Ivory Scott Talks Turning Down Hits, $1,200 Goldfish, and His Secret to Writing for Cardi B and Ariana Grande

Ivory Scott made his Baller Alert Show debut with Ferrari Simmons this week, and it was anything but a typical interview. From his growing collection of exotic fish to the powerful message behind his latest project Mud, the multi-platinum songwriter and rising artist gave fans an inside look at his creative world — and why now was the time to step fully into the spotlight.

Joined by Ferrari in Atlanta, Scott opened up about a recent scheduling delay, laughing off the moment with a bit of humor before diving into his new passion: exotic fish. “I got this crazy new addiction to exotic fish, bro,” he said. “I started with freshwater tanks — now I got like eight tanks on my property.” One of his favorites? A rare fly river turtle that doesn’t even need to come up for air.

With Mud out now, Scott reflected on his favorite record from the project, pointing to “Believe,” a song rooted in self-confidence and perseverance. “You gotta believe in yourself before anybody else does,” he said. “That message is real.”

One of the project’s biggest moments came courtesy of Kevin Gates, who delivered a verse for Scott in just 30 minutes. “It was real love,” Scott said, noting the verse wasn’t something thrown together — Gates genuinely connected with the record and responded instantly. “He smacked it.”

Despite his success writing for major names like Chris Brown, Cardi B, and Ariana Grande, Scott admitted he wrestled with holding back certain songs he felt deeply connected to. “When I write something for myself, it’s personal. It’s about my upbringing. That stuff I can’t give away,” he explained. But when writing for others, he’s fully in character: “If I’m writing for Cardi, it’s for Cardi. Not me.”

When asked what gets on his nerves, Scott called out a common industry pet peeve: people listening to music in poor quality. “I hate when people listen to demos out loud from their phone. We spend top dollar to make this music sound high quality — respect the artist.”

Scott gave a big shoutout to Hitmaka, who was instrumental in pushing him to pursue his artistry. Their first session together led to ten songs and two early placements — one with Rick Ross and another with Ariana Grande. “He really championed me,” Scott said.

As he continues balancing his roles as an artist and songwriter, Scott also has his sights set on luxury living — including building a two-lane bowling alley on his property in Atlanta. “Get ready,” he warned, teasing a return to the Baller Alert bowling tournament later this year.

Before wrapping, Scott showed love to everyone involved in the project, including features from 2 Chainz, Tink, Kevin Gates, and Yung Bleu. “I’m blessed, bro,” he said. “Really blessed.”