Rick Ross fancies himself a businessman as well as a rapper. Hence all the "boss" talk. He runs MMG, and he's been openly critical of labels who don't properly deal with their artists. It's part of the reason Ross and Birdman had such an ugly falling out. Rick Ross has decided to set his sights higher than the Cash Money founder, though. The rapper went on Instagram Live on August 23 to announce that a storm is coming in the music industry. And he wants to help wash away all the corruption that's taken root.
"As an artist, but also as a businessman," Rick Ross told his followers. "There’s been a lot of shakeups at the top of the industry. And I would like to know the ramifications." The rapper went on to name several notable industry figures who have been let go in recent years. "When you see the titans in the industry being replaced, is it a good thing," he questioned. "Is it a bad thing? How do you take it? Did they no longer have their finger on the pulse to find the next Ice Spice?" Rick Ross lets these questions settle with the viewer before continuing.
Rick Ross Likened The Music Industry to 'Game Of Thrones'
The MMG boss makes it clear that change is in the air, and he's going to be involved in said change. Regardless of where it takes him. He even threw out a lengthy parallel to Game of Thrones, and the way that power is meant to change hands. "The kings and queens are being beheaded," he noted. He then quoted one of his own songs. "The game ain’t based on sympathy," he asserted. "So if the higher-ups could find someone better to do it for cheaper, your f*cking head will roll next."
Rick Ross isn't the only rapper who has been talking industry politics. Kanye West, a frequent Rozay collaborator, has been embroiled in a very public battle with Atlantic Records. West claimed that the label threatened to take his last two albums down from streaming platforms. He also said that Julie Greenwald, a longtime Atlantic CEO, has been let go. Rick Ross previously stated that he wanted to sign Kanye West to MMG. Now, however, it seems like both rappers are aiming to maintain control of what they have.