LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather seems to have more fights against music personalities than boxers these days, and while he's ingrained in both communities, he reigns supremely and without defeat in only one.
Rappers Nelly and T.I. all have chided Mayweather since the pound-for-pound king's last fight — in interviews, via social media, and in person — primarily over who's dating whom, and if so why.
"I don't really focus on nothing like that," Mayweather said. "I'm relevant. I'm relevant. My life is the (expletive). I'm something to talk about."
Mayweather said hip-hop stars seem to try to boost their public appeal by linking themselves to him via controversial methods, like when he was confronted by Clifford "T.I." Harris early on the morning of May 25, producing a minor scuffle at a Fatburger restaurant on the Las Vegas strip.
The incident apparently was spurred by the rapper's wife, Tameka "Tiny" Harris, posting an Instagram picture of herself with Mayweather's daughter, Iyanna.
Mayweather toyed with T.I. over whether his relationship with the rapper's wife was intimate — both he and Tiny ultimately dismissed that speculation — but he was not happy about the incident at a favorite eating place.
At essence, he contends that the celebrity-on-celebrity confrontation was the product of a crude marketing effort.
"What's so crazy is this: You know, when people are not relevant, and they're not moving units like they were once moving ... you've got to realize, I've been relevant for 18 years," Mayweather said.
Piggybacking his name is what hip-hop artists seek when confronting him, he added.
"God has blessed me with an unbelievable talent, with fast feet, fast hands, unbelievable defense and a very, very sharp mind. So I'm thankful for that. Of course, hip-hop artists, they come and go. They come and go. But I'm still here," Mayweather said.
Mayweather fights Marcos Maidana in a Sept. 13 rematch perhaps fueled, in part, by the pound-for-pound king's own questionable focus in their May 3 first fight, after he took to social media late on fight week to explain his breakup from his former fiancee, Shantel Jackson.
Jackson now dates Nelly (real name, Cornell Haynes Jr.), who recently chided Mayweather for not graduating high school.
Mayweather, in turn, claimed Jackson told him she is dating Nelly solely to advance her career. Jackson and the rapper reportedly are in production on a reality show.
Mayweather, the world's highest-paid athlete, chalked up the comments to jealousy.
"A lot of times, you see a lot of these rap artists, they rap about certain things, but I really live it," Mayweather said. "Every home that I have is paid for, every car that I have is paid for, and I am a hundred-million-dollar man. I mean, this is the truth, it's not a lie.
"I mean, if these guys claim that they're doing certain numbers and certain units, then we'll see. My fight's already sold out. You could take me anywhere. You could take me to the moon, and believe me, everybody's going to try to take a trip to the moon to watch me fight."
50 is hilarious
, Floyd out here buyin Civics and turning them into Rolls Royces just for Nelly to eventually park in his garages like
@ the second video "nigguh"