09/09/2023
RICK ROSS
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper and record executive.
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.—ultimately signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Jay-Z on Def Jam Recordings. In August of that year, Rick Ross released his debut studio album, Port of Miami, which debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart, likewise with his second and third studio albums, Trilla (2008) and Deeper Than Rap (2009). His fourth album, Teflon Don (2010) and contained the hit single "Aston Martin Music" (featuring Drake and Chrisette Michele), which became certified 3× platinum by the RIAA.
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 2009, and would go on to sign artists including Meek Mill, Wale, French Montana, and Omarion, among others. Maybach Music Group would also enter a joint-venture deal with Def Jam and later Epic Records to release his subsequent studio albums: God Forgives, I Don't (2012), Mastermind and Hood Billionaire (2014), Black Market (2015), Rather You Than Me (2017), Port of Miami 2 (2019), and Richer Than I Ever Been in December 2021. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC in the Game.
