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Questlove says he had the time of his life DJ-ing the Oscars over the weekend, but his one regret ... he couldn't shoo away winners who took forever with their acceptance speeches.

We got "The Tonight Show" band frontman heading into work Tuesday at NBC Studios in NYC and he told our guy he was ordered by Oscars producer Steven Soderbergh to stand down on playing any kind of wrap-up-your-speech music.

The famous DJ said compiling his walk-off music was one of the first tasks he completed when he got the gig ... but Soderbergh, one of 3 producers of the Oscars, foiled the plan.

That's too bad ... 'cause Questlove said his playlist was tight and a perfect sendoff to long-winded winners.

All good though ... Questlove says he's been going to the Oscars for a decade now and really enjoyed the new format. So much so ... he said he hopes it's the new normal.

There were some pretty cool moments (albeit scripted) ... like when Questlove played EU's classic "Da Butt" and got Glenn Close to play along and dance her ass off.

Sounds like Moneybagg Yo's new line for any promoters looking to book him for live gigs is, basically ... "New album, who dis?" -- and he says they better be ready to spend top dollar!!!

We ran into the red hot rapper Tuesday at LAX, where we congratulated him on his new album, "A Gangsta's Pain" -- which is getting tons of praise, and also jacking up his rate for shows. Moneybagg confirms it's a cool $200k to book him now.

That's a huge leap from where he was just a year ago ... check out what MBY says he used to charge not too long ago. Not to get all math-y on ya -- but it's an 80% increase!

You can see Moneybagg's crowds have gotten exponentially bigger over the past year or so. Not just that, but he's starting to gain some ground with new, broader audiences ... due, in part, to appearances on the 'Tonight Show' and elsewhere.

Clearly, things are going well for him -- and it also sounds like he's being smart with his money ... telling us he definitely does some spending, but throws some in the bank as well.

Since he likes to flaunt a bit, we had to ask ... as his stacks continue to pile up, what's the big-ticket item he's eyeing???

His answer might surprise you a bit -- seems like he might wanna dip his toe into real estate, but on a larger scale than just one new crib.

Kamaru Usman vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov?!!? How awesome would that be?!

Kamaru says it would "absolutely" be the biggest fight in UFC history -- but the champ isn't holding his breath that it'll happen.

Remember, Khabib (29-0) announced his retirement back in October 2020 after defeating Justin Gaethje -- but later told Dana White he would consider a comeback if one of the top fighters showed him something "spectacular."

Well, enter Usman ... who's been destroying the best fighters in the UFC's welterweight division including wins over Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, Gilbert Burns and more.

The question -- is Khabib impressed enough to consider a comeback against the reigning welterweight champ?! Usman isn't counting on it.

"I’ve lost faith in this one," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "I think you have more of a chance at making Kamaru Usman and Georges St Pierre happen before Kamaru Usman and Khabib."

We also asked about a possible matchup with Nick Diaz down the line ... and Usman seems interested!

Oregon based artist Steve Perry (no not that Steve Perry) shot to fame as the singer and songwriter of the swingin' ska band Cherry Poppin' Daddies ... which made it big in 1997 with their single "Zoot Suit Riot" which spearheaded the ferocious swing flare-up in the late '90s ... complete with the signature styles of long chain-wallets, flashy suits and colorful fedoras.

Steve Perry is only one of two founding members in the Cherry Poppin' Daddies alongside the band's upright bassist Dan Schmid.

CPD continues to make music and has released almost 10 albums over the last two decades.

This is gonna be stomach-churning for some ... video of NRA exec Wayne LaPierre and his wife hunting elephants in Africa, and his lack of marksmanship at crunch time made the brutal event even more inhumane.

The disturbing footage shows the LaPierres in Botswana during a 2013 trip, and as they trek through the bush with guides and a couple of friends, they find what they came to kill -- an adult elephant grazing nearby.

The New Yorker and The Trace obtained this video of Wayne taking aim at the animal and taking it down with a single rifle shot -- but one of the guides said the bull wasn't dead, and instructed Wayne on where to aim for the kill shot. The National Rifle Association's Executive VP took 3 more shots -- from about 20 feet away -- but couldn't put the poor elephant out of its misery.

The guide finally asked someone else in the group to make the shot.

Later that day, it was Wayne's wife, Susan's turn, and she killed an even bigger elephant from closer range ... as it seemed to be staring right at her. It's hard to see any "sport" in what happens in this video.

According to the New Yorker, the video was supposed to be used for a TV show called "Under Wild Skies," but never saw the light of day ... due to the NRA's concerns about a PR blowback. Both Wayne and his wife celebrated with smiles, hugs and high fives after their kills. Susan is seen cutting off the elephant's tail and shouting, "Victory!"

Britney Spears may once and for all tell the world how she feels about her 13-year-long conservatorship, because she wants some face time with the judge.

Britney's lawyer told the judge Tuesday his client has something to say, and it's not a stretch to believe there's some connection to the #FreeBritney movement and the documentary with the same sentiment.

Speaking of the #FreeBritney movement ... a woman in a bright pink t-shirt shaved her head, seemingly in solidarity with Britney ... a callback to the dark days when Britney was on the ropes which ultimately led to her being placed on a psychiatric hold.

Though the Britney fan is the only one who shaved her head -- as far as we know -- she's joined by many other members of the #FreeBritney movement that's been gaining steam for the past several months ... as the singer dukes in out in court with her father, Jamie, over the conservatorship.

As we've told you ... Britney has never challenged her conservatorship in the 13 years it's been in place. She's had issues with her dad, but she's never asked to pull the plug on the conservatorship.

That's why her lawyer's revelation in court today is so important ... with all the tumult surrounding the conservatorship -- including a war between Jamie Spears team and Lynne Spears -- it seems like the time is right for her to address the big issue.

Britney's been in court a number of times in the past and talked to the judge, but this one could be big.

Jeff Lowe claims Carole and Howard Baskin are spying on him with drones, and when he went to confront them, a fight allegedly broke out with his neighbors and the cops had to respond.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Lowes called cops Tuesday morning to report a disturbance at their property in Thackerville, and when deputies showed up they discovered Jeff had gotten in a fight with a neighbor -- not Carole and Howard.

Jeff says it all started when his son saw a drone flying over the zoo, and when he went to investigate he claims he saw Carole, Howard and his neighbors, a couple, hanging with a film crew.

The way Jeff tells it ... the Baskins and his neighbors took off when they saw him, and when he tried to stop a car leaving the neighbors' property -- thinking Carole might be inside -- the neighbors' son got out and they tussled.

Our law enforcement sources say Carole was in the area, but was not on Jeff's property and she broke no laws.

Howard tells TMZ ... they were flying a drone in the area to monitor conditions at the zoo, and he says the initial drone footage shows a significant amount of what appears to be stress-related or "stereotypic" pacing among the animals.

Carole's husband says they had a film crew there to record what they were doing, and the Baskins were visiting with Lowe's neighbors for a different reason altogether.

Jeff claims it was the neighbor's son who started the fight, throwing coffee at his car and pushing him. However, Howard claims Jeff started the fight with the neighbor's son ... he says Jeff attacked unexpectedly and dragged the guy to the ground.

The incident is far from over ... our law enforcement sources say the police report will be sent to the local District Attorney, who will determine whether Jeff or the man he was fighting will be charged.

Police body cam footage shows Houston Rockets player Sterling Brown bleeding profusely from his head in the moments after he was attacked outside a strip club in Miami ... and the footage is tough to watch.

As we previously reported, Brown was hospitalized with serious injuries on April 19 after he was reportedly attacked with a liquor bottle outside the Booby Trap strip club.

Brown suffered major lacerations on his face and head, according to The Athletic, which also claims there was a serious concern for his life.

Now, reporter Andy Slater has obtained police body cam footage showing the moment officers arrived at the scene ... and you can clearly see Brown covered in blood.

The footage, which does not include audio, also shows Brown's teammate, Kevin Porter, Jr., apparently trying to explain the situation to officers and paramedics.

The whole incident was over a vehicle mix-up -- Brown accidentally got into the wrong sprinter van on his way out of the club ... and the people inside decided to beat the hell out of him.

Brown is reportedly out of the hospital ... but it sounds like it could be a while before he returns to the court.

Chris Harrison's wedding-y photo with his girlfriend might seem like it's cause for celebration -- but it's not really, because they're not hitched. Not yet, anyway.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Chris' latest IG photo with his girlfriend, Lauren Zima, is misleading -- especially if fans only looked at the image. Yes, it kinda looks like they're dressed for their own nuptials, but that's not the case ... they were just at a friend's wedding in Dallas, where Lauren was a bridesmaid.

You can't really blame Chris for people getting the wrong idea, either ... 'cause his caption was a dead giveaway. He wrote, "'I’d stop the world and melt with you' @laurenzima there’s no one I’d rather celebrate love with and I’ll be your plus one anytime."

Grooms don't typically refer to themselves as a "plus one" at their own wedding. Not out loud, anyway.

BTW, you might also be wondering why Chris is in Dallas and not on the set of the 'Bachelorette' ... which just wrapped filming. Remember, he's on a hosting hiatus due to the racism scandal after his controversial convo with Rachel Lindsay.

Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe have replaced him for this season, and his future with the 'Bachelor' franchise remains up in the air at this point.

The man charged with breaking into Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the Capitol riots insists he wasn't calling her a "bitch" on paper -- he was just calling her his "biatch" ... so it's not nearly as bad as the feds are making it sound.

Richard Barnett is set to appear Tuesday in court to make that very argument for why he isn't a dangerous threat ... and should be cut loose pending trial. But, before he tells it to the judge, his attorneys filed docs, explaining this sort of slang defense.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Barnett's lawyers say prosecutors' claim he wrote "Nancy, Bigo was here, you bitch" on a sheet of paper on her desk is false. Instead, they assert he wrote ... "Hey Nancy Bigo was here biatd." To them, that last word was supposed to be, "biatch." If nothing else, he's guilty of poor penmanship.

The attorneys argue Barnett combined the "c" and the "h" at the end there -- and that he was going for the slang version of "bitch" ... which they note is not as offensive, and might even be considered endearing in some contexts.

Basically, his attorneys are saying he was just clowning around -- and didn't actually intend to harm and/or threaten her ... despite making himself at home and having his run of the place.

Barnett was previously denied bail ... but a lot of alleged Capitol rioters have been released from jail since then, based on rulings they do not pose flight risks or other dangers. With that in mind, Barnett's lawyers are hoping to get their client out ASAP.

Trey Songz will not face criminal charges for his violent altercation with cops at an NFL playoff game ... TMZ has learned.

The Prosecutor's Office for Jackson County, MO tells us they have decided to decline filing charges against the singer, citing insufficient evidence.

We broke the story ... Trey was arrested back in January at a Kansas City Chiefs home playoff game, with video showing what looked like a violent dust-up with a police officer.

The incident started when Songz allegedly refused to wear a mask inside Arrowhead Stadium, despite coronavirus protocols in place at the game.

As we told you, Trey was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest -- both misdemeanors -- and for assaulting a police officer, a low-grade felony.

The footage police released appeared to show Trey throwing the first punch during his interaction with police, but his camp claimed the officer had it out for him before the brawl. In any event, no charges are being filed in the case.

Caitlyn Jenner's ruffling all kinds of feathers within the family in her bid to be the next governor of California ... her sons didn't want her to run, and they're embarrassed she is.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Jenner bros -- Brody, Brandon and Burt -- don't feel she's qualified for the position and they strongly believe she shouldn't be mounting a campaign.

Our sources say Caitlyn called some of her kids the night before publicly announcing her decision to run, and her sons strongly suggested she pump the brakes and scuttle the whole thing.

As you know, Caitlyn went ahead with her plans ... but we're told her sons are upset she never took the family's feelings into consideration ... by the time she called them she had already made her decision.

Caitlyn's not doing much better with the Kardashians, including Kendall and Kylie, as we first told you ... they won't be hitting the campaign trail to stump for her, and Kim's already clashing with CJ over prison reform.

For once, it sounds like the Kardashian-Jenner kids all agree on something ... Caitlyn shouldn’t be running.

If Rep. Karen Bass were a betting woman, she's close to betting the house, no pun intended, on Congress passing police reform legislation and getting it signed by President Biden in no time.

The U.S. Congresswoman for California's 37th District joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and laid out surprisingly good odds for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to get the necessary votes in, not only in the House, but in the Senate ... where Republicans have numbers to stall or kill the bill.

Bass, who introduced the bill in June 2020, says she's been working closely with Sen. Tim Scott -- who's spearheading efforts to gather enough Republican votes -- and she believes he's fully committed to getting it passed. Right now she's putting their odds of success at 80 percent, but explains she might go even higher than that.

The bill aims to ban chokeholds, no-knock warrants and profiling, and also to set national standards for police training ... among many other things.

Andrew Brown Jr. was shot 5 times during his fatal interaction with police, according to the autopsy ... and his family says it was one bullet to the back of the head that killed him.

Brown's family and attorneys released the findings of a private autopsy Tuesday, and they say he suffered 4 gunshot wounds to his right arm and one to his head.

The autopsy, performed Monday, says Brown died from the gunshot wounds ... and while the docs don't say which bullet killed him, the family believes it had to be the one to the head.

As we reported ... Brown's family is calling for the release of the full police body cam footage from last week's fatal shooting at the hands of sheriff's deputies in North Carolina.

The family says Brown, who was gunned down while police were trying to execute a search warrant, was killed in an "execution."

So far, the family has only seen a "snippet" of police body cam ... just 20 seconds of one deputy's body cam with the faces blurred of other deputies on the scene.

One family attorney says the video begins with Brown sitting in his car in his driveway, blocked in by police, with his hands on the steering wheel and deputies demanding to see his hands.

The fam says multiple cops were shooting at Andrew, and he tried backing out of the driveway to escape a hail of bullets, but ended up slamming into a tree.

Brown's killing has sparked protests and demonstrations in Elizabeth City and surrounding areas, with the mayor there declaring a state of emergency.

There's still no official word on when the shooting video will be revealed to the public, but 7 deputies were already placed on administrative leave, 2 resigned and one retired.

Caitlyn Jenner is following in Arnold Schwarzenegger's footsteps in her bid for Governor of California -- and wouldn't you know it ... the man himself has some sage advice!!!

The former Governator did Jimmy Kimmel's show Monday night and was asked what he made of the former Olympian taking a crack at politics, like Arnold did almost two decades ago. Long story short ... Arnold says she could win.

Now, Arnold stopped short of endorsing Caitlyn ... but did note that, just like in his 2003 race, anybody could take the prize based on how dissatisfied Californians seem to be with Gavin Newsom. And yes, that includes Ms. Jenner herself.

Ahnald says it'll be far from a cakewalk for Caitlyn, though, despite her fame. He tells Jimmy there will probably be upwards of 100 Republican candidates vying for the job -- about the same number in his race.

So, how should Caitlyn stand out in the crowd? Arnold dished some advice, saying gubernatorial candidates need to have a sharp vision that they can easily communicate to the masses. Not just that, but he says they gotta be able to convince folks why they're qualified.

It also sounds like the ex-Gov might've actually spoken with Caitlyn already about her bid ... but he didn't go into deets of what they might've discussed. What's also obvious here is that the guy's trying to be diplomatic ... he notes he's buds with Newsom AND Caitlyn, and doesn't wanna show his support one way or another at this point.

Still, ya gotta wonder who he'll vote for come election day. Based on what he's saying here ... we'd say it's a toss-up.

"Your wings were ready but my heart wasn't."

That's Karen Pippen paying tribute to her son Antron after he was laid to rest at a funeral ceremony in Georgia over the weekend ... noting, "I will miss you tremendously."

As we previously reported, Antron Pippen -- son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen -- died on April 18, 2021. He was only 33.

In the hours after his passing, Scottie revealed Antron suffered from chronic asthma -- but it's not known if the condition contributed to his death.

Antron was born in 1987 to Karen McCollum -- who married Scottie in 1988 (they split in 1990).

The family held a ceremony for Antron on April 24th -- and afterward, Karen posted a note to her baby boy.

"Son, it has been such a pleasure and honor to be your mother. You've left me with so many wonderful memories that I will treasure daily."

"Your transition has left a huge gap in my heart and the pain is quite unbearable."

"I will miss you tremendously and my love for you is for ever. Rest well, my baby boy, until we meet again."

Scottie was very proud of his firstborn son, who played college basketball at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and South Georgia Technical College.

"Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I truly believe he would've made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though -- Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became."