Rubi Rose admits she uses ghostwriters.
Rubi Rose Has No Problem Admitting She Has Never Written a Single Rap
On Friday (June 14), Rubi Rose appeared as a guest on a Patreon-exclusive episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. At one point during the interview, Budden, a retired MC widely regarded for his lyrical prowess, asks the rapper-model if she writes the lyrics to her songs. When she casually answers “no” without thinking twice, the entire room praises Rubi for her honesty. She then further admits in the candid conversation that she’s never written a single rap and doesn’t intend to ever do so. If you let Rose tell it, a majority of artists enlist ghostwriters to pen their tracks.
“People know how to make s**t sound cool, you know?” Rubi explains. “I definitely have, you know, my writers and people … Everybody uses writers though, like, realistically. When people say they don’t… I don’t know, maybe you [Joe Budden] really don’t but literally, I feel like everybody uses writers.”
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Most Rappers Would Never Admit to Using Ghostwriters
While the use of ghostwriters in hip-hop can be traced as far back as the 1980s, Rubi Rose’s nonchalant revelation is certainly a rare occurrence among rappers. Even though rumors of top-level artists having ghostwriter-assisted songs have been running rampant for decades, the practice is very seldom made public.
Given the competitive nature of rap music, many people are of the belief that having others write lyrics behind the scenes displays a certain lack of skill. In his recent high-profile battle with Drake, Kendrick Lamar repeatedly used long-running rumors that Drizzy has a team of ghostwriters against the Toronto megastar. In turn, that sentiment has been a deciding factor for those of the opinion that K-Dot scored a major victory over the 6-God.
Big Daddy Kane, who famously penned multiple hits on Biz Markie’s 1988 debut album Goin’ Off, spoke to the secretive nature of ghostwriting while being interviewed for author Brian Coleman’s 2007 book, Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies.
“The Biz thing was something that we kept on the hush,” Kane explained. “Anybody that was really into the artwork and reading all the credit could put one and one together and figure it out, but it wasn’t something we mentioned back then.”
Earlier this month, distinguished ghostwriter and notable rapper in his own right, Mad Skillz opened up to XXL about the career he’s made for himself in a side of the rap game that many find to be taboo. According to Skillz, younger rap fans may not view ghostwriting with the same stigma as past generations but, at the same time, he’s more than OK with remaining behind the scenes when necessary.
“I don’t think these kids really care [if a rapper has a ghostwriter],” Mad Skillz tells XXL. “The funny part is, every time they start talking about ghostwriting, that’s when I literally reverse. ’Cause when people are talking about ghostwriting, I don’t make no money. It’s almost like pulling the curtain back. I realized a long time ago that people like what I say, they just don’t necessarily have to know that I’m the one that said it.”
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In the clip from her new interview on The Joe Budden Podcast below, watch Rubi Rose candidly and casually admit to using ghostwriters.