TMZ Hip Hop - Page 9

Rick Ross decided Hip Hop was in need of more opulent sound -- so he linked with Pharrell Williams and shot a music video in the streets of Paris!!!

On Friday, Rozay ignited his new record deal with the release of his "For The Money," the lead single for his upcoming 12th album.

Rick Ross tells TMZ Hip Hop, “This record represents elevation — not just in sound, but in mindset."

Federal prosecutors went to their closer Friday as they got the last word in the Diddy criminal trial ... and their star lawyer tried to pick apart an animated closing argument from Diddy's defense.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, who is known for her closing arguments, handled the government's rebuttal to Marc Agnifilo's impassioned defense of Diddy.

Comey tried to poke holes in Agnifilo's arguments ... a reversal of roles in this trial, as Diddy's army of lawyers spent the past 7 weeks poking holes in the prosecution's 34 witnesses.

Diddy's ice-grilling of a contestant on the artist competition series "The Four" is more remembered than the show itself ... and Elijah Connor says it's all because he REFUSED to party up with Puff Daddy!!!

Elijah was infamously on the other end of Diddy's death stare in 2018 when the Bad Boy mogul blocked him from advancing in the competition ... after he labeled Elijah's audition as cocky and unpolished.

Elijah was in Atlanta this week and announced his plans to expose his recollection of events leading up to the now-infamous GIF through a tell-all book ... a page-turner he thinks could very well cost him his life!!!

Jeremy Renner's "Mayor Of Kingstown" costar D Smoke says he's an inspiration to be around on set -- and it's not just the A-list acting chops that have him in awe!!!

TMZ linked up with the Inglewood rapper during his boxing workout with none other than Manny Pacquiao, where he dished on Renner's recovery on set.

We're 2 1/2 years removed from Renner's near-fatal snowmobile accident, and D Smoke, who just wrapped up 'MOK' Season 4, says Renner powered through Season 3 ... through rehab that included lifting weights on the Paramount+ thriller set.

Daniel Park, the man who committed suicide in federal prison after being arrested as an accomplice in the bombing of a California fertility clinic, won't be missed among the inmates ... Luce Cannon says everyone's spitting on his grave!!!

The former "No Jumper" podcast co-host tells TMZ Hip Hop he witnessed Park dive headfirst into the floor from the highest tier level of the prison ... and no one lost a wink of sleep!!!

Luce says inmates didn't know Daniel Park from a can of paint before his death, but thinks someone would have killed him anyway once they found out why he was there. Park was accused of providing 270 pounds of ammonium nitrate to the primary suspect in a May car bomb attack in Palm Springs.

Diddy's defense says the whole criminal case boils down to the almighty dollar, and co-lead attorney Marc Agnifilo is telling jurors that's the only reason they're even in court ... money, money, money.

Agnifilo is taking the reins on the defense's closing argument Friday, and took jurors back to what the defense says is the beginning of the case against Diddy -- Cassie's 2023 civil lawsuit.

As Agnifilo put it, Cassie "is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million" ... referencing the $20 mil settlement in her Diddy suit and the $10 mil deal she cut with the owner of the InterContinental Hotel in L.A., the scene of the infamous beating video.

Rapper EBK Jaaybo made the cut for the annual XXL Freshman list this week while locked up for theft, weapons and controlled substance charges -- an "honor" he wished he could have gotten in person!!!

EBK Jaaybo's management got a hold of the newly minted XXL Freshman while he's currently being held in Pope County Detention Center in Arkansas ... the rapper tells us he has FOMO!!!

"I was disappointed I couldn’t make it in-person, but for XXL to allow me to still be selected even though I’m in jail, is an honor," EBK tells TMZ Hip Hop. "I know they don’t have to do it -- so that’s gangsta!!!"

Diddy's defense is making their closing argument in his criminal trial and they are owning the domestic violence testimony ... but they say there's no way he's guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.

Marc Agnifilo, Diddy's co-lead counsel, is handling the defense's closing argument Friday and he told jurors Diddy owns the domestic violence stories Cassie and "Jane" told on the stand ... but Agnifilo was quick to point out there are no domestic violence charges here.

Diddy's attorney says the Bad Boy founder would have pled guilty if he was charged with DV but it's a state crime and this is a federal case ... and Agnifilo scoffed at the federal charges his client is facing, saying there's no way Diddy is guilty of RICO or sex trafficking his ex girlfriends.

Houston rapper Maxo Kream was seemingly living out his high-octane lyrics ... after cops claim he led them on a high-speed escapade that ended with his arrest!!!

Jeff McShan, a rep for Harris County CSCD, tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Maxo was originally pulled over due to an expired license plate -- which expired in May.

The rapper is said to have originally pulled over, but when the officer stepped out of the vehicle, he took off.

Kanye West's support for Diddy now has a musical home -- thanks to a collaboration project with the mogul's youngest son, Christian 'King' Combs!!!

On Friday, Ye and King released their 7-track "Never Stop" EP -- a play on Diddy's signature "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" slogan.

Ye executive produces the entire project and recruits his daughter, North West, on the opening track "Lonely Roads," where she busts a flow and harmonizes on the chorus!!!

Diddy's daughters, who've avoided appearing in court for most of his federal trial, are right behind him for closing arguments, and the emotion of the day is showing on their faces.

His twins, Jessie and D'Lila, along with Chance, all held hands as they walked out of the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Their brothers -- Justin, King and Quincy -- also strolled to a waiting SUV ... along with Diddy's mother, Janice.

The family's united front comes on the heels of prosecutors delivering closing arguments to the jury ... laying out why they should convict Diddy on all counts, including sex trafficking and racketeering.

Diddy is being sued by a man who claims Diddy sodomized him at a house party after telling him, "You're about to get that Diddy love."

The Bad Boy Records founder is being sued by a man named Brandon Adams, who claims he was invited to a party Diddy was hosting in 2021 ... only to show up and be sexually assaulted.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Adams claims he got the invite from a chauffeur he met at an L.A. gas station, and when he showed up, he says he was told to keep his phone in the car. Inside the bash, he claims he saw celebs -- but didn't interact with them -- and had some alcoholic drinks that made him feel dizzy.

Diddy's son Justin Combs lured a woman to Los Angeles with promises of getting her a job in entertainment, but when she arrived in L.A. she was kept in a house for days and ended up being raped by multiple men, including Diddy ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Justin initially contacted her through Snapchat in 2017 and they messaged back and forth, with the woman eventually sending Justin risqué photos at his request. She says after she sent the snaps, Justin offered to fly her to L.A. for a weekend.

The woman says she was interested in working in entertainment and told Justin as much in their conversations ... and she claims Justin told her a trip to L.A. would help her potential career, telling her if she came, he would get her a job using his and his famous father's connections.

Prosecutors in Diddy's criminal trial are telling jurors how they can find him guilty of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion ... the feds say one strike and Diddy's out.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik is handling the government's closing argument ... and on Thursday, she told jurors if there's a single freak-off jurors find was the result of force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion by Diddy ... then they should find him guilty of sex trafficking.

Slavik told the jury the feds aren't arguing all of the freak-offs Diddy had over the years with ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura and "Jane" were examples of sex trafficking ... but she says if jurors find one instance of force, fraud or coercion, Diddy's cooked.

Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Daphne Joy is living in a whole different reality -- while he faces the heat in his federal criminal trial, she’s out pumping gas in her luxury whip.

Daphne was serving gas-station glam Wednesday in L.A. -- rocking a perilously low-cut black top that flashed her lace bra, paired with skintight bootcut jeans that put her curves on full display.

The model was lookin' fire -- full glam makeup, flawless flowing locks catching the breeze, all while casually handling business at the pump like a total queen.

Daphne's not only physically thousands of miles away from Diddy's legal drama ... she seems mentally detached from it, because she looked like she was in great spirits.

Rihanna's dad, Ronald Fenty, died from cancer, pneumonia and other serious illnesses ... TMZ has learned.

Fenty's death on May 30 was caused by acute respiratory failure, pancreatic cancer and aspiration pneumonia -- which is a bacterial lung infection -- according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ.

Other causes listed in the document include acute renal failure and acute tubular necrosis -- both of which involve extensive kidney damage.