Music

Cardi B is denying the years-long rumor that she's an industry operation meant to disrupt the hip hop status quo ... especially considering she infamously encroached on Nicki Minaj's hip hop reign.

The "I Like It" superstar addressed the rumor on Wednesday's "Call Her Daddy" episode, saying she was "destined" to be a famous rapper -- and no one signed her to take down someone else.

She never mentioned Nicki's name, but her meaning was clear ... the gossip has been swirling for years, ever since Ye claimed in a leaked clip that she was "a plant by the Illuminati" who replaced Nicki on purpose.

Diddy's lawyer, Erica Wolff, just responded, telling TMZ, “Mr. Nash is another opportunist looking to profit off his proximity to celebrity. This complaint is riddled with falsehoods and stands in stark contrast to the record that has already been established in court."

Wolff went on ... "Mr. Combs has dedicated his life and career to uplifting artists, creating opportunities, and building one of the most influential cultural enterprises in the world. Mr. Nash’s tabloid-style accusations are insulting not only to Mr. Combs, but also to the countless individuals who worked honorably and professionally within his companies."

She adds, "In court, the truth will prevail, as it did in his criminal trial:  that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman. Mr. Combs looks forward to clearing his name again in a court of law where truth matters.”

Diddy is facing a stunning lawsuit ahead of his sentencing ... the mogul's long-time stylist Deonte Nash is suing him for sexual battery, human trafficking and more.

According to new court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- lawyers for Deonte claim Diddy turned his dream of becoming a celebrity stylist into a "nightmare" ... one he was "forced to endure nearly every single day" during the roughly 10 years he worked for Diddy.

The docs go on to say ... "The horrors Mr. Nash experienced continue to plague him even after his employment ended."

Drake blicked up A$AP Rocky a bit on his fiery "Family Matters" diss at the height of his battle with Kendrick and Rocky is finally revealing why he chose to stay silent -- he didn't want to add to the sideshow!!!

In a new interview with Elle, Rocky gave his two cents on 2024 Rap Wars ... calling it "healthy for Hip-Hop" but thinks Kendrick and Drake's beef got overcooked when guys such as Rick Ross, The Weeknd and JasonMartin began to chime in.

“The battle was between Kendrick and Drake, not Drake and everybody else who might have said something at that time -- and that’s mainly why I fell back," Rocky said.

The internet is convinced that Jim Jones is having a midlife crisis dressing like a high schooler, but the Dipset OG explains to TMZ Hip Hop, how can he abandon a lifestyle that he created?!?

The NYC-bred rapper was recently in L.A. for Kai Cenat's 'Mafiathon 3' stream and we caught up to him on his "side-gig" operating the Cousins Maine Lobster truck!!!

Jim quips on how music isn't paying the bills like it used to, but he's found a way to pivot perfectly ... by co-founding a full-scale social media-friendly warehouse compound known as Influencers Club (IFC) with NYC podcaster Esso.

Universal Music Group no longer has to ask about the 411 regarding a lawsuit filed against them over a sample in Mary J. Blige's classic "Real Love" single -- the courts have ruled in favor of the record label to dismiss the suit because the judge says the two songs just don't sound the same at all.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the court examined both "Real Love" and the 1973 protest funk song, "Impeach the President," by The Honey Drippers.

TufAmerica, the company that owns the rights to "Impeach the President," argued UMG had illegally sampled the record by incorporating another song that had first sampled "Impeach the President" into "Real Love."

Fans adore Sabrina Carpenter for her bold lyrics, shameless self-expression and care-free sense of humor ... and now she's revealing what authenticity means to her as an ever-evolving artist.

Sabrina sat down with Vogue Italy for a no-holds-barred interview released Tuesday, and she says she's in a period of introspection, and focused on authentically creating for the present moment and current feelings -- knowing she may change her mind about something in a month from now.

While her song lyrics seem like they were pulled right from her personal diary, Sabrina tells Vogue authenticity isn't necessarily pulling back the curtain on every detail of her life, but knowing when to do so.

Victoria Justice was one of the latest guests on Kai Cenat's steam-boiling Mafiathon III stream and made it worth his while ... by touching all over his soundboard!!!

The former Nickelodeon princess took full advantage of Kai's brief absence and tinkered with the Twitch star's preset sound recordings, ranging from audio uppers such as Lil Uzi Vert's "Do What I Want" and mood benders like Drake's "Marvin's Room."

Speaking of Marvin, Kai got a rise out of Victoria when she pushed the "freaky" button ... causing Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" to blare through the speakers.

Taylor Swift just got some good news -- she's been granted a restraining order against a man she says routinely shows up at her Los Angeles home and claims she had his baby.

According to court documents submitted Monday and obtained by TMZ ... a 45-year-old man named Brian Jason Wagner has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the global superstar for the next 5 years.

Wagner must stay clear of her L.A. home, vehicle, and place of work ... according to the documents. Furthermore, the judge barred him from contacting Swift during this time -- including in person, by letter or digitally.

Teyana Taylor has been flexing her triple-threat traction all 2025 -- which might consummate with her holding a golden trophy!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Teyana in NYC, promoting her hit comeback album and its accompanying short film, "Escape Room."

The last time we caught up with the Rose from Harlem a couple months ago, she was bracing for vocal surgery to repair some damaged cords ... she tells us her recovery's been going so well, she's plotting her tour for the top of 2026!!!

NBA YoungBoy's MASA Tour has been packing arenas with unfiltered YN energy without any of the issues, and the superstar rapper had a shiny, sparkling new honor awaiting him when he touched down in Kansas City yesterday!!!

TMZ Hip Hop has learned NBA YoungBoy received a proclamation announcing September 21 will be his own day in the KC going forward.

The 25-year-old was surprised with the City Key by National Criminal Justice Advocate Donte West, on behalf of KC Mayor Quinton Lucas.

D4vd says the music video for his most famous song brings to life an idea he had ... about a detective solving murders his alter ego commits ... and he's comparing himself to Brad Pitt in "Fight Club."

The singer -- who is facing questions over his connection to the body of a teen girl found dead in his car -- explained the bloody and violent imagery in the "Romantic Homicide" music vid ... he says it introduces his alter ego, Itami, a name that is Japanese for "pain."

D4vd sat down with Mahogany back in March to talk about the visual world he builds with his music videos ... and his comments are being scrutinized now that police say they found missing teen Celeste Rivas' decomposing and chopped-up body in the trunk of his Tesla.

A head-turning comment accusing D4vd of "messing with" a young teen has been discovered under one of his February 2024 TikTok posts ... as police continue to investigate the death of teenager Celeste Rivas, whose body was found in a Tesla registered to the singer's name.

Check out a comment left under D4vd's February 25, 2024 TikTok post -- it's a person who claims they're waiting for the LAPD to "get" the musician "for messing with a 13-year-old girl."

The Los Angeles Police Department has been investigating Celeste's death -- and even searched the home D4vd has been renting for 12 hours last week -- but have not named him as a suspect in the case.

The death investigation surrounding D4vd about teenager Celeste Rivas hasn't hurt the singer's career in the slightest ... it's actually contributed to his career zenith!!!

On Monday, the Billboard 200 chart was updated -- highlighted with 21 Pilots single-handedly bringing rock n' roll back to the top -- but thanks to D4v'd's controversially titled smash hit, "Romantic Homicide," his 2023 album, "Petals to Thorns" has reentered the Billboard 200!!!

In fact, D4vd was calculated to have his biggest day on Spotify yesterday with more than 12 million streams ... over 3 years after "Romantic Homicide" was released.

Zayn Malik just revealed the big announcement he'd been teasing ... and it's a limited residency in Sin City.

The former One Direction heartthrob announced Monday he's got seven shows scheduled in Las Vegas this upcoming January ... and he'll be performing at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

Zayn had a countdown going on Las Vegas billboards over the weekend and had been teasing fans about a "big announcement coming up."

John Mayer got deep during a chat with Matthew McConaughey over the weekend ... revealing his definition of being in love.

Check it out ... the "New Light" singer said he knows he's in love when he can picture the person with him in "the most precious place" -- his imagination.

To keep it simple, if he can dream of his life with his partner in it ... that's when he knows he's in deep.

If there's "One Thing" we know about Harry Styles, it's that he's a man of many talents -- and he just proved it by running the 2025 Berlin Marathon!

And he didn't just run it ... he achieved his personal best. A fan account for the singer matched up his bib number to a person named Sted Sarandos -- seemingly a pseudonym based on Netflix's co-CEO, Ted Sarandos. The results show he completed the 26.2-mile race in 2:59:13. That's an average pace of 6:50 per mile!

His results show he ran a steady pace throughout the race, completing the first 13.1 miles in 1:29:08, and taking 1:30:06 to complete the 2nd half.