INTERVIEWS: Rick Ross Tells Birdman To Pull Up, Explains Idols Become Rivals Diss & Lil Wayne, Port Of Miami 2

Rick Ross Tells Birdman To Pull Up, Explains Idols Become Rivals Diss & Lil Wayne, Port Of Miami 2

NEWS: Rick Ross Says He Threw Up Multiple Times While Partying With Rob Gronkowski

Rick Ross speaks about his epic night with Gronk.

                                          

Rick Ross joined Charlamagne Tha God and Andrew Schulz on their "Brilliant Idiots" podcast to talk about what it was like to party with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the hours after their Super Bowl LI victory. 

Gronk linked up with Rozay on stage at Shrine Nightclub at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut on Tuesday night and apparently they were switching between liquors- which is a recipe for disaster. 

As Rick Ross explained on the podcast, he was so twisted that he ended up squatting behind the DJ booth and throwing up multiple times while the King Meathead continued to rage.

Thankfully he had a towel on hand to keep himself in order and afterwards he says he felt like a million bucks.

NEWS: Ranking Kanye West's 6 Albums From Worst To Best

Ranking Kanye West's 6 Albums From Worst To Best

We attempted the impossible task of ranking Kanye West's six solo albums.

This was hard. This was really hard. Mostly because we love all of Kanye West's albums. They've each played a unique role in the progression of hip-hop (and music in general), each pushing the boundaries of his sound and offering something new to the table.

However it's fun to really dissect a great artist's work, and Kanye's is no different. His music (and his antics) has been the subject of much conversation amongst music critics, news anchors, and even our president. So why not try and pick a first and worst when it comes to Mr. West's output?

That's just what we did, so feel free to agree/disagree in the comments, argue around with each other and embrace some good ol' fashioned musical debate.

Yeezus (2013)

Yeezus wasn't for everyone. It was raunchy, dirty, unique and thrilling, but it wasn't an inherently chill listen at all. Certain songs stick out by themselves and are hard, but as a whole it just isn't on par with the soulful sounds of his previous six efforts.

This isn't to say the album wasn't enjoyable at all, just not as much as the earlier works.

Graduation (2007)

Graduation ushered in a new era of Kanye and was the first glimpse we saw in to the ultra-modern aesthetic that he has been chasing ever since. Beginning with "Good Morning" and ending with "Big Brother" was a perfect move, no less impeccable than the 11 songs that fall in between them.

Where the album falls shorter than the next few is in it's ability to really push the envelope. Collaborating with Daft Punk was definitely a groundbreaking moment for electronica and hip-hop alike, but the rest of the album doesn't carry along the 'unprecedented' vibe. 

808s & Heartbreak (2008)

Departing from the style of his previous three LPs, Kanye West took auto-tune and synthy 80s influences to produce 808s & Heartbreak. The album met mixed reviews off the bat, but is largely considered a classic in 2015, to the point that Rolling Stone listed it as one of the 40 most influential albums of all time.

The album definitely ushered in a new era of hip-hop, and the game hasn't been the same since its release. Evidence of it's influence can be seen as early as Drake's similarly important mixtape, So Far Gone, where he takes on the "Say You Will" instrumental.

Late Registration (2005)

Every song on Late Registration is awesome and unique, but it comes together as a slightly more jumbled work than the next two on the list. Though it may lack cohesion, it still stands as a masterful set of songs.

"Touch The Sky" perfectly utilized a Curtis Mayfield sample, and everyone from Common to The Game added a meaningful feature. In the end, we're left with nineteen classic records, (or 21 on the special version), which is no small task, even for Yeezus.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

This album is nothing less than a movie. It's one of the most vivid hip-hop albums ever created, if not the most vivid. As soon as Nicki Minaj's opening spoken word leads way to "Can we get much higher?" which precedes a RZA-collaborated beat before Kanye chimes in:

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I fantasized about this back in Chicago

Mercy, mercy me, that Murcielago

That's me, the first year that I blow

How you say broke in Spanish? Me no hablo

Me drown sorrow in that Diablo

Me found bravery in my bravado

D.J's need to listen to the model's

You ain't got no fuckin' Yeezy in your Serato?

(You ain't got no Yeezy, nigga?)

Stupid, but what the fuck do I know?

I'm just a Chi-town nigga with a Nas flow

And my bitch in that new Phoebe Philo

So much head, I woke up to Sleepy Hollow"

The rest of the album doesn't slow down for a second. Kid Cudi, Raekwon, Jay Z, Rick Ross, John Legend and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon go on to compliment Kanye in such a way that you can not simply dumb down their performances with the word "features." It was an incredible joint effort that truly put Kanye West on top of the music world.

The College Dropout (2004)

It was really hard to rank The College Dropout first, but it's kind of hard not to rank Kanye West's first album as his best. Introducing the best 'best producer on the mic' since J Dilla, Kanye West took the world by storm with singles like "All Falls Down," "The New Workout Plan," "Jesus Walks," and "Slow Jamz." They acted as an incredibly diverse quartet of singles that may have made Kanye the most versatile MC right off the bat.

It also was the debut of a man who could make his own music to rap on. This was at a time where hip-hop had gotten a little stale, and most singles were cookie-cutter tracks that rapped about money or bad-mouthing women. Kanye didn't completely disregard those themes, but was able to focus largely on more relatable topics through the concept of college registration.

The LP also wasn't short...not by a long shot. Twenty-one songs is a lot, even if a good handful were skits. The breadth of the album was probably the best since Jay Z did The Blueprint, of which Kanye had his hands in as well. It was clear that hip-hop was getting a new king, a new GOAT, a new legend in Mr. Kanye West. And nothing has been quite the same ever since.

NEWS: Wale Reveals Possible Release Date For "The Album About Nothing" [Update: Rick Ross Confirms Release Date]

Wale Reveals Possible Release Date For "The Album About Nothing" [Update: Rick Ross Confirms Release Date]

Wale hints at an album release date for "The Album About Nothing" on twitter.

After gifting fans his Festivus mixtape with A-Trak yesterday, Wale was on twitter responding and interacting with his fans. During his many retweets, he happened to reveal what is presumed to be the release date for the follow-up to Festivus: The Album About Nothing.

Wale is planning to drop the album in a few months, giving us enough time to fully consume and replay Festivus. Twitter user @SpenceAndWessun tweeted at Wale, "I appreciate the free music @Wale cause #Festivus sounding like an album.. Only sets the bar higher for #TAAN," to which Wale responded with a retweet and a date: 3/31. 

Let's hope that March 31st 2015 sticks as the drop date for The Album About Nothing. Until that time arrives, hit play on the Festivus mixtape below, featuring Pusha T, Ab-Soul, Chance The Rapper and more.

Lol 3/31 RT @SpenceAndWesson: I appreciate the free music @Wale cause #Festivus sounding like an album.. Only sets the bar higher for #TAAN

— Wale Folarin (@Wale) December 23, 2014

[Update: Rick Ross Confirms Release Date]

In a red carpet interview right before last weekend's Grammys, Maybach boss Rick Ross confirms that Wale's album will indeed be released on March 31st. The Album About Nothing will be Wale's third album on Maybach Music. Watch the interview below. 

NEWS: Mannie Fresh & Rick Ross Scheduled As 2015 BMI "How I Wrote That Song" Panelists

Mannie Fresh & Rick Ross Scheduled As 2015 BMI "How I Wrote That Song" Panelists

Rick Ross and Mannie Fresh will speak at BMI's annual panel the night before the Grammy Awards. 

Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) will be hosting their annual "How I Wrote That Song" panel Saturday, February 7th, 11:30 AM at 1Oak (9039 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, Calif.) in Los Angeles. 

The 2015 panelists included Rick Ross, Mannie Fresh, Grammy nominated songwriter Ester Dean, Grammy award winning song writer and producer David Hodges, and country music's Natalie Hembly. 

Per BMI's website the panel "serves as a platform for panelists to discuss the process of writing, producing and performing hit songs." Previous panelists include Nas, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, John Legend, and Cee Lo Green amongh others. 

This event will be open to the public ages 18 and up, tickets are on sale for $20 in advance, $25 the day of, and can currently be purchased here. 

STREAM: Nipsey Hussle - Mailbox Money

Nipsey Hussle - Mailbox Money

NEWS: J Cole’s ’2014 Forest Hills Drive’ Has Largest First Week Sales For A Hip-Hop Album In 2014

J Cole’s ’2014 Forest Hills Drive’ Has Largest First Week Sales For A Hip-Hop Album In 2014

Cole World. J Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive has had the largest first week sales for a hip-hop album in 2014, and it’s not even close. The album that previously held the crown was Rick Ross’s Mastermind, which moved 179,000 in its first week. Cole’s album doubled what Mastermind did in its first week, moving a whopping 361,000 units of his third studio album. In addition to having the largest first-week sales for a hip-hop album this year, 2014 Forest Hills Drive broke a Spotify record as well, according to his record label.

2014 FHD was streamed 15.7 million times in it's first week! Breaking One Direction Spotify record of 11.5 million. Congrats @JColeNC!

— Dreamville (@Dreamville) December 17, 2014

 2014 Forest Hills Drive has the highest selling debut week for a hip-hop album since Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2, which sold 792,000 in its first week. What makes the amount of sales particularly notable is the fact that no one knew about the album until about a month ago; there was little promotion and no radio singles. Congratulations to Cole and his fans.

There is only one other rap album in the Top 50 this week: Eminem’s Shady XV album, a compilation of his Shady Records artists, which grabbed the No. 39 slot by moving 16,406 copies.

Outside of the rap world, K. Michelle lands her second Top 10 album with Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart, which grabbed the No. 6 spot this week with 83,404 sales. Most interestingly, the album contains a song titled “Drake Would Love Me.” Mary J. Blige’s The London Sessions dropped to No. 23 this week after debuting at No. 9 last week. To round things out, Chris Brown’s X grabbed the No. 37 spot this week, moving 16,794 copies.

Despite the amazing sales that 2014 Forest Hills Drive put up this week, its reign as the highest-selling debut week for a hip-hop album may only last a week. Nicki Minaj’s The Pinkprint dropped this week, and the numbers will be out next week. The album will undoubtedly give Cole’s album a run for its money for the best debut week sales title. Do you think Nicki will take the crown for 2014? Hit the comments below.

1. J Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, 361,120

6. K. Michelle, Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart?, 83,404

23. Mary J. Blige, The London Sessions, 25,604

37. Chris Brown, X, 16,794

39. Eminem, Shady XV, 16,406

AUDIO: Ludacris ft. Rick Ross – Money

Ludacris ft. Rick Ross – Money

ALBUM STREAM: Stream Ludacris' "Burning Bridges" EP

Stream Ludacris' "Burning Bridges" EP

"Burning Bridges" now available for free download via Google Play.

After almost five years without any major retail releases, Ludacris finally returns today with a brand new EP. Now available for free via Google Play, Burning Bridges finds the DTP head honcho teaming up with some of the game's biggest hitmakers for some of his most personal records to date. Give the record a list below. If you're feeling it, be sure to head over to Google Play and download the project in its entirety.

Burning Bridges is intended as an appetizer to get fans excited for March's long-awaited Ludaversal release. Pre-release singles for the full-length include "Party Girls," "Rest Of My Life," "Representin," and "Jingalin." Whether or not any of those records will make the final product, however, is still up to speculation.

Tracklist:

1. New Beginning Intro
2. Money (featuring Rick Ross)
3. Problems (featuring Cee Lo Green)
4. In My Life (featuring John Legend)
5. Burning Bridges (featuring Jason Aldean)
6. Good Lovin (featuring Miguel)

Mastermind Vs. Hood Billionaire

Mastermind Vs. Hood Billionaire

Breaking down the pros and cons of Rick Ross' two releases in 2014.

Compared to Gucci Mane's onslaught of projects in 2014, Rick Ross releasing two albums in one year may not seem too impressive. However, the fact of the matter is this: Rick Ross is the first major-label rap artist to release two studio albums in one year since 2010, when Lil Wayne released Rebirthand I Am Not A Human Being, respectively. It is no easy feat, especially considering how hesitant record labels are nowadays to release new music. This year, the good people at Def Jam allowed Rozay to release both Mastermind and Hood Billionaire through their label. Despite the massive promotional rollout of Hood Billionaire over the past few months, the album failed to live up to the commercial success of its predecessor. To examine Mastermind and Hood Billionaire in greater depth, we've composed an infographic that considers the strengths and weaknesses of each album.

Did Rick Ross substitute quality for quantity? Let us know which album you enjoyed more by casting your vote below.

NEWS: Rick Ross Says Meek Mill Has A Month Or Less To Go Behind Bars

Rick Ross Says Meek Mill Has A Month Or Less To Go Behind Bars

Rick Ross says that at worst Meek Mill only has a month left in prison.

Rumors about how long Meek Mill will remain in prison have varied and for the most part have been false. And typically, it's hard to know just how long one has until they are released from jail anyway, especially when it comes to rappers.

Recently sitting down with Hot 97, Meek's boss, Rick Ross gave an update as to how long he thinks the Philadelphia native will remain incarcerated. He says it shouldn't be that much longer.

"I spoke to him and it may be five days from now," Ross said when asked about a Meek Mill update. "The big homie was sentenced to six months off the rip. We done got our hopes up a couple of times so I said I wasn't going to feed into that again. When he come home, he come home. At worst it won't be more than a month at this point."

Meek Mill is currently in prison for violating his probation following a 2009 drugs and guns conviction. He was sentenced to three to six months back in July and was reportedly denied an early release.

Also during the interview, Rick Ross spoke on the Mike Brown indictment verdict, one that he was disappointed with to say the least.

"It dampened my spirit," he said. "But before I think of me I have to send my condolences to the Brown family for they major loss. Me just sitting there reflecting, it's just been open season on young black males for a long time. And how long can this go on? They think this can go on before we have some real problems."

Watch the full interview segment below:

Rick Ross -- I Might Riot Too If I Were in Ferguson ... 'Cause Darren Wilson Is a LIAR!

Rick Ross -- I Might Riot Too If I Were in Ferguson ... 'Cause Darren Wilson Is a LIAR!

Rick Ross isn't buying Ferguson cop Darren Wilson's version of what went down the night Michael Brown was killed -- and vented his rage, anger, and frustration on TMZ Live Wednesday.

Rick told us (TMZ) he NEEDED to vent, and while he doesn't agree with rioting ... in theory ... he admitted he might feel differently if he were on the ground in Ferguson with other protesters.

He added ... "If you gonna murder us on sight let us know ... so we can be prepared."

As for Wilson's claim he was fighting off an attack from Brown ... Rick questions the number of shots fired, and why Wilson fired fatal shots -- "You coulda shot somebody in the leg."

View video below.

http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_0paysvcq

VIDEOS :Rick Ross - Hood Billionaire

Rick Ross - Hood Billionaire

Rick Ross' "Hood Billionaire" album out now! Purchase here on iTunes: http://goo.gl/5MZQXg. Directed by DRE Films. Maybach Music Group... 

Freeway Rick Ross Calls On Rick Ross To Fight "Hip Hop To Prison Pipeline

"You need to tell them that that you didn't make your money selling drugs and making music is how you became famous," Freeway Rick Ross says to the MMG artist.

After persistent court battles granted Rick Ross legal rights to the stage name he co-opted from Freeway Rick Ross late last year, the author and former drug dealer recently released a video statement calling on the MMG founder and other Hip Hop artists to tell the truth about the origins of their success.

Deriding a “Hip Hop to prison pipeline” and the ongoing glorification of drug culture in the music industry, Freeway Rick Ross asked to join together with rappers like Rick Ross in a campaign against “thug culture.”

“To William Roberts, a.k.a. Rick Ross, who’s using my name, I’m inviting you in to come with me,” he said. “Let’s fight this culture. Let’s fight this penitentiary culture that Hip Hop’s been spreading. Let’s make a difference. Me and you need to come together and you need to tell them that you didn’t make your money selling drugs and making music is how you became famous. See, it’s nothing wrong with making music just like it’s nothing wrong with being a correctional officer if that’s what you did. But so many of our friends who look up to you and look up to me are out on the streets thinking that they can go out and sell drugs and parlay that into a record career. I don’t know if you know that they’re not gonna make it, but I know that they’re gonna wind up in prison with prison sentences three and four times what they should be because this war on drugs is no joke. I have ten or eleven friends still in prison right now with life sentences including one that even you know, Big Meech. I know how much you respect me and care about me, otherwise you woudln’t have took my name. Take a chance with me now. Let’s make a difference.

“Even if William Roberts, a.k.a. Rick Ross, don’t decide to come with me and join hands, then the rest of the artists out there,” he added. “Let us come together. Professor Griff, KRS-One, and so forth. Let’s join hands. Let’s change this thug culture. Let’s change this Hip Hop to prison pipeline. Let’s make it happen right now, today.”

Touching on similar statements he’s made previously, Freeway Rick Ross continued with a warning that Hip Hop and the entertainment business are the precursors to a life of crime and/or in prison.

“I’m letting you know right now that the establishment is using Hip Hop to prime these kids for a life that’s gonna send them to prison just like they did with me,” he said. “When I was coming up there was Super Fly, Tequila Sunrise, Scarface, all these movies to make you think that you could start with nothing and then you could have the whole world in the palm of your hand.”

WWW.FREEWAYRICK.COM