Entertainment Music R&B Music Rick Ross Declares His Love for Phil Collins and Gloria Estefan: 'This Is That Yacht Music' (Exclusive) The rap titan went through his playlists with PEOPLE, and shared a few of his favorite tracks By Brenton Blanchet Brenton Blanchet Brenton Blanchet is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. He has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Brenton's work has previously appeared in Billboard, Pigeons & Planes and Complex. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 3, 2023 10:00AM EST Rick Ross; Phil Collins; Gloria Estefan. Photo: Jason Koerner/Getty, Slaven Vlasic/Getty, Stuart C. Wilson/Getty It's no surprise that Rick Ross knows about "timeless music." The rap titan, 47, has always been a fan of a classic sample flip. But what about the classics that he himself listens to? Chatting with PEOPLE about his new collaborative album with Meek Mill, Too Good to Be True, Ross admits that there's plenty of music on his personal playlists that fans would be surprised by. And he even pulls out his phone to prove it. "It's too easy. Phil Collins, 'In the Air Tonight.' This is that yacht music right here," Ross says, before turning the volume up. "So when I talk about that sound, I know where to draw from," he adds. "I know where I want inspiration from. I know where I need it. Timeless records. When I'm talking about records that's 40 years old, 30 years old, what's the feeling I'm looking for? I could just keep going." Rick Ross and Meek Mill perform on 'The Tonight Show'. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Rick Ross Says Having Nearly the Same Name as Meek Mill Caused Airport Confusion: 'What the F--- Is This' (Exclusive) After listing off Sade's "Hang On to Your Love" and "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by PM Dawn, Ross also admits that he's got a soft spot for the music of Gloria Estefan. "Welcome to Miami! You feel me? That's just that top down, Miami s---. Let the top down. Matter of fact, leave the top at home. Don't only let it down. Leave it at home. You can't even let it back up. F--- it," he says. "That's Miami." Ross' new album also features track "Go to Hell," manned by duo Cool & Dre, which samples "Shout" by Tears for Fears. As Ross explains, the song — and the European music scene as a whole — hit Miami "possibly different than anywhere else" in the '80s. "I'm a young kid then, but when you look at all the TV shows that was based out of Miami, and being in Miami, it was no way around it," he says. "So if you wasn't from Miami and you was watching Miami Vice, they riding in the Ferraris, that's what went with the Ferraris. That European sound, man." "But most definitely, that European music scene in Miami was... The same way the Latin scene was in Miami, the European music scene was in Miami," he adds. "So Tears for Fears, most definitely, that s--- was like 2 Live Crew." For more on Rick Ross, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, available on newsstands everywhere now. Close