Rick Ross beefs with Dee-1 on social media after Dee-1 calls him out on violent lyrics while promoting justice reform.
Dee-1 is a rapper from New Orleans who has over 87,000 listeners a month on Spotify. His bio reads “If Tupac and Lauryn Hill had a son, it would be Dee-1”. While Dee-1 may be new to some, this isn’t his first time in the limelight. He has been part of the BET Hip-Hop Awards Cipher and hosted the red carpet for BET’s Hip Hop Awards. He has also collaborated artists including Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, The Game, Lupe Fiasco and Killer Mike.
Recently, he went on Sway in the Morning and called out rappers like Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and Jim Jones for their hypocrisy. They promote prison reform in one breath but then rap about murder and violence in the next breath. It’s the classic “Is it Oochie Wally or One Mic” conversation. During the interview, Dee-1 said,
“I’m on fire [so] I feel even more motivated to continue to be bold about what’s right cuz this industry got us messed up… I love that I’m in the culture enough to where they can’t try to excommunicate me. I have been on the BET Hip Hop Awards Cipher. I done hosted the red carpet for the BET Hip-Hop Awards.. like I’m in the culture but I can still look at what the culture is glorifying and doing and be like, “that ain’t cool right there like that’s messed up right right there”… They act like you crazy for speaking out on it. I don’t blame the 20’s something year old’s… It’s the old’s who I like to call DG’s cuz they’re ‘Disappointing Grown-ups’… It’s the ones that’s 40 something years old and man I hate when I see these gray hair clout chasers who still talking about ‘and I send my young boys to come and wet your whole block up and da d da’. They still glorifying this. I look at… Jim Jones, you could do better brother. I love you too much to not be honest with you. Rick Ross, you could do better brother. Meek Mill, you could do better brother. I love you too much not to be honest with you. Are you the face of prison reform or are you sitting here on your new song with Ross talking about getting somebody merked and shot at the red light? Which one is it bro? Which one is it bro cuz I did a shoe giveaway in my city and gave out 1,300 pairs of your shoes cuz they said reform underneath them and I love that you partnered with with a major shoe company and you out here pushing prison reform. But now, I got to sit here like man this man glorifying getting people killed as of a week ago. Like what are you doing bro? Li Snoop really got killed that broke your heart you wear him around your neck. Why are you glorifying the same thing?”
Meek Mill heard Dee-1’s comments and responded on his Instagram stories. AllHipHop reported that “Meek Mill got wind of Dee-1’s comments. In response, the Dream Chasers leader posted on his Instagram Story, ‘Nah, we do everything, lol. I was rapping this way when I became the face of reform… That’s how I got there, y’all forgot that fast.’ Rick Ross on the other hand wasn’t so brief in his response. TMZ captured Ross’ Instagram stories response calling Dee-1 a “baskethead” and that he’s going viral off naming rappers, not his talent. He also mentioned how many Turkey’s, pampers and bicycles he’s given away in his ‘hood, so he shouldn’t be questioned.
Dee-1 responded on his Instagram by saying Rick Ross is deflecting. He was specifically speaking about his lyrical content but he is focused on Turkeys. He also mentioned that he has been in a middle school teacher in his neighborhood, has given away college scholarships around the country, has done financial literacy tours for years and is currently a professor at Tufts University among other philanthropic deeds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzSPBNZLONB/
Rick Ross has beefed with 50 Cent and DJ Envy but he clearly has the jabs to keep that same energy for Dee-1. While Rick Ross beefs with Dee-1 over him calling out the hypocrisy of his lyrics, this seems like a classic case of “a hit dog holla” because why would Ross even make a statement about it if Dee-1 didn’t hit a nerve?
Conversely, Dee-1 isn’t as known as Rick Ross so could part of his statement be a form of clout chasing despite his seemingly good intentions? Regardless, duality exists so both parties can be right. Let’s just see how this continues to play out in the upcoming weeks.
Rick Ross Image: Kaitlyn Morris / Contributor | Getty Images