If anyone can end a feud, it’s Rick Ross.
Fresh off the release of his latest studio album Richer Than I Ever Been, Ross caught up with Elliott Wilson and B. Dot for an album-centered sit down at the FTX Arena in Miami. During the duration of the talk, the trio sat in couches at the center of the Miami Heat’s home court, right on top of the team’s logo and underneath the jumbotron, and touched on the new effort, as well as Ross’ relationships with plenty of other MCs.
One in particular was his friendship with Freddie Gibbs, who he collaborated with on Alfredo single “Scottie Beam.” Recently, Gibbs also shouted Ross out on his “Vice Lord Poetry” freestyle, mentioning that he texts the mogul for advice because he keeps him “buttoned up.” When asked what those text exchanges are about, Ross explained that he spoke with Gibbs about putting his shaky history with Jeezy behind him, even recommending the two make amends.
“I’m not sure that it’s happened yet. But most definitely, That was a conversation I had with Freddie Gibbs, because once again, you gotta appreciate when a brother reach out to you and believe in your gift, brother,” Ross said. “That’s what it’s about. As a boss, a CEO, you’re not obligated to owe nobody to sign nobody. Homie seen your vision, he believed in you. That’s what it came down to, that’s what I live by, and that was some of the advice I gave homie.”
As for how Freddie—whose tensions with Jeezy date back to his departure from Jeezy’s CTE record label in 2012—reacted to the advice, Ross said he “slept on it and he called me back a few days later and said, ‘Rozay let’s make it happen.’” Gibbs has previously said he and Jeezy were “just two guys who didn’t communicate correctly.”
“And I told him, let’s not rush into it, let’s not put a date on it,” he said. “I had a conversation with Jeezy, and I left it with him.”
Also in the chat, Ross spoke about his relationship with Meek Mill, and addressed Meek’s recent tweets about music contracts and money—where he publicly aired out some label concerns that Ross says aren’t related to Maybach Music Group.
“Years ago, I gave him the space to grow,” Ross said. “Not just for Meek, but that’s for Wale as well. Y’all be down with the team long enough, we all know how to move forward and get money, now let’s do it. And once again, [you’re] an individual with a lot of position, cash that in, man… I didn’t take it personally at all. I personally felt, that’s the homie shaking the tree trying to renegotiate with Atlantic. Cause’ me signing Meek, I brought Meek to the city before the homie, he was a youngster… when it came to getting money, I always made sure he was in the best situation.”
Ross’ new record features input from Future, 21 Savage, Wale, The-Dream, Jazmine Sullivan, and more, as they help celebrate the rap giant who is now 11 records deep in the game. Ross also previously caught up with Complex for a chat on his legacy during a drive around New York City.
“I came from Miami. I ain’t have no big producer.,” Ross told Complex’s Jessica McKinney. “We put in the work and went around, city to city, and put together a fucking database of the best producers, regardless of how big they was. We created a sound,” he said. “When it comes to that luxurious shit, it’s nobody whose name is going to come before mine. And that’s coming from the pianos to the harmonies, the flows, the John Legend collaborations.”
Ross’ conversation with B. Dot and Wilson arrives on Tidal on Saturday. You can watch it on YouTube in full above.
