After lukewarm reception to 2014's Hood Billionaire, Rick Ross returns more forthright than before on eighth album Black Market, released Friday. With a stacked guest list featuring John Legend, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige, his latest arrives at the tail-end of a trying year for the hip-hop mogul, who was jailed this summer on charges of kidnapping and assault, and whose on-and-off engagement to model Lira Galore became TMZ fodder.
Rozay called USA TODAY to chat about new music, the Drake and Meek Mill "beef," and why he shares our obsession with Adele:
What sets Market apart: "It's definitely a more personal album," Ross, 39, says. The music is inspired in part by his relationships, prison time and subsequent house arrest this past year. "All of those things came in a place where we created music and I just took advantage of the time that I had to myself." It also sounds more cohesive than past efforts, he says. "I love the way the music feels, just opening the album with Free Enterprise, and by the time you get to Silk Road, you appreciate the silky, soulful sound."
Most personal songs: "When I hear Free Enterprise, I think about when I wrote that record on a small piece of paper and a pen I wasn't supposed to have in county jail," Ross says. "That's followed by me sitting in the cell, pondering what means most to me, which is family, and the head of that is my mother. So I followed that with the record Smile, Mama, Smile. I tried to lay the records down in the same format that they came to me."
Throwing shade at Drake: On new single Color Money, the rapper appears to take a jab at Drake, who publicly feuded this summer with Meek Mill, an artist on Ross' Maybach Music Group label and Nicki Minaj's boyfriend. (The lyric: "My lil’ homie made a million on his girl tour / We back to back and down to whack a (expletive) unborn ... So run, Forrest, got some shooters and they dying, too / I got more money than that (expletive) that you’re signed to.”) Asked about speculation that he's dissing Drake, Ross says, "It's supposed to wake the streets up — it was never about me taking sides. I am (Maybach Music Group). I'm only on one side. Color Money is doing exactly what it's supposed to do: talk to the streets and the real G's."
Why ghostwriting can be OK: Mill's beef with Drake started when he accused the Toronto rapper of using ghostwriters, which has since reopened the conversation about MCs writing their own rhymes. It's a topic that Ross addresses on Market cutGhostwriter, in which he asserts his status as one of hip-hop's most prolific ghostwriters for other artists. "I feel, personally, at the end of the day, it's about the music — it's never been about credit of being a writer," Ross says. "The reasonGhostwriter was created was because it was such a right-now topic." As for rappers he's ghostwritten songs for, he won't name names. "I always just keep it real broad. I respect the artists that I work with and their privacy. I've never needed any validation or outside credit other than the artist just respecting me for coming up with some dope (expletive)."
He loves Adele, too: Shortly after Adele released comeback single Hello last month, Ross surprised hip-hop fans with his own remix of the scorching ballad.Since her 2011 album 21, "she gave me a lot of time to miss her voice, and when I heard Hello, I was like, 'This is a powerful record,' " Ross says. "I remember being in the studio that night and I said, 'Yo, let's pull it up,' and I jumped on it. I'm a huge fan and I love Adele music and I'm just sending love her way." Of course, Ross would be down to collaborate and "that was my way of reaching out. That's how the Boss reach out." As for her impressive sales of more than 4 million since Nov. 20, "it most definitely speaks volumes about her caliber as an artist and the role she plays and the crowd she entertains. She's a powerful figure with a beautiful voice and beautiful music."
Head Coach Sunday Oliseh has invited 23 players, including USA –based Obafemi Martins and six home –based professionals, for the Super Eagles’ 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against Swaziland.
The two –legged fixture will take place over four days next month,November, with the first leg in Lobamba on Friday, November 13 and the return leg at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, November 17.
Six home –based professionals, who all played notable roles in Nigeria’s qualification for the 4th African Nations Championship were also invited.
FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars); Dele Alampasu (Club de Sportivo Feirense, Portugal)
Newly-retired Floyd Mayweather hit the streets with hundreds of thousands of dollars - and could even afford to misplace some on his big night out
With so much time on his hands, newly-retired Floyd Mayweather just doesn’t know what to do.
So after ending his boxing career with a record-equalling 49 wins and no defeats, “Money” as he is known has started redistributing his wealth it seems.
He posted a picture of himself on Instagram carrying armfuls of cash around a nightclub – and there are reports that he even dropped $50,000 at a stripclub on the same night.
Mayweather made $100m from one fight alone – against Manny Pacquiao – and although he’s not short of a few bob, the cash-loving fighter might even be open to a rematch as he bids to replace that misplaced wad of cash.
The picture comes not long after Mayweather revealed he had purchased a "supercar" valued at $3.5 million.
Floyd Mayweather enters a nlghtclub armed only with wealth
BOXING: Floyd Mayweather 'dropped $50,000 in a stripclub' after going out with armfuls of cash
The 42-year-old was replaced at Anfield by Jurgen Klopp but not content with being out of work, he is set for a pundit role at Qatari-owned beIN Sports television network Brendan Rodgers has been out of work for just 11 days but the sacked Liverpool manager has already landed a new role - as a TV pundit.
The 42-year-old was shown the door at Anfield following a 1-1 draw with Everton on October 4 and has since been spotted snoozing on an EasyJet flight to Marbella as he takes advantage of his free time.
Rodgers has been linked with an immediate return to football with Tim Sherwood under pressure at Aston Villa but, according to anchor Richard Keys, he is set to join the team at the Qatar-owned beIN Sports network.
Steven Gerrard has revealed what Brendan Rodgers said in the dressing room after the Liverpool captain's infamous slip against Chelsea.
Steven Gerrard admits he thinks about the infamous slip against Chelsea on a daily basis.
And now he has revealed what Brendan Rodgers said in the dressing room at half-time after Demba Ba capitalised on the Liverpool skipper's mistake.
The slip eventually lead to Chelsea winning 2-0 which ultimate cost Liverpool the title.
In his book, My Story, Gerrard recounts what Rodgers said to the rest of the team.
I had been straining the whole half to make something happen, so had Luis (Suarez). Chelsea just kept blunting us. And then I’d slipped. The dressing room was hushed.
“Look,” Brendan said, imploring the other players, “if anyone deserves to be bailed out it’s him.” His finger pointed at me. “Your captain needs you to all pay him back. The amount of times he’s pulled this club out of a mess and changed impossible situations and got players out of trouble are the stuff of legend.
Now it’s time you repay him. You’ve got forty-five minutes to do it.” Brendan looked at me. “Stevie, forget it,” he said. “It happens. Let’s all go out and win this game. We can do it.
While Rodgers ultimately had an underwhelming time in charge of Liverpool, many have come out in support of the Reds' former manager, and this incident gives a glimpse why.
Kobe Bryant has a message for Master P: Enough of the “insensitive” comments about Lamar Odom’s medical crisis.
Bryant posted a statement Thursday afternoon on Twitter, following the hip-hop mogul’s rant that Bryant’s concern about Odom is “phony.”
While Los Angeles Lakers star Bryant didn’t mention Master P by name, it’s pretty obvious who he was talking about.
“When WE feel the need to question the support of others in moments as critical as a life hanging in the balance, then we must question the kind of culture we have created that has led US to such insensitive suspicion,” Bryant tweeted, along with the hashtag #justpray.
The statement came just 12 hours afterTMZposted a video of Master P saying he was “like a mentor” to Odom, and knew that the former Laker wanted to return to the NBA.
“If Kobe was his friend, Kobe like, owned the team. He could’ve got the man back on the team, that’s all he wanted,” Master P said.
“Kobe knows the man was a hell of a player, you can’t take that away from him,” he continued, before saying that Bryant’s visit to the Las Vegas hospital room where Odom clings to life after falling unconscious in a Nevada brothel, was “phony.”
Master P also claimed that Odom was “blackballed” from the NBA over his decision to appear with wife Khloé Kardashian on the E! reality series, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
When the TMZ photographer probed Master P for more details, he said: “I come from the streets, I keep it real.”
Kobe Bryant