Rick Ross

For other people with the same name, see Rick Ross (disambiguation).

Rick Ross
Roberts in 2019
Born
William Leonard Roberts II

(1976-01-28) January 28, 1976 (age 48)
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
Other names
  • Rozay
  • The Boss
  • Renzel
  • Teflon Da Don
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record executive
Years active2000–present
Children5
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginMiami-Dade County, Florida, U.S.
Genres
DiscographyRick Ross discography
Labels
Member ofTriple C's
Websiterickrosspom2.com

William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper and record executive.[1] An influential figure in modern hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "booming" vocal performance, "larger than life" persona, and vivid lyrical imagery. His lyrics form the hardships of street life and black market economic activity into a rags to riches narrative, often describing affluence, wealth, and luxury.[2]

Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'" in March 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war—receiving offers from Diddy's Bad Boy Entertainment and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc.—and ultimately signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Jay-Z on Def Jam Recordings.[3][4] In August of that year, his debut studio album, Port of Miami (2006) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart upon release,[5][6] along with his second and third studio albums, Trilla (2008) and Deeper Than Rap (2009). His fourth album, Teflon Don (2010) spawned the single "Aston Martin Music" (featuring Drake and Chrisette Michele)—which received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)—while his fifth and sixth albums, God Forgives, I Don't (2012) and Mastermind (2014) peaked the Billboard 200 twice more.[7]

Outside of his solo career, Ross was a lead member of the hip hop group Triple C's, alongside fellow Florida rappers Gunplay and Torch in 2005. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group (MMG) in 2008, through which he has signed artists including Meek Mill, Wale, French Montana, and Omarion, among others. MMG entered a joint venture with Def Jam and later Epic Records to release his subsequent studio albums: Hood Billionaire (2014), Black Market (2015), Rather You Than Me (2017), Port of Miami 2 (2019), and Richer Than I Ever Been (2021). After which, it entered a joint venture with Gamma to release his collaborative album, Too Good to Be True (2023) with Meek Mill. Ross is the recipient of nine Grammy Award nominations, and has been named "Man of the Year" by hip hop magazine The Source in 2010 and 2011, as well as "Hottest MC in the Game" by MTV in the latter year.[8]

  1. ^ Zisook, Brian (March 20, 2017). "Rick Ross on control of label artists". Djbooth. DJBooth.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  2. ^ https://singersroom.com/w3/10-best-rick-ross-songs-of-all-time/
  3. ^ "Jay-Z Gets Behind Rick Ross To Show He's 'Still In The Rap Business'". MTV. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  4. ^ "Rick Ross". Spotify. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  5. ^ Harris, Chris (August 16, 2006). "Rick Ross Sails Past Breaking Benjamin, Takes Port Of Miami To #1". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  6. ^ "Port of Miami – Charts & Awards". Allmusic. 2006. Archived from the original on December 11, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Reid, Shaheem (March 19, 2008). "Rick Ross On #1 Trilla Beating Out Snoop, Fat Joe: 'I Told Them We Bossin' Up'". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "Rick Ross Covers 25th Anniversary Issue of the Source". BET. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.