Rick Ross Says He Avoids Signing Women to His Music Label

Misogyny is unfortunately still a plague of the music industry, but Carol City native Rick Ross might have reached a new low in public scumbaggery.

In a new interview, the rapper says he avoids signing women to his label, Maybach Music Group, because he would "end up fucking a female rapper."

Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, was responding to a question from Angela Yee, cohost of The Breakfast Club, a morning show on the New York radio station Power 105.1. He was on the air promoting the TV show Signed, a reality competition premiering tonight on VH1 in which artists compete for a record deal with MMG. As he discussed what kind of artists he would sign, Yee interjected: "What about a female rapper?"

"You know," Ross responded, "I never did it because I always thought, like, I would end up fucking a female rapper and fucking the business up. I'm so focused on my business. I just, I gotta be honest with you. You know, she looking good. I'm spending so much money on her photo shoots. I gotta fuck a couple times."

Yee tried to redirect the conversation by asking if he would hire a "young 17-year-old female" talent, which the rapper humored for a brief time. He then gestured back to Yee and said, "If I signed you or something, I would have to... you had to get it."
This isn't the first time Ross has been in hot water for making chauvinistic statements. In 2013, he jumped on a remix of Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O." with a line about date rape:

"Put molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it / I took her home and enjoyed that, she ain't even know it."

The lyric sparked an intense public outcry, to which the rapper responded on Twitter: "I dont condone rape. Apologies for the #lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS." He followed it with this tweet: "Apologies to my many business partners, who would never promote violence against women. @ReebokClassics @ultraviolet."

Reebok, a brand Ross name-drops in "U.O.E.N.O." just two bars before the infamous line, didn't consider the apology sufficient, and dropped his sponsorship deal. The shoe company stated it was "disappointed he has yet to display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse."

The rapper made a more official statement after losing the sponsorship, but by then the damage had been done.

It seems Ross, nor has the music industry or society at large, hasn't learned the right lessons from that incident. America continues to condone misogynistic behavior from powerful men; a man can even be taped bragging about sexual assault and still be elected president. Until the day comes when these issues are properly addressed, we'll have to continue dealing with men like Ross who see women as objects and shamelessly admit it.