My 1st Blog: Rick Ross Explains Why He Took Maybach Music To Warner Music Group

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Rick Ross Explains Why He Took Maybach Music To Warner Music Group

'We needed a situation that understood that we could make music at a much quicker rate than a lot of people do,' Ross tells 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Wale, Rick Ross, Pill and Meek Mill
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

They don't call Rick Ross the Boss for nothing! When it was time to secure distribution for his Maybach Music Group, instead of signing his label over at Def Jam, where he already has a solo artist deal, Rozay made an executive decision and took MMG over to Warner Music Group.

"You know, as a boss you gotta make certain things happen and that's what I was able to do. Me, as a solo artist, we're still at Def Jam Records, I have another album or two. But me being an executive, me being a boss, Maybach Music, I had an opportunity to sow my royal oats," Ross told Sway on Wednesday's "RapFix Live."

Rozay weighed his options and in the end needed a distributor that could keep up with his musical output. "We needed a situation that understood that we could make music at a much quicker rate than a lot of people do. And I wanted to put out music at that same rate," he said. "I think it's obviously, since we closed the deal, maybe a little more than two months later, here we are today, Self Made in stores.

"It's constant meetings and discussions and attorney hours. I got great relationships over at Def Jam, so I was pretty much getting my words across. It basically just came down to what was best for Maybach Music and Warner."

With label offers from Cash Money and Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, the Teflon Don decided to take his imprint over to WMG in February. After getting new signees Wale, Meek Mill and Pill in place, the Boss put the label's first compilation, Self Made, on the fast track. Ross wasn't able to bring his group Triple Cs over to WMG, however. Due to a previously signed contract, the three-man group consisting of Gunplay, Torch and Young Bleed will remain over at Def Jam but will still rep MMG.

The MMG CEO finds inspiration in the speed in which he was able to secure the deal and release Self Made. He expects a busy future for Maybach Music and Warner. "Us executing this album the way we did and the way we have is a great example and something to build on as a company and something to look forward to," he said.

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