TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West says the Balenciaga scandal is proof that Hollywood's celebrities are muzzled -- and speaking of silence ... he thinks Elon Musk should let Alex Jones break his.

The rapper was leaving a Messianic church Saturday where he was met with a small crush of paps who were ready to record him ... but not question him at all. Instead, KW just started speaking freely about his antisemitism scandal/fall from grace -- among other issues.

Ye suggests more people were outraged by what happened to him than what materialized publicly -- which he says is also evident in the lack of celebs who've decried Balenciaga.

Of course, he's referring to a wildly inappropriate ad campaign featuring little girls posing with BDSM-themed teddy bears ... not to mention court docs referencing a child porn case snuck into the background. The company apologized, but is still reeling from the fallout.

After that thought, Ye transitioned to another one ... namely, Twitter's continued ban of Alex Jones' account, which Kanye says should be reversed by Elon immediately.

His rationale there boils down to ... Christ. Yep, you gotta hear how Kanye phrases this one -- because it has strong echoes of his new pal, Nick Fuentes, who has often called for America to get back to its Christian roots -- which he usually couples with white nationalism.

As you know, Kanye has cozied up to Fuentes in recent weeks ... who accompanied Ye to a dinner at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday where Trump was present. KW has also brought Milo Yiannopoulos onboard ... so a lot of alt-right guys, and now -- he's singing Jones's praises.

The comment section for Don Toliver's new music video reads like a Russian Bot Farm -- at least that's what the internet thinks ... accusing his label of attempting to juice his stats.

Here's the deal ... Atlantic Records is under fire on Twitter, with a ton of people reading into the engagement numbers for a bunch of its artists -- specifically, on YouTube, where some feel like the data ratios for new projects just aren't adding up (likes to views, etc.)

DT's video for his song "Do It Right" -- which was posted just a few days ago -- is the prime example being hoisted up on the bird app as supposed evidence of fakery that's alleged to be afoot ... most notably, in the comments, where many see telltale signs of phony fans.

You can go check it out for yourself -- there are a lot of strangely written comments that have flooded this upload in the past 48 hours, with more and more pouring in with odd spelling, unconventional capitalization and grammatical errors. Others make no sense at all.

Plus, there are a lot of comments that have posted nothing but emojis, which are also seemingly jumbled together at random. When you click on some of these profiles, it looks like their accounts are relatively new and have only one comment ... for Don's 'DIR' video.

Indeed ... it certainly comes across as bizarre, and some -- including media personality DJ Akademiks -- have made outright allegations of this happening on a mass scale at Atlantic.

There are other Atlantic artists who've been lumped into this phenomenon, and none appear to have addressed it just yet ... including Toliver. It's worth noting -- while some point to the comments and seemingly lopsided engagement stats on their own as proof, there's no real smoking gun that we can find. This mostly amounts to people speculating and theorizing.

Still, we've reached out to both Atlantic and Toliver's camp for official comment ... so far, no word back.

Kanye West has lost friends, fans and billions of dollars in business deals, but he seems to have picked up at least one amid his antisemitic rants ... white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

West and the former YouTuber -- who lost his account for violating the platform's hate speech policy -- were spotted together at LAX earlier this week. We're told they were heading to Miami, and video of the duo arriving at MIA confirmed as much -- indeed, they were shoulder-to-shoulder cruising through the terminal.

Kanye announced Tuesday he was making the trek to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, tweeting ... "First time at Mar-a-Lago. Rain and traffic. Can't believe I kept President Trump waiting. And I had on jeans. Yikes. What you guys think his response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?"

In a video posted Thursday, where West announced his run for President in 2024, he disclosed he and Fuentes both met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago -- and that things got heated between himself and 45 ... claiming Trump made disparaging remarks about his soon-to-be ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.

But, Trump fired back in a statement ... "Kanye West very much wanted to visit Mar-a-Lago. Our dinner meeting was intended to be Kanye and me only, but he arrived with a guest whom I had never met and knew nothing about."

It's curious because Fuentes is famous within right-wing circles and would have had to pass through security at Mar-a-Lago to attend the dinner.

As for 24-year-old Fuentes, he's been banned from platforms including Twitter, Twitch and Reddit for his hateful views. In 2017, it was reported he spoke positively of "a tidal wave of white identity" after he attended the Unite the Right rally.

He's denounced those who call him a white nationalist, calling the term an "anti-white slur."

Of course, Kanye's spewed antisemitic remarks, even doubling down on them on multiple occasions -- and in 2019, Fuentes compared the Holocaust to a cookie-baking operation -- prompting people to label him a Holocaust denier. Fuentes has since claimed he wasn't serious when he said it.

Kanye West released his first video for his 2024 presidential run, and he claims Donald Trump has some super unkind things to say about his then-wife, Kim Kardashian, but what exactly 45 allegedly said is a mystery.

Ye, who posted the vid on Twitter, says Trump was pissed when he suggested a demotion -- that Trump become his Veep ... "I think the thing Trump was most perturbed about [was] me asking him to be my vice president. I think that was lower on the list of things that caught him off guard."

It seems he's saying this conversation occurred recently at Mar-a-Lago.

Kanye says Trump told him he released Alice Johnson not because of Kim but because of him, and then claimed Trump lobbed some insults about Kim. What those insults are -- well, we don't know because there's a big 'ol bleep over the comment.

Kanye, who did not declare he's running although he has said it in the past, had some convoluted things to say about the January 6th insurrectionists -- that he challenged Trump for not "acting to legally protect those who invaded the U.S. Capitol Building ..."

Ye says Trump yelled at him during their encounter, saying he "started basically screaming at me at the table, telling me I am going to lose," then laughing as he added, "Has that worked for anyone in history?"

Action Bronson's time in the squared circle wasn't just a one-time thing -- the rap star tells TMZ Sports he's ready for his next wrestling opportunity ... saying there's "storylines galore" just waiting for him!!!

The "Subzero" MC recently made his debut with All-Elite Wrestling this year at Grand Slam ... teaming up with Hook to beat Matt Menard and Angelo Parker in an awesome match.

Bronson was legit impressive in the showdown -- throwing dudes over his shoulder and slamming them to the canvas in the entertaining appearance.

But, AB tells us the September event was just the beginning -- 'cause he's waiting by the phone for his next shot.

"I'm ready to go," Bronson said at LAX. "I'm always ready."

When we asked if this is a new career to add to his resume, Bronson says it's something he'd love to do ... but the clock is ticking.

"I'm an old man, bro. I'm an old man. But, I still got some good athleticism in me. Seven more years of athleticism if I play my cards right. I'm telling you."

Bronson says he doesn't have one specific opponent in mind ... adding, "I see storylines galore. I feel like there's a storyline for the next 10 years with me."

BTW -- Action Bronson has been losing a ton of weight recently through boxing and weightlifting ... and he tells us the mindset he has when it comes to getting right.

Celebrities like R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein are spending another Thanksgiving behind bars ... while Josh Duggar and Fetty Wap are spending the holiday in prison for the first time, but their menus are mostly traditional and plentiful.

TMZ obtained prison and jail menus from across the country -- specifically from spots where big names are locked up. Not everyone's getting turkey, but they'll all be feeling fowl!

Here's a breakdown of the Thanksgiving meals:

Duggar at FCI Seagoville:

-- Split turkey breast, baked ham, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, vegetable lasagna, veggie meatloaf, green bean casserole, rolls, holiday pies and cranberry sauce

R. Kelly at MCC Chicago:

-- Baked cornish hen, mac & cheese, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, green beans and holiday dessert

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris at FMC Lexington:

-- Glazed cornish hen, stuffed green peppers, candied yams, stuffing, mac & cheese, garlic macaroni, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and assorted fruit pies

Fetty Wap at MDC Brooklyn:

-- Herb-roasted turkey, tofu fried rice, baked candied sweet potato, mac & cheese, garlic macaroni, simmered cabbage, rolls and fruit pie

Ghislaine Maxwell at FCI Tallahassee:

-- Turkey, Tofurky, cornbread dressing, collard greens, mac & cheese, rolls, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie

Harvey Weinstein at L.A. County Jail:

-- Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, green salad, rolls, pumpkin muffins and chocolate milk

In addition to all the grub, facilities are offering a ton of activities on Thanksgiving Day.

Those Kardashians live to tease -- no one does it better -- because they made the cliff-hanger for season 2 of their Hulu reality show all about a little baby who won't have a name until season 3!

Kylie Jenner said on the season finale she hasn't chosen a name for the 9-month-old, whose birth certificate anoints him with the name Wolf.

Kylie and Travis Scott felt the name didn't fit the kid, but they didn't reveal the new name, and at the end of season 2, she said they still haven't figured it out. BUT, BUT, BUT ... she says tune in to season 3 because she may unveil the kid's new moniker!!!

For now, the baby still goes by Wolf.

Kanye West paraded nude photos of Kim Kardashian around the Adidas offices to staffers ... this according to former employees themselves.

Some staffers who used to work at Adidas -- assigned to the Yeezy division -- told Rolling Stone Ye showed them graphic pics of his then-wife.

One employee says Kanye showed him an explicit picture of Kim during a 2018 job interview, with KW allegedly pulling out his phone and saying, "My wife just sent me this." He goes on to say the image was super revealing and personal.

Another staffer claims Kanye showed the Yeezy creative team an explicit video of Kim that same year. Another member of that team confirmed it, telling RS Kanye wasn't afraid to show off explicit material or talk about personal matters that should've been kept private.

Some of the staffers signed an open to higher-ups at Adidas, titled "The Truth About Yeezy: A Call to Action for Adidas Leadership," in which they accused the company of turning a blind eye to abhorrent behavior.

Ye showing off NSFW material isn't that far-fetched -- the guy was filmed showing off porn to an Adidas exec for an in-house doc that aired earlier this year. You can tell the dude is shocked and uncomfortable, but Kanye insists they keep watching from his device.

Since then, Kanye has admitted to an addiction to porn ... saying he'd beat it by turning to God and declaring he'd protect his children from the same vice that once consumed him.

Jordin Sparks says American Music Awards execs screwed up when they pulled the plug on Chris Brown, and much like Kelly Rowland ... she's shocked there's still debate about whether he belongs at these events.

We got the singer outside ABC Studios this week in NYC, and she thinks Chris has been one of the best in the game for a while now, and absolutely should've been at the AMAs ... to perform and to receive the trophy he won.

As you know, Chris told fans the AMAs canceled his Michael Jackson tribute, and while producers still haven't offered a reason ... Jordin seems to think it stemmed from him beating Rihanna back in 2009.

Granted, Jordan might be slightly biased -- she and Chris had a huge 2008 hit with "No Air" -- but she says that incident "shouldn't even be a conversation anymore" ... and Chris' massive talent should be the focus.

As we reported, Kelly had Chris' back the second boos started popping up in the AMAs crowd, as she announced him as the winner for Favorite Male R&B artist -- thanking him for his contribution to music.

We got Kelly the day after the AMAs, and she gave us some pretty powerful remarks about Chris and the haters. Similar to what Kelly said, Jordin says everyone deserves the chance to "grow and learn" without the past hanging over them.

Clearly, lots of people don't agree, but Jordin's not shy about backing Chris.

Diddy and his son, Christian Combs, have a lot to celebrate right now -- 'cause each of their songs just went #1 on the charts ... and they couldn't be more stoked about it.

The two artists released records this year that have steadily climbed two different airplay charts on Billboard, which measures radio spins. First, we have Diddy's "Gotta Move On," featuring Bryson Tiller ... which reached the top of the Adult R&B Airplay chart Tuesday morning.

Christian's song, "Can't Stop Won't Stop" -- featuring Kodak Black -- also went #1 on US Urban Radio. It seems their peaks were hit simultaneously ... as father and son were ecstatic for each other on camera as they rang in the mutual win.

Diddy and Christian are the first father-son duo to go #1 in music history -- so it's a big milestone, and especially meaningful as Christian has forged his own rap career.

Kanye West continues to be anything but cooperative in his divorce proceedings with Kim Kardashian, blowing off a recently scheduled deposition ... and now he's got one more shot to get it right.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kanye was supposed to get grilled by Kim's attorneys November 16 -- but for whatever reason, he never showed up. The docs state the parties agree the deposition will now happen November 29 at 9:30 AM.

If Kanye misses that date, it could be a serious issue for him, mainly because it won't sit well with the judge during trial ... which is set for December 14.

Of course, Kim and Kanye could hammer out a settlement agreement before the 14th, but as we said, he hasn't been cooperative, so at this point, a settlement seems like a long shot.

Kim's been represented by Disso Queen Laura Wasser throughout the proceedings, while Kanye's gone through at least 5 attorneys. It's clear ... Wasser wants Kanye's depo so she can figure out what the sources of conflict are and what witnesses she wants to call.

It's been nearly two years since Kim first filed for divorce. A judge has already signed the order making Kim and Kanye legally single, but there's still the issues of custody and the division of assets.

Bow Wow and AEW star Jade Cargill finally came face to face and things got so tense the pro wrestler had to be restrained while trying to go after the rapper ... and it all happened on video!

It all went down on Sunday ... Bow Wow was at the FTX Arena in Miami as a part of the Millennium Tour: Turned Up! -- where he and Cargill had the heated exchange.

In the video, Cargill, flanked by fellow AEW wrestlers Red Velvet and Kiera Hogan, AKA "The Baddie Section" ... were jawing back and forth with Bow Wow as security watched.

One of the women with Cargill threw popcorn at Bow Wow during the altercation, which prompted security to intervene before things escalated further.

One guard picked up Velvet and Hogan, whisking them away -- while the other guard restrained Jade from going after Bow Wow, who was taking steps toward the women.

The simmering beef started after Bow Wow shot his shot with Jade, despite her being married to former MLB star Brandon Phillips, in seemingly harmless fashion on Twitter.

Jade rejected Bow Wow's offer and told the rap legend he couldn't afford her, which didn't sit well with the "Let Me Hold You" artist.

The "Like Mike" Star has previously expressed a desire to get into wrestling ... and it's unclear if the feud between him and Cargill is a part of an AEW storyline.

Cardi B was back in action this weekend at the AMAs ... which wasn't expected, as the show came just 9 days after Takeoff's funeral.

The rapper made a surprise appearance Sunday at the award show, where she put on a big performance alongside GloRilla -- and she was in full MC mode, spittin' to their collab song 'Tomorrow 2' and looking energetic as ever.

She was also dressed to impress for national TV ... rocking a tight body suit that showed off her signature curves. Although she flashed big smiles, no one would've been shocked had she canceled, but Cardi was a trooper.

The AMAs outing marks one of the first times she's surfaced publicly since attending Takeoff's memorial service on Nov. 11 in Atlanta.

She and her husband Offset had been laying pretty low in the wake of the murder, but Cardi was the consummate professional Sunday night. No sign of Offset at the ceremony, but his wife definitely held it down for both of them.

Cher and Alexander Edwards had people's jaws on the floor after being spotted gettin' cozy together over the last few weeks ... and we're told this isn't for show -- it's the real deal.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... despite the fact Alexander is a Universal Music exec, the 2 aren't working on any projects together.

We're told they've spent A LOT of time together over the last couple of months at Cher's Malibu home ... the one that's currently on the market for $85 mil!!!

The couple first met at Rick Owens' Paris fashion show back in September ... where Cher and Tyga snapped some pics together.

As we reported, Cher and Alex -- 40-year age difference and all -- had a fun night in WeHo earlier this month ... hittin' up a couple of spots with Tyga -- before the 2 headed back to her pad for the night.

DJ Khaled is giving two lucky fans a chance to walk in his shoes -- literally. He's offering a decked-out Airbnb stay that comes with a version of his own sneaker closet!!!

The hip hop mogul is giving away two exclusive one-night stays at a beautiful home in the heart of Miami.

The house has all the bells and whistles, including an outdoor lounge and the obligatory pool. Best part ... it's loaded with some of Khaled's most prized possessions -- sneakers!

Whoever gets the keys will be able to sleep in gym shoe heaven ... Khaled recreated his legendary sneaker closet, and it features a ton of his personal kicks, but not all of them -- he has more than 10,000 pairs.

Guests will also get a pair of We The Best Jordan 5s, a private shopping session at a premiere sneaker store, 305 kicks ... and they'll even get catered dinner from his restaurant, The Licking.

The one-night stay goes down Dec. 5 and 6, and guests will be greeted with a handwritten welcome note from Khaled himself.

Guests only have to pay $11 (a nod to his shoe size) a night for the one-time experience in the 305.

Flavor Flav's beef with Spirit Airlines is making him a hot commodity with a rival carrier -- Southwest Airlines has entered the chat and it comes bearing valuable gifts.

Sources close to the rap icon/reality TV star tell TMZ ... Flav and his camp were contacted by a Southwest honcho after they got wind of his Las Vegas airport rant after missing a Spirit flight.

We're told the exec is a friend of someone on Flav's team, and made him an offer you'd think he simply can't refuse -- flying for free with Southwest whenever he wants.

TMZ broke the story ... the Public Enemy rapper lost his cool, when he was denied entry to his Spirit flight. He claimed the agent shut the door in his face, setting off a heated back and forth.

Spirit investigated the incident and decided the customer was right -- the airline refunded FF and upgraded him to "Gold", its highest frequent flier tier.

Now that the dust has settled, Flav's got options! A rep tells us he's getting an outpouring of love from flight attendants with several airlines -- including Delta and American. Southwest even sweetened the pot, throwing in a buddy pass to go with his free ride.

Flav has a good history with Southwest -- he played honorary flight attendant during a past flight into Vegas -- so, maybe the airline is in the driver's seat for his business.