The New Yorker Labels Rick Ross A Con Man Who Might Have Put The Last Nail In The Coffin For Rappers Who "Keep It Real"
Rapper Rick Ross' career has been fueled by the cocaine dealing he often refers to in his lyrics. In his song "Hustlin'" off of his debut album Port of Miami he rapped that he knew former Panamanian dictator/drug kingpin Manuel Noriega.
"I know Pablo, Noriega.The real Noriega, he owe me a hundred favors," he rapped.
In a subsequent interview with AllHipHop, Ross admitted he didn't actually know Noriega.
AllHipHop.com: What did you mean when you said “Noriega owes me favors”? [Manuel "Manolo" Noriega, the Panamanian military leader who was tried and convicted for drug trafficking. He resides in a Miami federal prison]? What does that mean?
Rick Ross: Noriega owe a hundred favors, you know what I’m sayin’? It’s just like, you know, I kick it with [Pablo] Escobar nephew. He live down here. That’s my n*ggas, you know what I’m sayin’? So I just meant like, you know, real ties with real n*ggas. That’s what that meant. I don’t know Noriega personally, but I know n*ggas who have met Noriega. I know n*ggas who was in federal prison two, three cells down from Noriega. You know what I’m sayin’? And when I talk to them, I let ‘em know you know that’s something I meant to ‘em in the movies. I’m into sh*t like that. So I’m gonna stand to that. That’s all that means.
So began the rapper's mantra of fake it until you make it that has worked for him thus far.
In a just published article titled 'The Sound Of Success: Rick Ross’ Confidence Game,' writer Sasha Frere-Jones of the New Yorker places the blame on the Miami rapper's shoulders for making it acceptable for rappers to embellish what they say in their lyrics to the point that the motto "keeping it real" has all but left the genre.
Check out an excerpt from the article below.
A central motif in contemporary hip-hop is rapping about drug dealing by artists who may not actually sell narcotics. Among others, Jay-Z, Clipse, and Young Jeezy have rhymed about a past or present involvement in the trade on the street. It’s typically impossible to determine whether they are telling the truth about themselves or simply the truth about their environment, and it’s never been clear whether listeners care. The Miami rapper Rick Ross, who is both physically and culturally very large, talks endlessly about extensive work in the cocaine trade. His involvement with drugs remains a mystery, but, in 2008, the Smoking Gun published documents revealing that Ross—who named himself after the Los Angeles drug dealer Freeway Ricky Ross—was once a Florida corrections officer with a perfect attendance record. He has become more popular, critically and commercially, since the revelation, and has modified his stories of drug selling only slightly. So rap fans must be either very poor listeners or fairly sophisticated ones—much more likely the latter.
Ross’ success in mimicking drug lords has brought him the ability to live like one of them. Profiles have documented his large homes, his fleet of cars, his shopping sprees at watch stores, his solicitous entourage and flexible schedule. Ross may represent the final abandonment of hip-hop’s mandate to “keep it real,” a concept that goes by different names now but has not gone away. Perhaps listeners know that this is a version of “Miami Vice,” a show that Ross claims to have been inspired by. The appeal is less some kind of documentary thrill than Ross’ ability to transmit the confidence that comes from blithely running up roaming fees while driving a Rolls-Royce through Samoa.
Frere-Jones's article reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend recently who asked me if I watched reality tv. (I do not). He explained that even though people know shows like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" are totally scripted and anything but "real" some people can't stop watching them.
Has rap become the new reality tv? And if so is Ross it's leading actor?
To read all of Sasha Frere-Jones' article head over to the New Yorker.
Originally spotted at HipHopWired
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Comment
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Comment by st Vincent st west on March 5, 2012 at 9:38am -
People say fake Music is good Music........
Stay True to your Music......
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Comment by Coogie'YO,OnlyIfYouLanguishTruth on February 14, 2012 at 8:59am -
@IWoody..Need no more say
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Comment by iWoody on February 14, 2012 at 4:29am -
the whole "50 aint real" b******* is pathetic, there is a difference in being real, and being a CO, let me break it down for you think headed c**** 50, came from the streets, which is clearly evident, no more needs to be said, he raps about what he came from, the lifestyle he lived
Ross, raps about Ricky Ross' Lifestyle, defining him a fat lying f*****
he is fake,
50, doesnt do the things he says in his music, but he came from doing s*** relevant to that, so it he is Real,
ross, never has been. he is nothing more than a Snitch. a fraud, a fat c***.
FTH!
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Comment by Coogie'YO,OnlyIfYouLanguishTruth on February 14, 2012 at 4:17am
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@Charles Your first question ":"So i guess yall think 50 really killing people so he real" That was a rhetorical question...usually i don't answer to these type questions cause the question states no facts only suggestion...NOW ask me, what are the facts about that correctional officer again???
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Comment by Charles on February 13, 2012 at 5:43pm -
@Coogie'YO,StuckInThisTrafficJam2's So has Rick Ross he took someones name and lifestyle that he can not lie up to but so did 50 rappers are characters
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Comment by Ralph on February 12, 2012 at 10:05pm -
i see people online all the time saying yeah rick ross is a fraud but he make good music. they some sheep though. honestly i havent heard a rick ross song i like. i've liked some of the choruses on his songs but those were from songs where the features sang the chorus and not officer ricky. why would i like a slow lazy im out of breath just by talking flow.
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Comment by Coogie'YO,OnlyIfYouLanguishTruth on February 12, 2012 at 6:37am
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@ Charles...No I don't think so...Maybe Curtis jackson Boo Boo came up from the real life he lived and seen and plausible reasons to relate to that life style he raps about...Yet recently makin moves for a better course #SK ALL DAY
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Comment by Charles on February 12, 2012 at 6:22am
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So i guess yall think 50 really killing people so he real
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Comment by k black on February 11, 2012 at 1:08pm
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dont u stupid n***** know that 90% of rap n***** is fake? hip hop use to be about music, not trying too see who could be the biggest gangsta!!! thats not the reason this music was created. but just like everything else, we as a people just f*** it up. this b******* has gotta STOP!!!
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Comment by SUBLIMINAL on February 10, 2012 at 10:59am -
dude said he knew noriega but nore been locked up in max security in the feds since '89. officer ricky was 12 at the time. smh, this dude is faker than a $3 bill.
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