Minutes before turning himself in at the Miami-Dade County jail, Rick Ross stopped to talk about pasta. Surrounded by reporters, the rapper called the allegations against him baseless and said he’d soon be in Dubai and Paris, eating a big bowl of rigatoni with marinara sauce.
The charges behind that moment are far from light. Ross was arrested and charged with felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery.
The charges stem from claims by a former romantic partner who says he slapped her, punched her and choked her during a dispute on August 28.
According to TMZ, a woman called police on Tuesday. Ross was made aware that charges were coming, which led to him surrendering at the jail himself.
The timing lines up with posts Jazzma Kendrick shared on social media over the weekend. Her claims were circulating online before the charges became public, and the allegations in the police case align with what she wrote.
Ross, for his part, didn’t look rattled. In videos captured outside the jail, he spoke calmly, said the accusations had no basis and told reporters he expected to win his case. He has since pleaded not guilty.
That breezy tone is classic Ross, but it lands differently when the accusation involves strangulation. HotNewHipHop editor in chief Alexander Cole wrote that the allegations are extremely serious, even if Ross doesn’t appear particularly worried based on his demeanor.
There are really two stories unfolding here. One is the legal case, where a felony strangulation charge carries real weight and the accuser’s account will be tested in court.
The other is the public one, where Ross is leaning on the same larger than life confidence that built his brand.
That brand goes back a long way. Born William Leonard Roberts II, Ross broke through out of Miami with “Hustlin'” and his 2006 debut album “Port of Miami.”
He went on to found Maybach Music Group, the label that helped push artists like Meek Mill and Wale into the mainstream.
His persona has always been built on luxury and untouchability, the boss who never breaks a sweat. Name dropping Dubai, Paris and rigatoni on the way into a jail fits that image perfectly. Jokes about pasta won’t carry any weight once the case reaches a courtroom, though.
The not guilty plea sets up a fight that Ross clearly intends to take on in public as much as in court. Kendrick’s weekend posts are still out there, Ross has given his version on camera, and the next move belongs to prosecutors.
