Rick Ross‘ failed Reebok deal sparked a ton of debate and controversy, but now that a little time has passed, the Boss is able to find some positives in how things went down.
“It most definitely was a learning situation and just for the little homeys, just something for them to take away,” Ross said, referring to his Maybach Music Group artists. “That’s what’s important to me, what they take away from it,” he added as MTV News sat down with him and his MMG crew to promote their upcoming August 6 compilation, Self Made, Vol. 3.
In April, Reebok severed ties with Rozay after mounting pressure from women’s rights organizations like UltraViolet, which charged that the rapper was promoting rape with a controversial lyric on Rocko’s “U.O.E.N.O.” Though Ross repeatedly expressed that was never his intention, the incident did raise questions about a rapper’s responsibility and brand endorsements.
Last year, Meek Mill inked a deal with Puma, before his debut album, Dreams & Nightmares, was released, and now Rockie Fresh has also linked up with the sneaker brand. Ross hopes that in some way, his MMG protégés will learn from his situation.
“I’m in a position where if I never sold another shoe, Rozay good. So it’s really about what the little homeys who coming next gonna take away from it,” he said.
As far as Reebok goes, Ross doesn’t hold any ill will toward the sneaker giant, but he isn’t quite ready to break down the nuts and bolts of their original agreement or how things ended. “At the end of the day, once the dust settles we’ll just readdress the situation — once the time is right,” he said. “As far as myself and Reebok, we got a healthy situation.”
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