Rick Ross Biography (2024)
Everything There Is To Know… & More
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Rick Ross Biography: William Leonard Roberts II, AKA Rick Ross (Da Boss!). is an American rapper, hip hop artist, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur – in fact, I spent my younger years listening to ‘Hustlin’ – on repeat.
He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker “Freeway” Ricky Ross.
In our Da Boss biography, you’ll find out everything you need to know the artist…
So if you want the low down on Da Boss, this article is for you.
Buckle up…
We’re Off!
Table of Contents
Who Is Rick Ross?
William Leonard Roberts II (Da Boss) is a professional hip hop rapper who made his debut in 2006 with his smash hit single “Hustlin.”
Aside from that, he’s also a businessman, record label CEO, and songwriter.
William Leonard Roberts II was born in Coahoma County and raised in Carol City, Florida. He first worked as a corrections officer before his rapping career launched to success.
His former screen name was “Teflon Da Don” – he changed it later on based on inspiration from “Freeway” Rick Ross’s name.
| Expert On: Rapping and Songwriting |
| Date of Birth: January 28, 1976 [currentage] |
| Current Occupation: Rapper, Songwriter, Businessman, and Producer |
| Nationality: American |
| Brothers and Sisters: He has a sister named Tawanda “Renee” Roberts. |
| Languages: American-English |
| Religion: Christian |
| Height: 180 cm |
| Weight: 113 kg |
| Eye Colour: Dark Brown |
| Zodiac Sign: Aquarius |
| Rick Ross Net Worth: $40 Million |
| Place Of Birth: Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States of AmericaClarksdale, Mississippi, United States of America |
| Famous Friends: He’s friends with DJ Khaled, Zoey Dollaz, Kent Jones, R. Kelly, Jay Z and many more. |
| Favorite Color: Black |
| Favorite Food: Garlic Parm gliders from Wingstop |
| Smoking/ Drinking: Occasionally |
Personal Life & Relationships: William Leonard Roberts II
Martial Status: In a Relationship
Children: Three
Partners: Lastonia Leviston (2000-2002), Tia Kemp (2003-2015), Lia Galore (2015) Brianna Camille (2016), Dej Gabrielle (current girlfriend, 2020)
The Young Rick Ross
William Roberts II was born on January 28, 1976. His mother gave birth to him in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
He spent his formative years alongside his sister, Tawanda Roberts, in Carol City, Florida.
When Da Boss decided to drop out of college despite having gained a football scholarship – he went on to pursue a career as a correctional officer for more than a year.
Certainly had the build for that!
Anyway, that didn’t last long…
He even released a single called “Ain’t Shhh to Discuss” on the DreamWorks album, Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis.
Right after this short stint in the early 2000s, Da Boss finally achieved the spotlight when he released his official debut single “Hustlin’” with the help of Jay-Z in 2006. The song was an instant chart-topper and its album, Port of Miami, was later produced by Def Jam Recordings.
Rick Ross Family & Relationships
Ross Relationship With Parents
Even though his parents, William Roberts I and Tommie Roberts, divorced when he was still pretty young – he always had a great bond with both of them.
Ross grew up under the care of his loving mom who took on 3 jobs to keep her kids fed, but he never felt like his dad was absent, and even said in an interview that he never contested the love his father gave him.
Ross and Tawanda Roberts
Curious to know who thought up the numerous franchises of Wingstop owned by Ross?
Well, it’s all thanks to his older sister, Tawanda Roberts, a known lawyer and businesswoman.
Aside from helping her brother out with his businesses, Tawanda is also his personal attorney – she gives him legal advice whenever he needs it.
An overview of Rick Ross’ love life
Ross has been public with different women throughout the years, but he also had a couple long-term relationships, including his ex-girlfriend Tia Kemp which lasted for almost 12 years.
Aside from that, Kemp is also the mother of Da Boss’ mini-me, William Roberts III who was born in 2005. And when the two broke up, Kemp fought for child support against her former flame, Ross.
Aside from Kemp, Ross also had other baby mama’s. In fact, his first child was with his ex, Lastonia Leviston. They welcomed Toie Roberts in May 2002 and are civil with each other in terms of raising her.
Amongst all his former flings, it’s Brianna Camille who gave birth to two of his kids, Berkeley Hermes Robers (born in 2017) and Billion Leonard Roberts (2018). The couple sadly broke up in 2019 and Bianna again sued for child support in the same year.
Rick Ross Education
After he graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High School, he studied at Albany State University in Georgia under a football scholarship. He went to university for a year but stopped studying to work as a corrections officer for about two years.
Rick Ross Career
Port of Miami – 2006
In 2006, his career took off – thanks to Port of Miami (his debut album), the rapper was able to sell 187,000 copies during the first week of release. Aside from that, he also made it to the number one spot of the Billboard 200 chart of the same year.
Trilla – 2008
Once again, Ross topped the Billboard 200 when he released his second sophomore album, Trilla. His songs “Speedin” and “The Boss” both garnered a spot in the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart on release.
Valley of Death – 2009
His third studio album was VAD and was made public in 2009 – this album was said to be inspired by his life back when he was a corrections officer.
Later on, Ross was on the cover of XXL magazine’s May 2009 issue.
Teflon Don – 2010
His Teflon Don album became another one of his hits in 2010, and he was able to sell 176,000 copies just in the first week. It also conquered the second spot of the Billboard 200 on its debut day, making it one of his most successful studio albums ever.
Afterward, Ross signed a contract with Ciroc Entertainment.
God Forgives, I Don’t – 2012
In 2012, Ross was able to release several mixtapes before releasing his fifth album; God Forgives, I Don’t despite delays. The album made it to the 8th spot in the UK Albums Chart and the 2nd spot of the UK R&B Album Chart, labeling it as one of Robert’s highest-charting rap albums.
Hood Billionaire & Mastermind – 2014
Ross released two rap albums in 2014, Mastermind and Hood Billionaire. Mastermind toppled the Billboard 200, while Hood Billionaire received great reviews from fans.
He also made a cameo in the documentary series Sisterhood of Hip Hop in the same year.
Black Market – 2015
In 2015, Ross promoted his eighth album, Black Market, around the end of the year. The same album was his last album together with Def Jam.
Rather You Than Me – 2017
After signing with Epic Records in 2016, Ross released Rather You Than Me under the said record label, which peaked number three on the Billboard 200 on its debut.
Port of Miami 2 – 2018
The tenth album Port of Miami 2 of Ross made it to the second spot on the Billboard 200 of 2018; this album had songs in collaboration with Drake.
Rick Ross Scandals & Controversies
Ross was involved in several controversies throughout his career, and to dig more into it, here’s a timeline of the issues he had to deal with:
RR vs 50 Cent: 2009
Ross had a feud with another rapper, 50 Cent. The reason was Cent looking at Ross in the wrong way during last year’s BET Hip Hop Awards. The two released diss tracks about each other and various exchanges through videos.
RR vs “Freeway” Ricky Ross: 2010
Ross had another lawsuit filed against him when drug kingpin “Freeway” Rick Ross filed a copyright-infringement case against the rapper in 2010. However, the rapper won the case.
RR vs New Carolina: 2014
After his stint at the 2014 SuperJam in New Carolina, he faced another controversy for misdemeanor possession of illegal marijuana. A year after, Ross was involved in another charge when police officers found marijuana in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
RR vs Jonathan Zamudio: 2015
In 2015, he went to court for kidnapping, aggravated assault, and battery of Jonathan Zamudio. He was sent to Fayette County jail with his two bodyguards for two weeks and wasn’t allowed to file for bail.
Filmography: Rick Ross Movies & TV
Ross appeared as a cameo in movies: Days of Wrath (2008), How to Make Money Selling Drugs (2013), and The House Next Door (2018). He is also said to be part of the 2020 remake of 1998’s Coming to America.
Days of Wrath (2008)
The lives of rival gang members, a TV news crew, a teacher and other people intertwine in Los Angeles.
How to Make Money Selling Drugs (2013)
Ten simple steps demonstrate how to make money from drugs; a set of interviews with a drug dealer or two, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
The House Next Door (2018)
A newlywed couple move into their dream home only to find that their next door neighbor isn’t quite as friendly as they had first thought.
Coming to America (2020)
An extremely spoiled African Prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife. He’s looking for someone he can respect for her intelligence and will.
Rick Ross Books
In 2019, Ross published under Hanover Square Press – his memoir shows his life story and how he was able to nudge away all his past controversies and struggles.
Ross Business Interests
Ross also ventured into entrepreneurship when he started his record label named Maybach Music in December 2012. And in 2017, he bought numerous Wingstop branches, which are best known for their chicken wings.
Ross Lifetime Achievements
Ross received a fair amount of nominations from different awarding bodies, and the following is a list of his awards and nominations won throughout his career:
Best Rap Collaboration (2012) for the song “I’m On One” with DJ Khaled, Drake, and Lil’ Wayne; Best Rap Album (2013) for his album God Forgives, I Don’t.
Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for “New Flame” his song collaborated with Chris Brown and Usher; Best Song Written for Visual Media (2017) for “Purple Lamborghini”, and Best Rap Song (2020) for “Gold Roses”.
Top 3 Quotes From RR
“Regardless of how it goes down… Life goes on.”
“Ambition is priceless. It’s something that’s in your veins”
“Every day is a new opportunity to reach that goal.”
Rick Ross Memes
3 Lessons From Rick Ross
- Save while you can : People have noticed how Ross didn’t buy any luxurious cars, jewelry, and so on even when his first album Port of Miami, was a huge success after selling almost 200,000 copies. He saved his earnings because he knew he could make the money into something bigger than just spending it.
- Not understanding what to do is the same as knowing what to do : Ross also said, knowing what to invest in can help you, but understanding what you shouldn’t invest in can help you too. With this mindset – anyone can identify things that deserve their efforts, time, money, and attention and which don’t.
- Change is inevitable : In one of his interviews, Ross stated, a person needs to change for him or her to become better in life. It is because change helps people to improve more in life, not just in their career but also in terms of their influence, attitude, and power.
FAQ’s About Rick Ross
What Does Rick Ross own?
A: RR owns the Maybach Music Group which he created in 2009.
Who is Rick Ross Dating?
A: Currently, he is dating Dej Gabrielle and he’s announced he’ll be doing a reality show with his girlfriend in 2020.
Where does Rick Ross live?
A: According to reports, he is staying in Laurel Road in a suburb of Davie.
How did Rick Ross lose weight?
A: Based on what he shared during his interview with Billboard 200, he lost weight by eating healthily and doing high-intensity workouts to shed off his unwanted pounds.
How many Wingstop’s does Rick Ross own?
A: He is said to own up to 25 Wingstop franchises all over the United States.
Summary: Rick Ross Biography: Founder of the successful label Maybach Music Group (MMG)
That’s it for Da Boss’s biography, he surely had a fair share of controversies and issues, but it seems he learned a lot from them.
My biggest takeaway from this is to don’t be afraid of change because change can help you improve in life – such as improving your mindset, changing your attitude for the greater good, and improving how you do things by looking into what you can’t do when a situation happens.
I hope you enjoyed this article – you might also want to check out Rick Ross Net Worth, and our Rick Ross Memes
Or if its Rappers, in general, you’re interested in – we have a great article here – 101 Richest Rappers In The World
Enjoy!
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