Rick Ross's Deeper Than Rap Moments
These triumphs and adversities aren't only found on wax.
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When Keeping It Real Gets Real - April 21 marks the fifth anniversary of Rick Ross dropping his third album, Deeper Than Rap. The highly successful project spawned such hit singles as "Maybach Music 2," "Magnificent" and "Usual Suspects" and featured The Boss collaborating with Nas, T-Pain, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Foxy Brown. The album is also significant in Rick Ross's career because it showed he could bounce back from adversity, after his public image took a hit when he was outed for formerly working as a prison corrections officer and more real life problems started to surmount. Read on for a glimpse at some of those moments that are deeper than rap for the Miami MC. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records)
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Baby Mama Drama - Mimi Faust and Nikko may have everyone going crazy with their shower stunts but Rick Ross's daughter’s mother had The Teflon Don sweating bullets when a sex tape of her and another man leaked to the Internet in 2009. 50 Cent reportedly bought the tape from the man and took it nationwide to embarrass Rozay during their feud. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
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Drive-By Shooting - On January 27, 2013, after a night celebrating his birthday, Rick Ross was the target of a drive-by shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. While driving his 2013 Rolls Royce early that morning, a gunman struck the vehicle with a barrage of bullets. The attack caused Ross and a passenger to crash into a building after losing control of the vehicle. Fortunately, no one was injured but the suspect has never been arrested.(Photo: NBC6 News)
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Health Scare - Constant touring compiled with unhealthy eating and not exercising can wreak havoc on the body. On October 14, 2011, Rick Ross suffered two seizures. The first occurred that morning, leaving Ross unconscious and CPR had to be administered. After boarding an airplane later that night, he suffered another seizure and had to be rushed to the University Of Alabama at Birmingham. The incident appeared to be a wake up call for Ross, who has admitted to changing his diet and exercising and has also lost a considerable amount of weight.(Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
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Monetary Deductions - The Feds are watching and apparently watchdog groups are, too, as Rick Ross lost a million-dollar endorsement deal with Reebok after his lyrics were scrutinized. Ross was featured on Rocko's hit single "U.O.E.N.O." and rapped about slipping a woman a molly. Perceived to be using the ecstasy drug as a date rape vessel, Ross received protests from organizations like UltraViolet, who picketed outside of Reebok. The pressure caused the footwear company to end their sponsorship deal with the MC. (Photo: REEBOK)
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Pay Your Bills - In June 0f 2013, Rick Ross was hit with a lawsuit from Johnny’s Custom Jewelry. The Houston-based company claimed Ross failed to pay them for 42 karats of diamonds and three Rolex watches, totaling to approximately $900 thousand. The company claims they delivered the watches in good faith, but the check was lost in the mail. (Photo: Palace Lee, PacificCoastNews)
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Paternity Suits - The Notorious B.I.G. said it best, “Mo Money, mo Problems,” and Rick Ross has had a few issues when it came to the ladies. In 2012, Ross was hit with a paternity suit by a Georgia woman named Tyrisha Childers who claimed he fathered her three year-old son and had never paid child support. Not taking the matter lying down, Ross demanded a DNA test because he claimed he never slept with the woman. The results proved that Ricky was not the father and the lawsuit was dismissed. (Photo: Joe Kohen/Getty Images)
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Exhortation - Rick Ross name dropped a few real life gangsters on his hit single “BMF” and one of the names mentioned was Larry Hoover, founder of the Gangster Disciples, which originated in Chicago. In 2012, Ross released a mixtape called the Black Bar Mitzvah and the artwork featured the rapper’s face inside the middle of the Star of David. The G.D.’s also use a 6-pointed star as one of their logos.Members affiliated with the gang around the country took offense and allegedly sent several threats to the MC, calling themselves "Maybach Killers" on YouTube and causing him to cancel shows in North Carolina. The heat really intensified as Rick Ross cancelled his remaining tour dates for December 2012. Ross downplayed the issue, however, and blamed the cancellations on the tour's promoter.(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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Inspiration to the Youth - Rick Ross's success allowed him to purchase retired boxer Evander Holyfield’s former estate for $5.8 million late last year. Located just outside of Atlanta, the lavish estate sits on 235 acres, has 54,000 square feet and includes 109 rooms. The compound also includes an elevator, bowling alley, home theatre, recording studio, boxing gym, a baseball field with lights and a scoreboard and indoor and outdoor pools. This is a great place to live, but The Boss had another intention when he made the purchase. Speaking with Revolt TV, he stated, “I just felt like me acquiring that property is me really speaking to some kids and giving them that same passion and they’re looking in my eyes and me telling them, ‘Yo, this is real.’ I feel like somebody needs to see that. Somebody needs that inspiration. So, we're going to open the doors to the kids of New Orl...
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Rick Loves the Kids - You can’t forget where you came from and Rick Ross has several charity endeavors. One of those is Rick Ross Charities, which has hosted an annual toy and food giveaway drive for the past eight years. The event takes place yearly in December in his hometown of Carol City, located in Miami.Rick Ross Charity also hosts its annual "Be Out Day" in August as they give out school supplies for children in the Miami area. The day is filled with free food, free health screenings, backpacks filled with school supplies and a host of activities. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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No Smoking Allowed - Colorado may have loosened their grip on the criminalization of marijuana, but a lot of states still refuse to adjust to today’s times. Rozay has been arrested a few times for possession of marijuana in several states, but after paying the fines, charges were dismissed.(Photo: Florida Police Department)
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Retirement Plan - The key to any successful business is diversification. Rick Ross added a restaurant business to his portfolio last year. The Maybach boss purchased a few Wing Stop restaurants and is looking to expand with another 25. (Photos from left: Craig Barritt/Getty Images, WingStop)