Port Of Miami

“Port of Miami” is the debut studio album by Rick Ross, released on August 8, 2006, through Poe Boy Entertainment, Slip-n-Slide Records and Def Jam Recordings.

The story

Ross had spent years on the edges of the industry, recording as Teflon Da Don and working with Miami’s Slip-n-Slide, the label behind Trick Daddy and Trina. His single “Hustlin’” was released in March 2006 and spread quickly through Miami clubs and radio. The response led to a deal with Def Jam, then run by Jay-Z, and a remix of “Hustlin’” added verses from Jay-Z and Young Jeezy. The single reached number 54 on the Hot 100 and was later certified double platinum. A second single, “Push It,” followed in May 2006.

Sound and production

The 19-track album used a range of producers, including J.R. Rotem, Cool & Dre, The Runners, DJ Khaled and Jazze Pha. “Hustlin’” was produced by The Runners. “Push It,” produced by J.R. Rotem, samples Paul Engemann’s “Scarface (Push It to the Limit)” from the 1983 film “Scarface,” which is set in Miami. Ross’s deep, deliberate delivery sat on top of slow, heavy beats. Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album “turns the minute details of drug distribution and dealing into ominous, slow-rolling songs,” while Rolling Stone called the lyrics minimal but credited the production for carrying the record.

Legacy

“Port of Miami” debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 187,000 copies sold in its first week and also reached number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The RIAA certified it platinum on July 28, 2016. It was the first of three consecutive number 1 albums for Ross, followed by “Trilla” (2008) and “Deeper Than Rap” (2009). The album made Ross the most commercially successful rapper from Miami’s street scene and shifted attention from the Liberty City sound of Trick Daddy toward a slower, more cinematic style. Ross followed it with his own label, Maybach Music Group, and released a sequel album, “Port of Miami 2,” in 2019.

Released August 8, 2006. More from hip hop in 2006.