Once upon a time, Rick Ross was most definitely not winning. In fact, it's no secret that your man has suffered through more than a few epic fails during his storied career. There was the time he claimed to know "the real Noriega," the time he engaged in a war of words with 50 Cent and saw his baby mama turn on him, and—of course!—the time he got outed as a correctional officer, denied it, retracted his denial, and looked like the biggest fugazi this side of Donnie Brasco. See? Looooooser!
But with all due respect to Charlie Sheen, Ross is the guy who should be running through the streets yelling "Winning!" right now. Thanks to a new label deal for Maybach Music Group through Warner Bros., a slew of new artists on his roster, and the arrival of MMG's first compilation, Self Made, later this spring, Ross is positioning himself to become the most important man in rap music in 2011. So, how the hell is he doing it? We sat down and came up with a list of the five reasons Ross is grabbing Ws left and right this year. It's time to respect the boss.
Reason 1
1. He has surrounded himself with a strong crew.
A leader is only as great as the people he has following him. And right now, Rick Ross has one of the strongest crews in the game. Wale has the talent to be a big star with the right push behind him. Meek Mill might not be a star in big cities like New York City or Los Angeles (yet!) but he's had Philly locked down for months now. Pill is starting to come of age. And Teedra Moses is the label's diamond in the rough. We don't expect Ross to stop signing artists anytime soon, either. And if he keeps choosing them as wisely as he has so far, the rest of the game is about to have a problem on its hands.
Reason 2
2. He has a better ear for beats than most other artists.
We're not sure if this is a credit to Ross or the A&Rs around him, but the Miami rapper has always had a knack for picking strong beats that immediately sound like anthems. So while you can argue over whether or not Ross is authentic as an artist, you can't argue with the fact that when he hops on a record, it's just about always guaranteed to sound exactly like something the streets need at the time. That's an underrated skill for a rapper to have and one that has definitely benefitted Ross.
Reason 3
3. He documents everything he does—and releases it in a way that appeals directly to the rap blogs.
What up, Spiff TV?! If you're not familiar, Spiff TV is the video director who follows almost every move Ross makes in order to capture it on film. From a day at his Warner Bros. office to a night at the King of Diamonds strip club, Spiff documents all the boss moves Ross puts together and then edits them down into short, Web-ready clips for the blogs. We won't lie: We don't watch every video Ross puts out, but the fact that he does them helps keep his name out there and puts him front and center on a daily basis.
Reason 4
4. He has agreed to work with just about everybody that has asked him.
Outside of a couple of guys that he obviously wouldn't work with right now (hello, 50 Cent and Young Jeezy!), Ross has put in work with just about anyone and everyone. From Diddy and Lil Wayne to Erykah Badu and Sean Garrett, the guy has recorded an endless stream of guest appearances over the course of the last few years. And when you do that, you wind up with a whole bunch of people standing in your corner and cheering you on. It's hard to lose when that happens.
Reason 5
5. He never stops working.
Truthfully, if "Aston Martin Music," off his 2010 album, Teflon Don, was the only thing popping for Ross right now, he'd still be sitting pretty and counting plenty of checks. But the guy simply refuses to take a break. This week's "New Music Week"—which features Ross & Co. dropping a new track everyday—has already generated enough buzz on the radio and on the Internet to serve as great promo for the Self Made album. And we dare you to find a week over the course of the last year where Ross didn't put out at least a freestyle, a video, or a song. You just won't find it. It's the one reason Rick Ross is winning—and why he'll continue to win if he keeps it up.
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