Oft times, i'm accused of not being objective when it comes to Down South rappers, so I thought it would be a good idea to have @DamnKam do the album review for The Book. Check it out. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow.
Long gone are the days of intricate storytelling in rap music. Once the common rap topics oflife and the struggle shifted and solely focused on money – getting, having, and showing it,rap music saw an emergence of witty punchlines artists. All with money at the core. WhenRick Ross came on the scene with his massive hit, Hustlin’, I’ll admit I wasn’t impressed. Iquestioned if rap really needed another “kingpen”? Apparently, I was the only person whoshared these sentiments. Rick Rozay as he would later go on to call himself became extremelypopular and quickly. His first two albums featured a string of hits and pushed him to the forefrontof the rap community.
I didn’t start to take Ross seriously until his album, Deeper than Rap. This is when I realized thatRick and one of my favorite Brooklyn artists, Jay- Z, had more in common than being Def Jamrecording artist. They both had an uncanny ability to pick great music. Whereas Jay-Z had superproducers Kanye West, Just Blaze, Swizz Beats, and Timbaland, Rick Ross relied on unknownsand the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League. When the latter and Ross get together musical magic tends tohappen. It was then that I honestly started to pay attention to the force that was Rick Ross andrightfully so.
Fast forward to his latest project, Teflon Don, his best work to date. A lot more experienced andestablished you have a solid body of work consisting of eleven strong tracks. The lead single,B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast) features a hot sixteen from Styles P., pretty much sets the toneof what to expect from this album. Crazy hooks, catchy punchlines, and infectious beats. Thetrack like most tracks on this album finds Ross providing you with motivating quips so impactfulthat you often forget what the song is about. And while in the past you normally would carewith Ross you don’t. And this is what works for this album. The runaway smash M.C. Hammer,as ludicrous as the title suggest has Ross spitting some of his most potent bars ever. And ofcourse the album wouldn’t be complete without a club banger. No.1 featuring Diddy and TreySongz surely fits the bill. The album also features a third installment of his infamous MaybachMusic series. T.I.’s 16 pretty much carries the track but don’t be confused. While this isn’tmy favorite in the series, J.U.S.T.I.C.E League does not disappoint on the production. Thetrack easily could have been an instrumental. And no Rick Ross album is complete without areflective record. Teflon Don happens to have two, All The Money In the World and Tears ofJoy. And last but not least two great guest appearances by Jay-Z and Kanye West on FreeMason and Live Fast, Die Young.
While Rick Ross’s authenticity will always be up for debate one thing that isn’t is his ability tomake good music. And that should not go overlooked. This album surely will be your soundtrackfor summer.
~Damn Kam
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