Rick Ross: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 2

Rick Ross: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1AllHipHop.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.