Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group Tour came to an abrupt and unexpected halt this week after the MMG head honcho complained about a “lack of organization and communication on the part of the tour promoter.” The announcement came only a day after Ross canceled two shows in North Carolina after he had reportedly received death threats from the Gangster Disciples and a warning to stay out of N.C.
The timing is dubious, to say the least, and fans have to wonder if “The Boss” pulled the plug on the tour out of fears for his safety and the promoter complaints have more to do with security than “organization and communication.”
It should be noted that the first leg of the MMG Tour went off without so much as a speed bump, so how and why did things go so wrong all of a sudden? Ross’ success has long been a source of contention for many gangstas who take issue with his phony persona, his “borrowed” rap name (it is infamous drug kingpin “Freeway” Ricky Ross that has actually taken the rapper to court over the use of his name) and his ballerific lifestyle. Ross, born William Roberts III, has never been able to live down his past as a corrections officer; and some who live the criminal lifestyle have’t been too keen on him creating Mafioso fantasies out of thin air.
The Gangster Disciples, in particular, balked at Ross’ using the Star of David and name-dropping their gang’s founder on his records. It seems that Ross may be pushing the wrong buttons with the wrong audience.
Of course, Ross isn’t the first rapper to create a persona to sell records. The mid-90s were full of wannabe kingpins with pseudo-Italian names rapping about flying cocaine in from overseas and making deals with Colombians on exotic islands. But in the age of YouTube and social media, any un-truth gets revealed shockingly quickly, and those lies get repeated constantly. The access and omnipresence of blogs and media can exacerbate an already tense situation.
And the thugs may come looking to pull your card eventually.
So maybe Ricky Rozay is starting to feel the heat.
– stereo williams
