncé ... had she just asked.