According to Rick Ross, his moniker isn’t borrowed from famed Los Angeles drug dealer Freeway Rick Ross and apparently the handle has long history. The MMG CEO explained that he acquired the name when he played football at Miami Carol City Senior High School in the late 1990s.
Ross revealed in sworn testimony during a lawsuit filed by Freeway Rick Ross that the name is the final evolution of a long series of sports handles. Originally, Carol City teammates referred to the rapper as Big East since he wanted to attend the University of Miami which was at the time in the Big East Conference, according to the Smoking Gun.
The name gradually evolved until he was recognized on the team by a moniker that has carried over into his rap career. “When I became All American, by the time I was in sophomore, I was the Big Boss. The Biggest Boss. That was a nickname,” said Ross.
The name changed again after a friend mistook the moniker for Rick Ross which soon caught on. “And when he said, when he brought it up to me, it became my moniker. From Big East to the Big Boss, the Biggest Boss for my senior year, I was All American. When I finished high school and pursued music, it came into Rick Ross. So this is ’96,” said Ross.
