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Tech N9ne is ecstatic about Kendrick Lamar's upcoming Super Bowl LIX halftime moment ... given the fact that K. Dot and then-future Grammy sensation Jay Rock got their first big break on his 2010 "Independent Grind" tour!!!

Fast-forward to 2017, Kendrick was in Tech's Kansas City hometown on his own headlining tour, thanking him and former Strange Music rapper Krizz Kaliko for their guidance that led to the road to where he'll showcase his stuff at the Super Bowl!!!

Tech tells TMZ Hip Hop he vividly recalls K. Dot soaking up the moves and concert poise during the tour, which clearly paid off for the Compton rapper in the long run.

Kanye West is back on U.S. turf after weeks of globe-trotting with Bianca Censori, and he's wasting no time reconnecting with old pals -- including A$AP Rocky.

As we know, A$AP’s been attending his high-profile assault trial downtown ... and it seems like Ye is showing support, heading straight to his friend’s L.A. crib to spend the night Thursday.

It was a long day for Ye though, 'cause earlier he was spotted cruising the city in fancy cars with his manager, John Monopoly ... and they stopped in at a West Hollywood studio.

Looks like Kanye was in a great mood, soaking up some fresh company after his time abroad with Bianca.

Darrell Feller, a retired U.S. Army National Guard pilot, is weighing in on the possible causes behind the tragic D.C. aircraft collision ... sharing how a number of factors could've been at play.

We caught up with Darrell on "TMZ Live" in the aftermath of Wednesday night's tragedy, and he explained how it was entirely possible the Army Black Hawk helicopter, which crashed into a regional jet carrying 64 people, didn't even see the aircraft coming.

Darrell says the particular route the chopper took is known for causing "confusion with ground light," due to the light from surrounding structures, buildings and other aircraft.

An enormous bear discovered underneath an Altadena house after the L.A. wildfires probably ended up there in search of a sugar rush and a stiff drink ... an animal expert tells TMZ.

Animal Planet’s Forrest Galante -- wildlife expert, biologist, and TV host known for a series of “Shark Week” specials on Discovery -- tells us he’s confident the 525-pound Yogi making headlines Friday was looking for sweets, booze and a place to crash after being displaced by the massive blazes -- the Eaton Fire specifically, in this instance.

If you've ever gone camping in SoCal, you've probably seen bears raiding dumpsters and campsites … and, Galante says this results in many acquiring a sweet tooth and a drinking problem -- and, just because their normal supply is eliminated doesn't mean the cravings end.

Rihanna could only escape the paparazzi for so long at A$AP Rocky's L.A. trial ... the singing sensation was recorded today heading inside the courthouse with a bodyguard.

TMZ obtained video showing RiRi looking sophisticated as she saunters up to the L.A. Superior Court building in downtown L.A.

Check it out ... RiRi is wearing a classy get up with leather pants and a blazer as she walks inside the courthouse with two guys -- one of whom appears to be her muscle.

Jedidiah Brown, the Illinois man who went viral for brawling with Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard and her boyfriend at a town board meeting in the Chicago suburbs, is sharing his side of the story ... telling us the throwdown was bound to happen.

We caught up with Jedidiah on the "TMZ Verified" podcast, where JB explained how prior tension between himself and the mayor led to their headline-making tussle.

As Jedidiah put it ... he faced 9 months' worth of threats and disrespectful encounters before things escalated at the now-infamous town board meeting. He even shared footage of a previous run-in between himself -- on a bullhorn -- and Mayor Henyard's boyfriend, Kamal, when they exchanged nasty insults.

Sheila E. is just a day removed from her surprise FireAid performance in L.A., and it’s still fresh in her mind -- as she dished to TMZ.

The singer dropped by "TMZ Live" Friday, sharing how the event was a crucial moment for the industry to unite -- especially for those who lost everything in the devastating wildfires.

Catch the clip 'cause Sheila dives into the concert's inclusivity, highlighting how it wasn't just for the stars -- it was also about giving back to regular folks who were hit hardest by the fires.

Looks like Taylor Swift will be rolling stag to this weekend's Grammys ... TMZ Sports has learned her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, isn't making it out to Hollywood for the big event.

The Kansas City Chiefs star instead, sources familiar with the situation tell us, will be sticking with his team ... as it continues its preparations for its Super Bowl matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans.

Kelce's planned absence, of course, should surprise nobody ... as he also skipped out on being Taylor's plus-one for last year's Grammys -- in order to prep for the Chiefs' SB game against the 49ers.

Kim Kardashian hooked up a ton of L.A. firefighters with amazing tickets to the best concert of the year, and almost all of them were formerly incarcerated.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim K dished out for 90 floor seats for firefighting personnel. We're told 70 individuals went to the Intuit Dome, enjoying acts like Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll and Olivia Rodrigo -- while 20 others went to the Kia Forum to see Green Day, No Doubt, Joni Mitchell and more.

Most of the firefighters in attendance came through the Ventura Training Center, a unique firefighting training and reentry program for previously incarcerated individuals.

Blake Lively doesn't want Justin Baldoni's lawyer to take her deposition, but she won't say why not ... so says the lawyer himself.

Bryan Freedman -- the attorney representing the actor in a series of different lawsuits -- and his law firm have submitted a letter to the judge ... claiming Lively and her legal team don't want Freedman to take her deposition in her lawsuit against Baldoni.

Freedman and his associates claim they object to him taking the deposition because of "unspecified statements" he's made about her in the past. Freedman's team then claims Lively's side didn't elaborate on their grounds for objection.

2/1 -- 6/33 AM PT -- Finesse2tymes’ attorney Carl A. Moore tells TMZ … the rapper  “did not threaten the complainant in any way.  We are confident this matter will be resolved justly once the state of Texas applies the applicable law to the facts.”

Rapper Finesse2tymes has a warrant out for his arrest ... over claims he made terroristic threats against a woman with ties to his former child protégé, King.

According to court records, obtained by TMZ ... back in October, police were called to the Will Clayton Parkway neighborhood in Humble, TX ... where a woman accused Finesse2tymes and his brother of verbally threatening her outside a local smoke shop.

Jets fans are going to love this ... one of Aaron Glenn's former players tells TMZ Sports New York's new head coach is going to have them winning games in no time!!

Lions star cornerback Amik Robertson raved over Glenn in a sit-down with us this week ... just days after the former Detroit defensive coordinator accepted the gig in the Big Apple.

Robertson told us Glenn was actually the reason he came to the Motor City from the Raiders this past offseason ... and he gushed over the way the 52-year-old allowed him to blossom this year.

We're learning more about the sudden death of comedian Ken Flores, who died at age 28 in his L.A. home Wednesday ... he had been dealing with heart issues, and tragically, he had been actively trying to get healthy before he died.

Law enforcement and sources close to Flores tell TMZ ... Ken had been suffering from congestive heart failure for a long time, and had been in and out of hospitals over the last two years.

Ken had been losing weight and trying to get healthy ... but we're told he had been using oxygen -- and oxygen tanks were found in his residence yesterday.

Famed drummer Travis Barker will take the stage to surprise concertgoers at tonight's FireAid concert to help raise money for victims of the L.A. wildfires ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to Blink 182 tell TMZ … in a surprise appearance, Travis will play drums during Jelly Roll's set at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

We're told ... Blink was one of the first bands to volunteer to participate in the benefit concert, but the group had to pull out because of an issue with one of its members.

Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson says the good, the bad and the ugly of college recruiting is finally coming to light ... and it's all thanks to a new project focusing on what young athletes deal with during a crucial time in their careers.

Robertson makes an appearance in the "Blue Chippers: Next Man Up" sports documentary by Derek and Preston Dark ... which dives into the challenges several Louisiana high school football players face as they plan their college futures.

While the process can seem like a dream to students, Derek explained he wanted to show the truth of it all.

Garcelle Beauvais is standing firm on her "lesbian" comment to Kyle Richards ... even after her costar claimed they've hashed things out.

We caught up with the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star outside LAX, where she confirmed whether she and Kyle had kissed and made up after her now-viral "lesbian" remark on their Bravo hit.

As Garcelle put it ... she was relieved to hear KR say they're "good" now following the reality TV drama ... and reiterated that she never intended to harm Kyle, rather she simply meant to be encouraging.