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2:50 PM PT -- The L.A. County Medical Coroner says Nipsey died from gunshot wounds to his head and torso. He was pronounced dead Sunday at 3:55 PM ... at a downtown L.A. hospital.

4/1 -- Nipsey Hussle was enjoying March Madness like the rest of us Saturday night -- less than 24 hours before he was gunned down Sunday. The rapper was sitting courtside in Anaheim, CA for the Texas Tech/Gonzaga game. This is one of the last known public photos of him out there.

7:50 PM PT -- Somebody is already claiming to have been the one who shot and killed Nipsey Hussle. An artist by the name of Cinco says he was on Instagram Live Sunday after news broke that Nipsey had been shot. He says in the middle of his Live session, a young man under the username @gasstongbo hopped on with his own video and said he was the shooter.

Check out the interaction ... the guy says he literally walked up on Nipsey and shot him in front of his "daughter." Nipsey was photographed right before the shooting in the presence of a young child, but it's unclear if that was his kid or not.

We should make clear ... we do NOT know if this is the same man police have ID'd as the suspect in the case. It's simply someone who is making a claim to the crime.

6:02 PM PT -- Our sources are clear ... this appears to be gang-related to the law enforcement officers working the case.

5:46 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the suspect cops are looking for is a black male in his 20s. We're told he approached Nipsey and co. by foot Sunday afternoon and fired multiple shots ... only to depart right after in what we're told appeared to be a nearby waiting vehicle with a separate driver, who our sources say was female.

5:12 PM PT -- Our law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Nipsey Hussle has died. He was 33 years old. He's survived by two children and his girlfriend, Lauren London, with whom he had a child in 2016.

4:32 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 3 people were shot at Nipsey's store, and one just died at the hospital. It's unclear if that person is Nipsey. We're being told that one man fled in a vehicle after the shooting.

Nipsey Hussle was just shot in L.A. ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources tell us the rapper was gunned down Sunday in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, south of the Crenshaw area. We're told he was at his clothing company called The Marathon Clothing. He opened the place back in 2017.

His condition is unknown at this point, but eyewitnesses say they heard multiple shots. Police and paramedics have swarmed the area and taped off the crime scene.

Nipsey received CPR on the scene as well. Videos are circulating showing him receiving CPR from an EMT, who's doing chest compressions.

What's crazy ... Nipsey seems to have tweeted right before the shooting, and alluded to "enemies." He wrote, "Having strong enemies is a blessing."

Nipsey -- who's from the Crenshaw area of L.A. -- is said to have ties to the Crips. That hasn't stopped him from working with artists who have rival gang affiliations ... he's made music with both YG and The Game -- both of whom have been tied to Bloods.

Nipsey has also worked with other huge names in the industry, like Drake, Childish Gambino, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Young Thug, Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Kirko Bangz, Dom Kennedy, Tyga, Jadakiss, Chamillionaire and many, many others.

He's released multiple mixtapes over the course of his 10-plus year career but just dropped his first studio album last year. It's called "Victory Lap" ... and it got him a Grammy nod for Best Rap Album just a month ago. Nipsey lost out to Cardi B at the award show.

Nipsey's mixtapes date back to 2005. He dropped 10 projects independently before releasing his debut album, which was distributed through his own record label, All Money In, and Atlantic Records.

Despite being a polished rapper, Nipsey was no stranger to the streets. He got roped into a brawl out in West Hollywood back in December of 2018 ... which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

This isn't the first time trouble has descended onto Nipsey's store either. Gunfire erupted there back in September of 2018, but no one was shot. Nipsey was not at the store that time.

Nipsey was incredibly involved in his local community, in which he worked to prevent gang violence. He helped spear a major art initiative in his home neighborhood called "Destination Crenshaw" -- a 1.3-mile open-air museum that will feature local art.

He also recently helped launch Vector 90 -- a Crenshaw district based STEM learning center and workspace dedicated to developing science and technology education in the area.

During a showcasing of Vector 90 last year, Nipsey told the LA Times ... "I grew up in gang culture. We dealt with death, with murder. It was like living in a war zone, where people die on these blocks and everybody is a little bit immune to it. I guess they call it post-traumatic stress, when you have people that have been at war for such a long time. I think L.A. suffers from that because it’s not normal yet we embrace it like it is after a while."

Nipsey has been dating Lauren London since at least 2015, when she got pregnant with their child. They kept a low profile as a couple, but stirred up engagement rumors when they did a coordinated shoot for GQ back in January ... where they were wearing matching white outfits.

Speaking of GQ, Nipsey and Lauren had worked with them quite recently by doing a "Couples Quiz," which just got released a few days ago.

Lauren hasn't said anything publicly about Nipsey's shooting.

Big news from Tom Brady ... the G.O.A.T. has finally joined the Twittersphere!!!

Oh yeah, and he's retiring from the NFL ... using his first tweet to declare "I'm retiring. In my spare time, I'll be tweeting #LFG."

WOW ... the 6-time Super Bowl champ just ended his incredible career with a tweet. No emotional press conference. No goodbye party. Nothing. Not even a Crying Brady meme for crying out loud.

(You looked at the calendar this morning, right?)

HA HA HA ... GET IT?!?!?!? APRIL FOOLS, EVERYONE!!! Oh man, Tom, you sure did fool all of us.

Anyway ... what ISN'T a joke is that Brady is now on Twitter, and that is actually something to be excited about, if avocado recipes and workout plans are your things.

Jussie Smollett getting off scot-free is bad news for R. Kelly, because prosecutors might be itching for a big win ... so worries the singer's lawyer.

Steven Greenberg tells TMZ ... the outcome of Jussie's criminal case in Cook County -- in which all 16 felony charges against him were dropped by the State's Attorney -- might be damaging for Kelly ... especially when it comes to a possible plea bargain.

He says, "I think it makes it more difficult for a friendly disposition because they’re going to be extremely reluctant to admit they brought these cases with scant evidence or that there are any other problems."

Greenberg adds State's Attorney Kim Foxx and her team may now view Kelly's case as a chance to redeem themselves after taking such intense heat from the City of Chicago and for that matter the nation for their decision to cut the actor loose.

It's worth noting -- Foxx seemed much more committed to prosecuting Kelly than Smollett. Remember, she held a news conference in early January before charges were filed, urging victims to come forward. By contrast, Foxx recused herself from Jussie's case after she'd admitted to communicating with Smollett's family.

Greenberg concedes there's no way Foxx will recuse herself in the R. Kelly case because there were no equivalent communications ... at least as far as the lawyer knows.

Kelly's facing more serious charges than Smollett -- he's been hit with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. All are class 2 felonies which carry a max sentence of 3 to 7 years in prison for each offense.

Johnny Manziel's had a rough few weeks -- he's single and he's injured -- so the star QB hit up an L.A. hot spot for some dance club therapy.

TMZ Sports got video of Manziel, solo, walking into Nightingale Plaza -- a West Hollywood club -- a little after 1 AM early Monday morning.

It's unclear what he did inside ... or how long he stayed at the spot.

Things haven't exactly been goin' Manziel's way lately ... Bre Tiesi wiped Johnny from her Instagram page and publicly accused him of breaking their wedding vows -- a year after they were married.

To make things worse ... Saturday afternoon -- in only his 2nd game QBing for the AAF's Memphis Express -- Manziel sustained a head injury while tackling former NY Giants player Will Hill ... after he picked off a Johnny pass.

Manziel laid injured on the field ... and had to be helped off. He didn't return to the game.

The team hasn't said if Manziel's head injury will force him to miss any time (they have a game this Saturday in San Antonio) ... but the fact that he went to a nightclub probably indicates the injury ain't too serious.

That would be some good news ... 'cause sources close to Johnny tell us he's immersed himself in his football career following his breakup -- with the end goal being a return to the NFL.

Fun fact, the jacket Johnny's rockin' -- the Lovers baseball jacket by AMIRI -- retails at around $2,500 and has an image of a crumbling heart on the back.

Coincidence? Probably not.

Nipsey Hussle's murder has rocked the music world, but it has also sparked new spins on his most beloved tunes -- 'cause the rapper is dominating the charts.

The Crenshaw rapper's music has soared on Amazon and iTunes in the wake of his fatal shooting, with a lot of his former projects jumping up in position by as much as 500%. Specifically, Nipsey's debut studio album, "Victory Lap," has skyrocketed to the #1 album on Amazon's Movers & Shakers list ... having risen by a whopping 504,766%.

That's not all though -- Nipsey's album and previous mixtapes actually occupy all four top slots on Amazon's Movers & Shakers list. "Victory Lap" has also jumped to #2 on Amazon's overall bestsellers in digital music.

Nipsey's making an impact on iTunes as well -- his studio album is ranked second on its album chart, and his mixtape, "Crenshaw," has climbed to #12 on the list.

For the record, "Victory Lap" was nominated for Best Rap Album at this year's Grammy Awards. It lost out to Cardi B's record, but it was still a major milestone for Nipsey.

TMZ broke the story ... Nipsey was shot and killed Sunday outside of his Marathon Clothing store in South L.A. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

He was 33.

"N****s killed my motherf**kin' uncle, n****. F**k that. Why we doin' this s**t? Why we doing it? Why we killing each other? Why we killing black people, n****?"

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson is completely fed up after Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed on Sunday ... grabbing the mic at a Scottsdale nightclub to give a heartfelt speech about gun and gang violence.

"Why the f**k we doing that s**t? Why we hating on all the black people that's successful? F**k that s**t. That's my motherf**kin' uncle," Clarkson yells to the crowd.

Clarkson and the Cavs are in town for their game against the Suns on Monday ... and the 26-year-old hit up International Boutique Nightclub on Sunday night, just hours after the rapper was killed.

Of course, the NBAer played for the Lakers from 2014-2018 -- and says he was close to the L.A. rapper. The 2 have exchanged props on social media in the past as well.

Clarkson added ..."I bang with all the sets. you got me f**ked up n****. Real talk, n****, that's on gang. Dont f**k with that s**t, bro, real talk."

TMZ broke the story ... the rapper was shot to death Sunday afternoon in front of his store, The Marathon Clothing, in L.A.'s Hyde Park neighborhood. Paramedics tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was just 33.

If you're wondering why President Trump's going to party in super libby La La Land ... we've learned the guy who's fêting him has given nearly half a million bucks to the GOP!

Sources connected tell TMZ ... super wealthy businessman Lee Samson is the guy rolling out a very pricey red carpet for Trump this Friday in Bev Hills. He's throwing a fundraising event for POTUS and his supporters -- yes, he's got 'em in L.A., and if they're anything like Samson ... they're coming with deep pockets.

According to records, Samson -- who runs SnF Management, a hugely successful healthcare company -- donated $10k to Trump last year. Even before that, though, he was giving frequently and generously to some of Trump's former rivals ... especially Sen. Ted Cruz.

Samson's given "Lying" Ted -- as Trump used to call him -- nearly $12k since 2015 to support his Presidential run ... and his hotly contested Senate race against Beto Rourke.

He also backed Marco Rubio's Presidential campaign with a $4,360 donation. While Trump's made no secret of his hatred of late Sen. John McCain, Samson liked him enough to send $5,700 his way.

Basically, he's sprinkled a ton o' dough on multiple Republicans, but he's no dummy. He's also given to 2 Democratic Congressmen -- Ted Lieu and Brad Sherman -- we're guessing because they represent L.A. districts where Samson does business.

Michael Irvin's clearly SUPER relieved to find out he's cancer-free ... 'cause the Dallas Cowboys legend was still smiling from ear to ear hours after receiving the great news!!

"I appreciate the prayers!" Irv told TMZ Sports out in D.C. on Sunday night.

As we previously reported, the Hall of Fame receiver announced last week he was "TERRIFIED" he might have throat cancer after losing his voice for several months during the NFL season.

"Saying I am afraid this time is a big big understatement," Irvin wrote on his social media page.

But, Michael announced early Sunday morning he received good news ... there's no cancer in his 53-year-old body!!!

"Thank you God for continuing to answer Prayers and Thank you ALL for Praying," Michael said. "I spoke with Dr St John at UCLA Medical and she has informed me that all test have come back 100!% clean. NO CANCER!!!!!!"

"It is impossible to express my family and my appreciation for the overwhelming out pour of love, support and prayers."

He added, "I was on my threshing floor dealing with the stronghold of fear. You all covered and encourage me."

Irvin's old teammates couldn't have been happier to hear the news -- his quarterback, Troy Aikman, wrote, "Great news Irv!!"

As for his buddy, Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys legend posted a pic of the 2 together, saying, "God is good!!! So thankful for the good news. @michaelirvin88 is cancer free!!"

8:03 AM -- The hearing's now over and, as we reported, Greenberg's requested all communication between Foxx and Avenatti. As for Kelly's request for approval to travel ... that motion's been withdrawn. Greenberg said he understood Kelly's chances to travel were "slim" considering the matter wouldn't be taken up until the next court hearing May 7. Kelly had previously said he needed to travel to Dubai later this month, but the Dubai government said Kelly had no business there.

BTW ... Kelly was not at the hearing, citing an illness.

7:40 AM PT -- Kelly's legal team is already raising Avenatti's federal charges for extortion. According to the motion filed Monday morning, Greenberg says Avenatti bragged about his ability to put public pressure on Nike ... at least, according to federal prosecutors.

Greenberg also points out Avenatti has publicly talked about multiple convos with Foxx regarding the alleged sex tape. In docs, Kelly's lawyer says Avenatti has "acted as a de facto prosecutor."

Greenberg also calls out Foxx in the motion ... saying the Jussie Smollett case shows she is "able to be influenced and wowed" -- a clear reference to Foxx's communication with Tina Tchen. Foxx ended up recusing herself as a result of that communication.

Greenberg is concerned Avenatti might have "bullied or just simply manipulated" Foxx.

Avenatti's response to the motion is, "[Greenberg] is now trying to distract attention away from the clear guilt of his client by raising bogus arguments about me and Kim Foxx. The evidence is the evidence. Multiple witnesses/tapes, plus DNA. R Kelly will be convicted for his sexual abuse of girls."

7:25 AM PT -- Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, wants to know more about Michael Avenatti's relationship with Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.

Greenberg spoke to the media before the hearing, and said he is going to request all records of Foxx and Avenatti's communications. You know, of course, Avenatti came forward with 2 sex tapes he claims show Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old.

The tapes are part of the new evidence that prompted the 10 count indictment.

R. Kelly's looking for the judge to give him the green light to travel outside the U.S., and he could get an answer when he shows up in a Cook County courtroom ... where TMZ will be streaming live.

The singer and his legal team will be in court for a hearing that had originally been scheduled for May, but it was pushed up to Monday. It's unclear exactly what the judge will cover, but we know there are a couple of unsettled issues from last week's brief hearing.

As we reported ... Kelly's legal team asked prosecutors to hand over copies of the sex tapes it claims to have as evidence. Also, their request to travel was continued but it could be brought up once again.

Kelly's side had previously said he needs permission to travel to Dubai in April for a few scheduled concerts. Problem is ... the Dubai government says Kelly's got no business there whatsoever.

Monday's hearing is set to begin at 7:30 AM PT.

Stay tuned ...

Tania Mallet -- one of the original Bond girls and Helen Mirren's cousin -- has died.

Mallet's death was confirmed by the official 007 Twitter account Sunday, which broke the news by writing ... "We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time."

No other details were released about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Tania's main claim to fame was starring alongside Sean Connery as Tilly Masterson -- one of the early Bond girls who didn't make it come the end credits.

Funny enough ... Tania actually auditioned for the role of another Bond girl in the 007 movie right before "Goldfinger" -- "From Russia with Love" -- but she didn't make the cut until 1964.

Her role in "Goldfinger" ended up being one of Tania's only acting credits in her career -- she went on to act in an episode of the '70s show "The New Avengers," but that's it. She did, however, have a prolific modeling career that got started in the '50s at age 16.

4/1 6:30 AM PT -- A memorial has been set up right next to the place Nipsey was murdered, with fans coming out in droves to mourn and pay their respects.

7:15 PM PT -- John Legend also just sent his condolences to Nipsey's family, but also revealed that he'd just finished filming a music video with the rapper a few short days ago -- Thursday to be exact. John says it's a song they collab'd with DJ Khaled for, and they filmed in Inglewood ... near Nipsey's stomping grounds.

The tributes have not slowed down at all either. Folks like J. Cole, Meek Mill, Pusha T, Issa Rae, Vince Staples, Jalen Ramsey, Marcus Stroman, Michael B. Jordan and more have commented on his death with remorse and shock.

Nipsey Hussle's murder has Hollywood in utter shock ... and tributes are pouring in from all over the hip-hop world and beyond.

TMZ broke the story ... Nipsey was gunned down Sunday outside of his Marathon clothing store near the Crenshaw area of LA. We're told a lone gunman walked up on Nipsey and his crew and fired multiple rounds before fleeing in what appeared to be a waiting vehicle.

Nipsey was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after.

Drake was one of the first major artists to respond to the news that Nipsey was shot and killed Sunday outside of his clothing store in L.A. The Toronto rapper posted a photo of Nipsey on Instagram and added the caption, "F*ck. My whole energy is just at a low right now hearing this. We just linked for the first time in years and said we were gonna do a new song this summer cause it had been too long."

Drizzy added, "You were having the best run and I was so happy watching from distance fam nobody ever talks down on your name you were a real one to your people and to the rest of us. I’m only doing this here cause I want the world to know I saw you as a man of respect and a don. Rest easy my g."

Offset also posted his own IG tribute, saying ... "BLACK MAN ON A JOURNEY OF POSITIVITY KILLED THIS A SHAME TO OUR CULTURE REST UP HOMIE."

Chance the Rapper tweeted his condolences as well, saying, "RIP Nipsey man. This is tragic."

The tributes are still rolling in, but among the most notable so far is LeBron James, who was apparently a big Nipsey Hussle fan.

Bron wrote on Twitter, "So so SAD man!! DAMN man this hurt."

Snoop Dogg also paid tribute to Nipsey, posting a video an old video of the two of them rapping together. Snoop added a caption, saying ... "Gone 2 soon @nipseyhussle I’m so sad right now I’ll just reflect on the good times we had."

Rihanna responded as well, writing ... "This doesn’t make any sense! My spirit is shaken by this! Dear God may His spirit Rest In Peace and May You grant divine comfort to all his loved ones! I’m so sorry this happened to you @nipseyhussle."

Nipsey was 33. RIP

Stephen Curry was devastated to hear the news of Nipsey Hussle's death ... expressing his frustrations with "senseless crimes" after the Warriors game on Sunday.

TMZ broke the story ... the rapper and community leader was gunned down Sunday outside of his own clothing store near the Crenshaw area of L.A. He died at the hospital shortly after.

Steph -- who has worked with Nipsey on projects over the past year -- took time to reflect on his experiences with Nipsey after the game.... praising his charitable work in his city.

"That was tough. Obviously surprised a lot of people," Curry says.

"I got to know him last year and had a great conversation about who he was as a person, what he stood for, what his message was, how he tried to inspire people considering where he grew up and how he turned that into something extremely powerful, represented an entire city."

"Definitely a sad, sad, tragic event. Send prayers to his family, his community, to Lauren London, hopefully, they stay strong through this, it's tough. You know, senseless crimes that don't need to happen, especially with a guy who was doing what he was doing."

There's reportedly video of the moment Steph heard the news from Kevin Durant.

Some of the biggest names in sports -- from LeBron James to Odell Beckham -- expressed their sadness over the news.

"Just spoke with you the other day on text bro!" LeBron said. "Telling you how proud I was of you and how I was gone get you to more Laker games next season. Been A Stand Up dude from Day 1.

"May you rest in PARADISE Young King 👑‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ This One Hurts Big Time!"

Odell added ... "This world ain’t right .... I swear. Im hurrt... this ain’t sitttttin right wit me ! HOW! I’m so mad , I’m so fxxkin HURT!"

"Our culture keeps getting taken from us!! RIP" Jarvis Landry tweeted.

"Nipsey tho?!?! Come on people we gotta put these f**king guns up", Eric Ebron said Sunday.

Colin Kaepernick ... "This is so painful! @nipseyhussle was doing great work for the people. Keep his legacy alive by carrying on his work! Sending love to his family. Rest in Power King."

Nipsey was 33 years old. RIP.

Here's video of Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers being put in cuffs and getting hauled off to jail for quietly enjoying an evening blunt with his friend in a park.

For real.

TMZ Sports has obtained the body-cam footage of Gathers' August arrest in Frisco, Texas ... and the clip shows the pretty unbelievable circumstances that led to Rico spending a night behind bars.

Gathers and his lady friend are in a public park, sitting on a bench having just enjoyed some weed ... when cops on bicycles cruise up to interrogate them.

They tell the tight end they could smell the marijuana ... and when Rico reveals he has one more fully unused blunt in his possession, the investigation escalates.

One cop pats the two down ... and ultimately decides to slap the cuffs on Gathers -- who says the weed is his -- telling him, "There's like no tolerance for that stuff here, okay?"

You can see the moment where it hits Gathers that he's truly about to be punished for such a minor offense ... 'cause he PLED with the cops to let him off with a warning.

"It's literally too close to game time," Gathers says ... "I play for the Cowboys ... I really don't need this right now."

"I know y'all don't want to see a grown man cry, but like, literally, this is too much. The media -- this is a lesson for me in general."

The cops take him to jail anyway ... and the TE was eventually charged with possession of marijuana -- a Class B misdemeanor.

Gathers had to fight the charge in court throughout the Cowboys' 2018 season ... and eventually struck a deal with prosecutors last week, agreeing to keep his nose clean for 90 days in order to have the charge dropped.

He also had to pay fines and fees.

Gathers -- who nearly lost his job because of the arrest -- finished with 4 starts at TE last season.

The old oak tree from "The Shawshank Redemption" is still getting busy living ... now as a piece of fancy furniture made for a superfan.

Brian McNeal, owner of Natural Wood Mirrors, tells TMZ ... he's been working with the owners of the famous movie tree to craft a table for a potential buyer from Toronto who loves the film, and already has 2 smaller tables made from the oak.

We're told the guy dropped over $24k total on the 2 tables, but wanted to take it to another level for the third piece in the set, and gave McNeal a $65,000 budget to work with. As you can see ... he's making the most of it.

McNeal says he's using a product called EcoPoxy to encase the wood for the table's surface, and also used a branch from the tree to create the table's base. The centerpiece includes stills from the classic film -- including shots of Andy and Red -- and reads, "crafted from The Shawshank Oak Tree."

"The Shawshank Redemption" will be celebrating its 25th anniversary later this year, and the Ohio State Reformatory where it was filmed will be holding the 5th annual Shawshank Hustle -- a race and festival in its honor.

McNeal says he and the tree's owner will be offering online chances to win tickets to the event, where some of the actors are expected to attend, along with a tour of where the remaining wood is stored and the field where the tree stood.

The famous tree was cut down after suffering severe storm damage in 2016, but the lumber's lived on the form of collector's items ... including 25th anniversary slices of the tree's trunk.

Young M.A is treating herself for her upcoming birthday ... throwing down fat stacks of cash for some insane custom jewelry that's guaranteed to outshine any of her other presents!!!

We've learned the "OOOUUU" rapper dropped a whopping $140,000 on a diamond chain and pendant ... hitting up Ali G and Ali L over at Luxe Jewelers in Atlanta for the super sick piece.

The specs on the bling are pretty wild ... we're talking more than 39 carats of diamonds, with the pendant and bussdown cuban link chain tipping the scale at 129 grams.

We're told Young M.A scooped up the jewelry on Wednesday, which is a week before her 27th birthday. If you're looking for a last-minute gift, may we suggest a turtleneck ... she's gonna need it for all that ice on her collar!