Articles Tagged: rick ross
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WSVN) — A famous rapper is offering some high-tech help to a group of South Florida students.
On Thursday, Rapper Rick Ross donated dozens of iPads to high achieving students at his alma-mater, Carol City High school.
The principal said the gadgets will be used to help students complete their college applications.
Rick Ross has signed a development agreement with the Richardson, Texas-based company, which has over 480 Wingstop restaurants across the United States and Mexico.
Rick Ross will open the first of several Wingstop restaurants in Memphis, this Fall.
Ross, who name checked Wingstop brand on the song “MC Hammer” from his album Teflon Don, felt an affinity with the brand, which made it easier to make the decision to invest.
“After tasting Wingstop’s signature lemon pepper–flavored wings in Miami, I knew this was a franchise I wanted to add to my investments,”
There’s always time to right your wrongs, and Freeway Ricky Ross is on a mission to make sure his rights outnumber his past wrongs.
Known as the King of Crack in South Central L.A. back in the 1980s, Ross is said to have made $3 million in one day. The drug kingpin was living a life similar to that of Tony Montana from the iconic “Scarface”. But 20 years after his incarceration, he’s turned a new leaf and is ready to rebuild his empire — this time legally and inspirational.
His nickname was derived from his drug routes along several properties on the Harbor Freeway. At his peak, Freeway Rick Ross was the richest man in the hood, who not only profited off illegal sales, but also benefited a very troubled community. While it’s not the most moral Robin Hood story (stealing from the rich to give to the poor), Ross is often credited for helping out his community with his “profits.”
While many know him for his drug empire and numerous hip-hop rhyme references, as well as the person rapper Rick Ross took his moniker from, it turns out that Ross was headed on an alternate course before he became introduced to his alternative and illegal lifestyle. As a kid, he was highly interested and talented in tennis and tried to pursue a scholarship. However, that bubble burst after his coach found out his was illiterate.
While in college, he hustled drugs to pay for tennis lessons … until eventually, he lost sight of his true goals and got caught up in the hustle, money, and power that his new found career provided.
“It wasn’t always about selling drugs or making huge amounts of money,” he told BallerStatus.com in a recent sit-down. “It was more about the hustle. I had gotten hooked on the high of hustling and that was the most important to me. I was, like, a businessman who just so happened to sell drugs. The way I ran everything was just like a business. In the end, it wasn’t about the money, really.”
Living the high life, afforded Ross luxuries many of us can only dream of, but it all came to an end in 1996, when he was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of trying to buy more than 100 kilograms of cocaine from a federal agent. Ross’ empire had crumbled, but his spirit and entrepreneurship still remained strong. He actually took it upon himself to, and created, a website while in prison. “I went against the grain a lot while behind bars and wasn’t supposed to conduct any business in prison. Lucky for me, the institution didn’t consider having a website a business,” he smirked.
He became interested in social media after reading about Facebook and its young founder Mark Zuckerberg in the Wall Street Journal. “Here was this young kid getting millions of hits with his website. I thought, ‘If he could do it, I can, too!’ ” And so, Freewayenterprise.com was born — Ross’ social-networking site equivalent to Facebook that promotes education, not incarceration, for today’s youth.
Released just two years ago, on September 29, 2009 for being a “model prisoner,” Ross is now working on a multitude of projects — including a book, biopic feature film, documentary, music label, possible reality show, and a nationwide tour to promote literacy through The Freeway Foundation.
One of the most interesting are the films. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, it will depict Ross’ past, while the documentary will pick up where the movie leaves off, showcasing all the positive work he’s doing for himself and his community since leaving prison. “I’ll show the struggles I’m going through right now and things I’m having to deal with as an ex-prisoner,” says Ross of the doc. He’s currently working with filmmaker Marc Levin (who directed the award-winning “Slam”, and produced “Brick City”). Ross had initially pitched the documentary as a reality show, but networks deemed it too serious, which is what prompted him to take the documentary route.
“The movie will be phenomenal,” Ross describes. “The script came out better than I could imagine. We’ve had several huge stars read it and a lot of interest is now generating. Jaime Foxx read the script and just loved it, so everything is coming along great with the film. I’m doing it totally independent and hoping to be in production within the next three to four months.”
As for his autobiography, Ross has enlisted a ghostwriter to help document his personal story.
“I wanted to do all three, because I feel my story needs to be told,” Ross explains. “I was shocked with how some of the things turned out in my life and realized other people were, too. It’s a story that can really help others, influence lives, and change the way people see their own current situations, so it’s not just about me, but about putting that awareness out there.”
One of the most interesting parts of the documentary will probably be Freeway Rick Ross’ June 10, 2010 lawsuit against rap superstar William Leonard Roberts II, who raps under the reformed drug trafficker’s name of Rick Ross. Although the $10 million lawsuit was thrown out of court Ross has since then appealed the ruling in a federal court and vows to not give up on the unauthorized use of his moniker.
“It’s kind of flattering to have someone name themselves after you, but if you’re making money off of my name, then you should let me share in that. I don’t appreciate him using my name at all, anymore, and am going to make sure something changes.”
While his autobiographical projects might be Ross’ main focus at the moment, he’s also in the process of starting his own record label, Freeway Music Group. Currently negotiating with two major labels, he’s looking for a diverse group of talented artists from all genres of music … even country. “It’s so crowded out here and it seems everybody raps, so it’s hard to distinguish one artist form another. I’m looking for [artists who are] unique and [can bring] something different to table; not the same old [artist] that everybody is used to hearing.”
Ross plans to make his label international, and is actually partnering with Get Money Magazine for an open call to artists who’d like to be featured on a compilation CD.
Despite constantly moving forward, Ross can never really forget his past. When asked if he had any regrets, he confidently replies that regret isn’t the word he’d used to describe how he feels about that time in his life, because, well, he wouldn’t be who he is today without … his past.
“If I regret it, then I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” Ross says. “For the record, I love who I am and am really enjoying my life despite all that’s happened to me. I would never sell drugs again and was a different person at that time. I do look back at that time and think I should have done things differently, but in retrospective, I would not be making all these positive changes now. I don’t want to live in the past, and all I can do now is live life from this day forward, and try to make the least mistakes possible.”
When it’s all said and done, Freeway Rick Ross may be notorious for his drug dealing days, but he wants to be remembered more for what he’s doing now. “I want my past to be just my past, with what’s going on now the main focus of my legacy.” Unlike Scarface’s Tony Montana, whose demise led to a tragic ending, Ross’ story will have a happier ending — one he’s just as hard or harder than his drug-dealing days to create.
Rick Ross is facing legal action after his pet pit bulls allegedly attacked a Yorkshire Terrier.
The hip-hop star is being sued after his three pooches escaped from his Atlanta, Georgia home and reportedly set upon a three-year-old terrier named Banks, in April..
According to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ.com, the lapdog suffered “three large bite wounds on his back” as well as a “very large bite wound” to his neck and had to be put to sleep because of the severe wounds.
Banks’ unnamed owner is demanding Ross pays more than $15,000 in damages and court costs.
RICK ROSS AND MMG LAS VEGAS TAKEOVER from DRE FILMS / MAYBACH FILMS on Vimeo.
Rapper Rick Ross performed at the Best Buy Theater in New York City with a pair of Christian Louboutin Rantus white leather sneakers (seen below in black, $725) on his feet. Also you can see that Rozay is rocking a pair of Carrera sunglasses. See pics below.
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