“People be mad at Rick Ross because he had a job,” Wayne snorts, shaking his head. “Like, ‘Ha ha, you had a job before you had a job, ni**a!’ Stupid sh*t.”

–Lil Wayne weighs in on the controversy surrounding Rick Ross’ previous job as a corrections officer in Rolling Stone.

Photo credit: Peter Yang / Rolling Stone

“I am very inspired for all of the things that you’ve been able to come through and still be on top.”

–Who knew that Tyrese was inspired by Martha Stewart? The singer-actor, who follows Martha on Twitter, called in to her SIRIUS Satellite Radio show on Tuesday to tell her what an inspiration she is to him and others. He also asked her what older women can do to feel sexy.

“Mariah Carey took me up in her private jet last week. It was like: Ooooooh! I’ve got to get me one of these. Because now that I’ve got a taste, I’m never going back. I’m going to fly this thing everywhere—to L.A., to Atlanta, to New York. I’m going to fly this thing down the street and park it outside your apartment.”

–The-Dream reveals his next big purchase to The New York Times. The singer-songwriter will have more money to spend when he releases his new album Love vs. Money this Tuesday.

“This is a great honor. Thank you to all the people who are supporting us and the making of a real story of a Slumdog Millionaire. Maybe I can afford to book Dave Chappelle at the baby shower now. Thank you again; my mum wants everyone to know what wonderful news this is for her.”

–”Paper Planes” rapper M.I.A. reacts to her first Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Original Song for “O… Saya” off the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.

“When I saw that image of Barack on CNN [standing] with his whole family on stage, I felt like I was in some futuristic movie. I was like damn; first we have iPods and now we have Barack—we are really in the future!”

–Kanye West tells U.K.’s Clash Music on President-elect Barack Obama.

“His grind is impeccable. He’s the ultimate grinder—just look at all the money he’s raised. To beat a Clinton and then have her co-sign!? That’s like me making a diss record to Jay-Z and the next time around he’s like, ‘Wale is that dude. Buy his album!’”

–Wale tells Rap-Up.com on his admiration for President-elect Barack Obama’s hustle. Read the D.C. rapper’s Class of 2009 profile in the Winter 08/09 issue of Rap-Up, on sale now.

“Even though it was great to be with Dr. Dre, I don’t think the Interscope side of my business deal understood how to do business with Busta Rhymes. They were a great label and a great establishment, but there is a different kind of way you have to do business when you’re doing business with the Busta Rhymes business.”

–Busta Rhymes goes on the record about why he left Aftermath/Interscope Records last summer. The “Arab Money” rapper has since signed with Universal Motown and will release his new album B.O.M.B. next year.

Read the rest of what Busta had to say in the Winter 08/09 issue of Rap-Up, on newsstands nationwide this week!

“I am so thrilled to have been nominated for 3 Grammy Awards! I am totally floored. Wow! I am so lucky to have worked on this album with so many great people and it’s such an honor to be recognized by the Recording Academy. It’s been an incredible year!”

–Leona Lewis on being nominated for her first 3 Grammys for Record of the Year (“Bleeding Love”), Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“Bleeding Love”), and Best Pop Vocal Album (Spirit).

“I think my baby is going to start off making club music. That’s all I’ve been listening to. Of course, you never know. When you want someone to do something, it ends up doing the opposite. It might end up being an accountant. We actually don’t want our kid to do music, so we’re going to buy it loads of instruments … so that it will completely rebel and go the other way.”

–M.I.A. tells USA Today about her baby with fiancé Benjamin Brewer, which is due in February. The Sri Lankan rapper is finishing up a new album that will be released next year.

“Nobody really wants to recognize that Beyoncé is a f***ing living legend and that she is just as great, if not greater, than the artists that we had in the past…that she’s probably greater than Tina Turner.”

–Kanye West praises Beyoncé at a New Zealand press conference. The shit is gonna hit the fan.