Rick Ross Says Lunch with JAY-Z Is Worth More Than $500k 'If You're Ready to Digest the Knowledge'

After JAY-Z recently settled the viral debate, Ross shared his own experience of how a meal with the '99 Problems' rapper changed his life

Recording artists Rick Ross, Jay-Z attend the 2010 World Basketball Festival Tip Off after party at Avenue on August 12, 2010 in New York City.
Rick Ross and JAY-Z in New York City in August 2010. Photo:

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Given the choice, Rick Ross would choose lunch with JAY-Z over $500,000. (Of course, there's a good chance he already has that kind of money.)

After JAY-Z recently settled the viral debate by advising fans to take the money over a lunch meeting with him, Ross added his own thoughts into the mix, urging the opposite — inspired by his own personal experience.

"I’mma take the dinner, and I’mma tell you why. In ’08, before I turned in my second album, I had a meeting with Hov. We went to lunch," said Ross, 47, in a video posted to his Instagram Story this week. "He said, ‘Rozay, versus writing to every beat you like, write to every record you could make work.'"

Ross recalled the "99 Problems" rapper, 53, sharing stories about his own experiences that led him to change his approach to music. "So, I went from writing one record to every 80 beats I liked, to writing 40 records out of every 80 beats I could make work," he said. "It took me to another level as a writer, another level as a artist."

According to the "Hustlin'" performer, having a meal with JAY-Z is the more worthwhile option — but only if you know what to do with the time. "So you gotta ask yourself — are you ready to digest the knowledge, or you just wanna look at his watch at the table?"

jay z and rick ross
JAY-Z and Rick Ross. Leon Bennett/ FilmMagic; Rebecca Sapp/Getty

In a follow-up video shared to social media, Ross responded to JAY-Z's guidance against choosing the lunch. "I get it. Y’all know Hov. He’s humble," he said, noting that it's not worth it to take the meal and simply ask about his experiences making hit songs. "I would tell you get the money too, but if you ready to digest the knowledge that he gon’ give you... It's priceless."

JAY-Z recently addressed the viral debate during an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, which premiered exclusively on PEOPLE earlier this week ahead of its Thursday and Friday airings.

Jay-Z attends the Shawn Carter Foundation 20th Anniversary Black Tie Gala at Pier 60 on July 14, 2023 in New York City
JAY-Z.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

He settled the debate with solid business advice: "You gotta take the money. What I'mma say?"

King, 68, spoke about the ethos behind the debate, explaining that many people think the "wisdom" one could receive from the rap icon would help them make more than $500,000 on their own.

CBS Mornings Gayle King and Jay-Z
Gayle King and Jay-Z.

Courtesy CBS Mornings

If JAY-Z had to choose, however, he'd still take the money. "Because you got all that in the music for $10.99. That’s a bad deal. I wouldn’t tell you to cut a bad deal," he advised. "Take the $500,000, go buy some albums and listen to the albums. It’s all there."

"If you piece it together and really listen to the music for the words, for what it is, it’s all there. Everything that I said was going to happen, happened. Everything that I said I wanted to do, I’ve done, and there’s the blueprint," he added, referencing the title of his iconic 2001 album. "The blueprint — literally — to me and my life and my journey is there already."

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