Hustlin' Gets You Signed

Ted Lucas, CEO of Slip-N-Slide Records, must be asking himself why he let slip away the artist who caused a bidding war between Def Jam Records president Jay-Z and other label execs. DJs from Miami's top urban radio stations know exactly why there was a fight for a piece of Miami's next big thing, rapper Rick Ross. DJ Khaled of 99 Jamz and Papa Keith of 103.5 The Beat constantly play Ross's "Hustlin'" on their respective radio shows. The record began as a local hit and then burst outside regional boundaries with what MTV.com calls "monstrous momentum." Backed by a killer "Every Day I Hustle" vocal sample, this underground offering has nearly everyone betting that Ross will deliver one of the best albums of 2006.

Before recording the single this past November and handing it himself to DJ Khaled, Ross was signed to Slip-N-Slide. After Ross was released from his contract, his first independent offerings included a slew of attention-grabbing mixtapes that featured original productions from Jazze Pha and Kanye West.

"I signed a million-dollar deal with Def Jam," Ross told Burner. Asked if he is still hustlin' now that he is signed to the largest rap label in the world, Ross dismisses any notion of slowing down. "I got Jay-Z coming down to Miami. We're doing a video with Cool and Dre."