Rick Ross has had one hell of a year, and he now rejoins The Source for yet another cover and he is Still Hungry.
The measure of a man can often be sized up by who can withstand pressure, thrive, achieve success, absorb setbacks and stay hungry! In 2015 “Renzel” was arrested multiple times, put up his infamous “Holyfield” mansion in Atlanta to be granted bail and got engaged to Lira Mercer after a whirlwind romance. His MMG’s two top guns, Wale and Meek Mill, appears to have irreparably un-friended each other. Now that all that has subsided–for now–Ross has had to do what he does best: make music and make moves… Still Hungry, the cover title for our Holiday Issue #268, has never been more of an appropriate title for the music maker, mogul and Wing Stop ambassador, who released two number one albums through his MMG music empire earlier this year, and is now back for one of his own.
WORLD PREMIERE
Rick Ross
“Crocodile Python”
Black Market (MMG/Def Jam)
A surprise September mixtape (Black Dollar), followed by next month’s Black Market, is how the self-proclaimed Biggest Bawse™ plans on wrapping up the final year of his Def Jam contract. Will he return to the label that made him a superstar? Will MMG burst at the seams, despite those two number one albums this year? What will come of Ross’ pending kidnapping and assault charges? It’s a pivotal time for Rozay for several reasons, but if you watch his Snapchat stories, you wouldn’t be able to tell.
The Source spent some time with Ross at his mansion and tried to dissolve the Miami rapper’s poker face. Here’s an excerpt.
You didn’t spend as much time in jail as a 2Pac, Beanie Sigel, Pimp C, or even Meek Mill, but each of them had different perspectives on how it affected their mind and creativity. Tell us about your experience.
It’s most definitely a challenging situation, but it didn’t break my spirit. Crazy as it sounds, I was able to take advantage of the time I had alone. I was isolated 23 hours out of the day. I had been incarcerated before, but it was never for a crime that I couldn’t post a bond for in the middle of the night. To go from being a mother*cker who travels a few million miles annually and [snaps fingers] you wake up and your shit just stopped? You get to reflect on the work you’ve put in. You sit down and realize how many people are depending on you.
The day I was arrested, ni*ga, the US Marshalls came and got me. The night before, I was having dinner with Ice Cube and Minister Louis Farrakhan. The next day I was supposed be shooting my scene for Barbershop 3. I had one of the nicest jackets in the world made for that [laughs]. It was mother*ckers that had money on the table, ready to do certain deals, but now they’re like, “yo, we’re gonna chill.” You think about the millions in deposits you have to send back. You think about the unsure money that was right there on the edge. I thought about my kids so much. On top of that, you getting woke up by a squeaky ass cart and they sliding you some shit to eat that damn near look like possum. It was time to get all the way right. When I got out, I was confined to the crib and I just went to work. I had enough material to make two albums.
Also featured in this issue: Our yearly predictions on what will transpire in a sure-to-be entertaining NBA season plus exclusive interviews with the cast of upcoming Vh1 film, The Breaks. We also re-visit A Tribe Called Quest‘s legacy in light of the re-release of their debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (the first album to ever be awarded 5-mics from The Source), talk to emerging artist Bryson Tiller and give out the ever-important year-end awards, including Album of the Year.
You can grab your Rick Ross cover of the 2015 Holiday Issue on Tuesday, December 1.
