Rick Ross

Since emerging with his breakout single, "Hustlin," in 2006, Rick Ross has been a gangsta rap staple, fusing sharp lyricism with a knack for theatricality and speaker-rattling anthems. His debut album, Port of Miami, was released in 2006, with "Push It" helped the album get RIAA-certified gold by the end of the year. Between 2007 and 2010, Rozay would see his career reach new heights, with Trilla (2008), Deeper Than Rap (2009) and Teflon Don (2010) earning top five debuts on the Billboard 200 albums chart. While Ross had been a star, Teflon Don saw him earn new levels of critical acclaim, with tracks like "BMF" and "Aston Martin" being considered among the best records of his career.

From there, he began forming his own mini rap dynasty, signing Wale and Meek Mill to his Maybach Music Group label. As the label founder, he helped oversee the releases of Wale's Ambition (2011) and Meek's Dreams and Nightmares (2012), two projects that helped propel the MMG signees to new levels of rap stardom. In 2012, he also released Rich Forever, an acclaimed mixtape that was praised for its album quality material, and God Forgives I Don't, another LP considered to be among his best. What followed was a series of MMG compilation albums and solo releases from Rozay himself. In 2019, he had a proverbial full circle moment when he released Port of Miami 2, a sequel album that received better reviews than its predecessor. He followed that up with his 2021 LP, Richer Than I've Ever Been.

  • Selected Discography: Port of Miami (2006), Trilla (2008), Richer Than I Ever Been (2021), “Hustlin” (2006), “Aston Martin Music” featuring Drake and Chrisette Michele (2010), “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)” (2010)
  • Related Artists: Meek Mill, Wale, Gunplay
  • Read More: Rick Ross – The Boss Rides to New Heights
Six Rappers Who Worked Unexpected Odd Jobs
Six Rappers Who Worked Unexpected Odd Jobs
Six Rappers Who Worked Unexpected Odd Jobs
A few weeks ago, XXL broke down a list of six rappers with unusual side-hustles, including Kanye West's Fatburger chain and Lil Kim's beauty salons. While it's fairly common to see a MC break out into other business ventures through rap, it got us thinking about the opposite situation: what did rappers do to pay the bills before rap? While th...
25 Rappers Striking Cliché Rapper Poses
There have been a lot cliché trends in rap—New Jack Swing, the Shiny suit, "Molly" rap—and fortunately, most have died off as quickly as they became popular. But one thing that's remained constant throughout hip-hop history is most rappers' inability to strike a normal pose on camera. Whether it's a mu...
XXL’s Sneak Preview of Wale’s ‘The Gifted’
XXL’s Sneak Preview of Wale’s ‘The Gifted’
XXL’s Sneak Preview of Wale’s ‘The Gifted’
On Monday (June 3), Wale hosted an intimate listening session at the movie theater level of Bryant Park Hotel, located in Midtown Manhattan. Three weeks away from The Gifted's June 25 release date, the D.C. native invited journalists and hip-hop’s influential figures to preview the album. D’US...
Rick Ross Demands Cameras On Him At All Times
Rick Ross Demands Cameras On Him At All Times
Rick Ross Demands Cameras On Him At All Times
Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Rick Ross is currently in New York City to help promote Wale’s The Gifted, due out June 25. While hitting the city’s streets yesterday, TMZ caught up with the biggest boss you ever seen thus far. And it was...
24 Pics Of DJ Khaled’s Numerous Sweatsuits
24 Pics Of DJ Khaled’s Numerous Sweatsuits
24 Pics Of DJ Khaled’s Numerous Sweatsuits
Like Biggie's Coogi sweater and Run-DMC's unlaced Adidas, the sweatsuit has become the fashion calling card of DJ Khaled since the beginning of his career. And with his seventh album, Suffering From Success , on the way, we can only imagine that Khaled's collection of Philly tuxedos has expanded dramatically. Now, XXL takes ...
Listen To Rick Ross And Jadakiss’ “Oil Money Gang”
Listen To Rick Ross And Jadakiss’ “Oil Money Gang”
Listen To Rick Ross And Jadakiss’ “Oil Money Gang”
MMG is going three for three with new music today. After Rockie Fresh’s “God Is Great” and Wale’s “Poor Decision,” the head honcho Rick Ross drops “Oil Money Gang.” This new cut features Jadakiss and longtime production collaborators J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. Be sure to cop MMG’s Self ...
Check Out The Cover Art For MMG’s ‘Self Made Vol. 3′
Check Out The Cover Art For MMG’s ‘Self Made Vol. 3′
Check Out The Cover Art For MMG’s ‘Self Made Vol. 3′
Maybach Music Group has released the cover art for its third collaborative LP, Self Made Vol. 3. Fresh off the release of Wale's collaboration with Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco "Poor Decisions," Rozay and company have released a first look at the cover art for MMG's upcoming third installment of their Self Made series. Ross also rel...
Best Hip-Hop Tweets Of The Week, 5/26-6/1
Best Hip-Hop Tweets Of The Week, 5/26-6/1
Best Hip-Hop Tweets Of The Week, 5/26-6/1
This week in the hip-hop Twittersphere, friends and collaborators reacted to the death of Andre 3000's mother, Ab-Soul and Waka Flocka Flame reached out to Amanda Bynes, and Gucci Mane and Freddie Gibbs teased their new albums. At the same time,  Wiz Khalifa gets confused for an impostor and Tyler, the Creator talks about Mac Miller's sophomore album. And...
17 Rappers Who Crossed Over To Other Genres
17 Rappers Who Crossed Over To Other Genres
17 Rappers Who Crossed Over To Other Genres
Hip-hop has endured a tricky relationship with artists who straddle different musical genres. In many cases, rap purists reject cross-over attempts as acts of betrayal, while music aficionados outside of the hip-hop community tend to view them with a skeptical eye...

Load More Articles