'The Boss' Hits the Stage: Rick Ross Shines Despite Durban Festival Drama

• American rapper Rick Ross impressed local fans at the Durban Music Festival despite concerns over security issues at the event
• While stars such as Ross, Nasty C and Big Zulu kept fans entertained, fans and artists complained they were not allowed into certain areas due to security mistakes
• Local netizens reacted on social media to say they were not surprised, saying Ross’ performances in South Africa have often been met with issues
• The organisers of the event told Briefly News that the event was a success despite the disturbances

Local music fans were treated to a top performance by American rapper Rick Ross at the Durban Music Festival on Saturday, 3 May 2025.

The Hustlin’ hitmaker, known affectionately to fans as The Boss, was the headline act at the show that reportedly experienced security issues.

While the likes of Ross rocked the stage alongside local stars such as Nasty C and Big Zulu, fans and artists said certain areas were restricted due to mistakes by the event’s security.

Durban Music Festival organisers were pleased with the event

Watch Ross perform at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in the video below:

Despite reports of slow ticket sales, Times Live reported that the organisers, Blue Screen Entertainment, released a statement apologising for the security mix-up.

The statement read:

“We were saddened to hear about the challenges stemming from stadium security not allowing some of our VIP guests and artists into the approved areas, and almost shutting down the show at 11 pm instead of our agreed-upon time due to pressure from those who didn’t want us to be successful. The show was our proof of concept as a company, and we did exceptionally well. It also boosted tourism for Durban and positively impacted the local economy, with all flights out of Durban sold out on Sunday and Monday after the event, and hotels filled from Friday to Monday.”

The organiser of the event, Gregory Wings, told Briefly News journalist Jessica Gcaba that the event was "highly successful. We sold out 26,000 seats."

Watch the vibe at the festival in the video below:

Rick Ross enjoys his time in South Africa

Before his performance at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Ross had a history in Mzansi after he shocked local fans by starring in a Pick n Pay advert.

Ross has visited the country socially, saying he enjoys spending time in South Africa and always looks forward to his Mzansi trips.

In addition to Rick Ross rocking the stage with some of South Africa’s biggest hip-hop stars, fans were treated to an array of rising local talent that made the event a memorable experience.

Fans are not surprised by the complications at Moses Mabhida

Local netizens reacted on social media to say they are not surprised by the complications at the festival, saying Ross’ shows have a history of experiencing issues.

Knowledge Seeker does not have fond memories:

“His concerts in SA are always a flop. I’m reminded of the flop in Durban in 2019. Underwhelming!”

Mangaliso Ịhụnanya Eze Mangy asked a question:

“Does Rick Ross now live in SA, because he's been here for over a month now.”

Timo Embongh saw the silver lining:

“Good job. At least nothing happened to Ross.”

Linda Ngwenya was frustrated:

“Imagine paying so much and then being told you're not allowed in this area, jeeerr.”

Ntšhireletše Doublem missed out:

“I thought it was still coming.”

Scotts Maphuma and TOSS fail to impress Cotton Fest crowd

As reported by Briefly News, amapiano stars TOSS and Scotts Maphuma failed to get the crowd dancing at the recent Cotton Fest event in Johannesburg.

The amapiano duo’s moves and singing failed to make an impression on the capacity crowd who reacted online by calling it ‘sensationally bad’.

Source: Briefly News