S. Samuel
Rap veteran Kool G Rap has vouched for Rick Ross and stood by the rapper despite his past employment as a corrections officer in the 1990's.
According to Kool G, Ross’ pre-rap career employment carries little relevance today.
“I don’t pay attention to all that sh*t,” Kool said in an interview. “To me, if dude was a C.O. or whatever, dude was making a living. And I ain’t gonna get too much into this sh*t because I’m not trying to make a circus out of this sh*t, because I’m not one to promote controversy and I’m not one to try to down another man out there doing his thing. What I will say is, I don’t see a problem if he woulda just said, ‘Yeah, I did that, but I’m doing this now.’ Rather than people trying to use that to bring him down, he coulda just came clean and just said it like, ‘Yo, I’ma real dude. I used to do this, but I’m doing this now.’ So I would never try to down [him] for what he do or anything like that, I just think – hip-hop is a game where people appreciate you when you’re more honest.” (Hip Hop DX)
He also said there is a substantial amount of less credible artists allowed in hip-hop without debate.
“This is a game where everybody holds you so accountable for being real,” Rap added. “But the fanbase is f*cked up too, because they supposed to be a fanbase that hold people accountable to being real so much but they let all these f*ckin’ fake muthaf*ckas sneak right through the cracks. So I don’t be wanting to hear nothing about Rick Ross and all that sh*t. It’s a lot of fake muthaf*ckas that slipped right through the cracks, and get over. [They’re] talking that gangsta life but ain’t really – Let me tell you something, man, there’s no way you can be a gangsta and rap at the same time. You can’t have your feet in both worlds. It’s impossible. ‘Cause a gangster gotta be on the low. And a rapper has to be in the open. So it’s like, the two contradict each other.” (Hip Hop DX)
Last year, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon addressed Ross’ employment as a corrections officer.
“I like Ross’ swag, I like his style,” Raekwon said in an interview. “He’s another one that reminds me of myself. A big fat n*gga that got a lot of good charisma. As far as him being one of the greatest emcees, I give him his little spot. To me, right about now, I look at n*ggas saying some sh*t. He say his little thing, I can appreciate what he’s saying so as far as the upcoming n*ggas that’s really making it happen, I consider him one of the great ones too. He get it in, he know how to rhyme. So I look at that as being great. He ain’t come in with the little baby rhymes, he came in to spit.” (Take This Serious)
Over the fall, Kool G Rap spoke to SOHH about co-signing Ross’ music.
“As far as my relationship with Rick Ross, that just happened, that’s how it built,” Kool G told SOHH. “Both of our managers bumped heads and they got to talking about who they represent and it was a mutual level of respect on both sides. So when Ross’ people reached out to him about G Rap, I guess his eyes lit up and vice versa. It was supposed to expand further into a business venture, but, it didn’t materialize. So we did a couple collabos together.” (SOHH)
Check out Rick Ross & Kool G Rap’s “Knife Fight” below:
