TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Lil Nas X is getting his own special day in Atlanta ... the city just declared a day in honor of the "Industry Baby" rapper.

The Atlanta City Council is behind the move to proclaim Oct. 20 as "Lil Nas X Day" ... and they just surprised Nas with a plaque commemorating the special honor.

ATL says LNX is shaping the city and the world with his "artistic influence and transformative influence" ... mostly through his super-popular songs.

Lil Nas X got the plaque Wednesday night at a special dinner at The Gathering Spot ATL ... and it was presented by city councilman and mayoral candidate Antonio Brown, the city's first Black LQBTQ+ council member.

Nas has deep connections to the city ... he was born and raised in the Atlanta area.

Kandi Burruss, Todd Tucker and Miss Lawrence were among the celebs on hand to see Lil Nas get the special honor.

Rick Ross says that his weed-smoking and overall health have changed for the better -- and it's all because of a hemp business he's gone all-in on ... which sounds revolutionary.

We got Renzel on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk shop about his latest business endeavor -- a company he calls Hemp Hop ... which, as you can probably tell, is a play on "hip-hop." It's a CBD biz, that also dabbles in hemp products ... especially when it comes to toking.

Check out the interview to see what we mean here -- RR tells us that ever since he ditched tobacco-laced blunt wraps and swapped them for hemp papers and other CBD spinoffs ... he's seen vast improvements to his well-being, visibly notable in his dramatic weight loss.

Rick explains why this new source is a miracle-worker ... beyond just blazing up. He's right, BTW -- CBD is used for so many things these days -- and is a great alternative medicine.

Speaking of healing ... Rick says the CBD products that Hemp Hop offers has even helped him with seizures he's suffered from over the years, so you're hearing it straight from the man himself -- this stuff works, and he's got it available to the masses with this new upstart.

Speaking of being a boss ... we had to ask about Rick setting his son up with his own Wing Stop franchise -- which is an empire that runs in the family ... one that Rick's been invested in for years and years now.

He tells us he's just trying to get his boy into the habit of running things early -- and what better way than getting him on the ground floor with something that's already in Ross's portfolio.

Dr. Dre's divorce has been extremely contentious, and something happened Monday that punctuates the bitterness ... a process server for his ex-wife attempted to serve him with legal docs at the cemetery where he buried his grandmother.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dre was at a Los Angeles cemetery Monday to put the woman who helped raise him in her final resting place.

There's a dispute over where exactly Dre was confronted by the process server. Sources connected to Dre tell TMZ ... a process server came up to him at the burial site as Dre was standing by his grandma's casket and tried serving him. Sources connected to Nicole Young tell TMZ ... Dre was served in the cemetery's parking lot after the burial.

Either way ... we're told Dre recoiled in anger and wouldn't take the documents in hand. Our Dre sources claim the process server dropped the documents by the gravesite. Our Nicole sources say they were dropped in the parking lot.

The papers involved payment of Nicole's attorney's fees. There's a dispute over how much he was supposed to pay. The music mogul paid $325,433.  The judge signed an order that he owed a total of $1,550,000. Dre believes that amount is in error and he paid the full fee. Nicole says the order is clear ... Dre owes a balance of $1,224,567. The legal docs that were served included the judge's final order of $1,550,000.

Either way ... this divorce is about as acrimonious as it gets.

Ye is turning more heads in NYC than normal by covering his entire face with a mask that even he would have to admit is ... just beyond the pale.

The artist formerly known as Kanye West is strolling around the Big Apple in your standard-issue ball cap, shades, Balenciaga leather jacket -- oh, and one of those rubber or latex masks he's been wearing a lot lately!!!

This one is super light-skinned, though, to put it lightly. Hell, who we kidding? It's downright Caucasian.

Ye is even wearing something around his neck to keep the same skin tone from his head to chest. He did miss a spot -- from the back, you can see his real skin.

No one really knows what the hell he's up to with these masks. As we first reported, he's filed to trademark "Ye" for use on designer COVID-19 face masks, but we figured that was more akin to the surgical style masks we've been wearing since early 2020.

The full masks might be COVID-safe, but it's gotta be hot as hell in there. If Ye can make these things popular, there's nothing he can't do!!!

Megan Thee Stallion and her BF are celebrating one year together by looking back, and it's clear her guy is enjoying the rearview ... a lot!!!

MTS just dropped a photo dump on her Instagram to mark her one-year anniversary with rapper Pardi Fontaine -- 10 glorious shots of them grabbing ass and having a blast.

In the first pic, Megan's holding a cocktail with her butt, and Pardi is taking a big ole sip ... yes, they look like one fun couple.

There's also pics of Megan hugging a shirtless Pardi below the waist, a mirror selfie with his hands all over her butt and a snorkeling photo where he's posing like he's about to take a big ole bite of her ... um, peach.

It's not all hot shots ... Megan also posted some wholesome content of them dressed to the nines, taking selfies in cars and there's even a piggyback ride outside a private jet.

Kanye West knows a business opportunity when he sees one -- which is why it looks like he's jumping into the face mask game ... and slapping his new name on it, front and center.

The rapper/producer/designer's company filed legal docs to trademark the "Ye" for use on "sanitary masks for protection against viral infection." However, it sounds like these might be slightly more stylish than the blue medical masks ya find at CVS.

In the docs, there's also a reference to branding "fashion masks" with the same moniker -- and knowing Kanye ... they'll likely be elaborate, and chock-full of the Yeezy aesthetic.

We've seen a lot of Kanye lately in varying types of masks, but more recently, they've looked like they were part of a Halloween costume.

The news comes on the heels of the guy legally changing his name to Ye ... sans any last name or anything else. A judge recently signed off on his request -- which means Kanye Omari West is now a thing of the past ... even though folks will probably continue to call him that.

Goodbye, Kanye Omari West ... hello, Ye.

Kanye's name change is official, a judge just signed off on the mogul's petition to officially change his legal name to "Ye" ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ. Ye won't have a middle or last name either, just straight to the point.

The judge's approval comes just under two months after we first reported on Kanye filing legal docs in Los Angeles asking a court to give him a new moniker.

He's gone by "Ye" as a nickname for years and years now ... but now the shortened version of the name that's on his birth certificate is what Uncle Sam, and apparently everyone else, will be calling him going forward.

Kim still has "West" in her own surname ... even using it on her recent "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig ... so it will be interesting to see if she keeps it around as their divorce proceeds. However, our sources had previously told us she'll hang onto the name just like the couple's kids.

Drake might wanna reconsider the hatred he reportedly had for his 'Degrassi' character being in a wheelchair -- because lots of kids in wheelchairs actually felt validated thanks to his portrayal.

Madeline Robinson, executive director of Wheelchair 4 Kids, tells TMZ ... she hopes the rapper knows his role as Jimmy Brooks on 'Degrassi' really helped a lot of young people.

She says he actually made them kind of cool and, though he might not have known it, he instilled confidence and made their lives a little better. Robinson says Drake's character brought much-needed representation.

She explains ... kids in wheelchairs are often left out of things like getting invited to birthday parties or movies. She asked, "When was the last time you went to a mall and saw a kid in a wheelchair hanging out with other kids?" Sadly, she says it's rare.

ICYMI ... a writer of the Canadian teen drama show recently claimed Drake threatened to quit and took legal action against the show to get a rewrite, removing Jimmy's character from the wheelchair.

The writer claimed Drake made the demand because he worried it made him look soft. Jimmy was left paralyzed after a shooting, but ultimately underwent stem cell surgery ... allowing his character to stand with crutches in the season 7 finale.

It should be noted ... the show's writer also added that Drake relented and agreed that his character being in a wheelchair was a powerful moment on TV.

Kanye West showed up for a super-fancy wedding Saturday night and performed, although it's hard to know for sure because his face isn't visible!

Kanye was a guest at the wedding of D'Estree founder Geraldine Guiotte and Tiffany & Co EVP Alexander Arnault. The soiree went down in Venice, Italy. BTW ... he wasn't the only celeb on hand. Beyonce and Jay-Z were also there.

Ye performed "Runaway," wearing all Balenciaga ... with a mask that completely covered his face.

It appears from the vid Kanye was having a little trouble performing ... but hey, looking good is half the battle, right?

He also performed his hit, "Flashing Lights" at the party. You can see in video posted to Twitter how big of a crowd Ye was performing for. Looks like fun!

The reception was actually the couple's second. Their first was in July, so they clearly kept the party going. They've been together since 2019. FACT ... a couple that can stay together during a pandemic can make it through anything.

Jay-Z and Beyonce are saying au revoir to New Orleans with a fire sale, of sorts -- just months after their mansion there ignited, they're selling it.

The power couple is listing the 1925 pad, asking for $4,450,000. The 13,292 square foot pad has 7-bedrooms, 8-bathrooms and was originally a Presbyterian church. It's since been retrofitted to not only house the rich and famous, but also hold special events.

Nestled in NOLA's Historic Garden District -- and just steps from the main Mardi Gras parade route -- the home's hosted weddings, salons and major recording stars and corporate execs.

It's easy to see why the rapper and singer loved this place ... the mansion's acoustics are unparalleled. According to the listing ... a Grammy winner once said, "I did my best writing ever, while watching the sunset from the rooftop garden!" The listing doesn't reveal who said that, but it easily could have been Jay or Bey.

In any event, the 3-story building with 26-foot ceilings features Spanish baroque architecture. The building itself is divided into one main residence with 3 apartments that are each approximately 1,000-square-feet.

One big bonus ... the house will be painted to the new owner's liking prior to the deal closing.

The listing comes nearly 3 months after the mansion caught on fire. The blaze lasted a little over 2 hours, and it was classified as simple arson.

Cardi B has a surprising ally in her corner ... it's the GOP, which is encouraging her NOT to be intimidated by cancel culture and continue talking politics.

Paris Dennard, a National GOP spokesman, tells TMZ ... the "I Like It" rapper should continue talking politics because if she stops, young people will see this and also become scared to express themselves for fear of backlash from democrats and republicans alike.

It's surprising ... Dennard says Cardi shouldn't be fazed by sharing opinions about politics/social issues that line up with democrats ... or the people she's standing up for.

ICYMI ... Cardi tweeted Thursday she'd refrain from sharing her political views because she was "tired of getting bullied by the republicans and also getting bashed by the same people I was standing up for."

Dennard makes it crystal clear ... with Cardi having a massive platform, any political statement could trigger backlash from both sides. He insists ... any of that shouldn't silence her because having an influencer like herself sets an example for others, particularly with young people.

He says it's important for Cardi -- who interviewed President Joe Biden and trash-talked former prez Donald Trump with Sen. Bernie Sanders -- to be a free thinker. What's more ... Dennard says having polarizing views doesn't necessarily mean getting canceled.

He points out some prime examples like Kanye West and Lil Wayne ... just some of the rappers who supported Trump. Dennard also points to Nicki Minaj ... whose COVID-19 vaccine claims riled up social media, but she came away mostly unscathed.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Drake get your head out of the game! Take a real close look at these back-to-back photos and see if you can score any of the sneaky switches!

The rapper was cheering on the Toronto Raptors during their preseason game against the Houston Rockets in Canada last week ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Take this one straight to the hoop and see if you have what it takes to slam dunk the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Adele's new single's already getting some of the best possible pub -- and so is she -- thanks to one of her besties ... this dude Drake.

As you may know ... this is the singer's first new music after a 6-year absence, and after dropping her single "Easy on Me" Thursday, Drake gave it a shout-out ... along with some surprising insight about their relationship.

Champagne Papi posted a photo of Adele on his IG story and wrote, "One of my best friends in the world just dropped a single" ... while adding a smile emoji, hearts and "WOIIIIIII" to show his awe for it.

Now, we've known Adele and Drake are friends for awhile now -- you'll recall she attended his birthday party in 2019 after her divorce -- but it's a bit of a surprise they are in the BFF zone.

But, perhaps we should have known, because back then Drake also shared a photo of himself with Adele along with a caption about "unbreakable bonds I have in my life from incredible people."

Anyway, Adele's new song is the first release from her upcoming fourth studio album, "30." As we reported ... she gave her fans a sneak peek of the song last weekend during her first-ever Instagram Live, and yes -- she's still got it.

Tyga's dodging cancel culture -- at least to this point, because TMZ's learned he has NOT been yanked off the Rolling Loud CA lineup on the heels of his domestic violence arrest.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Rolling Loud is not pulling the "Rack City" rapper from his scheduled performance in December. The festival's position is noteworthy when you consider several music festivals were quick to remove DaBaby earlier this year, following his homophobic rant at Rolling Loud Miami.

In fact, Tyga was on a stage Thursday night at a club in Orange County ... just 2 days after LAPD booked him for felony domestic violence.

Our sources say Tyga felt he had an obligation to perform the club gig, and had a bunch of friends and family members on hand to support him. We're also told Tyga will continue to show up where he's slated to perform and hold his head high despite the allegations.

As we reported ... he voluntarily turned himself in to the LAPD following allegations his ex-GF, Camaryn Swanson, made against the rapper. Swanson claimed he roughed her up during a dispute at his house earlier this week.

Sources close to Tyga say Camaryn showed up at his house around 3 AM Monday and acted belligerent at the door -- but after Tyga let her inside, things allegedly turned physical.

Camaryn filed a police report, claiming Tyga struck her, and she later posted video showing her alleged injuries. A rep for Tyga tells us, "The allegations you have been reading about our client the past few days are false and will be disproven."

Jay-Z must have been feeling it after showing off his new movie, because he hopped on the mic and threw down ... on a classic track he did with Kanye.

The hip-hop mogul put on an apparently impromptu show Wednesday night at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium following a screening of "The Harder They Fall" ... a Western with a mostly Black cast that he produced.

Jay held a celebration event after the film, and gave a rare live performance with the band ... spitting some lyrics from "Gotta Have It," from his 2011 collab album "Watch the Throne" with Ye.

It's just another sign things are cool again between the legendary rappers ... on the heels of Jay surprisingly featuring on "Jail" from West's "Donda" album.

"The Harder They Fall" party only kept elevating, as Seal also joined the band and showed off his pipes ... and everyone appeared to be loving it.

Some of the other celebs in attendance included Regina King -- who stars in the movie -- Tiffany Haddish and Swizz Beatz.

Cardi B's birthday gift from Offset really shows how $1.5 million goes a lot further in the Caribbean than it does in Hollywood ... check out this pad!!!

As we told you ... Cardi's hubby unveiled his present to her at her 29th birthday bash earlier this week -- a sweet chunk of real estate in the Dominican Republic -- but now we're getting a first look inside, and it has awesome ocean views.

The newly constructed, luxurious villa has 7 beds, 7 baths and 8,000-sq.-ft of living space ... sitting on a 4-acre hillside lot right near the beach.

As you can see ... the 4-story mansion features not one, but 2 main entrances, an Italian kitchen, wine fridge, rooftop pool and a separate studio with a kitchen and living room.

The property's also inside a guarded and gated private community that boasts 3 tennis courts, private beach access, 2 more pools and, of course, a helipad!!! Gotta beat that tourist traffic.