Ross may represent the final abandonment of hip-hop’s mandate to “keep it real,” a concept that goes by different names now but has not gone away. Perhaps listeners know that this is a version of “Miami Vice,” a show that Ross claims to have been inspired by. The appeal is less some kind of documentary thrill than Ross’s ability to transmit the confidence that comes from blithely running up roaming fees while driving a Rolls-Royce through Samoa.
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Rick Ross and the Life Style of a Boss : The New Yorker
If I had done any research at all I’d probably have found out that Rick Ross was a former corrections officer and not (likely) a major drug kingpin who made millions dealing weight. But his character is just so compelling that maybe he gets a pass?
