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Consequence thought Lupus predominantly affected Black women ... but then the disease knocked him on his ass, and now he's letting men know they should be aware too.

The NY rapper tells TMZ ... his knowledge about the autoimmune disease didn't go beyond its impact on women. That all changed when he was diagnosed around 7 months ago.

Consequence says he first felt pain in his neck while giving his 9-year-old son a piggyback ride. A physician prescribed a muscle relaxer, but as time went on it got worse. He thought he'd have time to recover when the pandemic hit -- instead, Consequence says he suffered immobility and weight loss, and couldn't figure out what was wrong.

He told us the hardest part came once he was diagnosed, because his son thought he might have to say goodbye to Dad.

Consequence also suffered diabetic complications -- he says he went from Type 2 to Type 1, and has been taking insulin for about 2 months. He adds, his weight got down to a debilitating 105 pounds.

Joe Biden's getting some much-needed support down the homestretch of his presidential battle from an unlikely source ... beauty and fashion sales.

BIDEN Beauty launched this week on the heels of the first debate, and though that event was far from pretty ... the Biden-themed products are flying off shelves.

David Yi -- founder of Very Good Light, the group behind BIDEN Beauty -- tells TMZ ... they launched it with the goal of activating the beauty community to get behind the Democratic nominee and encouraging them to vote blue.

The group had remained anonymous until now because Yi says they want the focus to be on Biden and Kamala Harris, but they're stepping out now to let everyone know 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Biden Victory Fund ... to help him defeat President Trump.

Those proceeds have the potential to be yuuuge -- as Trump might say -- because since Wednesday's launch, Yi says they've had an order placed every minute, selling 50 percent of their initial inventory in 35 states ... including all the major swing states.

David says Arizona is leading in that category, and across the U.S., the #1 seller has been the BIDEN Beat Makeup Sponge. The site's also selling totes and hoodies, in addition to cosmetics.

Imagine being at a restaurant ... and in walks Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Richard Dent and Don King.

That's exactly what happened to a couple back in 1988, who commemorated the moment by getting all the legends to sign their menu ... and now it's up for auction!!!

Hindman Auctions tells TMZ Sports ... the power squad showed up at Lino’s Ristorante in Chicago to celebrate Dent's 28th birthday.

As it turns out, the night was pretty well documented in Tyson's ex-trainer Rory Holloway's memoir, who claims Tyson was LIVID with MJ at dinner over suspicions the Bulls legend had a fling with his then-separated wife Robin Givens.

The book claims Tyson was on the verge of fighting MJ ... but apparently cooler heads prevailed when it came to the restaurant manager asking the superstars to sign the menu for the couple in attendance.

Now, the couple is looking to part ways with the unique piece of history -- it's hitting the auction block via Hindman Auctions on Oct. 20 ... and we're told this thing could sell for thousands, if not 5 figures!!!

British singer and songwriter Ray Dorset was only 24 years old when he became a star overnight as the frontman for the upbeat rock band Mungo Jerry after they released their first single "In The Summertime," which shot to number 1 and opened the floodgates for more of their iconic '70s rock tunes.

Ray Dorset ... complete with his signature mutton chop sideburns and afro ... and the rest of the Mungo Jerry band went on to top the charts with their song "Baby Jump" and later "Lady Rose" and made news with the controversial song "Have A Whiff On Me" ... which made reference to drug use.

Ray Dorset continues to make music and even has dates for live events in Europe this year.

Melania Trump fumed during a secretly-recorded conversation, railing on the criticism President Trump received over separating mothers from their children at the border and expressing extreme frustration about the way the "liberal media" treats her and her husband.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania's former aide and former best friend, Linda Tripped her, recording their conversation without the First Lady's knowledge. Melania was venting about the attacks she fielded over separating mothers and kids at the border, saying, "Give me a f***ing break!"  She went on, "Where they were saying anything when Obama did that?"

The First Lady talked about her trip to the border and how she was thwarted in reuniting a child with the mother ... "I was trying to get the kid reunited with the mom. I didn't have a chance -- needs to go through the process and through the law." She says the press would not cover her efforts, saying, "They would not do the story because they, they, they are against us, because they're the liberal media." And, then she said ... "Yeah, if I [go] to Fox, they will do the story. I don't want to go to Fox."

And, then there's Saint Nick. In the recording, first played on CNN, Melania says, "Where I am, I put, I'm working like my ass off at Christmas stuff that you know, who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff and decoration. But, I need to do it, right?"

President Trump's close aide, Hope Hicks, has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus after flying on Air Force One this week with the Prez.

Hope's positive COVID-19 test comes on the heels of her traveling to and from Tuesday's debate in Cleveland -- as well as a roundtrip flight to Trump's Wednesday rally in Minnesota ... according to a Bloomberg News report.

The report says she is experiencing symptoms now ... however, there's no indication POTUS has contracted the virus.

Hope is working for Trump again as a "counselor to the President" after previously serving as his communications director, and working on his 2016 campaign.

We reached out to the White House, and deputy press secretary Judd Deere would not comment about Hope or the President's health. He did tell us, "The President takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously."

He continued, "White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling."

"I beat the ever-living f*** out of him."

Those were the words reportedly spoken by a Louisiana State trooper implicated in a Black man's death ... according to a recording that's just surfaced.

The audio -- captured by a police body cam mic -- is a 27-second clip featuring Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth recalling the May 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene in Louisiana.

The Associated Press, which first obtained the audio, says that's Hollingsworth saying he choked Greene, and at least 3 cops were wrestling with Greene while he was handcuffed and bleeding ... until "all of a sudden he just went limp."

Greene's death, which Louisiana troopers initially said was caused by a car crash at the end of a pursuit, is now the subject of a federal civil rights investigation.

The audio was part of a phone conversation between Hollingsworth and a colleague, according to the AP. Hollingsworth died last week in a car accident.

Lee Merritt, an attorney for Greene's family, is now calling on authorities to release the full body cam footage of Greene's interaction with state troopers.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told reporters last week footage of Greene’s arrest would be released to the public at the conclusion of federal and state investigations.

Amazon is dropping some alarming stats and, in case you were wondering, life on the frontlines ain't easy for their employees ... nearly 20,000 of whom they believe caught COVID-19.

The shipping giant made the revelation Thursday in a report about its testing policies and how it's responding to the health crisis. Amazon said between March 1 and September 19 ... 19,816 employees were either presumed or confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. That's out of their roughly 1.37 million staffers at Amazon and Whole Foods Market.

While the number is startling, Amazon says its rate of infection among employees was way lower than expected. The company noted it could have reached 33,952 sick workers if its infection rate ran parallel to the general population.

BTW, the stats don't include third-party delivery drivers.

Amazon says it's currently conducting thousands of tests daily at its warehouses and by November they could be doing as many as 50,000 tests per day in 650 facilities.

Dr. Dre just won a battle in court ... the judge in their divorce case just rejected Nicole's request for $1.5 million to pay for various expenses, including security ... and the judge rejected her request to accelerate her claim that Dre should pay $5 million for her lawyer's fees and other costs.

Nicole's lawyers were in court this morning, telling the judge Nicole needs the $1.5 million for security because she's been receiving death threats. The money would also go for other expenses. Some of the people commenting on the divorce have said things like, "If she dies, she dies," and "For a small fee she can disappear."

The judge rejected her claim, in part because she got rid of her security team that Dre was paying for. She claimed Dre was too controlling and wanted to hire security on her own. She claimed Dre threatened to fire the security if they didn't follow his orders. The judge rejected her request, and Dre's lawyer, Laura Wasser, told the judge Dre is still willing to pay all of Nicole's expenses pending the divorce, including security. The judge ordered that Nicole could select a private security company for her personal protection, but it can't cost more than Dre was paying.

Nicole's lawyers also asked the judge to move up the hearing on their attorney's fees -- specifically, they're asking Dre to pay $5 million in lawyer's fees and costs for Nicole. The hearing was set for January but the lawyers wanted it held this month. The judge rejected the request.

In rejecting Nicole's arguments, the judge noted there are serious domestic violence and custody cases he has to deal with, and this is not in the same universe.  The judge did say, however, if Dre exercised control over Nicole, she could file for a restraining order.

Yoko Ono's returning to battle with a former aide of her late husband John Lennon, claiming the guy's again trying to profit off them, even though he was ordered nearly 20 years ago to knock it off.

According to a new suit -- obtained by TMZ -- Yoko believes Frederic Seaman blatantly violated a court order when he sat down for a 23-minute interview "flanked by Lennon memorabilia" and discussing topics she says are legally prohibited ... like his old book about John.

Yoko and Frederic have been going at it in court for decades. She says Frederic pled guilty to stealing Lennon's journals back in 1983 but she had to drag him to court again in the late '90s.

Eventually, Yoko scored a legal victory in 2002 when a court ordered Seaman to stop using their family photos and such to profit off Lennon's legacy, and she even got an apology from him in open court ... so it seemed like it was resolved.

Ono now says he's back at it and claims Seaman's recent interview on September 10 proves it. Yoko claims he defied the order by again talking about his employment with John and Yoko, John's murder, and even worse ... his 1991 book, 'The Last Days of John Lennon.'

Ono says Seaman discussed his intention to revise and reissue an expanded version of his book, which she claims would "willfully and intentionally violate" the injunction laid down against him in 2002.

The 4 accused ex-cops involved in George Floyd's death are asking for a change of venue for their trial ... saying the crowds of citizens outside the courthouse are terrorizing them.

Alexander Kueng filed a motion with the court seeking to change the venue out of Hennepin County ... claiming he, Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane as well as their attorneys were all subjected to a dangerous situation outside the courthouse following a hearing last month.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Kueng says there was no recognizable plan in place in advance of the hearing to ensure their safety and orderly entry. He adds Chauvin -- who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes -- was subjected to "humiliation by being paraded in public dressed in jail clothes and body armor."

Kueng, who says the other cops have filed similar motions to move the trial, says they were also harassed going in and out of the courthouse. As we reported ... the ex-cops were met by angry protesters when they left court.

Kueng claims Thao, in particular, was followed for several blocks by jeering protesters when he left court. He also claims Lane was physically assaulted.

Well, THAT didn't take long.

Doc Rivers is back on an NBA bench just days after leaving the L.A. Clippers ... agreeing to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The longtime L.A. coach mutually parted ways with the Clips earlier this week ... after a disappointing exit from the playoffs.

Rivers addressed the exit in a statement, saying, "While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won't be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support."

Rivers made it clear he wasn't ready to hang up his tie just yet ... and while an official announcement has yet to be made, it's only a matter of time.

Rivers -- who has posted a 943-681 record as a head coach -- beat out huge names like Mike D'Antoni and Ty Lue for the gig ... and is taking on a team with a ton of talent.

The Sixers have been hoping to get back into the Finals for years ... and now they got a guy who has won it all.

Harry Potter fans in Scotland waited at a train station for hours just to catch a glimpse of the rare "Hogwarts Express" ... and when it came by, another train blocked the view!!!

The hilarious moment was captured on video ... and you see the "Hogwarts Express" for a split second before a passing ScotRail train completely steals the show.

The famous train from the Harry Potter books and movies was traveling south through Scotland en route to its winter base, with tons of families camping out at train stations across the country for the rare sighting.

This unlucky lot, though, waited in vain at Drumry station. Talk about the wrong side of the tracks!

Too bad no one knew any magic spells to make the commuter train disappear. Oh well, there's always next year, kids!

Tim Allen and his good buddy Richard Karn are providing a sweet dose of nostalgia for '90s kids ... filming together again for a show they'll co-host together.

The "Home Improvement" stars are working together again for the competition show "Assembly Required" on the History channel. Richard was so excited about the reunion, he posted a pic. If you have any doubts about how much fans wanna see 'em back together -- it racked up nearly 20,000 likes in just a few minutes!

Tim might have given just a smirk for the pic, but he's been excited about this since back in August when he announced they were gonna be doing the show. As he put it then, "I created a competition show with @History and my old buddy @TheRichardKarn to challenge the people who love to get stuff done!"

The series -- which doesn't have a premiere date yet -- will feature builders from across the country who are tasked to fix all kinds of household items.

For those of you too young ... Tim and Richard's "Home Improvement" was a hit sitcom on ABC from 1991 to 1999. Since then, Richard has guest-starred on Tim's "Last Man Standing" -- but this new series is the closest we've come to a "Home Improvement" reboot.

Nicki Minaj is a first-time mom ... she and husband Kenneth Petty have welcomed their new child to the world!

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Nicki gave birth Wednesday in L.A. We don't know the baby's name or sex.

As you know ... Nicki announced her pregnancy back in July, posting a series of photos showing her looking at least 6 months along and captioning one post, "#Preggers." She did the photoshoot with famed photographer David LaChappelle.

Nicki's planned to become a mom for quite some time ... remember, last September she claimed she was retiring from the rap game to start a family. She eventually got back into music but also got married to her childhood friend.

Kenneth was right alongside Nicki when she gave birth.

Congrats to both parents. The barbs have someone new to fawn over.

A pro cyclist has been booted off his racing team indefinitely ... and the squad's honchos say it's all because the dude got into an aggressive Twitter exchange over opinions on Donald Trump.

Here's the deal ... 19-year-old Quinn Simmons -- a rising star in cycling -- commented on a Dutch journalist's social media post Wednesday, showing his support for POTUS.

In the original post (which has since been deleted) ... the journalist wrote, "If you follow me and support Trump, you can go. There is zero excuse to follow or vote for the vile, horrible man.”

Simmons responded by writing, "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving. The cyclist later told a commenter "That's right" after the person had called him a "Trumper."

Turns out, Simmons' racing team -- Trek-Segafredo -- didn't like the exchange one bit ... and hit him with an indefinite ban.

But, the team says the punishment was NOT for Simmons' pro-Trump political views ... but rather, they say they just didn't like the way he went about expressing them.

"He was suspended for engaging in conversation on Twitter in a way that we felt was conduct unbefitting a Trek athlete," the team said in a statement.

Added the team's manager, Luca Guercilena ... "We hold all Trek staff and management to a high ethical standard and our athletes are no exception."

For his part, Simmons released a statement on it all ... writing, "As an American rider, I have always been proud to represent my country. Riding for an American team has been a lifelong dream. A big reason I chose this team was because of the American values behind it."

Simmons continued, "To those who found the color of the emoji racist, I can promise that I did not mean for it to be interpreted that way. I would like to apologize to everyone who found this offensive as I strongly stand against racism in any form."