Rick Ross, arms extended, head cocked, and reveling in the brilliant Florida sun, exclaims, “Take a look at it!” “The location is Miami.” Quite lovely. Without a doubt, it is intended for my benefit.” Ross, adorned with a rose-gold Rolex “Presidential” Day-Date and attired in a blue Balenciaga tracksuit and New Balance sneakers, has just arrived at his residence on Star Island, an exclusive Miami Beach enclave that has hosted the likes of pharmaceutical billionaire Phillip Frost, Jennifer Lopez, and Gloria Estefan, among others. A perpetually upbeat individual, the 47-year-old rapper, entrepreneur, and self-described “biggest boss” is observed beaming, shaking hands with all, offering puffs of his blunt, and pouring from the bottle of Luc Belaire rosé that he perpetually carries with him. (In reference to the wine he prefers, Ross is also known as “Rozay.”) As the house on which Ross reportedly spent $35 million is being prepared for demolition (he desires an upgrade), we are seated in the backyard, adjacent to the Biscayne Bay-facing pool. Ross claims that his vision of this life of splendor first materialized when he was a child in Carol City, located approximately 20 miles away.
“As soon as you stepped out of your Buick and saw that Jaguar, you instantly understood what luxury meant,” he continues. We both cherished my father’s Buick, but I was immediately drawn to and cognizant of the term “luxury.” I had already decided by the time I was in the third grade that I wanted to ride in leather seating. We succeeded in pulling it off.” In fact.
Ross, a veritable aficionado of luxury items, has amassed a substantial real estate portfolio in addition to enviable collections of automobiles, jewels, and timepieces. The crown jewel of private jets, a Gulfstream G550, debuted the previous year. This aircraft is favored by those with comparable preferences and budgets. However, standard issue does not reflect the approach taken by the most powerful supervisor (as was the case with the previously mentioned dissection). Immediately following the aircraft’s delivery, he entrusted private-jet design specialists Duncan Aviation with the comprehensive Rick Ross overhaul, both internally and externally. At this moment, he more than ever before embodies the lifestyle that he has always rapped about.
William Leonard Roberts II, better known as Ross, was raised with great admiration for both professional athletes he observed on television and individuals in his community who were unequivocally “winning.” He distinctly remembers being overcome with emotion when rap music and its accompanying high-wattage aesthetics were first introduced to him. “That shit just took over my soul,” he says. Although Ross distinguished himself as an offensive lineman for his high school football team and was awarded a scholarship to attend Albany State, he returned home to Miami weeks into his freshman year in pursuit of his rap star ambitions. He did not return his gaze. He states, “I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
Ross earned critical and commercial acclaim with the release of his debut studio album, Port of Miami, in 2006, following years spent working behind the scenes for other artists. After its first week of sales (187,000 copies), the album debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was subsequently certified platinum. Drake and DJ Khaled are among his frequent collaborators. His debut single, “Hustlin’,” has been followed by a multitude of others, including “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast),” “Aston Martin Music,” and “Stay Schemin’.” Ross established Maybach Music Group in 2009, where he subsequently signed future superstars Wale Meek Mill, French Montana, and Meek Mill.
As his notoriety increased, his aspirations expanded to encompass commercial ventures beyond the realm of music. Ross, an ardent supporter of Wingstop’s lemon-pepper wings, acquired his initial franchise in 2011 and has since managed a maximum of thirty restaurants (albeit at present holding onto only one). His fast-food portfolio has grown to include a limited number of Checkers and Rally’s in recent years. Additionally, he has experimented with hair-care and hemp products. Ross, however much as he flaunts the trappings of opulent entrepreneurship (he laughs at the notion that the rare colored diamonds adorning his tennis necklace are misidentified as sapphires), insists that he is first and foremost an artist. Too Good to Be True, his twelfth studio album and a collaborative endeavor with Meek Mill, was released in November. “My talent is more significant than my status as the wealthiest black man, rapper, or hip-hop executive,” he asserts. “That was never the intention.” It remains not. Currently seated on Star Island, the object that I desire this to most symbolically represent is my gift. Consider the gift rather than my 200-car collection when someone observes it.
His best estimate is actually two hundred; he is unsure of the precise number of vehicles he possesses. He claims that on his sixteenth birthday he was given a 1976 Chevrolet Caprice, which was his first automobile. “It belonged to my grandfather; may he eternal rest in peace.” What is his latest? A custom Maybach in the color Air Max Gray that he acquired for just under $600,000 a few months ago. He has been in a passionate, years-long relationship with the Maybachs. “Truly, they symbolize luxury,” he declares. “The rear seat of a Maybach is unparalleled.”
It’s not as though he consistently rides in the rear seat. He continues, “I enjoy driving,” reciting a few additional favorites: “The Rolls-Royce Phantom is without a doubt one—it’s a large boy, and I’m a big boy as well. We could then proceed to a sports car. The Ferrari Fatboy is an alias of mine. “Seeing a fat boy squeeze into a Ferrari is unlike anything.”
Although Ross favors one-of-a-kind automobiles, his wardrobe does not require customization. Simply stating, “I’m the biggest boss,” he characterizes his personal style, implying that his self-assurance empowers him to accomplish anything. Regarding getting dressed daily, he states, “There’s not really much pressure.” “I am without a stylist to extol.”