• Rick Ross challenges LMFAO over 'Party Rock Anthem' hook in court

    God forgives and Rick Ross doesn't. That's what disbanded pop-hop group LMFAO may learn now that the emcee has brought it to court, alleging that the line "everyday I'm shufflin'" from its 2010 track "Party Rock Anthem" is a copyright infraction of Ross's own hit "Hustlin'." The catchphrase from the latter, in case you weren't aware, is "everyday I'm hustlin'."
  • Rick Ross beats real Rick Ross in name battle

    Believe it or not, Rick Ross's name isn't really "Rick Ross," nor has he actually dealt cocaine (as far as we know). Nay, Ross was born William Roberts II, and borrowed the alias "Rick Ross" from "Freeway" Rick Ross, a Los Angeles kingpin who used his connections with the Panamanian contras to move more than $3 million worth of cocaine a day. The actual Ross is now out of jail, and sued rapper Ross for occupying his identity. A California appeals court has ruled that the emcee has the right to use the name however.
  • Carolyn Menyes' 2013 Playlist: Bear's Den, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae and More

    Music Times, like so many other music publications, was looking to publish a "Best of 2013" playlist. We met to discuss what such a playlist should include, and that's where we ran into trouble. We couldn't agree. Sometimes two of us just couldn't agree on whether the performer was amazing or terrible, and even when we agreed they were amazing, we couldn't agree on what track was most representative of their work.
  • Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Rick Ross under fire from gospel group

    Copyright infringement is nothing new to music, particularly hip-hop. Every day it seems there's a new lawsuit alleging that some producer or rapper has borrowed unfairly, with the original owner suing for royalties, or whatever they're owed. Today's example may be less about the money and more about the divine consequences of the sample.
  • Linkin Park Releases Remix Set Featuring Pusha T, Rick Ross, Bun B and More

    New music isn't coming from Linkin Park anytime soon. Vocalist Chad Bennington is currently shacking up with the Stone Temple Pilots to create a new record and tour, and LP isn't looking to bring anyone else in, so fans will have to look forward to Recharged, an album containing remixed versions of the tracks on the band's 2012 LP Living Things.
  • Rick Ross Remixes 'Royals'

    Rick Ross has taken a turn remixing Lorde's smash hit "Royals." The rapper adds more bass and a few verses to the track. Interestingly, Ross raps about the very hip-hop, consumer culture that Lorde is tackling in the song.
Real Time Analytics