Rick Ross Talks His Health, Jay-Z, Wale, MMG & More With Billboard

In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Ross, who covers the magazine alongside Wale, explained the meaning of “God Forgives, I Don’t, MMG, and Jay-Z. Continue reading after the jump.

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MMG sports an assortment of lyrical styles, but just when Ross needed to prove the power of his brand, Wale released his sophomore album, “Ambition,” to stunning results on Nov. 1. The Washington, D.C. rapper’s 2009 debut, “Attention Deficit,” sold 28,000 copies in its first week, and Interscope Records eventually dropped him. However, with Ross executive-producing (with Wale), and relentlessly promoting “Ambition” (he even set the avatar of his @rickyrozay Twitter account, which sports 1.5 million followers, with Wale’s album artwork), the album sold 164,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s an improbable comeback that Wale acknowledges in the liner notes of the new LP. “Rick Ross,” it says simply, “thank you for giving me my shot.”

On Oct. 14, 18 days before the release of Wale’s “Ambition,” Ross suffered a seizure aboard a Memphis-bound plane, on his way to opening a Wingstop restaurant franchise. The medical scare required an emergency landing and treatment at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, and when Ross tried to fly from Florida later that day, he suffered another medical setback and was rushed to an emergency room in Birmingham, Ala.

One month later, Ross says that he “feels great,” and although rumors abound about his physical state, he chalks up the scares to a “lack of sleep.” The incidents have delayed the release of the anticipated “God Forgives, I Don’t,” his spectacularly titled fifth full-length originally slated to arrive Dec. 13. Island Def Jam (IDJ) senior VP of marketing Chris Atlas says that the album is now expected “around first quarter, maybe early second quarter” (Billboard.com, Nov. 17).

“We’re all aware of his recent health issues, and based on some of the minor setbacks with that, we weren’t able to confirm certain opportunities, because he physically wasn’t able to deal with certain things at the time,” Atlas says. “We want him, as we want for ourselves, to have the best setup for this album, and to have an artist that is 100% ready to go in releasing and impacting this record, because the expectations for it are high.”

In the meantime, Ross is still firing on all cylinders, spending marathon studio sessions tweaking “God Forgives” and other projects. He’s a tireless worker, literally — longtime manager Alex “Gucci Pucci” Bethune says that he and Ross usually get about three hours of sleep per night. Ross is constantly thinking, talking and tweeting about MMG, and wants “God Forgives” to pack the epic scope of a Brian De Palma film — hence the title.

“This album is almost like a movie,” Ross says. “I wanted [the title] to be something that was extremely emotional, to set up a real roller coaster ride as far as the music and thought process. It sounds like a term of retaliation, and with the picture that I’m painting, it felt perfect.”

“You the Boss” has moved 80,000 copies while “I Love My Bitches” has sold 17,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and Atlas says that “Boss” will be crossed over to rhythmic and pop after initially finding a home at R&B/hip-hop radio. A video for the song is coming, as are TV opportunities, live concert events and Twitter campaigns, depending on the new release date. On the MMG side, Warner Bros.’ Manda says that a “Self Made, Vol. 2” could arrive as early as late January and that Mill’s proper debut is expected to be released in March. As for the further expansion of MMG’s roster, including a rumored partnership with veteran MC Trina, Manda will only say that Ross “is constantly looking for new talent.”

It’s not a surprising play for Ross. After all, larger-than-life personalities are always looking ahead for new opportunities, searching for ways to “take it to the next level,” as he so often says. Even if “God Forgives,” I Don’t is coming out after the calendar flips due to his seizure in October, he’s making sure he has more clutch opportunities lined up for 2012.

“Rick’s a warrior,” manager Bethune says. “I hear what everyone is saying [about his health], but me knowing him, I see none of that. I just know he probably needs to get a little rest. We all do. But . . . we’re back at it, and we’ve been back at it for a while now.”

“It could have been a lot worse,” Ross adds of the health scare. “So I’m just thankful. I feel good-and I’m back on my grind already.”

Read the full article here.

BM