RIP

Trailblazing West Coast rapper Saafir has died, according to his former groupmate Xzibit, who carried the weight of the world breaking the tough news to fans on Tuesday.

Xzibit says Saafir passed away at 8:45 AM today, and our sources tell us he died in his Oakland hometown.

The Bay Area staple had been pestered by health problems for years -- he even had a cancerous tumor removed from his spine -- and he eventually started using a wheelchair.

Diddy's sons are waging their own legal battle now, warning the man who's hawking a Kim Porter book -- allegedly based on her diary -- to shut it down or face a lawsuit.

Christian and Quincy Combs, fired off a cease and desist letter to a guy named Courtney Burgess and his attorney Ariel Mitchell over "Kim Porter Tell It All ('Tell It All')" ... a book currently sold online under the pseudonym Jamal Millwood.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, the Combs bros say they became the rightful heirs and owners of Kim's intellectual property rights following her death in November 2018 ... and therefore her purported diary entries belong to them.

Alec Baldwin’s Western flick "Rust" has been tangled in controversy ever since Halyna Hutchins' on-set death 3 years ago ... but it's finally getting its moment 'cause people are scrambling for tickets to the world premiere.

The movie’s dropping Wednesday at Poland’s EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival -- but when tickets went live for festival-goers early Tuesday morning, the system crashed from all the crazy demand.

Shortly after 8 AM in Poland, a message popped up on the site saying, "The Camerimage portal is currently undergoing system maintenance." By around 8:35 AM, The Hollywood Reporter says some users were able to get back on and grab their tickets.

Chicago Bulls legend Bob Love has passed away following a battle with cancer, the team announced. He was 81 years old.

"Bob is one of the original Bulls greats," Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago Bulls chairman, said in a statement. "During his nine seasons with the Bulls, Bob became a cornerstone of the franchise, and his tenacious defense set high standards for competition and toughness."

"Toughness was not only a trademark of Bob’s play on the court, but also apparent in his resiliency throughout his basketball career."

Late Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's Florida estate is up for sale ... TMZ has learned.

Tim's waterfront mansion hit the market Friday ... and it's listed for $3.3 million.

Tim lived in the 4-bedroom home in Indian Harbour Beach, FL when he died from brain cancer.

John Stamos is mourning the loss of a dear friend ... announcing the heartbreaking news on social media Monday.

The "Full House" alum posted a poignant tribute to his pal, Mike Owen, who he said he's been friends with since he was just 11 years old.

Stamos said he learned of Mike's passing in a text from his friend's brother ... sharing he was on a flight to Detroit when he received the news.

Prince's sister Tyka Nelson suffered congestive heart failure when she died ... but authorities say her heart was also weakened by substance abuse.

The Minnesota Dept. of Health issued Tyka's death certificate, which lists cardiac arrest as the primary cause of death, and congestive heart failure as the secondary cause.

According to her death certificate, the 64-year-old singer and songwriter suffered cardiac arrest about 45 minutes before she was pronounced dead. She'd also battled non-ischemic cardiomyopathy -- a general term for abnormal heart function -- for more than 4 months.

Paul Teal, famous for his work on "One Tree Hill," died 7 months after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer ... TMZ has learned.

The actor's fiancée, Emilia Torello, tells TMZ ... Paul was diagnosed back in April with stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer.

Paul died Friday in a hospital in Raleigh, NC, and Emilia tells us ... "He was the most talented man I’ve ever met. When he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. He was the most diligent and dedicated person. I truly believed with all of my heart that he would come out the other side of this because of those traits. That’s what makes this loss even more tragic."

Renowned Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov is dead after falling from the 5th-floor balcony of a building Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Mariinsky Theatre -- where Vladimir Shklyarov was the highest-ranking dancer -- confirmed the 39-year-old's death ... calling it a huge loss for the entire institution.

Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reports authorities have launched an investigation into Shklyarov's death in St. Petersburg ... but according to the preliminary ruling, the fall was an accident.

Queen Camilla is mourning the loss of a longtime companion ... her beloved dog Beth has died.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the sad news on Monday on X ... sharing the rescue pup, a Jack Russell Terrier, had passed away.

Alongside several photos of the Queen Consort and Beth, the royal family's official X account announced the "sad farewell."

Mike Newman -- the star of “Baywatch” who passed away last month after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease -- received a touching send-off from those close to him ... a paddle out held in his honor.

Matthew Felker -- the director behind the Hulu docuseries “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” -- helped make the event happen ... and, check out the photo. It’s a fitting tribute to someone who spent so long acting near the water.

We’re told Newman’s costar David Chokachi -- the actor who played Cody Madison in more than 80 episodes of the show during the later ‘90s -- also came to pay his respects to Mike.

Dolly Parton's brother, David, has died ... this according to their sister -- who paid tribute to him on social media.

Stella Parton announced the sad news via X Friday ... saying her wonderful brother had passed away -- adding it's never easy to lose a loved one, but she knows David is now at peace.

The Farrar Funeral Home in White Pine, Tennessee posted his obituary to their website ... confirming he passed away peacefully at home. No cause of death was included.

Malcolm X's family is going after the federal government in a new lawsuit ... alleging the feds played a key role in the civil rights leader's 1965 assassination.

Three of Malcolm X's daughters filed the suit Friday on their own behalf and on behalf of his estate, claiming the CIA, FBI, DOJ and NYPD all participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy behind their father's shooting death.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the family claims these agencies also engaged in a decades-long coverup after Malcolm was gunned down on February 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan.

Jim Carrey's older sister Rita has died ... this according to her husband of 16 years, Alex.

Rita's husband posted the update on Facebook Friday morning, where he shared the radio personality passed away "peacefully and quietly" on Thursday.

As he continued, Rita's husband remembered her as his "bestest friend," "lover" and "beautiful wife."

Diddy and Kim Porter's twin daughters are sharing an emotional tribute on the anniversary of their late mother's death ... and they still can't believe she's gone.

D'Lila and Jessie honored Kim with a social media post Friday, saying ... "We can't believe it’s been 6years without you. We think about you every single second of the day. We love and miss you so much words can’t even explain."

Diddy's family is obviously going through a lot as he sits in jail in New York awaiting his criminal trial, and the twins say they wish Kim was here with them, but know her "spirit will be around forever!!"

Liam Payne sought out the hotel employee accused of delivering him drugs very shortly before his death ... and their interaction is captured in this newly discovered surveillance footage.

TMZ exclusively obtained the video showing Liam briefly stepping out of an elevator in the basement of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires... chatting with one of the 3 people charged in connection with his death.

Our sources at the hotel tell us the staffer who shakes hands and chats with Liam in the video is Ezequiel David Pereyra ... a bellboy at the hotel who police say delivered drugs to Liam in a soap box. While police have not yet confirmed it's Pereyra in this video, we know they have the footage.