Key Takeaways
- Rick Ross is getting ready to face off against French Montana for the latest VERZUZ, which goes down on May 7th.
- Complex ranked the 20 best Rick Ross songs, spanning early breakthroughs like "Hustlin'," era-defining anthems from Teflon Don such as "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" and "Aston Martin Music," and elite guest spots like "Devil in a New Dress" and "Lord Knows."
- With "Minks in Miami" bubbling in 2026, Ross has built a catalog of street epics, luxury rap, and blockbuster collabs.
There’s no better way to measure Rick Ross’ lasting impact on rap than to understand that no one’s ever tried copying his style.
That’s not to suggest that his sound and subject matter isn’t highly influential; he looms large over rap’s modern era. But he’s such a distinct and unique personality, a larger-than-life one of one, that no one has since tried to replicate the way he moves over a beat, his blend of passion and whimsy, his love of the finer things in life—a lifestyle that borders on the obsessive. Rozay is a true original, honored for his extensive, brilliant catalog but never imitated.
Over the years, he’s managed to become larger than life, a caricature of himself that never diminishes the impact his work has had on the culture at large. That power and breadth will be on full display this coming Thursday, May 7th, when Rick Ross will face off against French Montana in a wildly anticipated VERZUZ. The two stars will face off at the Apple Music Studios in Los Angeles, streaming live on Apple Music starting at 9:30 p.m. ET.
To prepare for the showdown, we took a deep look at the best of Rozay’s catalog. Here are the 20 best Rick Ross songs of all time.
Rick Ross Feat. John Legend, “Rich Forever” (2012)
Album: Rich Forever/God Forgives I Don’t (Deluxe)
Producer: DVLP & Filthy
Rick Ross has always been a maximalist, but his mid-2010s output showcased the Biggest Bawse at his biggest and boldest. Case in point? “Rich Forever,” a sprawling opus featuring John Legend soaring above a full string suite, orchestral drums, and triumphant piano chords. The message? “We’re gonna be rich forever.” He wasn’t wrong.
Rick Ross Feat. Lil Wayne, Kanye West and T-Pain, “Maybach Music 2” (2009)
Album: Deeper Than Rap
Producer: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
In 2009, could things be more electric than a Rick Ross song co-starring Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and T-Pain? Ye talking about being Martin Louis the King Jr., Lil Wayne referring to the backseat of his Maybach as the asshole. Things were so, so much easier back then. This is easily one of the greatest Rick Ross tracks.
Jay-Z Feat. Rick Ross, “FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt” (2013)
Album: Magna Carta Holy Grail
Producer: Boi-1dam Vinylz, Timbaland, and J-Roc
Magna Carta Holy Grail isn’t always considered a…holy grail within Hov’s discography, but there’s something inimitable about the way he and Rozay hop on a track together. Hearing Ross on a weird, moody, trap beat—tasked with handling the hook no less—is surreal and a little bit wild, but the decision pays off; it’s one of the more fascinating moments on MCHG.
Rick Ross Feat. Nas, “Triple Beam Dreams” (2012)
Album: Rich Forever
Producer: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
Ricky Ross and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League is a match made in heaven, but who knew adding the king of Queensbridge to the fold would be such a nice touch?
Rozay can always hold his own with lyrical top dogs, and on “Triple Beam Dreams,” he punches in the same class as Nas, showcasing yet another tool he can bring to any song he writes.
Rick Ross, Nelly, and Avery Storm, “Here I Am” (2009)
Album: Trilla
Producer: Drumma Boy
Listening to Rick Ross songs from before he fully embraced his trillionaire lifestyle is always fascinating, and on “Here I Am” he’s still the Florida dude talking about hot chicks from FAMU with aspirations of transferring to FSU. Rozay also spits over a go-go beat, showing how proficiently he can rap over more uptempo rhythms.
Rick Ross, “I'm Not a Star” (2010)
Album: Teflon Don
Producer: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. LeaguBack when Rick Ross insisted he was a full-time gangster, part-time rapper, a song like “I’m Not a Star” solidified his declaration that he was all about business first and fame second.
Fast forward a few years and we know that was more a character than the truth, but great storytellers have always had a liberal relationship with facts.
Drake Feat. Rick Ross, “Money in the Grave” (2019)
Album: The Best in the World Pack
Producer: CC On The Track, Ljay Currie, Asoteric and DeLorean Black
Drake’s The Best in the World Pack era feels like 10 decades ago, but “Money in the Grave” still hits like it was released yesterday. Drizzy and Ricky always turn in great work when they collaborate, and “Money in the Grave” is another example. Ross sounds comfortable rapping over Drake’s aesthetics, sitting in the pocket over those booming 808s and woozy synths.
Meek Mill and Rick Ross, “Ima Boss” (2011)
Album: Dreamchasers/MMG Presents: Self Made Vol. 1
Producer: Jahlil Beats
Remember when Meek Mill and Rick Ross were labelmates on Rozay’s Maybach Music Group? Back then, everyone was living the Big Bawse lifestyle. This cut, which was included on both a Meek tape and a label comp, features the rappers practically yelling over firework snares and punchy horns. Ima boss, your a boss, we’re all a boss.
Rick Ross, French Montana, and Drake, “Stay Schemin’” (2012)
Album: Rich Forever
Producer: The Beat Bully
Rozay is at his best when you can hear him having fun, and on “Stay Schemin’,” he’s clearly having a blast with two of his favorite collaborators, French Montana and Drake. The rappers kind of half-sing the chorus—which pays homage to an unreleased Nas song—humming along to the infectious melody and buzzing synths.
Rick Ross Feat. Kanye West, “Live Fast, Die Young” (2010)
Album: Teflon Don
Producer: Kanye West
Remember when Kanye West made beats? Remember how we all used to look like beautiful stars? If that sounds like it was way, way too long ago, “Live Fast, Die Young” is a nice reminder. It’s almost bittersweet, hearing Kanye sing during the chorus, “They say we can't be livin' like this for the rest of our lives.” It’s crazy how right he was.
Rick Ross Feat. JAY-Z, “The Devil is a Lie” (2013)
Album: Mastermind
Producer: Major Seven & K.E. on the Track
Another Ricky Rozay and Hova collab, another excellent single. The beat is massive, landing somewhere between Ross’ penchant for excess and Jay-Z’s mid-2010s obsession with nervy, minimal grooves. During the intro, Ross declares: “You know whenever we link up my n***a, they think this shit comes from outer space or something.” He’s right.
Lil Wayne Feat. Rick Ross, “John” (2011)
Album: Tha Carter IV
Producer: Yung Berg, Polow da Don, Ayo the Producer, Rob Holladay, and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
Rick Ross gets his flowers in live time here, as one of the tracks from Lil Wayne’s oft-delayed and wildly anticipated Tha Carter IV features an interpolation of Rozay’s Teflon Don classic “I’m Not a Star.”
Together, they create a larger than life persona; two rap titans of very different sizes imagining the ways they’ll be remembered.
Rick Ross, “Mafia Music” (2009)
Album: Deeper Than Rap
Producer: The Inkredibles and Lee Major
“Mafia Music” is an all-time rap performance from Rick Ross, the sort of song fans point to when haters question his bonafides as an MC. But the song is arguably more well known as the cut that initially kicked off the beef between Rozay and 50 Cent. On the track, he wades into Fif’s personal life, rapping: “I love to pay your bills, can’t wait to pay your rent/ Curtis Jackson baby mama, I ain’t asking for a cent.”
Drake Feat. Rick Ross, “Lord Knows” (2011)
Album: Take Care
Producer: Just Blaze
Drake and Rozay are some of the best collaborators in rap’s modern era, feeding off each others’ unique personalities in precise and delightful ways. Drake brings a calm and cool flow, while Ross brings an unrelenting energy. On “Lord Knows,” they rap over a beat Ricky might favor, filled with big drum fills and a choir. Both rappers, though, feel at home, cruising on one of the many standouts from Take Care.
Rick Ross, “Hustlin’” (2006)
Album: Port of Miami
Producer: The Runners
It’s easy to forget just how monumental of a moment Ross created with his debut single “Hustlin’.” The song was such a big hit that Rozay sparked a bidding war, which ultimately led to him signing a huge deal with Def Jam. The song would eventually be remixed to include features from Jeezy and Jay-Z, giving the song a second life that still hasn’t died down 20 years later.
Rick Ross and CeeLo Green, “Tears of Joy” (2010)
Album: Teflon Don
Producer: No I.D.
“Tears of Joy” has a little bit of everything. An extended intro featuring a Bobby Seale vocal sample; Rozay transitioning from those lessons of revolutionary tactics to smoking spliffs in new Benz’s; a guest feature from CeeLo; and a beat from No I.D. It’s the sort of iconic song that could get lost in a discography as vast as Ross’. But Teflon Don, which has five songs on this list, is a reminder of his brilliance any time he’s on the mic.
Rick Ross, “Santorini Greece” (2017)
Album: Rather You Than Me
Producer: Bink!
No matter how far from home Rick Ross may travel, the issues and problems that plague him in the U.S. follow him. On “Santorini Greece,” he looks back at his opps and enemies with a swaggering defiance, trying to figure out why all this money can’t solve the problems that ache at his core. It’s a problem philosophers have been ruminating on for centuries.
Rick Ross, Chrisette Michele, and Drake, “Aston Martin Music” (2010)
Album: Teflon Don
Producer: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
Another Drake collab, another J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League beat. Rick Ross knows what works, and on this Teflon Don cut he hones the formula to perfection. Here, he adds legendary vocalist Chrisette Michele into the fold, creating perhaps the finest tribute to a luxury automaker ever recorded to tape.
Kanye West Feat. Rick Ross, “Devil in a New Dress” (2010)
Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Producer: Bink! and MIKE DEAN
“Devil in a New Dress” was perhaps the first time a lot of casual rap fans had the realization many of us devotees had come to years earlier: Rick Ross can rap his ass off. His best guest feature of all time is a tour de force, standing out on an album full of all-time guest features. Rozay was on a steady trajectory before his MBDTF feature arrived, but the song helped skyrocket him into legend status.
Rick Ross Feat. Styles P, “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)” (2010)
Album: Teflon Don
Producer: Lex Luger
As we reach the number one song in Rick Ross’ discography, I have a humble request. More link ups between Rozay and Lex Luger, please.
Yeah, the track features one of the best choruses Ross has ever penned—I think I'm Big Meech, Larry Hoover/ Whipping work, hallelujah”—but his power and gravitas on top of the massive beat is what gives the song its unrelenting power. It’s the musical equivalent of a king surveying his domain, looking down upon his loyal subjects, in awe of the world he’s created.
