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Larry Gatlin is now among the list of performers who will no longer perform at this weekend's NRA convention in Houston ... also offering up possible solutions to help prevent tragedies like this from happening again.

The "Broken Lady" singer tells TMZ, "I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend. While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde — in my beloved, weeping TEXAS."

He continues, "It is not a perfect world and the 'if only crowd's' policies will never make it one. I am a 'what if guy' and I can't help but ask the question, 'What if the teachers had been proficient in the use of firearms and had, in fact been armed this week? My answer is that there would not be 21 freshly dug graves for 21 of GOD's precious children."

He also has a message for the NRA, saying, "I pray that the NRA will rethink some of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms in AMERICA."

Gatlin concludes, "I'm a 2nd Amendment guy, but the 2nd amendment should not apply to everyone. It's that simple. God Help Us Please."

Eminem's celebrating a birthday Thursday for one of his most celebrated multi-platinum albums, "The Eminem Show" ... which, believe it or not, is now 20 years old!

To mark the anniversary, Slim Shady dropped an expanded edition of 'TES' while tweeting the lyrics to his Nate Dogg-featured hit "Till I Collapse" and vintage tour footage.

The new version also adds 18 extra tracks, including live performances from 1999, an unreleased "Marshall Mathers LP" song titled "Jimmy, Brian And Mike" ... and his Ja Rule mixtape-era diss, "Bump Heads," which features 50 Cent and his fellow G-Unit rappers Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo.

The infamous G-Unit/Murder Inc. beef spiraled through most of the mid-00s and would eventually involve the likes of Fat Joe, Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes, but thankfully they kept the feud on wax, as old heads say.

Kanye West is apparently back on dad duty after some time away in Japan and NYC ... grabbing some grub at one of L.A.'s hottest spots with his oldest kid.

Kanye and North West were spotted leaving NOBU in Malibu Wednesday -- marking the first time we've seen Kanye with any of his kids in quite some time. NOBU is obviously a celeb hot spot, and one of Kanye's favorites, so it's not totally shocking they decided to go there.

As we reported, Kanye was recently in Japan with his girlfriend, Chaney Jones, before he hit New York City for the Balenciaga show.

No sign of Chaney at NOBU, though she and Kanye have been linked together for several months now, and it's possible she might now be in L.A. with him.

Of course, Kanye accused Kim of holding his kids from him through a series of social media posts months ago. Kim denied that, saying he's never been barred from seeing the kids, but has also tried to maintain a routine for the 4.

McDonald's may have found their latest spokesperson, or at the very least a new star to sing their jingle ... cause The Kid LAROI gave some excited fans the ultimate treat outside the fast-food restaurant.

The Australian rapper put on an impromptu show outside one of the franchise's locations in Sydney, Australia ... performing his song "Thousand Miles," asking folks, crowded around, to sing along.

Before singing, LAROI tells fans his record label has pushed him to post on TikTok more, but confesses he doesn't know what to do on the app ... so the sing-along seemed like a good idea.

As we reported ... he surprised fans last month with a secret concert at the Lodge Room in L.A.'s Highland Park neighborhood, just before 2 fans got a little too amped up and had to be taken down by security.

Kim Kardashian will no longer try and protect Kanye West when he bashes her family ... apologizing to them in a serious heart-to-heart for years of attacks.

On the latest episode of "The Kardashians" -- Kim's sitting with her family when she learns Kanye's got a new song coming out -- and assumes it'll do nothing but bash her.

Khloe, clearly agitated, let's Kim know it's pathetic any man would publicly diss the mother of his children the way Kanye has ... and it leads to a bigger chat about his conduct with her family.

In a sit-down at Kim's kitchen table with Kourtney, Kendall, Khloe, Kris, Travis Barker and Corey Gamble you can see Kim's change from a protector of Kanye to a defender of her family. She lets her sisters know she'll no longer put up with Kanye's public attacks ... and she feels stronger as a person than she's ever felt before.

Kris adds, "When people are saying disparaging things about any of us, it hurts all of us." She also mentions that one day Kim's 4 kids she has with Kanye are going to grow up and read everything he's said about the family.

It's not entirely clear which song Kim's referring to, but given the show's timing, you can assume it's called, "Eazy" -- which he released with The Game in January.

In that song, Kanye took a direct shot at Pete Davidson, rapping, "God saved me from the crash, just so I can beat Pete Davidson's ass."

Ellen DeGeneres is ending her show after 19 seasons ... and to celebrate her last episode ever, we've put together some of the standout celeb moments during her epic run.

Over nearly 2 decades, Ellen undoubtedly made a huge impact on daytime television ... sharing laughs, stunts and tears with her special guests, some of whom she's become close friends with over the years.

Of course, Ellen's greatest scares were a hilarious part of the show, where she'd startle the bejeezus out of guests with a huge surprise right in the middle of interviews.

We can't forget Ellen's most generous giveaway, when she helped an underprivileged school in Detroit ... and the countless other times she's given back to others in need.

As we've reported, Ellen announced she was ending her show, during a taping earlier this month. While she's not retiring from showbiz, she will be taking time off to decide what's next ... and she has some pretty big ventures in the can.

We do know, she recently signed a multi-year deal with Discovery ... on top of shows on NBC ("Family Game Fight!"), FOX ('Masked Singer') and HBO ("Ellen's Next Great Designer") and the upcoming Tig Notaro animated comedy special).

Brandon Thomas Lee and his brother Dylan just closed on a house in Encino, shelling out just under $4 million for their new digs ... TMZ has learned

Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson's sons didn't just scoop up a 4-bedroom home, the place is more like a palatial estate!

The ranch-style property -- for which they paid $3,995,000 -- has a main house that's 3,700 square feet with 3 bedrooms, a fireplace in the living room, a modern kitchen adjacent to the dining room and a yoga retreat in the attic.

The home, tucked behind a wrought iron gate and towering oak trees, also includes a 400-sq.-ft. guest house and a massive swimming pool. There's even a bridge behind the gate with a paver-stone driveway leading to the motor court and 2-car garage.

TMZ broke the story ... Brandon and Dylan sold their crib in Malibu -- where they lived most of their lives -- getting their asking price of $3 million after 2 months on the market.

Now, 25-year-old Brandon and 24-year-old Dylan are all grown up, and putting down new roots.

The National Rifle Association will be without one of its performers this weekend ... singer Don McLean will no longer play at the event after the elementary school shooting in Uvalde.

McLean tells us, "In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week. I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans."

He continues, "I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation."

McLean, the voice behind the 1971 hit, "American Pie," was one of several performers scheduled to take the stage in Houston this weekend -- some of the others include Lee Greenwood, Danielle Peck and Larry Gatlin.

As we reported, 19 children inside a 4th-grade classroom and two teachers were killed when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire with an AR-15.

Russ is showing his newly founded DIEMON Records can put up visible competition with the major labels.

The proud do-it-yourself rapper released the video for his "Handsomer Remix" single ... featuring some serious star power cameos from Snoop Dogg and Tiffany Haddish.

The superstar actress provides comedy relief inside a mansion party and Snoop, well, he plays himself ... convincingly, though!

Tiffany doesn't rap on the track but she's told TMZ Hip Hop she plans to collaborate with both Snoop and Beyonce down the line.

Edgar Esteves and Logan Fields both directed the visual and Russ' new artist Ktlyn is featured on the track. It's been doing well too -- peaking at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Russ is rather proud of the visual, and for the $300,000 he says he paid for total production, he should be. No word how much he paid Uncle Snoop, who's known to charge $250,000 a pop when he's doing his feature thing, but it's likely they worked something out.

Britney Spears says her dad has been ducking for cover so he doesn't have to sit for a deposition, detailing his conduct in the conservatorship case, but now her lawyer says they're calling Jamie's bluff.

Jamie has said he would sit for a depo, but only in Kentwood, Louisiana. Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, says in legal docs, he'll gladly fly to Kentwood to put Jamie under oath.

Rosengart says in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, that Jamie has been skirting the depo for more than 5 months, and he thinks for good reason. Rosengart claims he can prove Jamie was running "a corrupted and conflicted conservatorship that stripped his daughter of certain fundamental liberties," adding Jamie enriched himself to the tune of at least $6.3 million and paid various people involved in the conservatorship tens of millions of dollars more.

Rosengart goes on to claim Jamie "continues to harass and bully Britney Spears by, among other things, failing to cooperate with his discovery ... and actually noticing his daughter's deposition, even as he hides from answering essential deposition questions."

TMZ broke the story ... Jamie wants Britney under oath to challenge her allegations.

J. Cole's latest pro-basketball venture tips off Thursday and it might not have happened without his run-in with Drake during a party in Los Angeles.

Founding member of Drake's October's Very Own brand, Nicholas "OVO Niko" Corino, also co-owns the Scarborough Shooting Stars ... the Canadian Elite Basketball League team J. Cole is suiting up for -- and he told Complex how Cole approached Drizzy about being on the Shooting Stars team.

Niko said, "You know, Dreamville and OVO are family," and added, “Drake had a birthday party in L.A. last year. The conversation was, ‘I heard you have your team.’ It organically grew from there.”

If it sounds like a game of rapper nepotism, Shooting Stars forward Olu Famutimi assured fans Cole was putting in extra effort just to be seen as a "guy who can hoop."

He'll also be coached by former NBA All-Star Jamaal Magloire, who happens to hail from Scarborough ... a Toronto neighborhood.

Cole's already gotten the respect of fellow hip hop ballers Fivio Foreign and Dave East, and Kawhi Leonard's Culture Jam recently shared footage of how far Cole's game has involved.

Just when you thought the Jack Harlow and Brandy saga had come to an end, the R&B singer is trading in her high notes to drop bars ... and they might hit below the belt!!!

On Wednesday, Brandy used Jack's chart-topping "First Class" single for a freestyle with some pretty clever lyrics. Hot 97's "Ebro in the Morning" premiered the track, which is fitting since that's where Jack first revealed he didn't know Brandy is Ray J's sister.

Brandy raps "Cinderella scriptures/But that don't mean Jack in the streets/Jack of all trades/Now I'm here Jackin' for beats" ... then later acknowledges her "Queens" series cancelation and even plugs her brother Ray J's "unbreakable" glasses.

ICYMI, Jack Harlow admitted on Hot 97's "Ebro in the Morning" that he never knew Brandy and Ray J were fam ... causing many in hip hop to question his cultural IQ.

Hot topic in the industry, which we tackled on an episode of "TMZ Hip Hop." Is Jack getting a bad rep? Watch the clip, and you can be the judge.

Kourtney Kardashian's telegraphing a not-so-subtle reminder to the world she's a Barker now -- and it's written all over her and Travis Barker too ... in case you've been under a rock.

The newlyweds were still in Portofino, Italy Monday night, and rocked matching white leather jackets -- one embroidered with "Mrs. Barker" on the back, and the other with "Mr. Barker."

As we've told you, Kourtney was quick to take Travis' last name on Instagram ... changing her profile Monday evening to Kourtney Kardashian Barker.

One thing that hasn't changed is their penchant for serious PDA!!! Trav and Kourt were still all over each other during their evening outing -- just a day after saying their "I Dos" before family and friends.

Their over-the-top wedding -- their 3rd one -- was held at the stupidly scenic seaside compound of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

While we don't know if Kourtney's planning to legally take Travis' name, the jackets and IG change are strong hints she will do exactly that -- if they ever come back from Italy.

The Doja Cat "rapper" debate will come to an end, eventually, and probably sooner than later based on her new declaration.

Doja Cat looked past her latest album "Planet Her" (which broke Billboard and Spotify records) and told Elle her next body of work will be bars-heavy. DC says, “I’ve rapped since the beginning, and I really couldn’t even sing that well to begin with -- I got a lot better.”

She added. “I use my voice as a tool to create these worlds, and it’s fine if people think that I can’t rap.”

While the public (that's pronounced Twitter) keeps arguing about Doja's skills, she's gained support within her field from artists like battle rap queen Remy Ma and Wale.

When that new music will drop is anyone's guess. DC just had to cancel her entire summer festival dates (including opening up for The Weeknd) due to tonsil surgery she has to have from vaping.

Kanye West's failed presidential bid just took another hit ... his campaign committee claims they fell victim to a fraud scheme where thousands went to pay off someone's credit card.

Kanye 2020 told the Federal Election Commission someone unaffiliated with the campaign accessed the committee's bank account, swiping $3,999 to pay off their own credit card bills.

In a letter fired off Tuesday to the FEC, and obtained by TMZ, Kanye 2020 says an investigation determined someone accessed the account three times between December and February, and the campaign was unable to get the money back from the First Bank of Wyoming.

The FEC previously flagged the transactions and Kanye's campaign took a look and is now claiming they were the victim here. There doesn't appear to have been an arrest made yet, and it appears the FEC is working to gather more info. Business Insider was the first to report the filing.

Lupe Fiasco will be dishing out higher learning as part of MIT's MLK Visiting Professors and Scholars Program, and Jermaine Dupri hopes it's the start of a new hip hop/schooling trend.

TMZ Hip Hop ran into the So So Def Records founder Tuesday at LAX, where he told us not only will Lupe make a good teacher ... but lots of other rappers could too!

It's hard to argue with JD's reasoning here, which is that students are so plugged into hip hop and every artist's lyrics that they're more likely to pay close attention to a rapper's lesson plan.

For his part, Lupe will be teaching what he knows -- rap music! He'll be joined by theater professor Eunice Ferreira and filmmaker Louis Massiah when the rap course begins in September.

Lupe's dropping a new album, "Drill Music in Zion," next month, so any future students might wanna start streaming this summer, and brush up for the fall semester.

Now, Jermaine isn't suggesting ALL rappers switch professions ... he clarifies that only those who can teach, should teach. And, speaking of higher ed, JD is set to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from The Art Institute of Atlanta when he delivers this year's commencement speech.

Jermaine and his "Welcome to Atlanta" collaborator Ludacris can compare degrees next time they hook up -- Luda recently got one from Georgia State University.