TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

It's nice to have options ... and that's exactly why Jay-Z and Beyoncé are going to hold on to their $100 million Bel-Air mansion, despite just shelling out $200 million in a historic purchase.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ, as crazy as it sounds ... the brand new Malibu pad will serve as a weekend home -- in a sense -- at least for the time being. We're told the Bel-Air home, purchased for $88 million back in 2017 is still "home" ... close to the kids' schools and friends.

Eventually, our sources say, Jay-Z wants to move his family to the Malibu estate full-time ... but hasn't indicated whether that shift would also include selling Bel-Air.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple paid $200 million for the 30,000-square-foot mansion, setting a record in the state of California for the most expensive home ever sold. It sits on 8 acres on the Pacific Ocean in the Paradise Cove area ... aka Billionaires' Row.

What's also astonishing ... our sources say the home's previous owner and builder, William Bell, one of the biggest art collectors in the world, had a $1 BILLION art collection inside.

One would think Jay-Z and Beyoncé would be living it up in their new $200 million Malibu estate -- the most expensive home sale in California history --- but nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the power couple was thousands of miles away in London Friday night after news surfaced about their massive house purchase, which bested the previous record of $177 million in the Golden State.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show Jay and Bey dressed to the nines as they leave Harry's Bar in Mayfair with their security in tow. We're told they climbed inside a Viano box van and were driven back to their hotel.

Our sources say the A-listers had dinner at Harry's with billionaire entrepreneur Nassef Sawiris and satisfied their taste buds with a "delectable soufflé."

Not a bad way to spend the night ... but it probably would have been cozier inside their mansion fit for a king or a queen or both in their case.

Of course, there's plenty of time for Jay and Bey to enjoy their 30,000-square-foot monstrosity in the heart of Malibu's Paradise Cove area ... aka Billionaires' Row ... overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

TMZ broke the story Friday morning about their eye-popping real estate transaction -- which would have been the largest ever residential purchase in the nation if not for someone having bought an NYC apartment for $238 million.

Still though, Jay and Bey's house is a true architectural masterpiece, created by master builder Tadao Ando, who is also designing the house Kanye West bought in Malibu.

Turns out this is Jay and Bey's second big housing purchase in the Los Angeles area ... back in 2017, the couple plunked down $88 million for a Bel-Air mansion and funneled millions more into the home to push it over the $100 million mark.

Former music exec Lance 'Un' Rivera is clearing the air about his stabbing 24 years ago, saying Jay-Z absolutely did not do it ... and he insists prosecutors got it wrong when they nailed the rapper for the crime.

Rivera, best known for his affiliation with Notorious B.I.G., sat down with "Vlad TV" ... and got candid about the highly-publicized stabbing, for which Jay ended up getting 3 years probation just as his career was blowing up.

Rivera says Jay was in the nightclub on that fateful night, but he's not the one who stabbed him in the back with a large blade -- and adds, everyone knows Jay wouldn't have done something like that. However, he's not saying who actually did it.

This all goes back to December 2, 1999, when Rivera was stabbed leaving a release party for Q-Tip's Album "Amplified." He says Jay and other members of Roc-A-Fella Records approached him and accused him of leaking Hov's "Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter" album.

Witnesses reportedly identified Jay as the stabber, and although he turned himself in to NYPD for questioning, he maintained his innocence.

He was arrested for felony assault charges, and after a 2-year-long legal battle, finally pled guilty in 2001.

Although he avoided prison time, Jay couldn't leave NY state during his 3 years of probation -- a major career hurdle, as it happened after the success of his Grammy-winning '98 album "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life."

There's always been debate about what actually went down ... with Nas notably stating on his track, "Ether," that Jay-Z took the fall for a friend.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé have just snagged one of the greatest architectural masterpieces in the country ... a 30,000-square-foot home in the prime area of Malibu ... and they paid a King's ransom.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the couple paid $200 million for the property, making it the most expensive home ever sold in the entire state of California ... eclipsing the previous record of $177 million. It's also the second most expensive real estate deal in the country -- the top being $238 million for an NYC apartment.

They actually got an unbelievable deal ... the home was quietly listed for a whopping $295 million.

The house sits on an 8-acre bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the Paradise Cove area ... AKA Billionaires' Row.

It's also an architectural jewel, designed by Tadao Ando, a Japanese master architect, who is also designing the house Kanye West bought in Malibu.

The house was owned and built by William Bell, one of the biggest art collectors in the world. It took Bell almost 15 years to build the all-concrete structure.

The home is the couple's second massive real estate purchase in the Los Angeles area that we know of ... back in 2017, they purchased a Bel-Air mansion for $88 million, and pumped millions more into the home to push it over the $100 million mark.

Fetty Wap is begging the judge in his federal drug trafficking case to only sentence him to the mandatory minimum ... but the feds want him to be locked up a lot longer.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Fetty is seeking a 5-year sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine stemming from his October 2021 arrest.

The rapper's legal team told the judge Fetty "accepts full responsibility for his crimes, but his conduct here does not and should not define him" ... and they attached a bunch of positive letters from family and friends, who say Fetty was just trying to provide for them financially ... by selling drugs.

Uncle Sam sees it differently, though ... in the docs, the feds want Fetty to spend between 87 and 108 months behind bars, claiming he participated in a massive drug trafficking organization that flooded Long Island with cocaine.

The office of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace also says leniency isn't really warranted here, saying Fetty "has used, and continues to use, his fame, sizeable platform and influence to glamorize the drug trade."

TMZ broke the story ... Fetty Wap was on his way to Rolling Loud New York back in 2021 when the feds apprehended him and several others, accusing them of using USPS trucks to smuggle drugs. The feds say their investigation uncovered 16 kilograms of cocaine.

Fetty pled guilty in August and he's going to learn his fate soon ... because May 24 is his sentencing. It will be interesting to see what the judge decides.

Tom Brady and Travis Scott are sharing some of their immense wisdom ... mentoring a group of star rookie quarterbacks including #1 overall pick, Bryce Young, as they transition from college to the pros.

TB12 and La Flame both found the time to attend a luncheon hosted by Michael Rubin at his L.A. home ... where the trio gave all kinds of advice on business and brand building to CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson, in addition to Young.

Video shows Brady telling the guys not to be discouraged, even in the face of adversity, a window into how the 7x Super Bowl champion overcome failure during his legendary career.

Tom also shared one of the keys to his longevity, saying he didn't get complacent with his early success, remembering he was selected No.199 in the sixth round. That allowed him to play more than 20 seasons.

"I just outlasted everybody," Brady said. "There's another me back there. So how do I keep my edge on everybody? I had to keep working. I didn't go, 'Hey, I'm good. I won three Super Bowls.'"

Rubin's message to the guys was simple ... mistakes are a part of the process, but don't let them stress you out ... saying it's all about how you bounce back.

"Every day we're screwing things up," Rubin said. "We've just got to get a lot more right than wrong and keep learning from it ... The tougher s*** gets, the more focused I am."

As for Travis, he drilled home the importance of Young, Stroud, Richardson, and Levis having a core group of people they can rely on daily, and hold them accountable.

Born in Gary, Indiana ... this adorable, little girl turned into quite the music icon, but before making it big in the music industry, she had big dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer ... or possibly even a horse racing jockey!

With her musical hits like "Rhythm Nation," this singing machine was one to reckon with during the 1980s and 1990s. And, singing isn't her only forte ...  she's got moves for days and knows how to work the stage. And, don't sleep on her fashion game!

Need one more clue? Just talk to her long-time friend Paula Abdul!

Travis Scott is inching closer to the release of his first album drop in 4 years, and taking extra precautions to make sure it doesn't leak ... literally handcuffing the damn thing to his muscle-bound security guard.

The rapper was spotted out in Hollywood Thursday leaving a vinyl record spot -- but he wasn't alone -- watched closely by his guard, who flashed a briefcase handcuffed to his own wrist with the word "Utopia" written on it as he held the door open for TS.

This ain't just a cool fashion statement, it's also an insanely creative piece of marketing ... because a source tells us the highly-anticipated album is indeed inside. We're told the whole reveal for Travis' return to music is pretty damn imminent -- sometime this summer.

Another hint Travis is up to something, check out the shoes he's wearing, with "Utopia" on the back ... gotta imagine there's another collab with Nike on the way.

For those unaware, fans have been waiting almost 5 years for Travis to bring out some new music ... and as we reported, he played "Utopia" for the Houston Astros earlier this week ahead of their game against the Cubs -- talk about team perks!

BTW -- producer Mike Dean posted, then quickly took down, a screenshot this week of his editing bay of what appears to be "Utopia," and The Weeknd, who was featured on 2018's "Astroworld," threw up a couple of lollipop emojis before the thing was scrubbed.

Flavor Flav is making sure Hollywood writers feel his support during the ongoing WGA strike by putting on a show for protesters outside Warner Bros. studios.

Flav pulled up Thursday in Burbank, and was full of good vibes ... delivering some words of encouragement for those on the picket line, telling them, "[I'm] glad to be here, glad to support. I got ya'll back."

As you know, Writers Guild of America members and their allies have been on the ground picketing at the major studios for weeks ... demanding fair pay and protections against AI.

Several other celebs have joined in the fight and shown their support, and Flav is yet another.

The rapper and reality TV legend was joined by other famous faces including Jason Sudeikis and his "Ted Lasso" team ... and Quinta Brunson and the folks behind her hit series "Abbott Elementary".

Flav didn't come empty-handed. We're told, he brought 25 Prince Street pizzas, 100 burgers from Irv's Burgers, and Liquid Death Water.

The "White Men Can't Jump" remake -- starring Jack Harlow -- will pay tribute to Lance Reddick by dedicating the upcoming film to the late actor, following his sudden death.

TMZ Sports is told ... the film, a remake of the original 1992 flick, featuring Reddick in one of the leading roles, will receive an on-screen dedication ... after the actor passed away in March due to heart disease.

Reddick, best known for his work on HBO's The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise, plays a character named "Benji."

Of course, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson starred in the OG White Men Can't Jump in 1992, and became an instant classic.

Charles “Calmatic” Kidd II, the Grammy-award-winning director of the remake, recently raved about working with Reddick while talking to the LA Times.

"As director, it was weird because I’m so used to giving actors notes. But for [Lance], I was like, “Man, I don’t have any notes. That was damn near perfect.” So I think what I learned from him was the importance of prep."

"I feel like when he came onto the set, he was just so prepared and knew exactly what to do and knew all the nuances of his character that he just knocked [it] out the park the first time. I don’t think we realize how good we had it for him to be a part of this film."

Harlow also recently opened during the movie's premiere about what it was like working with Lance, saying it "was an absolute pleasure to be around" him.

Reddick was 60 years old.

Rick Ross is going toe-to-toe with Fayette County over his 2nd annual car show ... telling us denying him a permit isn't gonna stop him from throwing the event for thousands of fans.

The hip hop mogul assures us the car show will go down exactly as planned on June 3 on his Promised Land estate in Fayetteville, GA, and he's called in backup -- some event planning experts -- to ensure his neighbors can rest easy.

Fayette County recently rejected Ricky Rozay's permit, saying the car show is not in compliance with the county's zoning ordinances, adding last year's show -- a huge success in Rick's eyes -- happened without County approval.

Regardless, Rick's full steam ahead, and is likening the whole thing to a front yard BBQ -- one with about 7,000 folks in attendance! He says he didn't hear any complaints after last year's show, but some neighbors have now been voicing their concerns.

If you're wondering if this is all about the County wanting a slice of Rick's financial pie ... he ran down all the ways his car show is an absolute cash cow for Fayette County and its businesses.

BTW, Rick announced he's exploring a run for mayor of Fayetteville after the whole permit roadblock came up, and he breaks down why he'd be the perfect candidate.

Shy Glizzy's ex-girlfriend claims he's threatening to kill her, her family, her friends, and any man she dates in the future ... and now she just got court-ordered protection.

The rapper's ex, who works as a model, makes the shocking claims in her request for a restraining order against him ... telling the judge he's been threatening her ever since she broke things off with him.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the gf claims Shy has repeatedly told her he will kill her and her mother. She says he's been making the threats ever since she broke up with him in April ... and she says he sent her a text message that said, "Ima f*** ya life up."

Shy's ex claims she started dating Shy in December but broke up with him on April 28 because she says he has "anger issues." She says Shy did not take the breakup well and things reached a head on May 13, when he was arrested for allegedly threatening her.

In the docs, the ex claims on May 13 she was driving around Los Angeles and noticed Shy was following her. She says she was stopped at a red light when he got out of his car and approached her car, banging her car with the handle of a gun. She says she drove away but he followed her and tried to run her off the road, hitting her car with his car and causing damage.

TMZ broke the story ... Shy Glizzy was arrested on May 13 on a felony charge of making criminal threats after his ex told police he pulled a gun on her.

The ex claims she's told Shy to stop contacting her, but she says he keeps messaging her, threatening to kill her, and post explicit pictures and videos of her without her consent in what she believes is an attempt to ruin her modeling career.

Shy Glizzy's ex also claims he texted her best friend, "Imma get her a** beat."

The judge granted a temporary restraining order ... and now Shy Glizzy has to stay 100 yards away from his ex and he's barred from contacting her. The judge also prohibited Shy from posting or distributing any explicit photos or videos he may have of the two.

Busta Rhymes is feeling more like King Midas these days, 'cause he says everything he touches is basically turning to gold ... and his new album should be no different considering the heavy hitters he's got on board.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Busta late Tuesday night in NYC as he was leaving Quad Recording Studios ... and it was obvious he was excited about what was going on inside.

The Brooklyn MC confirmed Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and Pharrell Williams are joining him to executive produce the upcoming album -- and he says he's feeling "amazing" about the year he's having.

This will be Busta's 11th solo studio album -- check out the clip, even he's losing count -- and he says after more than 3 decades, he's still excited to work with new artists.

He said he's also feeling blessed to hang with some fellow legends recently ... having performed gigs with Diddy, Pharrell, Janet Jackson, and Mary J. Blige in the last few weeks -- and on top of that, he's going on tour this summer with 50 Cent.

Music aside, Busta says he's also coming off the high of Mother's Day weekend -- he spent time with Moms, of course, but also celebrated a milestone for one of his kids. The usually bombastic MC was more like an everyday proud pop ... as she shouted out all four of his kids for their success.

"My mama keep telling me to stop, I can't -- the second time they caught me with that gun, damn, I feel like Ja Morant."

Ja Morant's recent scandal is already getting the rap treatment ... with Vic Mensa dropping some timely lyrics just days after the Grizzlies star was suspended for flashing a gun on social media for a second time.

Mensa was out in NYC on Tuesday when TMZ Sports got his thoughts on the All-Star guard brandishing a weapon on Instagram Live ... and after revealing his tongue-in-cheek bars, Vic got serious about the situation.

"I think God blessed Ja Morant, man," the "$WISH" M.C. said Tuesday. "I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he's too brilliant and so talented. He's got a gift, he's got a real gift. So, I don't want to see him have to go down that path because he's so good."

"I think God blessed him," he added. "I'm not gonna say anything to disparage him. There's enough people doing that."

Many people are starting to wonder whether Morant is trying too hard to emulate rappers like NBA YoungBoy -- the artist he was vibing along to in the most recent clip -- given his recent off-court troubles ... but Mensa makes it clear the blame falls solely on Ja, not the music.

"Ultimately, NBA YoungBoy, he's just telling his truth and doing his thing."

Some ex-NBA stars have ripped into Morant for his second gun incident ... with Stephen Jackson referring to it as a "moron move," and Chandler Parsons calling for a year-long suspension.

Ja has since addressed the gun video ... saying he knows he has disappointed those who look up to him, and promising to continue to work on himself.

Mensa said he will support Ja as he deals with his impending punishment ... and even joked about switching up his music taste.

Here's Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori modeling a new fashion line ... and it's leaving little to the imagination.

As you can see, there's not much here in terms of actual clothing -- there's a black square of material covering Bianca's boobs, a black cross on her butt crack, and a black landing strip covering her vagina ... and that's about it.

Oh, and she's wearing some black boots/leggings running all the way up to her upper thighs. Very minimalist, to say the least.

Bianca's modeling for a look from designer Mowalola Ogunlesi who Kanye had previously hand-picked to help lead the Yeezy GAP team.

The fashion line definitely won't be for everyone ... and Bianca's certainly showing some confidence by basically going nude here.

This outfit might explain why Bianca's been hitting the gym ... remember, we saw her and Ye going for a workout together Monday in WeHo, right after they'd hit a Chick-fil-A drive-thru for some odd pre-workout fuel.

The Houston Astros were getting LIT before taking the field on Monday ... 'cause the locker room got a personal preview of Travis Scott's upcoming album!!

La Flame was the guest of honor before his hometown team's tilt against the Chicago Cubs ... and the dude gave the whole squad some musical motivation -- throwing his "Utopia" project over the speakers.

A lot of people will be jealous of Alex Bregman and Co. -- Travis fans have been patiently waiting since 2018 for the rapper's next piece of solo work.

The good news?? Utopia is finally expected to drop soon ... and as Travis told reporter Mark Berman, it's "on the way" as he threw on some Air Jordan 1 "Black Phantom" sneakers in the dugout.

"I had to come here to play Utopia for the boys down in the locker room," Scott said. "Had to get them right for the game."

Travis added there's still some work to do, however -- adding they still have to "finish the master."

On top of the listening party, Scott also got in some batting practice ... and even checked out the weight room.