Rick Ross Opens Up About 'Black Market' Song Meanings

Just over a year after releasing his previous record, Rick Ross AKA The Boss AKA Ricky Rozay just dropped his eighth studio album, Black Market, on December 4th. The new album follows up his 2014 hit record Hood Billionaire, and features 14 new songs (17 on the deluxe version), including star-studded collaborations from John Legend, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Future, Nas, CeeLo Green, Chris Brown, and more.

Ross exclusively explains to iHeartRadio on how he chose which artists to collaborate with on Black Market, "I actually recorded a lot of different material with a lot more artists in it. I just basically summed it up to what felt the best in the direction I wanted to go in. And these are the artists that fell in place. So I gotta thank Mariah, Mary J. Blige, John Legend, CeeLo Green, Future, so many big names."

As for why he named his album Black Market, he tells us that when fans get to the third song on the album, "Silk Road," they will understand the meaning of the title. "I felt that was the tone, that was the direction I wanted to go in. I love when my music speaks for itself."

The Boss also revealed the meaning behind each song on Black Market. He explained many of the songs' meanings, what it was like working with the artists featured on the collaborations, and more. Read on below.

Track 1: "Free Enterprise" featuring John Legend

"Let's leave our minds completely open to every possibility there is. John Legend comes in behind my words that I lay, and he repeats this specific word called 'amazing' several different times, several different ways. And by the end of the record you feel like maybe you've even been to church, and just may have smelled a little marijuana in the air."

Track 2: "Smile Mama Smile" featuring CeeLo Green

"Featuring the incredible CeeLo Green. This is one of those records that really sit near to my heart, my mother being my most precious asset that I have. I just wanted to tap into that energy for this record."

Track 3: "One of Us" featuring Nas

"This track is featuring one of the greatest emcees of all time. He released a debut album by the name of Illmaticsome years ago. He goes by the name of Nas."

Track 4: "Silk Road"

"If you're holding your telephone, Google 'Silk Road.' This is that type of vibe."

Track 5: "Color Money"

"This is one of my favorites, 'Color Money.' Call little homey to the stage and tell him, 'Bring me that Color Money, baby."

Track 6: "Dope Dick"

"This is most definitely one of my favorite records. This is one of those records that the club and the streets gonna be screamin' everywhere."

Track 7: "Crocodile Python"

"The word play is tremendous. The production is soulful, sultry, syrupy -- Aunt Jemima syrup."

Track 8: "Ghostwriter"

"Me being one of the biggest [ghostwriter]. You have seen some of my songs and didn't know they was Renzel's."

Track 9: "Black Opium" featuring DJ Premier

"This is featuring one of the greatest innovators from the DJ'ing perspective in the culture ever, DJ Premier. If you're not familiar with Gang Starr do yourself the biggest favor, go do your homework."

Track 10: "Can't Say No" featuring Mariah Carey

"It's featuring the one and only, the beautiful, Mariah Carey. I gotta say nothin' but love to Mariah. When I reached out to her to do this record, she actually was in the middle of filming a movie. So I spoke to her a couple times in between breaks, so that meant that much more to The Boss."

Track 11: "Peace Sign"

"Real smooth joint. Now see what it is, let's get sexy."

Track 12: "Very Best"

"Featuring the one and only, Mary J. Blige.

Track 13: "Sorry" featuring Chris Brown

"It's racin' up the billboard charts right now. Thank everybody for supporting. If you haven't seen the video, it's actually a short movie clip."

Track 14: "D.O.P.E." featuring Future

"This is everything dope, 'D.O.P.E.' It's featuring my homie out of the ATL, Future. Shout out to my dog."

Track 15: "Foreclosures"

"Most definitely one of the most talked about records I released. But I just sorta had a wonderful space in the culture. Basically falling back on responsibilities. We all love to floss, we all love to shine. We all love the diamonds and the jewels, but let's love our responsibilities as well. Let's love our mortgages. Let's love our families."

Track 16: "Money Dance" featuring The Dream

"Shout out to The Dream straight out of Atlanta. This is one of them real smooth joints. Big Ups, Hype Williams on directing the video. I'm on the hover board ridin' through the mansion like the boss I am."

Track 17: "Carol City"

"This last joint right here, this is one from Carol City. You come to Miami, South Beach, it's a beautiful place. But across that bridge is a place called Carol City where I'm from. Where we are extremely proud. There's a lot of real things going on, and when you listen to this record it'll kind of paint the picture for you for what's crackalackin'."