TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

R. Kelly's team called police claiming hundreds of his master recordings were stolen ... and now his camp thinks that could be behind the unauthorized release of the new "I Admit It" album.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the Kelly master recordings were reported missing back in February ... swiped from an Illinois storage facility.

Cops say a man named Keith Calbert called to report a theft, telling officers he oversees the Kelly property being stored in the warehouse. Calbert told police several hundred of Kelly's recordings were missing, and he valued them in the millions of dollars.

It's interesting ... cops say Calbert told them 2 roadies removed the masters from the warehouse 9 months prior, and took them to California. Police say Calbert also told them he had advised one of the roadies to bring back the recordings ... but was told he needed to pay $160,000 for their return.

Police say Calbert showed them 10 empty shelves he said used to be completely full, and estimated between 300 to 500 missing recordings.

It's unclear why Kelly's team waited so long to make the report. In any event, cops say they investigated but it didn't go anywhere, so the case was closed with no arrests.

TMZ broke the story ... R. Kelly claims he had nothing to do with the recently released, 13-track "I Admit It" album.

His legal team says they're trying to find out who uploaded the music to Spotify and Apple Music, and those 2 roadies are high on their list of people to contact.

Lil Wayne's signature hit "Lollipop" is now certified DIAMOND by the Recording Industry Association of America ... adding yet another sparkling notch in the Young Money CEO's storied career!!!

After the RIAA announcement Wednesday morning, an appreciative Lil Wayne sent out a video thanking all the 10 million fans who bought the song -- noting it was sales, not streams that got him the Diamond plaque.

"Lollipop" was released as the first single from Wayne's 2008 blockbuster album "Tha Carter 3." The album sold one million records in just a week ... so it's no surprise the party-starter "Lollipop" hit the Diamond mark.

Wayne also sent out a special RIP to the song's collaborator Static Major ... who'd also worked with artists like Aaliyah and Timbaland. Static died from health complications in 2008 shortly before "Lollipop" was released.

"Lollipop" spent a total of 5 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and officially kicked off the digital era of rap singles selling like hotcakes!!!

Jadakiss and Styles P are excited about their upcoming concert series ... especially since it puts their patented bob-and-weave rhyme patterns on display for the NYC crowd!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with both Jada and Styles ahead of their co-headlining “Back to Back” concert series -- which happens this Friday, Dec. 16 at the famed venue Irving Plaza.

The LOX members are especially hyped for this particular show for a couple of reasons -- one being showcasing “in and out” rap styles ... and the other being it's sponsored by about a dozen cannabis brands, including some hailing from the West Coast.

New York legalized 420 for recreational use back in Oct. 2021, and Styles took advantage this past summer ... celebrating the 20th anniversary of his stoner anthem, "Good Times," with a live show similar to their upcoming gig.

Styles tells us after so many years in the industry, they're happy to be in control of the business side. Jada notes additional bells and whistles -- like the cannabis bonus -- are vital to keeping fans engaged, or high, at shows these days!!!

Despite the good times ahead, hip hop has suffered tremendous blows this year ... and as elder statesmen of the culture, Styles and Jada are squarely blaming music execs and radio programmers for allowing "problematic" music to run rampant these days.

Styles uses drill music for his example ... and notes how it's incredibly nearsighted to blame a lowly kid with no ability to get their songs into the machine's rotation.

They admit everyone in the industry needs to step up, but the powers that be need to be held accountable as they're the ones cutting the checks.

Looking ahead to the show, we're told fans can expect to hear "in and out" style performances like "We Gonna Make It" and "Keepin' It Gangsta" and there'll be additional appearances from Neek Bucks, Flawless and more artists too.

Tory Lanez has an answer for all the critics questioning why he’d bring his young son to his shooting trial involving Meg Thee Stallion ... and it’s all about support.

The rapper was in full-on dad mode Tuesday as he left the courthouse where Meg testified he shot her and wished he had killed her ... carrying his son on his back as he jogged out to his ride.

Tory was peppered with questions about the trial, including why he chose to bring his 5-year-old son, Kai'Lon, to court ... with Tory explaining how father and son are a support system for one another.

When Tory and his son arrived at court earlier in the day they raised eyebrows online ... because his kid has literally nothing to do with the case.

As we reported ... Megan's testimony was super emotional, touching on the impact this case is having on her ... including the notion that she wishes she was dead instead of having to deal with the trial.

YNW Melly says he fears for his life inside Broward County jail, and his mother is taking him at his word ... and demanding immediate action before there's a turn for the worse.

Jamie Demons-King says she's tried to get some relief from the judge in Melly's case, but is taking action into her own hands now by bringing the matter straight to the county commissioner.

The "Murder on My Mind" rapper called out specific guards in 2 IG posts this week, accusing them of threatening to beat him up and isolate him from the other inmates.

Melly also says his phone privileges have been revoked and feels like he has a target on his back. Jamie tells us she's feeling helpless over her son's predicament.

She says Christmas Day is her birthday and all she wants for a gift would be to talk to Melly ... but she's not certain it's going to happen.

We reached out to the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office, but haven't heard back yet.

Megan Thee Stallion is in court for the second day of Tory Lanez's shooting trial ... letting cameras know how she's feeling as fans cheer her on outside the building.

Megan stepped into a DTLA courthouse Tuesday ... giving a thumbs up when asked how she was doing. The rapper was also asked if she's nervous about the trial, but shakes her head at that one.

Meg had a bunch of fans in her corner, too ... with a group of her supporters holding up banners and signs -- and even wearing shirts that all say "We stand with Megan."

Not everyone is backing the Megan train, though -- as she walked into court, one person shouted out, "Why you lying on that boy?" No reaction from Meg and co., though.

As we reported, Tory's trial kicked off Monday, with both sides laying out what they say happened the night Meg was allegedly shot in the foot. Prosecutors clearly say Tory pulled the trigger, while Tory's attorneys have laid out alternative theories, including pointing out some possible fighting between Kelsey and Meg that night.

Megan will reportedly testify at some point during the trial -- but it's unclear when she'll take the stand.

Lil Fizz wants to make sure one thing is VERY clear ... it's not his naked butt that's making the rounds on social media, despite what some people may claim.

ICYMI ... there's an explicit video that's blown up on social media that shows what appears to be a man showing off his area where the sun don't shine. Those sharing the video claimed the video was Fizz, and a leak from his OnlyFans account.

However, Fizz got on IG Tuesday to address the video, saying, "This is crazy, the levels these chicks will go to, to try and destroy and ruin you."

He continued, "Wow unbelievable! Ya'll have a happy holiday, that is NOT ME!"

The late Young Dolph spent countless hours recording in the studio -- and his upcoming posthumous album "Paper Route Frank" will bloom the fruits of the late Memphis rap star's labor.

Paper Route Empire fired off the latest single on Tuesday ... The O'Jays's sampling "Old Ways," irons out Dolph's persona to a tee.

Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Dolph's cousin and day one Key Glock, and PRE rappers Big Moochie Grape and SNUPE BANDZ all chime in for vocal contributions ... while Bandplay, Drumma Boy, Sosa 808, Dun Deal and others will hold down the production duties!!

The album drops this Friday, December 16 and will cap off a banner memorial year for Dolph ... as November 17 was recently bestowed Adolph “Young Dolph” Thornton Jr. Day of Service by state legislatures in both Georgia and Tennessee.

Diddy is reaffirming his love for Yung Miami following Akademiks' labeling of the City Girl as a "side chick" after the Bad Boy mogul announced he just welcomed a new baby girl into the world.

In a pair of tweets Tuesday, Diddy denied Miami was ever a side chick ... even dishing out a new nickname for her -- "Shawty Wop."

Diddy also promised to pop up at any house of someone who "hurts" those he loves ... a fitting threat because Akademiks has been inviting people to visit him in Jersey.

Ak and Miami were tussling on Twitter Monday ... when "Grown-ish" actor Luka Sabbat entered the chat -- only to be dragged for filth by Ak on Twitch during a quasi-homophobic rant.

As we told you earlier in the week ... Diddy welcomed a new baby girl by the name of Love Combs with 28-year-old cyber security pro Dana Tran.

Grand Daddy I.U., a prominent member of early rap label Cold Chillin' Records, has died at the age of 54 ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Legendary hip hop producer Pete Rock, a longtime advocate for GDIU's skills as a lyricist, revealed to his followers the Queens-born rapper died peacefully in his sleep.

In the late 80s, GDIU was signed on Cold Chillin' along with Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Roxanne Shanté and Biz Markie, the latter rap legend having a huge part in shaping his career ... pushing his demo to the label and even producing every song on GDIU's first album: 1990's "Smooth Assassin."

The album spawned a pair of Billboard rap hits in the singles "Something New" and "Sugar Free" ... helping solidify the genre on the charts long before the days of streaming and Super Bowl-sized endorsements for rappers.

We reached out to GDIU's manager for further details ... we'll let you know when we hear back.

DJ Akademiks and Yung Miami are having an intense war of words over Diddy's surprise baby -- but that's led to Ak threatening a physical showdown with Luka Sabbat ... after the "grown-ish" actor inserted himself into the beef!!!

On Tuesday, Luka tweeted a question, wondering why Ak never went at males with the same energy as his ongoing war with Miami.

Ak had been roasting Miami for being an oblivious "side chick" in Diddy's world. He's also been serving Lil Baby with that "energy" for months following Baby's pair of album disses.

Ak got wind of Luka's tweet in real-time while live streaming on Twitch and erupted like a volcano ... daring Luka to ever confront him in person.

Ak ripped Luka's "model fashion sense" -- although he used more homophobic phrasing -- and then offered to fly Luka to New Jersey for an ass-whooping.

Luka responded to the challenge, saying he was shocked Ak would want to fight him, seeing as how he's just a thespian who spends most of his time overseas. He admits he's not looking for any smoke. So, we're guessing this whole mess dies here.

Drake isn't afraid to fall in love, and now he's got an insanely flashy piece of jewelry to prove it -- a necklace with 42 engagement ring diamonds -- for all the times he's wanted to propose.

Celebrity Jeweler Alex Moss tells TMZ ... Champagne Papi's new piece is called "Previous Engagements," a tribute to all the women Drizzy contemplated asking to marry him, but never went through.

In total, we're told the piece's 42 stones count for 351.38 carats in diamonds. On top of all the ice, it's made using 18K white gold and was set using the eagle claw technique.

Alex tells us the entire thing took 14 months to complete and was built by hand in NYC ... though he won't reveal how much it cost.

Drake debuted it at Lil Baby’s birthday concert in Atlanta last Saturday at State Farm Arena.

Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory Jr. -- the lead star in 50 Cent's hit 'BMF' series -- learned the hard way it's a bad idea to stash a gun in your carry-on luggage.

Lil Meech landed in a bit of hot water at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday ... after we're told authorities found him with a gun.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop Lil Meech was at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Tuesday when security discovered a firearm in his luggage. We're told deputies from the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office were called to the scene and arrested the actor.

As for the weapon, our sources say it was a Glock 19 9mm ... it wasn't loaded, but cops also found a 15-round magazine. Lil Meech did not have a carry permit.

Meech was transported and booked for introducing a firearm into the sterile area of the airport ... a felony. Apparently, the actor isn't alone in his mistake ... as we're told this was the 130th gun found at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood this year.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's getting 86'd from a boujee apartment complex ... and we're told it's because one of his armed guards allegedly got careless with a high-powered firearm.

Sources familiar tell TMZ ... when 6ix9ine heads to Miami, he usually crashes with Nelk Boys member SteveWillDoIt. We're told Steve's place -- part of SLS Lux Property -- put the hammer down on the rapper, banning him from their spaces.

According to a letter sent to Steve from attorneys for the condo association, obtained by TMZ, Tekashi's bodyguards showed up at the end of October, openly carrying assault weapons.

The letter says one of Tekashi's guards also "casually left his assault weapon unattended on his bag" and walked away from it briefly to talk with others.

The docs say the property association is "aware of the bounty placed on 6ix9ine's life" ... after getting out of prison "in exchange for information regarding others and the provocative antics of 6ix9ine," which the condo association thinks creates a dangerous situation for its residents, guests, employees and staff members.

It's unclear if there have been potentially dangerous incidents going down during his stays, but this clip obtained by TMZ shows someone with a gun waiting for him outside.

Sources tell us he's now on a banned list that includes a photo of Tekashi for apartment security to see. The attached message says, "If seen on property, do not check-in, do not approach and contact security immediately. "

San Fran's boo-fest for Elon Musk at Dave Chappelle's show is not the takeaway from that night ... not for Symba, who says the Twitter CEO was all fun and games when they linked backstage!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the budding Bay Area rapper after he snapped a flick with Elon ... and he says the billionaire mogul wasn't rattled by the crowd's response, even if his defensive tweet following the viral moment made it seem like it.

Symba is very familiar with the Chase Center hallways -- he performed during the Golden State Warriors' December 10 victory against the Boston Celtics, and tells us he's gotten cool with Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson ... and he's in awe of their basketball IQ.

Likewise, Symba's been flashing his talents ... making waves early this year opposite DJ Drama with their joint mixtape "Results Take Time" -- and he told us they're already working together on a follow-up.

Ben Simmons has found himself in the middle of Tory Lanez's high-profile assault case -- and now, the Nets superstar is defending himself after he was accused of messing around with Megan Thee Stallion.

On Monday, the defense gave their opening statement in Lanez's trial -- where he's accused of shooting Meg in L.A. in 2020 following an argument. While addressing the jurors, Tory's attorney suggested it could've been Meg's friend, Kelsey Harris, who fired the shots, after the women were feuding.

Enter Simmons.

The defense claims Meg had a history of hooking up with men Kelsey's been with ... and accused her of doing just that with the NBA star, which they say caused a huge argument between the women.

But 26-year-old Simmons was quick to shut it down ... posting a viral video on his Instagram story of Rick Ross yelling, "Accusations. These are false accusations," during a segment with Swerve in Our Glory when the Florida rapper visited AEW Dynamite.

Ben didn't name Meg, Tory, or Kelsey in the post, but, c'mon.

It's only day 1 of the trial, but it's evident the defense's strategy is to convince the jurors that it was Kelsey who fired the gun, not Tory.

Even though the trial just started, it's a critical piece of information. If the defense can create reasonable doubt that Kelsey, and not Tory, fired the shots ... he'll be found not guilty.