William Leonard Roberts II was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi and raised in Carol City, Florida, near Miami After graduating from Carol City Senior High School, he later attended the historically black college Albany State University in Albany, Georgia.
After being signed to Suave House Records, former label for rap duo 8Ball & MJG, he eventually signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records, which has been under the Def Jam umbrella since 2006. While signed to Slip-n-Slide, Ross toured with fellow rapper Trick Daddy and made guest performances on other Slip-n-Slide rap albums
His debut album Port of Miami was released in August 2006 and debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart, with sales at 187,000 units after its first week
In March 2008, his second album Trilla was released and, as its predecessor Port of Miami had, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.[8] Its lead single "Speedin'" featuring R. Kelly peaked at #121 on the Billboard Hot 100; the next one, "The Boss" featuring T-Pain peaked at #17 on the Hot 100. The third single "Here I Am" featured Nelly and Avery Storm
Deeper Than Rap is the third studio album by American rapper Rick Ross, released April 21, 2009 on his label Maybach Music Group and Slip-n-Slide Records, with distribution from Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 158,000 copies its first week. Singles from the album were: Mafia Music, Maybach Music II, Magnificent, & All I Really Want.
Teflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross, released July 20, 2010 on Maybach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including Clark Kent, No I.D., The Olympicks, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Lex Luger, Danja, The Inkredibles, The Remedy, and Kanye West
The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 176,300 copies in its first week. It attained some international charting and produced three singles with moderate Billboard chart success. Upon its release, Teflon Don received generally positive reviews from most music critics, earning praise for its cinematic production and Ross's lyrical persona.
Ross has signed Pill, Meek Mill, & Wale to his label Maybach Music Group. In 2010 Rick Ross made an offer to rapper Wiz Khalifa to sign to Maybach Music Group but he decided to sign with Atlantic instead.
Free Mason
Rick Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me slow down
(It's so incredible)
I go to the grave before I be a bitch nigga
Better behave: you dealin' with some rich niggas
We done lost symbols speakin' cryptic codes
Ancient wisdom, valuable like gifts of gold
I embark on life; my path is all math
I understand the codes these hackers can't crack
I understand the folks expect me to fold
Community control to violate parole
I won't fail, but a lot of men will
I'm iconic in the field like Solomon's Seal
Uh, it's just the intro
Allow my flow time to sink into the tempo
Free Mason
Free Lancer
Free Agents
We faster
Big contracts, big contractors
Built pyramids, period, we masters
No caterpillars, it was just a lot of niggas
A lot of great thinkers and a lot of great inventors
All-white mansion, I'm the child of God
All-black diamonds, times were hard
New Rolls Royce--guess you made it nigga
All-white neighborhood; you they favourite nigga
My top back like JFK
They wanna push my top back like JFK
So, so I JFK
Join forces with the kings and we ate all day
Right now I could rewrite history
I stopped writing so fuck it
I'll do it mentally
[Chorus]
I go to the grave before I be a bitch nigga
Better behave: you dealin' with some rich niggas
Started in the ghetto, now we worldwide
Multiplying and I pray to God we never die
I go to the grave before I be a bitch nigga
Better behave: you dealin' with some rich niggas
Started in the ghetto, now we worldwide
Multiplying and I pray to God we never die
Niggas couldn't do nothing with me; they put the devil on me
I'd have preferred niggas to squeeze the metal on me
Rumors of Lucifer; I don't know who to trust
Whole world want my demise; turn my music up
Hear me clearly: if y'all niggas fear me
Just say y'all fear me
Fuck all these fairy tales
Go to hell; this is God engineering
This is Hail Mary pass; y'all interfering
He without sin shall cast the first stone
So y'all look in the mirror, double check your appearance
Bitch, I said I was amazing
Not that I'm a Mason
It's amazing that I made it though the maze that I was in
Lord, forgive me; I never would've made it without sin
Holy water my face in the basin
Diamonds in my Rosary shows He forgave him
Bitch, I'm red hot; I'm on my third six, but a devil I'm not
My Jesus piece flooded, but thou shall not covet
Keep your eyes off my cupboard; I'm a bad motherfucker
It's 'hov; hust say you love it
[Chorus]
If I ever die, never let it be said I didn't win
Never, never say
Never say Legend didn't go in (I'm-a go in)
I just wanna die on top of the world
Makin' love to my favorite girl
Or makin' beautiful music
We makin' a movie
We knew we was born to do it
[Chorus]
Rick Ross’s song Free Mason is a commentary on the societal expectations posed on successful individuals and the implications of being a wealthy black man in America. The lyrics delve into the challenges faced by Ross as he navigates through success in a society that often judges him through a critical lens. Ross acknowledges the criticism, as he believes that society expects him to fail, and he feels an enormous burden on his shoulders to prove his worth repeatedly. He considers the way he lives his life (which is considered unattainable by most) in comparison to others who eventually falter due to societal pressure. Ross desires to inspire others to see the world beyond its societal limitations, and this he does by sharing his story.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, and this creates a deeper understanding of the song. Ross has a constant tone of defiance against those trying to pull him down, and he takes pride in his achievements. The song’s theme is abundant with metaphors when he talks about “ancient wisdom, valuable like gifts of gold.” He describes society as a maze, and the path through it is all math, a code that hackers can’t crack. Analogously, society is built on old minds, and Ross tries to offer a way for people to view the world beyond society’s limitations. Overall, Free Mason is Ross’s interpretation of the social forces that have compelled him to work hard and defy the odds.
Line by Line Meaning
This is for the soldiers that see the sun at midnight, ya dig
This is for those who have seen the unimaginable and have faced adversity, you know what I am talking about
I go to the grave before I be a bitch nigga
I'd rather die than be a coward
Better behave: you dealin' with some rich niggas
Be respectful as you are dealing with some wealthy people
Ancient wisdom, valuable like gifts of gold
I possess ancient knowledge that is as valuable as gold
My path is all math
My life follows a precise mathematical path
Community control to violate parole
I have control over my community and have the power to break the rules
I'm iconic in the field like Solomon's Seal
Like the iconic Solomon's Seal, my name is associated with power and success
Free Mason, Free Lancer, Free Agents
I'm independent and unbound by the established order of society or government
Built pyramids, period, we masters
We have the power to do anything, even build pyramids
My top back like JFK
I'm cruising with my car's top down in a fashion similar to JFK's car when he was assassinated
Join forces with the kings and we ate all day
Together with other powerful people, we live a luxurious lifestyle
This is Hail Mary pass; y'all interfering
This situation is make-or-break, and you are disrupting it
He without sin shall cast the first stone
Only those who are pure and sinless have the right to judge others
It's 'hov; hust say you love it
It's Jay-Z, just admit you love his music
If I ever die, never let it be said I didn't win
Even in death, I want to be remembered as someone who succeeded in life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SHAWN CARTER, JOHN STEPHENS, JOHNNY MOLLINGS, LEONARDO MOLLINGS, LEIGH ELLIOTT, MAURICE CARPENTER, WILLIAM ROBERTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind