Tara FinleyGrab your rolling paper, find your lighter, and settle in for a conversation with the game’s most respected connoisseur Rick Ross. In this week’s L.A. Weekly podcast, Ross lights up with L.A. Weekly’s own pot critic Jimi Devine alongside Publisher Brian Calle to talk about social justice, what’s next for Ross, and of course, his favorite strain.
As the sound of a lighter flicks through the speaker, we have to ask, what’s Rick Ross smoking?
“Pink Rozay,” crows Ross. “Pink Rozay is the gas, you know what I’m saying. As soon as you put it to your nose it’s gonna get your approval and once it touches your lungs, it’s going down.”
Photo by Gianni Cohen
Pink Rozay is a strain of Ross’ very own, in collaboration with Cookies. Known for their incredible flower, Pink Rozay fits right in with their catalogue of heavy hitters. It’s strong and pungent, just as Ross likes it.
“I started smoking when I was 13 growing up in Miami,” shares Ross. “We had the worst weed you could ever find, coming from all different parts of the islands … as times changed, we had the first indoor strands, we called it haze … crip … it changed the game.”
Most cannabis enthusiasts love to wax nostalgic about the best flower they’ve ever smoked, and Ross is no different. Back in 2006 he used to frequent an L.A. dispensary that introduced him to the high he’s been chasing ever since: Private Reserve.
“That was my best weed I’ve ever smoked. Ever since I smoked that I’ve been chasing that taste,” remembers Ross.
Pink Rozay mirrors the elusive Private Reserve. Ross has smoked with the biggest smokers and smoked all over the world, and the breeders at Cookies have held fast as his favorite. They were a natural fit for his Pink Rozay collaboration.
“We took a lot of time curating these strands to make sure this shit satisfied the motherfuckers with the most hollow chest,” boasts Ross. “This is huge.”
Knowing the strand is a THC powerhouse, Jimi presses for specifics on the genetics. But Ross is remaining mum, saying that if you’re a fan of Gary Payton flower, you’re going to love Pink Rozay. Any more than that, he won’t say.
“I love that Bay Area weed and I just keep it real,” says Ross. If it smells like a gas station, he knows it’ll be good. “It’s going to be a strain that I feel that motherfuckers will really fuck with.”
Photo by Gianni Cohen
Rick Ross is known for his hustle. Artist, entrepreneur, marijuana master, how does he do it all?
“I’m an aggressive ambition … I’m just being creative,” defines Ross, telling Jimi and Brian that good weed like Pink Rozay is the ethos that makes all his projects happen.
But Ross doesn’t give himself enough credit. A solid head on his shoulders, this entrepreneur has a solid foundation on which he gives advice. “I learned at an early age not to beg or ask for anything,” he explains. You have to hustle for yourself. “If you just sit around and you’re scared to roll the dice, you’ll never win shit.”
The motivation to do something is strong in Ross, a trait he sees in those taking to the streets today to demand justice.
“That shit tore my heart apart,” says Ross, reacting to the murder of George Floyd. “It’s time to fucking punish these people.”
What happens next? Our hosts want to know.
“I’m waiting for the smart dudes to discuss ‘what’s the first five things we need to happen,’” hopes Ross. “I know what the fuck I feel, and I know what I want … it’s a lot of talking going on, and I don’t want to be one of the ones jabbering.”
But how do you get to that step of discussion when murderers like Derek Chauvin are still on the street, wonders Jimi. How do you talk about where to go when there’s still so much justice to be had?
“When we wake up in the morning that should be breaking news – motherf’ckers in handcuffs – charged,” exclaims Ross. “Or the hate is going to remain there and it’s only going to grow. And what’s going to be next?”
Brian agrees, saying: “I think that one of the biggest challenges in the whole conversation is that once a police officer commits a killing or another atrocity it is so rare that they are convicted when these things go to trial … that needs to change.”
“I can’t tell you how much longer that will be tolerated before the officers get stripped down in the middle of the streets,” responds Ross. “You’re not going to have your knee on anybody’s neck in front of me, or you’re gonna have another motherf’cker you’re going to have to kill. Straight up. And that goes for anybody.”
He hopes for change, saying: “This is a moment in history. … The results from this shit is most definitely going to be monumental.”
No matter who you are, Ross has the same advice for everyone: “Go hard, put yourself first, don’t nobody owe you shit.”
His life rules?
Rule number one: “Keep your mama’s lights on.”
Rule number two: “Make sure your weed is the best. As long as your weeds the best, everything else will fall in line.”
The interview in its entirety can be found: iTunes, Spotify, Cumulus Los Angeles
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