Rick Ross

Rick Ross Artistfacts

  • January 28, 1976
  • Rick Ross' real name is William Leonard Roberts II. He took his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, who was known for his drug empire in Los Angeles in the early '80s. Although originally sentenced to life in prison in 1996, the real Ricky Ross was released in 2009 for being a model prisoner.
  • Rick Ross played football in high school and college. He graduated from Carol City Senior High School near Miami, Florida and later went to Albany State College on a football scholarship.
  • In 2008, Rick Ross faced backlash from his fans and peers when it was revealed that he used to work as a corrections officer. The Smoking Gun posted a picture along with details about Ross' social security number and stated that the rapper had worked at the South Florida Reception Center. After initially denying the claim, Ross later admitted that he had worked at the facility for 18 months in the '90s.
  • In January 2008, Rick Ross was arrested on gun possession and marijuana charges. Police believed Ross was also part of the Carol City Cartel, a drug ring base in and around Miami. Ultimately, the police couldn't establish a personal connection between Ross and the gang so related charges could not be pursued.
  • Rick Ross started a feud with 50 Cent in 2009, believing the "In Da Club" rapper looked at him the wrong way at BET awards. Ross released a song in the internet called "Mafia Music" which contained several lines slamming 50 Cent. 50 fired back with "Officer Ricky (Go Ahead, Try Me)" in response.
  • In 2011, hip-hop magazine The Source nominated Rick Ross for its "Man of the Year" award. MTV also named Ross "The Hottest MC in the Game" in 2011, ahead of heavyweights like Kanye West, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil' Wayne.
  • On October 14, 2011, Rick Ross suffered two seizures on the same day. In the morning, he was found unconscious but was revived by CPR. After posting a message to his fans on Twitter saying that he was OK, Ross suffered another seizure in the early evening shortly after boarding a plane. This time, Ross was taken to the emergency room at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Ross' condition was upgraded to "stable" after a short stay.
  • "Freeway" Ricky Ross sued Rick Ross for appropriating his name and likeness, filing a copyright infringement lawsuit in a California Federal Court on June 18, 2010. However a US court ruling allowed the man born William Roberts II to continue using his stage name. Judge Roger Boren ruled that his rap alias is protected by the First Amendment, which regards freedom of expression.
  • Rick Ross told US Weekly that he owns every vintage video game, from Coleco to Xbox and plays them during when recording as a stress reliever.
  • He got his first tattoo at the age of 13 and now has more than 500 of them.
  • His favorite scripture is Psalm 27:1-4.
  • Ross' friends nicknamed him "Ricky Rozay" because of his love for champagne.
  • He developed his own workout routine that he calls "RossFit." It's "CrossFit mixed with a blunt or two."
  • In 2014, Ross bought Evander Holyfield's 109-room mansion in Fayetteville, Georgia, for $5.8 million. He later bought 87 adjacent acres of land to use as a ranch, keeping horses and bison and doing some fishing. He finds this time in nature very relaxing.
  • Rick Ross is notorious for his collection of around 100 luxury vehicles, which he often raps about. Heck, he even named his record label Maybach Music Group after the German ultra-luxury car brand. So it's more than a tad surprising that Rozay didn't get his driver's license until 2021 at age 45.

    Admitting it was his family who convinced him to legally get behind the wheel, he told Today on September 7, 2021, "My mom and sister pressured me, finally, so I went, took the test. It took me an hour. You know, I missed a few answers but I got it, I got it."
  • Rick Ross' 45,000 square-foot mansion in Georgia served as the Zamundan palace in the 2021 movie Coming 2 America. The entrance foyer, the dining room, Ross' bedroom, and two other large rooms were all used in the film.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Eric Clapton

Eric ClaptonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.