Rick Ross is no stranger to controversial lyrics, but to avoid a full-blown dustup over the mention of Trayvon Martin on the Mastermind track “Blk & Wht” Rozay issued an official statement to make sure there were no misunderstandings.
After Ross’ sixth studio album was made available for streaming Tuesday night, many took issue with a reference Ross made to the Florida teenager who was killed two years ago:
“Too close to a ni–a as a mother–king bomb/ Trayvon Martin, I’m never missing my target/ Bitch ni–as hating, tell me it’s what I’m parking/ Wingstop owner, lend me pepper aroma/ Young, black ni–a, barely got a diploma”
But in a statement sent exclusively to VIBE, Ross said the lyric was misunderstood.
“It’s so important that today, on the two-year anniversary of the death of Trayvon Martin, we never forget that tragedy,” Ross said. “I’m never going to let the world forget that name. In my song ‘Black and White’ off Mastermind I say, ‘Trayvon Martin, I’m never missing my target’. There I’m reminding people that if you’re a black person or a person of any color for that matter in this country, you have to be accurate, whatever moves you make, stay accurate. Even when you’re walking down the street, playing music from your car, you have to stay on point.”
“Black men are being killed and their killers [are] beating the trial,” added Ross, who plans to use his recently purchased 235-acre Georgia estate to help inner-city youngsters. “It hasn’t been this much violence against black men since the ’60s. I am Trayvon Martin, we’re all Trayvon Martin. He was from South Florida. That could have been me or one of my homies. So, stay alert and never miss your target. Whatever that target may be. Getting out the hood, providing from your family. Stay sharp. Stay alive. Trayvon, Rest in Peace.”
This is the second time the MMG Bawse has had to apologize for his lyrics. Last year, the “War Ready” MC had to dodge accusations that he advocated rape with the line, “Put Molly all in her champagne/She ain’t even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that/She ain’t even know it,” from his guest spot on Rocko’s “U.O.E.N.O.”
In the wake of all the public outcries, Ross lost his lucrative endorsement deal with Reebok and has since used the misstep as “a learning situation.”
Mastermind is slated for release on March 4.
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