Rick Ross

William Leonard Roberts II, professionally known as Rick Ross, is an American rapper and record executive who has become an influential figure in modern hip hop music. Known for his booming vocal performance, larger than life persona, and vivid lyrical imagery, Ross often describes the hardships of street life and black market economic activity into a rags-to-riches narrative, depicting affluence, wealth, and luxury.

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. He ultimately signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Jay-Z on Def Jam Recordings. His debut studio album, Port of Miami (2006), peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart upon release, 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). His fifth and sixth albums, God Forgives, I Don’t (2012) and Mastermind (2014), also peaked at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

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. He founded the record label Maybach Music Group (MMG) in 2009, 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” for two consecutive years by hip hop magazine The Source in 2010 and 2011, as well as “Hottest MC in the Game” by MTV in 2011.

William Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi and raised in Carol City, Florida. After graduating from Miami Carol City Senior High School, he attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship. Roberts worked as a correctional officer for 18 months from December 1995 until his resignation in June 1997.