Rick Ross is an American rapper and record executive born on January 28, 1976. He’s made a big impact on modern hip-hop with his powerful voice larger-than-life personality and vivid storytelling in his lyrics. His songs often tell stories of rising from tough street life to wealth and luxury.
Before he released his first hit single “Hustlin'” in March 2006 Rick Ross was in high demand with both Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment and Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. vying to sign him. Ultimately he signed a huge deal with Jay-Z’s Def Jam Recordings.
His debut album “Port of Miami” (2006) topped the Billboard 200 chart right after its release. This success continued with his next albums “Trilla” (2008) and “Deeper Than Rap” (2009). His fourth album “Teflon Don” (2010) included the hit “Aston Martin Music” featuring Drake and Chrisette Michele which went triple platinum.
Apart from his solo work Rick Ross was part of the hip hop group Triple C’s in 2005 alongside other Florida rappers Gunplay and Torch. He also founded Maybach Music Group (MMG) in 2008 signing artists like Meek Mill, Wale, French Montana, and Omarion. MMG partnered with Def Jam and later Epic Records to release his subsequent albums like “Hood Billionaire” (2014), “Black Market” (2015), “Rather You Than Me” (2017), “Port of Miami 2” (2019), and “Richer Than I Ever Been” (2021).
Ross has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and was named “Man of the Year” by The Source magazine in 2010 and 2011 as well as “Hottest MC in the Game” by MTV in 2011.
| Full Name | William Leonard Roberts II |
| Date of Birth | January 28, 1976 |
| Place of Birth | Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA |
| Occupation | Rapper, Entrepreneur, Record Executive |
| Height | 6 feet 0 inches (183 cm) |
| Spouse | Lira Mercer (partner) |
| Children | William Roberts III, Toie Roberts, Billion Leonard Roberts, Berkeley Hermes Roberts |
| Net Worth | $150 million |
Rick Ross’s Early Life and Education
William Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale Mississippi and grew up in Carol City Florida. He went to Miami Carol City Senior High School and later received a football scholarship to Albany State University a historically black college. From December 1995 to June 1997 Roberts worked as a correctional officer for a year and a half before resigning.
Career
Rick Ross initially started his music career using the name Teflon Da Don. His first appearance on a record was on Erick Sermon’s album “Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis” where he featured on the track “Ain’t Shhh to Discuss.”
Around the mid-2000s he changed his stage name to Rick Ross inspired by the notorious drug dealer “Freeway” Rick Ross although they have no direct connection.
After signing with Suave House Records which was previously home to 8Ball & MJG Rick Ross moved on to Slip-n-Slide Records a label under Def Jam since 2006. During this time he toured with Trick Daddy and made guest appearances on other Slip-n-Slide albums.
Rick Ross’s big break came with his debut album “Port of Miami” in August 2006 which topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart selling 187000 copies in its first week. Rolling Stone magazine predicted it would be a major rap hit that summer. One of its singles “Push It” sampled the theme from the movie Scarface and its music video was styled after the film. The album received Gold certification from the RIAA in November 2006.
His second album “Trilla” released in March 2008 also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It featured singles like “Speedin'” and “The Boss” which were well-received on the charts. MTV News ranked Rick Ross fourth on its 2008 list of “Hottest MCs in the Game.”
In 2009, Rick Ross released “Deeper Than Rap” which included tracks like “Valley of Death.” This song addressed his controversial past as a corrections officer and his street life experiences. The album cover of XXL magazine’s May 2009 issue titled “Rick Ross Up in Smoke” caused a stir when it was revealed that the Louis Vuitton sunglasses Ross wore were customized leading to a dispute with the luxury brand.
In 2010, Rick Ross had several major achievements. He released the highly praised Albert Anastasia EP in May and followed it up with his fourth studio album Teflon Don on July 20 featuring the hit single “Super High” with Ne-Yo. The album also included “Live Fast Die Young” with Kanye West. Teflon Don debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 176000 copies in its first week.
Later that year in November Ross and Diddy announced they were collaborating on an EP with the single “Another One” released as part of the project. Ross closed out 2010 with a Christmas Eve mixtape titled Ashes To Ashes.
Moving into 2011, Rick Ross signed Wale and Meek Mill to his Maybach Music Group. They released their debut album Self Made Vol. 1 in May. Ross also performed at the BET Awards and received a nomination for Best Male Hip Hop Artist. By early 2012 he was recognized as the Hottest MC in the Game.
The momentum continued into 2012 with the release of the acclaimed Rich Forever mixtape. His group MMG dropped their second compilation Self Made Vol. 2 followed closely by Ross’s fifth studio album God Forgives I Don’t in July 2012. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold shortly after. Ross celebrated by releasing The Black Bar Mitzvah mixtape in October.
In 2013, Ross revealed plans for his sixth album “Mastermind” and dropped the single “Box Chevy”. He also announced a mixtape with Birdman called The H. Mastermind saw its official singles “No Games” and “The Devil Is A Lie” gain popularity.
The year 2014 saw Ross release Mastermind which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Following its success he announced another album Hood Billionaire in October which was released in November 2014.
From 2015 to 2020, Ross faced legal challenges but continued to release music including the mixtape Black Dollar in 2015 and the album Black Market in December of the same year. In 2016, he signed with Epic Records and released several singles gearing up for his album Rather You Than Me in 2017.
Ross continued his musical journey with subsequent albums like “Port of Miami 2” in 2019 which featured hits like “Gold Roses” with Drake. His career also saw collaborations and controversies including a notable feud referenced in the track “Entanglements” with August Alsina.
In recent years, Ross released his eleventh album “Richer Than I Ever Been” in December 2021. He also made waves with his book The Perfect Day to Boss Up which debuted on The New York Times bestsellers list in September 2021.
Net Worth
Rick Ross has an estimated net worth of $150 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Rick Ross’s net worth comes from his successful career as a rapper and entrepreneur. He makes money from selling his music, touring, and owning businesses like his record label and Wingstop franchises.
Personal life
Rick Ross has five children: Toie Roberts born in March 2002, William Roberts III born in September 2005, Berkeley Hermès Roberts born in September 2017, Billion Leonard Roberts born in November 2018, and Bliss Roberts born in August 2020.
In 2015, Ross was briefly engaged to Lira “Galore” Mercer.
Regarding his health on October 14, 2011, Ross had two seizures in one day one in the morning and another in the early evening. After the morning seizure, he was unconscious and needed CPR. Following the second seizure he was taken to a hospital in Birmingham Alabama where doctors conducted tests and found him to be healthy.
Ross attributed these episodes to a lack of sleep the previous week. He later mentioned this incident in a remix of Meek Mill’s song “Ima Boss.”
On March 2, 2018, Ross was hospitalized after being found unresponsive in his Miami home possibly due to a heart attack. He was placed on life support but was released from the hospital a few days later.
Rick Ross identifies as Christian. In an interview, he expressed his belief in God and stated that he prays before every performance.
In July 2008, it was revealed that Ross had worked as a correctional officer at the South Florida Reception Center for 18 months between 1995 and 1997. Initially denying this Ross later admitted it after evidence surfaced publicly.
On January 27, 2013, while celebrating his 37th birthday Ross and his girlfriend were involved in a drive-by shooting in Fort Lauderdale Florida. They were not injured but crashed their car while trying to escape.
As of 2017, Ross owned multiple Wingstop restaurants a chain known for its chicken wings. In 2023 he offered Don Lemon a job after Lemon was fired from CNN jokingly mentioning Lemon’s potential expertise in lemon pepper wings.
Legal issues
In January 2008, Rick Ross was arrested for having a gun and marijuana. His lawyer questioned why the police put his case under the gang task force. They said it was because Ross claimed connections to a gang called Triple C’s but there was no solid proof.
Later that year DJ Vlad sued Ross saying Ross organized an attack on him at an awards show in Houston. Vlad asked questions about Ross’s past as a correctional officer.
In June 2010, “Freeway” Ricky Ross sued Rick Ross for using his name without permission. Jay-Z was involved in the case because he was the CEO of the record label that signed Rick Ross. “Freeway” Ricky Ross wanted $10 million in damages and tried to stop the release of Rick Ross’s album “Teflon Don.”
Rick Ross responded by comparing lawsuits to accidents in a restaurant — something you deal with and move on from. He denied rumors that he would change his stage name because of the lawsuit. The court eventually dismissed “Freeway” Ricky Ross’s lawsuit.
There were more legal battles over the use of Rick Ross’s name in California courts. Ultimately in December 2013, a court ruled in favor of Rick Ross saying he could keep using the name based on free speech rights.
In 2011, another rapper filed a lawsuit against Rick Ross for using “Teflon Don” as the title of his album.
Ross had further legal trouble in 2011 and 2014 for marijuana possession. He was also arrested in 2015 in Georgia accused of kidnapping and assaulting someone over a debt. He pled no contest to aggravated assault in 2017 and received probation and a fine.
Controversies
In January 2009, a feud started between Rick Ross and rapper 50 Cent. It all began because Ross felt 50 Cent had disrespected him at an awards show. The tension escalated when Ross released a song called “Mafia Music” which included lyrics aimed at 50 Cent. In response 50 Cent released a track titled “Officer Ricky (Go Head Try Me)” to fire back at Ross.
Things got more intense as 50 Cent posted a video threatening Ross before his trip to Venezuela. He also mocked Ross in animated cartoons and even interviewed the mother of one of Ross’s children who claimed Ross had been a correctional officer challenging his tough-guy image.
The feud drew in other rappers too. The Game known for his issues with 50 Cent sided with him against Ross offering his support publicly. Ross retaliated on his album “Deeper Than Rap” with a song called “In Cold Blood” which depicted a fake funeral for 50 Cent.
The conflict continued with both sides releasing diss tracks and videos each trying to outdo the other. 50 Cent mocked DJ Khaled in one of his videos while Ross responded with another track aimed at 50 Cent’s crew.
The feud took a personal turn when 50 Cent suggested that Ross’s life-threatening shooting incident was staged. This accusation reignited the animosity between them.
Years later in 2014, Ross indicated he was done talking about 50 Cent and wanted to move on from the feud. However, tensions flared up again due to actions by one of Ross’s artists Meek Mill who defended Ross and criticized 50 Cent in his music.
In another controversy, Ross faced backlash over lyrics in a song by Rocko where he seemed to imply drugging a woman without her knowing. This led to petitions against Ross and eventually, Reebok dropping him as a spokesperson citing his failure to grasp the seriousness of the issue.
Despite apologizing and explaining that his lyrics were misunderstood the fallout from this incident affected Ross’s reputation even leading to canceled concerts and edited radio versions of his songs.
Overall the feud between Rick Ross and 50 Cent has been a long-running saga in hip-hop marked by diss tracks personal attacks and broader controversies that have shaped both artists’ careers.
