TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

The words of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion came head-to-head with the word of the Lord on a city sidewalk -- and it sounds like the former might've beaten out the good book.

Check out this video of an older guy reading aloud from the Bible on a sidewalk, not too far from a masked young woman also reading from her phone, rattling off lyrics to "WAP." Try as he did, the gent got drowned out by the tune ... then again, the camera's further from him.

It's a funny scene though -- and a testament that blindly preaching to kids these days isn't a good way to reach 'em. Maybe reciting lyrics to Justin Bieber's "Baby" would've been more effective.

Speaking of, if you're wondering what sparked this ... it was a pro-choice rally that clashed with anti-abortion demonstrators, which seems to have gone on for at least 2 days. Both groups had signs touting their beliefs and were keeping a somewhat respectful distance away from each other. But, one secret weapon the young crowd had with them that the holy group didn't ... condoms!

Kanye West is pulling out all the stops to get on the ballot in a crucial swing state that he sorta needs to have half a chance at this thing ... and it's home to the Grand Canyon!

Sources tell TMZ ... Ye and his campaign are doing a full blitz to get his name in front Arizona voters' eyes come November, and a big part of that will lie in what KW and co. are willing to spend to get it done. Brace yourself ... we hear they'll drop half a mil if needed.

The devil's in the details ... we're told the 3rd-party petitioning group Ye has hired to gather signatures, Let the Voters Decide, is sending upwards of 100 people into the Copper State over the next week to try and gather 37,769 names ... the required number to get in.

Our sources say petitioners on the ground are getting paid $8 for every signature collected, so if you do the math ... that adds up quick. Ye's got money to blow though, obviously. Fact is ... Kanye needs Arizona considering he's been booted off nearly as many ballots he's on.

If you've been keeping counts ... Ye has qualified to appear on November ballots in eight states thus far, and he's been nixed from seven others. Arizona's a major swing state, so he's gotta lock this down if he seriously wants to contend. He's almost breaking even here.

Kanye West took advantage of a tech company to advance his Yeezy brand and launch his popular Sunday Service, then left them high and dry ... according to a new suit.

MyChannel, Inc. says it's a black-owned business specializing in video and e-commerce technology. The company claims it linked up with Kanye in Spring 2018 to help Ye maximize revenues for his Yeezy merchandise.

MYC -- repped by attorneys Ben Meiselas and Michael Popok -- alleges Kanye got the company to work around the clock for him for 6 months based on a series of business promises -- including a future $10 MILLION investment -- and estimates it put in 10,000 man-hours and invested $7 mil of its own into the Yeezy project.

According to the suit ... MYC even moved its headquarters -- once to Calabasas and once to Chicago -- all to please Kanye and make the partnership work.

However, after the 6 months, MYC claims it became clear Kanye had no intention of following through on his promises and he cut ties ... but not before allegedly jacking its technology for his newly-launched Sunday Service.

The company alleges Kanye's promises of a partnership were just an effort to fuel his Yeezy brand and steal confidential tech to make millions on Sunday Service ... so now they're suing him over it.

Drake is paying tribute to Kobe Bryant on 8/24 by showing off his huge Black Mamba shoe collection ... and his closet  legit looks like a real-life Foot Locker!!!

The shoe closet at Drake's Toronto compound is legendary -- it's the same place where he's got an entire basketball court with Kobe's #8 and #24 displayed on the walls.

So, on Kobe Bryant Day, Drake treated his fans to a tour of his Kobe shoe collection -- with appears to include 90 pairs of KB kicks.

Drake's Kobe collection isn't just cool -- it's wildly expensive. His Kobe 5 Preludes alone are fetching around $1,200 on resale sites.

He also has multiple versions of the Kobe 8s ... including the Venice Beach, Python and the WTKs, with the latter currently valued at more than $1,000 a pair.

We noticed there weren't any kicks from Kobe's Adidas days on Drake's shelf. Remember, the Kobe 2 was widely panned by shoe critics back in the day -- and the shoe played a major role in Bryant leaving Adidas for Nike.

Kobe would have turned 42 on Sunday.

Cardi B's not wet behind the ears when it comes to promoting herself, so it's no surprise she's selling "WAP" gear in a way that'll get everyone talking.

The rapper's online store is promoting a new merchandise line featuring the title of her sexually explicit hit track with Megan Thee Stallion, and it's um ... water-themed.

To make sure her fans don't get soaked, Cardi's got "WAP" umbrellas, rain ponchos, spandex sports bras and biker shorts for sale.

There's also "WAP" t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and crop-top hoodies available ... and some of the attire features sexy shots of Cardi and Meg.

If you've been living under a rock, you might not know that the duo's hit track has been all the rage since the release of the music video -- which features a Kylie Jenner cameo -- earlier this month.

Diddy has done it again ... bringing powerhouse Black musicians and artists together in a stunning display of talent and solidarity, only this time -- he did it on a shoreline!!!

The Bad Boys honcho was leading the pack Saturday out in Malibu with some pretty famous faces in the biz following close behind. We're talking Nas, Travis Scott, Quavo, Swizz Beatz and a gaggle of people in their entourage in tow too. Quite the showing of musical force.

Unclear what exactly these fellas were out there doing -- besides posing for pics and looking fly in their getups -- but something tells us they might have something cooking.

We already know Diddy's tight with Nas -- he recently plugged his new album on IG -- but it's clear the music mogul is cool with multiple generations in the game, and truly seeks to bring people together.

He's showcased his Black Excellence movement before with other heavy hitters, but that was a much more formal atmosphere. Here, this looks a pretty caj get-together, but it could also signal collabs to come.

Kanye West may have missed another important deadline in his presidential run, and this one certainly suggests his campaign is on the rocks.

Kanye, the presidential candidate, is required by FEC rules to file a financial report if he raises or spends $100k on his campaign.

The filing deadline was August 20, but according to an FEC official ... the agency hasn't received it.

So this means one of 2 things, and neither is good for Kanye -- either he missed the filing deadline or he didn't raise $100k ... and how do you run for Prez if you can't raise $100k?

As we reported, Kanye really ramped up his campaign in late July after his off-the-rails rally in South Carolina, hiring a third-party group called Let the Voters Decide to help get him on the ballot in several states.  He's also hired a team of political advisors.

Ye spent at least $30k to get on the ballot in Illinois ... but it didn't pay off.

Megan Thee Stallion isn't dancing around it anymore ... she just came flat out and accused Tory Lanez, by name, of shooting her.

It's the first time she's actually used his name and she blasted him late Thursday, saying ... "Yes, this n***a Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s**t, stop lying!"

Megan also denied rumors she had hit Tory during an argument inside the SUV last month in the Hollywood Hills -- but admits there was an argument between everyone in the vehicle, and that's why she tried to walk away. She alleges that's when Tory opened fire.

As you know, up to this point, she'd insisted she was shot -- and certainly hinted Tory pulled the trigger -- but never said his name. During the IG Live post, she said she was afraid to call out Tory to the LAPD because she "didn't want to die" -- clearly insinuating she feared the police during the heated interaction.

She also addressed rumors the argument had something to do with Kylie Jenner. They'd all been partying together a home in the Hills prior to the shooting.

TMZ broke the story ... Tory, Megan and one of her friends left the party after 4 AM in a chauffeur-driven SUV, and police responded to calls of shots fired.

When they pulled over the vehicle, Megan was bleeding from her feet as police instructed her to slowly walk backward. Tory got arrested for possession of a concealed weapon -- a handgun was under his seat -- and Megan was taken to a hospital for treatment.

As we reported, the L.A. County D.A. is now considering charging Tory with felony assault with a firearm.

Megan's bold move to publicly accuse Tory comes the day after she posted pics of her injuries, and continued to insist she'd been shot ... no matter what haters were saying online. However, she still refused to say Tory's name, and even went so far as to say her back was turned when she got shot ... hinting she never saw who did it.

Since then, something definitely pissed her off, because shortly before she went live on IG ... she went tweeted a thinly-veiled threat to call out Tory if he kept lying.

We've reached out to Tory's camp, but no word back yet.

Kanye West will not be playing Presidential spoiler in Wisconsin ... election officials just booted him off the ballot in that crucial swing state.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission gave Kanye the heave-ho Thursday, voting by a 5-to-1 margin to exclude him from the state's ballot because he did not file signatures and paperwork before the state's August 5 deadline for independent candidates.

We'd say it's another crushing blow for Kanye's campaign if he really had a shot at winning ... which he doesn't. However, Wisconsin, and its 10 electoral votes, is a crucial battleground state in the Presidential race.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye accused the Wisconsin Democratic Party of spying on his presidential campaign after an official complaint was filed asking the Elections Commission to check his paperwork for fake signatures.

You'll recall, Badger State Democratic officials came right out and accused Trump operatives of supporting Ye's campaign in Wisconsin purely to draw votes from Joe Biden.

Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey met up for what could be dubbed a Multi-Millionaire Man March ... but it looks more like a casual stroll.

The entertainment mogul and the Twitter co-founder were out for a walk together Thursday morning in the Hamptons with a few other dudes in tow. Based on their chill attire ... a passerby wouldn't know they're a couple of the most rich and powerful men in the world.

Jay was rocking some Puma athletic gear while Jack sported a St. Louis Cardinals cap to go with his shaggy beard. Like we said ... super cazh.

It's unclear why they're hanging out, but it might have something to do with Dorsey's $10 million donation, back in May, to the Reform Alliance ... which Jay co-founded with Meek Mill and Michael Rubin.

Of course, both guys have also been huge donors the past several months to 2 uber important causes -- battling the coronavirus and racism.

Gucci Mane's giving a first look at his first child with Keyshia Ka'oir ... from inside her belly.

The rapper shared a couple sonograms from his wife's recent ultrasound exam, captioning the pics ... "My baby otw."

Gucci's clearly still beaming with fatherly pride after announcing last week that he and Keyshia are expecting their first kid together. He posted a photo of her in lingerie flaunting her baby bump and said ... "My wife pregnant my life is great."

The rapper has a 12-year-old son with his ex and Keyshia has 3 children from a previous relationship, so their big blended family's about to get bigger.

As you may recall ... the couple wed in 2017 in a star-studded, million-dollar affair all on BET's dime. It was all part of a 10-episode reality series about their nuptials called 'The Mane Event.'

The L.A. County D.A.'s Office is reviewing possible assault charges against Tory Lanez for his alleged involvement in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting ... TMZ has confirmed.

The D.A.'s mulling over a charge of felony assault with a firearm after Megan said she was shot back in July as she exited the SUV she was riding in with Tory. As you probably know by now ... he was arrested, but only charged with possession of a firearm. Now, it's possible he'll face the additional charge after prosecutors asked the LAPD to further investigate the incident.

TMZ broke the story ... law enforcement sources told us LAPD detectives opened an investigation into Tory in July after he allegedly shot Megan in the foot as she exited his chauffeur-driven SUV on the heels of an argument that erupted inside the ride.

As we reported, sources connected to Tory say there were mitigating circumstances -- and based on what we know ... IF he's charged for it, we believe Tory's going to say it was an accidental shooting.

However, charging him might have gotten a little more difficult because of what Megan said hours earlier on Tuesday.

She posted pics of her gruesome foot injury after the alleged shooting, but in her caption made the point of saying she had her back to the SUV when she was shot in the heel ... which would mean she didn't see who fired at her.

That's something she hadn't previously said, and it potentially complicates the D.A.'s ability to charge an alleged trigger person.

You'll recall ... video of the incident showed cops pulling over the SUV in the Hollywood Hills -- with Tory lying face-down on the pavement and Megan gingerly tip-toeing ... leaving bloody footprints with each painful step.

We broke the story ... Megan's injuries to her feet were so bad she had to go into the operating room to remove bullets or bullet fragments.

As we've told you ... MTS says the ordeal left her "hurt and traumatized."

Megan Thee Stallion's sharing pictures of the injuries her foot sustained after Tory Lanez allegedly shot her ... and it's pretty gruesome.

The rapper revealed Wednesday she got stitches out of her foot around 2 weeks ago. She said despite the painful appearance ... she was still ready to celebrate her hit track, "WAP," with Cardi B going No. 1.

Megan posted a long caption on Instagram ... clearing the air on some misconceptions. She added, "I usually don’t address internet bullsh*t but y’all people are so sick! God was really watching over me and I’m healing so well! Sorry I’m not ass sad and miserable as a lot of y’all lol but ima keep being Megan Thee Mf STALLION." 'Nuff said.

As we reported ... the rapper could barely hold it together last month when she addressed the incident. Though she never mentioned Lanez by name, Megan did share other deets .. like the fact she had to get surgery to get the bullets out, and, luckily, no bones or tendons were hit.

Cardi B ain't down to share wet-a** p****y with a group of Trump supporters who were dancing to her hit ... and she's calling them out for what she sees as a reckless boat party.

The rapper just threw a ton of shade at this young group of MAGA bros and gals for posting a video of themselves dancing to "WAP" on boats decked out with Trump 2020 flags and hats.

Cardi's also taking thinly-veiled shots at conservative talk show host Ben Shapiro ... wondering why some Trumpers are jamming to her super sexual song when Shapiro took issue with her suggestive lyrics -- as only he could.

CB says the Trump boater video "makes my ass itchy" ... and says she's calling the feds, because the folks in the video are ignoring coronavirus safety precautions. You'll notice a lack of masks and disregard for social distancing, and Cardi says they should be quarantining. We're pretty sure she's joking about the feds, but you get her point.

Kanye West's wheels are turning about his next big project, and he thinks he's on to something huge ... JESUS TOK.

The rapper and presidential candidate says he was perusing some content on TikTok with his daughter and "as a Christian father" ... he was disturbed by some of the stuff he saw.

But, Ye says he loves the tech, and he's had a vision -- a Christian version of TikTok.

Kanye says he's praying he can collaborate with the insanely popular social media platform to create a more kid and Christian-friendly outlet ... "in Jesus name amen."

It's unclear if the rapper also plans to go back and make more PG-related versions of his tracks -- for instance 2018's "I Love It," which features the lyrics "They had to fake orgasms and sh*t" and "You're such a f***in' ho, I love it."

Ye doesn't address the sometimes sexy content on his wife's social media accounts either, but if he wants to go that route ... JESUS GRAM might work.

As we reported ... Kanye recently revived his Sunday Service up at his ranch in Wyoming, so clearly the Lord is on his mind.

Joe Biden's crash course in Cardi B is complete, and now you can decide if he passed after their sit down covering race, healthcare and uhh ... that "big chunk of taxes" out of our checks!!!

It's almost a rite of passage -- for Democrat Presidential candidates, anyway -- a campaign chat with Cardi, this one for Elle, and she gave Joe an earful. He started out with flattery and then asked what's her main issue heading into the vote.

Welp ... Biden got more than 2 minutes of her issues -- including education, social justice and childcare -- complete with some okurrrrs! Seriously, Cardi's sound effects seemed to throw him off a bit (go to 3:55).

He's just lucky "W.A.P." didn't come up ... that woulda been a moment.

The fact the presumptive Democratic candidate spent 15+ minutes chatting with Cardi -- the day the Democratic National Convention opens -- makes it clear Biden's campaign sees the reach and influence she has. Remember, she also grilled Sen. Bernie Sanders ... so, she's becoming an important campaign stop.

As for Biden ... he and Cardi spent a lot of time talking about racial equality, but she also slipped in a jab about taxes. Y'know, she's famously gotten heated about where her tax dollars are going -- so pay attention to her final question.