In Numbers: The incredible career of Rick Ross

Florida rapper Rick Ross undeniably had an exciting journey into the spotlight. Before pursuing his solo career, in the early noughties, Ross (real name William Roberts II) was part of the Miami rap group Triple C’s, alongside rappers Gunplay and Torch. Prior to pursuing music, the rapper was a correctional officer in South Florida but quit his job to pursue music full-time.

Ross grew up in the Carol City neighbourhood of Miami. Raised in a single-parent household with his mother and sisters, Ross did relatively well in school and even attended Albany State University on a football scholarship. However, after graduating and becoming a correctional officer, in 1997, he turned his attention to hip hop. 

Under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don, he recorded several demos, one of which landed him a guest verse on the third Erick Sermon album Def Squad Presents: Erick Onasis on the song ‘Ain’t Shhh to Discuss’. Following this mainstream feature, Teflon Da Don, under the stage name Rick Ross signed to Suave House Records and, after a short stint on the record label, signed to the Miami-based Def Jam subsidiary Slip-n-Slide Records. While on the label, Ross toured alongside Miami rap legend Trick Daddy Dollars.

Making a name for himself throughout the early noughties by touring alongside more prominent artists performing his underground Suave House material, in 2006, Ross released his debut album Port Of Miami, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. In 2008, Ross released Trilla. His second studio album, which, like his first, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. 

2009 saw Ross found his own label Maybach Music Group, which became the main competition to Lil Wayne’s Young Money. Acting as what could be dubbed “label crews”, Young Money, Maybach Music Group and G.O.O.D Music were all in competition during the early 2010s. Meek Mill, Wale and French Montana are among some of the artists that signed to Maybach Music Group in the early 2010s.

Ross has released 11 studio albums, five collaborative album and has even undertaken ventures outside of music, with Ross owning several different Wingstop franchises. With such an illustrious career and such a hefty catalogue, we are going to break down the facts and figures to reveal the incredible career of Rick Ross in numbers.

Rick Ross’ solo albums

Across his 16-year career, Ross has released a total of eleven studio albums, one compilation album, five collaborative albums and one soundtrack. Ross’s most successful album to date is his 2006 debut album, Port Of Miami. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and has since surpassed platinum status.

Port Of Miami spawned several platinum hits, but the most recognisable hit is, ‘Hustlin’ which was Ross’s breakthrough track. The track went two times platinum and had several remixes, including a remix featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy. An unofficial remix was created featuring Lil Wayne, Z-Ro, Jay-Z, T.I., Busta Rhymes, Remy Ma, Young Jeezy and Lil Flip. However, it got scrapped after being leaked in poor quality.

Rick Ross’ most streamed song

Rick Ross’s most streamed song on Spotify is ‘Hustlin’ as his debut single, and the single that shot him to fame it is unsurprising that ‘Hustlin’ is his most streamed song. Behind ‘Hustlin’, his second most streamed song is ‘Aston Martin Music’, a track which features Canadian rapper Drake. ‘Aston Martin Music’ is from Ross’s fourth studio album Teflon Don.

Rick Ross’ biggest video on YouTube

As a lead artist, Ross’s most streamed YouTube video is the previously mentioned ‘Aston Martin Music’ featuring Drake, which currently sits at around 325 million views. However, as a featured artist, Ross’s most streamed video is the Skrillex song ‘Purple Lamborghini’ on which Ross features. This video currently has approximately 511 million views.

Rick Ross’ net worth

In 2022, Rick Ross is estimated to be worth approximately $45 million. As of 2022, he is one of the most successful African-American rappers to come out of Florida and has sold over 2.5 million records in the US alone.