by Rick Steves
First published 2019
Rick Ross opens his story in the Miami that tourists never see, far from South Beach's glamour. Born William Leonard Roberts II, he grows up during the city's crack epidemic of the 1980s, where home invasions and murders shape daily life. The 1980 race riots and Mariel boatlift have left the city fractured. Ross navigates this dangerous world, excelling as a high school football player while dealing drugs in Carol City's Matchbox housing projects. He nurtures his musical dreams through countless setbacks until "Hustlin'" transforms everything. Ross traces his path from that breakthrough song to his Def Jam record deal, confronting controversies about his correctional officer past, health crises, arrests, and industry feuds. This memoir reveals how an artist emerged from chaos, showing the personal cost of fame and the determination required to survive both the streets and the music business.
Genres: american, african-american, crime, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: determination-required-to-survive, personal-cost-of-fame
Setting: Carol City, Miami, South Beach
Period: 1980s, 1980 race riots, Mariel boatlift
288 pages · Hardcover · Hanover Square Press
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use