Following a year during which he released not one, but two full-length albums, 2015 has been relatively quiet for Rick Ross. Up until recently, that is. The past couple of weeks have seen a deluge of what he is called Renzel (as in Denzel Washington) remixes: of Future's "Stick Talk," Drake's "Jumpman," Post Malone's "White Iverson," and—uh-huh—Adele's "Hello."
The song selection is seemingly random and his verses are loose, but according to the Bawse himself, that's how he intends it to be. Because, as he explained to The FADER over the phone earlier this week, they're just to keep up momentum ahead of his recently announced album, Black Market.
In summary, don't think to hard about these remixes—just have fun with 'em. Read the rest of what Ross had to say about his Renzel Remixes, Adele, and Black Market below.
Where am I speaking to you from?
I'm in Atlanta in the studio, putting the final touches on in [Black Market]. I was listening to my second album, Trilla, and there was particular sound that came from a bass guitar that I wanted to hear on this album as well—just the warmth of the sound that underlines the bass guitar was so necessary. So yesterday I flew in the guitar player and he's still here this morning.
What's up with the remixes?
The Boss back on the block. Operation #RenzelTakeover, that's most definitely the goal. I listen to records, I like records. Of course any record I get on, I'm a fan of the record. Which, of course, the Renzel swag is most definitely always so bossy. A lot of these records I just felt the streets would love to hear me on them as well. Once we got started, we kept going. I may give you one a day!
Are your verses on these remixes recorded to the track?
These are just recorded specifically for this particular moment, this particular track. The Renzel Remixes come from the ten minute interludes I have with my engineer going between going from record to record, those ten or fifteen minutes he needs to upload or do some shit, I use them to throw on the instrumental. "30 for 30," I wrote that in ten minutes, then came back and laid it.
How are you picking songs for the series?
They're usually songs that I think are dope. Songs that my homies, when we're in their playing the standup Madden arcade game, they say, "Aye, that shit be bumpin' right there." And I say, "Pull it up!"
You guys listening to a lot of Adele?
With Adele, I'm a fan of her first project, and to come back with "Hello?" When I heard "Hello" the minute she released it, of course I was blown away. Then I was smoking one night, leaving the club, and I felt that I heard a pocket in there for Renzel. A day or two later when we was recording and I had a few minutes, I had them pull the instrumental up on loop. I just wanted to sit back on it, just talk to 'em. I didn't want it to be nothing to serious, just something light. I wanted it to have a real relaxed tone—I leave the emotional side to the ones who deal with emotions. And we did it, we pulled it off!
Has that experience—or your experience working on any of these tracks, really—opened up your mind to to possibility of pulling from other genres for collaborations?
Rozay and Adele collaboration? That would be most definitely a dream come true. I love her voice and she's just a beautiful person. We may need to do something real special, like get her on the next "Aston Martin" track.
What is your mission in doing all these remixes?
The mission is to keep all the Renzel lovers with a smile on their face. These records are strictly for rap lovers. Niggas who smokin' something and went to SoundCloud once or twice, or who may just be sitting wherever they at and going back and forth online while they sitting in front of the computer half of the day. They're real short, they come real quick, it's all about the vibe and the energy.
[And they are in support of] the release of my album and because it's a good time for MMG. We're in the middle of renegotiating our deal or signing a new deal with a new company, so it's gonna be some big shit poppin'. That new energy that new momentum, we breaking some new artists to the fold, as well as announcing new artists that we have already signed that we haven't announced.
Why do these thrown off remixes, rather than releasing original songs?
Like I said, I'm bringing live bass players to the table. I'm creating huge moments, records that I would love to call masterpieces, for [Black Market]. Considering what's put into those versus what I'm putting into these remixes? These are records that are fly, they already dope joints and I have a fifteen minute interlude so I lace them and they cool.
