Idolator: rick ross

Miami's second annual Rick Ross Be Out Day, ...

Maura Johnston — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:45:00 EDT

Miami's second annual Rick Ross Be Out Day, where the hip-hop heavyweight hands out school supplies to the city's children, was going great... until someone got so excited by Rick Ross being on stage that he started shooting his gun off. One man's in custody, another's at large, and there seem to have been no reported injuries, thanks to people fleeing the scene once the gunfire erputed. [AllHipHop]

This nearly-eight-minute remix of Lloyd's ...

Maura Johnston — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

This nearly-eight-minute remix of Lloyd's "All Around The World" is pretty much an excuse for every MC on the track—The Game, T.I., Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, Pitbull, Ace Hood, Yung Joc, Young Dro, and DJ Khaled—to rap over the "Ashley's Roachclip" beat. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best parts of it are the parts where Lloyd's smooth falsetto from the original version of the track is front and center, although T.I.'s verse isn't all that bad. [XXL]

Feeling blue? Why not visit Rick Ross' Land ...

Maura Johnston — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Feeling blue? Why not visit Rick Ross' Land Of Make Believe, where you can look at your boring old past in a whole new way while visiting the House Of Mirrors—and win a recording contract, even if you put in next to no effort! [The Real]

Was Rick Ross A Prison Guard? Does Anyone Care?

Dan Gibson — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Rick Ross used to sell cocaine, or at least that's the impression you're supposed to get from his music. However, would his career come crashing down if he once worked in law enforcement, the very antithesis of the character behind his recorded exploits? Apparently so. After the rumor had kicked around the rap gossip world a bit, the Smoking Gun uncovered part of Ross' personnel file, with matching Social Security numbers, from the Florida Department of Corrections. In response, Ross sent MTV a freestyle calling out we of the instant entertainment-news business, rapping "Bitch, I'm the boss and I'm laughing at your blogs." Not exactly a denial, but I feel put in my place. Wouldn't it have been easier to claim that his time working in the prison was actually a front for his illegal activities? I'm no expert as far as narcotic credibility goes, but having watched The Wire, I would have found that explanation plausible. [MTV News]

Def Jam To Replace Jay-Z With Evil, Evil Man Who Signed Rick Ross

Anthony Miccio — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT

While he's not going to be the label's new CEO (boss L.A. Reid reclaimed the title after Jay-Z's departure), Shakir Stewart has been named Executive Vice President of Def Jam, which basically makes him Jay-Z's replacement. While he can take credit for signing Ciara to LaFace (where he and Reid began their professional relationship) and signing Beyonce to a publishing contract in 1999, it's believed that the real reason he's being given the promotion is that he's responsible for signing Young Jeezy and Rick Ross to the label. Admittedly, these acts are younger and arguably more successful than the fogies like Nas and the Roots that Jay-Z was responsible for, but I'm pretty damn scared what's going to come from a label run by a guy who takes pride in turning charmless, one-dimensional self-aggrandizement into music-business gold.

"Straight Out The Rarri," a collaboration between Jeezy and Ross, leaked late last year, and it may be the template for the future of Def Jam: It's a bombastic, attention-grabbing track fronted by two minimally talented rappers reaffirming their eternal hardness via lyrical tropes that would have sounded dull on a No Limit album ten years ago. Whether you think Jay-Z was running an artists' colony or a retirement home, he obviously had a desire to push hip-hop as a creative genre with a sense of history. If Stewart's future signings fit with the ones that got him where he is, we should just be grateful if they realize "snitch" rhymes with "bitch."

Jay-Z Replacement Confirmed, Shakir Stewart Named New EVP Of Def Jam [SOHH]
Young Jeezy feat. Rick Ross - Straight Out The Rarri [YouTube]

Rick Ross Makes A Summer Jam With Pharrell? Whuh?

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:30:00 EDT

ARTIST: Rick Ross
SONG TITLE: "Get Down (feat. Pharrell)"
WEB DEBUT: May 27, 2008

ONE-LISTEN VERDICT: A new Rick Ross track? Less than six months since the release of Trilla? Are we sure this is Rick Ross? The lyrics are his usual dick-grabbing swill, but riding Pharrell's beat, it's as easy to ignore Ross' nonsense as it is to ignore Flo Rida's. In fact, as Flo Rida has yet to realize a single with Pharrell, I'm going to pretend this is exactly that. Because if I admit that Rick Ross is capable of not sinking a fun track, I might have to admit that he's not leaving the pop charts any time soon.

WHERE TO HEAR IT: Nah Right, 2DopeBoyz, YouTube, etc.

Tiger Takes A Chunk Out Of Its Trainer On Rick Ross Video Set

Maura Johnston — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:30:00 EDT

A white tiger who was cast in the role of Rick Ross' pet in the formidable MC's new video acted out while on set, biting its trainer on the leg as it was being coaxed out of its cage. The tiger, who was probably lashing out because it's just as confused by Ross' lasting fame as we are, was on the set of the clip for Ross' new single, the Nelly-featuring "Here I Am"—but as the intrepid reporter in the clip above notes, Nelly hadn't yet arrived at the shoot when the attack occurred. Well, thank God for that. (And yes, that clip is from an actual TV "news" show in Florida. Don't worry, I thought it was some sort of pre-video-release viral marketing, too.) [YouTube via Nah Right]

Nope, I Still Don't Get The Whole Rick Ross Thing

Maura Johnston — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:30:00 EDT

Well, it's nice to know that hanging around the lower reaches of the Billboard 200's top 20 for longer than a week or two can still give some people enough delusions to think that they have money to burn. Or at least singe. [YouTube via Nah Right]

Rick Ross Is Making Dollars

Maura Johnston — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:45:25 EDT

Rick Ross is owed an apology. His latest album, Trilla, sold 198,000 copies in its first week on shelves, and it debuted at No. 1 on this week's SoundScan chart, beating out such comers as the always-durable Now collection and the apparently-appealing-to-bloggers-now Snoop Dogg.

Biggest Debuts: Two editions of the Now series had top-20 debuts, with Now 27 selling 169,000 copies and entering at No. 2 and an '80s-themed version of the collection (oh dear God) selling 34,000 copies and debuting at No. 11. Snoop Dogg's Ego Trippin' entered at No. 3 with 137,000 units sold, a slightly disappointing total that made me wonder if his fanbase has shifted over to the "illegal downloaders" side of the fence; Fat Joe's Elephant In The Room debuted at No. 6 after selling 46,000 copies; Hannah Montana/Miley Ray Cyrus' Best Of Both Worlds live album reeled in 34,000 buyers who figured that buying a CD was cheaper than paying thousands of dollars for a ticket; and the Randy Jackson album proved that hyping an album on TV doesn't always translate to sales, as it entered the chart at No. 50 after selling 13,000 copies.

Notable Jumps: OK, what show that I don't watch had a weeper scene scored by OneRepublic songs last week? Not only were sales of Dreaming Out Loud up 52%, enough to propel the album back into the top 20, the total sales of "Apologize" neared the 50,000 mark—not bad for a song that's been out, well, forever. (The follow-up single, "Stop And Stare," also had a 37% digital-track-sales spike, and it's now hovering outside the top 10 on that chart.)

Also, for those of you who were wondering—the one-two punch of being featured during MTV's commercials for The Hills and being featured on Saturday Night Live helped Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut rise all of 2% week-to-week; the album moved 20,000 copies and inched up from No. 26 to No. 25.

Dropping Off: The Black Crowes' Warpaint had a 63% sales plunge, falling from No. 5 to No. 34 and selling 17,000 copies. It's Maxim's fault, isn't it?

Nickelback Award For Inexplicable Durability: In addition to the OneRepublic chart oddness, the freakin' Alvin and the Chipmunks soundtrack somehow experienced a 23% sales gain, selling 26,000 copies and jumping to No. 15. Is this because its parent film is now on the in-flight movie rotation for JetBlue?

This week's top 20, with sales totals in parentheses:
1. Rick Ross, Trilla (198,000)
2. Now 27 (169,000)
3. Snoop Dogg, Ego Trippin' (137,000)
4. Jack Johnson, Sleep Through The Static (55,000)
5. Alan Jackson, Good Time (53,000)
6. Fat Joe, Elephant In the room (46,000)
7. Sara Bareilles, Little Voice (40,000)
8. Janet Jackson, Discipline (38,000)
9. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One< (35,000)
10. Hannah Montana/Miley Ray Cyrus, Best Of Both Worlds (34,000)
11. '80s: Now That's What I Call Music (34,000)
12. Taylor Swift (33,000)
13. Alicia Keys, As I Am (32,000)
14. Amy Winehouse, Back To Black (28,000)
15. Alvin & The Chipmunks soundtrack (26,000)
16. Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (26,000)
17. Jonas Brothers (23,000)
18. Colbie Caillat, Coco (22,000)
19. Flogging Molly, Float (22,000)
20. OneRepublic, Dreaming Out Loud (21,000)

Rick Ross, I Might Owe You An Apology

Dan Gibson — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:15:00 EDT

Mr. Ross, I assumed after your 2006 single "Hustlin'", you'd disappear from the charts, never to be heard again. The tracks with DJ Khaled last year threw me off a bit, but still I stuck to the idea that if you did put out another album, it wouldn't make much of a splash. For one week, at least, Rick Ross, I was wrong, and I'm sorry. I should never underestimate the musical power of dudes with beards. Oh, and there's projected chart news beyond the moves of bearded Floridians.

According the HITS Daily Double's occasionally accurate chart projections based on first day sales, Rick Ross will take the top spot with around 180,000 units sold, with NOW 27 close behind at 170,000. Snoop Dogg disappoints perhaps no else else but me with a projected third place finish. ack Johson and Alan Jackson will likely fight it out for fourth and fifth, with some combination of Fat Joe, the Thriller reissue, and Idolator fave Sara Bareilles in sixth through eighth with around 40,000 sold. However, if Now That's What I Call The 80's and its "You've never heard THESE songs in THIS order" tracklisting knocks the Erykah Badu disc out of the top ten, you'll see a tiny tear roll down my cheek on chart day.

Rumor Mill [HITS Daily Double]

Rapper Rick Ross Talks Turkey

jharv — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:50:03 EDT

In a Gucci pilgrim outfit with a big platinum buckle on it, Rick Ross will be hustling this November "to distribute Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families in the Miami community" at the Hip-Hop Grub Spot, "a new hip-hop themed, fast food franchise that will offer healthy alternatives to today's typical fast food offerings, as well as in store video gaming, mixtapes and apparel." We're posting the above clip to warn Ross of the potential dangers involved with turkey delivery, especially should he decide to take the campaign to his private helicopter.

Rick Ross To Hand Out Thanksgiving Turkeys [XXL]

Videodrone: Fat Joe Combines Several Of Our Obsessions At Once

Brian Raftery — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:45:57 EST

At this point, you probably think that any new clip featuring Lil Wayne, R. Kelly, or T.I. automatically gets our attention—and, to be honest, you're pretty much spot-on. But what are we supposed to do when confronted by a video in which Kels lounges around a blindingly white money-bed, and where T.I. hangs around Wall Street with a suitcase that just happens to be overflowing with cash, and where that hook keeps looping for infinity? We're only human, people.

TOMORROW: An MP3 of Lil Wayne accidentally dialing the wrong number, and then politely hanging up.

Fat Joe, et. al - Make It Rain [YouTube] [via Nah Right]

Leak Of The Day: Fat Joe Senses A Change In The Weather

Brian Raftery — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:35:34 EST

Notes from a Different Kitchen has the new remix of Fat Joe's "Make It Rain," featuring guest turns from R. Kelly, Lil Wayne, T.I., Rick Ross and Baby. It's ripped from YouTube, but we'll give our no-rips policy a rest on this one, because it actually doesn't sound that bad, and because Kelly references both "Roxanne" and a Damon Wayans movie in the first minute.

~~Fat Joe feat. R. Kelly, Lil' Wayne, T.I., Rick Ross & Baby - Make It Rain (Remix)~~ [MP3, link expired; via Notes from a Different Kitchen]

CNN Doesn't Want To Irk Rick Ross

Brian Raftery — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:45:26 EST

Personally, we thought the endless coke-boasts grew and sheer repetition made the album sound pretty toxic. But maybe CNN.com just hired one of the kids from The Fader.

'Port of Miami is safe' officials say after scare [CNN.com]

"Rolling Stone" Can't Get Its Moderately Talented Black People Straight

mjohnston — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:20:41 EST

Ah, the poor Rolling Stone blog. They got so spooked by Suge Knight's threats, their vision blurred and they saw a vision of him in a picture of Rick Ross. That must have been followed by a fainting spell of some sort, because they haven't switched the incorrect photo yet ... do you think we should e-mail them some smelling salts?

UPDATE (6:35 p.m.): Someone must have slapped them out of their shock, as the picture's been corrected. Our screen grab, however, lives on.

Snoop Pisses Off Suge On Our Pages, We Cower in Fear [Rolling Stone]

Who Charted?: Rick Ross Breaks Benjamin

Brian Raftery — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:58:58 EDT

If it's Wednesday, it must mean it's time for our weekly album-sales recap, in which we find out just how quickly the music industry is sliding into complete and utter chaos. As expected, Rick Ross' Port of Miami was No. 1, scanning 187,000 copies, while Breaking Benjamin—a band we've never heard, but who are no doubt as terrible as we expect—came in at No. 2 with Phobia, which sold 125,000 copies. And despite not being sold at Wal-Mart, Slayer's Christ Illusion debuted at No. 5, thanks to 62,000 heathens.

Now for the bad news: Nickelback is on the chart not once, but twice, thanks to their appearance on Now 22 (No. 3) and their own All The Right Reasons album (No. 10). Maybe Slayer's right, and there is no god.

"Rick Ross' 'Hustle' Pays Off With No. 1 Debut" [Billboard]

Liner Notes: Lil' Wayne's All Grown Up!

Brian Raftery — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:46:11 EDT

- Lil' Wayne (who's now 23, by the way) is busted for drug posession in Atlanta; if convicted, his music career may experience its own lil' wane. [AP]

- Rick Ross' Port of Miami is expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart tomorrow, followed by Breaking Benjamin's Phobia. [Hits Daily Double]

- This year's Lollapalooza grossed nearly $8 million in ticket sales. More than half of that will go toward construction of a Perry Farrell-designed new-age Kabbalah spaceship. [Billboard]