TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Kanye West is deep in audition mode for his upcoming fashion show -- Yeezy Szn 10 -- but this time around, he's seeking out bald models to show off his latest garb.

Ye held his auditions in DTLA Thursday ... and we're told those trying out were to have shaved heads and dress in all black. We're told hopefuls got in line as early as 7 AM, and some waited until 3 PM for a chance to be chosen.

The rapper rocked a unique shirt after auditions wrapped, too -- one given to him by a disabled person who came in to audition.

Unclear what Kanye's got up his sleeve for his fashion line's 10th season, but the guy's clearly got representation in mind while crafting the new show.

BTW -- we saw Kanye jammin' out to his own track last week at Jerry Lorenzo's Fear of God fashion show at the Hollywood Bowl ... donning his signature full-head mask alongside his wife, Bianca.

Chance the Rapper seemingly angered his wife by grinding for the world to see during his 30th birthday romp, but the Chicago MC feels he's in the right ... if his new lyrics are to be believed.

On Friday, Chance costarred on his Black Line Fest collaborator Vic Mensa's new music video "$WISH" and burst out the gate with the pro-twerking bars, "Make somethin' shake for me, stop playin', bitch/Fair trade, you get a purse, I get a sandwich/But that ain't fair you gеt to twerk, and that's advantageeee."

Last week, Chance went viral in Jamaica for being heavily twerked upon during Carnival '23 ... which caused a big ruckus because he's been rapping for years about being happily married.

Just as fans thought the coals were cooling off, Chance's wife Kirsten Corley-Bennett resparked the controversy this week by posting a passage from Maya Angelou’s "Letter to My Daughter" book ... highlighting the part about people getting married but still not growing up.

Kanye West says he never screwed his ex-business manager out of a payday in a new countersuit ... firing back with claims their arrangement came about when he was stressed out and in the middle of his divorce.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained docs filed by Kanye and his Yeezy brand ... where he claims the deal he struck with Thomas St. John isn't enforceable because he signed it without help from a lawyer when he was "sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress."

According to the lawsuit, Ye says he met St. John around March 2022 -- and they sketched out a deal that would place him on a $300k monthly retainer.

Kanye admits the two met during one of his many social media meltdowns -- and St. John swooped in as a respected biz manager who could steer the ship back on course.

Although Ye admits to signing a document with St. John in May 2022 ... he claims he did so without the presence and counsel of his lawyers, and as his high-profile divorce with Kim Kardashian was taking a serious toll.

Ye also says the increased volume of paparazzi encounters amid the divorce was causing sleep deprivation, stress and anxiousness.

Ye is also complaining about a clause in the "barebones" agreement that prevented St. John from being terminated for at least the first 18 months ... essentially guaranteeing his bank account stayed stacked with Ye's funds.

Latto is coming clean about her experience with plastic surgery ... copping to getting "a little work" done after her recent bars made Coi Leray's body shape a trending topic.

The "Big Energy" rapper was discussing the downside of going under the knife on her '777 Radio' show on Apple Music, but says in her case, her procedures were done correctly as people often think she's au naturel.

However, Latto gave a stern warning to her cohost Brooklyn Nikole and all other young girls looking to fix "little tweaks" to find a healthy appreciation for their bodies because they'll end up obsessing over trips to the surgeon and can never please everyone.

Latto says her surgery still hasn't stopped her from editing pics or having wardrobe malfunctions but says being in the public eye since age 16 forced her hand.

Latto's recent Nicki Minaj diss "Put It On The Floor" angered Coi when she rapped that her blunts were bigger than the "Players" rapper, but the two have since made up ... with Coi apparently capitalizing on the moment.

Jack Harlow dropped his new album "Jackman" on Friday and made a bold statement -- proclaiming himself to be the best white rapper since Eminem burst onto the scene!!!

On the album's 2nd track, "They Don’t Love It," Jack references Em's famous "Lose Yourself" line about his mother's spaghetti with the lyrics ... "The hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters/And hold the comments 'cause I promise you I'm honestly better than whoever came to your head right then" ... and then goes on to rap about how he outworks all his Caucasian competition!!!

Obviously, there have been several white rappers who have cut through since Em -- MGK, Millyz, Marlon Craft and Action Bronson are just a few who've been honing their craft, but doesn't matter ... Jack says he's better!!!

As we previously reported, Jack's 3rd project aimed to put the lyrical spotlight back on him after his sophomore album was labeled too commercial ... and judging from the early reviews, the music is meeting fans' expectations.

Boosie Badazz is backpedaling like Deion Sanders in his heyday after very openly calling T.I. a snitch.

The unfiltered rap star repositioned his stance in a new interview with VladTV Thursday ... admitting he jumped to conclusions without having his facts straight.

Boosie publicly bashed T.I. for claiming he snitched on his cousin after he died ... a podcast moment T.I. later revealed to be a joke — and provided the paperwork to prove it.

The rift derailed the release of their joint album ... but when we spoke to T.I. on the matter, he wrote of Boosie's comments as "misspeaking."

Boosie tells Vlad he and Tip have a long positive history and their sons are also good friends ... and felt bad about how he handled the situation.

Post Malone is tired of people tying his recent weight loss to the result of drug use ... instead, attributing his new svelte look to performing and choosing a healthier lifestyle amid his "dad-life."

The rapper took to Instagram to address the issue Thursday while on tour in Europe, assuring his concerned fans that he's NOT hooked on narcotics.

Post wrote, "I’m having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier. i guess dad life kicked in and i decided to kick soda, and start eating better so i can be around for a long time for this little angel."

He continued, "Next up is smokes and brews, but i like to consider myself a patient man… lol!"

Of course, Post was responding to rumors on social media suggesting he was taking illegal substances. One Twitter user stated that Post "doesn't look well" and thought that drugs might be "taking a toll on him."

Another person tweeted, "Is Post Malone on drugs? How did he lose all that weight? I’m worried."

This isn't the first time Post addressed his noticeable weight loss. You might recall back in February, we reported that Post insisted his slender figure was due to a happy and healthy lifestyle.

In his IG message, Post also said he's been in the studio working on new music that he's excited to release to his fans and thanking them for their support.

There will be plenty of hip hop star power at this year's Tribeca Film Festival ... with everything from documentaries, premieres and even performances.

On Thursday, OKX unveiled its laundry list of events, including Megan Thee Stallion's "Storyteller's Conversation" ... where the "Savage" rapper will be taking part in a panel discussion on June 15

French Montana's self-reflective "For Khadija" doc will premiere the following day and it was announced both Drake and Diddy are now officially on board as executive producers.

The June 16 premiere of "For Khadija" ... a first-person glimpse into French's backstory as a Moroccan-born future superstar, a road paved by his single mother.

As Pras waits to find out his sentence after a guilty verdict in his federal fraud trial ... he's also waiting on his Fugees bandmates to publicly show him any support.

Both Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, rightfully, joined the world in publicly mourning artist/activist Harry Belafonte after his death on Tuesday, but one day later their IG accounts were bare of any reference to Pras' trial and verdict.

The Fugees' last album, 1996's "The Score," sold more than 22 million copies worldwide ... but the group never got on the same page to record a follow-up. A 25th-anniversary tour to celebrate the project was scrapped last year due to Pras' legal drama, so it's possible there's a rift between them after all that drama.

As we reported, Pras was found guilty of spearheading a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy alongside Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

The trial included high-profile testimonies from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- but to date, there's been no reaction from Lauryn or Wyclef.

On the other hand, Chuck D is being extremely vocal ... the Public Enemy frontman launched into a tirade Thursday, ripping apart what he calls a hypocrisy on Pras' accused crimes.

Ironically, Chuck also found time to memorialize Belafonte -- sharing the late icon's many virtues with TMZ Hip Hop when we spotted him at the airport.

Tyler, the Creator is telling fans to enjoy his tunes while he's alive and well, because when he dies ... his music will officially stop.

The Golf Wang curator was explaining this tidbit to the crowd last night during his Estate Sale Show at The El Rey in Los Angeles.

Tyler just dropped a deluxe edition of his Grammy Award-winning album "Call Me If You Get Lost" that featured 8 previously unreleased songs ... and told fans he felt the songs were too good to sit in the vault.

The veteran rapper felt it best he let go of the tracks now because he says his living will prohibits his music from being posthumously released ... especially with "random" artists he wouldn't ever collaborate with while he was alive!!!

Fact is, deceased artists have proven to be cash cows over the years. So, whoever's distributing Tyler's music can't be thrilled with his will ... not that anyone's rushing him to the grave.

Thundercat is back in his musical bag for the first time in 3 years with the track, "No More Lies"... his new jazzy, snazzy collab with Tame Impala!!!

The track, co-produced by both prestigious musicians, dropped along with a visualizer showing a gazelle and leopard running in the wild -- perhaps to showcase their adjacent styles on the song ... in a NatGeo kinda way.

Thundercat will be able to test the song out in real time this weekend.

The Grammy Award-winner was tapped to close the 2023 NFL Draft in an effort to "curate a special performance which will pay tribute to the rich music history and the legacy of jazz in Kansas City" ... according to the league.

Ne-Yo says he's in a happy place these days, and it's all about the single life and flying free as a bird!!!

We linked with the Grammy-winner Wednesday at LAX, and he had plenty of dating advice to spread, now that his divorce is finally in his rearview ... as we first reported.

According to Ne-Yo, the single life has been enjoyable so far and he has plenty of dating options ... as he's not exclusive to one particular person.

He says his DMs are flooded with plenty of potential girlfriends ... and, maybe surprisingly, he reveals he's down to date fans!

Ne-Yo admits most celebs, himself included, are kinda weirdos ... so having someone "normal" by your side can be a plus. However, he also says there are benefits to dating someone famous, because they get the pressure that comes with the spotlight.

Basically, it sounds like he's open to anyone, regardless of status, who floats his boat!!!

Ne-Yo's dating life has indeed left a trail of fascination as of late.

The "Miss Independent" singer recently made a birthday splurge on Sade, the mother of 2 of his children -- but fans were confused as to whether they were officially an item again.

Well, you heard the man ... his DMs are open!!!

Toni Braxton wants to share her survivor's story after recently undergoing lifesaving surgery to unblock a main heart artery ... because she learned important lessons about taking care of your body.

TMZ Hip Hop caught the R&B legend Wednesday in NYC ... and she was simply grateful to be out and about after her procedure last September. She recently revealed doctors found an 80% blockage in her main coronary artery, which could've led to a fatal heart attack.

Toni tells us she can't tour or sing like she wants to at the moment, but she's slowly getting reacquainted with the studio and promises she'll be back at full strength for her next live shows.

It's been a little over a year since Toni's sister, Traci, passed away from cancer ... and Toni tells us she took the loss so hard, she let her own medical checkups slip.

She's urging fans to pay attention when your body's talking to you and stay up-to-date with doctor visits.

Up-and-coming Los Angeles rapper MoneySign Suede was stabbed to death in a California prison ... cutting his life short as his career was catching steam.

Prison officials for the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, CA tell TMZ Hip Hop ... they're currently investigating MoneySign's death as a homicide after discovering he was absent from a headcount check Tuesday around 9:55 p.m.

According to our sources, the "Back to the Bag" rapper was found unresponsive in another area of the prison. Prison personnel attempted to administer emergency aid ... but were unsuccessful as he was pronounced dead around 10:00 p.m.

We're told the death has prompted officials to restrict prisoner movement while they conduct their investigation ... with assistance from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office and the Monterey County Coroner, the latter of whom will determine MoneySign's cause of death.

Nicholas Rosenberg, MoneySign's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times the rapper was stabbed in the neck in the shower and that those who knew him were shocked.

As news of MoneySign's death circulated, his rapper friends Fenix Flexin and Baby Stone Gorillas took to IG to pay emotional tributes.

Fat Joe is fed up with the medical industry duping its patients into paying unfair prices ... personally flying himself from NYC to Washington D.C. to do something about it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the Don Cartagena as he visited Capitol Hill to rep "Power to the Patients" ... the nonprofit that targets and tackles hidden healthcare fees.

As we told you earlier this week, Joe will be in town through the weekend alongside Busta Rhymes, French Montana and Rick Ross for a special PTTP-helmed concert to bring awareness to the millionaire CEOs of nonprofit orgs. and other associated horseradish ... but today, he was all bars without the beat!!!

We also caught Joe's speech as he addressed the crowd as a proud Bronx native but lashed out at the economic forces that hold Black and Brown people back ... comparing their cries for help as effective as a "dog barking at the moon."

Pras is guilty of committing fraud according to the jury in the federal trial where the Fugees rapper was accused of trading political influence in exchange for millions from Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

During the trial Pras admitted accepting $20 million from Low for a photo-op with then-President Barack Obama as he ran for reelection -- and also helped set up a scheme to illegally funnel money to the Obama campaign through straw donors. Prosecutors were not going after the Obama campaign.

High-profile witnesses Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions took the stand during the case.

Pras reportedly blamed his decision to participate in the schemes on the bad advice of an attorney, but that clearly didn't sway the jury as he's now looking at up to 20 years in prison.

We spoke to Pras outside court during the heat of the trial and he didn't have much to say. The jury clearly felt he said more than enough in court.