Today, Jan. 28, marks the 43rd birthday of Miami, FL rapper and record executive, Rick Ross.

Born William Leonard Roberts in 1976, Rick Ross came up in the Carol City section of Miami Gardens. After his first appearance on a mainstream record, having been featured on Erick Sermon's "Ain't S--t to Discuss," the MMG boss changed up his rap moniker from Teflon Da Don to Rick Ross, a name that was inspired by the former drug kingpin of the same name.

From there, Ross dropped his massively successful breakthrough single, "Hustlin'," in 2006, which sparked a competition among some of the game's biggest labels, all looking to sign the Magic City MC. He would ultimately take the deal offered to him by Def Jam, the legendary label, of which Jay-Z was the president at the time.

Rick Ross' debut album, Port of Miami, was then released through Def Jam later that year. It took the top spot on the Billboard 200, selling 187,000 records in its first week, and eventually became certified platinum.

Not the one to rest on his laurels, Ross came out with three more albums in quick succession, including Trilla, Deeper Than Rap and Teflon Don. In 2012, he dropped God Forgives, I Don't, which debuted No. 1 on Billboard 200 and sold 218,000 copies in the first week.

Continuing his streak and unparalleled work ethic, Ross hit us with a one-two punch in 2014, delivering two albums in the same calendar year. Mastermind debuted on March 3, 2014 and once again dominated the Billboard charts, securing the No. 1 spot with first week sales. Then, Hood Billionaire dropped in November of 2014 and featured guest appearances from K. Michelle, Big K.R.I.T. and Jay-Z. 2015's critically acclaimed album, Black Market, featured contributions from the likes of Nas, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige, and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.

Ricky Rozay's latest album Rather You Than Me, which dropped back in March of 2017, has left many of his peers and rap enthusiasts feeling as though the Maybach Music MC has officially reached legendary status, even drawing comparisons to the late Notorious B.I.G.

Outside of his wildly impressive solo rap career, the Teflon Don has also built himself an army of artists along the way, under his own record label, Maybach Music Group. MMG is home to many respected artists such as, Meek Mill, Wale, Gunplay and Fat Trel.

After making a full recovery following a serious health scare in the early part of 2018, Ricky is back on his grind. In two of his most notable highlights over the past year, the boss has welcomed a new baby boy into the world and dropped a fire feature on one of the most talked-about tracks of 2018 with "What's Free." Up next, his tenth studio album, Port of Miami 2: Born to Kill is believed to be dropping sometime in the early part of this year.

Over the course of his storied career, Ricky Rozay's lyrical attention to detail, impeccable business prowess and his charismatic steez have all worked to solidify him as one of the most prominent figures hip-hop as ever seen.

Happy Birthday, Rick Ross!

See Photos of Rick Ross' Different Looks Over the Years

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