Ross is perhaps one of the great surprises in hip-hop history period. If you go back to the beginning of his career it looked certain that Ross was destined to be a trap rapper not known at all for lyricism, yet as time’s played out he’s surprised everybody and has proven that his sword is sharper than most. Furthermore his style and delivery is immaculate, and he has HITS to his name, smash hit after smash hit and today he’s become a legitimate King of commercial hip-hop.
Yet he’d just call himself the Boss, one who decisively won the war with 50 Cent and even survived his own Pill Cosby endorsement, which in fairness were only foolish lyrics in a song and is now all but forgotten. Instead today all that matters is that Ross continues to put out cohesive albums that satisfy every type of music fan, from the dedicated hip-hop head to the casual listener, everybody loves Ross and all for good reason.
With that being said Rather You Than Me is his ninth studio album, and by all accounts it can strongly be considered his best work to date. Rather You Than Me is critiqued track by track below.
Apple of my Eye ft Raphael Saadiq
“I'm happy Donald Trump became the president, because we gotta destroy, before we elevate, real shit, look at me inside the white house, with a pocket full of weed inside the white house, dead presidents tattooed on a ***** chest, U.S. treasury addressing me, mad at my address, own the biggest residential pool in the U.S, Drake and Kanye can invite every bitch they ever met” Produced by Major Nine aka Chad Thomas the Miami Hurricane football star, the introduction to the album is nothing short of incredible. On this groundbreaking work of art Ross spits introspective raps with his patented flow that by now we all know so well, and it's one that slowly but surely has become one of the most profound deliveries in the game. In other words Ross sounds better than ever on this, and speaking of music that sounds good on the ears, Raphael Saadiq on the hook and the bridge is one of the most clutch moves in the history of all music, talking bout "I was strolling down a dark street, when this girl passed me byyyyy, she said you've always been a good friend (always been a good friend), and you never never never let me down” 🔥🔥🔥 all 🔥🔥🔥
Santorini Greece
“Restricted license but I'm so divisive, I know the snipers and I flow the nicest” Produced by Bink! this is one of many standout records on the album, as per usual Ross chooses the nicest production to compliment his flawless delivery.
Idols Become Rivals ft Chris Rock
“And what hurt me the most, is how you did my brother Khaled, Khaled was loyal to you, the pain I seen in my brother's eye.... he took that to the chin… that's why my ***** blessed! that's why my ***** Khaled blessed!” Rick Ross takes the gloves off and goes at Birdman directly in this monumental record that plays over the Jay Z/Beanie Sigel “Where Have You Been” instrumental, that also indirectly pays homage to a J Cole record (within the title)… this one is significant in every way.
Trap Trap Trap ft Young Thug & Wale
“I took my roof off at the red light, I took my roof off at the red light, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap” Produced by Yung Coke this one’s a typical trap record, where unlike the previous 3 records this one’s relatively generic. Even still it serves it’s purpose and the features are decent as well.
Dead Presidents ft Future, Jeezy & Yo Gotti
“I got thirty white bitches like Tommy Lee, I make drug money, nigga, I make blood money” Produced by Beat Billionaire I swear I’ve heard this same instrumental a million times before, yet all the same the adrenaline is high and I can’t knock it for what it is. Debatable filler but not necessarily a skip.
She On My Dick ft Gucci Mane
“She on my dick, she on my dick (woo), richest ***** in the city so she on my dick” Nah off the lackluster hook alone this one’s definitely a SKIP!
I Think She Like Me ft Ty Dolla $ign
“Santorini, Greece, sex in the swimmin' pool, if her pussy dry, call her Beetle Juice, I'm baby makin' in the Malvides, put up all the yachts, pulled out the jet skis, Khaled hit me on the FaceTime [It's Billy!], I'm the flyest **** on his baseline, she see the sneakers and she see the stones, fat boy run the city, seated in the throne, I'm cashin' in like the Kardashians, my paralyzed homie snuck a ratchet in” On this record Ross coasts per usual on tremendous production that heavily samples the Stylistics ‘People Make The World Go Round,’ making it clear once more that Ross has one of the best ears in music.
Powers That Be ft Chris Rock & Nas
“You know how it is, new levels, new devils, the cheddar breed jealousy at hella speed but it's whatever” This is Rick Ross & Nas’s fourth collaboration and they continue to put out 🔥🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Produced by Sap they got another one, this one’s perfect from start to finish, including the Chris Rock monologue that’s nothing but truth.
Game Ain’t Based on Sympathy
“No more beefin with rappers, it's just murder or nothin, new positions to master, I perfected the others” Produced by Bink! & The Youngstars the production is the star of this one… and like usual Ross comes correct as well. A great album cut.
Scientology
“Bun B and Action Bronson, I'm seein'no colors, if you with me you with me, I'ma ride for my brother, honor and pride, put the salaries aside, this lead in the water, put your prayers in the sky” More fire production from Bink! and Rozay once again flexes on this 💪💪💪 easily one of the best records on the album, highlighted by the enthusiastic and animated final four bars that close out the record.
Lamborghini Doors ft Meek Mill & Anthony Hamilton
“They gon love me, they gon love me now, I bet they tell they friends they wanna fuck me now, yeah, I bet they say, ‘he put his ***** on’, now we comin' up like them Lamborghini doors, ooh” This is basically a Meek Mill record and as a change of pace it actually compliments the album well. Not mad at this at all.
Triple Platinum ft Scrilla
“Triple platinum, triple platinum, hundred room mansion like I'm triple platinum, more money than them ***** that went triple platinum, triple platinum, triple platinum” More 🔥🔥🔥 although for what it’s worth it would be nice to see Rozay really go platinum again, with as many features as he’d like
Maybach Music V ft Dej Loaf
“On the phone, she had me listenin' to Boyz II Men, I'm tryna be at all the dope boy events, food stamps now we dinin on islands, diced pineapples, now she's my piña colada” Salute to Ross and producers Beat Butcha, Buda & Grandz for actually making Dej Loaf sound really good… I would have said her career was over but this feature is probably her best work to date. All about the production tho...
Summer Seventeen ft Yo Gotti
“I got a lick boy, I got a lick, 2017 trust me boy, this one is it, I used to smoke the weed until my fingers burn, pool of bitches fucking me, I got em' taking turns” Typical Ross to close the album no more no less, not a standout but good enough to do it’s numbers all the same.
In conclusion a strong case can be made that this is indeed the best album of his career, as even though he lowkey has tons of debatable classics up and down his catalogue (Teflon Don my personal favorite), when you consider how incredible some of these album cuts really are… that Raphael Saadiq feature in particular… this right here might really be the Boss’s Magnum Opus and it’s a cause for a celebration. Salute to the consistency and longevity and shout out the Checkers look and Lemon Pepper wings, Rick Ross is nothing short of a living legend in the making.