Beef in hip-hop can often be an incredibly cost-efficient marketing tool, depending on the stakes involved. For the most part, a few comments on Twitter or Instagram can galvanize the timeline into a frenzy, especially when its legendary rap figures are at the center of the controversy. While Rick Ross hasn’t necessarily traded bars with any of his foes recently, he’s added to his list of beefs after trading shots with DJ Envy. Last weekend, the two began trading shots over their competing car shows.
Things escalated rapidly for a few days. What began as slight jabs on social media transformed into a war of words where DJ Envy would dress up as a correctional officer to mock Ross’ previous career path. In response, Rozay turned up the hostility by mentioning The Breakfast Club host’s wife – an evident sore spot, as we’ve seen with Desus & Mero.
Fortunately, there’s always room for forgiveness (at least, we hope). In his autobiography, Hurricanes, he revealed tension between him and DJ Khaled that began when he put up $1,000 for a Terror Squad chain belonging to the DJ. His reason? “Dissing Khaled and everybody else was my way of trying to get something going,” Ross said. Of course, that feud didn’t last long; these days, they comically debate the origins of almond milk.
In the wake of Ross’ latest feud with DJ Envy, we decided to dive into some of Rick Ross’ biggest beefs that rattled the rap world. Although many of his feuds deserve to be unpacked by themselves, we’re briefly breaking down Ross’s issues with other figures in pop culture.
Birdman
Thanks to Rick Ross, “idols become rivals” became cemented in hip-hop jargon due to his issues with Birdman. Now, there were a few moments that led to their feud. For starters, Drake and Meek Mill’s beef blew up, leading to the infamous bars in 2015’s “Color Money,” where Ross raps, “I got more money than that pussy that you’re signed to.” Birdman ultimately brushed it off, feigning ignorance of Ross’ motives before the MMG boss came out the gates swinging with “Idols Become Rivals,” where he finally addressed the root of their issues. It was not only Birdman’s dealings with Lil Wayne but also his friend DJ Khaled during his Cash Money stint that left a bad taste in Ross’ mouth. Ultimately, the issues appear to be water under the bridge, as neither Birdman nor Rick Ross has addressed the matter further.
“Freeway” Ricky Ross
Rick “Freeway” Ross, the reformed drug kingpin, sued the Miami rapper Rick Ross for using his name without permission. In a $10M filing, Freeway accused Ross of copyright infringement for using his moniker as a rap name. Although Rick Ross seemingly denied knowing about the notorious drug trafficker, the reference was undoubtedly evident, especially for a rapper who continues to namedrop drug lords as a benchmark of wealth. Ultimately, a judge ruled in the rapper’s favor.
50 Cent
The long-standing issues between Rick Ross and 50 Cent stand among the pettiest of beefs in recent rap history. Apparently, 50 Cent looked at Rick Ross the wrong way at an event, although Fif denied ever seeing the Miami rapper. However, things only worsened when Ross released “Mafia Music,” where he dissed 50 Cent. In response, 50 unloaded “Officer Ricky (Go Head, Try Me).”
For over a decade, the two continued to throw shots at each other – through social media and diss tracks – while dragging other affiliates into the issue. As 50 stated on “Warning Shot,” “I’mma f*ck your life up for fun,” vowing to use his resources to make Ross’ life miserable. He followed through on the promise once he dragged the mother of Ross’ child into the equation, who confirmed Ross’ past as a correctional officer. In addition, 50 Cent also began to aim at DJ Khaled while members of G-Unit, namely Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, piled on. Eventually, Meek became involved when he defended Ross on 4/4 EP. Rick Ross and 50 Cent still haven’t resolved their issues, nor will they ever. Both have seemingly made peace with the idea of taking this one to the grave.
Jeezy
What began as a shout-out to America’s biggest kingpin became one of the most explosive beefs in Rick Ross’ career. Rick Ross hit single “BMF” appeared on the Albert Anastasia EP before landing on Teflon Don. However, the song’s success seemingly spurred tension between the two parties. When Jeezy released his remix of the record – including a cameo from Big Meech himself – fans dug deeper into the line, “How you blowin’ money fast, you don’t know the crew? Oh, you part of the fam, sh*t I never knew.” Although Jeezy and Ross denied issues, things began to bubble following several subliminal shots. Ross released “The Summer’s Mine,” containing what seemed to be a slight jab at Jeezy. However, the ATL rapper later returned fire in an interview shot in the streets of Miami.
Despite being signed to the same label (Def Jam), it seemed that no industry executive had the pull to put their issues to rest. The two rappers ran into each other at the BET Awards in 2012, where their crews got into a physical fight. Rumor has it that G-Unit was also involved in the melee.
Eventually, the two rappers put their differences aside and joined forces on 2014’s “War Ready,” ending their long-standing issues. Ironically, Rick Ross, who received a few shots from then CTE-signee Freddie Gibbs at the time, recently said that he wanted to help the Atlanta rapper and the Gary, IN MC patch things up with one another.
Gillie Da King
In recent years, Rick Ross has found more value in trolling his adversaries online than on wax. Such as the case of DJ Envy, Rick Ross found himself trading barbs with Gillie Da King. Ross called Gillie a “fraud” following the podcast host’s run-in with his former adversary, Lil Wayne, at Jackson State University.
During Southside’s interview on Million Dollaz Worth Of Game, Gillie slammed older rappers who resort to social media antics to regain their footing in the culture. However, Gillie specifically began mentioning Ross’ collection of cows before resorting to the correctional officer jabs. In response, Ross said he spends more monthly money on his cows than Gillie does on his family. Eventually, Ross joked about joining the podcast circuit as a direct competitor to Million Dollaz Worth Of Game. Gillie then suggested Rozay call his podcast the “Mickey Mouse Show.” Sure, it lacks originality, but it seemingly silenced their online beef.
Tory Lanez
While some of Rick Ross’ beefs have been nothing short of petty, his tirade against Tory Lanez appeared to come from a good place. A day after a Kentucky jury declined to charge the officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s murder, Tory Lanez released Daystar. This album attempted to clear his name from allegations surrounding Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting. “Tory Lanez, poor decision brother,” Ross said. “Dropping that project… Just outta respect for Breonna Taylor, bruh, we gotta respect these sisters. That ain’t how you address the accusations you are facing. That was a poor choice, homie. You ain’t getting no money with that shit.”
While Tory claimed that Ross wasn’t even attending the protests for Breonna Taylor in Miami, the MMG Boss refuted that the Canadian rapper only showed his support because the rally passed by his home. Following a few more shots between the two, Ross offered a SmartCar to Tory Lanez – an apparent jab at the I Told You rapper’s height. Eventually, the two linked up and squashed their beef while Ross began promoting his annual car show at the Promised Land.