After a visit to the “Breakfast Club” last week, Rick Ross took some heat for saying he would never sign a female rapper because he wanted to stay focused on his business and wouldn’t be able to stop himself from having sex with the artist.
Ross subsequently walked backed the statement with a Facebook post, pointing out as a defense that his mother and sister have prominent roles in the company. (Such a weak defense but okay.)
The social media lens then became focused on the “Breakfast Club” and host Angela Yee, who was featured with hosts Charlamagne and DJ Envy in an Instagram photograph in which Ross is behind Yee, sticking out his tongue while he pulls on her hair.
On social media, there were multiple posts criticizing the image, pointing out Yee was being subject to work place harassment and just as bad, her co-hosts were standing back and allowing Ross to act inappropriately. Mutliple posters noted that Yee didn’t upload the image to her own Instagram feed, an implication she, too, was unhappy with the image.
On the program, Yee started by saying she didn’t think Ross’ comment was serious. “I don’t believe that Rick Ross really feels like that. I feel like he’s a business man. I feel like if there’s an opportunity to make money and he sees someone that’s outstanding, he would do it,” said Yee, who added that it made sense for him to back track. “It was disappointing for women to feel like, ‘I look up to Rick Ross, I love his music, but I could never sign to MMG.'”
Yee then addressed the photograph, explaining she didn’t respond to the image because she was on vacation the day it went live. She then said she’s known Ross for a long time and thought he was just being playful.
“He grabbed me to take the picture like that and then I ducked out of the way, just because I knew he was being funny,” she said. “I’ve known Rick Ross for years and I did do my first cover story that I ever did for Vibe magazine with MMG, but it was for the sex issue. And he’s been on my ‘Lip Service’ podcast a couple of times. So he jokes around with me, but he’s never been inappropriate, he’s never even been like, ‘Angela let me take you out,’ nothing. I just wanted to clarify, he’s always been very professional with me, off interviews.”
Yee did admit that she’s not a fan of on-the-job pda and noted, “But I will say I don’t really like people hugging me on like that.”
It’s probably true Ross was joking but it’s telling that he saw female rappers as people he could throw under the bus for a laugh. As for Yee and the photograph, it sounds like she and Ross have a work-related friendship that has its playful moments.
Still, while Yee may herself be unbothered, that doesn’t mean her workplace isn’t hostile for women, a reality that’s hinted out via Charlamagne’s defensive response to the controversy, which included complaints about “fake outrage police on social media.”
Yes, social media sometimes seems like a place where people do nothing but complain about minutia, but it’s also a place where people have not only sewn the seeds for progressive activist movements and built businesses from the ground up, but also on a more humble level, exchanged thoughts and educated each other.
It made sense that people were upset by Ross’s misguided attempt at humor and it was also good that he walked it back in response. It’s also not a bad thing people were looking out for Yee and she had a chance to say she “for future reference,” don’t ambush her with hugs at work.
Check out all media below.
Yee Responds to Ross comments (0:22) and photograph (02:07 ).
Controversial “Breakfast Club” photograph
Twitter criticism
How uncomfortable does Angela Yee look here and how many of you understand why? pic.twitter.com/t3xJ4MZHKM
— Rusty Redenbacher (@rustymk2) July 27, 2017
