Teflon Don
By the dawn of the 2010s, Rick Ross had endured one-hit wonder accusations, a beef with 50 Cent, and assaults on his reputation by reports of his stint as a correctional officer—yet he’d still solidified himself as a formidable artist. Ross could make trap records that knocked just as hard as any other acts from below the Mason-Dixon line, and larger-than-life luxury raps that oozed with ornateness. But his fourth release, 2010’s *Teflon Don*, proved that Ross could make a body of work that shined beyond specific highlights. The album’s 11 tracks are assembled as intentionally and efficiently as any of his works to date. *Telfon Don* leaves no stone unturned when it comes to Ross’ strengths. “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)” and “I’m Not a Star” are thunderous and triumphant trap bangers, his booming voice swinging through synths like an axe through wood. “Maybach Music III” elevated his signature series to new heights, with an orchestral J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League instrumental, a soulful Erykah Badu chorus, and opulent rhymes by T.I. and Jadakiss—all of it making way for Ross’ own scene-changing finale of a verse. Ross is often known more for the fantastical than for the introspective, but he even gives himself a chance to reflect on *Teflon Don*. “Tears of Joy” utilizes a Marvin Gaye hook morphed by No I.D.—and stirring vocals by CeeLo Green—to tell Ross’ rags-to-riches story with a perspective of gratitude and incredulousness. And the album’s closer, “All the Money in the World,” contextualizes his family’s happiness as his number-one priority.
His first two records were lousy, but Rick Ross has found his niche by presiding over a luxurious rap fantasy out of step with the current moment.
Rick Ross earned the right to the album title Teflon Don. He’s survived being exposed as a former corrections officer and he made it through his feud with 50 Cent, a street-fighter of an MC who once had the power to destroy rivals, but whose beefs now feel like the hip-hop equivalent of the drunk girl at a party who…
In the past two years, Miami MC Rick Ross has been dissed by 50 Cent, mocked as a phony gangsta when photos surfaced of his tenure as a corrections officer, and slapped with a $10 million lawsuit by his namesake, reformed drug kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross.
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