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The Nashville bomber made a game out of his terror plot ... he not only amplified his 15-minute warning to authorities, he wanted the area to reverberate with a classic song that has a connection to the area.

Authorities and others in the area heard the song, "Downtown" by Petula Clark blaring from the RV that eventually exploded, wreaking havoc in Nashville's downtown area.

A police spokesperson who clearly was unfamiliar with the song by butchering the singer's name -- he's got an excuse because he's too young to know the tune -- said the song is all about shining lights and such.

As we reported, authorities are looking at a person of interest ... 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner, who had an RV that looked just like the one that exploded and has not been seen since the bombing. He's also the right age to know the song, which became a massive hit in 1964.

There's another verse -- the opening one, actually -- that could be more telling ... "When you're alone and life is making you lonely you can always go, downtown."

Ace Hood -- one of DJ Khaled's former artists -- was given an awesome Christmas gift to celebrate his success since going fully independent ... and it comes courtesy of his wife, who's got the perfect way to explain it.

The Florida-based rapper was greeted with custom commemorative plaques from his wife, Shelah Marie, on Christmas Day ... which she documented from her camera. She had them made special for him, as they account for the millions of streams he's racked up since leaving the grasp of Universal Music Group and all its subsidiaries (including We the Best).

Shelah writes, "When @acehood was last on a major recording label they were excellent about celebrating wins. Ace has so many plaques in the house from that era. Since Ace went independent, he hasn’t received any plaques for his projects. Ace is too damn talented not to have his flowers while he can smell them."

She goes on to explain that the plaques honor his first two independent projects -- 'Trust the Process' and 'Trust the Process II: Undefeated' -- while adding, "because in this house we don’t wait on the validation we want — we give it ourselves. I love you @acehood."

You can tell how much it meant to Ace ... he was damn near tearing up as he unpacked the sweet gift. It's also symbolic of how tough independent artists have it if they're not part of the massive machine that is a major record label. Not only do you not get formally recognized anymore ... but most albums ya might put out afterward get dubbed "mixtapes."

Taylor Swift's status in Nashville just took a hit ... she's been bumped from one of Music City's landmark attractions, and replaced by Brad Paisley.

Taylor's held court for a while now with some of country's biggest superstars on the iconic mural at Legends Corner on Lower Broadway in Nashville. The mural features 14 icons ... including Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.

But, artist Tim Davis is making some changes ... out with the old and in with the new. The artist reportedly said Taylor's image is being retired and 3 other stars, including Brad, will join the mural. At this point, it's unclear who else will appear on the mural.

The news, of course, did NOT sit well with Swifties. One person tweeted her disgust about the news, saying ... "Nashville really just PAINTED OVER @taylorswift13 in the legends corner mural on Broadway... she is a country music legend and so what if she moved over to different genres?? Confused why they didn't just make the mural bigger."

Mariah Carey's got the world celebrating Christmas like it's 1994 ... her classic song, "All I Want for Christmas is You," just set a record on Spotify.

Her iconic Xmas track on Christmas Eve set the all-time record for the biggest, single-day stream in Spotify history with 17.223 million streams, according to Chart Data which provides daily music stats from various sources.

Needless to say ... Mariah woke up to the news pretty stoked. She tweeted on Christmas Day and said, "I know people think I'm making "coin" (lil secret: artists make very little from streams) but the real reason I'm sitting here in astonishment & gratitude is seeing the joy this little song I wrote brings to people. THANK YOU & MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!"

The track was a smashing success when she dropped it in 1994 as part of her "Merry Christmas" album. While Mariah said artists make very little from streams one thing's for sure ... the track has brought her TONS of coins since its release.

Back in 2017, the song made Mariah a whopping $60 mil. That would be roughly $2.6 million per year. It's unclear if Mariah's hauling in the same amount every year ... but millions worldwide are undoubtedly still hitting play.

After all, it's a classic.

Rowdy Rebel's glowing since his release from prison, and we're not just talking bout his mood -- the diamonds hanging around his neck glow in the dark!!!

The Brooklyn rapper -- one of Bobby Shmurda's homies -- was released from prison last week and, as a gift to himself, purchased this INSANE diamond-encrusted demon chain ... which was ready and waiting fro him moments after getting out.

The demon diamond is the work of none other than NYC's authority on bling ... Eric the Jeweler. The shiny pendant features 50 carats of diamonds and 400 grams of gold ... making this extra shiny gift worth a cool $100k.

You can see when the lights go out ... the chain still commands all the attention thanks to an eye that glows blue in the dark and the inside of the demon's mouth glowing green. Gnarly.

Rowdy was cooking this up while he was on the inside ... we're told he and ETJ talked a lot over the phone, and decided he'd need a sick new pendant to to celebrate his release. The demon was initially sketched by Rowdy.

The rapper was recently seen shining like crazy while wearing the chain in NYC outside the Goose Country Jacket Store. And, with COVID being COVID ... he took no chances and masked up his demon.

He was joking. We think.

Rowdy -- along with Shmurda -- was arrested in 2014. They copped a plea deal to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon. Rowdy got 6 to 7 years in prison and served almost 4 years before getting out on parole.

Ariana Grande's spreading the Xmas joy at home and abroad ... by surprising kids who are spending the holiday at children's hospitals in L.A. and the UK.

The singer, along with her fiance, Dalton Gomez, sent gifts from wish lists at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Over in the UK ... Ariana dished out $135 Amazon gift cards for kids at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Ariana has shown her generosity to families in Manchester following the attack at her concert back in 2017 ... she's visited kids in Manchester hospitals, among other kind gestures.

The staff over at UCLA also got a little something ... they were all treated to pizza!

Kelli Carroll, director of the Chase Child Life program at UCLA, says, "This pandemic may have changed how we do things, but we look for the same result – to alleviate the stresses of hospitalization and bring joy to our kids."  Well, Ariana certainly did her part.

Mountain guitarist and co-founder Leslie West has died.

The band dropped the sad news ... "With a heavy heart, we are saddened to hear about the passing of #Dean Artist and part of the Dean family, Leslie West. [He was] legendary and one of a kind. Rest In Peace."

Leslie went into cardiac arrest at his Florida home and died Monday.

Tributes are pouring in, from the likes of Geezer Butler, Peter Frampton, Tom Morello and Joe Satriani.

West was considered top of the game on guitar ... and he was in awesome company during his heyday ... his contemporaries included Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen.

Leslie was born in '45 in Hackensack, NJ. His first professional band was the Vagrants, which he started ... it was a reasonably successful soul band in the '60s.

In '69, Leslie co-founded Mountain. The group's big break was performing at Woodstock their first year as a band, and it instantly cemented their status.

He's best known for his vocals on the song "Mississippi Queen."

Here's how Leslie described "Mississippi Queen" ... "[it] had just everything you need to make it a winner. You’ve got the cowbell, the riff is pretty damn good, and it sounds incredible. It feels like it wants to jump out of your car radio. To me, it sounds like a big, thick milkshake. It’s rich and chocolatey. Who doesn’t love that?”

Leslie had his health struggles. His leg was amputated in 2011 ... the result of complications from diabetes.

West is survived by his wife, Jenni. He was 75.

John "Ecstasy" Fletcher, who co-founded the legendary hip-hop group Whodini and was known for rocking a Zorro hat like no other, has died.

John's death was announced Wednesday by Questlove, who remembers Fletcher as a "legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip-hop."

John was living in the Atlanta area, and his passing has come as a huge shock to close friends. So far, no cause of death has been announced by the family.

Together with Jalil Hutchins, John formed Whodini in Brooklyn way back in 1982 before DJ Grandmaster Dee joined in 1986 to form an iconic trio.

Whodini churned out a bunch of albums and hits, including "Freaks Come Out at Night," "Friends" and "The Haunted House of Rock."

The group earned the Hip Hop Icon Award at the 3rd Annual Black Music Honors in 2018 ... and Ice Cube's "Friday" movies often referenced Whodini songs like 'Friends' and 'Freaks.'

John, who provided the vocals with Jalil, was known for his trademark hat which helped him become one of rap's first sex symbols.

Whodini, managed by Russell Simmons during their 80s heyday, was one of the earliest acts to combine rap with rock, and they were the first to perform live with b-boy dancers. Their sound heavily influenced the launch of the New Jack Swing sound.

John's death is sending shockwaves through the music industry, with many artists posting pictures of him and sharing memories.

Cube thanked him for "showing us how to do it" and Jermaine Dupri says, "Ex you know I love you thank you for every word, every conversation, every good time."

Rapper Q-Tip remembered John as "one of the most under appreciated voices in hip hop" and LL Cool J says he's "one of the most important people in this culture to me.

Chuck D's also paying homage ... recalling the time John mentored him in the summer of 1987 and was always there to reassure him advice and tips.

Ecstasy was 56.

Travis Scott is making sure kids in his old neighborhood have a safe and happy holiday ... hooking them up with toys, Christmas trees, food and more.

His Travis Scott x Cactus Jack Foundation held a holiday toy drive Tuesday at Sunnyside Park in Houston -- where Travis grew up -- giving away 2,000 toys to 1,000 elementary school students.

Travis' foundation really put the "drive" in toy drive. In order to keep it COVID-safe ... families, residents and school teachers drove through for the free toys, food, blankets, PPE gear and yes, even Christmas trees.

Sounds like no expense was spared ... the toys were from Mattel, and local celeb hot spot Turkey Leg Hut provided the free grub. Travis also had a special little helper, Stormi was there to make sure things were running without a hitch.

2,000 folks chowed down on the grub ... Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Reps. Al Green and Sheila Jackson attended, along with a couple City Council members.

Santa Scott!!!

21 Savage surprised a bunch of kids and their families when he played secret Santa ... giving them exactly what they wanted from their Christmas wish lists.

The rapper and his Leading By Example Foundation hooked up over 30 kids from the Wade Walker Park Family YMCA in DeKalb County, GA for some much-needed relief and joy.

Lorna Loh, the Executive Director at that YMCA, tells TMZ ... last week the kids were asked to write letters to Santa with their wish lists. Unbeknownst to the kiddos -- and their families -- the YMCA staff went on a shopping spree and bought everything on their lists ... courtesy of 21 Savage and the foundation.

Some of the most popular items requested were LOL surprise dolls, Legos and Hot Wheels. The kids who benefited are in the YMCA's virtual learning program ... many of whom are on financial assistance, so you know this gesture went a long way.

Then, on Monday, parents brought the kids to the YMCA where the surprise was revealed. The kids were stunned, to say the least. Parents also got a surprise ... the foundation provided each of them with 12 lb. turkeys along with the sides and trimmings for a true Christmas feast.

Yes, social distancing was practiced similar to Prince Jackson's shopping spree.

21 Savage was not at the occasion but his presence certainly was felt. He's also no stranger to the YMCA -- last Thanksgiving he was there to serve 300 Thanksgiving meals to needy families.

How does Blueface prepare for a lunch date with singer Coi Leray? He wings it!!! (Ba-dum-tss).

The "Respect My Cryppin'" rapper and "Slide" singer hit up Harold's Chicken in Hollywood last weekend and appeared to be digging each other's company on this lunch date.

We're told no one else was at the chicken joint, made famous in Chi-Town, so the celebs had no interruptions. Good thing, because they appeared to be in a very flirty mood.

No shocker on what they ate ... we're told they chowed down on a plate of chicken. It's Harold's, after all. If these crazy kids end up a couple ... add them to the list of rising power couples. Coi's enjoyed recent success as a singer with huge collaborations that include tracks with rappers Gunna and Fetty Wap.

In fact ... just a few months ago Coi's "Slide" music video featuring Gunna dropped, and so far it's racked up 5 million-plus views.

Too Short and E-40 played their classic tracks, put down some classic dancing and told classic stories -- so yeah, the last "Verzuz" of 2020 was a West Coast classic.

The Bay Area rap legends acknowledged their longstanding friendship from "BR" -- before rap, as 40 puts it -- but then went at each other in a tight competition. As with most "Verzuz" battles ... the online debate about a winner was fierce.

Too Short played hits like "Freaky Tales," "Life Is...Too $Hort," "I'm a Player," "Buy You Some'" and "Blow the Whistle."

E-40 brought it with "U and Dat," "Captain Save A Hoe," "I Got 5 On It" (Remix), "Yay Area," and "Hope I Don't Go Back."

Both were sipping on drinks throughout the night which, for E-40 at least, meant it was time to do some dancing -- hilariously entertaining.

As TMZ first reported ... the stage setup featured 2 classic lowrider whips behind each MC, and they also repped for the Bay with street signs for their hometowns of Oakland and Vallejo.

So, the consensus is E-40 hit hard early on in the battle, but Short put together a 2nd half streak of bangers -- as for who won overall?

Dionne Warwick is getting her wish ... Teyana Taylor wants to play the iconic singer on the small screen in a potential series!!!

Here's the deal ... Dionne's latest Twitter fun involved pitching Netflix on a series about her life and career, and she made clear she would only want to see Teyana cast as her. Next thing ya know ... the 2 singers were hashing it out.

Our sources tell us Dionne reached out to Karen Civil, a member of Teyana's team, and Karen connected them by phone. We're told DW and TT spoke for a while about Dionne's biographical series ideas, and Teyana expressed her desire to play the part.

Teyana not only wants to play the starring role, we're also told she and DW discussed producing the series through TT's production company, "The Aunties Production."

With Teyana on board, our sources say Dionne and her son, Damon, feel like TT is just like family now.

For now, we're told Netflix has expressed interest in a potential series ... but Dionne's fam is still working out logistics. Recruiting Teyana was their first priority, though.

If it comes to fruition, it will be a milestone for both women: Producing-wise for Teyana, and for Dionne ... her first biopic series.

Where's Maury Povich when ya need him? Lil Pump's probably hearing him in his head, 'cause TMZ's learned the rapper is NOT the father of the baby he claimed was his. Let us explain.

Earlier this week, Pump posted a pic -- taken last Sunday on a yacht in Miami -- holding a baby boy. Cute and nothing out of the ordinary ... except the caption shocked his 17 million followers: "Baby momma ain’t s**t won’t let me see my son #fathers right."

That created a big stir on social media, and in the hip-hop world ... with several outlets reporting Lil Pump had disclosed he was a father for the first time, and was dealing with baby mama drama.

But, as MJ put it ... the kid is not his son!!! Sources tell TMZ the baby boy is actually the son of Andre Malek, a yacht captain who operates charters in Miami.

We're told the baby boy's known for taking pictures with celebs and hot women who hire his dad.

Hell, Andre's son even has his own Instagram account ... @CaptainAdorable305.

Earlier this year he took a pic with Cuba Gooding Jr. and the pic was captioned, "This not what I meant when I asked for some OJ...😅🙈."

"Verzuz" is pulling out all the stops for its 2020 finale, and when Too Short and E-40 hit the stage it'll look like a full-fledged arena concert ... proving how much of a cash cow the show's become.

The Bay Area icons will face off on a soundstage in NorCal that will reflect the nearly $500,000 budget for this single event ... according to sources involved in the production.

TMZ obtained a blueprint of the stage setup for 40 and Short, and you can tell Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Apple are thinking big.

We're told the MCs will be surrounded by concert-style lighting and some expensive props -- 2 classic old school cars will be on stage behind each of them. Makes sense, both Short and 40 have told us their battle will be an homage to the Bay's hip-hop scene.

Our sources say Apple -- which is now streaming all the "Verzuz" episodes -- realizes how much of a cultural phenomenon the show is, and they're spending like it.

In fact, Short and 40 almost squared off at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Campus, but due to COVID safety concerns, the show had to be moved.

Unlike Jeezy and Gucci Mane, the Oakland legends are longtime friends who come into the "Verzuz" beef-free. However, when they came on "TMZ Live," it was very clear they're both playing to win.

Too Short and E-40 don't want you to get it twisted ... they're buddy-buddy now, but there's gonna be plenty of smack talk leading up to and during their rap battle ... and it's already heating up.

The Bay Area rappers joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday ahead of their highly-anticipated matchup on "Verzuz," and we asked them if they're really going to keep it friendly during Saturday's match.

Short and 40 say don't let their chummy attitudes fool you ... they're coming out swinging. In fact, each of 'em threw a jab or 2 while we were talking to them.

Remember ... this week in Bev Hills, Too Short made it sound like it was going to be all love between them -- and nothing like the beef-fueled "Verzuz" Gucci Mane and Jeezy put down.

But, now, as they get close to game time ... their competitive juices are flowing.