Whether labeled “Speedboat rap” or “yacht music,” Rick Ross is not deep. No one believes he is–save for Ross himself–a man who lives in an oblivious nether-galaxy heretofore reserved for Mike Tyson, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rod Blagojevich, Killa Cam, and Jim Jones–the real Jim Jones.
Even if we agree on this pathology, the “RICK ROSS IS GOOD NOW!” meme currently blighting the blogosphere remains patently ridiculous. It’s astonishing how easily a display of simple A-B-C rap facility has people rushing to Thesaurus.com, searching for superlatives. Yeah, ultimately, I agree with Sach’s assessment of Deeper than Rap. I gave it three stars at the Times, the same rating I gave to the FloRida album that I never linked to, because why would you want to read a FloRida review?
Both are well-constructured and rigorously competent corporate rap albums that lack soul, spontaneity, wit, and essentially everything that I like about music. Besides, smart money says that rappers don’t suddenly vastly alter rhyme schemes and styles at 33 years old, on their third major label effort. Cue the “Ride or Die” snippet of Jay: “for the right price, I can even make your shit tighter.” In the end, I’m fine with the coke fantasy fabrications, the hulking bombast, even the beard. OK, especially the beard. But if you’re going to re-make The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen as a rap album, at least do Terry Gilliam right–don’t give us some Michael Bay bombs and banality shit. BAWSE!
LA Times: Rick Ross–Deeper Than Rap Review
Download:
MP3: Rick Ross-“Mafia Music”
MP3: Rick Ross ft. Kanye West, T-Pain, Lil Wayne-“Maybach Music 2”
