Controversial S#!T

Quavo, and presumably Migos, are off the Grammys and onboard with J. Prince's idea to protest the awards by putting on a hip hop concert to compete with it on the same night!!!

We talked to Quavo Wednesday at LAX, and he told us the Grammys don't mean a thing anymore. Take a listen, he says it's time to start "our own awards ... that appreciate the real s**t going on in the streets."

He thinks the way the Recording Academy classifies his genre is out of touch, calling it an "old language" ... especially because rappers like Quavo are the ones doing the creating, not them.

As you'll recall, Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince called for artists like Ye, Drake and Nicki Minaj to put the Grammys on notice with their own Vegas concert on April 3, the night of the award show. The idea is fully in response to the Academy banning Ye from performing due to "concerning online behavior."

Prince says the only way to make change is prove Grammy ratings will drop when hip hop's biggest artists jump ship to do their own show instead.

We also got New Edition's Ronnie DeVoe and he says statements like this are necessary, because traditional award shows aren't exactly known for inclusivity.

President Joe Biden has asked for the resignations of Herschel Walker and Dr. Oz from the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, and the doc is pissed.

Here's the deal ... both Walker and Oz are Republican Senate candidates -- in Georgia and Pennsylvania respectively -- and the Prez has a policy prohibiting candidates for federal office to serve on Presidential committees. So, both candidates got a letter from The White House with an ultimatum ... either resign by 6 PM Thursday or get the boot.

Oz, who was appointed to the board by Trump, went in hard, saying, "Clearly, Joe Biden can't be around anyone who doesn't completely fall in line with his fear-mongering authoritarian one-size-fits-all COVID handling. I am proud of my service and will not resign."

Dr. Oz lost his show after announcing his candidacy and it seemed he knew that was in the cards when he announced, but this pink slip got him all worked up.

What's interesting ... is going after Biden now -- when he's trying to navigate an end to the war in Ukraine -- a smart political move? Remains to be seen.

Prince William addressed the elephant in the room during a speech in Jamaica ... calling slavery "abhorrent" and expressing "deep sorrow" over the issue.

As we reported, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are making their way around several Caribbean nations that are part of the British commonwealth. The latest stop is Jamaica, and it came with much backlash because of the obvious -- the Royal family represents the British colonizers who enslaved and traded millions of Africans in Jamaica ... and its other territories.

While the royal couple seemed to have been welcomed with open arms -- as they made PR stops to drum with Rastafarians and play soccer -- many Jamaican leaders were demanding the royals apologize for slavery and pay reparations.

Well, last night, Prince William addressed the issue head-on, at a formal banquet, calling slavery an abhorrent chapter in history that "should never have happened."

He also reiterated the words of his father, Prince Charles ... who, just 4 months ago, said slavery put a "stain on our history." He said that at a ceremony marking Barbados's transition to an independent republic.

William added, "While the pain runs deep, Jamaica continues to forge its future with determination, courage and fortitude."

Senator Lindsey Graham went on the attack Wednesday, challenging Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's sentencing decisions regarding child pornography.

Graham was indignant that Judge Jackson said a major deterrent against people who consume child pornography online is major supervision over what they do.

Graham scoffed, and says the way to deter people from looking at child porn online is to "put their ass in jail."

It got super contentious as the judge tried addressing Graham, who shot back, "Answer my question!"

Some of the senators at the hearing said they objected to some of Judge Jackson's sentencing decisions regarding child porn, saying she was too lenient. Fact is, many judges have imposed sentences lower than those recommended in the federal guidelines, because they're outdated.

As for the confrontation, here's what Judge Jackson said that incited Graham ... “Senator, with respect to the computer, one of the most effective deterrents is one that I imposed in every case – and that judges across the country impose in every case – which is substantial, substantial supervision."

Graham shot back ... “I think the best way to deter people from getting on a computer and viewing thousands and hundreds … of children being exploited and abused … is to put their ass in jail, not supervise their computer usage!” Graham said.

Caitlyn Jenner is teeing off on transgender athlete Lia Thomas' recent NCAA championship ... claiming the Penn swimmer's accomplishment should NOT be counted.

As we previously reported, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation declaring runner-up and Sarasota native Emma Weyant the "rightful winner" of the women's 500-yard freestyle race ... after the Olympic silver medalist lost to Thomas by 1.75 seconds.

Jenner is siding with DeSantis ... saying Weyant is clearly deserving of the #1 spot, and anyone who agrees isn't a bigot -- they're just using their brain.

"It's not transphobic or anti-trans, it's COMMON SENSE!" Jenner tweeted on Tuesday.

While 72-year-old Jenner has fully supported Thomas' decision to be her true self, the 1976 Olympic gold medalist has been critical of her participation in women's sports in the past.

Jenner's stance is women's sports need to be protected ... and when trans athletes like Thomas compete against biological women, it's creating an unfair advantage.

As for the NCAA, the org. decided transgender athlete participation would be determined on a sport-by-sport approach ... which means the national governing bodies for each sport are in charge of creating their own set of rules on the matter.

Thomas started at Penn on the men's team in 2017 ... and had some of the fastest times in the country. She started undergoing hormone replacement therapy in early 2019, and publicly came out as trans later that year.

Prince William and Kate Middleton sitting in the middle of a Rastafarian drum circle and banging away in the birthplace of reggae -- yeah, this is NOT your typical Royal tour!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in Kingston, Jamaica's Trench Town neighborhood Tuesday, and were fully immersed in the culture. Awkward as it might seem, Kate and Will each played a drum in a traditional Nyabinghi drum session. This was just the latest stop on their tour of several Caribbean nations in the British Commonwealth.

The royal couple visited the former home of reggae legend Bob Marley and met with other well-known local musicians.

They also celebrated some of the island's favorite sports -- hopping into a Jamaican bobsled and taking pics with the latest Olympic team. Later, William even played a little pickup soccer match and met national team stars Raheem Sterling and Leon Bailey.

But, not everyone is thrilled about their visit. The royal tour was met with backlash from many folks and Jamaican leaders, who are demanding reparations.

This is kind of a last hurrah for the royals ... in Jamaica, anyway. The country is starting the process of becoming an independent republic, which means removing Queen Elizabeth as its head of state.

The goal is to cut ties by August 6, which is Jamaica's Independence Day.

Damon Dash isn't here for the Grammys yanking Kanye West from its performance lineup ... insisting the Recording Academy has no place judging him or any other hip-hop artist.

We caught up with the rap mogul Tuesday at LAX, and he's so pissed about the Ye-Grammys situation that he says it's time to kick the whole award show to the curb ... telling us, "We make our own Grammys."

Remember, even though he can't perform, Ye can attend the show -- so, we asked what he thinks would happen if he wins and gets on stage to accept his Grammy. DD says it shouldn't ever come to that, because he's encouraging Ye to skip it altogether.

Damon's embracing the theory the Grammys are outdated and out of touch with hip hop -- and tells us he didn't go either when he was nominated.

He's clearly over Academy execs judging who's hot and who's not in the industry.

As Dame puts it, "They gotta respect our culture."

As we reported, Kanye was barred from performing at this year's award show, due to his "concerning online behavior" ... ya know, his online attacks against ex-wife Kim Kardashian, her new bf Pete Davidson and a slew of others.

Lots of folks have jumped to Ye's defense, including Grammys host Trevor Noah -- at whom Kanye fired some online shots -- saying he wanted the rapper to get counseled, not canceled.

Damon's idea is picking up steam. On Tuesday, J. Prince called on hip-hop artists -- including Ye, Drake and Nicki Minaj -- to protest the award show, and get together to perform an anti-Grammys concert.

He's going for the Recording Academy's neck, too ... he wants to do the concert in Las Vegas on April 3 -- the same night and location of the Grammys.

Governor Ron DeSantis is denouncing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' NCAA championship win ... saying Florida native Emma Weyant, who came in second, is the "rightful winner."

Thomas became the first openly trans athlete to win a Div. I championship in NCAA history on March 17 after beating out Weyant -- an Olympic silver medalist at the 2020 Games -- in the 500-yard freestyle.

The controversial win has had the sports world buzzing ... with many debating whether Thomas should even be allowed to compete against biological women.

The Florida gov. made his stance crystal clear on Tuesday ... issuing a proclamation to declare Weyant the true victor.

"By allowing men to compete in women's sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud," DeSantis tweeted.

"In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota's Emma Weyant as the best women's swimmer in the 500y freestyle."

Weyant -- who won silver in the 400m IM in Tokyo -- grew up in Sarasota, FL before choosing to compete at Virginia in college.

Thomas joined the Penn men's swimming team in 2017 ... posting some of the fastest times in the nation. She started hormone replacement therapy in early 2019, and came out as trans later that year.

Thomas competed on the men's team a total of three years before being eligible to compete against women.

Thomas joined the women's team this past season after undergoing testosterone suppression treatment for more than one year ... winning the 500-yard freestyle, finishing fifth in the 200 free and eighth in the 100.

The Academy is finally trying to do right by Rachel Zegler ... not only inviting her to be at the show ... but to present one of the night's Oscars.

A report says the "West Side Story" actress was recently contacted and offered the gig -- of course, the series of events over the last few days to get to this point have been awkward ... to say the least.

As we reported, the 20-year-old Best Picture star spilled the details Sunday, replying to a comment from a fan that was excited about her Oscar debut.

In response, Rachel wrote, "I'm not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend's flannel." She later added, "I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that's how it goes sometimes, I guess."

It's still unclear what the mix-up was ... seeing as costar Ariana DeBose is nominated and predicted to win Best Supporting Actress, the movie is up for Best Picture and Steven Spielberg is up for Best Director.

Senator Ted Cruz apparently got a little spicy with some airport employees this weekend -- so much so, in fact, that a police officer had to step in and calm him down.

Check out this video of Cruz arguing with a couple of United Airlines staffers at the check-in counter Sunday at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana ... after he'd missed his flight, according to the original poster of the clip.

The eyewitness claims they overheard Sen. Cruz getting all 'Karen' on the airline employees ... allegedly asking for names and to speak with their manager. Moments later, as you can see in the vid, cops showed up.

The airport cop is seen standing at the ticket counter and talking down Cruz, and while you can't really make out what either of them is saying -- the Senator was masked up -- it seems pretty tense. Push didn't come to shove, though, and all's well that ends well ... with TC reportedly getting rebooked without further incident.

Cruz was supposedly on his way to D.C. for the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson -- who's being grilled as the Senate considers her nomination to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.

As you know by now, Cruz definitely made it on time in the end ... he was one of a handful of senators who made quite a spectacle in their opening statements, bringing up the hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, and invoking race right from the jump.

Seems like his mood might've been influenced by his FUBAR trip 24 hours earlier.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is about to undergo a grilling this week as her SCOTUS confirmation hearings begin, but before that ... she's putting the spotlight on her loved ones.

The U.S. federal judge -- who President Biden nominated as the best person to next serve on the high court -- finally got a chance to speak Monday on Capitol Hill after hearing from senators on both sides of the aisle about what to expect over the next several days.

During her long-awaited opening remarks ... Jackson took a tender moment to acknowledge her family and how much they've meant to her in getting to this potentially historic milestone.

If confirmed, she would become the first Black female justice to serve on the bench -- and with that in mind, the judge gave it up for her hubby of 25 years, Patrick, as well as her daughters, Talia and Leila, whom she thanked in what made for a pretty emotional scene.

It was reflective of when Biden first announced her as his pick ... there, too, she took time to honor her brood.

As for other highlights from Day 1 ... it was a mixed bag of both praise and prefacing of expectations.

Dems gave props to Jackson for making it this far and possibly becoming a trailblazer. Meanwhile, Republicans preemptively brought up what they're anticipating -- namely, being accused of racism for asking tough questions.

They also made sure to repeatedly promise ... they would NOT do to her what they claim Democrats did to Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing -- which they label a character assassination. This, of course, before they've even asked her one question.

Russian forces are unloading on a besieged city in Ukraine, firing dozens of deadly missiles that are now being seen on video for one of the first times in the war.

Check out this clip released by Russia Today and believed to be produced by the Donetsk People's Republic -- a breakaway territory in Ukraine that's sympathetic to Russia -- showing tons of rockets being launched into Mariupol.

These missiles are said to be thermobaric bombs ... which are devastating to anyone and anything in its immediate proximity, and Ukrainian civilians are in the line of fire.

The way these rockets work is scary -- essentially, when they land ... a vapor cloud laced with fuel is unleashed, which is then ignited by the fire to incinerate everything and everyone in the vicinity.

The video, produced with music and narration, shows Russia's army firing missile after missile toward Mariupol, which has been under constant attack for days now ... as both sides accuse the other of violating cease-fires intended to allow citizens to flee through protected corridors.

Jusuf Nurkić didn't play a single minute Sunday night, but the Blazers big man got some action after the game ... walking over to a heckling Pacers fan and tossing his phone.

The incident went down following the Blazers' 129-98 blowout loss to Indiana ... when Nurkić apparently heard a fan say something he didn't like, confronted him with an intimidating stare-down, and chucked his cell.

The fan was completely shocked ... saying, "Why'd you throw my phone?"

Security staff intervened by stepping in between Jusuf and the fan ... and the Portland center ended up walking away before things escalated further.

It's unclear what exactly was said that led up to the altercation ... but it's clear whatever words were exchanged didn't sit well with the Bosnian hooper.

Nurkić -- who's sidelined at the moment due to plantar fasciitis -- wasn't required to talk to the media after the game ... so details surrounding what happened are minimal.

Nurkic's showdown with the fan is an ongoing theme this season -- NBA players have been clearly fed up with the hecklers "taking it too far" ... prompting the ballers to take matters into their own hands.

Guys like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have had fans tossed from the arena ... and most recently, their teammate Russell Westbrook confronted a fan before a game for calling him "Westbrick."

Julia Fox is doing a moonwalk after she told TMZ her ex, Kanye West, wouldn't hurt a fly.

When we got Julia outside Barry's Bootcamp a few days back in WeHo, she called Ye's rants "artistic, creative expression," though she said she wasn't following his blow-by-blow social media attacks against Kim and Pete.

Well, apparently she started looking more closely, because Julia posted -- then deleted -- "I would like to point out that I had not seen the latest Instagram posts at the time of this video," adding, "Believe it or not I have a life and a son, and I don't have google alerts for this man!"

And then the comment that's hard to swallow ... "I thought this question was in reference to the music video."

Julia, who dated Kanye for a few weeks, says she's stuck between a rock and a hard place ... "Yeah I could just not answer questions but then it would be 'Julia is mad she salty' etc and I'm not! It's a real catch 22 so please stop F'n asking me!"

And then, as if she's as perplexed as the millions of people who follow Kanye, she said, "I wish I had the answers, but I do not. I would like to remain an Indie Queen. The mainstream life isn't for me."

Hey Julia ... even Switzerland's taking a stand these days.

Bill Murray is being labeled as an old and out-of-touch guy after seemingly lamenting the fact we've had to wear masks during this pandemic ... likening it to a fear of death. 🤔

The actor recently did an interview with The Independent about his concert film that was shot in 2018 at the Acropolis of Athens, and while discussing it ... Bill and co. mention how it's like looking into a time capsule due to how carefree he and everyone else was.

With that in mind, the author says there's nothing quite like a pandemic to put the kibosh on spontaneous interaction -- and then right after, Bill is quoted as saying this ... "We just went out with our friend to walk the dog, and you're wearing a mask, everyone's wearing a mask. The dog is the only one who's completely alive!"

He adds, "He's living the dog's life. The rest of us are afraid to die, and afraid to kill, so we're masked up and we're injected, and so forth. It's the most challenging time of this life cycle for us."

Finally, BM compares how we've dealt with the pandemic with how previous generations dealt with global events, saying ... "We didn't have a world war or a depression, the things our ancestors had. This is the hand we got dealt and if you fold, you can't win."

Pretty cryptic on its face, but Twitter seems to know what Bill means here ... and they're tearing him apart over it, with many saying his comments are incredibly tone-deaf.

Bill might be misunderstood in this sitch, because he's spoken about COVID quite a bit over the past two years ... and not once has he come off as resentful about how the world reacted to the virus. If anything, he's been kinda optimistic and impressed.

Kanye West was apparently all set to perform at the Grammys, but his online antics have now gotten him barred ... so says the guy's own team and industry pals.

Ye's rep confirmed the news to Variety Saturday, saying it was true that the rapper wouldn't be hitting the stage in a few weeks. The reason cited ... his "concerning online behavior," which the Recording Academy clearly felt might translate to a fiasco in a live setting.

His involvement with the Grammys was something that hadn't been public until now -- earlier this week, the first round of official performers was announced, but KW wasn't on the list.

His rap buddy, The Game, let the cat out of the bag about this as well -- taking to IG with a lengthy caption decrying the decision to uninvite Ye ... likening it censorship and even invoking slavery.

He writes, in part ... "Time & time again they show us that they only want to STEAL the culture, not allow you to ever be their equals. In a more than obvious move for reasons of minuscule actions."

Game went on to muse about the reasons, including the fact Trevor Noah is hosting and that Kanye's account was suspended for 24 hours this week.

He adds, "Speak your mind in this country for yourself, family or your people & you're ostracized immediately & if you push them hard enough they will stop at no ends to try and put an end to you as a whole."

As you know ... this saga crescendoed when Kanye called Trevor a "k***" for taking him to task on his own show about how he was dealing with the divorce, including publicly airing out the family's business. TN speculated it could lead to real-world violence, or worse.