Former drug-dealer-turned-author Freeway Rick Ross is looking to make a change in the way hip-hop is perceived and the way drug culture is so heavily glorified. Ross is calling on the MMG rapper, who uses his name for entertainment purposes, to join his fight in ending the "hip-hop to prison pipeline." He believes the Hood Billionaire and other rappers should tell the truth about the origins of their success.
While the "Hustlin" rapper has built a successful career from his tales of pushing drugs and becoming a self-made boss, Freeway believes these types of rap influences can be detrimental to the young people listening to it.
"To William Roberts, aka Rick Ross, who's using my name, I'm inviting you in to come with me," he said in a video, per HipHopDX. "Let's fight this culture. Let's fight this penitentiary culture that hip-hop's been spreading. Let's make a difference. Me and you need to come together and you need to tell them that you didn't make your money selling drugs and making music is how you became famous. See, it's nothing wrong with making music just like it's nothing wrong with being a correctional officer if that's what you did.
"But so many of our friends who look up to you and look up to me are out on the streets thinking that they can go out and sell drugs and parlay that into a record career. I don't know if you know that they're not gonna make it, but I know that they're gonna wind up in prison with prison sentences three and four times what they should be because this war on drugs is no joke. I have 10 or 11 friends still in prison right now with life sentences, including one that even you know, Big Meech. I know how much you respect me and care about me, otherwise you wouldn't have took my name. Take a chance with me now. Let's make a difference."
Freeway also called on other members of the hip-hop community to support the shift.
"Even if William Roberts, aka Rick Ross, don't decide to come with me and join hands, then the rest of the artists out there," he added. "Let us come together. Professor Griff, KRS-One and so forth. Let's join hands. Let's change this thug culture. Let's change this hip-hop to prison pipeline. Let's make it happen right now, today."
Back in August, Freeway called Ross out for using his identity and even called the rapper "fake."
"No homage is ever being paid," he said. "It wasn't like that when we came up. When we came up our stars always said good things about the guys before them. Jordan talked about Dr. J and them and shit. Now, you got the new attitude like, 'F--k who was before me, I'm better than all of ya'll.' It's all me, me, me now. When you steal a motherf--ker's identity, that's when you really crossing all the way over. You can't even be yourself. If you a fake motherf--ker you just fake. But when you impersonating somebody else, you the worse kind in my eyes. You faker than a fake motherf--ker."
Should artists be more honest of the lives they lead outside music? Has hip-hop created a pipeline to prison? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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