Rick Ross downplays Drake dispute

Rick Ross moved this week to cool speculation that Drake’s new music had reopened their feud. In comments published May 19 by The Source and earlier by Page Six, Ross said there is “nothing” going on between him and Drake after fans seized on a line from Drake’s new album “Iceman.” Drake’s lyric appeared on “Make Them Pay,” a track on “Iceman,” one of three projects released May 15. The line — “Dog, I was aiding Ross with streams before Adin Ross had ever streamed” — was widely read online as a jab at the Miami rapper, a onetime collaborator whose relationship with Drake frayed during the 2024 Drake-Kendrick Lamar fight. (thesource.com) ### What exactly did Rick Ross say? Rick Ross told Page Six, “It’s nothing,” when asked where he stands with Drake. The Source, citing that interview, reported the same answer on May 19 and said Ross was downplaying any issue despite the attention around Drake’s lyric. Page Six published the interview on May 15 while Ross was promoting Luc Belaire Alcohol-Removed Rare Rosé, his book “Renaissance of a Boss,” and his next album “Set in Stone.” In that interview, Ross did not directly answer Drake’s lyric line-by-line. (thesource.com) ### Which Drake lyric set this off? (thesource.com) Drake’s reference came on “Make Them Pay,” a song included on the “Iceman” tracklist published May 15. The Source quoted the line about “aiding Ross with streams before Adin Ross had ever streamed,” and Page Six identified it as the bar that renewed feud talk. The May 15 triple release also included “Maid of Honour” and “Habibti,” according to The Source’s published tracklists. “Make Them Pay” appeared on “Iceman,” placing the Ross reference inside a broader release that also reignited discussion of Drake’s tensions with Kendrick Lamar and others. (yahoo.com) (thesource.com) ### Why were fans primed to read it as a diss? Ross and Drake have a long recording history, including “Aston Martin Music,” “Stay Schemin’,” “Money in the Grave,” and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” The Source said. The same report said their relationship “reportedly soured” during the 2024 feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, when Ross publicly backed Lamar and later accused Drake of using ghostwriters on “Champagne Moments.” (thesource.com) Yahoo’s entertainment coverage of Drake’s new releases also framed “Iceman” as part of the continuing afterlife of the Drake-Kendrick battle, with listeners searching the songs for fresh targets and references. ### Did Ross leave room for more shots anyway? (thesource.com) Ross told Page Six his own next album will include diss records. “It’s always diss tracks. You know Rozay,” he said, adding that competition is part of hip-hop. Page Six reported that Ross did not say whether any of those songs would be aimed at Drake. He did say the music would spark “conversations,” and named collaborators including BigXthaPlug, Don Toliver, The-Dream and T.I. (yahoo.com) ### What happens next? “Set in Stone” is scheduled for release on June 12, according to both The Source and Page Six. (thesource.com) Until then, the most concrete public record is Ross’s own answer: asked where things stand with Drake, he said, “It’s nothing.” (yahoo.com)