Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II was born on the 28th of January 1976, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He grew up in Carol City, Florida, where he attended Miami Carol City Senior High School before earning a football scholarship to Albany State University. His path took an unexpected turn when he worked as a correctional officer for eighteen months between December 1995 and June 1997. This period of employment became the foundation for his stage name and persona decades later. The Smoking Gun published documents linking his social security number to this job along with photographs purporting to show him in uniform. Ross initially denied the photos were of him but eventually admitted working at the South Florida Reception Center. He later rapped about this time in songs like Valley of Death from his 2009 album Deeper Than Rap. Keep it trilla nigga never had a gun and badge appeared in those lyrics. He also mentioned shoveling shit while working as a corrections officer to feed his two children.
Roberts began recording under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don before adopting Rick Ross in the mid-2000s. He derived his new name from former drug kingpin Freeway Rick Ross despite having no connection to that individual. His debut single Hustlin' arrived in March 2006 after 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. Port of Miami released in August 2006 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 187,000 units. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine predicted it would be the summer's biggest rap record. The second single Push It sampled Scarface theme song Push It to the Limit. The music video for that track was modeled directly after the gangster film Scarface. Trilla followed in March 2008 debuting atop the same chart. Its lead single Speedin featuring R Kelly peaked at number twenty-one on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. The Boss featuring T-Pain reached number seventeen on the Hot 100.
Ross founded Maybach Music Group in 2008 as an imprint under Slip-n-Slide Records which had been part of Def Jam since 2006. The label signed artists including Meek Mill Wale French Montana and Omarion among others. MMG entered joint ventures with major labels like Def Jam and later Epic Records to release subsequent albums. Hood Billionaire arrived in November 2014 while Black Market came out the 4th of December 2015. Rather You Than Me debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 in 2017. Port of Miami 2 released the 9th of August 2019 peaked at number two on the charts. Richer Than I Ever Been dropped the 10th of December 2021. A collaborative album Too Good to Be True with Meek Mill launched through Gamma in 2023. Ross received nine Grammy Award nominations throughout his career. He was named Man of the Year by hip hop magazine The Source in both 2010 and 2011. MTV called him Hottest MC in the Game during that same latter year.
January 2008 brought gun and marijuana charges when Ross was arrested in Miami Beach. Officer Rey Hernandez assigned the case to a gang task force claiming affiliation with Triple C's aka Carol City Cartel. DJ Vlad filed an assault lawsuit against Ross after an ambush at the 2008 Ozone Awards in Houston Texas. June 2010 saw Freeway Ricky Ross sue for copyright infringement seeking ten million dollars in damages. Jay-Z testified as CEO of Def Jam while the rapper threatened to block Teflon Don release. The state case dismissed in Los Angeles Superior Court but refiled in California state court. A federal judge ruled the matter should be heard under California law instead. On the 30th of December 2013 courts allowed Ross to keep his name based on First Amendment protections. the 27th of January 2013 marked a drive-by shooting targeting Ross and his girlfriend in Fort Lauderdale Florida. They crashed their car into an apartment trying to escape without injury. the 24th of June 2015 resulted in kidnapping and assault arrests in Fayette County Georgia over money owed by a landskeeper. He pled no contest to aggravated assault receiving time served plus a ten thousand dollar fine.
the 14th of October 2011 brought two seizures within hours for Ross once in morning and again early evening. Following the first episode he became unconscious requiring CPR before being admitted to a Birmingham Alabama hospital. Doctors declared him healthy after running tests attributing episodes to lack of sleep that week. He later referenced the incident in Meek Mill's Ima Boss remix saying woke up in hospital where my checks at. the 2nd of March 2018 found Ross hospitalized after being unresponsive in his Miami home from possible heart attack. He remained on life support for several days before release. Ross is Christian and stated during Lift Every Voice interview with Corey Coco Brother Condrey that he never questions God regardless of struggles. He prays every time going on stage to perform according to that same conversation. His five children include Toie born March 2002 William III born September 2005 Berkeley Hermès born September 2017 Billion Leonard born November 2018 and Bliss born August 2020.
As of 2017 Ross owned multiple Wingstop restaurant locations specializing in chicken wings. When Don Lemon left CNN April 2023 Ross offered him employment citing belief in knowledge of lemon pepper wings. The Perfect Day to Boss Up book debuted number five on New York Times weekly bestsellers list the 7th of September 2021. January 2025 saw criticism for performing alongside Soulja Boy and Snoop Dogg at Trump-sponsored cryptocurrency event preceding second inauguration. In July 2020 Ross released Entanglements targeting Jada Pinkett Smith as diss track against singer August Alsina's ex-lover. A 2013 concert organized by Carleton University student association was cancelled after protests over lyrics promoting rape culture. Rocko dropped the Rick Ross verse from U.O.E.N.O song to gain radio play following petition with seventy-two thousand signatures demanding Reebok drop him. Reebok ended partnership stating disappointment over lack of understanding seriousness issue or appropriate remorse level. Ross argued lyrics misinterpreted since he never used word rape directly claiming streets don't condone such actions.
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Common questions
When and where was Rick Ross born?
William Leonard Roberts II was born on the 28th of January 1976, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He later grew up in Carol City, Florida.
What job did Rick Ross work before becoming a rapper?
Rick Ross worked as a correctional officer for eighteen months between December 1995 and June 1997 at the South Florida Reception Center. This employment period became the foundation for his stage name and persona decades later.
How did Rick Ross get his stage name from Freeway Rick Ross?
Roberts adopted the name Rick Ross in the mid-2000s after deriving it from former drug kingpin Freeway Rick Ross despite having no connection to that individual. He initially recorded under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don before making this change.
Did Rick Ross face legal issues regarding his name usage?
Freeway Ricky Ross sued for copyright infringement seeking ten million dollars in damages in June 2010. Courts allowed Rick Ross to keep his name based on First Amendment protections on the 30th of December 2013.
When were Rick Ross's children born?
His five children include Toie born March 2002 William III born September 2005 Berkeley Hermès born September 2017 Billion Leonard born November 2018 and Bliss born August 2020.