Yes, I wish he was prettier. I think we all do, I’ll say that upfront. But there is something about Rick Ross that is refreshing. Actually, not quite refreshing, rather reminiscent of 1990s hip-hop that raised me. His fourth solo, studio ablum, Teflon Don (download here), dropped last Tuesday, July 20, 2010. 

 Plain and simple, Rick Ross is a thug. It’s been a while since I heard explicit lyrics like this. Have you noticed lately that rappers are only talking about where, when and how much they can “take a shit”. Like, Lil’ Wayne’s line “I got 10 bathrooms I can shit all day.” There’s more, trust me. Thugs just say things like “bitch”, “fuck” and “nigga”. The rest is just gross and uncomfortable unless it’s coming from Eminem (that man get a pass on everything, no?).

Rick Ross has a delivery that is boastful yet serious. There is a different flashiness from him. He still speaks of the struggle and the need to succeed while basking in everything that is fame, “If you looking for me, you can find me in the Guinness book. Only fly bitches ride with the Boss. Take a look.” Rick Ross has street appeal. Let me explain. Rick Ross might have illegal actions under his belt that were not  for publicity and mainly out of necessity. It’s the same way everyone old enough knows that Snoop Dogg has bodies buried somewhere. Rappers recently, just have a look like they can get bullied and pushed around. Not the guys you’d call to have your back. If you look like you get punked, I have no respect for you. Sorry, I breathe hip-hop and abide by street commandments. Chumps get no respect and Ross let’s us know he is no chump.

“So fuck a nigga. I’m self made. 
You a sucka nigga. I’m self-paid. 
This for my broke niggas. This for my rich niggas. 
Got a hundred on the head of a snitch nigga. 


I think I’m Big Meech. Larry Hoover. 
Whippin work. Hallelujah. 
One nation. Under God. 
Real niggas gettin money from the fuckin start.”
Rick Ross – B.M.F. (Blowin Money Fast) ft. Styles P.


The mafioso name-dropping though, seems to get Ross in trouble often. Apparently, the Gotti Family isn’t too happy about the name of the album being titled Teflon Don since that was John Gotti Jr’s, Boss of the NYC Gambino crime family, nickname. But then again, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and  Larry Hoover don’t seem to have a problem with being mentioned. Sidenote: Is there something deeper here? Meech & Hoover are both Black. Seems like sometime we forget that the Italians didn’t fancy Blacks. I mean, just watch West Side Story. I doubt they meant to show how the Blacks were treated, and if you ignore it, you don’t see it. But if you’re Black, you’ll notice. Perhaps Rick Ross’s controversy can open up race conversation in certain circle although I have little faith that it will.

Anyhow, Rick Ross. Thug, right? And Rick Ross doesn’t sing BTW. To “make up” for that, he has amazing collabos in Teflon Don: Jadakiss, T.I., Trey Songz, Erykah Badu, P-Diddy (there’s something fly about Diddy’s wack, you have to admit that) to name a few. It seems like if I stop paying attention to the song playing, all of a sudden I hear a familiar voice and say “You, too!?”

No matter the features, Ross holds his own. He has a raw way of speaking. His delivery is puporseful and shows no signs of hesitation. Ross’s way of speaking makes it seem like everything he’s saying is truth. Even his lady-aimed “Aston Martin”  ft. Drake and Chrisette Michelle (What’d I say about this effin amazin feaures?!?!?) retains his gangsta as he  says, “Everytime we fuck, her soul takes control of me.”  Maybe that’s not how a lady wants to hear it, but that’s his truth. There’s nothing better than the truth. That’s the real hip-hop has been missing for a while.

You know an album’s good when you want it to be over so you can listen to it again.

Bra[fuckin]vo, Ross.