Rick Ross: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1

AllHipHop.com: Once you have a certain amount of success, your lifestyle changes. With that being said, can fans expect your lyrical content to change on this album?

Rick Ross: When it comes to making concepts and records there’s different places you want to take people. Me, naturally, I talk about what I know, what I was good at before the music. There was three things I was always good at: football, hustling, and writing raps. So it was either or. I quit football, never really quit on the streets because I had to stay alive. That’s what it was. The reason I was able to chase my dream, was able to finance it, and put as much into it as I did and do whatever it was I needed to do. I’m one of those dudes that, once I make my mind up, it’s not going to be that hard for me. On this go round I still kept it street but I took it to another level. I showed a lot of different aspects of it. It all boils down to winning. Starting over here without s**t and then grabbing everything off the table.

[Rick Ross on What Motivates him to Make Music]



AllHipHop.com: When chasing a dream, everyone has their moments when they’re ready to give up. But you were already out there getting money. Did you ever have a point when you said forget music; I’m going to continue doing what I do?

Rick Ross: I’ll be honest, I never said f**k the music. That’s what made me embrace the music. I bought my first crib when I was 22 years-old. I was swerving Beemers and Benzs. I was doing my thing. That was my white Beemer that I shot “Hustlin’” in. So I never said f**k the music because I had my homies doing three life sentences Kenneth “Boobie” Williams, Blackboy, the Boobie Boys. He made America’s Most Wanted. That’s my partner who personally inspired me. That’s who told me to leave the streets alone. One of the last things he told me before he went to federal prison was, “Ross, keep doing what you’re doing to emulate the greats.”

So all I absorbed, that B.I.G. that Tupac, was on. We were really living that music. It wasn’t a game. So I told you what it was. If you doubt it, you’re crazy. If you think n****s ain’t rich already…like when Jay came out saying ROC that was already our slogan because we were rich off cocaine. When you broke down the abbreviation that’s what it was for us. That’s who taught me to stay focused. When I talk to this man with three life sentences those words he told me encouraged me more than anything. He talk to me and those words had so much meaning and passion that I can’t even repeat it. This is a dude with three life sentences who only get to come out his cell once a week. But when he calls he sounds like he’s around the corner. He never on the phone begging.

I was around real G’s. So when I say Trilla, that’s what I’m talking about. He faced serving three life sentences and didn’t testify. Never cooperated and you can’t point the finger at many people and say that. S**t, Google it. When I tell you I seen n****s with a mil in cash on the floor, I seen it. It wasn’t nothing I wanted to brag about but, I seen it. I knew seeing that I would either grow up to not be s**t or I would have s**t. It was my decision to make. So me getting money ain’t nothing new. That’s why I’m always going to be separate from other artists that only had one album. MTV was at my crib for MTV Cribs they were filming like, “Damn. You got all this with just one album?” I’m like don’t ask no questions just film.

I hustle different. A lot of muthaf***as be on internet sites and blogs. I don’t know n****s who log on. When I made my music I never thought about Myspace. I never thought about AllHipHop.com. When I walk outside, there’s the n****s I was making the music for. See this s**t. All my cousins used to come from out of town in the summer and I’d ride through the doe poes and let them see the ‘64’s sitting out there like it’s Cali. N****s never been past Ft. Lauderdale but got everything they got and that’s from the work. I showed them where the police knocked down all the telephone lines to keep people from riding down the streets because two officers got shot in the head on New Year’s Eve. I took them there, I showed them. On the back of my album I took them to the graveyards where the caskets sit off the ground. Look on the back of my album. You can’t see it good but it’s an overflow. They can’t bury n****s quick enough where I’m from and that’s what I showed them. I started my album like I do my day. I started with a hustle. I start with a hustle and I end with a prayer. So that’s what it was for me. That’s real Miami s**t right there.  

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned caskets resting above ground because people were dying to quick to be buried. After seeing something as powerful as that, don’t you feel like it’s time for a change in the way we think and the messages we put out?

Rick Ross: I think when it’s time for that, all of that’s going to come. I ain’t the one to be preaching to nobody yet. What I can do is give young kids in the ghetto inspiration. That if they commit their life to anything they want for ten years you can take my word you’ll be successful at it. I’m a firm believer in that. If you’re selling dope I feel you can be a CEO. I feel if you got a dope spot [or] you can run a restaurant. You can do a lot of different s**t and that’s what I want to show right now.

I ain’t even going to preach, I’m going to show. A lot of dudes ain’t going to listen to me preaching because they know what I was still doing when “Hustlin’” was out. They know. S**t don’t stop, n****s got to live. So that’s what it was with the Boss. I call myself that and I mean it. Rick Ross is all over the map. When T.I. had that incident in Cincinnati I was at that same club the next week. They had threats…rob threats, kill threats. They said they were going to kill us. Well if they’re killer then they better start killing because I got a deposit to pick up. And believe that we’re going to get that. That’s been my attitude my whole grind. If I got my eyes on it I’m fixing to make it happen. That’s why I’m linking with all the real n****s in the game that ain’t on no hoe s**t. We can’t promote hoe s**t and I can’t be a part of hoe s**t. N****s beefing then see each other and it’s, “What’s up bro,” then be all on the websites talking, that’s hoe s**t to me. I don’t intervene in none of that.

[Rick Ross On Obama and the Election]



AllHipHop.com: While we’re on the subject of change, a lot of people feel like Barack Obama is the one to change America for the better. How do you feel?

Rick Ross: He is the one. He is. It’s time for a change. I call myself a realist. I accept s**t for what it is, reality. A lot of people mad at Bush but I ain’t. I understand it’s business, one big business. He going out for the dollar but let me in on it. You went to Iraq after the oil, give us a little kick back. Show us a little love. We riding with you, the soldiers riding with you, show us some love. Don’t go take all their s**t then raise gas another dollar a gallon. That aint trill.

I think Barack understands the team. It’s a team and teamwork makes the dream work. I make records the DJ’s play it. Bush you calling the shots, the soldiers are putting the work and Halliburton getting all the money. You ain’t breaking the bread. That’s the problem with Bush. I ain’t mad at him, you got to handle you’re business. I too enjoy riding around in Mercedes’ eating McDonald’s. We can only afford that luxury because the country is set up the way it is. I understand and respect that. But we went up in there and you’re taking all the money. Break bread because n****s is hungry, n****s starving. It’s rough in the streets. That’s all I’m saying. He done f***ed up enough. Let Barack in. He can’t f**k up no more than this guy.

Let my man get his opportunity. Let a Democrat get in there. I ain’t going to lie, it just seems like life was smoother for muthaf***as when Clinton was in office. Was it just me? Am I the only one? Am I the only n***a being affected by these people? And me being from Florida, all the muthaf***as who went out and voted know they took the elections. You know what, cool, you took that election. You’re the big boss. I understand the boss role but show that love. Kick that money back and help these people out here. That’s what your job is being in control of America. Bush family is good. His daddy is good. They’re in with the Saudi’s and all that, that’s good. But what about everybody else? That’s where Bush f***ed up. I’m going to keep it real, nobody give a s**t about that war. Out of sight is out of mind as far as most people are concerned. They read that little s**t at the bottom of the screen on CNN “18,000 soldiers dead.” They don’t give a f**k unless it’s some of their family members. They just want when they go to the gas pump that $10 means something. That’s not what’s happening so I can’t f**k with Bush on that tip. I’m thinking business but don’t f**k me. I’m a Democrat thinking Republican.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve been screaming “Boss” since you first came out. What is it that makes you the Boss?

Rick Ross: I thought you already knew. You got to understand, as an artist…well, there are artist who are getting money and there are artists who ain’t. And that’s because they really ain’t been applying the rules. A lot of times they have the same deals, same situations. But I’m going to just put it like this, I’m fortunate. I’m fortunate to be in the position I am with my hands in the pots they’re in, who I’m affiliated with and the situation I’m in right now. March 11th is going to be a big day for me. It’s that sophomore album and it’s going to be the biggest album of the year.

Then we got a lot of s**t to come behind that. So when you look at this album and I’m executive producing it, the documentary, I’m executive producing it. Flo-Rida coming out, we got the movie H. I made my acting debut alongside Laurence Fishburne in a movie called The Days of Wrath. We’re on the up and up. And I’m going to invest in a lot more s**t and a lot more street dudes because that’s what it’s about. So when I say the Boss I’m just cementing my name in the game. It’s almost fixing to be past financial. We’re about power. I like knowing I can walk in this building, put a project on the table and tell them we’re putting it out in three months. We good to go and we win big. Continue to be the best, because we’re the best. Believe that.