Category: Hip Hop

Kodak Black is now the only defendant left in a $10.6 million civil lawsuit filed by two men injured during a 2022 shooting outside a Los Angeles afterparty hosted by Justin Bieber, with the plaintiffs claiming the rapper instigated the violence that left them and Black wounded.

During a hearing Wednesday in Los Angeles, attorneys for Adam Rahman and Mark Schaefer asked the court to declare Black in default, alleging he never responded to the suit.

“Kodak has never been served with any lawsuit from California,” Black’s attorney Bradford Cohen told Rolling Stone. “I find it unusual that they’re attempting to sue the very person who was the most injured out of the individuals who got shot.”

The civil trial was initially scheduled to begin this month, but the judge has vacated the date.

The plaintiffs argue Kodak Black was the catalyst for the altercation that escalated into gunfire outside The Nice Guy, a West Hollywood restaurant, following a Bieber-hosted Super Bowl weekend event in February 2022.

The lawsuit initially named Bieber and the venue’s owners as co-defendants, but both were later removed.

In June 2024, a judge ruled the shooting was not “foreseeable” by the restaurant, leading to the dismissal of the corporate defendants. Bieber was voluntarily dropped from the case shortly after.

Rahman and Schaefer first sought a $62 million default judgment against Black in November 2023, but the court denied the request due to insufficient evidence of damages.

A revised claim for $10.6 million was also rejected last month after the judge said the plaintiffs had not provided adequate proof of their medical expenses.

The court has not yet ruled on the latest default request.

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Fat Joe is calling out Paramount Global for scrapping the Hip-Hop Awards while still throwing cash at other shows, and he’s not sugarcoating a thing.

During a convo on his “Joe And Jada” show, the Bronx legend sounded off about the network pulling the plug on the BET Hip-Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards, blaming it on corporate greed and what he flat-out called “gentrification.”

“This is a form of gentrification. BET came up as a community station for black people, right? In urban culture. And our man, Bob Johnson, took the check. He sold it. First black billionaire. He sold it, he sold it to Viacom and Paramount, MTV and them, VH1 and them,” Fat Joe explained.

To give that some context, BET got sold to Viacom back in 2001 for about $3 billion. Bob Johnson made history as the first Black billionaire, but that deal shifted BET from a Black-owned platform to a corporate product under Viacom, which later merged with CBS to form Paramount Global.

Now fast-forward to 2025 and BET CEO Scott Mills confirmed the network’s Soul Train and Hip-Hop Awards are on pause, supposedly to “reimagine” the shows for new platforms as cable TV keeps losing steam.

Fat Joe wasn’t buying that. He’s been hosting the BET Hip-Hop Awards for three years running and says he’s seen the budget cuts firsthand.

“Little by little over the years, quietly, they’ve been firing a lot of people behind the scenes in BET and everybody who has something to say, they’ve been firing them. And I know because I’ve been working on the BET Hip-Hop Awards for three years. The budget, not for me, but the budget just kept getting chopped and chopped and chopped,” Fat Joe said.

He pointed out how the VMAs are still getting real money thrown at them, and used Katy Perry’s aerial performance as proof.

“Last year, I debuted my single with Khaled at the VMAs and Katy Perry’s still flying through the air in the VMAs,” Fat Joe said.

Joe says it’s not about him getting paid—it’s about the show not having enough money to actually be creative.

“They [the VMAs] still got the budgets, they got the s###, you know. And so, I think, in the entertainment world, they kept underfunding them and you ain’t got no money to be creative. That’s why you was watching the Ratchet Awards. They ain’t had no bread,” Fat Joe said.

Meanwhile, the real reason behind the cost-cutting was most likely to trim the fat since Paramount just merged with Skydance on Thursday (August 7) in a massive $8.4 billion deal, forming a new company called “Paramount, A Skydance Corporation.”

As part of the shake-up, Paramount was in talks to sell off BET to a group led by Scott Mills for around $1.6 to $1.7 billion. No word yet if BET was sold as part of the merger.

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Kodak Black might wanna think twice before throwing a party with all his baby mamas in the same room—because his ex, Maranda Johnson, ended up in cuffs over the chaos that broke out.

Johnson, who briefly starred on the reality show “W.A.G.s to Riches,” got arrested this week after cops say she went full demolition mode during a January 15 birthday party at The Manor nightclub in Wilton Manors.

The 23-year-old from Fort Lauderdale is now staring down five felony charges for criminal mischief, according to WPLG 10.

The Wilton Manors Police said the drama kicked off when Kodak Black invited all three of his kids’ mothers—including Johnson—to the same bash.

What could go wrong? Turns out, literally everything.

Police say the women weren’t thrilled to see each other and immediately started beefing. One of them even tried to fight Kodak “three times” inside the club, according to the report.

A witness told police that during the chaos, one of the women’s brothers jumped in, and that’s when things really popped off. “Once (redacted) got involved, so did Kodak Black’s entourage,” cops wrote.

Things got physical real quick. One woman told officers that Johnson “snatched her wig off her head and punched her in the face.”

It didn’t stop with fists either. Cops say a whole bunch of stuff inside the club got wrecked—a printer, a computer monitor, a toilet and even a sink were listed as casualties.

By the time police got there, the crowd had scattered and Johnson was long gone. But they finally caught up with her Thursday at the Broward County courthouse, per jail records.

She’s now sitting in the Broward Main Jail with her bond set at $12,500.

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Florida politician Cory Mills is being accused of some seriously shady behavior by his ex-girlfriend, Lindsey Langston, who also happens to be a reigning Miss United States.

According to a police report Langston filed in July, the Florida congressman allegedly threatened to leak intimate photos and videos of her after their breakup.

Langston pulled up to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida on July 14 with receipts—texts and Instagram messages—saying Mills threatened not only to post explicit content but also warned her that any guy she dates next could get hurt.

The two were apparently a thing from late 2021 until early 2025. Things ended after Langston saw headlines linking Mills to some alleged sketchy incident in Washington, D.C.—something he says never happened.

Mills is calling the whole situation bogus and says it’s all politics, claiming it’s “an attack from a former primary opponent.”

The case has now been kicked up to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. So far, no charges have been filed, no arrests have been made, and no restraining orders have been issued.

Langston’s accusations are loud, though.

She said Mills made repeated threats through texts and social media, and even went as far as warning her that any future boyfriend could be in danger. She gave all the messages to the cops.

Mills says none of it’s true. He’s brushing it off like it’s all part of some political takedown.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they passed the case to state investigators, but Mills has not been charged with anything yet.

Langston hasn’t posted much publicly about it since filing the report, but the police docs speak for themselves. She says she felt threatened, violated and scared.

If any of those messages check out, this could get real ugly, real fast.

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Amir Earley got snagged by Philly cops while trying to dip out the back door of a house and now he’s the third guy busted in the LGP Qua murder case that’s had the city shook since May.

Early, 21, was hit with murder charges back on May 21 for his alleged role in the killing of the Philadelphia rapper, whose real name was Qidere Johnson. Cops finally caught up with him on August 7 on Reach Street after he tried to sneak out the back of a crib.

The rapper was gunned down on May 11 in the middle of the day near M Street and East Luzerne in the Juniata Park area.

It was around 4:45 P.M. when three dudes rolled up on Qua and his friend. Cops say it was a robbery attempt that went sideways—one of them pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest.

Qua was rushed to Temple Hospital but didn’t make it. He was only 30.

The case moved fast. Police already had two guys—Joshua Thomas-Coleman and Abdul Boyd—both 19, locked up and charged with murder. Early was the last one on the run until his arrest this week.

Detectives believe the motive was Qua’s chains—jewelry that caught the wrong kind of attention. Surveillance footage from the area helped piece together the trio’s movements, and there was a $20,000 reward out for any solid info.

Qua wasn’t just another rapper. He had a rep for using his bars to push peace, uplift the youth and speak on real-life struggles in Philly. They called him the “Voice of the Youth” for a reason.

His death hit hard. The community showed love, and folks like Meek Mill paid tribute. The violence felt extra personal because Qua was one of the few trying to help change things.

LGP Qua wasn’t just an artist, he was a leader trying to make a difference.

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Keke Palmer held back her inner superfan while working alongside Eddie Murphy on the set of The Pickup, a new heist comedy now streaming on Prime Video, choosing professionalism over peppering the comedy legend with questions.

The actress, known for her roles in Scream Queens and Nope, told Entertainment Weekly that she and co-star Pete Davidson made a conscious effort to avoid overwhelming Murphy with curiosity about his decades-long career.

“I asked him questions and stuff, but it was kinda like being on set with the wise sage, so I didn’t want to overdo it,” Palmer said. “Me and Pete talked about that all the time, where it’s like — you want to know so much and you could literally spend every day interviewing him, but you also want to be respectful of the fact that this isn’t an interview and this is his job and we’re at work. So I was really trying to be as professional as possible.”

Palmer, who grew up watching Murphy’s iconic films with her father, said his work holds deep personal meaning. But it wasn’t until the press tour that she felt a deeper connection with the Beverly Hills Cop star.

“After the movie, when you get to spend more time together off-set, obviously, you do get familiar with people, and I think I started to see that Eddie really got me just as much as I got him,” she said. “It’s been really cool because when we were doing press, he said that I reminded him of him. I had no idea that he was watching me, or that he was aware of me, and that really touched me.”

The Pickup, which pairs Murphy’s sharp comedic timing with a new generation of talent, is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.

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A canceled Cleveland concert that was “supposedly” going to feature rapper GloRilla is at the center of a $2.5 million lawsuit after a local company accused a promoter of faking artist agreements and pocketing deposits.

Esmail Entertainment, founded earlier this year, filed suit against Shaw Management Enterprises on August 4, claiming the promotion group misrepresented artist bookings and submitted forged contracts for a show scheduled at the Wolstein Center on September 6, 2025.

The event was set to feature GloRilla, Moneybagg Yo and Skilla Baby. But just two days after tickets went live, Shaw Management reportedly told Esmail Entertainment to halt all marketing efforts—without offering a reason.

According to the lawsuit, Esmail’s team reached out to GloRilla’s representatives and discovered she had never signed a contract to perform.

The complaint further alleges that negotiations between Shaw and the rapper’s camp were still ongoing and had not been finalized. The nail in the coffin came after Big Glo refused to sign any deal to perform due to the alleged forgery.

The suit also claims the agreements for Moneybagg Yo and Skilla Baby were fabricated.

Esmail Entertainment says it wired more than $280,000 in deposits to Shaw Management. Of that, only $20,000 has been returned. The company estimates it lost approximately $2.5 million in potential ticket revenue due to the event’s collapse.

Despite the cancellation, tickets for the show remain listed on resale platforms, with some prices topping $1,000.

The six-count lawsuit includes claims of fraud, civil theft and tortious interference with business expectancy.

The concert, which was expected to draw thousands to downtown Cleveland, was officially scrapped after the alleged deception came to light.

GloRilla, nor any of the artists, is named in the lawsuit.

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Lil Tay dropped her OnlyFans link the second she turned 18 and pulled in over a million bucks in a few hours—and her dad is totally cool with it.

Chris Hope, Tay’s father, told TMZ he’s not getting involved in her content and won’t be monitoring what she posts.

When asked about Lil Tay’s sudden entry into the adult subscription scene, he said, “Tay can make her own decisions.” Hope added, “I am sure she is going to be successful in whatever she decides to do.”

Hope also made it clear he knows people are gonna talk. “Some people won’t approve no matter what she does.”

Still, he’s choosing support over judgment. He’s not here to micromanage Lil Tay or her choices now that she’s legally an adult. Tay didn’t waste a second.

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A post shared by LIL TAY (@liltay)

She filmed her OnlyFans content right after midnight on July 29, the moment she turned 18 and hit the jackpot immediately. On August 3, Tay posted a screenshot showing she racked up over $1 million in her first three hours.

She captioned her post, “Not bad for 3 hours. We broke the f*ck out of that OnlyFans record.”

She also compared herself to Bhad Bhabie, who previously made $1 million in six hours. Tay claimed she smashed that record in half the time.

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Busta Rhymes is now at the center of a $6 million federal lawsuit after his former assistant accused him of physical assault and labor law violations during a dispute in his Brooklyn building.

The complaint, filed by Dashiel Gables, claims the Hip-Hop icon struck him in the face during a January altercation in the lobby of Rhymes’ residence.

Gables says the punch left him with swelling near his eye and emotional trauma. The suit also alleges unpaid wages and unlawful workplace treatment.

According to court documents, the confrontation began when Busta Rhymes became upset with Gables for using his phone on the job.

Gables says the situation escalated quickly and ended with him being physically attacked.

Busta Rhymes turned himself in to cops and was hit with three assault charges.’

Following the alleged incident, Gables says he was cut off from Rhymes’ professional network, effectively ending his role in the rapper’s career.

A press conference with his legal team, Vishnick McGovern Milizio LLP, and Panzavecchia & Associates, PLLC, is planned outside the Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn on August 7 to address the lawsuit and the broader workplace issues it raises.

The lawsuit accuses Rhymes of assault, battery, wage theft and emotional distress and a settlement could end up costing the rapper between $6 million and $7 million.

In related news, Busta Rhymes has recently been in the spotlight for more positive reasons, including receiving a star on the Hollyw

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Machine Gun Kelly says the hate he catches online doesn’t faze him one bit and he’s brushing it off like lint on a t-shirt.

The rapper turned rocker chopped it up with People ahead of his upcoming album Lost Americana and he didn’t hold back about how people treat him for being different.

Whether it’s his wild fashion, his genre-hopping music or his love life with Megan Fox, MGK said he’s been on the receiving end of random hate for years—and he’s over it.

“I became so hated for, what has become apparent to me, no reason . . . just because I artistically express myself, through fashion, music, whatever – because I choose to not stay contained into a societal box,” Machine Gun Kelly said.

He’s not even mad about it anymore. In fact, he thinks it’s kinda funny now.

“The hate for me has become so pop culture that it’s almost like that’s automatically what you say to fit in,” MGK explained. “That s**t doesn’t even mean anything to me. I’ve let it go completely to where I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a joke.’”

Machine Gun Kelly also called out the people behind the loudest hate—mostly dudes, according to him.

“I think people just don’t like that I do whatever the f**k I want and it’s a reflection of them not being able to do whatever they want,” he said. “I think men let their insecurity rule their entirety.”

MGK’s new album, Lost Americana, drops Friday and he’s hoping it helps people actually get him for once.

“Maybe this time,” he said, “they’ll get to know the man-slash-broken-boy behind the moniker MGK.”

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