Jay-Z says he STRONGLY believes gay people deserve the right to get married ... claiming discriminating against a gay person is the same as discriminating against a black person.

Jay -- arguably the most powerful person in hip hop -- discussed the issue with CNN ... saying President Obama's decision to come out in support of gay marriage was "the right thing to do."

“I’ve always thought it as something that was still holding the country back. What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love."

He continued, "That’s their business. It's no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination plain and simple.”

Jay-Z is keeping a close eye on his multimillion dollar NBA investment -- showing up to a Brooklyn construction site yesterday to check out the future home of the Nets ... and even trying his hand at some hard labor.

The rapper toured the dirt-filled construction yard on Friday -- known as Barclays Stadium -- to take a gander at where his Brooklyn Nets will earn their stripes ... as in black and white, 'cause the team's colors just changed too. Get over it.

Oh yeah, we also got video of Jay-Z careening around the construction site on a bulldozer -- reaching breakneck speeds of approximately 1 mph. It's pretty hilarious.

What's black and white and scrubbed of all things Jersey?? The NEW LOGO for the Brooklyn Nets ... designed by part owner of the team Jay-Z. Jigga what?

The team -- which will be relocated from NJ to Brooklyn next season -- just released the new colorless logo ... which is already being hailed as "the new badge for Brooklyn."

Jay-Z, who is being credited with playing an "instrumental" role in the creation of the new logo, said in a statement, "The boldness of the designs demonstrate the confidence we have in our new direction ...  The new colors and logos are examples of our commitment to update and refine all aspects of the team."

So, we gotta ask ...

Robert Griffin III was the number two overall draft pick of the Washington Redskins during Thursday night's NFL Draft ... which nets him a big contract and HUGE perks ... like VIP treatment from Jay-Z during his NFL Draft party at the 40/40 Club. 

RG III, Trent Richardson and Quinton Coples were just of the picks in attendance. The guests dined on signature dishes from executive chug Mike Shand -- including wings, chicken fingers, BBQ pulled turkey sliders and classic beef slides. 

New York Giants stud WR Victor Cruz was also there ... and he and RG III got bottles of champagne as gifts for the night.

Cheers.

With a covered up three-month-old baby Blue Ivy attached to her chest, Beyonce and Jay-Z emerged from a yacht in the Caribbean this weekend.

Look ma, I'm on a boat.

Who killed JFK? Where's Hoffa buried? Did Beyonce really give birth? Mysteries that may never be solved! Except she totally had that baby -- though she IS oddly thin already. Hmm ...

Check out TMZ on TV -- click here to see your local listings!

Jay-Z and Kanye West have to be feeling a little more joyful than usual -- because the hit-making duo has settled a federal lawsuit over their song "The Joy" ... TMZ has learned.

The "Watch the Throne" rappers were sued last October by Syl Johnson for using an unauthorized sample of his song "Different Strokes." Johnson had claimed Kanye tried to get the song cleared for his solo album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," but couldn't get the deal done in time. 

So when the sample then appeared on "WTT," Johnson filed the lawsuit.

But in legal docs filed in Illinois federal court this week, the lawsuit was dismissed because the two sides reached a settlement ... though no further details were made available. 

Johnson is no stranger to copyright infringement cases; he's previously sued Michael Jackson, Jefferson Airplane and Cypress Hill.

Jay-Z and Beyonce carried a heavily bundled baby Blue Ivy out into the world for the first time ... hitting up Sant Ambroeus in the West Village for a little lunch today.

You need to crawl before you ball.

This is what the heir to a hip-hop fortune looks like ...

Beyonce and Jay Z have finally posted photos of Blue Ivy Carter .. which appear to have been taken at their pimped out suite at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC.

The Carters posted a note along with the pics which reads, "We welcome you to share in our joy."

Blue Ivy was born on January 7th.

It appears Beyonce color coordinated for the shoot with Blue Ivy ... check out her blue fingernail polish.

It seems cray ... but a simple warning that Jay Z and Kanye West included at the top of their "N**gas in Paris" video may have been the difference between life and death for some of their seizure-prone fans ... this according to multiple epilepsy organizations.

The concern is obvious ... since the video is filled with strobe lights and quick edits. The warning at the top of the video reads, "This video has been identified by Epilepsy Action to potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised."

Now, the Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy tell TMZ ... "50,000 individuals lose their lives each year due to seizures and related causes. We applaud artists like Kanye West and Jay Z who recognize the potential dangers in their videos, movies and performances and are conscientious enough to warn patients and their families about the risks."

And CURE isn't alone in their praise ... a rep for the Epilepsy Therapy Project tells us the organization "appreciates the sensitivities that Kanye and Jay Z showed in appropriately warning individuals with photosensitive epilepsy that their video may cause seizures."

The rep adds, "Given the 4 million people who suffer from epilepsy in the US alone, we need to work together with the music industry on how best to destigmatize the condition and stop seizures and epilepsy once and for all so everyone can enjoy the music."

Jigga what? Liza Minnelli proved she has mad props for rap mogul Jay-Z and checked out his concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC last night.

Move over Tony Bennett & Gaga, because this could be the next unlikeliest duet waiting to happen.