Earlier today, Rick Ross delivered "Turnpike Ike" one of his only solitary tracks off his upcoming Port Of Miami 2, which is set to arrive on this coming Friday. Off the bat, fans have already begun expressing their anticipation, with many wondering whether Renzel still has a classic left in him. While that remains to be seen, Ross took some time to FaceTime Apple Music's Beats 1 studios for an extensive conversation with Zane Lowe.
"The love for this s*** is still burning, the fire's still burning," says Ross, explaining that Port Of Miami 2 is essentially a passion project. Especially given his own lofty ambitions for greatness, driven by a willingness to consistently validate his hard-earned "Boss" title. "To me, that's the only thing left for me to continue to do is raise the stakes. And I got to accept the challenges. That's what a boss does," he explains. "You know what I mean? And me coming in on that first album saying I was the biggest boss, I meant it. I really meant it. And I think that's one of the dope angles that I can approach this music with, versus me coming in as a new artist, knowing people going doubt.
"You know, they may not really know how hard I'm going to go, and they don't know the heights I'm going to go to and the sacrifices I'm willing to make to be number one, or be considered one of the best," he continues. "And here I am 10 albums later, and still have that desire, you know? I most definitely absorb the game."
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He also speaks about a variety of his collaborators, including Meek Mill, Drake, Swizz Beatz, Just Blaze, and more. Yet some of his insight on Meek stands among the most interesting pieces of information to unpack. "You already know, man, it's amazing, first and foremost, just seeing, you know, Meek overcome his legal challenges, you know what I mean?" begins Ross, a great example of an artist allowing his own artists to flourish on their own merit. "I feel like my little brother getting his shot and going to get to be able to show the world what he really capable of...I've been able to really watch him in his most challenging moments and really understand not just his wordplay, his lyrics, but his tone of voice, the way his voice sounds."
Be sure to check out the full interview below, via Beats 1. Has your expectation for Port Of Miami 2 reached a zenith?