7 Things You Never Knew About… Rick Ross

Under the skin of the Miami rapper...

The Teflon Don aka Ricky Rozay aka Rick Ross has just released new album 'Port Of Miami II', the extremely long-awaited sequel to his debut LP.

Once again regaining the title as the boss of Miami, let’s delve into seven things that have moulded Rozay into ultimate boss he is today…

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1. His real name is William Leonard Roberts II. Rick Ross is the real name of an infamous drug dealer. Rick ‘Freeway’ Ross had built an empire before he was incarcerated in 1996.

The gangster actually tried to sue Rick Ross on the grounds of copyright infringement but the case was ruled in favour of the rapper.

2. He used to be a correctional officer between 1995 and 1997. This was exposed through pictures via ‘The Smoking Gun’ and at first, Ross denied the images.

Once evidence – such as a social security number – confirmed this, it led fans to question the authenticity in Ross’ lyrics.

3. A huge fan of the US restaurant chain WingStop, he purchased several US locations and was a key component in the first UK branch opening.

With helping to keep them relevant, the CEO approves the association with the brand as it also made the restaurant more popular. 

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4. Before becoming a worldwide superstar, Rick Ross had dreams of playing in the NFL. Passionate about the sport in high school, he received a scholarship to Albany State University to play football but did end up quitting after two weeks.

5. He founded his own record label, Maybach Music Group in 2009 and has signed acts such as Wale, Meek Mill, Omarion and more. 19 solo albums and three compilation albums have been released under the label.

Future endeavours including branching out to other demographics with Maybach Music Latino and Maybach Music Jamaica.

6. There has been an ongoing feud between him and 50 Cent for 10 years. It all started in 2008 when 50 supposedly look at Ross in "the wrong way" at the BET Awards. This led to numerous diss tracks as well as animation skits poking fun at Rick.

The feud has recently resurfaced as Meek Mill ran to the defence of his mentor and called out 50 on his new EP.

7. He previously starred in a film entitled Days Of Wrath alongside Wilmer Valderrama, Laurence Fishburne and Taye Diggs. It premiered at a festival in 2008 but got a wider release in 2014 but still appears to be under the radar with notable celebrity films.

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'Port Of Miami II' is out now.

Words: Debbie Ijaduola

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