RIP

LL Cool J, Remy Ma, Ice-T, 50 Cent and Fat Joe are only some of the East Coast rappers who showed up to pay their respects Thursday at Prodigy's funeral in NYC.

Services for the Mobb Deep rapper took place at the Frank E. Campbell "Funeral Chapel" on the Upper East Side. Questlove and chef Eddie Huang were also there. Louis Farrakhan showed up in a giant SUV procession.

We're told Prodigy's rapping partner, Havoc, also attended.

Prodigy died last Tuesday after a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. Following the ceremony a public service will be held for fans from 2 to 5 PM.

1:40 PM PT -- Venus is now breaking her silence ... calling the incident an "unfortunate accident" and insisting she explain what happened from her point of view.

"Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light," her attorney Malcolm Cunningham said.

"The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 mph when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms. Williams with any citations or traffic violations."

"This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."

Venus Williams caused a car accident that sent a 78-year-old man to ICU where he died 14 days later ... according to a police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The driver of the other car -- the wife of the victim -- told cops she was approaching an intersection westbound in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on June 9 when Venus' northbound SUV suddenly darted into the intersection. The other driver says there was no time to stop and she T-boned Venus' vehicle.

Venus told cops she was trying to make it through the intersection but there was a traffic backup and she had to slow down to a crawl, with her car exposed in the intersection.

The driver's husband, Jerome Barson, suffered head trauma and was taken to a hospital and placed in ICU. He never recovered and died 2 weeks later. Barson's wife was also taken to the hospital with broken bones and other injuries, but survived ... according to her attorney Michael Steinger.

Cops say Venus caused the accident. According to the police report, "[Venus] is at fault for violating the right of way of [the other driver]."

Police say in the report there was no evidence Venus was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They also say there's no evidence she was distracted by an electronic device.

We reached out to Williams for comment -- so far, no word back.

Prodigy's funeral should bring together some huge names -- his fellow legends of hip-hop ... especially from the East Coast scene.

Sources connected to the service tell us Prodigy's family has invited an A-list of rappers who worked with Mobb Deep or came up at the same time ... including Nas, Lil Kim, Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Naughty By Nature, Onyx. Of course, Prodigy's partner, Havoc, will also be there.

We're told the private ceremony will go down Thursday at NYC's Frank E. Campbell "Funeral Chapel." A public service for fans to pay final respects will happen there from 2 to 5 PM.

TMZ broke the story ... Prodigy died last week in Las Vegas after a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia.

Gary DeCarlo, the lead singer of Steam, has died after battling cancer ... TMZ has confirmed.

Gary and Steam are, of course, best known for their number one hit, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." The song topped the charts in 1969, but went on to become one of the most ubiquitous tracks of all time.

Gary's close friend, Pat Horgan, tells us the singer died in hospice care in Connecticut. He had lung cancer, which spread all over his body. Horgan says Gary's wife was by his side when he passed.

As for his huge hit -- y'know you hear it ALL the time. It's the standard sing-along at sporting events when one team loses, and it's been featured in tons of movies -- most notably, "Remember the Titans."

Most recently, the song was even sung in Congress .... after the House passed the Obamacare repeal bill.

Gary was 75. RIP.

Now everybody sing along ...

MTV's "Ridiculousness" star Sterling "Steelo" Brim is mourning the loss of his 3-year-old nephew who drowned in his swimming pool ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the boy wandered into the North Hollywood backyard Friday morning when adults weren't looking and fell in the pool. It's unclear how long the boy was in the pool before he was discovered.

We're told paramedics rushed to the house and the child was taken to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead just after noon the same day.

We're told the boy's family was visiting Steelo from Chicago.

The death's been ruled an accidental drowning.

Michael Bond -- the creator of the cuddly Paddington Bear that sparked a series of famous children's books -- has died.

Bond's publisher HarperCollins announced the author died Tuesday in his home following a short illness. Bond's first book in 1958 -- "A Bear Called Paddington" -- sparked a hugely popular series of children's books, an animated TV series and, ultimately, the successful 2014 flick.

The books alone were a worldwide phenomenon ... selling more than 35 million copies. There's a sequel slated to be released later this year.

The marmalade-loving, friendly bear who traveled from the "deepest, darkest Peru" to London came about when Bond spotted a lonely teddy bear sitting on a shelf in a shop back in 1956. He called it Paddington because he was living near a station with the same name.

Bond was 91.

Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez's brother, Rafael, was murdered in Mexico during a botched armed robbery ... local authorities announced Monday.

According to a Sinaloa state prosecutor, two men entered Rafael Chavez's Culiacan home Sunday night and demanded money. One of the men was armed.

During the robbery, Chavez resisted and was shot and killed in front of his family.

Prodigy's close friends, including his Mobb Deep partner, Havoc, Lil Kim and Busta Rhymes got together to pay their respects at a post-BET Awards event.

Fat Joe and Remy Ma were also out Sunday night at the Palm Restaurant ... where they all signed a photo of Prodigy, and shared stories about their pal.

Lil Kim didn't seem the least bit concerned about being a "person of interest" in an armed robbery.

She and Havoc presented during the awards and paid homage to Prodigy.

Prodigy got the honoring he deserved at the BET Awards ... and it came courtesy of his partner in rhyme, Havoc, Lil Kim and a surprise mention from Kendrick Lamar.

We broke the story ... Havoc and Kim followed through on plans to give a special shout out to Mobb Deep's Prodigy Sunday while presenting the Best Male Hip Hop Artist Award to Kendrick.

Even Kung Fu Kenny -- in what appeared to be an impromptu nod -- paid his respects to the fallen rap legend ... saying he inspired his first mixtape at age 16.

As we reported ... Prodigy's cause of death has been delayed pending toxicology results. His camp suggested he died after a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia, and our sources tell us he also choked on an egg in the hospital shortly before he died.

The BET Awards will pay tribute to Prodigy, but it won't be a major spectacle -- instead, his rap partner Havoc and Lil Kim will do the honors on their own.

Sources involved with the production tell us Kim and Havoc were late adds to the show as presenters. They will also share some personal words, paying respects to the Mobb Deep rapper.

We're told BET Awards execs scrambled to put together a tribute performance after Prodigy's death Tuesday, but it was too late. Artitsts had already signed contracts to perform at the awards, and BET didn't want to burn bridges by changing their sets, which have been planned for weeks.

French fitness blogger Rebecca Burger died after a whipped cream can exploded onto her chest ... according to her family.

Rebecca, who was popular on Instagram, was killed last weekend in a totally bizarre accident. Her family says the pressurized canister blew up, hit her chest and triggered a heart attack.

The hit reportedly sent her into cardiac arrest, which ultimately led to her death.

The family also posted a pic of a whipped cream canister with a warning about using similar products. They claim "thousands" of defective ones are still in circulation.

Rebecca was 33.

Harry Styles' stepfather has passed away after battling cancer.

Robin Twist died earlier this week from cancer, according to Harry's reps. He married Harry's mother, Anne Cox, in 2013 where Harry served as best man.

Robin helped raise Harry and his sister, Gemma, through their teenage years, including through Harry's time on "The X Factor" ... which launched his and the rest of One Direction's career.

Robin leaves behind Harry's family as well as 2 other kids from another marriage.

Prodigy's partner in Mobb Deep thought his death was one of those rumors they hear all the time, and he even joked around about it ... until he confirmed the devastating news hours later.

Havoc spoke out for the first time since Prodigy died, and told us he left Las Vegas Sunday knowing Prodigy was in the hospital. Unfortunately, that wasn't uncommon and Havoc says he wasn't too concerned -- his friend had battled sickle cell throughout their 28 years together. Plus, he'd checked up on him multiple times by phone ... and his condition was improving.

Havoc thought nothing of a "weird rumor" he heard Tuesday morning, saying ... "I was really laughing, to be honest with you."

One call to their road manager changed that.

Havoc says he made the call while driving from his 5-year-old son's kindergarten graduation -- "I could've crashed with my kids in the car."

Bobby Slayton's wife's death could have been avoided if her caretakers paid more attention to the grave condition she was in ... according to a new suit.

Slayton's wife, Teddie Lee Tillett, was in the Sherman Oaks Hospital outside L.A. in March 2016 for pneumonia for 5 days before being discharged to a nursing facility ... according to the docs.

"The Pitbull of Comedy" claims her condition worsened there and she had to be taken to another nearby hospital in an ambulance ... where she eventually died on March 23, 2016. He blames the docs' lack of skill in treating her for her death.

Slayton's suing the doctor who originally discharged her from Sherman Oaks Hospital, along with the nursing facility, for damages.

Bobby's daughter, Natasha, is also listed on the suit. She is a member of the girl group G.R.L.

In response to the devastating Grenfell Tower fire ... Simon Cowell brought together a supergroup ... including Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Geri Halliwell, Pete Townshend, and Roger Daltrey for a moving tribute.

The Artists For Grenfell gathered in a London studio over 3 days to record a new version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water." They were just a half mile away from the tower where at least 79 were killed.

Others on the track include Nile Rodgers, Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Jessie J, James Blunt, Bastille and Leona Lewis. In all, more than 50 artists contributed. The song is available on iTunes, and proceeds will support victims and their families.

Prodigy's autopsy is now complete and the Clark County Medical Examiner will not determine cause of death until there is a full toxicology report, but we're told that in no way insinuates drugs were a factor.

TMZ broke the story ... the Mobb Deep rapper died Tuesday morning ... just days after performing in Vegas. His team suggested he died after a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. Our sources also say Prodigy choked on an egg in the hospital shortly before he died.

Toxicology tests frequently reveal drug use, but authorities tell us the Clark County M.E. routinely performs these tests, even if there's absolutely no evidence of drug use.

We're told the tests will take 6 to 8 weeks to complete.

Prodigy was 42.