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Eminem's doing a bit of closet cleaning ... in an extensive and rare interview where he details his past drug use and reveals his biggest influencers currently in the rap game!!!

In a first-person spill with XXL, Eminem admitted he still takes his music seriously these days -- so much so, he has the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Joyner Lucas and Big Sean in his crosshairs ... on a competitive level, of course.

Eminem is the highest-selling rapper of all time, and openly admits chasing numbers and stats doesn't entice him anymore. Instead, he says watching the quartet of younger rappers' every move has become a pastime for the 49-year-old hip hop legend.

He says he's "watching them and how the fuck they're doing their s***, because they're also focused on being the best rappers."

Em continued, "I still love to rap. It's always been the most important thing to me. I still have fun writing. I have fun watching the rappers I just mentioned, and being like, OK, let me see if I can do something that inside I think I can top that. And every time the best rappers drop an album, it changes the landscape of the fuckin' game.

"At least it does for me, and I'm like, I need to be able to rap like that. Because if I don't do that, someone's going to come behind me, probably in the next couple of years, and wash me."

Marshall also chronicled his timeline of drug use, including his near-fatal overdose, and also recalled a time 50 Cent saved his butt on live television when he was too high to even answer questions on 106 & Park!!!

The painful clip is how it looks ... Em says his "wheels started to come off" as he stumbled through the 20-minute interview.

Of course, Slim Shady has been clean for years and is currently swimming in rumors he's prepping to release new music ... in addition to helping Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre on their upcoming joint album.

Britney Spears isn't afraid to shed a few tears ... even while she's on camera -- but she insists this cry session isn't about being sad, it's more of a catharsis.

The pop star posted a clip of herself at the crib Tuesday, where she was spinning around to some earthy tunes playing in the background. Nothing really new there -- except this time, she started weeping toward the end ... kinda out of nowhere.

Now, it appears BS knew people might be alarmed by her crying, because she got ahead of it ... noting in her caption that she was not having a breakdown here, per se, but simply letting out emotions.

Brit said, "It’s been a while since I’ve cried on camera !!! It’s not a breakdown assholes, it’s a release that I’ve needed for a very long time now !!! Spiritual experience for sure !!! I think I need to do that way more 🌹🌹🌹 !!! Psss… bawling."

Unclear if Britney was moved by the music/dancing ... or if it's related to her conservatorship, or even both. What we do know is she's aware there are more eyes on her now as she continues to feud with her sons ... while also taking shots at contemporaries of hers, like Christina Aguilera -- who she kinda fat-shamed this week.

You might've heard about this one too ... Britney posted a quote from Rodney Dangerfield on IG that read, "I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people." She furthered that thought by name-dropping Christina and her backup dancers, saying if she had those same peeps in her orbit during the peak of her fame ... she'd look "extremely small."

Britney caught A LOT of backlash from that, with many taking it as body shaming ... but she defended herself in a follow-up post by insisting she wasn't trying to put anyone down, and that she'd been misunderstood. In any case, Christina unfollowed her as a result.

Jesse Williams is doing back-to-back seasons on Broadway, and because of some apparent fighting with his ex-wife over the custody arrangement for their kids ... he's now asking a judge to step in.

The actor filed new legal docs that seek to change the custody order that was agreed to earlier this year when he was starting his Spring run for the baseball play "Take Me Out," when he and Aryn Drake-Lee settled on him having his kids 4 consecutive days a month in NYC.

In the paperwork, obtained by TMZ, Jesse is asking to tweak that a bit ... seeing how he's going back to Broadway in the fall for yet another outing in the production. He wanted the same deal -- 4 consecutive days/month -- starting in October ... but says Aryn refused to play ball, so he's going to court over it and wants a few other tweaks.

For the month of October, Jesse is requesting he get his kids in the Big Apple for 4 days between Oct. 7 through Oct. 12 -- as well as 4 days through the Thanksgiving break ... and wants a similar arrangement to continue through January.

Now, you'd think that'd be A-OK since both he and Aryn signed off on a very similar arrangement back in March ... but, unfortunately, Jesse's saying they're fighting again over the dates for this go-around -- with him alleging that Aryn's refusing his requests.

Namely, he claims she'll only agree to his dates ... just so long as the kids aren't forced to head to New York, which is a no-go for Jesse, since that's where he's living at the moment.

Nicki Minaj is making one thing VERY clear, she and her legal team won't put up with social media accounts making wild statements about her ... and now she's filed a lawsuit.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nicki claims a woman named Marley Green -- who goes by the social media persona "Nosey Heaux" -- posted a video Monday talking about Nicki in which she allegedly said Nicki is, "shoving all this cocaine, shoving in all this cocaine up her nose. Allegedly. Thank you. Allegedly. But we all know it's true. "F***-listen, I can't even say allegedly with that 'cause I, we all know it's true. I'm not saying allegedly on that. Nicki Minaj is a cokehead."

Not only that, but Nicki claims Green has also made "vile" comments about her 1-year-old son ... calling Nicki's entire bloodline disgusting and saying Nicki needs to get her son in therapy because, "Your baby is going to be a rapist, too."

While the legal docs call Green a "nobody" and someone "whose main accomplishments in life have been a string of criminal charges, bail jumping and bad debts," they acknowledge her social media posts have still gained some traction ... and the possibility people could believe what she says.

Nicki's attorney, Judd Burstein, states the "cokehead" video on Twitter garnered more than 2,000 likes and more than 250 retweets ... spanning a significant audience.

Nicki's going after "Nosey Heaux" for defamation, claiming she's never used cocaine ... and wants a jury to decide damages of no less than $75,000.

Burstein tells us, "When this case is over, she will no longer be permitted to use the name "Nosey Heaux" because we will take her trademark from her when she does not have enough money to pay the judgment. Anyone else who spreads lies about Nicki will suffer a similar fate."

He continues, "My marching orders are to aggressively sue anyone with a media or social media following who damages her with intentional lies. Eventually, the lesson will be learned."

Trae Tha Truth's back in superhero mode -- after a stint in the villain role -- to help with Jackson, Mississippi's water crisis ... which has been a pretty disgusting situation for locals.

The Houston rapper made the trek to Mississippi over the weekend to assist with the water crisis ... helping deliver 100 water filters, groceries and enough supplies to support up to 50 families.

Trae delivered the water filters to families' doorsteps and showed them how to properly install and use the device.

He also listened to the people's concerns ... which according to some residents, date back some 30 years!!!

A video of the city's water situation went viral a couple of weeks ago ... showing a doo-doo brown substance oozing out of the faucet that barely passed for liquid.

City officials blamed everything under the sun for the contaminations -- insufficient resources, old and leaky pipes and heavy rainfall for the shutdown of one of the cities' two water-treatment plants -- but have been short to offer solutions all the same.

As of Wednesday, 150,000 Jackson residents reportedly are still without suitable drinking water.

While the road to winning back the public opinion may be a steep one, we're told Trae will be back on the road in Jackson to ensure families also get pallets of water this time around.

Trae posted his latest act of kindness on Instagram to a rather icy reception from his followers ... seeing that he's been mum on his involvement in the group beatdown of former collaborator and fellow Texas rapper Z-Ro -- after previously denying ambushing him.

The video evidence told a different story and IG commenters accused the "Asshole By Nature" of hiding behind his charity and posturing behind the camera instead of settling his beef back home.

Prince William and Harry walked behind their grandmother's casket during a ceremony steeped in pageantry as the procession went from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where her body will lie in State for 4 days.

The 2 Princes walked side-by-side ... William in military garb, Harry in civvies.

Prince Andrew was also in the procession, and he too was in civilian clothes, and not by choice. Queen Elizabeth stripped Andrew of his Royal duties and many perks after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.

The Queen's crown is resting atop the coffin. BTW ... only 3 people are allowed to touch the crown ... the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Crown Jeweler.

It's impossible to ignore what happened 25 years ago, when a young Harry and William walked side-by-side during the funeral of their mom, Princess Diana.

King Charles is obviously front and center as well, as everyone walked in lockstep to the Houses of Parliament, where the casket will be placed. Princess Anne is also right there ... she will assume an even larger role in the family.

The spouses of the Princes and the King are in cars ... following along per tradition. Queen Consort Camilla and Kate Middleton were in the same car. Meghan Markle was in another car with Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

The procession arrived at Westminster Hall. William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are standing near each other while the ceremony carries on inside.

Trevor Bauer is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by the woman who accused him of sexual assault ... claiming he has video proof, taken from bed after their second sexual encounter, which proves she lied about her injuries.

TMZ Sports obtained a motion filed by 31-year-old Bauer's legal team in southern California, which includes a video that was allegedly recorded by accuser Lindsey Hill after they had sex the night of May 16, 2021.

"She appears to be willingly in bed with a sleeping Mr. Bauer, and is smirking and uninjured," the Cy Young award winner's attorney wrote in the filing.

The clip, which we've seen, is less than 10 seconds long and doesn't contain audio.

Bauer's team believes the video -- which they say they recently received from the Pasadena police department -- proves Hill didn't actually sustain injuries to her face, torpedoing her case.

Hill previously claimed Bauer gave her two black eyes.

Bauer's accuser filed a lawsuit for battery against the pitcher in August 2022, claiming ... "Last year, disgraced Major League Baseball player Trevor Bauer violently and sadistically abused Hill in the most appalling manner imaginable, sexually battering and battering a defenseless woman."

Hill did not specify how much money she's seeking.

At the time, Trevor's team responded to the suit, saying ... "Lindsey Hill’s claims were judicially disproven last August following a hearing regarding a DVRO petition filed in bad faith."

In August 2021, a court denied Hill's request for a permanent restraining order against Bauer ... saying Hill hadn't set clear lines before they had sex. However, the judge described the injuries in photos presented as evidence as "terrible."

Despite the court's ruling, Major League Baseball hit the former Dodgers pitcher with a two-year suspension without pay.

Trevor is appealing MLB's decision.

Detectives from the LAPD are working around the clock to track down PnB Rock's killer, even alerting local pawn shops to keep an eye out for the jewelry stolen off the rapper's neck.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators are confident they'll make an arrest, and have spoken with those close to PnB to determine exactly what type of jewelry he was wearing at the time of his murder.

We're told investigators contacted numerous pawn shops in the area, asking them to alert cops if anyone tries to make a buck off the stolen pieces. The theory is that the murderer would want to get rid of the jewelry quick ... otherwise, it would directly link him to the crime.

Our sources say detectives believe the suspect targeted PnB because of social media posts. The rapper shared a video of himself wearing several expensive chains, and his girlfriend, Steph Sibounheuang, shared their location just before the shooting.

What's more, we're told the entire crime was captured on surveillance ... though sources inside the restaurant tell us that footage is blurry. Cops have been canvassing the area for other cameras, and are working to identify a possible getaway vehicle.

Our law enforcement sources say the killer was wearing a mask at the time of the shooting.

Some wheelchair-bound veterans are still ready to rise and salute -- just send in the stripper, which worked like a charm at a nursing home that's now saying ... oops, we didn't know she was gonna do all THAT!!!

The young woman who showed up decked out in lingerie at the Taiwan facility for retired veterans definitely brought her A-game -- writhing on the floor, getting in laps and even allowed at least one resident to break normal strip club rules ... as he got pretty hands-on with her.

The whole scene screams ... "Please tell me there's a defibrillator nearby!!!"

The stripper's visit went down last week during the Mid-Autumn Festival, an annual harvest celebration in China, and video of her performance has gone viral ... putting some heat on the nursing home's administrators.

Responding to the backlash, a spokesperson says their intent was to "entertain residents and make them happy." Mission accomplished!!! ✅

As for dangerously raising heart rates and blood pressure -- well, the facility admits the dancer's moves were "too enthusiastic and fiery," and they promise to be "more cautious" next time.

Kourtney Kardashian's Fashion Week Show looks like a huge success despite the fact it was missing something very necessary when it started -- someone missed the "lights, camera, action" memo.

Kourtney's event -- for her collab with Boohoo -- began around 8:30 PM at the Highline in NYC ... she made a grand entrance with hubby Travis Barker, and everyone cheered as they strutted down the runway.

But, as you can see in the video, shortly after they hit their seats next to Jonathan Cheban ... the freakin' lights went out! The show must go on, so the models did their thing down the catwalk -- just without lights or music.

Awwwkward. Let's face it, the point of a fashion show is to show off fashions ... which gets difficult in the dark.

Sources at the show tell us Kourtney was looking around in confusion while the lights were off, but her reaction wasn't super obvious since it was so dark.

Good thing she didn't panic -- after about 30 seconds the lights popped on and the music started too. Pesky plugs!

After that ominous start, the show continued without a hitch.

King Charles might be wearing the crown, but he's still dealing with problems that we commoners come across every day ... including pens that bleed like a hemophiliac.

The new British monarch was on hand for a signing ceremony at the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland Tuesday ... where he and Queen Consort Camilla were trying sign some sort of book.

KC3 was having trouble right off the bat ... forgetting it was September 13 and not the 12th as he was putting down his John Hancock. Camilla noted he'd screwed up earlier in the day as well. Just as Charles was pulling the pen back, it started leaking ink on his hand.

He was instantly frustrated, saying he hated the pen ... going on to angrily call it "this bloody thing" as he pawned it off to Camilla, who also noted it was going everywhere before Royal aides came to her rescue.

The King, meanwhile, stormed out ... still pissed over the writing instrument, grumbling to himself that this happens "every stinking time." It's pretty hilarious, just 'cause Charles is usually buttoned up in public. Seems this desk cam caught him in a moment of candor.

BTW, it seems pens and pen paraphernalia might be Charles' kryptonite -- the guy also had a minor meltdown earlier over the weekend when he came across a pen box on his desk as he was attempting to sign a proclamation making him the new top dog ... kind of a big deal.

As he was taking a seat, he frantically motioned for an aide to get all the pen crap out of his way ... and it was all quickly whisked away so he could get to business.

Popular '90s R&B crooner Jesse Powell has died at his home in L.A., this according to his family.

His sister, Tamara, broke the sad news Tuesday night on IG, but did not reveal a cause of death.

She wrote ... "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Jesse Powell. Jesse loved music and he especially loved his fans who supported him throughout his career. We want you all to know that you meant the world to him." Tamara asked for privacy so her family could grieve and celebrate her brother's life.

Born in Gary, Indiana, Jesse got his first break in his early '20s after a music producer saw him perform at a local talent show. He was signed to a record label and released his first album in 1996.

Throughout the mid-to-late '90s, Jesse enjoyed some moderate success, but he really hit his stride with the release of his 1998 song, "You," which rocketed to No. 2 on the Billboard R&B charts. His second album, 'Bout It," was certified gold after it shot to No. 15 on the charts. Jesse also won high praise for his four-octave vocal range. He retired after his fourth record release in 2003.

Jesse was 51.

The lead man on "The Bachelorette" has a blackface controversy that's dogging him -- and a couple of former Black contestants have mixed reactions on how he should proceed.

We got former 'Bachelorette' stars Olumide Onajide and Riley Christian in NYC Tuesday to weigh in on Erich Schwer donning dark makeup back in high school to make himself look like Jimi Hendrix.

Olumide tells us he's on the fence over Erich's apology ... especially with the history of blackface and what it means for African-Americans. Still, he doesn't think the dude had bad intentions in his heart -- and thinks he might still have a chance with Gabby Windey.

Riley also acknowledges the painful connotations of blackface ... saying he can't believe it's still being done in this day and age (he ain't alone there).

But on the issue of forgiveness, RC says it's certainly achievable for Erich ... especially if he's genuinely sorry and can learn from this mistake. It sounds like he and Olumide are on the same page on how to proceed -- let the show go on, and allow Gabby to decide what she wants to do.

As we reported, the old photo of Erich dressed as Hendrix for Halloween resurfaced during this season -- which was shot a while ago. He apologized for it, citing ignorance and naivete ... claiming he wasn't aware how offensive it was at the time.

The wife of Cleveland Cavaliers legend Zydrunas Ilgauskas has sadly died, a funeral home in Ohio confirmed this week. She was just 50 years old.

Jennifer Ilgauskas, according to an obituary from the Zeis-McGreevey Funeral Home, passed away on Sunday. A cause of death was not revealed.

Zydrunas and Jennifer had been married for almost two decades -- the couple reportedly tied the knot way back in 2004, when Big Z was starring for the Cavs.

She had worked in the medical industry while Zydrunas was playing in NBA arenas ... and according to her obit, "She always had ideas for growth and the never-ending desire to achieve more."

"She truly enjoyed working and being a leader who led by example," her family and friends wrote in the obituary. "She cared deeply about everyone she employed, and her door was always open to those who needed to talk. She was generous with her time, finances and counsel."

Jennifer and Zydrunas had two sons. Her funeral is scheduled for Sept. 17.

The former basketball player -- whose jersey was retired by the Cavaliers in 2014 -- has yet to publicly comment on the loss.

RIP.

New York Fashion Week is a contact sport -- just ask this poor model who had a very hard time staying on her feet while rocking painfully high heels down a runway.

Check out this clip, obtained by TMZ, which shows an unidentified model strutting down the catwalk at a warehouse in NYC. The event was for a brand called "Alicia's Designs," and from the looks of it -- this was a packed house, so lots of eyeballs on the models, the clothes ... and the shoes.

Unfortunately for this woman, that meant tons of people watching her wobble her way down the path, before eventually falling hard to her knees. As they say, the show must go on, and she collected herself to continue doing her thing.

That didn't last long, though ... she toppled over a couple different times, but the crowd appreciated her perseverance. They actually applauded her when she got up a second time, this as she finally exited backstage.

Safe to say, it was a rough outing.

In the end, she wanted nothing to do with her footwear -- she ditched the heels when all the models reemerged for a final bow. We mean that literally. She came out barefoot.

Montrezl Harrell chopped it up with cops for over half an hour about all kinds of NBA topics during his weed stop in May -- including LaMelo Ball and free agency -- and the entire conversation was captured on police video, obtained by TMZ Sports.

The traffic-stop-turned-round-ball-talk all happened in Richmond, Kentucky on May 12 ... after Kentucky State Police pulled over Harrell and his friend in a 2020 Honda Pilot after cops say they were following another car too closely on the road.

During the stop, cops said they smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the ride -- so they detained the basketball player and his friend to check everything out.

While probing the car and asking questions, video shows cops at the scene found out Harrell was an NBA player -- and then wanted to get all kinds of Association scoop from the former Hornets power forward.

At one point, a cop needed to know Harrell's opinion of Ball -- his famous teammate in Charlotte.

"How's LaMelo?" the cop asked.

"He's a cool person," Harrell responded. "I mean, regular kid. At the end of the day, people got to understand he's a kid."

The cop later told Harrell, "I think his dad messed him up."

Cops eventually got Harrell out of the car -- and claim they then found three pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags in a backpack in the back seat of the ride.

"Damn," Harrell said on the video. "Didn't know that was in there."

But the cops were calm with Harrell and his friend -- even at one point saying in the footage, "We are not the weed police."

As they continued to search the car -- the cops peppered Harrell with NBA questions ... asking him about the playoffs, his former teammates, "the biggest prick in the" league, and "the best big guy you ever had to play against."

At one point, Harrell was asked who had the worst facilities in the league -- and he said Philadelphia ... which was ironic, considering he went on to sign as a free agent with the 76ers earlier this month.

Eventually, cops issued a citation to Harrell and the other man, before letting them go.

Video shows one of the cops ultimately took the weed they found in Harrell's vehicle and put it into a squad car.

Harrell was charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana -- a Class D felony -- over the stop ... but he cut a plea with prosecutors last month to close out the case.