Modesty was never Rick Ross' thing, so why would the Bawse decide to go humble about his upcoming single featuring Jay-Z and Dr. Dre? "You already know '3 Kings, ' I feel it's the biggest collaboration in hip-hop. Not just this year, maybe previous years," Rick Ross told MTV News on Tuesday from a hotel room in Washington, D.C.
Landing either Dre or Jay on your track is a major statement in rap, and getting both of the rap titans to feature on a record at the same time is a rarity, but they don't call Ross the Bawse for nothin'. "I got on the phone with Dre and we just talkin' about collaborating and he was gonna come down to Miami for the first time to record with me in my element, in my zone," Rozay said of the initial seed that was planted for "3 Kings."
After the phone call The Chronic super producer took his talents to South Beach to collaborate with Ross and even celebrate the Maybach Music CEO's birthday in January. "He came to Miami. I walked in the studio, I seen big homey, I turnt up," Ross recalled. "First night in the studio we went and did five records."
With his Dr. Dre sessions already in the can, Ross called his old buddy Hov to put the finishing touches on the record that is set to appear in Rick Ross' upcoming God Forgives, I Don't album. "Jay-Z, that's my big homey man and from day one anything I've ever asked O.G. for he always came through for me, so it's vice-versa," he said. "He got a gangsta right here for life."
Ross signed to Def Jam in 2006, Jay was steering the ship sitting comfortably as the label's president, and the two have collaborated on a few songs like Rozay's "Hustlin'" remix and Kanye West's unforgettable "Monster." While their relationship goes back a few years, Ross could have been pushing his luck by asking the larger-than-life Jay to appear on "3 Kings." Turns out the Roc Nation CEO had already recorded with Ross recently for a track that he hasn't used yet. "Me and Jay had another record already recorded," Ricky confirmed. "I'm pretty sure I'm one of the only people that could've called for another verse, before I put out the other record and get it done. I called him and let him know, 'Man it's the one.'
"We cooked up a masterpiece," he continued. "This is a big joint right here."
Rick Ross, Dr. Dre and Jay-Z weren't born heirs to the hip-hop throne, but on Rozay's newest single, "3 Kings" the trio most definitely spit the most regal of raps.
Rozay billed it as the "biggest collaboration in hip-hop," and on Thursday (July 19), New York DJ Funkmaster Flex got the green light to premiere the highly anticipated track. From the top of the dusty-and-soulful Jake One instrumental, Dr. Dre brands "3 Kings" as "classic hip-hop."
Though it's hard to imagine a time when the D-R-E wasn't on top, the Chronic producer reminds listeners of his wonder years when he opens the track spitting, "He started out mopping floors, but now he's front row at the awards." Still, Dre's recounting of his humble beginnings only helps to intensify the magnitude of his present when he urges fans, "You should listen to this beat through my headphones."
There is no hook or catchy chorus, just a bottom-heavy instrumental breakdown that leads into Ross' guts and glory. "I came a long way from the weed game/ Twenty-stack seats at the Heat game," he rhymes, sending a nod to the 2012 NBA champions.
The entire song stands as a testament to Ross' growth. While the Maybach Music Bawse was laying the groundwork for his recent rap empire with his 2006 debut, Port of Miami, and its follow-up, Trilla, few believed the husky-voiced MC would grow to his current stature. Back then, placing both Dr. Dre and Jay-Z on a single track seemed improbable for Ross, and having the gall to name the track "3 Kings" would have been ludicrous. Now, the notion isn't farfetched by any means, seeing as how the Teflon Don has emerged as one of the game's biggest draws and business minds, helping build the careers of young artists like Meek Mill and Wale. It's a position both Dre and Jay-Z have long enjoyed, and on Hov's verse, he doesn't let fans forget it.
"It's just different," Hov says of his free-associative verse, which sounds perfectly imperfect.
"Millions on the wall in all my rooms/ N---as couldn't f--- with my daughter's room," Big Poppa Hov says, nodding to baby Blue Ivy.
As rich as that may sound, Jigga gets even gaudier. If his rhymes ring true, Jay is about to reconstruct his $150 million deal with Live Nation, and while the method is a bit unorthodox, it seems he is using his lyrics in the negotiation process. "I ran through that buck-fifty Live Nation fronted me/ They workin' on another deal, they talkin' 250/ I'm holdin' out for three/ Two-seventy-five and I just might agree," he spits.
All hail the kings!
Who had your favorite verse on Rick Ross' "3 Kings"? Let us know in the comments!
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