'The New Yorker' Calls Rick Ross A Con Man [Media Watch]

MEDIA WATCH

» by Alvin aqua Blanco February 6, 2012, 14:10pm

The New Yorker, one of the most highbrow magazine you can ever read, posted a profile on Rick Ross titled The Sound Of Success. It's subheading, "Rick Ross's Confidence Game," reveals the gist of the story; Rozay's drug dealing past is questionable, but he's conned listeners into glossing over that fact.

Pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones writes, "Ross has become a respected rapper by depicting the life style of a boss, or a don, two words that he loves. He never cares to unpack the morals of the drug trade—what he revels in is the security and relief of being fabulously wealthy. This is what his voice sells, the way Sinatra once sold an implacable but supple kind of confidence."

 

When writing about "Triple Beam Dreams," featuring Nas, from Rozay's Rich Forever mixtape, Frere-Jones writes, "Ross says rather than raps, 'It's time to take it to the other side, the side you gotta watch A&E cable television for, homie, but we live this Isht.' It's telling that he invokes watching television before relating an allegedly personal story."

Damn. Those jabs via prose might sting more than any Officer Ricky joke. But the New Yorker isn't saying anything that many other magazines, or rappers, or Freeway Rick Ross, have also maintained.

So the question is, do you really care about how authentic the source material of Rozay's cocaine infused, Lifestyle of the Rich & Famous Hip-Hop music is?

Comment Comments 39 Tags Tags: , ,
  • joog

    I don't buy his music at all.

    • AW

       I don't either.  He makes music for those too young or uneducated to realize that they're being conned.  They think drugs and crime is glamorous so naturally they wouldn't care that he's as fake as a $4 bill.

    • Reutlo

      Why we recommend you the man in military? The reason is simple: They are
      not only dependable, but also romantic. They are brave and strong but also warm
      in heart. Now it's a new year, find your strong and warm
      arms for a new beginning at ---- uniformedkiss*c'o'm ---- 

    • LYRICS

      THANK U!!! GGGGGGGGEEEEEEZZZZ MANG!!! I NEVER LIKED, SUPPORTED, LISTENED, BOUGHT, ETC, NADA THAT HAS 2 DO W/ THIS FAT F**KIN' PHONEY!!!!! I CAN'T STAND THIS DUDE N' FYI OFFICER RICKY, PAC WOULD HATE YO' A$$ N' HE DO UR CAREER THE SAME WAY FIDDY DID JA RULE'S!!!!!

  • Longvie

    Its entertainment all rappers verses are all 90 % BS. Rap music's formula is about a life style that centers around nice cars,exotic woman,cash and Champagne and weed, that's what it boils down too 90 % of the time. These kids want this life and they buy the music to hear that life which is like a realistic acheivable fantasy.

  • 614grind

    The sad and disappointing thing about where Hip Hop has moved is that it no longer shows traces of the Blues, which is at the core of black musics history in this country.  It is the foundation by which all black music should be rooted.  I understand party and bull***** is also a part of life and it has its place.  I also understand the off track economies that were established in inner city Black America...and it has its place.  What is lost is the context, the reason for some of these choices.  Its the pain, the  sacrifice, and social awareness  that Hip Hop once represented that is no longer relevant.  "Rick Ross" is just another mouse chasin cheese.

  • Sabs

    Rick Ross is the epitome of a white mans b***h, now that we are aware that his whole image as well as that of alot of MAINSTREAM AND SIGNED rappers  is a marketing dream, dreamt up by executives who use the mafia and *****ociations to american gang culture as their inspiration. You need to ask youself why would they do this; Rick Ross is simply lying to make money maybe for him it isn't that deep but it is for the children and youth who grow up on and try to live up to the ideals portrayed in Rick Ross and others music. We are bombarded with materialistic imagery and we are shown the bs rags to riches story by those willing to lie to the m*****es. Music is hella powerful folk read the studies, do your research don't just accept Ross's fakery see the agenda behind it. Empower yourselves!

    • Amadams20

      AND LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN... WELL SAID @ SABS

  • http://twitter.com/CDStan Craig II

    The music is still fun to listen to... and knowing this makes it easier to mock both Ross and yourself when you're rapping out his lyrics in your bathroom mirror. However,  it bothers me that so many youth try to emulate this gangster-faboulous lifestyle portrayed through his music, hoping to reap the same rewards, but instead up in jail, injured (or dead), in debt and hopeless.

  • Anonymous

    It's called: ENTERTAINMENT

    I've never bought his act, but I like his music.   He's a businessman..point, blank, period!!

    • Authenticprincess18

      I agree go back and look at the Trick Daddy & Trina video Take it to the House, hell Rick Ross looks clean cut like a chubby college man...lol I mean really anyone with common sense should know they really couldnt be doing the ish they rap about in songs. He has great producers & slick lyrics that ppl like and ot sells. He's not killing anyone so I say do your thing Rozay!!...lol

  • Tae

    Music is entertainment... go back to "rappers delight"...  does anyone believe that they had a limo with a color tv so they could watch the knicks game when that song dropped?

    This music is no different than watching movies or tv series

    • free

      lol, you took it WAY back!

  • Craiglistseller9000

    its called garbage music.  I haven't taken rappers since 03...

  • http://www.deeznuts.com/ Ron Brown

    Great article...

  • Sean

    I agree w/'LONGVIE'...it's all entertainment anyways. True or not, i'm still a fan. Just as i'm a fan of Denzel Washington's movies.

  • Anonymous

    ITS TRUE! Music is entertainment, BUT for many kids,even some young "adults" music speaks to us, its not just entertainment, it use to tell our story, like 614Grind said. Its our Blues, We use to have messages in the music. We use to uplift each other with our music. Now we bamboozle and down ourselves. I cant front, dude has great production, but he's not going down in history as saying anything relevant. 

    ONE

  • Lashes

    LOVE IT!  It's awesome when someone gets called out for not being the gangsta they claim to be, by a person or group of people who are not and do not care to be gangstas.  AWESOME.

  • Monikstarr

    Ive already known his stuff is bs...... He gave up on a good life 2 get rich on some else's life watever I have never bought his stuff

  • Lihgg42

    Support our heroes who
    serving our nation. Support our troops that safeguard our safety. A good place
    tailor-made for personnel in uniform：  ---militaryloves*c'o'm---. 
     It brings together those working
    in professions such as the armed forces, police, navy, security, medical,
    ambulance, prison, air crew and fire fighters, for friendship, love, romance,
    marriage and even more.

  • anti*****machine

    do you believe the white male can save the world as depicted in every american made movie? get real... this ish is all make believe entertainment to keep us all blind deaf numb dumb and lost...

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Long-Tower-Jr/100001483874804 Long Tower Jr

    So you really believe all the stuff rappers say?? Hip Hop is just like the movies its been like that since 1976

  • Getrealboy

    He is a frAud a fake..we have been bamboozled..hoodwinked...led astray..cause this corrections officer is perpetrating fraud ..identity theft..no credibility..just reading lines from someone else's story...no one knows you and I doubt anyone would even care

    • Amadams20

      LMAO... you are 100 % right

  • Anonymous

     i will never understand how people can listen and enjoy his music
    knowing 100% it is all lies, i tried a while back but just couldn't do
    it maybe im to real i dont know it just shows you what sort of people
    are hip hop fans now in this day and age

  • Anonymous

    People want these rappers and athletes to raise thier kids.  Its sad that instead of being a father figure and positive example to our own kids, we blame rappers and athletes.  If your child listens to rick ross more than he/she spends time learning for a responsible parent, then it is what it is. 
    Ross isnt a role model, nor is he some BOSS or DON....he a ni44G@  PLAYING A ROLE TO GET A CHECK.  Raise your own kids, and adults can enjoy Ross's presentation, like the the latest hollywood film.
    I enjoy his music, but keep it right there, its just music people...

  • Clevelance88

    Being that I judge a person on action and I am not friends with any rappers, I could care less what they do. Do I think lil Wayne will kidnap the baby and the babysitter? Of course not! But I like the idea and wordplay. Rozay can rap.

  • Sowhat

    The problem is if he were actually living the lifestyle he raps about, his influence would be even greater and do worse for his impressionable listeners who might feel emboldened to make bad decisions more frequently than they already do.  While I don't buy his act, I'd rather have the lesser of two evils if we can't get rid of both altogether.  Let the poser entertain.  He's harming less than he would if he were a true personification of his raps.  He's doing less harm than the real Ricky Ross did.

  • Van Sertima

    yeah, no one really cares. i could go on and on about authenticity and credibility. I could go on about popular music reinforcing materialism for the capitalist's machine....but the bottom line is the people could care less.

  • gumbo dude

    It's just Music. 

    • NYC_Uptown

      That what people like you keep saying, till one day we all wake up and see this "just Music" has destroyed us and kept us behind. 

  • zina

    I ain't listening to a man who has bigger ***** then me.

  • http://twitter.com/dondada999 Don

    Rick Ross is just rapping about my lifestyle!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685724169 Vic McMann

    50CENT IS THE REALIST STREET GUY THATS RAPPING ABOUT THE STREET LIFE,BECAUSE HE'S ACTUALLY LIVED IT.. ROSS IS FALSE!! I DONT LIVE ON THE EAST COAST,NOR DO I SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWYORKER,IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF HIPHOP ITS COOL TO BE FAKE,CURTIS JACKSON(50CENT) WOULD HAVE FIT IN PERFECTLY WITH NWA,WILLIAM ROBERTS(RICK ROSS)SHOULD BE "LAUGHED" OUT OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

  • Salinalee49

     Valentine's day is coming..Are you still single???+Life is short,meet her/him at here*** ok,, Are you looking for meeting rich man or beautiful women? －－
        －Ｍi Xｅds ingｌｅ．ＣｏＭ－ that I just really met my Mr.Right at a wealthy romance site

  • http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/1d3b07397ba382f8ba68bc3c6f06d063.png dondada999

    Rick Ross make that paper, Fawk the Haters!!

  • Kendu

    Rick Ross is just one of the many wack rappers representing the dumbing-down content that most of the media channels are pushing on our youth. Anyone 25 yrs. or younger grew up in this "virtual reality" world via the internet, and so-called "reality" tell-lie-vision programming...which is all a part of the dumbing down process. What can I say...america eats it's young.

    It's no wonder that the U.S. is only #20 amongst the countries with the highest literacy rate. Much props to Sasha Frere-Jones and Hihopwired.com for speaking on it and bringing the truth to surface.

    If you ever want to hide something from a ni**a, just put it in a book because ni**as don't read. - Chris Rock

  • GZ

    AS A RAPPER PRODUCER MYSELF ID SAY ABOUT THE SITUATION IS RICK ROSS CHANGE YOUR NAME AND KEEP RAPPIN ABOUT WHAT SELLS. I MEAN YOU WATCH NICHOLAS CAGE AND WE ALL LOVE HIS MOVIES BUT WE DONT EXPECT HIM TO REALLY LIVE HIS CHARACTER IN REAL LIFE HES AN ACTOR . WHO EVER SAID RAPPERS NEED TO BE REAL CRIMINALS ID SAY HIP HOP IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO CRIME BCUS WHAT YOU ALL FAIL TO REALIZE IS HIP HOP SAYS YES THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT YOU CAN SUCCEED AT IF YOUR GOOD AND ITS HIP-HOP ITSELF-GZ

  • Fatima

    when the consciousness of our struggles was replaced with money. It silenced truths.I remembered Contra Scam when the CIA flooded our communities with crack.Freeway RICKY ROSS made hundreds of millions of dollars. His name is not William Leonard. The real Rick Ross found out someone stole his life and tried to copyright his birth name.The real rick ross is small in statue, william leonard full figured and darker complexion.RICK ROSE is 12yrs older.WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING YOU.THE SAD THING OF IT ALL MONEY AND OTHER BLACK MEN KEPT THE CONSPIRACY GOING UNTIL TMZ SHOWED HIM IN HIS PRISON GUARD UNIFORM. THEN HE LIED.ITS NOTS ME.YOU CANT BECOME A PRISON GUARD WITH A RECORD.MAJORITY OF THESE RAPPERS WENT TO COLLEGE.

Bangin Candy

Bangin Candy - Taylor Gang's Lola Monroe [PHOTOS]

Bangin Candy - Taylor Gang's Lola Monroe [PHOTOS]

Bangin Candy: Rico Love's Division 1 Recording Artist, Rabbit

Bangin Candy: Rico Love's Division 1 Recording Artist, Rabbit

Bangin Candy: Usain Bolt's Ex-Girl, Taneish Simpson [PHOTOS]

Bangin Candy: Usain Bolt's Ex-Girl, Taneish Simpson [PHOTOS]

Bangin Candy: Floyd Mayweather Jr's Fiancé Shantel Jackson [PHOTOS]

Bangin Candy: Floyd Mayweather Jr's Fiancé Shantel Jackson [PHOTOS]
See More Bangin Candy

Reviews

Allen Iverson's Reebok Question Sneaker Is Back, Drops May 25 [PHOTOS]

Allen Iverson may be persona non grata in the NBA, but his sneakers are still ... More

Read More reviews