The reason why Dom Kennedy turned down a Rick Ross record deal: “That’s not what I am”
Dom Kennedy will go down in history as one of the biggest West Coast artists of his era. While the Los Angeles rapper might not have earned his credit in the mainstream, his output in the late 2000s and 2010s has cemented him as an underground great.
He’s released mixtape classics like From the Westside with Love, The Original Dom Kennedy, and Yellow Album, which is often considered his best body of work. Through those projects, Kennedy earned the respect of Rick Ross, one of the most prolific businessmen in the genre, but he refused to sign a deal with him.
Kennedy has been completely independent since he started releasing music. Through OPM, also known as The Other People’s Money Company, he’s released almost a dozen studio albums, including Get Home Safely and By Dom Kennedy, both peaking at number 23 on the Billboard 200. Considering he’s never been attached to a major label, it’s some achievement.
At the height of his buzz, there were conversations about Kennedy signing with Ross. The Florida rapper is, of course, behind the hugely successful Maybach Music Group, which has previously partnered with Def Jam, Warner Records, and Atlantic Records. Signing a deal with MMG would have changed everything Kennedy stood for, but it could have taken him to the next level. The label was behind artists like Meek Mill, Wale, Omarion, and French Montana.
Ultimately, Kennedy decided it wasn’t something he wanted to be a part of. Speaking on Ross during an interview with Billboard, he said, “That’s about the only person in business I really respect and got love for, who reached out to me and showed me major love when I was first starting and really, really genuinely looked out and showed me shit I otherwise wouldn’t have seen. It’s Ross.
“But just like now, at that time, I was super independent-minded. It was never nothing discussed or brought to the table that allowed me to articulate what I’m talking about now. I don’t work good with just the artist turning in your album, ‘look, cool’ — that’s not what I am. Not at 24 or 34. I got just as much to offer as the person who owns this building and keeps the lights on.”
In Kennedy’s mind, he wanted something more than what they were offering, but he had the ultimate respect for Ross. “With the MMG thing, that’s what I was always looking for, and at that time, I was coming up and hot just in people’s mouths as a rapper — and that’s what they were looking for, just an artist to go along with their movement. I was always looking for more than that,” he explained.
“Ross is a solid dude and everything he’s doing now, I want to do. From having restaurants, to beverages, even back then he was into real estate, he always has been a boss on some business shit, fo’ sho. I can’t vouch for a lot of people but that man, he be on his shit regardless of the raps.”
Despite never achieving huge chart success, he still owns all of his music and could arguably be making more money than if he had accepted the label offer. Kennedy and Ross have collaborated on numerous songs over the years, including ‘Gold Alpinas’ and Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘Lord Knows’, causing no strain on their relationship.