For a limited time, Rick Ross is Rolling Stone‘s advice columnist! Here’s his second batch of answers to our readers’ burning questions:
I have a friend – I’ll call him Chris. Everybody thinks Chris is a total boss. He always gets the hottest girls, drives the nicest car and drinks the finest alcohol (Ciroc, obviously). But I know Chris better than most people, and I know that car is really his dad’s, he only has money to spend because he lives at home rent-free, and he usually makes me go halves on the Ciroc anyway. My question is this: What defines a boss? Is it just about appearances. Or is there something deeper that makes someone a boss? – Vincent, Boston
Being a boss is much deeper than that. It can be the brokest dude in the beat-up car who’s the real boss. It’s not about money or status. It’s about heart. Right now I’m wearing a gold Rolex that Drake gave me two Christmases ago. It’s my second time wearing it. But even when I wasn’t in the position I’m in today, I always had my ambitions, and I always took responsibility. That’s who the boss is.
I’m a big guy, and people always tell me that women don’t like big men, or that being big won’t get you laid. I think this is false. Tell me honestly, one big dude to another – did you ever have trouble picking up women before you were famous? – DeSainte, Detroit
Most definitely, I ran into some stumbles. Being a big guy, you face certain challenges. Over time, though, women found excuses to find me attractive. Just keep pumping your fuckin’ fists in the air. They’ll find reasons to fuck with you. Take it from me.
My best friend thinks he can rap. He’s been writing down rhymes in a little book since last summer, and last week I finally convinced him to let me hear some of his verses. Believe me when I say his shit is terrible – it’s, like, the wackest rapping I’ve ever heard in my life. But my friend says he’s going to quit his job to pursue his hip-hop dreams. How do I break it to him that this is the worst idea ever? – Jon, Phoenix
This happens to me all the time in the studio – motherfuckers start spitting and I just don’t get it, to put it nicely. You’ve gotta be honest with your friend. Tell him, “Your raps are subpar, to say the least, and you need to keep that day job. But don’t give up – I may be able to reach out to some guys at Rolling Stone and get Rick Ross to help you out.”
I’m a big fan of yours, and I listen to tons of rap music. But as a 21-year-old woman of color, I sometimes feel degraded by the lyrics to my favorite songs. What’s your advice for young women who love hip-hop but want to be seen as more than just a body? – Sara, New York
Always remember that you’re bigger than hip-hop. You’re a queen. Listen to the music that makes you happy, and never forget that you’re the most precious thing we have. You come first and foremost.
As told to Simon Vozick-Levinson