In a recent interview with Time, Rick Ross suggested that he has been carrying on an impressive behind-the-scenes career writing rhymes for other MCs.
“I had a lot more things I wanted to address [on Black Dollar],” the rapper explains. “That’s what I did on this LP. I spoke on different things. One of them goes by the name of ‘Ghostwriter.’ I finally wrote a record telling the way it feels for me to be a ghostwriter, and not only a ghostwriter, but one of the biggest in the rap game. Because of my own personal success I’ve always been able to keep that in the shadows. On this record, I just felt it was so current. It was needed.”
Ross also suggested that relying on a ghostwriter matters more for some MCs than it does for others. “If you’re a battle rapper on the block, the emcee battle challenger, not writing your rhymes could really hurt you,” he noted. “When you’re an artist where maybe the focus is really the talent and the different things you bring to the game, I believe it’s more understandable. Someone who may have another vision or just ideas that are priceless versus someone who’s like, ‘I’m basing my entire career off the words I’m finna tell you right now over this 30-second period.’ I’m not speaking to anybody in particular, but let’s say for instance if you was DMX and had a ghostwriter, it’d maybe change the [perception] versus if you was will.i.am. I think that’s more about the music, the records.”
FADER reached out to Ross’ representatives about his claims and awaits comment. Read the MC’s recent FADER interview, and look for Black Dollar on December 4.
