Album Review: Mastermind by Rick Ross

            Rick Ross’s Mastermind album has finally come out. I have to say it was the most anticipated album for me. Ross always has been one of my favorite rappers of all time. He is very versatile when it comes to his verses, and his albums always find a type of balance to them. I had very high expectations for Mastermind, and Ross delivered, but not completely.

            The first track, Rich Is Gangsta really set the mood for the album. The soulful side at least. Black Metaphor flips an amazing sample “Soul Searching” by Average White Band, and Ross proclaims how “rich is gangsta”. And amazing intro.

            Ross goes to a trap beat for his next, which surprisingly is produced by Jake One. This epic track is also pretty touching when he gives shoutouts to all his dawgs that have been killed.

            Rozay follows “Drug Dealers Dream” with a skit about the shooting that took place last year on his car. Never been a big fan of skits, but this skit is a major theme throughout the album.

            Nobody is basically a remake of Biggie’s hit, “You’re Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)”. I wish the track wasn’t just a remake, but Ross honestly does his thing. Thankfully French doesn’t have a verse, Puffy is just Puffy. “You wanna walk around with them or you wanna walk with God, nigga?”-real talk

            Devil Is A Lie was the first single off Mastermind, and I still listen to it to this day. This song is simply one of the dopest songs Ross has ever made, and Hov is the cherry on top. That sample tho…

            Mafia Music III shows Ricky going Jamaican, and he brings along dancehall artists Mavado and Sizzla, to truly bring that vibe. Ross delivers a lengthy verse, laden with many metaphors explaining how he has a don. Not one of my favorite tracks off the album.

            War Ready is the “is the anthem the streets been waiting for”, and this track was also the second single on Mastermind. MikeWill cooks up a bass led, gunshot laced beat. Ross and Jeezy have verses filled with gangsta references. This definitely is one of the most turnt tracks on the album.

            A lot of this album is homage to 90’s hiphop, and “What A Shame” is one of those tracks. Ross starts with saying a line from “Shame On A Nigga” by Wu Tang Clan, and proceeds to rap about his cars and weed.

            Now we get to probably my favorite track on the whole album. Scott Storch is back, and provides a horn led beat that Ross destroys. His flow on this track reminds me of old school Ross, and it is incredible. This track bumps, and features Keith Sweat-what a combination.

            BLK & WHT is a storytelling track about drug dealing. This D Rich produced banger contains the controversial Trayvon Martin lyric(his explanation of this lyric was not the best). This track is like any other Ross track.

            Another skit, and we are at “In Vein” featuring The Weeknd. This track is basically about getting drunk. The real standout in this track is the beat-really atmospheric.

            Sanctified, I would say, was the most anticipated track on the LP. The beat is produced by Mr. West, Travis $cott, and DJ Mustard. Kanye goes off here. He touches on his recent rants, how he is a god, and of course his woman. Sean handles the chorus and hook, and Rozay provides an alright verse. The beat is fire though, because of how it crescendos on each verse.

            God flow right here. I mean the song is called, Walkin On Air. Another D Rich produced anthem, and Meek has to be featured on it. This goes hard, but this sounds like a regular mixtape cut.

            This next song is magnificent. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League flip the same sample used in 93 Till Infinity by Souls Of Mischief(one of my fav hiphop samples-jazz and hiphop what can go wrong?). Weezy actually has the best verse on this song, which makes me have high hopes for the Carter V. Great ending to an ok album.

            Man…I wish more of the album was like Thug Cry, Supreme, and Rich Is Gangsta. The LP was good, but not to my expectations. He shows balance, but not enough lyricism for me. (3.5 out of 5 stars)     

            

King Shit by Big Boi

Sir Lucious Leftfoot comes with another mashup that is my new favorite mashup. "In The A" is mixed with "Run For Cover" by Reija Lee and Kito, dopeness!

New Agenda by Big K.R.I.T.

The first entry in the "Week of K.R.I.T." series brings Krizzle and Rozay over a smooth rolling beat produced by K.R.I.T, dopeness!

In Distress by A$AP Rocky

From the OST of the upcoming motion picture, Divergent. This track goes off, dopeness!

Throwback Thursday: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. by Three 6 Mafia

I was listening to old school Mafia this week, and I wanted to make one of the greatest posse cuts a Throwback Thursday, dopeness!

Big Homie by Diddy

Puffy returns to the music seen with a bang. He brings along French Montana and Rozay for a banger off his upcoming MMM album, dopeness!

Album Review: Oxymoron by Schoolboy Q

            The highly anticipated album from Q has finally released. After being pushed back for many months, Puffy unleashes one of the dopest gangsta themed albums ever. Oxymoron is truly a classic that will stand the test of time, starting with a turnt intro.

            Gangsta is the epitome of what a drive-by song should be. Q starts with an intro from his daughter that sets up the mood that Q will be a gangsta forever. The Nez & Rio instrumental comes in and the hook is the cherry on top for this amazing intro. YAWK YAWK YAWK!

            Super producer, Pharrell provides a bumpin song for Q to go off on. It is impossible to not dance to this banger. Fellow TDE labelmate, Jay Rock provides a closing verse as well.

            Collard Greens is the smokers anthem. The second single for Oxymoron got a lotta play, not for Q, but for Kendrick’s bilingual flow.

            The next song is another street anthem, which features Mr. Ad-lib, 2Chainz. MikeWill provides a haunting instrumental, in which Q and Deuces provide what their fans want: Something to turnup to.

            The next track, Hoover Street, is Q repping his hood. The beat itself changes in the middle, in which Q provides some of the best verses of the whole LP.

            This next song is very odd  among all this gangsta songs, especially for Q. Studio is a love song, in which Q and BJ The Chicago Kid try to court a certain girl. Q aint afraid to be explicit about it either.

            Prescription/Oxymoron I would have to say is the crux of this whole album. This storytelling track shows Q talking about his drug use, and him reminiscing on this usage after his daughter is born. The Prescription part of the song shows that he is doing all this bad to keep his daughter safe. When that beat changes tho…to turnt.

            Q said in an interview that, The Purge, was one of the most fun tracks to make for this album. It is pretty dope that Schoolboy Q’s daughter is narrating the whole album, and she also provides the intro to this killer track. This all West Coast track features OFWGKTA frontman, Tyler, The Creator provides the beat and hook. West Coast legend, Kurupt, provides a solid closing.

            Blind Threats is one of the closest songs to an old school Wu Tang track. Which makes sense, because Raekwon himself is featured on this chill banger. The most lyrical song on the whole album right here. Introspective and retrospective.

            We first heard Hell Of A Night during the NBA playoffs, and I’ve been excited for it ever since. DJ Dahi provides a very atmospheric instrumental, which really adds to the party vibe of this track.

            The Alchemist provides the old school beat, in which Q goes on for 6 minutes! This track goes hard, that’s all I need to say. La-da-di-do, la-di-da-di-da-di-do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            A braggadocios track form Q, Man Of The Year. Nez & Rio provide the banger again. Bounce!!!

            I’ve seen rappers rap as another person, but rapping as an inanimate object is rare. Nas rapped as a gun in I Gave You Power, but Q raps as a oxycontin pill. His & Her Friend shows how the pill is persuading Q to use “him/her”. SZA provides a hook that is supposed to sound like a person on drugs.

            Grooveline Pt. 2 is a song in which Q and Suga Free rap form the perspective of pimps. This song is a sequel to Grooveline Pt. 1 form his Habits & Contradictions album.

I love the groovy instrumental.

            The outro of Oxymoron is basically the summary of this gangsta album. Q claims that “Bitch, I am LA”, which is one of the most epic lines and is basically Q’s personality.

            In conclusion, I believe this album will go down in history as one of the dopest gangsta albums since Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. This LP is Q reminiscing on his past(like Pusha’s MNIMN) and looking to the future. Make way for Q ya’ll. (4 out of 5 stars)