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an impoverished suburb of Miami, he took his rap name from Los Angeles drug kingpin "Freeway" Rick Ross, who ran one of the largest crack cocaine distribution networks in the country during the '80s and early '90s. Influenced by entertainers like Luther Campbell and the Notorious B.I.G., Ross formed a local rap group--the Carol City Cartel-- and began performing in the mid'90s. He ultimately wound up at Miami-based Slip N' Slide Records, which was also home to such artists as Trick Daddy and Trina. During the early to mid 2000s, he became well-known locally by touring with Trick Daddy and guest appearing on a few Slip-N-Slide releases, but didn't release any solo material until 2006, when he came up with the tune, "Hustlin," which
embraced Miami's reputation as the capital of drug trafficking. Hustlin'" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in May 2006. The song also peaked at the seventh spot on the Billboard magazine Hot Rap Tracks chart and #54 on the Hot 100. A remix of the single featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy also achieved some popularity in digital downloads.



Once "Hustlin'" caught the ear of a few executives within the national industry, a bidding war ensued that included offers from Bad Boy CEO Sean "Diddy" Combs and The Inc. (formerly Murder Inc.) president Irv Gotti. Nonetheless, Def Jam president and veteran rapper JayZ signed Ross to a multimillion dollar deal and his debut album, Port of Miami, was released in August 2006 and was Slip-N-Side's first project under the Def Jam partnership. It debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart. In March 2008, his second album, Trilla, was released and, as its predecessor Port of Miami had, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. At six feet tall and three hundred pounds, Rick Ross towers over many of his hip hop comrades, not only physically, but musically as well.