Rick Ross (William Roberts) was born on February 8 1977 in Carol City, Miami, Florida, is a rapper from Carol City in northern Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Ross' moniker is borrowed from drug trafficker Ricky "Freeway" Ross, who ran one of the largest cocaine distribution networks in the country during the 1980s and early '90s.

He signed with Slip-N-Slide, which as of 2007, is distributed under Def Jam Records. Port of Miami, Ross' debut album, was released on August 8, 2006, with the lead single "Hustlin'" peaking at #9 on the hip-hop chart and #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A remix of the single featuring Young Jeezy and Jay-Z also achieved some popularity in digital downloads.