TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Coachella has dropped this year's highly anticipated lineup ... and some of the biggest artists are comin' to bring the house down.

Bad Bunny is set to hit the stage Friday, with Gorillaz, Metro Boomin, and Pusha T goin' all out throughout the day, amongst others. Idris Elba is also touching down on day 1, performing as a DJ for the crowd.

Saturday's headliner is K-pop group BLACKPINK -- while other performances that day will come from Rosalía, The Kid LAROI, and Charli XCX, to name a few.

Don't sleep on Sunday -- because Frank Ocean will finally be gracing the desert stage. For those unaware, he was set as a headliner for the 2020 concert before the whole thing got scrapped.

Other than Frank, Sunday's packed with artists like Björk, Dominic Fike, Latto, Rae Sremmurd, and lots more.

Fake lineups have circulated online, including one that said Justin Bieber would headline. Sources say Bieber was asked, but he turned it down in order to focus on his album. However, we're told there's a good chance he does it in 2024!

Remember, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd all headlined in 2022 ... and they surely didn't disappoint.

Despite putting on a great show more recently ... honchos working behind the scenes of the 2-weekend long festival have seen some hiccups over the last few years.

You'll recall, there was a bit of drama over who would fill the spot ... after Kanye West dropped out of the show a week before the festival began. He had plans to bring out Travis Scott, but of course, that didn't happen once Ye pulled the plug.

Coachella made its comeback that year ... after canceling the festivals in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.

Well, this year the show will go on ... and it seems like it will be a hell of a time!

Cardi B and Offset are taking the Super Bowl by storm with some lovey dovey burgers and fries, because they've teamed up with the golden arches for a major ad ... and it's all about love.

Sources tell TMZ the couple shot a commercial for McDonald's right around Christmas time ... which was filmed with a small crew -- even though we're told the scale of the ad is going to be huge, and it's expected to make a splash on game day.

Cardi and Offset shot it solo -- so, no kids in this -- and our sources tell us it's Valentine's Day themed. Unclear what exactly is going to be depicted, but we imagine it'll be lovey-dovey ... which CB and Offset already are on their own.

Obviously, this is going to air on Feb. 12 -- the day of SB LVII -- just a couple days before V-Day.

As for why these two decided to shoot during the Christmas holiday ... we're told everyone felt it'd be the best day to get some work done, seeing how everyone (celebs included) usually take it easy. It also gave them a good window to get some work done without distractions.

This is Cardi's second go-around when it comes to Super Bowl ads -- she famously did one for Pepsi a few years ago ... and now, she's been tapped by another giant corporation.

Dr. Dre just went in hard on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, threatening her with legal action for exploiting his music "to promote your divisive and hateful political agenda."

Dre's lawyer, Howard King, fired off a letter to Greene, saying "Mr. Young [Dre] has not, and will never, grant you permission to broadcast or disseminate any of his music."

As we reported, Greene posted a video of her walking to the House floor Monday, using Dre's song, "Still D.R.E." as the music bed.

King fired off a demand letter to Twitter, asking the company to block her post. For its part, Twitter not only blocked the post ... it also locked her Twitter account.

But King wasn't done. Dre's lawyer went after her in a blistering way, saying "you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country. It's possible, though, that laws governing intellectual property are a little too arcane and insufficiently populist for you to really have spent much time on."

Dre and King were not done ... "We're writing because we think an actual lawmaker should be making laws not breaking laws, especially those embodied in the constitution by the founding fathers."

And then the ultimatum ... King demanded that Green cease and desist from using any of Dre's music, and he set a time deadline ... "please provide me with written confirmation that you have complied with these demands before January 11, 2023 by 5:00 pm EST."

Before the letter was sent, Greene told TMZ, "While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs."

We will follow up on this ... promise!

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene used a Dr. Dre song to tout her political prowess -- but she didn't have the green light for it ... according to Dre himself.

The Georgia lawmaker posted a highly-produced clip to her social feeds showing her strutting her stuff through the halls of Congress, apparently flexing the fact that she helped get Rep. Kevin McCarthy elected as House Speaker ... after an excruciating process.

In the video, you see her walking around and feeling herself -- even taking a call from "DT" at one point -- and all throughout ... DD's "Still D.R.E." beat is playing in the background.

The fact she even knows the song took some by surprise, let alone her feeling free to drop it into her GOP-fueled vid. You can count Dr. Dre as one of those shocked to hear his work being used by MTG ... because he tells TMZ he never gave the okay for this to happen.

The mega-producer tells us ... "I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one." So, yeah ... he ain't a fan of her collab here in the slightest.

No word on whether he plans to do anything about it, or if he's just gonna let it be. Fact is ... Republican politicians have long used popular songs for their political purposes for years now, starting with the head honcho himself -- Donald Trump -- who does it often at rallies.

Countless artists have told us they don't condone it, and some have even demanded he stop -- but Trump has continued on anyway ... often without any real repercussions of note.

We'll see if Rep. Greene follows his lead and does the same with Dre.

Kanye West is back to his regularly scheduled program -- getting out and about again, and with a new mystery woman by his side during his first time in public in several weeks.

Ye appeared to be all smiles Sunday afternoon as he drove around his Maybach in Bev Hills. In what's become his typical single guy move ... he had a new female companion riding shotgun for their Sunday Funday.

Unclear who the woman is, but they were basically hand in hand as they walked into the Waldorf Astoria hotel.

Ye's been off the map for several weeks now -- rumors started spreading he was missing when his ex-business manager Thomas St. John said Ye was nowhere to be found.

As we reported, Ye made himself persona non grata just about everywhere after he unleashed a slew of antisemitic remarks and bizarre comments ... all of which ultimately cost him a ton of business deals, and his billionaire status.

At one point, he was traveling the country with white nationalist Nick Fuentes by his side, and the duo went to Mar-a-Lago to dine with Donald Trump, stirring a war of words with the former president.

Travis Scott seems to be moving solo now ... seen for the first time since word got out that he might be on the outs again with Kylie Jenner, and he's not looking too happy.

The rapper had his head down as he stepped off his private jet Sunday afternoon in L.A. ... shortly after reports came out he and Kylie might've broken things off. He clearly had a somber look on his face ... possibly breakup-related, possibly just regular fatigue.

If the split is real, it sure looks like Trav engaged in some retail therapy -- he had a ton of expensive bags as he got off the PJ ... including a Birkin bag worth about $50K and an extremely rare vintage Takashi Murakami Louis Vuitton trunk, which is said to resell for nearly $100K.

You'll recall, Kylie and Travis were first linked together during Coachella in April of 2017, and they welcomed baby Stormi the following February.

They briefly called things off in 2019, but rekindled their romance ... and their baby boy (the one with the mystery name) was born in February 2022.

Young Thug's RICO trial is about to get started -- during which prosecutors will present evidence backing their case, and, controversially, that will include some of his lyrics.

Opening arguments are scheduled to kick off Monday in Fulton County, where YT is facing serious charges ... including conspiracy, participating in criminal street gang activity, possession of a firearm and controlled substances charges, among others.

He's pleaded not guilty -- with his defense attorney insisting his name will be cleared through the proceedings.

Thug is just one of several individuals who've been charged in the sweeping case -- but he's a key defendant, as the feds allege he's one of the head honchos of YSL (Young Slime Life) ... which they claim is not only a music label/brand, but a violent criminal enterprise too.

The allegations against Thug and the other 27 co-defendants date back to 2015, and some defendants -- not Thug -- are facing murder, attempted murder and armed robbery charges. Even more alarming is the fact prosecutors are expected to cite specific lyrics YSL members have rapped to help build the case against them.

It's caused a lot of outrage, with some arguing rap lyrics shouldn't be allowed as evidence in the case ... claiming they often blur the lines between artistic expression and reality.

It's unclear which lyrics, exactly, are going to be mentioned ... but some of the songs prosecutors are looking at have been revealed. They include Young Thug's 2018 hit, "Anybody," plus tracks from YSL's 2020 compilation album like ... "Take it to Trial," "Ski" and "Slatty."

Prosecutors allege YSL members, including Thug, explicitly refer to criminal activity in those tracks -- and that they furthered the objective of the group ... namely, "Preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise."

While Thug is about to have his day in court ... one of his cohorts and fellow labelmates, Gunna, already accepted a plea deal that saw him released from custody. He was sentenced to 5 years with one year credit for time served. The remaining 4 years were suspended, so no more time behind bars if he stays out of trouble.

French Montana and members of his team were desperate to find safety in the seconds following the chaos of gunfire in Miami Gardens ... ducking into a fast food joint.

We've obtained video from inside a KFC restaurant where French and others gathered to find safe shelter. French isn't saying much in the clip, but you see him peering outside toward the scene.

A witness inside the restaurant tells us French remained there for 30 to 40 minutes, while cops arrived and victims were taken to the hospital.

As we reported, as many as 10 people were hit by bullets Thursday night when shots rang out into a crowd of people who had gathered at The Licking restaurant to celebrate the release of French's new mixtape, "Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition."

It's unclear what led to the shooting, but one witness on the scene tells us they believe it was the result of an attempted robbery during the celebration.

A rep for French confirmed to us he was not injured in the melee, and everyone is expected to survive ... including a bodyguard who was listed in critical condition.

In a statement Friday, French said, "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

French Montana is coming under fire from the Miami Gardens Police for not securing permits for his video production that turned into a bullet festival with 10 people shot.

Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt just blamed the rapper and his crew for all the violence and chaos.

Noel-Pratt said investigators have learned event organizers (i.e. French and Co.) failed to fill out an application to obtain the necessary permits for the video shoot, which is a violation of city policy.

"As a result of this disregard of the procedures, the unauthorized music video production led to an unfortunate situation," the police chief said.

He added, "If the necessary agencies were notified ahead of time and protocol followed, police officers would have been in place to safeguard the community and assist with deterring and responding, if needed, to any situation that may arise."

French has a completely different take. He tells us he was NOT shooting a video in Miami, but rather "celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant." He says they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when the shooting occurred.

French Montana is thankful to be alive and that those injured in the shooting in Miami Gardens are all expected to make it ... breaking his silence on the scary incident.

French just addressed Thursday night's terrifying ordeal, writing, "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

Initial reports stated French was filming a music video at The Licking in Miami Gardens, but a spokesperson for the rapper tells us all photos and video taken were to celebrate CB6.

We're also told French was not injured, and those who were hit by gunfire are all expected to pull through.

As we reported, shots rang out Thursday night -- and as many as 10 people were struck by gunfire -- many were injured.

A French Montana music video turned into a terrifying ordeal when gunshots rang out ... and multiple people have reportedly been hit.

French and his team were in Miami Gardens Thursday filming a video outside The Licking restaurant. At some point, at least one person opened fire, injuring up to 10 people ... according to Miami WSVN 7News.

At this point, it's unclear if French was hit ... but a witness on the scene tells us his security got him out of the area safely and without incident.

We've obtained video of French on the scene before the shooting, and everything seemed to going smoothly. However, in additional video -- from after the shots rang out -- you can see the chaos.

We do not know who fired the gun or if it was more than one person.

Miami 7 says at this point, there have been no fatalities reported.

We spoke with French earlier in the day Thursday about the loss of his friend Takeoff, and advice he gave Quavo on dealing with the death.

La La Anthony is walking back her past comments about only getting 22-year-old suitors -- but she's still on the lookout for a relationship with someone who's her match!!!

We got the highly eligible bachelorette out at LAX, and maybe it was the rain but she wasn't feeling too optimistic about her dating options in the new year.

You might recall, La La was on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast a few months ago, and dropped a bombshell about only seeing barely legals sliding into her DMs.

She cracked a smile while quoting the late, great Aaliyah in revealing "age ain't nothing but a number" ... but does admit 22 is a bit young for her taste.

Lala has been on the market since filing for divorce from Carmelo Anthony in June 2021 -- ending 10+ years of marriage -- and for what it's worth, her career has been firing on all cylinders since then. Something for her potential dates to consider.

She recently joined 50 Cent's "BMF," has a recurring role in Hulu's "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" and is also slated to star in a couple of movies that are on the horizon.

Translation: She's popping!!! 💅🏽

Aries Spears sounds kinda like an angry old dude on his porch -- demanding Black men ditch the "sagging jeans" trend, and he thinks Soulja Boy should spearhead the change!!!

The controversial comedian was venting to VladTV about Black men's and women's fashion, and recalled a time he saw Soulja standing at a bank teller window ... flaunting the underwear covering his butt. 😅

Aries says he made eye contact with a White woman disapproving of SB's swag sag, and all he could do was shrug because he felt just like she did.

At 47 years old, Aries says he's comfortable speaking his mind and wishes he could grab every Black person's pants that are sagging and pull them up ... although, he's not naive to the number of fights that would start.

Aries called the Soulja moment embarrassing for the culture as a whole, and also has harsh criticism for Black women: No more bonnets and hair wraps in public! He claims he might start snatching them off heads.

Lil Uzi Vert's decision to add his Young Thug and Gunna collab "Strawberry Peels" to the deluxe version of his last album could prove to be a costly one ... the Generation Now rhymer is being sued over the song.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Uzi, Thug, Gunna, the song's producer Wheezy, as well as the record labels Atlantic and Generation Now are being sued by Sun City Publishing for allegedly stealing samples from Blackout's 1995 song called "Dim Da Lights."

Sun City claims it never gave Uzi permission to sample the track and says "Strawberry Peels" has been a huge success since its release ... amassing over 39 million Spotify streams and more than 4 million plays on YouTube.

Sun City believes the song has raked in well over $1 million dollars and now it wants at least that much in damages.

The suit obviously spells more bad news for Thug and Gunna ... remember, both were tied into the RICO criminal cases in Georgia.

Ludacris' former Disturbing The Peace artist Shawnna had her birthday celebration disrupted this week ... thanks to a rather salacious Keith Murray interview where he claimed to have performed oral sex on her.

The veteran Chicago rapper broke from swimming in paradise on Thursday to fend off the newfound attention her Instagram account had been receiving ... referring to Keith as a "leaf head" while advising his followers to leave her the hell alone!!!

Keith was a recent guest on "The Art of Dialogue," a platform where rappers are known to crash out with their stories ... and the Def Squad OG didn't disappoint those lurkers looking for drama.

He said he ignored alleged advice from Ludacris to avoid Shawnna ... before Keith claims to have had a pretty heavy oral sex rendezvous with her in a Mercedes, and is still clamoring for more.

Akademiks is sticking up for himself against Young Thug's family support group, but says he wants the same thing they do -- a fair and impartial trial for the embattled YSL Records leader.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Thug's sister Dolly White and Lil Gotit this week, and they accused Ak of false reporting in the case -- an accusation he's denying, while making it clear he understands the delicate nature of the case.

According to Ak's sources, Thug isn't vibing with the onslaught of plea deals his YSL cohorts have taken in the RICO case -- but Gotit and Dolly insinuated that's not true, telling us only they know Thug's true feelings.

Ak says he understands Thug's words could be classified as witness intimidation in the courtroom, so he has to choose his words carefully.

YSL's top signee Gunna, label co-founder Walter "DK" Murphy and even Thug's own brother Unfoonk are among the individuals who have taken plea deals so far -- Ak says he doesn't want to hear about Thug slamming those decisions after the fact.