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Lil Nas X had clearly been thinking about coming out as gay for a long time, and the best evidence of that is the cover of his debut album ... a cover that was in the works for weeks.

Lorenzo Sozzi, who designed the cover with the rapper, tells TMZ ... Lil Nas X had a vision of the art for the album -- the rapper leaving a dystopian world for a futuristic world -- so X actually put out an open call to artists to come up with his vision, and Sozzi is the one who nailed it.

Lil Nas had some edits, though, and sometime during the creative process ... he instructed Sozzi to add a rainbow flourish to one of the buildings on the album cover. Nas never told Sozzi why he wanted to add the rainbow, but he was adamant about it.

Now, here's what's really interesting ... Nas released the album cover art on June 15 -- 2 weeks ago, but he didn't come out until June 30. Looking back, it's clear, at the very least, the cover of X's "7" was a big clue he was gay, but he never explained further until his Glastonbury concert this past Sunday.

TMZ broke the story ... Nas was so moved by the crowd -- 180,000 strong -- showing him so much love, he went back stage, picked up his phone, and told the world he is gay.

Slim 400 got shot at by gunmen in a passing vehicle, but then the masked attackers hopped out to try to finish the job ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the rapper tell us ... Slim was on the phone with his Ice Watar label business partner, Mud Dollaz, Friday night in Compton when the shooting occurred. 

We're told Mud called Slim to check in because he was waiting for him at the studio, and the last thing he heard the rapper say was "oh sh*t."

After that, our sources say Dollaz heard a series of gunshots for several seconds ... and then a female voice screaming for Slim to keep his head up, so he knew he'd been hit.

Eyewitnesses on the scene tell us the people who shot at the rapper drove by in a black vehicle spraying bullets, but then actually stopped and jumped out to shoot more at 400 before getting back in to drive away. We're told they were wearing masks.

Our sources say Slim frequently hangs out with friends on the particular block where he was shot.

We broke the story ... Slim 400 was shot around 8:30 PM Friday night and suffered multiple gunshot wounds. We later learned he took 9 bullets to his body ... to his upper and lower back, his jaw and the top of his head. He's in stable condition following surgery, and miraculously -- is expected to make a full recovery in coming weeks.

Lil Nas X is not going to be ostracized by the rap community simply for coming out ... at least according to record executive and producer Irv Gotti, who says times are a changin'.

We got the Murder Inc. Records honcho in New York City and ask him about the industry's reaction to the rapper announcing he's gay. Irv tells us it ain't that big of a deal ... not these days, anyway. 

As we first reported ... the 20-year-old "Old Town Road" sensation felt inspired to tell the world his truth Sunday night after performing in front of a MASSIVE crowd in England, going on social media on the last day of Pride month to announce he's gay. 

Irv, who's produced tons of hits for hip-hop titans over the past 25 years, says it would've been much harder for Lil Nas X to come out back in the day ... but now, it's not too shocking.

Lil Nas X coming out is going to have a ripple effect that will save the lives of LGBT youth across the country ... so says Milan Christopher.

We got the ex-"Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star in Los Angeles and ask his thoughts on the rapper revealing he's gay. Milan says it's going to be an inspiration for kids and teens who are being bullied because of their sexuality. 

TMZ broke the story ... the 20-year-old "Old Town Road" rapper became inspired to share his truth with the world on Sunday after performing with Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus in front of a HUGE crowd in England, hopping on Twitter on the final day of Pride Month to say he's gay. 

Milan -- who is gay -- tells us Nas' surprise announcement is going to be a life saver, because he says the suicide rates for LGBT teens are through the roof, and a successful celeb coming out as gay will send a strong message to kids. 

Taylor Swift's VERY public war with Scooter Braun over rights to her masters has backfired for the singer -- 'cause people are playing those old tracks ... which only helps her enemy.

We monitored Amazon's 'Movers and Shakers' music chart all day Monday -- following Taylor lashing out at Scooter Sunday for buying Big Machine Label Group, and the rights to all her old albums as a result -- and it looks like folks were craving some OG Taylor.

Four of her old albums -- which were produced under a Big Machine contract -- saw significant spikes in CD purchases ... with a couple of them even climbing to the top spots on the 'M&S' list. Taylor's debut album, "Taylor Swift" peaked at #3 Monday in digital sales -- up 471% --and her fourth studio album, "Red," peaked at #4 -- up 433%. 

Two of her other Big Machine albums -- "Fearless" and "1989" -- saw surges of 221% and 88%, respectively.

You'd think that'd be great news for Taylor -- but it really benefits one Scooter Braun the most, seeing how his company now owns the rights to all those songs. 

Long story short ... Scooter's guaranteed to see the most cash flow from the surges, which might not have even happened had Taylor kept her gripes to herself. As you know ... she didn't do that, and it's divided the music industry (and Hollywood, it seems) in the fallout.

In other music news, Lil Nas X saw some MAJOR surges as well since coming out as gay. His smash hit, "Old Town Road (Remix)," was up 600% on the 'Movers and Shakers' list!!!

Slim 400 wasn't meant to die after being shot multiple times this weekend -- so says his good pal, YG. 

The Compton rapper -- and good friend of Slim -- was leaving LAX Monday, where he gave us an update on how his friend was doing after being gunned down Friday night. 

He says he hasn't had a chance to see him yet, but lets us know straight-up -- guys from '400' crew don't go down easily. He also explains what he and his boys are gonna do now going forward as far protecting themselves ... check it out, sounds like a warning shot.

As far as how serious this shooting was, we've learned Slim 400 took 9 bullets to his body -- and based on where they hit, it's a miracle he's expected to be on his own two feet again. 

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Slim is still in critical but stable condition as he recovers in a hospital after being gunned down Friday night in Compton. We're told doctors found he'd actually been shot 9 times, as opposed to 8 ... as we'd previously been told.

This is where he was struck, per our sources -- his upper and lower back (multiple areas), his face (jaw area, specifically) and the top of his head, which caused some internal bleeding that was dealt with in surgery. Again ... absolutely stunning the guy survived.

There's also this ... we're being told Slim's jaw has been wired shut as a result of the facial gunshot wound. Our sources say he's still heavily sedated at this point, but is expected to make a full recovery in the coming weeks. 

A$AP Rocky and his crew pummeled a guy in Sweden, leaving him battered and bloodied in the street ... according to witnesses on the scene.

TMZ obtained video that starts with the rapper having an intense convo with a couple of guys at Max restaurant in Stockholm Sunday night ... allegedly over Rocky breaking a pair of their headphones earlier.

Our sources say the 2 young men kept following AR and threatened to call the cops over the headphones. We're told someone stepped in to translate the argument between the 2 parties, and Rocky delivered this message -- stop following us ... or else.

Apparently, that's when another woman interrupted the convo, and accused one of the 2 men of grabbing her ass earlier. Witnesses say that's when A$AP and his crew decided to throw down.

The video shows Rocky -- in a white hoodie and green shorts -- absolutely toss one of the guys like a ragdoll. You can also hear someone smash a bottle during the fight. Three other men, apparently on Rocky's side -- jumped in and joined the beatdown, punching and kicking the guy.

Our sources say Rocky and his crew then took off, leaving the guy knocked out on the ground. An ambulance and cops showed up shortly after and took statements from witnesses.

Law enforcement sources tell us officers are looking into various fights that went down Sunday night in the center of Stockholm, but they had no info about A$AP Rocky being involved.

Sources close to A$AP Rocky's team tell us he and his friends were only responding to "an assault."

Rick Springfield is not taking any chances -- he's calling off his music festival in the Dominican Republic as the number of American tourists getting sick and dying in the country continues to grow.

The "Jessie's Girl" singer just made the announcement, saying ... "In an abundance of caution and for the peace of mind and well-being of my fans, band and crew, the ‘Rick Springfield & Friends’ event in Punta Cana is being rescheduled to take place at Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in 2020."

Rick says the new dates will be determined asap, but attempts to reschedule in 2019 were unsuccessful.

The musician has held these "Rick Springfield & Friends" fests for close to a decade, which started as concert cruises before moving them to land and resorts. This was going to be the first in the D.R.

Along with Springfield, the festival lineup was set to include Patty Smyth, host Mark Goodman, actor Doug Davidson and musical guest Guns & Mullets.

Springfield adds that the decision to postpone was not easy, but the "safety and well-being of our amazing fans, band and crew will always be the most important consideration in any situation."

Ray J's Father's Day gift is definitely a little late, but also definitely worth the wait -- a modern black stallion he can now add to his impressive car collection.

We're told Ray J's wife, Princess Love, hit up the crew over at Pazi Performance Auto Body Shop & Customization in Burbank and had them customize this drop-dead-gorgeous Ford Mustang.

The initial plan was to give it to Ray J on Father's Day but this kinda precision design takes time -- which is why Ray J had it delivered to him just days ago. Goes without saying, but we're told Ray J had that "giddy up" look on his face when he got his first glimpse at the $125k ride.

The whip has a bad ass matte black finish and it's fitted with airlift sports suspension, custom rims from BC Forged and low-pro tires. The rims alone are at least a grand apiece!

Check out the pics ... the windows might be tinted but everyone will know it's Ray J riding in style thanks to his company's logo on the doors. If he wants to stay incognito without sacrificing style ... he can always fall back on his Maybach or Navigator.

Dennis Quaid knows how to seize a good opportunity -- when he gets the chance to play Jim Morrison in a Doors spinoff band ... he takes it.

The actor was in the crowd for the very first show of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger's aptly-named new band, The New Experience, at the Viva Rancho Cantina in Burbank Thursday night.

We're told about halfway through their jazzy blues set, Quaid hopped on stage to take over lead vocals on a cover of one of the famed L.A. band's classic songs ... "Riders on the Storm."

Check it out ... Dennis has the style, swagger and voice to pull it off, and the crowd loves it. Everybody digs Robby's vintage guitar solo too.

BTW, Krieger's band is a supergroup project of sorts. Along with The Doors connection, it features other musicians who have played with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Prince and Annie Lennox.

Rapper Slim 400 was just rushed to a Los Angeles Hospital after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.

Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call around 8:30 PM Friday night for a male who had been shot in Compton. We’re told Slim was the victim, though it’s unclear exactly where he suffered the gunshot wounds.

Our sources say what led up to the shooting is currently unclear ... though a black vehicle suspected to be involved in the incident was seen leaving the scene. 

We’re told at the time of this post, Slim is still alive ... the 31-year-old is a Compton native and best known for his work on “Bruisin” with YG and Sad Boy Loko.

The shooting comes nearly 3 months to the day of Nipsey Hussle’s murder. The rapper was gunned down outside his Marathon Clothing Store ... an incident that sent shock waves through Los Angeles.

Blueface is not having a great start to his weekend -- cops pulled him over in his luxury sports car and apparently slapped handcuffs on him ... and we got video as it was going down.

The "Thotiana" rapper was pulled over Friday afternoon in his black Porsche. TMZ obtained this video of Blueface sitting on the curb with his hands behind his back.

Law enforcement tells us Blueface was pulled over initially for allegedly speeding, tinted windows, and didn't have plates on his new car.

We're told he was detained in cuffs due to the fact he was speeding through a residential area. However, after talking to him they determined no crime was committed and let him go. No ticket ... just a warning.

Blueface seemed to be enjoying his joy ride before 5-0 put a stop to his fun -- he posted a series of videos of himself vibin' to music in his whip. Of course, driving and using your cell phone is a big no-no too. It's somebody's lucky day.

DaBaby got some good news, bad news to start his weekend -- he will NOT serve any jail time in his North Carolina gun case ... but there are strings attached.

According to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office ... the rapper was convicted Thursday of carrying a concealed gun, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation and 30 days in jail -- however, the jail sentence is suspended.

If DaBaby stays outta datrouble during probation, he'll dodge jail altogether.

The case dates back to November ... when the rapper got into a fight with a man inside a Walmart, and the altercation resulted in the other guy getting shot and killed. DaBaby initially claimed he was threatened and was protecting himself and his kids. He never copped to pulling the trigger.

DaBaby was ultimately arrested in connection with the fatal shooting but he was NOT charged with killing the man -- instead, he was charged with misdemeanor carrying a concealed gun.

Question remains ... who shot the man in Walmart? The DA's office tells TMZ ... investigators are still investigating that aspect of the case. There have been no other arrests or charges in connection with the shooting.

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler was rushed to the hospital after stabbing himself at his home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ someone at Adler's L.A. home called 911 shortly after 6:30 PM Thursday night to report someone had stabbed themselves. We're told when cops and paramedics arrived, they discovered it was Adler who had suffered a stab wound to his stomach.

Our sources say Adler was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. We're told no one else is suspected to have been involved in the incident. 

Adler has openly struggled with substance abuse for decades. He was kicked out of Guns N' Roses over his drug addiction in 1990 ... but was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 2012.

Adler has appeared on several TV shows about addiction ... he was a member of seasons 2 and 5 of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" and its spin-off 'Sober House.'

Biz Markie says he's 100% on board with 50 Cent shaming people into paying their debts ... now here's hoping Fiddy's cool with food stamps as valid currency to pay off the debt.

We got the "Just a Friend" rapper Thursday in D.C. at Reagan National Airport and, of course, had to ask him what was up with paying 50 with food stamps. ICYMI ... Biz and 50 hung out at a festival earlier this month in Minneapolis and, while backstage, Markie finally ante'd up what he owed. The look on Fiddy's face says it all.

Check out the clip ... Biz tells us exactly why he owed the "In Da Club" rapper money. BTW ... 50 putting people on blast for owing him money is entirely cool with him. It's unclear if Biz really did pay off his debt with food stamps. We really can't tell if Biz is joking or not. 50 took to Instagram and seemed to laugh off the whole thing ... so, who knows.

Madonna's music video portraying a mass shooting at a nightclub contains a strong and necessary message, but the way she delivered it is totally out of touch ... according to a Pulse survivor.

Brandon Wolf tells TMZ ... he appreciates what Madonna tried to do in her graphic new vid for "God Control" -- and even thinks more artists should follow her lead -- but he's got serious issues with the choices she made and the timing of the release.

His main problem -- he says Madonna didn't reach out to any of the Pulse nightclub shooting victims, survivors or their families for input or to see how her new video might affect them. Although it's evident her vid is referencing the 2016 mass shooting, Brandon points out she never acknowledges it or pays tribute to the 49 people who were killed.

Wolf also accuses the singer of being self-absorbed and using Pulse as a prop, and says it's not the first time she's done so. He points to the tweet she shared right after the shooting, which also didn't directly mention the incident ... but did include her famous pic kissing Britney Spears.

Brandon also wonders what took Madonna so long to speak out about the Pulse incident, considering it happened over 3 years ago. He does hope she's genuinely woke about the gun control issue -- as her lyrics say -- but he's having a hard time completely buying it.