Freeway Rick Ross

Should Freeway Rick Ross get money from Rapper Rick Ross?

When art imitates life and not the other way around~

Should Rapper Rick Ross pay Freeway Rick Ross for using his likeness and image? Just from the name alone, it’s clear that Rapper Rick Ross was influenced by the life and struggles of Freeway Rick Ross who actually lived the hard life that the Rapper portrays beautifully in his music. Some say that it’s not against the law to take on the likeness of someone else for the purposes of entertainment…after all, the Rapper wasn’t infringing upon a copyrighted trademarked material. So maybe this is more of a moral question and a reflection of the current state of Hip Hop & rap music.

Just to give you a little background of the original (Freeway) Rick Ross…Freeway Ricky Ross was a 1980s drug kingpin who became a multi-millionaire urban legend in Los Angeles, earning up to 2 million dollars per day at the peak of his operation. He spent 20 years in prison after being busted for trying to purchase 100 kilos of cocaine in 1996 according to BallerAlert.com. On May 4, 2009 Freeway Rick Ross was finally released. And this is what he had to say about the experience.

“Prison taught me patience. After being on lock for so long one can become institutionalized. Sometimes to survive in prison one must become the prison.”

On the flip site, Rapper Rick Ross has become one of the most noted rappers from the South. His album, Deeper Than Rap, was voted Top 3 on their 2009’s Best Pop list in the NYTimes. He was labeled one of the Hottest MC’s of 2009 on MTV.com. His music has kept Miami in the forefront in the Rap industry. He is adored by millions of fans who appreciates that “Bawse” brand and the tales of being a Drugdealer who hustles hard and plays even harder. And he is the self-proclaimed winner of the beef between him and 50 cent.

But in July 2008, The Smoking Gun produced details linking Ross’ social security number to a two-year stint as a correctional officer in a Florida prison facility, along with a photograph purporting to be Ross in his correctional officer uniform. So many wondered who his stories really were about. And when you put two and two together…that equals Freeway Rick Ross. So should we say the rapper owes Freewaysomething?

Here’s what Freeway Rick Ross had to say about it: [Sohh.com]

“I just keep pushing, I don’t really trip off of him using my name,” Freeway said in an interview. “I don’t really give it much thought. He was clever with what he did, he made himself a nice piece of money, fortune. I’m thankful that he didn’t have to sell drugs. There’s so many of us out here selling drugs and getting ourselves locked up at least he’s in a position where all he does is rap about it. You know, you can’t really knock him for that. You know, it is what it is. I had nightmares in prison about selling drugs. Even now I have to occasionally submit to a regular mouth swab drug test to ensure that I have not relapsed. I’m a selling addict. (Urban Spin Online)

What else could he do [except lie], really, could he come out in the hip-hop world and tell ’em that he was a corrections officer rapping gangster rap or about selling drugs?,” Freeway asked during an interview. “[And] basically living the lifestyle that he had read about in newspapers and books? Who would have went for it? He pulled one over everybody’s head and made his bread. So, it is what it is.” (This Is 50)

All in all, it doesn’t seem like Freeway Rick Ross cares about Rapper Rick Ross using his image…but some people say that the Rapper should at least break him off. Regardless of what happens, Freeway is coming up in his own right and will ultimately profit off of his life too! LEGALLY!

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And check out Freeway’s blog at www.freewayenterprise.blogspot.com