When Rick Ross gets out of a lowered, BMW 745i, the body of the sedan springs up off of the 20-inch rims, then rattles to a stop a few inches higher than it was when he was rolling in it, giving away the fact that this 6-foot, 300-pound rapper is not only carrying an enormous amount of bulk on his feet but also has a wallet weighed down by a few too many crisp Benjamin Franklins. Such is the image of Rick Ross that is presented in the music video of Ross’ first breakout hit single, "Hustlin.’" With a body like the famously intimidating producer Suge Knight, and an effortless flow like the late Notorious B.I.G., Rick Ross has both the right image and the right sound to put Miami back on the map in the hip hop world.Born in Carol City, Florida, a run-down suburb on the outskirts of Miami, Rick Ross, whose given name is William Roberts, had it rough, as his music eventually illustrates. Originally Ross would attempt to break out of urban poverty through athletics. A talented football player, he was awarded a scholarship to play for Albany State University. But it wasn’t too long before Ross decided his talents were more in line with the studio, rather than on the playing field. Ross would soon found his own rap group, called the Carol City Cartel, an amateur ensemble that received some notoriety in and around Miami. Although the group never reached a high level of success outside their base city, it did act as a springboard for Rick Ross to jump from label to label. He eventually signed with Slip-N-Slide Records, establishing a working relationship with Trick Daddy and other Slip-N-Slide artists.In 2006 Rick Ross entered the wider world of hip-hop superstardom when he released "Hustlin,’" a street anthem that would introduce this southern/gangsta rap solo act to the rest of the world outside the Sunshine State. "Hustlin’" paved the way for its album, Port of Miami, to reach the top spot in the Billboard album charts. "Hustlin’" not only made Ross a major player in the ringtone industry, but it also helped to reinforce a new partnership between Slip-N-Slide Records and Def Jam Recordings. Under the Def Jam label, Rick Ross released Trilla, a highly successful sophomore album that featured a bevy of famous guest rappers, such as Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy. Also known as The Bo$$, Rick Ross and his trademark beard should produce multiple more singles for hip hop fans to blast at the next gangsta party in between simmilar hits by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.