See the full 32-photo NYE 2012: Rick Ross at Cameo slideshow.
Rick Ross
Rosé Champagne New Year's Eve
Cameo Theatre, South Beach
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Better Than: A night when dollar bills don't fall from the sky.
With less than a half-hour till 2012, The Boss entered the building.
It was approximately 11:33 p.m. when Maybach Music mogul Rick Ross came crashing through Cameo's front door, surrounded by a modest entourage and a couple of huge bodyguards in MMG tees.
Ballin' in a black velvet tux, flossy black dress shirt, a blinged-out pair of signature Rozay-style shades, and the rap game's most immaculately manicured beard, the big homie hustled into the club, bypassing a clutch of photographers that clogged the corridor to Cameo's supercrowded main cave.
Basically, The Boss don't pause for party shots. Although, he did pose like a pro for a few paparazzi-style pics without stalling, stopping, or even stutter-stepping.
As Ross and his posse slipped through the throng, they charged past wannabe Bosses, black girls with blonde hair, old-school hustlers, off-duty strippers, members of the mature-and-sexy set, and even a few white boys with fades.
Winding around the bar, cutting through the general-admission area, and looping past the VIP, they settled in some unseen back room while the DJ shouted out The Boss's famous friends and specials guests: "Mike Epps here! ... Sam Sneed in the building! ... Holla for Flo Rida!"
After a couple double shots of Hennessy on the rocks, 2012 was coming quicker than an out-of-control Maybach Exelero fleeing the cops.
Soon, it'd be time to drop the ball on another New Year. And the DJ kicked off the countdown, announcing, "Just 15 minutes to midnight!," before checking back -- 12, ten, seven minutes -- between each and every track.
With the end almost upon us, Blowin' Money Fast VIPs and Ima Boss-level ballers called for bottles while the general-admission types launched a last-minute rush on the open bar, double-fisting pink cocktails and cheap champagne in plastic cups.
Then, just minutes before the clock finally clicked to 2012, Ross rolled out onto Cameo's small stage with homeboy DJ Khaled, manager and chief consigliere Gucci Pucci, MMG crew member Magazeen, and others keeping watch.
Straight away, the throng upped its grind, throwing hands, shaking ass, shouting "Bawse!" And Rozay proved again that he's the hardest working hustler in show biz, shrugged off the usual NYE "hosting" bullshit, and ripped right into a half-hour set of his iciest hits.
Gripping the mike like a glock, Ross pledged allegiance to the streets with "I'm Not a Star." He dropped his verse off Khaled's club killer "I'm on One." He got his people spittin' hard with ode to excess "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)." And he slipped into "Aston Martin Music," dedicating it to "all the ladies in your nice, tight New Year's dresses."
Cigars and blunts got sparked. Drinks got spilled. Shit got messy. And as midnight hit, Cameo's staff blasted the club with a massive supercold shot of compressed air, confetti, and crisp dollar bills.
Yes, Rick Ross made it rain money. Literally.
Bringing in the New Year like a true Boss, Ross and his buddies popped bottle after bottle. The club's hired dancers humped to the top of brass poles. And the VIPs ignored all that cash strewn across the floor while general-admission types stooped to stuff their pockets.
Seconds later, the DJ cranked the party into high-speed again, dropping the instantly recognizable backing track for Ross's final cut of the night. And as twitchy 808 beats and surging synth loops echoed off Cameo's walls, the big homie delivered a tidbit of trademark wisdom to mark the beginning of 2012.
"It's the New Year," he said. "Whether you spent $100,000 or $100 tonight, the only thing that should be runnin' through your head is 'Ima Boss'!"
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: With absolutely zero irony, Crossfade fully fucking concedes that Rick Ross is The Boss.
Rick Ross's Setlist
-"I'm Not a Star"
-"I'm on One"
-"B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)"
-"Aston Martin Music"
-"Ima Boss"
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