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Craig Mack knew he was dying, at least for several months, from congestive heart failure ... according to his close friend, Erick Sermon.

The '90s MC broke the news Tuesday -- hours after Craig passed away in South Carolina -- telling us the "Flava in Ya Ear" rapper had only 25% of his heart working in his final months.

As we reported, the coroner would only say Craig had died of natural causes ... so, Sermon, shed more light on Craig's final days. He says the Bad Boy Records pioneer had called his closest friends -- including Erick and Biz Markie -- 6 months ago to tell them what he was battling, but didn't want them to see him in his frail condition.

Erick says Craig maintained his personality, though ... they eventually hooked up and even recorded some music, and shot a documentary before he died.

#RIP

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik are each back on the market ... because their 2-year relationship is over.

The couple reportedly ended their relationship earlier this month, and Zayn confirmed it Tuesday ... saying, "Gigi and I had an incredibly meaningful, loving and fun relationship and I have a huge amount of respect and adoration for Gigi as a woman and a friend."

They'd been on a brief break, just for a few days, in 2016 -- and Zayn addressed the fact this split had made it to the rumor mill, saying, "We wish this news could have come from us first. We love you all."

Gigi followed up with her own statement 12 minutes later.

Gigi and Zayn were never shy about sharing their relationship on social media.

Last time we saw Zayn leaving Gigi's apartment, he was in a pretty good mood. One thing's for sure ... he's gonna have a hard time forgetting her eyes ... since they're apparently tatted on his chest!

Julie Bowen's estranged husband wants her to pay up in their divorce case.

Scott Phillips filed legal docs and said he wants her to pay spousal support. That could be a hefty payout for Scott if he gets it -- Julie is reportedly making $500k per episode on "Modern Family" for seasons 9 and 10.

In the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Scott said he also wants joint physical and legal custody of their 3 kids. But the biggy here is spousal support.

The "Modern Family" star is raking in tons of dough off the show, and there's also endorsement deals, including from Neutrogena. Forbes estimated she made about $10 million in 2016, alone.

TMZ broke the story ... Julie called it quits with her husband of 13 years when she filed for divorce back in February. As we reported ... their relationship had been on the rocks for some time.

Donald Trump will be rubbing elbows with his supporters in one of the ritziest gated communities in Southern California.

TMZ has learned the fundraiser will go down at the home of Ed Glazer, the owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He lives in the super exclusive Beverly Park community in Beverly Hills.

Our sources say it was first billed as a "victory party" but later changed to a fundraiser.

Glazer has commissioned a company to install tents for the occasion -- a 40x50, a 40x40 and a 10x15. There are 64 guests who are invited for the event which will be held sometime between 5 and 10 PM.

The price of admission ... minimum $35,000 per person, with a top price of $250,000.

Nikolas Cruz could be put to death by the state of Florida, if he's found guilty for the slaying of the 17 victims in Parkland.

Prosecutors announced Tuesday they will be seeking the death penalty in the case. In new docs, they call the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel" ... as well as "cold, calculated and premeditated."

Also in the docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say they want to pick the mental health expert to evaluate Cruz -- that's presuming the defense raises his mental health as a mitigating factor in the crime.

The woman accusing Trey Songz of beating her senseless alleged the singer hit her so hard he gave her a concussion and she vomited ... and she wants an apology.

The woman, named Andrea Buera, gave a tearful news conference Tuesday flanked by her attorney, Lisa Bloom, and spoke publicly for the first time and in more detail about the alleged incident she claims went down over NBA All-Star Weekend in L.A.

Andrea -- who said she's known Trey for about 3 years -- said there were others who stood and watched as Trey allegedly beat her to the point he gave her a concussion. She wants those witnesses to come forward, and she wants an apology from Trey.

Bloom said an investigator allegedly hired by Trey has also gone after Andrea's family and she wants that to stop. Bloom added they've not filed a civil suit but it is possible.

We broke the story ... Trey and the woman were at a Hollywood Hills party when the singer allegedly struck her in the face repeatedly because she was talking to another man.

The woman -- who hired Bloom and went to court to get a restraining order against Trey -- claims he hit her with such force it was as if 2 men were fighting. She also claimed he choked her and threw 2 of her cell phones down a hill when she tried calling an Uber.

When Nas and Kelis go to war, their lawyers jump right in also ... according to Kelis, who says Nas' attorney is calling hers a "dick."

Of course, the exes have an ongoing dispute over their child and she just filed docs, obtained by TMZ, which describe a deposition for which she recently sat. Things apparently got very heated ... and Kelis says Nas' lawyer called her attorney a "fattie" and a "dick."

Kelis' attorney, Navid Moshtael, says he's used to being called names -- he's a lawyer, after all -- but says this is the first time it's come from an "experienced attorney" in front of clients and on the record.

Imagine the transcriber's fingers flying during the argument.

Tori Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, aren't letting a couple police visits and a possible mental breakdown ruin their love life, especially when cameras are rolling.

Tori and Dean were spotted filming a scene Monday in Malibu for what we're told is a 'Sharknado' TV spot -- perhaps as a teaser for 'Sharknado 6,' which comes out this summer.

Aside from shooting off a fake laser gun with Tara Reid, Ian Ziering and Vivica A. Fox ... Tori and Dean got recorded doing a smokin' hot makeout sesh scene in front of a trailer.

The smooch seems to be a good sign all's well in the McDermott/Spelling household. He did just call cops twice this month to check on Tori ... once for what he called a mental breakdown and another after Tori apparently took off with one of their 7 kids.

Attorney Shawn Holley, a member of O.J. Simpson's "Dream Team" that got him acquitted of double murder, says she was disturbed by Simpson's interview with Judith Regan, but it doesn't necessarily mean he committed the crime.

Holley, who worked for Johnnie Cochran during the trial, was a key member of the defense team. She says O.J. isn't stupid, and the only way he would have agreed to such an interview is if he spoke hypothetically and assumed the character of the murderer. She says he was told to behave in a certain way during the interview and he did that.

She admits its super weird for O.J. to assume the character of the man who murdered his ex-wife.

Holley says, at the time she and Johnnie represented Simpson, they believed in his innocence. As for whether her view is now shaken ... well, watch what she says.

Tim McGraw is going to be making some big lifestyle changes in response to his onstage collapse in Dublin ... at least, that's what he told us as he arrived back in America.

Tim and Faith Hill touched down at JFK Airport Monday night, and he looked no worse for wear after cutting short his Sunday night concert. As we told you ... Tim fell to his knees before getting escorted off the stage. Faith said he was "super dehydrated."

Sounds like he agrees with Doc Hill's diagnosis -- Tim told us he'll be doing less flying for a while. Good timing for that change, because the country super couple has a break in their tour dates until May.

The 50-year-old singer has a famously fit bod, but he told us something's gotta give after his health crisis, and -- brace yourself, McGraw fans -- it might be his time in the gym.

Bow Wow CAN'T BELIEVE he beat Lonzo Ball in a 3-point shooting contest -- even if he only won 1 game out of 3 -- bragging that he out-shot an NBA star without any training and a weed habit!

"It's the fact that I don't train, I smoke weed, and I make music, and I act. I don't got no time to be training. So the fact that I beat him one time means a lot."

Bow Wow (aka Shad Moss -- aka Calvin Cambridge from "Like Mike") was leaving Poppy in L.A. with his crew when we asked how the shooting contest with Lonzo happened in the first place.

"Lonzo Ball came to Atlanta (to play the Hawks). They blew us out and we got the word that Lonzo and the Lakers were in (a nearby nightclub) and I said, 'Yo, bring 'em to the studio.'"

Bow Wow has a full basketball court in the studio ... so when Zo showed up, they decided to have a best of 3 shooting contest.

"He won two games. I won one," Bow Wow bragged.

FYI, Lonzo Ball should have CRUSHED all three games ... and Bow Wow knows it.

But, Zo will have a shot at redemption -- Bow Wow says he has love and respect for Ball and would gladly offer a rematch.

So ... Zo -- you down?

11:19 AM PT -- Diddy just released a statement on Mack's passing, saying, "Craig Mack, you were the first artist to release music on Bad Boy and gave us our first hit. You always followed your heart and you had an energy that was out of this world.

You believed in me and you believed in Bad Boy. I will never forget what you did for hip-hop. You inspired me, and I will continue to try to keep inspiring others. We will always love you." #badboy4life #ripcraigmack

Craig Mack, the '90s rap star who helped put Diddy's Bad Boy Records on the map, died at his home in South Carolina of natural causes ... TMZ has learned.

The "Flava in Ya Ear" rapper was living in Walterboro, SC, where he'd joined a church and committed himself to his religion. His former producer, Alvin Toney, told the Daily News he'd seen him for the last time last week while filming a documentary on Craig's new life.

Mack, along with Notorious B.I.G., was the first rap superstar for Diddy's young label in the '90s. He was born on Long Island, but got his break by freestyling over a Mary J. Blige track for Diddy.

He was one of few Bad Boy Records artists who did not join the huge reunion tour a couple years ago. Craig was already committed to his new life in the South Carolina church by then.

Mack's huge 1994 hit, 'Flava,' earned him a Best Rap Solo Grammy nomination, although he lost to Queen Latifah. No shame in that game.

Craig was 47.

RIP to kicking mad flava in ya ear ... Mack was a brand new flava in ya ear.

Farrah Abraham on all four is par for the course ... except not in front of hundreds of peeps at a fashion show. Somewhere, a casting director's light bulb probably just flashed.

The former 'Teen Mom' star, her daughter Sophia and a bunch of her friends hit up The MacArthur Monday night for the Art Hearts Fashion show in L.A. All seemed to be going as planned ... everyone looking to the nines. Then Farrah started trippin' ... literally.

Farrah took a hard spill walking up the stairs ... and judging from everyone's sheer shock, Farrah went down hard and fast. Hard to tell ... but looks like the culprit coulda been her shoelaces. And when you're Farrah, you've apparently got friends in low places ... who can come down and tighten those shoelaces.

Just when ya thought it was safer to walk, right?

"American Idol" producers have a tricky way of keeping tabs on contestants looking to sneak out of their rooms to bang other contestants ... according to former 'Idol' contestant Jackie Tohn.

We got Jackie, who was on season 8, Monday night at the Hollywood Improv, and she had a flashback when we told the new 'Idol' contestants have been hooking up like crazy.

Jackie says back in her day, producers put a simple piece of tape to good use. You gotta see her break down the strategy used to make sure 'Idol' hopefuls were working on music, and not each other. Hint: Don't break the seal!

Lil Wayne and Birdman's run-in at LIV Nightclub was nothing out of the ordinary, at least for them, because they've been working on burying the hatchet for months ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the former Cash Money duo tell us the $51 million lawsuit between them is still very much on, but they've managed to separate that from their personal relationship. As our source put it, "They're family and that's bigger than money."

We're told they've talked several times over the past few months, and although it's no longer the father-son relationship they used to have, they ARE making an attempt to squash the beef.

As for Sunday night's embrace at LIV -- Wayne had a section reserved downstairs, while Birdman was upstairs. Neither knew the other was there until DJ Stevie J shouted them out.

Birdman's son, Bryan Jr., came down and said "hello" to Weezy first, before Wayne stopped by Birdman's table where they hugged it out.

Brielle Biermann is scared of her own freakin' shadow ... so excuse her for getting a gun on her birthday to protect herself, which she says there's NOTHING wrong with, so long as you're smart about it.

We got Kim Zolciak's daughter at LAX Monday and asked her about her 21st birthday gift last month. As we reported ... Brielle got a brand new customized Glock 43 complete with a rose gold slide. Perfect timing since she's moving out on her own.