Rick Ross was born William Leonard Roberts II in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to Tommie Roberts and William Leonard Roberts Sr. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised primarily by his mother, whom he has repeatedly credited as the driving force behind his success.
The rapper, who was arrested in Miami on October 1, 2026, on domestic violence charges, has spoken publicly about his parents in interviews and his 2019 memoir Hurricanes. Their story is one of separation, hard work, and a bond with his father that survived distance and time.
Who Is Rick Ross’s Mother, Tommie Roberts?
Tommie Roberts is the mother of Rick Ross and the woman he has called his greatest inspiration. She was born in Mississippi and raised her son largely on her own after divorcing his father.
Ross has described his mother as a relentless worker who held down multiple jobs to support her family. “My mom was a hustler. She always went hard. She had two jobs every day and on Wednesday she had three,” Ross said in a 2018 interview. “It gave me a lot more understanding of women, you know? And I appreciate them even that much more seeing how strong a woman can be”.
Tommie Roberts has appeared alongside her son in public on several occasions. In June 2025, she stood beside Ross at a street renaming ceremony in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where the city honored the rapper with his own street. “Every time I see my mama, when I text her in the morning, I always let her know she did it,” Ross said during the event.
In a 2019 cooking segment, she expressed a mother’s characteristic concern for her son’s well-being, telling him he was “working too hard” despite his reassurances that he was getting rest.
Who Was Rick Ross’s Father, William Leonard Roberts Sr.?
William Leonard Roberts Sr. was the rapper’s father and the man after whom he was named. Ross has described their relationship as “tumultuous,” but he has also emphasized that the love between them was genuine, even when they were apart.
“Even with the distance, even with the separation or the time in between us, I never contested the love,” Ross said of his father.
Tommie Roberts has confirmed that her ex-husband remained involved in their son’s life after the divorce. “Once we divorced he always stayed in contact with us. We always stayed in contact. He always would send Will books. Will is well read,” she said, referring to Ross by his birth name.
William Leonard Roberts Sr. died in 2018. Ross addressed his father’s death during an appearance on TV One’s Uncensored, reflecting on their relationship and the bond they maintained despite the divorce.
A Childhood ‘Across the Bridge’ in Miami
Ross was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on January 28, 1976, but his family relocated to Miami, Florida, when he was young. He grew up in Carol City, a working-class neighborhood “across the bridge” from the glitzy beaches of South Beach.
In his memoir Hurricanes, Ross described coming of age during the height of Miami’s crack epidemic, a period marked by violence and chaos. Despite the dangers surrounding him, he found outlets in football and music, and he has credited his mother’s example for instilling in him the work ethic that eventually drove his career.
What His Parents’ Story Means for Ross Today
Ross’s public commentary about his parents has focused on two themes: the resilience of his mother and the complicated but enduring affection he held for his father. The divorce shaped his childhood, but it also gave him a firsthand view of the sacrifices required to raise a family alone.
That perspective has informed his public persona as an entrepreneur and businessman, and it continues to surface whenever he speaks about his mother. As he put it during the Clarksdale ceremony, “Every time I see my mama… I always let her know she did it”.
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