BONUS: Ari & Rick Ross on BLM, hustle, book & if Drake is "the past"'

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0:47Americans are facing higher prices, this gas crunch, plenty of questions about how to hustle in these hard times. Well, our next guest is known as much for his artistry as his business acumen. A hit maker, Grammy-nominated rapper, entrepreneur Rick Ross has really defined the hip-hop soundscape with anthems you know or you've danced to at weddings and bar mitzvahs, Hustlin', The Boss, BMF, I'm Not a Star, the wider Maybach Music Series. He's celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the debut album that changed everything, Port of Miami, Florida boy, what's up? He has also led what has now become a really popular move where brand-name stars launch their own brands and businesses.

1:26He's got a fleet of wing stops, the spirits business, a car show, a real estate portfolio. And here in Newsland for political junkies, I should mention Ross is an Obama level artist. Joining then President Obama in the Oval, a great moment considering that Ross has rapped, thought it was Obama the way I came through. I'm talking different commas from them lame dudes. That's the kind of Ross bar that, you know, sticks in your mind. In fact, they come up often on this show so much that we played a few to Ross the last time he joined us. My team was like, Ari, you do Rick so much, you got to at least show him some of them.

2:04So you are one of our most, you're one of our most quoted artists here. This is a little sampling of when we cite Ross to explain something happened in the world. Take a look. Was it not Rick Ross who said, I am flawed? Walking in the courtroom, sipping on a beverage, I know the judge, so I got a lot of leverage. Every day is another opportunity to touch the paper. Count the profits, you could bring them in a Nike box. Grinding in my Jordans, kick them off, they might be hot. Shoebox, no shoes in it. And the implication is there's drugs in the shoebox.

2:47No, I...

2:52We have fun. Even if it's a little meta to play Ross, our Ross catalog, to the extent that news shows have a catalog. Well, the boss is here. He has a new book, Renaissance of a Boss, Notes from a Creative Awakening, and joins us now. Welcome back.

3:08Rick Ross:Good looking, family. You look great. You feel great? Oh, man, I feel wonderful celebrating the book release. Got the book right here, the Renaissance. I have so much to talk to you about, but first, this is all about creativity. Facts. What does that mean to you now? Just 20 summers in the game and still being excited, still waking up, remaining creative, and actually contributing something to the game, which is greatly needed. Yeah. And I want to read, you say, to be creative, because there's a lot of, nowadays on the internet, everyone's talking about what they say they can do. You've done it.

3:40And you say, to be creative, you got to start somewhere. People think it's the other way around, waiting for lightning to strike. That's not the way it goes. It's engaging in the process of creation that ignites the imagination. I'm curious how you apply that because people look at you and say, okay, he's done it. He's successful. And you got folks sitting around sometimes saying, someday I'll rap. Someday I'll write. I got a book idea, but I haven't written a page. What are you getting at there?

4:05Rick Ross:The time is now. You can't postpone nothing. We have no time to waste. Not a day, not a second. Apply it all right now. If it's heavy on your heart, let's execute. Did you have a time earlier when you were saying, I'm going to be, I know you say I'm not a star, but part of you also said, I'm going to be a star or a rapper or a business owner. And someone in your life said, no, that's not going to happen. Oh, most definitely. It's a lot of times. You got to remember when I was first purchased in the promised land, Evander Holyfield's former state, 300 plus acres, 100 rooms. Everyone I had that discussion with, what are you going to do with that?

4:45Rick Ross:It's not a great investment, great investment, this, that. Yes, it is. And we did it. Mm-hmm. Five car show later. You know, the car show going down the 12th. Okay. The 13th of June. So we have 15 ,000, close to 15 ,000 people in the front yard. Once again, having a good time. Yeah. Feeding them music, feeding them the vibe, the positive energy, and enjoying the cars. So it's, I understand I'm a little delusional that sometimes. Well, I got. Everybody won't understand it. As you know, I got to go there once. I didn't know what was bigger, the pool or the house. You need to be there this car, so I'm going to give you your personal guide.

5:25Rick Ross:I got you. Respect, because the pool is like an ocean. Yeah, it is. You also write from the new book, Speaking My Dreams Into Existence has always been my modus operandi. I was dead broke when I started calling myself the biggest boss. And I love that because your music is like this. Movies are like this. people watch Scarface, they identify with the star, with the rich person, maybe not all of the worst parts of him, but we identify with that and hip hop does that. And so you were saying now, you were identifying success before you achieved. Without a doubt. I understood that I was willing to go to the greatest heights to achieve my goals, which is to be successful, which is to be a writer or author, whatever it was that I, you know, had ideas of.

6:15Rick Ross:I knew that I would do exactly what it took and even much more. So I began manifesting. I put it out into the universe. I'm the biggest boss. I'm going to have 40 cars and MC Hammer. That's what I said. And now. Here it is. Here it is. I was listening to some of the songs here and we've talked before, but one I've never asked you about was interesting because there's a toughness in your voice, the way your voice sounds, and sometimes in the way you deliver a message. And I wanted to ask, so you talk here in Marathon, you say, Judas was a politician, made up like a Ronald Reagan. This is just a war on drugs.

6:54Tell me how you feel about it. And then you sort of seem to be challenging. I want you to explain what you mean. You say, black lives really matter now. Tell Emmett Till about it. George Floyd was face down as you all stood around it. did your little FaceTimes, left the neighborhood astounded. Who are you addressing there? What are you getting at?

7:14Rick Ross:I'm really addressing everyone who's listening to the vibe. You got to join the fight. You got to join the struggle. It's like it came a time where, you know, some of the worst things could be happening and everybody just want to FaceTime or go live. Let me get a little content. Instead of getting in the battle, getting in the fight. So that's deep, and we see that in politics, and we see that across. You can see that on whatever your politics are. Exactly, exactly. That's pejorative. You're saying doing your little FaceTimes, like you want to get clout or content on this, but you don't actually want to deal with the important part.

7:50Rick Ross:No, you're not in the battle. You're not in it. Yeah. You want to stand around. I get it. Respect. It's interesting. It's a difference. Well, it's a little bit like, you know, Kendrick has that line, the overnight activists. Facts. And that idea that people who live this, if you're teaching, because I grew up on hip hop, so I'm listening to hip hop learning. But people who aren't from that community coming in and saying, oh, I'm going to post this while it's hot. And then years later, we don't hear much about BLM. It's almost like some people just moved on. It's like they do it while it's popular and they move on.

8:30Rick Ross:when this is the life we live, this is our culture, this is our vibe, and we got to use this to communicate to the rest of the world. So you either can get involved or you just stand around and take your photos. Go ahead. Go live. Just step out the window. Respect. You're out on the book tour. We know Iceman is coming. You've had a rich and complicated history with Drake. Where are you with that today? What are you thinking about the new project? I'm focused on my project. You know what I mean? I don't believe anyone's nervous about Iceman. I don't believe no real emcee, no real bosses, no real hustlers.

9:11Rick Ross:So I'm focused on the book release and my album. Because my album is going to most definitely be a bomb. It's going to be a bomb. Because in one of the recent interviews, because you know I follow this stuff, people will notice it. Now Ross said, he said something like, well, you know, I'm happy to have him win. Don't want to see him lose. Facts. So is that a different place than when you were putting him on wax? What that was was basically behind the scenes, it's like people want to hit me say that I hate Drake or there's a conspiracy against him. No, it's not. You know, if you put out an amazing album, congratulations.

9:47Rick Ross:If it's me, it's me. You know? Respect? Yeah, that's what it is. Yeah. Pressure. Thinking about the way you have succeeded, you know, people say aging like fine wine or gracefully. And hip hop is newer, but now hip hop, they say, is about 50. We're looking at artists like yourself, about 50. Hove is, you know, 56 now. We've got this. Hove Young, man. Hove Young. Hove Young. Yeah, Hove. Nas, 52. Youngster, youngster. And Kendrick, who a lot of people know, and Grace in the Super Bowl, a little bit younger, 38. both in your business, your book, and your music. What does it mean to still be creating at this age?

10:28And do you feel like it's different than when you were younger or it's just authentic rosé no matter what?

10:33Rick Ross:It's most definitely rosé. The music that I make, I have no ulterior motives. You know, I just want to make dope music, music that's appreciated. Like my first album, it's 20 years later, 20 summers later, I could have never imagined this. Let me press you on that, though, because the first album's like, the hustling was, you really were hustling, fair? Facts, facts. You now might bring that mentality, but you don't literally need to hustle now. You're in a different space, no? No, no, no, Ari. No? We still hustling. There's still new goals to achieve. You know, of course, they're much different than the younger Rosé, but there are new goals.

11:16Rick Ross:There's new platforms, you know? There's new spaces and new levels that we got to hit. This is our third release. We could have never imagined this. Possibly our third New York Times bestseller. Possibly or probably. These are new goals that we must execute. So you feel you're basically, you're at a different age in success, but you are just channeling the same voice, the same energy we have. Without a doubt. Without a doubt. That's what it is. Yeah, respect. That's what's driving me. You ever listen to the Joe Budden podcast? Joe Button has a dope podcast. I love what Joe's doing. They were talking about how is Rick this wealthy?

11:56That's what they were talking about last week. I don't know if you heard that yet. We've cut it for you. So they're like, I mean, Joe knows your work. He knows your artistry. And by the way, a lot of people have done great. What they're saying is, wait, seems like he's like another level. So Joe's asking. Joe's funny. He's funny. You know, the way he talks. He's smart. He said, where's he getting this money? So this is new. Take a look.

12:18Rick Ross:Where is Rick Ross getting all of this money? He got a bunch of sh**. Investments. He got a bunch of sh**. Bricks. That's where that passive money come from. Yeah, man. He used to roof. Yeah, he got wings. Oh, yeah, he got a bunch of wing stops. It was a long list of things. Yeah. I'm going to pit him into just having all the MMG money forever. You ain't seen a little shot? You ain't hear the shot? Every doll I see him with, I think, oh, man. You ain't hear the shot? Ross is a comedian underneath all everything. Ross got a lot of money. Your response. Joe Budden is a smart person, and I can't miss another Joe Budden podcast.

13:00Because he's really, he's like ruminating on it, and he's both. He's a rapper and a podcaster in the media, and he's like, where are you getting this, and what's it all doing? And is it because you've had such a diversified business portfolio?

13:11Rick Ross:Without a doubt, I made a lot of great moves. Every day I wake up and I'm moving, And the thing about it is to me, to me, I try my best to make it so clear to everybody how we're moving. I discuss 20 different partnerships on my platforms every day. We create an equity every day. We create value every day. We're breaking new grounds every day. That's exactly what we're doing. And, you know, when that book becomes a film and we get Scorsese to direct it, Neil, hopefully you're ready for that. Who's going to play Rick Ross? Good question. Good question. All right. I'll let you think on that. I want to do a lightning round starting with In a Word.

13:59We'll finish some sentences, but this is just In a Word. Too easy. Miami. Flamingos. The promised land in Fayetteville. Rich. Wingstop. Lemon pepper. Mm. Lemon Pepper Freestyle. DJ Collin. My brother. Meek Mill.

14:17Rick Ross:My brother. Future. My man, my close homie. Drake. The past. Rosé. The biggest. Rick Ross. Legend. These are some choices, and these are gonna be hard. Because, you know, they do verses with other artists. You did, of course, yours with Chains. But this, I'm pitting... Ross Bangers against Ross Bangers. So you got to pick one. Hustling or BMF? I'm going to say hustling. Because? Came first. First. I'm not a star or MC Hammer? I'm not a star. Wow. All right. I just got to be honest. I'm not a star. What does that mean when you say, because I'm not a star because I'm really a hustler? So I was riding in LA.

15:06Rick Ross:I had my homeboy, Spiff, playing instrumentals for me. And I had the driver just ride me through the hills, show me the$50 million home. And he showed me Michael Jackson's. And he came across one. That's where MC Hammer lived. Damn. Stop the car. Play the beat. Ten minutes later, the song was done. Wow. So MC Hammer is one of my favorite Ross joints of all time. Mine too. We go, my high school friends and I, we do this annual trip. And we're out like in cabins. Nothing going on. Campfire. friends. That's it. No distraction. And one time we were hanging out and it was the evening and I had fallen asleep.

15:45That can happen. I'm with my friends, chill, whatever. And they wanted to rouse me. You know, they were like wanting me back in the hangout. So they just put MC Hammer, like they just played it on the speaker because they know it's my jam. And I just woke up out of the nap and just was immediately. And it's like better than coffee.

16:04Rick Ross:Oh man, it's better than a lot You can say whatever you want. All right. Made men or money in the grave? Made men. So good. Because you sound, again, just as a listener, you sound so excited. Michael Jackson, moonwalk. Put it on a napkin. Let it cool off. And it's just. Let it cool off. Respect. Now, these are two lyrical joints. 16 or devil in a new dress. Devil. Because you bodied it. People talk about it to this day. Yeah, the production, the breakdown, just so much was put into that record, production-wise. On these rap podcasts, you know, we all tell the same, like, four stories. So everyone tells the story that Ye said, oh, you got to take it up a level.

16:55Is that true? Did you send in the verse twice?

16:57Rick Ross:No, I was in Hawaii with Kanye. So we had maybe eight different rooms going at once. Ye would be in one. Noah D. would be in one. You know, it was just so many different people. Nicki Minaj over here. And I came in and Noah D. played the beat. Okay, cool. That's what we're going to do. I took it back into a room, wrote a verse, came back 30 minutes. I let Ye hear it. And he was like, I can see you taking it. And I said, oh, don't even finish then. Give it to me. I went back, came back. Took it up. 30 minutes later. Yeah. It was done. Because to me, we know so many sides of you, and we know the boss.

17:43You know, just the man. But that one has, it's almost Baroque. There's a little, like, when he's sipping rosé all alone. Sipping rosé all alone. There's a note of melancholy amidst the glamour.

17:57Rick Ross:Without a doubt, I most definitely tapped into, you know, that open side. Let a little emotion in. And, you know, that's what took that record to me, my verse-wise, to another spot. But what Bink did, what Ye did, what the producers did, the production, I could do it again without a problem. Amazing. This is finish the sentence. These are my last ones. Finish the sentence. Too easy. Being broke means? We got to start all over. Being rich means? We can't this up. Being a boss means? Shot caller. Real bosses know? Everybody depends on you. The difference between money and success is? Money you have.

18:55Rick Ross:Success is an opinion. Wealth or respect? Wealth Last two Failure means You bloated Success means Everything alright Respect The book is Renaissance of a Boss Everything's alright right now I really appreciate you coming in sir Thanks once again True hip hop head Salute to you Respect The show always on fire Thank you Rick Thank you Most definitely

19:38that.

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