Mastermind
When it comes to millionaire-kingpin raps over lushly orchestrated, ultra-grandiose production, few can do it like Rick Ross. The MMG head honcho returns here with his sixth album, generally following the same script that made him one of hip-hop\'s biggest superstars. Overflowing with A-list features (Jay Z, Kanye, Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Scarface, French Montana, etc.) and overseen by platinum producers like Diddy, Jake One, Mike WiLL Made It, and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, there\'s no doubt that *Mastermind* will end up in the same place as his previous five albums: topping the charts. As a criminally minded storyteller, Ross continues to impress, while the beats display a stylistic diversity not generally found in today\'s pop-rap. \"Thug Cry\" tweaks Souls of Mischief\'s classic anthem \"93 Til Infinity,\" while \"Supreme\" finds Scott Storch pairing rat-a-tat-tat 808s with some absurdly funky horns and flutes. Other highlights include \"The Devil Is a Lie\" and \"Mafia Music III.\"
Rick Ross’ sixth studio album Mastermind arrives following a rough year for the Maybach Music empire. The collection shines when guest raps from the likes of Kanye West, Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, and Jay Z light a fire under his ass.
Rick Ross remained a fixture on rap radio in 2013 thanks to guest spots on gangbuster singles from Ace Hood, DJ Khaled, Jay Z, and Rocko—hits so big they masked the fact that Ross didn’t have one of his own. Ross has never been one to let inconvenient realities get in the way of awesome myths, however, so although his…
As a result, Rick Ross records have a tendency to make him sound like a bit of a Jordan Belfort.
Not one to evolve at any rate above a snail's pace, Miami rapper Rick Ross is gloriously stuck on gangsta rap, having found a simple yet seemingly secret formula that no other hip-hopper has been able to steal, at least not for more than a single or two.
Mastermind often feels like the hip-hop equivalent of a commemorative march for a triumphant ruler.
[xrr rating=2.0/5]Rick Ross, the self-professed “biggest boss that you seen thus far” is now six albums deep into an eight year solo career.