So Rozay dropped Mastermind, his sixth studio album under May Bach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Rick Ross had a goal for his latest project to be a classic, a reminiscence of the chill vibe of the golden era of the 90’s but to be honest it’s a good body of work but its nothing compared to Deeper than Rap and Teflon Don. I would dare say GFID (God Forgives I Don’t) was actually more conceptual and insightful than Mastermind but do not get it twisted Mastermind is still a top quality album and you can see that Ross still has not lost his taste in beats. I can only imagine Diddy had a lot to do with how this album sounded as it was almost as if I heard Trilla, Port of Miami, a bit of Deeper than Rap and the new Rozay flow all complied on the album.
Fortunately I won’t be speaking on every track on the album as some are particularly underwhelming but the standouts for me are of course starting with Drug Dealer's Dream sounded like Teflon Don Ross on a beat with heavy bass that makes you unconsciously nod your head. The Subject nature throughout the album is that you would expect of Ross, visions of grandeur, the machinations of a master "crime lord", and the insight of a man who reflects on the negatives of the "game".
Fortunately I won’t be speaking on every track on the album as some are particularly underwhelming but the standouts for me are of course starting with Drug Dealer's Dream sounded like Teflon Don Ross on a beat with heavy bass that makes you unconsciously nod your head. The Subject nature throughout the album is that you would expect of Ross, visions of grandeur, the machinations of a master "crime lord", and the insight of a man who reflects on the negatives of the "game".
Indeed if Ross never sold a brick in his life you would never know from the content and the details he portrays, if it was not from personal experience it definitely comes from good sources.
Nobody is a top standout not because of Ross and not because of that addictive French Montana hook but because of that Diddy Speech. That Speech that was said to not be staged but was a real conversation with Diddy taking on an associate about the lack of vision and ambition.
That song is inspiring for that verse alone; if you manage to get through and not feel like you need to do more with life then there's no hope for you.
Mafia Music III is a great track but I think I would have rather it be named differently, I didn’t get that "Mafia Music" effect such as that was given off from I and II. Maybe it was because it wasn’t as Grandiose as the prequels in sound. The Jamaican infused beat was not lacking though and Sizzla was a great addition.
Nobody is a top standout not because of Ross and not because of that addictive French Montana hook but because of that Diddy Speech. That Speech that was said to not be staged but was a real conversation with Diddy taking on an associate about the lack of vision and ambition.
That song is inspiring for that verse alone; if you manage to get through and not feel like you need to do more with life then there's no hope for you.
Mafia Music III is a great track but I think I would have rather it be named differently, I didn’t get that "Mafia Music" effect such as that was given off from I and II. Maybe it was because it wasn’t as Grandiose as the prequels in sound. The Jamaican infused beat was not lacking though and Sizzla was a great addition.
To close this insight without mentioning the "Hanker-ch-aaave" song would be an insult with that DJ Mustard and Kanye collab production it was bound to be magic. The Betty white recreation was a magical touch rather than to be a sample as the powerful nature of her voice really brought the track together.
All in all it was a job well done but it still fell short of a classic in my eyes. Call me a hipster or one who dwells in the past too much but Ross needs to really revisit the Deeper than Rap days and combine it with Teflon Don Production to get his Classic.
Turnt!
ReplyDelete