The first signee to DJ Khaled’s We The Best imprint (distributed by Def Jam), 21-year-old Miami rapper Ace Hood spoke to HipHopDX last week regarding his sophomore effort, Ruthless (due in stores today, June 30th). The fiery rhymer also explained to DX why he is standing by fellow M-I-A native, and frequent collaborator, Rick Ross and the “Bawse’s” battle with critics of his prior work history. But “Young Gutta” also suggested that he might not be joining forces with Ross to retaliate against Trick Daddy in the two Floridian Rap stars current war of words [click to listen].
With the premiere of his “Champion” video this week, Ace is approaching what may become the biggest success of his short career so far. The follow-up to “Overtime,” the buzz clip for Ruthless featuring T-Pain and Akon, “Champion” is a thumping, emotionally-charged anthem for anyone facing barriers to their professional progress.
“Aww man, she’s phenomenal – the new Lauryn Hill,” gushed Ace of his “Champion” co-star, the scene-stealing Jazmine Sullivan.
Also making a quick cameo on “Champion” [click to listen] is Rick Ross, who Ace slyly shows his support for on the song’s second verse when he spits, “I had a job too nigga, so what? You niggas make me laugh how you hate him so much.”
“I used to work a 12-hour job,” Ace revealed when asked abut the position referenced in “Champion.” “And I … did it for maybe like four months. It was working in like this warehouse joint. I mean, your typical job for guys my age. Like that, work in the warehouse and whatnot, just grindin’ 12 hours a day packaging plastic.”
While freely divulging his work history, Ace is not so quick to reveal any critique of Rick Ross’ refusal to do the same for the several months he stubbornly refused to confirm reports of his controversial pre-rap gig as a correctional officer.
“Ross, at the end of the day he just portraying that he had to do what he had to do in order to provide,” said Ace of the “Bawse’s” story. “So I mean, I understand where he coming from, as far as like he had to grind and do what he had to do in order to put food in his kids’ mouth. Like, that’s what he was portraying. That’s what his whole situation was portraying.”
As Ross continues to deal with detractors incurred with that portrayal, Ace is earning his own skeptics now that he’s dropping his second Def Jam-backed album just seven months after his first, Gutta [click to read], was released. Many Hood haters believe the rookie is only getting this re-up because his guarantor, DJ Khaled, now holds a presidential position at Def Jam.
“Regardless of what Khaled did [with] the whole Def Jam situation, they believe in me as an artist,” said Ace of his recording home. “So I mean to the haters it’s like, keep hatin’. I may go buy another house. I may go buy another car. I may buy another bracelet. [The hate] just inspire me to do more.”
But what about Ruthless makes it worthy of its prominent, major-label release after the relatively disappointing sales of Gutta?
“Regardless of what, I make good music,” replied Ace. “So, that’s enough of a legitimate reason anyway to go and be like, ‘You know what … he had ‘Cash Flow,’ was on ‘Out Here Grindin’,’ had ‘Ride,’ and now he came back with ‘Champion’ [and] has ‘Overtime’ out.’ Like regardless of what, [these are] hit records that I put out on the market. That’s a legitimate reason to be like, ‘You know what, this is why I should go get his album.’ Or, ‘This is why they gave him a second album.’ That is why I got a second album, ‘cause I have hit records.”
Individual song successes aside, the commercial and critical reception to Ace’s first full-length was far from stellar. Reviews of Gutta noted Hood’s penchant for churning out what can at times seem like redundant street-oriented content. Other critiques of Ace’s debut observed that the young spitter is not a Lupe-style lyricist. But Ace does rhyme with an intensity most of his peers don’t deliver their verses with. So what’s more important to him, lyrics or feeling?
“I got both,” Ace replied. “I just don’t portray it in all of my music. But if they ever wanna go toe-to-toe, like we ready any day. I could take it there easy. See that’s the whole thing about being an artist than just being a rapper. I got both. That’s what sets me apart … They wanna take it to lyricism, we can easily take it there, no problem. … And however type of flow they wanna get it, like that’s what we do. … But, I don’t feel like it’s always needed in order to get your point across. You don’t need punch lines in order to always get a point across.”
“They may feel the lyricism up north maybe more,” he continued, “but I mean you gotta think about other parts around the world. Like, they looking for … something they can relate to. Niggas can’t go too off the board with people, ‘cause they wanna be able to understand where you coming from. So at the end of the day, the type of music we make is needed. … It’s motivational music. It’s needed in the streets right now. That’s why I put out records like ‘Overtime’ and ‘Champion.’ You need that hope.”
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