Rick Ross & a Friend – Carol City, Miami, 1990 

Before the world knew him as The Biggest Boss, before the platinum plaques, Maybach Music, or the silk-smooth delivery that came to define luxury rap, Rick Ross was just William Leonard Roberts II — a kid growing up in the heart of Carol City, Miami.

Captured here in a candid moment with a friend in 1990, this image is more than just a throwback. It’s a window into the early life of a future rap mogul. The streets of Carol City weren’t easy — they were raw, real, and relentless. But they were also rich with culture, hustle, and survival. It was here that Ross absorbed the struggle, ambition, and storytelling that would later echo through every verse of “Hustlin’”, “Aston Martin Music”, and “B.M.F.”

Ross once said, “I’m from Carol City. It’s just a part of me. The way I speak, the way I think, it all started right there.” And this photo says it all — before the chains, the suits, the empire — he was just a local dreamer in a city that demanded strength.

Carol City made him. Hip-hop crowned him. And the grind? That started right here.