Rick Ross Aims For Higher 'Hottest MCs' Status

Last month, Rick Ross bossed up at #5 on MTV News' Hottest MCs list, the same ranking he earned in 2009. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's already back in the studio, and there's no way he'll settle for anything less than #1 on next year's list.

"I'm just happy to be a part of it, you know? I respect the panel, I respect MTV, and I love this hip-hop game, so I just love being competitive," Ross told on the red carpet of the 2010 Soul Train Awards in Atlanta on Wednesday night. "But you know, I'm back in the studio, and I'm coming for that #1 spot."

But just because Ross is already working on the follow-up to Teflon Don, that doesn't mean he's ready to move on from the album just yet. Last month, he premiered a video for "Aston Martin Music," and he just shot a clip for "MC Hammer." Those vids — plus the massive success of tracks like "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" — have helped lift Don to gold status, something that most rappers would be content with these days. But, again, Ross isn't most rappers, and he's planning on pushing the album to platinum status and beyond.

"It just feels good in this climate," he said. "When I got word that Teflon Don was certified gold, and they told me the amount of artists that went gold this year, that made me appreciate it even more. [But] we grindin' it out to platinum. ... 'Aston Martin Music,' we got a few more videos we filming. Team Rozay, we workin' hard, baby."