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Gov. Gavin Newsom is making Cali the first state to block prosecutors from freely using rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases -- and the move has some high-profile supporters.

Newsom looked like he was hosting a hip hop award show Friday as he put his John Hancock on Assembly Bill 2799. The signing went down in an online forum that included Too $hort, Meek Mill, Killer Mike, Tyga, YG, E-40, Ty Dolla $ign. and some other industry heavyweights.

The new CA law prevents prosecutors from using rappers' lyrics in court as circumstantial evidence ... unless a judge first reviews and approves it. Before the Gov. signed, several of the rappers talked about why the bill was so important.

Cali homegrown MCs E-40 and Too $hort, in particular, stressed the need for artists to have the freedom to creatively express themselves ... and said they hoped the Golden State would start a trend.

A similar bill in New York faltered earlier this year in that state's legislature.

Veteran rapper and former convict X-Raided told TMZ Hip Hop he always believed Newsom’s progressive politics would make the difference in California.

The Strange Music artist spent 26 years in prison for his role in a 1992 murder, but said he believes he would have been acquitted if prosecutors had been barred from referencing his lyrics.

Coolio was busy working up until he died, but there was one opportunity he was super excited about that unfortunately never happened ... he was supposed to appear on one of Nick Cannon's most popular shows.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ Coolio was scheduled to be in Atlanta to film an episode of "Wild 'N Out" on Tuesday, Sept. 20 ... but the rapper was forced to cancel at the last minute.

We're told Coolio really wanted to be on the show, and producers had been working for a long time to make it happen before they were finally able to find a date that worked.

However, a source close to Coolio tells us his travel plans changed at the last minute and he couldn't get a flight to Atlanta that would work for the show's taping.

We're told Coolio was a huge fan of the show and was bummed he couldn't participate. What's more, Valentina Nicolette, who booked Coolio for the gig tells us he was also planning to perform "Gangsta's Paradise" during his time on the show.

As we first told you ... Coolio appeared happy and in good health later that same week, taking pics with fans in a Texas airport ahead of a concert in the Houston area with Vanilla Ice.

Nick Cannon has a couple early birthday gifts this year cause he just welcomed his 10th baby ... just 2 weeks after his 9th child was born.

The extremely proud dad shared the news Friday about his newborn son, Rise Messiah Cannon. on IG. He wrote, "Another Blessing!!! As my journey on this planet becomes more and more remarkable and unfathomable, all I can do is thank God and continue to ask the Most High to order my steps."

Rise is Nick's 3rd child with his ex-girlfriend Brittany Bell.

He went on to thank Brittany for what he calls 48 hours of excruciating pain and life-risking danger, saying ... "Thank you Brittany for my fellow little Libra! I love you and our Incredible Family!"

Of course, the new bundle of joy comes just weeks after Nick's daughter Onyx Ice Cole Cannon with model LaNisha Cole was born.

As we've reported, Abby De La Rosa, is also due next month with their third child together.

FYI Nick's birthday is also next month, so it looks like he's gonna be doing ALOT of celebrating this season.

Choreographer and former "Celebrity Big Brother" contestant Todrick Hall may need to downsize ... he's been ordered to cough up six figures after being sued over unpaid rent.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a default judgment was entered against Todrick and now he's on the hook for more than $102,000.

As we reported ... Todrick was sued in March for allegedly failing to pay back rent on a Sherman Oaks home. The suit claimed his monthly rent was $30K and he had fallen behind.

Oddly enough, Todrick made it seem -- at least on social media -- like he owned the home ... giving an elaborate tour of the lavish property in a YouTube video where he says, "I have been wanting to buy a home for a very very long time, and this is a dream come true."

The place is decked out with an outdoor pool, movie theater, huge massive closet and even a Louis Vuitton bedframe ... which would explain the $30K monthly rent.

Todrick's been ordered to pay $100,000 in damages plus another $2K in attorney fees and costs.

It appears Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid have taken their rumored romance overseas ... hanging out in Paris while she wows the crowds at fashion week.

Check out the pics, Gigi was seen arriving to her room at the Royal Monceau Thursday night -- looking very happy, smiling and chatting with photogs. Leo was spotted leaving the same hotel around 1 AM, and then hitting some Paris nightclubs.

After hitting the clubs for about an hour, we're told Leo returned to his own room at the Costes Hotel in Paris.

Of course, there's been multiple reports over the last few weeks the two are dating. If true, the alleged hanging out in Paris would certainly cement the fact things are heating up between the supermodel and Oscar winner.

Gigi's clearly at least in town for business, walking the Messika Fashion Show ... so Leo could've acted as some behind-the-scenes support.

Junior welterweight Luis Quinones tragically died on Thursday ... just five days after suffering a head injury during a knockout loss in Colombia. He was only 25.

Quinones was an undefeated boxer (10-0) until his matchup with Jose Munoz on September 24 at Coliseo Elias Chegwin ... when was knocked out with less than a minute left in the fight.

Video of the fight shows Quinones fall down after getting punched ... and he's unable to get back on his feet. He was then taken out of the ring on a stretcher by medical personnel.

It was reported that Quinones suffered a blood clot in his brain as a result of head trauma from the fight ... and was in a coma after surgery. He was declared brain dead on Thursday, but remained on a respirator until his passing.

"Cuadrilatero Boxing deeply regrets the death of Luis Quinones, an exceptional human being, disciplined and who always showed the greatest commitment to this sport," Quinones' promoters said in a statement on Friday.

"We would like to thank the staff at the General Clinic of the North, who during this time did what was within their power and took care of Luis in the best possible way."

Munoz -- who is also his sparring partner -- is devastated by his death ... saying he never thought "a dream could turn into a real nightmare".

Quinones was inspired by Julio Cesar Chavez and left his hometown of Barrancabermeja to become a professional boxer. He made his debut in 2018.

"Boxing is the ultimate challenge there is. Nothing to compare to him," Quinones said in an IG post last year.

"It's to prove to yourself the way you do it every time you step in the ring."

Amber Heard apparently was looking for a place where people wouldn't judge her ... and she may have found it in Spain.

Amber was last seen hopping on a private jet back in June, shortly after losing the spectacularly popular trial against Johnny Depp.

While Johnny seemed to be everywhere, basking in the glow of victory, Amber seemingly ghosted the world.

Now she's back ... though in a land far, far away, in Palma de Mallorca. She was there with close friend Bianca Butti and her 1-year-old daughter Oonagh Paige Heard.

We don't know how long she's been there. It could just be a vacay, but wherever she calls home is a mystery because there hasn't been a photo of Amber that surfaced for 3 months.

Amber's got legal issues for sure ... she's on the hook for $8.3 million, although she's appealing the verdict. That appeal is pending.

Myles Garrett's days of driving like Jeff Gordon appear to be over following his terrifying car crash earlier this week ... the Cleveland Browns star just said Monday's wreck was a serious "wake-up call" for him to drive safer.

Garrett spoke with media members at the Browns' facility on Friday for the first time since the accident -- and he explained he now knows he needs to slow down when he's behind the wheel.

"I think this will be definitely a wake-up call for me," said Garrett, who's been cited for speeding several times since being drafted by Cleveland in 2017.

"Just trying to be smart overall with driving. Don't take it for granted ... You know, just take my time."

He added, "This was definitely a call to me to be more safe with my driving and pay attention to my speed and my surroundings."

Garrett was hit with a citation for failure to control his car following Monday's accident, after he told authorities on the scene he was traveling 65 MPH in a 45 MPH zone.

But, he and his 23-year-old passenger fortunately escaped the wreck relatively unscathed. Garrett suffered just a shoulder sprain and a bicep strain in the crash -- and on Friday he said he's been feeling much better now.

In fact, the defensive end says there's a chance he plays against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Coolio's sudden death comes as a total shock to fans who interacted with him less than a week before he passed, and they say he gave no indication he was having health issues.

TMZ obtained these photos and videos of the "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper traveling last Friday through the Houston airport, and he was happy and in good spirits as he greeted some giddy fans.

Mika, the woman who stopped Coolio in the airport, tells TMZ ... she ran up to him to get a photo and he was friendly and very happy to take some pics, laughing and being very engaging.

We're told he even invited Mika and her girl pals to come to his show that night in Cypress, TX and they exchanged numbers and text messages -- and Coolio got the women on the VIP guest list.

Mika says she and her friends didn't end up going to the show because it was about an hour from where they were staying in Houston, and now they're devastated they missed that chance to see what turned out to be his last live performance.

TMZ broke the story ... Coolio died Wednesday afternoon at a friend's house in L.A., and his Friday concert with Vanilla Ice in Texas ended up being his last gig.

Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend's place and never came out ... his friend called 911 and paramedics gave him CPR for 45 minutes in an effort to revive the rapper.

Law enforcement sources say no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene of his death. An autopsy and toxicology test will be used to determine the official cause of death.

"The Dolphins did not take care of you. The fact they put you out there, frankly, If I were [Tua], I would not go back and play for the Dolphins, because this was not just a failure of the medical team, this was a failure of the coaching staff, and failure of ownership."

That's Chris Nowinski, one of the world's foremost experts on traumatic brain injuries, very much NOT mincing his words when it comes to the future of 24-year-old Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

And, whether it's in a Dolphins jersey or any of the other 31 teams, Nowinski believes Tua shouldn't see the field for a single snap the rest of the season.

"My advice would be, having been through it and knowing so many dead athlete stories where there was suicide or some aspect of CTE or some traumatic brain injury, do not go back this season."

Of course, the second-year signal caller was on the receiving end of an incredibly scary hit Thursday night ... as the Fins played the Bengals in Cincinnati.

After being slammed to the ground, Tagovailoa appeared to immediately lose consciousness ... and it was clear something was wrong.

Tua was placed on a stretcher and left the stadium in an ambulance, where he was taken to a local Cincy hospital for treatment.

To make matters worse, the game was only five days after Tagovailoa seemingly suffered a head injury against the Bills (Chris says he showed five signs of a potential concussion), but was allowed to return to the game.

As for his current condition, Tua was released from the hospital and was able to fly back to Miami, per reports ... where he's said to be resting at home in good spirits.

But, Chris says this is anything but a story with a happy ending ... 'cause there's real risk of long-term impact, and that's why Nowinski says Tua shouldn't play again this season.

If you're at all familiar with traumatic brain injuries and CTE, you've likely heard of Nowinski. The former WWE wrestler had his career cut short after sustaining a head injury ... and he recognized the sports world misunderstood the injury.

Chris went on to earn his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience, and he co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation and the Boston University CTE Center ... where his work has been celebrated across the world.

Nowinski also had strong words for first-year Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel ... who told media after the game ... "the best news we can give is that everything is checked out that he didn't have anything more serious than a concussion."

"This is a statement of no faith in the coach," Chris flatly said.

"Really what he should be saying is it's nothing more serious than a traumatic brain injury that caused decerebrate posturing which is very rare, and a sign of a very serious injury."

There's much more. Nowinski also explains Tua's hand placement following the scary injury, and lays out the long-term effects with which he may now be forced to live.

It appears Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin are back on track, at least if body language is any indicator, just weeks after she filed for divorce.

The married couple of 25 years were spotted Thursday in deep convo outside a grocery store in Calabasas. Notice Sly's hand on Jennifer's leg as they chat ... certainly not a gesture that would be made if the two were still super pissed at each other.

TMZ broke the story, sources close to the two told us there was not a prenup in place, and they were working out a divorce settlement after filing docs to put a pause on any public proceedings. At the time, we were told the divorce was still happening.

However, by the looks of things, the two are at least working on figuring things out -- and even possibly a total reconciliation.

Remember, it was last month when Jennifer filed divorce docs -- accusing Sly of moving marital assets -- a claim he's denied. There was also Sly's infamous new ink of his Rottweiler, Dwight, he got on his arm ... covering a portrait of Jennifer.

Sly told us the dog wasn't the reason he and Jennifer split, they'd simply grown apart.

A popular Wisconsin news anchor took her own life ... after sending texts to a friend and her ex-fiancé, revealing the pain she was going through right before she shot herself.

27-year-old Neena Pacholke killed herself in Wausau, WI last month ... in the home she and her ex, Kyle Haase, purchased together back in July.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops were dispatched to their residence after getting a call from a friend to do a welfare check -- claiming Neena was "making suicidal comments via text message."

Her text read, "He [Kyle] told me he hates me and will feel like a million bucks once I am out of his life."

She also sent a last text to Kyle -- who broke things off with Neena just 7 weeks before their wedding -- saying, "I`m so sorry to do this to you but I can't handle any of this pain anymore."

Police arrived at her home, heard a noise, followed by the sound of something falling. By the time they entered, Neena had already shot herself in the head with a handgun. Cops found a receipt showing she bought the weapon 90 minutes before killing herself.

Her Google searches the night before also showed her looking up ways to end her life.

Pacholke played point guard at USF from 2013 to 2016. The school's women's basketball team said following her death last month that it was heartbroken over her passing.

Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar -- who was picked in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft -- has died ... after an apparent rock climbing accident in California.

He was just 31 years old.

Officials say they received a report of two injured rock climbers at Tahquitz Rock in Idyllwild at around 12:25 PM on Wednesday. When they made it to the scene, they say they found that both victims had died. Escobar was ID'ed as one of the hikers -- a 33-year-old woman, Chelsea Walsh, was ID'ed as the other.

Further details surrounding the causes of death were not immediately available. Authorities did say they were investigating it all.

Escobar was a star for San Diego State from 2010 to 2013 ... before he was drafted by the Cowboys. He went on to play four seasons in Dallas -- piling up eight touchdowns.

He later saw time with the Chiefs, Browns, Ravens and Dolphins -- and eventually wrapped up his football career in 2019 in the Alliance of American Football league.

In retirement, Escobar -- a father of two -- had become a firefighter with the Long Beach Fire Department.

The Cowboys, Aztecs and the LBFD all paid homage to Escobar and his family on Thursday night.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gavin's family," SDSU football head coach Brady Hoke said in a statement. "I know his wife, Sarah, and daughters, Josey and Charlotte, were everything to him. Gavin was a great man, father, son and teammate, and will be deeply missed by all."

George and Amal Clooney brought out some of their most famous friends in NYC to christen a new award show ... with guests including Michelle Obama, Drew Barrymore, Cindy Crawford and more.

The star-studded event went down Thursday at the New York Public Library. The Albie Awards, named after Justice Albie Sachs -- and hosted by George and Amal -- were about honoring folks who have taken a stand against injustice.

Of course, the power couple was front and center the whole night ... and they certainly looked the part. Amal wore a bedazzled Versace gown, while GC rocked a tux.

Unclear if she was at the show, but Michelle Obama was spotted entering The Albie Award's after-party at The Mark Hotel following the event.

Among the final celeb guestlist ... Clooney's co-star Julia Roberts, John Krasinski, Meryl Streep, Gayle King, Drew Barrymore, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber.

Dua Lipa and Lori Harvey also pulled up to the event. Of course, Dua Lipa recently made headlines with the soon-to-be former host of "The Daily Show" Trevor Noah as the two were spotted hanging out in NYC.

Terrifying moment during "Thursday Night Football" ... Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was rushed to the hospital after suffering what appeared to be a significant head injury.

The 24-year-old signal-caller was injured in the second quarter of Miami's game against the Bengals ... when he was wrapped up by a defender and thrown to the turf.

Tagovailoa's head slammed off the ground hard -- and he immediately seemed to lose consciousness.

Trainers and team personnel raced to tend to him ... before they eventually strapped him to a backboard and transported him to a nearby hospital in Cincinnati.

The Dolphins say he, thankfully, "is conscious and has movement in all his extremities."

Tagovailoa had exited last week's game against the Bills after sustaining an injury on a similar play -- though he and the team told media members afterward he only suffered a back injury.

Story developing ...

Elon Musk's father fancies himself a real-life Dirty Harry or Rambo-like figure -- he's recounting how he once took out a mob of home intruders ... all by himself.

The way Errol Musk describes the 1998 incident really does sound like a Hollywood action movie -- he and his then 6-year-old daughter, Ali, were in his South African home ... and while she was taking a bath, he encountered 7 armed men in another part of the house.

The 76-year-old told The Sun the gang immediately opened fire on him, but just like in the movies ... he miraculously dodged all the bullets, retreated to a bedroom and grabbed a .357 Magnum handgun.

Errol says his gun was loaded with hollow point bullets, and his very first shot went straight through one intruder's head, and the shrapnel entered another's chest. He says both men were killed. At that point, he says the rest of them fled, but he managed to shoot one more in a hallway.

Completing the scene ... Errol says Ali -- who'd be in the bathtub -- came out after hearing the shootout, and clung to her father's leg. Mr. "Lethal Weapon" says he was acquitted of manslaughter charges for the incident, on the grounds of self-defense.

Errol's heroic tale comes on the heels of Elon recently tweeting a reminder to the world that he and his father are estranged.

The billionaire tycoon said his dad ran out of money in the '90s, and he and his brother financially supported him on the condition that he "not do bad things." Unfortunately, according to Elon, he did do bad things.

Elon's point seemed to be dad isn't keeping up his end of the bargain.

As for Errol's marksmanship ... he says he once won the South African National Defence Force's shooting championships.