News: Rick Ross Rolls With Jeezy, Akon, Jay-Z
Miami rapper Rick Ross has set an Aug. 8 release date for his Def Jam debut, "Port of Miami." Labelmate Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, Akon and Mario Winans are among the featured artists on the album, which boasts production by Jazze Pha, Just Blaze, Cool & Dre and DJ Toomp.
"Port of Miami" will be the first release under Island Def Jam's recent joint venture with Miami's Slip-N-Slide Records, home to Trick Daddy and Trina.
Lead single "Hustlin'" has reached No. 11 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. "I've been doing the indie hustle for like 10 years," Ross told Billboard last month. "When I finished [the single] 'Hustlin' I knew it was gonna be a hit. I took it to radio and it kept growing."
Ross received a plaque bearing a golden cell phone Wednesday when music industry officials honored 128 songs as the first batch of gold and platinum ringtones. Just like vinyl, tapes and CDs, the sounds of ringing cell phones will now translate into awards for sales of 500,000, 1 million and beyond.
"The ring tones are just another gateway to connecting with the kids and the fans," said Ross, whose award sported a shiny cell phone rather than the usual gold album. "That's just the next level."
Ross, whose first album comes out later this year, was cited for his best-selling single "Hustlin'." He was joined in the ring(tone) of honor by big-name acts like the Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, 50 Cent, Kanye West and others.
In all, 84 acts were cited as gold winners, 40 platinum and four as multiplatinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The awards are given based on downloads of the ringtones.
"Just a few short years ago, it was unthinkable for sales on ringtones to go platinum," said RIAA Chairman Mitch Bainwol. "But here we are. We're transforming the way we hear our music."
According to industry experts, about 10 percent of music industry revenues worldwide now come from ringtones.
Ross said when he goes into the studio in the future, the idea of making a popular ringtone will definitely be a part of the process.
"You want to do a record so catchy that everybody wants to go out and get it as a ringtone," said Ross. The gold and platinum certification came under the title of "Master Ringtone," signifying that they were created from the original masters of the songs. The ringtones are sometimes a synthesized instrumental version rather than the artist's recording.  |
