TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Future and Steve Aoki took the stage Thursday night in Saudi Arabia ... and it's interesting, no one knew the final lineup until the day before.

They were all last-minute additions to the Jeddah World Fest. They weren't announced until Wednesday. It's unclear why the lineup was secret until then. BTW, Liam Payne also performed.

Some performers -- notably Nicki Minaj -- have backed out of performing in the country, after the murder of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. The country is also in the stone age when it comes to women and the LGBTQ community.

Jordyn Woods isn't typically in the business of making music videos, so everyone's wondering why she's starring in Rick Ross' ... well we know, and it's meant to be an homage to her late father.

Sources close to Jordyn tell TMZ ... she recently met the 'Miami' rapper while the two were doing an episode of VH1's "Hip Hop Squares." They got to talking and Jordyn's mom, Elizabeth Woods, brought up the fact her late husband loved -- LOVED -- RR's music.

Everyone exchanged numbers on the game show set, and they kept in touch. Soon after, Rick expressed to Jordyn he had a great opportunity for her ... and wanted her to be the leading lady in his newest music vid.

We're told Jordyn jumped at the offer ... feeling it was a great way to honor her father's memory. John Woods died in January 2017 -- when Jordyn was just 19 -- after a battle with cancer.

As we reported ... the music video shoot went down Wednesday in Miami, where Jordyn was showing off her figure in some lingerie and a cute dress, with Ross on her hip.

The Ambassador to Sweden says her country does not have it in for black people, and as for A$AP Rocky, he's being treated fairly.

Karin Olofsdotter appeared on 'TMZ Live' Thursday and maintained A$AP Rocky has not been unfairly singled out after his detainment, more than 2 weeks ago, for allegedly assaulting a man on the street.

We challenged the Ambassador, because the man the rapper allegedly assaulted him first, and it's all on video. The Ambassador suggested A$AP's crime may be more serious, although she wouldn't elaborate.

She also scoffed at the notion black people might now be afraid to travel to Sweden, given what happened to A$AP and what Quavo told us about what happened to him. She said Sweden proudly is in the top 5 countries that enforce the "rule of law."

The L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. is raiding a Hollywood Hills home in connection to a shooting involving an SUV registered to YG, which left one deputy shot and an innocent bystander dead.

Sheriff's sources say the house is leased by YG ... but he was not detained or arrested and was not present on the property during the raid. Deputies got a judge to sign a search warrant in connection with the incident involving a wild police chase earlier this month.

As TMZ reported, someone inside an SUV registered to YG fired shots from inside the vehicle, striking a deputy. A pedestrian was killed during the crossfire between deputies and the shooter. The incident occurred on July 3 in Compton.

Four men have been handcuffed at the scene and have been placed in patrol cars while deputies continue their search inside the house.

YG denied he was there at the time of the shooting, saying, "I was nowhere near the scene of this incident and had been in a recording studio all day in Hollywood. I was there until after midnight on the 4th of July and didn't learn of these events until after they happened."

Jordyn Woods is making some boss moves after being kicked to the curb by the Kardashians ... linking up with Rick Ross and becoming a music video vixen!!!

Kylie Jenner's former BFF was on the set of the rapper's new music vid Wednesday in Miami, showing off her endless curves in some sexy lingerie and a super revealing dress. No wonder Rick recruited her.

RR is looking pretty fly himself ... throwing on a black and white animal print button down and dripping hard with some gold chains. Rozay is peak South Beach.

But, this is all about Jordyn and how well she's doing for herself without the Kardashians.

President Trump is very much aware of A$AP Rocky's legal sitch in Sweden -- and he's got his team working to get him freed ... thanks in part to Kim K and Kanye West.

That's right ... we've learned Kim and Kanye lobbied The White House to jump in and get involved in the drama across the pond -- where A$AP's been behind bars for more than two weeks now as prosecutors determine if the rapper should be charged with aggravated assault.

Here's how it went down. We're told as soon as Kim and Kanye heard about A$AP's predicament earlier this month ... Kanye urged Kim to get on the horn and talk to Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner -- with whom Kim is very familiar from her previous White House work.

Our sources say Kim filled Jared in on what was happening, and Jared then took the info to Trump himself ... whom, we're told, acknowledged something seemed amiss.

In addition to Kim and Kanye, Kareem Lanier and Pastor Darrell Scott of the White House’s Urban Revitalization Coalition, also played a big role … helping to connect ASAP’s management directly with Kushner through a phone call.

We're told Trump told Kushner he believed A$AP was being held unfairly, and wanted to help. As we reported, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got involved and unleashed a few deputies in an attempt to get some action. A State Dept. member was supposed to arrive in Sweden Thursday.  We're told the State Dept. is now actively working to get A$AP out of jail, thanks in large part to Kim's efforts.

However, some feel the State Dept. isn't moving fast enough. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus called Pompeo out for not doing more, though our sources say he's been working tirelessly. Fact is ... Swedish authorities have been unmoved so far ... and our sources say there's now real fear prosecutors might delay their decision beyond the 3 week mark and keep A$AP in custody.

Cardi B has compassion for A$AP Rocky and wants him freed ASAP, but she's not about to boycott a country that has shown her unbridled love ... i.e., Sweden.

Cardi literally (well, almost) stopped Bev Hills in its tracks when she perused the shelves at Prada, with throngs of fans craning their necks to sneak a peak.

Our photog asked if she's down with pulling the plug on appearances in Sweden in protest of Sweden's decision to keep A$AP Rocky in jail while prosecutors noodle over whether to charge him with aggravated assault.

Cardi is clearly empathetic to the plight of A$AP, who's been stuck in a Swedish jail for more than 2 weeks. The State Dept. is actively trying to get him out and, with a little help from Kim and Kanye, President Trump is on board as well.

Cardi hadn't seen our video with Quavo, who said he too was abused by cops in Sweden.

A$AP Rocky should be immediately released from a Swedish jail -- that's what the Congressional Black Caucus is demanding with its protest on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Members of the Caucus going to bat for A$AP include Congressmen Andre Carson and Hakeem Jeffries. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who reps for A$AP's Harlem neighborhood, will also be there.

Rep. Jeffries has been vocal about A$AP's detention for a while now, saying the saga proves the hip-hop police are even at work outside the United States. 

As we've reported ... A$AP has been rotting in a Swedish jail for weeks, being treated like a convicted criminal even though prosecutors have not charged him with a crime. The rapper is under investigation for aggravated assault, and the alleged victim is a man who was physically attacking and harassing A$AP and his crew before the street brawl that landed him in jail.

Rep. Espaillat tells TMZ ... the State Dept. is monitoring the situation and has reached out to the Swedish ministry, but A$AP and 2 members of his entourage remain in jail, where they spend 23 hours a day in their cells. 

Espaillat says A$AP's manager flew to Sweden days after the arrest, and his hotel room was raided by Swedish authorities and his cell phone was confiscated. 

The Congressman adds, Sweden is putting out a false image, projecting a country based on democracy and decency ... but he sees the complete opposite.

Quavo will think twice and maybe three times before ever stepping foot on Swedish soil again, because he says he -- just like A$AP Rocky -- was abused by Swedish cops.

We got Quavo early Wednesday in WeHo leaving Bootsy Bellows, and the Migos star shared something he's never talked publicly about before ... he and his cameraman were cornered by Swedish cops, put on the ground and almost arrested.

Quavo makes it seem like it happened very shortly after arriving in the country.  

As we reported, A$AP is being treated like a convicted criminal, sitting in a Swedish jail for weeks and authorities haven't even charged him with a crime. He's under investigation for aggravated assault where the alleged victim is a man who was harassing and physically attacking A$AP and his crew before the incident that landed the rapper in jail.

The State Dept. is now involved, trying to get A$AP out of custody while he awaits the decision of Swedish prosecutors.

A$AP Rocky's human rights are being violated by Swedish officials who have been holding the rapper in jail for nearly 2 weeks ... so say members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Members of the Caucus, including Hakeem Jeffries and Andre Carson, along with Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who is part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, will stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday and demand A$AP's release from a Swedish jail.

As TMZ reported, A$AP is being held while prosecutors decide whether to charge him for aggravated assault. A$AP and his crew did indeed attack a man on the streets July 1, but only after the man harassed and physically attacked A$AP and a bodyguard and allegedly grabbed a woman's butt. In fact, A$AP tried to diffuse the situation, to no avail.

TMZ broke the story ... A$AP was being held in horrid conditions. A U.S. Embassy official said the jail smelled like a toilet. It's unclear if A$AP has been moved since our report.  

Rep Jeffries says the detention is proof the hip-hop police is not just a U.S. phenomenon.

Cardi B and Offset's daughter, Kulture, reached a milestone last week, turning 1, and her party did not disappoint.

Cardi and Offset rented out a huge venue Saturday in NYC, and theme was "Onederful Birthday" for the modest price of $400,000!!!

Tons of people showed ... lots of friends and fam. The party was briefly interrupted by the City's power outage -- the lights went off and the AC stopped -- but with the help of a generator an hour later they were all able to party on.

The dessert table was lit ... unbelievable sweets. Check them out.

The characters on Kulture's birthday cake were from the Netflix show, "Word Party" ... they're the same characters on the chain Offset and Cardi got for Kulture after dropping a cool $100k.

There was all sorts of stuff for kids, including a Build-A-Bear Workshop.

T.I. has officially taken his Trap Museum from Atlanta to Los Angeles -- with a pop-up that will honor artists like Cardi B, Migos, Rick Ross and Nipsey Hussle -- and we've got your first look inside. 

The Lil Trap House pop-up is an ode to Trap culture and kicks off this weekend with a special event hosted by Karen Civil on Friday night.

Inside, the exhibit will honor some of the music's biggest artists ... with pieces to honor T.I., YG, Pusha-T, Nipsey Hussle, Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Future, Rick Ross, Migos, 21 Savage, Cardi B and plenty more. 

Given the success of T.I.'s Trap Museum in Atlanta -- which takes in about 6,000 guests each weekend -- this one is surely to be another home run.

Kim and Kanye West walked in hand in hand to celebrate a friend's birthday but ya gotta hand it to her ... her outfit stole the show.

Kimye had a date night Wednesday night in WeHo at Craig's ... where it was pandemonium when they hopped outta their matte black Lamborghini. The flashing lights might explain Kanye's shades.

But, ya can't blame the paps for wanting the money shot on Kim's skintight leather garb. They also brought some presents -- and by that we mean their muscle carried the gifts inside -- to celebrate Kristen Noel Crawley's 33rd birthday. She's a friend ... and founder of the beauty line KNC Beauty.

Kodak Black's legal team says there's something fishy about the warrant that led to his arrest on firearms charges -- they claim the reason he got busted is purely because he's black.

As we reported ... Kodak was arrested on a federal warrant at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami back in May, with the feds claiming he falsified gun applications on 2 separate occasions to buy firearms. 

Now, with Kodak still behind bars nearly 2 months later, the rapper's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells us he reviewed a warrant from Miami-Dade Police, and he claims all signs point to cops digging into his client's records WITHOUT a search warrant.

Kodak's attorney claims the warrant states a police detective was present in the store the day KB allegedly attempted to purchase a firearm, and the detective later asked the store to review Kodak's application and interviewed a store employee.  

Cohen tells us he believes the officer in the store targeted Kodak because he was black, young and wearing expensive clothing and jewelry. He says, based purely on those visuals, the cop decided to investigate his background. 

Kodak's attorney also tells us he finds it highly suspicious an undercover officer just happened to be there the same day Kodak strolled into the store. 

Cohen also claims Miami-Dade Police illegally snapped pictures of Kodak after he was arrested and transported to a police station, and illegally sent the pics to the media. 

Kodak's attorney says these factors raise questions on how information on Kodak was obtained in the first place, and how officers conducted themselves during the case.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the state's case is still under investigation. 

A$AP Rocky's canceling his European festival performance and several other upcoming tour dates ... because being locked up in a Swedish jail cell makes it hard to get onstage in Spain.

The rapper's management tells TMZ he'll be detained "for an unknown period of time for acting in self-defense during an altercation that took place," so, therefore ... he's been forced to cancel all his upcoming shows in July.

He was scheduled to perform at Sonar -- a music fest in Barcelona, Spain -- on Friday, July 19 ... but Sonar says it's now looking for a replacement.

A$AP's scheduled to headline Wednesday night at the Green Theatre in Moscow, but that's clearly not happening. His other upcoming shows getting axed due to him being locked up include the Splash! Fest in Germany on the 12, concerts in Ukraine and Belgium on the 13 and 14, a sold-out gig in Milan on the 17 ... and 2 others on the 20 and 21.

We broke the story ... the rapper's team says he's being held in inhumane conditions in his Swedish cell, and one official for the U.S. Embassy there commented, "Walking into that place was like walking into a toilet."

Rocky can be held for at least 2 weeks while prosecutors decide whether to charge him for aggravated assault stemming from a street brawl. That's despite video showing the alleged victim being the initial aggressor ... physically attacking Rocky and his crew prior to the incident.

A$AP Rocky is being held in a Swedish jail with shockingly inhumane conditions -- feces hurled about and not cleaned up, wretched food and facilities that are not fit for human beings ... this according to sources with direct knowledge of Rocky's situation.

Our sources tell TMZ ... the rapper is sleeping on a yoga mat with no blankets. There is a prisoner in the next cell with severe mental issues who slams his head against the concrete wall and hurls feces every which way ... feces that are not cleaned up.

The water, we're told, is not clean and the food is not edible ... for the first 5 days A$AP Rocky ate an apple a day, and that's it.

We're told the facility is filthy and "disease ridden."

As we reported, A$AP Rocky is being held for 2 weeks while prosecutors decide whether to charge him for aggravated assault stemming from a street brawl ... despite a video showing the alleged victim harassing and even physically attacking Rocky and his crew prior to the incident.

There is a treaty -- the Vienna Convention for Consular Relations -- which both Sweden and the United States signed. Under the treaty, when a foreigner like A$AP Rocky is detained, he has a right to immediately see an official from the U.S. Consulate. Our sources say Rocky asked for the meeting, but when an official from the American Consulate arrived at the detention center to meet him, he was squarely denied access -- a clear violation of the treaty.

Our sources say the U.S. official believes he was denied access because Swedish officials did not want him to see the conditions inside the facility.

Rocky's team persisted and eventually the consulate official was allowed to see him 2 days later, but only in the presence and earshot of 2 Swedish guards. Rocky and the official could not have a private conversation and they believe it was "a clear intimidation tactic."

Our sources say Rocky's team is trying to get the State Dept. involved to help get him out. So far, the Swedish courts have shut him down. By the way ... court proceedings in Sweden are closed to the public and the media.