One of the very few positives of the move to virtual concerts from live ones is that NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series has been able to enjoy guests that might have ordinarily passed on an appearance or simply been too busy to carve out time for a DC trip to visit the titular Tiny Desk at NPR’s physical offices.
One such artist is Rick Ross, the Carol City, Florida rapper who just got his own Rap Snacks flavor and has a big enough hits catalog to make up three or four Tiny Desk Concerts. In his Tiny Desk debut, Ross notably performs with a live band for just the second time in his career (a real travesty, considering how lush his production has always been) and makes the most of it, performing a mini-medley of some of his greatest hits, including “Aston Martin Music,” “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast),” and “I’m Not A Star.” He’s joined by Elijah Blake, who sings the hooks normally handled by Ne-Yo and Chrisette Michele.
Rick Ross was recently the subject of a viral backlash after a clip from an old Vh1 show resurfaced, exposing him to accusations of colorism. In typical Ross fashion, he let the buzz pass him by, instead opting to share a classic Jay-Z story with DJ Khaled.
Watch Rick Ross’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert above.