Juvenile How Dare Essence Fest Snub Me In NOLA?!? Promotes Competing Fest

Juvenile isn't taking news of being omitted from this year's Essence Fest lineup well ... and would rather New Orleans residents spend their money at the Donna Fest, where he and Mannie Fresh will be performing!!!

On Friday, Juve ripped the popular summer shindig a new one on Twitter for its tremendous artist lineup being devoid of any of Cash Money's flagship artists, i.e. the Hot Boys.

This year's EF is boasting a 50 Years of Hip Hop celebration with legendary acts such as Missy Elliott, Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, T.I. and Remy Ma -- but none of that matters to Juve, who encouraged fans to go with the less expensive Donna Fest, with tickets starting at just $25.

At the time we're posting ... 3-day EF passes are sold out, and the 1-day tix start around $90.

Rebirth Brass Band and the "400 Degreez" rapper's son, Young Juve, will also be performing. Both events go down during the first weekend of July so the city will be lively, to say the least.

We reached out to EF to see if they'd reconsider including the OG Cash Money crew, but no word back yet.

Trey Songz Sued For Sexual Assault ... After Exposing Woman's Breast At Pool Party

UPDATE

3:34 PM PT -- Trey's attorney, Michael Freedman, tells TMZ, "This is yet another example of decade-old allegations being repurposed into a federal case to take advantage of California’s constitutionally questionable new look back window. We look forward to vindicating Trey on the merits in court."

Trey Songz has been sued for sexual assault ... this after exposing a woman's breast at a pool party outside a Connecticut casino.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the woman -- who's suing anonymously as a Jane Doe -- is coming after Trey, his production company, record exec Kevin Liles, and Atlantic Records over the 2013 incident.

AUGUST 2013
TOUCHY TREY
TMZ.com

TMZ broke the story -- the woman fired off a demand letter to Trey last year, claiming the rapper pulled her breast out of her bikini top without consent, exposing her to the crowd at his "Foxwoods Liquid Sundays with Trey Songz" event ... providing video of the ordeal.

The docs say the multiple defendants should have known about his "sexual proclivities" and are therefore responsible for failing to keep Trey under control during the event.

The woman's attorneys claim she was humiliated and left with long-lasting emotional distress ... adding their client could not stop thinking about it and eventually left her promising career a few months later due to the embarrassment.

In last year's letter, her lawyers claimed his 2021 Vegas sexual assault case -- which was dropped weeks before the demand letter was sent -- triggered Megan to seek justice.

She gave Trey and co. weeks to respond before moving forward with legal action ... and now she's seeking least $10 mil in damages.

We reached out to Trey's rep ... so far, no word back.

Gunna I'm Not Dissing Lil Baby On New Track ... Mum on Lil Durk, Tho

Gunna is denying flaming his "Drip Too Hard" brother-in-rhyme Lil Baby on his new track ... but isn't clarifying exactly who he's referring to with his eyebrow-raising lyrics.

On Friday, Akademiks was fanning the flames of the perceived Lil Baby diss from Gunna's "Bread and Butter" song -- the part about "switching up" in exchange to hang with a rat.

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Gunna hopped in Ak's comments to call cap on the claims, saying the lyrics merely reflect his side of the story, but what that exactly means is still up for interpretation!!!

He's also accused of barking back at Lil Durk and Quality Control CEO Pierre "Pee" Thomas. So far, he doesn't seem bothered enough to set those records straight.

Non-incarcerated YSL rapper Lil Gotit flat-out rejected Gunna's return to rap, and Boosie Badazz drew a bold line -- with permanent marker -- when we spoke to him on the subject.

NOT TELLIN'
TMZ.com

Not even a hypothetical billion dollars was enough for Boosie to agree to collab with Gunna ... but he did insinuate he'd take the money to end Gunna's career for good.

Whether they hate him or love him, all this attention is just helping Gunna's streams!!!

Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre Feed Striking Writers In L.A. And Postpone 'Doggystyle' Anniv. Show

SNOOP IN SOLIDARITY
Instagram / @snoopdogg
UPDATE

12:26 PM PT -- Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre sent food trucks to aide striking workers at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles this afternoon. It wasn't nuthin' but a G thang for them!

UPDATE
SNOOP SNACKS
TMZ.com

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre don't think their upcoming "Doggystyle" 30th anniversary will be any fun if their homies involved in the Writers Guild of America strike can't get their piece -- so they're moving the date!!!

Like we previously told you, the hip hop legends announced they're taking over the Hollywood Bowl on June 27-28, but on Friday, Snoop announced the new dates as October 20 and 21 ... with the first one being his 52nd C-Day!!!

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop the "Doggystyle" anniversary is designed to be a joyful celebration of the 1993 classic album, and conducting it while having a considerable portion of the creative community in turmoil just didn't sit right with Snoop and Dre.

Snoop has been especially passionate about the issue ... likening Hollywood's paltry conditions to the low payouts artists receive through their existing recording contracts.

The WGA is currently on its 5th week of striking -- with further public support from Lil Wayne and Flavor Flav -- but they've made it clear a negotiation with the Director's Guild of America won't get them instantly off the picket lines.

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We're also told Snoop and Dre are in the process of rolling out lunch orders for the striking writers ... so stay tuned for more updates!!!

Originally Published -- 12:22 PM PT

Naomi Osaka, Cordae We're Having A Girl!!!

Naomi Osaka and Cordae just revealed ... they're having a GIRL!!!

The "Gifted" rapper and the tennis superstar announced the major news on Friday ... sharing a pic of Cordae kissing Naomi's baby bump at their pink-themed baby shower.

The couple had an awesome celebration with their friends and family ... with Osaka and her growing belly standing in front of pink flowers, balloons, and a sign that read, "A little princess is on the way."

Osaka's fans were incredibly happy for the new parents ... flooding the comments with well wishes.

"Congratulations!" one user said. "Can’t wait for your matching tennis outfits."

Cordae, 25, was super excited ... channeling his inner Kobe Bryant by posting the hashtag "#GirlDad."

The 4-time Grand Slam champ and Cordae announced they were expecting their first child by posting a sonogram of the baby back in January.

Of course, this upcoming blessing has Osaka sidelined from tennis for a bit ... but she's previously vowed to be back for the 2024 Australia Open.

She's serious about her comeback, too ... and shared videos of her training on the court and beach while pregnant earlier this year.

SAND SESH
Instagram / @naomiosaka

With a successful athlete and musician as parents, it's safe to say this kid is destined for greatness!!

Gunna Fires Back At Baby & Durk On New Track ... Gets 👎🏾👎🏾 From YSL's Gotit!!!

Gunna is finally responding to his haters after being railroaded for months -- a new track titled "Bread and Butter" has fans believing he's defending his honor against Lil Baby, Lil Durk and even Quality Control boss Pierre "Pee" Thomas.

On Friday, Gunna came out swinging with Auto-Tuned bars denying he ever snitched on Young Thug after taking a plea deal in the YSL RICO case.

He kicks off "Bread and Butter" with the bars ... "Never f****d a nigga, always stayed solid/Kept it real with n****s, never lied and always stay honest."

He also raps, "You bitch-ass n****s got me as the topic of the chat/ You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat/And the boy that’s like your brother, and nobody speak on that?"

Fans are under the belief those bars are aimed at Lil Baby for unfollowing Gunna earlier this year ... and at QC's Pee, for allegedly snitching on someone back in the day.

Gunna also fired back at Durk for his "What happened to Virgil?/He probably gunna tell" song snippet from earlier this year with the lines ... "Had these n****s talkin’, only knew ’em ’cause of Slatt/You rap boys need more streams, heard he put my name on wax.”

GOTIT ON GUNNA

Despite Gunna's triumphant return, "Bread and Butter" is failing to impress Lil Gotit, one of the few YSL rappers who didn't get rounded up in the label's massive RICO trial.

Gotit has been insinuating he speaks for Thug since the trial started ... and hopped on IG to tell Gunna the song was trash and even his deceased YSL rapper brother Lil Keed, would've disapproved of Gunna's actions.

The track was released through both Young Stoner Life Records and 300 Entertainment ... so, Gunna's clearly still earning for the team, even if they don't care. 🤷🏽‍♂️

LSU's Angel Reese Stars In New Rap Music Video ... With Latto & Cardi!!!

Angel Reese went from "you can't see me" to "you can see me everywhere" ... 'cause the LSU superstar is front and center in Latto and Cardi B's new music video!!

The 21-year-old hooper has been on top of the world ever since the Tigers beat Iowa to win the national championship in April ... securing huge opportunities like posing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and raking in millions of dollars through endorsement deals.

Now, Reese can add yet another accomplishment to her list -- starring alongside Latto and Cardi in their visuals for the song, "Put It On Da Floor Again" ... which dropped Thursday night.

Reese makes several appearances during the grocery store scenes in the 3-minute video ... pushing Latto in a shopping cart and holding up a makeshift hoop as the Atlanta M.C. dunked a stuffed heart.

But the biggest highlight comes during Cardi's verse ... when she raps "I been ballin' so damn hard, coulda went to LSU" as the camera cuts to a mean-mugging Reese.

Reese tweeted about the cameo ... saying, "i told y’all i wanted to be a video vixen😭"

It's not the only LSU/Latto connection -- Reese's Flau'jae Johnson also dropped her own cover of the same song last month.

Geaux Tigers!!

Boosie Badazz No Way I'd Work with Gunna ... Not Even For $1 BILLION!!!

NOT TELLIN'
TMZ.com

Boosie Badazz is sticking to his G-code when it comes to wishing Gunna the worst ... even with a hypothetical Bezos-sized payday on the line.

TMZ Hip Hop got the Louisiana-bred rap legend Thursday in NYC, where he couldn't resist the opportunity to lump Gunna in with the city's infamous rat infestation.

Boosie makes it clear he believes Gunna snitched on Young Thug when he took a plea deal in the YSL RICO case. The embattled YSL rapper is currently back in the studio ... likely laying down some rebuttals for all his haters.

We asked Boosie if he would swallow his street pride to record with Gunna ... IF someone offered him a billion dollars, but he immediately shut down because -- as he put it -- the convo was about a "rat."

One topic he was happy to address is cars -- Boosie weighed in with some advice for Cardi B, whose current rich people problem is possessing too many luxury automobiles she doesn't even drive.

Boosie flat-out tells us filling up your garage with cars is a waste of money, and says he sold off "damn near" all of his whips.

Always a good idea to save your cheddar ... especially when you're rejecting billions, on principle.

Remy Ma Bootleggin' Bday Bash!!! Pap, Fat Joe, Fab Show Out, Ma$e Surprise Performs

WELCOME BACK
Instagram / @papoose

Remy Ma brought Jersey City back to the roarin' '20s last night, thanks to a glitzy birthday bash fashioned after the Prohibition Era that brought out plenty of her famous rap pals!!!

The ultramagnetic MC ushered in year 43 inside the speakeasy-style lounge Casa De Lobo, and was flanked by Fat Joe, Fabolous, Maino and Remy's husband Papoose.

Little did Remy know, but Pap whipped up a super surprise for her at the end of the night -- a personal performance from one of her all-time favorite rappers: Ma$e!!!

The Harlem World rapper popped up on an unsuspecting Remy toward the end of the night, and rocked the mic to his classic, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down."

Papoose tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the party was nothing short of "amazing" and fitting enough to celebrate the "Queen of all Queens" -- but says the real jewel has been enjoying 15 years of marriage with Remy!!!

Ty Dolla $ign Happy 10th Anniv. to 'Beach House 2' ... But I've NEVER Heard It!!!

Ty Dolla $ign's music industry run has been going strong since his 2013 breakout "Beach House 2" mixtape, a project the Cali crooner is sheepishly admitting he never even heard!!!

The DJ Drama-sponsored LP was home to Ty's double platinum B.o.B collab, "Paranoid," and also kicked off his connection with Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang -- but he claims things were moving too fast for him at the time to even bask in his own glory.

While on Apple Music's Beats 1, he told Zane Lowe, "I haven't listened to 'Beach House Two' ... I'm not going to lie. Nah, but it's been huge, definitely a celebration and shout out to everybody that was with me then, the ones that are still with me now from that team, and all the new people I've met that have just been here for this journey."

He proudly added, "It's still going, we're still going … it was more so back then, that trying to get people to hear it or just to be noticed, knowing you make good music and all your homies around you are telling you this is crazy."

Ty$ says the project was still well received from everyone around him, but he remembers spending more time getting accustomed to dealing with managers and the music industry overall.

In 2023, it's understandable he isn't stuck listening to his old tracks. He just dropped his new dance single "Motion," which he says he intentionally released for the summertime ... and has a new EP ready, mixtape and genre-bending album ready for release.

And, we're pretty sure Ty$ has heard the new music this time around!!!

Drake Helps Lil Dicky Close 'Dave' Finale ... With a Bang!!!

Drake made a cherry-on-top cameo for the season finale of Lil Dicky's "Dave" series -- an episode that also boasted Brad Pitt and Rachel McAdams appearances!!!

As fate would have it, Drake's actually a superfan of the show -- which just wrapped its third season -- and he said exactly that to Dicky, in person.

Dicky says, "Drake is like the top of the mountain top musically and as a rapper," and when they met ... Drake told him "the show is one of the more important shows of our generation."

High praise, for sure, and Dicky told The Hollywood Reporter scoring Drake, Rachel and Brad created a major challenge for his team -- "With all of them, my writers' room was like, 'This is kind of crazy that you’re putting all your eggs in these baskets because what if they say no?' These people don’t even do TV. Drake hasn’t done TV since 'Degrassi."

But he move forward confidently, saying ... "Honestly, I think the show can have a tendency to get overlooked. Once you sit down and watch, it’s kind of objectively a great show. These are like the biggest stars of our time validating our show."

No word yet if "Dave" will get a Season 4, but it's clear fans -- including Champagne Papi -- aren't ready to say goodbye just yet!!!

Damson Idris Prayed To The Devil For 'Snowfall' Inspo ... Had Nightmares For a Month!!!

"Snowfall" star Damson Idris is admitting he tapped into the forces of darkness to help his actor's block ... and says he damn near needed an exorcism after the terrifying experience!!!

During The Hollywood Reporter's 2023 TV Drama roundtable, Damson made the shocking confession to Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges, Kieran Culkin, and others ... harkening back to the final season of "Snowfall" when he had difficulty bringing out the evil for his character, Franklin Saint.

Damson says after failing at the scenes, he then went into the corner to drum up his dark magic, and repeatedly called to Satan, "Come on, Devil -- come to me!!!"

Fans marveled at Damson's character's transition and subsequent downfall at the end of the series, but the British actor says the conjuring left him with nightmares for a month and he even had to call his mother to "bring him back to life."

DANCING WITH THE DEVIL
TMZ.com

Damson claims the spirits were real and not to be trifled with ... a point Lil Uzi Vert also made a few months ago when we asked him about the Satanist accusations that were being levied against him.

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Uzi denied planting evil seeds for his fans or even believing in the devil. He happens to be the current cover star of "032c" magazine, and in it, he's still denouncing those Satanic allegations.

Ye Sued For 'Angry' Attack on Photog ... Grabbed, Tossed Her Phone

Kanye West is getting sued over a heated encounter he had with a photographer -- the one where he pulled over to snatch her phone and throw it into the street.

TMZ broke the story back in January ... as he was driving away from one of North West's basketball games with his wife, Bianca Censori, Ye stopped because he noticed several paparazzi on his tail.

1/27/23
CONFISCATING CAMERAS
BACKGRID

According to one of the photogs, Nichol Lechmanik, Ye was angrily confronting a different paparazzo, going through the man's pockets ... and she claims she feared the rapper might have had a weapon on him.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lechmanik says she was terrified he would come after her next ... and he did. Video shows Ye approaching her as she sat in the driver's seat of her car, recording him with her phone and yelling, "You all ain't gonna run up on me like that!"

Ye told her, "If I say stop, stop with your cameras." Then he ripped her phone out of her hands and tossed it -- she says it landed in oncoming traffic.

All of this was captured on video by Lechmanik's business partner who was recording from her passenger seat ... and she says Ye walked over to that side of the car and flashed a "death stare" at them. That same day she went to the Sheriff's Department to file a report about the incident.

As we first reported, law enforcement named Ye a suspect in their battery investigation, but ultimately he was not charged.

That being said, Lechmanik says she was traumatized and humiliated ... and lost earnings because she wasn't able to go back to her J-O-B ... snapping photos of celebs.

In the weeks after their encounter, Ye started going straight to law enforcement -- as he did on Valentine's Day -- whenever photogs approached him.

Lechmanik is suing Ye for assault, battery and negligence.

Interestingly, she also wants an injunction blocking Ye from touching, annoying or threatening not just herself, but ANY photographer. Good luck with that part!

Lil Durk Supports Homeless Fan Playing His Vid ... Here's 30 Days Room & Board!!!

THE HOOK UP

Lil Durk is expected to pull in big numbers with his new "Already Healed" album, and he's taking time out to assist a fan who helped spread awareness of the music ... despite not having a proper roof to blast the tunes!!!

On Thursday, a video surfaced of Durk linking up with L.A. resident Pedro Ramirez, a homeless man who went viral on TikTok for playing Durk and J. Cole's "All My Life" video from inside his tent on a big-screen projector.

SIDEWALK SHOW

Durk thanked Pedro for pumping the music and blessed him with a hotel room for 30 days, a phone, a gift card, and some spending money for being an OTF loyalist.

Earlier in May, Pedro talked to FOX 11 news, and explained how he uses a personal generator to power his projector, and recharges at a nearby Metro station.

Pedro says he's been living on the streets for 2 years and chooses his tent setup over L.A.'s assisted living programs, which he claims treat people like prisoners.

"All My Life" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and still sits in the Top 10 at No. 7.  So, yeah ... Durk's got good reasons to thank Pedro!!!

Ye Supplies Fivio's 'Concussion' Bars ... Feature on New EP

Kanye West has returned to the rap arena for the first time in 2023 ... as the lone feature for Fivio Foreign's surprise EP, "Without Warning."

On Wednesday, Fivio released his new 8-track collection, led by "Concussion," where he and Ye blurt out lyrical randomness — much like an actual concussion.

Ye opens the track channeling Snoop Dogg's infamous Death Row Records-defending rant from the 1995 Source Awards ... "Y'all ain't got no love for Snoop Dogg?/Y'all ain't got no love for Dr. Dre?/Y'all ain't got no love for Ye???"

Fivio released his new offering strictly for the hip hop internet ... with the tracks only appearing on YouTube and SoundCloud and not the traditional DSPs.

In the accompanying documentary, Fivio explained his decision to keep the rollout from the commercial scene, recognizing he's no longer the flashy new artist in the culture, and this is the time to build a legacy.

The project also opens with a dedication to his slain friend and fellow rapper TDot Woo, who was murdered in February 2022.

LSU Star Flau'jae Johnson My Dream Rap Collab??? Get At Me, J. Cole!!!

KEEPIN' THE COLLABS COMIN'
TMZSports.com

First, an NCAA championship ... up next -- a collab with J. Cole?!?

LSU hoops star Flau'jae Johnson says she's hoping that's exactly the way her life will play out ... telling TMZ Sports that after helping the Lady Tigers win a title, she's now got her sights set on making music with the "All My Life" rapper.

"J. Cole," she told us this week out at Sirius XM in Los Angeles, "that's my dream!"

If you're unfamiliar -- in addition to being one of the best women's basketball players in the country ... Johnson is also a rapper -- and a very talented one at that.

In fact, the 19-year-old is so good on the mic ... she's already signed with Roc Nation -- and Lil Wayne even said during her NCAA tournament run in April that he wanted to work with her in the near future.

While Johnson was for sure fired up about that -- she said this week she'd be all-in on a duet with Cole too ... and she's confident that it will happen!!

"He ain't reach out yet," she said with a smile, "but it should be coming soon."

For now, Johnson says she's got music on the way with rapper 2Rare.

As for how she's planning on balancing basketball and rap going forward -- the SEC Freshman of the Year says it'll take a lot of a discipline ... but she's sure LSU head coach Kim Mulkey will ensure that all happens.

"Coach don't play," Johnson said. "So I gotta stay tight."

Keep it up, Flau'jae!!!

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