Kirk Franklin's not down with ranking the greatest gospel artists of all time, because he says there's only one name that matters ... and no, it's not Kanye West!!!

The iconic choir director and gospel singer wasn't throwing any shade at Kanye -- quite the opposite -- but making a bigger point about the genre of Christian music ... telling us anybody can do it because it's for all of God's children.

With that mindset, Kirk says there shouldn't be a Mount Rushmore of gospel music -- notwithstanding he's considered to be a candidate -- because it's all about glorifying the man upstairs.

As for Kanye ... Kirk says he's tight with his "brother" and heaps praise on his musical talent ... calling him one of the greatest artists of all time.

Cardi B and Offset are looking pretty damn excited, and maybe a little overwhelmed, after letting the world know baby No. 2's on the way, but someone else is even more excited by the news.

We got Cardi and Offset leaving BOA Steakhouse in WeHo where they hit up a BET Awards after-party. Quavo and Taraji P. Henson were some of the other attendees, but fans and photogs, went wild when Cardi stepped out of her ride showing off her baby bump.

The couple got peppered with dozens of baby-related questions -- really, you'd think they were walking into a family reunion. One question our guy asked was about Kulture's reaction to the news she's gonna be a big sis.

We also asked Offset if he'll be in a giving mood when the baby arrives -- and the answer's yes! He's got a Cuban celebration in mind.

We tried to get some other deets about Cardi's pregnancy ... like how far along she is, cravings, baby names??? They're not ready to spill all that just yet, but they couldn't look happier that their family's expanding.

As we reported, Cardi revealed the huge surprise Sunday night during the BET Awards. She didn't have to say a word ... her baby bump was on display and it did all the talking.

Offset had his hands full announcing baby #2 with Cardi B on Sunday, but he wasn't TOO busy to keep an eye on his Atlanta Hawks ... telling TMZ Sports his beloved team WILL bounce back from their Game 3 loss!!

Of course, it was a huge night at the BET Awards for Migos -- the trio put on one hell of a performance with the "Up" MC as she set social media on fire with her baby bump.

But, even with all the chaos surrounding the baby news, Offset was able to check in on Trae Young and co. as they fell 113-102 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday ... and the dude's pretty optimistic.

"We gon' bounce back," Offset told us outside BOA. "That was some bulls**t. We bouncin' back."

But, if 1/3 of Migos having confidence in the Hawks ain't enough, we also spoke with Quavo ... and he's just as confident Young will lead the squad to the Finals -- and WIN IT ALL!!!

"We gon' get that ring," Quavo told us outside the Highlight Room. "It's the year."

Lil Nas X delivered a memorable performance at the BET Awards, but at least one person on Twitter hated it ... so the rapper put them in their place.

The "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" singer crushed it on stage Sunday night, not only with his hit track but also with a tribute to Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time."

The stage appearance ended with Lil Nas planting an intense kiss on one of his male backup dancers.

Clearly, a major moment -- especially as Pride Month wraps up -- but one Twitter user was outraged, tweeting ... "DONT USE AFRICAN CULTURE FOR S***S LIKE THIS!!!!!!! RESPECT OUR ANCESTORS."

Never one to ignore criticism, Lil Nas X defended his decision while making a historical point, saying ... "y'all really like to pretend homosexuality didn’t exist in african culture."

Other than the one hater, the rapper received widespread praise for his bold move, including from Diddy ... who applauded him for being fearless.

Fans of Lil Nas X -- who came out on the last day of Pride Month in 2019 -- were initially disappointed when the 2021 BET Awards nominees were announced and he didn't make the list, and some accused the show of being homophobic.

Cardi B and Offset are expecting again -- and they made the announcement in grandiose fashion ... through a joint performance at the BET Awards!!!

The couple came out with the news Sunday during the broadcast -- and didn't have to say a thing about it either ... they let their actions speak for them. The Migos came out first for a medley songs, and were later joined by CB who was decked out in a revealing outfit.

And by that, we mean her massive baby bump was on display ... and, clearly, she's very pregnant. Looks like she's fairly far along too at this point ... at least 6 months, if not more.

BTW, Cardi didn't just come out to stand there and look pretty -- she was straight up performing on her own as well ... rapping to songs of hers like 'Type S***', and eventually getting shoulder-to-shoulder with her hubby as the audience went crazy with applause.

Up until now, this wasn't publicly known -- as CB has been laying fairly low of late. And now, it's obvious that was for good reason. Her team was on the ball too for this ... posting official pregnancy photos on her social media pages as soon as she took the stage.

This would be her and Offset's second child together -- of course, they also share Kulture ... who's all of 2 years old.

Beyonce's big night at the BET Awards included a video shout-out from Michelle Obama ... one queen to another.

The former First Lady paid tribute to the singer Sunday night while presenting her with the 2020 Humanitarian of the Year Award, in a video presentation highlighting the best of Bey ... outside of her music.

Michelle said ... "I am here today to talk about The Queen -- you know the one. Ever since she was a little girl in Houston, Beyonce Knowles Carter has been lighting up the stages and gracing the world with her talent, with her generosity of spirit, and with her love for her community."

She added ... "You can see it in everything she does. From her music that gives voice to Black joy and Black pain, to her activism that demands justice for Black Lives. And no matter how big the stages get, I know my girl isn't satisfied unless she's sharing all that shine she has with the next generation."

The video focused on Beyonce's community work and humanitarian efforts, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It also featured more shout-outs from her mom, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Tyler Perry and more.

Beyonce called her honor "beautiful" and dedicated it to "all of my brothers out there, all of my sisters out there inspiring me, marching and fighting for change."

She closed by urging people to get out and vote to "continue to work to change a racist and unequal system," adding ... "We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does."

Special moment from Lil Wayne on Sunday night -- he perfumed his 2009 track, "Kobe Bryant" ... with new lyrics to honor Mamba and Gianna.

It all went down at the BET Awards -- where Wayne debuted a new music video for the song, performing in front of the screen with Kobe's name on it.

The original lyrics already painted Kobe as a legend:

"He the greatest on the court ...
And I'm the greatest on the verse.
Goin' for the 4th ring like it was his 1st...
Gotta get the gleam. Do it for Kareem ...
2-4 so nice. My flow is so mean."

But, in the wake of recent events, Weezy updated the track to acknowledge the passing of Kobe and Gianna.

"Two fingers for the Mambacita. I’m screamin’ 'Black Mamba matters.'"

He continued ... "Heart goes out to Vanessa and the whole Black Mamba family."

"G-O-A-T like Kobe Bean, rest in power and hope for peace.”

Vanessa acknowledged it on her IG page -- calling the performance a "beautiful tribute."

Kobe, Gianna and 7 others passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26. He was 41. She was only 13.

The 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards are proof "Hot Girl Summer" is far from over ... because some of the sexiest celebs in the industry showed up to rub elbows with rising star Megan Thee Stallion.

Check out the pics from behind the scenes ... Lil Kim turned heads with her pink hair and huge fur coat, and Megan naturally drew a crowd.

The awards show returned to Atlanta -- after a brief hiatus in Miami -- for last weekend's taping ... and Quavo made sure to show out in his hometown, dripping with ice and hanging with Rick Ross. Talk about some BAWSES!!!

The musical performances were fire too ... MTS opened the show with her smash hit, "Hot Girl Summer," twerking on the top deck of the S.S. Hot Girl before being joined on stage by DaBaby.

Chance the Rapper was down to party with Megan Thee Stallion after the BET Awards ... within reason, of course.

The Chicago MC and his wife, Kirsten, paid Meg a visit late Saturday night at her private booth inside The Mansion Elan in Atlanta -- shortly after both of them took the stage at the award show for the pre-taped telecast ... which will air on TV Tuesday.

Chance -- who collab'd with MTS for his song, "Handsome" -- and Kirsten took shots with the "Hot Girl Summer" rapper ... but it looks like they weren't trying to get too loaded.

John Singleton's family as a whole isn't up in arms about his BET Awards tribute -- despite the mother of one of his kids raising hell that it was lacking.

Singleton's mom, Shelia Ward, tells TMZ ... Tosha Lewis -- mother of John's 26-year-old daughter, Justice -- griping BET did John dirty by spending a lot more time honoring rapper Nipsey Hussle is strictly her opinion.

Shelia says Tosha doesn't speak for the family, and the fam doesn't share Lewis' feelings at all.

If you missed it, Tosha blasted the award show Sunday night for taking time to honor Nipsey and not John, saying about Hussle ... "I guess he's trendy nevermind John was talking and doing the same stuff as Nipsey since the 90s."

When fans pointed out BET did include a tribute to Singleton -- led by Morris Chestnut and "Snowfall" star Damson Idris -- Lewis shot back saying it wasn't enough compared to Nipsey's.

Tosha also claims John's family, unlike Nipsey's, wasn't invited to the show, but we've learned that's, at least, partially false. Her and John's daughter, Justice, did get an invitation.

Shelia's bottom line is simple -- if Tosha has beef with BET or Nipsey's family, that's totally on her ... leave the Singleton family out of it.

Some folks were upset Cardi B won Album of the Year at the BET Awards -- but not Mary J. Blige ... whose opinion MIGHT just matter more than yours.

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul was leaving TAO Sunday night in Hollywood after the jam-packed show -- in which Mary herself received a Lifetime Achievement award -- and she told us how she felt about CB getting the big prize over the other nominated artists.

Check it out -- Mary's got nothin' but love for Cardi, whom she thinks "deserved that s***!" ... no questions asked. Some peeps thought Meek Mill, Travis Scott or Ella Mai were more worthy, but Mary wasn't hearing it. It's clear ... Cardi's got her heart.

We also had to congratulate MJB on the big award she walked away with -- for which she did her OWN damn tribute, alongside Lil' Kim and others. It was absolutely epic, and if Cardi deserved AOTY ... Mary absolutely deserved a lifetime achievement.

BET pulled out all the stops for Nipsey Hussle at its annual award show ... and the emotion onstage and in the crowd was palpable.

In a powerful moment, Hussle's family took the stage to a standing ovation, including the late rapper's girlfriend, Lauren London, and his son, Kross Asghedom, to accept the 2019 Humanitarian Award on his behalf.

"I just want to thank you guys for all of the love and support and the marathon continues again," London said briefly.

"I was so amazed that so much love was out in the world that it uplifted me," said Hussle's grandmother. "God said to Nipsey, 'You've done your job, you've made your mark.' So thank you so much world for loving him, too.' His parents also spoke briefly of their son.

The slain South L.A. MC was presented with a special tribute Sunday night during the BET Awards --where T.I. spoke some kind words about the hip-hop icon, recounting the impact he had on the community as a whole.

"There will never be another Nipsey Hussle; he was a revolutionary," T.I. said. "He was our blessing and inspired people across the world.

The powerful moment led into a musical tribute to Hussle, with performances by Marsha Ambrosius on "Real Big," YG on "Last Time I Checc'd" and DJ Khaled and John Legend leading everyone in white for an emotional performance of "Higher."

They also played a video tribute to Nipsey's life with words from Snoop Dogg, Ava DuVernay and Los Angeles Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson ... it included footage from the last video Hussle shot before his death.

Nipsey was a driving force in his community ... inspiring people to make South L.A. better by both words and deeds.

TMZ broke the story ... Nipsey was gunned down in March outside of his Marathon clothing store in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles.

Nipsey left behind two children -- 10-year-old Emani, and 2-year-old Kross, the latter whom he shared with Lauren London.

He was 33 at the time of his death.

The 2019 BET Awards saw hip-hop legends hanging out with newcomers, movie stars mingling with TV counterparts and everyone was having a good time … showing off their bold styles, fierce swag and lots and lots of cell phones.

Some of the big stars who kept their phones close by ... La La Anthony, O.T. Genasis, DJ Mustard, Bobby Lytes, Lil Nas X and DJ Khaled -- The latter also took part in a touching tribute to Nipsey Hussle alongside YG, John Legend and Marsha Ambrosius.

Other stars taking in the festivities were 2 Chainz, Rihanna, Cardi B, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Lil Nas’ collabo partner Billy Ray Cyrus … along with lots of other fab faces.

The 7th Annual BET Experience Saturday night did not disappoint ... not by a long shot.

The big event celebrating BET Weekend in L.A. went down at Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and featured the likes of Cardi B, Migos, G-Eazy, Yung Miami, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, and Trippie Redd.

Staples was also where Meek Mill and YG performed Friday night, with a tribute to Nipsey Hussle.

The concerts are all a lead-up to Sunday night's 19th Annual BET Awards, which will go down at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater. Cardi leads the nominations with 7, followed by Drake with 5.

Billy Ray Cyrus took a break from basking in the glory of his collab with Lil Nas X to give one of his heroes a major shout out ... Stevie Wonder!!!

We got Billy Ray at LAX and he couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear after Billboard announced this week Nas and Billy's massive hit, "Old Town Road," is topping the Hot 100 for the 11th straight week.

But, check out the clip ... our guy asks if Billy's now gonna make the crossover to rap after Nas forged his way into country. Billy -- who is in town to perform with Nas Sunday night at the BET Awards -- gave us a safe answer, but he segued outta that convo ... telling us what his daughter, Noah, got him for Father's Day -- a Stevie Wonder album.

Billy, who said the album's the best Father's Day present ever, couldn't help but shower the legendary singer for being a massive influence in his career. Watch, just for a nanosecond Billy gives "Superstition" a shot.

Also, we think he tipped his hand on what he and Lil Nas X have planned for the BET Awards this weekend.