Rick Ross Biography

Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, is an American rapper and businessman. In 2009 he founded his own label, Maybach Music Group. He was named the Hottest MC in the Game by MTV in 2008 and 2012. Most noteworthy, in 2016 he was featured on the soundtrack of blockbuster film Suicide Squad.

Early Career – 2011

Rick Ross made his debut under the name Teflon Da Don. He changed it in the mid-2000s. In 2006 he released his debut album, Port of Miami, which topped the U.S. Billboard 200 and got positive reviews. Additionally, it spawned the hit Push It, which samples the theme song from Scarface. Moreso, the music video resembles the gangster film. In 2008, his album Trilla also reached the top of Billboard 200 and generated 4 chart topping songs: Speedin’, The Boss, Here I am and This is The Life. The third album, Deeper Than Rap, did not fall short, dominating the charts in 2009. 2010 was also a huge year for Ross. He released his fourth studio album, Teflon Don, an EP and a mixtape.

2012 – Present

In 2012 the rapper released a critically acclaimed mixtape, titled Rick Forever, which featured several other successful rappers. Furthermore, his fifth album, God Forgives, I Don’t, came out. It was his most successful album in the UK to date. Moreso, it reached the top spot on the Billboard 200. It spawned several singles, including collaborations with Usher, Dr. Dre and Jay-Z. Finally, he was nominated by The Source as its Man of the Year. Ross’ next album, Mastermind, came out in the fall of 2013, containing the massively popular hit The Devil Is A Lie with Jay-Z. 

In late 2015, Rick Ross released Black Market, including the controversial song Free Enterprise, featuring John Legend. The song makes a threatful reference to America’s current president Trump. In 2016 the rapper remixed Kanye West’s Famous and released Purple Lamborghini for Suicide Squad. 2017 came with a new album release. Rather You Than Me came out on the 17th of March.

Photo source: Discogs