Rick Ross: A Day in the Life in New York City
The rapper handles beefs, vbiz and bae on a busy day in New York City.
Rick Ross photographed on Thurs, Nov. 12, 2015 in New York, NY. Joel Barhamand
The rapper handles beefs, vbiz and bae on a busy day in New York City.
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
3:30 p.m.: Def Jam Visit
On an overcast November afternoon, Rick Ross is sitting at a conference table inside Def Jam’s Manhattan offices. His fiancee Lira Galore to his left, the Miami MC, 39, lifts a blunt to his lips and inhales before offering Billboard a drag. “It’s all love,” he says. “It’s the business.”
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
3:45 p.m.: A Toast
After Def Jam CEO Steve Bartels enters, Ross plays a series of operatic records from new album Black Market with collaborators including Future, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, John Legend, CeeLo Green, Nas and DJ Premier. Ross mimes his lyrics and sips Luc Belaire Rose. “We got to remind n–as Def Jam is the greatest,” he says. “This album is going to be a death blow.”
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
5 p.m.: Walking Into ‘Nightly Show’
Ross arrives with fiancee Galore at the Hell’s Kitchen studio of Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore.
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
5 p.m.: Pre-Show Shape-Up
Ross gets a shape-up backstage at The Nightly Show.
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
5 p.m.: ‘Nightly Show’ Visit
Ross, Galore, his business team and his security ride in a black SUV to the Hell’s Kitchen studio of Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore. The host is one of the few black faces in late-night TV, a fact that isn’t lost on Ross. “I’m not a late-night motherf–er; I’m watching The First 48, people putting bodies in bags and shit like that,” he says, while getting a preshow haircut in his dressing room. “But I think it’s important to keep black faces that can relate to African-Americans in these positions.”
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
7 p.m.: Hot Seat About 50 Cent
During Wilmore’s “Keep It 100” segment, Ross is on the hot seat. Asked if he would squash his longtime beef with 50 Cent to end racism, he concedes: “If I got to take him to Wing Stop and have him eat some lemon pepper wings to stop racism, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Photo Credit:Joel Barhamand
9:45 p.m. – Good Eats
Ross and Lira Galore check out the menu at the Meatpacking District Pan-Asian bistro Buddakan. Over dinner, Ross is an open book when it comes to Maybach Music Group, his imprint with Atlantic. Black Market features the song “Color Money,” where he rhymes: “My little homie made a million on his girl’s tour,” a seeming reply to a line on Drake’s “Back to Back” that disses MMG’s Meek Mill for opening for girlfriend Nicki Minaj. “I’m just stating facts,” says Ross. “My homie made a million on that tour — don’t get it twisted.”